#nf england

[eurovision-del]

Sanremo comes to an end tonight. I’ll confess, I haven’t been watching each night, but I have taken the time to check out all the competing songs, and here’s my ranking:

Mahmood – Tuta gold

Ricchi e Poveri – Ma non tutta la vita

Alfa – Vai!

La Sad – Autodistruttivo

Clara – Diamanti grezzi

Dargen D’Amico – Onda alta

Il Tre – Fragili

Annalisa – Sinceramente

Loredana Bertè – Pazza

BigMama – La rabbia non ti basta

Irama – Tu no

Sangiovanni – Finiscimi

The Kolors – Un ragazzo, una ragazza

Emma – Apnea

Fiorella Mannoia – Mariposa

Geolier – I’ p’ me, tu p’ te

Angelina Mango – La noia

Fred De Palma – Il cielo non ci vuole

Renga & Nek – Pazzo di te

Ghali – Casa mia

Maninni – Spettacolare

Diodato – Ti muovi

Mr. Rain – Due altalene

Bnkr44 – Governo punk

Il Volo – Capolavoro

Alessandra Amoroso – Fino a qui

Santi Francesi – L’amore in bocca

Rose Villain – Click Boom!

Gazzelle – Tutto qui

Negramaro – Ricominciamo tutto

Firstly, Mahmood was far and away my clear standout with Tuta gold. There’s something so effortlessly catchy about Mahmood’s style, and his distinct voice and charisma as a performer really set him apart for me. I like how it uses the little phone tone sound in the chorus as a hook and also to tie into the lyrics of the song. In fact, the song as a whole is really well produced, and I honestly want to listen to it over and over.

That said, there are still plenty of other great entries here. I found Ricchi e Poveri’s performance very memorable with them wrapped in the giant bow at the start, and the track itself is fun and exciting, and really benefits from the Sanremo orchestra, with all those violins going at the start. Vai! was another song I distinctly remembered after just one listen, with that little whoo-hoo and accompanying whistle making for a very catchy hook. I really enjoy the energy of the song and how uplifting it sounds. Autodistruttivo is a solid rock song, the ‘oh-ooh-oh’s might be a little generic but the overall punchy sound of the song is great, and I like La Sad’s distinctive look. I also really like Diamanti grezzi, it’s another song I think is really well produced, I especially like how the beat sounds in the pre-chorus.

If Mahmood hadn’t already been to Eurovision twice in the last past five years, he’d definitely be my pick to go. In fact, I like Tuta gold enough that I probably would be excited to see him in this year’s Eurovision too, but I’d also be very happy to see Italy send someone else for a change. As usual they’ve got plenty of options – I tended to prefer the upbeat, energetic songs over the ballads this year, but Italy will likely do well with just about any of these songs just thinking about Eurovision. Unfortunately I’m not going to be able to stay up tonight to find out the winner, but I am excited to find out tomorrow who they’re going to send!

[pastelpressmachine]

Black Mirror’s Demon 79 and the Justification of Brown Feminine Rage (warning: spoilers)

What if intrusive thoughts can be valid, and it is okay, maybe even necessary to act on them sometimes? If violence isn’t the answer, why must it so often be the question? 

Set in Northern England, 1979,  “Demon 79″ is the final episode of Black Mirror’s sixth season. It follows Nida, a meek sales assistant with a mousy appearance, who is tasked with the most complicated and important mission: to save the world by taking the lives of three human sacrifices in the days leading up to May Day.

Champions of the extended metaphor, Black Mirror employ the talents of Anjana Vasan (an Indian-born, Singaporean-raised, and U.K.-based actress) who plays Nida Huq and Paapa Essiedu (an English actor of Ghanaian descent) who plays Gaap*, the demon Nida accidentally invokes upon finding a talisman that begins this stressful mission of her. Gaap, devilishly handsome and charming, trying to earn his “wings” and be initiated into demonhood reassures the panicking Nida that she is not going mad, she is not a bad person, and the people she is encouraged to kill are vetted through his soul-reading as deserving of death.

*Gaap is considered through stories of demonology and texts related to the Testament of Solomon to be the Prince of Hell, with angels as siblings and a penchant for manipulating women and rendering them infertile. 

Gaap adjusts his form to something more comfortable for Nida by changing into a look-a-like of Bobby Farrell from the famous disco-funk German-Caribbean vocal group known as Boney M. Having the representation of a demonic entity be a Black man while allowing him to manifest into a symbol of appeal for Nida turns the inherent vilification of Black men on its head without contributing to the hypersexualization of Black bodies. Gaap is never presented as a love interest for her, but viewers do get to see them develop a snarky back-and-forth. I almost never see Black and brown leads banter like this. 

Another reason I’m glad Gaap was not portrayed as a sinful symbol of sexual desire is because Indian women already have to navigate a shame-fueled purity culture, and I wouldn’t want to see her grapple with her feelings for someone who is not only outside of her race and religion, but isn’t human. Writers avoided the idea that to love Gaap was to love something forbidden in all possible ways. And we don’t need to see Black folks depicted as not-human. The history of both American cinema and politics has acted on that dangerous perception already. 

When I saw the opening scene of Nida with her wide eyes waking up to get ready for work, I recognized the doe-like innocence in her face as the one I have been raised to emulate. She looks so much like my mother 30 years ago. Minimal makeup, modest clothes, hair neat and tied back.

Moments of Nida’s inner demons being unleashed start off as fantasies she has. She is quietly scurrying through her life as an oppressed minority in 1970′s England, where xenophobia and racism showed up everywhere, from the actions of the British Nationalists to the microaggressions Nida faces at work for simply bringing her potent biryanis to the stock room and “stinking up the place”.

Indian women are some of the least visible in politics historically and presently because we are raised to not make a fuss of things, to be quiet and reserved and let white people act how they want towards us because we are guests in their countries, even when they’ve colonized and pillaged our own. I feel Nida’s pain as she thanks the white people around her for the bare minimum (allowing her an alternative place to eat, such as the basement - where she finds the talisman that changes her life) and avoids the confrontation and rage within her, even sighing in defeat at the NF* tag that has been spray-painted on her front door. 

*NF stands for the National Front, a far-right, fascist political party in the United Kingdom, founded in 1967. 

I crave catharsis for Nida. And for her late mother, whom she has a photo of in her apartment. She explains after the first sacrifice that her mother was perceived as crazy, and now Nida is afraid that people will think the same of her, and this time, because of what she’s done, it will be true. I wondered if Nida’s mom was called crazy because she had stood up for herself, reported abuse or harassment that was occurring within the Indian community itself or in her own home, or tried to leave Nida’s father. None of these scenarios would make the show seem like fiction at all, at least not for many of the South Asian women trapped by the chains of patriarchal ideals. 

There are moments where I am concerned Nida is enamored by Michael Smart, a white politician giving a campaign speech outside the store she works at, as if his mere acknowledgment of her existence without visible disgust is enough to make her heart flutter. Again, I enjoy seeing a Black and brown lead in this episode, and knowing that other viewers are getting to see the many instances of white culture that exposes the racist ignorance and unfair power structures that exist in western society, workplaces, and even the homes of white folks themselves. (I was so happy for little Laura to hear of what was done to her assailant).

When it comes to stopping the world from absolute destruction in a nuclear holocaust, the heroes have never really been people who look like Nida. (It is worth noting that the head writer for this episode was Bisha K. Ali, who also is the executive writer for Disney+’s Ms. Marvel and has tackled many of the same representation issues in her work). People like her don’t have the permission to be loud, angry, or violent without consequences, no matter how justified. Meanwhile, with unchecked authority, bombs go off and innocent people die and children cower in their beds and white men get to act on their worst traits and impulses, however sinful, with little to no accountability.

Even when Nida is being violent, it is for the greater good. Because it has to be. Even female rage has to serve a purpose for others. It cannot just be hers. If she’s going to be angry, she better be trying to solve crime or save the world. 

And through this most guttural and sometimes poisonous part of being a human, Gaap sees her. Maybe it’s because he has transformed in the image of Nida’s celebrity crush or maybe it’s truly the way in which he interacts with her, Gaap sees Nida. He recognizes the type of violence she would and would not indulge in. He tells her she should feel more at ease after killing the first sacrifice, a pedophile she clobbers with a brick before he falls into a river. He continuously recognizes her hesitation, and suggests “Dutch courage”, or booze before following through with the second kill. It is inappropriate in Indian culture for women to drink, which Nida notes when she tells Gaap she doesn’t. Then he asks her if she wants to, something, from the expression on Nida’s face, it doesn’t seem like she has ever been asked. 

Upon entering a pub full of (yes, all white) men, Nida is dismissed by the (also white) female bartender who looks just as irritated by her existence as her coworker Vicky, who had reported how unfair it was that she had to smell Nida’s lunches and endure the lingering scent at work. An older (also white) bartender (who might be the owner) takes her order with the same polite and quiet discomfort of her boss, who had presented her with the basement lunch “solution” to appease Vicky. It’s subtle but the approaches in which different age groups and genders of white English folk take with engaging with Nida demonstrate the variety of ways in which people of colour experience discrimination. At its worst, it is violent hate crimes and unjust legislation that mutates into full blown genocide. At its mildest, it’s passive aggression and strained tolerance. 

It’s more apparent with the second killing (of a man named Keith who killed his wife) that Nida does have the option to be as righteous as she wants to be, which is something I really appreciated about her character. Even if she was killing to prevent the literal apocalypse, and the clock was 6 minutes from midnight -- she must follow the cadence of at least one kill a day -- the moment she has to hear Keith’s justification for what he did and his attempt at absolving himself with the statement “I’m not a bad husband, but --” she swings a hammer at his head to shut him up. She then bashes his head in repeatedly, even to the point where Gaap is wincing at the sight. If this was just about killing people to stop a bigger disaster and loss of life, she wouldn’t be losing herself in the act like she did. 

The third and final kill occurred in the next few minutes, as Keith’s roommate, witnesses her trying to exit, which presents itself as problem in allowing her to continue with the mission if she’s arrested. It’s messy because it was fast, the least premeditated, and she doesn’t know who the man is or if he’d done anything as bad as the previous two skills. Because of this, she’s much more apologetic as the man dies, later finding out from Gaap he was Keith’s brother, Chris, an “ordinary” person who would not have been one of Nida’s choices. 

But as Gaap says, “What’s done is done”. And the three lines on the talisman should have disappeared indicating that Nida has fulfilled her duty. But it still has a line remaining, so a confused Gaap dials 666 (of course) on Nida’s rotary phone to explain the issue to his superiors. He tells Nida that Keith apparently didn’t count because he’s a murderer and anyone who’s been directly responsible for the death of another human being (not counting future deaths they might be responsible for) is off limits. Chris counted because his death still occurred just before midnight. 

Nida doesn’t snap psychologically and decide she enjoys this and is going to become a serial killer, which is a direction I find common in other Black Mirror episodes, where the white and/or male character loses it and/or goes on a killing spree. She grapples once more with her initial unwillingness to participate in this because even when given the go-ahead and to have the most reason to, she enters a mental boxing ring with her instinct v. culture v. morals. From my own experience and what I have seen in my own community, outward expression of rage is never the first emotion a woman reaches for...because she can’t always afford to in the way others can. 

“My whole life, I never wished harm on anyone.” 

Gaap tells her what’s at risk for him, and he describes a fate of punishment that she says sounds like her life now. She stands, empathizing with an actual demon, and deciding to continue with the mission. Gaap also reminds her this isn’t solely for him; she possessed a darkness within her that drew her to the talisman. So, he asks her, who pissed her off?

To Possette’s Shoes they go. 

Vicky, a prime choice for the grand finale, delegates the task of attending to the young girl Laura (from earlier) and her mother to Nida. Because the little girl creeps Vicky out. Gaap informs Nida that because she killed Laura’s dad, Laura doesn’t kill herself at 28 and instead goes to therapy, becomes a mother at 29, and a grandmother at 57. It’s a comforting thought amidst the mayhem of it all. 

Michael Smart makes an appearance once more, as his father and the boss’s father, are old college friends, and Nida’s boss had promised him a suit and shoes on the house. The boss unsurprisingly selects Vicky as the sales attendant, with Gaap grumbling to himself as Nida’s eyes go from ‘excited crush’ to just crushed. Her boss then chooses to notice the boxes on the floor from when Vicky could’ve been cleaning up and hisses at Nida, “Could you pick up the bloody mess?” This prompts Gaap to suggest the boss be the next to go. 

Nida moves on to cleaning up the boxes, eavesdropping on the conversation between Michael and Vicky. When Michael says he hopes he has her vote, she says she is siding with the National Front who she believes will help rid the town of all the pesky foreigners. And then Michael Smart reveals himself to be what a lot of politicians are: covert bigots. He explains to Vicky that an explicitly xenophobic campaign would be too polarizing, so you have to elect a moderate who can win over the masses and put the evil plans in motion. (Sound familiar?) 

There is a subliminal language spoken among white supremacists, even if they smile politely at people who look like me and Nida. And this revelation that she witnesses presents an even more justifiable option for Nida’s third kill. 

She asks Gaap to give her information about Michael’s future, which he hesitantly reveals to her. Michael Smart wins the election, eventually becomes prime minister, and leads a new world order built on white supremacy. Nida decides he is the final target, but Gaap tells her he wouldn’t be the right choice because the Satanic world he comes from is a fan of his work and everyone there would want Michael to be able to facilitate the upcoming deaths that occur as a result of him first winning the election to become a member of Parliament. 

But Nida is set on him, or no one, giving Gaap the ultimatum to get on board or risk his own banishment after failing his initiation. 

Meanwhile, a police investigation occurs which leads to the bar staff identifying Nida as a “muttering Indian woman” who was at the bar the night Keith died. Len Fisher of Tipley Police arrives at Nida’s apartment, as part of routine questioning, and she invites him in, with Gaap’s suggestion to kill him. 

Fisher is the first white person to speak to her as person, too, even though he’s there on the premise of Nida being a potential suspect. Maybe this is more covert trust-building behaviour, maybe as a cop, maybe as someone generally suspicious of people of colour. He is the most mild-mannered, middle-man in the whole story. 

Fisher follows Nida who follows Smart after his speech at town hall. This is where I’m a little surprised but not displeased. The other episodes end with something sad, violent, and/or redemptive. Nida gets a bit of everything, but as with all things Black Mirror, not in the way you’d expect. In society, Nida may be reduced to a mad woman telling an insensible story, enduring the same perception people had of her mother. But society doesn’t last long, and she walks off into a kind of nuclear, fiery sunset with a new friend. 

The deadline for the sacrifices had been May Day, also known as Workers’ Day or International Workers’ Day to commemorate the struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Nida, representing intersectional identities of the working class (immigrants, women, people of colour), was not listened to or believed, and the world ended because of it. Her weapon of choice had been a hammer, a tool meant for building that was used for destructive but necessary purposes. This could be a reference to the Communist party’s symbol of a hammer and sickle, which represents proletarian solidarity. The meaning of the episode, particularly its ending, captures the significance of the working class and how our world relies on them to function and last. When their efforts are stunted, their sacrifices are in vain, or they are not heard, the world ends. 

[natsuki-bakery]

⁎˚ ఎ Hetalia 2p agere hcs ! ໒ ˚⁎

AGERE 2P ENGLAND (Oliver)

WITH 2P FRANCE (francois) AS HIS CAREGIVER PLSS /nf

Caregiver 2P France :

•Despite his typically aloof and cold demeanor, François becomes incredibly gentle and protective when caring for Oliver. He takes his role as a caregiver very seriously and ensures that Oliver feels safe and secure

•François speaks in a softer, more soothing tone when interacting with Oliver in his regressed state. His usual sharpness is replaced with patience and understanding

•Care giver France would call him : petit chou, mon trésor, mon cœur, little one, mon bébé, mon lapinou, petite étoile et chéri !

•Cooking and Baking: François enjoys cooking and baking for Oliver, preparing meals that are both comforting and nutritious. He often makes special treats like warm, homemade pastries or hearty soups

•François has a knack for creating a calm and serene environment. He keeps their living space tidy and filled with soft lighting, calming scents, and gentle music to help Oliver relax and feel at ease

•François loves to read to Oliver, using his rich, soothing voice to bring stories to life. He has a collection of classic children’s books and fairy tales that Oliver adores <3

•Understanding Oliver's love for creativity, François often sets up art activities. They spend afternoons drawing, painting, or crafting together

Age regressor 2P England :

•In his regressed state, Oliver is soft, vulnerable, and more open about his feelings

•Oliver has a beloved collection of stuffed animals that he clings to for comfort. His favorite is a well-worn teddy bear that François gifted him

•Oliver becomes more playful and curious when regressed. He loves exploring new games, puzzles, and toys that François introduces to keep his mind engaged and happy !

•Baking Together : Although he loves baking on his own, in his regressed state, Oliver enjoys baking with François, finding comfort in the familiar activity and the company of his caregiver.

•Age regressed Oliver is very affectionate and seeks out physical comfort from his Care giver, François. He loves snuggling up with him during nap times or while watching calming shows or movies

•England often seeks reassurance from François, needing frequent affirmations of safety and love. François is always ready to provide a warm hug or a gentle pat on the back to remind Oliver that he’s cared for and protected

DNI: basic criteria, DSMP, vivziepop/h4zbin h0tel/h3lluva b0ss fans, Owl h0use fans, St4r butterfly fans, Ghibli fans, ddlg/abdl, nsfw/k!nk, anti-agere, anti Christians blogs

[devilsrecreation]

I need to hear about your actor au for tlg!!! /nf

Well you’re in luck cuz I made a post about it here!

That being said I wanna add a few things:

All the actors probably have non-Swahili names but for simplicity (aka not writing ___’s actor every time) I’ll stick to the character

Njano being a nepo baby is kinda based off the fact that he’s voiced by Ford Riley, who is the executive producer and writer of the show. This show is his big break actually

Not only is Tamka from England, but he’s also very intelligent. Probably went to Harvard for theater/media or smth idk. He loves his role cuz he sees it as a challenge. It’s fun to play the idiot once in a while

Funnily enough, Mzingo isn’t British at all. He’s all American

I know I said that Kiburi and Makuu are just friends, but Spinny and I once joked that they’re married in this au. The thought of them fighting and then kissing out of the blue never ceases to amuse me

Kiburi and Ushari once got waaaaaaay too close when filming that one scene from “Let Sleeping Crocs Lie”. The director had to yell “cut” cuz it was deemed “too sexual” dndhdhheg

Beshte is literally the nicest actor on set

Hodari is absolutely a broadway actor

Nduli worked on a sitcom. No I will not elaborate

Reirei and Goigoi are dating irl so that’s fun

Kenge admits that his role on the show is better than any other role he’s played. Although like Tamka, it is a bit hard being angry all the time considering he’s super laid back irl.

Janja, Chungu, and Cheezi are still direct descendants of Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. Janja mentioned this in an interview once

Kion posts about everything that goes on behind-the scenes, from fun facts on how they do the Roar of the Elders to Cheezi being an unqualified barber

You know all the chaos that happens backstage on broadway shows? That’s exactly what happens there too 😭

[usafphantom2]

Tap photos to enlarge ☝️

the latest German airborne radar and radar-homing devices. It proved to be a goldmine of intelligence, which would help save the lives of many Bomber Command aircrew.

Having turned off the runway and left the Junkers, the pilot, Hans Mackle, and his two crewmen were rather surprised to be taken prisoner by an RAF Flight Sergeant armed with a flare gun. A relatively inexperienced crew, they had somehow managed to fly on a reverse compass bearing and believed they were somewhere in Germany. In any case, Mackle had little choice but to land when he did - there was so little fuel remaining in the Ju 88’s tanks that a sample couldn’t be taken for analysis.

It was quickly realised that the Junkers 88 could provide vital information. The previous year, a Ju 88R night fighter flown to Scotland by a defecting crew had revealed the secrets of its early model Lichtenstein radar. No Ju 88Gs had yet fallen into Allied hands, however, and this was clearly a much more advanced variant. The aircraft was quickly flown to Farnborough for evaluation and a detailed report produced within just 3 days, such was the urgency involved.

The two most important advances were soon identified. The airborne radar was the Lichtenstein FuG 220 SN-2, which couldn’t be jammed by the version of the ‘Window’ countermeasure then in use. The Junkers was also carrying the FuG 227 ‘Flensburg’, a receiver which homed in on the ‘Monica’ tail-warning radar carried by Bomber Command aircraft. These devices had significantly contributed to the success of Luftwaffe night fighters in early 1944.

Extensive testing of ‘Flensburg’ proved it could detect ‘Monica’ emissions at at least 45 miles and possibly up to 125 miles. It took some time for Bomber Command to be convinced of these findings, but in August Harris ordered all ‘Monica’ sets to be switched off, then removed. In addition, several wavelengths of the SN-2 airborne radar were subsequently successfully jammed, and it took time for the Germans to overcome this. Analysis of the SN-2 also enabled a new version of the ‘Serrate’ radar homing device used by 100 Group Mosquito night fighters to be developed. These aircraft flew with the bomber stream, increasing Luftwaffe losses at a critical period.

Due to the deteriorating war situation for the Germans and the decline of the Luftwaffe from a number of other factors, it is difficult to isolate the precise effect that the intelligence gleaned from the Woodbridge Ju 88 had. But there can be no doubt that it was an extremely costly navigational error for the Luftwaffe night fighter force. The resulting British countermeasures undoubtedly helped to reduce Bomber Command casualties in the closing months of the war.

Pictured:

1) Aerial view of RAF Woodbridge, the first of 3 Emergency Landing Grounds constructed on the East Coast of England for damaged aircraft returning from raids.

📷©️IWM HU 93009

2) The Woodbridge Junkers 88, pictured before it was flown to Farnborough for evaluation.

📷 tracesofwar.com

3) The Ju 88G in RAF markings. After extensive testing, it was operated by 1426 {Enemy Aircraft) Flight but scrapped after the war.

📷 plane-encyclopaedia.com

4) Atmospheric photo of a Mosquito NF XII, the type flown by 85 Squadron when they became part of 100 Group. The unit’s leading ace, Branse Burbridge, shot down 21 Luftwaffe aircraft, most of them night fighters.

📷©️IWM CL 1827

[inkwell-and-dagger]

Welcome, mateys

HEY YALL, welcome to my whump blog! my main is @allergic-to-four-leaf-clovers!!

I'm Vell (alternative names I go by are Xenon and Zephyr) and I use he/it pronouns!! I'm trans (ftm), a minor and from england :3 I am a minor (16<)

I've been writing since I was little, and the first ever time I gave up my writing to the world is from some ancient Mandela Catalogue oneshots on Wattpad, which did surprisingly well. but then I ended up here, and now I do whump stuff (all sfw, heavy nsfw please dni)!! if you dig enough through my main blog (aforementioned above) you'll find some other writings prior to this blog's creation (though I beg you don't it's embarrassing /nf /silly)

I have four main stories, one being an ongoing series. Them being:

How To Kill An Immortal

HTKAI Taglist: (look to Masterlist)

Halos And Horns

HAH Taglist: N/A (?)

Uilebheist A Rinn An Duine

UARAD Taglist: @creppersfunpalooza @toyybox @whumpy-wyrms @vidawhump

^^ any other writing that is not linked in a masterlist / drabbles from one series / etc etc can all be found in the 'whump writing' tag!! alternatively, just look up the series' name :D

feel free to send asks or ask to be added to taglists!! or even just interact with my little blorbos — I don't care!

I also have oc blogs! I'll list them here in case one of y'all wants to torment them <3:

— @h3mlockboy - Ailean-Conall Hemlock (HP)

— @unfortunately-immortal - Rayan Hyacinth (HTKAI)

— @manmademonster - Ruaridh Mullen (UARAD)

— @derwyns-domain - Derwyn Ellis (UARAD)

— @clementine-and-christian Clementine and Christian Fithen (UARAD)

Anyhow, enjoy scrolling, dears <3

[starzzify]

bsd writer mutuals i have an idea

dazai (would be cool as college au) somehow travels back in time because either he thought it wouldn’t work and wanted to prove someone wrong (could be anyone) or just thought it wouldn’t work and thought it would be funny. anyway, he travels back in time and meets chuuya, a vampire.

i think it would make sense for this to be like ~1800s england (i think vampire stories were popular around there and around that time)

idk if this makes much sense but mutuals who write for bsd if this is interesting to you please write pleaseee /nf

it’s okay if nobody wants to but i think it’s a cool idea and wanted to drop it here because i love vampire chuuya and human dazai (i feel like vampire dazai and human chuuya doesn’t have the same effect)

[houseofbrat]

[Twenty-Seven Days Ago]

You may already know this, but while those figures were circulating the streets of Markle-world, in the real world, she had her PR grossly inflate her earning potential to match her inflated self-evaluation. Here's what was really going on for anyone who may not know already:

I'm connected to a prominent figure in the film industry. He told me that she NEVER had any hope of actually working in Hollywood neither before her marriage nor after Megxit. Suits was a cable show produced in Toronto and she A) never made it past #6 on the call sheet (importance of cast members in each episode) and B) was being written out BEFORE she met Harry. She spun it to look like they wrote her out because of Harry and her marriage, but that's not what happened. She was scrambling for work and aggravating the shit out of everyone from Reese Witherspoon, to Barbara Broccoli, all the way to Wendy Williams trying to get screen work.  She was also having her agent trying to get her work as the face for major fashion labels and nobody was returning her calls except for Reitman's, and her behavior was so awful they regretted it. She didn't save her Suits money, she owned no property, and she was running out of time and money. Kind of like now.

The truth is that Markle is the luckiest con artist in the world and I have to give her credit for scoring a fucking Prince of the United Kingdom right when she needed money most.  It's uncanny.

Now, though, she's shown her hand. She may not realize it, but she has. Nobody will ever hire her for anything again unless they've been in a coma the past five years, and she'd ruined herself in Hollywood back when she played the Fed Ex girl in Horrible Bosses. She pissed off Jennifer Anniston by acting like a diva, and Jen has a lot of clout. No one legit was going to hire her after that.

The ONLY reason she got the Netflix, Spotify, and Penguin contracts was because HARRY was worth the money-- or so they thought. They were all told at the making of the deals that H&M would be working for i.e. giving access to the Royal Family for 50% of the time. When that fell through, a huge part of their "business plan" died. Meghan was allegedly on speakerphone with the meeting and screaming mad when that didn't happen. She allegedly told the Queen to drop dead. I don't know that for a fact, but as Netflix had been following them around, it is a rumor that came out of the NF crew and trickled out to the rest of Hollywood. I personally would hope she wouldn’t tell anyone to drop dead, certainly not the Queen of England, but...

Anyway, the palace reportedly hung up on her and have refused to speak to her since. There have been times when she has been handled, like by Camilla at the Jubilee or Sophie at the funeral, but no one really speaks to her and she will never have a direct audience with the monarch again. Anyway, when they lost the 50/50, they lost a lot of what they promised these companies, but they were still popular enough with the public then that they could have still made something work. We've watched how that has turned out.

So long story short, Meghan isn't worth what was reported. Best estimates for the contracts are

Netflix- $20 million Spotify- $5 million

I don't know what the big wigs are paying for memoirs from ex-royalty and shitty children's fiction from an ex-Royal's soon-to-be- ex wife, but my best guess, for a four book deal with Prince Harry writing a tell all, is $10 million advance and then a percent of sales.

That seems like a lot of money to us plebes, but they hemorrhage money on housing alone. Then there's staff, publicity, SECURITY, legal fees, Meghan's ugly designer clothes, private jet flights, polo (an incredibly expensive sport), et al. Their money is spent before it even comes in. They lose more money through Archewell than they gain.

Anyway, the truth is that without Harry, Meghan is worth $0. She's worth less than $0. And the Royal Family know it. Hopefully she'll take whatever they offer, sign an NDA and run. But this IS Meghan... so...

[creature-from-unknown-orgins]

OKAY HELLO WONDERFUL PERSON THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME DO THIS!!

So, the book I am reading is called Babel by R. F. Kuang. Its like 500 pgs and I'm on pg 100ish, just as a reference point so you know where I'm at. And It means that if you decide to read it, you will not be completely spoiled!

I wanted to read this book at first because I heard about it on the podcast Lingthusiasm and the thing they said about it was that the magic system was based off there being a tension between words in different languages. For instance, the english word sad doesnt directly translate to the french word triste. Yes they mean semantically almost the same thing, but the contexts of use are subtly different, the specific feelings, the atmosphere that comes with the word is not exactly the same. And so two words are inscribed on a bar of silver, both words are spoken, and magic occurs. WHICH IS SUCH AN AMAZING CONCEPT FOR A MAGIC SYSTEM!!!

The plot so far: A young boy's family dies due to cholera (he lives in Canton) and and English scholar finds him and cures him of the cholera he has contracted using the silver bar. This person, Professor Lovell, is actually the boy's father but Lovell never actually tells him himself and probably doesnt know that he knows and Lovell took the boy on as his ward instead of as his child. Yeah. Sooo Lovell takes the boy to England to make him to study languages. And the boy chooses his name - Robin Swift. Aaaannnnddd Lovell isnt the nicest of people (/under exagg) - TW ABUSE: beats him quite horrifically because he was 2 hours late to a tutor session... END OF TW. Did I mention I hate Lovell?

Okay so flash forward like eight years and he's going to Oxford Uni to study languages. He gets there and makes friends with another boy called Ramy (I think that they are going to be in a romantic relationship... or at least that one will have feelings) AND THEY JUST HAVE THE BEST RELATIONSHIP AND I LOVE THEM!

And nowww Robin has met his half-brother (accidentally) who is involved in a criminal organisation which steals the silver bars and distributes them to those who need them more than the rich upper class of England. And so Robin now has 5 days to make a decision whether or not to join the organisation which is a little stressful because TIME PRESSURE AND A LIFE CHANGING DECISION AND HE NEEDS TO TALK TO RAMY ABOUT IT (OR AT LEAST I NEED HIM TO) BUT IM NOT SURE HE WILL BECAUSE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS AND COMMUNICATION ARE NOT THINGS THAT GO WELL TOGETHER!

AND theres SO much stuff and little tidbits about language scattered through which makes me so so so so happy and I love learning about it I love languages and books and academia and fantasy this book is perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I infodumped to one of my english language teachers about it today and I think I might lend it to him when I am done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU JAMIE FOR LETTING ME TELL YOU ALL OF THIS IT WAS SO SO SO FUN I LOVE YOU

My inbox is open for you to infodump at any and every point!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! /GEN

INFODUMP :DDD (Sorry for the late reply, I was at my grandparents)

I LOVE THOSE LITTLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WORDS AND THAT IS SUCH A COOL AND ORIGINAL IDEA!! /gen

Lovell is awful, noted

QUEER YES that sounds so cute!!

THAT SOUNDS SO AMAZING!!!! I’M GLAD YOUR TEACHER LIKED IT TOO

I love the little differences between languages like that!! It’s so nice!!!

I really enjoyed your infodump!! You can definitely keep me updated on the book!! (And if you find a word thing like that that you love please tell me! /nf)

[helsex-moved]

hey there! I know you've only talked about it twice but i'd love to hear about your exhels western au!/nf

HI. HELLO

Okay it's been sooo long since I talked about this to anyone let me remember

If this sounds incoherent that's because I've only talked with one person about it at length, months and months ago

Where we start Ex is on the run from England for treason (what they did is unimportant, just a coup) and runs to the very edge of civilization, the heart of America. But in getting there they used all their money and has to turn to stealing, they get pretty good at it to, becoming a bit infamous.

Meanwhile Hels is deputy in a small town with Wels who is sheriff and he's so tired of it. It's boring, a stifling job under a brother he's always been seen as second best to.

So maybe when Ex comes to town and Hels happens to catch them he lets them go, maybe several times, because at least this is something new - someone new. And so maybe they fall in love and maybe they meet in the dead of night, until Wels catches them and throws Ex in jail. This is the deciding moment Hels has been waiting for, so he breaks them out and agrees to run away with them and join in on their life of crime

But there's an issue

The scar on Ex's face, under their mask. A Cheshire grin that never healed quite right the cruel reminder of why Ex will never be accepted by most people ever again.

Infection sets in quick, they didn't make it far before Ex's injury had gotten bad. Really bad. With them at deaths door and no other options Hels swallowed his pride and fear and took them back to his town.

He begged Wels not to throw them in jail or turn in Ex, to harbor them just long enough for Ex to heal and live. Wels almost didn't want to, the reward money for turning in Ex dead or alive would be enough to fix up this little town and give it new life.

But looking at his little brother on the verge of tears over this criminal, this stranger, he realized he just couldn't do it. Even though Hels had betrayed him and run away.

He called for their doctor and kept their existence in his house secret for the weeks it took Ex to heal. When he woke up one morning and they were both gone he knew chances were he'd never see either again, but he still felt like he'd made the right choice.

From there I have less of a coherent plot and more general stuff, they do have two horses a Clydesdale and an unknown breed (I know what you're thinking but there is a story reason behind the horse types), and on their journey to who knows where they slowly decide they'd like to stop being on the run and settle down for once.

Then it turns into mostly domestic fluff about them and their ranch/animals. They'd also run into other hermits too though I won't name names until I have things more thought out.

[axofluff]

✩ Get to know Alex ✩

*.·:·.✧ Welcome to my about me! ✧.·:·.*

➸ This post will let you know all the stuff you need to know about the author behind this post! Me! :D ♡⸜(˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝ ➸ I wanted to make an official one since my old one isn't to my style anymore ➸ If you still have any questions after this, feel free to ask me anything in my dm's or AMA! (づ˶•༝•˶)づ♡ Happy reading!

Hi there! I see you've stumbled across my tumblr page! (・ω・) ✦ My name is Alex and I'm a small writer here! I've been writing ever since I was 12. My grandma introduced me to books and ever since then I've always had my nose stuck in a novel about some mystical far away land. ✦ I mostly write oneshots and fanfics but I do have my own works which I sadly deleted or no longer continued as I wasn't happy with them (｡•́︿•̀｡). ✦ I started off on Wattpad with writing Twilight fanfic and I developed my basic writing skills from there. I may move my work over to a03 but I currently like Tumblr's UI and how I can link my stuff under one blog so it's easier for people to find my work. ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ✦ I am 19 as of writing this and I live in England in the UK! I speak only English, although I want to learn Italian at some point since I love the history and culture of the roman empire. It's been my special interest ever since I played Assassin's creed 2 back on my xbox 360.

✦ I am autistic and I have ADHD so my attention span is less then a goldfish. I have a lot of special interests such as space, the paranormal and history. I also have a huge soft spot for aviation and the military, mostly because I am a huge fan of Top gun and ever since then I've been interested in jets. ✦ I've been in too many interests to honestly label at this point but my mains being; Call of Duty, Detroit: Become Human, Red Dead Redemption and Spiderman. I'm also a huge fan of the game Death stranding and Assassin's creed. I have also dabbled a bit in the Apex Legends fandom as I played a large chunk of the game last year. ✦ I have hobbies outside of writing such as going biking, walking, reading, sketching, arts and crafts and video games. I also love to play chess when I have the chance. ✦ I kin characters a lot, my main being Konig from CoD, Wattson from Apex Legends and Pavitr from Spiderman/ I tend to kin characters that share the same qualities as me. They also bring me a sense of comfort. ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა ✦ My music taste is currently a massive heap. I listen to all sorts but I'll label some of my favorite artists ✧˖*°࿐The Weeknd ✧˖*°࿐Childish Gambino ✧˖*°࿐ Kendrick Lamar ✧˖*°࿐ Twenty One Pilots ✧˖*°࿐Radiohead ✧˖*°࿐Slipknot ✧˖*°࿐The neighborhood ✧˖*°࿐Arctic Monkeys ✧˖*°࿐Lady Gaga ✧˖*°࿐NF ✧˖*°࿐Rammenstien ✧˖*°࿐AC/DC ✧˖*°࿐Porter Robinson ✧˖*°࿐Post Malone ✧˖*°࿐Coldplay ✧˖*°࿐Avicii You can find my spotify here to find all my music tastes and what not ৻( •̀ ᗜ •́ ৻) Some simple facts about me •⩊• ✩ Name(s): Alex/Tobias/ axofluff ✩ Birthday: 8th November 2003 ✩ Pronouns: All! ✩ Gender: Bigender trans masc but atm its just c o n f u s i o n, I'm still exploring who I am so this is most likely to change .

✩Favorite food: I love chinese takeout's, Pizza and Ramen ✩Favorite animals: I love cats, sharks and kangaroos

✩Favorite colour: Mint green ✩Favorite show: The dragon prince on Netflix ✩Favorite Song: United in grief by Kendrick Lamar ✩Favorite icecream: Mint chocolate chip

This may be updated in the future if I feel the need to add more to the blog! Thank you all for reading! "૮₍ ˶•⤙•˶ ₎ა Remember you are loved and stay hydrated and eat something today if you haven't already ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ MWA! Have a great rest of your day! <3

[natsuki-bakery]

Inbox check pretty please!!

Here it is! Fresh out of the oven, just for you!

Requests are CLOSED !! [35/35]

Currently working on : since you did Lammy, could you do Rammy from Um Jammer Lammy? I know there's 2 line stickers of her on tumblr

Do you feel comfortable taking requests with the source Postal? I feel like I've asked before but I completely forgot so if I have already I'm so so sorry < \ 3

hii!!! just a question, do you take requests for metalocalypse?? thanks!! ^_^

Hi do you write about the webtoon school bus graveyard? Have a nice day!

Can you please do cg arlecchino hcs? (to l!reader or the house of the hearth kids) tyy

hiii i loved your regressor germany headcanons, would you possibly be willing to write some more? Maybe expanding on your idea of little lud trying to copy prussia bc he's his big brother? or talk abt prussia being a big brother cg for little lud? thank u so much

hhi i saw the byclair graphics && i was wonderin if you could possibly do eddie munson graphics ?? its ok if not btw!^^

could you please do some headcannons for a regressor choji tomiyama and caregiver jo to togame both from windbreaker? thanks!!!!

Can you do Vergil DMC head cannons ?

Hi! Do you write for jjk? And if you do can you please make a Caregiver Nanami please?

HELLO!!! COULD YOU DO A CHINA HETALIA LAYOUT FOR RENTRY?? preferably red-orangeish themed!!

could i have some choso (from jjk) big brother headcanons pretty please?

Are you able to do anything hells paradise related? It had a smaller fandom so it's a bit underground, that's why I was wondering ^_^

/nf

since you did Lammy, could you do Rammy from Um Jammer Lammy? I know there's 2 line stickers of her on tumblr

hi will you edit for genshin impact?

omg hai i was wondering if i could get regressor izutsumi and cg marcille? :3 more specifically izutsumi with an upset stomach while regressed

hihi!! cld I request some cg headcanons for Dazai frm bungou stray dogs ? ty!!

hello! can you make matching rentry graphics? (separate layouts if possible) of nyo!france and nyo! england? thank you so much in advance and so sorry if this is too much work!

Since he's coming to street fighter 6, could I have a moodboard for a cg Terry Bogard? With video games, plush toys and stuff like that? Thank you!

Hiii!!! I was wndering if I could get some hcs for regressor Helena Harper ... N maybe cg Leon Kennedy :3

Helo! If you take requests for How To Train Your Dragon, could I pls request cg Hiccup? Tyty!

hellooo can i please request cg! stephanie and little!nurse bendy hcs if it's ok for u?? have a nice day

Caregiver Portugal (HETALIA World Stars) headcanons pls? I love him sm...

Can you do nyotalia canada x prussia rentry layouts?! (≧~≦)/nf / pos

hi again! could you make some turquoise-themed rentry graphics of snow miku 2015 with some lily of the valley images? sorry that's not very specific ^^ Could you make some Astrodude and Houston headcanons if that's alright? I would like both regressor and caregiver ones if that's okay hiii can u make a KAngel rentry graphic? (from needy streamer overload) if ur uncomfy then u don't have to!! <3

oiiii!! can I request matthew williams (aph) graphics for rentry? thanks! :) not sure if you accept requests from persona, more specifically persona 3 but if you do could I please request a shinjiro aragaki rentry layout?? thank you in advance! and sorry if you arent comfortable doing so!

I know it's not a request but like,, I think ur blog is so cute I love it sm

hi hi hi can i please request some little!otakon and cg!solid snake hcs?

Can I maybe request a CG headcanon of Patrick Jane (From The Mentalist)?? He's so cool and I would love to see him like that. Thanks in advance!!!!!!

[theloonatic]

i'm very interested in shut eye town and i am asking for some fun facts about your story pls and ty /nf

So

There's places in the world that have been protected from Hagos influence known as safetowns

Each usually specialises in a certain field

Havre - Safetown set right in the middle of France, specialises in education

Salāmatī/સલામતી - Safetown set on the coast of Gujarat, India, specialises in nuclear energy

Pale'ia - Safetown set on Mainland Hawaii and the island of Maui, specialises in water treatment

Sacrário - Safetown set around the post city of Paraiba in Brazil, specialises in creating the mobilets (funky vehicles that look like buses but with drills on the front and tank like wheels)

Isertorfik - Safetown set in the inhabited areas of southern Greenland, specialises in rehabilitating Hagoite soldiers

Kuvanda - Safetown set around the post capital city of Zimbabwe, Harare. Specialises in creating technology and agriculture.

Seiiki/聖域 - Safetown set on the island of Oshima, Japan. Specialises in healthcare.

Inuinui- Safetown set on the island of Fiji. Specialises is weapons and armour making.

There's also 2 safeschools, a little less organised as they were set up by children overthrowing (with or without teachers) the Hago regime. Prosperity Integrated School in post Sheffield, England, and Hòa Bình School in post Tuyên Quang, Vietnam

All the names translate to words like "Haven" or "Safety" in their respective languages :)

[masonhawth0rne]

What I read in 2023!

Isn't it nice to have the whole year's worth of something in one handy list?

January

Medieval England: From Arthur to the Tudor Conquest, Jennifer Paxton ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

The Day of the Triffids, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hannibal, Livy ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster, Sam L Amirante, Danny Brodrick ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

This Is How You Lose the Time War, Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone ⭐️⭐️

Trouble With Lichen, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Reanimator's Heart, Kara Jorgensen 😠

The Miracle of Dunkirk, Walter Lord ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

Alone on the Ice, David Roberts ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

The Midwich Cucoos, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hanging Tree, Ben Aaronovitch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Polygamist's Daughter, Anna LeBaron, Leslie WIlson ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

Stowaway to Mars, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️

Confession of a Serial Killer, Katherine Ramsland ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

Sparta's First Attic War, Paul A Rahe ⭐️⭐️ NF

FantasticLand, Mike Bockoven ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia 1942, Special Service Division Services of Supply US Army ⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

Columbus Day, Craig Alanson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blood in the Snow, Tom Henderson ⭐️⭐️NF

The Andromeda Strain, Michael Crichton ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Last Days of Stalin, Joshua Rubenstein ⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

Sons of Cain, Peter Vronsky ⭐️⭐️NF

Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Web, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️

An Unnatural Vice, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An Unsuitable Heir, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alexander the Great, Norman F Cantor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

A Dark Night in Aurora, William H Reid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Snow Killings, Marney Rich Keenan ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

The Odyssey, Homer trans. Emily Wilson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Martian, Andy Weir ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

How Great Science Fiction Works, Gary K Wolfe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

Lies Sleeping, Ben Aaronovitch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

February

False Value, Ben Aaronovitch ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Amongst Our Weapons, Ben Aaronovitch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Revelation Space, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Lancashire Witches, William Harrison Ainsworth ⭐️

Queen of Teeth, Hailey Piper ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hacienda, Isabel Cañas ⭐️⭐️

Age of Myth, Michael J Sullivan ⭐️⭐️

The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester ⭐️⭐️

All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Meddling Kids, Edgar Cantero ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Monsters We Defy, Leslye Penelope ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Red Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Man and the Crow, Rebecca Crunden (ss)⭐️

A Better Fate, DN Bryn (ss) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Artemis One-Zero-Five, CHristopher Henderson DNF

House of Suns, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

All Systems Red, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Artificial Condition, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rogue Protocol, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Exit Strategy, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

New Earth, Ben Bova ⭐️⭐️

Death Wave, Ben Bova ⭐️

Mouth of Mirrors, Maxwell I Gold (ss) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

March

On the Beach, Nevil Shute ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Star Nomad, Lindsay Buroker ⭐️

Burning Roses, SL Huang ⭐️⭐️

Trick or Treat, Richie Tankersley Cusick ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Unfinished Tales, JRR Tolkien ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pushing Ice, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The End of the World Anthology ⭐️⭐️

The Home of the Blizzard (nf), Sir Douglas Mawson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Night Stalker (nf), Philip Carlo ⭐️⭐️⭐️

In the Court of the Nameless Queen, Natalie Ironside ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Green Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Ultimate Evil (nf), Maury Terry ⭐️

The Hillside Stranglers (nf), Darcy O'Brien ⭐️⭐️

The Element of Fire, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chasm City, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

April

The Stolen Heir, Holly Black ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kintu, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kidnapped, Diane Hoh ⭐️⭐️

Overlord, David Wood & Alan Baxter ⭐️⭐️

Child of God, Cormac McCarthy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Walking to Aldebaran, Adrian Tchaikovsky ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Redemption’s Blade, Adrian Tchaikovsky ⭐️⭐️⭐️

At the Mountains of Madness, HP Lovecraft ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Initiation, Diane Hoh ⭐️⭐️

The Book of Queer Saints Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Expert System’s Brother, Adrian Tchaikovsky ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pluto’s Republic, David Roochnik (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Twisted Ones, T Kingfisher ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Evil Roots, Killer Tales of Botanical Gothic Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Shadow Over Innsmouth, HP Lovecraft ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Annihilation, Jeff VanderMeer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Whisperer in Darkness, HP Lovecraft ⭐️⭐️

Alien: Convenant Origins, Alan Dean Foster ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Coveant, Alan Dean Foster ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Wendigo, Algernon Blackwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien III, William Gibson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: The Cold Forge, Alex White ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Republic, Plato ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Prototype, Tim Waggoner ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Isolation, Keith RA DeCandido ⭐️⭐️

A Thief in the Night, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Dialogues, Plato ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Into Charybdis, Alex White ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Infiltrator, Weston Ochse ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Percent, Jon Elofson (ss) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Aliens: Bug Hunt Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Growing Things & Other Stories, Paul Tremblay ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Babel-17, Samuel R. Delany ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lords of Uncreation, Adrian Tchaikovsky ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

May

The Day We Ate Grandad, CM Rosens ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Out of the Shadows, Tim Lebbon ⭐️⭐️

Jaws, Peter Benchley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Room on the Sea, Andrē Aciman ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: River of Pain, Christopher Golden ⭐️⭐️

Alien: Sea of Sorrows, James A Moore ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Gentleman From Peru, Andrē Aciman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Century Rain, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hyperion, Dan Simmons ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dust, Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

100 Fathoms Below, Steven L Kent & Nicholas Kaufmann ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Saturn’s Monsters, Thomas K Carpenter ⭐️

Address Unknown, Kressmann Taylor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Murder by Other Means, John Scalzi ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Ethics of Aristotle, Joseph Koterski ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Neil Gaiman at the end of the Universe, Arvind Ethan David ⭐️⭐️

Bag of Bones, Stephen King ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bewilderness, Part One: Threshold, Jonathan Maberry ⭐️

Ten Low, Stark Holborn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Benny Rose, the Cannibal King, Hailey Piper ⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Dark Vanessa, Kate Elizabeth Russell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester ⭐️

Three Hearts and Three Lions, Poul Anderson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Almost Human(nf), Lee Berger & John Hawks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Paladin’s Grace, T Kingfisher ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Killing the Bismarck(nf), Iain Ballantyne ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ancient Mesopotamia(nf), Amanda H Podany ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Art of War(nf), Andrew R Wilson ⭐️⭐️

The White People, Arthur Machen ⭐️

June

Witch King, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Broken Sword, Poul Anderson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Early Middle Ages (nf), Philip Daileader ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The History of Ancient Egypt (nf), Bob Brier ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Banewreaker, Jacqueline Carey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Godslayer, Jacqueline Carey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chernobyl 01:23:40 (nf), Andrew Leatherbarrow ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stress and Your Body (nf), Robert Sapolsky ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ice Ghosts (nf), Paul Watson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Illiad, Homer, trans. Edward Earl of Derby ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Th Hunt & the Haunting, Victoria Audley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Our Shadows Have Claws Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Writing Creative Nonfiction (nf), Tilar JJ Mazzeo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brain Wave, Poul Anderson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Forever War, Joe Haldeman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

July

Travel by Bullet, John Scalzi ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Redemption Ark, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Labrys(ss), Victoria Audley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Grown Gown(ss), Derek Des Anges ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hellbound Heart, Clive Barker ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Orca, Arthur Herzog III ⭐️

The Gallows Pole, Benjamin Myers ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Chemist, Stephanie Meyer ⭐️

Icehenge, Kim Stanley Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Band Sinister, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Now She Is Witch, Kirsty Logan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Slow Bullets, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Inside the Mind of BTK(nf), Johnny Dodd & John Douglas ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Antarctica, Kim Stanley Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

August

The Henchmen of Zenda, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Morning Star, Peter Atkins ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Subsidence (ss), Steve Rasnic Tem ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Man in the High Tower, Philip K Dick ⭐️⭐️⭐️

What the Dead Know (ss), Nghi Vo ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Maze Runner, James Dashner ⭐️

Unfit to Print, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chill, Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bryony and Roses, T Kingfisher ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Confessor (ss), Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Grail, Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Babylon (nf), Paul Kriwaczek ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Unquiet, E Saxey DNF

The Ritual of the Labyrinth (ss), Esmée de Heer ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Terminal World, ALastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Essays of Flesh and Bone (ss), Victoria Audley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Book Eaters, Sunyi Dean ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Future of Work: Compulsory (ss), Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Lady or the Tiger (ss), Frank Stockton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Too Like the Lightning, Ada Palmer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Falling Free, Lois McMaster Bujold ⭐️⭐️

Dreamsnake, Vonda N McIntyre ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The First Fossil Hunters (nf), Adrienne Mayor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shards of Honor, Lois McMaster Bujold ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Red Land, Black Land (nf), Barbara Mertz ⭐️⭐️⭐️

On Planetary Palliative Care (ss), Thomas Ha ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nova, Samuel R Delany ⭐️⭐️⭐️

September

Time to Orbit: Unknown, Derin Edala ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️*

The Invincible, Stanislaw Lem ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Prefect, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Myrtha (ss), Victoria Audley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Archaeology: An Introduction to the World’s Greatest Sites (nf), Eric H Cline ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Catching Teller Crow, Amberlin Kwaymullina & Ezekiel Kwaymullina ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Old Man’s War, John Scalzi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Don’t Hang Up, Benjamin Stevenson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superluminal, Vonda N McIntyre ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

World War Z, Max Brooks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Flight of the Fantail, Steph Matuku ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cyteen, CJ Cherryh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Regenesis, CJ Cherryh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mindfulness for Stress Management (nf), Dr Robert Schacter ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Orange Eats Creeps, Grace Krilanovich ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kushiel’s Dart, Jacqueline Carey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Aye, and Gomorrah (ss), Samuel R. Delany ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Carnage (nf), Mark Dapin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blue Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Unknown, Jordan L Hawk ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chocky, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sword of Empire: Praetorian, Richard Foreman ❌

Revival, Stephen King ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Apollo Murders, Chris Hadfield ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*Time to Orbit: Unknown is hosted online [HERE] and is currently still updating twice a week

October

Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy, Hailey Piper ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ghost Bird, Lisa Fuller ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hound of the Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Forest of Stolen Girls, June Hur ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Liar’s Dice, Jeannie Lin ⭐️

Straya, Anthony O'Connor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Toxic, Dan Kaszeta (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Illuminae, Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Penhallow, Georgette Heyer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Myth of the Self Made Man, Ruben Reyes Jr (ss) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Call, Christian White & Summer De Roche ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Death of the Necromancer, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cretins, Thomas Ha (ss) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kill Your Brother, Jack Heath ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Valley of Terror, Zhou Haohui, tr. Bonnie Huie ⭐️⭐️

The Curse of the Burdens, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️

Amazons, Adrienne Mayor (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Kraken Wakes, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dead Mountain, Donnie Eichar (nf) ⭐️⭐️

Family Business, Jonathan Sims ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In the House of Aryaman A Lonely Signal Burns, Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Blessing of Unicorns, Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

METAtropolis Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Plan for Chaos, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Fatal Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, Emma Southon (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Outward Urge, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️

King Solomon’s Mines, H. Rider Haggard DNF

The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle tr. David Ross (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

November

The Jewel of Seven Stars, Bram Stoker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Terror, Dan Simmons ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hannibal: The Military Genius who Almost Conquered Rome, Eve MacDonald ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ nf

Luna, Ian McDonald ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hoka! Hoka! Hoka!, Poul Anderson & Gordon R Dickson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dracula, Bram Stoker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cicero: The Life & Times of Rome's Greatest Politician, Anthony Everitt ⭐️⭐️⭐️nf

The Worst Journey in the World, Apsley Cherry-Garrard ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️nf

METAtropolis: Cascadia Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Haunting of Willow Creek, Sara Crocoll Smith ⭐️

Journey to the Center of the Earth, Jules Verne ⭐️⭐️

METAtropolis: Green Space Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

December

Carrion Comfort, Dan Simmons ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wanted, A Gentleman, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️

Interview With the Vampire, Anne Rice ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Henry VIII: King & Court, Alison Weir ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

Alexander the Great & the Macedonian Empire, Kenneth W Harl⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

The Isles of the Gods, Amie Kaufman ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Sandman, Neil Gaiman & Dirk Maggs DNF

Phosphorescence, Julia Baird ⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

And so the grand total for 2023 is....

267!

Of course, there's a couple of DNFs in there which inflate this number somewhat, but I am absolutely not going to pick through and count them out. Plus, a DNF only gets included on the list if I've gotten through a significant portion of the book. If it's a page one no-no, it's not even worth mentioning.

I made the decision at the start of this year, to try out more books I'd never heard of before. I really like trawling through the library app, or through audible's free archives and finding stuff that I'd probably never normally have discovered. Also, revisiting books that I read a long time ago and seeing if they resemble my memories of them.

Overall, I think this was a very satisfying year of reading, and I hope that I enjoy 2024's reads just as much!

nf= non fiction ss= short story

Stars awarded at my whim.

[fukounaboy]

@felixlib

SO

CARMELO AND RUDY

CARMELO DEMONTE AND RUDOLPH RICHARDSON

THESE 2 MOTHERFUCKERS ARE CHARACTERS IN A WEBTOON CALLED "Ghost Eyes"!

^ Rudolph Richardson

^ Carmelo Demonte

SOUHHH HOW DO I EXPLAIN THESE 2 WITHOUT JUST BONKING YOU WITH "Read the webtoon!"-

So, Rudolph Richardson is (or...uh...was...?) best friends with the protagonist of Ghost Eyes, Tobias Schneien!

He's uh

Good :3

I love him

IDK HOW TO DESCRIBE HIM BUT

He's a 16 year old boy from Denmark and he moved to uhhh somewhere in England iirc

He's a cutesy lil guy who loves crossdressing!

He also loves watching straight up gore but

That's not important! He's a silly lil guy!

I also think he's gaaayyyyy?

Maybe a lil idk

ANYWAYS ONTO MY FAVORITE CHARACTER EVER WHOS SO ME FRFRFR

CARMELO DEMONTE!

Carmelo is a 16 year old boy from Italy who ALSO moved to somewhere in England because uhhh that's where the story takes place

Carmelo uhhhh he

He doesn't have a lot goin for him tbh

He exists to bully Rudy

Also to be a homophobic homosexual

Bc he secretly loves Rudy

Bc

Ofc /lh

THERES THIS ONE PART THOUGH OOUGH I WANNA TALK ABT IT BUT I WANNA SEE IF YOURE INTERESTED IN READING IT SO ILL HOLD OFF

He's so good tho I love him

Also?

I think you'd like Emilio Murkmere a lot :D

You remind me a lot of him so ^^

Alr so I tried to explain the plot but it's literally all over the place and I can't even begin to explain

So uh

Please read it :3

/nf but I'm so hyperfixated on it and I only know like 1 other person who likes it so :')

[infj-zen]

Without a Crown : MBTI trials and tribulations of modern princes, N type edition

How do princes of different MBTI types live in the modern world?

Here are some case studies to lend an insight into what life might have been like if only one had been born (or married) into royal circumstances.

NFs

INFJ Crown Prince of Greece but for a coup d'état. Still visits for stunning family vacay pics. Born rich, married rich[er?] so investment portfolio manager in New York and London. Zorba dances probably to avoid small talk at parties. #zorba #diversifyyourportfolio #alsodanish

ENFJ AKA Mr. Princess Eugenie. Married in to British Royal Family. Manager and marketer of all sorts of businesses yet keeps a low-profile. Could secretly be managing the whole Firm. #self-made #firmglue

INFP Not in charge of Jordan; doesn't want to be in charge of Jordan. Somehow got put in charge of Security and Crisis Management?!? Trying to get out of that. Does want to run football / weed out corruption in sport / promote tolerance, peace, feminism through sport. Secretly full of oddball talents: wrestles, speaks Circassian, etc. #feminist #justfootball #notstagingacoup

ENFP Crown Prince of Iran. Born in Tehran, exiled to America. Majored in Poli Sci. Believes in Democracy. But "subjects" want him as temp. Monarch to help ditch current Theocracy that overthew Dad. Foremost freedom spokesperson for Iranians worldwide. #involuntarywalkingcontradiction #betweenarockandiraq #monarchyandordemocracy

NTs

INTJ Spare in line for [former] Iraqi throne, so works real job as Health and Development Policy Professional with World Bank. Publishes truckload of academic papers. Graduated Harvard with Ph.D. in International Health Policy and Economics. #smartprince

ENTJ No intelligent life in Saudi politics? No problem. Many, many bros. Joined Air Force. Beamed self up to space. #astronaut #fighterpilot

INTP Supposed to inherit Iraq but nothing left to inherit, so diplomat for cousin in Jordan. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Moonlights as Law Prof at UPenn. #humanrights

ENTP Throwback existential / constitutional crisis. Got Crown. Married divorcee. Quit England for France. Questionable political views. #abdication