#recc

[babyblankyerror]

Summary: "The brain is a powerful thing, if it believes it is sick, it will be and sometimes just believing you are cured can help cure too!"

Maybe, Stanley had thought then, if I believe things will be okay it will work! The power of believing that is!

(Or: Stanley is a master of the mindscape in the show, he can clean out his mind to a vast nothing when he defeats Bill and we're all sure he his away most important memories as the tiny twins never found out about Stanford..But how did that come to be?)

[drinkyourvillainjuice]

Author played Monster Sweethearts yesterday on a recommendation from xer discord! Xe liked it a lot! It's a lesbian game about dating various monster girls, including a werewolf, vampire, and creature from the black lagoon!

Here is a spoilery, disorganised off-the-cuff--I'm not necessarily gonna call it review because it is more focused on specific critiques that I thought about? but I guess 'review' works--below the cut. This is literally in the order I scrambled my thoughts down this morning so uh, don't interpret it as importance I guess.

So the grammar/typos are a little rough. I'm not gonna rag on it too hard bc this is a PWYW game by one person, but there's enough their/there/they're and suchlike that it gets a bit distracting, esp. because sometimes there are word substitutions which make sentences hard to parse.

Bae's route: why is there a QTEeeee. it's a VN plz don't make me rapidly click things. (there's two QTEs in the entire game, this is a click icons on screen, the other is press certain keys, which is MUCH preferable, but still kinda jarring in a game where everything else is just clicking an option every now and then)

Xanthe's route: the second half of it is messy. like the threat posed by the antagonists feels really inconsistent, esp since both Xanthe and Jaylene can slip away from them on a few occasions but on others they're like unstoppable. similar for how they can be overpowered in a fight: it doesn't seem to take that much for them to get beat up in a couple circumstances. Also the twins like roofie Jaylene but also drink the roofie? are they just stupid? if they knocked themselves out how is one of them suddenly in a pit with Jaylene? I dunno the conflict was interesting but the staging was very messy.

Lien's route: kinda gets plotholes later on. if the doctor is Jaylene's bio mom why did she need to run all those tests on her. did she not know who she was initially? it's confusing. Jaylene scratches the doctor like twice in a row and that comes over as odd. uhh it doesn't really sit with the revelation about being a monster for long enough and it wastes the opportunity to compare Lien and Jaylene's situations. also the sheriff is being kind of a huge asshole and that's glossed over? idk I really think it could have gone more into the impact of learning something foundational about yourself is not what you thought and that's too bad because I actually found myself really warming up to Lien fast, she's great.

Blake's route: parts of the plot are kinda haphazard. the girls are worried about some kind of stalker and then are like 'whee, let's go to the woods and look for cryptids!'. uhh why does the captor just let Blake crawl around with impunity. it kind of diminishes the threat when Blake sneaks around so easily. the twist of who the butcher is feels kind of... whatever because the character only exists in Blake's route so the impact isn't really what it could be. which is too bad because that is a fuuuucked uuuup situation and I think the concept is really interesting but because we've had little time to get to know that character the reveal is flat. it also just completely glosses over Jaylene being revealed to be a monster? like Blake doesn't even really react to it. Also Blake walks off getting stabbed. twice. only the second time does it properly stick.

but, looking at the game as a whole, I like the music, I like the characters for the most part, and it's rare in an otome where I'm enthused to check out everyone (like if I could pick everyone from the start I maybe would have been whatever about one or two, but still. there's some moments with really good writing (just sometimes they get undermined by the grammar). I laughed out loud a few times and that usually indicates something has to be pretty funny. I enjoyed fucked up bad ends and some of the gorier CGs are rad. I enjoy everyone being gay as fuck. There's some really solid storytelling. The bad endings are mostly the type of stuff that sticks with you and I like that because it usually signifies effective horror. oh and yeah most of the horror was pretty great.

Also why the fuck do me and Lien look so alike.

[anemoiawithatouchofobsession]

YOOO so this is crazy. Some 2 or so years ago, I started "playlisting" Lee Jiyeon's songs from her english profile from 70 to a 100 listeners. I posted it on reddit, and she got a boost of 200+ listeners. I was happy my experiment worked, used to kinda check the listener numbers, and it was stable in the 150 - 300 range. I was like haha nice and forgot it.

I ofc kept listening to her songs, but then I got into my 70s phase, so today after a long time I switch my 80s Playlist on and I go "oh, I used to check her listener numbers" and I click on her profile :

.... WHAT?????

1041????

1041???

AND THE FIRST SONG IS A BSIDE FROM HER 4TH ALBUM???

I remember when she was at 70 listeners!!! I remember when no one even damn knew her except the ahjusshis!

And the fact that it is this absolutely beautiful and gorgeous ballad on top is such a cherry on the cake I NEED YOU GUYS TO HEAR THIS SONG AND CHECK THE ALBUM OUT PLEASEE

[yoru-mp3]

Eien No Akuruhi - Ado

[nurseysbeanie]

Madison & More Bingo 🏖🏕🏝

Here are some of my fave (so far) fics and art from the @madisonandmore summer prompt challenge!

Well, the start of September makes it feel like summer is fading. But don't worry, fearless reader! These summery fanfics will make you feel the sun on your face, the sand under your feet, and the scent of fresh-cut grass on the breeze!

Unnameable Truth (M) @thefiveboxingwizards | vacation, less than 5000 words, one-shot

I liked that this was a less sunny/happy/vacation-y story about repression and self-discovery. The summer's not happy and carefree for everyone. But there is hope at the end of this one.

Wasteland Baby (M) @checkdeezpucks | AU, one-shot

This surprised me! Despite the premise sounding a bit incongruous with Check Please, this was a great read. Mad Max Tater/Parse was a longshot for me but you proved me wrong, op. Would definitely not be mad if we got another chapter or two of this 👀

Hot-lanta (G) @justlookfrightened | Zimbits, vacation, one-shot

I keep thinking about this one, and Bitty/Jack's meet-cute and Bitty rollerblading. And quiches. And Tater being wingman!

suddenly this summer it's clear (T) @dessertwaffles | favourite ship, a work that made me laugh, one-shot

I actually snorted out loud while reading this standing out on the sidewalk in a crowd of people while waiting for the streetcar. I have no shame. It's funny and cute, read it!

like an ice cream cone (T) @wrathofthestag | SHITTY KNIGHT!!, food or baking, one-shot

Shitty's backstory is important to me (!!!) and this was great. Discussion question: Is the origin of Shitty's porn-stache tied to the memory of a moustachioed ice cream vendor he idolizes from his youth? You tell me. It was hard to see tiny Shitty going through family problems but his au pair seems like the coolest!

amphibious creatures (T) HowOldAreWe | fave ship, mermaids, frogs 🐸 , multi-chapter

I don't generally go for mermaid AUs but this was juuuust lovely! The frogs are wonderful here, and I really liked the setup and follow-through. And I'm not going to say any more than that Chowder makes a great appearance here :)

Making My Head Spin (E) @justlookfrightened | summer camp, zimbits, multi-chapter

Turns out I like fics where Bitty makes a go of it for the NHL! Loved seeing Jack and Bitty letting down their guard and risking being hurt in this one. Super sweet and a little spicy at the end :) Nothing better than that.

Heard The Mermaids Singing (M) @checkdeezpucks | rarepair, mermaids, one-shot

This was another work that wasn't sun-drenched and happy. I loved to see the gritty, almost gothic setting; loved to see some CP femmeslash. Loved to see the teeth and the texture here. Short and... piquant.

The Way Way North (T) by @mcbangle | zimbits, SHITTY KNIGHT!!, vacation, the beach, work that made me smile, frogs, multi-chapter

I keep thinking about this one. Listen, Shitty Knight is... essential. He is the GLUE that holds together CP Year One for me, okay? I know that this fic is primarily about Bitty and his parents' relationship, and his crush on Jack, and that is all done deftly and wonderfully. But Shitty is the standout for me here. (Also I now need to see the movie this is based on.)

Eelgrass (T) by @perhapsajacket | fave ship, the beach, vacation, multi-chapter (pending)

Just a nice AU where Dex is ho-humming through his vacation until he chances upon the cute local bookshop owner (enter Nursey) who has fallen into a tidepool and needs a hand. What could be more adorable than that? I liked seeing some of Dex's family and backstory here. And I would live to see more 👀

Cowabunga (G) @zimbits-my-love | art, surfing, the beach

This is super cute art and I loved the colour scheme. I can so imagine Bitty and Jack surfing together on vacation!

This was a fun summer challenge, thanks to all the organizers! I will be updating my own work, Summer Gothic, soon with a new chapter. (Sorry, I write slow. 🐌)

[sldlovescartoons]

Okay, so, I was hit by a thought, really really hard, and like- so, the thing with Caleb and his parents. I know it's not the same as undoing it, but like-

He knows Two Clerics. Cad was only just barely short of gaining access to 9th lv spells, but he can gain a few lvs for a future fic, right?

There's got to be fics where Jester and Cad use True Resurrection to bring Caleb's parents back to life, right? Like maybe as a birthday or wedding gift? That has to exist, right? I can't find it from a cursory search, but... That exists, right? It has to.

I'm going to have to write this myself, aren't I?

[hwsforeignrelations]

Top 3 fics of yours that you wish everyone would read—GO! Then remember to pass this on to at least 5 other people ❤️

World Conference: An American Perspective

The Rolls

A Dying Sun

ty for the ask anon <3

[cj-marj]

I need a new ship to obsess over. Any reccs?

[softness-and-shattering]

Im listening to this new album called The Rot That Grows Inside My Chest by Teenage Joans, and its the most crip, relatable, and also fun music that Ive ever heard. Like maybe theres genres of crip music (if so please comment examples!) but this is the first time Im hearing those parts of my experiences represented in music Ill probably be listening to for a quite a while. Check em out! This is the first track from the album:

[dragynkeep]

Ever seen or heard of the series "From"?

Nope, never heard of it.

[babyblankyerror]

Just finished reading this series, highly recommend I'd you like Stanley Angst :3

[yoru-mp3]

Oooooo! I’ve got so many songs to recommend, but I’ll only give you a few for now!

Eien No Akuruhi by Ado, Bokura Dake no Shudaika by Centimillimental, and Newton by Hoshimachi Suisei are all really good in my opinion, with the first one being one of my top 3 songs!

heyyyy, thank u sm for the song reccs!! i enjoyed listening to them <33

i LOVE eien no akuruhi so much, i'm listening to it rn!! i'm so glad i've been introduced to it lol. i really need to listen to more ado songs, theyre always so fire. i really liked it, so i've uploaded eien no akuruhi here – if i should upload the other 2, just lmk! :)

do send in more song reccs!! i really appreciate it!!! <3

[dragynkeep]

Movie rec - Oldboy(2003)

Noted!

[cyprianscafe]

Review: Translating Wisdom: Hindu-Muslim Intellectual Interactions in Early Modern South Asia - Shankar Nair

Goodreads | English review | Partes traduzidas

Este livro é uma leitura surpreendentemente fácil! Ele reúne uma tonelada de informações, mas nunca parece que está sobrecarregando você. Nair faz um ótimo trabalho ao apresentar tudo de forma clara e concisa.

Agora, embora seja fácil de seguir, ainda acho que o livro poderia ter usado um pouco mais de polimento no departamento de edição. Alguns parágrafos são um pouco longos e, embora não pareça muito denso, ainda quebra o fluxo da leitura.

Uma coisa que realmente apreciei foi a maneira como o autor lidou com a transliteração do árabe, persa e sânscrito. É claro e consistente, o que torna fácil procurar mais informações sobre as pessoas e os conceitos mencionados no livro. Esta é uma crítica pessoal minha que infelizmente vejo malfeita em muitos livros. Não neste!

No geral, achei "Translating Wisdom" uma leitura super agradável. É um livro curto, mas perspicaz. Se você estiver interessado em aprender mais sobre a troca intelectual entre hindus e muçulmanos no início da Ásia Meridional moderna, definitivamente dê uma olhada neste. Dou a ele um sólido 4/5 magen.

[softness-and-shattering]

1. Absolutely iconic

2. "Disnormalizing" is an interesting word, want to look into that when im more thinking.

CONNIE PANZARINO at a pride march in Boston circa 1990

the cyborg & the crip by Alison Kafer