#solving the problem myself

[girrldrool]

i just think it's kind of fucked up that a month ago i requested the 20th and 21st off work to fix my car, and just a few days ago my boss decides to not only refuse the time off (after already approving it) but also take away my only day off for the following two weeks

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

In the world of heavy metals, love is denser than hate!

[lauravian]

Idk I just think all of Merlin’s problems would’ve been solved if he’d had an emotional support Djungelskog bear

[pollyna]

Sometimes, when Ice gets really irrational amd unreasonable about stuff and he doesn't want to hear reason from anybody or anyone, Mav sits on his lap. For five minutes to an entire hour just to make sure Ice actually listens and understands what it has been said to him.

Ice finds it a little annoying at times, but it helps more than he likes to admit.

(It's a win-win in the end because five minutes get to be ten because Mav can kiss the will of arguing out of him when he gets like that. They don't always kiss, but after a while, even just the weight of his husband's body against his does the trick.)

[i-lavabean]

“It’s okay”

(Inspired by @noshirdalal describing Bode having used sign language signals with Kata)

[unpretty]

according to my vibes-based system that only i understand this is a major improvement but you'll have to take my word for it

[handweavers]

writing a story that is both historical fantasy and marxist leninist political realism means constantly coming up to the issue of "how do these characters (and the narrative) who are for the most part atheist marxists try to grasp with the fact that there are aspects of this world that are magical / supernatural" like a character who can shapeshift into a bear, and it would be very easy to do a lot of hand wringing over it but i've realized a lot of it boils down to the same conclusions i've reached in real life for things much less fantastical than shapeshifting which is "there are a lot of things in life that i don't understand and probably it can be explained scientifically at some point maybe not but in a material day to day sense it doesn't really matter because you have more pressing concerns like trying to build a railroad and prevent capitalism from returning"

[weirdoldmanhoho]

I'm pretty sure I've said this before but the reason my Elrics & Roy relationship tag is "Roy is a dad" is NOT because I see their dynamic as adopted dad and kids or think it's particularly parental

it's because the idea of Roy willingly saddling himself with two chaos-prone teenagers and ultimately making himself the closest thing to their guardian (outside of Pinako who is mostly unaware of what they're doing at any given time) while being so completely unprepared for and annoyed by is so funny to me

my guy, you did this to yourself

you encouraged a minor to join the military, put him under your command, and then failed to be heartless enough to NOT care about his wellbeing, you forced the role of guardian on yourself

my elrics & riza tag is "riza is a mom" because riza is a Mom

[fisheito]

Whenever i colour skintones:

Morv and Dante: hello Kings you're lookin vivacious as usual. Have you been spending time in the sun lately, or more indoors? Well, we can adjust for that! Here's a range of colours that will make you distinctly You no matter what i choose. Love that!!

Everyone else: WHICH SHADE OF PALE ARE YOU

[intearsaboutrobots]

vorkosigan saga..... do u all know abt this????

[the-goromi-vault]

i don’t know if this is the minedai bias talking but i genuinely think Daigo would have had a much better time of everything in y4 onward if Mine had been around at his side…

[basil-joy]

they know what they did.

video

[aulerean]

Exposing my terrible handwriting, but I drew a thing today so I wanted to share it

[themeraldee]

when lasering the plane's control panel is just an oopsie moment

[rileys-battlecats]

girl help I started writing down oc thoughts and have started contemplating the logistics of how a city carved into the walls of a ravine would have access to fresh water

[asexualbookbird]

Okay, so, I didn't read a whole lot this month. Hear me out. I'm not mad about it. I got SO much crafting done across different mediums. Nothing to show for it, really, but I'm having so much fun being creative in a way I haven't felt in a very long time. I think I might actually be able to set up some type of tiny shop about it, too. Got my embroidery machine up and running in a way that allows me to create my own designs, and when I tell you the creative juices are flowing, boy howdy it's like a dam has broken. I also started pokemon Violet, and while that's slow going, I'm having a lot of fun with it. So, no I'm not mad at my reading habits this month.

In the Ravenous Dark by AM Strickland ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Phew. Okay. This was. A very bumpy ride. The first half was a slog, honestly, and the writing and pacing is not great, but the last third or so reminded me a lot of Beyond the Ruby Veil which was also not outstanding, but it was fun. Fucked up, feral lesbians. Poly family friendship going on. The plot is so basic, the magic neat, the worldbuilding lacking. I would not read it again, but at the end I'm not entirely mad I did.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch ⭐️ - I don't even know what to say. I didn't expect to be wowed, I went in expecting no more than a mediocre thriller. What I got was A Book Written By A Man™️. How many times can a guy fridge one wife? Infinitely, apparently! I was semi on board until he started fighting his other selves. That was dumb as shit.

The Art of Prophecy by Wesley Chu ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - *Gordon Ramsay voice* Finally, a good fucking book. This took me most of the month to read, but I'm not mad about it. It was nice to sit quietly with this book, and while it took it's time, I never felt bored with it. I can't really pinpoint what keeps it from five stars, and maybe my rating will change in the future, but I did really enjoy this. It has a wonderful cast, everyone felt very real and well rounded, it was bloody, but never felt gratuitously so. It was a good book and I very much want to continue the series.

Favorite of the month was most definitely Art of the Prophecy. Kind of unfair because Dark Matter was such a disaster, but Ravenous Dark had it's perks. Mainly being batshit crazy and ending in polyamory.

My friends, as always, have been incredibly kind to me. I could not have gotten through the last couple months without them. Would like to do a couple of buddy reads in the coming months. I really did like taking my time with a longer book, and I think I'm ready to tackle the final book in the Rook and Rose trilogy. My library also finally got a copy of The Bone Maker on audio and while I haven't listened to an audiobook since December, I'm excited to give that a listen. As always, be kind whenever possible.