#my top two faves really consumed my brain..

[hummingbird-games]

2023 In Review (Indie Games)

Last year's! | 2021

I apologize in advance for how long this might be. As a reminder, I don't bash games here so even if I hated something with every fiber of my being...I ain't sharing. As a second reminder, my more in depth reviews and live blogging has moved to Gem's Game Gems so I don't clutter the HBG's main blog. Okay. ON WITH THE REVIEW!!

DEMOS

Diffraction (Demo)- A rainy day otome indeed. I love the quiet gentleness of this game, the two romance options, and the fact that our MC is a photographer and struggling with her art and stack of life "failures" (because...SAME!!)

Alaris - I was asleep and now I am awake: I came late for the advertised fae and dragon lore, stayed seated and waiting for Fenir zjgjdf. Oh, and I guess the mystery surrounding our MC's abilities LOL.

The Summit Library - When I say I was maaaaaad when I realized I blew through chapter 1 and would have to go back to waiting for more content??? LOL, I was very miffed. Anyhoo, check out this title for the gorgeous art, another intriguing mystery (like what is *up* with the magic in the poor library?? who or what is to blame?? 👀) and of course the lovely characters we've been introduced to thus far.

Of Sense and Soul - I'm a regency romance girl. Like after you strip away the other stuff, I am but a poor woman with simple needs: a good ass love story 🤧💛 It's about the yearning and the slow burn and the will they/won't they/PLEASEEE they...I've never been so charmed by a demo, and the full game is going to be amazing I just know it!

Made Marion - This project is a game I've been keeping tabs on for a hot minute but hadn't taken the time to sit and properly enjoy the demo. I'M SO GLAD I DID!!! It's in early access now, so I'm hoping eventually I'll be able to carve out some time to play, but guysss Velvet Cupcake is doing the Thing?!? No idea which love interest I'll go for first, but I had a fun time meeting the Nottingham peeps in the demo.

Herotome (Super Demo) - Oh gosh. Oh gosh oh gosh oh my GOSHHH. Where do I even began?? (Really the question is where the hell do I end because this is one of those projects I talk about a lot/think about a lot and surprisingly haven't run out of things to say zkjfksjd). Another game I've been following for a while, it 100% lives up to the superhero genre in its aesthetic, the characters you interact with, the music and sound design, and of course the slowly unfurling story. Jade and Mia had come out as my top faves, Warden is still there, like hovering in the backgroud, shhhh but I have a special place in my heart for Griffin too (that conversation we have with her?? I have so many screenshots just so I can go back and reread and sear the words in my brain. Like a weirdo. Yup.)

Celestial Crowns - Stats building, celestial royalty, dating sim where you fuck around and find out your choices directly affect your MC's personality?? I'm sat. I supported the Kickstarter and now I try to practice patience for the full game's release siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighh.

OTOME/JOSEI JAM

Please note this is a SUPER abridged list for my sanity and I fell a little more in love with these 2 jams with each entry I played...

Intertwine - As embarrassing as it sounds, I've never given much thought to the "red string" thing, and I consume more than enough romance media LOL!! But Van is suuuuuch a beautiful man, the UI for this game is so interactive and lovely, the music is ALSO lovely, just lovely-love all the way around teehee. (Also this game encourages replayabillity so like, do with that info what you will.)

Spring Boy [Demo] - I believe this game is going through a complete rehaul, so my thoughts and feelings refer to the original jam entry I played. The art is bright and cute and it's a super super short demo, but I was intrigued by the other student we meet on our mission to plead with our professor about our bombed exam lol!

Assignment Due: Project Blue - IRl group projects??? Suck absolute ass. Group projects with a guy name Asher?? Suddenly it's my new favorite thing in the world 😁

Cryptid Campaign Manager [DEMO] - Remember the last time I looked over a cryptid dating sim??? Remember how I was SUCH a fool?? Good thing I didn't make that mistake again!! The prologue is such a tease but you get an idea of what the full game is gonna be like, and I'm excited to see where my career involving love (and politics) goes!

Heart Cage [Demo] - Yoooooo I stay my ass far far far away from yanderes (could never get into the trope or the character type). WELP. Guess I just needed to keep searching because I really downloaded this off a whim--well, the whim being one of my fellow dev peers playing and rating-- and proceeded to get sucked in 🤧I thought being a detective would be the highlight, but I guuuueeesssss I was more into the romance options than I thought. Oops.

Evernight - I tried to explain what this game meant to me on the side blog, but words failed me. I still don't know what to say other than I loved it?? Which is like ummm I say I love everything, and yeah I'm easy to please BUT Y'ALLLLLL if you play no other game, play this one. Please. Date a werewolf. Or a vampire. Or a fae. Plz. Also figuring out the mystery of your MC's abilities and past is just delightful, ugh.

Bright Oak (demo) - Anotha one I wrote about on the side blog!!! Play this one!!! The writing is lush and atmospheric and the characters are all delightful and it's another game with a mystery to untangle!

The Faithfulness of the Universe- This one gets the award for most unique all around entry that I played. Theeeeee prettiest pixel art to bless my eyeballs, and this tasty mystery concerning Fate and witch Faustina's future (or lack thereof 👀) and what it all means. As a player I very much want to know what it all means!

A Cup For All Seasons - Another game that needs its flowers y'all. It's short but super healing and super cozy and the voice acting and music really tie the gaming experience together???

The Working Woman's Guide to Burning Bridges - DEMO - It's the way I played the demo twice and I've been thinking about it ever since 😭😭😭🙃 obviously life happens and things come up, plus this was a demo. But. BUT!!! I am on my hands and knees prayinnggg the team gets together again to finish the game. I love playing as a stressed, lowkey bitter hot mess who doesn't have her life together 😂somehow the fictional version is soooo much more entertaining!!!

Keyframes (Spring Demo) - After the game College Craze, this is legit THE college, slice of life visual novel of my dreams. I cannot wait for the updated demo next year, and the Kickstarter whenever that rolls around. And now that the developer is on Tumblr, I've definitely been stalking the account and reading each new post like it's my day/night/weekend job 🤧

Hello Counsel 💋 - Okay I take it back, Evernight is like a 20/10 but Hello Counsel is like an 100/10 👁️👄👁️ This game is necessary for my mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health, alright? The banter ✅ the character designs ✅ the music ✅ the sizzling chemistry between Poise and Salem ✅ I wish this game had more buzz because IT'S SO GOOD!!! (also the dev, Miseri, is who I wanna be when I grow up. I've made it through almost their whole backlog of games and there are no misses and EVERY game is different from the rest and it makes it hard for a toodler dev--ME--to cope LOL)

Candied Hearts - Isekaied into a candy themed game?? Sign me TF UP!!! (Peppermint I love you dearly, you must understand.)

Fully Released & Played (at least 1 playthrough)

The Knight's Dilemma - I don't even know how I originally stumbled upon this??? I just know it had been in my backlog for a hot minute and I was intrigued enough to save it way back when. Y'ALL WHY DIDN'T I PLAY SOONER SKJFHFJFH! There's a couple different endings, I loved the voice direction, AND it's such a simple concept of a game that was just executed beautifully.

Trouble Comes Twice - If I had to make a top 5 list of romance VNs, guess who makes the list?? Guess. Guess guess guess. Have you guessed yet??? LOL! I have been in love with TCT since it's development days and with each passing month, waiting in anticipation, playing the Pateron beta builds, screaming on the main blog about every single thought I had about Jace and Hazel (shoutout to Jace for helping me figure out *me*) Lol if you're curious about said thoughts, those posts are on this blog and not the side blog.

Aelfric the Wondrous - 10/10 would love to forget my first play through JUST to have that experience fresh again 😭😭💛Cute and funny and a wonderful parody type game all around.

A Summer's End - Hong Kong 1986 - Goodness, there's no excuse for why this took me years to finish but anyhoo, I finished, I loved it, I recommend it! It's romantic and achingly authentic and the art is soooo gorgeous I literally can't stand it 😭

The Things You Do For Love - Unhinged yandere manages to entertain and garner sympathy and laughter from Gemini. And that poly ending is chef's kiss too????

Band Camp Boyfriend - There are a handful of games I found and loved before I began my game development journey, and this is one of them. BCB is so dear to me, because of the story and characters but also because of the Dynamic Duo creators and their team behind the scenes. I was never a band kid I was a chorus kid but just as the band geeks loved this game to pieces, us normal folks do too!! Even the boys who I didn't like I STILL managed to find joy in playing their routes (still have a few more to finish at the time of this posting lol, GOTTA GET THE FINAL ROUTE YO). Anyway, this game more than delivered for me and I hope more people keep discovering it!!

Belle Automata: Chronicle I [RELEASED] - While only Chronicle 1 is out at the time of this posting, I already know that the 2nd and 3rd parts are going to be just as amazing???? I wrote about this one on the side blog, so here's my copypaste that still rings true:  

I love TNP (The Nightmare Prince) but Victor’s route hit the sweet spot for me. Maybe it’s the slow(er) burn nature of this route, maybe it’s the reserved nature of Victor and watching him slowly start to care (AND NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE FEELINGS TEEHEE) for me.

A Date with Death - I wrote about this on the side blog--again--. The demo. And then right after finishing a route. And then again where I was fully awake and still managed to sound deranged. No copypaste for that, I shall be nice. But yeah!! Another game where I was screaming at the sky about how much I love it and how I'll never know peace as long as I live.

Our Life: Baxter DLC - I need to offer an official apology to both Cove and Derek because falling head over heels, down the stairs, crashing into the parking lot, falling again but down a manhole for Baxter's infuriating ass was NOT on my 2023 bingo board??? HELLO???? I bought his DLC just to complete my OL collection. Was not expecting to love it this much. Was not expecting to be called to write fanfic and abandon all responsibilities to do this. WHILE DOWN WITH COVID TOO. Allow me to play the song of my people. *Send in the Clowns plays*

Our Cinderella - (this is so funny I'm taking about a side game before the main game LOLOLOLOL) Guys. Guysss. You guyyyysss 🥹if you're looking for a cozy, hilarious, equally oddly and wonderfully sweet short game, this is the one!! You may have your personal favorite Iggy ship (like me) but all the pairings are so amazing and just make sense lol!

Wylde Flowers - This is the only non visual novel game on here but it gets the spotlight because I did NOT spend 90+ hours on this game to gatekeep this beauty. No. It the coziest, the funniest, the funnest, the most addictive Switch game (after Teacup) I've ever played.

Fully Released (& still on 1st playthrough)

Garden of Seif: Chronicles of an Assassin - Life kicked my butt and then sat on me SO while I finally got my grubby hands on the full copy, I still have only played the entirety of the demo. But. We will return to this in 2024 and hopefully I'll have a full review for the next wrap up!

Our Wonderland - I looked back at the side blog and I can't believe it was only THIS year that I started OW??? Because I'd known of the game and the dev for longer than that??? So basically what I'm saying is that I was chicken shit for longer than I've been in love with this world that Developer Carrot has created kjzhhshggj. But OMG to get me, who is scared oh so easily to get hella invested in this clearly labeled horror game??????????????? And even with shit gets super absurd and hella disturbing, I cannot stop playing. At the time of this post, I'm only in Act 4, hence the category above, but it's only because I play each act in a sitting and lose track of space and time and myself. That's a compliment btw.

...

Okie!! That's 2023 in a nutshell! I played a looooot of really good games this year and while I would have liked to talk about them all, I think this list provides a nice overview.

Let me know if we share any favorites!

- Gemini 💛

#gaming year in review #gamedev rambles #yeah no I cannot keep creating more work for me #2024 I am GOING to make a shorter list 😭🤧 #hmmmm fun drinking game: #take a shot every time the word 'mystery' is used ☠️

[tacticalhimbo]

— OC INTERVIEW

ANTONIA "NOMAD" PERRYMAN

the ghost recon brainrot is consuming my brain, so naturally have to fill this out for her

NICKNAME: nomad (callsign), toni by close friends/team kingslayer (re: holt, weaver, and midas)

GENDER: unlabeled transmasc; she/him pronouns

ORIENTATION: alloromantic questioning (only experiences attraction to men)

NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY: white american, born in boston (and yes, the accent does come out when she's riled up. yes midas and holt have playfully mocked her for it-)

HEIGHT: 5'9 / 175cm

STAR SIGN: gemini sun, sagittarius moon, leo rising (and suddenly her brazen stubbornness makes so much sense skdjdkdkdk)

FAVE FRUIT: grapes. particularly sweet jubilees

FAVE SEASON: late summer / early autumn

FAVE FLOWER: morning glories

FAVE SCENT: not sure of a specific scent, but categorically... she really likes vibrant, citrus-y scents.

COFFEE, TEA, HOT CHOCOLATE: Coffee, 100%. she likes that shit dark and bitter. hell, she's definitely just straight up snacked on the beans before, if she didn't have the means to brew 'em on the field.

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP: anywhere from 2 to 8. tends to fall on the average range, but there have been plenty of times she's gone running on low fumes. it's especially apparent in breakpoint, where she's working entirely alone and in open territory (since walker uh. dispatched. team kingslayer. and wants her dead, too. skjdkdkdkdkd 🥲)

DOG PERSON OR CAT PERSON: definitely a dog person, but not in the "i hate cats they're so mean wah wah wah" way. she just prefers dogs because it's easier to take them places and such. if she weren't being pulled all over the place, i could see her having a malinois, honestly.

DREAM TRIP: route 66 round trip. starting in chicago and ending out in california, then heading back the same way. really taking time with the trip, too, and stopping at each major location (plus some of the smaller ones).

NUMBER OF BLANKETS THEY SLEEP WITH: ideally two; one comforter and one throw blanket. more often than not, though, it's whatever thin blanket she has on hand (or can get her hands on). and if she doesn't have them, she's tucked in a nice padded sleeping bag.

RANDOM FACT: despite being a military brat, she was not, in fact, a j-rotc kid. at least by technicality. her family had a bunch of connects as is, so they didn't feel the need to make her go through their program on top of her academics (plus, what more could they possibly have taught her that her mom and dad couldn't have?). that said, she's done her fair share of volunteering and misc. favors for the instructors on her high school campus. they were all buddy buddy.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

got tagged by the incredible ✨️ @pinkyjulien to fill this meme out! tyvm again for the tag (and the comic recommendation 👀 i bookmarked it and will be checking it out asap)

i'll tag @perpetuagf , @vendettavalor (figured this one could be good for your rp blog), @alexxmason , aaand anybody else who feels like hopping on board!

i've seen so many of these on my dash it's hard to remember who has/hasn't done it ^^;

#txt #my ocs

[sukipershipper]

I legit just woke up and imma do something that requires I use my brain yay: 9 people you wanna get to know better

Thanks for the tag @matchamabs lmao

1) Top three ships

Ya know ironically, despite the name, I don't do a lot of Canon x Canon ships. But I do have 3 for Punch Out specifically.

Carmen x Don: This one is pretty standard, like it's THE ship man, cmon. Bless pur dorky Spanish couple they deserve it

Hondo x Hugger: these two work both romantically and platonically and they're the absolute best. Like I love them so-

Bull x Soda: I think this was the ship that I was really really sold on. Like Gingerbread and Aradon? Cute but I was never sold on em, but these two fuckers? Hell to the yeah!

2) First ever ship

If it ain't obvious it was Sukiper. This was a combo ship between two characters from trolls cause yeah I was into it when I was younger, like 11 years old. DJ Suki and Cooper were my OTP, I loved em.

3) Last Song

Willow's Theme from Angry Birds Stella POP! Such a nice theme honestly, very tranquil. Also yeah I listen to Video Game OST's

4) Last Movie

Matilda, the 1996 one. It is my absolute fave adaption of a movie, and it just makes me feel so happy when I watch it. Used to watch it heaps as a Kid

5) Currently Reading

Eh, i don't read a lot. I guess it'd be the last thing I read which was Hound of the Baskervilles

6) Currently Watching

Chicago Series (Med, Fire, PD)

7) Currently Consuming

Nothing, had breakfast though, it was Milo and Buttered Toast 8) Currently Craving

Pork with Honey Soy Garlic sauce and Rice. Banger combo man

@yourlocaltrashpandaxoxo @ashtxeman @lazypastry @upperhug @lukasdoodle @anotherwvba @wvbaandtheboys @tikiss @sweetzdreamyzblog

Sorry if you;ve been tagged in this already lol

#tagged #tags post #about me

[colorisbyshe]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

Thank you for asking!!!!! Love a chance to talk about myself.

The way I got this ask and like IMMEDIATELY forgot any piece of media I have ever consumed?? If I forgot any of my faves... sorry to them!!

Also, a running theme for most of my faves is that they have overcome being otherized and/or trauma and came out being pettier and more self righteous, lol.

Uchiha Sasuke from Naruto. Pettiest bitch alive and he DESERVES IT! Should be pettier.

Wei Wuxian from MDZS/The Untamed. Went through hell, kinda literally, and did awful things but still chose to do the right thing, every single fucking time.

Fenris from Dragon Age. Watching him emerge from such an awful place and learn to let people in, while remaining sooo rough around the edges, was lovely.

Spock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! From both TOS and AOS, less so from Disco/SNW, because he's just so fucking funny and also watching him be so repressed and then be forced out of that repression is fun. I love him. Baby boy.

Joy from EEAAO. Loved watching her anger, loved watching her creativity, and I loved watching her anger make her mother change. I love that she was able to give up the anger because she was finally seen and her hurt was legitimized.

***** ****** from ******* ******** because *runs away*

NGL.... it's still my boy Edward Elric. In many ways, I should let him go. But he was my first rep of atheism in literally the funniest fucking way ("Yeah I've seen God but... nah.") and I still enjoyed his journey, even if I now have major issues with the narrative and apologism and recognize Scar as a far more compelling character than Edward. Sorry to everyone but when I saw Edward at age.... 13, I did not realize what war crime apologism looked like. At least I let go of stanning Mustang. Cause I wanted that man carnally for a long time.

Sook-hee from The Handmaiden. Watching her fuck shit up was cathartic.

I need to finish my watch through (bingewatching two seasons in a week was mentally taxing, tbh) but Flint and Max from Black Sails. Again... love a selfish character who has felt left behind by the world and so they take what they can from the world. They deserve it!

Recency bias I guess but I'm REALLY loving Frieren from... Frieren. Watching her learn to value other people while going around with her lil :3 face is nice.

I feel like this list is leaving a lot of faves out--my lovely Sailor Jupiter who I imprinted on like a baby duck and have carried in my heart ever since, Dimitri Fire Emblem, Qifrey, and probably so many more. The characters that I love just for horny reasons (Yae Miko, Kaveh, Tighnari my beloveds). Characters I love for their potential (Finn, Poe, and Rey from Star Wars)(Also Cassian but I guess I could love him more if I watched Andor but I will not be watching Disney+ shows.) Characters who I love now (Louis, Lestat, Claudia from IWTV the show) but haven't finished their arcs yet, so idk how I'll feel int he future. Etc etc.

I will also say that this list feels a biiiiiit swayed by characters who I have experienced more in fandom. There are characters from one off books, video games, comics that I CONNECT with more, maybe idolized more, but engage with less often because there's no fandom, so they come to mind less immediately. And they've been butchered less by fanon, so I don't project onto them as much. Like they are FULLER vessels, which means they have less room for me to go "Oh, yeah, we are exactly the same. Let me into your brain."

This list is mainly of characters I love to play with like bratz dolls in my brain and is less about like... maybe heavily fucking with them while consuming their media and then being able to let them go when I'm done.

[magisterhego]

AXE maybe Y and Z if you'd like, for the fandom asks

Thank you! <3

A - Your current OTP(s)/OT3(s)/OTX(s) I have my usual ships, but nothing I'm currently actively seeking out/ having brain worms about... Because of Dracula Daily, I guess all variants of Dracula character ships, that book has such good ship potential lmao. I really should check out if there is brand new fanfic out there!

X - top 5-10 characters who are yoUR PRECIOUS BABIES AND YOU WILL DIE DEFENDING THEM I am not going to list out all my fave characters, I'm just going to add rare ones who would immediately grab my whole attention, chomping wildly at the bit, were I to ever find new content of them (some have a decent bit, some have next to none at all):

• Renfield from Dracula • Beni Gabor from The Mummy • Brother Jerome from the Cadfael book series • Strappi from Monstrous Regiment • Ayrton from Jules Verne's books • Count Dooku, Darth Plagueis, Rae Sloane, Gallius Rax, Count Vidian from Star Wars (wow, two counts!) • The Lothal imperial characters from Star Wars Rebels (Aresko, Tua, Rudor, etc., etc., Kallus and the Inquisitor to a point) • Hickey and Irving from AMC's The Terror • Silna and Henry Goodsir from AMC's The Terror (for once a good, decent duo to be soft about!) I wouldn't die defending the annoying villainous ones though, if anything I'd give an extra lil kick to their asses on their way down. E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom, if so, what Uhhh, I generally mostly add silly stuff to my fandoms anyway, but maybe this old thing? I still recall how quickly I worked to make it in the middle of the night as a gag for a Palpatine group chat - and other folks seemed to like it, too.

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them) Right now, from what I am seeing on my dashboard, I'd say it is the Andor series, House of the Dragon and Pathologic the game. I'd know next to nothing about them if not for my mutuals! :3 Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go (prompts optional but encouraged) Uhhhh.... I kind of wish fandom was a little bit slower? In the sense of the fact I can't even consume new content at the rate it speeds at today, let alone create for it.

Also, I think niche topic content creators, like the kind of people who spend time to write up seriously good, seriously-treated fanfic of weird little crack pairings, or people who learn knitting from scratch just to make a piece of clothing with their fave character or something, are the cornerstone of the spirit of fandom. I loooove finding stuff like that, even when it isn't my thing, I love thinking of how much love and fun went into that.

#ask game #asks #I never do these despite wanting to so here goes for once!! #rugessnome #random rambling

[dragonleighs]

✨ Fic Writing Review 2023 ✨

I haven't actually been tagged by anyone but I saw @bereft-of-frogs give it a go and thought what the hell, why not (I hope you don't mind me tagging you 💜). I also don't have anyone in mind to tag but if you see this feel free to tag me (or not) and give it a go yourself!

Words and Fics

192,428 words posted according to ao3 but at least 90k of that has been carried over from previous years.

Broadly speaking, I've written for two fandoms. The Witcher (Netflix series and Blood Origin) and Jedi Fallen Order/Survivor.

14 fics posted, but again two of those were started in 2022 and another in 2020, all three finished in the beginning of this year.

13/14 of the fics posted/updated this year are finished, one started but on hiatus while my current jfo WIP continues to consume my brain.

Speaking of, said WIP is curently sitting at 132k and only has two or three chapters left before I can start editing.

most recent fic: It's only slaughter, we're only liars (jfo)

longest: that would be A Quest for your Memories (the Witcher), the fic that was haunting me from March 2020. Originally supposed to be a one shot, it ended up being 51,734 words long.

shortest: Echoes (blood origin, 1,118)

Top Fics by Kudos

A Quest for your Memories (794)

I'd Burn So Bright It Blinded (623)

What's The Point (440)

If You Ask Me For My Fire (299)

After The Blood Comes The River (211)

Unsurprisingly they're all witcher fics since it's a much much bigger fandom than jfo/s

Gonna give some love to my personal faves since the Jedi ones can't compete:

It's only slaughter, we're only liars

No more time for my loss

Touchdown

My fandom fic events in 2023

Whumptober which took up a lot of September but was a lot of fun. I enjoyed coming into it with a new fandom since I didn't bother last year.

Upcoming Events and Projects for 2024

My priority at the moment is to finish my current WIP and then start editing it. While I'm doing that I might try to finish off some of my older fics that have been left hanging.

After that I've already got a whole two part thing planned out that will hopefully be a litte shorter that I'm really looking forward to getting to. Beyond that, I don't know. I'll continue to tie up loose ends (there's a lot of them) or I'll keep writing new stuff. Either way, I don't see me stopping any time soon.

I've had a lot of fun writing this year, though for a couple of months I was worried I was running out of inspiration (mostly because my then current hyperfixation was waning). But then Jedi survivor came along and I've been hooked ever since. I didn't used to think I was capable of writing long fics but between finishing a couple of 50k's and now having such a long WIP I can see I was just being silly. "Do it scared" is good advice.

Happy new year!!

Rules & Tags* below the cut!

Rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Please don’t eat glass but don’t feel like you have to do this either.

*I usually do stuff like this on my sideblog but that's not where my main focus is any more and idk how many people know about my main. Hence why I don't want to start tagging fandom people. Also idk many people in the jfo/s fandom or who has already done it.

So no tags becasue I'm too shy basically and I don't see that changing any time soon sadly. I love being tagged, I'm just bad at reaching out first...

#writing wrap up 2023 #tag game

[peribytes]

idk if there would be much interest in this but i might manifest what i want to see and do a mini art series of "steven and jasper's roadtrip". pretty much an AU. and if there IS interest i'll take suggestions on what i should draw them doing on the trip. they won't be in comic form though, just like, snapshot moments.

#su jasper #su steven #my top two faves really consumed my brain..

[curryaboo]

— hiii! i was tagged by @banglatown @bengayli @jentlemahae @chameli aaand @/minteas to do this “get to know me better/20 questions” tag!! thank u so much beauts!! <3<3<3<3<3

🪁 what do you prefer to be called name-wise?

rao is absolutely fine!! <33

🪁 when is your birthday?

oct 13 :) i share it with some,, prominent people in popular culture and politics which aren’t rlly MY personal faves but wtvr it just goes to prove i’m the superior oct 13 baby !

🪁 where do you live?

the uk :<

🪁 three things you’re doing right now?

answering these questions, sorting out some spotify playlists in between answering these questions & casting my eyes between lines of james acaster’s classic scrapes and my phone (sunny @/amarakaran mentioned the book on one of her tag games n very kindly gave me the link to it and i jumped str8 to reading it! u know you’ve watched too many things featuring james acaster when u now read his book in his exact voice :/)

🪁 four fandoms that have piqued your interest right now?

bbc ghosts (ppl have some amazing theories n opinions surrounding it but i would not advise looking up the tag on here and sorting thru recent god bless youse but there are some awful takes there) aaand idk ig a range of kpop groups but i don’t rlly participate in the fandom sides of things anymore (and i’m not consuming a lot of new media or at least keeping up to date with the media that i do to label myself as being interested in being part of the fandom)

🪁 how is the pandemic treating you?

icl now that i’m seeing it in retrospect, it’s been cruel in the sense that it’s taken a lot of important things away from me (my last two years of high school for example i’m rlly bummed abt that) & stunted me in some ways but regardless i’ve learnt a lot about myself and my friends & family and yeah i’ve learnt to cherish myself and my loved ones all the same :)

🪁 song you can’t stop listening to right now?

boy am i glad this question is here bc since yesterday ? maybe i’ve been listening to gal mitthi mitthi endlesslyyy i think my brain chemicals recognise that we haven’t been to a wedding for the past 2 summers so it tries to fill the void by fixating on this one wedding-y song 💔💔

🪁 recommend a movie

PLS if u haven’t already , pls watch assassination nation bc i need someone to begrudgingly revel with in the absolute shit show pisstake of a movie that this is . (as a side note: my soul will not know peace until kennie jd does a video on it) on a more serious side, english vinglish is one of my most favourite films 10000/10 recommend pls go see it if u haven’t it’s an absolute warm hug of a movie <3

🪁 how old are you?

18 :)

🪁 school, university, occupation, other?

gap year babieee my soul is just wondering the place rn

🪁 do you prefer hot or cold?

cold !!

🪁 name one fact others may not know about you.

uhmm i lived in bangladesh for about 9-10 months when i was abt 4 and it was so amazing i miss it very much :’]

🪁 are you shy?

yes quite shy :} but i will always put effort into getting to know someone or initiating a convo !!

🪁 do you have any preferred pronouns?

i was in turmoil over them rlly but she/they is what i’m comfy with rn ! :D

🪁 any pet peeves?

other than some obvious ones, when ppl open things like crisps packets upside down,, that disgusts me truly

🪁 what’s your favourite “dere” type?

i would be a liar if i said i wasn’t biased towards a good bakadere but not too much that it annoys me lmao

🪁 rate your life 1-10. 1 being really crappy and 10 being the best you could ever be.

hmm rn it’s maybe a 5?? i’m grateful for so many things but there is def a lot of room for improvement :] (actually i just got on a 3 month free trial for spotify today so that just bumped the 5 up to a 6 😌)

🪁 what’s your main blog?

this one right here jaanoo.tumblr.com !!

🪁 list your side blogs and what they’re used for.

i don’t have any but i’ve been thinking of making one for aesthetics or like future references ??

🪁 is there anything you think people need to know about you before becoming friends with you?

uhmm again i am quite shy teehee™️ imo there’s a noticeable difference between when we were yk just friendly towards each other vs when we actually become friends and i’m more comfortable with u . that’s not to say that i was being fake in the earlier instances of u knowing me, i was just a lot more reserved :) i’m also one of those *is online 24/7 but gets virtual interaction burnout every 2 hours so postpones replying to ur message to 3 days later* which sucks skfjdsj but yeah if there was anything that i’d need to know about YOU it’d be if u had any dietary requirements bc i love baking for my friends <333

ok now i’m gonna embarrass myself more than i already have & tag a lot of ppl bc i’m super nosey like that and want to know my mutuals’ answers to these 🥸 ofc u can absolutely ignore this and not want to do it we’re not under any contractual binding here <33 @allenoraaa @okhag @watermlon @gayanese @letteredwingsmain @theropoda @holyself @txtzy @creatures2010 @junqhwans @mistblush @snsdyuri @waterz @derelicthousefootage @killuaology @staycverse @amarakaran @tendermachines @shahrukh-khan @peachysara @firesigns @postmoderncaricatures @horrormanga @iqraars @123dream @sunmisbf @avisachi @bengaligirlfriend @morksuns @czennie-on-top @markvibes @joppin @nyuly @shin-jiyoon @99lover @mithaai @chamelis @thefinalgirlz @nikolailantsovswifey @mehendi @yerification @oneustual @singinginthecar @yejiswife @lovedsoup @mangopickled and uhh tumblr’s not letting me annoy tag anymore ppl so if u wanna do this and ur not on the list (ur in my heart 💕 and in an ideal world where tumblr automatically tags all my mutuals 😑) u can say i tagged u if you’d like!! ^_^

#scrolling thru my silly little followers list to tag ppl in my silly little tag game <3 #also ru mangopickled u saved my life with the little mobile readmore thing tysm <3<3<3 #🌙

[pineau-noir]

Ao3 tag game

Thank you so much for the tag @xanthippe74! This was really fun

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 36 if you count my unrevealed Fluff Fest fic

2. What is your total AO3 word count? 337,649

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they? Omg, let me count- 15...ish? Depending on if you count my crossovers as separate fandoms? But it's mostly Marvel and HP content. However I've written for several Marvel fandoms

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? In Love With the Ferret, A Soft Place to Land, Almost-but-not-quite, Steve Rogers Turns 100: A Life in Film, Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)

5. Do you respond to comments, why or why not? I try! I jumped into fanfic purely as a reader and always got a thrill when an author responded back so I try and reply. That being said, I'm horribly late on so many and then my brain looks at it and is like "nope, this is more than one, we can't do this today!" So I certainly understand when other authors don't respond back to my comments. I just think it's a lovely system, either way and I try and do what works best for me personally, which is replying to comments like three months (or more) later

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? Oh! I was going to say none of them, but then Xan's answer reminded me that I did a sad microfic. It's for The Winner Takes it All by ABBA which absolutely gutted me. I'm actually really proud of it but then I did like, NO MORE MICROFICS!!!! Even though I love them

7. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve ever written? Omg yes! I love stealing plots!!!! heh Honestly, my first Drarry fest was LCD and it's become my favorite fest! I get to take other media that I love and turn it into Drarry? Yes please! Oh, I think my favorite one was turning Stucky into Dream Daddy for a Reverse Bang with the amazing @heyboydraws. The art is phenomenal and I had such a blast working with Heyboy.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic? Not...really? I'm a small fry in the sea of like, huge Yukon gold potatoes and it has honestly given me a good bit of cover. If people don't know who you are they can't hate you (insert man taping his temple meme)

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yes. I've written every type of two person, cis pairings (as a cis woman, I would need to do a lot more research and try and work with a sensitivity reader to write any sort of trans smut. I've read it and loved it, but I'm definitely not comfortable writing it without lots of work). I just kind of write things and fling them into the world and usually it works out fine?

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen? See #8

11. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Omg no but I want to! But right now, between my lack of time and motivation, it's all I can do to write fics for the fests I've signed up for. But I love to collaborate (I've done several Marvel bangs) and I would love to apply that feeling to writing together.

12. What’s your all time favorite ship? Omg that changes by the day. I get hyper-focused and the ship consumes me. Right now my faves are Newmann from PacRim, Jmart from TMA, and I always come back to Drarry.

13. What was the first fandom you write for? Stucky and good lord was it bad. It's on ao3 but it's REALLY bad! It's nice to see how much I've improved, but boy-howdy is it bad 😬

14. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written? Honestly, it's usually the last fic I've published? Which in this case is saying yes (instead of no), my Schitt's Creek LCD crossover. It's my favorite for a lot of reasons: it's recent, I feel like I did a good job writing it, I LOVE SC, I got to work with @static-abyss really closely and I adore them, I got to gift it to Ana because I adore them, I had so much fun adding Easter eggs, and I loved seeing how similar David Rose and Draco Malfoy are. It was so much fun to write and the feedback has been so lovely and it's great to convert people to the Draco is David mindset.

I'm going to tag @static-abyss @cibeewastaken @thusspoketrish @p1013 @ladderofyears @iero0 @glittering-git @evaeleanor and anyone else who wants to do this! There's literally no rhyme or reason to who I tag, beyond the user names I can remember off the top of my head.

#my writing

[letterboxd]

How I Letterboxd #12: Joe Lynch.

Self-described cinedork and Mayhem filmmaker Joe Lynch tells Horrorville’s Brett Petersel about cinematic sausage, getting to direct Creepshow episodes and being a three-star starter on Letterboxd.

“Even when I watch what I would think is a real stinker, I also consider that there were many people involved in that film who didn’t walk on set going ‘okay people, let’s screw this up today!’” —Joe Lynch

It is always a pleasure to find film directors lurking on Letterboxd. Joe Lynch is a bona fide, OG member, having racked up more than 1,500 diary entries, giving half-star reviews to his own work, and creating lists of the movies that have influenced the making of his films.

There are the films that were in Lynch’s subconscious when he made Mayhem, a workplace splatter led by Steven Yeun and Samara Weaving. There are the movies he watched while researching the Salma Hayek-starring Everly. And this just in: films that influenced The Right Snuff, one of Lynch’s two episodes for the new Creepshow series—based on the 1982 horror-comedy classic and its sequels—which premieres on Shudder April 15.

Like so many of us, Lynch took time during the pandemic to catch up on films he had neglected to watch in spite of a previous career as a video-store clerk (a Criterion Channel subscription helped him get on top of the backlog). In this edition of ‘How I Letterboxd’, Lynch discusses how those classics have informed his craft, who his Letterboxd faves are, and why the horror genre is the future of the industry.

Steven Yeun and Samara Weaving in Joe Lynch’s ‘Mayhem’ (2017).

How long have you been on Letterboxd? Joe Lynch: I remember when Letterboxd was in its beta phase way back in good ol’ 2012 and I couldn’t wait to sign up, breathlessly waiting for an invite to the party. At the time, I had a digital database where I would log movies I’ve seen, but it was always subject to whatever laptop or device I had handy and would just be a mess of titles with no rhyme or reason.

When a member follows you, what should they expect? I put it right up top in my description: “I am not a critic”, just a lover of cinema. At first I didn’t want to write “reviews” in the description, especially since I first started using the service whilst in the throes of a horrible experience making a film that I thought would bury me and I’d never work again. I was like, and I still feel this way, “who am I to rip on a movie when someone can throw it right back at me? Like ‘dude, you directed Knights of Badassdom, sit down’.”

I’ve always had the highest regard for filmmakers who can get anything made. So even when I watch what I would think is a real stinker, I also consider that there were many people involved in that film who didn’t walk on set going “okay people, let’s screw this up today!” but instead were trying their best and circumstances just got in the way, which always happens. Having made a few films and TV now, I’m fully aware of the trials and tribulations that go into making a movie and have all the respect in the world for anyone who can steer that ship to completion. It’s hard making movies and even harder making one that is your original vision [and] that is widely embraced by an audience.

I have very weird tastes so don’t be shocked if you glance at my recent activity and you see Casablanca, The Silence of the Lambs or Bigger Than Life right next to The Legend of Billie Jean, Con Air or Candyman 3. I’m usually bouncing all over the place in terms of what kinds of movies I’m screening. From films recommended to me, to films that I may be watching for research, or even just how I’m feeling that day and maybe need a good laugh or a good cry or to be scared stiff. I like that kind of variety. There’s something out there for everyone and every emotion. If anything, I’d say expect the unexpected when it comes to my viewing habits.

What’s your favorite feature to use and why? One of the residual effects of working at video stores as a kid was my desire to siphon people’s tastes in movies and possibly recommend films to others as well, so my favorite feature is the ease of use in logging films and being able to quickly recall those films as well in the event someone asks me “what’s something I should watch?”. Getting older, the “employee’s picks” in my head is getting a little harder to cross-reference than usual so to have the ability to whip out my phone and say “oh man, I just watched Possession and it was awesome!” is exponentially helpful to a cinedork like myself.

‘Big Trouble in Little China’ (1986)—a five-star film says Joe Lynch.

How do you rate the films you watch? For example, what type of film is worthy of a five-star review? Funny, I always start out on three-stars mainly because I’m so proud of the filmmakers actually getting it completed! I’ve been there! I’m somewhat biased in my reflections because I’m always rooting for the artists and from there, it’s usually gauged on both an emotional level and a technical level. I always get made fun of while watching movies because I can point out hidden cuts or when a shot is reversed but [I’m] not trying to point out flaws, it's just how my brain is wired at this point. When you pull the curtain back enough to see how the cinematic sausage is made, it's harder and harder to objectively watch a movie without trying to dissect how it was done. I try so hard to shut that part of my brain off to just passively enjoy a movie but it’s tough. I usually skew towards the positive.

The films I’ve given five-stars are movies that have continually affected me over the years and have inspired me as a person and a filmmaker, which is everything from The Empire Strikes Back, Dawn of the Dead and When Harry Met Sally... to Big Trouble in Little China, The Blob, The Last of the Mohicans. I looked back at my five-stars and it’s mostly movies that made a significant impression on me from an early age and continue to do so, maybe even more so as I get older and I view these movies in a different light.

The anthology show Creepshow returns to Shudder this month. Tell us about the two episodes you directed for the series, ‘Pipe Screams’ and ‘The Right Snuff’. Both Creepshow and Creepshow 2 were important films in my youth and even today, they were some of the first movies I remember where I wasn’t quite sure if I was supposed to be scared or laugh. These films proclaimed we could do both! As a disciple of George A. Romero, Stephen King and Tom Savini, Creepshow really shaped how I watched movies and how I made them—consider the anthology I did a few years back, Chillerama, as a prime example. So when Shudder announced the show, I had to do everything on my part to convince them I could take the baton from these masters of the macabre and do them and the many fans proud.

To come to the table and say “I want ‘The Right Snuff’ to feel like 2001: A Space Odyssey crashed into The Andromeda Strain, and ‘Pipe Screams’ is my homage to The Blob and Delicatessen”—and then everyone just immediately getting it—was a dream. Between the casts I was lucky enough to work with and the amazing crew, especially the FX geniuses at KNB, it really was one of those dream jobs I’ll never forget. I hope audiences dig the madness we conjured up on those!

Season 2 of the Shudder series ‘Creepshow’ returns to the horror streamer this month. A third season has been ordered.

If you were to expand the Mayhem universe, what would it look like? We tried! I pitched the producers the idea of the ID-7 virus in other locations and situations because in essence the idea of being uninhibited by mental and emotional constraints is so ripe. My favorite was the idea that it would get loose in a Wal-Mart or a mall on Black Friday when consumers swarm to these department stores for the best deals. You’ve seen the videos, it’s just mass hysteria. The footage already out there would have been perfect to use already and those people aren’t even infected!

Sadly it didn’t come to pass, mainly because they asked “how do we get Steven and Samara back?” and I didn’t want to force those characters into that scenario, Die Hard 2 style. Plus they’re both huge stars now and likely unavailable for the next twelve years. But the ideas people have thrown out to me show that it was impactful enough to warrant variant scenarios in a “what if?” way that’s really exciting. Who knows, maybe the ID-7 virus could find its way onto the set of a movie production…

What excites you about the future of filmmaking, especially in horror films? The world is embracing new faces and voices more than ever and it means we’re getting stories that may not have ever had the chance to flourish and be seen and heard before. For the longest time the system was much more rigid because executives and producers thought that the audience was much less accepting of a wider world view in cinema and I think the last ten years has proven them wrong. There shouldn’t be any more “token” character or “strong [insert non-white-male] character” descriptions in development meetings. I hear it less and less, which is great because that’s not our world and since cinema—especially horror—is and always should be a reflection of our culture and times, it should reflect these evolutions as well.

When I made Wrong Turn 2: Dead End, the discussions over how one of the characters—a Black character played by Texas Battle—survived at the end was not in the original script but I pushed for it mainly because it was rare for the Black character to do so in a horror film. That shouldn’t be an anomaly! Why can’t there be a ‘final guy’ or have the survivors be LGBT+ or a POC and not the usual stereotypes?

I think now it’s more commonplace to see this and it excites me for the future of the genre that artists are being more welcome to express themselves without it feeling like it’s a gimmick or a twist on the norm.

I think generations of kids growing up with horror now are gonna see these strides in the storytelling—and who’s telling the stories—and push it even further. Places like Netflix and Shudder are willing to take chances with new voices more than the studio system, now more than ever, and that’s only going to produce some great stories now and in the future.

Erica Leehrsen and Texas Battle in a scene from ‘Wrong Turn 2: Dead End’ (2007).

How has the pandemic affected your creativity and influenced your work moving forward? Aside from losing a bunch of gigs due to the shutdown and being delayed on shooting Creepshow—which was a blessing in disguise considering the time we took to further develop the scripts and design of each episode—one of the main effects of the pandemic was how it gave many of us the time to catch up on a lot of films, mainly older ones. As you’d see from my diary entries on this very site, my viewing habits changed from a lot of modern films in that rat-race of catching up with the latest release, to mainly watching films I loved in the past and a lot of ’40s to ’70s films that I never got around to.

We have the tendency as film lovers to keep a mental list of films we’ll eventually get around to as if we have all the time in the world, but with the threat of the apocalypse and no real new content coming our way at the usual rapid clip, it was so gratifying to buy an annual subscription to Criterion Channel and start watching films like The Old Dark House, The Crimson Kimono, Contempt and many others.

All of these films impacted how I view film now and have bled into future projects I’m working on—especially on the technical side, when the world wasn’t influenced vicariously through MTV coverage and letting scenes play out in masters or longer takes, relishing in the performance or the mise-en-scéne. So, silver linings!

Before we go, who are some of your favorite follows on Letterboxd? I’m a big fan of Sean Baker, who I’ve known for almost 20 years now! We worked together in NYC and I was already a big Greg the Bunny fan but our mutual appreciation for fringe and exploitation films, especially international horror and genre films, seems to have bonded us for life. I love when he posts what he’s watching. Even if he’s just saying he screened something on Blu or streaming, his thoughts on cinema are always enjoyable and engaging.

In the same breath, filmmaker Jim Cummings has the best perspective on modern filmmaking and he’s clearly a big fan of using Letterboxd, so whenever I see peers like them using the app it makes me feel less like an obsessive movie dork myself, who should be getting back to work.

Some of the other follows I really enjoy are cineastes like Elric Kane and Brian Saur, who are the hosts of the New Beverly podcast Pure Cinema. Writers Anya Stanley, David Chen, Walter Chaw and Lindsay Blair Goeldner, musician and filmmaker Brendon Small, writer and critic Brian Tallerico, author Glenn Kenny, filmmaker Rodman Flender—just to name a few people who clearly love film and love sharing their thoughts on films in a very thoughtful way.

More times than not, I’m getting some great advice for what to watch next in my “new from friends” section! Because, like being at the video store, it’s casual conversations like the ones on Letterboxd that I love and always steering me to new films or revisiting old ones with a new perspective.

Related content

Joe’s film influences for ‘The Right Snuff’ Creepshow episode

The Video Store: Hollie Horror’s list of horror films with memorable scenes in video stores

Office Workplace Horror: J Cara’s list of office horror and workplace thrillers

Follow Brett on Letterboxd

Follow Horrorville—the home for horror on Letterboxd

#letterboxd #how i letterboxd #horrorville #horror director #joe lynch #mayhem #steven yeun #samara weaving #creepshow #shudder #shudder original #letterboxd favorites #letterboxd four favorites #sean baker #jim cummings #knights of badassdom #letterboxd member #film diary #film logging #slasher #workplace horror #workplace slasher

[iclaimedtobethebetterbard]

For the fanfic writer asks, 🧑💡🎤

🧑: favorite character to write?

Okay so this is hard because sometimes I project onto everyone in different ways so my favorite changes mostly depending on who I am currently writing 😂 bUT. the patterns I have noticed are that Logan is who I project my transmasculinity and desperate longing to be Seen and loved and appreciated onto, Janus is who I project my nonbinaryness and secret self-loathing onto (I promise I'm fine lmao), and Remus is, lately, who I just project onto in general. I think Remus has most often been my favorite to write recently, but those three tend to rotate through as my top favorites to write pretty regularly. (Only vaguely related, but I cosplay on tiktok, and cosplaying Virgil gives me a surprising amount of gender euphoria? Idk what's up with that but it's true lol.)

I also really enjoy writing fun dynamics between characters, so when two or more characters interact, I tend to have a lot of fun with the interactions themselves, even more than any specific character within the interaction.

💡: what inspires your fic ideas?

Lots of things! Sometimes I'm consuming some other piece of media and just go "hm how could this be a Sanders Sides AU?" because TSS is my special interest; sometimes I'm thinking about the actual canon and my headcanons and the the dynamics between the different characters, and that sparks an idea; sometimes real life stuff inspires me; lots of times, tumblr posts and tiktoks that I see (whether related to sanders sides or not) inspire me and make me go "oh this is so [insert Side(s) here]"; or sometimes I read a fic I love or see a cool piece of fanart and I go "I want to make something that inspires the same feeling this gave me" and then I use that feeling to find my own idea to write about! The secret is just that my brain is thinking about Sanders Sides literally all of the time and has been nonstop for the last two years, so just by volume I'm bound to come up with at least a few fun ideas lol.

🎤: fave line in a fic you wrote?

Oooooooh... I think I have two right now.

The doorknob rattled, startling Logan, and Janus burst in. “Darling,” they sang out, “I’m going to commit fraud against the Crown! Do you want to help?”

(from Chapter 9 of one chance to change your fate)

[Remus] reached for Janus, his smile turning mischievous. “Now, I believe my favorite milf is in need of some loving as tender and finger-licking good as the finest of chickens.“ Janus blinked several times. “You know, I think I would actually pay money to unhear that,” he deadpanned, allowing Remus to loop his arms around Janus’s waist and draw him towards his bedroom.

(from Chapter 3 of if you're going my way, i'll go with you) (...I'm so so sorry to everyone who has ever read that line, but also it's really funny and so in character for Remus, but, again, I apologize for inflicting that on anyone's eyes ever lol.)

I'm also really proud of honestly the entirety of simply logical, but that's not really one line, lol.

ty for the ask, pal!! <33

ask me: fic writer edition!

#peregrin said a thing #star tag!!!! #peregrin answers

[ruoyeming]

My Fav Books, another chaotic list

Another quarantine review fest! I know I ranked my top anime but this is seriously too hard so I’m just going to list them to avoid hours of debate. Enjoy!

1) The Skulduggery Pleasant series

This whopper of a series (now at 15 books jesus christ I didn’t know there were that many I’ve only read about twelve) has a special place in my heart. I was FULLY obsessed with it throughout my tween - and teen - years, and for a reason. This shit just butters my bread like nothing else. The story follows a young girl Valkyrie Cain (who eventually becomes a young woman through the series) and her partner in crime, a fashionable living skeleton called Skulduggery Pleasant. They’re MAGICAL DETECTIVES!!!! Bitch!!! They use elemental magic - water, earth, fire, air - to fight off magic-wielding bad guys and look good doing it. The duo is hilarious and seriously shaped my sense of humour, the dry wit and comedic writing style stuck with me and influenced my own writing style to this day! As the series progresses we get a massive cast of characters but to me they’re all memorable, likable (mostly) and well-developed so that’s not an issue. I have no fukcing clue how Derek Landy comes up with his stories because every book in the series has an absolutely wild (yet unique) plot with its own twists and turns. It gets REALLY dark and depressing at times, gory, brutal etc etc especially in the later books I have no idea why this is labeled as a kids series.

10/10 for badassery, humour, and MAD codependency issues

2) The Feverwake series

This bitch is one hell of a YA series. It’s actually only a 2 book-series which is rare, but that’s not the only thing that sets it apart from other creations of its genre. It’s hard to explain the setup without waffling so I’ll just quote the blurb of the first book: “In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia.

The son of undocumented immigrants, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks—refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister’s offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister’s son—cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful—and the way forward becomes less clear.”

As you can tell from this, the series is heavy on its politics but in a grounded, realistic and relevant way which is different to many other YA series. Marxist theory is brought up, and you can make some pretty strong links between the books and real events. The magic also has a semi-scientific explanation which is cool and adds to the realness. Anyways this series is action packed and full of twists, plus there’s a bisexual main character and queer romance at the core!! Wig!!! Very good for moral debate - how far is it acceptable to go to protect the oppressed before you become one of the oppressors? Dark and exciting series.

10/10 queer representation and political themes.

3) Spin the Dawn

It’s probably obvious that I’m biased towards YA books but they’re just so exciting and cool! Anyways this is about a girl living in a kind of alternate universe ancient China where magic exists. Maia Tamarin is a skilled seamstress who dreams of being the Imperial Tailor, a position that can only be held by a man. She poses as her brother to go to the royal palace and enter a competition full of skilled tailors, all vying for the role of imperial tailor. She also meets Edan; a mysterious, annoying, but SEXY mage who seems to know her secret identity? Oho? IMO this would be an elevated book if Edan had been a girl but that’s just me being gay. As the final challenge Maia is tasked with making 3 dresses from the sun, moon, and stars - a mission that takes her to the ends of the world in search of these magical materials (obvs Edan goes with her and they kiss kiss fall in love). It’s a fairly classic YA plot and characters but the combination of Project Runway, Mulan, and kind of Lord of the Rings(??) vibes makes for a very entertaining read. It’s also really fun to imagine what the clothes look like, plus the romance between Maia and Edan is very cute. Second book is yet to be published but sounds lit.

10/10 magic fashion and romance (despite its heterosexuality)

4) Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Usually I steer clear of angsty gay stories because I’ve consumed too much of the depressing narrative which is all about suffering because of being gay, but fuuuuuuck this book is like the definition of bittersweet. Mostly bitter to be fair but it has a happy ending which was lovely after the emotional torment of the book. It’s about two teen boys - Aristotle is angry and repressed, Dante is eccentric but kind, and the two eventually form a strong friendship after meeting at the local pool. It’s kind of obvious that Ari is in denial about a few things, which leads to some real sad boi hours. There’s also a devastating moment around halfway (not sure) through with a car accident which makes the whole thing 10x heavier. Despite all this, the book has its sweet moments - parents play a big role, but not in the way they usually do in queer stories - and like I said the ending is the bandage for your broken heart. I’m not sure what it is about the writing style, maybe the way it just cuts between scenes randomly or perhaps the way the dialogue and actions are so realistic, but it’s so different to any other book I’ve read that it’s stayed in my mind for a while after reading it.

10/10 really good philosophy plus supportive parents

5) The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

Okay if this was a ranked list, this bad boy would be on its way to the top spot. It’s got everything: historical setting, gays, pirates, alchemy, humour, adventure, angst, character development, and some healthy second-hand embarrassment. It’s not complicated or philosophical but reading this book all in one go is like taking five shots and diving into a pool. It’s exciting and witty, but deals with darker themes like child abuse too. One of the MCs also has a disability and doesn’t treat it as something to be cured, which is a lesson our protagonist has to learn. Speaking of protagonists, Henry ‘Monty’ Montague is a great main character. He’s obnoxious, oblivious, and hedonistic yet quick-witted and passionate, and he has a good heart. Sometimes you just want to grab him by the shoulders and shake him for being such an ignorant idiot, but throughout the book he grows and learns to open his mind more (as well as becoming more humble). He’s a great example of a flawed yet likable main character. He is also a bisexual icon.

Oof forgot to even talk about the story. Monty embarks on a tour of Europe, usually taken by lads his age to get all cultured before they settle down and inherit the family company or whatever. With him are his younger sister Felicity, a girl with a brilliant mind for science who isn’t taken seriously by anyone because of her gender, and the lovely Percy, Monty’s lifelong best friend (and crush). Monty ends up stealing a very valuable object that turns the Tour into a manhunt across Europe, and drags the trio into a big ol’ conspiracy involving something that may or may not be the philosopher’s stone????

Issues of race, gender, and disability in historical context are really well done, and it’s an absolute banger of a book.

10/10 very exciting adventure, plus GREAT GAY ROMANCE

6) Heaven Official’s Blessing

HOOOOOO BOY. This is probably my absolute fave on this list. It’s a webnovel (originally Chinese but the full translation is online). Set in ancient china in the cultivation world (difficult as shit to explain if ur not into all of that but I’ll try), basically there’s three realms - the heavenly realm, the human/mortal realm, and the ghostly realm. If a mortal reaches a certain point (good deeds, power etc), they ascend to become a god - or if they fall far enough, they become a ghost. 

I’ll just quote the author’s description again cause I don’t have the brain cells required:

 “Eight hundred years ago, Xie Lian was the Crown Prince of the Xian Le kingdom. He was loved by his citizens and was considered the darling of the world. He ascended to the Heavens at a young age; however, due to unfortunate circumstances, was quickly banished back to the mortal realm. Years later, he ascends again–only to be banished again a few minutes after his ascension. Now, eight hundred years later, Xie Lian ascends to the Heavens for the third time as the laughing stock among all three realms. On his first task as a god thrice ascended, he meets a mysterious demon who rules the ghosts and terrifies the Heavens, yet, unbeknownst to Xie Lian, this demon king has been paying attention to him for a very, very long time.”

It’s hard to describe the enormity of this story and all the emotions it encapsulates, you really have to read it for yourself. But bitch the undying, pure, Hozier-devotion-level LOVE is by far my favourite part of this story. If you’re looking for an epic, god-tier gay romance, then this is it baby!! This story has comedy, action, and downright harrowingly depressing moments, but throughout is this achingly beautiful love between fallen god and last believer.

I don’t wanna give too much away cause there are some big ol’ plot reveals, but oooh this shit made me cry. The protagonist is MY FAVOURITE EVER I didn’t think it was possible to like a protag so much!! He’s legit my fave character! At first he seems oblivious and carefree but he’s just doing his goddamn best after all he’s been through and he’s so fukcing kind and just wants to help everyone for fuckcs sake excuse me I need to go have a breakdown.

Okay I’m back, anyway there’s a great cast of characters, even the background characters are all incredibly memorable and all given their time to shine and develop. My faves include Quan Yizhen, a rowdy himbo who just wants to fight, and Shi Qing Xuan, a friendly genderfluid god who controls the wind. Read this shit I’m not joking it’ll change your life. 

10/10 for everything

#book review #book recommendations

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Fanfic Writer Ask Game

I was tagged by @dreamsescapeus! Thank you!!

Fandoms You Write For: Supergirl (and any xovers I can imagine), NCIS, Sanctuary, SG-1

Where You Post Fic: AO3 (Under csigurlie07)

Most Popular One-Shot: Most popular is misleading, so to clarify, I sorted by kudos. Course Correction won out.

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: Making Waves! Again by kudos. This makes me happy bc holy shit I love this fic.

Favorite Story You Wrote:  I re-read almost everything I write on a semi-regular basis. Making Waves is a fave, because it’s the first fic that reads like a novel, with layered storylines. I also really like When Lena Met Reign for its adorkable coming together of two lesbians being totally into each other (towards that end Heartbound is also up there, but I hesitate to name it because it’s not complete yet). I like The Day Kara Danvers Died for the intensity of its peril scenes. I dunno-- I love almost everything I write.

Story You Were Nervous to Post:  just because I let you go, doesn't mean i wanted to-- it was a breakup fic, which can be dicey in this fandom, and was a new style for me. Heartbound a little too I think, because as an ace taking on a smut fic can be really daunting, and I wasn't sure how well it would be received.

How Do You Choose Your Titles: I don’t. I pray to the title gods and hope they send me an epiphany.

Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write: Continuing Fateful Objection, continuing Heartbound, and my nuclear winter supercorp au that is consuming my brain right now.

I’m going to tag some of the tumblr writers I know off the top of my head: @banrions, @jazzfordshire, @bossbeth, @bigmammallama5, @proudlyunicorn, and @coeurdastronaute!! 

#fanfic writer ask game #tag meme #get to know me #fanfic #i can talk about my writing stuff all day #in fact #i think i already did one of these before #not recently #but yeah #i can go on for hours about this #writing makes me happy #this also has an incomplete glimpse of my work list #you'll notice it makes no mention of my current tumblr drabbles #that was deliberate #yay adhd #and executive dysfunction #and procrastination

[chicassht]

MY CORONA CONTRIBUTION

Last night my mister and I were FaceTiming with some friends and they asked for TV show recommendations. For those of you who know me (which let’s be honest, is all four of you), you know that there are very few things in life that make me light up more than the opportunity to talk about TV.  

I jumped into action straight away.

“So what do you want to watch? You want Drama? Something light? Dark? Dark light?”

They wanted light so I started rattling off my top picks. When I listed something they had watched already, our friend said, “Oh I’ve seen that, but you’re in exactly the right territory. That’s what we want.”

I smiled smugly. “Oh. I know.”

Adam observed and finally muttered, “You should charge for this shit.”

Which got me thinking. Obvs not to charge. That wouldn’t be chic. But, maybe this can be my corona contribution. The countless number of hours I have put into Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC… . it’s all been in preparation for this moment. To allow me to help you. If you’re stuck at home (which I know you are) and are wondering what to watch, let me be your guide. There’s SOO much good content out there, just waiting to be consumed. Amazing, quality stuff that can help get you through this new normal of nothing to do. No matter what you want to feel, TV can deliver.

And that brings me swiftly onto what I started racing through my brain next. How to categorize. There are obvious genres like Light Comedy, Dark Comedy, Dark Drama, but then what about the sub categories? Like, Things To Watch With Your Significant Other or Shows You Missed the First Time Around. But of course there could be a light comedy that you could watch with your significant other and that came out 10 years ago. Then I started to think about colour coding and excel charts and my head exploded. This was followed quickly by the realization that I am not Netflix. I don’t have algorithms or links or ways to mass personalize. So you’ll have to be happy with some good old fashioned lists. This first post is my list of light-hearted, not too dark and stressful, GET YOU THROUGH CORONA WITH A SMILE SERIES. I have eliminated the super obvious ones, but don’t think for second that I’ve somehow missed the blockbusters! Another post, for you more twisted at heart, will contain my more disturbing choices. And man are there some DOOZIES, but more on that in the coming weeks.

For now here are my top picks for light, but clever and well written shows that won’t disturb your sleep!

GLOW - Netflix 

This is 30 minutes of sheer viewing pleasure. It depicts the making of a women’s wrestling show in the ‘80s, so you know the costumes, makeup, hair and music alone are enough to keep you well entertained. Then you add in the GENIUS script by Liz Flahive (think Homeland and Nurse Jackie) and the talent of Alison Brie (of Community and Mad Men fame) and an all star cast, and it’s a TOTAL KNOCK OUT!

Mozart in The Jungle - Amazon Prime

Gael Garcia Bernal. Nuff said. But also, dreamy dynamic between Gael as the Maestro of The New York Philharmonic, and his musicians, dreams and patrons. It’s an ode to music, New York City and romance. Can’t watch an episode without smiling.

I Love Dick – Amazon Prime

Unfortunately, there was only one season of this show (plus side it’s not a big commitment), but I absolutely loved it!  It’s based on the critically acclaimed book of the same name and stars Kevin Bacon and Kathryn Hahn. Such a dream to see Kathryn in a lead role. Her kind of neurotic-feminist-best-friend vibe (seen in movies/TV you know like Transparent and How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days), is perfect in this role as a filmmaker New Yorker spending a year in the elitist art community of Marfa Texas. The show is funny and always entertaining, but also makes you feel like you’re getting a bit of culture and sophistication in too. #Smug.

This Way Up – On Demand Channel 4 (in American not sure, but FIND IT)

A friend recommended this show to me and I couldn’t be more grateful! Aisling Bea wrote it and stars in it (she’s my new OBESSION) as a twenty something Londoner trying to find her way back to normal life after a mental breakdown. It’s the perfect blend of laugh out loud funny with genuine heart-warming moments. A true British comedy, it also stars Sharon Horgan and falls in the same category as Catastrophe and Flea Bag. Meaning it has that distinct appeal of extreme dry wit mixed with self-deprecation and a dash of darkness that makes it gritty and real. If I was doing subcategories (which I’m not) this would definitely fall under Hidden Gems and MUST SEE.

Dead to Me - Netflix

This was a real unexpected treat! I think it popped up in a suggested watches email from Netflix. I saw Christina Applegate was in it, decided to give it a shot and I’m so glad I did! Christina stars as a recently widowed mom who finds an unlikely friend in Linda Cardellini (of Freaks and Geeks greatness) at a grief counselling group. It’s very well written with lots of funny one liners mixed with surprising, punchy plot twists and dark moments. A great exploration of friendship, obsession, desperation and the human response to those motivations. Really loved it and can’t wait for the next season!

Working Moms – Netflix

Canada! Who knew? This Canadian show about new working moms just GETS IT! It’s so well written, so funny, so cringey and relatable! It was definitely one of my fave shows to discover this year on Netflix and, jackpot, they’ve already uploaded three seasons!

Community – Amazon Prime

Somehow I completely missed this show the first time around (2009-2015.) But what a treat to now have 6 season of pure delight to make my way through! Based in a community college, we follow a motley crew of friends whose funny daily exchanges are the epitome of no stress, keeping things light, perfect COVID19 tv viewing. It’s clever, it’s funny and you really fall in love with the characters, especially the bromance between Troy and Abed. Also, Alison Brie is in it and I just love me some Alison Brie (see Glow).

Sex Education – Netflix

I pray that you guys have already discovered the two seasons of what I deem one of the best things on television at the moment! Gillian Anderson is SPECTUACULAR. Her acting obvi, but more importantly she is KILLING IT in her ‘70s vibe jumpsuits and Meryl Streep a la The Devil Wears Prada hair cut. The whole thing is beautifully shot and gives off a trendy-right-now mutli-decade vibe, sitting neatly between the 70s to 90s. The high school story lines are a treat and I especially love the girl power, feminist plotline it brought, particularly in season 2. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT! I can’t EVEN!

Love – Netflix

Judd Apatow wrote and produced this show, so that should be reason enough to give it a shot! It’s charming and funny and just a light-hearted relatable show about two twenty-somethings in LA who fall in love. It stars Gillian Jacobs (see Community), Paul Rust and Iris Apatow (Judd’s daughter), who is surprisingly great in it! A good one to watch with a significant other.

Call My Agent – Netlfix

I’m not one to usually gravitate towards subtitles, but something drew me to this French comedy and I wound up sticking around for all three seasons. It’s very French, very funny and very chic with the premise all around a Parisian based celebrity agency. I got the impression it was full of French movie star cameos too, which made it very cool and inner circle. Highly recommend.

WELP. That’s all I can muster for now. Other top (most of them obvious) choices in this genre are...

The Good Place - Netflix

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Amazon Prime

Atypical - Netflix

The Politician = Netflix

Kominsky Method - Netflix

The Goop Lab - Netflix

Love Is Blind - Netflix

Cheer - Netflix

Casual - Amazon Prime

Stay tuned for the darkly diturbing list up next!

#Contribution Netflix TV Series StuckatHome Light Comedy

[flamingbluepanda]

Get to know me!

So it has been a HOT minute since I did anything I was tagged in (if you tagged me in something and I didn’t respond I am so sorry please know I was greatful for the tag!!!) but @zasteroid tagged me in a get to know you meme- THANKS GIANNA!

1: your name?

My name is Alicia but I go by Ali!

2: your birthday?

July 14th, I just turned 19

3: zodiac sign?

Smack dab in the middle of cancer season. Let’s hear it for the crabs and the overemotional romantics

4: height?

Tbh it varies between 5’7 and 5’9 depending on when you ask me and who I’m trying to impresss

5: hobbies?

Can someone as consumed by fic writing as me really call fanfic a hobby??? Lol I guess writing. Or you could say that writing is my job and spending time with old people is my hobby. I also like TV and dancing around the kitchen when no ones home.

6: fave color?

Blue!

7: fave books?

Good omens, dragon slippers, Eliza and her monsters, one man guy and the girl who could fly.

This was not supposed to rhyme.

8: last song you listened to?

Uhhhh the last song my brain acknowledged during the drive here was sunflower but I know that’s not it.... oh! Sad Movies (make me cry) was just playing on the music choice solid gold oldies channel. That’s the one.

9: last movie you watched?

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh shit I don’t think I’ve watched a OH WAIT the princess and the frog.

(I was gonna say “I don’t think I’ve watched a movie since I came back from Texas” and if that was true the answer would be “rocky horror picture show”)

10: inspiration/muse?

Uh.... jack Harkness? Jim Kirk? Idk man I dare to be as kind and selfless as the hero’s I write about in my stores

11: dream job?

Nurse

12: inspiration behind your url?

Okay when I was like 13 i had an IPod touch, and I bought this REALLY overpriced case for it that looked like a blue panda and didn’t fit at all, and I’ll always remember it because I tried to return it two seconds after I bought it and couldn’t. Anyway one day my little 13 year old brain said “man, flamingbluepanda would be a hella cool screen name” and I was just like “shit your right.”

However when I started making my various online profiles I used “geritashipper123.” Yes it’s still my ao3 name and no I will not change it. because while I know NOW that hetalia is problematic a few years ago it was literally my entire life. And get it’s was the first thing I ever seriously shipped, it has a special place in my heart.

(Also changing my Ao3 name would take down all my fics and erase all my comments and I don’t want that)

Anyway, some of my followers might remember that this blog started out as an rp account (yes, for hetalia. I was an annoying little shit when I was 14 okay) and when my partners all stared fading out and I got into Star Trek, I went through some big personal changes in my life and decided to change this to a general account. Geritashipper123 was already taken (by me, I’d just forgotten about it) and I was really looking for a fandom neutral URL.... this the brand was born.

God that was a long story. Sorry.

13: top three ships?

Janto, spirk, and RedPanda :3

14: chapstick or lipstick?

Neither.

15: currently reading?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA *dissolves into snakes*

(I’ve been slowly working my way through the lord of the rings for about a year and a half now)

16: people you want to do this?

WELL WE HAVE @victorian-sexstache @enderon @onedamnminuteadmiral (Liss I MISS you) @frostedej @iant0jones @blue-wolf-seeker aaaaaaaaaaaand @foxy-mulder