#add it to the list of people i've mixed up over the years

[bermudianabroad]

Somewhat disappointed to learn that Anna Wintour went to the Met Gala with Bill Nighy, not Bill Nye like I originally thought. 

#bill nye #bill nighy #add it to the list of people i've mixed up over the years #met gala #but good for them! #being in love and all #but the wintour / nye combination... i had so many questions lol

[wannaeatramyeon]

Can we get lookism boys seeing their s/o for the first time?

Literally love at first sight and maybe their reactions?

Thanks,

Thanks for the ask! I've written a few slightly more fleshed out 'Meeting for the First Time' listed here (Gun, Goo, Jake, Johan). But let's do some other scenario for my usual suspects.

Umm...I actually really dislike the love at first sight trope. But I do like the double-take at first meeting trope, yknow what I'm saying? Here's a mix of everything!

Love at First Sight Double-Take at First-ish Meeting: Gun, Goo, Jake, Sammy, Vin + Taehoon!

Gun Park - Ultra Instinct

Gun is not ashamed to admit that it was the sashay of your hips that turned his head at first. He is a hot blooded male after all.

And then when you whirled around, asking "See something you like?"with a confident smirk and your own jet-black eyes staring back, moments before landing a throat punch.

Well. Gun is a goner. Head over heels, lying-awake-thinking-of-you obsessed.

Maybe he should have gotten a name. But two UI users meeting each other can't just be a coincidence, he must be destined to see you again.

Who would have thought Gun Park would believe in something as ridiculous as fate.

.

.

Goo Kim - Reflection

Goo detested you on first meeting. How can such a pretty face have so much venom.

All double-edged and saccharine, nothing to be taken at face value. You even had the audacity to ask if the weapon wielding was compensating for something.

And to add insult to injury, Gun had laughed. Goo didn't even realise Gun was capable of such emotion.

Ugh. Goo does not like having a taste of his own medicine.

As the day dragged on, Goo's obsession grew. It really was like looking into a mirror. Sure this reflection isn't as sexy as his usual. But. It's still pretty sexy nonetheless.

Huh, he wanders the corridors with a sly grin, wondering about you, Let's see how well you can keep up with me.

.

.

Jake Kim - Business Unit for Rent

Jake, for some bizarre reason relegated to realtor duties, shows you around the business unit. A long empty store that, fingers crossed, after today would no longer be a drain on the finances.

"All this can be yours for 2 million won a month," he flashes his most dazzling smile. Charming and toothy that he knows few could resist.

Unfortunately, it is completely missed by you as you continue casting an astute eye over the premises.

"Ah look at the state of this. The ventilation system is awful."

Jake blinks, looking at whatever the hell you're pointing at. "It is?"

"And the walls! It'll need plastering and floors completely redone."

"Um. Maybe it has been a while since-"

"I heard the footfall is terrible here. Constantly declining. 23% down on last year?"

Your sharp eyes peer into his and he freezes. Where the hell did you even get those stats? Not even Lua or Jason would know this.

"Well..." he scratches the back of his head, thinking of what to say.

Half an hour later, after a whirlwind of complaints and pointing out flaws, you've signed a 12 month contract for less than half the initial asking price.

Shit, Jake thinks, Jason is going to kill me. Actually... Fuck. This unit had been recently renovated to attract potential renters. And footfall figures? Must be plucked out of thin air.

You completely twisted his arm with your bullshit.

Jake can't even bring himself to be mad, he's impressed. Who the hell are you? He's looking forward to seeing more of you and your smart mouth.

.

.

Samuel Seo - Tattoos (let's ignore the timelines here)

Not many people pass Samuel's exacting standard on first meeting, but you do He's frankly impressed with your work.

Someone similar to his age yet already amassing an impressive portfolio with impeccable linework and pristine colouring. No wonder you're booked out for months.

"So," your hands graze over his pecs, all strictly business yet his skin prickles at your touch. "You're thinking of your first tattoo here?"

"Yes."

"Cool, and you want it to eventually be a Sak Yant full body?" He nods. "Ok, it's going to take a while and quite a few sessions."

You give him a smile that leaves his throat dry. "Guess we're going to see a lot of each other."

.

.

Vin Jin - My name

Vin holds out his phone and with his most charming smirk, asks for your number.

"Sure," you fold your arms, showing no intention of reaching for the device, "You can have my number if you tell me my name."

"What?"

"I'm waiting," And now it's your turn to plaster on your smirk.

Fuck, who the hell do you think you are. Vin storms into the corridor, ego bruised and mood soured. Ugh, whatever. He has plenty of chicks interested anyway. He doesn't need to-

The lightbulb goes off over his head. Mary must know. She knows goddamn everything going on in this school.

Vin dashes off in search for her, thoughts from seconds ago already completely erased and giddy at the thought of finally getting your name and your number.

.

.

Seong Taehoon - Taekwondo

The first oddity is having someone your age show up for their first lesson. Then it turns out it's not your first.

The second oddity is when Taehoon tells you to show him what you got, you execute a perfect 1080 kick.

The last oddity, which really shouldn't be an oddity at all for Taehoon's ego, is that you are a fan of his from his UFC days and you think Taekwondo is the best.

Damn. And all that punctuated with a perfect 90 degree bow and 'Master Seong' too.

If that isn't the perfect way to worm yourself under his skin. Taehoon's going to be keeping an eye on you.

#lookism #lookism x reader #gun park x reader #goo kim x reader #samuel seo x reader #jake kim x reader #vin jin x reader #seong taehoon x reader #seong taehun x reader #taehoon x reader #how to fight x reader #viral hit x reader #wannaeatramyeon

[a-fandom-reimagined]

ALL OF YOU | BRUCE WAYNE X PLUS SIZE GN! READER (FT. ALFRED)

୨୧ type: fluff & angst | word count: 887 | tw: sfw, mentions of bullying but no actual descriptions of what was said or done. please enjoy

→ please note that I don't think I've ever written anything for a gn reader before so if I messed anything up (like how i couldn't figure out what the gn alternative for master/miss is) I apologize

requested: omg okay, idk if you would want to write this but; since i can't find ANY battinson x plus size reader stuff, could i request a battinson x gn plus size reader where bruce discovers his partner being insecure about themselves and tries to cheer them up? this would be angst mixed with fluff if that's okay with you :>

Everything is fine, you told yourself.

The limo pulled away from the curb merging into early morning rush hour. The annual Wayne Foundation Ball had ran hours longer than you'd intended. And as host, you couldn’t leave early. No matter how much you'd wanted to. You relaxed into your lover's embrace, drinking in his cologne. Basking in his warmth. It was the most relaxed you'd felt all evening.

You were almost asleep when Bruce's voice dragged you back to reality. "What's wrong?"

You opened your eyes. "Nothing." You couldn't even manage a smile to better sell the lie.

Tonight was supposed to be your night. And they took it from you…

Bruce frowned. "Don't lie to me. We're better than that."

You were better than that. And now you had shame to add to the long list of emotions weighing you down.

They were just words. Everything is fine.

You buried your face in the crook of his neck. You didn't want to talk about it. Not with him. But you couldn't lie to him either.

Your fiancé kissed the top of your head, hugging you tighter. "Talk to me. Did someone hurt you? Did something happen?"

"It doesn't matter. It's not important."

"It's bothering you so it does matter and it is important. You've been talking non-stop about this Gala. You've been planning it for months. What happened?"

You pulled back to wet eyes and a broken smile. Bruce's jaw ticked, his expression chillingly blank. Bruce usually kept this side of himself hidden away from you. Was this the version of him that went out to hunt bad guys every night? Or was this just a small sliver of him?

"Sir, not to interrupt but would you like me to turn the car around?"

You'd forgotten the partition was down. Alfred's voice was low and clipped. Almost unrecognizable from the sassy, well-mannered man who'd been like a father to you over the past four years.

"I'll let you know." answered Bruce before returning his attention to you. "Please." he said softly.

You shook your head. "It's so silly. They were just words."

"What did they say? Who said it?"

You sighed heavily. He wasn't going to let this go. And it was stupid of you to try to hide it from him. The World's Greatest Detective… The World's Most Attentive Fiancé was more like it. "The…people at the gala were mean to me," you admitted in a small broken voice. You hated the way you sounded. You hated even more that you'd let it get to you. "There. I told you. They were mean to me tonight and they said awful things about my weight, how much I ate at dinner. One woman gave some diet pills she swears by in the bathroom. It shouldn't bother me. It's not like I haven't experienced this before. I am a plus-sized person, I know that but…I don't know. These people gather every year to give away exorbitant amounts of money to make Gotham a better, safer place to live. I don't know, I guess I just expected better. Dumb, I know."

"It's not dumb."

"But it is! Bruce, you put on a mask every night and go face down real villains. Real villains that cause real pain with real weapons."

Bruce's jaw dropped. It took a lot to shock him. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"It has to do with everything because they're just words, Bruce, not bullets! And I let them get to me. I've been miserable all night. That's why you caught me in the hallway tonight. I didn't get lost, I just got down crying in a broom closet and I was walking around and waiting for my eyedrops to kick in and hide the redness! Now, can we please just drop it and forget that this ever happened?"

"No we can't."

"Why not?"

"Because you feel like you can't confide in me just because of who I am and what I do at night. They're not just words, Y/N these people bullied you. You worked your ass off to make this Gala the success it was. We've never raised this much money in a single night before and it was because of you. Y/N I don't care how minor or unimportant you think it is. You don't have to get roundhouse kicked into a dumpster for your feelings to be valid."

You swallowed a laugh. "When in the world did you get roundhouse kicked into a dumpster?"

Bruce smiles. "That's the point. The point is your feelings are valid. And you can come to me with any of them."

"And I as well, *[Master/Miss] Y/N."

You breathed easy for the first time that night, And smiled for the first time that night. "Thank you. Both of you."

Bruce smiled back, pressing his forehead to yours. "Feel better?"

You nodded.

"Good. Because you're going to tell me the name of everyone who bothered you tonight. And then Batman is going to toilet paper their house and slash their fucking tires."

You barked out a laugh.

Bruce pulled you even closer leaving a trail of kisses from your temple to your collarbone. "You're perfect just the way you are, my heart. All of you."

REQUESTED! | REQUESTS: ALWAYS OPEN | REBLOG DON’T REPOST | MASTERLIST

#gn reader #gender neautral reader #plus size reader #bruce wayne #bruce wayne fluff #imagine bruce wayne #bruce wayne imagine #bruce wayne x reader #the batman 2022 #robert pattinson #bruce wayne x you #bruce wayne x gn reader #bruce wayne x gender neutral reader #the batman fanfiction #battinson x reader #battinson x plus size reader #bruce wayne x plus size reader #battinson x you #battinson x y/n #battinson x gn reader #bruce wayne one shot #bruce wayne oneshot #battinson one shot #battinson oneshot #imagine alfred pennyworth #alfred pennyworth #reader x alfred pennyworth #alfred pennyworth oneshot

[themori-witch]

How did you learn so much about Irish polytheism? I feel like I can barely find any people to follow or resources for it compared to stuff like Hellenic or Norse polytheism. Or it’s lumped in with other Celtic polytheistic paths. Who would you recommend to follow / any books / websites? (Btw I totally understand if you’ve already answered this and choose not to! Tumblr is just being weird and nothing shows up when I search your blog for like any tags!)

Hello!

I've been doing this for over 10 years now, and it's taken me a long time to accumulate the knowledge that I have - which, admittedly isn't hugely extensive as it is.

You'll often find various Celtic polytheistic paths lumped together because, although fundamentally distinct from one another, they share a lot too. There are deities and spirits, creatures and legends and stories that are shared through the mixing of people. It can be frustrating to wade through it all, I know.

Here are some of the resources I’ve used over the years:

LINKS:

Mary Jones Celtic Literature Collective. A Masterpost of Resources for IriPols That is Very Extensive and Helpful. A List of Deities (the drop-down option does state Gaelic, so it’s Irish and Scottish).

BOOKS: 

Celtic Myths and Legends by Peter Berresford-Ellis.

Dictionary of Celtic Mythology by Peter Berresford-Ellis.

Early Irish Myths and Sagas by Jeffrey Gantz.

The Ancient Celts by Barry Cunliffe.

The Old Gods of Ireland: The Facts about Irish Fairies by Patrick Logan.

Ireland’s Immortals: A History of the Gods of Irish Myth by Mark Williams.

Ortha Nan Gaidheal: Carmina Gadelica [in English and Irish] by Alexander Carmichael.

Pagan Portals - Irish Paganism: Reconstructing Irish Polytheism by Morgan Daimler.

If I can find or remember more, I’ll add them to this for you.

#anon #anonymous #celtic #gaelic #irish #mythology #irish polytheism #iripol

[theinfinitedivides]

this is so random but i would love to hear your opinion on mydramalist as a fellow asian drama lover. because it’s obviously well known as a reliable wiki of sorts in dramaland but i beg to differ. (the only plus i feel being the summary and cast list for info)

i mean, i’ve not seen a single comsec w more than two brain cells as a whole? there’s always complaints about female leads rooted from misogyny, they are never happy about story progression, and i just find so many of them kinda dumb sorry lol. like zero media literacy to be found, insufferable arguments, etc. the star ratings are rly just given to popular dramas w high profile actors too.

and i personally find it disheartening that so many ppl end up referring to mdl when considering dramas because so many gems are then lost and not given appreciation.

anon. anon anon anon if you know the way i sat straight the f*ck up when i saw the notification and then read through this ask bc yes. yes to everything here that is exactly it. almost three fourths of what i've watched this year was either 1. not received well by the general MDL crowd (Moon in the Day. where is the taste brethren to not like MITD and not even for reasons that actually make sense), 2. received well but had a good chunk of people bitching in the comment section, or 3. received well but had the main point of the show (and its relevant characterization) go over their heads. (The Worst of Evil aka TWOE comment section, i am f*cking looking at you. i can count on one hand the number of people who understood what that show was supposed to be about) the one fourth that managed to escape was bc the toxicity did not reach the comment section and everyone was pretty f*cking civil. alas if only it could be like that all of the time

case in point for the ratings example, since we've already briefly tackled the lack of media literacy—j-dramas on MDL are notoriously rated much, much lower than either k- or c-dramas. half of the time that's bc there are less users watching (and rating) them therefore the average is lower but the other half it's bc people simply do not understand good media when they see it. don't get me wrong there's some freaky ass sh*t in the j-drama world that i would not touch with a Grinch level pole but to see MDLers out here talking about how slow j-dramas are and that nothing's happening. have you considered that you are either watching the wrong genre or you shouldn't be watching j-dramas in the first place bc their entire setup and general narrative framing arcs are not your style. have you even thought about that for six seconds or are you too busy expecting it to read like a typical tropey rom-com k-drama with your trending oppas. (no hate on my tropey rom-coms with [most of] said oppas, i need them when i don't want to think i just want to see sh*t on my screen and scream about hot people and the Hand Umbrellas in the Rain and the Back Hold when the male lead catches the female lead before she falls and you have the fifteen second focus on their faces just looking at each other)

and the misogyny. oh God do not get me started on the dichotomy that was the Cult, as we affectionatly called ourselves, on the feeds while THEE sageuk of the year My Dearest was airing (beloved show [that i still need to finish. JangChae i'm sorry ily life hates me like the mf it is 😭], beloved commentary on the feeds. they saw the vision on the feeds) vs the sh*tshow that was the landmine field of the comment section (the takes i saw on Gil Chae, Eun Ae AND Ryang Eum respectively.......... the misogyny wasn't enough we had to add the homophobia into the mix. buy one get one free deal fr fr). you mad man. that sh*t was insane there was a point i banned myself from scrolling farther than the cast section until the show finished airing. i kid you not on average they didn't have even half a braincell. maybe a quarter of a quarter of one. f*cked up just say you are not decent people and go

this is not to say that all of MDL is like this. i have gotten tuned into absolute masterpieces of content (and have tuned others, amen) bc of a comment comparing a show i'm watching to another one or a review being posted in the feeds about a film with less than 500 people interested. i have reconsidered my choice to not watch something after having spirited discussions in private messages discussing the pros and cons of the premise and whether they managed to get it done without f*cking sh*t up. i still contribute semi-regularly by adding relatively unknown actors and crew members to the database so they can get the credit due them. if you know where to look, you can get some good sh*t out of that place. problem is most users who are new to both the site and East/Southeast Asian cinema as a whole don't know where to look, and the cycle continues, and the ratings continue to be skewed/bloated and no one pays attention to the plot, if there even is any to pay attention to.

tl;dr: begging people to not let MDL be the be all end all for their drama recs a la 'well MDL doesn't like it so i won't watch it'. babe we have said MDLers complaining about how the ratings on Viki are too high but in my entire time watching dramas i've found that in the past two to three years the Viki ratings are making more sense than the MDL ones. sit with that for a sec. when you're done branch out and see the world (literally and cinematically), i promise you will be a better person for it

#inbox #q: anon #mydramalist #mdl #kdrama #not what i expected to see this Friday but i needed to see it #anon love this got a bit long i'm sorry i am just. Passionate about this subject as you can tell #honestly istg the only reason i still use MDL is to track my sh*t. plus i obsessively organized my profile page and i am not letting that #go to waste no ty #i feel like the Asian drama fandom over here on Tumblr are just. slightly more normal somehow. also you'll get f*ckingly long analyses #on shows that will have you face down on the ground shot in six different places taken apart etc etc #situations like these are when i'm grateful that Bollywood is not available on MDL bc the takes with even less than a quarter of #a quarter of a braincell that i would have to deal with then........... God loves me that's why it hasn't happened #also. the Caribbean seeped into this once again let me explain. 'you mad man' is a Dominican (DM not DR) phrase. it has nothing #to do with the 'you mad?' in the African American community that is an entirely separate thing. 'you mad' here means 'you crazy?' #or 'bitch you ain't serious'. could have also said 'you too have limyé' but that would need another paragraph by itself to explain #bc of the Dominican specific context and this is not the kweyol/patois class session today sksksksk

[myheartalivewrites]

Fic Writing Review 2023

thanks for the tags @kiwiana-writes @stereopticons 💚

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.

Words and Fics

New fics on ao3: 12

Words published on ao3: 220,095

BONUS STAT 120,433 UNPUBLISHED words (holy fuck, I went to add this up because I was curious, but I was not prepared for this... No wonder I hate having all these WIPs hanging over my head right now. They are A LOT)

Fandoms: just RWRB

Most recent fic: "Please, I need you to." (also the shortest fic!)

Longest fic: Deep Blue, 76,031 words

Longest one shot: Love and War, 11,430

Top fics by kudos

(WELL, I wanted to do a mix of stats, but Deep Blue is my top fic in all the metrics--and we don't fuck with ratios in this house--so instead I'm doing by kudos)

Deep Blue (well, well, well. I love this baby so much)

Just Like That. (shocking outlier! It started as smutty crack in my mind!)

In His Wildest Dreams (love this with my whole entire heart)

Oxford Days (look here, kids! the things you can achieve with sleep deprivation and crazy hyperfocus!)

Tumbled Down and Tangled Up (with thanks to whoever it was who shared it on twitter that one time and led to me spending one very confused day--nine months after this fic was first published--watching all the ao3 emails coming in like, WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING)

Every single number on this list blows my mind.

Fandom/Fic events

Doing events is a new thing for me this year! I've just finished my @rwrbnygiftexchange fic and am super excited to put it out there (Jan 1st feels so far away!)

And I did a quick thing for Smutsgiving 2023

Just for fun

Most amusing stat: the fact that THIS has more kudos than actual words in it. Love you all 😘

Highest proportion of private bookmarks: just edging this, it's Happy NY! I was sure it would be In His Wildest Dreams lol. It only just lost out by 0.3%

Leader by POV: Alex, with 6 fics to his name. Then it's 3 for Henry and 3 in split POV, though Henry would lead this if I was doing it by word count lol

Things that moved me beyond words: everything Deep Blue related, but especially the comments (and I'd never done this before, but last week I sorted all fics in the RWRB tag by comments and there it was... on the first page 😱 *Of course almost half of those comments are from me, replying to people. Timely reminder of how all these metrics are not necessarily a true reflection of a work or a writer’s value). Anyway, whether it's people relating to Alex's confusion when working out his sexuality (hi 🙋‍♀️), or people who see themselves in Henry and his paralysing fear of being hurt again (hi again 🙋‍♀️), and everyone who dropped into the comments to commiserate about wanting to quit their jobs and fuck off to the coast to write full time (🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️), they all mean so much.

New Year's resolutions:

to finish a bunch of WIPs

to work on fewer things at once and not stress myself out by having a bunch of unfinished things

to crack on with my original writing

This post ran a lot longer than I was expecting! I'm not tagging anyone because I don't want anyone to feel pressured to share numbers and compare themselves to others. The last four months have been CRAZY in the RWRB fandom, and to be honest looking at numbers and stats is a surefire way to feel small or slow or just plain not enough when you start comparing yourself to others.

But if you feel proud of something you've done (the first thing you've ever written! the first fic you've ever shared! some sort of stat breakthrough! your first ao3 subscribers!), whatever it is, please share. And tag me! Doing all of this online stuff can be fun, but it can sometimes feel lonely too. The best thing about it is talking to people, whether it be in discord or ao3 comments or on tumblr posts and messages or getting tagged on WIP posts just because people think I might like to see what they're writing, or because they want to see what I'm working on.

Anyway, my point is: don't be lonely. Bang on that tag. 😉❤️

Now, who's going to teach me how to use code and shit so I can have a nice spreadsheet with all these stats on? I did it all by hand and now I need a nap.

#ao3 wrapped #ao3 stats #2023 ao3 year in review #about me #tag games #2023 wrapped

[isabellehemlock]

Trick or treat!

Hi Bee!! Thanks for sending me this ✨️🎃💖

For those not familiar I've been informed that I am meant to reply "with anything that is making you happy these days." As I am always down for a Polyanna-style Glad Game, here we go, in no particular order:

Naturally for me, the list got long, putting the rest under the cut lol:

The fall season. It's my fave - though yes the MN weather is like brrrr, but some days it's that peak dark academia aesthetic and nourishes me like no other

Scorpio season!! Hello fellow one (gonna be real embarrassed if I managed to mix yours up with someone else's, I apologize now if i have!) ~ happy Scorpio to us and to all the other Scorpio friends I've managed to somehow find across fandom spaces (ironically I did a comparison chart in my personal server just to see, and sure enough most were Scorpios and Cancers lol, make of that what you will 😅)

Going to be Catholic on Main for a sec and share how much I feel interconnected to this time of the liturgical calendar and look forward to All Soul's/Saint's Day ❤️

My stress levels have gone way down thanks to no med forms or hospital visits for a while and fingers crossed for good test results in the spring (but I am hopeful and feeling lighter)

My children are heading into pre-teen age dynamics and it's a joy to see their personas and identieis emerging with beautiful expressions of their characters

We are half way through floor renos and hope the removal of wall to wall carpeting will be better for my lungs full time - the air purifiers have helped!

I get to take my passion for creativity and am currently helping on brochures for an apostolate in our province

My Godson was approved for SSDI which opens up so many more resources and consistency for him and I rejoice 🙏🏻

After an extended break due to real life events, after three MONTHS I'm currently writing the tail end of my dark fic, the last three chapters. I'm 12k+ in already and plan for about 20k to 30k total over the next three weeks. My hope is to post them back to back to back in 48hr intervals as a reward for people hanging in there for so long

October 2nd marked one year since I started a multi fandom mini server and it remains a highlight of my day ✨️

I wrapped all fandom projects - both ones I've modded, and participated in - with my last one going up tomorrow! - all save for one, the @tdvzine which is now in the creative stage! I'm going to making my biggest art piece to date - a two page spread in landscape format and I can't divulge two many details but honestly I'm certain it's going to take weeks and I can't wait. I also am so thrilled to have potentially over 100 submissions for this project! Like whoa!!

I'm about to start a spooky modern au piece for @zairaalbereo for OFMD - outlined, plotted, pinterest moodboard lol, it's happening!

A big thing is that just a few hours ago, I shared an invitation for a conversation with some friends on the server. If you're curious just let me know via DM, I'll pass it on to you as well 😘

And because it feels strange to end it with 13 points, I'll add one more:

To know that regardless of time, and space, there are people like you who are wishing me well and I hope you know I send that love right back in any way I can. Thank you for sending me this Bee, and I hope it brought a smile!

#answered ask #bee tag

[vecnuthy]

Snake Bites

Eddie and his partner/reader hit up the local piercing parlor for some additions. Eddie with snake bites. Eddie with snake bites!!

Eddie Munson x fem!reader (use of "she" literally just once)

Language, slight suggestive language, use of "babe," bit of fluff

Notes: Indiana didn't legalize tattooing until the early 90s, set in late 80s, could be AU Eddie or Eddie survived, but no mention of UD

Eddie loved to splurge every now and then on a new tattoo after saving for a while. He would pick from a whole slew of rough sketches that he had done over the years, ready to go to give to artists as a foundation to build a design from.

Tattoos, while you adored them on people, weren't your body modification of choice. You preferred piercings, which gave you a broad range of customization that better-appealed to you. You had plans to add to your ears, especially, dreaming about the stacks you would curate, and adding a nose ring to the mix was another goal, but god, the healing time for piercings could be a bitch, and you were just really getting started.

Piercings seemed to get more fashionable in general in the late 80s, which definitely worked in your favor. The trend booming among celebrities had trickled down to the common folk, and now Hawkins had its own piercing studio that definitely didn't have an underground tattoo parlor in the back, absolutely not. Your birthday was coming up, and you decided to take the leap and start adding more as a gift to yourself. The poster on the wall listed the names and placings, and looking at it both helped and hindered you. You wanted it all, if you were being honest with yourself, but you only had a budget to stick to. You settled on an orbital conch on your left and a helix on the right with dreams of another of both and a tragus joining them in the future. And you got the nose ring.

You sat on the padded chair and held up the mirror, admiring the latest additions on your nose and your (very angry and bloodshot) ears.

"Hey babe, look," Eddie said excitedly, appearing from nowhere by your side. The underside of his forearm materialized in front of your eyes to reveal his fresh tattoo, a sensibly-sized and updated version of the Hellfire demon head he had drawn all of those years ago.

"Oh wow, they did a really good job!" you praised, admiring the line work and how intensely the red and yellow popped against the black on the fresh ink. "Demon on the forearm, I love it. Do you like how they di--" You froze when you looked up at him and saw those.

"Eddie!" you gasped out quietly, eyes big.

His face stretched into that signature cheeky grin, which made him wince. "That's gonna be fun to deal with," he remarked dryly with his fingers touching below his mouth. He was visibly pleased, though.

Your brain was buzzing as you took in the sight of the two pieces of rounded metal placed perfectly under both sides of his plump bottom lip.

"You're gonna catch a fly like that," he said, voice low and playful as he mocked how your mouth was hanging open.

"Ohh, oh no," you laughed out, taking in how he looked. "No, this is going to be a problem."

His nose scrunched as he said in faux disbelief, "What, you don't the snake bites?"

Your still-opened mouth stretched into a wide smile, your glinting eyes snapping to his. "Babe."

"Ohhh, she does like them."

You did. A lot.

"Do they hurt?"

"A little pinchy," he brushed off. "What about yours? I've gotta say, that nose ring suits you."

You smiled at him, saying, "Stingy, especially the helix. I kind of want to add a septum to the mix now, but I think I'll save up a little more for it..." You trailed off when your gaze landed back on his lips. "What's the heal time?" Your voice was casual as you stood up. Too casual. He knew that play.

"Four to six weeks, supposedly," smirking again. His fingers found yours when you moved in close.

"Mmm.....that's a shame," you murmured before brushing a feather light kiss on his lips.

"So Mr. Munson, make sure to stick wi -- oh 'm sorry," the body piercer said, averting his gaze when he came on the scene. Your knuckles brushed under your nose bashfully and you pivoted from Eddie, who was completely unfazed, if not slightly amused by the intrusion.

"Soft foods and come back in a month or so for shorter bars?"

"Yep, and, um....be sure to keep the area clean."

Eddie snorted. You mouthed oh my god and shifted awkwardly.

"If you -- either of you have any issues, just come back by. Greg will have care pamphlets and cleaning solution for you guys at the counter."

"Thanks, man, I appreciate it," Eddie said, shaking the guy's hand, shit-eating grin still plastered on his face.

"Thank you!" you added, which he acknowledged with a nod before disappearing into the back of the store.

Eddie snorted out a couple more chuckles, wrapping you in a hug and kissing the top of your head before he realized what he was doing. He winced and hissed out, "Shit!" at the contact. "Yeah, this is gonna be a problem."

"Just wait until you think about the extent of how much of a problem they're gonna be."

He was lost in thought as you approached the counter, and he shot you a panicked look as the two of you paid. There it is, you thought and tried not to laugh when you took the bag of supplies from Greg and headed out the door.

"I fucked up," he whined out as soon as the door closed. You let the laugh loose and slipped your hand into his back pocket as you walked down the sidewalk back to the van.

"Fucked me up more like it, but look at me." He obliged. God he looked good with them. "No. No, you really didn't. Keeping them clean and unbothered, though," you laughed, "is going to be trying, to say the least, because I really just want to tackle you right now."

Eddie laughed at that, repeating "unbothered" derisively, which earned him a pinch from you through the thin material of his back pocket. He jerked forward with "Hey, buy me dinner first" and glittering eyes. "Actually, how about a stop at the diner to kick off this soft food diet of mine with a milkshake?"

"Love it, but you have to sit next to me. I can't look at you right now."

He didn't comply, of course. You should've known -- you did know better, and now there he was sitting across from you in all his Eddie Munson with snake bites glory, his arm thrown over the back of the booth for added effect. He spent the stay basking in a great deal of enjoyment at how you struggled not to smile every time you glanced at him and how the color on your cheeks bloomed when you looked away shyly.

"Babe, what are you going to do when I get little hoops for them?" he chuckled out as he pulled the straw out of his thick milkshake and stuck the bottom of it in his mouth.

A wave of cold then hot rippled through you at the thought and at the sight of what he was doing to that stupid straw. "You'll be healed by then and it'll be fair game."

His face morphed into that devilish grin that drove you insane, and you couldn't help but groan and lean your face into your hand. That contact, however, gave you a sudden, very rude reminder of the fresh addition to your nose, making you gasp out and plead, "Shit. What have we done?"

"What have we done!" he repeated dramatically in his Dungeon Master voice with his arms raised and fingers curled in the air. You laughed into your milkshake and kicked his shoe playfully under the table. "Fair game, huh?" he asked.

You cocked an eyebrow with a pointed look.

"'M looking forward to that." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Shit, me too," you said under your breath, looking off. Judging by the sound of his laugh, he definitely heard you.

#literally nobody asked for this but i can't stop thinking about eddie munson with snake bites #stranger things #eddie munson #eddie munson fic #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson fem!reader #eddie munson x reader #stranger things fanfic #eddie munson piercings #eddie munson tattoos #fic #snakebites

[bubblesandgutz]

Every Record I Own - Day 787: Lord Huron Strange Trails

It's weird that I know so little about a record in my collection considering Lord Huron has songs with over a billion plays on Spotify. I guess when you spend all your time obsessing over krautrock obscurities, low-brow death metal, and Miles Davis records, you develop big blindspots in your musical knowledge.

This blindspot was first apparent when I moved to New York and took a job working the door at Webster Hall in Manhattan. I was touring a lot at the time and had a steady stream of writing jobs to supplement my income, but I still felt like I needed a job that got me out of the house. So I worked a few shifts a month at the 1400-person venue, mainly manning the guest list line. It was a decent job. I could pick my shifts. I liked most of my co-workers. And I could usually take off about halfway through the headliner's set and either head home or get a shift drink and watch the band.

It was an interesting job because the size of the venue meant that I was usually working shows for bigger indie artists or mainstream artists doing underplays. Either way, I often wound up working shows for artists I'd never heard of. I remember the Lord Huron show being sold out in advance, which was weird to me because they were completely off my radar. Around the same time, Hot Water Music and Torche---two bands that were a fairly big deal in my world---played the same room to half as many people. It made no sense to me. Being unfamiliar with Lord Huron, and assuming it was some sort of pop / electronic / hip hop mashup, I took off after my shift without catching any of their set.

Later that year, my older brother gave me this copy of Strange Trails. I could've kicked myself for not having checked out their set. Lord Huron plays a reverb-drenched brand of vintage rock n' roll laced with country and folk elements. This kind of stuff is a bit of a minefield for me... if it's too kitschy it feels shallow, if it's too earnest it gets cringey. But Lord Huron does a good job of summoning a nostalgic, dusty vibe without injecting too much overbearing drama. Considering that the band name suggests a central character in their sound, it's interesting that the overall sound of Lord Huron is that of a band where every component sits at a similar level in the mix, meaning the vocals come across as more of a texture than a focal point.

I love a lot of Americana / roots rock / singer-songwriter stuff where the singer adds a whole new depth and dimension to the music, but considering that Lord Huron came out at a time where there was no shortage of indie folk stuff with over-enunciating singers in old-timey garb out there, I appreciate that Strange Trails is a uniquely impersonal album. I don't feel like it's a window into an artist's soul as much as I feel like it's a conjuring of a certain aura---a lonesome bygone sound made by anonymous troubadours. And maybe the reason I've done so little further investigating into the band is because I worry that knowing anything more about Lord Huron or probing any deeper into their catalog will undermine that sense of mystery.

#everyrecordiown #lord huron

[amemenojaku]

recent post made me curious, what do you consider the most precious doujin thing(s) you own?

Sukunagatari (スクナガタリ), a retelling of DDC & ISC in 5 volumes with a LOT of folklore elements and the artist's interpretation of what ZUN used as inspiration for shinmyoumaru & seija. cool fight scenes, REALLY good emotional moments, interesting thoughts on derivative stories and oral transmission of folktales, there's even an original song written by the artist and the circle Ringing Volcano turned it into a remix of reverse ideology some time later available right here. honestly this is one of the best doujins I've ever read and I absolutely recommend it! or if you can't read it there's also the song which is great!! I have a lot of feelings about these books

Hohuri by Diao Ye Zong, it's still my favorite album from them and it's what really got me into dolls in pseudo paradise :) solid tracklist from beginning to end. not much to add since I've already talked about it a lot over the past few years

Yumekanae, the full-color counterpart to the messed up cat renko book. If You Know You Know, etc. I enjoyed the cat story for its oppressive atmosphere & its excellent twist, but this one with its soft sunset colors & merry's monologue & that gorgeous page where she/yukari swallows The Thing has haunted me since it came out in (checks) 2014! which is funnily enough the same year Hohuri came out... like a good wine year....... anyway this really made me love the idea of merry not being a "person", but a concept or some kind of phenomenon. and the accompanying song is excellent and always makes me wanna cry. "now together we'll become a world".. auugghhh

さよなら花余命 by ykzt, a lovely story about kosuzu realizing her feelings for akyuu. it's tender, the art is beautiful (this artist has drawn some of my favorite akyuusuzu pictures), I love the soft smiles and blushing faces and how kosuzu's thoughts are written. the quiet, bittersweet atmosphere of the whole story is the cherry on the cake for me

Vector Spectacle, which I think most seija/shinmyoumaru fans (or people who read lots of touhou doujinshi in general) already know and like :) it's a great mix of fun scenes, romance, well-written introspection and cool backstory ideas. I'm a bit sad it was never finished ofc, but what's already out there is really good and the art is amazing. I have very fond memories of reading and collecting doujin stuff in 2014-2018 and this series is one of the reasons why!!!

there's a lot of other doujin books or CDs with sentimental value to me because I got them as gifts from friends, joined as an artist, or which I got in person from my favorite creators... but there's so many I'm scared I'd forget to list some of them.. so maybe for another day, when I'll write a doujin rec list!

[home-from-hogwarts]

Book Recommendations for Gryffindor

I'm just making these for fun! I'm looking for adventure books, or stories with a high emphasis on courage/chivalry/honor.

Nonfiction/Memoir:

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. The story of Louis Zamperini, who was an Olympic runner prior to WWII. He was later drafted and survived both being on a raft for over 40 days at sea, and then being held in horrible conditions by the Japanese as a prisoner of war. In light of Gryffindor specifically- his childhood antics and pranks are hilarious, and might remind you a bit of Fred and George. But more than that, he showed incredible bravery throughout the course of world war two.

Hons and Rebels by Jessica Mitford. I actually read this because JK Rowling said it was one of her favorite books! She's a socialite who rejected her (largely fascist) family in favor of communist politics, and ran away to marry her second cousin Esmond Romilly- who had himself left the family to join the Spanish Civil War. Basically everything about this book is hilarious, and I've read it multiple times. Bits of it will make you cringe, but it's absolutely worthwhile. After the book ends Jessica became a muckraker and worked in a civil rights organization. The story of a socialite running away and standing up against fascism (while at the same time being a bit young and immature) might remind you of Sirius Black, ngl.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. Being real... it's his mother's story, almost more than his. But she's definitely a woman to admire in my book! The book follows Trevor's life growing up as a mixed-race child under apartheid, as well as living in the shadow of an abusive stepfather. It's written in a very episodic way, and things aren't necessarily recounted consecutively. As you'd expect from a comedian, it's written in a very humorous and exaggerated way.

Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals. She was one of the Little Rock Nine, and her endurance during her years at Central High is amazing. I think on a conceptual level I understood the facts of what had happened before reading this, but I never really imagined what it would be like to sacrifice your high school years (and what should have been a happy time of your life!) to a cause greater than yourself like this. Her classmates treated her horribly, and reading this book makes you admire the entire group's commitment.

Fiction- Classic Lit + Modern:

Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green. Ok, the book was targeted at kids... But the charm of it is really in how old-fashioned the writing and sentiments are. It has a lot of emphasis on chivalry and courage, and both Robin Hood and Marian are the types of "paragon" characters who give you warm fuzzies to read about. Maybe try the Howard Pyle version if you want something that feels a little more adult- I've only read the L. Green edition, so that's what I'm recommending. (I'll add on that if you like this to try reading a version of King Arthur- it's the same Gryffindor feeling with its emphasis on chivalry and honor. I didn't want to recommend it because I haven't read it all the way through since middle school!).

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. Full disclosure- this is the only book in this list that I haven't finished. I'm reading it rn and I'm only a few chapters in, but I love it! This introduced the idea of a "masked hero" to literature, and the vibe of it- rebelling to stand up for the lives of other people- is very Gryffindor.

The Martian by Andy Weir. Wonderful story about an astronaut who gets left alone on Mars, and uses his ingenuity to survive. It could be a Ravenclaw book for that reason, but I think that the adventurous feeling will probably appeal most to Gryffindor type personalities.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I read this a few years ago, but I read it in just one day (which is a high recommendation!). The main theme is basically the intense rivalry between the greasers and the socs, and the fallout as a result of it. If I remember correctly the boys in it were all very loyal to each other, and I think the drama in it will probably appeal to those in Gryffindor house. You'll also understand this reference: "stay gold!"

Bonus: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Included for three reasons- a) another of JKR's favorite authors is apparently Jane Austen, b) the romance kind of reminds me of Jily, and c) Elizabeth is definitely a Gryffindor. I think this manifests mainly in her clear self-respect, particularly her commitment to only marrying for love even in the face of potential poverty. She doesn't try to be something she's not. This is a "bonus" because Jane Austen's subtle wit means that it could very easily be a Ravenclaw book.

#harry potter #book recommendations #gryffindor #bookblr #Hogwarts houses #hogwarts #classic literature #books #memoirs #fiction #novels #book recs #book recs by Hogwarts house #part 1/4

[firespirited]

In some of the instances of intra communal fraud or violence i've known:

1- The perpetrator stood down from their position, gave a list of people they'd lied to or manipulated and offered the opportunity for those hurt but forgotten to add their testimony, slowly made amends to those hurt with money, handyman work or talk, became a member of the community again by just sticking around and putting in the grunt work like the rest of us or refused to own the problems caused and was exiled. If the crimes turned out to be more severe, the police were involved or a sponsor/accountability person for the perp was chosen. new rules about no closed doors, open bookkeeping, new hierarchy with no main leader were instituted.

2- The perp gave a public apology that only addressed one aspect of the fraud/violence. They took a job of similar leadership elsewhere, calling the past incidents "a personal matter for which they had taken full accountability". Or kept their same job with a slight demotion.

Over the years people began to open up: the cover-up and manipulations had been the biggest cause of pain: false rumours, smear campaigns and deflections that had caused massive rifts between people, lost jobs, broken friendships, people being used to the bone. The wounds went deep.

3- The people that were hurt came forward privately, were given no answer except a sort of 'sorry you misunderstood my intentions and felt upset'. One or several went public, were labelled vindictive and divisive even as others stood up for them, so the victims left the community. Perp stayed in their position. More victims quietly left and some reached out to previous victims with apologies (or non apologies but wanting to vent - yep the audacity of ex-bullies who want to be comforted is truly astounding)

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

What's worked best is a sort of non-judicial audit led by a mix of trusted insiders and impartial outsiders:

The crimes obviously, but also a detailed list of who was hurt or used when. In smears, gossip, side lining, stolen credit, free labour, fake alibis... the "audit" gave the opportunity for people to come forward and others reached out to people who'd dropped out for unknown reasons.

So a first list of who was materially harmed who will be consulted on what restorative justice they want. The obvious.

AND a secondary list of "fall-out" damage.

For many, it is enough for the secondary stuff to be acknowledged so they can start to rebuild relationships broken when folks were forced to choose sides or told lies (or just move on because let's be honest, sometimes it's best not to bother with people who couldn't stand up for you) and bond over their experiences feeling excluded or used.

Whether the perp left or stayed, the acknowledgement of community/smaller harms on top of the big clear individual harms made a massive impact on how healthily and fast the community healed (including rebuilding from scratch with entirely new guidelines and also outright community splits). It also brought areas of weakness to the surface, and the community was less likely to end up with a similar issue ten years down the line.

#restorative justice #intra community harm

[aphel1on]

tag someone you want to get to know better

tagged by @woobifiedvillain a few days ago and finally remembered to do it!!

Favorite color: Yellow, but not an overwhelming yellow, like that soft warm yellow? I love it. People tend to not expect this answer, I think I give off more of a blue or grey vibe. Honestly a pretty grey/silver is probably my second favorite color, but a buttery yellow is just so good for the soul.

Last song: You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi. Danced to it in the kitchen, got consumed by the guitar riffs, nearly knocked a chair over. Before this morning it would've been the Genshin OST... I've been listening to it a lot while I write or do chores recently.

Last movie: An exceedingly mediocre romcom on Netflix that I watched with my sick mom to be nice. Genuinely couldn't tell you the title or more than like, two or three plot points. Last movie that I watched bc I wanted to was the Barbie movie, which was genuinely better than I expected. Enjoyable but would still give it, like, a mixed review. I'm not getting into two months' ago Barbie Movie Discourse on this post

Currently watching: I'M STILL TRYING TO FINISH THE UNTAMED!!!! woobifiedvillain i'm speaking directly to you and quoting you: i too am "chronically incapable of paying attention to visual media, even the good shit" and when i try to explain this to people irl they act like i am insane!!! I haven't watched Good Omens season 2 yet even tho I am reblogging posts about it rn. I think it's mostly adhd, or really just a part of the larger Neurodivergence Soup (tm) that makes it nearly impossible for me to learn something from a YouTube video. I mean, sometimes for a hands-on task a video is essential, but can't there be a written list of instructions to go with it too, bc that sticks in my mind way better sobs... ANYWAY i'm currently on episode 43 of The Untamed, so I should be able to finish it by, like. The end of the year at least lol?

Currently reading: I started reading SVSSS recently because, like. The mxtx mania is in full throttle. I just got here a little later than most people lmao. I'm also currently "reading" like seven different books that I bought or pirated this year and have on hold. One of my Unfortunate Skills is bingereading like 200 pages of something in 1-2 days and then not finishing the rest of it for 8 months.

Currently working on: Keep My Shadow Alive, my big xue yang-centric fix it fic!!! Well, more like a fix it, and then break it more, and then eventually actually fix it fic. Starting from the canon divergence of "Add Pre-Teen Xue Yang to the Burial Mounds Fam" and going from there. I read every fic like that that's on ao3 and was still being eaten alive by the brainworms so I started writing my own take on it and ~6 months later it's the longest fic I've ever written and only 25% of the way through its outline???? So. Who knows if it will get finished (my track record is admittedly not great)- but I've had such a blast writing it so far. Xue Yang is just SO fun to write. Yes it has a plot and character arcs and I could even go full English Major* and start telling you about its Themes, but also it's just an excuse to write Xue Yang interacting with every member of the MDZS cast. Going to STOP talking now bc I fully am the type of writer who will get carried away talking about their wips.

*i am not an english major, but spiritually i am an english major.

Current obsession: Yeah uh, MDZS. My friend convinced me to finally read it in January of this year, and the hyperfixation train has simply not stopped since then. Genshin Impact also dragged me back in with the Fontaine update and I've been having a lot of fun playing it. But MDZS is still mostly the thing that's eating up my RAM. Particularly the Yi City crew, but 3zun is rotating in there too. Sometimes even The Man WWX Himself, i talk about him less but i do love him a lot also lol

Tagging: I'm honestly too shy to do this!!! But thank you for tagging me anyway<3

#love when people invite me to ramble💕 #if i ever post something unprompted it has been edited 6 times for conciseness #not this post. i sat down and word vomited until it was over and i am not rereading it or i'll get self conscious #tag games #aphelion.txt #mdzs has been like. category 5 autism event #it's been a long time since something grabbed me this hard #often i'll be super obsessed with something for 2-3 months and wring all the interest out of it and move on #i mean it's not uncommon for me to cycle back to a previous interest after awhile and have another obsession phase #but the enduring power of mdzs has been quite impressive

[callsignspark]

Mar(r)y Me - indecision cookies recipe

Mar(r)y Me is the love story of Bradley Bradshaw and Mariella Vertucci, as told through friendship, laughter, and food. As part of writing their story, I'm sharing the recipes for the food featured in each part. Most of these recipes are family recipes that I've changed and developed over the years to make them my own. Any recipes that aren't mine will have the proper credits listed. Let me know if you make these!

The full version of part one will be dropping tonight, June 9th, at 6PM EST! See the part one teaser here!

indecision cookies prep time: 25 min | bake time: 10 min | makes about 2 dozen cookies

some people call these "everything but the kitchen sink" cookies. my grandmother called them "clean out the cabinet" cookies. I call them "indecision" cookies because I make them when I can't decide what kind of cookies I want, so feel free to make these your own and add whatever you'd like!

ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup white sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1.5 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cups toffee chips or peanut butter chips

1 cup crushed potato chips (ruffled chips tend to work better)

1/2 cup chopped pretzels

optional, flaky salt for topping

instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Optional: For easier clean up, line baking sheets with parchment paper or a baking mat.

Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix on low.

Sift in dry ingredients until just combined.

Add special bits and fold into the mixture (by hand!).

Roll dough into roughly 1" balls and place on baking sheet, leaving about 5 inches between. Optional, add extra special bits to the top.

Bake 10-12 minutes, until edges are crisp and center is still soft.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. (If topping with flaky salt, lightly sprinkle when they come out.)

Enjoy!

These are good for a week in an airtight container. You can also freeze the dough in balls and store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 6 months. But, trust me, these never last more than 15 hours in my house.

fic tag | main masterlist | credit for dividers here

#elle's recipes #DSS universe #Mar(r)y Me fic #MM fic #food #elle writes

[noa-ciharu]

Speaking of Eurovision...

As a fellow ESC watcher I would like to ask what your twelve all-time favourite ESC songs are and maybe explain why exactly these if you don't mind •////• 👉👈

And have a nice day~

Oh damn just 12? Thats too difficult 😭 If you don't mind instead I decided to pick a country and then select one of their best songs ♥️

Helena Papariziou - my number one (Greece 2005). Maybe it's just nostalgia, but to me this is Eurovision-est eurovision song that ever won. Fast rhythm, very Greek vibes, catchy tune, nice choreography and voice, what's not to like?

Hari Mara Hari - Lejla (BiH 2006). What to say, beautiful ballad in native language, very powerful voice, in my honest opinion this song should have won back in 2006. But then again, I'm a fan of his music so maybe I'm just biased

Go_A - Shum (Ukraine 2021). What every country should do: send a mix of folklore and modern music in native language. Honestly if I had to choose a country that overal has best entries without a doubt it'll be Ukraine, they never disappoint. What's hard to choose actually is which song of theirs was the best. I can't decide but Go_A's Šum definitely goes into top 3. Also in begging everyone listen to Shady Lady, their 2008's entry

Conchira Wurst - Rise like a Phoenix (Austria 2014). Hands down one of best ballads in English sent in last 20 years. Definitely a deserved win, no matter what public at that time said cuz of her appearance. The 'but I'm gonna fly' part never fails to give me goosebumps. I feel like that song could be trans anthem

Elena Born and Stig Rästa - Goodbye to Yesterday (Estonia 2015). The classic. Very simple yet striking duet, idk how to describe it but there's something rly captivating about the song. Ans they look like they're so in love 🥺

Can Bonomo - Love me back (Turkey 2012). Add to endless list of songs that should have won over Euphoria 🙄 it's a very unique song, very catchy too. Also this is the last year Turkey took part in esc :< I miss their performances 😭

Željko Joksimović - Lane Moje and No name - Zauvjek Moja (Serbia & Montenegro 2004 and 2005) - I tried to choose only one but couldn't ;-; that's how 00s music on Balkan was like, it fills me with nostalgia. Sadly national song content in 2006 was one of reasons why union between two countries collapsed so it's more of pensive nostalgia for people here

Anxhela Peristeri - Karma (Albania 2021). This song was criminally underrated 2 years ago :< powerful ballad, perfect voice, strong tune - idk why she didn't rank higher? Albania always sends good song in their language and gets little points, it's unfair :/

Charlotte Perrilli - Hero (Sweden 2008). Yes I can't believe I'm saying this but there is an underrated swedish entry. I've hear this one back in 2008 and it stick with me ever since. Catchy 00s pop song

Andromache - Ela (Cyprus 2022). This one didn't even qualify ;-; honestly it was one of my faves from last year but it was so obvious she was nervous on stage. Plus song isn't really much of Eurovision material so I sort of understand why she didn't qualify but I adored the song nonetheless 🥰 love hearing Greek language

Dima Bilan - Never let you go (Russia 2006). His voice 🥺 song is so beautiful idk what to say really beside I'm an absolute fan (plus that imma go dig up more of his music). I do like Believe from 2008 too but prefer this song

Paula Seling & Ovi - Playing with fire (Romania 2006). What to say, very catchy song, I like it alot. Love them 90s vibes. Defo one of best Romania sent in last 20 years

Toše Proeski - Life (Macedonia 2004). Alright, I feel like I've bored life out of everyone with Crno i Belo from 2012 so time to bring another underappreciated Macedonian entry. You don't understand, this man was a legend in ex Yu countries 🥺💔 still is to this day

Cascada - Glorious (Germany 2013). Shes one of my fave 00s pop icons, imagine my delight when I heard she's on eurovision 😭 her songs are my childhood ♥️ I just wish she ranked better, idk why only 22th place for such amazing song

Doris Dragović - Marija Magdalena (Croatia 1999). Absolutely best Croatia ever sent, powerful voice, catchy tune, native language - absolutely perfect song in all terms

Alexander Rybak - Fairytale (Norway 2009). One of rare winners I 100% agree with. Violin is amazing there as well as his voice. Breath of fresh air into song context with mixture of traditional and modern I'd say

Monika Liu - Sentimentai (Lithuania 2022). So underappreciated 😭 the style, the elegance, the simplicity, the catchy tune - idk why she didn't get more points tbh

Sirusho - Qele qele (Armenia 2008). As someo3n said in comments - everyone over 18 on Balkan knows this song and that's the case with me too 😂 ethnic flavor, catchy rhymes, one of that years faves for sure

I think I covered around 13-14 counties here, especially some from eastern and central Europe that might get underappreciated. Maybe one day when/if I have time I could choose my fave song from all 50ish European countries (if I'm insane enough)

#thanks for ask #at the end of the day yes i still dislike Eurovision for all that political bs and rigged jury #but i love it first and foremost because of music and culture #eurovision

[manonamora-if]

It's interesting reading some of the reviews on thick table tavern and other ifcomp entries really. It just makes it more evident how much we are playing the traditional choice of games/hosted games/twine choice-based format of interactive fiction and how little we are accostumed to the parser-based IFs or choice based ones that deviate from the traditional format.

To the seasoned choice-based twine/ink/choicescript player, the choices and how they impact the story (shown through flavor text for some of them) is more important which ofc is like it should be but some of them also fail to take into account how the other features of the game add up to whole story.

On another note this is just my opinion but it's funny reading the argument in some of the reviews of TTTT about the "coctail mixing too easy make it more challenging" when it's clearly stated that the game is intended to be a chill bartending simulator😂

Hi Anon!

I've been enjoying reading them too! There are a lot of IF Veterans on the Forum, many who have played hundreds or thousands of games over the years; for some dating back multiple decades! A lot of them have very interesting point of views and often give intricate and detailed reviews. It is really obvious how much they love IF and want to help other become better at their craft. [You can ask for feedback/help in the Forum outside of Comps (during too, but a lot of peeps are more focused on Comps then)]

The Forum is (in my opinion) a bit bias towards parsers, many having been introduced to IF through parsers (I think this was one of most popular form of IF when modern computers just started being a thing). On the other hand, the Tumblr/CoG crowd is much more into choice-based. I think newer generations (more year of introduction to IF, not age) of players tend to gravitate towards Choice-Base more, since it is easy/easier to get into. {Popularity of certain genres / Promotion of games / Platform where you can play the game / etc... will affect which game will get pushed to players.}

Personally, parsers give be a bit of a hive, because many feel inaccessible and overly complicated (though they used to be much worse decades back from what I understand). But I do understand how some would see it as more interactive than just clicking a list of choices (the puzzles yo!). I do admire the work behind parsers game, from the puzzles and the list of commands needed to add to the code (and include the almost correct commands), there is a lot to learn from them.

If my entry wasn't speaking for my love of interactivity, I don't know what is. I've always tried to add more than text variation as interactivity in my games: MtP may be considered a puzzle (if you want to reach the true end, could be borderline); CRWL has exploration, cyphers and locks (so far); EC is mainly just texboxes (the closest to parsers I'll ever go); LPM is a fetch-quest/puzzle; and TTATEH has exploration (and will have visual puzzles in the future chapter, not CH3). Only SPS IH is a bit the odd-one out.

Still, I think it is always good to get out of your comfort zone and try something new once in a while. If someone is looking into trying out a parser game I recommend Reclamation by @groggydog. It has very simple commands and some fun puzzles!

~~~~~~ Ooof I felt that too when I read the reviews... Felt a bit missing the point... But most people seemed to have enjoyed the chillness of the game tho!

#ask box #ifcomp #tttt #the thick table tavern #parsers #choice games #only a few hours left to vote~!