#rating: 3/5

[brightbeautifulthings]

Lore Olympus: Volume Two by Rachel Smythe

"'If I lose, I'll take no for an answer. If I win, y-you have to give me a job.' 'Did you forget I'm King here?'"

Year Read: 2023

Rating: 3/5

Flash Book Review: Second verse, same as the first.

Thoughts: I don't have a lot to add about this second instalment that I haven't already said about the first. I liked it for all the same reasons, and the quality is pretty consistent. Since it originated as a web toon, I think the only notable thing is that the over-arching story doesn't fit the structure of a novel so well. There's not a lot of sense that the story has progressed in a significant way here, nor is there much closure on any plot or thematic elements, but that's fine. It's a common problem in comics as a whole (and even when a story does end to satisfaction there, it'll get a reboot or a retcon or both in another year or two).

I like the slow burn on Hades and Persephone's relationship, although I find the focus on their age gap a bit odd in a story about immortals. (Was there a reason Persephone had to be nineteen while Hades is thousands of years old, or are we just setting this up for a major daddy kink later on?) My favorite part was some truly dark and beautiful panels where Persephone is trapped in Tartarus and Hades comes to her rescue-- just gorgeous art there, and we really get a sense of the connection already developing between them despite the outside obstacles. As always, looking forward to what's next!

#book review #graphic novel review #rachel smythe #lore olympus #romance #graphic novel #3/5 #rating: 3/5 #2023

[alicelufenia]

WE DID IT GAMERS

EDIT: Since this post has been getting a LOT of attention, please see my other post about how to successfully knock her out (it's trickier than you may think)

EDIT2: With Patch 6, Larian has made it so you basically just have to literally knock Minthara out (no need to mess with that "Temporarily Hostile" bit), so I'll use this space to link to any and all tests I've done to confirm this.

EDIT III: As of hotfix 21, the game will no longer forget you defeated Minthara if you long rested after knocking her out but before defeating the other goblin leaders. Feel free to rest up before taking on Dro Ragzlin now!

Test 1: KO at the Grove Battle Test 2: KO after initiating combat through dialogue

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #patch 5 #patch 5 notes #bg3 minthara #minthara #minthara baenre #minthara bg3 #non-lethal damage option new mvp #go forth and enjoy your spicy elf in any and all paths you choose #patch 6 #updating with every test I do #I'll never finish this game at this rate ;_; #minthara good playthrough recruitment

[personishfive]

in which the metaverse is a dangerous place

#my art #persona 5 #goro akechi #joker p5 #p5 spoilers #p5r spoilers #i was going to draw a partial background but i couldnt quickly find a ref for 3rdsempalace saferoom. lol #wasnt going to turn on my playstation or search thru a playthru so lazier version for u👍 #i never draw blask with the mask or helmet on for a reason and that reason is hes goofy as fuck lol. this outfit man <-said with love #i drew his arm belt too high but whatever. is it better or worse that he didnt design the fit it just came from his psyche #anyway how did he survive in the metaverse for 3 years without healing skills. items only challenge. #(lavaeteinn costs 25% hp) (less relevantly it also has a godawful crit rate :/) #i had to revise his dialogue like 5 times to make him more of an asshole.i love him btw he sucks so bad #oh yeah. finally: robin hood is traced. i only drew him once for that animatic and that was enough. <3 #anyway fuck school.shoutout persona five #comics

[gothlisteningclub]

Welcome to the goth listening club! I'll post a new album every day. To participate, listen to the album sometime throughout the course of your day, then come back and give it a rating! The idea is for us all to try out new goth music and connect with other goths, so feel free to reblog with your thoughts, start discussions in the replies, and share your own favorite goth music!

submit albums here!

#to sort albums by rating you can visit these tags: #1/5 #1.5/5 #2/5 #2.5/5 #3/5 #3.5/5 #4/5 #4.5/5 #5/5 #to sort by genre you can visit these tags: #goth rock #death rock #darkwave #coldwave #minimalwave #etherealwave #post punk #minimal synth #synthpop #industrial #industrial rock #dream pop #art rock #new wave #neo psychedelia #shoegaze #horror punk

[inkskinned]

everyone talks about the clothing store and honestly everyone is expected to wear stuff from that store and you're a little young and curious, and what's the harm of looking. it's in all the magazines and everyone knows okay some of the things are ugly but! like generally everyone thinks we should be wearing these clothes. they're elite. they're precious. they are a symbol of wealth and status.

you walk into the clothing store and see a very nice sweater and you've been wanting to stay warm so you pick up the sweater. it turns immediately into a horrible fizzing froth, rushing over your skin, faintly acidic. it's tacky, it leaves behind a residue. horrified and a little ashamed - did you do it wrong? - you reach out blindly and your hands find a shirt. that one dissolves too. you think of the phrase you break it, you bought it. how much money did you just accidentally spend on that shirt and that sweater, both things that you'll never be able to wear.

more confused than anything, you turn to the first person you see, but she's experiencing the same thing, her brows furrowed. "i've been here since i was 13," she says. "one of these days i'll actually get to try on something."

you were raised with horror movies, so you look for an escape instead of trying to stay. you go to the front desk and wait in the front line and when you finally get to the front, a very angry man is sitting there, scowling at you. "i think your store is broken," you say to him. "i can't pick up any of your clothes. they don't work."

it is as if you have said something vile. every person within earshot takes a step back from you. the man gives you a cool look. "these clothes are good for you," he says.

"no, i know that," you've read about them, "but i can't seem to actually hold them."

again, everyone seems to think you've said the wrong thing. some of them are holding shirts, so obviously some clothes work. those are the people you hear whispering first. lazy. someone murmurs. i managed fine, you hear. i just had to keep trying.

the man taps a sign next to him. in big bold print: not everyone can have this.

"okay, um. if you're not going to be helpful, i'm just going to... not buy this," you manage, feeling yourself flush with heat. why are you so embarrassed? their clothes are the thing that aren't working.

"i don't have time for people who don't dress themselves well," he says. "it's disgusting."

you don't know what else to say because actually you dress fine, you're pretty sure, you're just not in their clothes. you leave the store.

but your hands are still tacky from before. you find yourself weirdly sensitive about your clothes. maybe you should go back in, try again? there were people who were able to make the clothes stay present, you might have just been doing something weird.

plus there's the rest of the world. how people look at you in airports. how shame rushes over your cheeks during job interviews, worried you don't look "professional" enough. the people across you are all wearing those clothes, and you're not. in the doctor's office, the nurse's eyebrows skyrocket. are you sure you actually went into the store and tried on the clothes? you're staring at her - i'm here to see about my cough, not about my wardrobe.

but of course it fucking matters. when you google it, you find out that most people can only hold onto the clothes for about two years or so, and then they fizzle out too. that the clothes only "stick" for 5% of customers. it just means that any person in those clothes matters more. it's a scarcity. at first, you're horrified by the idea of something that almost never works. but you learn it soon enough: being in the 5% means you have taste, class, are exceptionally pretty.

you try to ask why exactly it's these clothes, but you usually are answered with an eye roll. you ask why the prices are so high. why nobody seems to care about the way their clothes leave that weird strange residue for years later. there's a sizing chart online you find, hoping it might explain your weird inability to lift anything. most of the news articles all read the same thing - this chart was made by someone cruel and definitely isn't accurate, but for some reason it is still used as our golden rule.

so you go again. you fall too. it's worth it to try. even kind of ironically. even kind of privately, shamefully. this time you go and manage to hold onto socks, but it means you sometimes get that strange residue on your floors. you get used to the tackiness after a while, but when you manage to hold onto pants, you discover the tackiness spreads. sure, it's irritating - this sense there's a barrier between everything you touch, even you and your friends - but it's worth it, because people notice you're in those pants. and you don't want to be one of the 95% who lose them after all this fucking work you put in, so you let the tack get all over everything until it dries down into a fine powder that coats your floor in a brick red flurry. when you walk, your footprints look bloody, so you just learn to step gently.

and since it worked for you once, like gambling - you will come back. you will teach others how to get into the store. you will tell your own children - oh, you just have to keep trying at the clothing store. you will let others treat you badly when you are not wearing the right things. you will spend all that money over and over and over again and you will feel ugly if you are not wearing their brand. you are simply treated better if you dress like this. you feel better if you dress like this, secretly winning over your friends who are between sizes. it doesn't matter how much time you spend at the store, missing birthday cakes and parties because you're trying to make a dress look nice before dissolving. what matters is that when it works, all that relief and joy and peace rushes in. when it works, people finally love you again.

the diet industry promises you - it'll all be okay, once you're thin.

#this whole thing is about the diet industry #i hope that's clear #it REALLY bothers me that people are okay with an industry only having a 5% ''success'' rate #like ..... #imagine if cars only started 5% of the time #it's almost like.... dieting... doesn't actually help people with systematic inequality #and the multiple facets of why eating is a deeply personal experience.... #and the system of shame and fatphobia is not going to fucking help anything...... #can't wait for someone to be like ''.... but there's an epidemic....'' #i'm about to be ur ending little man <3

[rinpenrose1900]

I came downstairs and my brother was all "Rin Rin Rin have you heard the news have you heard the good news" and I was fully expecting it to be something related to Christmas or our family with how excited he was and then he just said "did you see there's new Holostars" I CAN'T ESCAPE EVEN IN MY OWN HOME

#my win rate was a generous 1/3 now it's closer to 1/5... if anyone needs me I'll probably be in the hospital #this child i swear to the lord #I'm surprised he even found out without me telling him. he does not have social media and his phone is a nokia

[charcarts]

dudunsparce segment charm mockup but you have a 1:5 chance of pulling a 3 segment🍡

reblogs appreciated!

#pokemon #pkmn #fanmerch #dudunsparce #subjecting my followers to the horrifying ordeal of Gacha Rates #havent decided if i want them to be 1:4 or 1:5 odds #with odds increasing based on bulk orders (eg if u ordered 2 it would be either 1:2 or 2:5 odds of getting 3 segment and so on and so forth #ngl out of all my pitches im looking fwd to this one the most >:3c #they'll probably be the last to get produced out of all the stuff i've shared tho b/c of how much more. complex it is. #originally had the design where the clasp would go on the tail tip end instead but #was worried that mightve been too much weight to support considering how much smaller the tail bit is compared to the head

[icewindandboringhorror]

Some (late) holiday photos of the boye~!

#cats #holiday #OUGHH....... barely could even get these edited and posted... my mysterious sickness flare up has been sooo bad the past few #days.. I didn't even go to the usual obligatory family christmas I was supposed to attend (!!! health issue/medical mention in tags below) #My stomach issues basically put me in a constant state of uncontrollable shivering/body shaking + nausea + sometimes rapid heart #rate. and when it happens at night that makes it like.. nearly impossible to sleep when you're violently shaking + you can feel your heart #so strong + you keep having to run to the bathroom every 5 minute to cough and gag #and throw up and so on and so forth. etc. So I went like 40 hours without any sleep almost for christmas eve and all of christmas day #last night I finally got maybe 2 hours of sleep in between the nausea and shaking and stuff. and then today I was able to get a few #hours of sleep in the afternoon. Today I tried taking an anxiety mediciation a doctor gave me in case it was anxiety related (it's apparent #ly used to relax people and works in the moment. rather than like Anxiety Mediciation that you have to take for weeks to see any effect #because I think this isn't actually acting on your brain chemistry it's judt like..a mild sedative or something.) but all that did was make #me dizzy and sweaty lol. I;m glad I slept a little but I'm just still frustrated that I don't feel normal. I started having these #'episodes' (with the stomach issues + shaking + heartrate + nausea etc.) like at the end of october. And usually it will happen for like a #few hours at a time. or i'll lose sleep one day and then be fine the next. but this has been like nearly 3 days of feeling weird. so is #getting kind of annoying... It's funny too because I was so so productive like.. literally the few days before. I was feeling much better #and I was working on my game and blah blah. But then.. random issue flare up out of nowhere of course.. yaayy.... happy holidays to meee lo #I did at least see two random ducks outside of my window in the yard area for christmas. and havent seen them since. So it's like.. hrmm.. #pacing around my room nauseous and shakings and etc. but at least... hello.. two little ducks placed there just for me :3c #Now I get anxiety every night which I'm sure doesn't help/could exacerbate whatever underlying genuinely physical issues exist. But after #like 2 nights of 'I spend the night sleepless and incredibly uncomfortable just sitting in the dark sick' then bedtime is like.. dread... #I even was trying slapping myself in the face in desperation to see if somehow that could shock my body out of whatever the hell it was #doing lol.. up at 3am holding ice cubes in my hand and hitting myself in the head and crying from exhaustion and thowing up.. literally #ridiculous cartoon character feeling... AAANYWAY!!! At least I have baby boy pictures. and I have lots of doctors appointments so hopefully #whatever the issue is can be sorted out at some point. I don't know much about ibs but hopefully maybe something like that that I could pos #ibly take medication for and not something more seirous or anything. Maybe there's a food I'm secretly intolerant to or whatever. #And I did at least post a sims holday video actually timed for the holidays so that's something. I havent been productive really latrely #though obviously.. I can't even play games or small tasks when in that state since I'm just SO physically uncomfortable. Nausea and heart #stuff are THE hardest physical sensations to ignore.. BUT yeah... hoping I shall sleep at all tonight. hopeing to get like 3 productive #things done.. at some point... at least SOMETHING... lol..... *** *** ***

[luuxxart]

How had ryukitann got together? 🤔

sorry this is a little rushed, but in general i think this is the gist of how they’d get together

#persona 5 #ryuji sakamoto #yusuke kitagawa #ann takamaki #ryuann #ryukita #annkita #ryuannkita #PS SORRY IF IT SEEMS LIKE I POSTED TWICE. TUMBLR REALLY WOULD NOT LET ME INTO MY QUEUE I PROMISE #I remember trying to write fic for them and gave up #there are no non-E rated fics for these guys and that is so depressing man #I hold this ship so very close to my heart fr #it’s the only one that’s really survived from my first playthrough of p5 #bc before I was into Shu///ake I was huge on Shu///yuu and polythieves in general #then I kinda settled into what I like now as I got more into the fandom #aNYWAY THO THANK U FOR THE ASK #my brainworms are progressing #I can see some people thinking ryuji is problematic here and. yes<3 #I didnt have time or space really to like. make a bigger fallout before everything is resolved #so obviously intruding upon dates is not healthy but let’s just ignore that for my boi ryuji #long post #ask

[travalerray]

the previous sect leaders of MDZS are really like:

Professional sadist and tyrant. Dead because he trusted his boytoy too much.

Misogynistic rapist. Dead because he did not appreciate his son (who happens to be the above sect leader's boytoy)

(Depending on who you ask) Guy who obsessed with his ideals to the point of death. Dead because he did not learn to see from the viewpoints of other people (other people being the neglected child and boytoy)

Hikikomori

Different guy who neglects his son

#it's really just three sect leaders dead by the same guy and then two people who are like ''who is jgy'' #that's a full 3/5 fatality rate. Damn. If only JGY had gotten into the jianghu earlier we could have more fun deaths :((( (/LH /LH) #tw rape #wen ruohan #jin guangshan #nie mingjue #qingheng jun #jiang fengmian #jin guangyao #mdzs #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #mo dao zu shi #kk's rambles tag #(yes granted JFM would know JGY's name for obvious reasons if only because of jianghu gossip but this is so funny to me. A-Yao is truly #exceptional)

[brightbeautifulthings]

A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair

"'Life is hard out there, Hades, and sometimes living it is penance enough. Mortals need hope, not threats of punishment.'"

Year Read: 2023

Rating: 3/5

Thoughts: Lore Olympus set me on a Greek mythology kick, with emphasis on Hades/Persephone stories. One of the nice things about being a book hoarder is that I had at least two more to choose from just waiting for this mood to strike (and probably more that I've forgotten, let's be real, since I absolutely did not remember buying that copy of Neon Gods-- where did it even come from?). Again, this is by no means a work of great literature, and it's pretty average as far as Greek myths and romance novels go too, but I'm enjoying anything that actually makes me want to read these days. I like the characters and the world, and I like that it doesn't make a lot of mental or emotional demands on me as a reader.

St. Clair's contemporary adaptation is a little darker and sexier than Lore Olympus's, and I like what they both bring to the table. I especially enjoyed the similarity of Hades to a crossroads demon, bargaining with mortals for their souls in order to make them conquer their weaknesses. Persephone doesn't have a lot of personality by comparison, but she has a decent arc over the course of the novel. There aren't a lot of wrenches to throw in that relationship, but there's plenty of banter and smut, as well as some decent attempts at a healthy relationship and communicating through issues.

By comparison, the side characters are a bit lackluster though, and I never felt that invested in the minor dramas with Lexa or Adonis. There are also some pacing issues, which might just be a side effect of a first novel. There are some odd time jumps and random sex scenes like we had to meet a quota in order to be classified as steamy romance. I would have preferred a little more focus on some of the plot issues, which are glossed over very quickly at times. Regardless, this is fun for what it is, and I'll likely pick up the next books on a case by case basis.

#book review #a touch of darkness #scarlett st clair #hades x persephone saga #mythology retelling #romance #adult fiction #3/5 #rating: 3/5 #2023

[downtherabbitholewithlucy]

BABE! THE UBER IS HERE!

#5-start rating without even stepping foot inside the vehicle #The little Fred Durst photo on the window really brings the whole esthetic together #the tape deck is already pre-loaded with the 3$BY demo cassette #Limp Bizkit #nu metal #Fred Durst #Wes Borland #John Otto #Sam Rivers #DJ Lethal #down the rabbit hole

[jonasiegenthaler]

"86 [rating] Nico are you kidding me [...] This guy should be higher than 86 too"

Are you gonna lose sleep tonight because of the rating, be honest.

No, I'll be okay, my head will hit the pillow and I'll be okay but—. Like, Nico, more than 86."

#jack hughes #devils #youtube kept recommending this video they know their audience #several things #1) jack being mad about his rating across multiple videos #2) scoring a hughes to hischier goal #3) v accurate in-game celly #4) pivoting to getting mad about nico's rating #5) nico having an 86 rating #6) taking a breather and circling back to nico only to get cut off #i just think its great how consistently he insists that nico's underrated #(just like me fr) #anyway thank you for coming to my ted talk #.avi #1386

[sysig]

Handplates and haircut and more Handplates after that (Patreon)

#Doodles #UT #Handplates #Sans #Phases of reading Handplates: Haircut edition #Lol #Started rereading before the haircut and finished after! #It took about four days - same as my original run on reading Vargas! Huh - which was only one over my projection #I say ''about'' because I did take a fifth day and catch up on all the solo Handplates images as well #All the ones in the main gallery were read along with the main comics tho lol they're important context! #Really I just couldn't read Gaster's ''tear a paper perfectly in half'' without the followup lol #I am planning a full reread sometime in the future but probably not for a while lol - need to simmer #But I know there's even more context than just the DA galleries! Like the QnAs!! Wanna read Everything in order lol #But for now I'm just happy to have finally read the whole main comic (and all the solo pieces on DA lol) #It really is a beautiful piece of work ♥ More context is not the only reason I want to reread! #I have a few things in my notes I wrote for my future self to look out for on rereads lol #Want to study more! Look at the visual language ♥ There's just so many lovely things #Oh yeah! Does anyone remember my tears rating system? X/5 💧? #Well Handplates scores at 💧💧💧💧! :D A very good crying score! #Several scenes that reliably make me cry <3 Yes I have gone back and cried multiple times to them lol #It's important data! <Said not at all similarly to any particular scientist at all (lol) #I did actually find myself empathizing with Gaster wanting to study Papyrus' and Sans' glitch abilities - and thinking about intent to harm #The data collection isn't the problem it's all the everything about how and why he was collecting the data in the first place #Being someone who also collects data as a way to make sense of and not be overwhelmed by - well anything and everything lol #Sans calling him out was really interesting to me! Obviously he deserves to be called out lol but That Particular Action wasn't The Problem #Now if he could just use his coping mechanism in a positive helpful way lol #Anyway lol the images in the post that I'm rambling on pfft - as I mentioned I broke out my colour cube :) #Both of them but I've only really been playing with my 2x2 - I reviewed my notes and remembered! #The haircut really does feel nice ahh <3 I just feel more me in short hair :) #And I really did hurt my hand from drawing too much lol I guess three full pages in one day was asking a lot

[creature-feature-creature]

Are people allowed to request more than one creature?

If so please consider sham hatwitch from the dragon quest series ^^

Yes absolutely!!!That is 1000% okay as long as it doesnt become spam (my definition is like ~5 requests for 2 or more of the same guy in the span of 1-2 days)

Ok review time

--‐---------------------‐-----‐---------------------‐-----‐---------------------‐-

SHAM HATWITCH FROM DRAGON QUEST!

From @spoofsies

Design; 9/10 - stub legs!! he's doing a little dance!!! He reminds me of lechonk from pokemon but that might just be me idk. One of my favorite character design tropes is "little guy hides under disguise"!! Also I love the hats scary face!

Purpose/Effectiveness; 8/10 okay i still dont know anything about dragonquest but i did a lot more research this time!! The wiki said that it was a monster with a low-level attack, making me think that it's probably one of the first you encounter in the game. Honestly this is really good low-level enemy design! It isnt that scary or imposing, but still enough to let the player know it is gonna attack you. Also wizard hat + using magic! We stan magic boars here!! From what the wiki also said it looks like it has other varients?? So as you go into more dangerous places you encounter more dangerous hatwitches?? That is actually really cool if it's true

Overall; 9/10 - this little piggy cursed your entire bloodline

#rating #rating animals #ask me stuff #ask box #dragon quest #sham hatwitch #im gonna have to look at monster wuest the stuff you guys keep sending me from it looks really cool #anyways if you have any recommendations for what one i should play please tell me :) #fun fact! i just learned how to use colors and bold because while i was making the -- #i tried to copy and paste it and the controls popped up #oh i almost forgot #thanks to spoofsies for this! feel free to send in however many creatures you want my guy <3 #real quick clarification on spam rules #you can send at the max ~5 different creatures per 2-3 days before i count it as spam #if 2 or more of the SAME creature is submitted by the SAME person atleast 5 different times in a 1-2 day span that is also spam #if we are mutals or i know you personally or you ask here a lot and i am generally okay with you these rules dont really apply as much #i will still bring it up if it becomes an issue though

[lendmyboyfriendahand]

So Vana the ever young is the goddess of spring and new growth.

What if this means elven children only grow in spring? They stay the same size for most of the year and in two to four months they get all the growth of the rest of the year.

It would be especially noticeable in infants and toddlers, and I bet elven women plan when to get pregnant and give birth based on the seasons. If your baby is born at midsummer, you'll have a newborn for over eight months, with all the attention they require. But if you give birth in winter, the baby will quickly enough move on to eating soft foods - and rolling around to discover their play area. It's a very personal decision, and I doubt there's a consensus as to which is best.

And it's not only babies that have this stair-stepped growth. Height and weight are the most prominent with older children, but it's still seen as best not to teach upsetting topics in midwinter, in case your child is just on the cusp of being mature enough to handle it. (And a lot of allosexual elves report their first teenage crush occurring in spring, as puberty hits like a freight train.)

This also impacts clothing choices. Children wear elaborate embroidery to winter festivals, having most of a year to make the garment in the proper size. Spring clothing is loose and designed to expose forearms and shins, so that if a child grows two inches taller between the start of the week and the end they can still be dressed. Summer clothing is slightly better fitted but still very plain and simple, as there's no time for elaborate detailing between when the kid pauses growth for the year and when they need to wear it.

#silm #silmarillion #my writing #my headcanons #valar #come to think of it this might be enough on it's own to explain elves growing up slower than humans #if they grow at human-rate during spring and not at all the rest of the year #then depending on climate that can take 3-5 times as long #musings