🎧 Audiobook Check-in: "Spooksville #1: The Secret Path"
Dec. 25th, 2025 08:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bluapapilio
Basic summary: Adam has just moved to the small town of Springville. His first day there, he meets Sally, who tells him the town’s real name is Spooksville because of all the spooky things that go on. Adam doesn’t believe her - until they go in search of the Secret Path, a magical path that leads to other Spooksvilles.
Join Adam, Sally, and their friend Watch as they take the Secret Path and pass through a dark doorway. On the other side you’ll find a terrifying Spooksville where there are huge spiders, living skeletons, evil black knights, and a witch who just loves to make dolls...out of kids!
My thoughts: Short and easy listen to at around 2 hours, I thought the part after they went through the gravestone was quite fun and the children missing parts of their bodies was spooky.
I kinda feel like the book was more for boys in the way Adam interacted with Sally but idk since I'm not that age anymore how I took it when I read it the first time.
I wonder if the characters in this book will be in any of the future books? They all take place in Springsville/Spooksville since that's the series name. Bum did say that depending on the person, you could end up in different places.
The narrator's voice was fine. I really like the cover of the physical volume I had:
CWs:
-Witches = bad/evil
-Children kidnapped and body parts taken (there's just skin where the parts were) - when the characters go back to free them, they're already gone and it's not certain if they made it back out and what happened to them after...
-Claustrophobic scene where Adam gets stuck in a hole in the tree
-Homelessness
-Children kidnapped and body parts taken (there's just skin where the parts were) - when the characters go back to free them, they're already gone and it's not certain if they made it back out and what happened to them after...
-Claustrophobic scene where Adam gets stuck in a hole in the tree
-Homelessness
My rating: 3.5/5
📕Book Check-in: "ILYBSM"
Dec. 25th, 2025 08:12 pmbluapapilio
Basic summary: Everyone has secrets. I’ve kept a few big ones from my two best friends, and I know they’ve both got plenty of their own. After all, Embry and Adam never told me why they stopped talking to each other the night we graduated college. And I’ve never told them that I’m bi—or that I’ve been in love with both of them for years. I’m also definitely not telling them I’ve nearly run my family’s tree farm into the ground and we’re about to go out of business right before Christmas.
But when I crash off a ladder hanging up holiday lights, they come running like Santa’s elves. They’re both very grumpy about facing each other again, but I can’t be mad that I’ve finally got my two favorite people in the world in one place. Wait until they find out we’re all sleeping in one bed…
At least their feud is put on hold when they discover what a mess I’ve made of my business. Soon the three of us are scrambling to pull off a Christmas miracle together and save my family’s farm. And maybe it’s the magic of the holidays, but now a whole lot of feelings and long-buried truths are coming to the surface—and our long-time friendship is starting to become something much bigger.
Will we survive the season? Or are all my dreams about to be crushed this Christmas?
My thoughts: Look, I'm not a fan of Christmas but I am of polyam and I'm so glad I ended up reading this. The humor hit me pretty fast, then the charming Jeb before I learned more about Embry and Adam and came to love them too. I loved how all the characters in general fit in!
My favorite part was the hurdles the three had to go through. Sometimes a relationship can be too instalove or instalust and it's all fluff with little tension or angst. In this book, Embry and Adam do not get along for a while because of something that happened between them, Jeb is caught in the middle and misses the '3way' chat they had going in their college days, and while Jeb's parents are off taking a well-deserved vacation after running a tree farm for years, Jeb ends up running it nearly into the ground and feels like a failure - on top of getting hurt trying to put up Christmas lights on his own, which leads to Embry and Adam dropping everything to come help him before people come in droves to buy his trees.
I really appreciate the personal touches the authors put in, like that the three MCs names come from their own names, the 'demon' goat Sherbert etc. Their acknowledgements page about it was so fun.
This was my first attempt using TTS (Audify on my iPhone) to listen to a book that doesn't have an audiobook version and it worked really well, though I still made sure to glance at my phone to check things now and then. Embry's all caps in chat was hilarious, and the running joke about texting each other when they're in the same room. And the chat group name! Oh, and Jeb's taste in music!!
I'm very excited to read the 2nd in the series which follows the firefighter/mayor Doug, his friend Zeke and Max. I will also absolutely reread this someday. It just hit me at the right time in the right away! Gotta be honestly though I don't like the cover, it's just kind of a nothingburger, I don't even know who that is on the cover.
[There are two polyamorous groups (one a closed triad), Embry has two dads (one trans)]
My rating: 5/5
SBS Gayo Daejeon still delivers...!
Dec. 26th, 2025 03:45 amautumninplutoA couple of days ago, I was going to write a post lamenting how year-end k-pop gayo shows don't hit the same way anymore. But I saw this ^ video of NMIXX's Kyujin, LE SSERAFIM's Hong Eunchae, and IVE's Leeseo covering Blackpink's "Pretty Savage", and I was like, "nope, scrap that, it's still pretty good, actually!"
I really love collab stages. I gasped sooo loudly when Eunchae started singing; I think this was a perfect song choice and it takes me back to good times (I really loved the Blackpink album this came from, too!)
This may be a maknae collab stage but their respective groups have actually been active for 3-4 years already! I don't think I'll ever be ready for Gen 5, I think Gen 4's as far as I'll go...
I also watched Chaeryeong's performance of Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso" but was a bit disappointed in the length, and that she wasn't singing here. But of course, she still killed the dance. Aside from that, I also liked the intro for LE SSERAFIM's performance. So shocked when they brought out the drag queens!!
CHECK IN: Day 25
Dec. 25th, 2025 07:12 pmigenlode posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
writethisfanficHappy Christmas! My fingers still smell of oranges (real oranges, not a Terry's Chocolate Orange this year :-p)
May your plots prove fertile and your characters spring to life!
May your plots prove fertile and your characters spring to life!
Happy Thursday!
Dec. 25th, 2025 03:06 amkallowayHappy Thursday to all who celebrate! I hope any holidays currently or recently celebrated have been good to you. While I still have a couple of local exchanges to do, and a box to mail, the bulk of Xmas is already behind me and I am very ready for that. I have received many lovely things already, both in person and via secret santas and other internet-based things.
As the bulk of Xmas is behind me, I'm spending the day watching Gundam Wing and working on HG Calibarn. It is a strange kit, and since I'm unfamiliar with the source material, I am getting fun little surprises.
The weather is set to change overnight, which I think is contributing to both a headache and my general lethargy. This week, and I think I mean starting from last Friday, has just been brutal and busy and I am exhausted. I also have the faintest scratch in my throat so I've likely picked up a bit of crud from somewhere. Also not surprising.
Hopefully I am a little more lively tonight and can do some needed pickup and chores.
As the bulk of Xmas is behind me, I'm spending the day watching Gundam Wing and working on HG Calibarn. It is a strange kit, and since I'm unfamiliar with the source material, I am getting fun little surprises.
The weather is set to change overnight, which I think is contributing to both a headache and my general lethargy. This week, and I think I mean starting from last Friday, has just been brutal and busy and I am exhausted. I also have the faintest scratch in my throat so I've likely picked up a bit of crud from somewhere. Also not surprising.
Hopefully I am a little more lively tonight and can do some needed pickup and chores.
✦ norton/orpheus | wake of the king
Dec. 25th, 2025 10:13 amseraphikissTitle: wake of the king
Fandom: identity v
Rating: G
Warnings: no archive warnings apply
Word Count: 11,688
Status: one shot
Relationship/Characters: norton campbell | prospector/orpheus deross | novelist
Tags: introspection, relationship study
Summary:
( click to read more )
Fandom: identity v
Rating: G
Warnings: no archive warnings apply
Word Count: 11,688
Status: one shot
Relationship/Characters: norton campbell | prospector/orpheus deross | novelist
Tags: introspection, relationship study
Summary:
"i find that your company is quickly becoming my favorite part of palace life."
"you're a strange man, orpheus."
on a quiet balcony, a crown is set aside, and a story begins.
( click to read more )
Christmas Videogame Haul!
Dec. 25th, 2025 01:34 pmalatus_nemeseosMerry Christmas to everyone who celebrates! I was planning to spend 50€ in a few Steam titles, so, in consequence, I was also planning to write something about the games I chose to buy here. However, something unexpected happened, which I'll also talk about later in this entry!
First of all, the games I got from Steam were
- Hashihime of the Old Book Town: I'd already talked about this one and even played the demo on the Switch, but that version is much more expensive and has less content than the PC one, so seeing that (plus knowing that it'll run well, as my Windows laptop runs Ooe by the same developer with ease despite it being around 7 years old), I bought it! It's probably the game I'm excited the most about, but I don't know when I'll get to it, since I imagine it'll be quite long, considering my Ooe playtime (+40 hours and missing half of the routes. Granted, they're much shorter than the first ones, but oof).
- Consume Me: I'd gotten a few videos on Instagram advertising the game, and it interested me a lot! Whenever I complain about my workload to someone, I tend to compare it as an endless list of tasks in a videogame that you can never quite cross off... so seeing that someone has made a videogame around this sentient caught my attention, so I bought it!
- Love Curse: Find Your Soulmate: This game was quite popular around this summer (or was it last summer? I can't remember) to the point a lot of screenshots of its were circulating and a friend (who I don't talk to as much anymore but still on good terms with) mentioned they were playing it, so I asked for the name and the art style piqued my interest, so I bought it too! I also really enjoy yuri in general, so I thought it'd be fun to play a VN that was a little less linear with its routes, unlike ADELTA titles.
- In Stars And Time: Actually, I didn't buy this for me but for my partner, who's had it in his wishlist for a while, but since we have family sharing on Steam, I technically also bought it for myself, I guess? I'm also quite intrigued about this one, though having to play it on my Windows laptop sounds a little annoying, but our mutual friend who's played it only had good things to say about it, and the premise looks cool, so I'll probably be playing it at some point.
Now, the surprising part... I'd brought up to my parents a few times how I wanted a Switch 2 around my birthday (February) but that I was in no rush, seeing as how it's rarely on sale below it's marketed price. Ideally, I wanted it before the new Tomodachi Life came out, because I wouldn't want to buy for the NS1, get the NS1 version, then get the NS2 and having to update, because I'm sure it'll have exclusive content. But lo and behold, my parents actually got me a Nintendo Switch 2 for Christmas, which included Mario Kart World!! I'm a very casual played of Mario Kart, but the new modes are fun even if I'm no good at them, and it runs older games much better than before — my ACNH island no longer takes 2 entire minutes to load!
This was all! My partner might be getting me another surprise game later or for Reyes as a gift, so I might update this entry, but for now, I'm super super happy and satisfied with what I got and what I bought! Now it's just a matter of playing it all before uni starts again in February.
First of all, the games I got from Steam were
- Hashihime of the Old Book Town: I'd already talked about this one and even played the demo on the Switch, but that version is much more expensive and has less content than the PC one, so seeing that (plus knowing that it'll run well, as my Windows laptop runs Ooe by the same developer with ease despite it being around 7 years old), I bought it! It's probably the game I'm excited the most about, but I don't know when I'll get to it, since I imagine it'll be quite long, considering my Ooe playtime (+40 hours and missing half of the routes. Granted, they're much shorter than the first ones, but oof).
- Consume Me: I'd gotten a few videos on Instagram advertising the game, and it interested me a lot! Whenever I complain about my workload to someone, I tend to compare it as an endless list of tasks in a videogame that you can never quite cross off... so seeing that someone has made a videogame around this sentient caught my attention, so I bought it!
- Love Curse: Find Your Soulmate: This game was quite popular around this summer (or was it last summer? I can't remember) to the point a lot of screenshots of its were circulating and a friend (who I don't talk to as much anymore but still on good terms with) mentioned they were playing it, so I asked for the name and the art style piqued my interest, so I bought it too! I also really enjoy yuri in general, so I thought it'd be fun to play a VN that was a little less linear with its routes, unlike ADELTA titles.
- In Stars And Time: Actually, I didn't buy this for me but for my partner, who's had it in his wishlist for a while, but since we have family sharing on Steam, I technically also bought it for myself, I guess? I'm also quite intrigued about this one, though having to play it on my Windows laptop sounds a little annoying, but our mutual friend who's played it only had good things to say about it, and the premise looks cool, so I'll probably be playing it at some point.
Now, the surprising part... I'd brought up to my parents a few times how I wanted a Switch 2 around my birthday (February) but that I was in no rush, seeing as how it's rarely on sale below it's marketed price. Ideally, I wanted it before the new Tomodachi Life came out, because I wouldn't want to buy for the NS1, get the NS1 version, then get the NS2 and having to update, because I'm sure it'll have exclusive content. But lo and behold, my parents actually got me a Nintendo Switch 2 for Christmas, which included Mario Kart World!! I'm a very casual played of Mario Kart, but the new modes are fun even if I'm no good at them, and it runs older games much better than before — my ACNH island no longer takes 2 entire minutes to load!
This was all! My partner might be getting me another surprise game later or for Reyes as a gift, so I might update this entry, but for now, I'm super super happy and satisfied with what I got and what I bought! Now it's just a matter of playing it all before uni starts again in February.
Manga rec: K-9: Public Security Bureau – Division 9 – Special Abilities Countermeasure
Dec. 25th, 2025 11:32 amvriddy posting in anime_mangaI've fallen in love with this manga and am continually surprised at how few people seem to have heard of it, so here's my humble attempt to spread the word :D (This is a cross-post from my journal, where I'm also delighted to discuss this fandom anytime :D :D)
It only took one promo picture to get me to check it out:
...I didn't really ask any more questions after that. Bonus impact for stumbling on it in Japanese because the "kept pet" implied in the verb is lovely, and obviously plays with the K-9/"police dog" title.
Anyway, meet Oboro on the left - he's great - and Ren on the right - she's great. The art is beautiful, and everyone is very pretty.
This seems pretty simplistic at first glance, but that slowly changes as we drill deeper into the worldbuilding and learn the nuances of these abilities and how they manifest. The implications are deeply fucked up, with often devastating consequences that I'm totally here for as my heart gets shattered again and again.
TOGETHER THEY FIGHT CRIME! More specifically, crime related to sin users. But they also get their asses kicked and handed over to them quite a bit, haha.
( A bit more on the story and on them )
It only took one promo picture to get me to check it out:
...I didn't really ask any more questions after that. Bonus impact for stumbling on it in Japanese because the "kept pet" implied in the verb is lovely, and obviously plays with the K-9/"police dog" title.
Anyway, meet Oboro on the left - he's great - and Ren on the right - she's great. The art is beautiful, and everyone is very pretty.
About the world
Some people have special abilities, most of which are not well understood. Only one thing is known for sure: these abilities manifest after someone commits a crime. For example, the criminal from the first chapter is an arsonist and can control/become fire. (Somewhat unrelated, but this is pretty fun coming in from the Boku No Hero Academia world, because it's like a universe in which only bad guys get a quirk.) Here, these abilities are called "sins." In the Japanese, it's simply the kanji for crime with "sin" written in katakana beside it.This seems pretty simplistic at first glance, but that slowly changes as we drill deeper into the worldbuilding and learn the nuances of these abilities and how they manifest. The implications are deeply fucked up, with often devastating consequences that I'm totally here for as my heart gets shattered again and again.
The story premise
Our plucky detective Ren is selected to join Division 9, a newly created division that pairs a detective with a sin user in order to fight fire with fire -- what could possibly go wrong?! I love her. She kicks so much ass.
So, who's our main cast?
( Short character profiles )
TOGETHER THEY FIGHT CRIME! More specifically, crime related to sin users. But they also get their asses kicked and handed over to them quite a bit, haha.
( A bit more on the story and on them )
Where to read? How many chapters are out?
( 37 chapters, 3 volumes. Totally possible to catch up in a reasonable amount of time! )Bonus scythe, for fellow appreciators of the Rule of Cool
New K-9 fic: Good luck, Yuu-san (Ren/Oboro/Fujimaru/Kagari)
Dec. 25th, 2025 10:07 amvriddyWow, vriddy wrote a fic? Wonder what fandom it could be about...............
Good luck, Yuu-san | K-9 | Fujimaru Jin/Hizuki Ren/Kagari Yukito/Oboro Yuushirou | <700 words | rated T
Summary: Fujimaru accidentally discovers a new weakness of Oboro.
Read it on Dreamwidth or AO3.
Good luck, Yuu-san | K-9 | Fujimaru Jin/Hizuki Ren/Kagari Yukito/Oboro Yuushirou | <700 words | rated T
Summary: Fujimaru accidentally discovers a new weakness of Oboro.
Read it on Dreamwidth or AO3.
Community Thursday
Dec. 25th, 2025 06:17 amvriddyCommunity Thursday challenge: every Thursday, try to make an effort to engage with a community on Dreamwidth, whether that's posting, commenting, promoting, etc.
Posted and commented on bnha_fans. The comm is really active in all sorts of good ways, which is LOVELY! :D
Commented on goals_on_dw.
Posted & commented on getting_started about whether image links also get redirected when using a rename token. The answer is YES which is pretty cool and good to know :D
Signal boosts:
- Someone is asking about the kind of CSS allowed on Dreamwidth over at newcomers, in case any of you have more tips and paths to share.
⏾ 015
Dec. 24th, 2025 06:19 pmvisualjyushiHappy holidays to everyone!
I spent part of my day tagging along with my spouse while they got tattoos. Coincidentally, I've been eyeing the work by another artist at the same shop, so I decided to make an appointment with them for early January while we were there. I technically shouldn't be spending that much money, but I think it's okay to treat myself for once. January is also my birthday month, and the tattoo is something I've wanted for a while. It will be Free! (anime) related, because that series is near and dear to my heart.
While I was waiting for my partner, I ended up finishing Volume 5 of the No.6 novel series. I've been slowly working my way through all of them, and every time I get back to it, I feel my love for No.6 (and specifically, Nezushi) being reignited. Reading the novels just offers so much more insight to the characters and their relationships with each other. Being able to see Shion's inner thoughts about Nezumi and vice versa has been making me feel deranged.
( Short Vol.5 ramble... )
Anyway, at our house, we won't be doing much in terms of celebration other than eating really, but I hope everyone is able to enjoy their holiday :)
I spent part of my day tagging along with my spouse while they got tattoos. Coincidentally, I've been eyeing the work by another artist at the same shop, so I decided to make an appointment with them for early January while we were there. I technically shouldn't be spending that much money, but I think it's okay to treat myself for once. January is also my birthday month, and the tattoo is something I've wanted for a while. It will be Free! (anime) related, because that series is near and dear to my heart.
While I was waiting for my partner, I ended up finishing Volume 5 of the No.6 novel series. I've been slowly working my way through all of them, and every time I get back to it, I feel my love for No.6 (and specifically, Nezushi) being reignited. Reading the novels just offers so much more insight to the characters and their relationships with each other. Being able to see Shion's inner thoughts about Nezumi and vice versa has been making me feel deranged.
( Short Vol.5 ramble... )
Anyway, at our house, we won't be doing much in terms of celebration other than eating really, but I hope everyone is able to enjoy their holiday :)
CHECK IN: DAY 24
Dec. 24th, 2025 08:37 pmigenlode posting in writethisfanficIt's Christmas Eve, and the retail trade has been going like the clappers all day.
How goes the creative work (if at all?)
How goes the creative work (if at all?)
word game: blanket
Dec. 24th, 2025 11:06 ammuseaway posting in ficwipThis week's word is...
blanket
How to play: Find the word in any WIP and comment with the sentence containing it. Just the one, ideally! The less context, the more hilarious & interesting it can be.
Rules:
- All fandoms, all ships, all writers welcome
- Give a head's up for disturbing/distressing content
- If you share a sentence, please read some left by other writers and drop at least one person a comment. (If you leave the first comment, thanks for starting us off, and we hope you'll pop back around later!)
Posting a little early this week because of Christmas Eve! I'll be with family this afternoon.
blanket
How to play: Find the word in any WIP and comment with the sentence containing it. Just the one, ideally! The less context, the more hilarious & interesting it can be.
Rules:
- All fandoms, all ships, all writers welcome
- Give a head's up for disturbing/distressing content
- If you share a sentence, please read some left by other writers and drop at least one person a comment. (If you leave the first comment, thanks for starting us off, and we hope you'll pop back around later!)
Posting a little early this week because of Christmas Eve! I'll be with family this afternoon.
✧ 10
Dec. 24th, 2025 09:40 amseraphikisshappy holidays!
i just realized i never wrapped any of my parents' gifts, or my brother's. welp.
anyway, i hope your day goes well. if you don't have anyone to celebrate with - even if they live in the same house - i'll be here for you. 🫂
i just realized i never wrapped any of my parents' gifts, or my brother's. welp.
anyway, i hope your day goes well. if you don't have anyone to celebrate with - even if they live in the same house - i'll be here for you. 🫂
Fandom primer: K-9: Public Security Bureau – Division 9 – Special Abilities Countermeasure
Dec. 24th, 2025 11:27 amvriddyIt's hard for me to figure out how to even start this post, because I was just presented with this picture:
...and I didn't really ask any more questions before reading the manga. Bonus impact for stumbling on it in Japanese because the "kept pet" implied in the verb is delicious, and obviously plays with the K-9/"police dog" title.
Anyway, meet Oboro on the left - he's great - and Ren on the right - she's great. The art is beautiful, and everyone is very pretty.
This seems pretty simplistic at first glance, but that slowly changes as we drill deeper into the worldbuilding and learn the nuances of these abilities and how they manifest. The implications are deeply fucked up, with often devastating consequences that I'm totally here for as my heart gets shattered again and again.
TOGETHER THEY FIGHT CRIME! More specifically, crime related to sin users. But they also get their asses kicked and handed over to them quite a bit, haha.
( A bit more on the story and on them )
Cross-posted tofanifesto, anime_manga, fourormore (with additional but potentially spoilery OT4 screenshots), also linked to from polyamships :D
...and I didn't really ask any more questions before reading the manga. Bonus impact for stumbling on it in Japanese because the "kept pet" implied in the verb is delicious, and obviously plays with the K-9/"police dog" title.
Anyway, meet Oboro on the left - he's great - and Ren on the right - she's great. The art is beautiful, and everyone is very pretty.
About the world
Some people have special abilities, most of which are not well understood. Only one thing is known for sure: these abilities manifest after someone commits a crime. For example, the criminal from the first chapter is an arsonist and can control/become fire. (Somewhat unrelated, but this is pretty fun coming in from the BNHA world because it's like a universe in which only bad guys get a quirk.) Here, these abilities are called "sins," haha. In the Japanese, it's simply the kanji for crime with "sin" written in katakana beside it.This seems pretty simplistic at first glance, but that slowly changes as we drill deeper into the worldbuilding and learn the nuances of these abilities and how they manifest. The implications are deeply fucked up, with often devastating consequences that I'm totally here for as my heart gets shattered again and again.
The story premise
Our plucky detective Ren is selected to join Division 9, a newly created division that pairs a detective with a sin user in order to fight fire with fire -- what could possibly go wrong?! I love her. She kicks so much ass.So, who's our main cast?
( Short character profiles )TOGETHER THEY FIGHT CRIME! More specifically, crime related to sin users. But they also get their asses kicked and handed over to them quite a bit, haha.
( A bit more on the story and on them )
Where to read? How many chapters are out?
( 37 chapters, 3 volumes. You, too, could catch up in a reasonable amount of time! 🫵 )Bonus scythe, for fellow appreciators of the Rule of Cool
Cross-posted to
fanifesto, anime_manga, fourormore (with additional but potentially spoilery OT4 screenshots), also linked to from polyamships :D