Last wrangling post of 2025
Dec. 31st, 2025 10:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
erinptahEarlier this year, I split off some AO3 "Christmas Sweaters" tags that were synned to "Holiday Sweaters" tags, and made them canonical subtags instead. For kicks, I made a note of the usage stats at the time:
Holiday Sweaters (canonical) - 229 uses (219 works)
Christmas Sweaters (syn) - 205 uses (195 works)
Ugly Holiday Sweaters (canonical) - 1478 uses (1437 works)
Ugly Christmas Sweaters (syn) - 102 uses (94 works)
Now that we've basically had a full Christmas season with all those tags canonical, here are the stats tonight
Holiday Sweaters - 284 uses - Up by 24%
Christmas Sweaters - 249 uses - Up by 21%
Ugly Holiday Sweaters - 1540 uses - Up by 4%
Ugly Christmas Sweaters - 175 uses - Up by 72%
So the plain "X Sweaters" tags each grew at about the same rate...but it looks like there's a lot of taggers who were only picking "Ugly Holiday Sweaters" because that's what showed up in the dropdown, and once "Ugly Christmas Sweaters" showed up as an option, they jumped for it.
--
Fandom-dropping progress: down to 1222 fandoms. I've shed more than 300 since starting, and more than 100 since I last posted about it.
(The vast majority of them have been small webcomic fandoms. Vaguely curious what the exact breakdown is...but there's no auto-running those numbers, I'd have to do a lot of counting by hand, and I'm not that curious.)
Holiday Sweaters (canonical) - 229 uses (219 works)
Christmas Sweaters (syn) - 205 uses (195 works)
Ugly Holiday Sweaters (canonical) - 1478 uses (1437 works)
Ugly Christmas Sweaters (syn) - 102 uses (94 works)
Now that we've basically had a full Christmas season with all those tags canonical, here are the stats tonight
Holiday Sweaters - 284 uses - Up by 24%
Christmas Sweaters - 249 uses - Up by 21%
Ugly Holiday Sweaters - 1540 uses - Up by 4%
Ugly Christmas Sweaters - 175 uses - Up by 72%
So the plain "X Sweaters" tags each grew at about the same rate...but it looks like there's a lot of taggers who were only picking "Ugly Holiday Sweaters" because that's what showed up in the dropdown, and once "Ugly Christmas Sweaters" showed up as an option, they jumped for it.
--
Fandom-dropping progress: down to 1222 fandoms. I've shed more than 300 since starting, and more than 100 since I last posted about it.
(The vast majority of them have been small webcomic fandoms. Vaguely curious what the exact breakdown is...but there's no auto-running those numbers, I'd have to do a lot of counting by hand, and I'm not that curious.)
Привет! LiveJournal imports may be slow
Dec. 31st, 2025 08:24 pm![[staff profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user_staff.png){kind=small}
denise posting in ![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
dw_maintenanceПривет and welcome to our new Russian friends from LiveJournal! We are happy to offer you a new home. We will not require identification for you to post or comment. We also do not cooperate with Russian government requests for any information about your account unless they go through a United States court first. (And it hasn't happened in 16 years!)
Importing your journal from ЖЖ may be slow. There are a lot of you, with many posts and comments, and we have to limit how fast we download your information from ЖЖ so they don't block us. Please be patient! We have been watching and fixing errors, and we will go back to doing that after the holiday is over.
I am very sorry that we can't translate the site into Russian or offer support in Russian. We are a much, much smaller company than LiveJournal is, and my high school Russian classes were a very long time ago :) But at least we aren't owned by Sberbank!
С Новым Годом, and welcome home!
i haven't met a locked door yet that i couldn't beat
Dec. 31st, 2025 08:10 pmmusesfoolDecember 2025 recs update:
unfitforsociety has been updated for December 2025 with 12 story recs and 1 vid rec in 7 fandoms:
* 5 Batfamily
* 2 Dungeon Crawler Carl
* 2 The Pitt
* 2 Star Wars
* 1 Slow Horses/Rivers of London crossover and 1 Ted Lasso vid
I haven't read much of anything from![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
yuletide, but the two I did rec I will update with author names tomorrow.
I didn't do much fannishly this year - the recs continue, and I still reblog a metric fuckton of stuff on tumblr, but my brain hasn't sparked to write again, though I think it might be inching closer, thanks to, of all things, Dungeon Crawler Carl. I also loved loved loved The Pitt and am so excited season 2 is coming so soon!
Now, I've got a new episode of Percy Jackson and the series finale of Stranger Things to watch, and then I have to wash my hair.
I hope everyone is celebrating New Year's Eve in their chosen fashion. <333
*
unfitforsociety has been updated for December 2025 with 12 story recs and 1 vid rec in 7 fandoms:* 5 Batfamily
* 2 Dungeon Crawler Carl
* 2 The Pitt
* 2 Star Wars
* 1 Slow Horses/Rivers of London crossover and 1 Ted Lasso vid
I haven't read much of anything from
yuletide, but the two I did rec I will update with author names tomorrow.I didn't do much fannishly this year - the recs continue, and I still reblog a metric fuckton of stuff on tumblr, but my brain hasn't sparked to write again, though I think it might be inching closer, thanks to, of all things, Dungeon Crawler Carl. I also loved loved loved The Pitt and am so excited season 2 is coming so soon!
Now, I've got a new episode of Percy Jackson and the series finale of Stranger Things to watch, and then I have to wash my hair.
I hope everyone is celebrating New Year's Eve in their chosen fashion. <333
*
![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
but I've got the fastest set of wheels in town
Dec. 31st, 2025 05:15 pmunfitforsocietyBatfamily
buy back the secrets by![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
sundiscus
5 times Superboy saves Tim Drake, and one time Tim Drake saves Superboy. Wonderful! <333
Jason and the Three Terrors byCdelphiki
One moment, Jason was peacefully sleeping, perfectly content with his life with the League of Assassins. Okay, so maybe not content content, but he wasn't unhappy, either. Then Talia woke him up at 2 am, threw three children at him, and told him to get them to America and far away from Ra's al Ghul.
What the fuck.
The last thing he wanted was to see Bruce. But with three brats relying on him and no Talia, there weren't many options for sanctuary. He just didn't expect the kids to grow on him so much in two short weeks. EPIC (326K words) AU where Talia sends Jason away from the League with Damian, Athanasia, and Mara, and their many adventures on the way home to Gotham. Engrossing read, highly recommended.
Life Alert bylurkinglurkerwholurks
Fantastic outsider POV on Red Hood and Batman. <333
Puzzles Made of Broken Glass bythatcuriouscat
Timmy Drake's parents go missing. He's the only one who notices. This is a long, entertaining, engrossing story about how Tim joins the Batfamily early. Oh, Tim. Highly recommended. <333
Resurgam byNokomis
Bored during her pregnancy leave from being Spoiler, Steph decides to follow Robin and ends up in a cemetery. Only, something follows her home. <333
✭
buy back the secrets by
5 times Superboy saves Tim Drake, and one time Tim Drake saves Superboy. Wonderful! <333
Jason and the Three Terrors by
One moment, Jason was peacefully sleeping, perfectly content with his life with the League of Assassins. Okay, so maybe not content content, but he wasn't unhappy, either. Then Talia woke him up at 2 am, threw three children at him, and told him to get them to America and far away from Ra's al Ghul.
What the fuck.
The last thing he wanted was to see Bruce. But with three brats relying on him and no Talia, there weren't many options for sanctuary. He just didn't expect the kids to grow on him so much in two short weeks. EPIC (326K words) AU where Talia sends Jason away from the League with Damian, Athanasia, and Mara, and their many adventures on the way home to Gotham. Engrossing read, highly recommended.
Life Alert by
Fantastic outsider POV on Red Hood and Batman. <333
Puzzles Made of Broken Glass by
Timmy Drake's parents go missing. He's the only one who notices. This is a long, entertaining, engrossing story about how Tim joins the Batfamily early. Oh, Tim. Highly recommended. <333
Resurgam by
Bored during her pregnancy leave from being Spoiler, Steph decides to follow Robin and ends up in a cemetery. Only, something follows her home. <333
✭
the summer of searching the underworld
Dec. 31st, 2025 05:12 pmunfitforsocietyDungeon Crawler Carl
13 Ways of Looking at a Lit Fuse byAnonymous
Carl, as others see him. Exactly what it says on the tin. Lovely. And Donut's voice is absolute perfection!
I Should Have Let Him In byPuns4Funs
Bea's POV leading up to and during the confrontation on Odette's show. Fascinating look at what Bea might have been thinking.
✭
13 Ways of Looking at a Lit Fuse by
Carl, as others see him. Exactly what it says on the tin. Lovely. And Donut's voice is absolute perfection!
I Should Have Let Him In by
Bea's POV leading up to and during the confrontation on Odette's show. Fascinating look at what Bea might have been thinking.
✭
I said, "I've been there too a few times."
Dec. 31st, 2025 05:10 pmunfitforsocietyThe Pitt
2:00 AM by orphan_account
"I don't understand why you're letting that asshole crash at your place," Santos says, flopping back on the couch in the break room. "Seriously, Mel. There's a reason his wife kicked him out." I enjoyed this.
Scenes from a Lavender Marriage bySiria
Trinity shrugged. "So marry me."
Whitaker stared at her. "You're a lesbian and I'm the opposite of a lesbian."
"Like that's stopped people before," Trinity said. Santos and Whitaker get married so he can get a scholarship. It works out for them. <333
✭
2:00 AM by orphan_account
"I don't understand why you're letting that asshole crash at your place," Santos says, flopping back on the couch in the break room. "Seriously, Mel. There's a reason his wife kicked him out." I enjoyed this.
Scenes from a Lavender Marriage by
Trinity shrugged. "So marry me."
Whitaker stared at her. "You're a lesbian and I'm the opposite of a lesbian."
"Like that's stopped people before," Trinity said. Santos and Whitaker get married so he can get a scholarship. It works out for them. <333
✭
she's a promise in the year of election
Dec. 31st, 2025 05:04 pmunfitforsocietyStar Wars
Twilight on Owl Creek Bridge byyellow_caballero
SUBJECT: Regarding Senate Guard Objectives For Today
This is a polite reminder to all guardsmen that patrol schedules for the Senate vote ratifying dictatorships are posted in the breakroom. I am also issuing a warning to linear time that days should follow sequentially and are not intended to repeat. Please cease repeating. I am getting a headache.
Additionally, I'd like to remind all guardsmen that it is illegal to harbor invisible women in the Senate. If you see a ghost claiming to be Leia Organa, please remove her from the premises. She will be making a scene.
Thank you for your cooperation in preserving the peace of the Republic, and all hail the Empire.
FOX
Fox and Leia get caught up in some timey-wimey Force shenanigans. Oh my heart...
and the AU where it's a more traditional time travel type story: Fox & Leia's Star Wars Holiday Special
✭
Twilight on Owl Creek Bridge by
SUBJECT: Regarding Senate Guard Objectives For Today
This is a polite reminder to all guardsmen that patrol schedules for the Senate vote ratifying dictatorships are posted in the breakroom. I am also issuing a warning to linear time that days should follow sequentially and are not intended to repeat. Please cease repeating. I am getting a headache.
Additionally, I'd like to remind all guardsmen that it is illegal to harbor invisible women in the Senate. If you see a ghost claiming to be Leia Organa, please remove her from the premises. She will be making a scene.
Thank you for your cooperation in preserving the peace of the Republic, and all hail the Empire.
FOX
Fox and Leia get caught up in some timey-wimey Force shenanigans. Oh my heart...
and the AU where it's a more traditional time travel type story: Fox & Leia's Star Wars Holiday Special
✭
lost hope and found need
Dec. 31st, 2025 04:59 pmunfitforsocietyCrossovers
Rivers of London/Slow Horses
The Spirit of Regent's Park byAnonymous
Newly minted First Desk Diana Taverner visits the Folly to find out who this Thomas Nightingale fellow is, and learns a few things about London that are closer to home than she expects. Excellent crossover! Now I want all the crossovers between all these characters!
✭
Vids
Ted Lasso
In The Middle by![[youtube.com profile]](https://youtube.com/favicon.ico)
cursedwerewolf
Super cute Jamie/Keeley/Roy vid.
✭
Rivers of London/Slow Horses
The Spirit of Regent's Park by
Newly minted First Desk Diana Taverner visits the Folly to find out who this Thomas Nightingale fellow is, and learns a few things about London that are closer to home than she expects. Excellent crossover! Now I want all the crossovers between all these characters!
✭
Vids
Ted Lasso
In The Middle by
Super cute Jamie/Keeley/Roy vid.
✭
End of Fannish Year Meme: 2025
Dec. 31st, 2025 04:28 pmselenak1. Your main fandom of the year?
Still 18th Century history, Prussian-Austrian-Hannoverian-French edition, with the occasional ancient history interlude. Though ancient history might take over as the primary runner next year!
2. Your favorite film watched this year?
It's a race between a surprise "came for one character, remained for all of them" movie, none other than Thunderbolts*, and the superb thriller September 5, which manages among other things to do something Steven Spielberg tried to in one of his movies and does it better.
3. Your favorite book read this year?
This year I am truly spoiled for choices. I both read some books that have been around for a while as well as very recently published ones, and for the most part, enjoyed or even loved most of them. I think it's a race between Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik and Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh.
4. Your favorite album or song to listen to this year?
For complicated real life reasons:
5. Your favorite TV show of the year?
While tv had some let downs for me this year - *cough* Strange New Worlds *cough* - it also had some great new discoveries and some lovely continuing faves. I feel I can't answer this question fairly unless I firstly differentiate between "favourite miniseries" and "favourite continuing show", and in the second department "favourite new-to-me- show" and "favourite returning favourite". So: Favourite miniseries - there were several excellent ones, but really, for "took my breath away with each episode and performance, and format, tells a concluded story and THANK GOD DOES NOT APPEAR TO GET AN UNNESSARY SEQUEL": Adolescence . Favourite continuing series familiar to me - look, Andor had a superb conclusion and I really appreciate the scriptwriters on social media doubling down on just who the Evil Empire is in rl these days, but it's not Andor for the simple reason that while I was not upset about the writing for Bix as I've seen other people be, it really wasn't up to the rest of the show's standards. And it's not Wheel of Time, either, even though I went from like to love in this season and still feel like shaking my hand at the injustice of fate because of the cancellation. So: It's Foundation all the way. I loved the third season and will happily say more about why on the January Meme.
Favourite new to me show: Pluribus, aka Vince Gilligan did it again.
6. Your favorite online community of the year?
Stillrheinsberg.
7. Your best new fandom discovery of the year?
The play Born with Teeth by Liz Duffy Adams, which I saw in London in August: really intense and clever on stage Shakespeare/Marlow slash fiction, with Ncuti Gatwa and Edward Bluemel superb in the roles; delightful in itself, but also, I now have a new playwright to keep an eye on!
8. Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?
Strange New Worlds, season 3. Alas.
9. Your fandom boyfriend of the year?
I would never compete with Lois Lane, but this year's Superman is an incredibly endearing version of Clark Kent, and arrived just at the right time.
10. Your fandom girlfriend of the year?
Demerzel from Foundation, and I got two great stories starring her as Yuletide gifts. Runner up: Kleya from Andor, and Juliette Binoche in what just may the definite Penelope performance in The Return .
11. Your biggest squee moment of the year?
( Spoiler for Wake Up, Dead Man ensue: ) Runner-up: ( Spoiler for Demerzel's backstory in Foundation )
12. The most missed of your old fandoms?
I'm missing - and probably I'm employing rosy glasses here - the way media could be discussed without one part of the viewership crying "Woke!" and other crying "betrayal" if their ship of choice doesn't become canon. (Latest example: Stranger Things. Which btw I'm enjoying, but one look at fandom discussion and I ran.)
13. The fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?
I'm currently eyeing Severance.
14. Your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?
The Vampire Lestat, aka season 3 of Interview with the Vampire. Can't wait to find out what this particular creative team will do with both the present day rock star Lestat frame and the memoirs part, plus unless I'm mistaken it looks like they're already incorporating bits of The Queen of the Damned. And speaking of Anne Rice adaptations, I'm also very curious what Tom Ford will make of her historical (non-supernatural historical) novel Cry to Heaven, starring Nicolas Hoult.
Still 18th Century history, Prussian-Austrian-Hannoverian-French edition, with the occasional ancient history interlude. Though ancient history might take over as the primary runner next year!
2. Your favorite film watched this year?
It's a race between a surprise "came for one character, remained for all of them" movie, none other than Thunderbolts*, and the superb thriller September 5, which manages among other things to do something Steven Spielberg tried to in one of his movies and does it better.
3. Your favorite book read this year?
This year I am truly spoiled for choices. I both read some books that have been around for a while as well as very recently published ones, and for the most part, enjoyed or even loved most of them. I think it's a race between Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik and Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh.
4. Your favorite album or song to listen to this year?
For complicated real life reasons:
5. Your favorite TV show of the year?
While tv had some let downs for me this year - *cough* Strange New Worlds *cough* - it also had some great new discoveries and some lovely continuing faves. I feel I can't answer this question fairly unless I firstly differentiate between "favourite miniseries" and "favourite continuing show", and in the second department "favourite new-to-me- show" and "favourite returning favourite". So: Favourite miniseries - there were several excellent ones, but really, for "took my breath away with each episode and performance, and format, tells a concluded story and THANK GOD DOES NOT APPEAR TO GET AN UNNESSARY SEQUEL": Adolescence . Favourite continuing series familiar to me - look, Andor had a superb conclusion and I really appreciate the scriptwriters on social media doubling down on just who the Evil Empire is in rl these days, but it's not Andor for the simple reason that while I was not upset about the writing for Bix as I've seen other people be, it really wasn't up to the rest of the show's standards. And it's not Wheel of Time, either, even though I went from like to love in this season and still feel like shaking my hand at the injustice of fate because of the cancellation. So: It's Foundation all the way. I loved the third season and will happily say more about why on the January Meme.
Favourite new to me show: Pluribus, aka Vince Gilligan did it again.
6. Your favorite online community of the year?
Still
rheinsberg.7. Your best new fandom discovery of the year?
The play Born with Teeth by Liz Duffy Adams, which I saw in London in August: really intense and clever on stage Shakespeare/Marlow slash fiction, with Ncuti Gatwa and Edward Bluemel superb in the roles; delightful in itself, but also, I now have a new playwright to keep an eye on!
8. Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?
Strange New Worlds, season 3. Alas.
9. Your fandom boyfriend of the year?
I would never compete with Lois Lane, but this year's Superman is an incredibly endearing version of Clark Kent, and arrived just at the right time.
10. Your fandom girlfriend of the year?
Demerzel from Foundation, and I got two great stories starring her as Yuletide gifts. Runner up: Kleya from Andor, and Juliette Binoche in what just may the definite Penelope performance in The Return .
11. Your biggest squee moment of the year?
( Spoiler for Wake Up, Dead Man ensue: ) Runner-up: ( Spoiler for Demerzel's backstory in Foundation )
12. The most missed of your old fandoms?
I'm missing - and probably I'm employing rosy glasses here - the way media could be discussed without one part of the viewership crying "Woke!" and other crying "betrayal" if their ship of choice doesn't become canon. (Latest example: Stranger Things. Which btw I'm enjoying, but one look at fandom discussion and I ran.)
13. The fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?
I'm currently eyeing Severance.
14. Your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?
The Vampire Lestat, aka season 3 of Interview with the Vampire. Can't wait to find out what this particular creative team will do with both the present day rock star Lestat frame and the memoirs part, plus unless I'm mistaken it looks like they're already incorporating bits of The Queen of the Damned. And speaking of Anne Rice adaptations, I'm also very curious what Tom Ford will make of her historical (non-supernatural historical) novel Cry to Heaven, starring Nicolas Hoult.
Mod Post - 2025 - Times past
Dec. 31st, 2025 12:42 pmicon_uk posting in scans_dailyAs has become traditional, we'll have two posts for the New Year. The old today, and the new tomorrow.
As the fires of 2025 becomes embers, we are reminded that it has seen us lose visionary creators including: Robert Orci, Jackson Guice, Peter David, Jim Shooter, Nancy Burton, Marie-Mad, Drew Struzan, Dave Taylor and David Lynch.
We may not have always agreed with some of the choices made, but these were influential figures. We honour their passing and thank them for their contributions to the art form we love.
And, in the spirit of remembering;
1) What were your favourite new comics this year?
This could mean:
(We don't want to know your least favourites, lets keep this positive)
Also
As the fires of 2025 becomes embers, we are reminded that it has seen us lose visionary creators including: Robert Orci, Jackson Guice, Peter David, Jim Shooter, Nancy Burton, Marie-Mad, Drew Struzan, Dave Taylor and David Lynch.
We may not have always agreed with some of the choices made, but these were influential figures. We honour their passing and thank them for their contributions to the art form we love.
And, in the spirit of remembering;
1) What were your favourite new comics this year?
This could mean:
- Single issues?
- Storylines?
- Imprints?
- Favourite new character(s)?
(We don't want to know your least favourites, lets keep this positive)
Also
2) What were your favourite scans posted here on S_D, be they new or old?
Tomorrow we look to the future, but today, as we balance between the new and the old.... we look back... as long as we don't look down!
Bwah-Ha-Holocaust: THE AUTHORITY: THE LOST YEAR #8-9
Dec. 30th, 2025 06:35 pmmastermahan posting in scans_daily
With tcampbell1000's excellent JLI retrospective on holiday hiatus, I thought I'd throw up these two issues of The Authority written by Giffen and DeMatteis.
Why? You'll see soon enough.
( Read more... )
2025 book roundup
Dec. 30th, 2025 05:23 pmpauraqueIn 2025 I posted reviews of 47 books, of which 7 were re-reads, 5 were revisions of old reviews, and 35 were books I read for the first time this year.
( and here they are )
This brought me up to 11 novels and two short story collections in my chronological Le Guin project. Have I made much of a dent? Well, her website says she produced "23 novels, 12 volumes of short stories, 11 volumes of poetry, 13 children’s books, five essay collections, and four works of translation" so I have certainly taken a big bite out of the novels even though I'm only up to 1976. I don't think I realized how novel-heavy her early career was. I am not planning to read all the poetry (I'll probably do some) and the only translation I'll be looking at is her Tao Te Ching. And yet, even when I sketch out a planned posting schedule that assumes I'll be grouping some of the picture books together, it still comes out as three more years and I don't know how that's possible. Stay tuned to find out if she really wrote as many things as I think she did, or if I just can't read a calendar.
At the end of last year my TBR list had 180 books on it, and my goal was for that number to go down. Which it did. By three. It's not that I wasn't reading things from the list, it's that I kept adding more. I decided to do a big cull, mostly of books that had been on there for way too long and I couldn't honestly say I was interested anymore. Now it's down to 140.
Of the books I read for the first time this year, my favorites include: The Backyard Bird Chronicles, The Spear Cuts Through Water, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, The Only Good Indians, and Convenience Store Woman.
( and here they are )
This brought me up to 11 novels and two short story collections in my chronological Le Guin project. Have I made much of a dent? Well, her website says she produced "23 novels, 12 volumes of short stories, 11 volumes of poetry, 13 children’s books, five essay collections, and four works of translation" so I have certainly taken a big bite out of the novels even though I'm only up to 1976. I don't think I realized how novel-heavy her early career was. I am not planning to read all the poetry (I'll probably do some) and the only translation I'll be looking at is her Tao Te Ching. And yet, even when I sketch out a planned posting schedule that assumes I'll be grouping some of the picture books together, it still comes out as three more years and I don't know how that's possible. Stay tuned to find out if she really wrote as many things as I think she did, or if I just can't read a calendar.
At the end of last year my TBR list had 180 books on it, and my goal was for that number to go down. Which it did. By three. It's not that I wasn't reading things from the list, it's that I kept adding more. I decided to do a big cull, mostly of books that had been on there for way too long and I couldn't honestly say I was interested anymore. Now it's down to 140.
Of the books I read for the first time this year, my favorites include: The Backyard Bird Chronicles, The Spear Cuts Through Water, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, The Only Good Indians, and Convenience Store Woman.
Gaming Update
Dec. 31st, 2025 09:29 amcyphomandraI'm now on day 90 of Blue Prince and have solved quite a lot of puzzles, but I still have more to go, plus all the trophies that require me to get to room 46 in a certain time/under certain conditions (for those following along, I have done the sanctum, opened one door of a certain colour, and begun the blue tents). I am starting to run out of steam though, and I think it's time for a break.
The problem is what to do next! I do want to get back to FFVII, but I also want something new. I tried Alan Wake II, which I picked up as a free game - it's survival horror, set in another of those terrible small US towns, and I am currently stuck on a boss battle in chapter 2 that had an abrupt difficulty spike. My character moves unbelievably slowly and can only take 2 hits, plus I don't have the resources to upgrade my weapons yet, and while I think I can probably get through this eventually without downgrading the difficulty, it feels less like a game puzzle I can't solve yet and more like bad game design, arrgh. I do like Saga (my current character) but it has been a while since I played horror and I have also so far proven myself to be pretty terrible with jump scares. Typing this up has made me think that maybe I just downgrade the difficulty and see if the story still works for me.
I got Ghost of Yōtei for Christmas, and I also got Cyberpunk 2077 back from the person to whom I'd lent it, so those are both alternate possibilities. BUT. I also got another free game this month, and it's Lego Horizon Adventures, so last night after having my face bitten off in the Overlap for about the fortieth time, I switched gears and sent Lego Aloy out into the world, woo hoo. They have definitely detraumatised the storyline (your first mission is to retrieve some of the Nora who've been kidnapped by cultists, who are cruelly transporting them somewhere in cages and refusing to let them have bathroom breaks; everyone is rescued without casualties) and the fixed camera angles are a bit irritating, but we have already successfully hidden in red grass, shot flaming arrows into shrubbery to clear puzzles, and climbed our first Tallneck, woo hoo. And I say "we" because there is a co-op mode and my son, who's watched me battle through bits of Horizon was very excited to join me. He has put his character (who is supposed to be Rost) in the Sun King Avad skin, tho', which is throwing me a bit :D (most of the voice cast are those from the original game).
The problem is what to do next! I do want to get back to FFVII, but I also want something new. I tried Alan Wake II, which I picked up as a free game - it's survival horror, set in another of those terrible small US towns, and I am currently stuck on a boss battle in chapter 2 that had an abrupt difficulty spike. My character moves unbelievably slowly and can only take 2 hits, plus I don't have the resources to upgrade my weapons yet, and while I think I can probably get through this eventually without downgrading the difficulty, it feels less like a game puzzle I can't solve yet and more like bad game design, arrgh. I do like Saga (my current character) but it has been a while since I played horror and I have also so far proven myself to be pretty terrible with jump scares. Typing this up has made me think that maybe I just downgrade the difficulty and see if the story still works for me.
I got Ghost of Yōtei for Christmas, and I also got Cyberpunk 2077 back from the person to whom I'd lent it, so those are both alternate possibilities. BUT. I also got another free game this month, and it's Lego Horizon Adventures, so last night after having my face bitten off in the Overlap for about the fortieth time, I switched gears and sent Lego Aloy out into the world, woo hoo. They have definitely detraumatised the storyline (your first mission is to retrieve some of the Nora who've been kidnapped by cultists, who are cruelly transporting them somewhere in cages and refusing to let them have bathroom breaks; everyone is rescued without casualties) and the fixed camera angles are a bit irritating, but we have already successfully hidden in red grass, shot flaming arrows into shrubbery to clear puzzles, and climbed our first Tallneck, woo hoo. And I say "we" because there is a co-op mode and my son, who's watched me battle through bits of Horizon was very excited to join me. He has put his character (who is supposed to be Rost) in the Sun King Avad skin, tho', which is throwing me a bit :D (most of the voice cast are those from the original game).
