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isthedogawolfdog · 9 months

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The Ultimate Masterpost/Masterlist of Wolf Books And Resources

Introduction

Hello hello, and welcome to the ultimate post on wolf resources, brought by me, a person with too much free time who recently had coffee for the first time in years and I can feel it. Before I start I want the reader to know that this will be a very long post, so be prepared! Maybe grab some water or something as you may be here for a while. (ending note, it took me five hours plus a few minutes to make this, it’s long).

So a while ago I made this post upon being asked for book recommendations on wolves, and I happily provided a brief but not entire list. I wanted to create a more extensive list, but have yet to have an opportunity to do so. Now that time has passed, I’m finally going to be making it. I remember how hard it was to find solid resources when I first started personal research on wild canids, so hopefully this post can help other wide eyed individuals who are hungry for the good Knowledge.

I few disclaimers before I start: 1. this list is not at all an exhaustive list of all resources, as there are likely many more I am leaving out. 2. Along with that, I am not an expert, I am simply someone who is neurodivergent and needs something to tether me to the real world or else I will lose it who has some free time and a deep love for animals, especially canines. I am pursuing a degree in wildlife conservation and rehabilitation, but even that is the extent of my knowledge. 3. This list will mainly focus on books, but if I have time I will add some other resources to (ending note: I had time :) ).

Without further ado (adieu?), it is 11:20 in the morning while starting this, lets get on with the books!

Quick Side Notes

Real quick, the following are names you will want to keep an eye out when researching wolves:

- Rick McIntyre (wolf interpreter; has recorded more sightings of wild wolves than any other person, he has a treasure trove of information and it is a dream of mine to meet him one day, now retired)

- L. David Mech (wildlife research biologist; focuses on large carnivores, mainly wolves, A+ dude who I would love to meet one day)

- Douglas W. Smith (wildlife biologist in YNP; project leader of the Yellowstone Gray Wolf Restoration Project, another dude I’d love to meet, now retired)

- Mark Bekoff (biologist and animal behavior extraordinaire; I’ve seen some info such as intense vegan ideas (?), but I don’t think he would be labeled as an ARA, on the advisory board for Project Coyote (which I’ve heard has some ARA tendencies though I’ll have to double check), has worked with Mech)

- Thomas McNamee (author; served on the board of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, I don’t think he’s a biologist but I may be wrong)

- Carter Neimeyer (wildlife biologist; was also a trapper for the government and a wolf recovery coordinator in Idaho, now retired)

- Daniel R. MacNulty (assistant professor and I think biologist?; involved in the Yellowstone Wolf Project since reintroduction (1995), hard to find info on but he created a very important book along with others Wolves on the Hunt which will be covered in this post)

- Other: Nate Blakeslee (author), Jim and Jamie Dutcher (authors), Aldo Leopold (author and biologist), Ernest Thomas Seton (author and naturalist), Daniel R. Stahler (biologist, YWP lead biologist to be specific).

Another note is that I was originally going to create a google doc with more info on these books, including ISBN numbers, cheapest ways to find the books, basic info, etc. but I realized that I could also put that here to prevent me doing extra work as this post already has so much. I will list the Amazon (hate the mega corporation, but I realize its the only option for some) and Thriftbooks, but eBay, Abebooks, and others may be of use too. Note: This post was written and published on 7/25/23, so prices may vary in the future!

I also may add that at the end of the majority if not all of these books is a long reference section filled with amazing resources. I usually highlight any of interest and save them in a doc for future use!

Some of these books are older and may be more expensive. If the book is old enough, sometimes there may be a pdf of it available online, all you need to do is google it! To find only PDF’s, search up the following: filetype:pdf (insert book name here).

An example using a real book is as follows:

I am all for supporting authors, so I’d recommend buying said books to read if possible instead of using certain sites that allow you to use them for free. Unless it’s like, a mega corporation run by shitty people, then have at it.

Lastly, the longer ago the book was published the more you should fact check it with more recent information. I’d venture to say anything before 1981 or perhaps even 1990 should be fact checked, juuuuust in case. For example, a the first book listed under books to avoid was published in 1981, and is now considered outdated. I am going to include books published before or around that just to see how ideas and theories on wolves have changed over the years.

Now that we got that covered, it is 12:03 PM, on to the books!

American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee

This book is an amazing source about wolf 06′s life, aka 832F, in YNP. Not only does it follow the anonymous identity of the hunter who killed 06 and gives an insight on his part of the story, but it also follows the ordeal of wolves in court during 06′s life (2006 - 2012) and has personal insights from Rick McIntyre who followed and recorded data and sightings on 06 from her birth to death. I will warn you though, every time I read and reread this book I am brought to tears because of 06′s beauty and final days, as well as the reaction even the biologists had upon her death, who usually are professional and try not to be emotionally invested in the animals (which isn’t always the case). All above, a 10/10 book which will leave you stunned and amazed and bawling.

Find it at a bookstore or on Amazon for $13.99 and Thriftbooks for $4.39 to $5.79.

The Alpha Wolves of Yellowstone Series by Rick McIntyre (not in order, The Reign of Wolf 21, the Redemption of Wolf 302, The Alpha Female Wolf, The Rise of Wolf 8, and more to come!)

Rick McIntyre is a name you will see a lot on this list, namely for his knowledge on wolves, which he not only got from viewing wolves in the wild every day for roughly 9,000+ days but also from working in YNP, beginning as the worlds first Wolf Interpreter with the social/public side, and then along with the biology side of the project. His books cover the in depth lives of the wolves he’s watched over the years along with various science tidbits and research. An all around 10/10 series from someone who you may just catch watching wolves in the park early in the morning if you’re in the right place at the right time! Note: will also make you cry.

You can find some of these at a bookstore, but I’ve had hard luck with others. Wolf 8 and Wolf 21 are usually in stores, but the others are usually bought online via Amazon or others.

(In order)

- Wolf 8: Amazon $17.95, Thriftbooks $13.89

- Wolf 21: Amazon $17.95, not seeing any on Thriftbooks at this time

- Wolf 302: Amazon $25.99, Thriftbooks $17.49

- Wolf 06: Amazon $17.99, Thriftbooks $22.40

Wolves on the Hunt by L. David Mech, Douglas W. Smith, and Daniel R. MacNulty

This book may just be the biggest published treasure trove of information on wolf hunting accounts there is. From elk and bison to beaver and snowshoe hares (and fish!), this book covers real life, in the moment accounts of wolves hunting their prey. It covers wolves in YNP, Voyageurs National Park, Isle Royale, Glacier National Park, and so on and so forth, giving you an array of wolf hunting behavior in various areas. A must have that took me a while to get through.

Find it at a bookstore or on Amazon for $54.00, not seeing one on Thriftbooks.

War Against the Wolf: America’s Campaign to Exterminate the Wolf by Rick McIntyre

I know I’ve spoken highly of all the books on here so far, but I cannot emphasize how important this book is. War Against the Wolf is the end all be all of history accounts of how society in the US’s views have shifted and altered throughout history. From the moment white people came to the US and starting killing wolves, to the present day, it covers a lot, really helping you understand what wolves have had to go through. !!Trigger Warning/disclaimer for this book!!: I will note that a lot of topics touch on the cruel and terrible treatment of the wolves, coyotes, various wildlife in America, and the Indigenous in this book. If you have a big sensitivity to animal abuse and cruelty, maybe skip this one, as it covers horrendous treatment of animals. Regarding Indigenous peoples’, the book will mention a few ways the Native Americans were treated poorly, whether it be through being paid less for bounties for animal carcasses, to the scalping of the Indigenous along with wolves and others (yes you read that right, wolves and other carnivores such as cougars and coyotes were scalped by mainly white dudes who wanted them for a bounty). Though this book is very important in understanding the trials wolves have faced, it is not worth triggering yourself.

Hard to find in bookstore, if possible, but it’s $25.19 on Amazon, not seeing one on Thriftbooks.

A Society of Wolves: National Parks and the Battle Over the Wolf by Rick McIntyre

This book is somewhat of a beginner-ish/introduction to wolves. It was made around the same time as wolves were being/thinking about being reintroduced into YNP. It covers basics, like the life and growth of pups, the pack dynamics, hunting behavior, etc. but nothing too in depth. It’s a bit of a lighter read, but still a very good one!

Very hard to find at a bookstore, if possible, but on Amazon for $18.69 and $6.89 on Thriftbooks.

Decade of the Wolf: returning the Wild to Yellowstone by Douglas w. Smith and Gary Ferguson

It’s been a hot minute since I read this one, but from what I remember is has “portraits” of wolves, AKA snippets of their life in YNP. It has a fair amount of details regarding their lives and iirc some insight on their behavior. It’s truly a sweet book and really made me think about their individual lives and quirks more than I already did.

Haven’t seen it in a bookstore, but maybe? On Amazon for $16.95 and Thriftbooks for $6.69.

Books That I Have Yet to Read or Haven’t Read in a While

Now, here is a list of books I’ve read too long ago to recall correctly, or just haven’t read at all. These books are also important, and I’m excited to get my hands on them (whenever that happens) or reread. This list won’t be as in depth as the above one, but it will lead to certain links that’ll give you a description of said books.

A Wolf Called Romeo by Nick Jans

About a wolf who befriended various dogs in Alaska (wolfdog speculation?). $13.99 on Amazon.

Vanishing Lobo: The Mexican Wolf in the Southwest by James C. Burbank

About the disappearance of Mexican wolves in the south/southwest. $3.72 on Amazon.

Canids of the World: Wolves, Wild Dogs, Foxes, Jackals, Coyotes, and Their Relatives by Dr. Jose R. Castello

About various canines throughout the world. DISCLAIMER: Through a few sources and research of my own I have discovered a few things about this book: 1. the coyote section is very poorly put together and one shouldn’t take too much info from it, if any, due to many inconsistencies and mistakes. And 2. there is a section on foxes about arctic foxes specifically, but the animal pictured is actually either a silver marble color morph (no, not a Canadian Marble fox as that is not a thing and so help me if I see it again I will smack someone on the head with a stick) or a Georgian white color morph on a red fox (pretty sure it’s the marble but don’t quote me on that!) and is NOT a arctic fox. All that being said, probably don’t rely on this book too much without other info, sources, and double checking claims. $21.99 on Amazon.

Biology and Conservation of Wild Canids by David W. Mcdonald and Claudio Sillero-Zubiri

Not just about wolves, but a great in depth read on canids. $37.83 - $88.00 on Amazon just for a paperback.

The Wild Canids: Their Systematics, Behavioral Ecology and Evolution by Michael W. Fox

Not entirely sure what this book entails, but I’m looking for it anyway! $26.95 on Amazon.

Wolves: Biology, Ecology, and Conservation by L. David Mech and Luigi Boitani

A very good and must have book for canine lovers in general. $30.00 on Amazon.

Wolves of the World: Perspectives of Behavior, Ecology and Conservation by Fred H. Harrington and Paul C. Paquet

Although very expensive, I’ve heard good things about this one, so I’m betting it’s worth it. $72.95 on Amazon.

The Grand Lady of Yellowstone: & Other Wolf Stories by Brad A. Bulin and Carolyn Bulin

A lovely book on what I believe is mostly wolves in YNP, but could also be about ones elsewhere. $14.95 on Amazon.

Wolf Island: Discovering the Secrets of a Mythic Animal by L. David Mech

Another lovely book by the legend of a biologist himself. It’s also more recent, so it’s likely to have up to date information.

The Wolves of Minnesota by L. David Mech

$23.04 for paperback on Amazon, cheaper in hard cover.

Wolves of Denali by L. David Mech

$27.02 in paperback on Amazon.

The Arctic Wolf: Ten Years with the Pack by L. David Mech

$29.80 hard cover on Amazon.

The Way of the Wolf by L. David Mech

$17.46 on Amazon.

Wolves of Isle Royale by L. David Mech

Want a break from the Yellowstone wolves? Check the books based in Minnesota out! $28.24 on Amazon.

Yellowstone Wolves: Science and Discovery in the World's First National Park by Douglas W. Smith

$32.55 on Amazon.

The Wolves of Yellowstone by Michael K. Phillips and Douglas W. Smith

$19.99 on Amazon.

The Killing of Wolf Number Ten: The True Story by Thomas McNamee

$11:94 on Amazon.

The Return of the Wolf To Yellowstone by Thomas McNamee

$9.65 on Amazon.

Wolfer: A Memoir by Carter Neimeyer

A book on a wolfer (a name dubbed to one who kills wolves, usually way back when with violent techniques) turned advocate. $8.62 on Amazon.

The Wisdom of Wolves: Lessons From the Sawtooth Pack by Jim and Jamie Dutcher

The book I am currently reading. Not about wild wolves but instead about a pack that was captive bred and brought in for a film. $11.99 on Amazon.

Books on Wolves to Stay Away From

The following book(s) are things that are either poorly written or completely and utterly false. Keep an eye on these and take what they say with a grain of salt.

The Wolf: The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species by L. David Mech

This book was amazing at the time of it’s publishing, but throughout the years Dave Mech even admitted that he wasn’t fond of it’s popularity, mainly due to the section on “alphas” and wolf hierarchy that we now deem false. For these reasons I probably won’t read this book and wouldn’t really suggest it due to it’s outdated material.

Online Resources To Look Into (and Avoid)

The following resources are sites or other material you can use to find more information on wolves:

- The International Wolf Center (where I get a lot of my wolf news)

- The International Wolf Center YouTube Channel (a great place to observe and learn about wolf behavior, body language, etc. while you watch the ambassador wolves on camera interacting. Their FB is mainly promotional stuff but it also is a good source for information on upcoming events about wolves)

- The Wolf Conservation Center (they have a YouTube channel too, but I have yet to actively check it out, but I’d suggest looking into it for fun just in case. I think the FB group is similar to the IWC’s FB as mentioned above)

- The Voyageur's Wolf Project (the wolf study project in northern Minnesota)

- The Voyageur’s Wolf Project YouTube Channel (lots of trail cam footage and cool stuffs!)

- The Voyageur’s Wolf Project Facebook (here me out; FB is a cesspool BUT the VWP actually have a lot of very good posts on their page about the wolves they work with, just, maybe be wary when going into the comment section)

- I am hesitant to share this because I don’t want a sudden rush of people joining to clog up systems, but it’s still a good tool. If you go to this site or this FB page, you may be able to get access to the ancestry and lineage of the wolves of YNP, available on ancestry.com. I think you need an account on the site, but hopefully you don’t absolutely need to do the genetic test for yourself in order to access it. If you are able to figure out the instructions, please be kind, courteous, and not pushy when you contact the person who runs it because they are a person too.

- Bonus: You know I have to plug my favorite game; if you’re into more casual learning, the video game Wolf Quest, a game I’ve played going on 12 years now, is completely based on realism down to the genetics and behavior of the animals in game. The developers get a lot of their information from the IWC and wolves in YNP, even directly from biologists! Their blog also shows some interesting facts being implemented into the game, so it’s a win win.

A couple things to avoid is, of course, Facebook groups and general social media things. The above groups mentioned may be okay (just be wary of the comment sections), but any sort of media that seems problematic, AKA people interacting with wildlife, any ARA behavior, general endangerment of animals and other people, should be avoided. I’d also venture to say that anything that really pushes the dominance/alpha theory is a no go. I know some biologists still use the term loosely, but that’s for a few reasons that I will make a post about in the future.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I hope this post was helpful for as many people as possible. My instinct is to try and keep this information, frankly because I’m worried something bad will happen if I share it, but my therapist says that’s just anxiety, so hopefully she’s right.

Of course, you do not have to look through all the books and resources here. These are all from my personal research and I try to be thorough; you will not be any less of a “smart” person by not looking into everything.

(tw slight mental health talk ahead, just for this paragraph) So... yeah! It’s 3:23 PM as of now. I’ve spent roughly five hours on this post and I hope it helps maybe just one person. Wolves have quite literally saved my life, in fact the first time I read Rick McIntyre’s books I was in an inpatient hospital for an eating disorder. The wolves and their stories reminded me that I have to keep going, not for me, but to help them. I’m doing better now, and am planning a tattoo in wolf 8, 21, and 06′s memory for helping me through that dark time.

Anyway, enough with the sappy stuff, go on and gain some knowledge, I hope this helped! <3

#wolf #wolves #books #resources #articles #studies #masterpost #masterlist

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radiation · 10 months

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How is RPGmaker compared to Unity? Would you recommend it?

I think its difficult to compare RPGMaker to a lot of other game engines. Unity is pretty open ended in what you can make but you gotta know programming, whereas RPGMaker is kinda hard coded to make a very specific type of game very easily and without programming knowledge — the game in question being extremely generic retro JRPGs. If you wanna make something that extends beyond that you are gonna have to mess around a lot with plugins which alter and augment the preexisting structure the engine has in place.

The crazy thing is, RPGMaker (at least MV) is lacking MANY features that it by all means should have. My game doesn’t have a lot of mechanics and was designed around scope in a lot of ways, yet I am legitimately using 70 or so plugins that other people made to make it feel good. Some of those plugins’ functions include -Adding name plates over the characters’ text boxes -Making it so sprites don’t flash in and out when switching -Allowing for ANY kind of complexity in character animations -Giving you any sort of camera control -Hiding combat related UI in the menus. All of this being shit the engine SHOULD support by all means but for whatever reason it just doesn’t

I think if you’re someone who knows a lot about programming, the engine is probably gonna feel kinda bad and itd probably just be easier and less frustrating to build a lot of functionality from the ground up in an engine like Unity, GameMaker, or Godot. If you lack some experience and feel pretty confident that your game can reasonably fit within what the engine is capable of then RPGMaker is probably a good choice. And personally despite the lack of features being frustrating at times, I find myself having a lot of fun with the goofy wraparound method of problem solving you have to use and have found myself making some really cool creative decisions by working within the engine’s limits

It definitely helps a lot to know programming fundamentals either way (I’m not great but I have some experience with Java and C# and I feel like it’s been very helpful with managing project structure) so that’s something I’d recommend looking into either way if you’re not too acquainted

And I’ve mentioned it but again. Since RPGMaker is so limited you definitely DEFINITELY want to plan your project very heavily around scope especially if you don’t have much confidence that you can really delve into JavaScript programming. For example I wouldn’t recommend planning for complex UI - you will fuckin hate yourself for that. And if you’re adding combat you’re gonna wanna be super realistic about it. What I did to plan around scope was play ~10 different RPGMaker games sorta like what I wanted like to be before I started getting too many concrete ideas about what my game would look like so I could get a pretty solid idea of what was doable and mold my plans around that

Also I wanna point out - most tedious, large scope thing about my game is by far the character animations. Once I figured out just how itd work it wasn’t too bad but is still a bit annoying - but know I worked in a very very wraparound way that is way way way more involved than most — or hell, ANY RPGMaker games I’ve seen. It’s doable, can be really worth it if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, and is something I’d be happy to explain if anyone was interested. BUT i feel the need to make it clear that complex animation is very much not at all a baseline functionality of the engine since it might be easy to assume otherwise with how much it’s used in my own game

Apologies if that was long but I love talking about this stuff, and if anyone is interested I am always happy to talk about and answer any questions about my process especially with RPGMaker in mind :D

#gamedev #asks

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glowstone23b · 8 months

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:DD!!! yes!! a wither!! (i saw a video once of some guy spawning a wither in the nether and letting these piglins have at em, cuz theyre naturally aggroed on wither skeletons as enemies and i thought it was super cool- i think one suevived nearly the whole fight? and it just,, gave me ideas!)

the immortality thing is kinda like a player status thingy! so yeah! (in part cuz im super attached to some of them, namely dereck, rylan, and grimm; and so i while i was super cool with them getting hurt and outcasted and going thru a lot of angst essentially, i was super super uncomfortable with them experiencind death in any permanent capacity, so here we are 😔) so respawning is a thing! and my thought was since players (people playing the game) are able to be any kinda skin they desire, i figured itd make sense like this "player" status was bestowed upon them like a gods blessing! if that makes any sense,,

and yea so with dereck, with his withered status, it cant really go away cuz he was withered BEFORE the wither died and he got blessed, aha 🤭 🤷 (lol i just thought that what if he treats his condition with milk like in game, and so he keeps trades with zombie piglins and other players who go to the overworld so he can drink it since its not available in the nether omg *enter he needs some milk vine* and and lol if he does nothing to take care of it hes just gonna fall into a death loop cuz hes immortal 👀)

omg flint is so cute i wanna draw em together 😭 who knows if i have time tho. they WOULD be friends omg taking care of the littol ones together 🥺🥺

thank you!! i love the wither star idea! just a littol trophy for him ^-^

dereck loves u too

How tall would you say your ocs are? Dereck here but rylan and grimm for future reference? No reason (I lie, it’s for drawing reasons). I would love to draw them together also!! I love piglins :) if you couldn’t tell fhdbsjsk

Poor guy with his chronic illness & pain 😔 but hey he’s a good channel for staying on good terms with the local overworld villages and whatnot bc of trade routes, it works out! RIP dude, don’t fall into a death loop… maybe overworld like… cow’s milk has special properties that help soothe ailments that are caused by negative statuf effects? I assume they could probably get milk from hoglins or like. Idk. Ghasts or something fbdbsjjs or maybe if nether fungus variants of mooshrooms existed? Who knows!

I’d like to see that tbh— I’m surprised a bastion could hold their own against a wither in game 😳 that’d be interesting to see the outcome of for sure! Makes sense why an oc would come of it, haha.

I have a couple more piglins in the works, but I’ll have to refine designs, tbh. I’d love to have a solid brute, but most of the ones I come up with end up being retired brutes or dropouts/wannabes, lol. Maybe a good set of piglets to draw consistently or something, too. Idk I have a bastion in my head and I just need inhabitants for it 🤔

Trying to find a good in between for in-game mechanics versus irl influences is so tough !! I do my best but sometimes I realism too hard. It’s kinda fun to mess with though :D

#glowstone23b asks #zaltynn #minecraft worldbuilding #good stuff #I’ll have to draw something when I have a good chance to sit down and do so #leading all of my followers’ piglins together by the hand like they do with kindergartners to make sure we don’t get lost #but we’re just sightseeing :)

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thegodovereverything · 6 months

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TMNTober

prompt: Mutant

Gen: Rise

Crossover with: King Arthur and Her Knights by K.M Shea

ao3 link

@tmntober-2023

You don't need to have read the book series to get a lot of this, but I'll place all needed info here (spoilers ahead for the book series) Britt was brought into the past by a spell Merlin cast on the sword in the stone, and now she has to become King Arthur. Only Merlins trusted men, the lady of the lake, and some other people know about her gender. This is set in book four, a little after Merlin found out Britt had a crush on him and was a complete ass about telling her she's going to become some calf-eyed girl blinded by love now.

Characters: Sir Ywain and Griflet (young knights who are following Britt around due to some recent assassination attempts) Sir Kay (her foster brother. He is aware of where she is from and her gender) Sir Ulfius (her chamberlain, which means he's in charge of rooms and stuff. Also aware of her gender) King Leodegrance (a king who is very greedy, morally dubious, and has no backbone. He sent some of his knights to stay at Camelot, along with Guinevere and the Round Table)

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

The day was brisk and windy, a storm brewing in the horizon. Sir Griflet and Sir Ywain lurked by Britt’s side as she made her rounds. First she checked on Sir Kay, who was scribbling something into that log book of his. She still has yet to be able to decipher Old English writing. Then she popped her head into the main hall, but instantly turned around. Lancelot was holding court, but she was in no mood to entertain him. Almost by habit she poked her head into Merlin’s study, stopping herself just in time. She still didn’t forgive him for being a misogynistic asshole.

She ended her patrol at the stables, where she found her horses staring somewhat distrustfully at a stranger in the shadows. They were an odd shadow, as if half of their head didn’t exist, their shoulders strangely curved. They were also quite small, only reaching around Britt’s kneecaps.

Sir Ywain acted first, stepping forwards, one arm protectively held in front of her, “Who are you? Reveal yourself before the mighty KING ARTHUR!”

The shadow jumped, curling slightly into themself. She gently pushed down the eager knight's arm, giving Ywain a reassuring smile, “I’ve got this, Sir Ywain, thank you.”

She walked a little closer to the shadow, raising her hands as though she was calming a horse.

“Hey, don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Every step she took, the shadow took another one back, until their back hit the wall of the stables with a solid thunk. With a small sigh, Britt sat down, grabbing some of the horse's hay to fiddle with. She looked up at her knights, who were holding themselves ready for any reason to defend her. “Sir Griflet,” she said, the young knight perking up, “please fetch Sir Kay for me. Do not infer that I am in any danger.” That last sentence she made sure to emphasize, the full breadth of her command as King Arthur in her voice. Griflet gave a deep bow, before hurrying off to fetch her foster brother.

Sir Ywain stayed, still on guard.

“Alright,” she directed this to the shadow, “do you have a name? You don’t have to come out, but I’d rather not call you The Shadow in my mind for all of eternity.”

There was a pregnant pause, before the shadow stiltedly whispered their name, “Mikey.”

Her brow furrowed. She considered herself well versed in most names of medieval times, but that was not one she recognized. “Well, Mikey, my name is Arthur. It’s nice to meet you.”

There was another pause, before the child–now she had no doubt that the small shadow was a child, spoke again. “Are you going to dissect me?” His voice was tiny, scared.

Britt was pretty positive dissection wasn’t a word yet. “No, no one in Camelot will dissect you. Is that something you have to worry about frequently?”

The idea of someone threatening dissection on a child filled her with a nauseous feeling in her gut. Just what has this poor kid been through?

“Just from humans.” Mikey supplies, “Daddy says humans don’t understand us, and when they don’t understand something they get really scared. He said to be super safe and not to get caught by any humans ever . He said if we did too hide somewhere and stay there until he can find us. So I hid, but Daddy hasn’t come yet and it's been hours . This place is filled with humans, bunches of them! And they’re all dressed weird and there’s no TVs or comic books. But you’re super nice! So maybe you're different. I dunno. Donnie would. Do you know where my brothers are? Maybe they went through the portal too? That’d be nice… well, maybe not too nice. This place is scary…”

He trailed off, and Britt struggled to grapple with everything Mikey said. “Sir Ywain?”

“Yes, My Lord?”

“Leave us. Do not let anyone enter but Sir Kay or Sir Ector.”

“But–” Sir Ywain lifted his hand, hesitant to leave his king alone with the shadow.

“Leave.” Britt’s tone brooked no argument.

“Yes, My Lord,” Sir Ywain bowed, and Britt was left alone with the child. The kid from a different time. The child that has, just like her, been taken from his family against his will.

“Can I tell you a secret?” Mikey said nothing, so Britt took that as permission to continue. “I’m not from here either. I’m from America.” Mikey perked up at this.

“Me too!”

Britt smiled at the kid, who was still cloaked in shadows, “Really? That’s awesome!”

Mikey moved closer to Britt as she continued her tale. She talked about how, after touching the Sword in the Stone in some random graveyard in the future, she was pulled to the past. How Merlin told her about the actual King Arthur running off with a shepherdess, and the role she was going to be put in. She talked about her adventures as king, the friends she had made. She didn’t mention that there was no way back home.

As she talked, Mikey moved closer, until he was nearly out of the shadows. His leg was the first thing clearly visible and it caused Britt to stumble over her words. His leg was green and scaled, with two toes poking forwards and one in the back.

She forged onwards. She didn’t want to scare the kid, even if she was burning to know what he was. As she continued talking, Mikey moved closer to her. Slowly, he completely revealed himself. He was small and green, with orange spots peppering his face and splotching his shoulder. His shell raised to nearly half his face, explaining the high shoulder effect she noticed in his shadowed figure. An orange mask was tied back into a little bow, covering the middle of his face. He uncertainty moved until he was leaning against Britt’s leg, absolutely enraptured by her tale.

Sir Kay enters, around when Britt was talking about her sneaking into King Leodegrance’s castle to look at the round table. Mikey shoots up and scurries to Britt, hiding behind her shoulder as he stares up at her foster brother. Sir Kay frowns.

“I heard there was an intruder. Where are your guards?”

Britt rolled her eyes. “There was no intruder. Sir Kay, meet Mikey. Mikey, meet Sir Kay. Mikey’s like me.” Mikey gave a little wave from his hiding place.

Sir Kay stared at him blankly for a moment before abruptly turning around, “I’ll go fetch Merlin.”

“Wait–” He left as quickly as he came. Britt sighed.

“So,” she refocused on Mikey, lighting patting his head, “do you remember what happened before you got here?”

He moved out his hiding spot as he talked, moving back into his position by her legs.

“Well, it was my birthday, so I gotta buncha gifts ‘n stuff. Donnie n’ Leo were arguing over who gave me the better gift (It was Leo, by the way. He got me so many art stuff!), n’ Raph was trying to break them up. Daddy was having one of his bad times, so I went to my room cause I was getting bored and my room is always the funnest. But then there was this portal, like in Jupiter Jim: Portal to the Planet of the Lamas. It was even orange! And it was very glowy. But when I went through I came here and now I wanna go back. Maybe Merlin can take me back? He’s the super wizard dude, right?” He placed both of his green hands on her feet, excitably leaning forwards.

Britt didn’t know what to say. This kid has been completely separated from everything he knew, at such a young age. She opened her arms and Mikey rushed into her arms, nearly knocking her on her back. Outside of the shed, she heard the muffled protestations of Sir Ywain before he was silenced with a threatening “Let me through, or else.” Merlin came into the stable.

Britt hugged the kid closer, glaring dagger at the wizard. “Hello, Merlin,” She snarled his name, making it clear that she would only tolerate his presence for so long. Mikey perked up at the wizards name.

“Please, Arthur, just let me help.” Merlin entreated, holding both hands up in the sign of surrender. She didn’t trust him, but she had no choice. She had to see if there was even a tiny way to get the kid back home.

Her approval was given in a slight nod, followed by a bone weary sigh. Mikey bounded over to the wizard, tugging at his gandalf rip off cloak.

“Hi! My name's Mikey! King Britt told me you're a great wizard that can do anything !”

Merlin gave her a sharp look, “Can you understand him?”

His words cause MIkey to pause his excitement, confusion replacing it.

“You can’t?”

Merlin shook his head.

“Well, I guess that makes sense, what with him being from the future and stuff. Guess that means he’s from around my time period then. Or maybe the far future? I can’t imagine anthropomorphic turtles exist in my time,”

Mikey cocked his head to the side, “am-throw-porthoric turtles? What’s that? Daddy just calls us mutants.”

A mutant? Like from one of those comic books her sister loves so much? If Britt remembered correctly, a mutant was something painfully transformed by something radioactive. She winced at the imagery of a child being put through such a thing. It was best she just moved on entirely.

“Hey, Mikey, what year is it? That you and your brothers were in.”

The tot kicked his feet on the dusty ground, considering. “Mmph. Well, I’m six, so, whatever year I’m six! Daddy says I was born in 2005…” The kid frowned in concentration while Britt did the math. That would mean he was supposed to be in 2011… a full three years before her.

Britt shook her head. She didn’t want to consider this.

“Ok, we’re going to help you. We’re going to get you your own room, and you can eat whatever you want, ok?” She stood up, then reached down her hand for Mikey to grab it.

“Merlin,” the wizard looked up from his notebook, which he had been furiously scribbling on. “Huh, oh, right. Yes, yes, we shall provide for the… kid? Either way, they are probably faerie and it is best we treat them with respect.”

Britt didn’t bother to correct him, he’d learn soon enough. She led the kid to Sir Ulfius, the chamberlain. As they walked, Mikey drew closer to her, nervously observing her citizens and knights as they gathered around. Whispers bounced off the walls, echoing with words like “demon”, “faerie”, “brought the devil”, and other nonsense that made Britt happy Mikey couldn’t understand old english.

She knocked on Sir Ulfius’s door, “Sir Ulfus, I once again have another guest for you to prepare a room for.” She looked down at Miket, considered for a second, then, “One near mine, please.”

After they got Mikey settled into his new room (“Wow! Leo’s gonna be so jealous when he finds out about this!”), Britt bid the kid farewell, assigned a guard to babysitting duty, and went about the tiring task of damage control. She knew for this, she had to assure them personally. Merlin tried to offer his input, but Britt ignored him. She’s gotten really good at that lately.

Quickly, all her people that were able to be spared were gathered into the main hall. They whispered amongst themselves, but silenced almost instantly when Britt walked out onto the dais.

“I have brought another guest into our castle!” She started, “a child who is but six years of age. He is lost, and alone. He does not look like you or I, for he is not from our land, but beyond. He is what is called a ‘mutant’. He is not the devil or a demon coming to bring misfortune. Nor is he a faerie. He is but a child, who is stuck in a land different than his own, with none who speak his native tongue. I trust in all of you,” She locked eyes with some of her knights, driving the point home, “to treat him with kindness and respect. He will be under all our charge, so that we may ensure he is kept safe during his stay. If I find that any of you have not treated him chivalrously, I will cast you from Camelot.”

The room was uneasily silent. One of King Leodegrance’s knights came forth, his face red from anger. “You cannot believe we will tolerate this mutant, ” he spat out the new word, like it was a curse, “who knows what sort of devilry this thing could invite into these walls! Surely you cannot allow this!” He shrunk back under Britts icy gaze.

“If you are so offended by his presence, then you are free to leave.”

The knight blustered for a moment, before cowing under the weight of her gaze.

“I will not tolerate any of you making him feel unwelcome, no matter what status you may hold,” She directed this at Lancelot. She almost hoped he would break this rule so that she may have an excuse to cast him from her walls. However, she didn’t want Mikey to be mistreated, so that hope was an empty one.

“However, I know you all,” she looked amongst her knights and people, “and I trust that you will be as chivalrous as I know you to be. So, I ask you all: Is that trust warranted?”

Her people roared their approval, nearly bursting her eardrums. Britt smiled at them proudly.

With one last cheer, she departed from the dais, disappearing into one of the many secret hallways scattered about the castle. She was sure there would still be some adjustment and push back, but eventually he will be welcomed. She only hoped they could find a way to get him home, but she doubted it. Like Merlin said, it was easy to pull someone back, not so easy to push them forwards. She’ll wait a bit before telling the child, however. No need to inundate him with too much change when he was still adjusting.

#oh boy this is long #words exist #this is like the longest fic I have ever made #This prompt was a bit hard #But I do believe I am happy with the results #rottmnt #King Arthur and Her Knights #K.M Shea #tmntober 2023 #tmntober2023

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theycallmebecca · 2 years

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Drabble: Ransom Finds a Puppy

Ok.. so after today’s puppy interview... I couldn’t not write a dog!dad drabble for my Sugary Sweet Dad Collection. Especially since that’s exactly what Chris is.

I didn’t want to write Chris, because my goal this week was to write character stories, so I asked here on tumblr and some of my friends who I should write for. @nomadicpixel suggested someone finding a puppy, @flanneled-babe suggested Ransom with a small dog.

Those two suggestions combined with this image that I had in my brain from the start and this is what it all became.

As always, my Ransom is more of an AU rather than how he is in the movie.

Sugary Sweet Dad Collection Masterlist

Title: Ransom Finds a Puppy

Pairing: Ransom Drysdale x reader

Rating: PG

Warnings: n/a

Disclaimer: This work of fiction is not to be reposted, used or translated without my permission.

Usage Disclaimer: This work is for fans only. This author does not give permission for it to be shared, spoken of, referred to in any public manner (podcast, tv, online, etc.) that wants to either make a celebrity uncomfortable, mock fan fiction/fandom in any way, or the author themselves. Requests can be made, but it is unlikely the author will change their mind. If no response is given to a request then the answer is a solid no, not interested and the work cannot be shared, spoken of or even referred to, regardless of the manner or context.

Ransom hated running, but he hated going to the gym more, so he forced himself to run two miles nearly every day.

Or at least, a couple days a week during the spring, summer and fall.

He was only half a mile into his run when he heard the first cry as he neared a local park.

Slowing to a walk, he looked around, trying to find the source of the sound. Then he heard it again and that’s when he spotted the dog cowering under one of the park benches.

Having grown up with security dogs, he wasn’t necessarily a fan of them, but his gut told him this dog would be different. Besides, this dog was in trouble and he was the only one around.

Ransom carefully approached the bench and slowly reached his hand out for the dog to sniff.

It took a moment or two for the dog to sniff his fingers and another five before the dog let Ransom pick him up. It was only then that he realized that what he’d assumed was a small dog was actually a puppy.

“Where did you come from?” he asked.

There weren’t any houses close enough for him to escape from and it was too early to take him to a vet to check for a microchip.

“I guess I’ll take you home with me,” he told the puppy.

Instead of finishing his run, Ransom walked the half mile back to the house he shared with you.

“You’re back ear-” you started to say and then switched gears when you saw the puppy. “Who is this?”

“I found him in the park,” Ransom explained.

“Her, it’s a her,” you told him. “Can I hold her?”

Ransom started to hand you the puppy, but she let out a low rumble, expressing her dislike of the idea.

“What are you going to do with her?” you asked him.

"Thought I’d take her to the local vet,” he replied. “She has to have an owner somewhere.”

“And if she doesn’t, can we keep her?” you asked, hopefully.

Ransom looked from you to the puppy, who was giving him a hopeful look, too.

“I’m not making any decisions right now,” he stated, despite knowing that the decision had already been made for him. By you, but also by the puppy.

By the end of the day, it was official, Ransom was a dog dad. He’d spent all day with the puppy and when she’d fallen asleep in his arms after dinner, he knew his heart belonged to her.

“She needs a name,” you said. The puppy had warmed to you, but it was clear to everyone that Ransom was her favorite.

“What about Aggie?” Ransom suggested. “Short for Agatha Christie.”

“Your grandfather would appreciate that name,” you said then tried the name out yourself.

The puppy chose that moment to open her eyes and turn her head towards you.

“Is that your name?” you asked her. “Aggie?”

The dog thumped her tail and then closed her eyes again.

“I guess that confirms it,” Ransom said with a smile.

“I’m glad you found her,” you said as you laid your head against his shoulder.

“I am, too,” Ransom agreed.

#Becca's Sugary Sweet Dad Collection #becca’s sugary sweet dad collection #chris evans #theycallmebecca #theycallmebeccawrites #ransom drysdale #ransom drysdale fanfiction #ransom drysdale fanfic #ransom drysdale fan fiction #ransom drysdale x you #ransom drysdale x reader #ransom drysdale x y/n #Becca writes drabbles

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the-final-sif · 2 years

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FAQ

“Who are you?”

I’m Sif (she/her/they/them)! I’m a writer, an artist, and I will literally never stop talking. I have an African gray named Cecil, and I love him very much.

“Where can I find you?”

Here on Tumblr, On A03 as Rosae or Sif - Or on the dreblr discord server

Discord is the fastest way to get in contact with me, asks on tumblr can get eaten and DMs on tumblr are weird for me. I'm not active on any other platforms

“When will x/y/z update?”

I don’t know. Don’t ask me or leave comments pestering me about updating things. I have adhd, and fanfiction is a hobby that I do for myself, so I work on things as I’m able to. My focus is fickle and I tend to jump from project to project, because that’s how I have fun. When it comes to my hobbies, me having fun is the whole reason I do them. Pestering me just makes me want to do it even less. Seriously.

“Can I send you asks about x/y/z? Do you mind talking about x/y/z?”

I'm not going to be upset about any ask sent in as long as it's in good faith, but that doesn't mean I'll answer every ask I get. If I don't answer an ask, it means that I wasn't sure on an answer, I'd answered the question before, or I just didn't feel like it. Odds are it's nothing personal, if I have an issue with someone or something, then I block.

That all being said, I don't answer questions asking for personal information of any kind unless it's something I've publicly discussed. I also prefer that people do not use tone indicators in asks, or if you must, please use full words and not acronyms. I'm pretty good at reading tone in text to begin with, and I run under the assumption most asks are in good faith.

“Can I use your idea/headcanon/etc in my fic/art/etc?”

Yes! People are always welcome to use my ideas/headcanons/etc with credit. You can create stuff set in my AU/make your own takes on them. All I ask is that you don’t copy my stuff word for word (ie reposting), and give credit if heavily referencing my works. You do not need to ask my permission to use my stuff as inspiration, but if you do create something 100% feel free to tag me/send it to me! I love seeing this stuff!

“Can I repost your fic/artwork/headcanon/etc?”

Probably not. I’m okay with my chat posts and non-fictional PSAs/advice posts being reposted to other platforms (with credit). For anything else, I do not allow reposting unless you ask me first (that being said, I do sometimes give permission when asked, it just depends on the post and platform you want to repost on). Translations and Podfics are absolutely fine though!

“Will you tag (specific trigger) or (spoilers)”

Probably not, sorry! I’d like to say that I could, and I try to tag major triggers & spoilers when I remember to, but again, ADHD means I tend to be pretty scattered brained and my tagging is pretty inconsistent as a result. I don’t want to promise to tag stuff when I know I’ll probably forget at some point.

“Do you take requests/commissions/art trades/do collabs/have a ko-fi?”

I do not take formal requests or requests for unrelated fandoms/characters/etc. I love talking with people and discussing ideas, but that’s entirely on my own terms. You can still always ask me about my AUs or offer specific ideas, but if I decide to write anything for it is all up to me.

I am not currently taking commissions, but I do take them every so often when the mood strikes. I already work to support myself, and as I’ve said before, fandom is a hobby for me, so I prefer to spend that time creating things at my own pace. Since I get people asking about it, I do have a ko-fi but please don’t feel obligated to send me anything.

Art/fic trades and/or collabs are a solid maybe at any given time, depending on what I have on my plate. Hit me up on discord if you want to talk about it.

#pinned post #sif speaks #faq #new pinned post to replace the old one since it's been awhile since I updated this

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sarilolla · 1 year

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Reasons why I love Bugsnax cuz I need to talk about this game which has now consumed me completely (there’s some spoilers here and there, as I’m just writing down stuff I can think about at the moment)

All the characters are neat, and are so fun to interact with-

Considering the situation they are in, I think how they all interact with each other is very realistic, which I love. Like, there are friendships and cute romantic relationships, but there are also not so good relationships that aren't toxic but still make for a good dynamic within the group

All the character designs (both grumpus and bugsnax) are peak marketable plushie designs (I want the Bunger and Strabby plushie so badly)

The bugsnax are so silly :) They are just kinda bug, kinda snax :)

The Bugsnax reminds me of Pokémon, except you don’t make them fight, you just feed them to your friends- Like, how they say their own names, some are harder to catch than others, and just the look and vibes of them

There are multiple lgbtq characters, but not forced or marked-like. They are just there, like it's completely normal, which makes me so happy (Like Floofty is disliked by practically everyone, but no one misgenders them, which means it’s just… normal)

Bunger bunger bunger :D

The names of everyone are so fun, from just misspelled normal names to straight-up muppet-esque names (Triffany - Tiffany, Elizabert - Elizabeth) (Wambus, Gramble, Floofty)

If I had a nickel for the amount of times I got emotionally attached to the one “good” parasite who have the name combo of “S_out”, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot but it’s weird it happened twice. (Sprout aka the buggyball from Bugsnax, and Scout from hello puppets)

I love the Bugsnax, especially the strabbies, they’re so silly :)

The lore is so good and fun, and I might have just been on a “oooo fun game” high, but I didn’t really catch any plot holes or plot lines I heavily disliked, so it’s good :)

Then again, it does have some darker themes, already showing before the ending, and it’s a good ending no matter, story wise (I did not nor will I ever have the guts to get the bad endings tho, like no, that would hurt too much)

Also if you get the ✨secrets✨, it looks like it could ramp up to a sequel, which I absolutely want

The journalist aka the player character, is very much a self-insert type protagonist, but they’re also not just a reflection of the player. Like their little notes and drawings for quests and such are so fun and cute (also for the people who decided that the most common name for the journalist is “Buddy”, I love you /p /hj (no hate to other journalist names of course, I just like Buddy))

The fact that the player also is allergic to Bugsnax is so fascinating to me, like we survive of sauces, but feed everyone else (technically not including Shelda and Gramble, but they can both eat Bugsnax, just have other reasons why they don’t). It works so well with angst, cuz on the island we have the journalist who can become sick after a while but still trudges on, and after the island, well, there’s definitely some guilt there from feeding everyone

I dunno why, but I love the idea of banjo-pop music, and I would like to thank Wiggle for introducing me to it

I also love Broken Tooth island just showing up, like it really shows there’s something weird about the Bugsnax islands (both Snaxtooth and Broken tooth). Not to mention how weird Snaxtooth is, with hot desert almost bordering frozen solid mountain

Snaxtooth is really an adventurer’s dream come true, which is why it humors me so much that some of the grumpus who joined the expedition are just… normal people. Who just joined, like for a vacation??? It’s funny

I managed to get all the achievements which I’m very proud of myself for managing :) I also have done all mail requests, and that’s just because of the wonderful people who made a guide for how to catch 5 different Bugsnax in 60 seconds or 10 Bugsnax in 90 seconds

Over all? Silly game which definitely also deserves its psychological horror tag, but I adore it

I leave you with this really lazy edit of my favorite parasites /hj

#bugsnax #don’t mind me just rambling #I absolutely adore this game and it’s been on my brain for a couple weeks now #does not mean I’m leaving the hello puppets fandom or abandoning my works #I’m just gonna focus more on this for a bit

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thisaintascenereviews · 5 months

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AJR - The Maybe Man

Up until listening to pop-rock / indie-pop AJR’s new album, The Maybe Man, I only knew that a lot of people hated them. I had only listened to a couple songs, and I never thought they were outright horrible, but I wouldn’t want to listen to a full record of that. Well, things change, and I decided to be morbidly curious about The Maybe Man, both because I had never heard a full record from these guys and because the circumstances behind it were interesting. This record was written either before or during their father’s passing, as AJR is composed of three brothers whose first name comprise the initials of the band, so they were really going through it. I also listened to a podcast that they were on and talked about the record, so it made me want to hear it, since they seem like great, earnest, and down to earth guys that love music, so I hunkered down late last week and spent some time listening to this record. Is this band as bad as most stuffy online critics make them out to be?

Honestly, no, not at all. While I won’t say that this is the best album of the year, it’s a genuinely good one that kind of surprised me. I had a lot of fun with this, and I found myself surprised by how solid it truly was. I don’t want to oversell this album as some kind of masterpiece, because it’s not, but this record is a lot of fun and oddly poignant in some ways. This album is kind of rooted in rather sad themes, with a lot of songs being about disillusioned with fame, dealing with mental illness, struggling with getting older, and their father’s passing. This album has some good hooks, such as “Touchy Feely Fool,” “Yes I’m A Mess,” “Intertia,” and “Hole In The Bottom Of My Brain,” among others. Hell, the song “Steve’s Going To London” is a song that’s kind of a commentary on how songs don’t need to be about anything. The first half is a bunch of nonsense lyrics about a bunch of people doing unrelated things, and the song jumps into a bit of meta commentary on how they tried to a write a song that tries too hard to be about writing a song.

The album’s centerpiece, though, is the second to last song “God Is Really Real.” This is the track about their father’s passing and it’s honestly kind of a tearjerker. You can really feel the band’s pain as they come to terms with it, but some of the song is about how they’re in denial of their dad’s illness. It’s not attempting to be corny, silly, or over the top, but it’s grounded in more reality. The title is also rather interesting, because one of the biggest lines in the song is “God is really real when you really, really need him,” and “God’s fucking fake ‘til he’s not,” which is a variation on the idea that someone is only an atheist until something bad happens and they need to pray, but it weirdly works.

At the same time, I can understand why people wouldn’t like this. This album is a bit overblown in spots, and some of the lyricism is very corny (there’s a kind of cringy reference to Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools” in “Steve’s Going To London,” but it works okay for what it is), but they downplay the over the top sound that they normally have. This album is more stripped back, despite having some moments that bombastic and over the top, and it feels more like a straightforward pop album. It won’t blow your mind, by any means, but if you never liked these guys, I’d check this out, even if it’s out of pure curiosity. I won’t say it’s amazing, or even great, but it’s still really good.

#ajr brothers #ajr band #ajr #the maybe man #the dj is crying for help #god is really real #touchy feely fool #maybe man #rock #pop #indie pop #indie rock

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trans-mouse · 1 year

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somebody should just commission me to actually finish literally any of my projects so i have a sense of urgency. here’s a list of projects in various states of completion:

Full games:

Weird Eusocial Kobolds: I actually have a plan for this now! with the year zero engine going open source, I’m gonna have a go at using that for this weird little reverse-adventuring RPG, that will someday get an actual name.

City of Names: Like half-finished? It’s an RPG about being trans and living in the woods as guerilla witches in the capitalist post-apocalypse. also about the power of naming yourself. (and carrying names that your friends give you) Also, this is the game that evolved out of my jokey system that I called “Lydia’s Intelligent RolePlay for Attractive People”

S/S/N/V: Stat/Skill/Noun/Verb, aka “I really love esoteric rules, and I think you should too!” This game will get an actual name, but it’s essentially a game about creative thaumaturgy, words like “conflagration” and “defenestration”, and using tarot cards in place of dice because it lets you do interesting things with results.

Casino Nights: An urban fantasy casino heist game in which you play blackjack instead of rolling dice! Features cool mechanics like counting cards, being a fucking dragon, and jokers up your sleeve!

Some kind of monster hunting game: A game that would probably look something like a cross between Monster Hunter and Bloodborne, with mechanics based on Slayers and Vaesen. You’ve been exiled to a cursed land to hunt monsters with ancient mystic relic weapons, for the good of all humanity.

Smaller Projects:

The Fly Gallery: A floating entertainment district designed for Slayers, but realistically usable for basically any urban fantasy campaign, featuring sewer monsters, acrobat pickpockets, and bonkers aerialist circuses.

Rockfall, Colorado: A setting for Changeling the Lost, set in a tiny town in the Rockies, where the freehold is based entirely around a diner run by an old changeling. So long as the diner never closes, nobody can be taken from the town, so of course, the fae prince that once took his prizes there wants it shut down.

Psion, Soulknife, and Psychic Warrior classes for 13th Age: I like 13th age a lot, I like psionics a lot, and I have pretty solid ideas on what each of these classes would and should do. (I actually have an outline already for PsiWar, I just need to mostly nail down numbers)

I’ll probably wind up remembering some other small projects I’ve thrown on the backburner at some point, but tbh, if anybody is interested in any of these and wants to kick some money my way to see them actually get made, I’d really love that. It’d be helpful both for money and for urgency lmao.

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gayvillainera · 2 years

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fictober day 2: "nobody warned you about me?"

beatrich (beatrice + second mrs. de winter - working ship name) / 900 words / T

cw: alcohol and inebriation

Beatrice stopped in front of the third portrait. She swayed just a bit, still clutching her glass of brandy.

“I’m surprised nobody warned you about me.”

I frowned. The alcohol delayed my thoughts by a second, so that by the time I had picked apart her statement and tried to decide what I should respond to it, she was already continuing.

“Maxim would be horrified if he knew I’d told you, but it’s not as if it’s a secret to anyone else at Manderley. My father made sure of that, and of course the staff still continue to pass it amongst each other.”

“But Bee,” I protested, “you’re lovely. What could there be to warn me about?” My heart was compassionate towards her, but my actions were still a bit out of sync with my intentions. I reached out for her a bit too quickly. We collided, my hand to her shoulder, and I stumbled forward a bit. If I had been less drunk, I might have moved back of my own accord, might have noticed the way she stiffened at my touch, but I was too focused on attempting to show her just how much I wanted to support and assure her.

“You may think less of me when I’ve told you. That’s all right, but just promise you’ll be frank with me if so. I won’t stand a false friendship with anyone.”

“But what on earth is it, Bee?”

She turned and looked in my eyes, and I was suddenly caught up in her gaze. Her cheeks had flushed slightly and the whites of her eyes were just barely bloodshot. Her hair had come slightly out of its wave. Somehow the entire effect was charmingly disheveled. Bee could never truly look a mess; any little thing out of place just added to a sort of windswept, sporting look that suited her perfectly. She really was lovely. And now, even through the alcohol, she was staring at me with such gravity that I found myself leaning in even closer, hanging on every word.

She threaded a strand of my hair through her fingers and tucked it behind my ear. Her touch lingered on my jaw before she pulled away.

“When Maxim was seventeen, our parents set him up with a girl named Alice. She was sweet, but it was clear they weren’t particularly compatible, and worse, she didn’t have the right stuff to become a de Winter. Education, charm, feminine airs, that sort of thing. They were preparing to call the whole thing off… when they found her in here, with me. Or as they’ll tell it, they found me – kissing her.”

I felt slow and stupid. My mind was turning over each new thought as if it was a rock stuck in the mud, but my heart was racing and I felt a new heat coming into my cheeks.

“Kissing her?”

She nodded. “Alice wasn’t the first. Or the last. That’s the part the family doesn’t know. They all think I was a foolish young woman who finally settled down when she married. And Giles is a fine man, and a good husband, but marrying him didn’t change who I am, or who I prefer. Our expectations are in line with each other, and we’re good companions. But I didn’t repent when I married him. I got better at not being caught.”

I was silent, still picking at the stones in the mud – why was my confusion also so exciting? Why was I suddenly so focused on the sensation of her shirtsleeve under my hand, the texture of the fabric and the warm muscle underneath?

“Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

I nodded at last. “Of course. I’ve never—I’ve never known a woman who goes with other women. I don’t know how I never knew it, though. Of course. It’s so natural.”

Something in her eyes softened as I spoke. “I think I prefer your idea of natural to its typical definition.”

“But I still don’t understand why I’d need to be warned about you. You’re kind, Bee, and honest, and you’re so awfully…” I gripped the solid warmth of her arm again. “Strong. You’re good to me.”

She smiled and leaned into my touch. “Some would say I’m a danger to you. That I can’t be trusted with Max’s women, especially not alone down dark hallways.”

My pulse raced even faster now. I could feel her breath ghosting over my skin, the scent of her brandy sweetening the air between us. I kissed her, or she kissed me, and my heart suddenly knew something it hadn’t before. As her hand came to cup my cheek, I turned over the last stone in my thoughts, only to find there were no words underneath, no anxious explanations, just something bright and alive, blinking its eyes in the newfound light.

When we broke apart at last, she stilled, waiting to see what I’d do.

I laughed and shyly looked up at her. “I’ll take your warning under consideration, Bee, but I’m not entirely sure it’s necessary.”

And then I kissed her again, hard enough to forget, for now, about being Max’s woman. Dark hallways, and getting good at not being caught – maybe that was something to consider instead.

#fictober22 #rebecca das musical #daphne du maurier #rebecca #beatrice lacy #mrs de winter #congrats to my first lil baby fic #i'm gonna try to write a few more fictober prompts and then put them up on ao3 #my fic

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totaldramafan-lauri · 1 year

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Eurovision 2023 Opinions, Predictions, and Rankings

Here it iiiiiiiiiiis~!

This flew by a bit smoother than I expected. When I first heard, I had to start this earlier than I thought, I panicked, like....worried that I wasn’t ready yet. But I was. Listening to each song for this post, I realized that my opinions on each one were already set in stone, so there was nothing to adjust. I just needed to get in the headspace to write it all down. XD Oh my god, I’m such a bad writer....

But with THIS bunch of songs, how could I lose motivation!? While it’s true that this is the year I had to regretfully bring back the “dislike” tier, last used for one song in 2018, for two songs now....I can’t lie and say I’m not totally hyped for this. I still like the vast majority, and the good stuff is REALLY REALLY REEEEEAAAAALLY good! While there’s no runaway favorite like last year, my favorites this year are a really solid group, probably one of my best top sevens in a while! My number seven was even fought over for a while, which shows how strong the competition was!

The word of the year is: energy! While there are still some downbeat songs, even those have life to them, and I count the ballads on literally one hand. This year seems to be a rebuttal to the “Eurofans complaining about ballads every single year even in years where there are barely any ballads”....How they gonna do that now, huh? Not to mention, the amount of songs I can describe with the word “intense” is a lot higher than usual, too, which gives 2023 its own identity! For now...We’ll see if next year is the same way. XD

One of the other things I’m hyped for is the juries now being final-only (something I’d been wanting for YEARS) means the semifinals are now a free-for-all with no more worries about a “jury bait” song no one else wanted through making it to the finals. Europe has ALL the power to choose who lives and who dies- I mean, who stays and who goes!

Now, before I get to the reviews, I have a note about my rankings: I’ve noticed that, most years, my “like” tier is....overly-crowded. Which doesn’t seem like a problem, but.....because of how many songs there tend to be in that one tier, the difference between the top and bottom of it started getting....really stark. At the top will be songs I really enjoy at any time, right below my borderlines, and at the bottom will be songs I like in the moment, but never have any desire to listen to again after the contest. Those are.......two vastly different kinds of like, sooooo....I’ve split the tier in half to make it easier! The “Really Like” tier are the songs I....well, really like and enjoy even if they don’t blow me away, and the plain “Like” tier are songs that I like for now, but can’t see myself revisiting often after the contest. OK? Make sense?

Please keep in mind that these are JUST my opinions. I don’t always agree with what’s the most popular, and I have a few underdog favorites. I’m not a critic, I’m just a fan who really really likes talking about Eurovision. If you disagree with me, I don’t care. I don’t wanna act like everyone has to.

Also, as always, I have no idea how any of these songs will be staged, cuz I like going in blind on that, so visuals have no influence on my ranking. This is JUST about the songs.

Nooooooow, without further ado....

(In alphabetical order by country) (Also, I'm naming the artists now, wooooo, took me long enough)

Song: "Duje" by Albina & Familja Kelmendi Country: Albania Thoughts: A lotta countries are being off-the-wall and/or taking risks this year....Albania are not one of them. I might sound a bit harsh here, but...I KNOW that Albania can send different stuff, and GOOD stuff, so....when they keep doing this kinda thing, constantly, year after year, songs that are good, but are all practically the same, it gets tiring! That's part of why I kinda liked them last year- last year was, uh....it was definitely unique! XD But this year, they're right back to the norm. Song in Albanian by female singer with soaring chorus and ethnic-sounding instrumental. Again. All these songs are good, don't get me wrong, but after each contest, they all run together. When Albania DO send songs that stand out, it's usually in a good way, so I wish they'd do that more often! Or send Mr. Bushpepa again, please! XD Prediction: Looks like this is one case where I'm not alone. This song's been getting overlooked a lot, toward the bottom of the betting odds. I don't think I can completely discount them, since the second semi is FULL of overlooked songs, but....I....I still don't think they'll qualify. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if I was wrong, however.

Song: "Dear Future Lover" by Brunette Country: Armenia Thoughts: IT'S LIKE A DAYDREAM BUT I GOT SOME OTHER BETTER PLANS / I WANNA SCREAM AND SHOUT, MY HEART CAUGHT IN CHAINS! / CRUEL HEART, CRUEL HANDS, FIRE IN MY VEINS, FIRE IN MY VEINS, HEART IN CHAINS- *cough* Uh, s-sorry, about that.....Um, yeah, this song's a grower, but it's mainly that frantic breakdown that sticks with me. The rest of the song is....fine. But THAT part? I feel it SO BADLY, UGH! "I've been hypnotized by someone that I've never ever met" and the mention of panic attacks especially....When I first heard this song, I interpreted it as her simply being in love with love - not having someone yet, but just wanting the feeling of being in love itself SO BADLY....but I actually think I was wrong. I think she DOES have a person in mind here, but it's someone she's never met, and admires from afar...something like that? Maybe it could be either or. But either way, this song overall isn't one of the best to me, but it happens to contain a sequence of some of my favorite lyrics of the year, which elevated it up a few spots on the ranking by itself. Prediction: I....I think this song might be a biiiiit....overrated? Or maybe it's me not being overall crazy about it, combined with how it's tipped to do well when being performed second in its semifinal, but the same can't be said for the OTHER song that’s performed second a couple days before, huh? Huh? >__> *grumble* ....can't even be too pissed, 'm used to it....B-but, uh, Armenia are gonna qualify, and probably finish in the top half in the final.

Song: "Promise" by Voyager Country: Australia Thoughts: DANG IT, AUSTRALIA!!! DANG YOOOOUUUU!! How'm I supposed to oppose your continued participation in this contest when you flipping BLOW MY MIND with your entry like this!?!? AAAAAAAAAAAAA, I would be frustrated if I wasn't too busy freaking out! I will never forget how blindsided I was the first time I heard this song's chorus, being so taken by the sheer intensity of...well, EVERYTHING after that point...from every burst of energy, to the desperately optimistic-sounding lyrics that fit the tone so well, to the buildup to that flipping AMAZING instrumental, and how the whole thing engulfs you with its intensity until the very last second, leaving you almost breathless....and I'm happy to say that this song's impact has NOT lessened with repeated listens. And before you start thinking it, NO, this doesn't have to do with any metal bias, OK? Metal is NOT my favorite genre of music! It's actually one I'm usually pretty picky with! But for some reason, Eurovision keeps doing metal right for me. The screaming isn't overdone, which helps, but it's not just that, it's just the MOOD that really gets me. ......Yyyyyeah, if I didn't make it obvious enough, this is my favorite song of the year. Not by a LOT - I love my second-favorite almost just as much - but it's still an honor I have to....reluctantly....bestow Australia. Good work. Now I have to root for you. I cannot lie to myself. ....But it's gonna be alright. Prediction: Ending the second semifinal with a bang! Yeah, combined with their popularity, that's gonna pretty much end with a guaranteed qualification to the final....and thank GOD, cuz the rest of my favorite songs in that semi are screwed. At least my number one isn't. XD As long as nothing goes terribly wrong, I'll be able to be happy with the results. This one song is all I need. And in the final, ummmmm....I-I don't think this'll be a front-runner, but....maybe left side of the board at least? Is that reasonable? I-I'm trying not to get my hopes too high....

Song: "Who The Hell Is Edgar?" by Teya & Salena Country: Austria Thoughts: OK, so....I underestimated this song WAAAAAYYYYYY too much at first. In terms of growers, this is an EASY second place to Iceland’s entry, but in a much different way then that one. Altho, give me a break, I'm FAR from the only one. This is a song that NEEDS multiple listens to understand, cuz on your first listen, you absolutely WILL NOT take it seriously. I was SO ready to brush this off as the new "Eat Your Salad", just a catchy song with an absolutely insane subject that I can't wrap my head around. WHY would you send a jazz pop song about being green of all things to Eurovision? Why would you send a song about being possessed by Edgar Allen Poe to Eurovision? But no, that's not what this is. This song has a lot to say, and it's very clever about it. Sure, it's still fun and super catchy, but there's more to it. I....I honestly can't sum it all up in words, cuz there's so much there, and there's probably been a lot of people dissecting this song's lyrics who did a much better job than me. In particular, if you can, search for the comment of someone named JXO in the comment section of the music video. They do a great job explaining it. It took many a listen for me to GET this song fully, but once I got it, I started appreciating it a loooooooot more. Seriously, that moment when it finally hit me that it disguising itself as a joke song was THE POINT ("At least it pays to be funny"), I just about lost my mind! BIG BRAIN MOMENT! Literally one of my favorite single lyrics of the year. This may not be one of my favorites, but it's without a doubt one of the most unique and clever songs I've ever heard. It's smart, while also being genuinely fun at the same time. Prediction: At this point, I think they're a safe bet to qualify. They're getting a lot of attention, and most of it that I've seen has been unironic, so that's a really good sign! I'm glad people are taking this song as seriously as it deserves! It's WAY too unique to be overlooked, AND it doesn't have a lot of strong competition in the second semifinal. This is making it to the final, no doubt at all. I wouldn't be surprised if it places high in the final, too, so to be safe I'll predict left side of the board, maybe even bottom half of the top ten.

Song: "Tell Me More" by TuralTuranX Country: Azerbaijan Thoughts: This is a song I think I was a bit too mean to when I first heard it. I'd interpreted the lyrics as being gross and pushy, kinda like "omaga", when I doubt that was the intention at all. While he does continually ask about "us", and there's that "I know what you looking for, it's love" part, I moreso just wanna think of this as playful flirting, nothing more. But that isn't the main reason I warmed up to this song....nah, most of that comes from that flipping bridge that does NOT deserve the right to go as hard for me as it does (which is everything from "I wanna buy a land a thousand miles away" all the way to "That is looooove, loooooooove, loooooOOOOOOVE"). In fact, the rest of the song is just OK. That bridge carries this song! The way it steadily builds and builds with every line as it goes is soooooo good! That bridge deserves a better song, pfffff....but yeah, overall, this song's kinda just there for the most part outside of the one part I really like (kinda similar to the Armenian entry), but that part does last long enough for me to say I like the song. Prediction: Will most likely qualify due to being Azerbaijan, but probably won't do too well in the final. I can see this getting overshadowed easily. Maybe....the last quarter of the board? Now that we know they can do that badly, cuz that's what happened to poor "Mata Hari"....this is the kinda song that actually deserves that placing, if you ask me.

Song: "Because Of You" by Gustaph Country: Belgium Thoughts: This is a fun one! Definitely one of the happiest songs we have, and definitely one that I enjoy a lot even if it isn't one of my favorites. Just a good time to be had whenever I hear it! What more is there to say? It's a feel-good song about finding happiness through your love for someone! Learning to love yourself because they love you....That's the dream, honestly.....Someone to give me hope to believe in myself and be optimistic.....Right now, I do have someone like that, who helped me carry on when I was at a low point, but that's....d-different....it's a different kinda relationship. B-but....eh, if it still makes me think of that, then I'm not complaining. It's something to relate this song to, and thus, make me like it more. I mean, there's no explicit references to romance in this song, so it could be about what I have, or, heck, it could even just be about friendship! Just...anyone who's close to you and brightens up your day, you can sing this to them! It's a very versatile song, huh? XD Not only that, but that beat is so good! Not one of the best, but it's a happy song that sounds happy, about being happy! It's even a bit triumphant in tone too..."Remember when they tried to break us? Well look at us now!" It's like a song for the end credits, a victory lap following a dark time in one's life finally being over. If you don't like this song, who hurt you? Prediction: Betting odds be darned in this case, I'm predicting this'll make it to the final. It HAS to. It's one of the standouts in the second semifinal, if you ask me! And it's sure to make an impact and put people in a good mood, so why not? Buuuut in the final it might not do so well. I'm gonna say it might even be towards the bottom. Once mixed in with the better energetic songs from the first semi plus the auto-qualifiers, this song might fall a bit flat. >__<;

Song: "Mama ŠČ!" by Let 3 Country: Croatia Thoughts: Ahahaha....hahahahaha what the heck. XD I still have a hard time wrapping my head around this song, to be honest. It's probably THE hardest song to rank this year. I do get its meaning now, and yeah it's kinda similar to the Austrian entry in being a silly song with a message to tell you, but this one isn't as clever and the message is a lot more obvious. Also it's a worse song. I'M SORRY- i-it's just so weird! My favorite part of the song, when it actually gets a good beat, starts at two minutes in when there's barely any time left, and the rest of it is just kinda....I wouldn't say disjointed, but it's VERY silly. I'm glad that this song went in the silly direction, allowing us to have fun, rather than be like....the OTHER anti-war song this year, ugh....so, props to Croatia. If you HAVE to say something like this, hide it well rather than play it depressingly straight. .....That being said, I LIKE this song, but would I listen to it on my own time? No. Prediction: With that being said, of COURSE it's qualifying for the final, c'mon, I'm not stupid! Why wouldn't it? It's so memorable, and seems very loved already. I can imagine some cool staging to go with it, too! So, yeah, absolutely a no-brainer. That's right, Croatia are coming for revenge for 2021 and riding their tractor STRAIGHT to the final this time! And given how poor Croatia's results have been this past decade, this thing will pretty easily give them their best result in a loooooooooong while...While I'm not sure if I'd AGREE with it, we'll see. Maybe I'll be surprised. This song is the definition of "wildcard". XD

Song: "Break A Broken Heart" by Andrew Lambrou Country: Cyprus Thoughts: There's always gotta be at least one of these, huh....a song that reminds me of a character I like? And have a hard time looking at with an....unbiased perspective? Always at least one...but thankfully, I was able to remove my bias a bit quicker this time, cuz it's really only a few lines and not the WHOLE song. This song is about a breakup, but that line in the chorus about being left in "the garden" immediately brought to mind one of my character crushes that I was previously obsessed with, and lines like "I'm torn apart, but now I'm a survivor" didn't help matters. I know that it's not overly-specific, but that ONE line had my brain interpreting every lyric and picking them apart to see how fitting each one was. And thankfully, the kiss line reminded me "Hey, it's not about that, it's about romance, dummy", so yeah, it's not the whole song. But the lyrics are still what make this song. Even little stuff like "You did your best to do your worst" are good. And his voice is good. Overall a pretty solid song that I probably wouldn't rank so high if it weren't for the lyrics and that memorable first impression, but I still do like a lot. I hope my broken heart never gets broken again....a survivor indeed... Prediction: I don't think this is qualifying. It's not getting a lotta attention, and is ranked low for most people. I'll admit that music-wise, it's not catchy enough, or emotional enough, or punchy enough. It's just....there. And I say that as someone who likes it. I gotta be truthful. The lyrics are why I like it, and most people prolly aren't gonna care too much. So, nah, not qualifying. Cyprus can definitely do better.

Song: "My Sister's Crown" by Vesna Country: Czech Republic (Czechia) Thoughts: And the award for "Unexpectedly Catchy" goes to.....Yeah, this is one of the bigger growers of the year easily. When I first heard it, I thought it'd settle around mid for me, but nope! Not only is this a powerful song, with a message many can rally behind...but, in terms of sheer catchiness, this isn't that far behind the likes of Poland's, Moldova's, and Austria's songs...although I'll admit that most of the catchiness is contained in the chorus alone. That part will NOT leave my head! Just repeating, over and over, like an incantation almost! XD This is a song I really do like, but I can't think of much to say about it. It's all surface level here. The music is good, the lyrics are good, it's just an overall solid song that doesn't blow me away. Prediction: It seems like this song's getting a lotta attention! Whoa! Just outside the top ten in the betting odds? Interesting...I personally don't think it's THAT good, but not complaining seeing an underrated country get more attention! Yeah, they're qualifying and doing fairly well in the final. My prediction will be "better than last year" (where they came 22nd), but not a front-runner.

Song: "Breaking My Heart" by Reiley Country: Denmark Thoughts: Well, if there was any song this year that combined sad lyrics with an oddly happy, poppy beat, it'd be this, huh? "I'm not scared to love you, but I'm scared of breaking my heart" sounds like a very emotional line on paper, but here he is singing it like it's just another thing....maybe that was the point? Eh, I'm nitpicking and being weird, cuz I actually like that kind of dissonance if it's done right....and also I like this song in general. It's not a favorite, nor is it even a big standout, but it's one that I just...never forget about. The lyrics stuck with me without me making an effort to learn them (kinda like "Space Man"), and I find myself subconsciously singing it sometimes, mainly the "On and oooooooff~ Couldn't meet me in the middle" pre-chorus for some reason. The lyrics are overall good, and make this song better, but the chill vibe of the song overall makes it unique this year too. Overall, solid song, not a favorite, but a reliable one that I don't get super duper into, but I can count on to never get old either. Prediction: I have nooooo idea why this song's not getting more attention, but eh, not the MOST underrated song I like this year by a longshot...It's also in the weaker semifinal, and in my opinion, is one of the better songs in it (that has a chance to qualify). I wouldn't write them off. They could still do it. So....yeah, why not, I predict they'll prove people wrong and be a surprise qualifier. Like I said before, it's unique....If they don't make it, I'll probably blame them having to open the semifinal. Not really what I'd call a good opener....

Song: "Bridges" by Alika Country: Estonia Prediction: I wanna like this song....I wanna like it SO much....when I'm paying attention to it, I feel the lyrics a LOT. I really relate to wanting to bring down my walls and build bridges instead, trying to move on from all the pain I went through before...putting it behind me, and...more than anything...asking for closure. B-but, I hate to say it....the keywords there are "when I'm paying attention". I HATE saying this about an entry from Estonia, after all the slam dunks they've put out recently like "Hope" and "The Lucky One", but in this absolute joy of a year, this song is the only one that actually makes me check out during it. I REALLY don't wanna call it boring, cuz it HAS merits! I just said them! But it's definitely the closest thing TO boring this time. And I really couldn't tell you why, when I like other slower stuff this year more. But...that's just how it is. Great lyrics, good voice, but gets buried under everything else when I'm not making an effort to listen to said lyrics. This is the only song I'd say I'm indifferent to this year, but it's VERY close to being a like. As it is, I still like it more than other songs I've been indifferent to like "Rockstars". Prediction: I...normally wouldn't think they'd qualify, but it's the weaker semifinal, so I wouldn't completely count them out if the staging's good. It's still Estonia, so I wouldn't be surprised if they pull it off. It'd definitely be at the cost of a song I like more, so I hope not, but...eh, I'll get to my two underdog favorites in the second semi later, but short answer: I'm already mentally prepared to lose them. If Estonia get in and it doesn't cost Australia, I won't mind. I don't hate this song. So....sure, I'll say they'll qualify. I gotta predict at least a few surprises, and this one might be one of them.

Song: "Cha Cha Cha" by Käärijä Country: Finland Thoughts: After only two years, Finland are already a fan-favorite again! Usually they wait a lot longer for that.....Finland are a country that have been good at appealing to my taste specifically, sending top three songs for five flipping years in a row (not counting 2020), but for Eurovision itself, they usually just cannot catch a break even if their song's good, which makes me EXTRA HYPED when their entries DO get attention. Do I think they deserve the buzz this year....? OH HECK YEAH THEY DO!!! THIS SONG IS EVERYTHING!! THIS IS HOW YOU EUROVISION IN A NEW, EXCITING WAY!! THIS is how you do it! This song is a VERY close second-favorite behind Australia for me, with my decision of liking Australia's entry more coming down to lyrics and nitpicks. I could've easily have made it a tie, but couldn't do that when the ONE THING about this song that I can even remotely call critical is that the lyrics aren't much, while the lyrics of Australia's song enhanced it. But....does that EVEN MATTER!? Do you even CARE what he's talking about when the music is just THAT GOOD!? Fittingly, my top two songs both got similar reactions outta me on first listen - I was blindsided by this. I do NOT expect the directions this song went in, and was flipping out the whole way. The fact that I was THIS invested in a song that I expected not to be taken seriously was embarrassing.....UNTIL I learned how loved it was, and now, I'm not holding anything back! CHA CHA CHACHA CHA CHA CHA!! My favorite thing about this song is that it's intense and hard, but still fun and catchy the same time! It's like....somehow managing to combine what I love about Australia's and Malta's entries, and it's flipping awesome! ESPECIALLY once the second half starts. The rapping isn't bad either, but I'm glad the whole song isn't like that. XD Then I'd have to call it nu metal, pffff.....Uuuuuhhhh, s-sorry this section's so long, I just flipping ADORE this song and I can't express how happy that Finland are getting attention for it. MAN, at this point, if in a future year, Finland send in even so much as a mid song, my disappointment will be immeasurable and my day will be ruined. XD Prediction: I WAS SO HYPED FOR THIS THAT I ACTUALLY SEARCHED "HELSINKI 2024" ON TWITTER TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE MENTIONED THAT, PFFFFFFF!! I am SO rooting for this song to win. Holy crap, Finland have been LONG overdue for another win, and even if this doesn't achieve that, it'll still be the CLOSEST they've gotten to it this decade....FINLAND DESERVE IT!! However, going up against Sweden, who sent Loreen, makes me doubt what'll happen. It could go either way. I love both songs, just this one a lot more. Seeing Finland not only get their second win, but manage to beat SWEDEN as their biggest competition, would be immensely satisfying, but might not happen, so I'll try not to get my hopes too high. All I know is that no matter what, this awesome, intensely fun song will at least finish in the top ten, and that'll be enough for me already....and no doubt the televoters in particular are gonna EAT THIS UP. If Finland vs. Sweden gets really close in the jury vote, Finland will win just due to the televotes. So....uh, yeah, I want it to win, but at the same time I'm not gonna jump on the idea. I just REALLY REALLY want it somehow, it'd be so cool, so unlike any other winning song up till no- *ahem* S-sorry, uhhh.....top five at least.

Song: "Évidemment" by La Zarra Country: France Thoughts: Good to know France didn't let what happened last year slow them down, and they went ahead and sent another banger! God, this is a good one! SO close to borderline tier for me, this song won me over super quickly with its infectious, disco-esque beat. It's very big and grand, while also being something I can just vibe to! AND I can give it uniqueness points! The perfect combination! It's one of those songs that I can't really say so much about, cuz I'd just be talking in circles. Uhhh....her voice is also really good? That's all I got. XD Really, just listen to it. It speaks for itself. Just extremely solid. Prediction: My prediction is JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED! Seriously, last year's robbery still bugs me whenever I think about it cuz there was no reason for it to happen....but I already complained about that enough. Point is, with how much attention this song's getting, that will NOT be happening again, and France will be getting what they deserve for sending a fun, unique song this time! Even though there are songs I enjoy more, I have no problem with this being in the top five fan-favorites as the betting odds show cuz they still deserve it! Now, I don't really see them winning (as of right now, no songs except the ones from Finland and Sweden are screaming "winner material", but that could easily change with the live performances), but top five? Why not, right? Sure, they could not do as well as expected, and fall off a bit, but....well, it's still France....um....y-yeah, I'm gonna be a bit safter and say top ten. They deserve top five, tho.

Song: "Echo" by Iru Country: Georgia Thoughts: So....this is definitely my favorite entry from Georgia for quite a few years, altho that's not really a high bar....but, with that being said, it's still comparatively mid. Good news is that for me, "mid" still means I like it. XD Yeah, this song's pretty good. I have a hard time understanding her without subtitles (I was hearing "My love is my crown" as "My love is like rain" for a while), but her voice is still great, and the whole song feels so....big and grand. But I can't rank it higher cuz for everything I just praised, there's at least one other song this year that I think does it better. This song's got a lot of power, but there are more powerful songs I like more (one even flat NAMED "Power", featuring an even better singer). Cuz of that, I find myself....not really thinking about this song much, sorry.....but when it comes on, I do enjoy it. It's better as a minor pump-up song playing in the background rather than something I give my full attention to. Sorry, Georgia, I know you're trying, it's just very bad luck of who you're up against.... Prediction: This could go either way. It's the second semifinal, where less fan-favorites are, but it's also still Georgia, an unlucky country. It's toward the middle in the betting odds, too, which is no help....Hmmmmm.....Um....I don't think they'll qualify, but they could also be a wildcard. If they surprise me, that'll be fine, too...? There are better songs, but as long as Australia make it, I won't complain about anything else, including this.

Song: "Blood & Glitter" by Lord Of The Lost Country: Germany Thoughts: Hoooooooly CRAP! Germany are certainly trying to put on a spectacle this year, huh? Well, I'd say they might succeed at that! We'll see how the staging goes, cuz this song deserves a SHOW!! I listen to this song, and I'm immediately brought back to "Hard Rock Hallelujah"...just, this BIG metal song that feels like it could fill an entire stadium even with the studio version. This is a song that BEGS to be performed in front of an audience with those booming vocals and screams. It's such a BIG-sounding song, which is what I love about it. It sounds BIG. And it cries out not in anger, but in....happiness? "We're so happy we could die", huh? More like....happiness in a "LET IT ALL GO!!" way, heck yeah! That feels good! Now, would I call this a better song than "Hard Rock Hallelujah"? No, but I can at least say I like the vocals more on this one. That's just an opinion, however. It's true that I don't care for the verses as much as the chorus here, and in terms of hard songs that pump me up, this is kinda in the shadow of Australia's and Finland's entries, but I still really really like this song, and it's a borderline favorite. Can't wait to see it live! Prediction: Honestly surprised that this isn't getting more attention...but it's not doing badly right now in the betting odds, so it might gain momentum in the final. The Eurovision audience has overall been liking the harder stuff recently (besides...."Jezebel", unfortunately...haaaahhhh....) so I can see this doing pretty well! I would NOT call it a front-runner, but maybe top 15? Is that safe enough to assume? This'll definitely give Germany their best result since 2018.

Song: "What They Say" by Victor Vernicos Country: Greece Thoughts: This was one of my picks for least-favorite when I first heard it, cuz I considered it the closest thing to a boring song of the bunch. But, surprisingly, it grew on me a bit, and now I like it! Still on the low end, but hardly worth complaining over. Turns out, Estonia's song was the one I couldn't get into instead....weird how that worked out, but first impressions can be misleading sometimes, and here's the proof. XD Anyway, this song's fine. Perfectly serviceable. Not a standout in any way, but the lyrics are pretty good in places. Fun fact: for days before finally watching with subtitles, I was mishearing one line of the chorus, and I STILL can't unhear it afterwards. I don't hear "Lost souls make sure no one loses their way", I hear "Lassos make sure no one loses their way". Yup...and I was like, "What, so you lasso someone to keep them from wandering off? What? Are you talking about horses now, whaaaaaa-" So....that was a thing. XD Probably the most notable part of this song, and it's just a mistake of mine. Haha....I got nothing left to say. Prediction: This one could easily go either way....Greece have qualified with less popular songs before, but they've failed to qualify twice, so they're not invincible anymore. And this song is just SO....unremarkable, that I can see this not sticking with people. Yet, the semifinal its in doesn't give it TOO much competition, so....I dunno, maybe! But I'm gonna be bold and say they're not qualifying. Hey, I gotta answer what feels right, and cuz there's no more jury to consider, I don't think Greece will have that much chance.

Song: "Power" by Diljá Country: Iceland Thoughts: I....I still can't explain it. I really can't. I just....can't. This lady's voice is just....it's incredible, and she needs more attention, period, end of discussion. ....O-OK, I'll talk a bit more, it's one of my favorite songs after all. But...what else is there? It's the biggest grower of the year! I always have at least one major underdog favorite that I have a hard time explaining the appeal of. Two years ago, that song was "Amen". Last year, it was "Breathe". This year, it's this. That kinda song that scratches my brain in just the right way and makes me FEEL, but I have a hard time conveying that in text. At least this time, I have a BIT more of an explanation, which is just "vocals go brrrrrr". HER VOICE, I SWEAR! This song is SO FUN to sing along to. "Whooooaaaa-oooooaaaa-ooooOOOOAAAAAA~! You have no p-p-p-POwer, ooooover me!" Her runs, her growls, just the overall sound, her voice is perfect, at least in this song! That would be enough for me to love this, but as an added bonus, the lyrics are also great, that voice I love doing an AMAZING job at portraying a cry of freedom from a possibly-toxic person! I think I did a good enough job explaining myself....Yeah, this song won't stand out to most people. I didn't think it would to me, either. Outside of her voice, this song doesn't have anything super special about it, I'll admit it. But gosh dang do I love it. I REALLY wish more people could give it some love. Prediction: Now....uh....I don't think they're a completely lost cause....There's a chance that she could sound just as amazing live, combined with good staging, and it'll save their odds and get them on people's radar! ......But that's wishful thinking. Y-yeah, I'm not completely giving up on them (like I am with my other second semi underdog I'll be talking about later), but I'm not getting my hopes up, either. A lot of people are gonna overlook this song and it'll go down easier for me by accepting that. I don't think they'll qualify....

Song: "We Are One" by Wild Youth Country: Ireland Thoughts: I....I dunno what to say about this one. It's....it's SO generic, but...somehow still good at the same time? Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just a sucker for songs with this kinda message, no matter how many time it's said. Maybe it's the kinda thing I wanna keep being reminded about now and then. The idea that I'm not alone, even when it feels like it...and that I can keep getting back up again each time I fall. We might be different, but tonight, we are one....That line kinda sums up the Eurovision spirit, doesn't it? But yeah, this song is VERY safe. The name Wild Youth is very fitting, cuz it sounds like a song written by someone very young writing their first song ever. But that's not a bad thing in this case. It's just a very simple, innocent song, and there's a place in the world for that kinda thing. Also I like the ending with the drums. Always a sucker for drums. Mhm. -v- Prediction: Ugh, I feel so BAD for Ireland! I wanna see them do well again! It's been YEARS! From 2013 to now, they've only qualified for the final ONCE! And so many of those years were with good songs, at that! They've just been so unlucky! And I HAVE to keep being unbiased and objective as possible in my predictions, so even I can't throw them any bones....This song won't do it for them. Maybe if this song was in the second semifinal, it could've had a chance to stand out more. But not the first one. There's no chance....They're gonna have to keep waiting for the Luck of the Irish to return, sad to say.

Song: "Unicorn" by Noa Kirel Country: Israel Thoughts: Oof, this one....Um, OK, first off, lemme just say that I don't come to Eurovision looking for good lyrics. Sure, there'll be a few songs with good lyrics every year, but I consider those a bonus. For the most part, I come to Eurovision for the atmosphere, and for songs that sound good. Songs with good music and bad lyrics ("Warrior" in 2015) will be placed far above songs with good lyrics and boring music ("Growing Up Is Getting Old" in 2021). I bring this up, because this song right here puts me in a conundrum. It's definitely in the former category, and I do like it fine...but it's a case where the lyrics are SO bad that it comes CLOSE to being ruined by them. But not quite. Not all the lyrics are bad, but those that are, REALLY are. Just not enough for me to not like the song as a whole. I still cannot take it seriously. It's laughable how much this song fails as an anti-haters song ("diss track", I think they're called?). She wants to say that nothing they tell her will ever break her, and that she'll keep doing her thing. OK, valid, but how does she do this? By comparing herself to a....unicorn. Yyyyyyyeah, excuse me what? A unicorn? Ummmm....yeah, that'll show 'em to mess with you, huh? Yeah...yeah, they'll surely not get back up from that one....They can say all they want, but you'll bite back with the power of a....unicorn. Just like how I dealt with bullies in grade school by telling them Pokemon were cooler than them....Fictional creatures....Only got me laughed at harder....but y'know what? You do you, I guess. Music-wise, this is good, but not the best. I like how it ramps up at the end. But when these kinds of lyrics are the most noteworthy thing about a song, I can't really rank it very high, sorry....But I do know a lot of people love this, so maybe it's just not for me. Prediction: This song being in the top ten in the betting odds is baffling, but eh, I can't be too mad. It's still a fun song that'll bring more fun to the final when it qualifies. I'll TRY not to focus too much on how this is one of my more least-favs in a packed semifinal....and how its qualification could cost me Malta....nope nope nope. I'll focus that on Switzerland. This song doesn't deserve saltiness, cuz I do get enjoyment out of it. XD This could finish in the top ten as predicted, but I'm gonna say it'll fall short of that.

Song: "Due Vite" by Marco Mengoni Country: Italy Thoughts: I'm really happy we have a returning artist from 2013 in 2023. A great blast from the past! While 2014 was the first Eurovision I liveblogged, 2013 was the first Eurovision I ever watched live period, and the first year I started taking Eurovision super seriously (altho I'd been a more passive fan for a few years before that). It's a year I look back on fondly. So, even if I didn't like this song, I'd still have a soft spot for it, cuz well...it feels like Mr. Mengoni hasn't changed one bit. This sounds SO MUCH like "L'essenziale". It didn't blow me away, but it's still a VERY pretty song that grew on me like a lot of ballads do. I literally have the exact same thoughts towards this that I did towards "L'essenziale". I think this one is, like....a smidge worse than that one, but the chorus and his voice are still really strong. Pretty good buildup too, which is what I like in my ballads. So, not a top tier Italian entry, but still a very pleasant one nonetheless. I'm using this song as my midpoint between the "really like" and "like" tiers. Everything above it are songs I'd listen to on my own time, and everything below it are songs I won't listen to often after the contest. This song is that perfect point of comparison to me, being a no-skip song I can occasionally get really into, but also isn't something I would search for on my own. Prediction: Italy are still in the top ten in the betting odds right now, but aren't as high as they usually are, so this'll probably be a breather year for them. As in, they might actually stay outta the top five this time. XD I'm still calling the bottom half of the top ten tho, like in 2013. Can't underestimate Italy too much, y'see.

Song: "Aijā" by Sudden Lights Country: Latvia Thoughts: I like this one, but I also feel bad that I don't like it more. I THOUGHT I'd like it more. On first listen, it clicked with me pretty quickly. I really resonated with the lyrics, and thought the song 'd grow on me after I learned them all. But...it stagnated. And, as other songs grew on me, it kept getting pushed down. And I couldn't tell you why. I really dunno why....this is just what happened. But I do still like the song! I still really like the chorus, and I can somewhat relate to wanting nothing more than to stay in a fantasy and not face reality even as it stares me in the face. I can relate to wanting to say the right things even when everything's collapsing. I think, ultimately, it's just the sound of the song. It's not as strong as so many others this year to me. Good, but not as good as it seemed like it'd be. Prediction: Now, as someone who likes this song but doesn't love it, I did NOT expect this to be one of my unpopular opinions. Second-to-last in the betting odds? Whaaaa??? I mean, it is Latvia, but still- Uh....geez, I do think they deserve better than that....but, welp, in terms of underrated songs in the first semifinal, I have OTHERS to worry about...If Latvia don't qualify, I won't mind. But for my prediction....ummmm.....I-I guess I'll say no. I think it might get lost. Staging could save it, but I won't bet on that. At this point, I think Latvia are in the same camp as Ireland- until the next time they send an unironic banger, they're doomed to unluckiness.

Song: "Stay" by Monika Linkytė Country: Lithuania Thoughts: One of the more major examples of the "indifferent ---> like" growers this year. I didn't think much of this song too much at first due to it being downbeat and nothing notable music-wise, only for my opinion to improve once I paid more attention to the lyrics. These are really good lyrics. I really relate to not wanting to be alone anymore, and just...asking for someone to help heal me. Especially recently, when my journey of self-improvement coincided with me discovering the music of my new favorite singer. It really does feel like he was exactly the kind of person I needed at that point in time....It seems unrelated, I know, but...th-this song reminds me of him somewhat. How he always seems so sweet and kindhearted, and makes his fans feel so loved....and how he uses his music to comfort those who need him....a real-life comfort character..."My heart is bleeding, I need your healing" indeed. However, despite this slight bias, unlike with Cyprus' entry, I can't bring myself to rank it above the plain "like" tier. Music-wise, this isn't something I'm gonna be rushing back to. I do like the repeated "Čiūto tūto" and "Finally my heart is beating" part. That's been in my head for the past couple days. And I really really want Lithuania to be more open to sending more songs in Lithuanian cuz they did that last year and I want more, so every little bit counts, pffff. XD But yeah, overall, a song that I can really feel right now, but falls short of me calling it memorable in the long run. It definitely doesn't compare to the last song named "Stay" entered in Eurovision, that's for sure! Prediction: Lithuania are HARD to make predictions for, cuz it feels like EVERY YEAR could be one or the other. XD Ummmm....for this one.....I-I guess I'll say yes...? There are plenty of less-popular songs in their semifinal that could push them forward into qualification territory. This won't be troubling the top half of the scoreboard in the final, but I think it'll be there.

Song: "Dance (Our Own Party)" by The Busker Country: Malta Thoughts: I'm sorry "Discoteque"....but I found a new favorite party song for introverts! And HERE it is, as my third-favorite song of this crazy collection....no small feat! There's a LOTTA songs that I'd call "fun" this year, and this is my favorite of them! (My top two are more "intense" than "fun" even tho Finland's is both- anyway-) And it's not just for the lyrics, altho I do love those...Never before has an introvert wanting to leave a party that's not for him sounded so.....charismatic! And that's part of the charm, definitely, but....I-I'll be honest, it's mainly about that energy for me. SUCH infectious instrumentation and such a fun beat...almost addictive, actually! Yeah, I wanna dance! I know that there've been many sax-heavy, funk-flavored songs like this before, but this is the only one of those we got this time, and DANG it's a good one. I don't even really wanna go into the details, I just wanna LISTEN to this! Nothing but fun! All the fun! I can't listen to this without smiling....even when.... Prediction: I am crushed. I am confused. I am even a bit outraged. I expected my biggest unpopular fav to be Iceland or Poland...not THIS. I expected this song to be a hit. Like, not winner material, but....y'know, something more than this right now! And why? Literally WHY? I-I can't...I just can't wrap my head around this! Malta have sent popular songs before, so why is THIS ONE falling through the cracks? Like I said, it's unique, so it should stand out! Plenty of the Eurovision audience clearly WANTS fun this year! They're giving love to other fun songs like Austria's! What the HECK!? ....I-I can't be mad while listening to this, but I don't GET IT??? ....I can't believe I'm saying this, when I thought they'd be fine....but no....This is the main reason I'm stressed over the first semi: Malta performing second. Not a good omen, and UGH......UGH, I say! I want them in the final so flipping badly...I can imagine fun staging to go with this song, too....I'm gonna be stubborn and say that they could turn it around, qualify, and proove the nonbelievers wrong, but....I-I gotta predict something, so....UGGGGHHH....the thought of flipping Switzerland qualifying over this HURTS, but....I-I'm so so sorry Malta, but second position sucks. I-I don't....I don't think this....is...gonna....happen....Prove me wrong please. Please. Prove me wrong. I DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU! You deserve to dance to the final!!

Song: "Soarele şi Luna" by Pasha Parfeni Country: Moldova Thoughts: If I didn't read his name, and recognize it after a bit, I NEVER would've guessed that this is the same guy from 2012. Never in a million years. This is SUCH a different song than that one, it's like....well, fittingly, night and day. A song this beautiful and hypnotic, coming from Mr. "This trumpet makes you my girl"? Really? What happened? It's insane to think about...but maybe that song was the exception, and most of his music is more like this? That'd be neat! (Disclaimer: I actually liked "Lăutar", it was just really silly, that's all) Cuz man, this song is just SO flipping cool...It has an almost magical atmosphere to it, kinda bringing "Spirit In The Sky" to mind, but with a bit of "SHUM" in there as well. The chorus melody is downright addictive, and the way its constantly repeated makes that worse. I still call this the second-catchiest song of the bunch after the Polish entry. It's a HARD song to shake once it's in my head. Not to mention, the whole atmosphere thing...I think this is the only song this year that I can call "atmospheric", focusing just as much on the mood as the music. It brings images to my mind in the way no other song this year does, on top of just being a beautiful song. Moldova once again prove that their serious songs can be great too, even if they're more underrated. Love this song, definitely one of my favorites. Prediction: I'm SOOOOOOOO WORRIED for Moldova, holy CRAP! While I love Malta's song more, of the two, Moldova have a better chance of qualifying, so....I-I feel like I have to root for them harder than Malta somehow? But still, the chances are not enough in their favor for me to relax here! The first semifinal is stacked, and this song is there just vibing and possibly not being everyone's thing, and the betting odds aren't much help either, showing them in the middle! They're not popular or unpopular, they're just...I dunno WHAT'LL happen to them! I REALLY hope they qualify! This song deserves cool staging, and maybe that'll help? But it'll only help them so much against this competition! I.....gosh, what to predict? The thought of them failing to qualify in favor of Switzerland, ugh....UGH, I say! Gotta be realistic, I....Y'know what...? If I get two favorites in in the form of Finland and Norway, I guess I can afford to lose two other favorites in the form of Malta and Moldova, so....sure....I-I'll be realistic. This song....i-isn't gonna qualify. But, like, it won't lose by a lot, hopefully!....*sigh* One day, a serious song by Moldova will actually get the respect it deserves....

Song: "Burning Daylight" by Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper Country: The Netherlands Thoughts: My feelings on this one are....c-complicated. I've decided I like it, but just barely. I'm putting it right at the bottom of the “like” tier. I do think I was a SMIDGE too harsh on it for a while. It's not as depressing as I thought it was at first listen. It's just that it starts that way, but the ending reads as more uplifting ("Goodbye, old life", as in, letting go of what burdened you before). However, some of the lyrics hit....WAY too close to home for me. Specifically, "I can't find any joy anymore" and "Don't know what made me happy before". Without going into major details, I....I went through some emotional trauma during the second half of last year, resulting in me isolating myself from everyone for a few months as I got everything together. During isolation, I did discover a new interest, but before that point, I was pretty m-miserable....it really felt like my world was ending, and that I couldn't feel any joy in the things I liked (besides Splatoon 3) without a guilty conscience. It took me three months until I decided I was ready to talk again, and about a month after that until I felt almost completely normal again. It was....bad. And this song brings me back to that helplessness. I understand why others would like this song, if it speaks to them as well. So, overall, I would compare this song to "Not The Same" from Australia last year - I feel it, and I get it, but I have to be in the right mood to fully enjoy it. This one isn't nearly as good as that one was tho....but it's the closest comparison I can think of. Again, if you like this song for the same reasons I find it too heavy, you're valid. This is just what I get from it. I'd personally rather listen to the Lithuanian song, which is also about being broken and needing to heal, but that one's a lot less depressing. Prediction: In terms of the first semifinal, I will gladly take this over Switzerland, but I have a gut feeling that both will qualify, which will come at the expense of a song I like more (PLEASEnotMalta...butmaybe) I can't criticize the betters this time, cuz this is a perfect example of a song I can see the objective appeal of while not personally being that big a fan of it. I won't get salty if this qualifies. The salt will go towards Switzerland. As for what I think'll happen, uh.....mmmmm,the Netherlands' good history in recent years isn't to be ignored, so I think they'll qualify. It helps that nothing else is like this in the first semifinal, and it's being performed second-to-last. The crowd probably won't be forgetting it.

Song: "Queen Of Kings" by Alessandra Country: Norway Thoughts: Welcome back to my favorites, Norway! Missed you! I KNEW you could send an awesome song again! And even then, I wouldn’t have predicted something like this! This song may not have conquered all to me, but it came dang close, a solid fourth placer among a really respectable group of songs! Nothing to sneeze at! But yeah, what's to say about this one? Where do I start? XD It's just...really really cool and even a bit...inspiring, but the real best thing here is that CHORUS! While this might not be my favorite song, it probably has my second-favorite chorus of the year after Australia's song's. The way it BURSTS is just amazing! And, as a matter of fact, another one of the best things here is...something I haven't praised any other song for, and that's the pre-chorus of all things! That build-up gives me goosebumps sometimes! "Who will conquer aaaaaaAAAAAAALL? HER NAME IS-" and then I nearly fly outta my seat. Easily some of the best buildup of the year leading to a huge yet catchy chorus. SUCH a cool song. Makes you both fear the queen, yet be in complete awe of her at the same time. Almost leaves me at a loss of words....almost. I still found things to say, heheh.... Prediction: Thank GOD I can say that this song's safe. It's a fan-favorite (not quite as much as Finland's, but still high up there!) and thus I don't need to worry about it. THANK. GOD. Cuz I got other favorites to worry about in the first semifinal. Malta, Moldova....they need my energy. Norway, like Finland, don't. They got enough of it, pfffff.....So, yeah, will qualify, and will also be one powerful opener for the semi too! Nice choice for one, I gotta say. And in the final....probably top ten?

Song: "Solo" by Blanka Country: Poland Thoughts: Sharing a name with one of my favorite Eurovision entries of all time, huh? Definitely a hard act to follow, and yeah, this one doesn't reach that kinda level...but I love it to pieces for what it is. Yup, this is one of my favorites and I'm not even sorry. I know that this is FAR from a fan-favorite...in fact, it seems rather...hated? I-I don't really think it deserves that kinda reputation, but yeah, if you don't like this song, thinking it's just annoying or mindless, well, I'm not gonna stop you there. I really can't. But dang it, it's just too darn catchy! This melody is SO infectious I can't shake it! With my other obvious underdog favorite, the Icelandic entry, I tried to justify my love for it. But with this one, I'm not even gonna try. I'd just look stupid. When this song comes on, I just turn my brain off and vibe to it, nothing more. It's not deep or anything, it just appeals to the monkey brain part of me that likes catchiness. And while I personally find this the fun catchy and not annoying catchy (like "Lock Me In" kinda was last year), if you see it the other way, go ahead. But just like the last time I loved an unpopular Polish entry in my own corner away from everyone, I'll do so this time too. Prediction: Do I even need to say anything here? OK, to be fair, when a Polish song gets hate, it's usually by other Polish people it seems....so, maybe people who can vote for it will? Fat chance, tho...I'm not counting on this qualifying at all. Of my two second semi underdogs, Iceland have more of a chance. But I'll at least enjoy this live once! Hope it sounds good live! XD

Song: "Ai Coração" by Mimicat Country: Portugal Thoughts: Well, this is certainly more energetic than Portgual's entries usually are! Much appreciated! Nice beat, and it appeals to that "being in love feels good" genre of song I've always said I really like. So....why is it that I'm not super into this? It can't be because of the genre, cuz I have liked songs of this flavor before (I'm scared to say what it is cuz I'm not 100% sure and I don't wanna misname it, just know that my first thought was "flamenco" even tho that's a flipping DANCE so yeah, am stupid) I do like this, but it's not something I'd listen to over and over. I like it in small doses, I guess. I definitely respect it for being unique. I can see this getting old if it wasn't surrounded by songs that bring out its uniqueness. Again, I like the lyrics, I like the beat, but there are a plethora of songs I prefer to listen to. Prediction: I'm gonna actually take a bit of a chance here and predict that they'll qualify despite being on the low end of the betting odds. And I won't mind if they do (as long as they're not the reason for...M-Malta....y'know...) but I won't mind if I'm wrong either. I just feel like I have enough confidence in Portugal at this point to make this prediction. They've qualified a fair number of times with odds worse than this, AND it's a unique song. It could happen. Will definitely not be a contender in the final, tho. It'll be in the right side of the board for sure. XD

Song: "D.G.T (Off And On)" by Theodor Andrei Country: Romania Thoughts: Man, so many good vocals this year....This is a REALLY good one. I could easily see this being a borderline favorite in a weaker year. I always have a good time listening to this, it's just that it falls short compared to the songs I love more. So, here we have a really unique genre blend of a song with a fun rhythm despite being about being in an on-and-off relationship with King Dedede! ....OK, th-that last part was a joke....but it still sounds so good! I love the vocals on this. This dude's rough voice is really good, and adds a lot to make the song stand out even more. I don't really have anything else to say, I just really like the sound of this whole song! There's nothing else like it! But at the same time, if you don't like this song, I understand why. It's not for everyone. Count me on the like side, tho! Prediction: Romania dead last in the betting odds with a good song would confuse me....if the same thing didn't happen literally last year too. XD I dunno what it is with Romania that makes everyone underestimate them, but anyway....Uhhhh, this song isn't quite as good as their last one, but it's still really good, so I wouldn't write it off either. But, they are performing early....in the weaker semifinal, tho....Uhhhh....this could go either way. I wouldn't be surprised at either result. It won't be robbed if it fails, cuz this kinda song is not gonna be everyone's thing, but at the same time...I do think some people are gonna give them a chance...? So, uh....I'm gonna say....they....won't qualify. I'M SORRY, I had to answer something, and Romania have had more poor results than good ones in recent years. That's ALL it comes down to for this. But it the same thing from last year happens again, I won't be complaining!

Song: "Like An Animal" by Piqued Jacks Country: San Marino Thoughts: Yet ANOTHER banger rock song, this one a bit more of traditional rock! MAN, I really can't explain why I like this so much, I just DO....Actually, my opinion of this song has similarities to my opinion of the one from Iceland...completely different songs, but hear me out! This is an otherwise unoutstanding song that is absolutely carried by its vocals, just like that one is. Yeah, there's not really much here. The lyrics are...well, pretty generic outside of the Aphrodite reference. But DANG IT, his voice just sells everything! I can't get enough of it! I don't even care if liking something from San Marino makes me look dumb, especially as a borderline favorite, when "Adrenalina" didn't rank that high...No, this is unironically great and I will not apologize! Eat your heart out, Maroon 5! ....Ah, no pun intended....O-oh, uh, they had a song called "Animal", and it was- s-sorry, I'll shut up, I'm sounding way too American right now, pffff..... Prediction: NOPE. Even if this song's performed well, it has NO chance. While I personally prefer it, most people will prefer Slovenia's rock song which is in the same semifinal, AND they're performed super close together. This song already was getting overshadowed, but that's not gonna help at ALL. Can't help but feel kinda bad, but...l-like I said before, my attention is gonna mostly go towards Australia, so it's whatever I guess....

Song: "Samo Mi Se Spava" by Luke Black Country: Serbia Thoughts: I reiterate from my previous update: What the heck is this and why does it sound so good?? Oh, wait, I know what it is now....it symbolizes insomnia that makes you loopy. Th-that has to be it, right? He's barely singing, and he has this creepy laugh toward the end- it sounds like he's losing his mind! I think I solved the mystery, holy crap! ...I'm joking, BTW, so don't take my interpretation as fact, pffff...but yeah, I still can't get enough of this song. I'm sorry....I know it's weird, but I get SO into it whenever I hear it. That beat is WAY too infectious....My weakness for synth music strikes again. XD It's addictive, dang it! I'd listen to an instrumental version of this song and love it just as much! This hits my brain is just the right way....Ironic that the title means "I just wanna sleep" with a beat that gives me so much energy! Those breaks are EVERYTHING,I swear! I hum them more than the actual vocals. XD Literally the only thing keeping me from naming this a favorite is that I can only call this a major guilty pleasure. It's not the kinda song I'd share with people and tell them I like it....I-I'm kinda embarrassed to say I like it so much. The vocals are just so....I-I dunno what to say....overdramatic? Nah, that's too mean, but...it's not the kinda thing that you can take seriously. But screw it....maybe it's genre bias, but I love this insomnia anthem and welcome it to my top ten. Prediction: Even tho this song won't be everyone's thing, it's WAAAAAAAYYYY too memorable to count out. Even when it's being performed super early, it will NOT be buried in the slightest. XD It also hasn't been as divisive as I expected, sooooo...yeah, Serbia will qualify! And probably won't be a top ten finish in the final, but probably close outside it.

Song: "Carpe Diem" by Joker Out Country: Slovenia Thoughts: You know you've got a group of great rock songs when THIS is the worst one! Geez, to say that makes me feel guilty....cuz I still really like this! Nice energy, nice beat, and I like that it's in Slovene! When this song comes on, I enjoy it a lot! But.....it just....got overshadowed by San Marino's song to me. I was comparing them at first to decide which one I liked more, and poor Slovenia lost pretty quickly as their competition in the rock department stole my heart. Sorry....but, if it's any consolation, I think I'm in the minority. I think for most people, it'll be the other way around. XD Prediction: I....I actually think Slovenia have a chance this year! They seem to be getting more attention than usual, which was a pleasant surprise! I have zero problem with this! ....Trust me, like I said before, I'm prepared to let San Marino, Poland, and Iceland all go in favor of Australia. So having this in instead of one of those is totally fine with me. It's one of the next best things replacement-wise. XD Just as long as nothing goes horribly wrong, I can see this in the final. It's NOT a shoo-in, and if it fails, I just hope it's so that a song I like more qualifies instead...Oh, and in the final, this will be far from the top of the board. Probably down pretty low, not in flop territory, but in the bottom half. About as well as a lot of rock songs usually do.

Song: "EAEA" by Blanca Paloma Country: Spain Thoughts: I don't wanna talk about this ooooooone.....>__< People really like it apparently, and it just makes me feel bad. I KNOW there's technical skill here. I know that kinda vocal isn't easy to maintain. I KNOW I should at least be giving it uniqueness points....but, I'm sorry, I just can't take this. I don't like listening to this at all, especially the chorus. I didn't think it'd grate on me as fast as it did....but welp. And yes, it's because of the vocals. Much like with "Suus" in 2012, just cuz I can respect a singer for doing things with their voicals, doesn't mean I have to find it enjoyable to listen to. And yes, I do respect this song at least a bit, but those ear-piercing wails are wayyyy too much for me and I actively want to skip it whenever it starts (previously, the only song I disliked enough to warrant that kinda response to me had been "Amar Pelos Dois"....and while I don't like this song, let's not get carried away, huh? This one at least has life in it) I feel like I might've angered at least a few people reading, so again, I'm sorry, this is just my take, that's all! Man, I didn't wanna bring back the 'dislike' tier anytime soon, especially not in a year where there are so many hits, but....I-I can't lie to myself. I just flat don't like this song. It's too annoying. Prediction: I'm in the minority, as this song is part of the top five in the betting odds as I type this. Because of that, I can assume that Spain might be faring better than they usually do. Maybe it'll be their second top ten finish in a row, which'll be cool, I guess! I personally don't want them too, obviously, but I hold no ill will towards anyone. Maybe I'm too uncultured or something, and if that's the case, I tried to understand it better, and still didn't like it. Buuuut.....I'll try to tolerate it. I don't wanna piss off anyone who does genuinely like this song.

Song: "Tattoo" by Loreen Country: Sweden Thoughts: Masterpiece. Yeah, getting that out there right away. This song is a whole masterpiece. EVERYTHING about this is perfection. This was definitely exactly what I wanted from the return of Loreen, containing the same atmosphere and unique, borderline-ethereal presence I remember loving before. The lyrics are also really great, showing desperation just to be loved, wanting to throw yourself at the feet of someone so badly...Now, I had to lower my expectations still, cuz "Euphoria" is an all-time favorite song for me and I expected lightning not to strike twice. And....yeah, I was right about that. This song is no doubt amazing, but it fell just short of being a favorite...at least, right now. It's my number eight, so it's first in line when one of my current favs fails to qualify from a semifinal. THEN it'll be up there. But yeah, it was tough to rank this. This is a song that deserves its acclaim, and I don't understand why I'm here ranking stuff like the Icelandic and Moldovan entries above it. My taste is weird.... Prediction: Now, for the big question - will she do it again? Will Sweden FINALLY tie Ireland's record? A lotta people seem to think that way! And Eurovision back in Sweden, a country that knows how to host very well, is certainly a tempting thought...but do I wanna put my eggs in this basket? I....I normally don't like to call a pick for winner before the contest starts, so I won't. But I do call at least a few potential winners, and this is one of them. But the thing is, even tho I love this song.....it's going up against Finland. In terms of fan-favorites, I'm not gonna lie to myself....I would LOVE to see Finland beat Sweden. That would be glorious. But that's only my opinion....I do think both of them have a chance (I personally can't see any of the other top-betted songs challenging either of them either, but that could change too), and I'd be happy with either. But no matter what, Loreen is doing well. She'll be in the top three. The juries will love her too. She's an art-eest, and the song is captivating and lyrical.

Song: "Watergun" by Remo Forrer Country: Switzerland Thoughts: HEY EVERYONE! Did you know that war is bad! Because WAR IS BAD! IT'S NOT A GAME! WAR BAD, PEOPLE DIE! THOSE GUNS ARE REAL! HAHAHA CORPSES IN BODYBAGS, ISN'T THIS FUN!? This song is exhausting. Why is it here? I'm sorry, I know people like it, but....this isn't what I want in my Eurovision. I don't watch Eurovision to be reminded of things like this. Eurovision should be FUN. Croatia made the same theme fun with their entry, so I gave them a pass. The same isn't true here. Whenever this song comes on, the mood dies. It kills the atmosphere, especially when it comes on after one of the fun songs. I'm sorry if I'm coming off as rude to a song with its heart in the right place, but this kinda thing has just never been it for me. This message of "war is bad" should be common knowledge at this point, and the fact that it apparently ISN'T just makes it worse, so we have TWO songs about it this year, just- no, we don't need it. BUT, with that all being said - this is still technically a good song. It does get its desired emotional response, and although I don't like the lyrics, they're still objectively good. I also give it credit for having an...actually pretty good buildup. This song has more life to it than "Wars For Nothing" did in 2015, so I at least like it more than that one (NOT more than "Non mi evete fatto niente" tho, that one's still the only downer song I've actually enjoyed). And even this year, this isn't my least-favorite song cuz it doesn't hurt my ears like the Spanish entry. But I still don't like this song, and would rather never hear it again. I do sympathize with it, and it does its job as a song, but this isn't the kind of thing I wanna associate with Eurovision. Prediction: When I learned about the voting changes, one of my first thoughts was being happy that the semifinals are 100% televotes and that means I won't have to worry about Switzerland qualifying by being jury bait.....but NOPE, turns, out a lot of people like this and are expecting it to do well....Crap....I really don't wanna hear this in the final and have it bring its sour mood along with it, ugh.....Especially when this is the same semifinal I'm gonna likely lose Malta! I might lose Malta, and Moldova too, in favor of THIS! And there are a lot of other good songs, and it'll be stealing a spot from one them! Whyyyyyyyy!? I do not approve!! >.< But, ugh....I will admit that this song is....memorable....so yeah, I can see it qualifying, sadly. I gotta look at this rationally, and yeah, they have a chance....ugh....FINE, I'll predict they'll qualify. And in the final, they're....not gonna flop, cuz the juries will give them points. Maybe...c-close to the top ten...They'll do a lot better than I want them to.

Song: "Heart Of Steel" by TVORCHI Country: Ukraine Thoughts: After being denied the right to host, at least Ukraine didn't lose auto-finalist privileges! Good for them, cuz otherwise.....I, uh....probably wouldn't think much of this. I-I'm sorry, I know this is yet another unpopular opinion, but....this song's just...not a standout for me. I do definitely like it, and I enjoy it when it comes on. I especially like the orchestral breakdown at the bridge. That part's cool. But...listening to the lyrics, I can tell that this is trying to be yet another pump-up song, but it just falls so flat when it's competing with the rock and metal songs this year. That's STEEP competition. Don't get me wrong, the lyrics are still good, and I'd say this song does its job. There's just a lot better this year, and I feel bad for saying that. Prediction: Oh, this one's easy! Definitely somewhere in the top ten. Won't win, but will still get a fair amount of televotes dogpiled on them. They're already a fan-favorite, it seems, so, it's inevitable. XD MAYBE top five, but I'll be less specific this time and say, yeah, top ten, guaranteed.

Song: "I Wrote A Song" by Mae Muller Country: United Kingdom Thoughts: Man, what a good one to finish off the list, huh? This song's so fun! I hope it's not a bad take to say that this has some of the best lyrics of the whole bunch....cuz it does. Well, at least to me. I don't even wanna explain them, cuz they kinda speak for themselves! This is one of the most passive-aggressive revenge songs I've heard in recent memory and it is GLORIOUS. Yeah, she could've broken down, but instead, she's gonna break HIM and let everyone know about it. And she's TOTALLY NOT BITTER ABOUT IT at all! WOO! That's the spirit! Go get him! I especially love when she says she's done such a good job at keeping her composure. "My mother would be so proud", she says. XD This song just reeks of "death blow with a smile" and I flipping love it. I'm all for songs about getting over heartbreak, but stuff like this is such a fun change of pace. Music-wise, it's not a favorite of mine and there's plenty of songs I'd rather listen to, but the lyrics alone raise this song to greatness. (And honestly, writing is a good coping mechanism. I would know...) Prediction: While they're currently doing well in the betting odds, I really hesitate to say that I think lightning will strike twice in a row for the UK....but this song is really good, so maybe? I-I can't see it flopping, at least...? But I wouldn't call it a front-runner, so...top 15 or so? Maybe I'm underselling them....? I wouldn't mind them in the top ten, so....OK, fine, I'll say 10-15....I-I just don't wanna oversell them, either....at least, it won't soar as highly as the Space Man did....

Aaaaaaand, there we go, that's all of them! If you read all that, I'm sorry, but thank you for being patient with my word vomit! I had a LOT to say about most of these! But if you also scrolled ahead for my rankings, you're valid too, so I'll give you what you want already. XD Here's my rankings!

Favorites:

1. Australia 2. Finland 3. Malta 4. Norway 5. Poland 6. Iceland 7. Moldova

Borderline Favorites:

8. Sweden 9. Germany 10. Serbia 11. San Marino

Really Like:

12. France 13. Romania 14. Austria 15. Cyprus 16. Belgium 17. Czechia 18. Slovenia 19. UK 20. Denmark 21. Latvia 22. Italy

Like:

23. Lithuania 24. Armenia 25. Ukraine 26. Azerbaijan 27. Georgia 28. Israel 29. Croatia 30. Ireland 31. Portugal 32. Albania 33. Greece 34. Netherlands

Indifferent:

35. Estonia

Dislike:

36. Switzerland 37. Spain

#eurovision #opinions

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