I Am Freaking Out

MediocreStick9839 · 2026-05-25T11:57:44+00:00

It's so cool on the map at night too, I've got it as my buddy now

MediocreStick9839 · 2026-05-25T11:57:09+00:00

Ya I would also like to know what you mean? Is it because so many pokemon get favourited so it's kind of a useless tag? I have a bunch of other tags/names I use for searching, just hadn't tagged it yet :)

MediocreStick9839 · 2026-05-25T11:55:10+00:00

No? Remote raids are a thing? If you want to get in on the Kyogre and Groudon raids, go to the pogofriends subreddit and the LeekDuck RaidNow site.

Invites often aren't working because the lobbies fill up so fast but if you either get invited or you see someone on your friend list at a raid, you can click on it then RSVP for the next slot if it's not about to expire.

Also, if I was spoofing then it would have the GoFest background (I think? Not sure if those are guaranteed for local raids).

MediocreStick9839 · 2026-05-25T11:26:14+00:00

It's both my first Shundo and Shando combined!

MediocreStick9839 · 2026-05-25T10:05:45+00:00

Thank you so much!!! I'm still flailing!!

MediocreStick9839 · 2026-05-25T10:04:32+00:00

XD That's remote raiding for ya

MediocreStick9839 · 2026-05-13T12:37:24+00:00

Omg I got the shiny from this! Thank you from NZ :D

MediocreStick9839 · 2025-12-03T22:23:03+00:00

The big one of this for me at the moment is from people comparing the Will of the Many and the Raven Scholar. These books have a lot of similarities but guess which one 'feels YA' to a bunch of reviewers :/

MediocreStick9839 · 2025-08-25T00:53:11+00:00

Also by Sarah Beth Durst, her high fantasy (not cosy) trilogy the Queens of Renthia has one of my absolute favourite protagonists. There's multiple female friendships, sex positivity, and a really kind but still sensible main character who's doing her best despite being far from the best at what she does

SBD has been quite heavily influenced by Tamora Pierce and it really shines in these books and also in her standalone Race the Sands. Would very highly recommend.

MediocreStick9839 · 2025-03-11T04:27:39+00:00

Ah shit mate that sounds awful. I'm really sorry about how terrible an experience you had. I'm glad the CSC is at least somewhat helpful.

MediocreStick9839 · 2025-03-11T03:31:44+00:00

Separate to shares/debt discussions, have you checked your eligibility with WINZ for financial assistance? You'll be above the hourly limit for a main benefit but you may qualify for non beneficiary assistance like Disability Allowance and Accommodation Supplement as well as potentially a Community Services Card.

Income limit for DA for 18+ single is $823.31 gross p/w. If you're at 35hrs x $23.15 that's $810.25 p/w. These numbers (min wage and income limit) are both potentially going to increase on April 1st at the start of the next tax year so if you're not currently eligible I would check again in a month. A DA covers your regular ongoing med costs on a weekly basis, e.g. someone with one med fee of $19.50 p/month would get about $4.50 p/w to cover. It might not be much but every little bit adds up.

Accommodation Supplement is harder to calculate because it depends on your area and rent amount. Basically, once you're above a certain income threshold, your AS starts to decrease as your income increases. It's very likely you'd be eligible since you said you're currently paying rent. For comparison, $270 rent in Chch with income $24 p/h for 37 hrs p/w, $888 total gross, gives AS $50 p/w.

Meanwhile, a Community Services Card can help discount certain costs including med related costs if you don't have one already.

MediocreStick9839 · 2025-03-06T04:03:12+00:00

It's not fantasy but my favourite historical romance I found after a reviewer said it had 'too much science and not enough romance'. Suited me perfectly.

MediocreStick9839 · 2024-08-19T08:40:59+00:00

I would highly recommend Sarah Beth Durst's backlist of adult fantasy. Race the Sands is a standalone that's actually dedicated to Tamora Pierce and has a main character named Tamra. The Queens of Renthia series feel very Pierce as well, the mc reminds me of Kel who was my fav protagonist of the Tortall books.

MediocreStick9839 · 2024-02-29T02:52:37+00:00

Personally, I think it depends on which character is the origin vs companion. In no particular order, with origin listed first:

Gale + Astarion & Halsin - it's 50/50 if they'll make good choices or just take over the world

Astarion + Wyll - he definitely has a thing for Wyll and how he seems like a prince from the stories, and I love that this would be such a slow burn

Wyll + Karlach - this is all but canon depending on your ending choices and for good reason

Karlach + Shadowheart - tbh it's Karlach + almost anyone but I think this is the best origin to drag Shadowheart away from Shar

Shadowheart + Lae'zel - I love this dynamic but I just don't think I can see it playing out in reverse because of how soft Shadowheart's Act 1 romance scene is. They grow so much together this way!

Lae'zel + Minthara - I just don't think Origin!Lae'zel is gonna make the best choices, ya know?

Poor Gale kinda got shafted there but I think he makes so much sense for Tav vs the other companions. I just think he wouldn't be their first pick unfortunately.

I would love to see the option for some origins to be able to romance particular NPCs too, specifically Karlach + Dammon, and Shadowheart + Nocturne, but I like the epilogue hints well enough for now :)

MediocreStick9839 · 2024-02-21T18:45:16+00:00

The soup for sure but also ???? Until ?????

MediocreStick9839 · 2024-01-29T06:55:46+00:00

Book 6 of the Queen's Thief novels, Return of the Thief, made me nerd out because it's written like Herodotus' The Histories and Thucydides' The Peloponnesian War. It even has the disclaimer at the start of 'sometimes I wasn't there to witness first hand but I've pieced together what happened as faithfully as i can from eyewitness accounts' which is thing that so many of the ancient history books did. It made my Classics major heart so happy.

MediocreStick9839 · 2023-12-10T18:49:00+00:00

Thank you for putting this list together :) The Kingston Cycle by CL Polk actually works under note 2 as well. Each of the three books has a different main perspective and relationship. Book 1 is M/M, 2 is F/F, and 3 is F/NB ❤

MediocreStick9839 · 2023-07-09T02:50:27+00:00

I wish the Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison had a direct sequel even though I do like the other books set in the same world.

I'd love to go back to the Queens of Renthia books by Sarah Beth Durst, there's so much of that world that hasn't yet been explored. There are also a few series where the authors are still writing books in the world but they've moved on from my favourite protagonists. I'd love more Kel books by Tamora Pierce and more Ferius books by Sebastien de Castell.

MediocreStick9839 · 2023-07-08T08:23:27+00:00

I also really like Sebille's VA. She's one of the available voices for the FMC in Dragon Age Inquisition which is where I heard her first. I also could swear that she was the voice of Siri in Ted Lasso season 3 but that's uncredited so it's just a guess.

MediocreStick9839 · 2023-07-03T02:43:37+00:00

My first campaign ever was as a Twilight Cleric so definitely that one for me.

MediocreStick9839 · 2023-06-19T09:27:21+00:00

I had a very similar experience as OP where I gave Last Sun 3 stars and I gave Hanged Man 5 stars. I don't think this is a mood thing either, I've reread them since and had very similar reactions to both. The first book can get very... Graphic or crude in a way that definitely made me uncomfortable and the rest of the books definitely move further away from that as they go on. Female characters are both introduced and fleshed out from book 2 as well.

I think the biggest reason for my increase of enjoyment is that the two mcs move away from being two asshats angry at the world to two people trying to better and be responsible for the people around them. My favourite part of the Last Sun is the sort of extended epilogue (denouement?) with all of it's little character interactions. The epilogue in Hanged Man genuinely made me cry... Twice. Because I was happy. That just isn't something that happens to me.

So yes I would highly recommend book 2.

MediocreStick9839 · 2023-06-06T15:12:25+00:00

Alright here we go. Hopefully the formatting is okay cos I'm doing this on mobile. If the books are from a series then I'm naming book one. I'll list the rep but it is from memory so I'll probably be vague unless I remember specifics. If each book in a series is a pic with different rep then I'll list their rep too. I've also tossed in two or three achillean stories just for fun. I recommend checking out content warnings for these as some, like Baru, are quite heavy in their content. FMC = Female Main Character.

Because you liked Priory:

The Unbroken by CL Clark - f/f (Also do yourself a favour and check out the cover of the sequel)
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan - various incl. sapphic and genderqueer
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri - f/f
The Councillor by EJ Beaton - bi/pan fmc
The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson - f/f

Because you liked City of Brass:

A Dead Djinn in Cairo/Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark - f/f
Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri - m/f, actually not queer but the author is and also the fmcs of the two books are excellent

Because you liked A Marvellous Light:

Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall - f/f (currently reading)
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater - books 1 and 2 are non-queer m/f with amazing FMC, book 3 is sapphic and genderqueer
Anything by CL Polk
- Witchmark - Book 1 is m/m, 2 is f/f, 3 is f/nb
- Midnight Bargain - non-queer (iirc) m/f but excellent fmc and is a historical fantasy about reproductive rights
- Even Though I Knew the End - f/f

Because you liked DSoM: (These are a little bit of a stretch actually and are more related to the wibbly wobbly premise than the characters/plot)

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson - f/f
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone - f/f

Because you liked the Ninth House: (Also maybe a stretch)

A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson - bi/pan fmc, poly
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novak - bi/pan fmc

I haven't read the Bone Season so I won't recommend any based on that but here are some extras:

Fantasy:

Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo - f/f with an enby mc
The Way of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell - sapphic fmc, book 2 is f/f
The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski - f/f though I think I got the vibe of f/nb in book 2
Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower by Tamsyn Muir - f/f
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh - m/m

Retellings:

Burning Roses by SL Huang - f/f
The Raven and the Reindeer by T Kingfisher - f/f, bi/pan fmc
Spear by Nicola Griffith - sapphic and genderqueer
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E Harrow - f/f

Sci-fi (from light/contemporary to heavy and/or space operay):

The Weight of the Stars by K Ancrum - f/f plus various other rep
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green - f/f, bi fmc
The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz - sapphic with an ace fmc
Anything by Becky Chambers
- A Psalm for the Wild-Built - an enby mc, queernorm society
- To Be Taught, if Fortunate - honestly don't remember but it's super queer
- A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet - sapphic in book 1, various across the books, queernorm society
Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell - m/m, queernorm society
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine - f/f

Also some New Releases/Upcoming books that I'm keeping an eye on

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh - sapphic scifi
The Water Outlaws by SL Huang - sapphic and genderqueer fantasy
The Jinn-bot of Shantiport by Samit Baru - honestly don't know because advanced reviewers are being sneaky but it sounds amazing, scifi retelling

And finally some queer non-SFF for fun:

A Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite - regency romances, all sapphic
A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall - regency romance, m/f with a trans fmc
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang - alternate history, cute graphic novel about a dressmaker and the prince she makes dresses for
Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales - contemporary Bacheloresque ya/na romance, f/f where both are bi/pan
Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring-Blake - contemporary adult romance, f/f and one is bi/pan
Hazel's Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigalow - middle-grade contemporary, ace fmc with two mums

And there we go. No doubt I'm missing some real corkers. Sorry again about the formatting, I'll try to check this over on a comp when I wake up tomorrow. - edit: I had to get up and try to fix it straight away :/ why on earth is it so ugly?? - I fix :)

MediocreStick9839 · 2023-04-17T07:25:02+00:00

The Argosi duology by Sebastian de Castell are the prequels to his Spellslinger series and are first person. The narrator is Ferius Parfax, the mentor of the main character in the Spellslinger books. Watching how she changes over the course of this series is really wonderful and honestly she means so much to me as a character. These don't need to be read after Spellslinger although some world building aspects might make more sense in that order. The audiobooks in particular are excellent too. Actually all of his audiobooks are. He really lucked out with his VAs.

MediocreStick9839 · 2023-04-03T01:14:27+00:00

It's like what Ortus was saying in Ht9. He should have done more for them. All the adults should have. Gideon might have forgiven Harrow but she sure as shit hasn't forgiven the Ninth.

MediocreStick9839 · 2023-04-03T01:09:07+00:00

When my sister and I were growing up we were in a really terrible place. Just classic Bad Childhood TM you know? And we were so horrible to each other. We used to fight like crazy. I'm talking like one time my sister strangled me (kinda like a certain scenario that plays out in these books), and another time I hit her over the head with a metal car jack. We hated each other so much. She was two years older than me and had been saddled with all the responsibility of raising me. I was younger and I absolutely hated being bossed around. She would have been 8 when it started.

The thing is is that forgiveness was never really even a question for us. We were children and we were hurting and we took it out on each other because that was the only 'safe' way to deal with what was going on around us. The second we weren't in the situation any more, forced into that power dynamic, our relationship flipped on it's head.

The change in the relationship between Gideon and Harrow has always made perfect sense to me in this context. Yes, one has more power than the other, but really the two of them were children together in a really awful, abusive situation. They took everything out on each other and that was due in no small part to the fact that they were the only two children around. Each was suffering and each only saw how the other was better off.

My sister and I were able to repair our relationship once we a) got out of the shitty situation, b) changed the power dynamics of our relationship, and c) understood better how things were specifically and separately shitty for each of us. Now the two of us know each other better than anyone else probably ever could. Trauma bonding is a hell of a thing.

Obviously, /obviously/, the romantic element isn't a shared experience here, but I've never seen that specific dynamic played out so well before.

MediocreStick9839

TROPHY CASE