Today I decided to reread Love in Focus by Yoko Nogiri as a break. It isn’t anywhere close to my favorite, but there are a lot of reasons why I enjoy it and I wanted to ramble about it while the experience is fresh! There's value in stories you like a moderate amount, after all. I got it a while ago because I love shorter manga and omnibuses, and when I spotted a lovely little 3-in-1 collection I had to pick it up.
Even though it's the center of the story, I didn't like the romance itself very much - what I'll talk about below are really the reasons I enjoyed and was interested in this manga despite this! Still, while I'm not a fan of pushier characters like Kei, it was fresh seeing a childhood friend freak out and then actually take action. I'm always a sucker for a sweet and frank girl so I liked Mako, though her feelings felt very "tell not show" to me. Amemura was my personal favorite, and I liked seeing him grow more confident and how his feelings for Mako changed.
To be honest, a big reason why I love it is how pretty it is—the art is clean and beautiful, the paneling flows nicely, and the varied shots with photographs layered in are just so lovely. I also really admired how all the screentones were used. It’s not just the manga itself I find pretty, I really love the lettering too. Japanese and English are two very different languages and that definitely makes it difficult to adapt it in a way that looks natural, but the fonts were so cute and the SFX and occasional notes never felt out of place! I wish that italic serif font was used more in manga. (Entirely possible it is and I’m unaware because I'm no prolific reader.)
The story is full of cliches, and honestly, I'm not sure if people who really want to be convinced of the characters' feelings for one another or the reality of the plot would like it at all, especially since again, much of it felt "tell not show." The plot rolls along with the characters acting on their motivations, then ends happily enough with the characters plainly acknowledging what they've come to realize and how they've grown, and personally, I'm okay and satisfied with that. I think it had a lot of sweet messages and was introspective. The way the chapters were broken up and we got a peek into each character's thoughts is a form of storytelling I adore, and overall it fit perfectly into three volumes.
I really liked how present the supporting characters felt, though they never the focus - the dialogue was fun, and they contributed a lot to making the setting feel grounded, I suppose? They each were distinct and I loved that, from Grandpa Sakae to the boarders to the woman that traumatized Amemura. Also, it was amusing to see Kei have Lucas on his side as fellow losers in love, especially when Lucas's own looming obstacle happens to be the fact that she's his brother's wife 😭
Thank you for reading all this rambling. It's nice to be reminded of all the little reasons I enjoy reading manga, because there's just so many. To me, Love in Focus encapsulates the charm of shoujo manga in a lovely way in a quick little story. Now I return to work until another break for sweetness 🫠

Thank you for everyone’s support on my art! Also, these are your OCs from Friday dating Emma Embers! So sorry I can’t do everyone’s. 😭
With that being said, who do you prefer to date Emma Embers and why?
Please don’t hold back!

hi everyone! i’m a 27F looking for another woman to be penpals with. down for email or snail mail.
here are some of my interests!

• art in an “I have ADHD and will make this masterpiece and not touch a paintbrush for 3 months” way
• cats
• homemaking, cooking, baking
• 420
• ttpd
• fall out boy
• that ai kuromi cover of 679(glock in my rari)
• hormone health/pcos/beginner wellness
• memes
• concerts with at small venues with $35 tickets
• movies that make you uncomfortable
• guilty pleasure reality tv
• youtube
• obscure tiktok lives
• christianity (but if that’s not your thing that’s completely fine!!)

i’d love to get to know someone i would never otherwise meet! maybe exchange playlists, send art, photos, life updates, media recommendations, vent, get super deep, or just yap!!!

TW: SI
This is about an ex-friend.
Here's what happened, he made a "joke" in a con gc of 10-20 people. He said "I might be a narcissist, but I'm the worst kind of narcissist." At first, I thought he just felt bad about himself. We had been friends for about a year at that point. After saying something like "Hey you shouldn't say that about yourself, also it can be offensive." He said. “Oh.”
He never apologized for saying it, and his friend began defending him, saying stuff like “diagnoses are hard to get” and “he doesn’t have to come out if he doesn’t want to.” It was still unclear to me if he had NPD or not.
I made some story posts about narcissism (not even mentioning his name) and about how victims of abuse can oftentimes gaslight themselves into believing they’re bad, and he got mad at me for not assuming that he had NPD. He never said he took offense to anything I said. He kept asserting that he didn’t like that I posted anything at all, that it was an attack on his intelligence. Even after I explained to him that I wasn’t trying to attack him, he didn’t believe me.
The reason why I chose to make public posts rather than dm him (not mentioning his name or what he said) was because I thought it could be less embarrassing and also helpful to my followers.
His friend called me out in the gc telling me to check my dms (she hadn't sent me anything.) She later follows me and begins to view my story. She texts me a laughing emoji when I say I can’t go to con (I was going to the psych ward, due to panic attacks, though I didn’t say that.) Due to the timing, I knew that he was talking about me behind my back. I block him and all his friends. I knew they sided with him, since they never stood up for me. They never really talked to me save for one or two.
If he had approached me saying “hey, I think I have NPD,” that would have been a very different conversation. I’m willing to support anyone who is trying to get better and willing to treat people with respect.
This was the last straw of many. Things he’s said to me before:
"K*S" (He knows I have MDD and he said it himself, "(my name) actually would, I should stop.")
"Get therapy!" (After I talked about a traumatizing experience.)
"Me an his mom <3" and "I miss your mom's cooking so much." (My mom abused me and he knew that. But even back then he'd say shit like "she's not that bad," and other things along the lines of "my trauma is worse.") So after I remind him that my mom abused me (again this is a public gc full of strangers to me.) He says "Hate the artist not the art."
"Get a job!" (In a gc full of strangers, again, even though I told him I was literally disabled.)
These things were okay to me back then, because I thought he cared deep down, and because he had autism. I thought I was being oversensitive. This situation allowed me to look at what he did before with a new perspective.
I wound up attempting twice and in a psych ward after this. It’s not the first time he’s had that effect on me.
AITA?

Hey , i’ve never really done this before but i’m starting to feel extremely lonely and i just want someone to talk to , for the past 2 years i’ve been suffering with depression and anxiety and it’s taken a toll on my whole life causing me to lose all my friends so it’s left me with no one to speak to when i just want a chat.
i like to think that i’m a nice person to be around , ive always enjoyed talking to people and making friends but recently i’ve become quite introverted and shy , but i really want to change things and go back to being my normal self.
i love music and video games , i play mostly Valorant but i have loads more im willing to play , i also like fashion , i do some art sometimes like digital drawings but not too often and i just love to learn new things im always open to learning about something your interested in.
anyways thank you for reading if you got this far , feel free to DM me if you want to talk :)

I heard from the Grape Vine that a skate park will be built where the dog park is in Tahoe City. I have mixed feelings.
Listen, it’s a memorial park for a young skater who passed away in a tragic ski accident.
Before that, the family would come to Tahoe every summer and eventually buy a house from the bay. The family has lived here for six months, and then tragedy struck.
Since their son loved to Skate, they built a foundation to make a skate park. It started with a pop-up park behind The Blue Agave.
Since the family is from the Bay Area, they fundraised enough money from here and back home to renovate one skate park and, again, possibly build one in Tahoe City.
Pros: I think it’s great to have these kids skate in an area where they can do tricks and not ruin public or private spaces.
Helps the community turn into a giant skating community
Cons: It’s near locally-owned restaurants, businesses, and homes. (I already have to deal enough with loud noises during Adult Softball season. If you’re playing at Conners Field. Everyone can hear the loud music and yells.)
Seen/heard many underage drinking and drug use incidents. Stealing from CVS, Safeway, and even tried at SIPS. With these “Skater Kids”
Find it pretty disappointing/disrespectful that no one asked local homeowners who live at Grove, Bliss CT, Pioneer Way, Red Cedar St, Jackpine St about anything. (Personally, if you want to make something communal, you must accept every TAHOE LOCALS and not go behind their backs)
——————-
I’m proposing that the skate park be built on 64 acres or Pomin Park or, even better, the Tart Transit Center since there are so many empty parking spots there. That’s public access and far from residential areas.
Also, I can’t believe that the person who picked that spot doesn’t care about people's local dogs since that’s the only place I can legally have my off-leash dog.
(You can say all you want, but Tahoe City isn’t the same. Those of you who were actually born, raised, or lived here long enough understand)

Hey, Wolves...
If you haven't seen it, The Daily Show dropped a clip explaining that the most ridiculous thing about Bob Menendez and his corruption is that there are so many other, legal, if unsavory ways for Congress to use their power to enrich themselves.
If you would like to talk to folks looking to end the undue influence of wealth on our elections, join the Wolf PAC Discord; we'd love to chat about how we can amend the U.S. Constitution and put a stop to the most blatant form of corruption in our electoral system!
Best regards,

so my final choice is between syracuse and st. johns. essentially big modern college vs super duper small liberal arts school. I got so much aid from syracuse but it's not enough and decision day is tomorrow and my parents told me I can't go. For reference, cost per year there is around 88-89k and my package was at least 64k, including a 25k per year renewable scholarship and admission into the honors program. I would only need about 8k to go, but there's just no way right now. I need some support because I love st. johns, but it's a very classical "secret history" type school and I want to go into a tech field (data science/analytics). They also force everyone to take the same curriculum and all 10 of my AP classes don't count for credit. I'm most scared about career outcomes. It seems that internships are pretty 50/50 (not impossible but certainly not super prevalent) and job outcomes could be okay. I don't know, I just need some support right now that st. johns isn't a bad place to go and I won't end up broke and miserable because I couldn't afford to go to syracuse and ended up with a liberal arts degree. If yall could help that would be great. :")

Assassin’a Creed Shadows is set in Feudal Japan and it’s the first mainline AC game, with open-world RPG elements to be set in Japan.
One of the protagonists is Yasuke.
What are your thoughts on the game, protagonist choice, and the perception of Japan in general in games about Japan developed in the West?
Here’s the key art that got leaked https://x.com/notiplay_/status/1790482965048307987?s=46&t=wyBRlGKyprLQ4M4MY_bgyQ

After taking two wins last week vs. Las Vegas Lights FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Los Angeles FC will travel to Missouri to face St. Louis City SC for a chance at taking command of the Western Conference.
Match thread will debut the Reddit Live Score thread. The Pre-Match Thread link will be stickied in the comments.
Los Angeles FC @ Saint Louis City SC
MLS Season 2024 - Match #13
Please do not sell, advertise, give away or buy tickets on this sub.
Wednesday May 15th 2024
Approx. 5:39 p.m. PT (7:39pm CT) via MLS Kickoff Times
Location: CITYPARK, 2100 Market St, St. Louis, MO 63103
Outdoor Weather: 🌤️ 74 Degrees, Precipitation 0%, Winds Southwest @ 6mph, 59% Humidity. During Game: Weather will remain the same as the start of the match with temps going down by 5 degrees.
TV
MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Radio
English: 710 AM ESPN, ESPN LA App with Dave Denholm
Español: 980 AM La Mera Mera con Armando Aguayo
General Information
CITYPARK A-Z & Info
Stats & Summary
LAFC Away Section 200
Ticketmaster Tickets
Los Angeles Vicinity Watch Parties & Bar Locations
Preview
Los Angeles FC Preview
St. Louis City SC Preview
Referees
REF: Joe Dickerson
AR1: Nick Uranga
AR2: Kevin Lock
4TH: Jair Marrufo
VAR: Younes Marrakchi
AVAR: Mike Kampmeinert
Player Availability
^{Per LAFC and MLS Injury Reports updated 05/14/24}
Questionable
Josh Yaro - Hamstring - SLCSC
Eduard Löwen - Hamstring - SLCSC
Out
Lorenzo Dellavalle - Right Knee - LAFC
Ryan Hollingshead - Neck - LAFC
David Martinez - Back - LAFC
Recent Results
^{Most recent result on right.}
LAFC: D - W - L - W - W
SLCSC: D - W - D - D - W

Reddit Account: u/Chicken_Supreme01
Discord Tag: justchackensauce
Name and House: Aerys Belaerys
Age: 20
Cultural Group: Valyrian
Appearance: The blondish-white that marks him as Valyrian, Aerys is a youth in his early 20's and the bright eyes of a man with his whole life ahead of him.
Trait: Just
Skill(s): Vanguard (e), Cunning (e), Tactician
Talent(s): Board Games
Negative Trait(s): N/A
Starting Title(s): Knight of Aegon's Rest
Starting Location: With his family
Alternate Characters: N/A
---

Bio

Aerys Belaerys was born on Dragonstone to Aemon and Alyssa Belaerys. His father was occupied trying to scrape together any amount of money for their family while his cousins marched to war with the Targaryens. He would be the eldest of their two children with his sister Maegelle being born a few years after and from a young age, Aerys had very little expectations placed upon him unlike others that bore the name Belaerys.
In the beginning he was set to follow one of two paths, that of a warrior or that of a copper counter akin to his father, either way he would be a man sworn to serve the Targaryens and the main branch of Belaerys on their family farm. His mother wished more for him to be told, but being the side branch to an already lowly Valyrian family did not open up many opportunities.
Much would change quickly however, Aerys would only live on Dragonstone for a short period of two years before his families luck would take a surprising turn. A short stint inside Aegonsfort before tragedy befell House Targaryen as the King was slain by a Tully assassin. Aerys was far too young to even remember these times however, with his first memories only ever being of the family's new home in what was once called the castle of Riverrun.
Life would be easy going for Aerys, all eyes were on his elder cousins and the main branch of House Belaerys. Such relaxed expectations would lead Aerys to try and find his own niche in the family, a position no other would be able to match him in. He dreamed ambitiously and so threw himself at everything he could hoping something would stick, and stick something did.
While his cousin Aelor grew to love the fine arts, Aerys would find himself enthralled with matters altogether more martial. Learning the history of the Westerosi was made ever more interesting thanks to the countless spats and wars that occurred throughout the continent. From the Andal invasions all the way back to the mystical wars between the First Men and Children of the Forest, Aerys soaked in knowledge of battles and strategies and begin dreaming of the day he would ride out at the head of his own army.
As the years passed and the boy grew into his teenage years, he had moved on from daydreaming his battles to creating mock scenarios out of game pieces, challenging all who he deemed might pose a worthy challenge. This would start out with a soldier here, or one of the maesters there, but soon enough none in the castle wished to play such a game, and so once more his thirst for advancement in his craft would evolve.
Aerys would begin setting up mock battles using Belaerys men-at-arms as the new pieces. This form of the game would give him further visual queues to look for during the battles, and would lead him to further honing his abilities on the field. The mixture of reading every piece of work and actively leading troops in the mock battles around Aegon's Rest, Aerys' abilities would eventually begin to plateau, there was only so much practice could do in place of actual real world experience.
Such experience was likely enough to come his way however, as before long an old and bitter rivalry that Aerys had only read about finally flared back up. Blackwoods and Brackens once more raised their banners and pointed their weapons at one another.
While much of the surrounding Houses began to fear that the spat would spill out into something all the more devastating, Aerys was overjoyed at the potential for real warfare experience. No other voice was louder then little Aerys Belaerys during the council meeting that Lord Baelor Belaerys called over the matter. While some voiced caution, and others voiced leaving the House out of it entirely, Aerys Belaerys urged his uncle to support a side and earn prestige and renown for their House.
Baelor would be swayed by his nephews pleas, and a raven would be sent to House Blackwood declaring that House Belaerys stood with them. The banners would be called, and while Aerys would not be given any sort of command due to his youth, it would not stop the excitement from rising in his chest. The only thing that did kill the excitement was the dragon that appeared on the horizon the day Belaerys was set to march to join the conflict. At first believing it to be one of the Queens, Aerys was beyond surprised to see none other then his cousin Aelor.
His cousin and the dragon would fly off almost as soon as they had landed. Aerys was not privy to the discussion that took place between father and son, but he knew deep down that if a dragon had joined the mix, it was highly unlikely that he would see any form of real battle this day.
This feeling would turn true as reports came back the very same day that both Blackwoods and Brackens agreed to return to their own lands instead of face a dragon, his heart sank at this news and his feelings became conflicted for but a moment. It was great for his House and cousin that Belaerys now wielded a monstrous beast like Veraxes, but it was that fact that also stole Aerys' first chance at live combat.
He wouldn't remain in a sour mood for long however, because once Aelor returned he would give Aerys the chance of a lifetime, and the pair of cousins would fly atop the back of Veraxes together. Aerys could remember tying the chain, his heart beating hard as the great dragons wings stretched out and prepared for flight. It would be a memory he would hold dear, as though in their childhoods they had never been able to forge a close bond, this one act would be the start of a strong fellowship between the two.
Life would once more fall into a simple cycle of monotony, Aelor flew off to explore what Westeros had to offer, and Aerys would continue his learning efforts. Eventually the entirety of Aegon's Rest library was exhausted. His father Aemon would urge him to see knowledge and experience outside the family's lands, more specifically to the Citadel like he had. Although he was wary of leaving at first, he would concede that in order to grow and gain more knowledge it would be needed.
In 20 AC, Aerys would leave Aegon's Rest for the first time in 18 years. He would travel through the West and Reach, meeting new people and experiencing new things along the way. Finally he would reach Oldtown, the high spire reaching far into the sky above him. He would spend the next five years working his way through several links of a chain, emerging in 25 AC with a more complete education and solid foundation in regards to warfare.
He would make his return journey to Aegon's Rest, only to learn of his family's impending journey to the festivities being held near King's Landing.
---

Timeline

5 AC - Born to Aemon and Alyssa Belaerys.
7 AC - Moved to Aegon's Rest after King Aegon's death.
14 AC - Begins his journey to find his own niche inside his family.
18 AC - Pushes his uncle to join the fight between Blackwood and Bracken, conflict is averted by his cousin Aelor arriving atop Veraxes.
20 AC - Exhausts most avenues of furthering his abilities within Aegon's Rest, journeys to the Citadel in Oldtown to further education.
25 AC - Returns to his family.
25 AC - Present.
---
Family Tree
---
Name and House: Aemon Belaerys
Age: 42
Cultural Group: Valyrian
Appearance: An older man, he has seen his fair share of life, Aemon is usually disheveled looking
Trait: Steward
Skill(s): Architect, Avaricious, Scrutinous
Talent(s): Coin Stacking
Negative Trait(s): N/A
Starting Title(s): Steward of Aegon's Rest
Starting Location: With his family
Alternate Characters: N/A
---

Bio

Born ten and seven years prior to the Conquest to Maekar Belaerys and Aerea Scales, Aemon had one sibling, a younger sister named Alyssa. He would spend his entire youth on Dragonstone until he'd grown to become a man-at-arms under House Targaryen.
During the Conquest, he'd land with his cousin Baelor and Aegon Targaryen at what is now known as King's Landing. Despite his best attempts, Aemon was never exceptionally skilled with a sword, he would quickly find ways to not be sent to the frontlines, managing to fake an injury to his ribs on the eve of the Field of Fire.
This fake injury would cause him to miss the battle, and thus miss the death of his cousin Monterys as he fell to the enemies arrows. He would miss the field turning red as the Targaryens dragons turned everything to fire and ash.
The loss of his cousin, a man he might have been able to protect had he been more brave, shook the last reserves of strength from Aemon. He would hang up his sword for the last time, vowing to never pretend to do something again, and only do that which he knew would actually be able to help his family.
While his cousin and their offspring proved valorous warriors, Aemon had always been drawn to that which truly made the world function, gold. From a young age his ability to keep track of funds and find the best deals had kept his burgeoning family fed as they tried to subsist on a meager farm on Dragonstone. Although he had a knack for this line of work, his education had been truly lackluster given his background, a few years after the war he would seek his Baelors permission to learn from the group of Maesters down at the Citadel.
After arriving at Oldtown he would immediately become consumed by the sheer amount of potential knowledge the Citadel had to offer, and the nightlife that Oldtown had to offer wasn't too bad in its own right. Despite his marriage to his sister-wife, Alyssa, Aemon had never felt a true closeness to her as a husband should, and so truly he dove into all the city had to offer.
Several years pass, several chain links forged, several seeds planted. Aemon would journey home with so many new experiences gained and knowledge secured under his belt, it was time to return to his family and do everything he could to make up for lost time.
In the time spent in the South, House Belaerys under Baelor had not been idle. Now the Lords of their own fief, it seemed like their House was on the rise. Although the first meeting between the two was awkward at first given the amount of time spent away from each other, Aemon would find his place in the family soon enough.
Raised to the position of Steward, he would quickly show that his time in Oldtown was not wasted. Repairs on the castle would be completed faster than originally anticipated, prices for equipment and resources were negotiated for better prices, and the flow of taxes from the surrounding lands was tweaked to allow for more gains per moon.
Life would pass by, and soon enough Aemon would witness his son growing into a young man of his own. Unlike him though, Aerys would be captivated by war and the commanding of soldiers. Sometimes it led Aemon to wonder how such a boy came from him, but still it made him smile to see his own excel at something they held dear.
One day the peaceful life that Aemon had grown accustomed to appeared to be slipping, as word rose from the east that the ancient rivalry between Blackwoods and Brackens was on the cusp of once again reigniting. Despite his pleas for Baelor to remain neutral from the conflict, it was his own sons words that resonated best with the Lord of Aegon's Rest.
To Aemons own horror, Aerys was pushing for their house to join the fray on the side of the Blackwoods and march to war. Once more the sinking feeling of fear and cowardice crept up on him, and he felt like this time, instead of his cousin dying, it would be his own son.
His fears would begin to reach the surface as the day to march off to battle arrived, no amount of arguing or fighting had dissuaded either Baelor or Aerys from the current course of action, and it seemed anything short of draconic intervention wouldn't be able to stop Belaerys from joining the fight.
Such thoughts would prove true however, as in the sky appeared the mighty form of that which could be mistaken for nothing else. A dragon flew above Aegon's Rest for the first time in a decade, except this time it brought a rider that did not bear the name Targaryen.
Aemon was just as shocked as everyone else as none other then Aelor Belaerys dropped off the back of the dragon. His fears washed away as he witnessed Aelor return to his dragon after speaking with Lord Baelor, surely the son had returned to save his House from sacrificing any lives.
After the conflict was averted by the actions of Aelor, life at Aegon's Rest would return to a sense of normality. Such life was perfect for him, but alas he soon saw the effects it had on his son. The boy seemed to grow restless and irate at the peace that reigned over their region of Westeros. Aemon knew the boy needed new experiences, and thanks to his time there, he knew exactly where such knowledge and experience could be gained.
He would direct his son to travel to the Citadel, engulf himself in the studies and histories the Maesters had collected there, and absorb all he could. Such things would surely teach the boy a thing or two, and also allow him to travel across Westeros and see some of the world outside the castles walls.
All was once more calm, Aemon would begin spending the time he wasn't dedicating to being Steward to fishing, reading, and even teaching his daughter the finer points on being a steward, so that one day she might be able to help out with his duties.
Time would fly by until, in 25 AC, Aerys would return home a moon before House Belaerys was set to travel to the festivities being held near King's Landing. House Belaerys flourished now, a thriving castle and an heir that wielded a deadly dragon.
What could possibly go wrong?
---

Timeline

17 BC - Born to Maekar Belaerys and Aerea Scales.
1 AC - Lands with Aegon and his family, fakes multiple injuries to dodge being sent to the front lines of major battles.
5 AC - Aerys Belaerys is born.
6 AC - Travels to the Citadel to learn economy and stewardship
12 AC - Returns home, Maegelle Belaerys is born on the last day of the last moon.
13 AC - Is named Steward of Aegon's Rest.
20 AC - Sends his son to study at the Citadel, like he once did.
25 AC - Present.
---
Quentyn Strong - Castellan
Weese - Bandit
​

Hello, I’m taking my parents on a trip and would love to know which countries & cities are a must for us. We’re not a big fan of museums and we love flight physical ical activities (rafting, horse back riding, shopping, street food, street arts & beaches etc)
It will be my first time traveling to Europe, and we have to entering from Germany (please recommend the best city to spend 2-3 days).
We have another 10-15 days we want to spend in Europe and visit other countries. We have 1. Switzerland (Zurich & interlaken) 2. Barcelona 3. Paris 4. Pia Greece 5. Italy (Rome or Venice)
Please let us know how should we plan our trip and which cities/countries are a must when traveling with parents. I’m 25 and my parents are in their 60’s (active).
We don’t mind flying instead of taking the train everywhere :)