The WRA Mega-Lounge Thread

A nice place to chill and talk about whatever. What’s going on in your life? Any roleplay stories you want to share? Or any other topic you need to talk about. I Just figured since we have all these other various threads, we might as well make a general one since as far as I could tell, I didn’t see one.

Anyway. We got a new kitten recently. His name is Haru. :heart_eyes_cat:

Also, I find myself really getting into these slice of life type art pictures. I don’t know why but I find scenes like this relaxing.

Credit to Azhimova_anastasia

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I don’t suppose I have anything interesting or particular to talk about, but mostly just want to wish everyone that reads this an excellent day and to remember you are deeply cared for!! In the spirit of lounge threads: relax and self-care every now and again :desert_island:

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Adorable kitten. Cherish him for your life is enriched beyond all cosmic comprehension.

You might find a lot of artwork by Hiroshi Nagai interesting then. Paired with city-pop/funk music like Tatsuro Yamashi’ta* (namely “For You” released in 1982), you can definitely get that slice of life vibe that’s captured there. The artwork you posted also reminds me of the art MACROSS 82-99’s new album “Shibuya Meltdown.”

vaporwave, retrowave, and futurefunk have ruined me

  • Blizz thinks that by using the Japanese man’s family name, I’m using a bad word. lmfao, for real blizz
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i just woke up

that should be interesting news… totally…

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Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll check it out. :slight_smile:

Definitely a fan of city pop/future funk/vaporwave/etc. myself.

I’ve been playing on Dungeon and Dragon Online’s Hardcore server they just opened, and alas my first character passed away. Rest in peace Ilharess Eryndlyn, the Drow Elf Rogue. Died in a really stupid way too. Accidentally walked off a cliff and while I had slow fall boots, I landed in Lava. D:

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what if i want to FIGHT

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Just started The Grand Dark by Richard Kadrey. Reads a lot like a China Meiville story with all the urban decay.

“Say after me; It’s no better to be safe than sorry.”

They are replacing Splash Mountain with a ride themed after Princess and the Frog, the story is meant to continue the one after the film. Seems neat. Not that I could ever go to Disney Land or Disney World in person, but by the magic of the internet I know more about those parks than your average person should.

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I’m looking to renew my interest in reading after getting through my toughest (yet, was only a 2 year stint lol) part of college. I find that academia is killing my interest for reading, although my writing remains largely untouched. I’m sure I’m going to have to go through schooling for the rest of my life, though- my brain is constantly skipping through and trying to disseminate as much information as possible in the shortest time imaginable. I’m going to ease myself back into bookworld via an easy read of “Shadows Rising” on July 14th, but I know that’ll be rife with more controversy and headaches.

Two questions: Anyone here have any good suggestions? The only thing I don’t like reading is mind-numbing feelsy-good plotlines that have no meaning. I’m also not a fan of sci-fi. History, fantasy, anything. I’ll look it up.

Anyone else here experience the same issue I’m having? I only recently started thinking about it after a recent reading assignment (ironic). Which, I first read and went: “OK, boomer” before I realized that I hadn’t picked up a book, or genuinely read anything besides a speedy-quick read through. I wish I had more to say on that, other than I think instant media is killing my thought process and ability to research/read/et-al.

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So I just graduated with a minor in English. What you’ll find is even the classes with a specific focus will pick books and ideas that are not fun to you, but can provide new interesting ways to look at your writing. I took a wide variety of classes, and found that the freshman level classes were the worst of the variety and choice in this regard (Sense and Sensibility? Kill me), but the higher you go the better options you’ll find.

See if your school offers courses on authors/concepts that interest you. I lucked out and took a class on Tolkien, “The Weird and the Fantastic”, and Gothic novels. The one exception (besides the freshman course) was History of British Literature. Don’t do that to yourself unless you like history. Hell, I love history and I hated it.

If you’re looking for good fantasy read to keep you moving outside of school, try The Wheel of Time series. I’m currently doing a listen through with audio-books, and finding myself enjoying the series again. Going back through Lord of the Rings and associated texts might also help. I’d suggest some of the Dragonlance stuff but that can get a little feels-goody and can feel like it steps on specific tropes, but its always a good novel to digest sometimes.

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Finally decided to get into Tolkein’s work recently. I started with and am still going through The Silmarillion. Didn’t know what to really expect after the movies and I’m really liking it a lot so far. I haven’t really been excited to dig into a book like I am with The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Tolkein wanted to originally create a language so he used his literature to help do it with. The reading’s dense at times, but it’s good and also weird when you realize you’ve been learning Elvish, too.

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a fairly good book series ive been reading is the “malazan book of the fallen” that starts with gardens of the moon.

if you want a very atypical high fantasy world that just goes wild with gods, fantastical races, etc… this one’s solid. there’s a lot of them, too, so its something you can pick up and read for a while.

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I love it and can’t wait myself.

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Fantasy:

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco is a very good series from an author I think people will be hearing a lot more about in the future. Her newest The Never-Tilting World is also apparently good, but I haven’t gotten to it on my shelf yet.

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert is a solid twist on fairy tales. Her sequel, The Night Country is also good, though I didn’t think it lived up to the first.

YA:

Mosquitoland by David Arnold is fantastic and one of my favorite books of the past few years. Solid road trip story with an engaging lead.

Neverworld Wake by Merisha Pessl is an interesting mystery with a fantasy twist to it. Kind of a modern Agatha Christie feel to it.

LitFic:

Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon is an older book but a great intro to his work. It’s essentially The Big Lebowski, but as a book.

N0S4A2 by Joe Hill. Stephen King’s son and it shows. Very creepy, but an accessible read in terms of style. Has a show out now, but I haven’t watched it yet.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote. It’s a novella, so only about 100 pages. Very interesting to see the shift from the story to the film version. There are tons of changes, and Holly is a pretty complex character for such a short work.

I’m finishing Peter Pan right now and liking it. I love early 20th Century stuff because the industry shifted away from paying by the word, so they have the beginnings of what we consider “modern” prose, but there are still flairs of the old-timey wordplay.

Still-to-read: The Hate U Give, Children of Blood and Bone, and A Visit From the Goon Squad

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Currently reading Down at the End of Lonely Street: The Life and Death of Elvis Presley by Peter Harry Brown and Pat Broeske. It chronicles Presley’s life based on interviews from relatives, band mates, childhood friends, and fellow soldiers from his stint in the army. About half-way through it as of today.

So far it’s been an interesting read, learning who The King was off stage and what his personal relationships were like. If you like music history definitely recommend.

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I can second this. It’s a flawed series for sure but it’s fun and I find that the people who enjoy it really enjoy it. Plus it’s like… sixteen books worth of reading.

There are a few characters I’d like to defenestrate though.

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Thanks for your suggestions, everyone. When I’m able to get out next, I’ll be looking at all of these. Honestly I’m wishing for that feeling of wanting to pick the book back up again immediately after being interrupted. Wanting to know what happens next - captivation. Here’s hoping some of these are able to snag me. :slight_smile: (WrA book club when?)

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Honestly, 98% of the characters would feel better if they just communicated.

Barring that, it’s still enjoyable and its something to listen to while doing my rounds.

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Just because I forgot to mention it, I love the Knight of the Seven Kingdoms book (it’s a compilation of three novellas about a knight named Dunk and his squire Egg) by George R. R. Martin. It explores a lot of the world that I love from ASOIAF but feels more classic fantasy and more generally lighthearted than the main series in a really refreshing way. Would totally recommend it.

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Doing part 2 of a guest DM spot in a friend’s campaign tonight.

They’re going to fight a void dragon before being shunted to the Feywild to participate in the Green Court Tournament.
Featuring jousting on the backs of faerie dragons using corn stalks as lances.

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