Derek
@astralcitymini.com
Senior Editor at MARVELOUS/XSEED. Chicagoan.
Digital explorer. 🗺️ Café connoisseur. ☕️ Audiophile. 🎧
I care deeply about words and the stories they tell.
🏳️🌈 he/him
Digital explorer. 🗺️ Café connoisseur. ☕️ Audiophile. 🎧
I care deeply about words and the stories they tell.
🏳️🌈 he/him
This little one is feeling better. She has a middle ear infection that is improving with antibiotics. I’m so grateful it’s not something more serious. Hug your pets!
December 14, 2025 at 5:51 PM
This little one is feeling better. She has a middle ear infection that is improving with antibiotics. I’m so grateful it’s not something more serious. Hug your pets!
I really picked this up at the right time. I’ve been trying to divest from them for a while and it’s hastened my progress toward that goal.
December 12, 2025 at 11:16 PM
I really picked this up at the right time. I’ve been trying to divest from them for a while and it’s hastened my progress toward that goal.
Blue Destination barely missed my Top 15, but it's always in my rotation and I still led with Falcom this year, so 🤝
December 3, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Blue Destination barely missed my Top 15, but it's always in my rotation and I still led with Falcom this year, so 🤝
Considering how much I adored the first two Famicom Detective Club games, even I’m surprised I’m so LTTP with Emio: The Smiling Man. But here I am! And it’s already good. It might have the best implementation of Live2D-style portraits I’ve ever seen. Everyone is so…well, animated!
November 25, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Considering how much I adored the first two Famicom Detective Club games, even I’m surprised I’m so LTTP with Emio: The Smiling Man. But here I am! And it’s already good. It might have the best implementation of Live2D-style portraits I’ve ever seen. Everyone is so…well, animated!
Spent $1.50 to make about a month’s worth of pandan syrup. Worth every penny.
November 24, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Spent $1.50 to make about a month’s worth of pandan syrup. Worth every penny.
Dorks that we are, husband and I made navel orange cookies from the 2nd #FFXIV cookbook for Friendsgiving today. The powdered sugar coating could use a second application for the glamour, but they’re deliciously moist & zingy.
November 23, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Dorks that we are, husband and I made navel orange cookies from the 2nd #FFXIV cookbook for Friendsgiving today. The powdered sugar coating could use a second application for the glamour, but they’re deliciously moist & zingy.
Grey skies have been bumming me out this week, so I brightened my morning visiting a new Filipino bakery called Del Sur. Absolutely incredible pastry lineup. I left with a calamansi chamomile bun, a chai roll, and an adobo chicken hand pie.
November 20, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Grey skies have been bumming me out this week, so I brightened my morning visiting a new Filipino bakery called Del Sur. Absolutely incredible pastry lineup. I left with a calamansi chamomile bun, a chai roll, and an adobo chicken hand pie.
I want a print of the shot where Male Character is dwarfed by the floating biomechanical eye.
November 20, 2025 at 4:20 AM
I want a print of the shot where Male Character is dwarfed by the floating biomechanical eye.
This $3.49 eggplant and cheese hand pie from my local Middle East bakery won’t fix me, but it will come pretty goddamn close.
November 19, 2025 at 8:58 PM
This $3.49 eggplant and cheese hand pie from my local Middle East bakery won’t fix me, but it will come pretty goddamn close.
The situation is developing.
November 17, 2025 at 7:25 PM
The situation is developing.
I kept thinking about this photo and decided to try painting it.
November 16, 2025 at 12:04 AM
I kept thinking about this photo and decided to try painting it.
I adored tonight's performance of A New World: intimate music from FINAL FANTASY! We enjoyed some deeper cuts like "Lovely, Dark, and Deep" from FFXVI and "The Airship Blackjack" from FFVI. My favorite piece was a beautiful rendition of "Close in the Distance" from FFXIV. @ffnewworld.bsky.social ✨
November 15, 2025 at 5:11 AM
I adored tonight's performance of A New World: intimate music from FINAL FANTASY! We enjoyed some deeper cuts like "Lovely, Dark, and Deep" from FFXVI and "The Airship Blackjack" from FFVI. My favorite piece was a beautiful rendition of "Close in the Distance" from FFXIV. @ffnewworld.bsky.social ✨
Chicago friends: Smack Dab (6730 N Clark St) is offering a free meal to anyone in need once a day. @homoagogo.bsky.social and I love them so much that we stayed subscribed to their newsletter while we lived in WA for two years. The food is excellent and the owners truly care about our community. ❤️
November 12, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Chicago friends: Smack Dab (6730 N Clark St) is offering a free meal to anyone in need once a day. @homoagogo.bsky.social and I love them so much that we stayed subscribed to their newsletter while we lived in WA for two years. The food is excellent and the owners truly care about our community. ❤️
Today being a rare midweek holiday, I stayed up late last night finishing Dragon Quest III HD-2D. It's my first time ever beating this one! I'd rank it low-ish in the series—battle balance kinda stinks and the silent party's a bummer. But there's no such thing as a bad Dragon Quest, IMO.
November 11, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Today being a rare midweek holiday, I stayed up late last night finishing Dragon Quest III HD-2D. It's my first time ever beating this one! I'd rank it low-ish in the series—battle balance kinda stinks and the silent party's a bummer. But there's no such thing as a bad Dragon Quest, IMO.
Completed a major reorganization of my apartment today! Swapped the positions of my work and gaming desks, redecorated both, set up the work desk for standing use, redid some lighting, AND put up the Christmas decorations.
Tiiiiired. 😴
Tiiiiired. 😴
November 11, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Completed a major reorganization of my apartment today! Swapped the positions of my work and gaming desks, redecorated both, set up the work desk for standing use, redid some lighting, AND put up the Christmas decorations.
Tiiiiired. 😴
Tiiiiired. 😴
There’s that winter storm we were promised.
November 10, 2025 at 3:02 PM
There’s that winter storm we were promised.
Who else has a Shoulder Cat™️?
November 9, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Who else has a Shoulder Cat™️?
bet you didn't expect to see Waluigi playing DDR Extreme on your skyline this morning
November 8, 2025 at 4:49 PM
bet you didn't expect to see Waluigi playing DDR Extreme on your skyline this morning
My top activity from the Nintendo Store app is...utterly unsurprising. 😆 I expected more than 200+ and 150+ hours played for ACNH and SSBU, honestly.
November 5, 2025 at 4:10 PM
My top activity from the Nintendo Store app is...utterly unsurprising. 😆 I expected more than 200+ and 150+ hours played for ACNH and SSBU, honestly.
Nice! I wanna pick up Xillia again too, but it's admittedly lower on my priority list. And though I'm also playing Z-A, I think it's sliding down my priority list. My "now playing" grid is monstrous, Nick. Monstrous.
November 3, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Nice! I wanna pick up Xillia again too, but it's admittedly lower on my priority list. And though I'm also playing Z-A, I think it's sliding down my priority list. My "now playing" grid is monstrous, Nick. Monstrous.
me putting my Apple Music library on shuffle
November 2, 2025 at 6:56 PM
me putting my Apple Music library on shuffle