#(I can see the last two haven't been the most popular so hopefully that is not a sign on what to come)

[mitamicah]

8/13 Käärijä stickers 🐸🫗🧢

This sticker might date my project quite a bit because when I drew the sketch the gig with the bulbasaur hat was fairly recent x'D Oh well it is still a cute hat and the sticker have a good message so I hope you like it still :3

⬅️Previous entry ➡️Concept sketches

[macawritesupdates]

Writing Updates 8/12/2024

Another week, another update on what's going on in terms of writing!

FIRST REQUESTS! Going to start poking at them again as got like...90 to still do and want to wittle that number down. Just been really focused on the bigger fics and getting content out for them.

PRIORITY FICS Going to be looking to finish a few stories this week! Below are the ones you are going to see updates to for sure! HISTORICALLY INACCURATE: Final chapter is going up this week. Going to finally bring this story to an end. Feels strange that I'm about to end this story. It is currently my most popular which STILL shocks me 8I

SEVEN DAYS TO FALL IN LOVE: Last two chapters I'm looking to get done this week and get this fic shipped off. The chapters are too huge, so shouldn't be too hard so keep an eye out for those c:

BROKEN IN WAYS NO ONE SEES: At least the next two chapters I want to get out quickly so can get to the fluff everyone has been waiting for haha! This update is def coming.

LESSONS IN ACCIDENTAL SEDUCTION: The chapter is nealry done, just need the last two scenes. Been really eager to write this one as want to get to the next chapter <3

FICS IN THE WORKS

THE YUUJI FILES: Still poking at it! It got put behind by the other ones updating at a more rapid pace/inspiration.

MALEVOLENCE OF LOVE: waiting for my feels to be in the right place before I destroy them with the next chapter haha!

CAREFUL WHAT YOU JOKE ABOUT: Poking at the next chapter, reworking things, just a hard chapter to write!

MIRRORED LIVES: *sobs and pokes fic to just let me write it*

UNSUNG HEROES: *sobs in wants to write it but want to get other fics out too and not enough time ahhhh!*

A RUT TIME OF IT: Will update when I feel like writing silly idiots c:

READER INTERACTIVE FICS Both JEALOUSY IS A BAD FRIEND and CAN'T HELP A CUDDLE have updated and waiting for reader input as to what the next chapter will feature! Go make your voice heard!

INCOMING FICS

WHO'S A GOOD BOY: Is now fully outline and the first chapter nearly done. It will be taking the place of Historically Inaccurate in the lineup. Hopefully it will be enjoyed! It is a more angsty hurt comfort fic with no spicy scenes and a bit of a mean Yuuji in it. Should be fun.

SPOUSE WANTED: NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Yuuji becomes Sukuna's fake wife and things get silly. Will be a one-shot that I hope you all enjoy! <3

PULL ME ALONG IF I CAN'T MOVE FORWARD: Baku/Deku one-shot that is in the works that I hope readers will enjoy when it goes up!

FICS IN THE NETHER/BEING FORMED LAW MEETS DISORDER: STill working on it, but haven't been able to dedicate the time to the preproduction outline as of now. It is going to be a long fic though, so waiting for a few longer fics to wrap up.

THE DRAGON AU: Dragon Sukuita story is back to being poked at although it is still a long way off from being ready to be written.

[magicalgirlmascot]

it didnt win but do you have magical girl webcomic recommendations anyway? 👀

I was planning on going out to find more if that was the one picked, but just of the ones I know already:

If you haven't read Sleepless Domain yet, that's the one I kind of think of as like the most popular one? And it's popular for a reason, it's so good. It's about a world where magical girls are just a known quantity in everyday life. Their society is built around them since they protect ordinary people from the monsters that come out at night, so for example there's a special school just for them that starts later in the day to make up for the fact that they're up all night fighting evil by moonlight, they're basically celebrities, there are branches of government specifically dedicated to them, it's just fascinating to see a world where stuff like this is taken to its logical conclusion. The story has set up some spooky and compelling mysteries, the characters are fun and relatable and gay as shit, the art and character design is super cute, I mean what can be said about Sleepless Domain that hasn't been said. It's literally so good. CONTENT WARNING: there is an early plot point involving major character death, and it becomes the driving force for a lot of the series.

ALSO THE LITTLE DANCE TRANSFORMATION SEQUENCE IN CHAPTER 21 AAAAAAHHHHH MY LIL GAY HEARTCATCH FAN HEART I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

There's also XII, which I found by accident at a con last year. It's about a group of girls at a boarding school who accidentally start awakening magic powers in themselves and then others. As more people start gaining powers, the people in charge at the school start taking notice and trying to crack down on things. There's a lot going on behind the scenes, and part 1 sets up some great mysteries. Part 1 (Of Magic and Muses) is fully completed, with three volumes out, and Part 2 (Of Rogues and Remnants) just has the one chapter out for now and has gone on hiatus recently, but I'd still definitely recommend giving it a read! I have all three volumes (I bought the first volume at Pretty Heroes last year, read it in one night, then went back and bought the next two volumes the next day) and a standee of Georgia because we stan a shitty delinquent bully character who becomes less shitty but still a delinquent. CONTENT WARNING: (taken directly from the website) part 1 contains bullying, strangulation, drowning, blood, general violence, partial nudity, and language, while part 2 contains animal harm, police violence, disassociation, blood, sexual situations, general violence, partial nudity, and language. I swear it's not like full Madoka or anything but it is a darker magical girl series. It's really good I promise.

There's also Elements of the Round on Webtoon, which I actually found via Art Fight of all places lol. I'm not caught up with it at all (I stopped using Webtoon around when its first chapter ended) but it's a neat story based around Arthurian myth! I love Nina, she's great. It's a bit simpler than the other two but quite good! CONTENT WARNING: familial death early on.

And another Webtoon: Let's Celebrate! is a globe-trotting magical girl story about magical girls based around holidays! When I quit using Webtoon it had three, based on Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, and New Year's. The way the monsters work is so interesting, and I love the art!! Also it's super cute and hella gay and I definitely should catch up. No content warnings from my memory.

Hopefully there are a couple here that are new to others!

[mad-as-a-box-of-frogs]

Hiiii! I normally see you around on the marcsteven tag a lot and I was wondering if you have any fic recs of them? I’m starving for content it’s been so long 😩 Any site is fine, but ao3 works best in my phone! /nf

Do I ever, anon :D (I'll keep this to fics under 500 or so kudos since I'm assuming you've already read the popular fics like Last Night I Watched Myself Sleep and Making Two Reflections into One)

Adjustments by Nagem is 12k, never got enough love imo, and is my favorite finished fic <3 If you don't mind a side of Marcstevenjake polycule, the sequel Waiting Room is always quite excellent too <3

If you don't mind separate bodies au's, I love the 4 part series And for the first time in all my life I Know I'm more than what I fear by dealthydan

Let me love you while the moon is still out by Lady_Clow is a hauntingly beautiful little fic.

If you don't mind ambiguous endings, I really liked the The Happy Ending by kimmy and Mkocuria. (the art at the end is delicious too <3)

come on, come on, darlin by above the ruins, is the sweetest little 5 things + 1 fic, especially if you love the moon boys using petnames with each other. Their second fic We can live right here (like a memory) is also quite good.

you'll wind me up or you'll wind up dead by opensoulsurgery

You Tried to Be a Hero by highkingpenny. 16k, no explicit sex really despite the rating, but I loved the banter between Marc and Steven (still crying over Marc calling Steven his little noodle boy)

If you haven't already, I'd also say check out anything marcsteven that's been written by the AO3 writers TheCarrot, usurp, lostmagician, gloss, pardillo, nakimochiku, It's_brilliant_thor, kika444, and snapdragonpop007. I'll read anything they write, and total, they make up probably half of my reading list anyways.

And if you don't mind WIPS (most of these update semi-regularly), Consider the Flowers (They Don't try to look right) by sacrificeplay and Narcissus in Blue by chashuu are two of the fics that gave me the most Moon knight brain worms. Fall Into Line by Yersifanel is a beast of a fic that hurts so good, What the Right Hand is Doing by ErinPtah has been really interesting so far (and you might consider checking out their Cover of Knight series if you like crossovers and headspace polycule fic), and if you're looking for angsty Hate to Love fic, friight just posted the first chapter for Love Song for a Deadman (i'm assuming you have but if you haven't, also definitely check out their completed beast of a slowburn fic The Measure of Things.)

Hopefully this helps at least a little bit, anon! Like you, I'm starved for any and all new content, i swear I've been refreshing the ao3 tab since last march. Feel free to look at my ao3 bookmarks as well, the first 6 pages are nearly all Marcsteven/Marcstevenjake fic, and I update as I reread fics and add them to my kindle.

(if anyone wants to add their recs or promote their own fic, feel free to add!)

[farfromdaylight]

2023 writing meme

i don't usually do the fic writer meme because i don't usually write a lot of fic other than longfic. but this year was an outlier, so, here we are!

Number of fics written (posted) in 2023: 23. seriously, who am i? plus 3 finished and 2 unfinished, both unposted.

Total word count of posted fic: 57,515

Total word count of unposted fic: 66,701

Total word count overall: 124,216

Worth noting that some of my posted fic this year was written during Nanowrimo last year, so the numbers are a bit skewed.

Fandoms: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy XIV. I did write one FFXIV/Pacific Rim crossover.

all of my fic is on AO3.

Best title: I'm really biased towards heaven can wait (WoL/Exarch), my big bang fic. I also quite like before you're burned, become the sun (Alisaie) but that's just because I've always liked that lyric.

Worst title: to believe in you (i'll try) (Cloud/Tifa). I was going for a theme across all of my Cloti week fics but I don't like that title at all...

Best first line: From before you're burned, become the sun:

The sun never sets, because there is no sun.

Worst first line: From to believe in you (i'll try):

Cloud is so different.

Best last line: From heaven can wait:

"Welcome to the First, Warrior of Darkness," he says, lifting up his brother. "Let's get you inside. We've got a world to save."

Worst last line: From to believe in you (i'll try) (seriously, I am not happy with this fic LOL):

For now, they have a reactor to take down.

Looking back, did you write more than you thought you would this year, less than you thought, or about what you predicted?

Less than I was supposed to, yet more than I expected. I had various health issues throughout the year that prevented me from writing a lot (have you ever tried to write when you can't sleep more than 3 hours at a time? Yeah) but also I managed to write for two fandom weeks and completed Nanowrimo. So, not bad!

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?

I didn't think I'd write so many Cloti fics! I've loved the pairing for a long time but I really didn't think I would write so much. Really glad I did though. Also, I had no plans to write the Alisaie or Ashe fics and I'm glad I stretched myself and wrote them.

What’s your favourite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest.

heaven can wait, no contest. I still go back and reread it sometimes and just have a blast. It's a story I very much wrote for myself, and I'm really glad it's gotten a good reception.

Okay, NOW your most popular story.

By kudos: amber embrace (WoL/G'raha)

By hits: love grows (WoL/G'raha)

By comments and bookmarks: heaven can wait

Deeply funny to me that the NSFW fic is the most popular. The people want what they want.

Story most underappreciated by the universe?

If we ignore the fic I posted an hour ago that has literally 1 hit so far: for you, i walk on (Tifa), which I wrote for the second volume of the Tifa zine. But that's only by hits and kudos; it got very lovely comments and I had a great time with the zine.

By comments, I have 5 fics without comments at all. :( One of them has 30 kudos! Please comment on fics, folks.

Story that could have been better?

Not to beat the dead horse, but to believe in you (i'll try). It's meant to be a Remake fic, but I haven't finished replaying Remake and I only half-remember the Cloti scenes. I'm working on replaying it now, so hopefully I can add to it soon.

Sexiest story?

I mean, according to the numbers, it's either amber embrace or love grows. But actually it's one of the fics I didn't post this year. I wrote a 16,000-word fic about my WoL's honeymoon with G'raha. It is very spicy and it will not be seeing the light of day because it belongs to a non-canon AU.

Saddest story?

I don't know that I have a good answer to this one. I mean, heaven can wait is angsty, but that's different.

Most fun?

Most silly is definitely shuffle or boogie (WoL/G'raha), which was just an excuse to write a fic about Triple Triad.

Story with single sweetest moment?

PROBABLY THE WEDDING FIC, LOL. Or the denouement of heaven can wait. Or the holiday fic I just posted.

Most fucked-up story?

I wrote some vanilla-ass fic this year, I ain't got nothing for this.

Hardest story to write?

Honestly, a lot of the Cloti fics were tough. I'm not really rusty on the canon (FFVII lives rent free in my brain) but I hadn't written the characters in a pairing for some years. The Ashe fic was also tough for similar reasons: I've never written FFXII fic before. The Endwalker fic (WIP) has been really hard because it's some tough content and I've been struggling with how much of the canon to cover and how much to make up whole cloth.

Easiest/most fun story to write?

heaven can wait, which I really just had a blast with. This was last year's Nanowrimo, though, so... Maybe the holiday fic? I wrote it in a couple hours last weekend.

Did any stories shift your perception of the characters?

Not really. I don't tend to write fics about characters I don't have a firm grasp of.

Most overdue story?

Beyond the Vault, the eternal albatross around my neck. Also the Endwalker fic, because it's taken me two years to even have a WIP...

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

This year was good at helping me fight off the perfectionist tendency! I posted a lot of the fandom week fics within a week (or shorter) of writing them, and it let me chill out considerably about polish. Sometimes you can just write a fic and you don't have to go over it with a fine-tooth comb, you can just post it.

[rodentgoth]

.X| "Answer Phone" - Ch.1 |X.

Fic Playlist\\Ship Playlist\\ Next Chapter ►

I haven't written a fic in so long it hurts, but these two are pulling me out of my slump!

Rating:: 13+ // Teen

Fandom:: Homestuck

Themes/Kinks:: None

Chixie returned to her hive tired and more furious than ever.

She threw her case of outfits onto the floor.

Another day, another gig taken away by some wannabe highblood performers. She didn't bother crashing their set, all the members were insanely popular purple bloods. To make matters worse, they each had their own set of bodyguards.

Chixie can be brave when she wants to be, but she isn't stupid. She knew when it was a fight she wouldn't win.

She crashed onto her couch sobbing and screaming.

That's when she heard the familiar ping of her palmhusk.

"Oh great…" She said to herself.

Usually, her palmhusk only went off for two reasons, and neither of them was particularly good.

It was either another venue calling to tell her her gig was canceled or that she couldn't perform there anymore.

Or worse, Zebruh calling expecting some form of "reward" for promoting her on his blog.

She begrudgingly got up and took the device out of her case.

To her surprise, it was Chittr dm from an account she didn't recognize.

@R3dSplatter:: Hey! I love your music and your voice! Shame you didn't get to perform tonight :(.

The account icon was of a Burgundy blood, covering his face so only his caste symbol showed. She tapped on the account and scrolled through it. It seemed legit, they were promoting and posting about various underground lowblood performers, kind of like Zebruh. Unlike Zebruh though, they weren't patronizing or self-righteous about it, they seemed to have a genuine love for all these trolls and their craft.

Chixie felt a few tears form in the corners of her eyes. She rarely got any actual compliments for her work. Most of her interactions were from weird bots or desperate trolls trying to get their bulges wet. It felt good to see someone actually enjoy her art. She began to respond:

@Chixie::Thank you! Yeah, it sucks…it's the third time this week my gigs have been pulled, but whatcha gonna do, hehehe… @R3dSplatter:: Awww, do you at least know when and where your next shows are gonna be?" @Chixie::I…don't, sorry. Most of the places I had planned already canceled on me. And the ones that haven't probably will eventually. @R3dSplatter:: Well, I hope you find something soon, you're too bright and beautiful to fade away.

She felt a blush slowly creep across her face at that last comment.

@Chixie::Thank you. Hopefully, something will come up.

Chixie felt her eyes getting heavy and decided now would be a good time to get some rest. Her heart was still fluttering from the conversation, it was just what she needed after a week of being screwed over. It gave her a small bit of hope that things would get better.

[faejilly]

so like five years ago or something, (ugh, time), I started an epistolary fic for @pameluke that I have not updated in, well, several years. (brains! little fuckers are very uncooperative, what can I say?)

It subsequently became the most popular thing I've ever written by several of AO3's potential metrics, which is neat! But... pressure-ish? Regardless, it would be nice to actually, uh. Finish the damn thing someday.

And in the interests of getting the voices in my head to engage with it so I can finish, I am attempting to adapt some public workskins on ao3 into email & texting screens and I will (hopefully) be updating said fic with fun formatting whenever I do actually finish & post the last couple chapters.

BUT!

I have a visual/clarity question re: texts and group chats

Behind the cut for a slew of terrible screenshots! (In various zoom levels, so uh, apologies if you have to click on them to see wtf I'm trying to ask)

perhaps followed by a poll since I apparently have them now?!?

This is roughly what texting looks like currently, (and will still pretty much look if you turn off AO3 workskins and/or download the fic in an ebook format):

Now, the reason it says "Cat" on top, is because that's the contact name in the header of the phone screen, which currently looks like this:

Now, in the original draft Cat didn't say "Magnus" there, because his name was there in the label so I didn't need it. BUT, this is the first phone screen in the fic, so I figured I should include it for clarity.

Contextually, as the fic continues, I assume one will generally be able to tell who is texting whom, but I could, (even tho it would not be as phone-like) put in names so it's clearer:

which is also how I've been managing group-text/chat formats:

But it looks kind of weird when it's just two people talking back and forth. (It's not like my phone puts my name over my own texts, yk?)

Not having all the names might be confusing, but I CANNOT TELL ANYMORE? aesthetic vs clarity? SOMETHINGSOEMTHING?

The only real downside to just putting the names in is that it causes some weird spacing in the download/non-skin version, because the name tags are no longer visible but there is, afaik, no way to fit them in properly without leaving the space for them, if that makes sense:

ALTERNATIVELY, I could change the headers so they're informational rather than a visual part of the phone screen, for example, the first text up there would be something like "Magnus' Phone (texting Cat)" and then the group chats would be, idk, "Alec's Phone, The Hedge" etc. etc.

OR ALTERNATIVELY ALTERNATIVELY... I could do... something else that I haven't thought up yet? I guess? *shrug.emoji*

HELP ME TUMBLR, YOU'RE MY ONLY HOPE:

*for the options with a star, please do include suggestions as to how to accomplish that nonsense, k? 😅

With like, actual baby-steps, because I do not know what I'm doing. I was literally just trying to copypasta a skin and then I couldn't stop.

Like, sometimes the nametag on the right of the phone screen doesn't work and I haven't figured out why yet. I am having a similar problem with the phone screen headers not resizing on different screens, which is why they're not a contrasting color or bordered or anything at the moment, so you can't tell.

/It's still wrong though, and I know it, even if I can't see it. It's like my phone screen is judging me every time I look at them... 🤣🤣🤣

but regardless. If you've made it to the end of this post, I thank you. And I'm sorry?

Have a cookie: 🍪

[inukag-archive]

Hello! Do you guys have any fic recs where they are high school / college teachers/profs? I didn't find anything on your tumblr and haven't found much on ao3 but maybe I just suck at tags

have a great day

Hello Nonnie!

We definitely felt your pain in the AO3 tags with this one. While “Alternate Universe - High School” and “Alternate Universe - College/University” are very popular tags, it doesn’t say if they are teachers or students– and the latter is by far more popular. However, we were able to find a sizable selection in AO3 and FFN so hopefully there’s enough below to keep your TBR list full for a while!

A Note From the Fic Finders: If you need more stories with a teaching angle, it’s more common for Kagome to work in an elementary school than a HS/College setting so adjusting your search terms to include that will give you significantly more results. 

Hot for Teacher by@keizfanfiction  (M)

Kagome surprises the Weapon's Tech professor with a late night visit after classes are over and after a particularly intriguing discussion of sorts involving the malleability of swords, Inuyasha demonstrates that hard wood can be far greater than any steel or metal.

–

Loverboy by TheMondyChild (E)

A recent arrival to the city, Kagome finds work teaching at a prestigious high school for only the most elite brats of society. She expected some trouble, but she certainly didn’t expect the kind of darkness that rules the school. Caught in a battle of wills with a psychopathic student intent on overpowering her, how long will she survive—and keep her marriage vows?

–

A Thousand Golden Suns Ago by @inussunflower (T)

Long ago, Inuyasha—then known as Albinus—made a deal with Pluto, the Roman God of the Underworld in which he exchanged his soul for the return of his wife, Augusta. Thousands of years passed, and tens of women had come close but none were her. Until one day, while taking a shortcut to work...he met her. He met Kagome. And that, regrettably, was the beginning of the end for him.

In which Inuyasha gives up his mortality to see his wife one last time.

–

Prurience by TheMondayChild (E)

Hot for teacher.

–

Misconceptions by pyrrhical (anoyo) (G)

This was it. Her first year as a teacher. A college professor, really, but a teacher nonetheless.

–

InuKag Kendo Club Series by @fawn-eyed-girl (E) 

Taisho Yash is the top university kendo coach in the country. Higarashi Kagome is a powerful miko, a history PhD student, and the kendo club's team manager. The series details how they met, how they fell in love, how they cope with various obstacles thrown their way, and how they continue to find their way to each other, every day of their lives

–

Hidden Secrets by Lbliss21490 (M)

**COMPLETED** Alternate ending to the series- It's been five years since the well closed. Kagome, who is now attending Tokyo University, says goodbye to Inuyasha and moves away, heartbroken that she can no longer be with her hanyou. However, as she takes a history class, she becomes enamored with Yashiro Nagasaki, a young history professor who reminds her strangely of Inuyasha. As time goes on, she wonders what happened to Inuyasha as she succumbs to her attraction to the professor...

Little does she know, he has secrets of his own, and Kagome must decide if she will share the part of her life where she loved a hanyou.

–

Coffee Break by @alannada (T)

A High School AU with a twist! Romance, drama, coffee, tests grading dates! For now it's kids-friendly, but it might change later

–

The Matchmakers of Shikon High by @neutronstarchild (T)

Jakotsu had to do something. His grumpy dog hanyō math teacher sometimes made life miserable with his tirades, and seemed to be growing grumpier by the day! Mr. Taisho needed love. When Jakotsu recruited his best friends to help him find the perfect person to make Mr. Taisho’s scowl become a smile, they realized they already had the perfect candidate: their amazing theater teacher Ms. Higurashi. Now… they just had to convince the two of them to fall in love.

Inspired by Clueless.

–

Teacher Teacher Teacher by InuFanGoddess (M)

Kagome is a new transfer teacher who is 22 years old in Shikon High, an all male school and Inuyasha is a popular playboy student who causes chaos and tries to make the teachers suffer, believing that no teacher actually cares. Can Kagome show him that teachers actually care? or will their growing attraction prove fatal to them, filled with love, suspense, drama, and comedy

–

Hush by TheOperaRose (M)

She was the student. He was the teacher. A drunken one night stand leading to a forbidden relationship. But what is the teacher to do when the student becomes unfaithful?

–

You Can’t Change the Past by kunasu (K+)

Inuyasha is a college professor and Kagome is a single parent, her child is Shippo! Miroku is just another college professor and Sango is a best friend to Kagome and she baby-sits Shippo. Any questions?

–

The Beginning of Life by DeletedAccountNotChangingMyMind (T)

She's a college professor out to prove that anyone can change, he's a deformed man, a freak he calls himself, just looking to be normal. One night changes their lives and takes them on an adventure neither of them could have imagined.

[tygerbug]

DOCTOR WHO: The Giggle (2023) : It's hard to shake the feeling that I've seen this before, and not in a bad way. It feels instead like the series is playing the old hits. The triumphant return to Doctor Who of its original 2005 showrunner (Russell T Davies) and lead actor (David Tennant) sticks the landing, in all three of these specials, by doing the same sort of stuff it would have done in the late 2000s. It's bigger, bolder, gayer, and feels like there's more money onscreen (after a partnership with Disney+ that hopefully won't doom the show later on). The CGI effects and production design are genuinely impressive throughout. The show has worked hard to shake its reputation as a cheap-looking and cheesy science fiction adventure, by throwing money at the problem, and it pays off here.

The Toymaker was introduced in 1966 as a way to replace the lead actor of the show, before the producers came up with a different idea. Doctor Who is a show that has always benefited from a change in actor and producers, in order to embrace change and find a new twist on what can otherwise be a repetitive format. But so far, the new Russell T Davies specials have been a glorious return to the same old rubbish. It has been said that every Doctor Who writer has one story in them, that they will write over and over again until forced to leave the show. We see elements of previous stories in The Giggle, repeated with the full confidence that we'll enjoy seeing this sort of thing again. The cast, also, seem fully convinced that they're doing the sort of thing Doctor Who fans like. We haven't seen that in awhile. Viewing figures have dropped off a cliff in the age of streaming (a problem for all television across the board), and the Capaldi and Whittaker eras of Doctor Who didn't get the same promotion and merchandise that David Tennant and Matt Smith got. The show took two years off (2016, 2019), and stopped making new toys, games, and spinoffs. Bringing back Russell T Davies and David Tennant comes with the hope that the show can be a cultural juggernaut again.

This is, presumably, the last we're going to see of David Tennant as the current Doctor Who, and inevitably it leaves the viewer wanting more. Tennant was probably the most popular Doctor Who of the 2005 revival, and he slips back into the role easily, because he's still very good at doing this. It makes me feel old to hear the incoming Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa, talk about how he "grew up watching" David Tennant, and how Tennant's 2009 Hamlet inspired him to become an actor. Gatwa is 31 years old.

This special is over an hour long - it's an hour and one minute - as Russell T Davies said excitedly in a social media video. And isn't it nice to be excited about Doctor Who again, something that Davies has always tried to bring to the table, even if his enthusiasm can be grating. But an hour is really not enough. There are a ton of ideas in this special that are explored only briefly, and could have used another 30 minutes to an hour of screentime. We notice the cheats, and the shorthand. We notice how the episode is about arguing politics on social media, until it's not. (The villain of the week even tosses off that Gender Critical catchphrase, "handmaidens.") The special is about the Doctor and the Toymaker facing off to play a game again, following up on a now-mostly-lost story from 1966. But we notice that the Doctor always chooses "the most simple game of all," removing any need to spend screentime explaining game mechanics. I could have happily watched these "games" for another episode, in some form or another.

The result, as with so many of Russell T Davies' stories, is that a big worldwide threat is established, which will inevitably be deflated in a way that's smaller than its setup. "Classic" Doctor Who would sit in these threats for a few episodes, but post-2005 Doctor Who tends to lack that sort of padding. More running time would likely have been filled with something else entirely. In true RTD fashion, the evil plan that's affecting the world is a completely nonsensical story beat. Calling the idea half-baked is an overstatement. It's not baked at all, but RTD assumes the actors can make it work in the performance. And yes, they can, but they would do equally well with better material. As with the Toymaker himself, the writing is a showy stage set with nothing in the back. RTD deduced correctly, long ago, that the vibes of Doctor Who are of more importance than whether these events are explained enough to make sense. RTD's Doctor Who is dramatic, flashy, silly, anything but boring. That's its greatest strength, and occasionally its weakness.

The special is stolen almost entirely by Neil Patrick Harris, as the Toymaker in question. The role as written calls for a big, showy, over the top performance, and Harris nails it with equal parts comedic camp and genuine menace. Harris does a lot with a bad German accent, solidifying the Toymaker as someone who is always joking and playing around, but who can also unravel your life in an instant if he so desires. The gay coding is text rather than subtext, as both a wink and a threat. This viewer suspects that one reason the show never brought this villain back until now, is that he is overpowered and does not fit in with the show's universe as we understand it. His flaws are as overpowered and unexplained as his powers. He is a fairy tale character, who can only be defeated in trivial ways, and it makes an already silly show even sillier. This is not a complaint. At times the performances are wonderful. At other times the tertiary supporting cast seem unsure how to react to whatever is occurring.

It's hard not to notice that this is basically a retread of how the Master was presented (played by John Simm) in 2007's "The Sound of Drums." Many of the story beats are identical, to the point where the script even points this out in an attempt to say it's different this time, in some unexplained way. But this version landed better with me, since The Toymaker has less history with the Doctor and was due for a reinvention. (It's harder not to compare the new series Master with the old series Master, and by comparison he/she is fan-ficcy and lacks a certain mavitas.) It helps that The Toymaker, like the Master, is witty, indulging in little performances and disguises for no one's amusement but his own. A good actor can make a meal out of this sort of thing.

The Toymaker, or Celestial Toymaker, was played memorably by the late Michael Gough in a 1966 story. It's not one of the show's best, and only the final episode of four is known to exist today, apart from audio. (A CGI animated version has been announced.) Writer Brian Hayles (credited here) pitched "The Eyes of Nemesis" in 1975, but was rejected. He would have returned in 1986 for "The Nightmare Fair" (with Colin Baker), but the show was facing cancellation at the time and scripts for "season 23" were cancelled in favor of what became "The Trial of a Time Lord" (which introduced Bonnie Langford, who recurs here). Michael Gough declined to return for the silly 1993 special "Dimensions In Time." The late David Bailie played the role on audio in The Nightmare Fair and Solitaire (with Paul McGann's Doctor but without Paul McGann). These stories are no longer canon on television.

"Celestial" has an unfortunate dual meaning here. It can refer to something from the sky, of the stars, and of outer space. It's also a 19th-century slur for Chinese people, and the character wore Chinese-inspired dress throughout, as if appearing in a children's pantomime. (A different character also says the N-word during a nursery rhyme in the story, something edited out of later audio releases.) To his credit, Michael Gough doesn't play the role in any detectably racist way, and "The Giggle" only references "Celestial" to mean "of the stars." It also shows the Toymaker trying on German, French, American and British personas as a running pattern. Yes, it's canonical now, in 2023, that the Toymaker is just a bit racist.

I say all of this only to note that we're getting into the deepest and dankest weeds here, in terms of referencing Doctor Who episodes that new fans of the show could not reasonably be expected to have seen. Mavic Chen is also referenced, from The Daleks' Master Plan, and as with the Toymaker, if you weren't already watching Doctor Who in 1965 and 1966, you haven't seen that (quite wonderful) story in full, because nine out of twelve episodes no longer exist today, except as audio.

Some time here is also spent explaining what Melanie Bush (Bonnie Langford) got up to after she left the show in 1987. (Tony Selby's character of Sabalom Glitz is referenced. The actor passed away in 2021.) The Youtube documentary specifically name-checks "Time and the Rani," possibly the silliest and campest Doctor Who story ever made. These are not moments intended for casual viewers. I doubt they'll actually be confused by the name-dropping, but you are a long way down the Doctor Who iceberg of camp if you're getting these reference. Would the average Doctor Who fan even get these references? Yes, of course, because they're sickos.

A few Photoshopped flashes of Michael Gough and William Hartnell are even thrown in as a flashback, as if Doctor Who has now, himself, visited the Doctor Who website and subscribed to the official Doctor Who Youtube channel.

Back in 1983 we got "The Five Doctors," with a cast of as many Doctor Who actors as could be bothered to show up for it. (Tom Baker said no.) For the Fiftieth Anniversary, "The Day of the Doctor" brought back David Tennant, Billie Piper, Tom Baker, and (checks notes) Peter Capaldi, who wasn't even Doctor Who yet. And John Hurt, who never was. (Chris Eccleston said no.)

The David Tennant specials are a different star beast entirely, without a lot of cameos, unless we're counting Trinity Wells, Mel Bush and Wilf Mott. (Bernard Cribbins passed away during filming, and Wilf is seen only briefly, played by a stand=in. He is otherwise referenced as being just offscreen.) Instead, the vibe is, "what if we brought back David Tennant and Catherine Tate to do roughly the same sort of thing we used to do back around 2008?" So this is how Russell T Davies has spent the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who, and I think he had the right instincts about it. There are a lot of nods to the past, but it mostly amounts to namedropping. The Meep and The Toymaker are pulled from such distant, old canon that they might as well be new. Fans might say, it's good to finally see The Meep and The Toymaker onscreen, but they're very deep cuts. The point of this exercise, really, is having Tennant and Tate back, as if they're the current Doctor Who team, for awhile. Appearances by other actors would have distracted from what we're seeing here. (This does, however, explain the need for little minisode projects featuring old series cast, like Tales of the TARDIS and the trailers for The Collection Blu-Rays.)

Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor is also subtly different. His previous Doctor would have burnt up a sun to say goodbye, but could not say the words "I love you." This Doctor says "I love you" casually, and it surprises the hell out of him. If this is part of some grander character arc, we don't see it spelled out here. What we get instead is an ending unlike anything we've seen before, which is also very, very much like the endings RTD has written before. It's something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.

Viewers have theorized that previous special "Wild Blue Yonder" was partly based around fears of AI replacing human input on the internet, ruining all our information and never quite getting the hands right. The political messaging is less subtle here. The Giggle feeds into humanity's worst impulses, which play out like someone who is wrong on social media, but convinced that they're right. There are overt references to anti-vaxxers and the Cult of Gender Critical. One returning character seems to have become Alex Jones. This doesn't last long though, as the story has other things to do. It's a background detail rather than an overall political statement. "Doctor Who gets political?" Well, maybe a little bit, when it remembers to. The references to feminism and transgender identity in The Star Beast were more of a running theme.

Both episodes featured Ruth Madeley as Shirley Anne Bingham, a UNIT scientific advisor who uses a wheelchair due to spina bifida. This actually comes up more in this episode, with overt references to the discrimination she faces, and an effort to make the TARDIS wheelchair-accessible (and add a jukebox). What we haven't seen in awhile is a male UNIT soldier whose name we'd remember. Personally, I wouldn't want Jack Harkness or Mickey Smith (they know what they did) but would settle for Clyde Langer, or similar. Or if this is still a girl's club, Rani Chandra. (Also this is somehow the second UNIT episode in a row where they've forgotten about Liz Shaw. First scientific advisor AND first redhead?)

There are some typically Russell T Davies touches here, like a warning that the bigger overall villain(s) are still coming for the Doctor, so stay tuned folks. And an unexplained Nick Briggs-voiced creature called the Vlinx. Are they going to start making action figures of this sort of thing again?

In the Youtube documentaries, incoming Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa (pronounced "Shuti") is seen doing a one-handed cartwheel, something impressive but not seen in the actual episode. There is a scene of some athletic play where the actors show what they can do. The answer is not "catch a ball" or "give Jemma Redgrave and Bonnie Langford anything coherent to react to." I look forward to more of Ncuti's physicality in the role. You can feel the show testing how gay it's allowed to be, in specific ways we haven't seen since RTD was last writing it. Ncuti's Doctor never puts on trousers in all of his/their screentime. They are also seen in a skirt or kilt, raving, in the trailer for the Christmas special. RTD seems a bit interested in Ncuti's legs, as Moffat was interested in Amy Pond's. (Pond is also referenced here, because it's the 60th.) Now, I'm not going to say "they wouldn't have done that in the sixties," because they did. Gatwa is youthful and fashionable, all teeth and pectoral muscles, and seems comfortable enough in the role. How that actually translates to the screen, we find out on Christmas day. It involves singing CGI goblins.

So far this has been a triumphant return of the same old rubbish. My hope is that Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor Who can also be more of the same.

[kevin-sedai]

The show is gaining some traction and being recognized and praised and hopefully it'll get a lot more popular, its numbers aren't bad but they're not great either. The episode count is a huge problem they should be getting at least 10, ideally 12-13 eps a season, they have to do so much in so little time and they're doing an amazing job with what they have, s1 fell victim to covid and them having a main character leave and having to reshoot things without actors or locations, I think they've proved that they know what they're doing and the respect they have for the books and the characters, I really hope we get at least 8 seasons, we still haven't had a single complete great adaptation of a high fantasy book series, GOT doesn't count bc the books aren't complete the show was a mess in the last 2 seasons and it's fantasy adjacent. You can't just say you want the next GOT and then give them 8 eps when even thrones got 10 and it has a third of the number of books of WOT, these streamers forget how big of a risk GOT was at first no one wanted to do it it's by taking risks like that you get the next stranger things or breaking bad (which didn't break out (haha) until s3 or GOT which exploded in popularity by s2/3.

100% this. I think a lot of people forget that season 1 had to stop a few times because that was during Covid, so it wasn't going to be perfect. It was going to be choppy and awkward, moreso at the end, bc the situation they were in was choppy and awkward. I thought they were doing fine up until 6/7 when the pandemic shut them down. They did their best.

It will always baffle me that they only give them 8 episodes. That is two whole hours that can be used to do the world building or character building they want/need to do. This world and cast are too large and diverse for them to cram it all in 8 one hour (sometimes less, sometimes more) episodes. I loved the last few episodes. But, it felt rushed when all of a sudden, everyone is in Falme fighting. The Whitecloaks were only in one episode for maybe 15 minutes and now they're in Falme? Two more episodes could have given them time to cut back to them going to Falme. And don't get me wrong, I don't fault the show for that sudden jump. They had to wrap it up bc they ran out of time, bc they only get 8 episodes. And that's just one criticism I have of the season that points back to that, as most of my criticisms do.

I mentioned in an ask I got last week that I don't keep up with ratings and that I'm just here for the ride bc I love this story and the characters that I'm happy we got anything. There are two people I got to try to watch it. One is still watching it, I explained a few things about it, and she is enjoying it. The other person couldn't get past ep3 of last season, the biggest complaint being that she thought it was overdramatic. Most other people I know irl dont even know the show is going on. So, I said I wasn't surprised if the ratings aren't all that good for what I've seen. It's a small sample size, but I wouldn't have been surprised if mostly other people had similar experiences.

And I 100% agree on the GoT comparison. The first time I saw the "It's the new game of thrones" on a headline, I got so mad. It's not fair to put that on a new show when GoT was so popular in its hey day and then ended so badly that some fans can't even stomach it. Basically telling people that they get another shot with this show at a good fantasy show, and then have them be disappointed when it's not like the GoT they knew before that show spiraled.

I'm glad to hear that the show is getting some recognition. I'm glad for any bc I'd love to see it keep going. I love these characters. Changes and all. The scene with Mat made me sob, and I'm not kidding. Even the scene when Rand denied Ishamael, I got choked up. I hope it keeps going❤️

[lilacroads]

september 4

whoops, fell out of doing this for a bit.

all in all, i guess things have been fine. i haven't been sleeping well enough, but that's entirely my own fault. i've been staying up late just to... catch up on "me" time, i guess?

i feel like so much of my day is sucked up by having to do things, that i want to extend my free time as much as i can... but i'm also too tired to really enjoy it, so i'm working at a bit of a loss...

speaking of work, it's been not so bad. today actually went kind of smoothly. my most troublesome class had only half the number of students, which ended up being a blessing. two of the kids are rather calm and do what's asked of them, which gives me the extra bandwidth to give the trouble kid all the attention he wants. he actually did pretty well, because i gave him the role of "assistant teacher", which i guess is the kind of attention he's wanting. he actually spoke a fair bit in class, which is unusual for him.

if only it could go like that every week... but unfortunately, he's not the only one who gives me trouble.

my other trouble class is tomorrow, and there's a trial student joining so hopefully they're like... normal for once. i doubt it.

anyway.

i'll find out tomorrow if i get tickets to seventeen's concert! i'm still kind of on the fence about whether i reaaaally want to go, but i always have such a good time whenever i do that if i manage to get tickets, i'll definitely go. if only the cost of the tickets hadn't increased so much, but i guess that's just how it is when you want to see a very popular kpop group lol.

hmmmm what else. i don't think i have much else to add.

my airpods are going well. i was worried they were giving me a headache but i think that was just the low air pressure from the typhoon last week. plagued by headaches no longer.

[sitpwgs]

Okay part 2. I hope it's okay that I'm sending in parts because sometimes I forget stuff or lose track of everything I want to say. But last Broadway thing is that you can explain or spoil the Notebook characters thing since it confused me. I actually was reading about the staging of the rain yesterday which seems complicated. I'm always interested in this stuff like set design and some of the business stuff you mentioned too. The only thing with seeing this show is I heard it will really make you cry and idk if ive ever actually cried when watching a show before which seems weird cuz I saw Les Mis but don't think I cried. Did you cry when you saw the show..I'm just curious.

I also wanted to tell you that I slowly started reading again. I'm on like chapter 10 of This Summer Will be Different and also Funny Story. They're pretty different so can't really compare but I'm loving both so far so hopefully I can stick with it. I do think these two seem the most tropey compared to the other books so far and I think it's fun but it might also start to lose me so idk. I heard about both Happy Place and Funny Story also being made into movies too. Also it was just announced that Every Summer After will be a tv show apparently. Idk why cuz that reminds me too much of the summer I turned pretty, that's also a show. Actually I think Happy Place is supposed to be a show too. I guess I don't like when everything is made into a show when it could just easily be a movie. I get that you can add more stuff..I think I'm just less likely to finish a show than movie but I hope it's good. What do you think? I think they're easy to imagine as movies but it's just hard to imagine the casting if that makes sense. I also might try to read the Outsiders and Gatsby at the same time too apparently but we will see lol. I'm glad you've been enjoying your reads and always check out your recommendations.

Happy August! Lol I can't believe it's August already. I hope you have a great month. I remember I meant to reply to you sooner to say something about the anniversary of your eras show but for some reason I forgot. Then mine just passed which is already a week after yours but I still thought about you. I can't believe that was my last concert and my next will be my other favorite artist at the end of this month. For collabs, I just think about the re recordings and I think someone once suggested Noah Kahan on debut and I wouldn't mind that. I've also thought of Kelly Clarkson for debut which is something I would really want for 10 year old me and Tim McGraw so it can be kinda full circle and maybe how she collabed with Keith Urban. I haven't thought of any collabs for rep actually and I would even like it if it didn't have any..like 1989. I would say Halsey and maybe Selena if she decides to release Need. Lorde is also a popular answer I wouldn't mind but idk if these are likely. There may have been Sabrina Carpenter collab rumors at some point and I enjoy their voices when they sang together but don't know what it would be like or for rep or debut. Or it could just be okay..like the Gracie one so who knows. I would also love Soccer Mommy on debut since she covered a debut song and she's from Nashville. She toured with the National so maybe Taylor knows who she is and that would make me very happy. What about you?

What do you think of the possibility of rep being announced or released pretty soon this year? There's a lot of theories about it being announced possibly today actually. Part of me thinks she wouldn't release it for a while but part of me also thinks she would wanna release it before tour is over. I don't know how I feel about debut but I doubt they would be released this soon cuz we got a new album this year. I have no idea anymore though honestly. She also could release while she is on a break from tour next month so it's hard to know. That's what she did with TTPD. What do you think?

Soccer Mommy also just announced her new album yesterday and I am very excited for it! It's called Evergreen and comes out in October. I actually think this album will be a little different for her..like more mellow which I was saying reminded me a bit of Folklore. Now with the name..it also reminds me of Evermore too and I love that connection so much. It could be her version of a fall album which also reminds me of Red and the name having green in the title and green is my favorite color. I know that's irrelevant to the meaning but it was funny cuz it reminded me of Red. I totally recommend her music. I will listen to Clairo today and give my opinion but I like what I've heard so far. What else have you been listening to? Sorry if I forgot anything but as always I hope you are doing well and have a lovely weekend!

it's totally fine to send things in parts! don't stress about it my friend 🤍

and yes! happy to explain notebook to you, although i will be able to do a better job after i see it again — do you mind if we wait a few weeks and then i get back to you on the notebook! i have cried at many a show! i am a crier! i cry at everything! i was actually talking to my friend allison tonight about that; the shows i've cried the most at were waitress, and ragtime for sure. but waitress even more so (which means ... seeing it in san francisco in january with two of my best friends — who don't know each other — is going to be a fun way to start off a trip). i've cried at cinderella. for no reason at all. i think it'd be easier to name a show that didn't make me cry haha. it's just ... the magic of theatre! that being said ... i did not cry when i saw les mis on tour last year, so do with that what you will!

i hope you're enjoying your reads! i meant to reread funny story once it came out and still haven't, but maybe i'll get to that soonish. i do think that both of them are very, very tropey and i hope you're enjoying it! what are some of your favorite tropes? ever summer after is very much like the summer i turned pretty, but with older characters, so i'm curious to see how it does! i didn't realize it was being turned into a tv show! did you see the people we meet on vacation casting? do you have thoughts? i really liked emily in my lady jane, and i'm keeping an open mind on tom, since i haven't actually seen him in anything except for tiktok fancams and tumblr gifsets haha. he's a sweetheart though (we have mutual friends) and i'm happy for his success!

happy happy august!!!! i hope your august is going great! you're seeing 21p at the end of the month, right? i can't wait to hear about it! i don't know if i'll be around much at the end of the month since i'll be in new york but know that i'll be thinking of you and i will be seeing things on my phone (just probably not responding, since i hate typing long messages on my phone) if you want to send in a concert review 🥺! oh noah on debut would be so fun!! i would actually really love that! i'd also like kacey musgraves, or maggie rogers on debut! i was listening to halsey earlier today (i was spinning badlands on vinyl) and was thinking of how cool a halsey rep feature or 1989 feature would be! i've heard of soccer mommy but haven't done a discography dive in! but now that you've mentioned them, i'll check them out 🤍

did you see that maisie and holly are opening for taylor? 🥺🥺🥺 i'm so proud of my girls but also terrified for what their future concerts will be like haha. i've been seeing a LOT of rep theories and i do think the easter egg/clowners have a point but i also wonder if she'd do the same thing (announce a recording on tour) twice. personally i'd want her to wait until after tour, but i do see why she'd want to release it on tour. i just think that her (and ttpd) are everywhere and it'd be good for there to be a break haha.

i didn't know green is your favorite color! pink is mine, although i don't think that's going to be much of a shock! i was also spinning clairo's immunity on vinyl today! i feel like i've just been listening to a lot of my usuals (maisie, holly, sabrina, gretta ray — have we talked about gretta ray? i love her! highly recommend her!) and then musicals! musicals galore! a lot of sondheim 🤍 and a lot of olivia rodrigo in preparation for my concert tomorrow, and the japanese house for the concert i'm going to next week! eeeee!

hope you're doing well! thinking of you and sending hugs!

[clarasghosts]

thanks @duplicitywrites for the tag! i'm finally responding a little into 2023, but i am responding!

this also made me realize how little i actually posted in 2022...

rules:

post the top 5 works you're most proud of that you released in 2022 (not necessarily your most popular),

your top 4 current WIPs that you're excited to release in the new year,

your top 3 biggest improvements in your writing over the past year,

your top 2 resolutions (ways you wish to improve your writing/blog) for the new year,

and your number 1 favorite line you've written this year!

tagging: not sure who to tag, really, since the fic writers i know that haven't already been tagged (i think) are in different fandoms than the one i wrote in this past year. so please, respond if you'd like and tag me!

five works:

turns out i actually only posted for two different works in 2022, so i'll share those:

the garden walls grow quick (15k, wip)

my tomarry hill house au, where harry, hermione, and luna are invited by tom to take part in a supernatural experiment. this is that rare fic i went into without any real plan at all, but writing it was necessary because it's calming for me. hill house (the novel), strangely enough, is like self care for me, so writing a tomarry au of it is like self care, too. (turns out i actually last updated this at the very end of 2021, but whatever, i'm using it here. it doesn't feel like it's been that long because 2020-2022 is actually just one long year)

2. you in my life (3k)

ginny/luna post canon fic i wrote for the background tomarrymort fest. i've always loved the idea of ginny and luna, and i really wanted to write something very human for luna. it's canon compliant apart from the hints of voldemort's survival (since 'tom' is in an established relationship with harry)

works in progress:

the garden walls grow quick

this fic still means a lot to me, and i look forward to continuing it.

2. a hollow grave (20k so far)

i only have one last chapter to write for this tomarry sleepy hollow canon divergence! but endings are the hardest to write. i promise i have not abandoned this fic, and i know how it ends. the ending is actually the idea that inspired me to write the first two chapters.

3. she sought death (14k so far)

whouffaldi, post hell bent. i actually just posted the penultimate chapter of this fic last night! i originally plotted out this murder mystery in 2016, so it's really great to see it finally come together. i fully plan to post the final chapter this year, hopefully within the next month (again, endings are hard to write).

4. in these times (6k so far)

whouffaldi first wizarding war au. i last updated this fic in 2020, but it still lives in my brain always. there's so much in it that i love writing: clara being friends with the other companions, queer rose, bill & heather, magic, and a dark atmosphere.

improvements:

i really thought a lot about what i really meant when i used words like "realize", "knew", etc., and rewrote at least some of the sentences that used those words so i could make the reader realize or know them instead.

a lot of the writing i do doesn't get post on ao3 (academic, poetry, etc.), but i have discovered over the past year that when i have limitations (time limit, specific poetic form), my writing gets stronger because it forces me to really focus on what i'm trying to say, and how i can craft a way to say that as strongly and clearly as possible. i also found out that in poetry, i naturally tend toward 6 or 8 syllables, and that 10 syllables (pentameter) results in me writing garbage lines.

i wrote things! literally writing at all last year was such a win for me. for those of you that have been here for a while, you know that before i finished grad school, i wrote constantly and in abundance. but since 2018, i've barely been able to write anything at all. i've worked a lot on it, and i feel that my biggest obstacle now is my own inner critic who keeps me from writing so i don't write awful things (when writing awful things is a very necessary part of the process). when i try to write, my brain just stops seeing the story, the world, the characters, so i can't get more than a thought or two down. moving through that and writing things at all is a success.

resolutions:

write! write anything and everything. write badly. journal. note down overheard conversations and describe people/places. the only way to write is to write.

don't force something to happen. if a certain project isn't working at the moment, set it aside and work on something new. completing things is important, but there's no joy to be had in throwing yourself against a wall. the momentum to write builds on itself, so this year i just want to keep writing.

one line:

this is actually really hard because i secretly hate pretty much everything i've written over the past few years.

"[Tom's] older than them, though she’s not sure by how much, and the most forward he’s been about his work is that he had left a political career behind for new ventures." (you in my life, because writing dramatic irony can be fun, and 'tom' here is very much voldemort barely pretending to not be voldemort.

[purplerose244]

My thoughts on Seabound!!! 🌊🌊🌊 (1/4)

SPOILERS ALERT!!!

Finally Nya's season! Our queen, our water goddess, our amazing girl gets what she deserves! 😍😍😍

What I know about the season beforehand is that Nya's powers apparently are getting problematic for some reasons? Which is a pretty common topic in other shows but it's a first in Ninjago, usually the elemental powers don't have focus and I LOVE that we now get to see stuff like that 💕💕💕

I know there should be Wojira involved, trusting The Island to deliver that little foreshadowing at the end of the episode 🤷‍♀️ Also Maya is back... MAYA IS FINALLY BACK AFTER SEVEN SEASONS YES!!! 😭😭😭

I have nothing else to say, I have no idea what this will bring, hopefully something as good as Master of the Mountain! 🖤

Alright, here we go!

GENERAL THOUGHTS

Warning reader, I might be fangirling to an extreme because I love mah girl Nya and I've been wanting Kai and Nya's parents to be back ever since Hands of Time ended. So yeah... screaming alert 😅

At this point I don't doubt that the intro is great, we reached such a level of animation and we got The Fold 😍😍 Love the marine vibe and how it's similar to The Island, because it's a great intro 👌

NOW I like the writing! Maybe they rushed the dialogue's quality for The Island to get here? It's just fun and in character, maybe it's just me but I'm enjoying it a lot for now

How many episodes are in this? Wiki says ten, then I checked again and it's sixteen like with Master of Mountain... eh, it looks good so far so it's fine whatever happens 🤷‍♀️

A BIG SPLASH

Oohhh, new villain! One that uses... flames... huh, does she know there's literally a master of fire in the ninja team? Eh whatever she looks cute, give it up for Miss Demeanor!! 👏👏

Wait... OMG IS THAT ERIN MATTHEWS??? WE GOT MACY!! ❤❤❤

Whoa, we're finding out where did the order of the vengestone from season 13 come from?? YAS! CONTINUITY!

Yep, there it is, Nya lost control... her attacks look so cool 😍

Lol that kid trying to be a nindroid and Zane being offended 😂😂 Sorry hun, you're that popular

Aaahhh, thank you Ninjago! You gave me back Nya the perfectionist 😂 I was worried her reaction to her powers wasn't going to be in character but it looks fair so far. Brings me back to Possession, my favorite season 💙💙💙

WE GOT BACK THE FACT THAT SHE CAN MAKE IT RAIN!!! YAS!!! I might be easy to please but I love these details 🤩

🤯🤯🤯 Okay they are definitely going somewhere this time and I LOVE IT, because wow. WOW. Are we actually addressing the forever questioned fact that wind and water weren't elements that Chen needed at the Tournament? Are we giving a reason for them to exist outside the main set of elements and the elemental masters?? Duuuude, season 15 don't let me stop you, keep going 😍

Mm, so water and wind are connected to Wojira (now I see the connection with the special). Are we setting the ground for a new master of wind? 😏😏 It's risky going for a Morro replacement but it's a super intriguing idea! Oooor Edgy Boy TM might come back? WHO KNOWS I'M CURIOUS ANYWAY 🤩

Love how it is universal knowledge that Nya is super indipendent 👌

YES YES FINALLY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAYA!!! 😍😍😍 Is it too much hoping into a Ray cameo as well?? Pleaaaase? Also addressing Krux after so many seasons, this feels exciting!! 😊

This is what I'm talking about, training, fighting scenes, show me everything that water goddess can do! 🌊🌊🌊

Aaahhh, Nya flexing her mightiness through anger, just to remind us that she is the descendant of a water master as much as of a fire master 😅

YES YES YES YES IT'S HAPPENING FINALLY AFTER SEVEN SEASON THE FIRE WATER PARENTS ARE FINALLY BACK!!! 🔥🌊🔥🌊🔥🌊 I'M SO HAPPY I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG!!! 😭

RAY IS THERE TOO HECK YES!!!! 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍 I shouldn't get this excited at only the first episode... WHO CARES RAY IS BAAAAACK!!! ❤❤❤

Omg Maya is definitely different from what I expected, turns out Kai's enthusiasm came from her 😂

Oh look at my flame babe 😍

He's so happy his parents are here, he's a total family man ❤❤❤

Nya is maaaaad... 😅

THERE SHE IS

WELCOME BACK JILLIAN I MISSED YOU 💚💚💚 Would it be too much having a "Your voice sounds familiar" moment with Maya and Lloyd? 😂

I'm so stoked for this! I want all the interactions I've missed for all of this time, asap!! HECK yes!! 😍😍😍😍

Oh, are we looking over the Miss Demeanor, vengestone situation? Mm... for now at least... WHO CARES FIRE WATER PARENTS!! 🔥🌊🔥🌊🔥🌊

THE CALL OF THE DEEP

Imma just slow clap for The Fold because this is another amazing intro, one of those things in this show that stays awesome no matter what happens 👍👍

So Maya gave Nya her discipline and perfectionism, but not the passion behind it 😂 I like this, it's not your conventional master of water, although I'd say it's different from the impression she gave me back in HoT. Maybe this is how she is when she's not trapped for fifty years? 😅😅

Is it too much asking for Kai and Ray bonding while the water women get the work done? 😅😅

Is this the sequel of Green Eggs and Ham?

Green Pancakes and Ham? 😂

Oh it's seaweed nevermind... at breakfast? I'm all for sushi rolls but this is a little 😅 Although since Maya missed their childhood she probably never cooked meals for them... how did I get myself sad 😢

Whoa, Maya is a strict teacher! I got flashbacks from my first and only dance lesson, teachers nitpicking every single pose, uuurrrggg I feel ya waterlily 😡

Again, not a fan of Misako, but coming from her the whole speech about wanting to be there for her child makes a lot of sense

Yes. YES.

YEEEEESSSS KAI AND RAY FAMILY BONDING THIS IS EVERYTHING I'VE EVER WANTED I'M GETTING ALL OF MY WISHES GRANTED FOR THIS ONE ❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤

AND MY FLAME BABE IS SO GLAD HE GOT HIS PARENTS!!! 😭😭😭

Lol with Kai's new hair they look even more related 🤣

Ray also sounds so happy he gets to have his moment with his son 😢 I feel so blessed in this moment 👍

Also this scene makes a lot of sense. Nya grew up to be indipendent, one that succeed in most of stuff without problems, she built her life without any help and doesn't look for it. Kai grew up more insecure, he got some walls up but loves to take care of others and be taken care of. With a childhood lost he looks forward to a bit of softness ❤❤

Did Maya make real bacon for that sandwich? Do I smell some favoritism? 😅 Or maybe she really wants Nya to get onto the water mind setting idk 🤷‍♀️

Little tiny complain, why isn't Jay doing the fixing? Did he give up mechanics completely? It feels like we haven't seen him do tech stuff in so long, I miss techy boy in action 😞

And no, having to check on the bathroom doesn't count 😅

Aww robot date 💜🤍💜🤍

AAAHH ROBOT DISASTER 😱😱😱 ZANE DANG IT YOU WERE DOING SO GOOD NOT TRYING TO DIE IN THE LAST TWO SEASONS!!

Oh that was weird, weird magic purple wave thingie?

I DID NOT ASK FOR A SEASON WITH A BEST GIRL AT THE EXPENCE OF ANOTHER BEST GIRL PIX DON'T YOU DARE DO THIS TO ME 😱😱😱😱😱

"Well this is troubling." I love this samurai so freaking much 💜💜💜

GUYS THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND EPISODE, I'M A LITTLE SCARED NOW 😢

Okay Nya admitting that something's wrong looking so apologetic, girl you don't need to do that you already own my heart 😭

Alright, I'm guessing this is Wojira's power or something, and they will have to go down below and find out why... just throwing this in, maybe Maya did something? Because she wanted to finally be with her family and needed an excuse? JUST A THEORY WITH NO BASE I REALLY HOPE I'M WRONG!!!

Okay, two episodes and I'm BEYOND engaged, let's keep it up! 😍

UNSINKABLE

Getting an idea how this episode might end already 😂😂

Look, I love best girl Pixal, but I'm kinda sad that she seems to be the only one tinkering at this point. Like, I saw Nya fix little stuff, while Jay dropped engineering altogether, I miss my engineers team 😭

Aww, the guys didn't want to crush Pixal's dream of an unsinkable boat 💜 But honestly yeah, I agree with Cole, this might end badly 😅😅

Thank goodness

I was worried they forgot about Jaya ❤💙❤💙 Jay is such a cutie omg

Nya: Mm, going on a potentially dangerous mission with unstable powers in the heart of my element or... mom's tofu pancakes... *yeets herself over the ship*

I'm making too many screenshots of the Smith family... WHO CARES THEY ARE BACK AND THEY ALL LOOK SO GOOD!!! 😍😍😍😍

Aww Ray wants to play with his son and his friends so CUTE ❤❤❤ Still can't believe they play Prime Empire after everything that went down 😂😂

Whoa whoa whoa, Kai and Cole are sitting this one out? That's actually interesting, I'm pretty sure I saw Cole's scuba suit in the sets though so I didn't expect it... lol it's actually kinda fair that the two that used to be afraid of water aren't going 😂😂

Bet Kai is happy to stay behind because he gets to spend time with his dad 😭

Also studying the fire elementals?? Uhm, yes please?? TELL ME EVERYTHING ABOUT MY FLAME BABE!!! 😍😍😍😍

I'm sure this one scene...

... made so many lavashippers happy ❤🖤❤🖤 Cole you got Ray's blessing

Ninja team acting cool while Jay is being Jay, it's how it always goes, it's the entire show's description and I absolutely love it 😂 That wink though 💙

PIRATE ZANE IS BACK 😂😂😂 Haven't seen him since Possession, and this time he's not even malfunctioning 👌 Pixal is so done with his dorky boyfriend 😝

Of course Jay already has a ghost butler theory going on 😂

OF COURSE IT'S MAYA 😂😂

To be honest muffins would sold me too 😅 Not sure if she will make them out of tofu again though...

It's actually really interesting that we still haven't met the actual enemies, it does build up excitment! Very curious about these squid guys 👍

Well what do you know, the Unsinkable sank. Who would have thought?

... yeah same, sorry Pix 😅

FIVE THOUSANDS FATHOMS DOWN

Aaaahhh, Nya fixing stuff! That's more like it!! 😍😍

Oww, that one speech, I've been waiting for so long for that! Maya just wants to catch up with her daughter and it's not her fault she was separated from her children, but Nya did everything on her own with Kai. Only fair she isn't seeking for her help right now... still sad 😢

Pff, with this ninja team there's not a moment of privacy 😂😂

Maya cleaning his future son-in-law's laundry what the HECK 😂😂😂 To be fair Jay has a bit of a history of having to change underwears during sea travels 😝

Zane was attached to a battery? When?... are you talking about that one scene in Prime Empire? Cause that's not really a flashback I wanna ha- whoops never mind got the flashback 😱

Maya looks more calm now, I think she's trying to act more reasonable and she's got good points 👍 I know people were a little weirded out by how more cheerful she looks in comparison to Hands of Time, but I think she gets the most serious and rational when time needs. That's actually fascinating of her 🤔

CALLING OUT AN ATTEMPTED MURDER

THIS GIRL IS TOO GORGEOUS MY HEART CAN'T TAKE IT 🤩🤩🤩 Like my gosh that smirk, what the heck Pix 💜💜💜

Okay but Jay looking at Nya until the doors are completely closed?? CAN YOU FEEL MY JAYA HEART BEATING?? ❤💙❤💙

Whoa green gas I thought this was Nya's season 😂

MAYA WHY ARE YOU SAYING THIS STUFF YOU'RE SCARING ME 😱😱😱 I SWEAR LEGO IF YOU BROUGHT BACK WATER MOM JUST TO KILL HER OFF I'M GONNA SUE YOU 😭😭😭

I really REALLY like the atmosphere of the entrante of the temple! Super sealike and ancient! 🌊🌊🌊

Maya: off we go, into the spooky old temple! (Why does it feel like something Kai would say? 😂)

Oh gee, someone sleeping in the deep, who could that be? Coff Wojira coff

Whoa the jellyfishes look pretty lifelike!

HERE HE COMES

WELCOME BACK GILES!!! ONCE AGAIN ON A LEGO SHOW I MISSED YOU SO MUCH YOU AND YOUR GODLIKE VOICE!!! 😍😍😍😍 Gosh he's a villain but he's got Clay's voice, how can I even try to hate him?? 😅

Alright, knocking down my water girls, that is pretty hateful material... BUT CLAAAYYY 💙💙💙

So they need the two amulets to wake up Wojira? Isn't one on the island? Fire dad and son coming to the rescue? WHO KNOWS BUT I'M ENJOYING THIS A LOT SO FAR KEEP GOING SEABOUND 😍😍😍

[lovely-low-waster]

It’s important to realize that we don’t all have money to make all the swaps let alone all at once -- not that that’s the right thing to do irregardless. Everyone should feel welcome into transitioning to a low waste lifestyle without feeling obliged to feel like they need lots of money to achieve it. Everyone comes from a different background and it’s important to acknowledge that much of zero waste culture is whitewashed and aesthetics based which perpetrates an unattainable standard. Most these swaps are things that I had been doing a lot of when I was younger when my family didn’t have much extra money. It ensures that everyone can get a start without having to put in any extra investments. 

Hang drying clothes is free, though having a stand or line to hang them on is helpful. I bought a stand, but my grandparents have an indoor clothesline that they DIY out of some thick rope strung up in the basement ceiling where you can hang dry clothes on hangers off the ceiling. They did this with what they had around the house. 

Skipping plastic produce bags is simple, but can take extra time. If you already have some kinds of reusable bag you don’t have to purchase new ones as they do seem pretty common at events as freebies or goodie bags. If you don’t you can request if they have paper bags you can use that can be recycled later. If you truly want to go packaging free you can just put groceries back into the cart and bring them in. This isn’t particularly feasible however and you can’t carry many items at a time; though it works well if you’re only running in and grabbing a few items. You can also repurpose plastic bags you already have from past shopping trips to give them a full life before they’re thrown away as most bags don’t show hardly any wear after a single use. 

Paperless billing is super simple. Most mobile banking apps have a section where you can pick an option for paperless billing, or call the customer service  to opt in. I’ve done this and had it this way for several years now. Additionally you can see if other bills can get automatically billed to you so they don’t have to send the paper bills out. This can extend to receipts as well because if you think about it they are the bills you get for your purchases. You can either opt for no receipt at all or if there’s the option, if you’d like, get a digital receipt emailed to you. 

Mending clothing is a skill everyone one should have regardless. Many people can’t afford to buy sustainable clothing new and sometimes thrifting clothing just needs a little repair. Fast fashion isn't made to last a long time, but learning how to repair them can give them more time before they are no longer useable. You can also extend your skills to upcycle clothing into a whole new garments or something different with sewing skills. Simple hemming, running, and back stitches are easiest to learn and cover nearly everything you’d need. Additionally darning is very good to repair socks or holes that aren't on a seam. 

Especially now with take-out being popular I end up with single use silverware. I try to ask for them not include them but sometimes they still make their way back into my home. I’ll take them with me especially if I’m with small children who might lose the nicer bamboo or steel cutlery I’ve got, or if I’ll be out with friends who don't carry their own reusable silverware. If I can I’ll try and take them back home to keep washing them a few times. 

There’s several things you can repurpose t-shirt for including bags, but rags is my favorite. They don't fray when they wash so they’re especially good for cleaning rags. This is good for those old t-shirts that are too damaged or stained to donate. Just cut them up into whatever size you’d like and get cleaning!

I’m notorious for collecting baggies and rewashing them after I use them. Especially if they’ve been used to store dry goods like small cookies or other treats that really haven't left any mark on the bags. Another thing I do this with since I'm an avid baker is piping bags! The cost for these “single-use” goods really starts to add up so being able to use them several times is very economical. I’d also extend this to plastic take-out containers or plastic tubs food from the store comes in. I like to save these especially around the holidays or for any other upcoming event where I can use them as tupperware to send people home with leftovers. 

I’ve never actually met someone who lines their recycling but it is super easy to skip. I have a two compartment trash can and will leave the recycling bin unlined. There shouldn't be anything dripping or making a mess anyways inside of it so I feel alright skipping it altogether. If it’s too big to put in there and I don’t have time to take it out right away I’ll also just make a small pile on the counter next to the bin and take it out from there. 

Turning off the lights should be a no brainer as I feel like our parents bugged us to do it as kids and for good reason! I’d also extend this to unplugging things that aren’t in constant or regular use. I especially think this is important when you are going on vacation because you know with certainty you won't be using any of the devices at home. 

Lastly is eating less meat. Of course not everyone can or wants to go vegan or vegetarian but opting for practices like meatless Mondays or cutting down from eating three things of meat a day to two will drastically reduce your impact. Cows and other animals where we get red meats have especially large environmental impacts compared to other animals we consume. Meat is also one of the most expensive items at the grocery so it can save you some money to purchase less. It’s also good to try and make your meat go as far as you can my making use of the bones and all the meat. 

Hopefully some of these will inspire you to make these free swaps where you can as they really don’t require any additional effort to make the switch. They’re great too to tell friends who are looking to be more eco friendly and don’t know where to start. Let me know of another free swaps you know of in the comments!

(image source @shopwithgoodintent on Instagram)

[sophsun1]

(this is just personal opinion so you know - grain of salt) I really enjoyed the first few seasons of arrested development but I found the last season like unwatchable. so idk you seem so nice and I was so disappointed by the change in quality so I wanted to give a bit of a warning

do you have any other comedy recs please?

Hey anon!

Oh bless you for being so sweet 💛

I did see that it got cancelled in between the seasons kinda like Community did and changed networks so I thank you for the heads up but I'm not entirely surprised to hear the quality drops. The first 3 seasons of Community are god tier and then there's ups and downs but it's never the same. With all shows there's also either a dud season unless it ends within 3/4 seasons.

I did read that the creator of Arrested Development said that he felt he'd told the story within the first 3 seasons, however it continued on having changed hands creatively with the networks. And that's the battle to know when to stop, sometimes that might be earlier than the fans want but retaining the quality rather than continuing and the lasting memory being oh yeah, those final few seasons sucked.

I'm excited to enjoy it for however long I can and will most likely throw my thoughts out there.

I'll give you a list of stuff I've seen and loved and things that have been recommended to me.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia - 15 seasons of pure unhinged chaos and I love it

Derry Girls - This is an example of only 3 seasons but they're pure quality and will make you laugh and cry

Only Murders In The Building - This is currently airing every week we're on Season 2 and it's such an easy watch with a slice of crime solving so it brings together two of my favourite things to watch. Martin Short makes the show for me, Oliver my beloved <3

Stath Lets Flats - Now this was recommended to me and I will say it's definitely a marmite kinda show. Ngl I didn't know how I felt about it until maybe the 3/4 episode mark it is sort of surreal comedy. But once I got into it I loved it , it's very unique and I did laugh out loud so many times and bonus you will acquire a whole new vocabulary from it. It's 3 seasons I'm not sure whether there will be a fourth but I hope so!

Community - This is one of my favourites I'm still rewatching episodes here and there. The first 3 seasons are award winning, the paintball episodes and the Law & Order spoof Oscar worthy 10/10 recommend.

Abbot Elementary - Recently finished this it's very wholesome but funny. Season 2 continues in September whoo hoo!

What We Do In The Shadows - People rave about this have yet to watch.

Please Like Me - This was a recommendation I personally didn't love it but it is a popular show but I'm not sure how well known.

If you love It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia then one of the creators stars in his own show called Mythic Quest. Now I lasted 10 mins of the pilot because the pronunciation of his characters name made my ears bleed but I have since been told that there's a reason for this lmao. I think I will resume my watch at some point.

Schitts Creek - I hated the first two episodes but again I have been informed you have to power through the first season which may test your strength to get to the gold at the end of the other seasons. If you're strong enough anon you may succeed.

Daria - It has been so long since I've last watched this but I remember religiously watching it weekly when it came out. Now as I've gotten older I realised Daria was always right. It's an animated sitcom but so good. It's my pinned post too!

This is all I can remember I mostly see gifs on the dash and check stuff out or my TV angel anon will recommend stuff to me! Hopefully you haven't seen these already 😅