#I feel silly scheduling the post for 8 am but i wrote this at 6 am and I am about to fall asleep and maybe get 2 hours of sleep

[willows-unnamed-rpg]

Post 1) Overall idea - turn based pirate rpg/ttrpg system

TLDR: I am working on a ttrpg system as a basis for a turn based rpg that is magic, piracy, and exploration. A focus on wealth and growth plus a vast world (hopefully). I am inspired by alot of things, mainly horror and pirate media, so the intent is a more darker setting

Ok onto the post :)

I figured if I actually want to get this bloody game in production I might as well start with a long post detailing some initial thoughts with some hope of any amount of actual engagement (doubtful that is). This thing has lived in my brain for weeks now and it has officially kept me up at night now. Figured I should post something out into the world. Now I guess I should have some form of organizing

Why a turn based rpg

Honestly, it's what I love. I grew up playing RPGs and I love table top RPGs. I figured it was this or action rpg and I don't want an action rpg. Granted it might fit the genre more but also I'm the one making it the thing so I get to call the shots (until someone else hops in if I ever get someone else)

I also Game Master several table top games currently so I have an understanding of combat flow and narrative, I am just used to others adding to the story rather than it being all me (since ttrpgs are inherently collaborative works)

I have some ideas for the system, something I want to go into detail when I am less sleep deprived, but in short I want it to be classless but still guiding the player to general play styles, like mage or tank. I know pirates and magic, but the whole magical dungeon diving fits exploring ancient ruins for money (plus casting a big old fireball at a ship sounds cool as hell).

So a custom rpg system?

Yes. Like I want it to work on its own as a standalone ttrpg system. Since I should be able to make it translate well into a video game. I mean that's the hope. I won't be the first person to do this (look at all the d&d games from the 1980s on dos to BG3, it works)

The idea as said above is classless with point buying perks (kinda like fallout). Unsure if I want it to be a d20 system but I am absolutely going for high roll is better since low roll systems hurt my head (looking at 2e dnd, had to learn it for some dos d&d games and it took a bit of getting used to). But it's all subjected to change since it's literally this post and my brain

Pirates?

You bet. Look, the only good pirate games are Assassin Creed: Black Flag and Sea of Thieves and both are subjective. Of course the big problem here comes from the question of how much time do we put into ship combat to make it fluid. Especially with turn based rpg combat. And I know that will be the challenge. I will not back down from this point. I want ship combat. Even if it's just boarding other vessels. I want fireballs to light gunpowder holds and deal massive damage. I want artificers repairing the ship and manning guns. I want the player to feel at full control and be able to react while making choices that fit into the system. Without it being full on simulation.

As for the player exploration off the boat, that should be easy, like any other RPGs. Of course I have done ttrpg games not video games so I know it will be a pain nonetheless but that's learning and art.

So about that world for exploring

I want that to be it's own post once I nail down the system's mechanics but in short, kinda an Isekai (well not literally, the player isn't from another world, not yet anyway) but all the "Species" (no idea what I want to use for the word) are not native to the world, and so they have been invited over time to explore a long dead universe that they brought in their own beliefs. Does that mean human Christianity mixing with let's say elven nature faith? It's been in my mind as a neat idea but also *yikes* as well. I want to be sure that I consider everything, including cultures who were exploited during the age of sail so I don't propagate more harm. So that will require a lot of research and help from those communities. I also don't want to plop in fantasy races "just because" since they probably won't belong. We tend to see them because Western fantasy is typically "eurocentric", and this game will not be. Pirates were European sure but that ignores so many other groups (Barbary Pirate, Malagasy, South East Asian. Again I need to do more research)

I have tied in my own Mexican culture into my ttrpg games before but that's my own culture and in a small group. This is far larger and I need to give the world the respect it deserves.

What kind of art style?

I am not a very good artist so this one will be in the air until I settle, but I need to grow or get help. I would like something near realism (Honestly like how the Paradox Strategy games tend to do art, EU4 especially since it's the right period of time but again that's eurocentric so who knows)

I can't settle on a style when I haven't even made custom stat blocks for creatures or even know what creatures will be in the game yet. I will say, I love pixel art but I'm aware of exactly how much work it takes to make it wonderful. I have exactly zero skill in most art/drawing and what I do have need work, so best get to doodling to get better

The story?

On my main blog I usually write (though I am bad at posting, let's not make that a habit shall we?) but that doesn't mean I'm good at writing. Writing like drawing is an art, so I need to work on this and get help from others as it warms up. I don't want to disregard writing, it's an rpg, it lives by the narrative.

Other than exploring the world for money, I like the idea of it being focused on either one country or one city. A pirate republic. You could leave on expeditions and come back and those would be arcs. Do everything around town, hang out with companions, romance, and then to move the narrative along we build up to an expedition that changes the republic. Kinda like Dragon Age 2 and Kirkwall (not going into it here since spoilers for the game) but I really like this idea. You can see growth and change and get an impact on the narrative. Obviously this isn't anything new. But it's always a good time

My Inspirations?

That is a hell of a question. I have alot, ranging from Dark Fantasy/Gothic Horror with Ravenloft, Dragon Age, From Software's Library, Lovecraft's work (he isn't gothic horror I know, Eldritch is different but also water monsters in a ocean setting hits good) to pirate media with One Piece, the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies and the actual historical pirates I know.

And Obviously with any game, Lord of the Rings and System Shock 2 despite how far apart both are and possibly irrelevant they are.

I don't have any current "required reading" minus The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings (and maybe The Dunwitch Horror?)

I guess my inspirations lead me to a darker world, which fits real pirates well

[erisenyo]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks to @noexoozes for the tag!!

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 40!! Though a few of them are drabbles/shorter things from tumblr that I've been slowly porting over, so without those its 32

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 1,638,585 lol holy shit

3. What fandoms do you write for? ATLA! Though I'm thinking about having a go at the Radiant Emperor for @radiantemperorweek if my schedule allows it 🤞I've also been Consumed lately by a particularly pairing of the Game Changers series by Rachel Reid, with a few specific things I'd love to see that were offscreen in the books, so we shall see there as well...

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Love is in the Hair - post-canon established Zukka, one-shot, banter, silliness, identity shenanigans with people not realizing they're sharing political gossip with the Fire Lord

These Things Written - part one of the series that started it all, "what if Zukka was canon", three-part full series rewrite, lots of angst, lots of smut, lots of feels (and technically the next two parts are also on this list, but instead-)

Lessons in Proper Asset Management - post-canon established Zukka, smutty one-shot, Sokka's competence kink vs Zuko being really good at finance, absurdity ensues

Part-Time Plumber, Full-Time Problem - Modern AU smutty Zukka one-shot, based on a grindr exchange about needing a wrench, identity shenanigans, banter, and Mai and Suki absolutely roasting their respective BFFs

Ten Rules For Sleeping With You - canon and post-canon get-together > established relationship fic, all the things Sokka has learned when it comes to sleeping next to Zuko

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes! I am very behind right now, but I appreciate the time and thought people put into them so much, and I love chatting back!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Ohh I love a happy ending, so this is hard. Its probably Darling I Think There's Maybe Something You Should Know, part of my Zukki series where we end with Sokka and Suki realizing Zuko doesn't think they're together, and has been going on other dates.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? I love a happy ending, so this is hard in a different way! I'll go with To Be Named, To Be Known (To Be Loved), because ending with a big wedding and laughter just sets a particular mood :)

8. Do you get hate on fics? I wouldn't classify it as hate as much as people occasionally disagreeing with certain characterization, usually Iroh or Katara from the Burning Bright series, and having a lot of feelings about it.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Lol you bet I do. And basically all of it? I think the only thing I haven't written technically is f/f and that's just because I haven't had time for my foursome get-together fic yet

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? Not yet and I'm not sure I will, sometimes the framework of two stories fits well together, but I tend more toward AUs than crossovers

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes! These Things Written was translated into Russian

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Technically Night Call, though that was more like tumblr posting back and forth that suddenly got long enough for AO3 haha

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship? I primarily write Zukka, but I have so many favorites! I love Zukki, Jetko is great, my Jeeko longfic idea has had me in its grips for years, there are ships across other fandoms I love to read. I'm a multishipper at heart.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I...don't actually have any of these. I only post thing when they're already finished, and I don't do well writing multiple works at one time, so I tend to just finish things sequentially rather than have a bunch of WIPs floating around. (Ideas that I want to write but may never...that's a whole different question.)

16. What are your writing strengths? I think I'm really good at writing fun smut scenes that still back a lot of emotional punch, and I love dialogue! I also think I'm good at inverting tropes and reader expectations in fun ways to draw out/build narrative tension.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Descriptions, probably. I struggle to make place and people descriptions feel integrated into the next, rather than like clunkily bolted on. Usually I feel like its interrupting the pacing and I end up cutting it significantly back.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? I'd be cautious of it if I didn't speak it myself, unless I was trying to represent someone with a similar level of competency, just because there are so many nuances of word choice and sentence structure and translation that would probably go over my head.

19. First fandom you wrote for? ATLA!

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? This is impossible to answer! I love them all so much in such different ways. To Open Every Door to Night, To Meet Each Rising Sun will always be up there, writing Azula was so much fun. I think Of Tea and Turtle Ducks (and the Turtle Duck Guy) absolutely knocked the whole overarching metaphor out of the park, To Cleave These Roots We've Made is maybe my best like angst/emotional intensity fic, All Along You Were There (But I Missed It) just delivered on the mood and vision I had so well and showcased this warm romance so perfectly, and I'm really cheating so I'm going to make myself stop there haha

And lets see, tagging @sword-and-stars @spacecasehobbit @ranilla-bean @lizardlicks @hot-flippin-mess and anyone else who wants to play!

[whiskynottea]

An Interruption in the 1st Law of Thermodynamics.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27,  Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 32, Chapter 33, Chapter 34, Chapter 35,  Chapter 36, Chapter 37, Chapter 38, Chapter 39, Chapter 40, Chapter 41, Chapter 42, Chapter 43, Chapter 44,  Chapter 45, Chapter 46, Chapter 47, Chapter 48, Chapter 49, Chapter 50

AO3

A huge thank you to @theministerskat who puts up with me, and keeps betaing this story, 51 chapters in!

Chapter 51. Zambia 

Jamie had been right about one thing. It wasn’t the same.

Everything had changed. My timezone had changed, and two more hours crept in between us. Jamie’s obligations had doubled as he got further into the semester, and his free time became limited. My schedule in the medical program kept me occupied from eight to four-thirty, and then with afternoon clubs, I missed Jamie when he was waking up, and I couldn’t stay awake long enough at night when he’d get back to his dorm.

But the biggest change was the unmitigated disaster our communication had become. Or lack thereof.

The volunteer house had no wifi connection, and I had to walk to a nearby cafe to talk to Jamie, something that was impossible to do during the week since the only time he was able to call me at was midnight.

So I bought a Zambian SIM card and texted him. A lot. It still wasn’t enough, but it was the best I could do. I missed his voice. I missed seeing his face. The few times we attempted a video call all I had managed to see of him was a frozen image. Sometimes clear, sometimes blurred, because he had moved before the connection lagged. I had laughed the first time at the image of Jamie with his mouth open, his eyes turned skywards, as his voice came through the speaker with a relieved ‘finally’. I had thought the problem with the internet connection was random, and it would be better the next time we’d call. It didn’t.

We continued texting, trying to keep our lives intertwined. We sent pictures -- pictures that were pushing the limits of my patience because most of the time it took more than one failed attempt to get them through. Our messages often turned into long monologues, as the other was busy or sleeping. And then, when we had time to check our phones, we found long monologues in return.

That was how I found myself staring at a white piece of paper, brow furrowed, determined to write something that would be more intimate than a text on his phone.

My dear Jamie,

No.

My love,

No. Damn it! How was I supposed to write a whole letter when I couldn’t even write a greeting?

My sweet Scot,

Yes, that’s better.

My sweet Scot,

It’s me, your Sassenach, writing a letter to you, as if we live in the 18th century. I miss our century, to be honest. I miss proper internet connection. This 2G thing sucks.

I paused in my writing, sure that I wouldn’t give a damn about the internet connection if Jamie were with me. With a sigh, I shook my head to scatter those thoughts away. He wasn’t here, and he wasn’t supposed to be. Biting my lip, I continued, trying to focus on the positive things that had happened during the two weeks I had been in Zambia.

Being here is like moving into another dimension. I knew it would be different, but I never would have imagined people living on the same planet as us having such different everyday lives. I thought I was prepared when I landed in Africa, having finished the online training at home, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I omitted telling you last week, but I panicked so much the second day I was here, that I started crying that night in my bed. It’s silly, ridiculous, and it makes no sense, but I felt lost. Alone. It was the first time that I could become lost and Lamb wouldn’t be there to search for me. I had to make it on my own. We had no guidance on how to live here and it seemed so hard to build a life from scratch in a country where I couldn’t even communicate well enough to buy something to eat. I was terrified, Jamie. And I didn’t tell you, because I knew you didn’t want me to come here, and I felt guilty and ungrateful for the chance given to me. Anyway. I’m much better now. I met Louise and she has pretty much made everything easier. She arrived two weeks before I did, and helped me a lot during my acclimation here.

Livingstone is beautiful. It’s rural and wild. Louise said we might visit the Victoria Falls next week, so get ready for pictures! It will be awesome to explore a bit, there are so many things to do!

I know I haven’t said much about the people I’ve met here, but they are usually around and it’s weird for me to be writing about them while they are looking at me. Louise is from France, that much I have told you. She’s a free spirit, straightforward, unabashed for what she says or does, but she’s also sweet and funny. She’s always smiling -- I don’t know how she does it. Sometimes I just want to start crying when I see the scarce medical resources available here. The equipment is limited, the clinics are under-staffed, and the patients too many. But then, that’s the reason I’ve come, right? To help. I decided to help in the children’s department, although I was really tempted to volunteer for the maternity one. Louise opted for the HIV treatment.

For the home-visits, I am usually paired with Margaret. She’s from Virginia and she’s really shy. She often gets lost in daydreams, but she is also so very patient and calm. During these visits we are supervised by Chikondi, which means ‘love’ in Chewa. Isn’t that great? Chikondi is a local caregiver and he’s amazing. His English is very good and he explains every little detail for us to understand what he’s doing and why. We mostly observe and assist him with small things now, but we’ll be able to do more once we get more experience. Yesterday we sat for almost an hour after an examination, listening to the stories of an old man who has been living alone since his wife passed away last year. They had five children, but they have all moved away. We were almost ready to leave, when he looked at me for a long moment and then just started talking. I couldn’t understand a word he was saying, but Chikondi started translating immediately. The man’s words rolled out in his deep voice, taking their time, but his eyes danced as shared his memories with us. And when he finished telling the last story -- how he made fun of his wife for her cooking, but they both knew she was the best cook in the village --  we gathered our equipment to leave and he rose too, saying that it was time to go to see his girl, because she was waiting for him.

It was impossible not to cry as I watched his dragging steps towards the cemetery. Chikondi said that listening to our patients and giving them comfort is just as important as the medical care and health education that we provide. In that moment, I felt as though I’m here not only to help heal their bodies, but their souls too. And it struck me that we’re not so different after all. It’s magical to be human and live, and feel and remember. And to be a human who has love and time to share with others creates a beautiful, inexplicable feeling. Like you suddenly realize you’ve been breathing your whole life, but you now relish in the action, something so simple, and yet so important.

We have been seeing the same giraffe I told you about every time we go for home-based care to the village nearby. We decided to name it Mani. I’ll take a picture tomorrow, so you’ll get to know him too -- I hope he’s a he.

The volunteer house is nice. We have a pool outside the house, and a BBQ, and we’ll probably organize a get-together tomorrow. Week days are way too busy, so it’s only Saturdays and Sundays that we have time for ourselves. Jeremy and I started a Reading Club and we spend almost all of our afternoons there, reading to the children. No matter their level of poverty or their illnesses, children smile a lot. I’m starting to believe that’s the common denominator that keeps us human. It’s strange, how the laughter of children brings adults together. It feels like they are the reason we can all function in the same equation. And most times I think that looking at tiny humans running around, playing, yelling, singing, is what keeps me sane and gives me purpose.

We’ll start health talks at the local schools next week. It’s mind blowing how important health education is. Even the simplest issues, like hydration, hygiene, and nutrition, have to be discussed. I’m excited to get into these classrooms, even more so because that’s where my mom volunteered.

I’m happy to be here, but I miss you, Jamie. I miss you so much. And I’m thinking of you all the time, I hope you know that. There are so many things I would like to share with you. Even the simplest things, like a flower or a sunset. Even though you wouldn’t care about them at all. At least the flower. You might have liked the sunset. We’re talking about going bungee jumping. I wish you were here so we could jump together.

Sometimes at night I dream that you hold me in your arms and I sleep better for it.

I’m now thinking that sending letters might seem really stupid to you, so don’t feel obliged to reply. We will text anyway.

I love you.

Claire

I finished the letter with a wistful smile, folded it, and wrote Jamie’s address on the envelope.

“Claire!” Louise waved from the door. “Are you coming?”

I secured the envelope between the pages of a book in my luggage, and headed outside. I would stop by the post office first thing tomorrow.

“What were you doing, Miss Bennet?” Robert raised an eyebrow, but his gaze didn’t leave the book he was reading.

“Ha, bloody, ha.” I replied, refraining from replying to his question.

At that moment, I realised that I had forgotten to mention Robert in my letter, but I didn’t know how to describe him to Jamie either. He was the oldest one here, but he didn’t talk a lot and his cocky behavior always made me wonder why he had volunteered in the first place. He was working in the adult department and organized the Math Club in the afternoon, so we didn’t really interact during the week. He was the actual reason, however, I didn’t participate in the Math Club. I didn’t want to be stressed during the afternoon activities, dealing with his sour behavior. Jeremy was much closer to the type of people I would usually be friends with.

“So, are we doing the BBQ tomorrow?” Louise asked, clapping her hands enthusiastically.

I shrugged and saw Margaret’s anxious gaze passing across all our faces, waiting for anyone else to speak first.

“I think it’ll be cool. We haven’t really spent much time together.” Jeremy was lying in a deckchair, and he rose on his elbows to look at us. “What do you think, St. Germain?”

“Why do you keep calling him by his last name?” I inquired, narrowing my eyes at Robert as I took the seat next to Louise.

“I don’t know.” Jeremy furrowed his eyebrows, as if he had just realized he had been doing that.

“I don’t mind,” Robert said. “All my friends call me St. Germain. Not that any of you would ever be anything close to my friends,” he added, and I grimaced.

“Of course your Highness,” Louise mocked him in return. “So, it’s decided. We’re doing the BBQ tomorrow.” She bit her lip, then, and looked around. “Where is Helga?”

“She had an additional first aid training session.” Margaret fidgeted with her skirt, then fixed her gaze on the swimming pool tiles.

Louise saw me observing Margaret, and she leaned closer to me. “She’s getting better. When I first came she hardly talked to any of us.” Seeing my questioning glance, she continued. “She’s not well. Her boyfriend died last year. Cancer.”

“Oh my God,” I whispered, trying not to seem upset in case Margaret chanced a look at us. She didn’t, but Robert did, and when his eyes found mine there was an expression on his face I couldn’t quite decipher. Something between loss and understanding.

Well, that was new.  

I had no idea Margaret’s time here was part of a healing process for her, and that made me realize I hardly knew anything about my roommates’ lives outside of Zambia, and certainly not enough to reach any conclusions on their characters. Maybe Robert had been an arrogant arse who began to change his attitude after volunteering. Maybe he had realized there was something more important than his little insignificant world.

“I’m in for tomorrow,” he said in his deep voice, eyes back on the pages of his book. I had seen him reading it the previous day and I had already read the book, but never mentioned it to him. It wasn’t that I wanted to start a conversation with him.

Louise shot me a questioning stare. “Yes, yes, I’m in, too,” I agreed. “Margaret?” It took her a moment to come back to reality and I noticed that her eyes were moist. “Will you come to the BBQ party tomorrow?” I asked, trying not to add any pressure to my tone.

She nodded and smiled, the colour of her eyes a deep chocolate brown that made me smile back.

“Perfect!” Louise stood up, stretched, and declared, “We have to go shopping.”  

“Will we invite the rest of the volunteers? The locals? I’m sure Chikondi would be glad to come.”

Robert rolled his eyes, but Jeremy agreed with me. With Louise’s and Margaret’s nods, he left the house to inform everyone about our little party.

“Tell them to bring food and drinks!” Louise shouted after him and he waved his hand, signaling that he had heard her.

Margaret rose from her chair, coming to ask Louise about the food and I joined them, looking at Robert over my shoulder. “Well, are you coming? Or do we have to do everything while you lounge here with your book?” I sneered at him.

He heaved a heavy sigh and rose, leaving his book on the table next to my chair. “Happy?”

“Whatever you say.”

“Let’s go!” Louise nodded towards the street and linked her arm with Margaret’s, leaving me and Robert behind. Robert smiled at Margaret when she turned to look at us, a real smile, and it was the first time I noticed that he had always been kind to her.

Maybe he’s not that bad.

When he looked down at me, a sly grin replaced the smile on his face. “Nice hair.”

I resisted patting my hair, even though I could feel that my curls had gone wild with the humidity, but I couldn’t resist huffing.

No, he’s definitely a prat.

Five minutes later we were in the town center, checking the food counters. I stood in front of a bowl of caterpillars, wondering if any of the rest had tried them. Chikondi had told me that ifinkubala were delicious, fried and served with tomatoes, onions and nshima, the staple carbohydrate of Zambia. They certainly didn’t seem delicious.

“Don’t even think about it,” Robert drawled, glancing at the bowl with disdain.

I wondered if Jamie would try them. He was always so adventurous with food. Seeing that he had eaten haggis regularly, I could easily imagine him eating caterpillars. I took a picture with my phone, smiling at the woman behind the counter, intending to send it to him when we went back to the house.

“Are you done?” Robert asked in a bored voice.

“Yes, I’m done,” I replied keeping my own voice as flat as possible.

“Let’s go then. I think we stayed long enough in the vicinity of fried insects.”

“They’re larvae, actually.”

He rolled his eyes, making it obvious how mundane he found this information. “I want to buy vitumbuwa for my afternoon tea,” he stated, as if I was in his service and I should buy them for him.

I struggled for a moment, trying to remember what vitumbuwa was without asking him. He must have seen my face because he snickered, “The fried dough balls with sugar.”

“Oh, right!” I smiled. I wanted to buy some of them too. And even though I wouldn’t admit it out loud, he was right -- they would be perfect with tea.

I checked my phone for any messages from Jamie, but I realized it was still too early for him. I saw his smile in my background picture, however, and smiled back, as if he could see me.

Jamie would definitely eat caterpillars. And if he’d like them, he would try to feed them to me too.

For the first time in the two weeks since I had arrived in Zambia, I found an advantage on Jamie staying back in Michigan. At least I could avoid the caterpillars without a battle now. Chuckling, I walked next to Robert, who shot me a strange glance but proceeded with his search for vitumbuwa, ignoring me further.

Not caring a bit, I smiled again. Today was Saturday. And that meant I could go to the cafe and call Jamie the moment he woke up.

Chapter 52

[v-thinks-on]

tagged by: @wingittofreedom

I’ve never done one of these before! Thank you for tagging me! :D I like talking about my writing and am very indecisive, so this ended up a little longer than intended...

your name: My pen name is VTsuion (though for a little while I tried out Camille V. Watson when I thought I was going to be doing more original fiction). The V represents my real name and Tsuion is the last name that a friend suggested for my first OC way back in middle school, and somehow it just stuck.

fandoms you write for: These days, mostly Star Trek: The Original Series and the associated movies (sorry, no AOS), but my first love is the original Sherlock Holmes stories, and I will always come back to them. I’ve also been watching sports anime recently and am currently rewatching Kuroko’s Basketball, so there may be some of that brewing… Generally, anything I read/watch is fair game, but I do have favorites.

where you post: These days, mostly Archive of Our Own, Tumblr, of course, and I do still post on FanFiction.net, where my unpolished oldest writing lives.

most popular one shot: I wasn’t sure whether to measure popularity by hits or kudos, so I did both: the most viewed is A Hidden Personal Thing - Kirk and Spock mindmeld for the first time after “Dagger of the Mind” - and the most well-liked is The Language of Chess - Spock and Kirk flirt using the Vulcan language of chess.

most popular multi-chapter story: Murder and a Family Reunited - my ancient messy crossover between BBC’s Sherlock and Harry Potter - will probably always be my most well-read story by a long shot. Of the things I’ve written recently, For a Stranger - my first stab at Spock getting his memory back after “Search for Spock” - and A Prince Comes Upon a Tower in the Woods - Kirk is a prince who rescues Spock, a cursed knight, from a tower - are tied for most well-liked.

favorite story you’ve written: If I absolutely had to give one, I’d probably say Violin in the Middle of the Night - Watson wakes up from a nightmare to hear Holmes playing the violin - because it gave me a chance to do some pretty writing, and I think it works. I also think my silly crossovers - Spock in Wonderland, Millennium Deathnote (Yugioh and Death Note), and Stars (Star Trek vs. Star Wars) - deserve a shout-out just because they were so much fun to write.

story you were nervous to post: The story I’m most nervous to post is actually one I haven’t posted yet about Kirk and Spock undergoing pon farr together. No one actually has sex, but it has a lot of questionable consent just because of the nature of pon farr, and it’s the closest I get to addressing sex in any of my stories. I’m also not sure about the ending, so it may have to undergo some editing before I post it… Of my stories that are actually up, I was probably most nervous to post I-Chaya - pure Kirk/Spock fluff - because it was the first real fluff that I wrote. I was also a little nervous about Human, Vulcan, and Everything in Between because it reflects a headcanon that I have a lot of feelings about and isn’t very common (Spock is asexual, Kirk is polyamorous, and they make it work).

how do you choose titles: Sometimes the title will just come to me as part of the story. Otherwise, I try to take as much from the source material as I can, including titles, because I have a hard time coming up with additional details outside of the key premise of what I’m writing. I also like using song titles. If there isn’t anything obvious, I think of something, usually simple, short, and descriptive.

do you outline: On the bottom of the page, after all my longer stories, is an often multi-page outline detailing the planned events, character arcs, etc… Though things do often change as I write them.

how many of your stories are complete: 57 works are listed as complete on AO3, an additional 15 older stories have only been posted on FanFiction.net. I also have a significant backlog of 13 stories waiting to be posted, including the two that are coming out now (I don’t start posting anything until it’s completely done), plus one essay.

how many of your stories are in progress: I mostly just work on one story at a time, since otherwise I get overwhelmed by the amount of things I could be working on at any given moment. However, there are 8 more stories that I’ve started, but have been temporarily put on hold, not to mention all the stories in various stages of incompleteness that I don’t have any plans of getting back to (including 6 stories listed as in progress on FanFiction.net that were last updated before 2013). There are also 3 series of shorts that are essentially complete as they are, but that I could always add to. Really, most of my stories could gain an extra chapter/sequel if I thought of something or received a prompt for it.

coming soon: Since I post on a schedule with a backlog, I actually have things planned for months to come. One of the stories I’m currently posting, We Know That We Need, But Not What - Kirk and Spock sort out their relationship after The Motion Picture - has a sequel set on a planet with empathic plants which I’ll start posting pretty much as soon as the first installment is done (it’s already been written). My next major project, which I’m currently finishing up writing, is Generations - Kirk survives Star Trek: Generations, hangs out with the crew of The Next Generation, reunites with Spock, and makes a life for himself in the 24th century.

do you accept prompts: Yes! That’s actually one of the reasons I started this blog, though I’ve been keeping pretty busy with my own ideas. If there’s anything you want me to write, please send in an ask! Questions are also appreciated!

upcoming story you’re most excited to write: I’ve been a little bit all over the place lately. Until a few days ago, I was raring to get back to writing To the Stars and Back Again - Kirk is an astronaut, Spock is a NASA scientist, and they figure out romance amidst the space race in the 1960’s. But I’ve been rewatching Kuroko’s Basketball and I got a sudden urge to reread @umisabaku’s Designation: Miracle and after that I really want to write a short Midorima/Takao fic in that universe, so that’s what I’ve been thinking about for the past few days. There are also some Sherlock Holmes things that have been on my mind for a while that I’ll get to eventually...

tagging: @warpfactornonsense @plaidshirtjimkirk @umisabaku, and anyone else who has feelings about their writing!

[ggemdesignco]

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE week 4

The One Week Challenge is a widely anticipated biannual design event, challenging participants to complete a project and weekly blog posts in just 6 weeks. The event is media partnered with Better Homes and Gardens, and I am a guest participant!  

Whoa! So many changes and time obligations, and it’s just sort of wonderful that I HAVE to get this post in, or else I’d procrastinate! I went to High Point, North Carolina (furniture capitol of the world). For 8 whole nights! I saw so many respected colleagues and SUCH incredible product, I did an install for @aldenparkes #showhouseinashowroom. Scroll down for a photo of that fancy business and more info on it. LOVED IT! We had a town hall meeting in my community that I chaired 1 hour after I returned home. We have red flag conditions here at Malibou Lake, there are fires everywhere but not within 25 miles. We are not in harms way. I ache for those who are. I evacuated everyone from a jobsite because of a fire in Malibu yesterday (it was close but put out quickly), I have performed home hardening efforts several days this week, attended a Woolsey Fire Draft incident report feedback meeting and spoke on a topic that makes my voice shake in front of 100s- I used my meditation methods, and my voice did not shake! Many things happened this week.   Ok back to the One Room Challenge

The aforementioned studio -mate, an incredible visual artist, once mentioned to me the need for an enormous table. So I got one as a desk. It’s truly enormous, and fits the glorious Baker Wing chair with newly installed CASTERS! Wheeeee! They look like clear roller blade wheels and I love them!

I wanted something pre patina-ed and fairly chunky and boy did I get that. And more! It’s got a double pedestal base and claw and ball feet and it is incredibly heavy pine with a nice patina. It was a wedding gift to the craigs-lister and he loved it but now they are just ready for something different. I told him he could buy it back if he needed to, in a few years. 

I really want the painter I share the space with to feel completely free to use the whole table when he’s there and I’m not (we haven’t seen each other in years- it’s a perfect share, we keep different hours), so I found a ginormous, partially burnt in the Woolsey Fire piece of the wall of our home that burned and needed replacing. A wall board, 1″ x 12″. It’s 1924 redwood. It’s bowed and cupped and charred from the fire, but it’ll be a perfect place to get everything above head height and create a table space I can totally wipe clean. I was so excited to come upon it during home hardening (which I’m doing as a way to work with the energy fires create in me, and also because it’s proactive and needed). 

My husband and I never say no to helping each other, so when I dropped this into his schedule, he gracefully accepted. He brought fantastic carpenter help! He’s a general contractor, (he came to it from carpentry) and a brilliant problem solver and the best life choice I ever made. We have so much fun. He’s the only carpenter ever who would agree to hang this silly warped and burned board. But it’s ours, from something we went through that made us super strong and it’s really the only board that’s an option. 

He’s the one in the middle. 

So this is happening, The shelf is up.  I have key materials on it it needs better styling. The green performance fabrics I recommend on hangers in the corner, my mohair samples are on the shelf, an antique hat box with my preferred cushion/ pillow filling- all for clients to touch and feel to understand the construction of the pieces I have made for their magical homes.  The table is in. I am so hoping the painter uses it! I wrote to him. 

I happen to love my puffy insulation loft ceiling as is, I thought of adding white wire grids to show some handblown lighting I sell, but I think I’ll use existing infrastructure instead. The swing couldn’t work! It would be very much in the painter’s way with the beam layout- so I canned it.  Jury is out if my carpenter will get to the small door and the moulding- I began the challenge without a pre plan, I would have needed to book more than 6 weeks ago if I wanted in to his schedule for real. But he is going to try!  I think, for function, that I need some shelves on the side wall, and an assistant’s chair. My awesome assistant doesn’t do much sitting- so I need to chat with her about what she wants. The amazing art deco ottomans are horsehair, organic cotton and the heaviest wood ever but the leather is SO damaged, I am afraid I need to let them go- they are so damaged you guys!  The walls need something. I told the painter he can have all the hanging space- but we’ll see what he says. I also am feeling like a rug may be in order? To ground the feeling in there- sometimes because of the vaulted ceiling I can feel untethered in there, A darker rug may settle that down.  And I’ll get that star in there- that is happening!  That’s it for my week 4 update, here’s the super before/before and this week’s progress! 

Ok, gotta figure out the rest and get GOING! Omg this is a very effective design event. And below here’s the Showroom in Showhouse space I designed for High Point Market. And I’m standing with Jackie Von Tobel the creator of that awesome custom mural created for the space. Look at that gorgeous bedding by www.Wildcatterritory.com! Gorgeous lighting by www.wildwoodlamps.com, fabulous book sets by www.juniperbooks.com, and ALL the china, crystal and silver by www.replacements.com and furniture by www.adenparkes.com! 

See you next week! Hopefully I’ll have a couple other blog posts from High Point this week, so stay tuned here! 

[rockinlibrarian]

Three Survey Memes

@e_louise_bates tagged me once directly and twice indirectly (I mean, since I'm already typing something here I might as well do the others too), so here. Please feel free to comment! I like discussions!

Survey One (what I was actually tagged for): Name my top ten favorite characters from ten different fandoms.

I feel like the way this is phrased, I should pick ten fandoms first and then narrow them down to the characters, so that's what I did. It's an easier way to find my favorite characters, anyway.

1. From Harry Potter: Luna Lovegood, obviously

2. From Tolkien: Samwise Gamgee, obviously

3. From the MCU: Peggy Carter, most obviously of all

4. From Star Wars: This is a product of me picking fandoms first, and then discovering I don't have an OBVIOUSLY answer this time. But when you get right down to it, I've always had a special place in my heart for Obi Wan.

5. From Diana Wynne Jones: Sophie Hatter. Stealing one from Louise there, but again, obviously.

6. From L.M. Montgomery: Stealing the fandom from Louise that time, but I on the other hand have to stick with Anne Shirley, because she may top my fave character list, period.

7. From Jane Austen: Rev. Henry Tilney, NOT stealing from Louise because again, OBVIOUSLY, as she well knows, too. :D

8. From Discworld: DEATH. This was hard, because as soon as I started thinking of Discworld, so many MUST INCLUDES came up. Tiffany! DEATH's granddaughter, whose name I totally had a minute ago when I first thought of it but now has suddenly slipped my mind as I'm typing it (my brain now keeps trying to tell me it's "Karen" but that feels utterly wrong Her last name's Sto-Helit. I think. EDIT: SUSAN! Of course. The second I hit "post")! Sam Vimes, one of the other great Sams of fiction! But who's there and perfect and wonderful through all of it? DEATH. So I'm sticking with that.

9. Uh, other Marvel properties that aren't the MCU: I just have to shout out again to the Loudermilk twins from Legion. They count as one person because they sort of are, and because their chemistry together just MAKES them, even though they both individually are pretty fun, too (Cary's dorkiness and Kerry's innocent enthusiasm for beating people up). There was like a block of three or four episodes this season without them and it nearly ruined the whole season for me.

10. No particular fandom I'm aware of but no list of favorite characters is complete without: Blossom Culp. From the books by Richard Peck.

SURVEY TWO, a writing one:

1. When did you start writing and how? In first grade I had this dream about a disgruntled Santa's elf taking our church hostage on Christmas Eve. It was a great dream, so I decided to turn it into a book. Recently I decided to revisit it-- the basic plot, at least-- as a picture book. And for some stupid reason I decided it needed to be in verse. It might work some day.

Early on all my story ideas came from dreams, actually. Still today, my subconscious does most of my story-creating. Last night I had one about this huge family that lived in a mansion with a public pool in it and had all sorts of hijinks. They were great. They lived on Chalk Street and the oldest girl's boyfriend was named Granger the Ranger. Anyhoo.

2. What is your favorite line from your own work? It's got to be "Concentration leads to Meditation leads to Levitation leads to Aviation," because that's just a way of life.

I'm also partial to anything at all that Billy Boyd says in the Pipeweed Mafia Stories.

3. Who is your writing idol, and how have they influenced you? Hmm, I wouldn't call Madeleine L'Engle my writing idol, but she has influenced me the most, with her way of seeing the cosmic in the very small and the individual in the cosmic. And I named my daughter after her. But my Patron Saint of Writing whom I occasionally call on for intervention is Diana Wynne Jones. I don't know why. She just seems to be who I need to get my writing juices flowing.

4. Which oc has the best family (found or otherwise)? Of my characters? Hmm, I've never really focused much on family in my works. Even found family. I guess Billy 'Arrison's uncle IS George Harrison, so probably that.

5. Which oc has the most satisfying ending to their story? Ah, I'm terrible at endings. None of my characters has an ending to their story, not just because most of my works have never been finished, but because I keep thinking of things that happen to them later. NO ENDINGS.

6. If you’ve gotten feedback on your writing, who is your readers’ favorite character? If not who do you think readers will fall in love with? Well, no questions there. Billy 'Arrison. I mean look how often he's come up already in this survey. If you ask anybody whose ever read my work to name ANY of my original characters, they will go with Billy. Heck, people who HAVEN'T actually read his story would pick Billy.

7. Which tropes (eg. Friends to lovers, fake death, white haired pretty boy) do you always find yourself wanting to write? All my stories tend to have the theme of disparate people becoming friends through having an adventure together. I recently wondered if that's because I've always thought friendship would be easier if you could cut out all the small talk, and having an adventure leaves no time for small talk.

8. What goes through your head when writing a scene? The... scene? Also, random entirely unrelated stuff. Because I have ADHD. My brain is impossible to follow anywhere.

9. How specific is your idea of your characters’ appearance usually? Do you draw them? (If so can we see it?) Facial features are usually fairly foggy to me. I get general shape and color, so, like, what their hair looks like, their size, their race. I get their sense of style, too-- often I give them a signature item of clothing whether in my mind or in the text. I've drawn a few of my characters, yes, but I'm not particularly good at drawing consistently.

10. What are you proudest of as a writer? That I can occasionally look back at things I have written and be delighted by them as a reader. Unfortunately most of these things I have written continue to not be finished.

SURVEY THREE, also about writing:

1. How many works in progress do you currently have? That depends on your definition of "in progress." If you mean ACTUALLY IN PROGRESS, zero. Zip. Unless you count a couple of GeekMom articles I have in the planning stage. Or unless you count not-writing. I have a living room renovation in progress at the moment.

How many works do I have in an incomplete status that I plan to get back to eventually? Hmmm. At least five.

2. Do you/would you write fanfiction? I'm not INTO fanfiction but I do/have written a few pieces when they occur to me. There's of course the Pipeweed Mafia, which is a mix of Inklings fanfic and real people fanfic. You could count me writing George Harrison into Billy's background real people fic. One of my works in possible occasional progress is a Firefly fic about how Zoe fell in love with Wash. Oh, I should have put Firefly on my list of fandoms above, just so I could name Kaylee. KAYLEE, people. But I haven't written fic about her. Anyway. I also once wrote a very short prompt response X-Files fic that always delights me. It's silly, and yet in character.

3) Do you prefer paper books or ebooks? Paper.

4) When did you start writing? First grade.

5) Do you have someone you trust that you share your work with? A few people. It depends on the type of work, who would be the best fit for it. Louise is in fact one.

6) Where is your favorite place to write? Someplace where I don't have real life demands calling on me. Oddly enough, I think I got some of my best writing done while working at the Children's Museum, during downtime. On slow days I'd write a scene on the back of my schedule. A page a day really adds up! Of course, on busy days that was unthinkable!

7) Favorite childhood book? Have I mentioned A Wrinkle In Time?

8) Writing for fun or publication? Depends on where I am in life. Now, it is for fun, unless it is an article.

9) Pen and paper or computer? First drafts pen and paper. Then putting it together on the computer.

10) Have you ever taken any writing classes? Yeah, I had some writing courses in college, and I also took correspondence courses twice.

11) What inspires you to write? Ideas. As I mentioned, I get a lot of ideas from dreams. But there's also, like, a swelling of words in my brain that needs to come out through my hands every so often. I called it "writeritis" as a kid, and I guess I still do.

TAGGING: Whoever. You know who you are, if any of this resonates with you!

[itsclowreedsfault]

I was tagged by @lovingnikiforov​. Thank you Dessa <3

1. How did you come up with your username and what does it mean?

I used to have a different username which I dare not say because it was so fucking embarassing, back from my FF.net and writing for HP when I was 12 days lol right before I started writing for BNHA though I changed my AO3 username to match my tumblr one, because you know... brand recognition and all that. (damn you twitter and your character limit)

2. Which fanfic of yours has the most feedback? (bookmarks/subscriptions/hits/kudos)

Bookmarks -  what really matters (113) Subscriptions - Wandering Wolf (101) Hits - what really matters (3860) Kudos -   what really matters (503)     (holy shit you guys really love this fic huh)

3. What is your AO3 profile icon, and why did you choose it?

It’s a silly image but I love it, and it illustrates the two things I love the most: cats and books :3 I actually had a friend draw that for me back when I was planning on using it on a bookish blog I had, but I never really used it.

(putting the rest under the cut since there’s a lot of questions)

4. Do you have any regular/favourite commenters?

I do have regulars that I recognize always popping up on my inbox and I love them dearly ♥ As for favorites, every commenter is a favorite of mine okay, if you leave me a comment you gain a star on my favorites list. But I do have a few of the comments that got to me the most coming up on a post for @ficwritersweek​ next week, so keep an eye out for that!

5. Is there a fanfic that you keep going back to read again and again?

I used to have a habit of rereading, but lately I haven’t even had time to keep up with all the fics I’d like to read, so I haven’t reread anything in a looooong time.

6. How many stories are you subscribed to? How many do you have bookmarked?

Subscribed to 16, and 75 bookmarked. I’m actually pretty picky about the fics I subscribe to/bookmark >.<

7. Which AU do you find yourself writing the most?

Fantasy AUs in general. I have a weakness for those okay, I love worldbuilding.

8. How many people are subscribed and bookmarked to you in total? (you can view this on the stats page)

Subscriptions: 48 Bookmarked: 740

9. Is there something you’d like to write about but are afraid of people judging you for it? (Feeling brave? If so, share it!)

Nothing I have thought of yet, no haha 10. Is there anything you would like to be better at? Writing certain scenes or genres, replying to comments, updating better, etc.

writing in general Holy shit what I wouldn’t give to be able to maintain a regular update schedule. Bless all my readers who are reading my WIPs because I know I take a long time to update. (for those reading Wandering Wolf btw fear not, I know it’s been like, 2 months *hides self in embarassment* but I promise the last chapter will be out sooner rather than later).

11. Do you write rarepairs or popular ships more often?

If I consider every fandom I’ve ever written for, popular ships. Back when I started writing for BNHA (which is like half my fics) TodoBaku was a rarepair, but at this point I don’t think it can be considered that anymore, although it’s not popular like others.

12. How many stories have you posted on AO3 to this day (finished and unfinished)?

38.

13. How many stories do you have saved in/with your writing program?

I have no idea, since I have stuff across google drive, zen writer, and my computer folder and am too lazy to count them lol

14. Do you write down story ideas, or just keep them in your head?

When it’s an idea that (I think) is going somewhere, I write them down. They stay in my head for quite a while taking shape before that, though.

15. Have you ever co-authored a story?

That it’s posted (and finished lol), no.

16. How did you discover AO3?

I think it was probably through tumblr? Believe it or not I had no idea AO3 existed back until I joined anime fandom in 2016. I was away from fandoms in general for many years so I only had knowledge of FF.Net :P

17. Do you consider yourself to be a popular or famous author in your fandom(s) on AO3?

For all my previous fandoms, hell no, I don’t think anyone would even know my username xD As for BNHA, if we’re thinking of the fandom as a whole, no. I’d say I’m kinda popular with the TodoBaku fandom, though. 

18. Do you have a nickname or fandom name for your readers?

Not really.

19. Was there an author who inspired or encouraged you to write?

Hmm, if we’re talking about fics especifically, I’d say everyone in the FicWriters Family from the Grimmauld Place HP forum. Those people were my first contact with fanfic (and fandom friendships) and they were absolutely amazing and inspiring ♥

20. What writing advice would you give to a beginning author?

First of all: keep writing. Even if at first you don’t get a lot of attention, keep writing, because you can bet someone out there reads your stuff and is happy that you’re posting them. Second, I found that having a group of people you can share your fics with helps - I think a good part of the reason why I even started getting readers for my TodoBaku fics was because I’d share the links in the Discord server for the ship and the people there would read them.

21. Do you plot out your stories, or do you just figure it out as you go?

Depends. With one-shots I usually wing it (unless it’s a long one like Silver Lining was). For multichapters, I outline, though most of the time things get out of control and I end up changing things a lot from the original plan :P

22. Have you ever gotten a bad comment on a story? If so, what did you do?

Thank God, no. With the way I doubt my writing even without getting those, I’d probably be crying everytime I tried to write a word for the next months, at least. don’t be like me

23. Is there a certain type of scene that you have a hard time writing? (action, smut, etc..)

Smut is my doom. I takes me ridiculously long to write and never comes out the way I wish it did xD I also have a hard time writing angst.

24. What story(s) are you working on now?

everything we (never) planned (todobaku urban fantasy/fake dating au)

Wandering Wolf (todobaku fantasy au)

25. Do you plan your next project(s) before you finish your current ongoing story(s)?

Depends on what you mean by “plan”. I have tons of ideas, some with vague scenes/outlines planned, but I tend to focus on one story (or chapter) at a time.

26. Do you have a daily writing goal set for yourself?

At this point my goal is just to write every day lol and I’m failing spectacularly at it

27. Do you think you’ve improved as a writer since you first started?

Holy shit, yes. So much. Let’s not even consider the fics I wrote when I was 11 because *cringe* but even if I take the stuff I wrote last year when I started getting back into writing fic I can already see a huge difference. Actually, even if I take my first TodoBaku fics from a few months ago, I feel like my writing now has changed a lot from what it was back then.

28. What is your favorite story that you’ve written?

Wandering Wolf. Even though it’s not finished yet, I am really attached to this AU and I love writing it. I consider it one of my best fics so far.

29. What is your least favorite story that you’ve written?

Any of my older cringe-worthy smut fics which I refuse to link for the embarassment lol

30. Where do you see yourself (as a writer) in 5 years?

Since I’m a slow af writer who has yet to go back to writing original fiction I’m not gonna say with a novel written, but I hope to at least have started working on one.

31. What is the easiest thing about writing?

This is gonna be a conflicting answer, but I’d say worldbuilding. Funny enough, it can also be one of the hardest things, but while it’s a lot of work I tend to have an easiest time slipping worldbuilding into a story than, say, writing dialogue or figuring out plot.

32. What is the hardest thing about writing?

Not letting self-doubt stop you. No, for real, I mean it. Dialogue is hard? Yes. Description is hard? Yes. Action scenes are hard? Yes. But being able to force yourself to keep writing even when you feel like every single word you write is shit and want to compare yourself to everyone else - that’s the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do, and am constantly fighting to do.

33. Why do you write?

The simplest answer would be, because it’s something I love doing. I love coming up with new worlds, new stories, knowing that I’m sharing something that people are interested in. It goes way beyond that, but suddenly I can’t write well enough to express the feeling (oh, the irony).

I’m going to tag: @chosenofkagami, @cloversdreams, @xenophonspeaks, @ninannarambling and @auriadne. If any of you don’t want to do this feel free to ignore it! :)

[parentlology-blog]

12 Best Celeb Parenting Hacks Everyone Should Know About

Parenting is a good thing, but it's also hard work. Which means, parents can use all the help they can get. Especially in their early years when they're often so sleep-deprived that we end up hallucinating.

You know who isn’t exempt from the hectic life of parenting? Celebrities. Whether you’re an account executive, a real-estate winner, or the star of a network television show, being a parent is the same. While we often turn to celebs for gossip, silly stories, orinspiration, they also turn out someclever parenting hacks and tricks that can make your life easier.

1. Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell is never afraid to talk about how challenging (and rewarding) it is to be a mom. She shared a parenting hack that made so much sense we had to pass it along. When her kids get out of the car, she says, “Hands on the circle.” The circle refers to the gas cap. If the kids’ hands are on it, they're safe from oncoming traffic while Bell unloads the trunk.

2. Chrissy Teigen

Chrissy Teigen is #parentinggoals. She isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. One of her best parenting hacks is about her baby’s bath time. If your baby doesn’t like bath time, bathe him or her with their swaddle blanket, which has been shown to calm a child. This will soothe them, and the muslin fabric is lightweight and breathable, allowing the water to soak through.

3. Kim Kardashian

When Kim Kardashian West brought Saint home, her daughter North was extremely jealous. Obviously, the new baby was getting a lot of mom’s attention, especially since she was breastfeeding. Kim slipped a milk box with a straw into her bra so that North could “nurse” alongside Saint.

4. Hilary Duff

One given of parenting is that we need to be prepared for anything. Hilary Duff, like many moms, brings along extra clothing in case of diaper messes. However, when her son Luca had a major diaper explosion on an airplane, she didn’t have a change of clothes for herself. Unfortunately, she wore the contents of Luca’s diaper for the last 90 minutes of her flight. Yuck! Now, she carries an extra t-shirt in her bag.

5. Busy Philips

Busy Philips is mom to daughters Cricket and Birdie. She uses the sibling rivalry between her girls to get the outcome she wants. She told Us Weekly, "I'm like, 'I feel like Cricket's going to finish her broccoli first,' and then Birdie's like, 'I can finish it first."

6. Sarah Michelle Gellar

Sarah Michelle Gellar learned how to curb food waste early on. When her daughter asked for a cup of milk and then didn't drink, she made her pay -- literally. She told her that every time she asked for a cup of milk and didn’t drink it, she would take a quarter out of her piggy bank. After all, someone has to pay for the milk.

7. Melissa McCarthy

It's important to keep the romance alive with your significant other and that can be hard during the hectic days of parenting. Melissa McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone schedule date night to coincide with the “early bird special.” That way, they're home early enough to put their kids to bed. And, they aren’t too tired to get up and make their girls breakfast in the morning.

8. Melissa Joan Hart

There's no pain quite like the pain of stepping on a Lego, and with three sons, Melissa Joan Hart knows this pain all too well. Taking matters into her own hands, she now uses a hanging jewelry organizer to store and separate Legos. The clear fronts on the compartments make it easy for her sons to see which Legos they want to use.

9. Tamera Mowry

Getting kids to bed can be a challenge. Tamera Mowry sets a bedtime routine for her kids. She wrote on her blog, "If you want a baby that will sleep through the night, the first step is getting them to fall asleep, and keep that routine to create consistency in their lives.” She also uses a sound machine to make her kids feel more at ease.

10. Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore uses a calendar to make it clear to her kids when she'll be away from home traveling or working. She explained her process in an Instagram post: “I circle with a sharpie every day I will be traveling. And I ask her to mark the day with an ‘X’ once it’s done. That way she can see that I am gone at first, still away in the middle, and then coming back towards the end. She now has a good sense of my geographic place from the globe. She knows when I am leaving and coming home."

11. Elka Graham Whalan

Olympic Swimmer ElkaWhalan is a mom of four. She came up with a great way to limit the junk food her kids eat. “Sometimes food” is cookies, juice, candy and things of this nature. “Everyday food” is healthier options. This way her kids associate the food they should be eating every day at a young age, forming good habits from the start.

12. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis

When Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher had their second child, they bought a special crib to help get Dimitri to sleep. They got a “smart sleeper” crib called the Snoo. A sensor in it makes it move faster the louder the baby cries and puts them back to sleep.

[fashiontrendin-blog]

My First Week Away From My Daughters Was Delightful and Then Terrible

http://fashion-trendin.com/my-first-week-away-from-my-daughters-was-delightful-and-then-terrible/

My First Week Away From My Daughters Was Delightful and Then Terrible

July 22nd, 6:08 p.m. It all starts with an ambitious carry on suitcase. The kind that has a hard shell and therefore holds you indiscriminately accountable to pack a bag that will fit in an overhead bin. Mine is loaded with sarongs and bathing suits, two caftans and a tank dress. There are shorts and cotton poplin button-downs, a linen shirt, two tank tops, seven — yes, seven — pairs of shoes. I am going to Italy for one week. I will be staying on a boat. I have not been away from my daughters for longer than 48 hours since they have been born, since I have gotten pregnant, really, and, in a twisted turn of a sentence, I am excited.

I’ve been fantasizing about this trip since March. About the large hats I would wear, the crystal clear, bath-like sea water in which I would immerse my whole self, the Italian wine I would drink, the gigantic olives I would eat to accompany the wine. I have packed to embody the essence of La Dolce Vita. To live it. So live it I will.

46 PHOTOS click for more

July 23rd, 11:02 a.m. I wrote that before I left. Before I kissed my girls goodnight, while the day was still light but the sun was down and they were sleeping. Then I got in a car and went to the airport. I looked at Abie while we were driving. I was excited to spend a week with him. Just the two of us. Even though we’d be with three other couples. It was still just the two of us. We were connected now in a way that I craved desperately before we had progeny in common. Our flight was delayed four hours. I slept through it all. I like my kids a lot but I worry that I like myself more. Is that normal? See, it’s not that I am escaping life through this trip, I would have been adequately satisfied staying home, but I look forward to being away. I am indulging in this delay, basking in the still time enveloping me. Enjoying the sleep. Embracing the freedom to act like someone else’s liability, not the caretaker of my own.

July 23rd, 11:27 p.m. It is Monday. We landed in London two hours after our connecting flight was scheduled to take off. In order to get to Olbia (the small town that spits you out near Porto Cervo in Sardinia) we were rerouted through Milan. In Milan’s Linate airport, I ate the best gelato I have ever had. My palate is not very refined, but I think that gives me character. This feels like a vacation peak, I can predict it already! Nothing brings you so close together as a delay across three countries, four airports and the span of 18 hours.

Now it is 11 p.m. and we have reached our final destination. I have mentally written at least two stories. One is a letter to my daughters; this, I surmise, I will write every time I travel away from them. While I am writing I realize that this letter is actually to myself. As it turns out, all of my writing is. The other piece is a stream of consciousness detailing the delay and the sliding doors within an airport that enable the most robust people-watching experience. What a melting pot of manifold cultures! All the strangers performing the same art: coming and going, going and coming, staring up at a screen that demands their attendance at various gates to inform their next moves. Under a unified roof, we have travel in common, but quickly and inevitably, as those gates are displayed, we’re different again.

July 25th, 5:16 p.m. I am ashamed to write this, but if I don’t, I’ll be more ashamed: I almost forgot I have kids today. This morning, when I woke up for breakfast, I checked my emails before I did text messages to see what my mom, their gatekeeper this week, was reporting on their development. I didn’t FaceTime her at lunch today. I forgot to. Only now am I checking in. I don’t feel guilty — I am light like a feather. I feel giddy and young, silly and in love. With everything. And one.

July 25th, 5:42 p.m. Today I fell off a jet ski but refused to get back on, instead opting to swim to the nearest shore. The whole time I swam I wondered how I got here, why I deserved to be in this water, If this isn’t nice, what is? If this isn’t nice, what is! Eventually I got in an inner tube. Glee!

July 26th, 1:04 p.m. I’m so sick of all the clothes I brought. They’re not actually clothes as it turns out — just lightweight blankets and underpinnings that I have called beach cover ups and bathing suits. They’re all iterations of each other and say nothing for me. I can never predict who I will want to be before I get to a place. Now I wish I had full skirts and flimsy tank tops, voluminous pants and dainty blouses. Were you to see me wearing what I’ve brought, it would reveal absolutely nothing. Why do I find that so tragic? Maybe I should stop asking why — it requires that I use the past to resolve answers for the present. What about this is tragic? When is it most tragic? That feels better. But I don’t know the answers.

July 26th, 4:51 p.m. I don’t want to post to social media again. Someone asked me where my kids are earlier — actually, she asked the commenters around us: “Are we just going to ignore that Leandra abandoned her kids to party in Europe with her husband?” How does she know they’re not here? They’re not here, they’re with my mom in Long Island, but how does she know that?

July 26th, 8:39 p.m. Earlier today everyone was talking over each other about this or that but no one would hear me, so I yelled at the top of my lungs. They looked at me like I’m crazy. I felt like an unhinged teenager. Abie said I need all the attention all the time. That wasn’t what triggered me at all. Sometimes he nails me, like really, really gets me but other times I feel like even though he is looking, he can’t see who I am. Why do I need to be seen anyway? I must not be seeing myself.

I am beginning to learn that when I feel like people don’t get me, but it’s because I don’t get me. People think I’m articulate and maybe I am, but mostly I’m working through fractures of thoughts that have not become whole. I’m like a hamster on a wheel, this roundabout tour, who keeps asking “who am I?” only to find once I get off that I’m out of breath, but I’ve gotten nowhere.

July 26th, 11:56 p.m. Rosie keeps asking me questions but, in response, I just look at her, upper lip tucked into my gums, hands brought together as if showing off a new manicure under my chin. I look like a forest animal. I think it’s funny, but am pretty sure I’m the only one. It used to scare me that even in spite of a rational mind — the ability to answer a simple question — I could not help but reply in silence, upper lip tucked in, hands together under my chin. Now I think it’s just me.

July 27th, 8:02 a.m. Why hasn’t my mom dropped new photos into the shared album? I haven’t seen a baby update since yesterday.

July 27th, 3:03 p.m. Why hasn’t my mom returned my call? My girls have been awake for 19 minutes.

July 27th, 4:01 p.m. We FaceTimed. They look very comfortable! I know they’re in good hands, what peace of mind.

July 27th, 4:10 p.m. But don’t they need me?

July 27th, 10 p.m. We took a tour of the island this afternoon by speedboat. It was glorious, but I was quiet. I feel grumpy without cause; I’m mad at everyone around me but they did nothing wrong. Snap out of it, Leandra! All is well. Better than well. Absurdly idyllic. You’re in Italy! Dinner’s in twenty minutes; stop victimizing, drink in the moment. Spry! Spry! Bubblier than champagne!

July 28th, 1:01 a.m. I almost forgot that I can’t feign contentment if I’m not there, but where then am I? I think I need to go home. How pathetic do I sound? I am embarrassed by the circumstance. This is la dolce vita, I am letting it pass me by.

July 28th, 8:16 a.m. I haven’t laughed in two and a half days. Not even when I peed through my bathing suit yesterday. Actually, you know, that was a high point. It reminded me of pregnancy. I wish I were still pregnant; there’s a sentence I wasn’t sure I’d ever want to say. But I mean it. Why am I so melancholy? Objectively speaking, nothing is wrong. Generally speaking, I am happier than I have been since the last time I kissed joy. Currently speaking, the sparkling sun overhead is still overwhelming and the sweet smell of European air has only grown more intoxicating. Why do I feel like a cinder block is being forced down my throat? Like a rain cloud is following me waiting to storm? It’s so gray, but so bright, which is just making it grayer.

July 28th, 9:20 a.m. We’re leaving. That’s it! Vacation is over. I hate routine, but love mine — the gorgeous tedium of it all. A 6:30 wake up call, a 7 a.m. coffee, 8 a.m. stillness and the relentless, obsessive staring down at my watch waiting for them to wake up, go to sleep, eat, play, back to sleep then break.

July 28th, 10 p.m. I need to see them, hold them, smell them right now. I need them so much more than they need me.

July 29th, 8 a.m. Home is the sweetest place on earth. Here it is — la dolce vita.

[thingsthatsomegirllikes]

2017 was a year of personal growth and focusing on my long-term goals. I’m so excited to be starting 2018 where I’m at right now… More on that in a minute.

Back to 2017. When I started writing this post last week, I thought I’d have even more to talk about than last year because I’d experienced so much more growth. Until I pulled up last year’s recap for reference. I saw that I had achieved much more clear milestones in 2016, which was discouraging. I know that my personal growth is just as important as experiences, but it was difficult to remember that.

Now, I’m excited to share my 2017 highlights with you.

I started strength training

Cringey gym selfie in 3, 2, 1…

At the end of January, I found a six-month strength training program. I got off schedule and recently had to stop, but I got nearly all the way by November. I learned so much about developing habits, being consistent over being perfect, and showing up for my dreams.

I’m out of a workout routine now, but I’m looking forward to getting back to it. I feel so much better about myself and my body when I exercise, even if it’s only a couple times a week. I’ve found that seeing physical changes is exciting, but being tuned into my body is a much bigger confidence-builder.

I turned 25

25 feels like an important milestone, and I definitely notice how much more confident and stable my mindset seems to be as I mature. Quarter-life crisis aside, I feel like I’m starting to figure out who I am and what matters to me.

I celebrated a year of being a dog mama

I adore my dog, Maya. So much so that I convinced my boyfriend to celebrate her adoption anniversary in March with me. We took her on a grand adventure, which I filmed and posted to my non-beauty channel.

I traveled (within the US this time)

The locations weren’t as exotic as last year, but we went to a vegan food and beer festival and then to Harry Potter world at Universal studios. We also went to Virginia Beach for a wedding, to Ohio and Pennsylvania to see family, and to Palm Springs to visit my dad’s new house.

I got a promotion at work

I’ve been working hard in my full-time job as a technical writer, and I was promoted to the “senior” level. I work with some great people and have made awesome friends. Plus, I’m still learning a ton every day.

I became an aunt

My niece was born in August, and I’ve gotten to see her in November and December. She’s a cute little bean! She loves watching dogs, and Maya accepted some pets as well.

I got LASIK

This is sort of a weird thing to announce as a highlight, but it’s something I’d been thinking about doing for a few years. I was scared, but the surgery went well and I have better than 20/20 vision!

I wrote a book and got ready to start a publishing company

Sneaky, sneaky! I’m so excited to announce that I wrote my first book, which I’m releasing as a beta draft for free. And, I’ve just sent off the paperwork to form my own publishing company so I can self-publish my own work, put any income from my blog and YouTube channels back into my content, and eventually (hopefully) offer services like coaching and publishing others’ books.

If you read this blog regularly, you’ve seen that my 2017 focus was to pare down my space, time, and mind. I wrote updates every month to let you know what I’d been doing to pare down, and what I still needed to work on. The original post (linked above) also has links to the monthly updates, so start there if you want to read through them.

When I set this theme for 2017, I expected to end the year with a more tidy space and some new experiences. When the time came, the year ended with a very messy space (oops!), a whole lot of personal growth, and the paperwork to become a business owner. I had no idea that this is where my “pare down” focus would take me, but I couldn’t be more moved and humbled by the way things turned out.

I’ve wanted to become an author for the last ten years, and in 2017 I finally started to put in the work to make that dream come true. I started learning about self-publishing in February, and since then I’ve been researching and planning and wondering how I can venture into this incredible but scary turn in my life.

I’m not an author quite yet, but with some beta readers (like you!) and lots of feedback, I think I can get there in 2018. This book isn’t a recap of my blog posts–I share my best tips and lessons learned from my year of paring down, and I walk you through how you can apply some of these principles to your own life.

Download the epub here

I really hope that you enjoy the book and share your feedback with me. There’s a link at the end of the book that will take you to where you can share your thoughts anonymously. But if you don’t want to be anonymous, I’ll include your name in the acknowledgements of a future edition of the book.

2018 Goals

Yay for planning and goal-setting!

In addition to the Pare Down beta testing, I have some other projects that I’ve been working on too, like the 100 Days to Write a Novel series I’m doing right now on my non-beauty YouTube channel. So it seems fitting that Create be my focus/theme for 2018.

My 2018 goals:

Create fun and compelling content on this blog, my beauty channel, and my non-beauty channel. I’d like to make 80 videos between my two channels and 40 non-video posts to this blog (a bit less than once a week).

Become an author – I want to keep shaping up this Pare Down book and publish my first book for real (whether it’s this one or another one I’m working on).

Start my own company – The paperwork was sent off on January 2nd, and that was only the beginning. I want to set everything up and see some measurable progress in my content and revenue.

Complete two 100 Days projects – These projects have been on my mind for a few months, and I’ve started my first one. 

Start a podcast – I’m still thinking about what I want to talk about, but podcasting is something I’d love to get into by the end of the year.

Exercise an average of two times per week.

Read eight books.

Take one international trip – I’m itching to go somewhere new.

There’s a lot on this list, so I’m hoping to hit at least 6/8 of these goals or make about 80% progress on them overall.

I feel so lucky to be able to create content outside of my job and spend so much time doing what I love. It seems silly that I was so discouraged by the less impressive highlights of this year. Change takes many forms, as I learned last week. It doesn’t matter how visible or impressive this change is. It’s much more important that you’re able to recognize that you’ve changed at all.

Do you have any questions for me or suggestions for what you’d like to see? Go to brokeforbeauty.com/ask and let me know!

I’ll be back with regular reviews and videos soon,

2017 Recap and 2018 Goals. And an exciting announcement! 2017 was a year of personal growth and focusing on my long-term goals. I'm so excited to be starting 2018 where I'm at right now...

[prophetkristy]

slayer of stars

Twenty years ago today, I came down the hill from my History 101 course with my brain a-whirring, made my way to the computer lab in the dungeon basement of my dorm, logged onto Usenet [1], and posted the following to alt.fan.wedge:

Subject: SW and animism From: Kristy <…@uidaho.edu> Date: 1997/08/28 Message-ID: <872787391.28561@dejanews.com> Newsgroups: alt.fan.wedge

Okay, I just got back from my History of Western Civilization class, and I have to vent. It’s no secret that GL got his ideas from other cultures and traditions. So it wasn’t too surprising when my teacher(who’s pretty awesome, IMO) was explaining animism today, he used SW as an example. (it sure made taking notes a lot easier. ::g::) Animists believe that the universe is alive, i.e., the Force is there. And they have shamans who are basically Jedi knights. I identified with evrything he was saying until he got to explaining their general classes of gods. Here’s what they have: the old father god, the young warrior god, the young goddess of war/love, and the trickster. There were parallels here to SW: trickster=Han Solo, wise father=Obi-Wan, goddess=Leia. But my teacher went on and on about how the young warrior was the coolest of all, he went off and fought battles and monsters and all the cool stories were about him. So who else would he choose for the SW parallel but Farm Boy. Bleah! I _almost_ went up to him after class and protested. Farm Boy isn’t the coolest warrior! _Wedge_ is, of course!

Yet another example of the oppression Wedge fans suffer at the hands of Farm Boy…. ::sigh:: Well, he’s guaranteed I’ll remember _that_ part of the lecture.

How about: Vote Wedge. He’s the true animist warrior god.

Thank you for listening, you’re the only people who would ever understand. :-)

–Kristy [2], off to an astronomy lab

Palpatine’s dead. Vote Wedge. –Antilles/Celchu ‘00–

From such humble [?!] beginnings was the True Animist Warrior God movement born. (Some time later I printed out a post signed with the TAWG [3] campaign slogan and taped said slogan onto my history notebook.)

This was not to bag on the history course. It was only the second day, as far as I can tell from my notes [4]. I had wanted to take the honors section of the course, but it wouldn’t fit in the schedule of other classes I was taking [5]. It turns out that I don’t regret this, as I very much enjoyed the class. It was actually taught by a graduate student, IIRC, and he was very good; he described many events in a human context with the emotions and motivations of the players. [6] Really, the worst thing about the course was that it was at 7 am—a less than ideal way, shall we say, to start college [7]. (Oh my TAWG, I’m going absolutely berserk with the footnotes! My brain keeps going off on tangents, but I don’t want to interrupt myself all the time. wheeee!)

(Interestingly, the next semester I continued on with Hist 102, which this time was taught by a professor. Who wasn’t nearly as interesting as the grad student!)

According to my heading for the Animism post in the Classic Threads section of the AFW website [8], I previously linked Star Wars to the Sumerian epic Gilgamesh–where Farmboy was Gilgamesh, taking all the credit, and Wedge was Enkidu, doing all the work. I think now this might be a little revisionist history. I can’t remember in which course I read Gilgamesh, but it’s likely that it was Lit of Western Civ that same semester (high school Senior AP English was British lit, where we watched every Jane Austen movie Ever Made *gag*). The earliest post of mine I can find referencing the two was actually the *next* week or so, in the midst of the Epic, Historical “Fantasy Toys” Thread, in response to Quiara:

> We understand you, dear. Where else could I admit to writing a Hero > essay about him in the same year that I did a book report on Rogue > Squadron?

I really want to write my Lit of Western Civ essay on the parallels between Gilgamesh/Enkidu and Luke/Wedge, but I could never get four pages out of that and have my teacher actually like it. ::pout:: [9]

Both of these posts were commenting on what I felt (still do feel, to some extent) was a sad state of affairs in being a WedgeFan. Namely, that Wedge was a lot cooler than most people give him credit for. (And, underlying that feeling, a WedgeFan’s natural disdain for Luke “Farmboy” [10] Skywalker.) This would reach its fannish culmination in the Book of Wedge, but had real-world significance in the woeful lack of a separate carded Wedge Antilles action figure. As well as the lack of Wedge awareness among those who weren’t huge pilotfans.

Despite that, 1997 was a fantastic year to be a WedgeFan. Maybe if you weren’t Quiara, Brett, or myself, it was different—we three were quite chatty—but I never heard anyone complain. ;-) [11] It wasn’t actually our most active year, but it was the beginning of what I think of as the “golden years” of AFW. The first four X-Wing books (by Historian of Wedge Michael A. Stackpole) had been released by January 1997, and Mike actually lurked and occasionally even posted. I joined in the spring of 1997 as a senior in high school (with a very embarassing post which will not be reproduced here). Quiara was in high school. Brett wasn’t being challenged too much by work or life, because he also apparently had a lot of time on his hands. Somehow the three of us had some mojo (and also probably high blood sugar content) that just led to wacky hijinks. Quiara declared Wedge’s candidacy for President in April, a story which would last well *past* the 2004 election. I declared him TAWG in August. The Fantasy Toys thread was started earlier in August, thus cementing me into the AFW madness and keeping me frequently posting even when I probably should have been paying attention to college. (eh. I gradutated.) The “the world is falling down…” thread was that year, too.

Of all the Internet friends I have, interestingly it’s Quiara and Brett whom I’ve never met in real life. I actually haven’t heard from Quiara in years; she dropped off the radar at about the time she started college, I think, thus proving her work (study) ethic. ;-) I can’t say I really knew her all that well—AFW was almost exclusively the limit of our interaction—but I still consider her to have been an early partner in crime. I still hear from Brett occasionally, and I actually can’t believe I haven’t found myself visiting his city before now. Brett holds a special place in my memory not only for being such an integral part of that first crazy year on AFW, but also for scoring me the Wedge action figure I like to call “biceps Wedge”–the one from the Milennium Falcon carrying case, which his comics store was selling loose for some reason.

Resorting again to Google Groups (we never know, when we’re making history, that we are doing so, and as such fail to keep track of these things), it looks like I first styled myself Prophet Kristy on October 8, 1997, in a short thread titled “Random Thoughts.” [12] Quiara, bless her heart, actually accused me of being humble:

> –Kristy, Prophet of the Great One

Just a prophet? you could make Cardinal at least, if you wanted.

(Yeah, maybe I could have—I am Catholic, after all—but, y'know, “Prophetess” works better on the back of a kickball shirt that “Cardinal”. “-ess.” Er, see what I mean?)

One month later (AFAICT) I first signed a post as “Prophet Kristy”–and the rest, as they say, is history.

I could go on and on with the AFW nostalgia——but I should probably get to work on actual, you know, work. And this is getting LONG. However, I do want to mention one other thing in relation to the TAWG / Prophetess thing.

The Book of Wedge was my default icon on LiveJournal—a little cartoon made by terrathree, originally for Terra Group, that she kindly made 100x100 when I started LJing. I didn’t actually come up with the idea for the Book of Wedge—the document I wrote was largely an adaptation from “The Adventures of Wedge Antilles” written by Mike Scorsch and posted on his late web page Corellian Bloodstripes. I’d always been greatly amused by the idea of revisionist SW history with Wedge being the person behind *everything*–especially having Wedge actually blow the first DS as well as the second. Having declared myself a Prophet, I also felt it was only fair that I write a Holy Book. Thus was born the Book of Wedge, wherein Wedge not only blows up both Death Stars, but also shoots Greedo, fights off the Slave I with a blaster, and generally saves the day. In it, I declared Quiara and Brett to be Apostles of Wedge along with Jim and Marji, two others who were in the thick of AFW in late 1997. And generally had a blast being silly and fangirly.

Quiara followed this up with the Book of Quiara, a short history of the campaign and other silliness. And much later, terrathree expanded on an observation I’d made about the constellation Orion looking like an X-wing and wrote the tale of the Hunter of the Sky.

These are only a few of the many, many tales of Wedge spawned by AFW, but they are the Holiest. So sayeth the Prophetess of the Great One, Wedge Antilles, the True Animist Warrior God. *makes the Sign of the Exploding Death Star*

I imagine our old IRC chat server probably doesn’t even exist anymore (is IRC even still a thing??)–Feast Days used to always be Chat Days–but have a good Feast Day of Wedge, won’t you all? Do the Ewok Dance, drink some Ewok Juice, bag on Farmboy, and revel in the glory of the Rebellion’s Greatest Starpilot.

[1]=Yeahhhhhh, Usenet. Back in the day. [2]=As you see, I didn’t self-identify then as Prophetess; that was to come later. Wow, I’d forgotten I used to use my fanfic Knave Leader and the ASCII parked X-wing in my .sig. Nifty. [3]=I’m almost positive that Morwen was the one to coin that acronym. Once again showing us all up with her mad language skillz, especially considering this isn’t her native tongue. [4]=yes, I’m enough of a nerd that I’ve kept my freshman history notes. [5]=probably this was a good thing, since I was taking the honors sections of Chemistry 111 AND English <memfault—Literature of Western Civilization>. [6]=I haven’t been able to turn him up by Googling, but I hope he found himself a faculty position somewhere; he deserves it. [7]=I cordially loathe all those students who boast of arranging their schedules to never start before 10 or 12. I was never able to do that—there was always a class I needed that was a 7:30 or 8 or 8:30. Pout. [8]=Yeah, I know it’s gone. It needs a new server space. And its webmistress needs to pay attention to it. I’ll just have to link to Google posts here. [9]=It looks like I had dropped the Knave Leader by this time, but was still not calling myself Prophet Kristy. [10]=How much do I love that Mara always calls him Farmboy? [11]=Oh, no, that came much later, spurring the Project Boussh Polite Flame War of '01(?). [12]=this was also apparently the thread that spawned the phrase “rakish rebel scum”, which Brett quickly hailed as a great band name. And it was only a 7 post thread! aaah, for the time to just read and relive the posts of those years.