#Ultimate Nipper

[shrekgogurt]

I have been watching one million YouTube video essays about pop culture and emphatically not writing over the past several days. This chapter was supposed to be a shorter one and now it’s shaping up to be the longest one so far and I’m deeply frustrated by it. I want it done. Only 3/6 of the POVs are “finished” (aka beta ready) and one of the Baz POVs needs a lot reworked. Narratively, it was the chapter I was least looking forward to writing and in trying to redeem it (infuse it with more emotion) it’s just getting so big. Nevertheless, so many people are out and about today so I’m serving up the first sentence of each POV.

It’s the first day of classes and I’m already in trouble.

I wouldn’t venture so far as to say I have a spring in my step, but I’m faring better than I was last month.

A man who appears to have walked fresh off the set of a k-pop music video just called Baz’s name and I’m not handling it well.

[this is the POV that needs so much reworking so instead here is one sentence I know will stay] “If you’ve been feeling part of the scenery, perhaps you should walk right out of the machinery.”

As I stare at the three gates blocking our exit, I suddenly wish Penny had more friends.

Snow is a bloody contagion.

Okay I’m a little bit just whining some more down here. But GODDAMN it! I keep reading so many beautiful masterpieces by y’all and getting so inspired and wanting to make my shit better. Which is good! But also! This chapter is now 10x harder to write because I want it to be deeper now than it originally would’ve been. And ultimately, again, that’s good! But it’s so much more effort. And I’m being really really hard on myself and the output. And it’s not currently super duper fun. More like when you know what something could be or should be but you can’t get it to shape properly. Or rather, I’m angsty about putting forth the energy to mash it all up to make it better than before. So…it’s all growth. Just a pain in the ass.

Not to mention, the key to unlocking more depth for the Baz bits is Hejira which is a fucking masterpiece. (How can I be Joni? No one can be Joni!) And he doesn’t start out there! I have to bring him to this place of reflection! And like cover the time elapsed. And it’s HARD! BOO! EVIL! I’m doing it to myself!

May the spirit of poetry hopefully overtake me. It’s terribly lacking in this chapter. (I think I’ll be forever chasing the damn high of chapter thirteen.)

Okay done whining.

Thank you for the tags today! @monbons @roomwithanopenfire @blackberrysummerblog @rimeswithpurple @forabeatofadrum @thewholelemon @artsyunderstudy @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @mooncello

Shorter list of tags because it’s late: @bookish-bogwitch @brilla-brilla-estrellita @cutestkilla @emeryhall @hushed-chorus @ileadacharmedlife @ineffable-grimm-pitch @j-nipper-95 @larkral @letraspal @messofthejess @onepintobean @prettygoododds @raenestee @theimpossibledemon @valeffelees @youarenevertooold @mitranian

[artsyunderstudy]

Six Sentence Spicy Sunday!!

Hello my darlings. I was about to give up on the idea of sharing bits from chapter 6 of Someone Wicked today because it feels like ALL the good excerpts are tied up with really big moments that I don't want to spoil, but then I realized I had this description of Simon's body that I'm personally obsessed with so happy Spicy Sunday everybody.

(I am assuming it's not a spoiler that there's more smut.) (You should absolutely not be surprised by this reveal.)

I can’t seem to catch my breath, or slow my pulse. I’m rigid and trembling with the want of him.  All that golden skin.  Sweat has pooled into the folds of his body, glinting in the curve of his lower back. He’s so fucking lovely, his thick muscles bulging beneath a soft layer of fat. A small, plush, pouch of a belly that I sink into with the tips of my eager fingers. I find a pale, pencil-thin scar along the cresting muscle of his shoulder, and he shudders at the touch of my mouth against it. 

For the ultimate sexy trifecta, here is a bop i've been listening to all day that is very BAZ POV. Also included a sexy lil sketch below the cut with the tags. MWAH.

Tags and hellossss!!!

 @imagineacoolusername  @aroace-genderfluid-sheep  @martsonmars  @valeffelees  @cutestkilla  @takitalks  @bazzybelle  @ileadacharmedlife  @aristocratic-otter  @urban-sith  @basiltonbutliketheherb  @letraspal  @palimpsessed  @whatevertheweather  @nightimedreamersworld  @carryonsimoncarryonbaz  @raenestee  @erzbethluna  @chen-chen-chen-again-chen  @confused-bi-queer  @moodandmist  @yeonjunenby  @shrekgogurt  @thewholelemon  @whogaveyoupermission  @thehoneyedhufflepuff  @creepyspice  @onepintobean  @ebbpettier  @orange-peony  @theearlgreymage  @ic3-que3n  @captain-aralias  @fatalfangirl  @prettygoododds  @stitchyqueer  @you-remind-me-of-the-babe  @forabeatofadrum  @ivelovedhimthroughworse  @amywaterwings  @stillmadaboutpetra @mysterioussheep @rimeswithpurple @c0nsumemy5oul @facewithoutheart @hushed-chorus @blackberrysummerblog @larkral @j-nipper-95

[orange-peony]

Thanks for tagging me this week @rimeswithpurple​, @larkral​, @artsyunderstudy​, @vukovich​ and @blackberrysummerblog​. Loved all of your snippets!

I’ve finished chapter 3 of Once upon a time and started chapter 4. Here’s a bit from Simon’s POV:

“What?” I ask, confused, a wave of panic making my palms sweat. “You can smell magic on people?”

“I can smell and see and hear all sorts of things that normal people don’t even notice,” he replies softly, as if it were a secret between us. I wonder how many people beside me and his parents know that he’s a vampire.

A part of me wants him to know, to find out my own secret.

There is a small part of me, the dark one that I always try to ignore, that wants him to see the monster that I’ve become. And I like sharing secrets with him, so I take a step closer, until I’m almost touching him. I watch the silver rings of his eyes reach up to meet mine, his lovely eyelashes fluttering a couple of times as his nostrils flare. His tongue appears for a moment, licking his bottom lip and making it look inviting and soft and so kissable that I have to clench my fists to repress the urge to lean in for a kiss.

“What do I smell like, then?” I whisper instead.

I’ve also started drafting a snowbaz superheroes + flatmates AU that hit me like a brick as I was cleaning this morning. Have an extra bit:

“Where are you going with that box?” Baz asks, leaning on his doorway with a cup of coffee in his hand when Simon’s done depositing the last of his boxes outside his door.

“Moving out,” Simon replies tiredly. He doesn’t want to do this. He wishes he could just leave without Baz rubbing it in that he’s a failure at absolutely everything. He wishes he could just sneak out of the door and then maybe come back one day when he’s got his shit together. But he knows someone else would be living here by then. A new neighbour that Baz will either annoy to death or charm with his model’s looks and mile-long legs.

“Where to?”

“My friend Penny,” Simon replies. Then, since he has a masochistic streak, he feels the need to add. “Her sofa. Can’t afford the rent here anymore.”

“Well, it might come as a surprise to you because you can’t read,” Baz says, pointing at a sign on his door that wasn’t there twenty minutes ago, when Simon started hauling boxes across the hallway they share, “but I am looking for a flatmate. I happen to have a spare room, and I need cash.”

“No, you don’t,” Simon points out with a frown, carefully reading Baz’s slanted cursive to check he’s not taking the ultimate piss. It does say Flatmate wanted. Enquire within. “Besides, the landlord would kick you out if he found out that you’re subletting.”

“Snow, I own the flat,” Baz deadpans.

Tagging (no pressure): @avenueofesc​, @bubble-gumhead​, @pato-roldnart​, @crazybutgood​, @artsyunderstudy​, @letraspal​, @larkral​, @facewithoutheart​, @martsonmars​, @cutestkilla​, @hushed-chorus​, @j-nipper-95​, @imagineacoolusername​, @thewholelemon​, @tea-brigade​, @ebbpettier​ and anyone else who fancies sharing what they’ve been working on (feel free to say I tagged you).

[saga-jihen]

Fanart of Lily Hoshikawa dressed up as Niako, a promotional character for Godhand ( a popular crafting tool company in Japan ), illustrated by Michirou Ueyama. Ueyama is mangaka behind series like Tsumanuda Fight Town, Age ‘87, Zoids: Chaotic Century, and his most recent work  Akuyaku Reijou Tensei Ojisan ( Middle-Aged Man Reincarnated as a Villainess. ) Niako is a beloved mascot character who is the personification of Godhand’s “Ultimate Nippers” tool which was designed specially for hobbyist seperating parts for plastic models.

[z-ero-b]

Finally I bought a Ultimate Nipper!

[bookish-bogwitch]

Traveling tomorrow so posting early. Here are seven sentences from the first chapter of Basil Pitch's Diary. Baz is working hard researching his most important New Year's resolution: get over Simon Snow.

Have exhuasted Pitch library’s offerings. Am curious what Normal authors say on the subject, but would sooner set self on fire than be seen with Pining Is for Saps: The Modern Woman’s Guide to Quitting Unrequited Love. (Also, am not modern woman.)

Could Internet help? Maybe, but have never used social media. (Thank you, Malcolm Grimm.) Forums for lonelyhearts seem v. dangerous place to start. Am too innocent. Would be groomed, recruited, and ultimately harvested by nazi incels in Gap fedoras.

Tags and no-pressure high fives: @facewithoutheart, @palimpsessed, @martsonmars, @takitalks, @johnwgrey, @bazzybelle, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @fatalfangirl, @cutestkilla,  @forabeatofadrum, @ivelovedhimthroughworse, @ileadacharmedlife, @moodandmist, @urban-sith, @captain-aralias, @aristocratic-otter, @aroace-genderfluid-sheep, @artsyunderstudy, @excalisbury, @mostlymaudlin, @confused-bi-queer, @creepyspice, @otherworldsivelivedin, @mrskrementz, @whatevertheweather, @sillyunicorn, @frjsti, @shemakesmeforget, @basiltonbutliketheherb @technetiumai, @dragoneggo, @j-nipper-95, @ic3-que3n

[costumesinaustralia]

G'day, mates! Are you looking for the ultimate gift that’ll have both your little nipper and the big bloke jumping for joy? Look no further than the iconic Batman suit, a timeless piece of superhero gear that's perfect for fans of all ages!

[multitec001]

The Ultimate Hand Tools Guide and Review: Multitec Takes Center Stage

When it comes to hand tools, Multitec Tools isn't just a brand; it's a legacy that spans generations, honed by a relentless pursuit of innovation and quality. Headquartered in the bustling heart of Delhi NCR, this Pan-Indian supplier has etched its name across the nation, quickly becoming a household name for professionals and DIY enthusiasts alike.

The Unsung Heroes: Wire Strippers

Let's kick things off with the stars of the show: the wire strippers. These bad boys are the hidden heroes of any wiring job. With the sleeves of their jacket slipping through insulation better than a hot knife through butter. Whether you're a pro electrician or an amateur DIYer, this range of wire strippers from Multitec cover you and save time.

Screwdrivers: Your Magic Wands

It is not so large a thing to start with, however pack a powerful punch. These trusty mates are similar to a magical wand you can hold in your hands to deal even with the most hard headed screw forgivers. In the design of the blades and handles, the multitec screwdrivers are worlds apart, with the blades sharp enough to make even a seasoned tech maniac shed tears of joy.

Hex Keys: Unlocking Possibilities

The kaleidoscope of options provided by Multitec is a toolbox full of marvels, each one straining to outdo the one before. Dig in and witness the full spectrum of a hex key: the humble but mighty tools of any worker in manufacturing. These small gadgets are literally magic boxes with which you can open any door–from IKEA-style furniture or machine tinkering.

Stainless Steel Tools: Bling with Durability

Let's not forget the stainless steel tools even! Because who doesn't appreciate adding a little bit of bling into their wrench? Stainless steel does double duty. It not only looks good, but it also provides solid performance under the toughest conditions, with nary a bead of sweat doing the job.

Nippers and Micro-Shears: Precision Cutting

Now, on the nippers and micro-shears, whatever. These are the smallest precision cutting tools that work like very fast tiny samurai swords, cutting through materials like surgeons' blades. Whether you are doing wiring, sewing, or tackling your most delicate craft projects, Multitec's nippers and micro-shears are your best friends.

Pliers and Nose Pliers: The Swiss Army Knives of Tools

The Multitec pliers and nose pliers are like Swiss Army knives, with the capability to solve all kinds of problems with ease. From pinching and folding to turning and crimping, all these tools are the ones to be added to any efficient toolbox.

Cable Cutters: Battling with Unruly Wires

And the rockers–the strongest power tools for those who have to punk the unruly cables–will not be missed in this checklist. The cable cutters from Multitec will easily make your way through the thickest of cables, which will not be the only thing you'll be having when working with them - a clean and neat workspace.

Power Bits: DIY Warriors' Secret Weapons

The power bits, the secret weapons of any DIY warrior; last but not least, nothing else. While performing the toughest of jobs, the multitec’s special power bits provide you with surety of completion on time with accuracy and efficiency.

The Multitec Product Lineup

To give you a better understanding of the breadth of Multitec's offerings, here's a quick rundown of their product lineup:

Product Category

Product Types

Wire Strippers

Automatic, Adjustable, Heavy-Duty

Screwdrivers

Flat, Phillips, Torx, Precision

Hex Keys

Ball-end, L-shaped, T-handle

Stainless Steel Tools

Pliers, Snips, Scissors

Nippers & Micro-Shears

Flush, Semi-Flush, Angled

Pliers & Nose Pliers

Slip-Joint, Linesman, Long-Nose

Cable Cutters

Ratcheting, Insulated, High-Leverage

Power Bits

Drill Bits, Nut Drivers, Impact-Rated

Multitec's Commitment to Quality

Multitec Tools Limited is the brand which is known for its unflinching commitment to quality, and fervent zeal for dramatic improvements, and, therefore, it continues to lead the revolution in the industry of hand tools. They manufacture their tools from the cutting edge facility of Roorkee, Uttarakhand with utmost care and zeal till all the tools bear the Multitec name. Their quality control policies are managed by highly skilled and experienced engineers, so every tool is a proof of their dedication.

Embrace Precision and Innovation

So irrespective of whether you are a skilled tradesperson or simply a do-it-yourselfers at the weekend, Multitec's hand tools are the indispensable companion on your journey to perfection. Let Multitec's hand tools embrace the excitement of an exacting, long-lasting, and cutting edge technology to position your projects to higher levels.

The Multitec Advantage: A Closer Look

Multitec's passion goes beyond the product to find itself in the other services offered. The manufacturing facility in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, which is one of the most advanced and updated ones, truly speaks of their commitment towards quality. Craftspeople, who are highly trained in their trade, diligently manage all stages of production, from the factory floor to the finishing touch, in order to produce quality tools of the highest order.

However, it gets Multitec ahead of the competition that their fanaticism for innovation makes them go beyond what we expect. They are not the kind that sit back and be content with what have been achieved in the past, rather they keep on moving forward. They always want to be at the forefront and this has seen more features as well as technologies that improve their tools.

Take, for instance, the very ergonomic design. Multitec realizes that comfort is what matters most when operating through tools and, therefore, this is the reason behind the precision craftsmanship of their products ensuring that the hand fits the tool seamlessly. This reduced fatigue while at the same time increasing productivity.

And durability would come to mind. Multitec's tools are built to stand anything, it is because of they only use the most finest materials and modern manufacturing methods.

Conclusion: The Choice is Clear

In today's dynamic market of hand tools, Multitec Tools Limited is an epitome of excellence as it provides products that not only match but also exceed the quality and performance benchmarks. Their steadfast innovation spirit, relentless dedication to quality and detailed design, which mainly includes a variety of models to serve every need have turned Multitec into an undisputed leader of the industry.

Call-to-Action: Elevate Your Craftsmanship Now!

Avoid sticking to the poorer instruments that can't be up to your standards. Raise your woodwork skills; take your creativity to a new level with Multitec's amazing hand tools. Their website is a great place to start. Visit it today and see for yourself how great the Multitec difference is. Embrace precision, durability, and innovation, and allow Multitec to be your trusted guide in every endeavour of creativity.

Visit for more at: multitectools.com

Contact us: 9815729563

[kawaii-reborn]

Source

[maiasaliger]

GodHand SPN-120 Ultimate Nipper 5.0 ⚜ REVIEW

Got my new GodHand Ultimate Nipper in the mail the other day so I figured I might as well try and do a review on them because why not. Excuse crappy phone pics on carpet floor please, I’m on vacay. Huge review ahead, be warned.

Since my cheap (in every meaning of the word) 5€ diagonal pliers from the hardware store just didn't cut it for perfectionist me *bricked for bad pun*, my inner OCD self forced me to finally get one of these rather ludicrously expensive, exquisite tools. Snagged them from an auction for 43,47 EUR ( $51 )(which is the lower end of the price range you find them for), plus it had glorious ゜ﾟ･*☆ free shipping ☆*･゜゜ - for me who's used to 8,52 EUR ( $10)-$40 shipping costs to Europe that felt like a killer deal. And an investment in the future, maybe it'll finally make me build my BI Bladey and DCS-J that I've been putting off for a year now due to lacking 'proper' tools. Actually who am I kidding I still don’t have any space for them. Anyway, let’s take a look at this thing.

On the back, there are what looks like loads of instructions, details and warnings. Unfortunately my Japanese is as good as my Swahili, i.e. nonexistent, so I have no clue what any of this might say lol. "3mm" at least is somewhat universal and likely the maximum thickness of plastic you should cut with this nipper. Seeing how thin and fragile the blades look, I don't deem it wise to experiment where their limit is. I've heard enough stories of people breaking them and it seems not incredibly difficult to accomplish. I'd already be wary of using them on hard plastic, and I definitely advise against using them on translucent/clear plastic, that will blunt them in the best case and might break them in the worst. The blades are single-edge, minimizing the stress on the plastic and avoiding stress and crush marks that would occur with e.g. Tamiya cutters. Instead of clipping the piece off, the cutting blade slices the gate like a knife and stops at the other 'blade', which basically acts like a chopping board.

On the inside of the folded cardboard, there are more instructions on cutting, some more, some less obvious. Also I can't read 50% of them, whoops. You can use the nipper to cut the piece from the thick runner, however, I consider it more senseful to do this step with your standard diagonal cutter like my cheap Lux pliers. Then, when you have freed the piece from the runner, you can do the trimming with the GH nipper. Directly cutting the gate of the part while still on the runner may be okay for tiny pieces and very thin gates, and/or soft plastic (like the joint caps for motorized Zoids), but I wouldn’t really advise it for anything else. Cut the runner at 1 cm-ish away from the gate with any tool but the GH nipper, then use it to cut the gate at the far end (an optional step imo), and ultimately flush with the piece. Reserve the GH nipper only for when you absolutely need to use it to not cause unnecessary blunting of the blade.

Speaking of the blades. The blades on this nipper are thin. As in, crazy thin. Comparing them to my obnoxious Lux pliers seems like absolute overkill. At the broadest part, they're barely 2 mm thick. Also they are sharp. People saying in reviews that they cut through runners and gates like butter aren't exaggerating one bit. They really do. But since they're made of steel they will still dull after a while so try not to use them more often than necessary. Also don’t touch them too much or get any moisture on them or they will rust like my other ugly cutters.

Because this nipper is so special, GodHand has a whole page here with instructions on how to handle it. The blades are just so fragile and especially the tip is easy to break when handled incorrectly. They compare the cutting process to cutting tofu with a knife on your palm - you want to slice, not push through the part, and ease the force you apply as you near the other blade. There is a screw to prevent you from pressing the blades together too tightly, but I wouldn't take my chances. Be gentle with this nipper, if you need force you’re doing it wrong and are risking damaging it.

Depending on the shape of the piece, even if you cut as close to the part as possible, you might still have a tiny (emphasis on ‘tiny’) leftover of the gate that needs to be sanded off or shaved with an xacto knife (which always chops up my thumb... need to find a way to avoid that). You can get a near perfect result in many cases using the GH nipper only, but if you want to make the marks completely invisible you’ll have to go the extra mile of shaving and sanding. The nipper’s purpose is to reduce the stress on the plastic as much as possible and produce clean cuts that might suffice for most people, however perfectionists like me will still need to reach for an xacto knife and (wet) sandpaper. [Random model kit tip #01: a drop of water on your sandpaper will result in a smoother surface because it acts as a lubricant.]

The nipper also comes with a neat pouch, which is a much needed protection for the blade.

I did a comparison of my old crude Lux cutter against the GH nipper on one of the runners of my new Gun Tiger (review coming soon; tiny tiny kit but packed with lots of detail!). I tested them on the shiny dark gray runner, as the plastic is somewhat soft and also shows stress marks quite clearly. Which my phone camera failed to properly focus on, unfortunately.

First pic: cut with the Lux pliers. Can you believe I used those to clip off nubs until now? *shudders* Second pic: cut with the GH nipper. Such a nice cut! Due to the nature of this plastic, cutting through 3 mm thickness results in some surface stressing. Third pic: to reduce whitening, I massaged/scratched the surface with my fingernail, greatly lessening it.

What glorious difference.

[Random model kit tip #02: scratch white stress marks with your fingernail, applying a considerable amount of pressure. In many cases, it will greatly lessen the whitening or even make it disappear. For some kinds of plastic, this makes the mark even darker than the rest.]

Testing the nipper on an actual kit part:

The Gun Tiger kit has wonderfully tiny gates on an already tiny kit. They are so small you can use the GH nipper to directly cut them off the sprues, which will look like in the top right photo. I then clean the mark up with my fingernail, an xacto knife if it needs some shaving, 5000 grit sandpaper + water and lastly polish it with my tshirt lol. The unevenness of this mark is due to me being a dork and not managing to cut straight... and the GH nipper is so sharp, it will cut the angle you place it at (I accidentally cut off a bit of the edge as well on another part cuz you don’t even notice any additional resistance).

[Random model kit tip #03: rectangular felt pads from the hardware store are a great way to make small DIY ghetto sanding sponges. Just stick them on the backside of the sandpaper and cut around it. Cutting sandpaper will damage scissors though so use some that you don’t care about much.] 

Wrapping up with the ultimate question for the Ultimate Nipper:

Q: Is it worth the money? A: Honestly it still takes time for me to get used to it, especially since it handles like a McLaren P1 compared to the Caterpillar 797F my Lux pliers are. It’s super delicate in every way. But I’m certain it will make building kits a lot more enjoyable now that I don’t have to deal with the frustration anymore that my old cutters caused me more often than not (building my Gun Tiger was already so much fun with the GH nipper). That said, it’s up to each person themself to decide whether they want to afford this luxury or are okay with less than ‘the absolute best’. There is also the GodHand PN-120 nipper which is just a step below the SPN-120 which may be a great and cheaper alternative; or the Gundam Planet Premium Nipper. The perfectionist in me is satisfied at least and omg I’m never giving them away again.

If anyone wants even more information on it, there's some more additional stuff on the official page of the GodHand SPN-120 Ultimate Nipper 5.0. 

[shrekgogurt]

Well folks. I’m on my substitute teaching grind again this week! Scheduled each day up in hopes of getting some good writing done. I did on Monday! And then proceeded to finally start reading @ninemagicks Game/Set/Match yesterday and did that every bell so uhhhhhh. Today………..well ummmmm…..yeah today I worked on chapter graphics because I’m in big procrastination mode. I want to keep riding this wave of engagement (that sounds corporate gross) but I’m also very much in my head about delivering. I should probably channel this energy into writing the chapter since such pressure is Baz’s literal arc but uhhhhhhhh why do that when I could Simon avoid. I love being mentally well!

One might say I need to find my own bravado. (more under the cut)

lol the chapter title for 13 is bravado by lorde

ok anyway

“Work In Progress Wednesday” right? That means I can talk about the progress of every part of the process? Huh? Yeah? Are you gonna stop me? TRY! TRY TO STOP ME!

Aggression aside, let’s get into it.

As previously stated on Sunday, we find ourselves at intermission. But that’s just the theatrical way of slicing up the story. The fun thing about 24 chapters (I got rid of my originally planned intermission chapter because I didn’t want to write it anymore) is that math really loves the number 24. It’s scrumptious. Yummily divisible. Ergo, IKABIKAM also has/is/will be deliciously divided. Afterall, I do keep saying I’m cooking on it.

Now, to put @alexalexinii on blast (sorry for perceiving you), they wrote in the tags of a Chapter 12 reblog: #made me realise that this fic had proper arcs? And I grinned. I cackled. I rubbed my grubby little hands together at the top of my tower as I’ve been doing this whole time because oh ARCS???????? YOU WANT ARCS???????????? I’VE GOT ARCS LYING IN WAIT LIKE YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE. (I love overselling myself.)

Allow me to let you in on some of the building blocks thus far.

Chapters 1, 2, 3: a complicated reunion which is shaky but ultimately sets up

Chapters 4, 5, 6: developing the friendship which is a crucial foundation for

Chapters 7, 8, 9: the gay (Baz’s increasingly more external “hi i’m gay”, Simon’s internal “oh wait me too”) which then explodes into

Chapters 10, 11, 12: all that political parent stuff that’s been hinted at in passing which is BIG relevant and incredibly intertwined in this tangled up mess that leads into the work of….

You get it. They’re mini trilogies. Don’t ask me about dividing the chapters into groups of four because I didn’t have that in mind while writing. I like threes better. Always have. Absolute banger of a prime number.

If you for some reason want to read more about the structure, I write a little more about it in this wipsday from when I was procrastinating 9.

Now, @cutestkilla keeps telling me I’m at the downward slope now but honestly delivering on what I’ve set up scares the shit out of me WAY more than the grunt work. I’m uhhhhh yeah. This is why I’m chronically unable to finish projects but by GOD I will finish this one. I swear by it.

So here are three sentences. You get to guess from who and when.

Loving him comes as naturally as breathing. It’s intuitive when I’m not thinking. Or rather, when I’m not panicking.

If you want to follow along with all the songs I’m hyperfixating on as inspiration I’ve been sharing them over on the “shrogurt” instagram. There’s nothing I love more than talking way too much about this damn fic. Thanks for reading!

And thank you for the tags today: @nausikaaa @facewithoutheart @hushed-chorus @artsyunderstudy @prettygoododds @emeryhall

Now tagging: @brilla-brilla-estrellita @captain-aralias @dani-vc @ebbpettier @excalisbury @facewithoutheart @fatalfangirl @hagnoart @iamamythologicalcreature @ileadacharmedlife @imagineacoolusername @ivelovedhimthroughworse @j-nipper-95 @larkral @letraspal @martsonmars @messofthejess @moodandmist @mooncello @nightimedreamersworld @onepintobean @palimpsessed @raenestee @rimeswithpurple @theearlgreymage @theimpossibledemon @thewholelemon @valeffelees @whogaveyoupermission @youarenevertooold @you-remind-me-of-the-babe

[victorieschild]

*Bo Butnam sounds* Is there anything more Australian than “mateship”? Yes, institutionalised racism *Bo Butnam sounds continue*

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #520

Top Ten CBeebies Programmes

Ah, the wonders of timing. A couple of weeks ago, everyone was banging on about it being the twentieth anniversary of CBeebies, and I wanted to get in on that action. But, wouldn’t you know it, Valentine’s Day got in the way of relevance, and so we’re doing a birthday celebration a bit belatedly. Never mind. By the time you get to twenty, you should be able to wait a little bit.

I’ve thought about CBeebies a lot, and some version of this list – or one like it – has been percolating for quite a while. This is because I’ve worked in kids’ TV almost my entire adult life, and especially since my kids have been born, I’ve spent a lot of time working actually for the BBC, oftentimes making promos for CBeebies. So both personally – having small children who watch the channel – and professionally – making stuff for the channel – CBeebies has been a big part of my life in the past decade.

What’s given me pause, though, is the fact that I actually know some people who make programmes for CBeebies. I don’t wanna upset anybody! Especially, y’know, anybody who might want to give me a job. So what I’m going to say here is this is not a list of absolute quality; I’m not saying these are the best. But they’re the ones I’ve fallen in love with the most. That might be because I think the writing or production is genuinely sublime; it might be because we came across them at the right time in the right circumstances. Maybe my kids loved them! When your kids love stuff, really love it, you tend to soften on it, even if you weren’t very keen on it to begin with. This is brought to you by “I have totally come around on Minecraft YouTubers”.

Oh, and yes, there are omissions. That’s because, as my kids have gotten older, they’ve started watching, well, more Minecraft YouTubers than CBeebies shows. I’ve got friends with younger kids who go on about Bluey, which I’m sure – from the sounds of it – I would just flat-out love. But I’ve never seen it! My kids are too old, I guess. Or too into Avatar: The Last Airbender or whatever. Or – let’s be honest – they’re just playing Minecraft, or watching people play Minecraft.

So here we go: my Top Ten CBeebies shows; shows that mean a lot, one way or another.

Hey Duggee: is it the music, the artwork, the voiceover? The tone of wry whimsy combined with heartfelt preschool sentiment? Is it the genuine humour and excellent writing? Is it the raft of in-jokes and references, from The Life Aquatic to Apocalypse Now? Is it my minor role in making The Stick Songgo viral? All of this and more; the best children’s TV programme ever made.

In the Night Garden: simultaneously a very sweet and gentle imagery and music that lulls children into another world and, ultimately, to sleep, and also the most bonkers, batshit, balls-tripping stuff you’re likely to see. Nonsense songs! Size-changing vehicles! Dancing flowers! Symmetrical stone-stacking!

CBeebies Bedtime Stories: Jackanoryfor the 21st Century, the simple pleasure of somebody reading a story aloud will always work. The soft, relaxing presentation adds to the “bedtime” aspect, and a huge selection of impressive celebrity readers makes it an event programme for all ages. I mean, come on; everyone from Dolly Parton to Captain America is here.

Topsy and Tim: creating a kind of soap opera for nippers is a phenomenal idea, introducing them to ongoing narratives and stories about familial dynamics. There are all kinds of cool topics explored, from illness to bereavement, with a keen eye on its audience. The cute family and great performances help too. A common fixture round ours.

Show Me Show Me: I’m starting to think nobody is better at introducing the very young to the world of television that Chris Jarvis and Pui Fan Lee. Gentle, engaging, fun, and a perfect start to the day when your kids get you up too early.

Swashbuckle: the perfect kind of gameshow for young kids; really energetic silliness. But what lifts it up is the bevvy of terrific performances, from Gemma Hunt to the trio of pirates, telling incredibly silly and very funny stories amidst the slapstick, chaotic gameplay. Plus I got to go on set, so it gets extra points.

Our Family: there were a trio of programmes, all made – if I remember correctly – by the same North East production company, following the lives of the very young as they experience things anew. Our Family was one, but there was also a cooking programme and one dealing with “My First…” These were great windows into individual lives and shared experiences, and really sweet preschool documentaries.

Waffle the Wonder Dog: taking the Topsy and Tim preschool soap format but making it way sillier, we now have essentially a comedy-drama about a talking dog and his beleaguered family. Hijinks ensue, lessons are learned, and at the centre of it is a flat-out adorable dog.

My Petsaurus: here we have, perhaps, a lesser-known show, but one which was just huge in our house, albeit briefly. A short selection of shorts, it features a girl and her cute pet dinosaur. That’s it; a simple premise, really well executed. I’m a sucker for an interplay of animation and live-action, and this is a great example, with a really good young performance at its centre. Because my kids were into it a bit more, it’s just eased out the broadly similar Woolly and Tig, which is also brilliant.

Go Jetters: there’s a lot of chatter about Octonauts, which I’m not going to diss, but for my money you can’t beat Go Jetters. A preschool Thunderbirds with a globetrotting bent, where it succeeds for me is in the absolute disco swagger of all-knowing boss Ubercorn, and especially in the moustachioed grump Grandmaster Glitch. Two incredible performances from Tommie Earl Jenkins and Marc Silk.

See, I already feel really bad for having to miss out things like Balamory, Dinopaws, and the educational one-two punch of Alphablocks and Numberblocks. Basically, CBeebies is great.

I've made a very rare edit to this list (I hardly ever edit them after they're posted apart from to correct spelling and grammar mistakes!) because, like a massive idiot, I confused the titles Let's Play and Show Me Show Me - so in the very unlikely event that you were confused by me referring to Chris and Pui instead of Rebecca and Sid, that's why. Sorry to all involved! In fact, Let's Play itself was a very close-run thing, a fantastic show that my youngest especially loved.

[ovreeland7]

Writing Prompt #9

Melville articulates anti-capitalist thoughts in his short story Bartleby, The Scrivener. He displays this through the characters Nippers, Turkey, Ginger Nut and most importantly Bartleby. The story is told from the perspective of a person who runs a law practice. From this point of view, Melville is able to show the extreme detrimental effects of capitalism and how the narrator, due to his power and influence, can be blinded by it and become profoundly affected by his role in larger society. This can be seen on page 6 when the narrator describes how the office is layed out. He describes how one one side he sits alone and how glass folding doors divide the office and allow the scriveners to sit all together. He invited Bartleby to sit on his side as he wanted to “have this quiet man within easy call, in case any trifling thing was to be done” (6). He chooses to have Bartleby sit near him as he wants to be able to call on him for work. The narrator also makes this choice as Bartleby is “quiet” (6) which would make him an easier companion. This passage makes it clear that the narrator holds the power in the office and is well aware of it, “According to my humor I threw open these doors or closed them” (6). His description of how he is able to shift around the office when he wants to, displays the ultimate power he holds in this workspace. The usage of the word “humor” intrigues me, as it could mean both mood and temperament or a comedic quality in general. Melville’s word choice allows a sort of complexity to occur, where the reader can read that on any humorous whim the Lawyer can change the layout of the office. He further describes the office and more specifically Bartleby’s desk statin that it is close to a small window which originally had a “view of certain grimy back-yards and bricks, but which, owing to subsequent erections, commanded at present no view at all, though it gave some light” (6). This passage details how Bartleby looks onto a small window which, while once showing a dirty landscape, now holds no view at all except for some slight light. The word “command” holds an authoritative tone and depicts an image of the person, the narrator in this case, looking out the window and expecting a certain image or view. This word choice and tone further displays the dominating role the Lawyer has in the office. He then describes how he created a space for Bartleby to sit, “Still further to a satisfactory arrangement I procured a high green folding screen, which might entirely isolate Bartleby from my sight, though not remove him from my voice” (6). The narrator describes how he arranges this folding screen so he can tell Bartleby what to do, yet would not be forced to see him. This early-days cubicle that he describes displays the effects that capitalism has on this workplace. The way that Bartleby, as well as the other workers, are able to be dominated by the Lawyer and by the marketplace in general.

[arahul-abyssia]

Looks like it's September again (already, somehow), so that means that it's Nintember again, which means I'll be writing again! Same dealio as last time, one story per five prompts, up to six writings total. (And I'll be putting most of each under a cut, because mobile users can't skip posts)

And for my first entry for @starprincesshlc and @jklantern 's wonderful little event, I shall once again be attempting to twist some modicum of continuity, characterization, and canon-compliance out of a world that clearly cares scarcely for all three.

The Great Act

~~ Art, Green, Dizzy, Fire, Strength ~~

It was the loud buzzing of his phone’s alarm clock that dragged him from his slumber. He awoke to find himself sprawled across the couch, which was in no way long enough for his lanky body and spindly legs. As he blearily reached out and slapped at the coffee table, hoping to find the rude device by pure luck, he also blearily reached out and slapped at his memories, trying to figure out what series of events had led him there. For a moment, they floated just out of reach, and then suddenly flooded back to him all at once.

Oh. Right. It’s all over.

Another sporting event had come and gone, and as usual, in spite of all the effort he put into training and practice, he had ultimately lost to the same people he always did. No matter the sport, no matter the plan, no matter the time, they always won. And why shouldn’t they? The heroes always win in the end, always securing victory against the villains.

And he was one of them: the purple-clad counterpart, mirror, and supposed rival to one of the land’s most revered figures. Meant to oppose, and meant to lose.

He was Waluigi.

The name still sounded absurd to him. He had no idea how two men whose names were ‘Mario’ and ‘Wario’ and who naturally served as near-perfect foils of each other, had managed to meet and form such a publicizable rivalry without any deliberate effort, but such was the case. However, the notion that the brother of one had his own doppelganger in the brother of the other (or cousin, they never did manage to keep that story straight), with the same dichotomies of name, body, and personality? That was simply and utterly ridiculous, far beyond even the realm of ‘too good to be true’. And yet, if anyone had caught on, they hadn’t made it known to him.

Lost in thought and routine, he realized he had reached and opened his wardrobe, where numerous sets of that purple hat, shirt, and overalls were staring him in the face. In a sickening sense, they were the centerpiece of a great work of art, the fabrication that was his entire public existence, the character that he and Wario had constructed so that he might further be the ‘evil counterpart’ to everyone’s favorite red-clothed fire-throwing hero. Mario was stout and a bit fat, Wario was stouter and fatter; Luigi was tall and a bit thin, so Waluigi was taller and thinner. Mario had an M as his emblem, Wario had an inverted M; Luigi had an L, so Waluigi had an inverted L. To any casual outside observer, it was perfect.

But unlike Mario and Wario, whose rivalry had been formed in their youth, Waluigi had never even met Luigi until Wario had made him his sporting partner. The most he had known of the legendary Mario Brothers was just that: they were legends, for the countless adventures and quests they went on. In truth, despite how much he played it up during each and every game, he bore no true grudge against the man he was supposed to hate; Wario had, for a time, convinced him that Luigi’s presence in the public eye was somehow detracting from his own, but he had long since realized that that wasn’t the case; in fact, it often seemed like Luigi himself was being snubbed by the public, with the vast majority of the glory placed upon Mario, no matter how much Luigi contributed.

And yet, despite his existence being little more than a convenient story, despite the stress that constantly acting like a jerk brought, and despite always losing at the games no matter what, none of it brought him any sadness: for all its ups and downs, he felt himself to be rather good at keeping up the act, and the sports were, at the end of the day, still fun.

So why do I still feel so… bad?

Routine and thought had once more brought Waluigi elsewhere, and he found himself once more on his couch, now dressed in his usual outfit, with some sort of drink in his hands, probably coffee or tea; he didn’t care to determine which at that moment. His eyes casually wandered around the room as he brought the mug to his lips.

Then, just as the liquid touched his tongue--apparently he had managed to make tea out of coffee beans--the answer came to him. All across the room’s walls and shelves was sporting equipment of every sort--tennis racquets, shin-guards, helmets, golf clubs, old kart wheels, giant dice blocks, a probably excessive number of deflated balls--and absolutely no other sort of decoration. He leaned forward to place the mug on the table, and in doing so noticed his gloved hands and violet sleeves. Who wore the outfit of a character that they supposedly were not, every single day? Apparently, him.

He didn’t do anything else. He had let the character that was Waluigi consume his life to the point that had no idea who he was outside of it. He had nothing that he did when sports weren’t involved. Wario didn’t dedicate all his time to his rivalry; he owned an entire video game company--an unstable and poorly-run one, certainly, but it was nevertheless another use of his time. Mario and Luigi had their own grand adventures, of course, which is also what Peach, the Yoshis, Bowser, and his horde of minions were all typically involved in.

They all had lives outside of the games, and what did he do during the interim times? He either tried to practice, on his own, in the few suitable locations that he could find when the world was arranged for adventure, in a vain attempt to not lose as bad when the next game came around, or he wallowed in his home, doing absolutely nothing of any import.

But what could he do? Waluigi was never anything beyond a fabricated counterpart to both Wario and Luigi, but he could not remember, even slightly, what or who he was before he embraced that role. That nearly all of his memories prior to his first meeting with his partner were lost to him, was, he shuddered to admit, rather unsettling. Not even his old name--if he even had had one, he could not recall anymore--would reveal itself to him, and it was not as though he could simply find out through some external means: he was never the best at record-keeping, and to really sell their act, he had had his name legally changed to “Waluigi” and all references to his previous identity erased.

He shook his head, attempting to clear his mind of thoughts. There was little sense in worrying and fretting over who he was in that moment--the chance of any sort of useful epiphany emerging from it was even slimmer than he was.

Ugh… better just try to distract myself…

The first suitable option to catch his eye was the TV remote lying on the table. He quickly grabbed it and flicked on the set, and was immediately assaulted by the cheery enunciation of the Lakitu news anchors on the aptly-named Lakitu News Channel. He recalled that that was the channel he had left the set on last night, after he had gotten quite fed up with the incessant and inane blathering about the events of that day’s final matches, and it took only about five seconds to figure out that they were still on that topic. Scowling, he began flipping through the various channels available, hoping to find something interesting enough to block out the melancholic thoughts that were biting at his mind, like a hundred tiny Muncher and Nipper Plants.

After a painfully long series of more newsrooms--all talking about the exact same thing, of course--and unappealing shows--Half of these are for children and other half would just make me feel even worse!--he stumbled across some sort of advice segment hosted by a Birdo (was it the Birdo? He couldn’t tell). With absolutely no better options, he resigned himself to sit back and listen halfheartedly to whatever trite tips she tried to provide; maybe they’d be amusing enough to at least give him a small chuckle.

“I hope you all enjoyed our lovely guest! Now, before we move on to the submissions from all you wonderful viewers, I’d like to reiterate some old, but tried and true, advice, which I hold very close to my heart.”

Oh, here we go…

“Something which you probably hear very often is to always be yourself, or to always be true to yourself…”

Feh, I can think of several people who definitely shouldn’t do that…

“But it may be that you don’t like who ‘yourself’ is, or perhaps you don’t know what self you even have to be true to…”

Hah! As if… uh…

“And to that end, I’d like to say that there is always room for change. There’s always a way to make something new of yourself, to alter the parts of you that you want to, to become a different, better person. ‘Yourself’ can be whoever you want it to be; never are you locked along one unending bleak path. Try new things! Experiment! Don’t let yourself be trapped in an endless cycle.

“Believe me when I say I have personal experience with this: I’ve done so many different things over a rather short period of time, trying to find what I wanted to do with myself, who I wanted to be. Even now, I’m still not entirely sure if this is my supposed ‘calling’…! But I never got anywhere by doing nothing: it was on me to break out of my shell and search for myself, and now it’s on you to do the same.

“You don’t have to begin drastically, with a flying leap of faith--I think we’ve all walked over enough cliffs by now to know that!--but, if this is the sort of mindset you find yourself in, why not try taking some small steps today? It could be as simple as wearing a new outfit, or talking to someone new, or partaking in a new pastime.”

Birdo continued to elaborate on her point, but Waluigi--or, whoever he was beneath that--had stopped listening. He wanted to make some snark about what she said; he wanted to rationalize how what she described couldn’t ever apply to him; but, he found that he couldn’t. He had attempted to follow similar advice long in the past, and failed, but something about the way she phrased it, managed to affect him more deeply than he had thought possible. It was as though her words had dug beneath his shields and layers and pierced something somewhere in his core; pulled a lever, turned a handle, flipped a switch.

A strange sensation washed over him, one he could only describe as a blazing fire--nay, an inferno--igniting within him. He had felt the touch of flame countless times over the years, but not even the innumerable rage-fueled volleys he had endured, all combined into a single force, could compare to what now burned in his soul.

He leapt up from the sofa and ran to his bathroom. Staring at him from within the mirror was a character, a costume, a facade. It was not who he was. He grabbed a towel, dampened it, and proceeded to scrub away the pink paint on his nose; Wario and Waluigi’s noses were defined by that bright rosy color, but his was not. He then tore open a cabinet and grabbed his bottle of mustache product; normally, it was used to create the signature angular mustache of Waluigi, but today, it would shape the hairs into something softer and curlier. Whether that was what he would ultimately like did not matter: he was experimenting! He was changing himself!

Though the man that stared back at him from the glass now bore a much different visage, it was still framed by the purple cap and shirt, yellow emblem, and dark indigo overalls. He tore them off, then opened his wardrobe once more and threw all the copies of that same outfit to the ground. Hidden behind them were old clothes that he hadn’t worn for many, many years. He grabbed the first garments he saw--a casual dress shirt and gaudy neon-yellow shorts. Did those go well together? It didn’t matter. Without hesitating, he put them on.

He quickly glanced in the mirror again: the ensemble was nearly complete, but just missing one last touch. He thought on it for a moment, then stricken with brilliance, hurried to his modest backyard, where the roses he performed with in the games grew. He plucked one from its bush and affixed it to his hair, then ran back to the mirror to observe himself one more time.

His mismatched get-up would likely garner many stares from others, though he wouldn’t mind them at all; if he had anything in common with Waluigi, it was that they both loved being the center of attention. Even still, that’s not what mattered. A whole new day lay before him, a whole new day to be someone new, someone different; to move on from the cycle he had been stuck in, to take a whole new step forward.

He returned to the sitting room and turned off the television, then went to the front door. Taking a deep breath, he turned the handle, threw it open, and marched into the daylight, the daylight which felt far fresher and warmer than it had in a long time, though even it held no candle to the flame that continued to blaze within him.

Ready or not, world; here I come!!

[dragon-snoots-a-boopin]

So I enjoy building scale models, Gunpla, as well as building and painting D&D and Warhammer 40K and Warhammer Age of Sigmar miniatures.

In one of my Facebook groups, I saw someone ask about what is one tool that's worth spending extra money on? I thought that would make a good short discussion.

Most of the tools I use for modeling, paint brushes, nippers (for cutting parts from sprue) exacto knife and sanding sticks, are all inexpensive and I've found they last longer.

I've used a paint brush where one brush cost $15 and that brush actually lasted me one day. In comparison, I regularly use brushes that is a pack of 7 brushes that cost $7 and I've used these for months.

I've had the same thing with nippers. The pair I use now are a $5 pair that I got from the Jewelry section at Walmart and they last for months. But, I go to a hobby store and get a $15 pair, they lasted two months.

Ultimately in my experience, the more expensive tools tend to last less than the inexpensive ones do. Perhaps if you have the space for it to be set up and the time and patience to learn it, an airbrush can be a good investment. To me, they just seem so finicky that I am good sticking to spray cans when I do something like a model tank.

Anyway, that's my thoughts on what hobby tools are worth spending more money on.