#also anyone coming in to say you can get pins made in the UK or US: no you can't

[ultrainfinitepit]

You mentioned in the latest Pride Angels update that your next campaign, the Themed Monsters one, will be your final. Out of curiosity, why is that?

I won't say it's my final campaign forever but it is my final planned campaign. I have a few reasons I guess.

I have a finite list of pin ideas. The only other idea I had for another campaign was to make Dungeons and Dragons pins, but when I ran a poll for that I got insufficient interest. So I'll just plan to make them on my own as a very small batch.

I initially started making pins because I ran out of angel pins to collect. But now I've made a ton, and lots of other artists make angel pins too.

My shop profit is getting less and less each year and no longer justifying the time I'm putting in. My shop sales are down at least 80% compared to last year.

Pins are made in China so if tariffs go into effect, it will effectively kill my pin business as well as others.

There's all these reasons and also that after putting so much time and effort in to all these pin campaigns, I'm feeling pretty burnt out.

I miss drawing just for myself. I have been in the mode of drawing for customers for so long, I'm not sure how to draw for myself anymore. I hope I can rediscover that; or take a break from art and catch up on other things, like video games and D&D.

But I do still love pins and running my shops so, I think I will always be doing at least a little bit of that, just not at the same pace or scale of the past few years.

I bet you didn't expect such a long response Anon, but I hope this helps explain what I'm thinking :))

[scamwatchseal]

🕊️🍉Watching Out for Scams and Helpful Ways to Help Palestinians in Need🍉🕊️

With the humanitarian crises across the globe, there are (very unfortunately) absolutely vile people who want to take advantage of these horrific circumstances to make a quick chunk of change.

This is very bad since often legitimately new users of Palestinians in need seeking assistance from tumblr who just don’t know the culture here (IE: don’t really get that it’s considered rude, bot-like behavior to send asks about donations) are lumped in with these scammers and get banned, treated like spam, etc.

I hope this post can help people here discern if this is going to a real person in need or just a slimy scammer.

Things to look out for

Very guilt tripping language. Typically things like in very big red letters saying to please don’t scroll past at the most tame to actively berating users or the person the ask was sent like having very graphic descriptions of violence and saying “you wouldn’t want that to happen to you, would it?” at worst. The use of guilt tripping language is very intentional to convey urgency to anyone who may scroll past it, and make them feel awful if they don't do something right this second.

Check the age of the blog. I’m one to talk with having just made this sideblog, but it’s common for scam blogs to reblog a bunch of random posts to appear legitimate and their only original post is the one calling for donations.

Check to see if the Go Fund Me has been vetted by blogs known to vet and verify the legitimacy of Go Fund Me campaigns on tumblr. There are a few users who are known to verify the legitimacy of campaigns of those in need through a pinned post. Make sure you use the exact spelling as often scammers will see the name of a legit campaign, but end up switching a letter, spelling differently, etc. to appear all the more "legitimate". These users are @/el-shab-hussein , @/nabulsi, @/ibtisams, @/palipunk. Some have stopped vetting for fundraisers, but it's always good to check through their lists.

If the Go Fund Me link redirects you to a PayPal, it's very likely a scam. PayPal offers it's services to a lot of countries, however, it does not offer it's services to those in Palestine, unfortunately, so if someone is using PayPal I would consider it a major red flag.

If Venmo or Cash App are mentioned as a way to donate or any Go Fund Me Links redirect to there, it is absolutely a scam. Those apps only work to users in the US (and in the UK for Cash App).

Of course I'm aware that there are sometimes legitimate campaigns that may be organized by a relative or a friend living elsewhere and take donations through some of these means. However, it can also be something very easy to lie about. With the sense of urgency a lot of these posts present, it can be difficult to deduce if someone is really in need or if it's a scammer. You are not a horrible person for being informed about a lot of scam tactics and scrolling past.

Just remember a very important rule of thumb when coming across posts or asks:

Since yes, people do in fact lie, take advantage of the suffering of others and the kindness of those who want to help to make a quick buck. It's truly vile behavior and I hope this post can make users more informed about having a sharp eye when it comes to keeping an eye for scams, so that more people can be helped.

If you want to continue helping those in need but don't want to make sure every ask you get or post you see is verified, there are plenty of legitimate ways to help those in need, such as:

Doing your free clicks on Arab.org (it's free and something you can do daily. If you haven't done it today, consider this your reminder)

Donate Esims

Donate to organizations and relief efforts such as PCRF, Watermelon Relief, and Operation Olive Branch.

If you have Twitter, watching and engaging with Care for Gaza's tweets and videos helps as they are monetized for engagement.

[absolutebl]

Hey ABL. Just sent my doctorate for examination and for the first time since 2019 I have WAY too much time on hands. Can you suggest some binge watches? Got into bl last Feb so stuff before that would be great. Warmly, M

CONGRATZ!!!

10 Older BLs Worthy of a Binge Watch!

(in no particular order, prior to 2022)

1 Seven Days: Monday-Thursday & Seven Days: Friday-Sunday

Japan 2015 (grey)

Never doubt my ability to recommend this show. One of the best live action yaois ever made, with perfectly structured angst, fantastic characters and acting, and no problematic tropes (rare in Japanese BL). The leads have excellent chemistry although it’s low heat there’s still some really cute mutual kisses.

2 To My Star

Korea 2021 (Viki)

In the mood for something more grown up? TMS is a touch quirky to get into, but utterly charming once it hits its stride. This is the ultimate grumpy/sunshine pairing plus the most appealing light-filled kitchen of our dreams.

I don't like season 2 but others do. It is very clever.

3 We Best Love: No. 1 For You & Fighting Mr. 2nd

Taiwan 2021 (WeTV)

How about a uni + office BL? Brilliant acting saved this show from a messy (pretty classically manga) narrative with a lot of angst. You have to buy in to a yaoi aesthetic with this one, accept that things move fast and occasionally confuse, but that everything will be okay. It’s the ultimate pining seme meets the ultimate tsundere uke. WBL successfully manages to combine the best elements of Korean, Thai, and Japanese BL as it exists right now. Couple that to the insane chemistry from the leads, and we have one of the greatest BLs of all time, cooking higher heat to a recipe I doubt anyone else will ever be able to replicate since only Taiwan is this flexible.

4 He's Coming to Me

Thailand 2019 (YouTube)

With only 8 8 eps and from GMMTV this is short, high quality and bingable for Thailand. Boy and ghost boy fall in love, must solve ghost’s murder. Peak pining but also pretty tame, features my favorite sweet but important coming out sequence in all BL. The third in my precious triumvirate of unbeatable Thai BLs, that are only nominally BL because the story, acting, and production values are so good.

(Together with Until We Meet Again & A Tale of Thousand Stars - those 2 are longer so I don't consider them as bingable, but if you want something to get really stuck into? Go to town.).

5 Color Rush

Korea 2021 (Viki)

A unique paranormal twist elevates this classic high school drama into a pitch-perfect allegory for the queer coming out experience and one of the best BLs of all time (I will fight you on this). Here's my battle essay.

Original trigger.

(Don't bother with season 2.)

6 HIStory 2: Crossing the Line

Taiwan 2018 (Viki)

Lin Pei Yu directs this sports romance (volleyball) with a good boy/bad boy pairing, and my hands-down favorite of the HIStory franchise. There is no clear seme/uke. Ostensibly it's high school set but Taiwan doesn't care about age appropriate actors. It's a very soft sweet romance with some ridiculously easily overcome conflict. There's great kisses but it's medium heat. The side dishes are the stepbrother trope but they’re very tame, and there’s no other triggers. It's not just my favorite of the franchise, it’s one of my favorite BLs with a perfect happy ending.

(The second H2 is also pretty good.)

7 Cherry Magic

30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii AKA Cheri Maho

Japan 2020 (indie subs)

The sweetest fluffiest magical realism BL, packaged as a pinning office romance, very low heat (practically chaste) but the cutest. It’s truly great.

8 Light On Me

Korea 2021 (Viki)

Korea does an elegant pastiche of traditional live action yaoi but all tropes are cleverly deployed to bolster one of the most riveting love triangles ever put on screen… and I don’t like love triangles. LoM strategically tailors classic BL tropes to 2 different semes resulting in pristine pacing, plot, and character development, explicitly serving narrative (not just to tick boxes). LoM is a master class in trope drops. (If you write fanfic or romance you should study this show.) Full review.

9 Be Loved In House: I Do

Taiwan 2021 Viki

A cute classy office set BL with a few plot raised eyebrows, but no other concerns. ALL THE TROPES plus a general sweet softness that’s pretty rare from Taiwan, who usually prefer to go hard, but all their signature domesticity.

10 Lovely Writer

Thailand 2021 (YouTube)

Thailand criticizes itself and the BL industry while simultaneously giving us classic seme/uke with great chemistry in a one-two punch of “we love it, but are we supposed to? and must we think this hard, yet enjoy it SO MUCH?” This show won’t appeal or make sense to those who don’t already have at least some Thai BL watching experience. What Lovely Writer does, at heart, is reexamine Thai BL has done to queerness, but in a very gentle way that has more to do with Thai BL growing up than any actual queer authenticity. It’s not parody or pastiche, but it is self reflective and trying to correct for some chronic mistakes. Whether it is ultimately successful in this matter is going to depend on the watcher’s relationship to BL and queer identity. But that’s what makes this show beautiful, interesting, and thought provoking. And I, for one, applaud the effort even if I didn’t personally connect to the characters.

If you wanted 2022 included here's my top 10 from 2022:

[concerningwolves]

Hi! I hope you are doing well 💕 I’m writing a deaf character and I really wanna do it right so I’ve investigated a lot and your blog has been really helpful! So I wanted to ask- My character is supposed to be a guard (Like Royalty™️ and shit™️) so I would Like to know How she could fight and in general any tips you think could be useful for this character

Writing a Deaf Bodyguard (& Deaf characters in action scenarios)

► GENERAL TIPS

  ● TREAT YOUR d/DEAF CHARACTER AS HUMAN. (Or dragon. Or orc. Or... whatever species they might be.) Point is, don't become so afraid of misrepresenting deafness that you put the character on a ridiculously high pedestal. The fact of the matter is, one day they will likely meet an adversary who beats them. It might be because they don't hear something vital, or it might be because fights are messy, chaotic and brutal, and nobody can win all the time. They're allowed to struggle and ask for help. They're allowed to fail sometimes. They can screw up! They can lose a few fights! Everyone does these things; you don't need to cut out flaws just because the character is deaf.

There's also a strong narrative reason for doing this: you need action scenes/stories to have believable tension and conflict. These things drive the plot and keep readers hooked! If your d/Deaf character never seems to be at threat and powers through all fights, all you're doing is a) singling them out as 'Other', and b) weakening your narrative.

  ● DON'T WRITE THEM AS A BURDEN. You seem to have this one in the bag already, Anon, but I think it bears saying anyway. Yes, your character may fail and need help, but their deafness doesn't make them inherently weak or a liability.

The line between this point and the previous one may seem fine, but it boils down to this: are you consistently highlighting the fact that your character is deaf and using that as an excuse to belittle, side-line or otherwise diminish their value? Or are you saying 'this character is deaf. they may need accommodations and face certain obstacles a hearing person doesn't, but they're no better or worse than anyone else for their deafness'? If the latter, you're doing fine. (And really, anything is better than the former...)

  ● LET THEM HAVE SUPPORT AND ACCOMMODATIONS. There aren't accessibility accommodations on the fighting field, true – and certain adversaries will no doubt take advantage of that. But that doesn't mean your character's employers wouldn't give them accommodations or provide support. In this bodyguard scenario in particular, employers are going to do everything they can to help the bodyguard do her job. They don't want the person under protection to die, after all!

In a more general sense, just having other people in the characters' group look out for them and respect their needs is massively important. (This one is particularly true for survival and apocalypse narratives, where deaf and disabled people are usually presented as a burden). Maybe your bodyguard or fighter works as part of a team who help them with deafness-related obstacles. A support network doesn't negate your character's deafness – it just shows them getting the support they need.

As for accessibility aids, these will vary depending on the worldbuilding. Research assistive devices and aids for the deaf that are available in our world, and adapt them to fit your storyworld. Or, use your imagination and invent some cool James Bond-esque spy gadgets that would put Q to shame.

Some aids I imagine would be very useful are:

proximity sensors (so people can't sneak up on them). Maybe a watch with a sonar-type display?

sound detectors, such as flashing bracelets that light up to indicate different noises

vibrating jewellery/tie pins/shirt cuffs etc that alert the wearer to certain “danger sounds”, like a gunshot or an unsheathing blade

discrete hearing aids that won't get pulled out in a fight (if your character uses HAs)

That’s by no means a comprehensive list though, and obviously other factors like technology, available materials and magic/Sc-Fi elements will give you more to work with.

► FIGHTING AS A DEAF PERSON

This is where you'd need to research on your own more, but I do have two starter tips.

1) Research the accommodations made for and the stories of d/Deaf professional fighters (boxers, martial arts fighters, wrestlers etc). Take note of what difficulties they face, what their trainers and sports officials to do accommodate them, and how they overcome obstacles. Here's an article about Reece Cattermole, the UK's first Deaf registered boxer since the 1970s.

2) Your character will fight like anyone else; the difference is in how they rely on their senses. Hearing people can tell when someone is coming by footsteps, breathing, and other noises. Naturally, your deaf character will have learned how to use their other senses to compensate for the lack of hearing, but be careful how you write that. It's frustratingly common to see a sensory disabled character written with inexplicably enhanced senses, i.e., "character is blind but their hearing is SO GOOD they can basically use echolocation to see. It's like they're not even blind!". In settings where powers exist, this isn't so bad, but for non-powered characters it's... not good.

Think about Toph from Avatar the Last Airbender. Toph is a really good example of a disabled character in an action setting who isn't defined by her disability, but doesn't have it erased, either. She's blind and an earthbender, which means she can bend/has an affinity with earth. She can therefore sense vibrations through the earth and navigate like that, but she still can't see, and the narrative doesn't forget it. That's the sort of middle ground you ought to find.

Good luck with your writing, Nonny!

Also, if any d/Deaf people following me have experience with martials arts and fighting, your input would be very welcome! (*^▽^*)

[ Ko-Fi | FAQ & Ask Guidelines ]

[constant-creative-chaos]

Dating Cedric Diggory Would Include:

Cedric is a complete sweetheart

He absolutely adores you, you can see it in his smile when you catch him staring

Not only is he the sweetest guy in all of the UK but he is a gentleman

He carries your books for you

He kisses your knuckles when he greets you

He escorts you to your dorm or common room

You get the picture

Speaking of pictures, he has pictures of you pinned to his bed frame

His friends often tease him and ask how he landed someone like you

His reply is always the same

“I dunno mates, I ask myself everytime I see them smile.”

He often extends his prefect bathroom privileges to you if you aren’t one yourself

“Ced, c’mon! Let me down, I promised I’d meet Granger in the library to study!”

“Or instead of leaving me alone to drown in my misery without you, we could go down to the black lake and go for a swim!”

As much as Cedric is a gentleman, he is a goofball, honestly, that boy will do anything to make you smile

Also, constant teasing about your height

Weather you’re taller or shorter than him, he always has some well mannered joke

Summers spent with the Diggory’s? Yes, Amos loves as if you were his own

Speaking of Amos, he is constantly teasing Cedric in front of you and is embarrassing Cedric

“Oh yes! I’m assuming Cedric never told you about how he used to run around in his Batman pajamas, he was in love with the muggle comic character!”

“He did not, but please tell me more, I am fascinated.”

“Dad, please stop.”

During your time at the Diggory’s house in the summer Cedric and yourself would often be found doing small domestic tasks like cooking together

Amos finding you two curled together on the couch, sleeping soundly while a movie is playing in the background

Cedric falling asleep to your humming while you read

He reads to you when you’re tired but can’t seem to sleep

“Eros sat still, looking out at the sun rise one last time- oh,”

“No, no, I’m still awake, keep reading. I love hearing your voice,”

He knew you barley awake, but continued reading anyway

The train ride back to Hogwarts would always be spent with him patrolling your section of the train

he knows how to braid hair, if your hair is long enough he’ll braid it for you

you’re the person he pulled from the lake

after he kisses you he likes to press his forehead to yours

he grabs your face when you kiss

he adores it when you play with his hair

he also loves to flirt with you even though you’re already his

as much as he’d like to say he’s smooth and shit, he’s really not

He loves holding your hand, it’s adorable

He is always up to go on an after hours adventure with you

You two found the shrieking shack entrance through the whomping willow in your third year

Now he drags you there every once in a while to escape both of your friend groups

He has taken you out on broom rides around the grounds a few times

He says he likes it because of the smile on your face when you see the castle’s silhouette from the lake but it’s because he likes having you so close to him

His favourite date spot is the astronomy tower after dark, and everytime you to go up there together he tells you the same line

“You make the stars look dim,”

That’s also where you two kissed for the first time

“You make me see stars,”

One day you convinced him to let you put a charm on him

It was a small enchantment that replaced every scar with white stars

And after the triwizard tournament he had quite a few scars that he hated but the stars on them just reminded him of you

Eventually he began to accept them and as he did the charm faded

And when he realised why it stopped he just hugged you tightly and thanked you

After Hogwarts you guys decided to move in together in a small flat in near the ministry

Slytherin Reader:

Hufflepuff accepting you as one of there own almost immediately after finding out about Cedric and yourself

Always finding yourself defending the Hufflepuffs against the bigoted Slytherins

You're always dressed up in yellow and black in every Quidditch game Cedric is playing in, even against slytherin

Cedric being the most Slytherin positive Hufflepuff you have ever met

To the point where he will often steal your silver and green, Slytherin scarf

You pretend to be annoyed but you secretly love seeing him so casually show his pride for his Slytherin partner

Cedric understanding your fear for him meeting your parents

But eventually he convinced you to introduce him

“Mother, Father, this is Cedric. He is my boyfriend-“

“House and Blood Status?”

Cedric smiling kindly at them, “Hufflepuff and Half-blood.”

Your mother fumed, you were not to stain your families perfect blood line with him

He just continued to smile at them even after your mother scolded you for associating with him and calling him a half breed

And his smile went from one of kindness to one of pride at your quick and sharp retaliation,

“Mother, our family has been inbreeding for decades, Aunt Marina has three kids with her cousin, and you are not one to talk.”

Your father was quietly angry and disgusted because of his shared views of blood status with your mother

But no matter there statements Cedric was yours as you were his, and that perfect as is

But after the meeting Cedric reassured you that you are not like them, which was incredible

Making incredible friends in the hufflepuff house

Keeping your unbiased and kind slytherin friends close

Cedric getting along swimmingly with them

Lounging in each other’s common rooms and ignoring the stares and comments made

Playfully glaring at each other when someone makes a comment about the others house and then laughing about it and confusing people

Gyffindor Reader:

Doing something stupid and brave and Cedric whispering to you,

“I see why you’re in Gryffindor now,”

Being caught out in the halls with Cedric by filch often goes like this:

“Oh hey Filch, I saw some students down by the- QUICK DISTRACTION!” *throws something*

and then dragging Cedric along with you through the halls as you sprinted away with him

Then ending in you two laughing and panting in some random broom closet at the opposite end of the school

Giving him warning when a Weasley prank is about to go down

Watching out for the golden trio and making sure that they’re alright

And helping them on some of there more dangerous stunts

Which Cedric often scolds you for scaring him and putting yourself in danger

If you play Quidditch, showing your Gryffindor intensity and not playing easier against him

Cedric always coming to the celebratory and random Gryffindor parties

Often he stays to the very end with you and Harry says some stupid line before heading off to bed

“And then there was two,” Harry said, slapping his and hands down on your shoulders, “Use protection.”

And then he’d walk up to bed laughing silently to himself, leaving both you and Cedric beet red

“I know that he’s the only one that can kill Voldemort according to the prophecy, but I will strangle him in his sleep.”

Cedric then proceeding to tease the hell out of you and make plenty of innuendos

No but Harry is constantly teasing you, annoying little git

To get back at him Cedric and yourself just become even more comfortable around each other around him

“Ugh! C’mon, anywhere but around me!”

putting you’re name in the goblet of fire as well because an adventure is an adventure

nearly killing him after he came back half alive from the final event

Ravenclaw Reader:

Cedric dragging you away from the pile of books on your bedside table

“Your books will be here after date night, I promise,”

After big fights, which don’t occur often, you’d find a book on your bed with a sweet message on the front page

Reading aloud to Cedric after nightmares from the tournament

Study Dates

Distracting each other during said study dates

Constantly reminding him to do his homework

Letting him copy your notes

Finding the cozy, warm environment of the hufflepuff common room much more relaxing then the elegant and sophisticated look of the ravenclaw common room

“Why is there an eagle on your house crest if it’s RAVENclaw?”

“Cedric, I’ve asked myself that everyday for the past five years.”

He always comes to find you in the Library in the early hours of the morning when you’re finishing an essay to bring you to bed

“Sweetheart, you’ve been up for hours doing this essay, come to bed.”

“Ced, i want to, trust me I do but it’s due tomorrow. I’ll be fine.”

He’ll soon lose patience and pack your stuff up and drag you to bed weather you’d like to or not

Hufflepuff reader:

Being the power couple of hufflepuff

first years always coming to you for help

you two the unofficial hufflepuff parents

all the hufflepuffs younger than you guys come to you guys with their problems

hexing the shit out of people teasing your hufflepuff children

you can be found on Cedric’s lap in the common room 90% of the time

being an absolute sweetheart but also willing to throw hands with anyone who disrespects your house

sneaking next door to the kitchens together

“Puffball.”

“Cedric, dear, sweetheart, you are, as much as i hate to break it to you, also a Puffball.”

honestly being a softie 

but never underestimated after hexing Malfoy into oblivion after he bothered the first years

you guys make fun of each other for being in hufflepuff

it confuses people sooo much

[officialotakudome]

New Post has been published on Otaku Dome | The Latest News In Anime, Manga, Gaming, Tech, and Geek Culture

New Post has been published on https://otakudome.com/aew-rampage-was-a-rare-pro-wrestling-surprise/

AEW Rampage Was a Rare Pro Wrestling Surprise

AEW made it’s formal conception on January 1, 2019 and has since been making a number of accomplishments since. Including sold out shows, record merch sales, signing major stars, and  breaking one million viewers semi-regularly just to name a few. As we come to closing out the year AEW is looking to continue the highs they’ve been receiving in 2021 with the debut of their second televised program AEW Rampage. An hour series that will act as an equal to it’s sister program AEW Dynamite. And with the show they put on for night one that promise has so far already been kept.

AEW Rampage is a 2021 pro wrestling series produced by AEW & WarnerMedia. It currently airs Fridays at 9:00 AM Central on TNT. 

Editor’s Note: Spoilers for the debut episode of AEW Rampage and potential spoilers for the second episode may be present within this review.

AEW Rampage opened with an amazing match and a shock finish.

Kenny Omega (c) vs Christian Cage for the Impact World Championship:

In the opening (and first ever) contest of AEW Rampage, AEW featured a historic moment in which the Impact World Championship was defended for the very first time on another national wrestling promotion’s television program. AEW, Impact, and AAA World Champion Kenny Omega defended against challenger Christian Cage in a bit of a preview to their upcoming All Out main event match for the AEW World Championship. First just wanted to point out that the Pittsburg crowd was HOT for this show from start to finish. It really goes to show that if you give your audience a bit of respect they often respond in kind. Which is a polar opposite to a lot of WWE crowds who often attack the shows with obnoxious chants such as “What!?” & “CM PUNK!”. But WWE often shows little respect to their audience so it can be a bit forgiven.

Omega and Cage are both rather high level in-ring performers, especially the latter at age 47. AEW typically has their best matches open and close their shows and this philosophy continued on the debut of Rampage. Most of the offense surprisingly came from Christian who was really showing out against Omega who was mainly selling everything. At one point in the match Christian hit Omega with a Spear and had a cool near fall. Finish saw the Young Bucks coming out while Don distracted a ref and they handed Kenny a chair. As Omega was preparing for the One-Winged Angel, Christian turned the tides with a Killswitch on the very chair Omega had prepared for a three count. Omega sold the Killswitch like he was shot and Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus join Cage for the post-match celebration.

Winner AND NEW Impact World Champion Christian Cage: **** 1/2 stars

Beloved jobber Fuego del Sol gained a life changing victory in defeat.

Following the commercial break with get Mark Henry interviewing Cage with Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus having A Little Bit of the Bubbly. Cage said Kenny caused him to bring everything he had and felt he wasn’t going to win. He then states that if he gave him so much trouble for the Impact title it’ll be next to impossible for him to win the AEW title, but the victory has Cage in Omega’s head. Next match is God’s Favorite Champion Miro taking on everybody’s favorite jobber Fuego del Sol for the TNT Championship. If Sol wins he’ll be signed to an AEW contract.

Fuego del Sol vs Miro (c) for the TNT Championship:

If you’re even remotely apart of AEW’s social media circles you’ve probably heard of the rise of Fuego del Sol fka Kage. Sol began wrestling in a trampoline fed on Youtube prior to pursing his dreams on the independent circuit. Fuego; real life best friend of rising AEW star Sammy Guevara found his way to the promotion through recommendation working AEW Dark during their stay at Daily’s Place during the pandemic. Fuego also had a starring role in Guevara’s vlog entitled “Sammy’s Vlog” in which he films & documents his & his friends & co-workers’ real lives and careers as a professional wrestlers. Fuego became a fan-favorite due to his likable personality and optimism. AEW took notice of Fuego’s skyrocketing popularity and often had him featured on Dark and occasionally on flagship series Dynamite. The running gag of Sammy’s Vlog was Fuego’s real-life quest for a contract despite his losing streak and the fact that he also worked at Burger King to support his family while on PPA (pay per appearances) bookings with AEW.

Sammy stated many times that the goal of his vlog was to help his friends and guests to establish a gimmick, place to explore personality, and an opportunity to reach an audience basically to help wrestlers get over. And it’s kind of poetic that Fuego is one of the first to truly accomplish those goals. Fuego is now a hit on social media with many of his tweets gaining five digit numbers in likes something that’s rather unheard of from someone who’s had no real presence in the WWE. Now that we’ve gotten to the background of Fuego and the importance of this storyline (apologies for being so long winded about it) we can move on to the match itself. 

This was more or less a squash match, but the point was to get Fuego over in front of a big crowd. As the match began Fuego showed his bravery by hitting Miro with a variation of the Tornado DDT his finishing move of which he is the master. Fuego goes for a pin but only got a one count, he follows up with a second Tornado DDT as the crowd goes ballistic in cheers and Miro wisely rolls out of the ring. Commentary reminds people at home that if Fuego wins via count out he may not win the title but he will in fact still win the AEW contract. Miro unfortunately gets back into the ring at nine only to be hit with THIRD Tornado DDT at this stage the crowd is all over Fuego. He goes for a pin, but gets a very close near fall. As Miro recovers he nails Fuego with the Bulgarian Drop & Thrust Kick followed by the Game Over submission for the win.

Winner and still AEW TNT Champion Miro: *** stars

AEW Women’s World Champion returned to Brittsburg in the main event.

Miro celebrates and rips the contract as we head to commercial. Returning from the break Fuego recovers from his heartbreaking loss as the Pittsburg crowd gives him a standing ovation for his efforts. Commentary is selling the idea that this is Fuego’s final official appearance in AEW as they’re back on a touring schedule. Suddenly, Sammy Guevara’s music hits and he appears (briefly) with Tony Khan who hands him a mic and clipboard. Sammy tells Fuego that despite losing he may have still won. Reminding him of his disappointing win-loss record, he tells him it doesn’t matter as the fans and the wrestlers in the back all love him. Realizing what’s about to go down Fuego starts ugly crying as Sammy tells Fuego that Tony Khan wanted himself as his best friend to inform him that as of tonight he is officially All Elite and the crowd goes nuts. In an interview with Sports Illustrated Tony Khan stated that this was 100% shoot and that only Sammy knew Fuego was getting signed regardless of his loss. If you’ve followed Fuego’s journey from the beginning or middle where he made his AEW it really shows that anyone can get themselves over if they work hard enough and have the right platform. Contrastingly, in WWE if you get over without being their chosen guy or gal you’re punished for it being viewed as “having gone into business for yourself”. A testament to this is the infamous rise of Matt Cardona fka Zach Ryder who rose to fame with his “Z! True Long Island Story” Youtube series and had a fundamental role in teaching pro wrestlers to use the internet and social media to work for themselves to get over and would go on to inspire shows such as BTE (Being the Elite) & Sammy’s Vlog.

Cardona would regularly embarrassed and buried on WWE TV after a pity run with the WWE United States Championship rarely finding success beyond point for the remainder of his run in the promotion. Reports stated that morale among talent hit a record low, Cardona’s best friend Impact Wrestling star Brian Myers was also quoted as saying WWE “would hold “brass ring” pep talks every WrestleMania that suddenly stopped once Cardona got over”. So in short, unless you’re their flavor of the week/month/year WWE won’t take it kindly if you work hard and gain a following without their say. Whereas AEW (and virtually every other promotion ever) will do the compete opposite and show support, but enough of the rant it’s time for the main event.

Red Velvet vs Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D for the AEW Women’s World Championship:

Fuego wasn’t the only new signee of the night.

As the match starts Velvet is understandingly thrown off by the boos. More confusingly Velvet is working as a babyface for much of the match, rectifies this when she begins working Britt’s wrist. Obviously, Britt is the heel, but for the sake if the circumstances I’m glad Velvet played into being the baddie for the night. Also can I just say how crazy it’s been seeing Red Velvet grow as an in ring performer? I’ve seen her since her debut on Dark and basically followed through since her debut on Dynamite with Cody against Jade Cargill and Shaq. She’s still fairly fresh and young as a worker, but has really shown off her potential especially here. Lots of back and forth offense from Britt and Red. The finish saw Britt attempting the Lockjaw with the hurt wrist, but once Velvet escapes she brilliantly reverses it with her opposite arm for the submission. 

Winner and still AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker: **** stars

While Britt celebrates she beats down Velvet who comes back only to be beat down again by the returning Jamie Hayter with a new look. Hayter had a bit run on AEW Dark & NXT UK prior to her return as a full-time AEW talent. Britt had been hinting that she was opening up a bodyguard position and Hayter will fit that role moving forward. AEW Rampage’s debut was an extremely strong show with fantastic matches and excellent storytelling. This Friday is surprisingly going to be even more important, as unless you’ve been living under a rock “The First Dance” in the United Center will be the host of the long-awaited return of CM Punk to pro wrestling and not as an analyst as an in-ring talent. AEW and Punk himself are barely trying to throw fans off of what is undoubtedly going to be a legendary moment for them in their short time alive. 2021 has been very good to AEW and pro wrestling as a whole and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. AEW gives AEW Rampage’s debut episode an 80 out of 100.

[starwarsnonsense]

Best Films of 2019 (So Far)

It’s that time of year again! As most of my followers probably know, I’m an avid cinema-goer beyond Star Wars. I also quite enjoy making lists, so what’s better than a combo of the two? Below, I run down my top 10 films of 2019 so far - please note that this list is based on UK cinema release dates, so some of these films were 2018 releases elsewhere.

What are your favourites so far from this year? Let me know in replies/asks!

Honourable mentions: Toy Story 4, Long Shot, Aladdin, Alita: Battle Angel & The Kid Who Would Be King

1. The Favourite, dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

This completely wowed me - it features a trio of magnificently compelling female characters (played by Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone) operating at the court of Queen Anne (Colman is Anne, Weisz and Stone are courtiers), and is focused solely on the shifting sands of the power dynamics between them. The script is savage without sacrificing poignancy, witty without ceasing to be genuine. And while I’ve seen some react to this film as a comedy (and it certainly has laughs, most of which are closely tied to shock), for me it was very clearly a drama about the inscrutable and complicated relationships that exist between women. Specifically, it is about how those relationships run the gamut from sincere affinity to ruthless manipulation. This is an amazing movie, and it also has the best use of an Elton John song in 2019 (sorry, Rocketman!).

2. Midsommar, dir. Ari Aster

I went into this film with reservations, since I wasn’t a huge fan of Hereditary (by the same director), which I found to have extraordinary moments but iffy execution overall. This movie, however, wowed me, and I am still uncertain as to whether this or The Favourite is my top film of 2019 so far (fortunately, this gives me a good excuse to watch Midsommar three or four times in cinemas). While marketed as a freaky cult horror film, the director has described it as a fairy tale, which is the level on which is spoke to me. Midsommar follows Dani (an incredible Florence Pugh), a young woman who has suffered a terrible loss, as she travels with her boyfriend and his friends to a pagan festival in the Swedish countryside. Dani is painfully isolated, and her grief is hers to shoulder alone since her boyfriend is un-receptive and distinctly unprepared to help her. Over the course of the film, destruction and creation are conflated in ways that are frequently beautiful and horrific at the same time - this film spoke to me on a profound level, and the way it ended gave me a sense of incredible catharsis. This won’t be for everyone, for I found it to be a deeply special film and I can’t recommend it enough.

3. One Cut of the Dead, dir.  Shinichirou Ueda

While I went into The Favourite with high expectations given the talent involved, I went into this with no expectations whatsoever - and what a treat it was! One Cut of the Dead is easily one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in ears, taking what initially seems like a trite concept (a crew is filming a zombie movie at a desolate location ... only to discover that the zombies are real!) and twisting it in a truly ingenious way. The comedy is often of the broad variety, but it is consistently delightful and always manages to avoid becoming crass - the movie even has some really sweet family dynamics at the centre of it, which gives it some real emotional heft. The success of this film is heavily reliant on a major twist that occurs part-way through, so the best advice I can give you is to stay as far away from spoilers for this one as possible - go in blind, and you will be amply rewarded for your faith.

4. The Farewell, dir. Lulu Wang

I saw this following a wave of festival hype, so while I was excited I was also a bit apprehensive (since I have been burned by the aforementioned festival hype before). Thankfully, my doubts were blown away as this turned out to be just as wonderful as the early reviews had suggested. It’s a personal story about a young Asian-American woman (Awkwafina) struggling to reconcile her heritage with her current situation and values - specifically, she is tested when her grandmother is diagnosed with terminal cancer and the wider family make the decision to hide the truth from her. The Farewell does a fantastic job of generating empathy for all the different perspectives and positions in play, but it’s truly anchored by Awkwafina’s amazingly nuanced and tender performance - basically, anyone who’s ever loved a grandparent should leave this feeling incredibly moved and inspired. The themes of The Farewell are both specific to the Asian-American experience and general to anyone who has struggled with maintaining bonds over a vast distance, whether physical or cultural.           

5. Booksmart, dir. Olivia Wilde

God, how I wish I’d had this movie as a teenager! While Booksmart has a cliched premise - two high-achieving teens decide to have one wild night before graduation - it tells the story in an incredibly charming and impressively creative way (I won’t spoil it, but let me just say this - that scene with the Barbies!). As someone who was an awkward nerd with no discernible social life in high school (as you Americans call it), I found this portrayal of that peculiar limbo period very sensitive and thoughtful - it doesn’t mock or shame its heroines for being studious, and it allows them to have limits and step back from situations that make them uncomfortable. It also serves as a beautifully honest portrait of a friendship, depicting the qualities that bring people together in friendship together in the first place, as well as the forces that can break people apart. This is a very accomplished debut from Wilde, and it makes me very excited to see where she goes next as a director.

6. A Private War, dir. Matthew Heineman

This was a very suspenseful and tightly focused film about an extraordinary woman, and the film soars on the strength of Rosamund Pike’s incredible performance as Marie Colvin. She provides piercing insights into the psyche of a person so driven to pursue truth and enact change that she loses all concern for her own wellbeing - it’s simultaneously a portrait of heroism and obsession, and it’s impressive for how it handles the ambiguity inherent in Colvin’s choices. She’s exceptionally brave, but the film is unflinching in depicting the costs of her bravery. It left me feeling inspired to learn more about Colvin’s life and work, and I still need to watch the documentary Under the Wire to get more insight into the real story behind the film.

7. Fighting With My Family, dir. Stephen Merchant

This is the year of Florence Pugh - she killed it in Midsommar, and she is just as fantastic here. If anything, Fighting With My Family and Midsommar make great complements as they serve as fantastic showcases for Pugh’s range as an actor. While her character in Midsommar is fragile and vulnerable, Fighting With My Family is a platform for her strength and comedic skill. As Paige, Pugh is instantly likable and compelling - I don’t give a damn about any form of wrestling, but this film (and Pugh specifically) did a fantastic job of drawing me in and making me root for Paige’s struggle to prove herself as a legitimate force in wrestling. This is a real underdog story, and Pugh did a wonderful job as the Cinderella of the WWE.

8. Apollo 11, dir. Todd Douglas Miller

My dad has always been crazy about the space program, but I hadn’t picked up the bug myself. That changed after I watched this extraordinary documentary, which brought the Apollo 11 mission to vivid life. The footage that’s used for this documentary is extraordinarily crisp, and some moments are vividly powerful - the crew getting into their spacesuits, the swirl of fire surrounding the moment of takeoff, and the journey of the spacecraft towards the moon. It left me feeling moved and touched by human potential, especially when you remember that this all happened 50 years ago when the available technologies were so fragile and primitive. I also loved how the footage was allowed to speak for itself, with no voiceover or exposition - it’s a must-see for anyone who’s ever looked up at the stars and wondered about reaching them.

9. High Life, dir. Claire Denis

This movie is second to only Midsommar in terms of how weird it is. I saw this in a Hungarian cinema while on holiday, which made for a disorientating experience in itself. While the meaning of the film is quite elusive and I’m sure that many people will find viewing it a uniquely frustrating experience, I appreciated how it created a hothouse environment that brought out some of the ugliest aspects of humanity. Robert Pattinson was great as what comes closest to amounting to our protagonist, though he is as inscrutable and inaccessible as the film itself. I can’t quite pin down why I liked this one so much, but I know I did and it made me want to seek out more of Claire Denis’ work. 

10. Free Solo, dir. Jimmy Chin & Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

It’s tragic that most people will only watch this documentary on a TV screen (or, so much worse, a laptop!). I was fortunate enough to see it in its full IMAX glory, and it’s rare to see any film - let alone a documentary - take such full advantage of the format. The woozy spectacle of this film is the real star, though the subject - mountain climber Alex Honnold - is also fascinating with his unnerving detachment from the magnitude of what he is setting out on. It is clearly a necessary detachment for him to be able to achieve what he achieves, but I appreciated how the filmmakers questioned it and explored its impact on his girlfriend. This is a compelling documentary, and is worth watching even if you’re not usually a fan of the genre.

[palimpsessed]

The Welsh Red Dragon, Kurt Vonnegut, and Social Activism

The inspiration behind Shepard’s pins

(original post with full artwork here.)

So, I spent A LOT of time thinking about the kind of pins our good friend Shepard (from Omaha, NE) would have on his denim jacket. Like a lot. Like an obsessive amount of time. I made a list, which seemed appropriate for this fandom. And because I’m a nerd and this sort of thing really interests me, and I’m proud of what I came up with, and because I think some of these items open up the possibility for some good, good literary analysis, I decided to make a whole post dedicated to Shepard’s pins. You’re welcome.

First, a little bit about my thought process. How did I decide what kind of pins to give Shepard? Well, he’s a guy full of stories. Stories that he can’t wait to tell anyone and everyone. And stories that others (mostly Maybes) have told him, once he’s earned their confidence. So, I wanted his pins to tell a story, his story in particular. What is the story that Shepard wants to tell about himself? More precisely, what is the story he wants to tell his new magickal friends on a disastrous summer holiday? The story is that of his own magickal credibility. His journey to magic (his come to Crowley moment, perhaps?) (I’d apologize, but I’m not sorry…) and his trustworthiness as evidenced by all of the Maybes he’s met along the way. He’s gotten drunk off dandelion wine with a creek dryad, given a toothbrush to a Sasquatch. spilled the tea with a jackalope, midwifed a centaur foal. Shep’s journey is just as impressive as Simon’s, and while Simon has been collecting notches on his dead dark creature bedpost (that’s a weird fucking metaphor…) (and now I’m thinking about dark creatures and Simon’s bedposts…so, you’re welcome, Basilton), Shep’s been collecting notches of the friendly variety. (Shoutout to @adamarks who did some super lovely analysis on Simon and Shep as mirrors here: https://adamarks.tumblr.com/post/188046272067/ok-so-when-shepard-said-he-was-cursed-the-first). So, I decided that I wanted to use Shep’s pins as a way to show the notches on his bedpost, so to speak. (Okay, I’m really losing this metaphor, but I think you’re still with me.)

Let’s dive in!

(I’m working my way down one side of his jacket at a time, for those following along at home.)

RIGHT SIDE

Welsh Dragon: I made this one very large, and easy to spot on his right shoulder. Of all of his accoutrements, this one felt like the most important. Mainly, because of Simon. Simon is, after all, half-Welsh. (The Mage, may he rest in pain, came to Watford from Wales.) And, of course, Simon, just like the Welsh Dragon, is a red dragon. (Or in the process of becoming one? Or a half-dragon? Or a dragon kitten?…) And the dragon that Simon and Baz fought on the Watford lawn, when they first worked together, and first shared magic, was a red dragon. Of course, the actual dragon in question here is Margaret. Shepard would absolutely have a pin to commemorate his friendship with her. And since I was going to give him a pin with a dragon, I knew I was going to have to use the Welsh Dragon because it would perfectly capture his burgeoning friendship with Simon, as well. Now, I want to go on a slight detour here (this blog post will be its own Odyssey) and talk more about the Welsh Red Dragon. I took the design for the pin from the Welsh flag, which is the thing that first made me think more about Simon’s Welsh connection. I’m not really making a point here, I just think it’s fascinating! There’s a lot of Welsh lore about the Red Dragon (and Margaret herself calls Simon “Great Red” - that ‘R’ is capitalized, by the way, so this seems to be a proper name for the kind of dragon that she thinks Simon is). Full disclosure, I am not Welsh and I am not a scholar on any of this by any means. That being said, a cursory, and super academic, perusal of the Wikipedia article on the Welsh Dragon led me to a few different history websites that linked the symbol of the red dragon with Merlin and King Arthur (son of Uther Pendragon, literally dragon head). Merlin, one of the most well-known magical figures and Arthur, one of the most well-known Chosen One figures in literary tradition. I know very little about Arthurian legend, and Welsh history, and dragon lore, though, so I’m going to just say, do a little research on your own when you’re bored and feeling nerdy!

Resist!: Shep is a young black man (and reasonable human being) living in the U.S. during the [redacted] Administration. I should hope this one is self-explanatory.

Hoover Dam: At some point in his visits to see Blue, I’m sure Shepard stopped off at the gift shop and bought himself a souvenir pin to mark the incredible experience he had making friends with an actual river. (This pin design is based on an actual souvenir pin of the Hoover Dam I found on Google Images—along with most of the other pin designs. I think it’s vintage, which just felt even more like Shepard to me, because he’s the kind of guy who would appreciate stuff that’s got a past.)

Deathly Hallows: I mean, IF the Harry Potter books/movies exist in the Simon Snow universe (which hasn’t been confirmed, as far as I know, by our Queen) I’m sure Shepard would have been totally into it as a kid, and probably would have found greater significance in its magical lore once he discovered that ACTUAL MAGIC EXISTS! So, he would have a pin to show his belief in the magickal world, and maybe also as a nostalgic reminder of when magic was still just something fictional he could turn to for escapism (and not something that would result in being cursed by a demon…).

The Truth is Out There: So, I know virtually nothing about The X-Files (my sister was obsessed with it to the point that she wanted to become a FBI agent for a few years, but I never watched it), but I’m sure Shepard is a fan. If nothing else, the sentiment is awfully apropos.

So It Goes: This one is very hard to see. It sort of looks like a black teardrop with a bar on top of it (it’s supposed to look like a bomb). The pin I based this off of reads “So It Goes”, which from my very superficial research, is a line repeated in Vonnegut’s anti-war novel Slaughterhouse-Five every time someone dies. I don’t know anything more about it, other than that it is a Kurt Vonnegut-inspired pin available for purchase on Etsy, and Shep mentions that he wanted to get a Vonnegut quote tattoo, even though “everybody has those.”

Green Alien Head: You will never be able to convince me that Shepard does not 10,000% believe in the existence of aliens. If he were still in the U.S. during the Area 51 Raid, I’m sure he would have stopped by, just, you know, for science…(I’m thinking he was probably still in the UK, but I guess we’ll see in AWTWB.)

Centaur: This one is also hard to see, but I took the design from a pin I found of one of the centaurs (the blue-haired, blue-bodied one, if that rings a bell for you) from Disney’s Fantasia. (Fun fact: I was super into Fantasia as a littlun, and I attribute my lifelong love for classical music in large part to the centaur sequence and my latent lesbianism—I mean, it was ludicrously erotic. Watch it sometime and tell me it would not make an impression on a sapphic three-year-old.) Midwifing a centaur foal was probably a very emotional and formative experience for Shepard. Buying this pin would be his way of remembering that experience, and the excitement and gratitude he likely felt to have been entrusted with that kind of acceptance from the centaur(s).

Jackalope: It doesn’t help that this pin is almost the same color as Shepard’s jacket, but it’s based off a design of a jackalope’s head that, again, I found on Google Image search (honestly, I don’t know how I ever made art without it). We know that Shepard once got some gossip from a jackalope, who vented to him about magicians calling “themselves ‘magicians’”, like “they’re the only ones with magic”. (This is totally irrelevant, but I always think of Americans when I read this. I am an American, by the way. America is a continent, but those of us living in the U.S. calls ourselves Americans, like everyone else living in America doesn’t matter.) Anyway, the jackalope offered Shepard some valuable insight into the political workings of the magickal world, so it gets its own pin.

LEFT SIDE

Pansexual Pride Flag Pin: I mean, technically, canonically, we don’t know what Shepard’s sexuality (or asexuality) is, but I just get some vibes from him. Plus, if we take him as a mirror for Simon (who is somewhere on the bi-plus spectrum), it’s not a far cry to imagine he also identifies somewhere on that spectrum.

Pentagram: This is another symbol that I chose based on my interpretation of Shepard’s character, and not so much on a Maybe or a story that he mentioned. The pentagram, or pentacle, is typically associated with the occult and witchcraft, which is something that could potentially also be said of Shep.

Sasquatch: You don’t go backpacking—or not backpacking—and introduce a Sasquatch to the benefits of dental hygiene without getting yourself a souvenir of the hike.

I [heart] Mystery Spot: The Mystery Spot is a weird sort of phenomenon in California (my home state). It’s a place outside the beach town of Santa Cruz that boasts of a “gravitational anomaly” on its website. I went once, years ago, and while you’re there, it can feel pretty convincing. (Also, I was probably like 10, so…) People outside of California will likely never have heard of this place, but driving around here (at least in the Bay Area, where I am, which isn’t that far from Santa Cruz) you’ll see yellow Mystery Spot bumper stickers on cars everywhere. I’m not really sure what the thing is with the bumper stickers. Like, I’m sure not that many people actually think it’s legit, and maybe it’s like one of those things that Californians just do (like freak out and forget how to drive when we feel water falling from the sky). But yeah, these bumper stickers are everywhere. Anyway, Shepard drives around a lot. He knows about the Vampires of Las Vegas (how is that not an indie rock band?) and the Katherine Hotel, and the Next Blood. So, he’s probably made it past Nevada and into California before. And while he was there, it’s not a great stretch of the imagination that someone who chases after magic wouldn’t wind up at a place called the Mystery Spot and get himself a pin while he was there. (And maybe even a bumper sticker.)

Black Power Fist: Unfortunately, this one is also hard to see, because the fist is black and I didn’t have anything to go over the outlines of the fingers with, which I sort of didn’t think about when I colored it. This one also feels self-explanatory. Shepard is black. Blackness has long been treated in itself as a crime by non-black members of law enforcement, and just the general racist population of the U.S. Young black men are especially vulnerable to racially motivated violence. I’m sure Shep, who drives all over the country by himself and gets into high speed chases at night in the middle of nowhere Nebraska while hunting super shifty rando Maybes has had a run-in or two. Stay safe, Shep!

Every Pronoun Belongs Here [Trans Pride Flag background]: Also, super hard to see because the letters are too small to read. I found this exact pin in a basket by the register at my local bookshop. (Support local bookshops, people!) They were being sold as a fundraiser for a LGBTQ club at one of the high schools, and I loved the idea that I could help them raise money and add this pin to my own growing collection to show off my support for trans rights. (Support trans rights and trans people, people!) I decided to give Shepard this same pin, because I could imagine him having an almost identical book buying experience in a dozen other towns that he’s probably visited. And I love the simplicity of the message, because it’s one of belonging, which EVERYONE is desperately seeking, no matter who they are or how they identify, and Shepard, and every character in this picture, is no exception. (Plus, it seemed like a cool way to connect my pin collection with Shep’s. Maybe I should have mentioned the fact that I’m also a pin person at the beginning? I walk to work and on my lunch breaks, so I carry all of my stuff in a backpack. And I proudly display my random pin collection on my backpack. Including several Simon Snow-related pins.)

Don’t Panic: This was based off a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy pin. I don’t really know anything about the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (including if it’s okay to abbreviate it as HGG? THGTTG? whatever), even though I did watch the movie years back when it was on TV and I still lived with my parents who had a TV. But the sentiment felt appropriate, and Shepard is a sort of magickal hitchhiker. Apart from managing to hold down a job at Dick Blick, he appears to lead a somewhat nomadic lifestyle. He tells Penny, “the road is my teacher”, and if that’s not a hitchhiker slogan, I don’t know what is. (Ass, gas, or grass?)

Black Lives Matter: They do. Just sayin’.

Magic Troll Doll: When I was growing up, the Troll doll was all the (nightmare-inducing) rage. Trolls are one of those magickal creatures that are continually mentioned in the series. Shepard talks about lonely trolls under bridges. Simon talks about killing trolls. Agatha would rather kiss a troll. And Baz was kidnapped by numpties, who are sort of like trolls. I couldn’t not include a troll. And the Troll doll specifically felt perfect, because the full name was Magic Troll Doll. You can bet if Shepard had to pick a troll-related pin, it would be a magic(k)al one.

[Asshole]: This is another Kurt Vonnegut pin. It looks like a messily drawn asterisk (*), but it’s actually meant to be an asshole (taken from the preface of Vonnegut’s novel Breakfast of Champions, and drawn by Vonnegut himself). I just thought, why the fuck not? So, here. Have an asshole pin. (I should have put it on a buttonhole…)

HONOURABLE MENTION

Shepard’s Phone Case: Remember that line I quoted earlier, about Shep wanting to get a Vonnegut quote tattoo? Well, when I was trying to figure out what to put on his phone case, I thought that seemed like a reasonable place to start. So, I googled Vonnegut quotes, to see if I could find one that I thought Shepard would like. Here’s the quote: “a purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.” I just loved that for Shepard.

[pateldevs]

don’t be shy; share those cho chang headcanons 👀 (thank you for blessing us with that cho chang gifset btw, i love her)

ok literally thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about how much i love cho chang and she got done so dirty in the books AND the movies and i also have this elaborate backstory for her parents bc i love her so much aaaaa anyway there’s a lot so under the cut! ~~

i have fully adopted it into canon in my head lol but her chinese name is 張秋 (which means the pinyin i’m more familiar w would be ‘zhang qiu’ which i guess is close enough to cho), 張 meaning hunter/archer and 秋 meaning harvest/autumn

the fact that her anglicized surname is ‘chang’ and not ‘zhang’ makes me think her dad’s family is taiwanese

her mom’s family used to be involved in international affairs for the british ministry of magic office in hong kong (as it was still a colony) and that’s how her mom’s family came to the uk

her parents fully embodied the enemies-to-lovers trope when they were at hogwarts b/c her dad captained the ravenclaw quidditch team and her mom captained the gryffindor team and they were both seekers

hence cho totally grew up on quidditch and played around trying to catch an old snitch with her parents from a young age

she almost ended up in hufflepuff. look at the way she stuck by marietta in ootp?? she’s so fiercely loyal!! wtf!!!

the kinds of traits that ultimately put her in ravenclaw make her a good athlete and vice versa. look at how she plays quidditch: she relies on a number of strategies besides just outright skill, usually distraction/diversion and turning the opposing seeker’s skills against them

that said i fully think her father is muggle-born or half-blood and grew up fencing, so he teaches her how to fence, and so she’s also a great épée fencer

she’s not great with offensive spells - hence her trouble in when they’re in DA in ootp - but she’s excellent with defensive charms, predicting what her opponent’s going to do, moving fast. it’s what makes her one of flitwick’s favorite students.

charms is her best class. don’t ask me for justification here it just is.

flitwick obviously sees her potential and totally invites her to dueling club even though she’s quite young for it

she’s a harpist. don’t ask me where this came from i just think if she played an instrument it would be harp

she’s a younger sibling, she’s so sensitive like fr the eldest daughter in an asian family would just internalize their emotions (this one was developed jointly with my older sister lmao)

she and cedric didn’t start out as a couple. they started as friends when both of them were out on the quidditch pitch early one morning, just practicing flying.

she and cedric tell each other EVERYTHING. absolutely everything. like fr this girl was almost a hufflepuff ok don’t tell me they wouldn’t have the most emotionally invested relationship

cedric asks her to the yule ball and quickly says it’s a really lowkey thing, they’re just friends

they’re not just friends though, she thinks she’s starting to like him because when he looks at her she feels like she can do anything, and when he looks at her it’s her, not her sister, not anyone else.

she’s secretly glad that she has a reason to turn down harry when he asks her to the yule ball. marietta thinks she’s crazy - who would willingly turn down a chance to be harry potter’s date?? - but cho just can’t bear the thought of just being ‘harry potter’s date.’ with cedric, at least she has a chance to be herself.

when cedric dies she’s absolutely devastated:

she can’t stop thinking about how they snuck out of their houses to sit on top of the astronomy tower and look at the stars the night before the last task

she can’t stop thinking about how he confessed that he was scared but he knew he’s so close to winning, and how he joked that it would be impossible for her to not fall in love with him if he won

she can’t stop thinking about how she said don’t be scared, just pretend i’m there with you, i’ve got your back (because obviously they’ve been to dueling club together and he knows how good she is at defensive spells)

she can’t stop thinking about how he waved to her before he entered the maze at the start of the third task

she feels so insanely guilty that maybe she’s the reason he died, he said he wanted to do well to impress her that night on the astronomy tower, didn’t he?

she loses sleep over it, she has dreams about that last night all the time, she has dreams about seeing harry coming back with cedric’s body, she has these dreams where she’s watching him get killed and she can’t do anything to defend him

she wants to ask harry about it at the end of the year but she doesn’t, because she doesn’t think she can handle hearing about it, but somehow it’s worse hearing rumors from everyone else

she finds herself drawn to harry because he makes her feel closer to cedric, because the loss of cedric is something they both share and surely harry must know how it feels

honestly this is what really pisses me off about how she’s written in the books, is that her emotions are so one-dimensional that they become a caricature of asian women as meek and weepy. the most her emotions ever got developed was when hermione explained how cho must be feeling after she kissed harry

like, you’re allowed to have female characters whose arcs are largely tied to and/or driven by other characters, but you gotta actually go into those relationships yk? in the books she’s only ever someone’s girlfriend and she just cries all the time but we don’t actually talk about why

she’s not just crying all the time because she incapable of moving on (which is more or less what harry thinks). she’s crying because she didn’t just lose her boyfriend, she lost one of her best friends. she stops going to dueling club because she’s lost her partner. her flying starts suffering because she thinks about all those early morning 1v1 games she and cedric used to have.

(marietta only goes to DA meetings with her because she feels like it’s the ‘good friend’ thing to do. if going to DA helps her cope with cedric’s death then sure. she goes.)

i’ve already said she was almost a hufflepuff but i have to say it again, cho loves and cares so deeply. she’s a sucker for sentimentalism. she skips dumbledore’s funeral to stand up on the astronomy tower and think about the war that’s coming.

on the last day of her seventh year, she finds the room of requirement again and spends hours walking through it, remembering everything she learnt in DA

when the war really starts up after dumbledore’s death, her parents want to move away, they want her and her sister to have as non-magical a life as they can, so she does, but she keeps the DA galleon and her wand instead of snapping it like her sister. her parents have absolutely no idea that she goes off to the battle of hogwarts. 

when she fights she’s a team player. she partners up with katie bell for most of the final battle

at one point she and katie are separated and she comes face to face with a death eater. she almost kills him. she wants to so badly. she hates what the man stands for. but she thinks about two of the most important people in this war, harry and cedric, and she thinks, they never would. so she doesn’t.

^ she doesn’t think of harry and cedric because of her relationship with them. in fact it’s thinking about her relationship with cedric that makes her want to kill the death eater. but she thinks of harry and cedric, and what they would want and do, because they are the ones who had/have the most to lose in this war.

when are we going to get a series that delves into how visceral her emotions were?! how her grief tore her to pieces! how her trauma ate away at her! how disarming a death eater and pinning him to the ground and holding the tip of her wand to his throat made her feel like a totally different person, how close she came to ending his life! how, in the days after the battle, she feels disgusted by the idea that she even thought about using an unforgivable curse. how she learns to recover and rebuild and heal!

she plays seeker for the holyhead harpies for a while. she learns to love flying again. she learns to love the stars again. 

she doesn’t really start a family because she has little interest in being associated with others as ‘so-and-so’s wife’ or ‘so-and-so’s mother.’

she always visits cedric’s grave on june 24 every year.

eventually when flitwick retires she takes his place as charms professor and head of house because if anyone deserves a happy ending it’s cho chang!!

[maximumninjavoid]

Mining for Unobtanium

Chapter 29

And EIGHTY TWO followers.  Bless you darlings ! and welcome to my demented little corner of Tumblr.  Here you will find adulty things, so please, be 18 and over. There’s smut and BDSM and stuff like that.  There is also a functional master list if you just got here and wants to start at the beginning.

As per usual, Un Beta’d we die like that goldfish in a plastic bag you got at that carnival.

I didn't know where to start the dialogue. "There's so much to all of this, love. If you can imagine it, there's a niche for it. And somebody somewhere is into it. And, it may or may not be something you're into, and that's ok. Kink shaming is not ok. Unless you're a paedophile. But those aren't your people. " "But, I think you see now that there's perhaps more to this than you realized. It can be more in depth, for lack of a better term, and it can be quite the responsibility. And if you take on someone who would require you to make all the decisions, who wasn't, pro active, or who was more bratty, misbehaving on purpose, that can get exhausting. Remind me, some day I'll tell you that story. And, does it feed your soul to be in charge, ALL the time, or did you like it when you could come to me, and let it all go, and not have to be in charge? " "And then there's your schedule, and frankly, your fame. If you go for a few months to film, are you going to take someone with you who requires that much attention, or might you need someone more..... self sufficient? If you leave them at home, are you going to have your mates check in on her?  Because you won't be able to take constant calls. Or deal with deliberate disobedience for attention. That could become a liability. You love sex. Sometimes even publicly, and if that gets out......You're a great person, a genuinely nice guy. That's why there's no dirt on you, and it should stay that way. Why do you think WE don't go anywhere? Flat out, you can't be seen with me. I mean, there's no explanation. And I'm Google-able. Well, I was. Truth, dearest? You're kind of switchy, and that's the best of both worlds." Henry looked at me, then looked out the patio doors, he didn't say anything for a while. I didn't say anything either. The next words needed to be his. It was a great hulking bit of information I had tossed at him. He could take as much time as he needed. I reached across and took his hand, and rubbed my thumb over the back of his hand. Our eyes met. I held his gaze. "It's a great deal more than I anticipated. I am, however, undeterred. I can't explain how I have come to feel the way I do about what we have started, you and I. I still think you've bewitched me. For right now, I just want to feel you in my arms, and not think about anything outside of this magical bubble we have here. Is that alright? " "Of course, Henry, of course." He pulled me onto his lap and I tried not to wince. Huge arms around me, enveloped in him, it was easy to believe in that bubble. He kissed my hair and I heard him say" I love you" .What was worse was I loved him too. But this had so many flavours of bad and worse, it could have been a showstopper challenge on The Great British Baking Show..... Ready, set, Angst. I couldn't not think about all the hurdles. I mean, if you're going to be responsible for another human, then you have a duty to put them first. Everybody thinks its all whips and chains and hand grenades and butt plugs all the time, and while that's lovely, its fiction. We all have lives, and jobs, and families, and aging parents, and children, and its really tough to be all S and m when you've got  a small child, or heaven forfend, a baby. They can and will exhaust one, and you'd give a kidney just for a shower. Or a nap. I know how much he wants a wife, and kids. Being in this bubble doesn't get him any closer to that dream. I can't really exist outside the bubble. There is no reason for me to be in his sphere of influence, and nothing I can be passed of as being. Not an assistant, spiritual advisor, dialogue coach, writer, producer, nothing. Sure, he has a production company, but I can't have just popped up out of nowhere, no agent, nope. That would never fly. Way too much scrutiny. Which is sad, really. I have two great shows that really should be produced. I cannot afford for anyone to make a connection between the very public life I led in the leather community and this man that I love. That can never happen. I will not be the weapon they use to eviscerate him and destroy his career. Some things, for some people, will be overlooked and downplayed. Europeans for the most part, don't really get worked up about 'sex scandals'. They're very nonplussed about it, really. Maybe its because they put pin ups in the newspapers?  But his family..... That would be horrible. And the American press would have a field day, with their we love violence, but oh no not sex.... And the Superman did WHAAAAT??  OH NO, I WAS NOT GOING TO BE HIS KRYPTONITE. Henry's playing something on a game system, and I'm sort of following the plot, occasionally cheering for the monsters to bite the heroes, because monsters need love too, which gets me a look from His Lordship. I'm cheeky, and can hold my own.

" You wound me, Sir Knight. Literally. I shall be disfigured and bear the mark of The White Wolf all my days. Branded by the Witcher, why surely no other will have me now..." said with great flourish and gesture. Royal Shakespearian Hospital for Over acting indeed.

"Just as I intended. Let all of the kingdoms know that you are mine!"

" Super. And your girlfriend is going to turn me into an eel, and make a pie."

" you're safe. I don't think she can cook!"

And we dissolved into fits of laughter, Kal looking at us both as if we were mad. We played, we cooked, we made love, we fucked; and for the record, there's a difference, we read to one another, and it was glorious in the bubble. But all bubbles burst. Eventually, the phone would ring, or an email, or something. And it did. He had to go, for more work on Season two. He didn't know how long he'd be gone, and while he was still in the UK, it wasn't like he could commute. "Come with me. Its lovely, you'll get to see more of the country." "That's a delightful idea, Cavill, but you know I can't, darling boy." He actually pouted. "Oh, Henry, sweetheart, that's so difficult to resist" "Is it working? Is your resolve weakening in any way? Would it help if I said please?" " You're not playing fair at all!" "I'm well aware. I am also willing to bribe you with countless orgasms and all the sex you can possibly handle...." "On YOUR shooting schedule? That's rich! How about you promise to drag your exhausted ass back to your trailer and kiss me before you pass out?" He had the good sense to look sheepish at that one. I took his face in my hands and looked into his impossibly deep eyes. " You've worked so hard for this, and its a massive hit. Netflix is gaga over it, and they're going to want you for other things. This could mean a whole host of opportunities, and I am not going to fuck that up for you." I kissed his lips. " I love you, Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill. I love you. I don't know when that happened, but that changes things. I have an even bigger stake, a more noble purpose now. You, above all, darling boy. You. Above all." And I kissed him again.

@fishcustardandclintbarton​ @littlefreya​ @angryschnauzer​ @indigosaurus​ @tinareher​ @whyyoudothistomecavill​

[anxiety-trademark]

The week in review:

Raw 11/09 NXT 11/11 NXT UK 11/12 Smackdown 11/13

Raw:

Shayna vs Lana?? God poor Lana. Preemptive “rip”

Lmfao Lana is so damn extra.

Okay but WHY is Asuka facing Nia later? And where has Asuka even been the past few weeks?

Yikes. Lana is so friggin useless in kf.

Rofl Nia mocking Dana’s voice, I cannot with her.

Did Dana and Mandy actually save Lana from #8?? They got half a point. I get why they’re reluctant to help Lana, but they’re nearly coming off as the mean, popular girls, and I know that’s not their personas. I get she fucked them over, but it was inadvertent. Buy some goodwill guys.

Are they the Gucci girls now? Honestly flashforward to current times, Charlotte fits right in with them. If you were gonna have Charlotte head a stable, Dana and Mandy are the perfect people to put with her.

“We totally saved your butts... Lana.” :/ Dana. Dana plz. With all the work you put into your craft, HOW are you still the weakest promo in the division?

“Okay listen, thank you, you’re welcome,” just let Mandy and Dana practice wrestling cuz their promos are fucking painful.

Lana No-Friends.

Why is Alexa happily destroying flowers??

Lol has no memory of seeing Nikki the week prior. Yikes. Are we still sure it’s not drugs???

“Lexi I’m not playing.” “That’s too bad, Nikki.” What she means, Nikki, is there are 2 options: play or pain. You should just play. Actually side note; wasn’t that Nikki’s whole damn character when she debuted? ‘Nikki wants to play’? ‘Play with Nikki’??

Omfg Alexa is god damn stellar. Nikki tells her to choose either Fiend/Bray or [Nikki]. Alexa thinks about it for a moment, “okay. I choose... *blows the flower petals in Nikki’s face* him!” Then fucking claps, giggles and walks away. Imagine if you had a whole damn roster that could be this entertaining.

Also Nikki is really talented in her own right. Working with Alexa did wonders as far as promos and acting go.

Survivor Series team is supposedly at ringside because Asuka is about to go one on one with Nia. I’m not seeing the correlation.

Shayna officially playing the role of henchman now, I see. That’s interesting.

Asuka does a lot of things worth praising. Her Octopus is not one of them.

It’s always nice seeing Nia bump like she does for Asuka.

Oh that kickout into an armbar by Asuka was BEAUTIFUL.

Asuka said “fuck all y’all we’re busy rn”

I hate Shayna’s hammerfists SO much.

This Survivor Series team is a fucking disaster in kf.

aaaaand there’s number 8. Jeeeeze. “You don’t belong here, you’re gonna drag us down. Just quit.” This is a bullying story done right tbh. No personal petty bs insults, no body shaming. Just straight up physically assaulting the weakest link that has zero friends. It’s a good story. I feel sympathy for sure.

Highlight: Alexa & Nikki backstage segment

---

NXT:

See I don’t mind Shotzi’s backstage promos at all. She exudes passion. I can feel her emotions. But 9 times out of 10 she ends it in a howl and I want to scream.

Weak final thought though. There was really nothing better you could end it on? Okay.

So Xia calls out Raquel and then doesn’t show. Not sure if it’s for kf or meta reasons.

I like Raquel speaking Spanish while brawling. She should incorporate that more, especially with Zelina gone. We need more Latina talent (no disrespect to Bayley or Sasha, if they wanna start speaking Spanish then good on them)

“Everybody better take their-- my name out of their mouth.” SIGH can I get a non-awkward speaker that isn’t Nia? Anyone? Anywhere? Hello??

What the hell does any of this Xia stuff mean? Fine I’ll be patient.

So is Toni a face? I thought she was a heel. Did I misinterpret the heel turn pre-covid era? That’s even worse, she’s even more the same now.

Ugh rough day when I’m here cheering for Toni. God I hate Candice.

Do you really have the right to call anyone a ‘punk rock poser’ Candice? I mean... REALLY?

It’s not that I hate Toni’s headbutt, I just hate it when people take themselves out delivering a headbutt.

Anticlimactic sequence. Toni says fuck your second rope neckbreaker to Candice, then Candice says fuck your second rope leg drop to Toni, just to follow up with a mere kick to the jaw and a pinfall attempt. Missed opportunity to really get something going.

Sad attempt at putting her feet on the ropes by Candice.

Good let Toni be a “sore loser” fuck Candice.

So the masked figure is Indi, right? Why are they keeping her masked? What’s the purpose? Yeahhh that’s really not a surprise. Anyway.

It’s a damn shame what happened in 2020, the whole world has felt it. And it’s a damn shame that you didn’t get to show out in front of 80k people. I truly feel for you. Your loss, however? In kf I can’t feel bad because you sought HER out on HER show. In a meta sense? She did you a favor taking that title. You were 5 seconds from being called Charlotte 2.0, and you deserve better. You deserve the opportunity to grow and make a name for yourself without being handed everything before the age of 25, and you’re SO much better off for it.

The downfall of “nxt’s hottest new act” was a great story. It sucks to be her, but it was a great story. Rhea’s gonna be a fucking STAR on the main roster. She will thrive. She will exceed expectations. She will make a name for herself. She had to eat that humble pie first, though. Obviously I know how this match ends already, and rightfully so. 

Highlight: I guess the Io/Rhea Prime Target

---

NXT UK:

Kind of a bummer that there’s only ever one women’s match/segment every week on UK. I want to ponder whether it’d be different sans a pandemic, but I’m not certain it would be.

Xia Brookside is too animated in her moves, and her moves are always too slow for it to mesh well.

They compliment Xia’s “technical work” but she just comes off as someone who has learned the absolute basics and has no idea how to utilize them in a match.

Interesting to note that they seem to be building up 2 heels in Nina and Jinny, yet the champ herself is a heel. Not quite making me believe either of them have a chance at defeating her in the future.

Nice I always love a good codebreaker. Points to Xia.

That was a nice cartwheel off the turnbuckle using the ropes. One would assume the tweak to the knee was a farce.

Stupid small package. Stupid result. At least Nina got some heat back, but she should’ve won, lesbireal.

Side note: I see UK does in fact have a pc. No excuse for these women to get gassed so quickly then, get it together.

Highlight: The network exclusive video package for KLR vs Piper

---

Smackdown:

What a racy outfit. I don’t hate it, Sasha wears it well.

There’s like a million things you can do with Sasha that doesn’t involve a live promo in the middle of the ring. Explore them plz.

Carmella’s not a technical master by any means, but having her superkick and then finish with a facebuster is super weak.

What’s also weak: where the fuck did Bayley go?

What’s even weaker than that: Carmella had like the best theme music and now it’s gone. Tragic.

Lol why is Nattie stomping her feet like she’s throwing a tantrum? She’s hilarious tbh.

“If team Smackdown is going to win,” lmao let me cut you off right there. Imagine the SD women actually winning at SvS. Good joke.

Omg Chelsea is alive? We gave her a tag match in nxt with the women’s champion Charlotte Flair... Charlotte fucking Flair... and then kept her off tv for like 6 months for this? Is this her grand debut?? Is she even ready for the main roster???

Wait hold on. Back up. So Chelsea touched Adam’s shoulder and had some off camera conversation to make her way into this triple threat match? *sigh* okay.

I don’t quite remember who this team consisted of, but if I had to guess, I’d assume Liv wins this match since Ruby is already on the team.

Love Chelsea’s theme music, love that a giant picture of herself is no longer her titantron... HATE the flowy wedding dress veil that she wears on the bottom half of her outfit.

Should stick Chelsea with Nattie tbh.

What the hell was that by Liv? A fake out standing crucifix turned into a ddt? Fucking beautiful.

Nattie and Liv work together nicely ngl. Liv really does have a lot of potential, but she’s god awful on the mic. Tag team wrestling is best for her for the foreseeable future.

“This is a fatal 4way,” Cole reminds us, because Chelsea and Tamina have seemingly died.

Should’ve just made this a singles match between Liv and Nattie, jesus.

Lmfao Liv pinned Tamina. What took Chelsea out? A dropkick off the apron. A dropkick off the apron took Chelsea out for 3 minutes, and she got maybe 3 moves of offense. Yikes, what a debut.

So when does Bayley get added as captain?

Highlight: The match that totally wasn’t a singles match between Liv & Nattie

---

*Bad week in wrestling, but yet again, Raw shines the brightest because as small as their roster may be, they’re being utilized decently well.

[handmadecp]

Small, Ladies ‘Satchel Style’ Shoulder bag.

Hi guys, been a while what with all this Covid Lock down stuff going on, been helping a lot of folks out that couldn’t get out so haven’t been able to do much, then came along a quite big extension to our current layout in the workshop so with all that I’ve been pretty busy, but..finally, I am back in the workshop doing what I enjoy. I was half way through a small bag build so some of you may/ or may not have seen a few pics already, but it’s all good. here is a short series of pics showing the build along of this particular bag. Apologies if it’s not in the same kind of detail I am generally known to show but as already stated its been hectic. If any of you give this one a go and you feel there is something missing from this build along please feel free to ask..I don’t bite and I welcome the interaction with other Makers. Lets go.

Pic 0 : The black dyed Veg Tan shoulder.

Pic 1 : I purchased a nice ready dyed black veg tan Shoulder 3- 4mm, nice strength and flexible too. I also purchased a pattern for a ladies small shoulder bag based on the old UK satchel bags school kids used to have, but a smaller version. All credit for the original design and pattern goes to ‘Craftsmangus’, they have a great YT channel and they make coold patterns. I purchased, downloaded, printed, cut out and transfered all the pieces to the leather as shown in this first pic, using a paint pen refill as usual as it comes of.

Pic 2 : After cutting the sections out I also used the pattern to mark all the holes on each piece and then followed up with a stitch hole punch as shown until all pieces were cut out and had the required holes. I will point out that if you buy this pattern from Craftsmangus and intend to make this bag a sI have done it there is a sklight change on mine to the video they have showing the build. on their video they are seen to cut one buckle strap...I decided to do the version with two buckle straps as you will see. Decide at the cutting out stage how many of each piece you will need for the version you want.

Pic 3: Stitching the small gusset to the outside small pocket using a saddle stitch. I find it difficult personally to use a stitch pony when doing the bags and doing it ‘free hand’ where it flops all over the place can be a bit annoying, but..just chill your beans, take a deep breath..smile and carry on, it’s the only way.

Pic 4 : Here you see the small gusset attached to the front pouch pocket ready to be stitched to the front of the main body. ignore the white marks dotted along the stitch holes..I count the holes to be sure there are enough on both pieces as I’ve been caught out before and end up with 18 holes on one piece and 16 holes on the piece it’s being attached too...you can see the problem. So I count and I use the paint refil pen and drag it across the holes as I go, that is the only reason it looks that way, just my personal choice..and I would recommend if you buy patterns, never just assume that the required holes are correct..check them.

Pic 5 : Hand stitching the other side of the front pouch gusset to the main body using a saddle stitch.

Pic 6 : Ta daaaa...done, the outside small pocket is now attached firmly to the main body and the stitches are consistant all the way round.

Pic 7 : Outside holes all counted, ready now to stitch the Bigger gusset to the front of the main body. all the stitching on this bag is saddle stitching. If it ever changes I will let you know.

Pic 8 : Using a few super strong clips I held the gusset in position as I stitched and moved them along as I went, it helps a lot to keep the holes aligned. Some times I will glue a gusset into position before I stitch but that can sometime leave holes out of line and also leave some glue on show when finished, so I pick and choose when to use it now, but if its a help to you do it..Sometimes I do...sometimes I don’t. Here you can see the clips holding it in position and the gusset laying along the edge as I stitch it.

Pic 9 : Large gusset attached to front section .

Pic 10 :

Pic 11, close up of the attached gusetts....so far.

Pic 11A Marking positions for the buckle and clasp straps to be glued and stitched.

Pic 12 : It’s a simple matter to cut out the buckle straps..I made two for my bag, then punch the stitch holes if not already done. rough the leather a little under where you will glue the strap (s), glue that small area , glue the back of the strap and glue...then stitch into position, before doing that bit, dont forget to make some holes for the buckle pin and force your strap through the buckles, on the other end which in this pic is under the buckle...you will need to attach a magnetic closure. Very easy to fit, just use the pins on the magnetic clasp to mark where you will put them,,then cut very carefully two small slits to pass the magnetic clasp ‘pins’ through, then bend the pins down to secure.

Pic 12A : using the clasp pins to mark where to cut the tiny slits to pass them through. Be careful when making the tiny slits you dont push so hard you make a ‘big’ slit.

pic 12B : Fitting the magnetic clasps.

Pic 13 : another view shows the underside/inside of the stitching when done. note the two ‘marks’ on the back section. just inside the bag, those are where the ‘D’ rinds are attached using the same method, thread the small strap pieces through the ‘D’ rings, rough a little and glue together then glue to the bag, this time I used a stitch awl to push the stitch holes all the way through and then hand stitched.

Pic 13B : gluing the buckle straps on ready for stitching I used evo stick 528 contact adhesive.

Pic : 13C positioning the ‘D’ rings.

Pic 14 : shows the magnetic clasps used, very easy to do and if you follow the video on YT from ‘Cratsmangus’ then you should have no issue with them. The next part of the project is to stitch the back section to the rest of the bag by saddle stitching to the other side of the gusset. I find you can’t really use a stitch pony for this as you need to get your hand inside the bag and it is quite a ‘fiddly’ part of the build but again..patience pays of.

Pic 14A : positioning the gusset to stitch the back section on. you could glue this on but I prefer to be able to move it around if the holes don’t alighn which I can’t do if it’s glued together. Your choice.

Pic 14B : sewing the back section to the main gusset.

Pic 14C : almost there...fingers getting sore, ouch.

Pic 15 : The strap making is simple, just like making a small belt. I used my strap cutter which can be bought online for a few pounds and is very worth the money, but you can do it with a sharp knife as I used to do. But for those of you here for the first time, there is a picture coming up that shows my strap cutter better. I then used an ‘English’ point strap end punch to cut the end shape, then held the strap to my partners own bag to get a decent length...cut to length, punced some holes for the buckle, attached the buckle by folding one end of the strap, cutting out a small area of the very tip of the strap (as bent over) to create a hole for the bucle pin to go through...attached it, then roughed, glued and instead of stitching I chose to use silver double headed rivits to match the buckle. All of the other clasps, clips, buckles on my bags are done in the same way, if you are new to leather craft there are more detailed instructions in my archive photos on other bag builds, belt builds and strap builds should you need more information. This bag, I would say..is for a person with the basics already sorted such as stitching, gluing neatly, strap cutting, buckle fixing etc however it could be achieved by a complete newby, but please be warned,,,use cheaper materials until you are confident in what you are doing...leather is expensive, especially here in the UK. You have been warned.

Pic 16 : And basically once the back is stitched on and the strap has all it’s clips and buckles on...that’s it. The only other thing I have done is to go around the edges with a fine sand paper to smooth the edges a little but not too much as I feel the unburnished ( or unpolished for the newbies ) edge adds to the overall look and appeal of this tough looking but smart little shoulder bag. Also I have added my own ‘Shaman’ Tag to it which I think sets it off just right. The following pics are just to show it from different angles.

Here you can see the wooden strap cutter I use, a simple, cheap easy way to cut nice straps.

I hope you like this latest project, as I’ve said many times before, I started my blog in 2015 when I picked up my first piece of leather to document my own Journey into this amazing craft little realising how passionate I would become about it and whilst I am by no means a novice now I still have much that I can learn and as I learn I share with anyone who might be looking and thinking...there’s no way I could do that..but it looks cool. Well...check out my archives my earlier attempts are a little ‘rocky / shakey’ and my stitching took practice. If you are willing to not let mistakes make you quit and choose to use failure as a lesson on how ‘not’ to do it, then you too can do this. Give it a go, just get a cheap piece of leather to begin with , find a smaller project and go for it. Please feel free to ask questions that is why I started this blog to share knowledge that others have shared with me. Many more projects to come guys so watch this space and as always..’Stay Crafty’. P.s..to any of you guys wondering about my little old workshop and what it was that took me so long these next few pics will explain. Thanks for sticking around.

This extension to my partners area of the workshop, lower work surfaces for sitting.

Extensions to my work area for lower surfaces for sitting, last year I did a lot of standing..this year it time to sit a while especially if stitching by hand.

The brown table you can see is no longer there, my partner and I now have plenty of room for standing work or sitting work, as with all things it took time, but it’s done and we can get back to business. I hope you’ve enjoyed this latest build, thanks to everyone who follows my little blog I appreciate it and if it was your first time seeing it I hope you will check out the archives and come back again. till next time ..take care guys.

[meangirlsx]

Beetlejuice Comforting the Reader During a Depressive Episode

For anyone who might need this...

Here is a hotline masterpost that appears to be pretty comprehensive with a large variety of hotlines for a large variety of countries.

This looks like it’s only available so far for the United States, Canada, and the UK, but here is a website with information for a crisis text line.

And here is a post with some information you might like to read before you call a hotline.

Finally, here is the post about self-care when you don’t feel up to it that I drew heavily from to write this.

It’s totally okay and human to need help, and it’s totally okay and human to ask for it. It doesn’t make you weak. It takes so much strength to ask for help. You’re stronger than you know, and you don’t have to be alone.

——

When he witnesses an episode for the first time, he’s not really sure what’s going on but he’s concerned nonetheless

He’s popped into your bedroom at night to hang out a bit before you go to bed

“Babe, have you gotten out of bed today?”

“No.”

He thinks you have a cold or flu or something along those lines and starts to try to feel your forehead

So you explain it to him

He takes a second to really process everything you said

“So you are sick, in a way, right?” he asks

Then he taps your forehead and says, “Just in here,” then bops your nose and adds, “instead of in here.”

He thanks you for telling him and trusting him

He tells you he’s sure that’s not an easy thing to talk about and he thinks it’s amazing that you can

“So, we can still cuddle tonight, right?” he asks

“You don’t think I’m all gross?”

“Well, I’ve been told I’m gross, so I’m not sure I’m allowed to judge, and I should just be grateful you’re willing to put up with me. But you’re not gross. You just need a little help, and we all need that sometimes, don’t we?”

You nod

He gets in bed with you and wraps his arms around you

Or keeps a respectable distance if you don’t want to cuddle

“So would you let me help you tomorrow? We don’t have to do much. We’ll start small. Okay?”

You agree

He doesn’t need to sleep but he’ll join you in sleep anyway if you can fall asleep

If you can’t, he’ll have fun finding relaxing things to do with you

ASMR videos? He finds them fascinating

White noise? He has fun trying to mimic the sounds before he realizes he should keep quiet so you can try to sleep or at least relax

If you want something to physically ground you and bring you comfort, he’s more than happy to oblige

He loves to play with your hair or rub your back or anything else that brings you comfort

Or he’ll read quietly to you if you want

Nothing too exciting so it doesn’t break the peaceful state, but his voice is surprisingly calming

By the time the sun has really started to peek through into your room the next morning, you’ve both barely moved

You’re pretty sure he’s awake since he doesn’t need to sleep, but he keeps his eyes closed

You figure he’s giving you a little more time to relax first

So you cuddle back into him for a while

Something about him letting you make the decision instead of forcing it on you makes you want to follow through

So when you feel ready, you touch his arm to get him to open his eyes

“Beej, I think I’m ready.”

His face lights up, already proud of you for this step

He stays with you as you get up and begin to walk through your morning routine

He’s ready to be the most chill cheerleader ever

He wants to make sure you feel supported, but he doesn’t want to be so enthusiastic that he annoys you or makes you feel like you’ll disappoint him if at any point you have to stop or can’t do something

If you can brush your teeth, he’s cheering you on

If you can’t, he helps you find mouthwash, gum, and mints, and lets you choose which one or ones you want to use

If you can shower, and you’re comfortable with it, he’ll help you in any way you need

If you can shower and aren’t comfortable with him joining you or seeing you, he patiently waits outside the shower (or if you don’t have a shower curtain, outside the bathroom)

If you can’t shower, he helps you find dry shampoo and he’ll help you rub it into your scalp if you want him to, and he’ll help you find makeup wipes or baby wipes to give yourself a mini shower

And if you don’t have anything listed above that would help you in your quest to take little steps, he’ll ask Barbara and Adam for advice and go buy them

Yes, buy

He’d come back and tell you waiting in line with a bunch of breathers seems like a waste of time but you’re not a waste of time in the least so it and you are worth it

He’d also buy a reusable water bottle if you don’t have one, but if you do, he’s excited when he discovers it

He fills it up with water whatever temperature you prefer

He doesn’t say anything, he just sets it on your nightstand

He’s thrilled when you drink from it periodically

And he’ll fill it up again when you empty it

He’ll ask how much getting dressed you feel up for

If you feel up for none, he’ll help you lint roll your clothes and even get a little Febreeze

If you feel up for a little, he’ll help you change into another pair of pajamas

(“I mean, we’re not leaving the house, right? Who says you can’t just put on more pajamas?”)

If you feel up for more, he’ll help you get into whatever level of clothing you can manage

Or, of course, if you don’t want or don’t need the help, he’ll politely turn his back and wait for you to finish changing

He’ll tell you that you look great in any level of changing you take on, and he means it

If you can brush your hair, he’ll encourage it

If you aren’t feeling up to it and you’ll let him, he’ll do it for you

He thinks it’s relaxing and he likes feeling so close to you, physically and emotionally

If you don’t want your hair brushed, he’ll help you put it up with hair ties and pins you have laying around, or a headscarf or bandana, if you prefer

Even if you’re not hungry, he’ll help you order food in case you get hungry later

If you can order it yourself, he’s so proud of you

If you can’t, he’s more than happy to do it for you because he’s just proud that you picked out some food

He even has Barbara and Adam confirm that the place you’re ordering from is good

He’ll answer the door to claim the food if you don’t feel up to it

After putting the food in the fridge, or eating some if you feel up to it, he suggests getting a little sunlight and fresh air

If you have access to someplace that feels private, like a backyard, and would like to go, he’s thrilled to go chill outside with you

Or, if you’re up for it, he’ll go on a walk or drive with you

(He’ll promise not to wreck your car, and he’d do his best, but if you feel up to driving, you insist, and if you don’t feel up to it, Barbara and Adam volunteer to come along so one of them can drive)

If not, he’s just as thrilled to open the curtains and a window

He basks in the sunlight like a cat

If you had anything scheduled for the day, like school, work, or meeting up with a friend, he helps you contact them to say you need to take a personal day

“You need today for yourself. We’ll work on going back to the real world tomorrow, yeah? And if you need one more day, we’ll take one more day.”

And you agree

Barbara pops in to remind him to have you ask for work to be sent to you if you’re missing school or work

If you do have work sent to you, he’ll take a break with you and then help you do your work

When you’re done, or if you had no work, he’ll very happily spend time just hanging out with you

Netflix marathon? He’s game

Need a nap? He’s always ready for that

Board games? He thinks they’re unbelievably entertaining

Reading? He likes to watch your face as the story progresses

Magazines? He likes to take the quizzes with you

He’ll also help you clean up some

He’ll turn it into a game

Not a high-energy game so it doesn’t drain you, but he’ll find ways to make it more fun

Throwing trash away is more fun if you literally have to throw it like a basketball into the trash can, right?

That’s what he thinks, at least

And he has plenty of extra limbs that extend as far as he wants, so he can make sure you never miss

You never quite get to figure out what he wanted to turn laundry into because Adam shows up to express his concern that it would cause all the colors to run together

So laundry is made at least more entertaining by Adam teaching Beej everything he knows about doing laundry

Beetlejuice never remembers where everything goes in the kitchen, so he turns doing dishes into a really bad guessing game

He tells you making your bed will be fun because you can jump on it after you’re done

He realizes then that that’s probably not the best selling point (unless it is, in which case he’s over the moon to jump on the bed with you)

He reminds you how much cozier it will feel when it’s all nicely made

He even calls Barbara to work a little extra mom magic on it because a made bed always feels better when it has the Mom Tuck

You hadn’t noticed before, but he timed it out perfectly so that you have a warm blanket coming out of the dryer as you finish making your bed

Barbara and Adam give Beetlejuice the Very Important Task of checking the rest of the house to make sure everything got cleaned up

They know it did, they actually just don’t quite trust him to fold clothes neatly or leave them very clean

They help you fold and put away your clothes so you can get it done quickly and snuggle in under the warm blanket

Although you’re pretty sure Beej is using some sort of supernatural power because the blanket stays warm even after it should’ve lost its heat

If you haven’t eaten by now, Barbara and Adam will bring you your food heated up so you can eat at least a little bit

Then they recap the day you had to remind you how much you got done and they tell you how proud they are of you

They each give you a hug and go on their way

Beetlejuice takes the opportunity to thank you for letting him help and working hard today even when you didn’t want to, and to tell you how proud he is of you, too

And he means every word