#because of course I am thinking of Christmas in July

[typicalopposite]

Is it too early to talk about Christmas?? As a mother I’d say YES! Keep that money hungry stress filled holiday away! As a fic writer 😏 hehehe welllll imagine with me… if you will…

Tommy, who has never cared much for the holidays… He didn’t have the best home life, his adult life was filled with hiding and lying about himself and sadness… and loneliness… until Evan, of course.

Evan who loves the holidays! Evan, who convinced him to do a couples costume for Halloween. Evan, who convinced Tommy to host thanksgiving at his house, so he could get to make the bird this year. He’s never had a big enough place to host… and yeah they aren’t living together, but like Tommy could say no to that face (we know that face).

Evan who has been Holly jolly mistletoe and reindeer since Black Friday (honestly since the Christmas decor hit the shelves it just came out in full force after thanksgiving)

And Tommy tried to keep up. Truly… he did. He tried to slap on the best smile and be cheery and merry and have the holiday spirit. It’s not like he’s the grinch… or Scrooge… he just… He doesn’t get it.

And Evan picks up on it so quick… Tommy feels terrible! He stops requesting holiday movies, or activities... but the kicker is when Tommy finds out about the 118 toy drive through Lucy who is helping out at the sister station.

“Baby, why didn’t you tell me about this?” He asks.

Evan’s face goes red and he bites his lip. “Well— I know it’s not really your thing… Christmas, I mean… and I get that, I swear I do. I just didn’t— I knew you would come if I asked… and I didn’t want to pressure you…”

Tommy melts. Absolutely melts. He pulls Evan into his arms and kisses him. “What time should I be there?”

And when he arrives and they come to him in need of a Santa — Evan was the original choice but he is currently occupied with activities. Apparently the Christmas spirit finds (and possesses) him because he agrees. Which is where Evan finds him shortly after. Jee clinging giddily to his hand. His eyes light up when he meets Tommy’s — who is doing his best to make the impression believable. The kids are buying it— well most of them.

“Hey Tommy!” Jee says as she climbs up onto his knee.

“Uh— oh no, little girl, I’m not Tommy,” he says, and has to bite his jaws to stop from joining in Evan’s laughter.

Jee tilts her head, confused. “But you look like Tommy,” she says.

“You know what… come to think of it, I actually have got that a lot…” he says and adds in a, “Hohoho…” laugh that has Evan covering his mouth with his hand to muffle a snort.

Jee goes on to tell him what she wants for Christmas and he spends about an hour talking with other children; all the while he keeps catching Evan staring at him with this awestruck look. He actually has a really good time that day… catches Evan under the mistletoe every chance he gets… and it doesn’t automatically make Tommy love Christmas. But he is 100% sure he loves Evan… and if that means dipping his toes in new things he didn’t care for before he’s willing to do so.

[deadkaywizard]

Jegumas - Day 11: Colored Lights - 745 words - @noblehouseofgay

Harry James Potter was born on July 31st at 3:28 am and his fathers had never been happier than when his wailing form was placed in Regulus’s waiting arms. James had been there through it all of course, wiping the sweat off Regulus’s brow and encouraging his husband, telling him how wonderfully he was doing and how their son was almost there. How strong and beautiful and magical he was for bringing their baby into the world. 

It had been five short months since then and every minute had felt like the sweetest agony watching as Harry grew by the day. He was currently on the floor on his tummy looking at the colored lights all around the living room. James watched fondly as his son looked at the lights strung on the tree, his eyes wide in awe. 

Regulus had spent the last several days getting their home ready for the holiday season and James was finally starting to think they were close to finished. The living room was its own winter wonderland complete with an enchanted model train set nestled among the Christmas tree branches and enchanted snow that fell from the ceiling. Regulus had gone off to get something from storage for their decorations. Though James thought they were finished, not like he’d tell Regulus that, he valued his peace. 

“Papa sure is feeling the Christmas spirit isn’t he?” He cooed at his son, scooping the little five month old Harry into his arms. “Does he know you won’t remember any of it? I don’t think he does.” He asked as he tickled the boy’s tummy, eliciting a giggle. 

“Dada just doesn’t understand not ever having had a Christmas like we do my little star,” Regulus cooed at Harry, grabbing one of his feet. 

“Where did you come from?” James asked, eyeing his husband suspiciously. He had a habit of slinking in and out of rooms unnoticed, appearing nearly out of thin air. It reminded James a lot of the way McGonagall would do the same in Hogwarts. 

“Harry and I had a surprise for you but he said ‘don’t give it to dada if he’s being an ass’,” he answered, taking the baby from James’s arms. 

“Our five month old son said that?” 

“Yes, I was shocked. I mean, where could he have learned such language?” He asked with a smirk. 

“You’re worse than your brother sometimes,” James teased and rolled his eyes lightheartedly. 

“I resent that,” he huffed and turned up his nose in a way that so much reminded James of Sirius he almost laughed. The brothers were so similar it was almost ridiculous, but they were different in so many other ways. James was reminded of that now, as the colored lights in their living room cast an ethereal glow on Regulus’s face. 

“What’s this surprise you had for me?” His words were barely audible, caught in his throat because somehow Regulus was still able to shock him with his beauty. He’d seen him at his worst and his best, and somehow his soul-deep beauty always managed to surprise him when he least expected it. 

“Oh,” a soft, sweet smile graced Regulus’s lips. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a red box embossed with gold. “Just this.” 

“What is it?” He asked, taking the offered box gently. 

“Open it and find out,” his husband smiled in return. James carefully pulled the lid off the box and flipped open the tissue paper covering before letting out a small gasp. “I thought it should be memorialized.” 

Nestled on a satin bed was a new ornament for their tree. It was glass like the one James had gotten last year and it too had a photo laser engraved onto it. The picture was of James, Regulus and Harry from the holiday photos Lily had taken, around the picture were the words ‘Harry’s first Christmas’. He felt tears burn in his eyes and a lump form in his throat. 

“Thank you for giving me this,” he didn’t say it, but he could tell that Regulus knew he hadn’t meant the ornament. Every day he woke up with the man he loved and their perfect child was a day he was thankful for the man that gave it all to him. He’d never understand what made his husband decide to give him a chance, but he would spend the rest of their lives making sure he never once regretted it.

[npuppet]

LaDs rambles #6

Songs/mini playlists I think fit each LI + YouTube links (I don’t have Spotify)

‼️A lot of songs are explicit so listen at your own digression‼️

⭐️ are personal favorites (recommended)

(It starts out with overused Insta songs lol) (I branch into more niche songs out I promise)

Zayne:

Disease by Lady Gaga (obv) (“I could play the doctor, I can cure your disease, If you were a sinner I could make you believe”) (die Astra)

⭐️Digital Silence by Peter McPoland (what if Foreseer was in modern time and was a desperate to warn MC of her future?) (“They’re gonna blind date everyone until you love them too”)

Arcade by Duncan Laurence (“Loving you is a losing game” huh? Man)

Wash. by Bon Iver (“Where ice snaps and the hold clast are known”) (It just fits the calmness he has I dunno)

Changing of the Seasons by Two Door Cinema Club (not because he fell out of love with MC but he doesn’t seem to remember as much as the other LI’s) (“The door is open, you whispered to me, As you stood frozen in deep uncertainty”)

Christmas Kids by Roar (“The Christmas kids were nothing but a gift, And love is a tower where all of us can live”) (just thinking if Zayne did remember)

⭐️Cursed Romantics by Maude Latour (bc who said Zayne can’t be girlypop?) (“‘Cause I’m obsessive when you call me “baby”, Your love is poison and no don’t can save me”)

Heavy Eyes by Zach Bryan (I just know Zayne would have tired eyes if he didn’t deal with his myth trauma right) (“Remember all the days we had, I say it ain’t so bad, Keep those heavy eyes soft and kind”)

⭐️Am I Dreaming by Metro Boomin, A$AP Rocky and Roisee (Dawnbreaker and Zayne) (“One of a kind, one of one, the only one, Got one shot and one chance to take it once”)

Rest of the LI’s under the cut

Caleb:

Fourth of July by Sufjan Stevens (based on Caleb and MC being experimented on and MC dying over and over, tragic and existential) (“What could I have said to raise you from the dead?…And I’m sorry I left, but it was for the best, though it never felt right”) 🙂

⭐️i am not who i was by Chance Peña (“so if I fly to far, Will I still have a place inside your heart?…Will you love me for who I am not who I was”) (it’s him, it’s Caleb)

SPIT IN MY FACE! by ThxSoMch (man will do and tolerate anything to be with MC I mean) (“I don’t know what to say except you’re mine mine mine mine mine”)

⭐️Nobody’s Solider by Hozier (this song fits him like a glove, like his whole deal is that he’s trying to wrestle control back in his life) (“Holding my world together with a bootstring, Living the dream”)

Freaks by Surf Course (after he left MC in the explosion) (“My head is filled with parasites, Black holes cover up my eyes”)

Broken by lovelytheband (“I like that your lonely, Lonely like me, I could be lonely with you”) (our obsessive king)

⭐️Tangerine by Glass Animals (he would get on his knees anyways-) (“You only look at me properly now, When you’re drunk watching movies, Where are you? What happened?”)

Sweet Talk by Saint Motel (at this point I think I’m just giving him a degradation kink…) (“Yeah, well, I’m not scared, I’m not going nowhere, Yeah, you might want me to drop dead, but I dont even care”)

She Said No by BoyWithUke (mmm angsty) (“I don’t blame you, I hate me too, but I can’t, Do a lot to change it or the thoughts in my head”)

Sylus:

Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High by Arctic Monkeys (just based off of reckless MC) (“Incapable of making alright decisions, and having bad ideas”)

⭐️Like Him by Tyler the Creator (but very Dawnbreaker coded too so) (based on when MC got flashbacks in the story with Sylus but still doesn’t remember fully) (“How could I miss something that I’ve never had?”)

MILLION DOLLAR BABY by Tommy Richman (bc why not) (“I could clean up good for you, Oh, I know right from wrong”)

The World We Knew by Frank Sinatra (when MC went on a rampage after Sylus left, she’s real for that) (“Each road we took turned into gold, But the dream was too much for you to hold”)

Used to the Darkness by Des Rocs (just feels like Sylus)

Adventure of a Lifetime by Coldplay (ok but hear me out) (“I’m a dream that died by light of day, Gonna hold up half the sky and say, Only I own me”)

Bury Me Face Down by grandson (vengeful dragon) (“Wanted with a bounty on my head, But somehow someway, I’ma keep moving along”)

⭐️City on a Hill by Mon Rovîa (Sylus trying to comfort MC abt their past) (“Who was by your side, When the fire subsides, And it rains in your head?”)

⭐️Gold by Spandau Ballet (what was going through Sylus’ head when MC started to like him back lol) (“Nothing left to make me feel small, Luck has left me standing so tall”)

Rafayel:

Sex, Drugs, Etc. by Beach Weather (something I think he and MC should listen to on an open hood convertible kind of night by the sea) (“Dressing up for polaroids and cigarettes, Socilaize, romanticize the life”)

Softcore by The Neighborhood (kinda based off of the theory that Rafayel wears safety pins) (“You’ve been my muse for a long time, You get me through every dark night”)

⭐️All I Want by Kodaline (“When you said your last goodbye, I died a little bit inside”) (ow)

Here With Me by d4vd (another slow heartbreak song what’s new) (“I wish I could live through every memory again, Just one more time before we float off in the wind”)

Applause by Lady Gaga (bc I’m on a Lady Gaga binge lol) (“Pop culture was in art, now art’s in pop culture in me!”)

⭐️Blood // Water by grandson (I think alternative fits Rafayel) (“The price of your greed, your son, and your daughter”)

Drama by Spencer Sutherland (Raf is just feeling himself)

Love Me Less by MAX (I think it’s fitting since he’s not as forthright with his underground activities as Sylus is)

Xavier:

I Love You So by The Walters (I think it fits his 5* Outcast’s Voyage and just his story in general) (“I’m going to pack my things and leave you behind, This feelings old, and I know that I’ve made up my mind”)

Army Dreamers by Kate Bush (based on that the people who came with Xavier all had dreams but turned into Wanderers instead) (“We’ve a bunch of purple flowers to decorate a mammy’s hero”)

Towards the Sun by Rihanna (“Shadows chase me far from home, I remember when my heart was filled with gold”) (also funny that the movie this song is from is based on aliens lol)

⭐️When Will I See You Again by Shakka (song is literally made for my poor boy) (“Shooting stars never fly for me, My hearts on Mars, kinda hard to see”)

Alien Boy by Oliver Tree (just bc) (“I still make it work, But it’s overrated and somehow, played out”)

⭐️Are We Ready? (Wreck) by Two Door Cinema Club (I dunno sometimes the lyrics aligned with his story to me) (“I saw the world today, It comes in green and gray”)

Jealous by Eyedress (our jealous possessive king lol)

All LI’s:

Mind Over Matter (Reprise) by Young the Giant

Harpy Hare by Yarlokre (yup)

⭐️Chamber of Reflection by Mac DeMarco

her by JVKE

Again and Again by The Bird and the Bee (need I explain?)

ALL GIRLS ARE THE SAME by RØNIN (lmao)

⭐️Mr. Feel by John Michael Howell

can’t slow down by almost monday (kinda a song I imagine MC, Caleb, and Zayne playing on a roadtrip when they were younger)

Aphrodite by Ethan Gander (yearning my favorite (: )

We’ll Meet again by Very Lynn (obv)

MC lol:

Daydream by Gunter Kallmann Choir (MC and Sylus)

GONE, GONE / THANK YOU by Tyler the Creator (give girl a break yknow??)

Wasted Summers by juju<3 (after Caleb left her in the explosion)

I wanna be your lover by €CHO€D 4W4Y (yessir)

⭐️Apple by Charli xcx (once delulu, always delulu)

Sunshine by OneRepublic

Sick of Being Young by Krooked Kings

Feel free to leave ur songs u attribute to the LI’s ((:

[schmergo]

My mom gave me this chocolate London kit for Christmas and I finally decided to use it as sort of a tongue-in-cheek Fourth of July activity. I love my mom and I don’t think she meant to psychologically torture me, but this experience lowkey led me down a true long dark night of the soul and then utterly broke me. Follow my slow mental unraveling below.

I should add that I am bad at crafts and once got gorilla glue all over my hands while fixing a child’s display-only gingerbread house and spent Christmas break with a hard translucent shell on both hands gradually flaking off over the course of a week, so a fair amount of this may be user error. But also the box says this is for ages 6+ and I’m over 5 times that, so maybe they could have done a wee bit more handholding.

Anyway, here’s my journey, which should absolutely be read in the tone of Jonathan Harker’s letters in the beginning of Dracula.

The first hint that something was wrong happened when I melted the chocolate according to instructions and the next step said to pour it into the molds. The chocolate was not really the “pouring” kind. It was a chunky sort of paste that I had to spoon in. The molds filled unevenly and clumpily and at this point, I asked my husband if he’d let me try to assemble the rest of this on my own because I think I can tolerate my failure better if nobody else witnesses it.

The instructions also cavalierly said to save a “handful” to use as mortar for the chocolate tower.

How much is a handful? A Schmergo-sized hand or a husband-sized hand or what? I have very small hands for an adult, but this is for ages 6+ after all. I opted for a Schmergo-sized handful. I would live to regret that.

I chilled the pieces in the fridge for 20 minutes as directed, then popped them out of their mold. To my surprise, they actually didn’t look THAT bad.

Looking at the pieces of Big Ben that I had to assemble, I became acutely aware that there weren’t detailed instructions on how to fit them together other than just “put them together” and no actual photographs of a real person doing it. The wall pieces were still unnervingly floppy and I decided to freeze them in hopes of hardening them while I focused on the clock itself.

In addition to Big Ben, the kit came with a chocolate taxi and a chocolate double-decker bus. The taxi popped out slightly distorted but in a way I liked, with playful Toontown vibes. But the double-decker bus was still mushy and fudgelike, warping and rippling alarmingly as I tried to push it out of the mold. I opted to put it in the freezer, too, along with the walls of Big Ben.

The instructions said to use the melted remaining chocolate to stick the pieces together and to apply it by sticking my finger in it and rubbing it on. It did not mention that, even after letting the chocolate cool, the warm melted chocolate would make the details of the pieces of the chocolate you’re sticking together start to melt, too.

I began to wonder if this kit had ever been formally tested by anyone and if the instructions were written by AI, like that Google search result that suggests adding Elmer’s glue to your shredded cheese when making pizza to keep it from sliding off.

Nothing can prepare you for how bad the clock part looked, so I’m just going to let you deal with it cold turkey. Et voila.

As I cemented my terrible melted clock together, it occurred to me that I’d have a lot more fun if I really leaned into the ominous post-apocalyptic energy of the abomination before me.

What if this was the result of some kind of whimsical Doctor Who villain— or maybe The Unknown from that infamously bad immersive Willy Wonka experience— transforming major London landmarks into chocolate… during a heat wave?

How will will the new Prime Minister Keir Starmer deal with this on his first day in office?

I yelled to my husband in the adjacent room, “Maybe I’m just turning into the Joker, but this is starting to feel more funny than depressing!”

“Mr. Starmer, a second chocolate vehicle has hit Big Ben.”

The bus actually came out pretty well!

Trying to fit together the pieces of the walls would have been maddening if I hadn’t already been driven mad by the clock portion. The pieces didn’t actually fit together quite right, they were still slightly floppy, and the instructions said— after I was in blood stepped so far that should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er— that I was supposed to use ELASTIC BANDS to hold together the tower walls while the chocolate was cooling.

The kit didn’t come with elastic bands and I don’t have any in my house except for scrunchies with my gross hair stuck to them, and I’d already come this far, so I decided to forge onward. Then a piece snapped off.

Honestly, this rules, no notes:

I did it, but at what cost? I don’t know much about British politics, but this feels like a poignant commentary on the current state of affairs or something. Should I submit this to the Tate Modern?

[tpwkmadeline]

(Different person btw)

I love how you mentioned "it'll all work out eventually", because a few months back in July 2024 up until mid late November 2024, I was in this sort of depressed state and had no motivation whatsoever for anything at all. September was the worst, I remember having to postpone a few orders I had for that month because I just couldn't find it in myself to make them.

But as Christmas approached, I started to regain happiness again and felt like myself again. It felt like a metamorphic experience in a way, y'know? And also, talking to you and reading updates about your life (that you shared) also helped me a lot, because it gave me a sense of hope that things will inevitably change and everything will be fine even when you think it isn't.

It's the little things that spark hope, honestly. I can't explain how grateful I am to have virtually met you 🫶

omg of course!! when i was really going through it and people said “it’ll all work out eventually” i kinda used to get mad because wtf that sounds like such a ridiculous and stupid thing to rely on, but then it actually did and i was flabbergasted

like obviously i have trauma and other things i’m recovering from, but at this point i’ve started to recognize how much i’ve grown as a person and i genuinely do spend more time happy than sad

does that make sense?

but anyways, i’m so glad you feel better :)

[steviewashere]

Okay! A couple of you said yes to the Eddie Munson headcanons, so here's some of them! Featuring some Steddie of course <3 (Also, this list is really fucking long. So I don't think all of them will fit in one post. If y'all want more, let me know)

CW: Recreational Smoking (Marijuana and Cigarettes)

His birthday is some time between January and July of 1966. Though, his birthday being in late 1965 is also a nice thought. He’s most likely twenty years old, as I believe Steve to be nineteen. And based on when Eddie was going to graduate, with being held back twice, he’d definitely be a year older than Steve (who graduated on time and during Eddie’s second senior year).

Really loves Garfield, but because it’s an extension of Uncle Wayne. He would read the strips with Wayne. Watch the cartoons with Wayne. Likes the holiday specials, too. A Garfield Christmas comes out in 1987, so let’s say he’s alive and enjoys that with Wayne. (From my research, I believe A Garfield Christmas is the first Garfield holiday special.)

Terrible at fishing, but Wayne takes him on fishing trips regardless.

He didn’t go to a tattoo parlor when he got the majority of his tattoos done. The bats, demon head, and the spider were all done by Freak (who is unnamed in the show). However, the wyvern and puppet-master were done by a professional. His ears are pierced, also done by Freak. Considers getting his nipples pierced, but doesn’t want any facial piercings (am I projecting? Maybe. Did I get my septum done at one point but now mourn it as it had snagged? Maybe, that’s beside the point).

Bruises easily, isn’t crazy clumsy, but if he’s tired...look out.

His favorite arcade cabinets are Super Cobra and Donkey Kong, but will beat Steve’s ass at Pac-Man, if given the opportunity.

Kicks ass at NES games. Specifically Castlevania, Donkey Kong, and Final Fantasy. (Loves the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons NES titles when they release in America. And The Bard’s Tale.) (Buys his own NES in 1989 and gets a copy of the Back to the Future game for Steve to play. It sucks ass, but they enjoy themselves anyway.)

This one is entirely self-indulgent, but motherfucker has flat feet. I don’t care what anybody says about it. He definitely does. And he definitely wears the worst shoes imaginable. His Reeboks don’t have any sole support, he’s just out there trying to look his coolest. (He’ll regret it the same day he does.)

One of his favorite meals is fried bologna with scrambled eggs. Maybe a chili cheese (government cheese) dog on plain white bread for lunch? (Brought to you by what I ate growing up as a poor kid who relied on welfare.)

Collects single serve coffee creamer cups (vanilla flavored) from diners and such. Stock piles them at home and then uses way too many of them in his coffee. It almost looks like milky hot chocolate, but it’s definitely coffee.

Favorite ice cream is vanilla with hot fudge (something simple and regular.) from Dairy Queen. But when Moose Tracks enter stores, he likes that the most. Or even Cherry Garcia, that’s a classic for him.

He just really likes sugar.

Will order the largest basket of cheese curds or fries or anything fried, really, and then complain his stomach hurts. His friends (even ones he makes after 1986) always have to bring earplugs to drown out his self-inflicted complaining. He never learns from this, continues to do it way into his old age.

Has a stomach of steel (most of the time). ENJOYS spicy foods from all kinds of crazy spicy shit he’s had growing up in both Tennessee and then with Wayne—(who I think lived in or was born in Louisiana)—in Hawkins. But also, it’s because he’s too curious for his own good. He’s had cat food, paper, mud, spoonfuls of hot sauce, probably chewed his way through a wash cloth, nibbled on the ends of pens, gum from the underside of school desks, eaten random combinations of food to either see if they were good or because he was dared to. (Like one time he was dared to eat a spoonful of macaroni and cheese with raisins and yogurt all together. Totally not something that I did in elementary school. No way.)

Homie is a nail biter. Also picks at the skin around his nail beds.

He’s a giggly guy when stoned. Or super existential. No in-between. But he is consistently loud either way.

Sometimes he falls asleep with his hair tied up. It tangles easily. It’s a bitch to de-tangle the next day. Wayne definitely makes some joke about Eddie eventually balding like him if he continues to treat his hair that way. Eddie cries so hard he throws up.

Smokes cigarettes (canon) but not always the best or smoothest ones. Will go for the cheapest, usually. Maybe Camels. Marlboros if he can afford them, they’re more of a “luxury buy”. He’s very picky about his cigarettes, too. But won’t say anything about it if they’re offered to him, especially when Steve gives him one. Sometimes he’ll just roll his own.

Will not smoke around the younger teens (Dustin, Mike, Lucas, y’know…) and Robin. Nancy never minds. Steve sometimes smokes with him. Gareth, Jeff, and Freak don’t care. Jonathan smokes weed with him, but not cigarettes.

Enjoys the flavor of cheap beer. Hates straight up hard liquor, unless they’re mixed with something. (Like a rum and coke)

Okay, this is really fucking long. Like, way too long. I have...thirty-five more (plus I'll probably add a few later), if you'd like to see more of them. Uh...yeah. I love Eddie.

[vylad243]

Hazbin Hotel but as quotes me and my family have said

~☆~☆~

Vox:Why are there more people at the beach for July Forth than Canada Day? Are there Americans celebrating July Forth in Canada?

Velvette:*leans over* There's a Texas plate

Vox:Of fucking course it's Texas

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Alastor:Just because he has straight in his name, doesn't mean he is straight

Harmony: (not out to her dad yet that she's genderfluid) What?

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Vox:What do you think about politics, car? *skips song*

*The Audacity starts playing*

Vox and Velvette:What the fuck?!?

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Alastor:I am god

Vaggie: *absent-mindedly* Yeah we know

Charlie:WHAT?

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Alastor:Please raise your standards

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Vox: *Plays Insane*

Niffty:This sounds like an Alastor song

Vox:Boy do I have some news for you

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Niffty:I want your Alastor pin

Vox:I paid good money for this shit

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Husk:Who wants to see my cut?

Angel:Me!

Husk:*flips him off*

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Angel:I dunno. I want the cat house to have a bit more room

Husk:*from across the yard* You know I don't like it when you talk about your pussy with other men!

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Husk:I used to go around proposing to different girls with rings at the bar and she said yes

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Valentino:How dare you go to an Aaron Pritchett concert without us!

Velvette:Yeah!

Vox:You guys weren't even born when it happened

Velvette:You should have had us sooner then!

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Rosie:I find women hot. I think I'm gay.

Alastor:Everyone finds women hot. Including all girls. They're nice to look at while men are the monkies of the world

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Lyric:Yeah, why did you have this many kids?

Alastor:We both thought I would die first

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Vox:Holy shit I bought Tim McGraw for four dollars! What a sale. Can't wait to force him to make more music

Alastor:That's an album

Vox:No, it's Tim McGraw himself

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Lyric:I'm God.

Alastor:No, I'm God. You're Jesus. You're my daughter

Lyric:No, you're my daughter and I'm God

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

If you guys can guess which ones were stuff my parents said, you get a cookie

BONUS POINTS IF YOU GUESS WHICH ONE WAS SAID ON CHRISTMAS DAY

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

I think the movie It's A Wonderful Life probably makes my top five favourite pieces of socialist propaganda. And that is a competitive field; I have a lot of favourite pieces of socialist propaganda. I quite enjoy A Christmas Carol, but that hardly cracks my top 50, probably.

Anyway, I spent a lovely Boxing Day watching some of my favourite socialist propaganda, with my mother and a fire in the fireplace and a tree and it was great.

And guess what else I did! Guess what else I did on this day, the 26th of December, 2024! I booked some flights! I booked two flights!!!

One is for August 2 - really August 2-3, since it runs overnight. From Halifax to London. Because I have the entire summer off, now that I'm working in a school. So I'm going to go visit my grandparents' house in Nova Scotia for the last couple of weeks of July, and then fly to London from there. And then I booked a flight from London to Montreal on August 25, because flights between London and the city where I actually live were convoluted or expensive (you could get easy ones if you want to pay $2,000 one-way, and you could get cheap ones if you want the entire experience to take 55 hours with transfers in Bristol and Lisbon and Toronto), and the city where I actually live is only a couple of hours from Montreal. I can probably get a drive home from there, and if I can't, it's a cheap plane ride.

What am I going to do in between? Well, I've got a lot of it planned out. I've got an Edinburgh Air B&B booked from August 15-24. On the 24, I'll get a train back to London, and fly home the next day. From August 2-14, I have many plans. A while in London again, of course. Then some trains through Wales. Then a ferry to Dublin, a train to Galway, a couple nights in Galway, a plane to Edinburgh, trains through Northern Scotland, before going back to Edinburgh for the festival. I've already booked most of the accommodation for that. And I've booked the Ireland-Scotland plane.

Last summer - 2024 - I went for two weeks. Five nights in London (four days in London, and one day when I took trains to Cambridge and back), then a couple of days taking trains through Western Scotland, then five nights in Edinburgh for the festival. That's because two weeks was the most I could possibly get off work (I really only got four days of work - and was told this was the most I could possibly get for the whole year - because I planned it around the place I worked shutting down for the last week of July, and the following Monday was a statutory holiday). But now, I have the whole summer! So I'm planning a trip accordingly. I'm going to see more stuff.

I've never been to Wales. My family, on both/all sides, has been in Canada for so many generations that I can't legitimately claim any heritage from outside Canada. But the closest I can come to claiming that is that my mother's father's father grew up in Wales, and moved to Canada shortly before having children. He came from a town called Abergavenny, which my grandfather visited as an adult, and my grandfather talks about it all the time, wanting to go back there to honour his father's heritage. My grandfather will never go back again now, as he's too advanced into Alzheimer's. But I'd love to go.

I wanted to go to Wales in 2024, but I couldn't fit it into my schedule. I'm doing it this time, though. I'm working in a stop in Abergavenny. A short stop, because while it has great sentimental value to me because of my family, I've looked up the town and there appears to be nothing interesting in it. But it's on the way to lots of other cool places. I want to spend a couple of nights in Wales.

I first planned a UK trip in early 2021, when I was still relatively early in my Britcom obsession (I mean, I've been into lots of British comedy since I was a kid, but it was March 2020 that made me decide to dedicate my whole life to it), when this blog was only a few months old, when COVID restrictions meant the trip was far more of a fantasy than a plan. I planned this huge route, seeing all these different places, looking at them all on Google Earth to find the coolest spots. It was a lovely fantasy.

In 2024, when going to the UK became an actual possibility, I prioritized the two main things I wanted to see: London, and the Edinburgh Festival. For my 2025 trip, I'll have more days to play with because of the whole summer off, so I've gone into those old documents to find some favourites of my fantasy trip. I've booked two nights in Galway, which was a major part of that original fantasy. Mainly for the music. My dad visited Galway 15 years ago and hasn't stopped raving about it since. My dad and I share a love of Celtic folk music. My dad is always telling me how he could just wander into Galway bars and hear the music everywhere. I got an Air B&B that's right near one of their most famous folk music bars.

And here's one thing that was a major part of the original fantasy trip. The Gladstone's Library in North Wales. Basically, I romanticize old buildings, I romanticize cool libraries, I romanticize anything that looks like it could have existed in a British fantasy novel (I have been told off, probably justifiably, for being reductive about British architecture by excitedly referring to "Harry Potter buildings" - but look, excitedly enjoying majestic old buildings that look like they could have been in Harry Potter is a nice way to indulge my childhood Potter obsession without giving profit to its awful author, though it would be less problematic but equally exciting to call it a His Dark Materials building); while planning my fantasy trip in 2021, I Googled where the cool old libraries in Britain are, and I found the Gladstone's Library.

Fuck, man. You can't ask for better than that, if you're looking to fulfill a deep childhood love of British fantasy novels. I'm pretty sure that's where Lyra Belacqua used to do her research.

So when I first read about this place, I immediately Googled where's there nearest place to stay. Since it appeared to be rural, so I didn't know if it would be accessible, traveling without a car. But it turns out that 1) it's right near a train line, and 2) you can sleep in the library. They have rooms. Rooms where you can stay overnight, like a Harry Potter character. There was no way I could fit this into my 2024 trip, but I've booked a night there in 2025, on August 10. I have the confirmation and everything. For most of this trip, I'm getting the cheapest Air B&Bs possible (and I'm very lucky to be able to stay with people I know in London, avoiding paying for accommodation there). But I have splurged on one night, at the fancy library.

I haven't booked everything yet. I've been booking a little at a time, over the last few months (I booked the Edinburgh accommodation just a few weeks after I got home from my Edinburgh 2024 trip). And I still have lots more to book. But I've booked the two major flights today, and that's what makes it feel real. This is happening.

Happy Boxing Day!

[jusst-you-race]

I'm not English, however I am not a native speaker which means I have spent literal years at school learning the school systems and cultures of anglophone countries so I feel qualified to give insight into the term-versus-semester question. Of course any English people feel free to correct me.

Three terms in an English school year, autumn, spring, summer. Autumn runs from September to December (in time for Christmas), Spring from January to Easter and Summer from post-Easter to mid July, when summer break starts.

Each term has mid term holidays halfway through, usually less than to a week.

Semesters are originally German and refer to a six month period of school. The word has been adapted in the US to mean the same thing and international schools also use that system.

Anything before secondary school in the UK is sure to use terms unless it is some fancy international private school. Technically all universities are international so I think you could get away with using semesters if you want to, but a school that specifically advertises itself to be international would for sure use semesters over terms.

As for the deadline question: standardized exams (like GCSEs, A-Levels) take place either in January, or in the May-June period before the summer break.

Now Logan is already in higher education than GCSEs or A-Levels, but schools would probably stick to vaguely those time frames. It would make sense for Logan's project to be due after Christmas if it is a very grade defining, very important project that's part of the curriculum and done ever year or something like that. Like, 30% of the grade sort of important. If that's not the case it can just be a small little project the professor gave them and then that can be due whenever you want really.

I wall of texted you a bit with this response and there are probably shorter ways of saying this, but I have never had to actively use this knowledge before so I had to jump in this opportunity. hopefully it can be of help

ah thank you so much!!!! I have been learning so much about how all these things work tonight it’s great!!! I had no idea that semesters were originally german!! what a fun fact

It does seem like more of the exams/projects are a post christmas thing, but I have also learned that this is not always the case!!! (thank you also to @piastrionpole for this info) so I think I have enough wiggle room to sort of decide which way I want to go with it myself… (this does affect the plot so we’ll see)

this is all very interesting to hear about because obviously it’s all quite different where I grew up, because christmas and the new year both happen in summer break, which means the school year gets evenly spread throughout the calendar year… primary/secondary school is feb-decemberish university is sort of march-november (with holidays in there somewhere obviously). this system makes a lot more sense to me!

I love walls of text so this was much appreciated <3

[notoriousbeb]

Lighthouse Keeper Tweets

And now, the post literally no one asked for. The Lighthouse Keeper's tweets from March 29, 2023, through July 2, 2024, supplemented with my own Haylor notes.

Note 1: I’m not in the business of convincing people LK is HS. Read this though. Look at his feed and decide for yourself. :) I’m here to speculate and have a good time.

Note 2: I skipped a handful of minor tweets I felt were not related to the overall LK narrative or unremarkable. (Examples: LK tweeted "Ciao!" on July 22, the date of HS's last LOT show in Italy, and a little running gag on April 1; he also likes to post about cake on HS's birthday and Christmas wishes, etc.)

Part 1: March 2023 - October 2023

March 29, 2023 - "I'm in my lighthouse keeper era." "Did I do it? Am I cool and trendy now?" 12:15 p.m. CT

April 1, 2023 "I actually really dislike lighthouses... don't know why I chose this life..." 3:55 a.m. CT

Taylor is about to play Arlington, Texas, later that day. (I think Harry is there. Here's why.) Seems like perhaps someone thought it would be funny to take his phone and tweet from it...

April 1, 2023 "April fools of course!!!! I love Lighthouses and I love keeping them!!!" 5:06 a.m. CT

April 2, 2023 "It's been a hell of a year..." 3:00 a.m. CT

April 6, 2023 "You'll be good, my love." 12 p.m. ET (NYC)

LK mentions in his replies to this one that he's drank half a bottle of rosé. Splitting it with someone, perhaps?

April 12, 2023 "Homeward bound forever."

Tone of this tweet seems bittersweet to me. H spotted in LA this day on work pit stop in between final European leg of LOT. After this, Taylor starts to fall apart on stage.

April 22, 2023 “If you really knew me, would you really want me?” 2:39 pm PST

Despondent, right? As if they left things on not great terms?

April 26, 2023 “Time cast a spell on you, but you won’t forget me.”

Fleetwood Mac “Silver Spring” lyrics.

May 6, 2023 “I hate to feel the rain on my back as I watch you go from me.” 4:15 p.m. BST

Matty time has commenced. Harry is in London.

May 11, 2023 “You’ve got me counting down the days.”

Could be a reference to Wembley. Deux Moi reported Taylor chartered there and was spotted at the June 13 show.

May 19, 2023 “Welcome Home” 12 a.m. BST

Taylor plays Foxborough, just 18 miles away from Holiday House.

June 1, 2023 “Je t'aime, Je t'aime, Je t'aime!” 10:35 a.m. BST

“I love you, I love you, I love you” in French. On May 30, a photo of Harry walking outside Cartier is shared to gossip sites. Cartier is a French luxury brand. On May 31, Taylor begins wearing a very pricey 1980s vintage Cartier necklace.

June 20, 2023 “Our lonesome shadows toss and turn. Throw our doubts in the fire. We’ll watch them burn.” 12:06 a.m. BST

Does he want to to make it work. From his set selection it seemed like it. But then...

June 29, 2023 - Taylor records “Down Bad” and Harry and Taylor Russell go on their first papped outing to a museum. So, it all fell apart, clearly. Why?

July 11, 2023 “Fast car, alligator shoes” 3:45 p.m. BST

These are lyrics from I.N.V.U. Other lyrics include, “He rolls in with his roll neck and his Rolex/he’s mister MTV/he claims he’s cashing checks/and breaking necks/at least that’s what he wants you to think/…/he’s at the wheel while I’m trapped in the boot.”

This is the day of Travis’ first Eras show. This was posted before he even showed up. …Did H know beforehand that this relationship was all planned in advance? At least, the beginning? (Perhaps as way to cleanse the public's palate from Matty?)

July 18, 2023 “The sky and the stars” 12 a.m. BST

Taylor Russell’s birthday. Just to be a dick? Or unrelated because...

July 19, 2023 - Daylight MV no. 2 drops

July 20, 2023 “There’s been a load of compromising on the road to my horizon but I’m gonna be where the lights are shinin’ on me.” 10:10 p.m. BST

These are lyrics from “Rhinestone Cowboy.” Sounds like H’s fucking had it, to me. Other lyrics include, “Nice guys get washed away like snow in the rain.”

August 24, 2023 “Hide in the middle of the universe, where the hills are steep and complications low.” 10:10 p.m. BST

H went to TR’s play opening on 1989 TV’s announcement night. Tay continues to wear the Cartier necklace. H also goes to TR’s play again 8/28.

August 30, 2023 “Through the gaps of my curtains looking at the moon it’s like you’re here with me. It’s like you see it too.” 9:30 p.m. BST

"Pick You Up" leaks 8/31. Taylor posts Griff’s “Vertigo” on Instagram 9/5. "Try Honey" leaks 9/12.

Sept. 16, 2023 “What are we drinking tonight?” 9:10 p.m. BST

Comments in the replies that he’s drinking and probably needs water. Post 9/14 Travis talking about Taylor on his podcast.

Sept. 21, 2023 “And my whiskey sings the obituaries.” 12 a.m. BST

Sept. 30, 2023 “Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see. It's getting hard to be someone, but it all works out. It doesn't matter much to me.” 9:30 p.m. BST

Lyrics from “Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles.

Post TS’s first NFL game appearance.

Oct. 8, 2023 “So much for an early night” in Morse code 12:30 a.m. BST

Probably out with Tom and Tyler post recording. I hope.

Oct. 12, 2023 “Will you hold me dear and keep me warm? And I’ll shield us both from sorrow and the storm” 4:35 p.m. BST

Maybe he decides he and TR can keep each other company? That’s depressing.

Oct. 17, 2023 “You said ‘love is touching souls’ surely you touched mine ‘cause part of you pours out of me in these lines from time to time.” 4:20 p.m. BST

Lyrics from Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You.”

Oct. 19, 2023 “And the rattle of the red line cuts through like a knife. So, what do you say we try to live this life?” 11:30 p.m. BST

Sad sad saaaad.

Oct. 23, 2023 “Moon, tell me if I could send up my heart to you?” 8:30 p.m. BST

Mitski lyrics. Suffering. Pain.

Ahead to Part Two

[ladyhindsight]

sorry to bring up character ages in tid again, but i wanted to run a theory by you about something i discovered.

in chapter 1 of clockwork princess, tessa is being fitted for her wedding dress and she says this: “he would look so young. they were both so young. tessa new it was unusual to marry at seventeen and eighteen, but they were racing a clock.”

clockwork princess takes place in september/october (i think??) of 1878, and their wedding was supposed to be in december. what i’m thinking that tessa must be older than what cc has told us (in both the family tree and the “new” canon she established with the 10th anni of ca). based on the quote, we can probably assume that tessa is either already seventeen when clockwork princess starts, or will be turning seventeen sometime between then and december. which assumes jem’s birthday is somewhere in there as well. so will and jem being born in 1860 is probably correct, but tessa was probably born in 1861.

Bottom line: cc can’t even keep her own canon straight XD. im gonna try to write my own time line to try to make sense of it sigjdnd.

Waait a minute. Wow.

So, yes. Tessa's birthday is said to be January 28, 1862. Clockwork Princess takes place from October to December, which means Tessa is sixteen and turns seventeen in January 1879, which is still a couple months away from the supposed wedding.

I guess they didn't have any confirmed dates of birth before the 10th anniversary edition of Clockwork Angel, just the birth years, but I found this part with Charlotte and Jem in Clockwork Princess, chapter 13 "The Mind Has Mountains":

You are still a child, Charlotte wanted to say, but she did not. He was only a few weeks short of his eighteenth birthday, after all, when Shadowhunters became adults, and if when she looked at him she still saw the dark-haired little boy who had arrived from Shanghai clutching his violin, his eyes huge in his pale face, that did not mean he had not grown up.

Which, of course, goes along with the whole

“Yes, though Charlotte’s rather fallen off in tutoring us lately, as you might imagine,” said Will. “One either has a tutor or one is schooled in Idris—that is, until you attain your majority at eighteen. Which will be soon, thankfully, for the both of us.” “Which one of you is older?” “Jem,” said Will, and “I am,” said Jem, at the same time. They laughed in unison as well, and Will added, “Only by three months, though.”

part in Clockwork Prince which takes place from July to August, but the rest of what was previously discussed gives the idea that they both have already turned seventeen in 1878, especially when juxtaposed with Gabriel's and Nate's ages and the rest.

Otherwise it does work that Will is born in late December and Jem's birthday is in November, other than that whole mess with being "three months" apart in age. But the language is weird, Tessa won't be marrying at seventeen no matter what, though Jem' would've recently turned eighteen.

Will telling Cecily that:

“You can’t be married, Cecily! You’re only fifteen! When I get married, I’ll be eighteen! An adult!”

Will turning eighteen a week or so after that Christmas when he proposed to Tessa works in that context as well. Though they apparently married two years later in March 3, 1880, according to the bonus content.

Though not exactly on topic, I want to point out that in said bonus content, Will thinks that "It wasn’t strictly a Shadowhunter wedding, because Tessa wasn’t strictly a Shadowhunter. But Will had decided to wear wedding gear anyway, because he was going to be the head of the London Institute, and his children would be Shadowhunters" though, at least according to the comic, James' conception was such a surprise because they didn't know if Tessa as a warlock could have children. And James was born in 1886, six years after the wedding.

Anyway, it's still a bit of a mess because, though some parts do fit, other parts of the text seem to have been written in another frame of reference in any case.

The timeline idea sounds fantastic!

[campbyler]

BHDSDNSJDBKSJDK S OMFG OMFG I GIGGLED LIKE A MANIAC LIKE THE WHOLE TIME I WAS READING HOLY SHIT AHHHHHHHHHH THEY ARE SUCH STUPID IN LOVE IDIOTS "yes youre obsessed with me" HOLY SHIT THE SASS OH MY GODDDDDD I WAS LIKE WHAT IS HAPPENING IS MIKE TAKING HIM ON A DATE HOLY SHIT AND THEN HE WAS BUT I DONT THINK WILL KNOWS IT WAS A DATE SBDSKNKJS THE COOL COOL MOMENT SDBSHD JS BSFHBSJDBS WILL LIKES HOW MIKE DRIVES OMFGG THEY LIKE HOLDING EACH OTHERS HANDS IM LITERALLY GONNA START SQUEALING okay mike is so real for his oshawatt pin on his fanny pack also ngl i kinda forgor that will works at starbucks but also like of course he does i feel like thats just a fact that everyone should know OMFGGG THEY ARE BOTH THE MOST CLINGY BITCHES EVER NHJSBUBHJWSBJ "engaging in behavior usually reserved for amusement park queues" HELP WHEN I TELL YOU I WAS TRYING NOT TO LAUGH OUT LOUD SO BADLY THAT I GOT LIGHTHEADED AND ALMOST FELL OUT OF MY BED I AM NOT FUCKING KIDDING I WAS OUT OF BREATH AND WHEEZING FOR LIKE FIVE MINUTES AND HAD TO TAKE A BREAK FROM READING NHJBSHBDKS THEY ARE SO FUCKING CLINGY OH MY GOD the vulnerablility 🥺🥺 they are being do soft with each other 🥺🥺 mike is finally opening up 🥺🥺🥺🥺 i love his car shopping list and his reasons 🥺🥺🥺🥺 also jesus FUCKING christ ted is fucking crazy that makes me so angry that he would do that and that it made such a lasting impact on mike that all those years later he would be worried about that happening to him its not okay OMFG OF COURSE HIS PASSWORD IS KERMIT HE IS SO SILLY NSDSHBDSB BESBDNSNDDNKJSNDB HES GONNA TEACH WILL HOW TO DRIVE HIS CAR OMFG OMFG OMFG THAT IS PROBABLY SO INTIMATE FOR HIM TOO BECAUSE THE CAR IS SUPPOSED TO BE HIS BECAUSE NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO DRIVE HIS CAR AND NOW HES TEACHING WILL HOW TO DRIVE HIS CAR JUST SBHSBDKSNDIJNSFS

you fr knocked this one out of the fucking park thea like full on grand slam, everyone made it to home and the ball went so far we couldnt even see where it landed i am very thankful that you guys take the time to write these chapters so well anyway happy holidays 🫶 (and merry july in christmas lmao)

AHHHH OMGGGGG SUCH A LENGTHY REACTION I HAVE BEEN SO BLESSED!! LET ME TRY TO RESPOND PROPERLY (picture me cracking my knuckles without cracking them ty)

i am loving this play by play of everything!! i do need u to know that this has been Exactly what my brain has been doing on overdrive since likeeeee. february or march when we first drafted the concept for ch9 😭😭😭 i loveeeeed including the detail of mike's fanny pack and it's def most of the reason why i really want to draw their outfits!! i think will's starbucks job has either only been mentioned once or has only been mentioned on this blog, but it's a very important part of the universe #2 #me 💚 ALSO HELLLOOO I HOPE YOU ARE ALIVE AND OK AFTER ALMOST FALLING OUT OF YOUR BED???

i will sayyyy the ted story was definitely a bit of projection teehee (thanks #mom) but i did think it fit superrr well and was a really strong reason for why owning the car would be so important to him! i was so excited to be able to have him open up this chapter as well :')

i did have to debate between using snoopy and kermit for mike's passcode but kermit won out!! also YESSSS U ARE HITTING THE NAIL ON THE HEAAADDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!

ty so so so MUCHHH for your kind words and huge reaction, i'm so glad you enjoyed!! happy holidays and merry christmas in july!!!

[thoughtportal]

The first thing I learn in our newborn-care workshop is that babies like the dark. Their room should be so dark that you can’t see your hand in front of your face, the teacher instructs. She tells us not to worry, they aren’t scared. They don’t know a fear of the dark yet; that will happen later. And she is right: It is when my daughter is two that she suddenly says, “Too dark!” after we turn out the light. She thinks there is something under the bed, in the closet. I make a show of checking everything—revealing that there is nothing there. Finally, to stop her tears, I grab the lamp off my writing desk and plug it in, the bright light shining to show her there are no monsters.

When I first started writing, I did not worry about the dark. I would come into my MFA workshop with all kinds of stories—This week I want to try out a “we” point of view! Here’s a whole story narrated by a horse! I was fearless. After graduation I worked as a waitress and then later under a crushing course load as an adjunct. My writing slowed. And then I became a parent. Long weekends and nights that I would spend reading or thinking were gone. I tried to set an alarm for 5 AM, to write before everyone got up. But I was so tired. In the dark I pressed Snooze. I chose sleep before the repetition of the day began. Before laundry and playdates and feedings. My distress about my writing practice (or lack of it) grew slowly just as my daughter grew.

Because I was tired I forgot to buy my daughter a nightlight. But the desk lamp was too bright. A nightlight is not meant to be illuminating. It’s a small lamp that provides only dim light. Enough so you can see the outline of the bed, the curve of a dresser. So you don’t hurt yourself. It is a light that is meant to burn through the night, not going out. It’s steadfast and meant to calm your fears. You don’t need it to see; you need it to feel safe.

In digging through a box in the basement I find an old plastic Christmas tree. One I had in a past apartment, long before I had children or was married. Back when I would write for hours uninterrupted. My three-year-old daughter sees it and claps her hands in glee: “Light! My light!” I take it up to her room and plug it in, and it sits there year-round. Through all the seasons. To her it is the perfect nightlight—and to me it is just enough to illuminate the piles of books, her basket of stuffies. I wince a little that in mid-July, a Christmas tree is, let’s face it, weird. But then I am reminded that perfect doesn’t exist, and besides, it casts the ideal amount of light.

In being a parent and being a writer, there is no routine, no one way of doing things that is right; some things that we must do to get the work done are, in fact, weird. Many things bring the light. Some bring just enough light that you are no longer afraid. The shadowy light that says, Don’t be scared, write it! Even in the most awkward of circumstances, even in light that is meant for something else, even in a light in which you can’t see your hand in front of your face, you have to write what you can. You may not be able to see fully—but you know the outline of the thing is there. It is a light to say: Don’t fear—there is just enough light here to guide you, to keep you going. And it burns throughout the night, keeping the monsters at bay.

Nina McConigley is the author of the story collection Cowboys and East Indians (Curtis Brown, 2015) and teaches at Colorado State University. Her novel, How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder, is forthcoming in 2026 from Pantheon Books.

[innytoes]

missing Kidnapped by the fae moments (dunno if u still create for it) so here i am asking for some crumbs

Okay so you know the fae probably Went Hard on stuff like the summer and the winter solstice. Even though time moved differently over there.

So when the boys are back in the human realm, there's a bit of an adjustment. For one, LA doesn't have seasons the way the fairy realm did. And Reggie and Luke came from places in the US where winter was a thing, so they're kind of adjusting too. Though Luke is pretty fine with it, since he wears a beanie and no sleeves no matter what.

Willie and Reggie kind of miss the snow. I think Willie didn't care much for snow until Caleb stole Luke, who taught him the Joys Of Snowball Fights and Snow Men and Sledding.

Snowball fights were very much only a 'Caleb and the other fae are Out Hunting' thing after the first time a snowball went wide and hit one of the fae it was Not A Fun Time For Luke And Willie for several months.

So yeah, the boys are lamenting how they miss snow and sledding. Making sand-men on the beach is just not the same. Throwing sand at each other is Bad actually.

But, they get the bright idea, they could totally make a sled out of two skateboards and some cardboard, right?

Ray has a Very Bad Day after that. At least there were no broken bones this time but Reggie's on crutches for a week (it should have been more, but well, the boys aren't fully human yet) and Willie is Grounded from Skateboarding for just as long. Ray didn't even take his skateboard away, he just used the 'I'm not mad just disappointed' voice and explained it was unfair if Willie could skate when Reggie couldn't even walk

First time Reggie tried to walk through a wall with his crutches (what? his hands were full and doors are hard to open like that!) he went through fine... the crutches did not.

The boys do embrace other parts of the season, though.

Alex and Reggie really like baking. It's soothing, the steps are all laid out, everything smells nice, and there's food at the end. Julie and Ray and Carlos supervise the first few times just to make sure they understand the oven, but after that, they have free reign.

Reggie is the one who discovers the TikTok Baking Twink and starts trying more out there recipes. Some of which, Alex put his foot down to say no. He already lived through the horrific things that did with aspics and pineapple once, thank you. He has no need to relive it.

Luke of course is obsessed with modern Christmas music. Because he hasn't heard it seventeen billion times before, he really loves 'All I want For Christmas Is You' and he sings it to Julie once, really sincerely. Julie is utterly charmed.

He doesn't get why Flynn laughs at them.

When they try to explain Santa to Willie, he just nods sagely. Ah yes, he says, like the fae. You leave him offerings, he decides if you are a good person or a bad person, and rewards or punishes you as he sees fit. And he uses magic.

They are all very creeped out about Santa after that.

Willie does love the idea of gifts, though. Being raised by fairies, he has a very warped relationship with them, but when they explain that you get people you care about gifts for Christmas, he is all on board. Especially when Flynn introduces him to Sparkly Wrapping Paper.

(Yes, Ray has a conversation with Willie that if he wants things from stores, he must use money to buy them and not ask his crow friends to steal it.)

When Willie starts leaving them gifts, it's at random, in the weirdest places. But the right person always discovers them.

It starts normal enough, with some Fun Socks for Alex. Julie gets some sparkly glitter pens. Flynn gets some really weird soda she's never heard of before that has the same effect as seven sodas.

Luke and Reggie get rocks he found that look like a guitar pick and a dog, respectively. They are just as touched and excited as the others, though.

Carlos gets a videogame. It's a game that isn't supposed to be out until next year. Ray is starting to get a headache but Willie earnestly tells him it's not from a store.

Ray gets sweets he loves and misses from Puerto Rico. He has never mentioned these in front of Willie or any of the kids. He knows for certain they're not available in the states. He is scared to ask.

The gifts only get weirder but just as heartfelt from there. Food appears while Julie is studying that she didn't even realise she was craving. Sheet music for long-forgotten songs Luke only remembers snippets of.

Dogs appear whenever Reggie is sad, and once he's cheered up, they happily trot off to wherever they came from. Ray keeps checking the local facebook pages but nobody seems to notice their missing dogs.

Ray is almost relieved when Christmas comes around because hopefully it will stop the ever-increasingly-weird gifts.

He sits through the kids opening their stockings first. His new 'foster kids' are very easy to buy for, because there's so much they've never had and they appreciate just about everything. And yes maybe he did get them all little puzzles in the hopes of distracting them long enough that he can have a quiet afternoon.

Thankfully, the gifts on Christmas seem pretty normal. He maybe gets a little teary-eyed at the World's Best Dad mug the kids all got him together. And everything was bought in stores with money, just like Willie promised Ray.

Until the solid gold barbecue tongs.

[thisbuildinghasfeelings]

2023 Writing Cross Stitch Round Up

Thank you for tagging me @ladytessa74 and @alrightbuckaroo

I'm pretty proud of my cross stitch journey this year! 20 finished pieces since April!

April

911 Lone Star- my first Lone Star cross stitch project, created with an image of the Lone Star logo and a free pattern generator I found online. It had been a couple years since I had done any cross stitching. Working on this one was a bit of a painful week because it involved the reestablishment of my stitching calluses on my fingers.

I'm a fireman, our codes are like...fire!- The first in a series where I took a quote from the show and went on Etsy to find a pattern for some kind of image that I thought worked well with the quote. At this point, I didn't have the confidence (or the software) to come up with my own more complex patterns.

Sure, ma'am, but just so you know, I am a homosexual-Still one of my favorites. However, it was early in my cross stitching journey, so when I look at it, a few major mistakes jump out at me. This is such an excellent quote that I think I want to do an improved version at some point.

Is the lizard back?-I did this one in honor of Lou II after I found a perfect bearded dragon pattern available on Etsy.

Firefighters, you really are a smug bunch-I really like this one. I found a firetruck pattern on Etsy and modified it a bit, including changing the number on it to 126.

May

I was peckish and I wanted pudding- This is a simple one, but I created the pattern myself. From the second I heard this line, I knew it had to be a cross stitch.

It absolutely wrecks people- Cow eyes. I like this one except for the fact that I took a horrible picture of it. I think I finished it at night and was so excited to post that I couldn't wait for daylight to get a brighter picture. It's always a struggle to get a picture that's bright enough but also doesn't have the shadow of my phone across it. Luckily, since then I've discovered the perfect place in my house to take cross stitch pictures, even at night!

Did you know that honeybees pollinate a third of our food supply?- I was originally going to have four little honeybees on this one, but the finale had just aired and I was dying to get going on my planned Tarlos vows project, so it ended up just getting one bee.

June

Working on stitching the vows.

July

Tarlos wedding vows- It took 7 weeks and a comically large hoop, but I got it done. I mapped out this pattern before I had pattern making software meaning I did it by hand with pencil and paper. Plotting out the words, making sure everything was centered, making sure it would all fit, etc was quite an ordeal!

Tarlos proposal- This was the first pattern I created with my new pattern making software and it's still one of my favorites. It's love ❤️

126 Firehouse- I was incredibly proud of myself for this one. It was the most elaborate pattern I had created on my own up until that point.

August

Typical TK- I really like this one but I didn't include the full quote for simplicity's sake (leaving out the "of course") and I kind of regret that now.

We make a pretty good team-This one did not turn out the way I saw it in my head, so there were moments that I kind of hated it. Ultimately, I'm ok with it.

September

Working on my elaborate tarloft dining area project.

October

You Have All of Me, Carlos-This is without a doubt my favorite thing I've ever made. It took about 6 weeks and is the most elaborate pattern I've created to date.

November

This is real- A quote from @ladytessa74's incredible fic for her birthday.

Tyler Kennedy Strand-My best attempt at capturing the essence of TK.

Lone Star Christmas Tree Ornaments-4 stitched ornaments for my Lone Star-themed Christmas tree.

Well, he's a wise ass- A piece in honor of my favorite wise ass.

Season 1 Tarlos- The first in my cute little Tarlos series. I love tiny TK and Carlos very much.

December

Season 2 Tarlos-Cute little Tarlos part 2.

I will have at least one more (and maybe two) still this month. Season 3 Tarlos will definitely be finished before the month is over, and depending on how much stitching time I have, I may even get Season 4 done.

No pressure tagging @bonheur-cafe @heartstringsduet @birdclowns @paperstorm @carlos-in-glasses @lemonlyman-dotcom @strandnreyes @fitzherbertssmolder @reasonandfaithinharmony (gif round up?)

[virivren]

ok so i've been going down a huge rabbit hole after finding like 90 gifs of the same horse uploaded to Tenor all called "TomasCore" and have followed them back to here. the gifs all make me so happy and giggly in a way that i can't put into words; i just love the little horse guy so much. i swear on it i think i'll literally feel more complete as a person knowing what TomasCore even is, where the image of the horse comes from, what the tumblr link at the bottom of the horse image is, and how you're connected to it. can you explain some of it for me?

This makes me really fuzzy to hear <3

Firstly, TomasCore is primarily my friend's project, though it is connected to the Saddle Pass (the horse gifs, https://goldm.neocities.org/), the two projects arose separately around the same time both from the same inside joke (the original sad horse gif, made by Tumblr user whose blog no longer exists, which is where the watermark is from).

TomasCore came first by about a month, it originally arose from him fucking around in FL Studio (he has zero music background) and it sounded really funny so we encouraged him to make more which led into his joke album series. Eventually I started contributing because it was really fun, just to like, release your inhibitions and make awful music because it's funny and you get to experiment a lot with weird sounds. TomasCore also has TomasLore (vague story) attached to the series, mostly told through the album covers and a couple individual tracks, as it went on it became more intentional and me and him worked together to create a parody of ARG-like surrealist abstract content where it feels like it has some deeper meaning (but it's all ridiculous goofy shit anyway and the deeper meaning is just as stupid as the surface meaning). TomasCore Vol 10 Deluxe is almost entirely telling a story and the culmination of the story from the previous albums which were mostly just told through their album covers.

For the Saddle Pass: Originally I made like "sad horse if he was happy" and "sad horse if it snowed instead" as stupid jokes, arising from the revelation that the sad horse gif had only 4 frames so it was really easy to edit. And eventually they became more and more esoteric and it became a joke in and of itself. The website itself was created during my web design course, I made it as a joke with the skills I had learned as a parody of 2003-esque maximalist unreadable type websites (see https://www.webdesignmuseum.org/exhibitions/bad-and-ugly-websites for reference, I looked at these and copied what they did.) I want to create a sitemap that is "labyrinthine" but I don't think I am there yet. All while trying to maintain the bizarre alien horse aesthetic that I think is really funny

Now I am known as the horse girl to all of my friends and they give me ideas for horses (funnily enough, I seem to have worked myself into a position where when people suggest ideas I can almost always just send them one that already exists which is basically what they requested. It's very funny) I got a horse-themed terrarium as a Christmas gift this year. I don't even have a horse or anything, this all started in April of last year, lol. It's been a really fun chapter of my life and it has impacted me a lot more than I expected, I like showing people my horses and it just like, enamours them, it makes it easier to meet new people and I have a lot of fun working on it as a project. I can just spend like, an hour making a horse every week or so. The pace has slowed down a lot since July as I have been busy with uni, and then I was busy with other projects, and now I feel less inspiration than before since a lot of my current ideas feel harder to animate especially to the level of quality I now expect of myself, but it's fun and I wouldn't have it any other way, hehe