#big baz energy

[thecooler]

I wanna read new books and play new video games but the depression brain says nooooooooo

[krisrix]

Inktober Day 31 ⁘ Fire

Happy Halloween! Here's Simon and Baz as Calcifer and Howl~

These books give us so many ways to fill a prompt like "fire". I really wanted to finish Inktober off with a bang by doing a comic page, but dwindling energy and a big work deadline made that impossible. So here's a silly Halloween thing instead, 😊

Thank you all for supporting me throughout this wild month! Can't believe this is my 5th year of Inktober! It's a draining process, yet fulfilling, too. Even though I often don't have the energy to respond to comments, please know they're so very appreciated, 🥹🖤🖤🖤

Brandy Dazzle shimmering ink by Diamine

[shrekgogurt]

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

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

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

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

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

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

Snow is a bloody contagion.

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

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

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

Okay done whining.

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

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

[paper-beats-writers-block]

Having very many thoughts about Simon Snow today. Tl;dr only some of Simon’s magic was his but altogether it was too much for him to hold by himself: an essay. (Things we as a fandom know about his magic but I just wanted to write it all out comprehensively)

The main reason I think Simon was so bad at magic was because he couldn’t let go of it little by little. We know from the rest of the series that spells use up magic, and it takes the caster a little while to recharge from big spells or lots of spells. And it would make sense that the only way Simon could really let go of his magic was going off. I don’t think he was conscious of it, but he was more focused on holding everything in and not going off, which made casting his spells harder, and it makes sense why his successful spells were bigger. The closest metaphor I can think of is like a balloon without a knot will only release as much air as your own pinched fingers let it, and Simon was so scared to let the balloon go off (lose all the air at once and fly all over the room) that he didn’t even let a little of the air out, so it just built up and built up continually. Like in the beginning of the book when he casts “out, out damned spot” to get the blood off his pants and it doesn’t work (because he’s “rusty” and not letting enough of his magic go to make the spell work) but “into thin air” does—for the most part, but again it’s a successful spell that works bigger than he meant it to because it made the whole road disappear. But he’s also frustrated his first spells didn’t work and that anger probably let more air out of the balloon than he meant it to hence the road disappearing completely. 

Which is also why at the end of the book he can cast without words and make things happen (magickally fabricating his wings and tail, and making himself warmer midair on the flight to the Bunces’ from Baz’s).  He’s intentionally releasing so much magic into the atmosphere at once he doesn’t need the words. This is also why the magic sharing works so well with Baz, because all Simon is doing is letting the magic go. He’s not controlling it; Baz is. 

And the whole concept of the humdrum is brilliant. Because here’s this kid that has more magic than anyone, but only because he was conceived magickally and connected to the magickal atmosphere with a series of rituals and spells. Literally in chapter 58, the mage (the fuckwad may he rest in pain) gives us a line from his Greatest Mage research saying “a magician that draws his power from the centre of the earth”. And Simon does that. That’s why the Humdrum Holes appear. The weird magickal sex ritual or whatever the hell the Mage did (and Lucy participated in) on the autumnal equinox 1996 in the tower of the White Chapel (chapter 79) literally linked their fetus to the power and magic of the earth. And Lucy gives us a line “like there’s something inside of me, and it isn’t just eating me, it’s eating everything” (Chapter 84). And it did consume her. That’s why she died after giving birth. Because it ate her magic first (she mentions not having the energy to cast anything), and then it started to consume her humanity. But it wasn’t Simon (at least imo) it was the sucking hungriness inside of him that the ritual put there from the very beginning. The humdrum was a part of Simon until Simon was powerful enough to separate himself from it, aka, the first time he went off in the care home at eleven. There were small holes that were probably from tantrums he’d had over the years, but the grotty jeans and ratted tshirt with “that infernal red ball” impression that the humdrum is personified as in the book was what came of his Nothingness metasizing when Simon came into his power. 

Final thing (sorry this got long). Chapter 82 when Simon does the magic sharing with the humdrum and gives up all his power, he feels the same control over his power as he does when he shares with Baz, but only at the beginning. Once the river flows into the humdrum and he starts to fade, Simon notices the switch from his power flowing into the humdrum to the humdrum sucking his power out. And I think the magic that flowed was the excess power trapped inside him that he was drawing from the centre of the earth, whereas the magic being sucked and pulled out of him at the end was his own; the natural power that he would have been born with if he hadn’t been conceived with a ritualistic spell. Because he still would have had a TON of power because the mage and Lucy were both powerhouses as well. 

Man I wish someone could have explained all of this to Simon before shit hit the fan. Kiddo deserved better than that. (Fuck the mage)

Thanks for sticking with me this whole time :D 

[aristocratic-otter]

It's been far too long since I had the time and energy to post, so I'm determined to do it tonight (even as I just found out my son has COVID...again. And I just spent all of yesterday evening with him. Fuck.)

Thank you to all of you who never gave up on me even when I disappear. The people who've tagged me since last I surfaced: @fatalfangirl, @cosmicalart, @aroace-genderfluid-sheep, @cutestkilla, @prettygoododds, @wellbelesbian, @ileadacharmedlife, @larkral, @whatevertheweather, @j-nipper-95, @artsyunderstudy, @facewithoutheart. @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @iamamythologicalcreature, @hushed-chorus

From Westward Son (penultimate chapter up tomorrow or the next day!):

For several heartbeats, I hear only the frantic rustle of clothing. Then something touches my thigh. Baz’s palm, cold as ice. I hiss at the sensation. “Fuck, Baz,” I complain, “You’re a friggin’ icicle.” 

Then he presses his cold front side to my back.  I yelp and he chuckles softly. “Warm me up, hmm?” he murmurs into my ear. 

From Saving Simon Snow:

Physically shaking himself like a dog, he turns to me with a strained smile. “Home sweet home, right?” he says, though his voice is a little wobbly. 

“Right,” I say softly, watching him carefully. His eyes dart away from my gaze, and he’s suddenly a flurry of movement. He pops open the passenger side door, swings himself out of the car and hurries around to the trunk to retrieve our luggage (Bunce kept hold of hers). I let him get away with the deflection, but at some point I’ll probably have to convince him to talk about his feelings. This won’t be much of a (fake) marriage, if we both spend all our time smiling stiffly at one another and lying through our teeth. 

A little Simon and Baz mischief from my Age of Sail AU (need to come up with a title for that!

On the third beach over, we find a waterlogged chest. We open it to empty out the water and make it easier to carry and find tins of biscuits and candy, along with soggy clothing and a wooden chess set. Baz and I exchange glances and I know we’re both thinking the same thing. 

Twenty minutes later, we set off to continue exploring, carrying the chest between us. It’s lightened by the removal of two tins. The evidence of our theft resides in our bellies and the empty tins are buried in a sand dune. 

From Snow Fox (first chapter will be posted next week!):

How far would I be willing to go to save a child’s life?

A nascent plan swirling in my brain, I stand up and stroll over to Tarleton’s side. He’s insisted on doing the whipping himself, and right now, he’s hefting the leather weapon in his hand and testing his grip. 

“Are you well practiced with a whip?” I murmur, trying to make my voice light, but suggestive. 

It works. His grip on the stock of the whip tightens for a moment, and he stands up straighter.

And enjoy Baz and Simon having a light moment before things get real in To Heal A Broken Mind:

When I pull into a parking spot at the Pret, he looks at me, eyebrows raised. “Starting at midnight, you won’t be allowed to eat for nearly twenty-four hours,” I remind him. 

“Yeah, so?”

“So, assuming you’ve got no big plans today…” I trail off to allow him to answer, and to my great pleasure, he shakes his head. “Then you are going to eat your way through Pret’s entire sandwich menu, my treat. You’ll be so stuffed you won’t even want to eat tomorrow.” 

What's that, you say? Only four WIPs? No...not actually. I have a secret project I've been writing, and I just started on my CORB (no words yet, just outlining)...so I've got six again. Sigh.

Tagging everyone because who knows when I'll post again? Tag backsies for everyone above, plus @frjsti, @angelsfalling16, @alexalexinii, @bazzybelle, @bloodiedpixie, @bookish-bogwitch, @carryonsimoncarryonbaz, @confused-bi-queer, @dragoneggos, @erzbethluna, @ionlydrinkhotwater, @ivelovedhimthroughworse, @jasonfunderberkerthefrogexists, @krisrix, @letraspal, @messofthejess, @moments-au-crayon22, @moodandmist, @nightimedreamersghost, @onepintobean, @prettylightsbigcity, @rimeswithpurple, @rainbow-0bsidian, @raenestee, @subparselkie, @shrekgogurt, @sillyunicorn, @technetiumai, @tea-brigade, @thehoneyedhufflepuff, @theearlgreymage, @theimpossibledemon, @upuntil6am, @whogaveyoupermission, @yellobb-old,

Whew, that was a lot. Happy Wednesday, y'all!

[wizardbracket]

Round 2: Match 10 of 32

Why they deserve to be the ultimate wizard according to YOU:

Miriel:

Vanquished (so far): Robin

“Miriel is meticulous, brilliant, and obsessed with studying. She's constantly expanding her knowledge and honing her craft. But just look at that hat. The robes. The big wizard energy she emits!”

“Miriel has a thirst for knowledge and perfection. This can make her a bit harsh and cold. Her use of magic is impressive. Depending on how you play the game, she can even be a wizard on horseback. When I think of women with wizard vibes, I think of her.“

Baz Pitch:

Vanquished (so far): Simon Snow

"Baz is the baddest bitch"

“He’s gay and a vampire on top of being a wizard”

“Strongest wizard in this series. Literally turns amazing grace into a spell. IS GAY! And he’s a human vegetarian vampire.”

[sarandipitywrites]

word find tag

thanks for the tag, @loopyhoopywrites! check out his snippets here (i just met Trickster and Llanedd and i already love them).

my words to find are true, light, and easy. i'll tag @blind-the-winds, @snooeycatwrites, @aalinaaaaaa, @mjjune, @radios-podcast and leave an open tag for anyone who wants to search their drafts for lock, rain, and control.

i searched my latest drafts of both The Art of Empty Space and Dead Roots, Dark Water for this one:

true - The Art of Empty Space (draft 1.5)

"I'm fine. I'm just... not dressed." He cringed. It was true, but probably not the sort of information to share with a stranger in a strange house when he didn't even know why— Oh, gods below. He cast about for a weapon. Something, anything. Gods, he'd been so focused on the 'where' and the 'how' that he hadn't even paused to consider the 'why' and if the voice was any indication, the person on the other side of the door was big and the door wasn't locked and— "Ah— of course. My apologies. I'll... be back in a bit. ...With coffee." As though that were some sort of peace offering.

light - The Art of Empty Space (draft 1.5)

"Come in." When Lienzo obeyed, he stepped into a mirror. The sitting area by the door, the twin doorways to Baz's washroom and his closet, the four-poster bed mounded with blankets and cushions. All were bathed in a warm, flickering light and it was wrong. They were supposed to be dark and cold, splintered and shredded. Rain trailed long fingers down the windows, and it didn't. Everything was supposed to be falling apart.

easy - Dead Roots, Dark Water (draft 3)

The moment it entered his prosthetic, the feeling of the eco — the cold, the electricity, the burn — was gone. Gone and yet there, like the scent of rain carried on the wind. Violet light sparked from his metal fingertips in the barest whisper of sensation. He narrowed his focus to the eco, the hum in his artificial nerves. It had been easy to just let it go, would be easy now. A part of him wanted it — wanted to let it fly down the tunnel untethered, to sear through the air and travel as it would. But that wouldn't help them. So he squeezed and shaped the energy like clay. Not too much pressure. It didn't like to be controlled.

[you-remind-me-of-the-babe]

Hey hey! Quick post while I’m on my lunch break. Have some more from a secret thing I am working on. (See this post for a bit more.) Baz POV:

Snow is lapping it up. He’s all wiley tales and big exuberant gestures. He seems to either be feeding off of their energy or else getting drunk on wine. (Probably both, [redacted] keeps refilling his cup at an alarming rate.)

“We’re taking bets on who he’ll end up sleeping with,” a voice beside me says, startling me out of my (apparently not so subtle) observation. I turn and see it’s Niall. I give him a bored look, hoping it won’t betray how much this scene is affecting me.

“My money’s on [redacted],” a [redacted] male with short dark hair and a devilish smirk says. He and Niall give each other a knowing look that tells me they’ve discussed this theory at length already and are merely joining my table so they can let me in on their gossip. Goody.

Tagged by @cutestkilla @aroace-genderfluid-sheep @ivelovedhimthroughworse @hushed-chorus @forabeatofadrum

Tagging @fatalfangirl @captain-aralias @mostlymaudlin @tea-brigade @technetiumai @facewithoutheart @artsyunderstudy @aristocratic-otter @palimpsessed @ebbpettier @whogaveyoupermission @raenestee @larkral @valeffelees and anyone else would like to share today 💜

[feastonkings]

michael cimino / he/him ——— no way is that SEBASTIAN ‘BASH’ PRESCOTT .. they’re a 24-year-old HUMAN notoriously known for being IRRESPONSIBLE & ENTITLED but there are some people who have seen them being EXTROVERTED & AMUSING. if you ask me, they remind me a lot of setting five+ alarms and ignoring them all, crude words falling from privileged lips, spontaneous yacht trips, fake ids, waking up not remembering the night before, but that could just be because they’re considered the SILVER SPOON TROUBLEMAKER around town. just keep an eye on them & see if their true colors shine through..

GENERAL.

full name: sebastian francisco prescott nicknames: bash, zebby, baz classification: human gender / pronouns: cis man, he/him age / birthday: 24, august 18th orientations: homosexual, homoromantic occupation: trust fund baby, unemployed status: single family: mark prescott (father), miranda prescott (mother), ethan green (step-father) strengths: extroverted, amusing, charming, rich, flirtatious weaknesses: irresponsible, entitled, reckless, indulgent, lazy character inspo: alexis rose (schitt's creek), logan huntzberger (gilmore girls), tom haverford (parks and recreation), barney stinson (how i met your mother), sean parker (social network), vincent chase (entourage), ferris bueller (ferris bueller's day off), jamie tartt (ted lasso), mercutio (romeo and juliet), roman roy (succession), jesper fahey (shadow and bone)

BIOGRAPHY.

tw: fire

bash doesn't know if mark or ethan is his real father because all three of his parents have been together since before he was born. it's perhaps what made him constantly want attention because he got so much from them

however, being a child associated with the big three, there were plenty of times he didn't see his parents and spent more time with nannies, the cleaners, or the cook. he was more than happy to soak up the attention from anywhere

in fact when his parents considered bringing in another child to keep him company or at the very least, wear out some of his constant energy; bash threw a tantrum for the record books. it lasted long enough that his parents chose to revisit the idea later and then scrapped it altogether later.

in school, despite being a nuisance and general disturbance, bash was popular and made a name for himself for the parties he threw, the elaborate pranks he’d pull, and famously getting away with almost everything. the only time he got in any serious trouble was in middle school when what was supposed to be a small prank and a little vandalism ended up starting a fire and taking out two classrooms. he ended up having to spend the rest of the eight grade in boarding school but was able to come back for his freshman year of high school.

much to the surprise of everyone, bash graduated high school and as a reward his parents got him a penthouse apartment on the upper side of the city. even though they would’ve liked him to go to college, it wasn’t expected and bash had no intention of attending more school. he didn’t plan on working either unless he had to, which each of his parents take turns having him shadow them on occasion but it’s not necessary for him to jump the gun into a career when he’s essentially set for life. along with eventually inheriting a board member seat in the distant future and that would be future bash’s problem

these days bash spends most of his time partying, being promiscuous, and generally being a menace to upper class society. in every sense of the word, he’s a spoiled and entitled rich kid and there’s no saying if or when he’ll ever grow up. eventually it was all bound to catch up to him or his parents could cut him off, but for now that’s not his concern.

HEADCANONS.

bash often throws parties in different places, including his parents mansion and his own penthouse

he doesn’t like to sleep alone, so if he’s not bringing someone to bed (or joining someone else) with him he will often stay with friends, to be in the house with someone else at the very least, if not cuddling up with a homie for a solid platonic cuddle session

though he doesn’t show it, he’s insecure about a lot of things, including his future.

more to come

[chen-chen-chen-again-chen]

Six Sentence Sunday

Thank you for the Sunday tags, @captain-aralias, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @nightimedreamersworld, and @artsyunderstudy!! I love seeing all your gorgeous work. ❤️❤️❤️

Okay, so. I swear one day I'll do like a "normal" SSS or WIP Wednesday, but. Today is not that day.

Six-ish sentences that demonstrate the pure joy and creativity of community:

1.) @larkral joked that someone would answer @ionlydrinkhotwater's Carry On Prompt (Swithin gets a crush on his roommate and calls Big Bro Baz for help) with a 75K fic.

2.) I said, in this comment thread with @whogaveyoupermission and @larkral, that if Jelly Babies became my longest CO fic, I would buy a cake with the phrase "Your roommate isn't a demon" on it.

3.) @artsyunderstudy MADE THE MOST INCREDIBLE SWEGORY ART

4.) Jelly Babies officially became my longest CO fic, currently clocking in at (checks) 23 348 words (also, I hit a fun milestone: as of right now, I've published 108 296 in 2022 words on AO3, outstripping my previous record of 102 355 words in 2020. What the duck!!!)

5.) I loved @artsyunderstudy's art so much that I put it on a cake so I could eat it.

6.) I ate my nerd sons.

Bonus sentence:

7.) They were delicious

so sweet 

and so cold.

I keep describing my energy while writing Jelly Babies as "unhinged" and honestly, even as I've slowed down and we're heading into the home stretch, that still holds. I had a really, REALLY tough time containing my maniacal gremlin laughter until I left the DQ Chill & Grill. Ange from DQ, wherever you are, you are a literal angel for making this beautiful cake and adding (totally unprompted!) those tiny hearts in the background. 

I brought the cake to a writing session with some of my IRL writer friends (who are normies and don’t know I write fanfiction). They were quite puzzled by my explanation but delighted to eat ice cream cake, even though it’s -25 Celsius outside with windchill and we got like 30 centimeters of snowfall this week. We paired the ice cream cake with one tea that tasted of smoke and bourbon, and another that tasted of cinnamon hearts. 

I’ve never been so intensely delighted by a cake before I even ate it. It’s the best $40 that I have ever, EVER spent.

It's already evening where I am, so instead of tagging folks, I will just say have a BEAUTIFUL Sunday and I hope that wherever you are, you get to eat cake. 🍰❤️🍰❤️🍰❤️🍰❤️

P.S. I can't bring myself to consume their beautiful faces......

[martsonmars]

[wrote most of this last January — I'm not deleting the tags but LOL — and I'm not changing my answers — not even the last time I cried — but I'll add stuff]

15 Questions 15 People

Thanks @nausikaaa @johnwgrey @shrekgogurt @raenestee @yellobb @stitchyqueer @facewithoutheart @fatalfangirl @prettylightsbigcity @sillyunicorn and at least two more people (whose notifications were eaten by Tumblr) for the tags! I love being tagged in these games even though I don't always participate. [And now it just took me a year...]

I almost didn't participate this time either because I don't like some of the questions, but I really wanted to answer a couple of them so here we are 😂 It'll likely be long so...

[Tagging @onepintobean @brilla-brilla-estrellita @palimpsessed @ileadacharmedlife @technetiumai @thewholelemon @youarenevertooold @iamamythologicalcreature @ic3-que3n @theearlgreymage @messofthejess @theimpossibledemon @artsyunderstudy @cutestkilla @valeffelees. That's 15! If you played last year you can ignore me or play again.]

1. Are you named after anyone?

Not really? Definitely not after a relative (thank god, I'm not a fan of it), but:

a) my mother's religious enough that biblical Marta was on her mind. She used to say that if she had another girl she wanted to call her Miriam, and it wouldn't have happened anyway because when we thought my brother would be a girl — before that “uh there's a penis here” that made me cry because I was used to being a single child by then, and I was already so upset to get a sibling that at least I wanted a sister — I fought for the name Emma, but she did want to play a vague Martha&Mary game. (My brother got a religion-inspired name too, anyway.)

b. there's a song by one of her favourite singers that's called Marta che parla con Dio (I love this song so much!) and she always mentioned it when I asked about my name

c. Marta Abba was an actress and the muse of my mother's favourite writer. I always say that I'm named after her because I like the idea.

2. When was the last time you cried?

I don't remember when I last cried properly (not because I never cry but because I cry too often) but the last time I had to fight tears because I was in public and almost failed was two days ago.

3. Do you have kids?

Nope! I'm baby myself. I used to say I absolutely didn't want kids but now my stance is more “we'll see what happens”. Kids feel like too much — I'm always exhausted when I have to take care of my brother (who's almost 11 now, so not a baby, and still requires so much time and energy) and spending a week with my 3yo cousin reminded me of how it is when they're younger — and I'm not sure I'd want to devote such a big part of my life and my days to someone who, at least at first, would need me so much. But I love kids. I usually joke and say that I love them as long as they're someone else's and they go home at the end of the day, but I think I'd like having my own kid. I want to believe I'd be a good parent. But I definitely don't want to birth anyone, so we'll see what more queer rights or moving to another country life brings!

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

I think so? I love sarcasm, but I probably don't use it as much as I think I do.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

This is one of the questions that bothered me because I couldn't think of any physical characteristic, but then I realise that the answer is SO easy: the first thing I notice about people I interact with is whether they pass my anxiety's vibe check.

(What I notice about people I don't interact with is whether they'd be good fancasts. The only faces I remember among all the people I've seen in 3 months of classes in person are: potential Shep fancast & potential fem Baz fancast.) (They're friends btw.)

6. What’s your eye color?

Brown. (I almost found a way to turn this answer into 15 paragraphs too, but I'll spare you.)

7. Scary movie or happy endings?

Happy endings for sure. I'm not a fan of scary movies in general (can't see the appeal), but I'll always pick happy endings. Though I can bear sad movies better than sad books, probably because everything's faster.

8. Any special talents?

I'll skip this one. Not because I don't think I have any special talents, but because what's a talent? What's special? Honestly my special talent is not being able to answer this kind of question about myself (along with “describe yourself in 3 adjectives” and shit like that).

9. Where were you born?

Wouldn't you like to know.

10. What are your hobbies?

I am, sadly, pretty inconsistent about hobbies. The ones that never leave are reading and writing (even when I had my 3 year long writer's block, writing was still at the top of my mind), but other than those two I have a wide variety of hobbies that come and go. Mostly because if I don't master a skill immediately I give up, and so I keep picking hobbies up and then abandoning them and then picking them up again. I'd probably be happier if I stopped wasting so much time on my phone and dedicated more time to getting better at some of these hobbies I've tried, but alas, my brain cannot be coerced into it.

December edit: learned and learning to crochet and I have a feeling this hobby will stay.

11. Do you have any pets?

Nope. I probably wouldn't want a pet that can move around, or one I'd have to touch (I assume you have to touch most pets somehow... but when I helped my aunt with her fish I didn't have to touch them because she had a little net I could use to move them when cleaning was needed, and it was great, so I could probably handle something like that). I'd also be sad about their lifespan.

Honestly, I'll probably only have a pet if someone I live with will have or strongly want one.

12. What sports do you play/have you played?

I did ballet from age 4 to age 11, then I let them fat shame me away from it. I probably would've quit after middle school anyway, but I wish I hadn't let them make me feel like shit about my body because I really love ballet, and I was the best of my group (the examiner from the Royal Academy of Dance said so twice.), and we were going to try point shoes the next year, and I was just a chubby kid.

Then I did archery for 2/3 years in high school. I quit because I felt like I didn't have enough time to do it AND study, and so I didn't want to commit to it to the point of buying my own bow, and the equipment my trainer gave me for free wasn't good enough that my skills could improve past a certain point, and so I got frustrated with it. I'd like to pick it up again someday.

(I almost googled whether ballet is a sport because I feel like a lot of people would say it isn't for different reasons, but then I decided that I don't care. It counts as a sport to me.)

13. How tall are you?

174 cm, I think. Maybe 173. 5’8”?

14. Favorite subject at school?

Oh boy. I could spend hours on this, I'm such a swot (which is why my current struggles with studying hurt so much! I never thought I'd be the kind of person who'd struggle with the only thing I used to be the best at, and yet here we are).

I think my favourite subjects to study are things like history and law. I also love languages so much and I need structure to study them (I struggle to be consistent and practice on my own). I loved scientific subjects and kinda miss them occasionally. I loved all the literature/social sciences classes I've had in my life but most of them are mostly stuff I like to read about and don't really want to study.

[December comment: I didn't post this in January because I didn't finish answering this question. I still don't want to finish because it's too much. I just want to say that there's a difference between subjects I like in general and subjects I like to study, and I think the two categories intersect in the fields of history, languages and law.]

15. Dream job?

There are two wolves inside of me.

The wolf that wants to leave a very specific mark in the world, which is the reason why I'm studying politics. I am not saying that politics are the way (or the only way) to change the world. I'm not even saying I want to be a politician. But there is in me the desire to do something for the world from this point of view, be it through writing or activism or NGOs or European/international institutions and organisations or the government. I'm currently [December] planning to write my bachelor thesis in International Law and talk about the regulation of AI, and my professor says this is a field that's creating more job opportunities and isn't yet as saturated as the human rights job market, so maybe this is something to pursue.

And the wolf that wants to stay in my little bubble and write fiction. Or translate books (though I don't think I'd actually want to be a translator. It's a shitty job). Have a nice house and a family and forget about the world.

I know these aren't necessarily mutually exclusive (in the sense that both could be possible at different times), but I'm not sure what will prevail. I guess it also depends on the jobs I will find when I'm done studying.

I agree with who said they want a job they like well enough but that leaves them time and energy to pursue their actual dreams. Work doesn't have to be your dream, it can be just work. But maybe I'll turn my dreams into work and have more, different dreams in my private life. We'll see!

[kiss-this]

Ok let's start from the beginning.

Spotify surely knows how to party. The location is palazzo Brancaccio and it's so beautiful it looks like it came out from a fairy tale... to think that people used to live in places like that. Anyway I digress.

The room with the stage wasn't that big, this means I had like 6 people between me and the stage and boy, oh boy, to see the band so close was the most unforgettable experience ever. Also, first Vic only, then Dami, Thomas and Vic again came down and danced with us for a bit. Obviously the crowd started to push this mean I had Vic literally spread all over me for the most glorious couple of seconds (she's so tiny♥️) I don't plan to recover from this 🫣

As for Ethan, have you any idea how does it feel to have him like 5 meters away, dressed like that with his muscles all glistening with sweat? I mean, he should be illegal...

About the music now, they didn't waste any time and started with a boost of energy. Damiano said what we already know, he doesn't know what to say between songs 😅 so it all went fast.

Thomas gave us a few amazing solos and Damiano again called him the Italian Jimmy Page. It's a joke of course but it's true that Tom keeps on getting better and better, I'm endlessly impressed.

Among the new songs Bla Bla Bla is the one I like less for now but I need to listen to it more times. Timezone may very well become one of my favorite ever and Baby Said is good enough as well but again, I need to listen to it again.

A few minutes after the concert ended Dami came out and took some pictures with fans, I've got to say that the buzzcut makes his eyes look even bigger. It always takes me by surprise how he can give Bambi and Little Bitch vibes all at once.

Btw he spoke mostly in english because there where International guests, including, apparently Baz Luhrman. So yes, I managed to be in the same room with one of my favorite directors and not notice him. Go me 🥲

Machinegun Kelly was there too, I came across him a couple of times. There were also other italian famous people, like Sabrina Impacciatore (i love her!), director Paolo Sorrentino, a few Roma players, Fedez who is really a nice guy and Manuel Agnelli who is hot as he's intimidating. Giorgia and her best friend where there too, really close to me while Må played, she's very cute!

Last but not least, shout out to the two drag queens who where there as hostess, their make-up slayed!

[shrekgogurt]

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

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

lol the chapter title for 13 is bravado by lorde

ok anyway

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

Aggression aside, let’s get into it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[catgirlxox]

Hi,

Firstly wishing you a happy new year. Hope you are doing well.

I was reading one of your metas about Pet Project, and about that episode where the Vreedle brothers came to collect Ship, from there I got this weird thought. Given the fact that Ship can prove to be a danger, wouldn't the Plumbers come after Ship out of fear of destruction Ship can cause if it fell into the wrong hands, I know Ben, Gwen and Kevin were placed in charge of earth, but who's to say the Plumbers might not try to go after Ship.

I am asking this because I am not fully aware on the Plumbers law, but given the sub atomic energy episodes, this could be possible. Plus, that means that Julie will only be allowed to keep ship if she can vouch for it, but her word might not be considered, and Julie might even be accused of harboring alien tech illegally , so Ben, Gwen and Kevin have to vouch for it. But again, I am not sure considering Plumbers laws, hence I state this thought as weird.

I would like your thoughts on this.

You do make a good point. Julie is literally in possession of alien technology. This is undeniable. She thinks of Ship like a pet, but he most likely isn't regarded as such in the eyes of galactic law. Or at least, most of it.

I don't know how reputable Judge Domstol is since we don't know much about his background (and I mention that because we do know that Kevin knows him from his criminal days, which has some implications), but the only scene which refutes this is when Baz-l took Ben and the team to court to settle the repossession of Ship, and Domstol ruled that what Baz-l did was hire the Vreedles to "take away some kid's dog," making him ethically in the wrong. That's why Julie's allowed to keep Ship - because he's (or was, at the time) a part of Ben's team, and Ben is regarded very highly throughout the galaxy.

And if he's got the authority to have that much of a say, I would say it's not so much Julie's word, but Ben's on who is in the possession of Ship. Ship was left with Ben after Pier Pressure. Julie just so happened to take more of a liking to him because she needed some kind of powers to be relevant and Ben is already powerful enough as is.

Ultimately, if this legal debate was ever brought up again (off screen or something) then that would likely have a big influence. Ben has the authority, is trusted with the Omnitrix, and has already proven to use Galvan technology - Galvanic Mechamorph powers included - responsibly. If Ship is accepted as part of his team, the law wouldn't interfere any further. And even if Ben and Julie are broken up now, it would probably still be up to Ben who gets to keep possession of the tech.

[nerteragranadensis]

The kind of movie where they take a beloved classic work of fiction and turn it into a deranged high school rom com

I like the way you think!

I do think this list would change depending on which classic work of fiction we were adapting. you did not specify one so I'm picking The Great Gatsby, because a) I've read that one b) as far as I know no one has crowbarred it into a USA high school setting yet and c) it would be really funny to see someone try.

(if you have a different book you'd adapt to this genre, let me know!)

Soundtrack:

Lone Digger (Caravan Palace)

Make Me Feel (Janelle Monáe)

Feeling Good - Bassnectar Remix (Nina Simone, Bassnectar)

Money (The New Respects)

7 rings (Ariana Grande)

everything i wanted (Billie Eilish)

explanations and links below the cut

(the music supervisor game)

1. Lone Digger (Caravan Palace) - The vibe I'm going for here is modern pop influenced by the 1920s and 30s, stuff that will remind the audience of the Roaring 20s aesthetic/the Baz Luhrmann movie while staying grounded firmly post-2000. So: electro swing! This is an early needle drop, maybe during Nick Carraway's introduction to Fitzgerald High. (He's the new student.)

2. Make Me Feel (Janelle Monáe) - I am a Janelle Monáe stan first and foremost. This song establishes the romantic energy of the Gatsby/Daisy/Tom love triangle and the fun of non-stop partying... with just a hint of the manic energy that will creep up on us later.

3. Feeling Good - Bassnectar Remix (Nina Simone, Bassnectar) - Not the 1920s, but a similar idea: mixing old and new styles of music. In my head this is playing at the first Big Party Nick attends, as he realizes just how rich Gatsby is.

4. Money (The New Respects) - This is a good montage song, and it's very on-theme. (It's a deranged high school rom com, I'm allowed to do on the nose choices.) Could be Nick and Gatsby hanging out, advancing the plot, could be Gatsby and Daisy cheating on everyone with each other, but either way things are moving and not in a good direction.

5. 7 rings (Ariana Grande) - Shit has officially hit the fan. And Jay Gatsby has officially hit Myrtle with his car. We're in the final act of the movie, moving ceaselessly toward the confrontation that probably ends with Gatsby's death. The aesthetic of extreme wealth and conspicuous consumption is still there, but it's all gone dark.

Credits: everything i wanted (Billie Eilish) - Not everyone interprets this book the same way, but I think this song hits the emotions of the ending pretty well. It doesn't quite mesh stylistically with the rest, but it would work for the credits. And it's popular, right? The teens still like Billie Eilish?

full playlist (youtube)

[guggi04]

Tell me about your Baz fic please!!!! 👀🖤

Ah! Fellow Baz fan!😉 Certainly. 💕 Can’t have too much of dear ol’ Bazzy.

It’s gonna start out a lil angsty like my other Baz fics.. They’re on an outing and his plush Bunny gets injured (an ear gets ripped off😧). So Baz is sad about his broken bunny and scared that the crew will now think of him as careless with his possessions.

Of course it all ends happily. Haven’t decided if Bunny stays ripped like that (because you can also love ‘broken’ things🥰) or they mend it somehow. Leaning more toward the first option tbh..

Anyway! You get a looooong snippet 😉

Baz is tired. Tired, sleepy, weary, fatigued. Exhausted too! At the brink of unconsciousness even. He stretches in front of the beautifully carved mirror, swaying his hips from side to side. Almost like a dance. Sometimes he dances to Frenchie’s music, he thinks and smiles alongside the melodious memories.

There’s a knock on the door before Stede enters with a beige shirt thrown over one arm and a bright smile to rival Baz’s own. “Ready for our big day on land?”

Baz nods and yawns. He tries hard to stifle it, but finds himself unable to. Stede knows perfectly well what has made him so sapped of energy. He chooses to focus on the task of getting Baz set for the on-shore outing.

“Where did I put that hairbrush?” Stede asks aloud, even if he already knows the answer. On top of the dresser. Always on top of the dresser, he mouths silently.

“I’m afraid most of the crew is busy helping Roach take stock of our remaining edible provisions in the galley, so your hair will have to suffer under my administration. Not to worry, though! This isn’t my first time doing braids.” He opens a drawer and finds two scrunchies.

Another poorly concealed yawn.

Stede tuts as he carefully brushes through Baz’s long hair. Izzy had already admonished Ed for staying up too late and telling Baz and his eager ears tall tales all night, but it certainly cannot hurt to warn Ed once more. Perhaps twice. Dear Baz lacking sleep and being unprepared for their shopping trip on land simply will not do anyone any good.

It’s important not to make Baz feel guilty about it however. None of this is his fault. Who wouldn’t get caught up in stories about Ed’s exciting seafaring adventures? And it doesn’t matter if Izzy disclaims half of them as fabrications of Ed’s vivid imagination, he is a gifted narrator nonetheless! Stede himself had often been enraptured for hours on end, doing little else except lovingly observing the dramatic theatrics when Ed was in the right mood for storytelling.

There is, quite clearly, a time and a place for everything and yesterday just wasn’t it.

Of course Stede feels the need to allow Baz and a member of the crew to stay behind on the ship so Baz can catch up on some much needed sleep, but everyone is needed on land today and Baz has been looking forward to going to the homemade crafts market for weeks on end now. Only his sixth outing overall and Stede will hate for him to miss it because of poor planning on Ed’s part.

No, he shakes his head at himself. I can’t blame Ed for wanting to have a little fun with Baz, even if the timing was rather inconvenient.

“There we are.” He finishes the second braid and displays it over Baz’s shoulder, just the way he prefers it. Baz holds up Bunny in front of the mirror so he can help approve of Stede’s skills with a hairbrush.

“Bunny likes it too? Lucky me! Too bad he only has two ears, if he had three we could also braid them. You’d match each other perfectly.”

Baz jumps on the spot and hides his face in Stede’s shoulder like he always does when he thinks it’s all getting a bit silly. Stede has learned it’s Baz’s way of showing he’s giggling.

“No?” Stede laughs heartedly. “We’ll leave his bunny ears as they are then. Much better like that, I agree.”