#commented Dec 15 2022

[hotshoeagain]

Thank you, Dr Andrews!

and thanks to @liberalsarecool for passing along this message.

[backup-baby-backup]

Very preliminary and speculatory writing of Midnights timeline

Disclaimer: All the exact dates are based on tracking Taylor's private jets, which is a controversial activity (to say the least). Those are sourced from @youareinlovees' detailed masterposts.

Aaron Dessner confirmed that High Infidelity and Would've, Could've, Should've were written and recorded during Grammys week in March 2021. Since Taylor was in LA between March 7th and March 15th only, we can safely assume that those songs were written within that period.

The Great War and Hits Different were probably written before Jack Antonoff became the main co-writer of Midnights, because (according to Dessner in the podcast above) that signified a change in concept, but they probably also weren't written in March 2021 since Dessner mentioned them separately.

According to Taylor, most Taylor/Antonoff co-writes were written in New York, when JA and Jack's fiance were filming in Panama. This means they were written between November 22nd, when Taylor flew back from Panama to New York, and December 16th, when Taylor flew to Panama.

According to Rolling Stone, Lavender Haze and Glitch came out of a session where Jack Antonoff, Sounwave, Sam Dew and Zoe Kravitz worked on Zoe's debut album. This was before Jack started working on Midnights (so before November 2021), but also Jack only sent those tracks (demos?) a few months later, which might put the date around late 2021/early 2022.

Also in the same article, Karma was a "last-minute Hail Mary"-- wouldn't be surprised if it was the last song to be written on the album.

Sweet Nothing mentions a trip to Ireland "last July", i.e. July 2021, which probably implies the song was written in 2022. Additionally, on 19 April 2022, JA did an interview where he mentioned he didn't intend to write any more songs under a pseudonym, which either means 1. he signed an NDA or 2. he had already written Sweet Nothing at this point. For wishful thinking purposes I will assume the latter.

Snow On The Beach, which was co-written with Lana Del Rey, was finished by 4 April 2022, as on that day Lana posted this photo on her Instagram, a colourized version of which was later included in this Instagram post.

Now on to the solo writes: Vigilante Shit is a mystery. It mentions Scooter Braun's ex-wife so that puts it after July 2021, but that's it. Maybe she saw the news of Scooter getting a divorce and cackled manically? (also I don't think the FBI line points to anything concrete-- more of a revenge fantasy than anything IMO)

Bigger Than The Whole Sky is also a mystery, but if you believe that it's about Claire Winter then that would place it after March 2022.

You're Losing Me... um... I really don't know? I think there is a possibility it was written along with most of Midnights in that Nov-Dec 2021 session, especially since JA was in a different country then, but it also could have literally been written last month and we would be none the wiser. Here I'm going to give Taylor the benefit of the doubt. Also Hits Different is a breakup anthem but we don't talk about that...

Midnights was most likely finished by May at the latest, when she quoted a lyric from Labyrinth in her NYU speech and may or may not have teased the name of the album in this Instagram post.

To conclude:

7-15 March 2021: High Infidelity, Would've, Could've, Should've

March-November 2021: The Great War, Hits Different, Vigilante Shit

22 Nov-16 Dec 2021: Maroon, Anti-Hero, You're On Your Own, Kid, Midnight Rain, Question...?, Bejeweled, Labyrinth, Mastermind, Paris, Dear Reader, You're Losing Me

Late 2021-Early 2022: Lavender Haze, Glitch

2022 (before May): Bigger Than The Whole Sky, Snow On The Beach, Sweet Nothing, Karma

Feel free to comment if you think I've missed something important or got something wrong, though I might not respond immediately (busy week coming up).

[blackmoonlightexpress]

TTEOTM is the most viewed non-dangai xianxia drama since Ashes of Love 😮

With the conclusion of Yunhe (云合)'s airing period on Jun 11, we can officially say that TTEOTM is the biggest non-dangai xianxia drama since 2018, with 68M views/episode!

2023 Yunhe Playback per Episode - #1 is The Knockout, #2 is TTEOTM

Kuyun (酷云), a different data platform unaffiliated with any online streamer, also put TTEOTM at 70M views/episode, but its data only go back two years, so we use Yunhe to compare further back.

This makes TTEOTM the #2 show in 2023. Since 2023 is not yet over, if it aired in another year, it would overtake #2 in 2022, #4 in 2021, and #6 in 2020. (Viewership used to be higher in past years, more on that later)

Just to provide a bit context on why this is so insane, so beyond anyone's expectations:

TTEOTM aired exclusively on Youku, the weakest of the big 3 platforms. Youku only has 1/3 to 1/2 of iQiyi and Tencent's daily active user base. If you look at the top 10 dramas in 2018-2022, all of them aired on iQiyi, Tencent, many of them on both or even all 3 platforms. Before TTEOTM, Youku's biggest web exclusive drama is Who is He, police mystery featuring Knockout Star Zhang Yi at 44M views/episode. And before 2023, the highest a Youku exclusive web drama has ever ranked on the annual list is #15 (The Blue Whisper).

The xianxia genre is thought to have a limited audience (young women) even though it generates a lot of fanfare. This might be surprising given how well it travels abroad. However, if you look at the top 3-4 shows each year, it's usually a mix of historical family dramas, crime/thrillers, modern/urban dramas.

April is considered a shit airing slot, especially for xianxias which rely on students on break. Almost all of the top shows in previous years aired during summer or winter holidays. The #1 show in 2022 aired in Nov-Dec, but that was when everyone in China was stuck at home with Covid...

TV viewership has been on the decline with share of attention shifted to short form content and other forms of entertainment. Since 2019 there have been very few mega hits at the same level of Eternal Love or Yanxi Palace until Knockout came along. Very few costume dramas are able to land a coveted TV slot, and web dramas now tend to air on one instead of multiple platforms.

Therefore, most of the data observers thought that 35-40M would be a win and 50-60M near impossible. It's fun to see people bumping up old posts/polls to see how far off predictions were (especially when commenters start backtracking and raising the bar for an explosive hit.) Most people, like myself, benchmarked against Youku's 2022 xianxias: Blue Whisper (37M) and Immortal Samsara (36M). Both featured dual dinglius and the latter aired during the summer.

There are also a few other things stacked against TTEOTM's playback numbers:

Yunhe is affiliated with iQiyi (created to provide data to advertisers). It tends to discount views more harshly when it comes to Youku & Tencent dramas.

Youku has weaker "long-tail" effect again due to its smaller default user base. The drama is bringing users to the platform, not the other way around. After the big promotional push and buzz dies down, it's harder for new viewers to discover the show.

Immediately after TTEOTM finished airing, Youku pushed users towards Back from the Brink and stopped promoting TTEOTM on its main page.

In fact, Youku locked most episodes unusually quickly (such that people have to purchase VIP to watch older episodes) and only unlocked it for the last few days of the airing period. (Some fans argue it's because TTEOTM is a "copyright" drama. This means Youku only has the airing rights and may even have to pay Otter a bonus for high playback volume)

That's why it's a pretty exciting/shocking that TTEOTM is now just behind Ashes of Love, which aired during the summer on all 3 platforms and 2 TV channels back in the heyday of 2018. (Basically we just love watching LYX being bullied and spitting blood)

Online playback volume of non-dangai xianxia dramas, 2018-2023, *Year not over yet

(Before 2018, there's also Eternal Love and Journey of the Flower which are definitely bigger hits, but I don't have the data and the industry landscape is too different back then for fair comparison.)

====

TTEOTM seems to have attracted a group of "data fans" who enjoy watching expectations blown apart. (Some don't even rate the story or the actors. They just like the idea of data prevailing over fan wars.) It's especially fun when the drama is strong in every dimension possible. Here's a compilation (and a bit of explanation) of the drama's achievements:

Commercial Value

1. Viewership

This is the most important & direct measurement of a drama's success in general.

Opening - good indicator of how much drawing power the stars have, but not how well the drama does overall (big debuts often flop while dark horses emerge)

>5.4M reservations ahead of the premiere, highest of any drama in Youku history

Reaches Youku's maximum heat index of 10,000 in 29 hours, fastest in Youku history

23.74M views on its premiere day, highest of any drama in 2 years (Yunhe) - In fact, it's nearly double the views of other dramas led by bigger stars

22.76% market share on its premier day, highest of any costume drama in 3 years (Dengta)

Top Dramas by Opening Viewership, 2021-2023

Market Share - how well the drama is doing compared to other shows airing at the same time

33.2% peak daily market share, highest of any xianxia drama in history (Yunhe)

24.39% peak daily market share on Kuyun (very high considering that it includes TV)

#1 drama in Dengta (everyday), Yunhe (all except 3 days)

Playback Volume per Episode during Extended Airing Period - how well the drama retains its viewers till the end and performs overall; since it's per episode, it penalizes shows where viewers drop midway. Because the airing period ends X days after the last episode airs, it's also an early indicator of whether the drama will have a long tail (which is key to becoming a classic)

67.98M views per episode during airing period (Apr 6-Jun 11), #2 in 2023 (see above)

70.06M views per episode during airing period (Apr 6-Jun 8), #2 in web drama since 2022

Most number of days at heat index of 10,000 for the full day (Youku)

2. Platform new user acquisition 

Arguably what matters most, at least to online streaming platforms, whose income mainly derives from members. Youku is the underdog, so I'm sure customer acquisition is their #1 KPI and why they've invested so much in promoting TTEOTM

TTEOTM has generated the highest number of Youku iOS app download in 5 years

Highest premiere day viewership, new user count, and membership income in Youku history

Youku App Downloads, 2018-2023

3. Advertisement

A major income for platforms. Brands can place ads on specific shows (should be cheaper if you bet right) or pay for random, dynamic placement (you can tell based on whether the drama's title is on the ad itself). The earlier the brand buys in, the cheaper the rates, which I believe is a fixed amount based on production class. Often big IP, big stars, modern dramas get the most upfront, especially if the star brings in their own "brand daddies" (sorry, that sounds naughty).

Some shows start out with nothing, but as more and more people watch, advertisers place more ads in subsequent episodes. The opposite also happens. That's why it's also an indicator of how well the show is performing according to the industry. Advertisers have access to proprietary data and are putting a lot of money on the line.

TTEOTM has 27.6 seconds of ads per episode, 2nd highest of any costume drama in 2023

This includes 26 brands, highest of any xianxia drama in 3 years

It is only one of 12 dramas this year so far with ads in every single episode

Big brands like Huaiwei and Master Kong placed ads as the show progressed, with ad time peaking in episodes 26-30. This is a big stamp of approval from advertisers.

After the drama finished airing, a brand "chased" the hype by placing more ads, which is quite rare

4. Merchandise Value 

Beyond being supplementary income (more here), this is also an indicator of fan engagement. Expect this to become bigger going forward as platforms perfect the process of commercializing IP and fusing e-commerce with entertainment.

TTEOTM has broken the merchandise sales record for TV shows, selling >25M RMB to date (this number does not include Shi Shan Yu costumes and other co-branded products like the ice cream, video game, and photography studio)

>10M RMB came from the bracelets alone, with 3M RMB worth of Ancient Demon God bracelets sold within 24 hours (it's likely a new record but no one has kept track before)

Tantai Jin and Ye Xiwu's costumes were auctioned off for charity for 170K RMB and 100K RMB respectively

=====

Buzz-worthiness

In addition to commercial value, another major dimension of success is buzz/heat -- whether fans are talking about a show, whether the general population knows about the show. This gets into subjective territory, but there are three broad types of data sources:

5. Heat Indices

Heat indices such as Maoyan, Datawin, VLinkage, pull data from the social media platforms like Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Kuaishou and have their own proprietary methodology to assess how "hot" a drama or a character is based on views, likes, comments, trending topics.

Maoyan (tends to peak on the first few days)

Peak daily index of 9898.15, highest of any drama in 3 years

Heat index of >9800 for over 20 days, on par with historical record

Most popular character in the weekly ranking for over 6 weeks

Datawin (penalizes for negative sentiment)

Avg index of 2.188, #1 drama in 2023

Peak index of 2.669, #2 drama in 2023 behind Knockout

6. Social Media Platforms

This is where fans congregate, so more a measurement of how much fan engagement and discussion there is, or fan intensity in general.

Douyin (biggest platform by daily active users right now, and the new battleground for marketing)

>29B views on the official hashtag, highest of any costume drama and 2nd highest behind Knockout (~60B views)

Heat index of 120M on the platform, a new record for dramas

35 clips with >1M likes (of which 11 were from the official account)

More importantly, TTEOTM inspired a lot of user-generated/led trends & memes on the platform (e.g. the Black Moonlight dance, Bengbu tourism) which engage viewers in a deeper way than just watching clips from the show.

Read Douyin's own "battle report' here.

Weibo (China's Twitter, where different fandoms congregate)

5774 ranked trending hashtags, highest of any drama in 2022-2023 (TTEOTM is differentiated in having a lot of low-ranking trends in the "rising" and "trending outside fan circle" tables. These are not bought but truly user-generated)

>30B views on Weibo, #3 highest in 2023

TTEOTM's official account has the highest number of followers (622K) of any drama that aired in 2023. It'd be the third highest if including dramas from 2022.

Read Weibo's own "battle report" here

7. General Indices

Not entertainment specific and mostly pulling data from parts of the internet that are more functional, where the show doesn't even have an official presence. Good indicator of general population interest and awareness. Difficult for fans to manipulate and "manufacture data"

Baizhi (Baidu search, equivalent to Google): Heat index of 790K, highest of any xianxia in the last few years. TTEOTM is also #5 drama in 2022-23 combined, behind Knockout (1894K), Sword Snow Stride (936K) (both aired on CCTV), Dream of Splendor (913K), and Reset (892K)

Weixin Index (WeChat, equivalent to Facebook & Whatsapp): Peak heat index of 166M, #1 drama in 2023 (even in front of Knockout) and highest of any xianxia or costume idol drama in the last few years. (Note Weixin is owned by Tencent)

Baike Page Visits (Wikipedia): A bit random, but if you take it at face value, it's just how many people have heard about the show and looked it up. A good indicator for general awareness. Note that this is cumulative so we cannot fairly compare across years. TTEOTM is #1 costume drama (likely #2 overall) 2023 and even ahead of some of the dramas from previous years

====

Socio-economic Contribution

8. Tourism GDP

Finally, people are starting to look at tourism GDP as TTEOTM unintentionally generated a lot of interest in Bengbu (literally "clam town"), which has sculptures related to Mingye and Sangjiu. According to the local government, Bengbu gained an incremental 1.5B RMB in tourism GDP during the May 1 holidays thanks to interest from TTEOTM fans. (I feel like this might be a post for another day)

[fangirling-tussisque-noncaelatur]

Got my @topguncommentbingo blackout!! 🥳🥳🥳💘💘💘

I'm so happy I joined this event, and I also had fun rereading some fics I loved, that I never commented on (shame on me). I wanted to choose all different authors and I'm grateful for all the great content creators our fandom has. Many thanks to all the mods for running this ✨💞✨💞✨

~~~

My round-up: 19 "Hangster", 1 "Icemav", 1 "Maverick & Rooster" + "Maverick & Carole", 1 "Hangster" + "Icemav", 1 "Hangster" + "Maverick & Rooster", 1 "Maverick & Rooster", 1 "Coyote & Hangman". (No-sweat win for Hangster)

Under the cut, the complete list of the fics and contents I commented on, if you want to show some love to the authors and their blogs 💞

1. art rated gen / teen

Parents!Au Hangster meme / @pochiperpe90

(comment + reblog)

2. fic where the last comment was 5+ months ago

Field Day / xo_em (@jakeseresins )

Hangster, Teen and Up Audiences, 810 words

3. fic tagged angst with a happy ending

I can see you now (with open eyes) / Saturn (@icemav86 )

Hangster, Mature, 6 717 words

4. WIP

unglued (thanks to you) / emseebeans (@emseebeans )

Hangster, Explicit, 2 565 words

5. fic set between the movies

in another life / lemqnie (@lemqnie)

Hangster, Mature, 6 284 words

6. fic set during TG86 canon

Shower / wildglitterwolf (@wildglitterwolf)

Icemav, Mature, 1 863 words

7. fic from a fandom event

Tropical Contact High / theinsouciantknitter (@theinsouciantknitter)

[event: Top Gun Endless Summer Exchange] (@endlesssummerexchange)]

Hangster, Explicit, 2 360 words

8. song fic

An Ode To The Boy I Love / perishablealex (@perishablealex )

Hangster, Explicit, 3 104 words

9. fic with more than 5 additional tags

we could blame it all on human nature / thegeckbros ( @katiesharms )

Hangster, Explicit, 2 470 words

10. fic completed in June 2023 or later

Hide and Seek with Mr. Mav / plingo_kat ( @pushthequorumbutton )

Maverick & Rooster + Maverick & Carole, General Audiences, 1 106 words

11. fic with fewer than 5 comments

Questions that Need Answers / multishippingtrashfire (@multishippingtrashfire )

Hangster + Icemav, Teen and Up Audiences, 1 393 words

12. fic with more than 15k words

Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore/ Renai_chan (@renai-chan)

Hangster + Maverick & Rooster, Explicit, 15 191 words

(5 chapters, 5 comments :D )

13. FREE CHOICE

One Glimpse of Relief / dalearden (@dale-arden)

Hangster, Mature, 909 words

14. art rated mature / explicit

Hangster 69 / tonogyom

(comment + reblog)

15. fanvid

fill the void; hangman & rooster / LonelySpeaker

(comment + reblog)

16. platonic fic (character & character)

Tapped into what once was / Lacerta ( @blendinginthecrowd )

Maverick & Rooster, General Audiences, 1 249 words

17. fic that's the first part of a series

Your everything combined / buckybraciole (@nicedaybucky)

Hangster, Teen and Up Audiences, 1 065 words

18. fic with your favorite tag

jealousy fills up their hearts in pairs / Notchka88

[how to choose one tag? "First time" was already in the bingo card, ...I went for Jealousy+Idiots in Love+Possessive Behavior]

Hangster, Explicit, 3 898 words

19. fic tagged first time / getting together

Feels Like the First Time / ReformedTsundere (@film-in-my-soul )

Hangster, Explicit, 12 532 words

20. fic completed between Dec 2022 - Feb 2023

10,000 Miles / Earthangel_44 (@yikes-00 )

Hangster, Explicit, 1 843 words

21. fic rated mature

The Road to Ruin (We Started at the End) / MadeItUp ( @gothampot )

Hangster, Mature, 4 747 words

22. fic rated explict

you're a part of the dawn where the light comes from the dark / acetonitril (@acetonitril )

Hangster, Explicit, 1 383 words

23. fic focused on a POC

You Were There / boobooblue (@letsboo-boo )

[character: Javy "Coyote" Machado]

Coyote & Hangman, Teen and Up Audiences, 988 words

24. fic with an archive warning

sunshine boy / SOBERHYUCK (@soberhyuck )

[archive warning: Underage]

Hangster, Explicit, 6 920 words

25. fic tagged established relationship

Relax / lovelybattle (@sereshawl)

Hangster, Explicit, 1 775 words

[formulaewags]

His family not following her is pretty weird tbh when they have been dating minimum since Dec 2022 based solely on her 🫀 insta highlight! Given that they all still follow Nina! But weirdly Alexandra Charles gf used to comment a lot on her posts and she’s really friendly with Kelly etc. but her older insta photos have been liked by like Norman, Stoffel, Joris and Lorenzo etc

This photo was one of the insta wag pages with Kelly - majdi_hajjar from 15 October 2022

Thanks for the info, anon. I knew Myriam's photo with @/majdi_hajjar on Instagram.

[iceman-maverick]

TA-DA with a day to spare! this was a blast and really made me venture outside of my comfort zone fic-wise. thank you to all the wonderful writers in this community and also ty to @topguncommentbingo for putting together this super fun event!

(also i'm now user @billpaxton on ao3 - don't ask why, i was a half a bottle of wine deep and now i can't change it back LMFAO)

1. fic rated teen - Centrifugal Motion (Perpetual Bliss) (Brenda)

2. fic with fewer than 5 comments - Luck (Theresa_Marxen)

3. fic completed in June 2022 or earlier - between the lines of fear and blame (boasamishipper)

4. fic with 5k- 15k words - to make it through the day without you (knoxinterlocked)

5. canon compliant fic - Naturally Migratory (saurora_borealis)

6. fanvid - Slipping Through My Fingers (harrowfuckley)

7. first comment on a fic - why don't we pack and leave this? (silas705)

8. fic completed in June 2023 or later - Bodies in Motion (elwenyere)

9. platonic fic (character & character) trust in death (blazingstar29)

10. fic with your favorite tag - Tom "Iceman" Kanzansky Needs A Hug, you can set my broken bones and I know cpr (quantumoddity)

11. fic with a trope you love - "There Was Only One Bed", Rhythm of The Rain (Inquaire)

12. a 5+1 fic - Wide Open Skies Above Me (VarjoRuusu)

13. FREE CHOICE - (MOST FIC OF ALL TIME) Hold Onto Your Heart (elizabethgee)

14. fic set during TG86 canon - The Irony of Disco Inferno (saurora_borealis)

15. fic completed in July or Aug 2022 - working overtime (dracculaura)

16. fic completed between Dec 2022 - Feb 2023 - Fight, Flight, Freeze (Wolfcry22)

17. fic rated gen - an empty page to fill (quantumoddity)

18. fic tagged fluff - Ice Cold (blazingstar29)

19. fic rated explict - Rivalry (thedevilchicken)

20. fic tagged first time / getting together - no brighter diamond (qin_ling)

21. fic that's the first part of a series - Iceman Kazansky's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Lolibat)

22. fic you forgot to comment on - i'd give all i have, honey (hangsters)

23. AU - Dragons, it's called freefall (you could get it all go (quantumoddity)

24. fic from a fandom event - Coming Home (Katastrophe)

25. fic rated mature - and sings the tune without the words (susiecarter)

[mariacallous]

This is from 2022.

The claim: Bob Cratchit was destitute but still earned more than the U.S. minimum wage

The work of Victorian-era novelist Charles Dickens went viral over the holidays, when a tweet used his 1843 novella "A Christmas Carol" to make a point about the minimum wage. 

Posted Dec. 19 and retweeted by over 14,000 users, it centered on Bob Cratchit. The character works as a clerk and accountant for wealthy Ebenezer Scrooge yet struggles to provide enough food and clothing for his wife and six children.

According to the post – which was screenshotted and shared by many Facebook users – Cratchit symbolizes "destitution" in the novella but would have made an inflation-adjusted wage of around $13.50 per hour – almost twice the federal minimum wage. 

"Time for your annual reminder that, according to A Christmas Carol, Bob Cratchit makes 15 shillings a week. Adjusted for inflation, that's $530.27/wk, $27,574/yr, or $13.50/hr," the tweet reads.

"Most Americans on minimum wage earn less than a Dickensian allegory for destitution."

If he were alive today, would Cratchit actually be earning more than the minimum wage?

The wage figure is roughly accurate. But as independent fact-checking organizations have reported, the claim is more complicated than the post makes it seem.

Chris Thompson, who posted the original tweet, told USA TODAY in a LinkedIn message that the claim came from an article published by the site EverythingWhat, which he said he found after "a very cursory Google search."

The tweet drew thousands of comments and shares on Facebook, Instagram and other platforms. More than 30,000 users shared a screenshot of the tweet posted by liberal Facebook page The Other 98% – though it later updated its post to state that "this post has been fact checked and found to be False."

Cratchit's salary roughly equivalent to $14.20 per hour

Inflation is typically measured using the Consumer Price Index, which looks at annual increases in the average price of a standard bundle of consumer goods and services.

But this kind of measurement can't accurately estimate Cratchit's salary, said Samuel H. Williamson, professor emeritus of economics at Miami University of Ohio.

"The term ‘inflation-adjusted salary’ is very misleading because it implies that ... these 'adjusted' salaries can buy a similar set of goods and services," Williamson said. "But over time the bundle becomes so different that the comparison is ludicrous. Cell phones with quill pens, etc.”

While no measure is perfect, What is the relative value of Bob Cratchit’s 15 shillings a week in 1843? of the modern-day equivalent of a 15-shilling wage in 1843, Williamson said. This indicator adjusts a wage based on the inflation of the average worker’s pay each year.

Using this method, Cratchit’s 15 shillings per week would translate to a relative labor earnings value of £611.30 per week, according to MeasuringWorth, an inflation calculation resource that Williamson co-founded. At the current conversion rate, that's about $850 per week and $43,000 annually. 

Keep in mind that, in Victorian England in the 1840s, laborers were expected to work 10 hours per day, six days per week. Assuming Scrooge didn’t make Cratchit work longer hours, that means Cratchit was making the equivalent of $14.20 per hour, adjusting for wage inflation.

That would make his pay nearly double the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, though 30 U.S. states have set higher pay floors. 

However, that wage would put the Cratchits below the federal poverty line of $44,660 for a family of eight. 

Cratchit wasn’t 'destitute' for his time

By calling Cratchit "a Dickensian allegory for destitution," the tweet implies he was paid a relatively low wage for a person in the Victorian era. But that isn't the full story. 

Joel J. Brattin, a professor of English at Worcester Polytechnic Institute who has researched Dickens’ work, told USA TODAY that although Cratchit was paid a relatively low wage for his skillset and time period, he wasn’t the poorest person in Victorian London. For example, manual laborers were paid around 8 shillings per week, he said, and there wasn't a minimum wage.

“It is important to note that Bob Cratchit was not destitute,” Brattin said in an email. “Rather, he was paid little, and had a large family – six children and a wife – to feed and clothe.”

Peter Gurney, a history professor at the University of Essex who has studied consumption and consumer goods in the Victorian era, said fixating on Cratchit's wage takes away from the message of "A Christmas Carol."

“The important thing is that the Cratchit family are almost starving all year round, and Dickens shows how Christmas makes things worse, exposing extremes of poverty and wealth and the erosion of Christian charity by laissez-faire individualism," Gurney said in an email.

Our rating: Partly false

Based on our research, we rate PARTLY FALSE the claim that Cratchit was destitute but still earned more than the U.S. minimum wage. Based on wage inflation, his salary of 15 shillings per week translates to around $43,000 per year, or $14.20 per hour with the standard 60-hour workweek of his time. So it's true that he would have made more than the federal minimum wage.

However, he was not "destitute" for his time, experts told USA TODAY. Cratchit's pay as an educated clerk, while meager for a family of eight, was higher than that of many other workers. There was no minimum wage in Victorian London. In addition, the standard and cost of living today are so different that comparing wages directly is misleading.

[that-was-anticlimactic]

20 questions for fic writers

tagged by my beloved @zukkaoru & @lesmiserablol <333

tagging (with no pressure): @beachytablecloth, @fabro-de-omres, & @milf-harrington (so sorry if you've already been tagged!)

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

69 which... is honestly more than i was expecting? i think it helps that my goal is to post a fic once a month mostly bc that's my motivation to keep writing even when i'm busy/stressed!

2. what's your total ao3 word count?

396,183 - omg i am SO CLOSE to 400k ahhhhhhhhh

3. what fandoms do you write for?

uhhhhhhh many??? right now, it's a lot of bsd/bnha, but it's always a plethora of things, haha! my first was prolly ninjago tbh

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

hey, little songbird, give me a song

you never quite say (but i hear)

lost in love and lost in feelings

Deeper Than Words

for a new world to begin, the old one must fall

okay the #1 for that is honestly so real that is one of my absolute favorite things i've written EVER lol, same with #2! the rest are... idk #4 is AWFUL - like one of my first atla fics and also my first time writing a ts fic (i have gotten SO MUCH BETTER AT IT NOW)

*note: i started this in like nov or early dec, and #5 changed! it was the zukka goose fic but now it's actually one of my favorites iugytfyhujiko

5. do you respond to comments

i used to be good at it. then i got stressed bc of school. and then i was suddenly like "uhhhh idk How to respond???" i think the thing that got me was i didn't know how to reply to the distressed comments on my sokka falling fic so i just. accidentally stopped.

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

oh here in the garden (let's play a game) 100% rip to sokka sorry babes ilysm hate to do it to ya, love the angst tho <333 rip to everyone who missed the major character death tag lol. well... that or a spring and summer song, too brief rip to geto in the +1 oops... oh shoot... it could also be take me where my soul can run... hm...

7. what is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

this was hard, but imma go with i was a child and she was a child bc it's based on one of my favorite childhood memories! rip to zuko and his ice cream tho :/ but azula is VIBING the whole time oiuygfcgyhuij

8. do you get hate on fics?

not really? i did once have someone try to correct me and say that i wrote sokka with ocd instead of tourette's but it was in the bookmarks and it made me laugh lol. i also got this comment on my kubokai kaidou with ts fic: ".. the self projection is heavy in this one ... -_-" so idk if that counts lol

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

nope :)

10. do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one you've written?

uhhhh not really? i wrote ninjago equestria girls crossover oneshot in middle school but i never finished it and it SUCKED lol

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of?

12. what's the longest you've spent working on a fic? and the shortest?

uhhh i wrote a 7,600 word fic in three hours while i had covid? that's prolly the shortest? i count that as shorter than anything i may have finished faster bc i had covid lol but longest? ummmm over a year? multiple years? idkkkkkk the jay with ts fic i posted was something i wrote in 2019 and i edited it (a lot) and posted it in 2022 so??? that maybe?

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

uhhh i did with friends in middle/high school, but those never left the docs! also grace and i have. very many much so aus lol

14. what's your all-time favorite ship? from all fandoms?

RARIJACK!!! it was one of my first hardcore ships, and also was my introduction to queer ships!!! renga is a close second, but rarijack just is really important and special to me for sentimental reasons that put it above renga and others! i am also on a seroroki kick right now. it's not my all-time favorite, but the brain rot seems never ending right now lol

15. what's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

GOD SO MANY i have a folder in gdocs just for ninjago fics and there are folders within the folder for different types of wips i'll never finish - i have That many: "no substance", "baby girls", "drafts"... etc...

16. what are your writing strengths?

uhhhhhhhhhh ngl i'm in a place right now where i feel like the answer is Nothing (writer's block has been Bad recently), but i think something i'm good at in a very specific way is making readers feel the discomfort of characters? like idk i've been told that the way i write ts and tics (specifically tic attacks) makes the readers feel uncomfortable in like a "wow i didn't know it felt this way" kind of way??? i like to think i'm good at characterization??? idkkkk

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

ummm setting and scenery & connecting parts of a story, especially if they're parts that i'm stuck on/transitions are prolly my biggest ones???

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

i mean go for it as long as it's respectful and like... you tried making sure it's accurate?

19. first fandom you wrote for?

uhh rainbow fairy/a-z mysteries... but that was like very briefly on paper. first time like... for Realsies was ninjago

20. favorite fic you've written?

oh 100% hey, little songbird, give me a song. it's just really special to me and writing it helped me cope with a new tic i had. but one that i wrote more recently is fantasies i'm not sure that i'm worthy of which is a ritsu-centric fic and is prolly tied as my favorite fic i wrote in 2023. the other one would be sun comes streaming through the window (& i can't sleep anymore) which is my 21k word kenji-centric fic lol but that one is like... i'm more proud of it than anything, which is what puts it up there.

[offender42085]

Post 1151

Paul Edward Bellar, Michigan inmate 735434, Federal inmate 02759-122, born 1998, incarceration intake December 2022 at age 25, earliest release date September 2029, full release September 2044

Gang Membersbip, Providing Material Support in a Terrorist Act, Use of a Weapon to Commit a Felony

In December 2023, a trio of men were sentenced to spend several years behind bars on charges stemming from a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Paul Bellar, along with Joseph Morrison (Michigan inmate 735421), Pete Musico (Michigan inmate 735428), were each sentenced to spend at least seven years in prison by Jackson County Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson in a lengthy sentencing hearing Thursday, Dec. 15.

Musico was the first man to be sentenced, with Wilson passing down a minimum prison term of 12 years.

Musico pleaded with Wilson to show him mercy before he was sentenced, claiming both he and his wife suffer from health issues that could possibly endanger them if he were to receive a harsh sentence.

“The time in my life that this all took place in, there was a lot of emotions going on throughout the entire country, on both political sides,” Musico said. “I had a lapse in judgement; I’ve been a good citizen, I’ve been a family man -- I’ve taken care of my family for a very long time.”

Wilson did not show sympathy in sentencing Musico, saying previous testimony depicting the defendant berating and threatening to kill a Michigan State Police trooper he encountered at a protest provided an insightful look into his thought process and character.

A woman sitting in the back of the crowded courtroom began to cry as soon as Wilson read Musico’s sentence. Musico himself cried as he was led out of the room in chains.

Morrison was sentenced second. Wilson sentenced the 28-year-old to spend at least 10 years in prison.

Speaking before the court, Morrison renounced his affiliation with the “boogaloo” -- the term used to identify a far-right, domestic terrorist movement centered on plans for a second American Civil War -- and all other similar extremist ideologies he once believed in.

“I sincerely regret ever allowing myself to have any affiliation with people that had those kind of ideas,” Morrison said. “I regret that I ever let hate, fear and anger into my heart the way I did.”

Before he was sentenced, Bellar apologized to Whitmer for his “highly inappropriate” past comments, claiming they don’t represent his true character. Bellar also addressed his family and friends that had filled the courtroom behind him, apologizing and thanking them for their support.

“I love all of you -- I’m so sorry, I wish I would have grown up faster,” Bellar said, his voice beginning to waver as he held back tears. “I’ll see you guys when this is all over.”

“You’re always welcome home,” a man in the audience said to Bellar as the defendant turned back around to face hear his sentence.

Bellar received the most lenient sentence of the three men. Wilson sentenced the 24-year-old to spend 7-20 years in prison. His sentences are to be served concurrently, while Musico and Morrison are to serve their sentences consecutively.

Bellar embraced his attorney Andrew Kirkpatrick after his sentence was delivered, with Bellar fighting back sobs as court officers began to take him away.

4f

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Meghans not a bully - its just a cultural difference by u/Mickleborough

Meghan’s not a bully - it’s just a cultural difference With these current allegations against Meghan, the mind goes back to when such claims first arose, in the UK.https://ift.tt/LjCpJyN there’d be no bullying if Meghan were dealing with her fellow Americans, correct?Let’s also not forget Meghan’s rather stupid lawyer, Jenny Afia, who can‘t seem to understand the difference in the relationship between a boss and her underlings, and a client and her highly paid mouthpiece.https://ift.tt/JAMXNFB Insider, 15 Dec 2021 - archived / unarchived Independent, 7 Jan 2022 - archived / unarchived post link: https://ift.tt/jDValo2 author: Mickleborough submitted: September 27, 2024 at 12:10AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[farmhouseanon]

I sent in this ask back around March 18-20 (can't keep track of what day exactly) with the following points.

I decided to go back and look at Gen's posts going back a few years maybe Dec 2020 (another strange hunch) like a month or so ago. Do note this was before I started following his mom and sister out of curiosity, and realized a few things. Jared used to like her stuff a whole lot more, maybe miss a few weeks worth of stuff here and there but then start liking multiple posts in a row... until about Dec 2022. After that, Jared's likes on her posts greatly declined to become more or less a handful and is still the same today (will now go months between liking her posts now).

Posts liked by Jared in 2022 (41 posts total)

Notes: Jared was in a car accident sometime during either the third week of April or late in the second week of April. Notably so, Gen made no posts about it on Instagram but had a "♥" post on Twitter about it

[1/11/2022],[2/21/2022],[3/1/2022],[3/3/2022],[3/10/2022],[4/4/2022],[5/2/2022],[5/4/2022],[5/8/2022],[6/6/2022],[6/11/2022],[6/16/2022],[6/19/2022],[6/25/2022],[6/27/2022],[7/11/2022],[7/13/2022],[8/9/2022],[9/5/2022],[9/9/2022],[9/16/2022],[9/17/2022],[9/19/2022],[10/2/2022],[10/4/2022],[10/6/2024],[10/11/2022],[10/14/2022],[10/15/2022],[10/18/2022],[10/19/2022],[10/20/2022],[10/24/2022],[10/25/2022],[10/27/2022],[10/28/2022],[11/3/2022],[11/15/2022],[11/23/2022],[11/29/2022],[12/12/2022]

Posts liked by Jared in 2023 (9 posts total)

Notes: The Writers strike began 5/2/2023 and ended 9/27/2023; the actors strike began 7/14/2023 and ended 11/9/2023.

[1/5/2023],[1/11/2023],[2/27/2023],[3/17/2023],[3/22/2023],[4/1/2023],[5/25/2023],[5/27/2023],[10/19/2023]

Posts liked by Jared in 2024 (13 posts total)

Notes: I sent this ask to that blogger back around March 18-20. See how the likes were more sparingly up until the 22nd of April this year?

[2/16/2024],[4/22/2024],[4/23/2024],[4/30/2024],[5/1/2024],[5/3/2024],[5/7/2024],[5/9/2024 NOT a like but "a comment "LEGO 🦶🏻💀 survivor!!!"],[5/15/2024],[5/20/2024],[6/4/2024],[6/11/2024],[6/12/2024],[6/21/2024],

Onto the red flags I've noticed that tell me there might be some family stuff going on here. Jared's sister follows Jared on Instagram but guess who does NOT? His mom. Yes, you read that right. Jared's mom doesn't follow him on Instagram. I also found his dad follows Jared on Facebook who by the way doesn't follow Gen.

Oh how funny, his mother suddenly started following him not too long after I submitted this ask around March 18 or so. Gotta love it when these people give away the fact they clearly read the blogs, ya know?

March 12, 2024 at 6:56pm EST

April 7, 2024 at 3:26pm EST

[jmdbjk]

Year of the black bunny

It appears these New Year greetings were filmed between Oct. 15 and Dec. 2... after the Busan concert but before Joon’s Indigo was released. 

I am only going to speak here a little about what Jimin, Jungkook, Hobi and Yoongi said. 

There was more Jimin to love in the 2023 New Year greeting Bangtan Bomb!? Was it the lighting? that crisp white shirt? or what? I wanted to squeeze Jimin’s cheeks on his face when it’s usually his other cheeks I wanna squeeze (oops, TMI...sorry, JK). His face was so soft and plush. I was taken aback. And he really filled out that shirt...I am intrigued. What is under there, Jimin? Is this the effects of his habit of eating deliciously? I just want to hug him and squeeze him. Well... honestly, I want to do that no matter what... 

Jimin saying... “anyway, the past is the past...” and specifically saying he’s planning on doing some memorable things in 2023 make me think he’s moving on from whatever shitshow 2022 was for him. I just want him to be happy. 

I was so relieved to finally see his smile... his seriousness was putting me on edge. 

Jungkook admitting that he lives so much in the moment and is not in the habit of self-reflecting regularly, says it doesn’t sink in until after some time passes when he realizes how much he’s grown as a person. It’s ok, Kookie, you don’t have to pay attention to any of that, just live your life.

Kookie is ready for an uneventful year with no stress or struggles. Why does he come across so differently in these moments than he does during a Welive? 

All these chart topping numbers, streaming numbers and social media follower numbers mean nothing to him. He is such a mood, seemingly unaffected by it all. Plans? He said he has plans but things don’t ever go as planned for him... so he’s just gonna go with the flow this year and not stress out over it. That’s a great attitude, Kookie. It’s your year too, year of the black rabbit.

Yoongi also saying a year with no ups and downs would be awesome, thank you. And also him throwing a HUGE hint out there for us... so tantalizing... a step closer to his dream, something he’s been wanting to do...

Hobi seemed happy and I really love it when he says stuff like admitting he’s learned a lot since he released Jack in the Box. He really seems like he has his shit together. He’s smart, talented and comes across as having a very balanced attitude toward life. 

EDIT: I wanted to add also that Hobi is fearless, not in that he’s never afraid, he admits he is all the time, but that he faces those fears with determination. He sets his mind to doing something and no matter what, he does it. He’s got shit he wants to do and by god, he’s gonna get it done!

During their comments I kept expecting them to add something like “before I enlist...” or “in the time I will have in 2023, I will...” but they never acknowledge it.  I hope they are able to make good memories for themselves and accomplish the things they hope to in 2023 since we pretty much know where they will be by the end of the year. 

[gettothestabbing]

DeWine vetoed House Bill 68 on Friday, which would have prohibited doctors from prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors and banned boys from competing in girls’ sports, just hours before the deadline. A review of donations from 2018 to 2023 found that the governor received $40,300 from the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association (OCHA), Cincinnati Children’s, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and ProMedica Children’s Hospital, all of whom support transgender medical care. OCHA donated $10,000 to the Mike DeWine and Jon Husted Transition Fund on Dec. 28, 2018, and another $10,000 on Dec. 7, 2022, according to the report. A transition fund allows candidates to spend donations for “transition activities and inaugural celebrations,” according to Ohio’s campaign finance handbook. Cincinnati Children’s, an affiliate of OCHA, donated $300 on Dec. 15, 2022, to the fund and ProMedica, another affiliate of OCHA, also donated $10,000 in December 2018, according to the reports. Nationwide Children’s, a third affiliate with OCHA, donated $5,000 in December 2018 and another $5,000 in January 2023 to the transition fund. The governor’s office referred the Daily Caller News Foundation back to DeWine’s comments on the bill and his veto. DeWine said last week that he was visiting hospitals that provide transgender procedures to hear families out on both sides of the issue but did not elaborate on which hospitals he went to. Nick Lashutka, president of the OHCA, testified against House Bill 68, arguing that the bill “strips away” the rights of parents and their transgender children, according to The Guardian.

Cincinnati Children’s has a Transgender Health Center that works with patients from five to 24 years old, according to the hospital’s website. The center’s frequently asked questions section explains that patients can get puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones with family consent and does not list an age limit.

[bonzai-bunny]

AO3 Wrapped [writers edition]

Doing this, bc I'm bored. Absolutely no one tagged me but ah well.

Created by @floydsin who doesn't exist anymore

1.How many words have you written this year?

not including a current wip, 58,523

2. How many works did you publish this year?

10, although I am counting Teen Idle for this one and the above even though I technically started it in Dec 30 2022

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

Teen Idle because I actually finished it haha

4. What work of yours has the most hits?

Teen Idle, again, at 5k hits, which isn't a little but not a lot either compered to some of my other fics

5. What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

A Day's Work, since it's a rarepair and CNC

6. Favorite title you used?

Pay Per View just for the nostalgia

7. If you use song lyrics, which artist’s songs did you pull from the most?

Marina, for my Glass Balloon series which is also a Marina lyric

8. Pairing you wrote the most for this year?

Superbat, but surprisingly only twice this year. I just didn't write any other pairing more than once.

9. Favorite pairing you wrote for this year?

Shunk, because it's so rare

10. What work was the quickest to write?

Instastar, because it's so short

11. What work took you the longest to write?

By its nature, Teen Idle

12. How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year?

Just 1 as far as fanfics are concerned but I do have a screenplay wip

13. What’s your longest work of the year?

By its nature, Teen Idle

14. What’s your shortest work of the year?

Instastar

15. What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

Weigh Your Heavy Heart

16. What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag?

I tag every fic with "No proofreading we die like mne" bc I only read through the whole fic like once before posting. editing wym?

17. Your favorite character to write this year?

Bruce's chaotic ass in teen idle

18.The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

Also, Bruce in Teen Idle. Specifically balancing out the bruce we know and love with his terrible brain telling him to do reckless things

19. What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?

I'd like to write some clex next year like I put on that poll

20. Which work of yours have you reread the most?

For being so comparatively new, I've read Break the Chain a lot. There's just so little batflash out there

21. How many kudos in total did you get this year?

1,931

22. Which work has the most comments?

Teen Idle, at 52 comment threads

24. Did you write any gifts this year?

I mean, I've written a fic based on a prompt if that counts?

25. Did you receive any gifts this year?

Alas, no

26. What’s your most common category?

M/M, what can I say I'm a fujoshi at heart

27. What do you listen to while writing?

Nothing

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

“Brucie, baby, what’s wrong?” Bruce had been engrossed in conversation with this man side by side in bed, but he couldn’t remember what they had been talking about nor did he particularly care. He had gone quiet and the man tilted his chin up. “I don’t know,” Bruce said honestly.  “Do you want to talk about it?” Bruce snorted with dry amusement. “We don’t talk. Not for real.” The guy shrugged. “Sure, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care.” Suddenly, Bruce felt like his chest was caving in. He didn’t want anyone to care, not about him. He got up and put his clothes back on and said, “I’ll talk to you later.” He didn’t plan to talk to that man ever again. 

Idk something about the quiet panic. From Shampain.

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

how little superbat I wrote o:

Anyone who wants to do this, can. Pretend I've tagged you.

[kendochick-moor]

December 2022 - Fanfic Updates So Far

Here are the Dec 2022 fanfic updates to date:          

1) “You Shouldn’t Have” (NaruSaku/KakaSaku) https://archiveofourown.org/works/43565658

2) “Hit ‘em Up Style” (Tobirama/Sakura) https://archiveofourown.org/works/43567519

3) “Him Again” (Kisame/Itachi) https://archiveofourown.org/works/43571433

4) “Kimono no Onna” (MadaSaku) Chapter 15 https://moor.dreamwidth.org/31421.html

5) “Coals” (ItaSaku, SasuSaku) https://archiveofourown.org/works/43906645

6) “Kimono no Onna” (MadaSaku) Chapter 16 https://moor.dreamwidth.org/31737.html

7) “Immured” (IzuSakuMada) Chapter 8/Day Four - Morning https://moor.dreamwidth.org/31942.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am working hard to get you one more update before New Years Eve, but if it doesn’t happen, I will still continue posting in January 2023. I hope you have enjoyed these ones!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So far this month, I have also:

1) Created a mailing list where I e-mail you DIRECTLY whenever I post or update a fic, ANYWHERE (AO3, Tumblr, Dreamwidth, DFC, FF.net, etc).

–> https://kendochick-moor.tumblr.com/post/703733959456178176/mailing-list-signup-for-moors-fics

2) Created a Master Post/Master List of ALL the fanfic I have posted, on all platforms and sites. You can search it, sort it, filter it, and otherwise go nuts with it.

–> https://kendochick-moor.tumblr.com/post/704922006950461440/moors-fanfic-master-post

3) Created my annual Reader Survey, where I ask for your opinions and feedback! It is open until Dec 31, 2022, if you would like to chip in an opinion or two.

--> https://kendochick-moor.tumblr.com/post/703465193828761600/moors-2022-reader-feedback

PLEASE let me know how I’m doing via the survey linked above, and how I can help you enjoy your fic. Your time is precious and I want to help you get more out of it. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please consider leaving a comment on the fics or, if you prefer, send a small donation via EFT to the Cambridge Kendo Club (CKC) (payments@cambridgekendo.ca)!

The CKC is fundraising to purchase more children’s size bogu (armour) to support families with kids who love kendo but can’t always afford the price tag. The CKC is also setting up a high school kendo club for young adults who want to try kendo free! (If you do send them a tiny thank you, please add a message like, “for the kids bogu!” This way we ensure it goes into the bogu fund.)  :)

I will have more fanfic updates for you soon. Please stay safe and healthy out there!  <3

Cheers!

[green-socks]

Got my @topguncommentbingo card done✨

Much like with any project ever, I got it halfway done super quick and then dragged my feet for the last three taking it way too seriously. But I made it!!! This was my first ever fan event and I had so much fun doing this! Some of the prompts really challenged me to go looking further, and then I added myself an extra challenge of only having each creator on there once (since I often binge read an author at a time, and wanted to broaden my horizons for this. Also tried to not make every square icemav).

Big thanks to the mods for hosting this awesome event!!❤️ If something like this happens again in the future, I'm there

Gonna put the card in list form under the cut for clarity's sake!

1. fic completed between Dec 2022 - Feb 2023

✅Fata Morgana by V_Evergreen

2. fic set during TGM canon

✅let's call it even by DrHarleyQuinzel

3. fic tagged Porn Without Plot

✅The Stars Align by thunderstormsablaze

4. fic set between the movies

✅don't ask, don't tell by mavernick

5. canon compliant fic

✅old dogs by vannral

6. fic tagged first time / getting together

✅I'm not that great at dancing (still you're leading me anyway) by quantumoddity

7. fic rated gen

✅you come back to me in dreams by fangirl6202

8. fanvid

✅icemav edit by polar-equinoxx https://www.tumblr.com/polar-equinoxx/726940347788312576/we-are-sad-today-tomorrow-who-knows?source=share

9. art rated gen / teen

✅Blue Cornflowers On My Sleeve by gilliontidestrider

10. song fic

✅Stay the Night by theinsouciantknitter

11. fic with fewer than 5 comments

✅Wide Open Skies Above Me by VarjoRuusu

12. fic less than 3k words

✅absence (makes the heart grow fonder) by Tsuru048

13. FREE CHOICE

✅Being Javy Machado by Aphroditedany

14. fic with a ship you haven't read

✅After Hours (no tie on the door) by gr00vyfruitbat

15. fic you already commented on

✅Just Like That, Everything Rearranges by X_MoonDrop_X

16. multichapter fic

✅You are my life, my pride, my joy by Neoptolemos

17. fic rated teen

✅You're the Most Colorful Thing That I've Seen by GaydineRoss

18. fic from a fandom event

✅Octopus Have Three Hearts by Katastrophe

19. fic completed in June 2022 or earlier

✅Turning and Returning by boasamishipper

20. oneshot

✅smoke signals by qin_ling

21. a 5+1 fic

✅Hidin' the truth, a perfect excuse by glitterfayy

22. fic completed between Sept - Nov 2022

✅Beyond Denial by aelibia

23. fic completed in June 2023 or later

✅The Best Man for the Job by twowritehands

24. fic you forgot to comment on

✅Pick me up when I'm down by Fuddlewuddle

25. fic set post TGM canon

✅I will love you, dear, forever by FlowersOnMyMind