#daphne's product list

[mariocki]

Death Dorm (The Dorm That Dripped Blood, 1982)

"I'm not gonna hurt you! I love you! I'm not gonna hurt you like all the others. The others - the others! Do you wanna see the others, huh?"

[waltricia]

A list of what I believe are the main symbolic elements of Bridgerton S3

(I’ll try to keep descriptions as brief as possible)

1. Lighting. The first and last episode titles are “Out of the Shadows” and “Into the Light”. So, all lighting, particularly on Pen, will be very significant. Throughout seasons 1 and 2, she is often cast in shadow, while the Bridgertons shine in the light. In season 3, we’ll see more direct light on her.

2. Mirrors. Yes, I know, but it’s not just about sexy times. Mirrors have been used to tell us about Pen’s secret identity, LW. Her mirror self is the true, brave, witty, brilliant self that she keeps hidden. While you’ll often see the other ladies of Bridgerton checking themselves out in mirrors (in addition to the Featheringtons, I’ve also seen Daphne, Kate, Edwina, and Violet looking into mirrors), you’ll never catch Penelope doing so. That’s the deeper significance of the mirror sex scene- Colin encourages her to confront that self.

3. Greece. This is Colin’s big symbolic element. Greek mythology will be all over the costume and production design. Obviously, we know on a base level that he loves Greece. On a deeper level, Grecian symbols will be used to reference Ancient Greek stories and mythology that will add layers of depth to the love story. Ex) Homer’s The Odyssey is about a man who must journey throughout and around Greece in order to get back to his wife, Penelope. During his journey, Penelope has to fend off a bunch of suitors who are trying to get with her. Even though she thinks Odysseus is dead, she still loves him.

4. Yellow/Blue/Green. I mean, c’mon.

5. Swans. The Bridgertons are mute swans (the regular kind). Pen is a black swan.

Sir, that is a swan.

6. Flowers. Pen is a wallflower. And actually, the meaning of flowers have always been directly explained to us (lilacs, “symbolic of first love”, tulips “they symbolize passion”). Maybe we’ll get another quote about the symbolism of flowers in season 3?

7. Writing/letters/quills/journals. A Polin love language. 🪶💌📔 Literally though, when Pen first asks anyone about sex (yeah, it was Marina, awkward, I know but 🤷), she’s made to equate it with letters.

That’s all I got for now I think.

If you’re just watching Bridgerton because it’s pretty and cute and sexy, totally fine. Watch it however you want to watch it. If you want to go further, really feel things, maybe get a greater sense of catharsis, or at least get more of the ‘oh, damn!’ factor out of it, pay attention to the above elements. They will be shown and not told. If you are stuggling to understand what the symbols mean, hmu. I’m happy to help. I’ve only been on Bridgerton tumblr for a week and a half, but I can say I’ve already seen great analyses from @bingiessm @ktbeets & @sea-owl .

And if there’s anything I didn’t include, but should have, please let me know. I want to learn more, always. 💛

[gabessquishytum]

This is a bit of a domestic fluff thing for the Hoblings AU.

Determination (Dante)

Deception (Dimitri)

Delight (Delilah)

Destruction (Daphne) 

Hope (Roberta)

Dream heir/Drowsy (Dorian)

Danger (Damien) 

I made this list so we can keep everything straight (as straight as we can lol)

The kids split their time evenly among the waking and the dreaming much like regular mortals do except they get special privileges from being the king’s kids. It’s not spilt custody tho cause Hob can enter the dreaming and Dream can be in the waking.

When they are older the kids get the choice to either stay primarily on earth or create realms of their own. (Even Dorian will get this choice) 

Basically when a child turns 18 they will be given a year to live primarily on earth and then at the end of this year they will decide. 

Daphne decided to stay on earth, she has a girlfriend and a job constructing and then deconstructing sets for a local theater. She is a huge muscular woman who the rest of crew are a little afraid of, (“I once saw her carrying around a ton of metal beams like it was nothing!”) but she really is a sweetheart. Of course they don’t find this out until her Papa comes to visit.

She’s currently building a set for this theater’s production of Chicago and she’s in charge of the metal frame work, mostly because she’s the only one that can do it, when from stage left enters a jovial professor looking type. 

“Daffy? Daffy Duck?” 

Daphne laughs, only one person calls her that, she turns around and hugs her Papa who is slightly lifted off the ground.

“Papa, what are you doing here? I’m working.”

“What? Is work more important than dear old dad?” He teases.

“No, no, what’s up,” she brings him to the edge of the stage and sit down, their feet dangling off the edge.

“Well your sister made you cookies and wanted me to drop them off for her. She hopes you like em,” he emphasizes the word Hope and they giggle like it’s some sort of inside joke. 

“I’m sure I will, something else you gotta tell me or is it just the cookies?”

Hob rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, “I’m hosting a family dinner at the house, tonight.”

“Family dinner? That’s not for another two months!” 

“Yeah, yeah I know, but your father and I have a little announcement to make”

She rolled her eyes.

“Please tell me you did not get him pregnant again.” 

He goes beat red and gets up.

“Ah no no no, I told ya Dorian’s the last one, six at the inn, bring that girlfriend of yours if you like.” 

Hob exits perused by a bear. (Who he will later have to politely decline the offer for a date from)

Her crew start opening up to her after that.

Dream was responsible for telling Dimitri who spent most his time in The Threshold much to Dream’s chagrin and Delilah who was apprenticing under Delirium. Roberta and Dorian still lived with Hob and Dream so they had no choice in the matter. There was just one more kid who needed informing, and it was Hob’s job.

He got up on the roof of the New Inn. Dante was always the hardest to get in contact with since his endless abilities had him traveling the word. Hob had to the take a bit of a magical or madman approach depending on how you look at it. 

“Dante? Dante can you hear me? I’m calling out to you like Dream told me too, Dante? I need ya to come to the inn from where ever you are. You’re not missing a family dinner on my watch.” Nothing, absolute silence. 

“Well shit, maybe that what’s the paper’s for,” Hob pulls out a crumpled bit a paper that Dante gave him during the last family dinner incase he needed to contact him, Hob looked at the little scrap and sighed.

“I’m not saying this, it’s stupid. You should just come here cause I’m your father and I say so,” more silence.

“Fiiiiiine” he takes a deep breathe in. “Dante I summon thee.” And with a little more reluctance, “I’m determined to speak with you,” 

The winds shifted and suddenly his eldest was before him.

“It’s a stupid pun, Dante,”

“It took me a long time to come up with that,” he retorted.

“Doesn’t mean it’s not stupid, where’d I snatch you from?”

“India,” 

“Good boy, lot of fun India, course I haven’t been in a couple of centuries and-“

Dante puts a hand in front of Hob’s face to stop one of his legendary rambles. 

“You know I’m always happy to see you but why did you summon me, pops?” 

Hob claps him on the back. 

“To invite you to family dinner of course,”

“But family dinner is not for another two months!” 

Hobs laughs. 

“Oh, you and your sister, two peas you are.”

“I gotta lotta sisters, Pops. When’s dinner?”

Hob giggles to himself as he opens the door on the roof. 

“Everyone’s downstairs and you’re the last to arrive so…now!” 

Dante jumps back almost hitting a chimney.

“Jesus Pops! Give a man some warning! You know I don’t like impromptu socialization!” 

“Get used to it sunny boy!” Hob cackles as he gently pushes Dante down the stairs. 

Everyone was gather around a table, all six kids and Daphne’s girlfriend. the only one missing was Dream.

Hob figured he was in the kitchen preparing for the big announcement. 

“Dream? Babygirl?” 

“Hob Gadling, do not call me that when others are present,”

Hob hugs him from behind. 

“They can’t hear me. And besides what if I want them to know you’re my precious baby girl?”

Hob kisses him on the neck.

“Whose is that woman with the curly hair? She’s not one of our children is she? I feel like I would’ve have remembered that.” Dream muses, ignore Hob who is still kissing at his neck.

“That’s Melanie, Daphne’s girlfriend. I invited her, so play nice papa bear.” 

“I merely wish to look out for my daughters best interest.”

“I know baby, speaking of, you ready?” 

“I suppose,”

Like a king and queen entering a royal ball The Gadlings make their way to the dinning room. 

“Children,” dream said in his big godly voice. 

Everyone whipped their heads up from their conversations and looked at Dream expectantly.

“Hello everyone! So glad you could make it! Hi Melanie!” Hob said as Melaine shrunk a little in her seat while Daphne gave her Papa a death glare.

“You maybe wondering why’ve we’ve called a surprise family dinner, well… your father and I have an announcement! Dream, if you will?”

Dream gave a small smirk, “Your Papa knocked me up,” then he sat down putting a hand on his not even there baby bump.

There was an uproar!

“Dream I thought we agreed you wouldn’t say it like that!”

“I thought you said Dorian was the last one!”

“Dad’s pregnant?” 

“Papa you swore it wasn’t another baby announcement!”

“Hob Gadling master of sex, shit at using protection,”

“Dimitri!” 

“Congratulations… Mr. Gadlings,” that one was Melanie.

“Just couldn’t keep it in your pants, could you pops?”

“Enough children, I asked for a seventh baby, to carry on the tradition of the endless siblings…”

Then all of the siblings telepathically communicated with each other in a way only siblings can and then all at the same time shouted, “NOT IT” 

(Yes I’m officially dubbing it the Hoblings AU)

-🦎 anon

Hoblings!!!! I love this. Just imagine the scene at Christmas:

Dimitri: a couple of us have clubbed together to get your gift this year pops. Don't use 'em all at once!

Hob: *unwraps the biggest box of condoms you've ever seen in your entire life*

*screeching and cackling from assembled Hoblings*

Dream, who was definitely in on the plan in the first place: behave yourselves children, how could you be so immature 🤭

I wonder what the next little Hobling will turn out to be. It would be interesting if they turn out to be entirely "normal" and human. But that might be a little bit sad considering all their siblings have their functions. Discovery of the Endless, maybe? Who knows. They will be very, very loved though. And with Dream pregnant all over again and Hob having both the time and wherewithal to enjoy it, they're definitely going to be using those condoms <3

[lovingsylvia]

!NEW RELEASE!

Title: Sylvia Plath's Tomato Soup Cake: A Compendium of Classic Authors' Favourite Recipes

Author: Bee Wilson (Foreword)

Publication date: 7 November 2024

Publisher: Faber

Pages: 144

Description:

"Dine with beloved writers in this ‘utterly charming’ (Nina Stibbe) new anthology of their very own favourite recipes, introduced by Bee Wilson. Agatha Christie’s hot bean salad. Jack Kerouac’s green pea soup. Allen Ginsberg’s cold summer borscht. Daphne du Maurier’s sloe gin. Christopher Isherwood’s brownies. Joan Didion’s Mexican chicken. George Orwell’s plum cake.

Have you ever wondered what your favourite classic authors cooked – whether as an intimate snack for one or as their showstopping dinner party special? Here’s your chance to wine and dine with the world’s most famous writers in a gorgeous new collection of their most-loved recipes, curated from their archives, letters and diaries. Whet your appetite: there are culinary treats and eccentricities in store …"

Image source (cover & description): https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571390366-sylvia-plaths-tomato-soup-cake/

...

I assume since the title refrences Sylvia Plath that there will be a recipe for her tomato cake in there, but I think it's a bit weird that they did not list it with the other examples. But anyway, looking forward to this book! :)

[denimbex1986]

'*****

The National Theatre At Home's website is a Rolodex of some of the theatre's greatest productions to date, an ever-updating library of acting royalty. On 6 December, the site is welcoming the arrival of Noël Coward’s Present Laughter - as staged at The Old Vic in the summer of 2019, along with The Grapes of Wrath.

Matthew Warchus’ production’s stellar cast (Andrew Scott and Indira Varma both won 2020 Oliviers for this production) brings its own expectations. They star as the separated but yet-to-be divorced couple, Garry and Liz Essendine. Such are their larger-than-life personalities, that we’re kept guessing about whether it’s all for show or if it’s fundamentally who they are.

The cast is rounded off by Joshua Hill as Garry’s ever-so-real Valet, Fred; Kitty Archer as one of Garry’s many (many) admirers, Daphne Stillington; Luke Thallon as Roland Maule, a budding playwright with a slightly overheated addiction to Mr Essendine; the always so ‘charming’ (and destined to be your favourite character) Monica Reed is played by Sophie Thompson; Abdul Salis and Suzie Toase star as manager-producer duo, Morris and Helen respectively; Helen’s ‘wandering’ (for one of a better word) husband, Joe, is played by Enzo Clienti. Wrapping up the cast list, Liza Sadovy stars as maid and medium, Miss Erikson.

Present Laughter tells of Garry Essendine, an actor and producer in London who is preparing to go on a theatrical tour of Africa, when news of a potential affair, in both the friend group and theatre firm, comes to light. Garry’s loved ones try to support him through not only the tour, but also in how he deals with his obvious loneliness. What they fail to realise is that the only person who may actually be committed to being their authentic self is, in a very weird turn of events, Garry himself! A perfect comedy emerges.

As you would expect, this 21st century version of Coward’s provocative play has seen a fair few changes from the original 1942 production.

Firstly, let’s talk about the queer representation this adaptation beautifully brings to light. Coward initially wrote the part of Garry as a man who filled his loneliness with evening after evening in the company of women whom he barely knew - even spending a night with the wife of his longtime friend and producer. But Warchus has added an even deeper level to Mr Essendine’s antics. The production sees a gender-swapped cast for a few of the supporting characters. Toase’s character, Helen, was originally that same producer, Henry; and Helen’s wandering husband, Joe, was initially her cheating wife, Joanna.

Nothing about the plot essentially changes, however, showcasing a complex and beautifully told story of openly (and some not-so-openly) queer characters in a setting where the plot isn’t necessarily about their sexuality - it is a part of them, not the totality of them.

The play is genuinely side-splittingly funny from start to finish, with powerful scenes of tenderness and humanity to ensure those moments of comedy truly land.

Andrew Scott’s versatility should be studied. The fluidity of his portrayal of Garry Essendine is beautifully orchestrated as if each thought were new, were genuine - he defines ‘truth in the moment’. His vocal gymnastics are both something to be in awe of, but also to hang on to as a key element of the storytelling. From changes in intonation, to completely random tempo changes, Scott hilariously and effortlessly has the audience, and in most cases, the cast, in the palm of his hand - and, sure enough, he milks it for what it is worth, in the best way possible.

Although every cast member had their own opportunity for sending the audience into fits of laughter, it was the earthly rootedness of Varma’s character, Liz, that kept me drawn in during moments of chaos. Varma is effortlessly funny, it’s part of who she is. Every joke lands because she just simply is that funny. I won’t spoil too much, but Varma’s humanity in the piece, specifically towards the end, really steals the show, and complements Scott’s theatrical dramatics perfectly.

Present Laughter is an ideal show to watch with loved ones this festive season: from its humour and clever comedy, to its stunning portrayal of real people living. The simplistic, yet stellar, portrayal of queer characters in a play that was not originally dedicating space for them, is something that makes this piece so special. Chemistry, comedy, and chaos - the perfect evening of theatre that you will not want to pause (even though now you can).

All that entertainment, and yet Warchus’ reimagined production also goes straight into my ever-growing list of ‘plays you must see to understand the complexity of people’...'

[candy-man91]

RWatHT - Chapter 20: Sweetest of Nightmares

Ron was nervous. How could he not be? Tonight was the Ball. In just a few minutes he would have to go down and dance in front of almost all of Hogwarts. It felt like the Yule Ball all over again, but a bit better. This time there were no ugly maroon robes, but instead deep burgundy velvet dress robes with golden lining. They looked good, far better than what he had last year. The design was immaculate with a sleek golden lion shoulder pad on top of one of his arms which held his blonde fur cape.

The robes had been a gift from Master Gryffindor that he had forcefully accepted. He almost rejected them, until he told him he was going to throw him in the middle of the Great Hall naked if he did not accept them. He was sure his Master was only joking. But not so sure as to find out.

His hair was managed as well, although he most likely still needed to cut it. Thankfully, Daphne had been nice enough to have given him some hair products to use. 

The Ball was any minute now. Ron descended down the stairs. Harry, Ginny, Neville and Dean were sitting on the couch waiting. Ginny and Dean were going together, and although Ron found the pairing weird he was sure it was quite harmless. Neville had been a surprise, Luna had decided to invite his blonde dorm mate, and the poor bloke had been clearly relieved of his constant search for a date. Harry was another story, he had also managed to put his date to the Ball till the last minute one more time. And now he was as stuck as one could get with a date he had no interest with.

“You look good for a change,” Ginny teased.

“Shut up,” Ron responded. He cleared his throat, before asking Ginny the question he wanted to ask. “Is… Is she…?”

“She’ll be down any minute now,” she said with a smile.

“I hope so,” he nervously checked his dress robes. “Do I look good?”

“You look great mate,” Dean said, most likely trying to assure him. Ron looked to Harry for confirmation who nodded his head. 

Then, Ron heard it. The subtle set of steps he had walked with for 5 years. He turned to look before anyone else. There she was. Hermione Granger. Her brown hair was up in a bun on her head, with some strands of hair falling down and reaching her neck essentially framing her beautiful face. She was not wearing the periwinkle dress she had worn last year, instead she wore a champagne-coloured dress adorned with red lining and an intricate red pattern at the bottom that matched his own dress robes. She looked even more beautiful than last year, perhaps she had grown or maybe it was because she had chosen him.

Her cheeks were a bit pink, although Ron did not know if it was because of her make-up or another reason. Although she was wearing some short heels, he was still nearly a head taller than her. 

“Hi,” he said with a smile on his face.

“Hi,” she almost whispered, as if they had a secret. The two remained in silence only staring at each other, when Harry cleared his throat.

Continue Reading at AO3 Continue Reading at FFN

RWatHT Master List

[lazzarella]

Top 10 Things

For some reason, I've decided to compile lists of my various top ten things, a completely pointless venture because I highly doubt anyone will read it, and I already know what they are, but I'm doing it anyway! lol

(I've included: bands; solo artists; albums; books; poems; graphic novels/comics; tv shows; BL series; murder mystery shows; movies; actors; actresses; directors; musicals)

BANDS

The Beatles

ABBA

Belle and Sebastian

Led Zeppelin

The Raveonettes

The Decemberists

Ramones

Blondie

Sparks

Judas Priest

SOLO ARTISTS

John Grant

Rufus Wainwright

Connie Francis

Kylie Minogue

Angel Olsen

Prince

Sufjan Stevens

Kate Bush

David Bowie

Keaton Henson

ALBUMS

Queen of Denmark by John Grant

69 Love Songs by The Magnetic Fields

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel

Rubber Soul by The Beatles

Picaresque by The Decemberists

Houses of the Holy by Led Zeppelin

You Could Have It So Much Better by Franz Ferdinand

Purple Rain by Prince

Transformer by Lou Reed

If You're Feeling Sinister by Belle and Sebastian

BOOKS

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Grief is the Thing With Feathers by Max Porter

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter

The Charioteer by Mary Renault

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

POEMS

Having a Coke With You by Frank O'Hara

Every poem in Crush by Richard Siken

The Second Coming by WB Yeats (alternatively, The Mermaid)

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot

Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen

Love Sonnet XI by Pablo Neruda

somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond by e.e. cummings

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

Tired by Langston Hughes

Perhaps the World Ends Here by Joy Harjo

GRAPHIC NOVELS/COMICS

Paper Girls

Ghost World

Persepolis

Bandette series

Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant + sequels

The Fade Out

The Case of the Missing Men

The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal

It's a Good Life, If You Don't Weaken

Nimona

TV SHOWS (that are not BLs or murder mysteries XD)

Spaced

Supernatural

The Hour

Buffy

Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes

This is England 86/88/90

I Love Lucy

Pushing Daisies

Dark

In the Flesh OR The Young Ones OR Xena (I was going to choose but meh)

(A full list of my favourite TV shows on Serializd)

BL SERIES (MASTERLIST HERE)

Moonlight Chicken

My Personal Weatherman

KinnPorsche

Cherry Magic (Thailand)

Century of Love

Wandee Goodday

Old Fashion Cupcake

A Tale of Thousand Stars

Only Friends

Jack O'Frost

(I have a feeling Kidnap is going to take the place of one of these though)

MURDER MYSTERY SHOWS

Poirot

Marple

Rosemary and Thyme

Twin Peaks (it counts XD)

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

Endeavour

Beyond Evil

Murder, She Wrote

Jonathan Creek

George Gently

MOVIES

(if I do subcategories for this, we'd be here all day! But ftr my favourite genres are film noir, musicals, rom-coms, horror—mostly slashers and gialli, 50s/60s sci-fi...)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Clue

Strictly Ballroom

Charade

Velvet Goldmine

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Call Me By Your Name

God's Own Country

Secretary

That Thing You Do!

(A full list of my favourite films on Letterboxd)

ACTORS

Robert Redford

Colin Farrell

James Spader

Keanu Reeves

Danny Kaye

Humphrey Bogart

Dirk Bogarde

Frank Sinatra

Jack Lemmon

Ben Whishaw

ACTRESSES

(only separating by gender to get more in XD)

Doris Day

Audrey Hepburn

Amy Adams

Lucille Ball

Jane Fonda

Kirsten Dunst

Marilyn Monroe

Nicole Kidman

Michelle Williams

Cate Blanchett

DIRECTORS

Gregg Araki

Alfred Hitchcock

John Waters

Sofia Coppola

Agnès Varda

Wes Anderson

Billy Wilder

Pedro Almodóvar

Stanley Donen

Dario Argento

MUSICALS

(only counting ones I've seen productions of myself)

The Rocky Horror Show

Little Shop of Horrors

Aladdin

Matilda

Cats

Chicago

Hairspray

Wicked

Singin' in the Rain

9 to 5 tied with Priscilla: Queen of the Desert

[anotherkindofmindpod]

SUMMARY Phoebe and Daphne answer listener mail! In Part 2 they tackle: the controversial production of Strawberry Fields Forever, an alternate theory on Paul and Jane’s breakup, what Mick Jagger and Pattie Boyd know about J/P in India, Projecting Onto George, granny music, voodoo dolls and more! Listen HERE

FULL LIST OF TOPICS Security Blanket Midas Man Pattie’s Post What Does Pattie Mean? Maharishi Hit on a Beatle? Sympathy for Teenage Paul Estranged Fiance Theory Projecting Onto George SFF (John’s dissatisfaction) Paul’s Farm Maxwell Paul and Jane: Alternate Theory Infamous Postcard Voodoo Dolls Mistake Feedback Mozart Prodigy Discussion Granny Music If I Fell Foreverly Brothers Morbid Question

PLAYLIST What You’re Doing THE BEATLES 1964 From Me to You THE BEATLES 1963

[grief-worn]

♨♘☻

domestic headcanons.

gonna put these under a cut! i might ramble.

any pets they might have.

ok, yes, shadowheart loves animals. if she had a different life, she would've been a horse girl. sources list that in one of her endings she adopts: four dogs, eight cats, nine chickens, six pigeons, four sheep, a cow named daphne, a squirrel, and a wolf cub named buttons. (also the owlbear if you pick that choice.)

i personally adore this. i'm not entirely sure i'd pin my interpretation of shadowheart as a farm girl, but i do think she'd be too weak to deny any stray that ends up on her doorstep. her family would grow quite large.

if she seeks a life of adventure, i think she'd keep an animal companion to fight along her side. a wolf seems fitting, especially if she loses her parents. it would be a way to memorialize her father and remember his legacy. but i also swoon at the idea of her riding that armored owlbear into battle ... alternatively, she'd look badass with a hawk.

the owlbear refers to her as "the nice lady", so even in her brooding early days alongside the others it's certain she treats animals well. she'll huff and puff and act uncaring, but you know the instant people turn their backs she's baby-talking the owlbear and sneaking him scraps of her own supper. i think she understands and empathizes with animals more than she does people. she values their company.

and the age-old question: is she a dog person or a cat person? i think my shadowheart is a bird person.

how late do they stay up?

shadowheart is a night owl. it's when the world is still, and it's one of the few times she can truly, deeply think. she's energized past dark, and tends to feel most productive in the evenings, but her sleep schedule honestly really depends on the day she's having.

some nights are spent wrapping up chores; laundry, organization, recounting her candles, prepping elixirs and potions. shadowheart will stay up late, but won't be too preoccupied, and will know when to turn it in.

other nights she needs to fucking think. ruminate her existence and stare at the wall for hours on end. she doesn't get a lot of self-reflection done, but there's hardly time for that. she plans missions, ponders her role in shar's grand design, and desperately tries to piece together shards of her broken memories. this is when she loses the hours. before long, the sun is rising and she's wasted another night of her life she'll never get back.

those are nights she regrets. they taste bitter.

... this is not the case if she has company. specifically, company she enjoys. it's easy to gorge herself on nights such as this. drowned in wine and laughing so hard her sides ache. or maybe it's more subdued. whispered gossip shared in confidentiality. juiced like ripe fruit. she's talking, and they're talking, and it's hard to know where one topic ends and the next begins. but then the sky is lighter and she sees pink behind the clouds. the night is over. she hasn't slept.

those are nights she won't ever want to forget.

[enby-dollhouse]

Dyeing Doll Clothes

I bought the cardigan from Kit’s Photographer Outfit a few months ago, hoping to use it for my dolls as I lack the knitting skills to make one myself. However, when it arrived I really didn’t love the colour. It’s a bright coral that really didn’t go with any of the doll clothes I already owned, so I never used it. 

So I dyed it! I used Rit DyeMore synthetic dye in the colour graphite, as it was something I already owned and had experience with. Though because the base colour was coral, I wasn’t sure what the final product would be.

Before (Photo from an ebay listing):

And after! Modelled by Daphne, my TM73.

It shows a little pinker on camera, but IRL it’s a subtle plum colour that easily fits in with my doll wardrobe. I also exchanged the the original buttons for ones that I liked better!

[lizardrosen]

The Bridgerton Family Hamlet cast list

this post is partly @glintglimmergleam's fault for having a line about Eloise playing Ophelia (badly) and partly Luke Thompson's fault for having played Laertes in one of my favorite productions.

Hamlet is Anthony's favorite play, so of course he chose it for their family theater experience, and of course he plays Hamlet himself. His father was his whole world for eighteen years, and then he watched him die and his mother become a ghost. He's responsible for far too much and doesn't know who he is without the grief that's shaped him, and the certainty that he will not live past his father's age.

Benedict plays Laertes, the protective but silly big brother, who goes out having wild libertine adventures and discovering who he is, and he was also old enough to feel the loss of their father in a way that even Colin didn't, and he brings his endless capacity for love to the role. In some ways he and Anthony are as different as two brothers can be, but in other ways they have the closest relationship, so they make good foils.

Colin has the acting chops to memorize long meandering speeches, so he gets to be Polonius. Everyone thought that should be Anthony because he's bossy and dad-like, but he's the oldest so he gets to be the hero, so there! Colin is also Polonius because he's self-important and paternalistic and won't shut up about his travels, and thinks Polonius is heroic in the same way Polonius himself thought Julius Caesar was the hero of Julius Caesar, lmao.

Everyone assumed Daphne was a shoo-in for Ophelia, the young beautiful ingenue but Eloise was very persuasive that it should be her role, so instead she plays Gertrude, trying to keep a handle on her world that has changed so entirely with her husband's death, and she can exude queenly dignity just as well as youthful exuberance.

Eloise has one goal and one goal only, and that's to give Ophelia some much-needed agency in a world of men telling her what to do. She's not so good at playing the early scenes where despite her best efforts the script still has her obey her father, but she plays the "mad" scenes with a boiling anger at her circumstances that says she's completely sane and that's what's causing her such grief.

Francesca was really excited to play both Claudius and The Ghost, a common conceit in Hamlet, and she has the range to make the brothers feel distinct and memorable. She was also the only one who could get through a scene of pretending to be married to a sibling without giggling (how did Anthony and Eloise manage as Hamlet and Ophelia? well they were both so into the character analysis that they didn't mind too much who was playing opposite of them)

Gregory is Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Yes, both of them; he has two hats he keeps switching between whenever he's in a scene. He's also the soldier Marcellus, and whatever minor roles are needed.

Hyacinth gets to be Horatio, Hamlet's best friend and confidant, and also the one who observes everything happening around her and asks questions to clarify the plot. Anthony thinks there's something nicely full-circle about Horatio carrying the story to Fortinbras and all the survivors, and Hyacinth being so much younger she's almost in a different generation from him.

[si-cucumber]

Mazz's Top 5 Shows (as of 8/23)

So I’ve been debating on letting my inner theater geek out on here for a while, but I also realize that....this is my blog so I can talk about whatever the hell I want to talk about.

If somehow you didn’t know already, I am and always have been a theater kid. I’ve been lucky enough to have seen tons of live theater in my day, whether it’s community, national tours, or in New York. And now that my current touring season is over, and I continue to gush over the amazing shows I’ve seen the past few months, I think it’s time for me to officially update my Top 5 Show list. 

5.) Six (US Tour)

So fun fact, I just saw this for the first time yesterday. I've been a fan of Six since it opened in the West End and waited super patiently for it to tour. It was entirely electric, the crowd was beyond into it, and the vocal talent was so stunning that I instantly bought tickets to see it again. That has never happened to me before. I was incredibly blown away and look forward to seeing it again next weekend lmao

4.) Next To Normal (Broadway, 2010)

This was my very first Broadway show on my first trip to New York. This was baby's first online fandom. Back in the day, my friends and I ruled the n2n category on FFnet. It was my first experience with fanfiction and fandom and it was fantastic. This show was everything angsty, teenage Mazz needed at the time. Being able to see the original cast and it being my first real Broadway show, it will always hold a special place in my heart!

3.) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2023 Revival)

I saw this back in June when I went to New York last! Actually, the whole reason for my trip was just to see this, especially since I missed out on Josh Groban in Great Comet. The most star-studded cast I've ever seen, tons of heavy-hitters. Sweeney Todd was a favorite of teenage Mazz and his theater friends. We'd spend our weekends in my friend's basement performing "A Little Priest" to the best of our ability. Even though I know this show inside and out, I was still on the edge of my seat by the end. Annaleigh Ashford was the stand-out for me. She was robbed of that Tony.

2.) Beetlejuice (National Tour)

I saw this back in January with one of my best friends. I've loved this show since it debuted ages ago, and was probably the best show I saw this touring season! The absolute funniest show I've ever seen. Like, we were laughing so loud and hard I'm pretty sure we were annoying the people around us lmao. But nonetheless, it was an excellent production and I left dying to see it again (no...pun intended).

1.) Some Like It Hot (Broadway 2023)

I will never ever ever stop talking about this show. Hands down, best show I have ever seen. The amount of joy i felt for hours after seeing this was incredible. I was so lucky to see this during pride month, so I have a pride version of the playbill, which is so so special to me. It was so refreshing to see a classic, jazz musical again and the choreography? Insane. Like jaw dropping insane. The final chase sequence blew my mind.

But what struck me the most was seeing a queer actor onstage playing a canonically trans character. A character who was done so well and felt so organic. I saw this at the point in my transition where I really started presenting and dressing masculinely. I was the little awkward trans guy from Ohio, alone in the big city, sat at the front of the mezzanine hearing the crowd cheer for Daphne. After months of feeling dread about the state of this country and the fear of being outwardly trans, this was just...the perfect thing at the perfect time. The amount of gender euphoria I felt was incredible, it was so moving to me. It will always hold a special place in my heart and that is why it's my number one.

So that is my current list! Will it change? Probably at some point lmao. My next season starts in October, and I look forward to seeing what awaits me next.

[no-more-tales-tavern]

@megareader93-aka-composcreator sent: “New” gif list 6A: Rogue Daphne Greengrass tried to steal from the Lunar Rorts warehouse. But was caught by Thundove himself. She was given two options. One was to have her hands cut off. Clearly she went with the second one.

"New" Gif List: 6A

As soon as she saw the heir of the crime syndicate round the corner and lay eyes on her, about a half-dozen scenarios ran through Daphne's mind. Half of those were extremely dumb or required resources she did not at the moment have access to, two were likely to end with her being killed, and the last called on social skills that she was vastly lacking in.

So of course! She just had to go with that one and try to charm the goddamn pants off the young elf so she could get the hell out of there.

As she felt his fingers tangle in her hair and shove her firmly against the crate that she'd just been trying to pilfer product from, though, Daphne had to admit that she'd at least succeeded in half of her intentions—as evidenced by the lack of clothes on both herself and the young elf behind her, and the feeling of his long cock thrusting hard and deep into her folds over and over again.

Daphne shuddered and gasped as she bucked against his thrusts, her hands pressing against the crate she was pinned on as she struggled against his thrusts. Every smack of his hips against her ass was a blow to her will, and she felt herself struggling to hold herself together under the ruthless assault. A firm smack to her ass coaxed a moan from her lips, and she shamefully knew it wasn't the first.

"Rather bold tactic, Miss Greengrass~" Thundove noted with a malicious smirk, steadily pistoning his hips into her backside as he punished the hapless thief. "I will admit your suggestion was very appealing~ though I hope you'll forgive me taking you up on it right here and now instead of my private quarters as you wished~"

"F-Fuck~ you~" Daphne moaned out, struggling to shoot the high elf a glare—her gaze falling short of landing on the hung bastard.

"That's exactly what I'm doing, my dear~" the handsome young elf replied with a chuckle, before suddenly jerking her back by her hair, coaxing another moan from her as her back arched towards him. His lips almost brushed against her ear as he softly murmured, "And what I'll continue to do to you, over and over again, my little thief~"

There was no deceit in his voice, and Daphne shuddered, well aware that she wasn't leaving this base anytime soon.

[chen-chen-chen-again-chen]

Six Something? Sunday

Hello hello hello!! Thank you for the Sunday tags, @onepintobean, @johnwgrey, @fatalfangirl, @forabeatofadrum, and @artsyunderstudy!

I don't have sentences, but I do have a thing for Jelly Babies, my Swithin/OMC (Swegory) fic which keeps growing tentacles and tails:

[ID: Grimm Family Tier List (GREGORY'S {troll emoji} RANKINGS)

S Tier - {Unicorn emoji} Swithin (duh the S is right in his name)

A Tier - {Vampire man emoji} Baz (Simon's bf, good egg)

A Tier - {Rose emoji} Daphne (keeps offering me food) (Note: yes, Daphne's emoji is a rose because of Billie Piper)

B Tier - {Cookie emoji} Tyr (great baker, nice, will probs move up to A tier)

C Tier - {Vampire woman emoji} Mordelia (scary, always on her mobile)

D Tier - {Joker emoji} Sophie (chaos demon, likes taking the piss out of me)

F Tier - {Horse emoji} Swithin's dad Malcolm (Is this too mean????)

Hello tags, and a blather about productivity & rest under the cut!

I want to say a huge thank you to every kind human who sent me their blessings and good wishes for a restful Sunday. It’s been a weekend full of R&R over in this here lazaretto (as my spouse and I call our haunted house), filled with good pizza, daytime naps, luxurious head scritches, and cackling over the anime My Next Life as a Villainess (which is hysterical. Everybody’s gay for the protagonist. Everybody).

I wrote a lot of Jelly Babies at what is (for me) a truly insane place, churning out the first 6-7 chaps in a weekend because I could not. Stop. Thinking about it. This was followed by three days where I was put on a steroid, Prednisone, for a post-COVID ear infection, and it made me VERY ENERGETIC and VERY UNFILTERED (good for writing Gregory, in other words), and I felt a lot like that gif of the cat smashing at the keyboard.

Then the slump hit, as it invariably does! I do truly feel incredibly blessed when my trio of the DMC (the Daemon, Muses, and Creativity) take over and I can write and write and write. But I know enough now about that process to brace for the impact when the DMC leave and I am just a human again, left to tend to my fleshy body and to learn how to walk again when before I was able to fly.

Writing and posting Jelly Babies is a huge push out of my comfort zone, which is good for me. It's so funny to me now, looking back on this post about Why I don't usually post WIPs. "The tears of Mummers House" was such a good exercise in posting a WIP, but that was like wading in a kiddie pool whereas now, with Jelly Babies, I feel like I have firmly pushed myself into the deep end (in the good way). Bless COC and every human (looking at you, @sailorblossoms) who has been an inspiration for just making the work, putting it out there, and Having Fun With It.

I really struggled with whether to take a break from posting today. Part of my brain was like "But my family is STARVING, I have to FEED them" and a much more sensible part was like, "Every single person reading this story would wrap you up in blankets and tell you to take a nap." So again, thank you for being wonderful, and I'm so excited to return with more sweet baby gays tomorrow! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Pressure-free hello tags, and I hope y'all have a restful Sunday: @bookish-bogwitch, @captain-aralias, @cutestkilla, @excalisbury, @facewithoutheart, @hushed-chorus, @ionlydrinkhotwater, @larkral, @martsonmars, @moodandmist, @nightimedreamersworld, @raenestee, @sailorblossoms @thewholelemon, @whogaveyoupermission, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe

[smokeybrandreviews]

Scooby Dooby Don’t

I feel like I'm piling on with this post but, f*ck, is Velma bad! It is every bit as terrible as you’ve heard, and has uniquely offended every one. I’m talking both sides of the aisle and it’s kind of insane. I’ve seen cats talking about how Mindy Kaling, voice of the titular Velma Dinkley and executive producer of this show, is some sort of deep cover, radical Conservative, who created this show specifically to be a parody of everything the Left looks for in content. I read a whole ass article that basically said Kaling is a self-hating Indian woman because all of her characters are basically self-hating Indian women and that’s a fair analysis. What has that got to do with Velma? Probably a lot but I'm not here to unpack Kaling’s personal issues. I’m just her to tell you this show is f*cking awful!

Now, don’t misunderstand me, I'm not here for this superficial outrage. All of this “woke” diversity sh*t is not a problem for me. I love a re-imagining and making these characters racially diverse is a thing that i am more than okay with, red-headed, ambiguously Asian, Daphne Blake aside. I like the subversion of Shaggy, for the most part. Norville is probably my favorite character in this show and that’s only because he’s redeemable. I mean, the dude is a total simp for Velma, much to his detriment, but Shaggy is, quite literally, the only likable character (if you can call him that) in this entire goddamn show. Everyone on this cast is abhorrent. It’s like someone drunkenly said in some Hollywood party, “Hey, what if Scooby-Doo but Always Sunny? And way worse?” That’s Velma in a nutshell. That’s the entire f*cking show, right there.

The writing is f*cking atrocious. It's not clever or funny and is just kind of what you'd expect a modern sixteen year old would make if they were penning a Scooby-Doo fan fic. Like, i didn’t laugh at anything in this show. Not once. Not even a chuckle. It was edgy cringe, the whole way through. This sh*t is written in the most derivative, performative progressive, corporate woke way possible. I’m watching this show and it feels like I'm looking at all the Rainbow Flags being flown over f*cking Disney during Pride Month. Watching this feels no different than Nike posting a bunch of MLK quotes over whatever new Zoom Air product poster their releasing, in February. This woke bullsh*t says the thing but doesn’t go any deeper. It’s recognizable as “progressive” but doesn’t earn any of the weight which goes with that. I mean, Daphne and Velma kiss at the end of episode f*cking two. That right there is your “safe” LBGTQ+ representation. At the end of the second f*cking episode. Unearned. Inorganic. Just shoved in there because, gay needed to be checked off the list.

It’s all just dick jokes and terrible pacing and f*cking nonsensical tomfoolery. Nothing is funny. Nothing is compelling. This show is just a mess but the most egregious transgression committed by Velma is the fact that Velma Dinkley is the absolute worst! She is, without a doubt, the worst f*cking character in this entire f*cking show, and it’s HER show! How can your title character be this goddamn unlikable? Velma in this show, resembles no other iteration of the character. Because she’s not. This Velma is every other character Mindy Kaling has ever played, which is just her. This Velma IS Mindy. She’s a self insert and acts just like every other character Mindy has written, because all she writes IS herself. There is no difference between Velma or Mindy Lahiri or Bela from that other show Kaling produced, The Sex Lives of College Girls. If you’re Indian in a Mindy Kaling production, you’re going to be a self-insert whether it’s prudent to the script or not. And she got away with this sh*t for years because, you know, it was HER sh*t. Now it’s not. Now it’s Scooby-Doo, a franchise that has been established for more than fifty f*cking years. When an franchise has been around that long, with so many different iterations of those principal characters, your lack of nuance and creativity molding one of the core cast is definitely going to stand out. Velma is so goddamn bad, cats are questioning Mindy’s entire career. That’s how bad she f*cked this up.

Who is this for? Its too woke for the Right and too poorly written for everyone else. Like, don’t misunderstand me, this is a bad show. It was bad on the page before the sh*t even got ethnically diverse onscreen. Everything in this show feels like it was focus-grouped for Zoomers and Alphas, and then no one listened to the feedback. They just went off some notes they got from the Old Twatter guard. Those Bluehairs and Checkmarks and the like. How is this thing so goddamn bad? Harley Quinn is everything this show wants to be and done correctly. SO much goddamn gay in that show but no one complains about any of it. SO much ethnic diversity and big ass female energy coursing throughout, not a peep from those more Conservative viewers. Because it’s good. Because the writing is witty, satirical, genuine, and earnest. This is what Adult animation is supposed to be, not just gratuitously violent, overtly sexual in very problematic ways, and chock full of mic drop F-bombs just for the f*ck of it. This is written like some wish fulfillment from the chubby goth girl that no one talked to in high school. Velma is the Twlight-ification of Scooby-Doo and it's f*cking terrible because of that.

[faejilly]

Unusual Muse Associations

tagged by @shadoedseptmbr like a month ago? Because what even is time. No-pressure tagging anyone who'd like to blame me and uh... @quilleth @awaylaughing @angstmongertina @thievinghippo @theherocomplex

Weaver Shepard I guess, since I have half-a-fic about her I attempted for sept's b-day that's still not done 😅

Seasoning: all of them! possibly all at once until no one can eat the thing she put them all in! but it smells good! (to her at least)

Weather: yes! (it's a lovely relief from stations/ships)

Color: green

Sky: with atmosphere when possible?

Magical Power: morning person

House Plant: she gives other people spider plants because almost anyone can keep them alive (she mostly prefers things like swaths of clovers and garland daphne and fruit trees and trellises of full-sized veggies, which means she visits a lot of community gardens in different postings over the years)

Weapon: [ic she would have a very precise answer to this, but I don't remember my options well enough to manage anything beyond something sniper-y]

Subject: whatever the future sci-fi equivalent of shop is, probably

Social Media: Sure! Lots of pictures of the current nerdery! Very little actually social conversation

Makeup Product: BB cream! very good for still feeling like a person when you take your helmet off :D

Candy: pop rocks

Fear: existential abandonment/betrayal? Slightly less metaphorical, uh... cilantro? Food should not taste like soap. It disturbs her.

Ice Cube Shape: no preference. cronchy is good.

Method of Long-Distance Travel: whichever the Alliance will pay for?

Art Style: pretty classic art deco; clean lines, machines are neat, shiny

Mythological Creature: Would a retro-future-sci-fi robot count? Because that's the first thing I thought of after writing the art style one 😅🤖

Piece of Stationery: Either a blank page ripped out of the back of a tech manual OR hand-made-pressed-flower-paper with like NOTHING in between

Three Emojis: 🌼🎯🎛️

Celestial Body: I feel like she'd make a joke about how she IS a celestial body all on her own, and she's not really serious but she's not wrong either, she's kind of stupidly pretty

(and a copy-paste version of the question list under the cut for y'all if anyone's interested)

SEASONING

WEATHER

COLOR

SKY

MAGICAL POWER

HOUSE PLANT

WEAPON

SUBJECT

SOCIAL MEDIA

MAKEUP PRODUCT

CANDY

FEAR

ICE CUBE SHAPE

METHOD OF LONG-DISTANCE TRAVEL

ART STYLE

MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE

PIECE OF STATIONERY

THREE EMOJIS

CELESTIAL BODY