#harper shockley

[angelic-writer]

Wizards of Weslyn - Spelunking Gone Wrong

Day 12 of @augusnippets

Prompts: Lost/trapped/avalanche

Fandom: Wizards of Weslyn by @moonlightsmasquerade

"Okay, let's see..." Cedric tried to find an opening in the rocks, hoping that the one they'd find would be big enough to fit. But they found nothing. They were stuck in here with no way to call for help. They turned to Harper. "Hey, Harper. You doing good?"

"Eh, as good as I can be." She answered.

"And don't try to move that leg!"

Harper looked down at their leg which was beginning to swell up. She had been hit in the leg with a falling rock, causing it to break. "I... don't think you need to worry about that. Even if I can, I don't think I'll get very far."

Cedric pursed their lips together and continued searching for an exit. They were supposed to find some rocks for Nadia for a school assignment so a surprise avalanche trapping them inside was the last thing they expected would happen. We really are unlucky...

"Hey." Harper suddenly said. "It's gonna be alright. Ozwald dealt with a blizzard before and he survived. I'm sure we'll survive this."

His words of encouragement did little to ease Cedric's nerves. Sure, Ozwald survived almost freezing to death, but that was because everyone got to him in a nick of time. They and Harper were trapped in a cave in a forest far away from the academy. Who knows how much air was left in there?

"Psst." Harper patted the ground beside them. Cedric sighed and sat beside them.

"Yeah?"

"Your thoughts are jumbled. They're going so fast, I can't even read them all." He petted their hair. "It's gonna be okay, Cedric. Help will be here soon." He looked at his leg again which had some sticks and a handkerchief holding them together, creating a makeshift splint. "Thanks for giving me that. Xander must've given you some lessons."

"It's kind of mandatory. Not all of us have healing magic."

"Good point."

They rested their head on Harper's shoulder. Help will arrive soon. They just gotta hold out until then.

[angelic-writer]

Them!!

Any doodles of Harper or Xander?

I do have doodles of both, these ones are just some general expression doodling, and a doodle of the two interacting

[jazzytrait]

(transcript under the cut)

London: Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. Let's get to the part we've all been waiting for: It's time to meet our competitors! Bernard Harper by @akitasimblr (a clone because Harpers do not die. So sayeth their Watcher.) - A consummate athlete - Cares very little about appearances - Has a degree in biology and played college football - Loves extreme sports - The son of a famous jungle explorer - Regularly goes on climbing excursions in Mt. Komorebi

Lavender Song by @comfyinn - Has a twin sister - A passionate painter - Lucky color is yellow - Known to be very jealous of her twin - Her necklace is a gift from her sister - Friendly and loves talking to people and making friends

Lauren Mack by @potionofquestionablecontents - Raised in a rural fishing village - Handy, with a background in machinery repair - Fiercely independent - Known to be a massive slob - Very confident

Aubree Weller by @natiesims - Windenburg native and the eldest of 3 - Lifelong student of martial arts - Professional boxer and yoga instructor - Has also worked as a model, bartender and in PR - Has a degree in communications - Loves the outdoors and gets cranky being inside

Tianna Rhodes by @yeshummingbird - Recent immigrant to SimNation from Sixam - Has a sim archaeology degree from Sixam University - Deeply interested in sim culture - A skilled fabricator - Known to be handy - Has a hobby interest in rocket science

Carter Rosen by @simsinfinitylt - From a remote village in the forests - Adept at wilderness survival - Ex-military who resigned due to a knee injury - Lives in seclusion and is rarely seen in society - Suffers from PTSD - Is known to be paranoid form time to time

Chen Huan by @moonfromearth - Renowned monster/occult hunter - Spends their free time keeping fit and staying active - Cautious to the point of seeming paranoid - Very handy and resourceful - A mysterious figure in society, only seen when working - Competitive and ready for action

Kendall Shockley by @wildmelon - Known for her bad attitude - Constantly finds flaws in others - Loves to aggravate people to get a reaction - Favorite animal is a skunk - Resourceful and handy - Trusts no one

London: Alright, folks. Let's get down to business. It's time for us to go to The Arena for our first challenge: Hell's Kitchen. Stay tuned until after these messages. Things are about to get... heated.

[wellesleybooks]

The National Book Award finalists have been announced.

2023 Longlist for the National Book Award for Fiction:

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Chain-Gang All-Stars Pantheon Books / Penguin Random House

Aaliyah Bilal, Temple Folk Simon & Schuster

Eliot Duncan, Ponyboy W. W. Norton & Company

Paul Harding, This Other Eden W. W. Norton & Company

Tania James, Loot Knopf / Penguin Random House

Jayne Anne Phillips, Night Watch Knopf / Penguin Random House

Mona Susan Power, A Council of Dolls Mariner Books / HarperCollins Publishers

Hanna Pylväinen, The End of Drum-Time Henry Holt and Company / Macmillan Publishers

Justin Torres, Blackouts Farrar, Straus and Giroux / Macmillan Publishers

LaToya Watkins, Holler, Child Tiny Reparations Books / Penguin Random House

2023 Longlist for the National Book Award for Nonfiction:

Ned Blackhawk, The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History Yale University Press

Jonathan Eig, King: A Life Farrar, Straus and Giroux / Macmillan Publishers

Viet Thanh Nguyen, A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial Grove Press / Grove Atlantic

Prudence Peiffer, The Slip: The New York City Street That Changed American Art Forever Harper / HarperCollins Publishers

Donovan X. Ramsey, When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era One World / Penguin Random House

Cristina Rivera Garza, Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice Hogarth / Penguin Random House

Christina Sharpe, Ordinary Notes Farrar, Straus and Giroux / Macmillan Publishers

Raja Shehadeh, We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I: A Palestinian Memoir Other Press

John Vaillant, Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World Knopf / Penguin Random House

Kidada E. Williams, I Saw Death Coming: A History of Terror and Survival in the War Against Reconstruction Bloomsbury Publishing

2023 Longlist for the National Book Award for Poetry:

John Lee Clark, How to Communicate W. W. Norton & Company

Oliver de la Paz, The Diaspora Sonnets Liveright / W. W. Norton & Company

Annelyse Gelman, Vexations University of Chicago Press

José Olivarez, Promises of Gold Henry Holt and Company / Macmillan Publishers

Craig Santos Perez, from unincorporated territory [åmot] Omnidawn Publishing

Paisley Rekdal, West: A Translation Copper Canyon Press

Brandon Som, Tripas Georgia Review Books / University of Georgia Press

Charif Shanahan, Trace Evidence Tin House Books

Evie Shockley, suddenly we Wesleyan University Press Monica Youn, From From Graywolf Press

2023 Longlist for the National Book Award for Translated Literature:

Juan Cárdenas, The Devil of the Provinces Translated from the Spanish by Lizzie Davis Coffee House Press

Bora Chung, Cursed Bunny Translated from the Korean by Anton Hur Algonquin Books / Hachette Book Group

David Diop, Beyond the Door of No Return Translated from the French by Sam Taylor Farrar, Straus and Giroux / Macmillan Publishers

Jenny Erpenbeck, Kairos Translated from the German by Michael Hofmann New Directions Publishing

Stênio Gardel, The Words That Remain Translated from the Portuguese by Bruna Dantas Lobato New Vessel Press

Khaled Khalifa, No One Prayed Over Their Graves Translated from the Arabic by Leri Price Farrar, Straus and Giroux / Macmillan Publishers

Fernanda Melchor, This Is Not Miami Translated from the Spanish by Sophie Hughes New Directions Publishing

Pilar Quintana, Abyss Translated from the Spanish by Lisa Dillman World Editions

Astrid Roemer, On a Woman’s Madness Translated from the Dutch by Lucy Scott Two Lines Press

Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, The Most Secret Memory of Men Translated from the French by Lara Vergnaud Other Press

2023 Longlist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature:

Erin Bow, Simon Sort of Says Disney-Hyperion Books / Disney Publishing Worldwide

Kenneth M. Cadow, Gather Candlewick Press

Alyson Derrick, Forget Me Not Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers / Simon & Schuster

Huda Fahmy, Huda F Cares? Dial Books for Young Readers / Penguin Random House

Vashti Harrison, Big Little, Brown Books for Young Readers / Hachette Book Group

Katherine Marsh, The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine Roaring Brook Press / Macmillan Publishers

Dan Nott, Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day Random House Graphic / Penguin Random House

Dan Santat, A First Time for Everything First Second / Macmillan Publishers

Betty C. Tang, Parachute Kids Graphix / Scholastic, Inc.

Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long, More Than a Dream: The Radical March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers / Macmillan Publishers

[mistbornhero]

Reasons to watch Dark Matter: Action Scenes [4/?] - Expanded

Join the campaign for wanting @netflix to join #TeamRaza and make Dark Matter S4 a reality! Follow @DarkMatterFTL on twitter for updates.

[womeninfilms]

Q&A - books

Since I received so many questions that it would be too long for one post, I’m splitting them into three parts: [movies/TV shows] [books] [other questions].

1. WLW book recs:

The Daylight Gate by Jeanette Winterson (2012): it’s a sort of gothic novel about witches, the WLW part is just a small part of the story and that story and the book both don’t have a happy ending, but it’s a really gripping novel, also Jeanette Winterson is a lesbian

Pages for You/Pages for Her by Sylvia Brownrigg (2002/2017): it’s a two-part book series about a college girl (later author), who falls in love with her tutor (later college professor), they break up at the end of the first book, but meet again during the second and it’s left open to interpretation if they start dating again or not, and Sylvia Brownrigg is bisexual

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson (1985): it’s a semi-biographical novel about Jeanette Winterson’s upbringing in a very religious family, even though there are some difficult scenes in it (she has to undergo an exorcism, for example), it’s quite funny to read and it has a happy ending

The Price of Salt/Carol by Patricia Highsmith (1952): it’s the book Carol is based on, it’s nicely written, some parts are different from the movie, of course, but that doesn’t matter, has a happy ending, and Patricia Highsmith was a lesbian

Anything by Sarah Waters (ranked from my least favourite to my favourite – excluding The Little Stranger because there aren’t any WLW in it):

Fingersmith (2002): set in the 19th century, it’s about a thief who is involved in a plot to trick a rich woman into marrying one of her thief-friends, however, she falls in love with the woman herself, has a happy ending

Affinity (1999): set in the 19th century, about a woman who pays frequent visits to a female prisoner and is tricked by her into helping her escape, doesn’t have a happy ending

Tipping the Velvet (1998): set in the 19th century, about a woman who falls in love with a woman who dresses up as a man to perform on stage and who follows her to London to be with her, has a happy ending

The Night Watch (2006): set during WWII, about different women and their stories, told anti-chronologically, very depressing, doesn’t really have a happy ending

The Paying Guests (2014): set during the 1920s, about a woman and her mother who sublet part of her house to a young couple, the daughter and the woman fall in love, the first part is very wholesome but the second part is very depressing, does have a happy ending though

Anything by Stefanie Zesewitz (but her books are only available in German):

Der Duft von Seide (The Scent of Silk) (2012): set during the 19th century, about a woman who is unhappily married and falls in love with a woman who has her own silk empire, rather suspenseful, but has a happy ending

Wie ein Versprechen (Like a Promise) (2013): set during WWII, about a young photographer who falls in love with a woman she meets at the studio she works at, the main character survives the book, but the other woman dies

Donaunebel (Danubian Fog) (2015): set during WWI, it’s about an Austrian woman and a Russian woman, I’m still in the middle of reading it though, so I can’t say anything more about it

Other books with happy endings that I’ve read: Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule (1964), Far from the World We Know by Harper Bliss (2016), Across the Pond by Cheri Crystal (2015), Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel (2006)

2. Books with WOC:

Unfortunately, I haven’t read any books with WOC yet, but I wanted to do a PhD on this topic, so I can recommend a couple (which are all written by WOC as well), but I have no idea how they end, if there is homophobia in them and so on

The Colour Purple by Alice Walker (1982): about the life of black women in the South during the 1930s

I Can’t Think Straight by Shamim Sarif (2008): it’s the book the movie of the same name is based on

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera (2016): about a Puerto Rican woman moving from the Bronx to Portland, Oregon

Life is Wonderful, People are Terrific by Meliza Bañales (2015): about a Chicana woman who leaves her home to go to college in Santa Cruz

Loving Her by Ann Allen Shockley (1974): is considered the first novel with lesbian themes about an African-American woman

The Necessary Hunger by Nina Revoyr (1997): about a Japanese-American girl who is raised in a mostly African-American community in L.A., is also concerned with the tensions between the Asian and the African-American communities

Under the Emerald Sky by Olukemi Amala (2011): about a woman with Nigerian ancestors who lives in the UK

Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta (2015): set in Nigeria during the civil war, about two girls who meet as fugitives and fall in love

The World Unseen by Shamim Sarif (2008): it’s the book the movie of the same name is based on

3. WLW book recs that deal with coming out:

I don’t think I’ve read books that deal specifically with coming out, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson and Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel sort of deal with that topic though. However, I did a quick Google search and I found a couple of books:

Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden (1982): it’s set in the 80s and it’s about two high school girls who fall in love and even get a happy ending (which was unusual for that time)

Her Name in the Sky by Kelly Quindlen (2014): it’s about a girl in high school who falls for her best friend

Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown (1973): it’s about a girl who grows up in the South and realises she’s a lesbian and how she deals with that discovery

[angelic-writer]

I've got so much brainrot for a modern Weslyn AU, you have no idea!

Okay, so here's the gist. Weslyn is a modernized city that is run by the Magnussen family. Merlin is the one who runs the town as well as the one who chooses who gets to work with him. The Thornecrofts and Oleanders are among the top ranks as well as business rivals. The Wickers used to be part of the ranks too, but after a certain... Incident, they fell into debt and their companies filed for bankruptcy.

Ozwald and his childhood friend Calliope Hart attends Mayflower Collegiate Institute, a school you go to to give yourself career opportunities and "bring you out into the New World." They meet other students there: Xander Oleander, the rich, popular kid, Cedric Nightingale, the president of the school newspaper, Eden Goodwin, a good friend of Xander, Harper Shockley, a person who claims to see the future, Phoenix Lightfoot, a girl who is part of the student counsel and Meadowlark "Daisy-Head" Nettle, a quiet kid who stays in the classroom often. There's also their teacher, Nadia. She tries her best to make sure her students don't get into trouble.

Through a set of circumstances, Ozwald and Xander strike up an unlikely friendship which shocks everyone since their families are rivals and them being friends complicates things. Like Wizards of Weslyn, this story is mostly slice of life with the students trying their best to make it in the world. But there may be a conspiracy going on that could spell the downfall of Weslyn...

[jazzytrait]

(transcript under the cut)

London: Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to The Motive Trials. I'm London Greer and, as always, I'm here to guide you through all the twists and turns of this competition. Last week, our first challenge pit sim against sim in a deadly cook off, which ended with Kendall Shockley's being the first curtained window in The Arena.

This week's challenge will test our competitors' fortitude in the face of temptation. Let's hop they don't have a sweet tooth! Grim, what do you think we can expect to see in this competition?

Grim: London, cowplants are extremely crafty creatures. As most of our viewers know, when hungry they bait sims with a marvel of evolution: a cake shaped tongue. They also emit a pheromone which can entrance their prey, enticing them to take the bait, even when they usually wouldn't.

London: That is simply amazing! However, bear in mind folks, being eaten by a cowplant is not an instant death scenario. See, the cowplant drains your essence, which needs time to replenish. If you are tricked a second time before you're able to sufficiently recharge, Grim here will be paying you a visit. Let's go to The Arena.

And there's the starting buzzer! Grim, Carter seems to be playing with his cowplant. Is that safe?

Grim: It's not without its dangers, London. But, as we see, Lauren is scolding her cowplant for playing too rough.

London: Chen seems to have taken an alternate approach and is attempting to pet the giant carnivorous flora.

Grim: Over here, Kendall has possessed Lavender's plinth and is shaking it at her to try to break her concentration.

London: Well, that's just rude, Grim.

Oh! And Lauren's cowplant is the first to get hungry and deploy its cake decoy!

Grim: A couple other cakes have appeared now, but look here at Aubree being smart and making sure she's not hungry and [therefore] less likely to be tempted.

London: Oh no, Grim! Lauren has that dazed look in her eyes!

Grim: That enlarged udder of the cowplant is where the sim is drained of their essence.

London: Ew. Can we not talk about the udders?!

Who was that that just got swallowed up?! Was that Bernard Harper?!

Grim: I believe so, London. It appears Carter Rosen just tried to go for the cake as well.

London: Oh, Lavender! That's not cake and you know it! Snap out of it!

It seems the cowplant has spit Lauren back out.

Grim: She will definitely want a shower.

London: Even Chen is falling for the cake now! This is chaos, ladies and gentlemen.

Grim: There's Carter trying to get his bearings after being spit back out by his cowplant.

London: Oh, there goes Tianna!

Grim: Do they have cowplants on Sixam?

London: I have no idea.

Don't go away, ladies and gentlemen! Grim and I will be back with the conclusion of Round Two right after these messages.

@akitasimblr @comfyinn @potionofquestionablecontents @natiesims @yeshummingbird @simsinfinitylt @moonfromearth @wildmelon

[onaperduamedee]

Two/Portia Lin from Dark Matter

Nyx Harper from Dark Matter

Solara Shockley from Dark Matter

Awesome Black women and women of colour in sci-fi.

Feel free to add more!

[moonlightsmasquerade]

You've gotta open your mind!

[jazzytrait]

(Transcript under the cut)

London: Welcome back to The Motive Trials, ladies and gentlemen! I am your host, London Greer, and we are about to begin challenge #3. But first, let's take a look at where we stand so far in the competition. Last week, we saw the curtain come down on Lauren Mack after a tangle with a hungry cowplant. She joins Kendall Shockley who, in our first round, kicked things up too many notches in the kitchen and went "bam".

This week's challenge will give our competitors some much needed time to relax those tired muscles and recharge. They'll each be hanging out in their own luxury sauna, but there can always be too much of a good thing! The challengers will need to stay cool under pressure because the first to overheat will be getting some rather permanent rest and relaxation. Let's head over to The Arena to begin the challenge!

And we can see those saunas beginning to fill with steam.

Grim: I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually a little jealous of our competitors.

London: In need of a spa day, Grim?

Grim: This weather has been really hard on my skin.

London: Well, this doesn't seem to be hard on Carter at all.

Grim: Bernard is a little sweaty, but still seems to be relaxing.

London: Chen is looking downright invigorated! She looks like she wants to go for a run any moment now.

Grim: Meanwhile, Kendall and Lauren seem to be taking turns trying to scare one another.

London: I can't tell if that's a friendly game or not...

Tianna is starting to look like she has had enough of this spa treatment.

Grim: Chen still looks like she's getting pumped for that marathon after this round.

London: Aubree, on the other hand, looks like she really wants a shower.

Grim: Bernard has stood up. Is he feeling well?

London: I'm not sure, Grim. He looks pretty sweaty. He might be beginning to overheat...

Oh my! He does look a little overcooked, doesn't he?

Grim: Reminds me of Harvest Fest at my sister's house.

London: What?

Grim: Nevermind.

London: And once again, ladies and gentlemen, a purple curtain has come down in The Arena and this time it has come down on Bernard Harper! What an absolute shame it is. Let's go ahead and sit down with him and see how he's feeling after his elimination from the competition... and life.

Bernard, you put up such a good fight in this challenge. How are you feeling?

Bernard: I'm ok, I guess, but is it still hot in here? How can I still be sweating as a ghost?!

London: It's normal to retain a bit of the feeling of how you died. Sorry about that. Grim, this must be kind of interesting for you too. We know that The Harper Family is very closely guarded by their Watcher and are all granted immortality. Is this a first for you?

Grim: It is, London. Though, as we know, this Harper is just a clone and the real Bernard Harper is safe at home.

London: Well, Clone Bernard, we're not done with you yet. You'll be hanging out in The Arena with us for the rest of the competition.

Well, it is time for us to wrap this us, ladies and gentlemen, but tune in next week as we pit sim against snack in another action packed episode of The Motive Trials! I'm London Greer saying goodnight!

@akitasimblr @comfyinn @potionofquestionablecontents @natiesims @yeshummingbird @simsinfinitylt @moonfromearth @wildmelon

(Just realized I got no shots of Lavender this round. That's my bad. SORRYYYYYYYY)