#hfth 9

[ghostsandmermaids]

Thinking about Nikignik saying that birds are "a symbol of freedom, of life, of hope" and Polly being afraid of birds...

[mushroomribcage]

One of my favorite scenes in hfth

[marvelousmawn]

ive also made playlists for each individual week if anyone is interested! they can be found by searching "HFTH Relisten Week [#]" on spotify!

here's week 1 to start!

I put together a relisten schedule for Hello from the Hallowoods for the Haunt discord! It starts tomorrow and ends the day before Season 5 begins, and includes liveshows and special episodes.

Forgive the phone screenshot but if anyone’s interested:

[vestaclinicpod]

Audio Drama Sunday - 1st October 🎃

Happy Sunday! I’ve had such a busy week this week that I’ve barely had time to listen to so many of my favourite new releases! Here’s what I did catch!  

🌲@hellofromthehallowoods (135) GOD I feel like one could right an entire essay on this episode alone! Firstly, we need to start with the artwork - it’s the same as last week’s but with a particularly important and heartbreaking addition! Oh, and the punches are not pulled right from the start. I can’t believe I had to listen to Al saying: ‘I always knew you’d come back for me’ only for Indrid to leave him to burn. It puts this absolute zinger from LEM into a painful new light: ‘I fed a machine, and the machine never cared about me, only what I could do for it. And it ate me in time.’ Indrid… your son was there for the taking and you chose the institution which killed him!!! No!!! That LEM line hit me so hard that I stopped the ep to tell my wife lol. 

And then, as if it didn’t already hurt enough, we have Zelda saying goodbye to her Friends and protectors 😭 and telling the grackle to shoo 😭 what a wonderfully characterised moment. I hope Al manages to hold on to her until the time is right to say goodbye for good.

But the Friends of Zelda did go find people who need it more! I hope everyone in that scene has a gentle but timely recovery but this is hfth so we’ll see… 

Let’s not forget, as well, that Nikignik turned his eyes to the library because he couldn’t bear to look North… It’s going to get so much worse before it gets better.  🥶

📻 We love a @monstrousagonies Q+A. I can barely believe that this is the last one. It’s fascinating to hear the behind the scenes musings that went into such an amazing season. 

🧛‍♂️ @re-dracula Mina met VH!! I loved this scene in the book. She’s SO fantastic and really brings the light to make the rest of the book even darker by contrast. 

🧬 Regina Prime (9) This show is so good!!! It's the mushrooms!! Maybe?! Probably! I can't believe there's one episode left!

 💫 Wolf 359 (53) SUCH a good episode. I listened while cycling in to work and had to deal with the fact that I didn’t know what was going to happen throughout my whole shift. I can’t believe how close I am to the end!! 

This week was so busy that I haven’t had time to listen to my most beloved Silt Verses, Do You Copy or the epilogue of Moonbase Theta Out!! 

[hellofromthehallowoods]

For the audio drama ask game: 9- favourite dynamic to write, 13- who would you cast for a HFTH TV show, and 21- favourite audio drama sphere meme

9 - Big Villain Little Villain.

13 - Gwendolyn Christie as Director C.S. Blackletter.

21 - Any meme that features all of the 'eye podcast narrators' together.

[choices-binglebonkus]

Ranking of "obligatory best friend for the MC" characters (like Bree from HFTH, Jenny from TNA, Malorie from Surrender, Faith from KOD, and any others I missed. From best (or least terrible) to worst. Go.

Sorry this took so long, I finally got around to making the list (which is actually going to be worst to best sorry anon).

So before we actually get into the list, there are a couple of (loose) criteria I had for determining who would be included in the list. One, no love interest best friends are allowed, so no Zoey, Jaime, Lily, etc. Two, it had to be CLEAR that the character in question was the MC's best friend. For instance, the OPH MC doesn't have a clearly defined best friend, so I avoided including any of the roommates on the list, same with Zeph from TE because it's not totally clear who the MC's best friend is.

22. Jenny (The Nanny Affair). I hate Jenny. I hate her I hate her I hate her. She is my enemy. She's boring, uncool, unfunny, and serves no real purpose in the story. She's useless. And worse, the MC enables Jenny and Aditya's affair. Boo. Boooooooooo.

21. Malorie (Surrender). Malorie isn't as awful as Jenny, but my god, she has no filter. And that's coming from an autistic person. Malorie spews the creepiest, grossest, out of pocket shit, AT HER WORKPLACE NONETHELESS. The writers try to play it off as funny but it's not. It's really creepy. If I were her coworker I would feel incredibly uncomfortable around her every day.

20. Bree (Home For the Holidays). Undoubtedly the most forgettable "best friend" on this list. I'm going to bet no one remembers her because she did nothing and was a Nothing Character.

19. Mandy (Untameable). Boring, bland, does nothing of note in the story except fall for our misogynistic brother. Blech.

18. Eddie (Rising Tides). Another Nothing Character, but helps the MC in a small way. He's a reused asset.

17. Nigel (A Very Scandalous Proposal). Another Nothing Character, but helps the MC in a slightly bigger way. He's also a reused asset.

16. Nadia (Perfect Match). Definitely my most controversial ranking on this list. Nadia always got on my nerves and I never cared about her as a character. She just...consistently annoyed me.

15. Chazz (Red Carpet Diaries). Chazz also annoyed the hell out of me, but slightly less than Nadia. I found nothing about him compelling.

14. Layla (Wolf Bride). She didn't serve a purpose in the story, and wasn't terribly interesting. She is the very definition of the Obligatory Best Friend because there was no one else in the pack who would've befriended the MC. Also, I'm severely tokophobic and every time she appeared in the story I got really lightheaded and sometimes had to put the app down for a few minutes.

13. Riya (Ride or Die: A Bad Boy Romance). Riya didn't do much in the story either, and the most interesting part of her character was her relationship troubles with Darius, which really wasn't interesting at all.

12. Faith (Kiss of Death). I am tentatively ranking Faith at number 12 because I haven't played much of KOD (non-VIP) but she's not terrible from what I've seen so far.

11. Faye (The Princess Swap). A lot of people strongly disliked Faye, but I honestly didn't mind her. She's kind of ditzy and absent-minded, but she's not actively harmful, nor is she bland on the same level as most of the others on the list. However, she's far from perfect.

10. Amy (With Every Heartbeat). Amy isn't a terrible character. She helps the MC and Dakota and wishes them the best even though Dakota is her ex. She's not super present in the story, though, but I liked her well enough.

9. Aveline (The Princess Swap). Aveline is honestly so goated for keeping the MC and her sister's secret throughout the story. She's kind and very loyal and is someone I'd love as a real friend. Unfortunately, she isn't really her own person and doesn't have a lot background-wise.

8. Maggie (Ms. Match). Props to Maggie for being one of three characters in Ms. Match I actually liked. She was a competent assistant and was really sweet without falling all over the MC.

7. Poppy (Hero). Poppy Patel is the only valid Poppy in Choices. She's got a killer sense of style, is funny, sweet, and is immensely loyal to your character. I hated the unnecessary drama between her and Dax, but I really liked seeing them actually get together because they just work.

6. Vivian (The Phantom Agent). Vivian and Rowan were the only two characters in TPA I could actually stomach. Vivian is smart as hell, brave as hell (she helps GAIA even though she was initially terrified), and let's be honest. She was the REAL hero. Vivian probably has back problems now because she CARRIED that team.

5. Briar (Desire & Decorum). Briar is kind of chaotic and I love that. Her best friend moves away to a noble estate and she's immediately like "sounds fly as hell, I'm down" and becomes her lady's maid. Honestly though, that's also kind of my biggest complaint about her. Her life is so MC-centric. I mean, she even names her baby after the MC. Nonetheless, she's otherwise really likable to have around and serves as the MC's closest confidant throughout the series.

4. Dionne (Foreign Affairs). Dionne is really sweet, kind of goofy at times, smart, and generous. IIRC it's stated that she volunteers at an animal orphanage. It's too bad FA was such a flop because I really liked Dionne (AND MURPHY!!!)

3. Alma (Mother of the Year). Alma is really kind but also flips a switch and becomes kind of a hard ass in like an instant. It's hilarious and I love it, and I love her. Alma truly was the backbone of MOTY and she helped the MC so many times.

2. Zack (The Freshman). Zack is the only one of the MC's friends who deserved the title of best friend, which is a title he thankfully actually got otherwise he wouldn't be on this list. He was always there for her even when the others were absorbed in their own drama and though he wasn't perfect, he was definitely the least problematic of the bunch.

1. Diego (Endless Summer). Who else could I put at number 1 other than Diego? No one, that's who. Diego was so gentle and kind and even though he'd had a rough time making friends, had a homophobic family, and later on in the series gets stuck with the Vaanti for six months, he never let his bad experiences make him a bitter person. He was friendly to absolutely everyone in the group and there was no drama to be spoken of with him. Diego was such a loyal best friend to not just the MC, but to everyone around him. And his catalyst idol reflects that: he was Canis, and the Endless even refers to him as "my loyal Diego" as they're remembering all their friends just moments away from death. Diego truly is one best friend to rule them all.

[magnetarmadda]

20 questions for fic writers

thanks @organchordsandlightning for tagging me!

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 

85, 1 HFTH and 84 TMA

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 

314,915

3. What fandoms do you write for? 

I've got a lot of wips for a variety of fandoms that haven't yet seen the light of day. TMA most prominently of course, HFTH (and a few wips in the back burner), Murderbot Diaries, Star Trek, Sherlock Holmes, Tell No Tales podcast, and Mistholme Museum

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Lucky Stars

Mysterious Love

Here to Forever

Terror in the Archives

My Arms Around You

5. Do you respond to comments?

I do, although not nearly as regularly as I used to. It can take me months to respond, but I always will!

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

This Is Our Last Goodbye - Jon leaves Martin in the tunnels without saying goodbye

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? 

Okay, actually, the one I think has the happiest ending hasn't been posted yet (upcoming for jmart week 2024), but this one is in the same vein of healing and recovery and finding happiness after an unimaginable tragedy - I Have So Much of You In My Heart

8. Do you get hate on fics? 

Every once in a while, though it's so rare

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? 

I do, yes, but not often. It's definitely very vanilla, and it almost always portrays some of my own experiences with asexuality and desire

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? 

I don't, but not because I don't like them. I just personally find it hard to write them--one of those kinds of fics that don't store well in my brain. I've read quite a few I really love, though!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? 

I have, but it's been a long time now since that happened, and I don't know of any of my recent fics being stolen

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? 

I haven't, I don't think

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

Yes! I co-wrote all the time with my best friend when we were growing up, and it was a great experience

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? 

Genuinely, I don't know. The ship that's seemed to move into my brain forever is JonMartin, and I do desperately love them, but there are plenty of other ships I truly love but don't engage with in a fandom sense

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? 

I have a couple that I just lost the ideas for (my memory is like a sieve anymore, thanks brain fog), and I may not finish them because I'll be unable either recall where I wanted them to go or find endings that feel meaningful/in line with what I've already written

16. What are your writing strengths? 

I'm great with dialogue and with passing on emotions to readers, and I think I'm pretty funny and good with metaphors and descriptions

17. What are your writing weaknesses? 

I really struggle with writing action and with pacing out stories in a way that lets all of the characters grow along with the narrative

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? 

I have no issue with it, but I'm not sure it's something I've done? Partly because I'm only fluent in English and my smattering of German and French wouldn't be very helpful with that lol

19. First fandom you wrote for? 

Encyclopedia Brown, actually, and I'm sure my mom still has the stories somewhere

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

So, caveat--this is the fic I'm most proud of having finished and shared, making it my favorite for very personal reasons. I started i am loving myself out of the dark as both a response to @probsnothawkeye's coffee shop AU series and as a way to process some of my own trauma, and in the year since I finished it, I've actually used pieces of it as touchstones on my healing journey

On that very light note lol, here's a handful of tags, if you'd like to do it: @therealandian, @cirrus-grey, @ollieofthebeholder, and anyone else who'd like to share about their fics!

[unesheet]

On episode 9 of the hfth relisten and wow, Ckara's failure with her mother (? Or father, I can't remember) was foreshadowed.

[the-void-has-questions]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who liked or reblogged something from you! Get to know your mutuals and followers ⭐️ (no pressure though!)

Here’s a response to both yall!! 💜

Now here’s several photos of my cat:

Also for sillies, four more things thatve made me happy over the past week!

2- my friends!! I love yall dearly <33

3- I get to write about HFTH for a college final 💕

4- currently obsessing over the song Jekyll & Hyde by Holden Miller

5- HFTH 142 TODAY!!! And TMAGP 9 TOMORROW!!!!

Bonus!! I get to see the /p love of my life in a week or so 💕💕💕

[origami-butterfly]

2, 9, 13 :)

2. What’s your feel-good movie?

I don't really have one? Maybe Robin Hood.

9. What calms you down?

Chamomile tea! And also listening to HFTH

13. What’s your comfort food?

Spicy ramen! My mum and I have used this one specific brand since I was little (we would share a pack between us at lunch) and we have never stopped using that brand, it is heavenly.

Soft ask game

[iwhoneverbelievedinwar]

Not tagging anyone because I don't think I know 9 people (whoops?) but:

last song: main character by will wood

currently watching: house md (currently as in... watching while I post this xD)

currently reading: Moby Dick (whale weekly my beloved)

current obsession: house, merlin, malevolent, hfth, the usual suspects. also love as a concept.

Tagging nobody but anyone's welcome to do it!

Tag nine (9) people you’d like to know better

tagged by @felinaetrash

last song: Epiphany from the Sweeney Todd revival

currently watching: I am finishing Trigun 98 rn, then going on to Stampede :)

currently reading: She Who Became the Sun (slowly... podcast brainrot too strong)

current obsession: unsurprisingly, Malevolent and TLT.

tagging: @smallsies @actual-pasta-overlord @arsonist-resurrectionist @nyxfaei @non-binarynerd @arlen-oliver @pyxxie-nyxxie @iwhoneverbelievedinwar @eyeldritch and anyone else who wants do this (as always, no pressure!)

[theaberrantreport]

They're a 5 but they've got an eye motif and are avid voyeurs and host a podcast

[my-t4t-romance]

“mort! do something!”

“lol,” mort said. “lmao.”

[milesdadworth]

wrote/edited some pretty fucked up stuff tonight 🤙

[jayisgay]

Inktober day 9- pressure

Click for better quality

[a-little-podcast-blog]

Lady Ethel Mallory in episode 8: