#lol how many of these are just about kj

[thresholdbb]

Thanks for indulging the brain rot, folks

[hakunahistata]

2024 Fic Roundup / AO3 Ask Game

Thank you for the mention @gaiaseyes451, my beloved!

What fandoms do you write in?

Good Omens

How many words have you published in 2024?

62,344 of my own words according to my writing tracker! I had the pleasure of participating in so many collaborative works this year so my AO3 word count is a bit misleading 😂

What is your greatest achievement this year?

Honestly, just doing. Writing, sharing, collaborating, stepping out of the proverbial fandom shadows and interacting. Before November of last year, I had never been more than a lurker. Stepping into the GO fandom space has brought so many kind, talented, supportive, and funny people into my life.

What are your favourite top three fics you've written this year?

S.T.A.Y. - Sex Pollen in Space! I adored everything about this writing experience: the prompt, the server, the world-building. I'm really proud of this one!

Paradigm Shift - If you'd told me when I signed up for GOSP that I'd be paired with one of THE writers of all time @voluptatiscausa, nerves probably would have pushed me to pull out (heh) of the event. The challenge this fic brought me was welcome and the best part? Vol's friendship! Vol, you're a gift of a human being. The enormity of your heart is staggering and I'm honored to know you.

A Quiet Life - Yeah yeah, it's not finished yet but it will be soon! Collaborating with @lenaellsi has been so fun and I'm so grateful they decided to extend their talent (and patience) to this fic! Writing this story has unearthed something profound in my mind and while it may not all make it onto AO3, it's been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and has been the seed for so many meaningful conversations with my therapist

What was your biggest pit of despair moment?

August/September was when I hit the "oh no, I don't have any more ideas, I'll never write again" period. While my writing is slow-going at the moment, at least I know I can still do it lol

What have you learned?

So much. Writing is not about chasing perfection. Feedback is crucial and is not a personal attack on you as a human being. Make a schedule. One of the most important lessons, however, is perspective. Remember, this is supposed to be fun. It's a hobby. Be honest about where you're at. Gonna miss a deadline? That's okay, it's not the end of the world. Drink water, have fun, and stay silly!

What fic did you want to do but never made it off the ground?

Oh boy, a bunch! I have a lot more to add to Love Not Given Lightly (ten parts mapped out rip me) and a chef!Crowley human AU I'd like to dig back into.

Did you beta any fics? Any favs you want to shout out?

I had the distinct pleasure of betaing so many incredible fics this year!

A Little Life by @gaiaseyes451 - The tears and catharsis experienced while reading this were like nothing else. Gaia, this fic is so stunning and I'm so proud of you for writing it.

Show the Way by @the-literal-kj - Gah! KJ, you know Gaia and I had SO much fun betaing this. I laughed, I cried, I hated Connecticut. A+, no notes.

That Certain Night by @adverbian - Adverb, your writing prowess will never cease to amaze me. This fic is poetry, through and through.

Collapse by @ineffable-rohese - Rowan, I think of this fic daily. The care and devotion expressed in this part of your beautiful series is love incarnate.

(New Time!) SftAoAJCJBP (Hybrid) (Join on Teams) by @malachitegrey - Y'all, please read this. It's rare that a fic makes me laugh out loud and I cackled while reading this. Mal, I live for your corporate tales. Your ability to blend humor with gut-punches is next level. ILY!

Your Art of Love and Your Love of Art by @voluptatiscausa - You know that swooping feeling in your gut when you experience something that matters? I had that feeling aplenty while reading this. Vol, you're a poet.

What three fics have you read this year that you love?

The Saint of Lost Things by @gaiaseyes451 - Gaia, your command of language is immersive. When I read this, I was there. This fic is a visceral experience paired with a truly killer soundtrack. 100000/10

Honey, There Is No Right Way by @voluptatiscausa - hhhhhhhHHHHH! I want to eat this fic, I love it so much. It's so tender, sweet, and the smut, y'all the smut! Vol, I love you forever and will never forget getting this notification while watching Nye with you just a few feet away :')

shine upon your pillow by @naromoreau - I know this was written last year but I don't think I read it properly until this year and I STILL think of it. Sweet and spicy >:)

We Can't Keep Meeting Like This by @gingiekittycat - Another fic that I know was written last year but it has such a special place in my soul. Gingie, this fic is so sweeping and if I could have any fic be made into a series/film, it'd be this one. You're a marvel!

Mistletoe by @snae-b - Punks! Holidays! Sweat and spunk! This fic has e v e r y t h i n g

What ideas are percolating for next year?

A composer AU with @gaiaseyes451 is at the top of my list 👀

Who do you want to thank?

@the-literal-kj and @gaiaseyes451, your friendship and support have been transformative. I love you both so much and I'm thankful to have you in my life and slidin' into those DMs! High Pollen Server, there are so many of y'all in there that I'm worried I'll miss someone so if you're in there, I tag YOU! @adverbian, @malachitegrey, @voluptatiscausa thank you so much for fostering such a supportive, empathetic, kind, and funny corner of the internet. It's not often you find an online space that's restorative but that's what the High Pollen server is for all of us. Big living room vibes!

I'd like to tag viewers like you!

[mermaidsirennikita]

First of all, love your recs and all your hot takes.

I have a recommendation request that I'm vaguely ashamed of because I greatly dislike cops in the real world for obvious and good reasons but I also watched Practical Magic at just the right age that the "how many times have you read my letter?" scene was very formative for me. The whole I-want-you-but-its-wrong thing just works for me. Same thing in Cable Girls with the detective and Angeles. Like he just wants to be a good moral man but he also wants her so so bad lol 

Do you have any recs that match that vibe? (Cops absolutely not required, just the vibe of its morally wrong and also may lose my job wrong but why does it feel so right)

Hi! So, I totally get it—and I don't read books with modern cops for the reasons you mention. But I do read historical romances with old school detectives sometimes, and I do have some books that I think would appeal :).

Midnight Pleasures with a Scoundrel by Lorraine Heath. James Swindler is an expert detective, and he's disturbed by his interest in a woman he Knows is up to something (specifically, she wants to kill the man responsible for her sister's death). This has one of the most INSANE twists I've ever read.

The Widow's Kiss by Jane Feather. The heroine has been widowed four times, and is suspected of killing her most recent husband. This is set in Henry VIII's reign, and the hero is sent in to investigate her. It has EXACTLY the vibe you're talking about.

If you're down for m/m romance, KJ Charles's Will Darling trilogy may work, specifically the first book (and then you read for the rest). Will isn't gonna lose his job, exactly, because of Kim. But he is at risk of running afoul with the lawmen who are trying to work with him because of Kim. Who's quite slippery indeed.

Any Duke in a Storm by Amalie Howard. This one gender flips it a bit, wherein the heroine is a spy working for the crown, and the hero is a suspected criminal she probably needs to bring in. But he tempts her.............. severely.

The Untamed Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley. This is a novella, but it's about the detective bastard Mackenzie brother investigating a murder, which he suspects was committed by his... sister-in-law's sister? (Not his sister, to be clear.) The issue being that they're falling for each other...

Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas may give these vibes. The hero is the head of the Bow Street Runners (early cops tbh) and the heroine is his housekeeper, who's actually undercover and wants to seek revenge against him. Obviously, their entire relationship jeopardizes his job, and she also feels compromised (in her mission) by her growing, forbidden feelings for him.

The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe. Not a detective! But the hero is a lawyer and the fixer for the heroine's rich father, which means she's VERY forbidden and it VERY MUCH threatens his job.

[hms-incorrect-quotes]

[Its prolly time I make a pinned for this account, no?]

Welcome, ladies, gentlemen and the technicolor rainbow in between, to the hellfire of cacophonous nonsensical words said by characters from another man that is not I! For I don't know how to be original!! Wahoo!!!!

I'll take submissions using any of the characters made/used by Chonny Jash! That includes the 4 from Vol 1, anyone from Gothic Whore & maybe some for the Power Hours! I myself will post ones involving Heart Mind Soul & Whole, since I understand them better. But! Submissions of the others are greatly appreciated & encouraged :}

[Not that it rlly matters but me pronouns be He/It/Soul & you can call me KJ or Atlas]

I take submissions! All I ask is you follow these rules :}

———————

1. Obviously nothing offensive. Nothin racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist etc. etc. Just be a decent normal human being lol

2. Adding onto that, nothing thats especially ableist about or towards Heart. Nothing that's insulting or making fun of him being blind or anything related to that.

3. No NSFW!!! These characters may be adults and I may be an adult however there's a lot of younger peeps here! Plus, CJ is uncomfy with that & I am as well. [Nothing thats suggestive either]

4. No quotes that involve shipping between Heart Mind & Soul [or Jash looking/based characters]. Also likely no family ones either. Just so its neutral enough that anyone with any type of headcanons can read them and it not be weird. Platonic ones are perfectly fine though.

5. Please don't baby or infantilize Heart. You can make him goofy & lighthearted, but theres a point in which you make him seem overly childish or dumb. He may be the emotional side but hes still an adult.

6. Headcanons about Whole need to be about the character in the album but not irl CJ himself or anything about his life. Same also applies to the Power Hours & the singles.

7. Please refrain from adding too many color changes in quotes! Stick with just the names at the start and not every use of the name in speech or pronoun. Just so everythings easier to read :}

8. You can submit text or pictures! You can even specify if you want something put into a texting chat, discord messages or a twitter post. I have apps that I can imput those into.

———————

Also! Sometimes I or others will use alt names for HMS and I figure I'll list them here in case anyones confused [also includes their name colors]:

Heart- Juno or Artemis

Mind- Ciro or Apollo

Soul- Atlas

Whole- Whole

Thats all for now! Have fun :}

[spurgie-cousin]

That is probably the only good thing about Gil & KJ, that they don't shun their kids for making different choices. Most of the adult girls wear pants and more modern (aka "revealing") clothes and many of them have openly admitted to kissing before marriage. They seem much more open minded about little things like that whereas JB takes it as a personal affront when his children defy him even as adults.

The Bates and the Duggars are very interesting side by side studies lol. The Bates kids are definitely conservative overall, but there are just some fundamental differences which i find so interesting bc they were raised in seemingly near identical environments, with the Bates kids being arguably less privileged for more of their lives.

I guess the most obvious hypothesis for why some fundie kids feel free to make their own decisions about their lifestyles as adults and some are afraid to is that parents like JB rule with more fear and less unconditional love.

The example I always remember is when Michelle and Jinger Duggar were being interviewed together and they were asked about Jinger's decision to wear pants (which was a sort of new thing at the time) and it was so emotional for Jinger to talk about with her mom there she started crying. Or how when Jill was asked about her parents feel about her nose ring or wearing regular swimsuits on instagram (shocking) she made a point to say they were not fans and didn't say much else for a while.

Meanwhile, the Bateses (?) answers to those kind of questions are sooo much more casual, never has either Gil or Kelly said anything negative about the kids making their own choices in that way as adults, they're always very positive and affirming and make a point to say it's their prerogative and they'll love them regardless. And to my knowledge, none of the Bates kids have made a big deal about *coming out* as a pants wearer lol. They've definitely answered questions about it bc people remember them in those neon prairie dresses, but it's always along the same lines, very casual.

That's not to say the Bates have perfect parents, I'm sure there are something things they would definitely not accept from their adult kids based on their values (ahem, same sex partners) but it's just interesting to compare adult kids from super conservative families. It's such a spectrum, like I truly believe is one of Jill Rodrigues's daughters started wearing pants they'd be disowned lol.

[missyourflight]

some stuff i read and watched in june:

taskmaster (s1-5): haven't done an early seasons rewatch in so long, s4 and 5 are basically perfect 2 me. incredible that mark watson manages to be both my favourite type of taskmaster guy (hopelessly despairing) and also nearly won the thing lol. nish forever obviously

silo: got well into this! probably at some point apple will stop throwing millions at sci-fi shows but i'm going to enjoy their folly in the meantime

mission: impossible ii: hadn't seen this one! the weakest of the lot but the john woo of it all is undeniable

mission: impossible iii: PSH outrageously good as the villain, hi keri russell

mission: impossible - ghost protocol: so much fun, especially the sequences where you can see brad bird's animation brain going

mission: impossible - rogue nation: ILSA my beloved, the opera sequence is so gorgeous, no notes!

mission: impossible - fallout: it's good when henry cavill reloads his arms, it's better when tom cruise is sprinting around london rooftops and breaking his ankle etc, my most basic trait is that i Love when they're in london like oooh tate modern. anyway i'm very ready for dead reckoning

asteroid city: the bits about making art really got to me! the vending machines were cool!

joint security area: crash landing on you prepared me for this, blank check weren't lying when they said it was homoerotic, song kang-ho forever etc

dodie smith, the town in bloom: the most delightful narrative voice i've read in Ages and v funny. easy to sell me on 1920s theatrical shenanigans

k patrick, mrs s: So hot and butch, i liked the butch friendship stuff almost more than the sex stuff. more sexy lesbian novels Please

kj charles, the secret lives of country gentlemen: another winner from KJC, my most reliable romantic comfort reads. this time it's smugglers!

alice slater, death of a bookseller: sticky little thriller about being poisoned by true crime, great sense of place, So many pints of dark fruits

laura kay, wild things: bisexual disaster in love with her best friend, tragically very me- and also george russell-coded, god i want to swim in a pond again

SOME STUFF I SAW AT ROCK WERCHTER

the dj on the first nigt who played a mash up of i'm gonna be (500 miles) into temperature and then the 1d cover of one way or another into little lion man (deeply cursed fandom flashbacks etc)

weyes blood with candelabras and glowing hearts and amazing adam curtis projections on the big screen behind her

king princess sending the gay girls of belgium absolutely wild - "you wanna hear a sad lesbian song?"

matty healy is a dickhead but he's very good at being the frontman of the 1975. like if ben whishaw was straight and kind of disgusting

stormzy!!! literally the rain was pouring during blinded by your grace pt 2

mumford and sons - this whole festival was like being borne back ceaseless into the past but the cave still fucks me up, marcus really in his ken marino era, face-wise

PUP - i do believe if this tour doesn't kill you, i will to be a wholly perfect song, they had a trans flag on stage, best vibes of the festival

sigur ros - sometimes you just want to be in a massive barn with thousands of people with your faces turned up in the dark feeling like you're inside the sound somehow

muse - fucking incredible live band still!! every time i'm see them i'm floored by how hot chris the bassist is and then i forget about it and then i see them again and i'm poleaxed etc. they had a tech meltdown during knights of cydonia at the encore so we got showbiz instead!!

christine and the queens - beautiful and terrible as the dawn

jacob collier - asked if we wanted to get funky then put on a special hat, bit george russell-coded in the face

arctic monkeys - sometimes you just want to be in a field with one of your oldest friends singing the songs of your youth!! i love the 70s act actually! there are so many sexy songs on AM!! the skies finally cleared for the beautiful full moon, thank you belgium, good night

[piperslovebot]

Since you're always up for asks and I'm too Covid-ridden to go anywhere lol - tell us why you love Barchie more than you like Bughead and Varchie! I bailed on the show in season two so can't contribute anything to this discussion but am always so interested in why all of us do or don't ship certain pairings!

With Varchie, I was never a huge fan. Felt more like friends to me and I preferred Valarchie (you can imagine my shock when my cousin told me Varchie would get together lol). But I don’t mind them being endgame simply because my ship was.

Bughead, I thought was cute at first but looking at metas and idk…it’s meh. I wish Falice was endgame (they’re my Rufly lol.)

As for Barchie, there are so many reasons why I love them. For starters, their chemistry was AMAZING. KJ and Lili were AWESOME at their roles. Plug the next door neighbor element along with childhood friends to lovers is the CUTEST thing. I love how much Archie cherishes Betty. And I love how strong Betty’s love and belief in him was there. She didn’t seem to make jokes about Grundy taking advantage of him (I love V, but those were not her finest moments, but she was young too so I can maybe give her pass. Idk it’s just fucked up to me lol.)

I really want to watch the later seasons for these cuties, but I’ll have to skip the ch*ni parts lmao

[aspiringpolymath]

Mid Year Reading Check In

I compiled this at the end of June, so it's not up to the minute accurate, but a good indication of how my reading year has gone so far. I tweaked the questions a bit to suit my reading style. If anyone sees this and wants to answer them PLEASE tag me so I can see what you are reading!

Mid Year Book Check In Questions:

Did you set a reading challenge; if so, how’s it going? (AKA How many books have you read?)

Best book(s) you’ve read so far?

Best sequel or book in a series you've read so far?

New release you haven't read yet, but want to?

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year?

Biggest disappointment?

Biggest surprise?

Favorite new author? (Debut or new to you)

Newest favorite character (for whatever reason)?

Book that made you cry or saddest book you’ve read?

Book that made you happy?

Favorite review you've written this year? (Can be glowing or a takedown)

Favorite cover for a book you've read this year?

What books are your priority to read by the end of the year?

Answers:

According to GR, I’ve read 239 books (tho I prefer ‘title’ since some are pretty short. I read a mix of novels, novellas, shorts and manga/comics.) My GR goal is 365, so I’m ahead of schedule!

Bests

Manga - Restart After . . . duology by Cocomi

Graphic novel - Mamo by Sass Milledge (ff ya)

Non LGBTQ+ romance book - The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (still casually queer)

Short book - Bisclavret by K.L. Noone

Standalone mm romance book (there are not a lot of these, lol) - We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian (I didn’t want it to be over, so I really took my time.)

3. Three way tie between The Missing Page by Cat Sebastian, Malibu by Emmy Sanders, and Out of the Wild Night by Marina Vivancos. Oh, and Muscle Cub by Slade James!

4. Loads, but I still haven’t read The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles and I really need to get on that.

5. I’m looking forward to the next volume of Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide by Mone Sorai. Oh, and Gentle Chaos by Tyler Gaga (ghosthoney on IG and TikTok)

6. I was most recently disappointed by How To Say I Do by Tal Bauer - not hugely, just wasn’t what I was hoping for.

7. I was really pleasantly surprised by Show Me How to Trust by Ray Celar. I didn’t have high hopes after book 2, but this one really took the time it needed to with the characters. Not a perfect book, but really lovely.

8. I’ve read a couple of short things by her in the past, but this year Crystal Lacy has become a new go-to author.

9. Sal from The Demon’s Mate by Delaney Rain, and maybe Collin from Off-Ice Behavior by Hannah Henry.

10. Some I’ve already mentioned made me cry, but I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain by Will Walton made me cry no fewer than five times. It’s a weird prose poem YA book about grief and generational addiction, I thought it was so well done. A book that made me cry mostly happy tears was Keep Me by HJ Welch.

11. The audiobook of Heartbreak Boys by Simon James Green made me legitimately lol.

12. Well, the one that has gotten the most likes on GR is my 1 star of The Right Wrong Number by Katie Warren, but I did like my pithy review for So These Rude Grumpy Arrogant Jerks Fall In Love and It’s Gross by TJ Land. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5353619286

13. The Roger Crenshaw books by Taylor Titmouse have amazing covers, and illustrations inside, too.

Also, Haunt, Heart, Havoc by Freydís Moon has a super striking cover.

14. I’d like to get back to In Memoriam by Alice Winn. I started it, but there were holds and I knew it was going to get very sad. Oh, and this probably should have been listed above, but I also want to get to Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelly soon.

[petalsmooth]

I’ve more or less moved on from Riverdale. 

I am ONLY interested in Jabitha of which we have NO content right now. 

RAS being out a show to screw up.

Cole being released from this toxic show/cast.

I have spent last few months re-watching old favorites or reading old favorites. I’ve been re-discovering what it is to watch and read things I ENJOY and it has just cemented how little I enjoy most of Riverdale. Aforementioned exception of Jabitha. Who do make me smile.

I only want to watch or read stories that entertain me or make me happy. I like escapist entertainment. Riverdale isn’t escapist entertainment. It’s a flailing show with no rhyme or purpose servicing too many ego’s. It allows personal ambitions, relationships and biases to affect it’s direction rather than the audience’s enjoyment of the show or letting the characters move in realistic manner for THEM. It inspires no trust in it’s audience. There is no logical path to follow to ascertain it’s endgame. They literally just fling everything up in the air and see where it scatters.

There is just so much history with Star Trek and the next generation cast. I’m currently watching, remembering and kind of loving how a man who once lectured Spock and Kirk about Cowboy diplomacy and duty being considered the paragon of new Star Fleet is now the one being lectured by a hard nosed unimaginative captain about their crashing of ships and defying of star fleet edicts. Only took a lifetime for Picard to realize what Kirk knew in his 30′s. lol

I love the repore with Stewart and Frakes’. I love Beverly FINALLY being back in this universe. I love the implications of what Beverly having another son may mean. I’m invested in these characters because of the actors themselves and the history that is not uprooted and erased just because an actor throws a fit. TBH, in the Star Trek universe Voyager is probably closer to comparison to RD in how BTS drama could spoil a show. Which makes it interesting they pulled Jeri Ryan’s character into this universe, this cast would have been a far more welcoming one that the one she initially came to fame on.

And so maybe currently enjoying TWO casts, Bridgerton and TNG, that seem to be on fairly good terms make RD in less tolerable. I simply don’t care about KJ, Lili or Camilla’s whining or ambitions. I find it short sighted and shallow. Acting can be hard work It’s not say...construction work but you do delve into emotions and end of the day that can produce a different level of fatigue. I get it. But it’s still supposed to be fun. You are getting paid to play make believe. they are whining about getting to play dress up each day and do what they did at 6 year’s old. They are somehow completely unaware of how that sounds to people who don’t have that job. There were a handful of people at my work told they had cancer this week. My job isn’t make believe. It’s why I like escapist entertainment. So I have a hard time understanding why I should be engrossed in KJ’s tale of over indulgence and privilege and how he didn’t appreciate it enough while at same time still wanting to shout how he wants more opportunity. You were given an opportunity, abused it, were unprofessional and now that the gravy train ends want someone to stick out their neck for you again? Ok KJ. Good luck with that.

Ambitions are fine, goals are fine. Nothing inherently evil in having them but the one young cast member who WAS professional and appreciated he is in a privileged position they have endlessly mocked for it over the year’s. So really...I could care less about their belated scrambling attempts to run to the media to rehab their professional reputations to appear employable now. 

The entertainment business is a hard one to maintain a career in. IMO the ones who appreciate their positions are the ones who deserve to still be employed 30 year’s later as the TNG now is. Or deserve break out cameos and roles in new films as Bridgerton cast is being offered. I really don’t think most of the RD cast deserves any further opportunities given the only awakening they seem to have is the paychecks are soon to end. I’ve yet to see them truly realize how terribly they have responded to fame beyond an oligatory soundbite for the masses.

[fantasticcloudcreation]

I drank 4 beers and don't feel that drunk but I socialized with some coworkers, just ate a weed gummy and now I think I'm gonna lay in bed reading + catch up with the YouTube girls, will probably eat some snacks, L left with the guys back to Ohio and I miss him already but it's nice to have my own time to decompress now... Gotta figure out my plans going forward??? Who cares honestly I'm here it's fine nothing matters!!! I've definitely gained 10 pounds since I've been here which is hilarious but I'm leaving in the morning and I'll start over when I leave :) maybe I'm a lil drunk. Maybe I should eat some snacks rn before roomie gets back. Who cares nothing matters!!!!

I love my life I love my job I'm sad I was in a weird mood for this entire gig and I've been on the fence about coming back down for the Miami gig but honestly I just love my coworkers so I'll probably do it.

Maybe I'm a lil drunk but I'm thinking about how one of the guys in L's group is like, really cute, turns out L's partner had also briefly dated him but apparently he gets too drunk and people are tired of dealing with his shit etc you know guys like that lol but ummm he's cute with beautiful green eyes??? He was wearing a green beanie and I tried to be like, your hat perfectly matches your eyes, but he's been drinking all day and said something totally incoherent lmfao but uh unfortunately I seem to have a thing for silly people like that. Realistically I might never see him again anyway and also it would probably be awkward with the L + K dynamic already so I'm not pursuing anything here, just telling all y'all friends on the internet about it hahaha.

I told R I wanted to call him and he was like, we're leaving work now going back to the hotel, but then I ate a gummy and now I'm like gonna be too loopy to have an actual conversation oops 😬 talked to D on the phone last night which was really nice. I love that I have so many cute people in my life honestly.

Fucking cute guy T stole my wrench at work again today and it's the last day of the gig so I have to either socialize tonight and hope he shows up or like, maybe he'll be at the Miami gig, he was the same guy who was like "I held onto it so I'd have an excuse to talk to you" but I told him today if you lose it or steal it I'll be mad forever and he was like "haha that's fair" but guess who forgot to give it back at the end of the day! Another cute guy C also borrowed my other wrench and he was reminding me all day that he had it, made sure to give it back at the end of the day, super appreciated that haha. Maybe it's an excuse to hang out with T later but I've heard he's into weird drugs and I'm over that phase in my life so we'll see what happens!

Life is so fucking funny. KJ tried to invite me to an Airbnb for the couple weeks between this gig and the next but I'm gonna go back home to be with my family for thanksgiving and that'll be really nice. Gotta call my mom and then I'll probably start driving north tomorrow, I'm ready to go get some cold weather and family time.

This life is fucking weird. I love it so much. Maybe I'm actually drunk or maybe the edible is hitting or maybe both!!!! But I love my fucking life!!!!!! Every couple weeks is a whole new episode and a whole new chapter and I'm just floating along in and out of entirely new circumstances, there's no monotony, there's no consistency, it's an entirely new life every month or so. I'm gonna go back to my hometown and get in my winter depression phase like "nothing has changed" or maybe I'll actually get my shit together and start working on art projects. Who the fuck knows I gotta travel through time and space to get there and whatever unfolds will be whatever I need :)

Should I go back outside and hang out with the homies or should I start reading/watching videos or walk across the street to the gas station to get more cigs??? Actually I think it's snack time lol.

Anyway I gotta stop rambling on the internet and focus on grounding/relaxing bc this is my last night in this space and the next phase of my life starts tomorrow!!!!! God damn what a fucking journey this is!!!!!

Actually,,,,, maybe I should call M tonight???? Good idea or bad idea who knows but maybe that's the move ?????? Gotta call him soon, ive been thinking about him a lot recently, always happens anytime I'm in Florida. Maybe rn before I get too high and lose all ability to communicate lol maybe in a week when I get back to the hometown. Who knoooows !!!!!!!!

[lianabrooks]

KJ Charles breaks down publishing legalese (circa 2023) for everyone so you know how to read a contract and what to do before your sign.

If you're thinking about publishing anything, go READ.

Quoted from the blog of KJ Charles

"This post ought to be filed under “Ministry of the Bleeding Obvious”. I hope most of you reading it will mutter “duh” and move on.  Everyone else, kindly have it tattooed on an unobtrusive body part.

The author’s biggest mistake is not, as you may think, having your heroine gaze into a mirror itemising her lush hair, full lips and high, firm breasts while feeling insecure about her ability to attract men. That’s #2. I’m talking about contracts.

Let’s start with some true stories.

Friend: [tells me about a complex set up she’s doing with a fellow creator involving transferring large sums of other people’s money] Me: You’ve got that down in a contract, right? Friend: Oh, I wouldn’t want to ask for a contract, that would suggest I didn’t trust her.

At a conference contracts panel

Me: Hands up who isn’t clear what “Grant of Rights” means in a publishing contract. [most hands go up] Me: Keep your hand up if you’ve signed a publishing contract. [most hands stay up. Embarrassed laughter.]

And in general:

Author: I don’t understand what all this legalese means but Publisher has always treated me well in the past, so I’m signing. Author: I can’t believe I’m really gonna be published! I got the contract today and you better believe I signed it right away and sent it back before they could change their minds LOL!!! Author: My brother deals with loads of contracts for the local council. He looked over it and he reckons it’s fine.

If that lot didn’t make your eyes bleed, you need to know more.

Contracts are scary, dull, and full of incomprehensible jargon. Nobody likes reading them, nobody likes negotiating them. But if you are an author looking to sign with a publisher, you have to read, and understand, and negotiate. It is culpably foolish not to.

The publisher’s job, and thus the job of everyone who works for them, is to make money for the publisher. Not for the author–that’s just a side effect which keeps the business lubricated. I have worked in publishing my whole life, over two decades, half a dozen companies. I have been a commissioning editor and a managing editor; I have negotiated, issued, and amended contracts, and dealt with rights exploitation and reversion. I was a publisher long before I was an author. And I know what I am talking about when I say that the publisher does not approach the contract thinking, “What are the most favourable terms we can possibly give?”

Writers are at a disadvantage here because, generally, we want to be published. We want to believe in the goodwill of the publisher with whom we’re dealing; we’re afraid of rocking the boat by being stroppy and asking too much. We probably can’t afford lawyers at all, and almost certainly don’t have access to an experienced publishing contract lawyer; many of us are unagented. Our eyes glaze as we read, and we’re not really sure what a lot of it means, but, you know, they publish lots of people, don’t they? The editor is lovely; authors say nice things about the publisher on Facebook. Surely it’ll be fine?

No. It is never okay to sign something you don’t understand. Your trust in the publisher’s goodwill will not get your rights or money back when things go wrong. Your unwillingness to read boring legalese isn’t an excuse, it’s an Achilles heel that covers your entire leg..."

KEEP READING

[mermaidsirennikita]

I started historical romance with the older books, they are so good or at least for me they are and I have trouble finding HR from thsi years that are actually as good as the older ones, I feel like the older romance heroes are more memorable and bolder

Imo, there are definitely historical romance authors currently writing in the subgenre who are doing it UP--S.M. LaViolette, Sarah MacLean, Joanna Shupe, Adriana Herrera, Cat Sebastian, KJ Charles-- come to mind, but a lot of those authors have been writing for a good while. So they have a brand, they don't need "break through" (though they have to fight against current tradpub trends, which is a formidable issue).

But for newer historical authors, there are very few being picked up, and I think that historicals are basically being left to apologize for the issues that are pervasive in the entire romance genre and always have been. And I don't know why this is, exactly--is it because there is a surface-level "reckoning" with history in tradpub?

(I say surface level because the vast majority of top execs are cis white men, so like, MMM? Are we reckoning when by and large women and people of color and most likely a lot of queer people can't get through the door to C-Suite, or at least can't get through as easily?)

Is it because a lot of people think of "old school" romance as bodice rippers (which are invariably historicals)? Which isn't true, by the way--there are tons of old school contemporaries. I own a good chunk. The big PNR boom of yore when authors like Kresley Cole and JR Ward were killing the game happened in the late 90s/early 2000s and into the late 2000s. Those books are like... getting on up there lol.

Personally, I don't think Bridgerton did historicals any favors--I think it did the opposite. Imo, many people were just minding their own business, not at all interested in reading historical romance, and then got into Bridgerton and got into fandom (in which everything is hyperbolic) and read the JQ books, and... yeah. I personally don't love a Julia Quinn book by and large; she's just not my style, though I do enjoy The Viscount Who Loved Me and When He Was Wicked.

BUT! Though I won't pretend that her older books are the most problematic books out in historical romance land... Yeah. A lot of the Bridgerton books haven't aged super well, and they're not necessarily what I'd recommend as baby's first historicals. If you have zero context and suddenly read these 20 year old books, which were written by someone who was, imo, not trying to like... push a lot of envelopes? At the time? Who did just want to write a sort of fluffy books about very cishet, very white people in pretty conservative relationships without a lot of thought towards things like gender, class...

I mean, look. I'm not particularly outraged by those books. I don't think they handled sensitive shit very well a lot of the time. The Duke and I just... is actually a pretty fun book until you get to the assault. And it's not even the existence of the assault for me, but just like--how it was written, the minute choices made, etc. So that's what the new Bton fans read first. Then they see Anthony bitch about Kate not wanting to have sex with him on the wedding night, they read about Benedict ignoring Sophie's resistance and pushing her even when she explains why she won't be his mistress, they read about Sir Philip having sex with Marina while she lays there crying, it's just... It's not the most shocking shit I've read by any means, but if you are someone who's never read HR and people tell you "this is what the gold standard is", then yeah. I can see why you'd assume the subgenre is trash. I don't think you SHOULD lol. I don't think anyone should dismiss an entire subgenre off of one thing. But that's the internet and that's fandom and it becomes a cult mentality where people are posting out of context screenshots and getting 30K likes or whatever.

So then you don't read historical romance, and you say "Books Bad", and EVERYTHING that the romance genre has grappled with a is still grappling with as a whole suddenly seems a lot bigger in historicals. Misogyny? Present in every subgenre. Consent issues? Oh, you bet. Racism or a lack of representation? Every subgenre. Homophobia and a lack of queer rep? Every subgenre. "But the dukes" okay but the billionaires.

And that is not to dismiss what is wrong with many historicals. But I say this to say that when I read a lot of older historicals... For one thing lol, there are many of them that honestly do age pretty well or were pretty progressive at the time, which is just the case for pretty much any subgenre. Not everything is going to be super problematic. But for another, even the ones that are imperfect and do need to be critiqued tend to have a fearlessness and vibrancy in just like... the plots. The writing. Everything is BIGGER.

I do kind of feel like there's a pressure on the current historical romanced space to make it like. Small scale. Not controversial. Contemporary but in ball gowns. Nothing offensive, but also nothing that seems intimidating to read--like these LaViolette books I've read that are super gothic (and indie pubbed lol) or these Gaelen Foley books where there's like a rebellion and a sea voyage and a swordfight and a kidnapping and relationship drama all in one book. That's too big, so let's put them in a ballroom, or let's have a plot where they recite second wave feminist treatise that are about and for white women, basically.

And it's a snake eating its own tail issue, because for all that a vocal online set may critique a subgenre for being Too Much, they won't read the books that are Too Little. And the people who aren't online go "that looks boring" and move on. A contemporary romance can exist with a small plot because it's supposed to be somewhat reflective of our lives, in a romanticized form. A historical becomes knockoff Jane Austen if it does that, and I don't think the audience for that is as big as tradpub thought, maybe?

So the subgenre conforms, and then people don't buy it, because some of them just dismiss these tamer books as bodice rippers because they think all historicals are. And some of them just aren't interested because they think it'll be boring.

So anyway, this was way too long a response, but that's some of why I think we are where we are with sort of milquetoast historicals. And there are authors doing the shit still, but I think it's harder for NEW people to do the shit.

In tradpub. That is.

[baylardo]

so excited for you to eventually get to reading the eternal tide, the chakotay pov bits on jc…… unparalleled

OOHOOOOO IM EXCITED :3333 I keep hearing fable of it being good and Favored by some moots on here hehe.

[slowlystickyjellyfish]

I recovered, then I didn’t and now I’m back

It’s been a few years since I was active on the proED scene on tumblr, and honestly I have so many thoughts. At the ripe old age of 20, having been here since I was 14, I now view myself as somewhat of an elder, here to share my wisdom collected over many years. Categorized it as meanspo if you want, it probably will be. So here goes:

- If you’re fighting for your life to get down to a BMI of over 18/19 you’re doing it so fucking wrong. Honestly it isn’t hard.

- The more you complicate it, the more you’ll struggle. Y’all will be out here counting every little KJ and still plateau at 19 bmi??? 🤡 If you’re intentionally obsessing over your food, guess what you’ll think about? Food. And then you’ll binge because you’re an idiot

- Working out will never negate food. If you could choose between walking for five hours and eating two muffins, or just sit on your bed and do nothing, what would you choose? Because choosing the first option will honestly just be worse than staying in bed. Stop finding excuses to eat, it’s the exact same thing fat people do.

- Fasting for three days, losing control, binging and fasting for another three days is 10 times worse than just eating 500 calories every day, forever. But because you all are short sighted and gluttonous, that’s just something you ignore. You’ll post about how amazing it feels to go days with no food and how starving is euphoric, while filling up on 2000 calories and negating all your work and crying about plateauing

- You’ll never be thinspo. Learn to separate fact from fiction, and media from reality. It’s posed, usually edited and perfectly angled and lighted. As someone who has had their photo used as thinspo before, I can honestly admit that that is still not how I looked. It’s curated. It’s a lie. At least aim for reality or else you’ll never find peace.

Ok bullying over, here’s my advice:

- Nicotine is your best fucking friend.

- Don’t overthink it. The one thing body positivity got right is that all bodies are different. What I need to function differs from what you need, no matter size. Don’t focus on eating a calorie limit. A set limit will cause two things: Overthinking and focus on food, which just isn’t comfortable, and excessive eating, because you’ll with no doubt eat to fill your limit or say ‘eh, I can eat some more because I still have some calories left’.

- Just don’t eat. Lol. I know it’s exactly what you’re trying to do, but you’re probably skipping the ‘just’ part. Think of it like this: how easy is it to drink too little water? It’s literally one of the most important things for your existence, but is so easily ignored. That’s what we’re trying to do with food. Why don’t you drink water for fun? There’s no enjoyment. Remove joy from food. Eat food that isn’t that tasty, when you need to have snacks to blend in, have mid range snacks, so you won’t miss it. You don’t schedule water, or count how much you’ve had, you just don’t think about it.

- Measure, don’t weigh. It’ll give you a better representation of fat loss instead of fluctiation.

- Your period doesn’t indicate shit. I was 14 BMI and got pregnant.

- The best way to body check is using tight clothes. Ideally ones you don’t actually use and not wash. Nothing feels better than the waistline on those pants sitting loose on a waist that used to stretch them.

- Figure out your body. Personally, I don’t need to eat until around 17.00, but then I NEED to eat, and am prone to binging. We usually have dinner later here, so I’ll have a small meal around 14.00 - 17.00, an apple or something. Savory foods increase my appetite, bitter foods decrease, sweet has no particular effect. I shouldn’t eat after 21.00, then it’ll be too easy to overeat. Once you know these things, and just implement them as a routine, things will ve so much easier.

Alrighty I’m done. Have a terrible day

[excaive]

Omg I have my own tag now 🥺

Okay yeah that makes sense that it would be the parasite that photosynthesizes!

Ok so we know Jamie can heal with the tendrils from its mouth but can Kj do that too? Do the tendrils in their throat have any special qualities or are they just kinda there?

I hope you don’t mind how many questions I’m asking fjsbfjdbf I’m just kinda maybe hyperfixated on your world

-🐉✨

The tendrils in KJ's mouth aren't like Jamies! they're both purple, but Jamies can become jagged and Sharp to shove into a wound and it kind of regenerates the tissue and stitches it back together. This stings soooooo badly. worse than pure alcohol, somehow. on the bright side, the sting will go away immediately after the tendrils are outta there

KJ's tendrils are just soft and squishy but firm enough to chew on, which is something KJ tends to do a lot to stim. Also, KJ also has regenerative attributes in their saliva - it's just not as quick as what Jamie can do and also it won't sting lol. It's still very effective at healing wounds tho!

And KJ's tendrils don't really have any significant qualites, they're just There.

But they do also have suction cups at the tips but they aren't really that strong but it is fun to play around with. like this.

schwoop schwoop heehee funny noise

Anyway KJ is a freak and also there are people around who'd pay good money for some tendril action. So I guess the tendrils do have a great monetary quality :p

All around a win-win situation bc 1) KJ is a freak this is self explanatory 2) more money = able to treat their good homies more freely in whatever situation. Gifts. Food. Going to the movies. Trips. New car. Fund a surgery. That one specific thing you wanted for so long but felt it wasn't urgent or worth it but would make you very happy. KJ gotchu :3

ALSO UR ALL GOOD I enjoy questions about my stuff 👉👈💖

[1-800-iluvhockey]

jersey girl - o.power

summary- owen finally loses it when the girl who he is in love with shows up in a different jersey.

type- requested protective/jealous owen blurb (long blurb lol)

warnings- jealous owen power, maybe a few curse words, longing for love type trope

Owen had been in love with y/n since the night that he saw her at that party. The first afterparty that he ever went to after a big win in his freshman season for umich hockey. Covid ruined so much for that freshman class, not being able to have spectators or a regular season, but it couldn't take the partying away. Seeing her from across the room dancing her ass off to some pitbull made her the most attractive girl he had ever laid eyes on. After that season, however, he never got the chance to talk to her or even know her name…… This season was different, he was determined to find the mystery girl who stole his heart at that party and many parties after that. Every home game until late October, he would search the stands, the parties, everywhere for her. One day he finally did see her, at Yost, in a jersey, a maize one with what he thought had his number on it……….

Y/n wasn't a big partier, but when she did, she did, hard. Hockey is one of her favorite sports to watch at Umich and was devastated her freshman year when she couldn't attend any sports games in person. The big 3 (or 5 depending on how you looked at it) were playing their first year and she wanted to be there so so bad. Instead, she went to the afterparties and heard from players and her friends (who knew many of them) about it. That’s where she met half of the “golden five” is what she called it. She became good friends with Kent Johnson, Thom Bordeleau, and of course the party boy himself, Brendan Brisson. Her friends were also friends with them, and some of the older players. Kent was talking to her at one party about how Owen (one of the freshman players that she hadn’t met before) talked and asked around for her. Playing it on the down-low, she avoided him and the questions because she didn't want to get heartbroken by him.

———-

Flash forward to September 2021, where (still keeping in touch with the boys, especially Owen’s bestie KJ) Y/n finally got to go to a home game at Yost. She loved every minute of it and decided to make it a habit to go to every game that she could. Not realizing that for most of the game she was focused on the number one draft pick, and a star defenseman, Owen Power. But to her, he was just a really cute boy who was friends with her mutual friends.Now it was October, and she was sick of the boys teasing her about Owen, so she asked her bestie KJ how she can get the boy’s attention… (not realizing that Owen already really liked and was super interested in her)

“Kenny?” She said calling him from Bren’s room and into the living room of the house.

“Yeah n/n? What’s up squish?” He replied, sitting down next to her on the couch, squeezing into her like he always did.

“How can I get OP’s attention? I like him but I am so nervous to talk to him KJJJJ.” She whined into his shoulder, mumbling the last half of the sentence.

“Squish you've had his attention since day one babe. I can-- OOH I have an idea!!” He started to say until the light bulb went off and he ran off.

———-

The next day after that fateful conversation, was a game day. Kent had dropped off a jersey for you to wear that night. He told you to not sit in the Children of Yost section, but with your friends near it so that Owen could really see you. It was the Penn State vs Mich home game that everyone had been waiting for that October. Her and her friends made their way to the section where KJ told them to sit. She was wearing a maize jersey that wasn’t hers…… it was KJ’s. Kent thought that if he gave her his jersey to borrow and Owen saw it in the crowd…..

A) Owen would be surprised to see her there at a game in a closer section to the ice

B) Owen would be so pissed off that it wasn’t his jersey that he can finally man up and ask Y/n out (just like what everyone wants to happen)

C) Y/n could get his attention by radiating so bright, (not because of the jersey…. but because she can finally be seen)

Kent thought the plan was fool proof.

and it so was…… until it got the best of him. While warming up like normal, Owen tried to spot her in the crowd, scanning and scanning he still couldn’t find her. Until he heard the big commotion near Kent, with Briss and Bords. (Who we’re so in on the “Let’s get Y/n and Owen together” plan).

“Is she wearing your jersey KJ? That’s such a huge step!” Bords told Kent as Owen overheard some of it while skating around their side of the net. He then skates up to the group as they are looking at the side of the arena where Y/n and her friends are at.

“Yeah! She was really excited to come tonight in it, doesnt she look beautiful?” Kent told the group and then Owen butts in.

“Who? Sorry I’m a little late to the conversation.” He says almost sarcastically and then starts to puff when he sees Kent point to Y/n. His world stops for a moment when he saw her. He was so in love with her and it was too late. Too late to man up and finally ask her out so she could finally be his.

“Fuck— I—- I got to go.” Owen says almost in a daze as he skates back into the locker room.

Watching the scene from a far, Y/n saw Owen skate into the locker room, not acting like himself. Kent and the boys felt bad, but they knew that this could be a step in the right direction. Pointing to the locker room, Y/n saw Kent flail his arms around like a dead chicken to signal her that she needed to check on him. She nodded her head no, and wanted to see him play.

———-

That was a mistake because Owen was playing like absolute shit that night. Everyone could tell. Coach P was yelling at him and getting so angry with him. He got benched and then in the third period got ejected for fighting with a Penn St player. The whole game Owen and Y/n made eye contact, and she could tell that he was super upset (maybe not with her, but the pleading look in his eye said enough to her). Kent then made the same flailing arms thing from earlier. So in the middle of the third, she ran to locker room and confronted Owen.

“Owen? Are you in there?” She said softly and knocked on the locker room door. A frustrated, sweaty and very attractive 6’6 canadian cracked the door and looked her up and down.

“You’re Y/n right? Kent’s girl, I mean.” He said and mumbled the last part as he straightened himself up and opened the door.

“Yeah. I— I came to— to check on you. But look I’m not Kent’s girl…. Trust me.” She halfway got out before he walked out the door, looked both way down the hall, and shoved her up on the nearest wall. The tension could be cut with a knife. Her breathing began to quicken, her heart racing as Owen towered over her.

“Good. I’ve seen the looks you give me angel. I hope you know that I’ve been giving you the same looks back.” He said to her, causing her to turn red, and even redder when he looked down and tugged on her waist.

“You’d look a hell of a lot better in my jersey n/n.” He whispered in her ear, as the grip on her waist tightened.

“Well maybe you can change that pretty boy. It’s a damn right shame that you haven’t asked me out yet. I would have shown up in your jersey instead.” She winked at the end as she tugged on his jersey, pulling his lips closer to hers.

“Point taken—“ Owen then grabbed her cheek in one hand to fill the gap between them.

“You’re mine, jersey girl.” He told her after breaking the sweet kiss on her lips.

“I would have been a hell of a lot sooner pow. So does that mean I can wear your jersey tomorrow?“ She giggled as the buzzer went off and the crowd went wild from outside the hall, breaking the bubble they had around them.

“Yes angel, maybe you can wake up in my hoodie tonight too. You know, after I take you out for ice cream. Sorry I didn’t ask you out sooner, I just really liked you and didn’t want to interfere….. but when Kent told me and you showed up in his jersey…… I lost it.” Owen told her as he hugged her tight, not really wanting to let her go.

“It’s okay babe, without that and jealous Owen coming out, we wouldn’t be standing here! Now hurry up! I want ice cream and finally getting that first date.” She said pecking him on the lips as he practically skipped into the locker room.

The boys started to file in from the win, and she saw Kent on her way out. All of them looked at her and she gave them a big thumbs up, and everyone…. especially Kent started to cheer loudly.

“THANK YOU BOYS!” She yelled as she ran through them to go back up into the stands and tell her girl friends about how she finally gets to be with Owen Power.

Safe to say that having chocolate chip ice cream with Owen Power is one of the best experiences she ever had….even if he got some of his sundae on her nose while trying to kiss her…. <3