#my surgery day was our 3 year anniversary

[youngchronicpain]

I've been recovering from surgery really well. (Thursdsy will be my two week mark!) My partner asked me to marry him the night before my surgery, and I said yes. So we are engaged!!!! This has been such a lovely holiday, surgery incisions and all. I can't wait to see what 2025 brings. I hope you are all doing as well as can be. And tomorrow brings a more manageable pain day than today. ❤️

[ofmdrecaps]

08/26-27/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Recap Status; David Jenkins; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Nathan Foad; Samba Schutte; Ruibo Qian; Vico Ortiz; Bronson Pinchot; Dominic Burgess; GalaxyCon SanJose Full Panel; Articles; Rose City Comic Con OFMD S2: Anniversary; Tell Tale TV Voting Round 2; Astroglide Love; Our Flag Means Trick or Treat; Fan Spotlight: Cast Cards; Never Left Podcast; Love Notes;

== Recap Status ==

Hey Lovelies. I don't have the greatest news... my dad is in the hospital and going into some really dangerous surgery. This means I'll probably be pretty scarce over the next couple days. I'll do my best to keep up with the recaps, they may help me stay distracted depending on how things go... but please bare with me if they don't happen. I hope you all stay safe out there. Take care <3

== David Jenkins ==

David sharing an adorable picture with his new pup, and some very silly interactions with Con.

'Source: David Jenkins Instagram

== Rhys Darby ==

So excited for the episode of Expedition X that features Rhys coming out Aug 28 on Discovery! Here's a sneak peak!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rhys Darby (@rhysiedarby)

Source: Rhys Darby's Instagram

== Taika Waititi ==

Taika's reaction to Rita's outfit is adorable.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Taika Ora (Fan Page) (@taika_ora)

Source: Instagram (Originally Rita Ora's tiktok)

More shots of the two of them:

Source: SarahReynoldsx356 Instagram via YulYY4 on Twitter

== Ruibo Qian ==

Ruibo shared some interesting work on her instagram. You can see the full collection of images here on tumblr from that post.

Source: Ruibo Qian's Instagram

== Samba Schutte ==

Samba out enjoying some glorious Dutch food and sharing more about his recent works!

Source: Samba Schutte's Instagram

== Nathan Foad ==

More Nathan out and about!

Source: Nathan Foad's Instagram Stories

Source: Nathan Foad's Instagram

== Vico Ortiz ==

Vico shared some wonderful words and pictures from their PublicAssembly work!

"I’ve had the absolute pleasure to act, write, co-curate and direct for @thepublicassembly since 2018. I’m currently developing a short film and writing a one person show because I have gained the confidence as a story teller through their theatre/workshop program. Every month we develop 3 brand new pieces based on the audiences prompt the month prior and while the process of writing a 12min play can be overwhelming, being held, witnessed, encouraged (and hold, witness and encourage) these wonderful artists has been an amazing experience of championing all of our journeys as story tellers! This coming month we are throwing a fundraiser to get us to the next level. Check out my linktree for tix! It’s gonna be a sexy-awesome-artistically arousing- thought provoking evening of theatre ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 Look forward to seeing you there!"

Source: Vico Ortiz Instagram

== Bronson Pinchot ==

More Ned Low from Bronson!

Source: Bronson Pinchot's Instagram

== Dominic Burgess ==

A pretty cool shot from Dominic!

SourcE: Dominic Burgess Twitter

Congrats Dominic for making it to the next round of the Nicholl Fellowships for his script OUT OF MIND!

Source: Dominic's Twitter

Dominic sharing an adorable video of one of his cats.

== More Galaxy Con San Jose ==

The full panel is finally here!

== Articles ==

Thank you @adoptourcrew for sharing this great article by screenrant! OFMD made #2!

Also, in WBD News, thank you to Ashley AKA Seven_Sugars on twitter for sharing this new CMO news for WBD.

Source: Seven_Sugars Twitter

Source: Global Comment's Twitter

== Rose City Comic Con ==

Are you going to be going to Rose City Comic Con this fall? Well good news, you can submit questions to be asked to the lovely OFMD Panelist that will be there-- here!

Source: RoseCityComic Con's Instagram

== S2 Year Anniversary ==

Some very kind works from @adoptourcrew <3

Source: Adopt Our Crew Instagram

== Tell Tale TV Voting Round 2 ==

Our friends at @adoptourcrew reminding us to vote on Tell Tale TV's battle of the ships 2024! Vote here!

Source: Adopt Our Crew's Instagram Stories

== Some Love for/from Astroglide ==

Source: Astroglide's Twitter

== Our Flag Means Trick or Treat! ==

There's a fabulous Zine I've just heard about -- Our Flag Means Trick Or Treat! It's an OFMD Children's Charity Zine! How cool is that! Interested in participating/learning more? Please check out their socials here: Twitter / Discord

Source: OFMToT's Twitter

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Cast Cards =

Another cast card tonight from our kind friend @melvisik is Elia P. Popov, one of the Special Effects Coordinators!

Source: Melvisik's Twitter

== Never Left Podcast ==

New episode of Never Left Podcast! A continuation of Motifs! Part 4 already, wow!

Source: Never Left Podcast Instagram

== Love Notes ==

Gonna be scarce for a bit lovelies. Just know I'm thinking of you and sending so much good vibes and hugs.

Source: The Latest Kate's Tumblr

Some love notes from our Pirate Queen:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by James McCrae (@wordsarevibrations)

Source: WordsAreVibrations Instagram / Ruibo's Instagram Stories

[hairmetal666]

Steddie Notes BONUS PART

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7)

Eddie wakes up to an empty bed. He’s a little surprised, honestly, since he had his heart set on first anniversary morning sex. Though, based on the smells wafting through their apartment, Steve’s making breakfast, which is an acceptable alternative (plus, if he has it his way, they aren’t leaving the bed again today).

The digital alarm clock on his bedside table is obscured by a Composition Book he doesn’t remember bringing to bed. He reaches for it before his brain registers the red ink dragon sketched on the cover. His hands tremble as he flips it open, but the first few pages are written in his own scrawl. Steve’s handwriting doesn’t appear until 10 pages in and Eddie’s heart stutters at the sight.

March 28, 1986

God, Eddie, I’m so sorry. So, so fucking sorry. I can’t— I’m sorry. I should have been there, I should’ve protected you, I should’ve kept you safe. 

You wouldn’t be part of this if it weren’t for me. Robin and Dustin keep telling me that's not true, that Chrissy was already cursed but. Robin is here because of me. Erica-fucking Sinclair is here because of me. And now you. And you’re dying. And it’s my fault. 

I don’t even know what I’m doing right now, but I can’t just sit and wait, I’d lose my mind. Anyway. You left this notebook in my trunk, and I hope you don’t mind that I’m using it. 

I don’t think I’ve ever been this terrified in my life, Eds.

Please don’t die on me. I can’t live in this world without you. 

March 29, 1986

Hey Eds

You made it through the night. I can’t fucking believe it. I ripped Robin’s shirt when the doctor came in to tell us that you were out of surgery and stable, and then he dropped the bomb that your chance of surviving the night was 40%. Forty-fucking-percent. I guess you beat the odds, babylove.

I’m with Uncle Wayne at your bedside. He threw a fit to make sure I could be here whenever I wanted, and that everyone could visit.

You’ve missed some wild shit, Munson, you’re going to be so mad when you wake up. 

Come back to me, sweet boy. I can’t take this.

March 30, 1986

Made it through a second night, babe. 

I hope you wake up soon. 

Miss you like crazy. 

I keep looking at you in this hospital bed, and you look so fucking small. I hate it. You’re the loudest voice in the room. You don’t just take up space, you demand it. It’s killing me that I haven’t heard your voice in days. And my brain, it keeps filling in things you would say, and I wait for you to speak up, but of course you don’t. It’s a kick to the balls every single time. 

The thing is. 

The thing is that I need you to wake up, Eddie. You can’t leave me. I made up my mind a long time ago, we’re spending our lives together. And it can’t fucking end now. It can’t end because of this. 

And I need you to open your goddamn beautiful eyes so I can tell you how much I love you. You don’t get to go before you hear me say it, do you understand?

I love you. You’re it for me. I’ve never wanted a forever as much as I want one with you. So, you have to wake up, yeah? You have to wake up so we can grow up, have a family, have a life together. 

Promise you won’t leave me, Eds.

March 31, 1986

You woke up, you motherfucker. The doctors kicked me out to look you over and I cried so hard in the bathroom that Robin made El break down the door with her powers. 

Thank you for coming back. I won’t ever let you go again.

April 7, 1987

I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m giving this to you, babylove. It’s been a year. Look how far we’ve come. 

✏️✏️✏️✏️

September 18, 2015

It’s way too fucking early for Eddie to even be awake and he has the day off. Steve asked him to take vacation months ago, didn’t say why, and now that fucker has the audacity to not even be in the house. And like, sure, they’ve been together for close to thirty years, and Eddie knows that Steve goes for a run at the ass crack of dawn.

Still pisses him off, though. 

Eddie huffs down to the kitchen to get coffee started, doing a double take when he sees a familiar black Composition Book with red dragon on the cover. 

He walks towards it slowly because this has been framed on the wall since their first anniversary, way back in ’87, and Steve isn’t home.

Eddie opens it, re-reads the panicked, lovesick notes Steve wrote in the hospital, doesn't bother to fight back the tears. He gets to the last letter and the paper is stiff and wrinkled, like it took water damage. Eddie flips the page, grief already pumping through his veins.

What he sees instead is college-ruled notebook paper, glued in place. It reads:

“I fucking hate this class.”

“Tell me about it.”

“trig. You?”

“Algebra 2 :(” 

A sound escapes his mouth, something between a laugh and a sob.

“Hey man, I'm pretty sure I fucked things up with us, and I owe you an apology. I've always known who you were, but you had no idea I was me...”

“Anyone ever tell you you’re kind of beautiful, Munson?”

“Watch. The. Movie. This is the last time we get high first if this is how you behave.”

 “What are you gonna win me at the fair, Harrington?” 

 “If you’re nice to me, probably something cute.” 

“Eddie…I think I really like you

You’re my favorite person in the entire world

Some days you’re the only thing I can think about

I want to wake up in bed with you everyday

I can’t stop thinking about what it would be like to kiss you

Do you like me? Yes or No”

“What are you doing about Hellfire?”

“Huh?”

“If the game is Friday. Lucas can’t do both.”

“He made his choice.”

“You ever been in love?”

No, but I think I’m falling”

“I love you, Eddie”

All the sketches of the sailor boy and the rockstar are there, even the one Eddie stuck to the poster in his room, though how Steve managed to get that is anyone’s guess.

There are pictures too, Eddie and Max still recuperating in the hospital; Corroded Coffin performing at the Hideout; them holding the keys to the bar, Steve shirtless and hammering something while Eddie looks on, with the increasingly popular bands Eddie booked to play their must-see Friday night slots; Steve on his first day of college and one of him jumping into Eddie’s arms in his graduation gown, mortar board slipping off his head; In the hospital cradling their twin girls with Max giving a weary thumbs-up between them. Shot after shot of their family, their life, their dreams coming true. A scrapbook of their lives together, big moments and small; good and bad. 

Eddie’s crying freely as he flips through the rest of the book, still fucking astounded that Steve is the love of his life, that they’re making a forever together.

Eddie flips to the last page. Stops dead. 

In Steve’s looped handwriting, unchanged since high school, it says:

“Eddie, 

         Will you marry me?”

“What the fuck?” He yelps, standing up fast enough that his chair crashes to the floor. 

He turns and Steve— his reason for being, the man that brought him back from the dead—Steve Harrington, is down on one knee, something silver glinting in his outstretched hand.

“Eddie,” he says, his voice a wreck. “Marry me?” 

Eddie crashes to his knees, shoving at Steve’s shoulder. “You’re such an idiot.”

Steve laughs. “Is that a yes?”

Eddie laughs too, but it quickly morphs into a sob, “Of course it’s a yes, Steve. Of course.”

Hands trembling, Steve slips the ring onto Eddie’s hand. It’s a thin silver band with skeletal hands contorted into an infinity symbol. 

They fall into a kiss that rips the breath from Eddie’s lungs, but then that’s nothing new. When they finally pull apart Eddie asks, “why today?”

Steve blushes and grabs at the back of his neck. “Thirty-one years ago, I walked into Mundy’s class and found a note on the window ledge.” 

“What the fuck.” Eddie’s mouth drops, his heart stuttering. This man.

“Once I figured out you leaving that note was going to be one of the most important moments of my life? I made sure to never forget.”

“Baby.” Eddie pulls Steve in for another kiss. “I can’t wait to marry you.”

Steve tugs at Eddie’s hand. “C’mon.”

“Where we going?” 

“The girls will be here in a couple hours, and I have some things I want to do to you before they’re home.”

“The GIRLS?” Eddie shrieks. “How the hell long have you been planning this? Did they KNOW?”

“Since the end of June,” Steve answers without missing a beat. “And of course they know. Everyone knows. I asked Wayne for his blessing.” 

Eddie can’t speak, his heart crashing in his chest as he, once again, thanks whatever entity made it possible for him to have this.

“I’ve been in love with you for over half my life, Eds. I wanted to do this right. You deserve it. We deserve it.” 

He pulls Steve into his arms, kissing him hard enough that their teeth clack, but neither of them care.

✏️✏️✏️✏️

When they come home from dinner, as Steve reaches in his pocket for his keys to let the entire family in the house to celebrate their engagement, he finds a gum wrapper tucked in with the metal. He unfolds it, the words within unfurling in his heart, his soul.

"Thank you for giving me forever, sweetheart."

Edited: check out the full version on ao3!

This is officially the end! I hope you enjoyed this little (long) bonus part. Thanks for reading! 💜💜💜

@gaysonthefloor @little-gae-shit @ineffablecolors @mojowitchcraft @hiscrimsonangel @thegingerrapunzel @adelicioustragedy @mackdaddyofheimlichcountyy @im-sam-fucking-winchester @rainydays35 @gobbledy-gluk-gluk @gay-stranger-things @sherilitchi @gezell-igg @leather-and-freckles @bornonthesavage @ramyayaya @awkwardgravity1 @chaoticvictorianspirit @thosemessyvibes @beeing-stuupid @silentiumdelirium @freyaforestafay @thatbitchgayasf @sapphirecobalt-1 @sahh-dude @adorkfromnewyork @ollie-in-gray @extralegobrick @snapshotmaestro

@fandomgenderz @nuttychaosface @thatcottagewitch @idoquitelikebread @shinekocreator @savveth @mackfrfr0 @yourebuckingkiddingme @steddieassheg0es @gamerdano @thebig-smoke @questionablequeeries @zerokrox-blog @thegingervulcann @charlies-candid-corner@perpetual-trashcan @sleepy-rainedrop @marvelous-musicals @hoffmannwrites @fromapayphone @courtjestermunson@juicinmyjams @daydreaming-mood @aceflavouredyougurt @emly03 @pille1983 @darcyshandflex @anteaterballs @adankrivervalleynearyou @didntwant2come @kittsu-makes-glass @alienace

@somewhereatdawn @5pac3g1r7 @thequeervibes @paperbackribs @bitchysunflowerr @knitsforthetrail @wrenisflying @plasticcrotches @demoniccorvid @em9515 @savory-babby @loverliner @aceacebaby42

@trainchomp @anaibis

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA for removing my roommate from my accounts?

I live with my partner (A) and someone (B) who was a mutual friend of ours (all 20sX). I've been unemployed since the before the pandemic due to needing surgery and having a weak immune system (multiple infections). I managed to get the surgery last year. They both came to pick me up from hospital and helped me through my recovery process. I'm very thankful for this still. B moved in knowing about my situation and A was honest about the rent split.

It's been over a year now; I'm still not totally recovered (the infections are officially chronic now), but I can usually walk and go to the park so I've stopped being as candid about my health. I figure it's probably TMI at this point or just boring.

Last month was me and A's anniversary! We had a great first half of the day, but before our celebration dinner, A had to go pick-up and drive B home from their job (B's car was broken). So they dropped me off to wait (I didn't mind since it was a nice day out).

After they picked up B, they told A to pull over in the next parking lot. A was concerned and did so; B proceeded to say that I insulted them 3 days ago by making a joke about being unemployed, and that while B "understood it" when I was recovering from surgery, it had been long enough and we'd be in real financial trouble if I didn't get a job "ASAP". B made a point of saying "There's no excuse for the house not to be spotless if [I'm] home all day" and that they wanted to "see [me] paying 1/3rd of the rent" .

This hurt because I've been trying my best to keep our shared living space clean and to not be a drain on the finances. B also made a mean remark about how often I show up as "in-game/online" on Steam when I "should be cleaning/working". (I will admit I like having it on the in background, I like games with idle/calm mechanics or good music.)

A came home and told me this ("ASAP" at B's request), I started crying. I texted B an apology and was honest about my current situation/limitations, and that I couldn't remember the joke but that it was likely directed negatively at myself and not B (I do feel horrible about how much I've had to put on hold or miss out on because of my body). We didn't have our anniversary dinner that night.

B ended up admitting it wasn't really me but that they were in a bad financial situation and felt "trapped". They never explained the joke or communicated with me beyond one "I'm sorry" DM.

I've started trying to clean more often, I removed a lot of my things from our shared living spaces (90% of the furniture/tech is from my parents so I can't totally clear out), I stay in my room, and I try not to be loud/cook smelly things/etc.

B's started going out with their other friends to gaming events/cons and using things like Doordash more frequently. This makes me worried B might get tight on money and lash out at me again if I'm visible in the house. I'm fine because I'm used to living primarily in one room and B isn't talking to me or being passive-aggressive.

The problem is that I still have B on most of my online accounts; we used to play games together. It makes me anxious to be online and visible because I know they can see me, I don't want them to think I'm being lazy again.

WIBTA if I quietly removed them from everything but my phone contacts? (I still want to be able to communicate in case of emergencies)

What are these acronyms?

[fratboybeezer]

Flyers Primer - Text Version

Presentation version here

featuring many of my personal opinions on players & some phantoms i find notable

*edit: fuck carter hart and i was very harsh on sam for no reason also there’s a lot of typos sorry

Cam Atkinson

forward (rw), #89

drafted 157th overall to CBJ in 2008

amazing instagram comment-er

on the nhl player inclusion coalition

played for torts in cbus

seems just happy to be here

basically #1 gritty fan

Sean Couturier

forward (c), #14

coots, couter, no chest

drafted 8th overall to PHI in 2011

playing this season after being on ir for like a season and a half

should have an a or c

used to live with now gm danny b

last of my fav ginger trio (him, g, and jakey)

toothless

Marc Staal

defenseman, #18

drafted 12th overall to NYR in 2005

2nd of 4 staals

homophobic, boycotted pride night with his brother eric in florida last season

career overall +/- of +50, over 1100 games played

Scott Laughton

forward (c), #21

our one and only a

laughts, laughtsy, scotty tatum

drafted 20th overall to PHI in 2012

passionate LGBTQ+ ally

always the one to put up the pride flag in front of the farg

first guests of the season were a lesbian couple celebrating their 1 year wedding anniversary

best drip on the roster (decided by me after that horrid drip night they had)

kinda reminds me of a cat idk

drinks a black, hot coffee

let atkinson wear his a for atkinson’s first game back in cbus after being traded to philly (back when we had a c and 2 a’s)

had an a with team canada at world’s

has a cat named brucey

Travis Konecny

forward (rw), #11

tk, teeks, tiki bar

drafted 24th overall to PHI in 2015

literally one of the best (if not the best) player on our roster idc argue with the wall

called a “short king” (he is 5’10, there’s shorter guys on the roster)

certified DILF!!

my mom’s fav flyer (she can only name 3 total)

once lost his shoes on the plane and therefore postponed press

pest/rat/raccoon (affectionate)

lives in penalty box yet an absolute goal scorer

his best on ice comparison is a chihuahua

best flow on the roster idc

our media rep this year!!! Slay!!

best chirps on the roster

Joel Farabee

forward (lw), #86

beezer, young beezer, bee, young beezy

drafted 14th overall to PHI in 2018

my favorite player i could go on and on about him

had neck surgery after 21-22 season and came back and played all 82 games in 22-23 season

is already becoming a leader on the team

bought a house from coots early 22 and now it’s a hub for the young guys on the team

gives off frat boy vibes in the best way

is such a teammate guy

asg shootout hater

has (at least 1) tattoo

his game day coffee order is an iced coffee with almond milk, no sweetener, on off days gets a brown sugar shaken espresso, prefers iced over hot coffee, and never met a coffee he didn’t like

grew up liking the flyers & phillies and really wanted to be drafted to philly

“i thank my lucky stars” -bee when talking about getting drafted to philly

claimed in a tk mic’d up that he was dropping a mixtape and never dropped it :(

silliest guy on instagram

Carter Hart

goalie, #79

hartsy, cahtah haht

drafted 48th overall by PHI in 2016

our starter <3 love him

as i’m making this is injured but is practicing with the team so hopefully he’ll be back soon

deserves better than philly but you can pry him from my cold dead hands

@st-louis has a great primer about him

Samuel Ersson

goalie, #33

drafted 143rd overall to PHI in 2018

not the best but he’s trying (i think)

would benefit from some time down with the phantoms

tbh shouldn’t be our #2

Cal Petersen

goalie, #40

drafted 129th overall to BUF in 2013

looks like he would blow away in the wind ngl

me and my friend hate him i’m sorry (sorta)

has spent most of his career so far with the kings

Felix Sandstrom

#32

drafted 70th overall to PHI in 2015

he should be our #2 idc

or down with the phantoms to improve

i can’t think of him without thinking of those pics @mad-bee posted of him like

👁️👁️

Bobby Brink

forward (rw), #10

drafted 34th overall to PHI in 2019

a baby!! (is a 22 y/o man)

my friend knows him specifically as “our rookie”

a REAL short king (5’8)

university of denver

Cam York

defenseman, #8

yorkie, yam cork

drafted 14th overall to PHI in 2019

umich boy, would’ve graduated with team 101

also a usndtp boy

i’m too lazy to look for evidence but probably part of the hughes summer club

Tyson Foerster

forward (rw), #71

drafted 23 overall to PHI in 2020

even more of a baby than brink (he’s a 21 y/o man)

roomies with beezer, stayed in philly during the off-season

i don’t think he stops smiling

described by beezer as “like a little adhd kid”

seems to be besties with yorkie

Egor Zamula

defenseman, #5

undrafted

was super excited to play alongside pr*vorov when he got called up from the Phantoms

part of beezer’s summer group

Nicolas Deslauriers

forward (lw), #44

nic, des, delo

drafted 84th overall to LAK in 2009

french canadian

hit 600 games 10/10!!

usually one of the top guys on the team in hits, pim, fights

has a career overall of -91 but like isn’t a goal scorer so. averages about 6 points per game in overall career

great fighter very hot 10/10

Nick Seeler

defenseman, #24

seels, seal team

drafted 131st overall to MIN in 2011

underrated!!!!!!!!

another great fighter that’s very hot 10/10

there’s not much to him other than punches but that’s ok i love him

fought des when des was playing with the wild

Noah Cates

forward (lw), #27

catesy

drafted 137th overall to PHI in 2017

has a brother who was with the organization but now is with bridgeport in the ahl (got to play some nhl games together!!!!)

once said flyers locker room lacked the “swagger of the winning mentality” which is a fucking hilarious way to word it

was on 2022 us men’s olympic roster

Morgan Frost

forward (c), #48

frosty

drafted 27th overall to PHI in 2017

never captions his instagram posts

angered torts or something because he keeps getting benched with no chance to properly prove himself

flyers hater

Travis Sanheim

defenseman, #6

sanny, sandy, sandra

drafted 17th overall by PHI in 2014

besties + neighbors with tk (known together as travii or travis²)

whl boy

besties with tk’s oldest kid

Owen Tippett

forward (rw), #74

tippy, tipper

drafted 10th overall to FLA in 2017

got him when we traded our captain :,( miss you G

hair looks unnatural but like i’m 90% it is natural

Garnet Hathaway

forward (rw), #19

undrafted

signed as free agent in july

part of phd line (w/ des & poehling)

UHM HIS FIRST NAME IS FUCKING JOHN?!

i don’t like him please don’t ask why i don’t have an answer

Ryan Poehling

forward (c), #25

drafted 25th overall to MTL in 2017

another guy signed in july

saved him from the penguins 🫶🏻

phd line

honestly i don’t know much abt him

Louie Belpedio

defenseman, #37

drafted 80th overall to MIN in 2014

has like 3 nhl games under his belt (12? as i’m making this)

signed july 2022 but has chilling in lehigh valley

went to miami of ohio

has a totally of 3 points but like i said only 11 games he’s got a lot of space for more

Victor Mete

defenseman, #98

drafted 100th overall to MTL in 2016

signed as a free agent in july

more of an assists guy than a goals guy and honestly i’m content with that

career overall +/- of +19

about 250 games under his belt

Sean Walker

defenseman, #26

walks

undrafted

bgsu grad & 2 seasons as captain there

his trade helped us send pr*vorov on his way, hope the door hit him on the way out

not rly talked abt but i think he’s cool (i’m going to bgsu lol)

Long term IR Boys

Ryan Ellis

defenseman, #94

drafted 11th overall to NSH in 2009

i don’t think he’s played a single game with us

like was injured when he was drafted and has been on ir the whole time

we lost phil myers for him (and nolpat too ig)

back injury? i think?

i have no thoughts on him ngl

Rasmus Ristolainen

defenseman, #55

drafted 8th overall to BUF in 2013

horrid career overall +/- (-176)

traded robert hagg & 2 draft pics for him?

i like him tho ig

looks like a different person in like every photo i’ve ever seen of him

his injury is undisclosed

The Phantoms

Wade Allison

forward (rw), #19 (#17 with flyers)

wader, ally, ally cat

drafted 52nd overall to PHI in 2016

he’s my girlfriend i miss him

lived in beezer’s basement last season

part of the fratboys (w/ frosty & beezer)

wmu boy

spent all of last season with the flyers

Tanner Laczynski

forward (c), #9 (#58 with the flyers)

drafted 169th overall to PHI in 2016

OSU boy (ew)

has never spent a whole season up with the flyers :(

my mom once told me he looked like a loser before finding out he was an nhl player

buds with wader

Zayde Wisdom

forward (rw), #14

drafted 94th overall to PHI in 2020

used to live with foerster?

he would cook and tyson would clean

i need him to be called up so we have that duo back

scored 29 goals in his second ohl season

Emil Andrae

defenseman, #6 (#36 with flyers)

drafted 54th overall to PHI in 2020

played 4 games with us this season

not much of a goal scorer but can do it

kinda looks very stereotypical swede

Ronnie Attard

defenseman, #12

drafted 72nd overall to PHI in 2019

was tri-city storm captain for the 18-19 season

another wmu boy — played a season there with ally in 19-20

played 2 games with the flyers last season and 15 the year before

[she-karev]

Mother's Day (Jolex Imagine)

Age Rating: 12+

Chapters: One of Three

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy

Canon Episode: In Between Season 18 Episode 16 and 17

Ship: Alex Karev and Jo Wilson/Jo Karev

AN: Happy Mother’s Day guys! I decided to write chapters to celebrate this occasion where we say thanks to the mothers that raised us and put our well-being above their own.

Summary: Alex and Andrew try to put together a toy for Luna that proves to be impossible with the nonsensical instructions causing them to start to break down. Meanwhile Jo talks to her pregnant sister in law, Amber.

Words: 3760

May 12, 2022

Jo stands in front of the surgical board writing down Jo Karev for a lap appy in O.R. 3 this morning. Alex walks down the hall surprised to see her in her navy-blue scrubs instead of her pale pink ones that she got after she decided to switch from general surgery to OBGYN.

He remembers when she decided on this change two years ago during the pandemic. She told him she needed to bring joy back to her life and knew that switching specialties was the way to do it.

He was shocked at first but eventually he supported her decision even bragging about how he was married to a soon to be double board-certified surgeon. Now seeing her in navy blue scrubs feels wrong somehow maybe it’s because he got used to the pink scrubs. He approaches her.

“Hey.”

Jo finishes writing her name, “Hey I can’t make it for lunch today I have a surgery that’s gonna run till 1 in the afternoon and then I have a partial colectomy after so I won’t clock out till 8. Are you good eating alone and taking Luna home without me?”

“Yeah, sure but first I want to know when you decided to switch back to surgery? I mean don’t get me wrong, pink, baby blue, dark blue you look good in all of those scrubs it’s just hard to keep track of what stage you’re in right now.”

“Well right now I am part general surgeon and part OB. Bailey guilted me into returning to the O.R. because the hospital is falling apart and more surgeries are getting cancelled by the minute. Even with DeLuca helping out there’s still at least 4 patients waiting and without any residents to assist we’re in the trenches.”

“Yeah, times are dark. Okay if it gets to be too much you know where to find me. And if Bailey tries to guilt trip me, I’ll just remind her that you got into OB so you wouldn’t fall into a depressive state during the pandemic and working you to death is gonna risk that again.”

Jo looks at Alex touched, “You would stand up to the chief for me?”

“I would stand up to God himself if I thought you or Luna needed my help. Not that she doesn’t need it with a fierce and kind mama like you.” Alex grins as does Jo who groans when she remembers something.

“I gotta assemble that baby stroller thing that I got yesterday so Luna can start walking. Maybe if I start tonight, I can finish it by the morning.”

Alex looks at his watch, “I get out early today maybe I can take Luna and assemble it before you get home.”

Jo widens her eyes at that, “Are you sure? I can assemble it another day it’s no trouble at all.”

“Don’t be silly it can help Luna walk and it’s just a toy for a baby its not exactly rocket science.”

“Yeah, but it feels like it is and unlike you I’ve done this before. Trust me when I say it’s gonna feel impossible.”

Alex grins amused and rubs Jo’s arms, “It’s gonna be great. You can think of it as a Mother’s Day gift along with the cake and velvet boxed jewelry I got you.”

Jo looks shocked at the date, “Wait its Mother’s Day? How did I miss that?”

“Maybe because we’re busy and we can barely remember our birthdays and anniversaries let alone a day dedicated to good moms. But needless to say, I remembered and feel like giving you a day of cherishing along with our daughter.”

Jo smiles at that, “Well when you put it like that how can I refuse? Okay the box is in the nursery you can find the instructions inside along with a Xanax in case you get stressed by how difficult it is.”

“Jo, I operate on kids for a living trust me some baby toy is not gonna beat me. It’s gonna look great by the time you get home and Luna will be walking in style.” He kisses her and leaves her to grin at herself hoping that Alex’s cockiness will be warranted.

3 PM

Alex enters the house carrying Luna in his arms along with her diaper bag. He exhales in the relief of comfort at his house before heading upstairs to the yellow nursery where he sees a V Tech sit to stand learning walker for girls with the colorful toy pictured all over the large box. A baby is walking holding the stroller so it can advertise its usefulness in developing child mobility.

Alex kneels down next to the box still holding Luna, “You know when me and your auntie Amber were learning to walk, we just held on to table ends and tried not to fall. We didn’t have toys or contraptions that made it fun for us. So, we’re gonna do it differently with you Little Moon, new baby, new tradition. Let’s do this kid.”

He puts Luna in her sit up floor seat so she can be across from him while he opens the box and takes the disassembled parts out piece by piece. He took out the instructions inside the box and saw that they were in Chinese. He flipped to the English section and saw from the diagram that the first step is to insert the easy to grip handle.

He reads the instructions, “Okay first step is…” The instructions might as well be in Chinese because he can’t make out what it’s trying to tell him, “Insert to parts for assemble which toy can have immediately.” He is taken back by this strange instruction and looks at Luna, “Can you make out what that means?” Luna’s only response was a raspberry to his amusement, “Okay it’s fine we got this, we are both smart and capable people who can put together a simple toy for you to walk with. It’s easy as pie.”

Meanwhile

Jo is at the beginning stages of a partial colectomy with her sister-in-law Amber DeLuca nee Karev assisting. She decided to let her sister assist her in her surgeries since she needs to learn as a resident even with all the residency program on probation. She feels bad for Amber knowing it isn’t what she signed up for when she first joined but she doesn’t show it because she knows Amber wants to hang tough and not show weakness. She mentally snorts at the similarities between her and Alex since it’s what Alex would do too.

As sad as Amber is in her work life, she’s making up for it with the joy in her personal life when she told them that she and DeLuca were pregnant back in March. Jo knew that she and DeLuca decided to try to have a baby and gave them her full support already embracing being an aunt and Luna having a cousin. It’s the kind of family she wished she had growing up and is grateful for Luna never having to know what that feels like.

“How’s the morning sickness?”

“It’s mostly gone. It only comes up after I eat a bagel with strawberry cream cheese so I cut that off.”

Jo sees the colon and keeps talking as she cuts, “Have you guys already started preparing for the baby when it comes?”

“We’re just going along with it as it goes. I want to know the sex first and then paint the nursery, I know there is neutral colors but I don’t want my baby’s room to look like vomit or a crab condiment. God knows there’s gonna be enough fluids as it is.”

Jo groans in disgust, “I know, how can so many disgusting things come out of something so cute and so small? It’s why I bought a diaper genie; I just wish it came with a maid to do the diapers and clean up the spit-up.”

“You’re really winning me over on motherhood.” Amber retorts sarcastically.

“But it’s all worth it.” Jo states with a smile behind her mask, “To have this small and wonderful person and claim her as your own it’s a new kind of love that takes you over and…makes you see life in a whole new way. Don’t worry your gonna do great and so is your man. And in case you need practice you guys can hijack Luna whenever you want. Preferably Friday nights so I can have sex with my hot, cranky husband.”

“Ugh can you not talk about that, that’s my brother and I’m afraid my morning sickness is gonna come back.”

Jo chuckles, “Sorry you know Luna is really excited about having a cousin. She even clapped when I read Forever Cousins the other night for bedtime.”

Amber grins, “Aww that’s sweet, it’s gonna be kind of cool, isn’t it? Us raising our kids together at the same time.”

“It does sound cool; I’m already seeing us having barbeque on the weekends with the guys grilling and us just sitting back and drinking cheap wine while the kids are playing on the swing set in the back.”

“Jo by then swing sets will probably be dead and our kids will play with virtual reality goggles or whatever technology is gonna take them away from precious family time.”

Jo starts dissecting the colon, “Well you get my point I’m just really excited. I used to think I would never get those sitcom families that fight and make up in the end with the audience cheering in the background. And now here I am a mom and a soon to be aunt, I’m probably gonna compete with Carina over who’s the favorite but I will welcome it.”

Amber chuckles, “It would be nice to see that and if we have a girl, you guys can hand us some of Luna’s old clothes and recommend toys for us.”

“Well hopefully one is being assembled as we speak. I got Luna this walking toy that’s supposed to encourage babies to take their first steps. I was gonna assemble it after work but then Bailey asked me to operate so Alex offered to do it instead. He said it was a Mother’s Day gift along with the cake I saw in the fridge this morning.”

“That’s nice of him.”

Jo inhales uneasily, “Yeah hopefully he survives with his sanity intact.”

Amber narrows her eyes at that, “Jo it’s a toy for babies how hard can it be to put together?”

Two Hours Later

Alex tries to push the number 3 button shaped like a square onto the console but it doesn’t stick in causing him to groan in misery. He’s been trying to put together the toy for the past two hours and so far he’s only gotten as far as the easy to grip handle that has one end sticking out. Luna has been at the front seat of her dad’s failure with a blank face.

The instructions get more confusing as he reads along making him think that the English translation was rough from the Chinese. He’s starting to see why Jo underestimated his ability to put it together. It makes him appreciate her even more knowing how hard it must have been to play handy man with crappy instructions. Honestly it was a miracle she didn’t have a nervous breakdown since he’s close to having one. Luckily the instructions are also in Italian so he called his brother-in-law to translate hoping it sounds intelligible in his language. Andrew DeLuca enters the nursery surprised to find Alex cross legged on the floor holding a button and glaring at it like he wants to kill it. He clears his throat and cautiously approaches him.

“Hey man how’s it going?”

Alex growls under his breath, picks up the manual and reads out one of the steps, “Gently forward piece for coupling with warning about many danger. Can you make out what that means? Because either I am missing something or China is trying to make us insane with these instructions making it easier to attack.”

Andrew spots the button on his hand and points to the console, “That 3 button your holding looks like it goes right there.”

Alex chuckles darkly, “Yeah it does doesn’t it? Here let me just fit it in there.” Alex tries to put the button in the console but it refuses to merge no matter how hard he pushes, “I have an MD, I was the interim chief of surgery and I run my own department. A department for kids so toys are what I give them all day so they can feel better about me cutting into them. This toy is for my daughter so that she can walk so why the hell is it not letting me teach her how to walk!”

Andrew looks at Luna in her floor seat where she’s teething, “I think your teaching her about how to have a nervous breakdown properly.” Andrew grins but Alex has none of it as he glares at his brother-in-law, “Right not the time to be funny. Doesn’t the store have some kind of service to put these things together?”

Alex throws the button to the floor, “It does but this damn thing costs 50 bucks and it costs another 50 to put it together.”

“It’s a gig economy. So why am I here then?”

Alex holds out the manual to him from the floor, “There are instructions in Italian and you read it don’t you?”

He grabs the manual and flips the page, “Yeah.”

“Great then you can translate and hopefully Italy is smart enough to translate into actual sentences.”

Andrew raises his eyebrow at the menial task, “You called me over here to be your translator? I’m pretty sure there’s an app where you take a picture of the page and it can translate.”

Alex pinches the bridge of his nose, “I am on the brink of losing it so forgive me if I’ve forgotten about the advancements of technology. Now either you sit down and help me put this damn thing together or the nursery will be painted red instead.”

Andrew eyes widen at that threat knowing full well how violent his in-laws can be. He kneels down and reads the instructions, “Okay let me read this and translate…” His eyebrows furrow at the instructions reading them out loud to Alex, “To make seat with secure fasten red pin C to happy. Huh…I guess Italy got it wrong too.” Alex grabs one of Luna’s plushies and squeezes the bunny in anger taking a deep inhale and exhale. Andrew tries to read the instructions and Luna is in her chair giving a wide grin as if mocking them.

8:17 PM

Jo enters her house with Amber behind her carrying wine for her and Alex and mineral water for Amber. They head to the kitchen to set the bottles down on the counter and Jo looks around at the empty room.

“Where is Alex? He said he would be home by now.” Amber shrugs and they hear a shout coming from upstairs that sounds like Alex. They look at each other confused before Jo grabs the tiny screen that’s connected to the HelloBaby monitor camera upstairs in Luna’s room. They look at the monitor to find Alex in there sitting on the floor in front of the desecrated toy he said he would build for Jo. Jo sighs gathering the information, “I guess my husband got overconfident again and is suffering the consequences.” Jo sees Luna still in her seat giggling at the scene, “On the bright side Luna is enjoying her real-life sitcom that is her daddy building a toy.”

Amber leans in closer when she spots a familiar person sitting next to Alex leaning forward on his knees holding a purple wheel that’s supposed to go with the walker. She sees him from the side and can tell he is about to lose it, “What is Andrew doing in there?”

Jo grins amused, “Questioning his stance on pending fatherhood maybe.” Amber looks at Jo with a raised eyebrow and looks back at the screen.

Meanwhile

Alex takes a deep breath trying to keep the toy standing up with the purple back legs providing support. It looks almost like the box depicts it as except the buttons are hanging out and not pushed in and the pink phone is discarded on the floor. He barely makes a dent in inserting the legs into the main front with one wheel missing that he spots in Andrew’s hands as he is leaning against his knees no doubt as cranky as him about this cursed toy. He grabs the wheel and tries to put the wheel in but instead it makes the entire toy structure crumble down and the buttons are scattered across the floor. Alex and Andrew look on in angsty defeat while Luna grins at the carnage no doubt thinking this is playtime.

Andrew quickly stands up, frustration evident on his face, “I give up I tried man I tried but this-this cazzo is impossible!” Alex merely sits in silent defeat while Andrew goes in a rant, “Porca miseria I’ve been beaten up, I’ve been stabbed, I’ve worked in Italy while it was a hot pandemic spot but this toy for your daughter is the evilest thing I have ever faced! Sono un dannato chirurgo e non riesco a mettere insieme un cazzo di giocattolo.” (Translation: I’m a damn surgeon and I can’t put a fucking toy together.)

Alex looks at Andrew taken back by him ranting in Italian but his brother-in-law doesn’t notice as he continues his tirade, “Come farò a fare questo per mio bambino? e perché hanno bisogno di giocattoli fantasiosi per camminare?” (Translation: How will I do this for my baby? And why do they need fancy toys for walking?)

Alex nods but doesn’t catch one word of his speech and overlaps in his rambling, “I can see that your very upset.”

Andrew doesn’t listen while Luna looks at her uncle blankly no doubt not even registering his foreign language, “Non li avevamo e tutto è andato bene. È dannatamente pazzesco che queste istruzioni non abbiano senso, non significano un cazzo!” (Translation: We didn’t have them and we’re fine. It’s damn crazy that these instructions don’t make sense, they don’t mean shit!)

A loud cough stops Andrew in his rant causing him and Alex to turn to find Amber and Jo standing outside the door with concerned grins on both of their faces. Jo walks past the men as they start to calm down and picks up Luna from her seat.

“Did your daddy and uncle have a hard time today, Luna Bear?” Jo looks down at Alex in sympathy causing him to stand up in exhaustion, “Did you learn any new Italian words from your uncle Andrew?”

Andrew sighs at that, “I didn’t realize I slipped back into my native tongue.”

Amber pouts at Andrew putting her hand over his chest, “You hit your breaking point?”

“This thing is evil.” Andrew states in his most serious voice, “It-It is designed so that parents can’t make it and their kids’ development is held off until the damn employee at the store assembles it and makes money from our misery.”

“You and I are finally in agreement.” Alex states rubbing his temples and sits in the rocking chair tired.

Andrew inhales and exhales before speaking, “I have a new hatred for China and our countries inability to translate correctly. How would you feel about a potato and a stick for our baby to play with instead? I mean you didn’t get a fancy stroller and you turned out okay.”

Amber squeezes Andrew’s shoulder in comfort, “I would make fun of you for not assembling a toy but I have a feeling I would incite another Italian soap opera scene.”

“I think we’re gonna hold off on you learning to walk until I can assemble this thing and show your daddy how it’s done.” Jo bounces Luna up and down smiling at her, “Yeah you’ll learn soon that mommy has all the answers yes she does.”

“She really does.” Alex agrees in a tired tone before standing up and standing in front of his family with a guilty look, “I’m sorry. I wanted to show you guys how much I love and appreciate you but instead I showed you all the ways a guy can screw up what a mom can’t.”

Jo grins at Alex in appreciation, “We already know how much you love us, you don’t have to put together a toy that even NASA couldn’t assemble. The fact that you tried to and never gave up is enough for us.” Jo kisses Alex while holding Luna with Andrew and Amber still in the room looking away awkwardly.

Amber turns to Andrew with a smile, “How about this Bob the Builders to show us how much you appreciate the things we do for your current and future kid’s you guys can make us dinner and then after we can eat that cake in the fridge. Meanwhile me, Jo, and Luna will put together this toy that seems to have broken you.” Andrew groans in agreement with Alex rubbing the back of his neck, “Is that a good compromise boys?”

The men look at each other for a moment and nod, “I’ll get the stuff to make chicken tetrazzini.”

“I’ll pre heat the stove.” Alex offers gladly and both of them walk out of the room determined to get away from the baby toy that is scattered all over the floor. Jo and Amber chuckle at their husband’s helplessness and sit down on the floor in front of the toy parts with Luna in Jo’s lap.

“Oh, Luna Bear where would you be without mommy?”

Amber picks up the purple handle, “Probably still laughing at her daddy and uncle’s expense. How do you…” Amber tries to put the handle together with the front but it doesn’t to her ire, “I can see why my husband had an Italian breakdown.”

“Give it to me.” Amber hands Jo the handle that she attaches to the front with laughable ease to Amber’s shock.

“How did you do that?”

“Oh, honey you should’ve seen me when I tried to assemble Luna’s activity garden, that made our men’s scene look like amateur acting.”

Amber chuckles, “Happy Mother’s Day.”

Jo grins at her pregnant sister-in-law, “Happy Mother's Day.”

[transmonstera]

congrats on the top surgery bro!!! june 21st happens to also be my 5 year anniversary of being on t! ill be wishing you luck :)

omg!! look at us transing our genders on the same day!!!

happy early 5 year t-anniversary! <3

[ignitesthestxrs]

Ssince your askbox is open: give us an update on life? You moved out some time ago to your first place if I remember correctly, how’s it going? What ya up to? You like your job?

wah this is cute anon, thank you! and also a reminder of how very long i have been on this webbed site phew

in hindsight i think moving out was a rough transition for me, although i handled it the best way i could at the time. like it was necessary and ultimately good for me, but i can also clearly see now that this was the start of increasing issues with undiagnosed adhd where i went from a very rigid environment where i had a lot of structure imposed on my life by an external source, to an environment where everything was up to me, and it turns out i was not a super reliable person to give that job to!

that was: a while ago though. these days my living situation is genuinely wonderful and it happened almost entirely accidentally. one of my flatmates had to move out a couple of years ago, so i asked a younger friend who was ready to leave home herself if she was interested in moving in. there was a brief Blip where our third flatmate (TRULY A CUNT) started a campaign of terror that ultimately ended in me kicking her out, which is how we acquired a newer, gayer flatmate. after like a year? her partner moved in, and this is now a 4 lesbian household with one full time cat and three part time cats that just come in through our cat door at will.

nothing is perfect obvs but the difference between living in a house where i was not friends with anyone there and one person actually actively hated me, vs living with people whom i love, who are similarly queer and neurodivergent (this is a 3/4 adhd household, yes it is a mess), who have understanding and community, is the kind of life-changing, revitalising experience i could not have imagined before i had it. like i spent most of my life being alone and enjoying being alone, and i still do spend a lot of time by myself, but it's with the knowledge that like,,,not only can i wander down into the lounge and chill with someone, but that sometimes i will in fact want to do this. this was a revelation for me! i could not have predicted this for myself, and im very glad things unfolded in this way, because there were a couple of moments there where i was very tempted to make simpler, lonelier choices that would have involved taking less of a Chance, and my life would have been duller because of it.

my job is my job! i still work at the same place i always have (15 year anniversary next may lol). i work from home 4/5 days a week (i go in on a monday with my team and don't have to deal with the rest of the company, which suits me well). i make databases of consumer information acquired from surveys that then gets sold to media companies and advertisers, it is not exactly a world-saving endeavor, but we have a solid privacy policy in place so it's ethically survivable LOL.

one thing that has changed over the past few years is that i basically grabbed a metaphorical crowbar and started insisting that we needed more DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) work happening in our business. this is also not a world-saving endeavour, but it is a way of bringing something that i care about into my workplace in a way that makes practical, effective policy change. white collar workplaces are very good at saying the right thing and doing nothing, and while my workplace is better than many, it has been and continues to be a bit of a fight to drag them into the 'doing things' arena. but i am having gradual success, and my ultimate goal is to create a DEI specialist position for myself if i have to like, carve it out with a butter knife. my boss is on board with this and will throw his weight around as requested, and doing this work definitely brings some interest and purpose to what is a pretty standard tech-adjacent job otherwise.

2023 has been a year of gently trying new things for me. i had a necessary surgery that has given me a new lease on life. i feel like myself again. i have been going to concerts and plays, i have done some volunteer work at a helpline (although i need to follow up on this, a thing that i am notoriously bad at doing). i am trying to reframe my relationship with creativity and writing, a big part of which has been like,,,reading again. my attention span was Shot for a few years though, and this is the first year of being medicated and like, Well enough overall in a long time that i have been able to sustain a pretty regular turnover of books.

i had a period of time there where i was kind of desperately, hysterically unhappy with myself in a way that resulted in me being Incredibly Fucking Needy because i didn't have anything to fill myself up with, i guess? so i have been on a journey of like, well to be interested by yourself it helps to do interesting things, so there has been a lot of re-connecting with hobbies and doing things because i might enjoy them, not because i want to talk about them on the internet. for real, i do think i killed my soul with twitter there for a while.

SO YEAH overall it has been a ride and a life, but i am in a really lovely place right now, even with the bumps and the hardships and the State Of Living. we grow and we go, right?

[honeysuckle-venom]

Warnings: Non-graphic discussion of childbirth gone wrong, hallucinations and delusions, and spoilers for the tv show Dear Child

As I mentioned last night, I've been really struggling. September 8th and 9th are The Trauma Anniversary TM for me, they're the anniversary of my brother's birth which was deeply traumatic on a number of levels I'm not going into in this post. The important thing to know is there was a lot of blood, my mom and brother nearly died, I watched the whole thing, and it fucked me up. Oh, and my mom had severe infections for several months following the birth that also nearly killed her and had several other serious consequences for our whole family.

Anyway. Every year I really struggle in September, and this year is no exception. This year I've been having recurring hallucinations that my mouth and throat are full of blood, which is really really unpleasant and a pretty obvious response to the anniversary. Today I've been having that feeling most of the day, and it sucks. So I decided I needed to distract myself. I decided I should watch some sort of dark and suspenseful show that will keep my attention. Crime thrillers aren't quite my usual thing, but Dear Child was right in front of me on Netflix, reviews said it was good, and it was supposed to have a mystery that would keep me focused on trying to figure it out instead of on my awful trauma memories and psychotic symptoms. So I started watching it.

Immediately there's a little girl around the age I was with a weird intense relationship with her mother and scenes of the mother in surgery. So. Not off to a great start. But it was holding my attention, and I fast forwarded through the graphic medical scenes. It was vaguely interesting and something to focus on, so it was serving its purpose. Eventually we learn that the woman we think is the child's mother isn't, and that the actual mother is dead. Okay, fine. I'm still watching and vaguely enjoying the show.

And then in episode 3 there starts to be mention of a baby we haven't met. "Fuck," I think. "The mother died in childbirth, didn't she?" I google it, and sure enough, the mother got an infection after giving birth and died of it!

I mean, you've got to be fucking kidding me. This is the shit that makes me think pieces of media were made specifically to fuck with me, gotta love those delusions of reference. I just wanted a fucking distraction from the feeling of swallowing blood, but nope! Instead we've got the TV version of the very trauma memory I'm trying to avoid! Because the universe fucking hates me!

[cuartist]

Nine people you'd like to get to know better

Tagged by @birthdaywolf

Last song: on my phone? scumbag by noahfinnce (listening to his whole album currently, but that's the one that was on when I got out of the car), but den just played barbaras rhabarberbar out loud in my vicinity, so? debatable (then listened to more noahfinnce while making this)

Favourite colour: i mean? red or black, lol. (though debatably a color) also copper/brass/gold. when i was a kid I would say rainbow, and ya know? a good answer

Currently watching: hypothetically adventure time and full metal alchemist, but it's been a while for both! a lot of youtube tho lol

sweet/savory/spicy: this is a silly question. there must be balance, and also they're not mutually exclusive? thinking about a good pad thai which is all of the above. like, if only allowed one ever for the rest of my life, savory probably? because what is spicy without savory-ness? but i also am a baker with a sweet tooth, so. silly question.

Relationship status: married to @unloneliest! this year will be our 10th anniversary (from dating) which? wild. we were babies.

Current obsession: i mean, always my comic @farragone, I'm very close to finishing the coloring for an episode right now and am! very excited for how that's looking! a little out of context screenshot! they.

but also recently got a shelf and discovered it was in much rougher shape once it was getting cleaned, so I learned how to refinish wood about it! and did that intensely for 3 days

the before, after I sanded & added wood filler, and after!! dragon shelf!!!

I'm also getting top surgery in a month, so, definitely very focused on getting stuff prepared for that! bought some very cheap shirts today that can get wrecked if they must, dealing with boring paperwork etc.

Last thing you googled: was trying to order vegan wings and suffering about it since the place we originally tried to order from wasn't actually accepting online orders, and the place we did order from did not have any descriptions of their sauces. So doing a search to see if anybody had even posted any photos or reviews, while slowly losing my hungry mind over how large their menu was.

Tagging: (not 9 people bc I can't think that hard) (if you want! no pressure! and also if you want to do these you can if i didn't tag you specifically!) @pegasusgoat, @whatisthiswitchcraft, @clockworkfairy, @lycanqueer, @pandorem, @dysfucktional-queer, @mithridacy

[liyazaki]

get to know me ask game tagged by @plaidcladjuno Juno Juno JUNO- I've missed you! thank you for the tag, friend 🖤

RULES: bold the ones that are true & tag 10 people to do it.

APPEARANCE

blonde hair (+ rainbow underneath) // I prefer loose clothing to tight clothing // I have one or more piercings // I have at least one tattoo // I have dyed or highlighted my hair // I have gotten plastic surgery // I have or had braces // I sunburn easily // I have freckles // I paint my nails // I typically wear makeup // I don’t often smile // I am pleased with how I look (mostly) // I prefer Nike to Adidas // I wear baseball hats backwards

HOBBIES & TALENTS

I play a sport // I can play an instrument (drums but I’m out of practice) // I am artistic // I know more than one language (does knowing random bits of 5 count?) // I have won a trophy in some sort of competition // I can cook or bake without a recipe // I know how to swim // I enjoy writing // I can do origami (I fold tiny paper cranes out of receipts, wrappers, etc. & leave them everywhere) // I prefer movies to tv shows // I can execute a perfect somersault // I enjoy singing // I could survive in the wild on my own // I have read a new book series this year // I enjoy spending time with friends // I travel during work or school breaks // I can do a handstand (I haven't tried in years; I'd be low-key scared to- I can still do a back bend though)

RELATIONSHIP

I am in a relationship // I have been single for over a year // ✨I have a crush✨ // I have a best friend who I’ve known for ten years (we're coming up on our 23rd anniversary) // my parents are together (unfortunately) // I have dated my best friend (a different bestie- we skipped the dating & went right to the fun stuff 😅) // I am adopted // my crush has confessed to me // I have a long distance relationship // I am an only child // I give advice to my friends // I have made an online friend (many) // I met up with someone I have met online (many times & hopefully many yet to come!)

AESTHETICS

I have heard the ocean in a conch shell // I have watched the sun rise ('twas not thrilled to be conscious) // I enjoy rainy days (LOVE THEM; fuck sunshine) // I have slept under the stars // I meditate outside // the sound of chirping calms me // I enjoy the smell of the beach // I know what snow tastes like // I listen to music to fall asleep // I enjoy thunderstorms // I enjoy cloud watching (too bright; hurts my baby blues/she a vampire) // I have attended a bonfire // I pay close attention to colors (aesthetically > symbolically) // I find mystery in the ocean (also fucking abject terror) // I enjoy hiking on nature paths (kinda sorta sometimes- mostly, I'm indoorsy) // autumn is my favorite season (I want to live in fall 365)

MISCELLANEOUS

I can fall asleep in a moving vehicle (more like I struggle to stay conscious in a moving vehicle) // I am the mom friend // I live by a certain quote (many quotes) // I like the smell of sharpies // I am involved in extracurricular activities (I'm in my 30s; my whole life is extracurricular) // I enjoy Mexican food (LOVE MEXICAN FOOD) // I can drive a stick shift // I believe in true love (I believe you can have many loves throughout your lifetime- all of them equally true) // I make up scenarios to fall asleep // I sing in the shower // I wish I lived in a video game // I have a canopy above my bed // I am multiracial (I look white as hell but I’m a cultural mutt) // I am a redhead // I own at least 3 dogs (2 cats)

tagging @elnotwoods @fleet-off @vegaseatsass @i-got-the-feels @mineonmain @ommited-miscellaneously @guzhu-furen @forcebook @icouldhyperfixatehim @ayan-sukkhapisit & anyone else wants to do it- just say I tagged you!

[anotherfauxredhead]

The Anniversary

Exactly one year ago, my fallopian tubes were yeeted out for good. My decision to go permanently childfree through sterilization was complete. Twelve things I've realized and noticed in the 12 months since I've gone tubeless:

--on me, the incision scars are now faint. Not completely faded, but you have to look up close to find them. Given that I'm still sporting loose skin from all the weight I've lost over the years, you really don't want to see my stomach. Shame that the docs couldn't perform surgery to remove my loose skin at that same time while I was under lol

--my menstrual cycle did not get wonky post-surgery. There have been a couple months where the cramps were more hellish than I've been used to, and Shark Week's been coming a couple days early the past three months (booooo). But the Red Tide has been manageable. For the record, I haven't been on any birth control (recently) prior to my Bisalp.

--for those wanting to get a Bisalp and are wondering how much time to take off from work, it all depends on the kind of work you do. I work an in-person physical job, so I took 3 1/2 weeks off. (When I was reading up on this on Reddit last year, I kept seeing replies on how the WFH crowd didn't have to take so much time off from work. And I'm all, y'all that WFH don't represent meeeeeeee!!!)

--incels, misogynists, and breeders continue to be mad mad over seeing more women choosing the childfree life (and the bear, too)

--speaking of incels, Harrison Butker is a waste of a wankstain

--BBLs are gross and ugly AF like them Cybertrucks. I know this has nothing to do with kids and the childfree life; I just wanted to get that off my chest and clown all y'all who own either or (even worse) both of them.

--Project 2025 can become a harsh reality if some of you will still choose to protest vote against "gEnOciDe Joe" while ignoring what that convicted felon will do if re-elected (so get out and Vote Blue)

--another reason why I'm (now permanently) childfree: I can shop in peace. No dealing with a whiny brat who'll throw a tantrum on a germ-infested floor when they don't get that video game they want me to buy. No taking up all the space when I roll my shopping cart-sized stroller down an aisle. No needing to buy things for my kids since I don't have 'em and thus I spend my shopping money on mahself!

--another reason why I'm childfree part 2: the perverted uses of AI and how my would-be child could be a victim of a disgusting deepfake. Fake porn has already been made with the likenesses of Megan Thee Stallion and Taylor Swift, and while they have the resources to take legal action, us normal women who could be a target of it may not be so lucky.

--you know the old saying: better to regret getting sterilized than regret having a child.

--someone on Reddit (I know, I know) said that the reason why they're childfree is because they're a woman. It's such a concise statement, but it tells a lot. For us childfree women, not only do we get shit from misogynists and incels for simply being women, we also get shit from breeders who pressure us into having kids so we can also be miserable AF as them. And then there are the politicians who want to control our bodies with their bullshit laws, and the delulu billionaires demanding future wage slaves from us so that their pockets stay fat.

--finally, if you're wondering, I still have NO regrets in doing my Bisalp. I didn't want children before the Supreme Court struck down Roe v Wade and even during the Trump years. Hell, even during the Bush Jr years 20 years ago when many from my generation were dying in a pointless war. It's still satisfying knowing that the Bible-thumping breeders in politics and their draconian ideologies can never trap me. Getting my tubes out was the ultimate "fuck you" to those vile six SC judges who ruled that my body was their choice two years ago. Fuck that noise. I made it MY choice, and those SC judges, the breeders, and the Harrison Butker-types can't do jack shit about it bwahahaha

Anyway, Happy Anniversary to my Bisalp and status of being permanently childfree! 🥳🥂

ETA: oh cool this also my 200th post here yaaay

[klcthebookworm]

2023 My Year In Fic

2023 Fiction Word Count:

285333 / 478128 words. 60% done!

Insights To Not Forget:

Dealing with what I can write in an hour: I established 600 words as my daily word count back in 2017, but didn't start tracking how long I wrote during a day until 2018. So I focused my math on 2018 - 2023. 2018 was the only year in which I had reached an hour of writing on average until this year 2023 so far when my average time is an hour and thirty minutes. But I only had 185 days of reaching or exceeding 600 words, so that spreadsheet broke down my average words per hour at 581.

For 2019 - 2021, my time writing per day dropped significantly: 47 minutes, 36 minutes, and 50 minutes. The days of reaching or exceeding 600 words also dropped (49, 48, 85) and average words per hour dropped too (451, 390, 584). I haven't gone back to look at what I was working during those years, but just from the statistic summaries I'm looking at it is clear that I either didn't write most days of the year or if I did it was way under an hour. 2022 is an outlier from the earlier years. The total days of reaching or exceeding was 113, but my average words per day was 1309 and the average writing time went up to 58 minutes per day. So the average words per hour calculated to 1363 that year.

Now to glance back at My Year in Fic posts to see what was going on.

2022: The new words that were not Library updating words only equaled 132,008. I wrote or editing 311 out of 365 days. Also in making new words easier, this was the first year I said I was going to work on one project a month and that was a success. My three void babies joined my house and life at the end of July. 2021: Ah, the fun with getting Scrivener 3 up and running and the laptop not having enough space. That was no fun. Continuing Covid not-fun times. Hurricane Ida made landfall. And Trigun outlines took over my brain. 2020: Covid plague! I spent all of August and September editing and just editing. 2019: Actually list of accomplishements is pretty good. We had my parents' anniversary cruise in October before Mom's surgery. And then she spent the entire month of Novemember in two hospitals and a rehab facility. 2018: I increased the number of days reaching or exceeding 600 words to 105 days out of 365. Looks like I overwhelmed myself with "WRITE ALL THE THINGS" on original fiction and barely did anything on the two projects I had going then to work on fanfics instead.

So can I write 600 words in an hour? No. My time so far this year is an average of writing for an hour and thirty minutes and the words per hours are 581. And another thing 600 words is my daily goal that my brain weasels twisted over to only take an hour. I have all day to get to it, but I shouldn't look at changing it until I have 365 days of reaching 600.

Stories I Posted at Ao3 Finally:

Tin Man / Medical Investigation: Alchemy: Word count = 30,166. A mysterious illness suddenly puts DG in charge and she seeks help where no one in the O.Z. expected her to. Written for TM Challenge 4th Annual Big Damn Challenge. Cross-posted on LiveJournal, FanFiction.Net, and the BookWorm's Library on June 29, 2011. The character Maggie Connor was created by ErinM_4600 for her story You Ever Wonder Why?, and used with permission. The character Margo Whitney was created for my Biker Mice From Mars: Evil Jack series of fanfics.

Nonestic Tales: What Memories Can Bring: Word count = 3237. Now I see you standing with brown leaves falling around and snow in your hair. Now you're smiling out the window of that crummy hotel over Washington Square. Our breath comes out white clouds, mingles and hangs in the air. Speaking strictly for me, we both could have died then and there. This story was finished on June 4, 2009, cross-posted at FanFiction.net on July 13, 2009, and the BookWorm's Library on March 20, 2010, and is the first of the Nonestic Tales series. “Diamonds and Rust” by Blackmore’s Night was an inspiration song.

Nonestic Tales: Pirates of the Nonestic: Word count = 112,914. Away from the familiar O.Z., the runaway Princess and the Tin Man join Captain "Blood-rage" Betsy Bobbins' quest and cross swords with sullen pirates, the navy out to stop Bobbins, and a legendary evil lurking in the Nonestic Ocean. This story was finished on May 17, 2009, cross-posted at FanFiction.net and the BookWorm's Library on March 30, 2010, and is the second of the Nonestic Tales series.

Nonestic Tales: Making Whole: Word count = 6,835. Lovers at odds seem to end up in Wonderland, but does this realm have a way to give Azkadellia what she wants no matter how hard Ambrose objects?

Stories I Posted:

Sororal Lineality: Miha: Word count = 3,129. Biggs Darklighter arrives back at the Fleet and finds out what happened to Luke Skywalker from a new defector, Mara Jade.

Stories I Finished:

A lot of writing this year, but haven't finished a first draft of anything.

Stories Caught Up in Editing:

Star Wars: Rescue the Farmboy: Mission on Mimban: Word count = 61,146. I have finished sending it through the ProWriting Aid program, but I found out I didn't create the Honoghran words one scene needed. So I got started on that and didn't get it finished.

Stories I Didn't Finish:

Trigun: Three of a Kind: Word count = 203,308 (20,838 written in 2022 + 182,470 written in 2023). This story has so many words! I really would like to reach the end.

Strix: Forget the Sun: Word count = 75,604 (26,588 written previously + 4279 written in 2019 + 279 written in 2020 + 15,328 written in 2021 + 5416 written in 2022 + 23,714 written in 2023). I only worked on it for National Novel Writing Month in November, but I joined Rachael Herron's NaNo accountability group and with permission to just flood the narrative with all the stupid thoughts in my head, and I got the highest word count on this narrative in five years! It's still not done, but I'm in the third act setting up for the climax fight.

Sherok (Martian language): Word count = 8258. I think I'm done with creating this language. What I have left is defining the words I have created.

Honoghran: Word count = 604. I finally have a question should I ever meet Timothy Zahn. "Did you have any rules for the apostrophe usage in Honoghran or did you decide every other word needed one to look pretty?" We have them in titles, in proper names, in clan names, in at least one verb that we know is a verb, and then these three words in the two sentences in Dark Force Rising that I don't know what they are. In serious conlanging though, I think the ones in titles are substituting for "of the."

ush = clan/clans

Ary'ush = Savior of the Clans

Mal'ary'ush = Daughter of the Savior of the Clans

For the clan names, I'm thinking that what is behind the apostrophe is a directional marker of where the clan was from before the destruction of Honoghr. For proper names, maybe part of the name is named after someone famous or in honor of. Since the firstchild, secondchild, thirdchild is actually child, grandchild, and great-grandchild, I don't think they have a bunch of numbered Juniors running around. With this thought, I believe in a generation or two after the events in the Last Command, the Noghri will have a bunch of "word'rukh" or "Rukh'word" kids running around. And that's as far as my conlanging got with this one.

What I Think About My Stories:

My favorite story this year: Trigun: Three of a Kind has been so much fun, I have sneaked writing it into months that I haven't supposed to be working on it.

Story most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: I don't really feel any of the stories fit this one. Especially when I have posted such little new material.

Most fun story: Trigun: Three of a Kind.

Stories I wrote that I never thought I'd write: I really didn't think I need to conlang an already created language, but here I am with the amusing idea to do that and confuse a nasty Imperial. And people say fanfic doesn't challenge a writer as much as original fiction does.

Hardest story to write: Less a story and more sticking to the plan for the year. I generally kept to my month-per-project goal, but loss what I was supposed to be working on with the computer problems and when I was supposed to switch.

Biggest disappointment: My paying job's firewall messed up Ao3 displaying, so I had to stop uploading stories to Ao3 unless I was at home. And for some reason when July rolled around to finish uploading, I forgot to finish them. Also my desktop computer's hard drive died and I ended up not doing more updates to the BookWorm's Library in August.

Biggest surprise: Strix: Forget the Sun during National Novel Writing Month in November. I MADE WORDS! on everyday but one in November. Here is what I shared on Rachael Herron's Slack channel:

31,855/50,000 is where I'm calling it now The total added to the messy, messy narrative is 23,714 getting me to setting up all the characters for the big battle of the climax. And I just checked my records, this is the most words I have added to it in FOUR YEARS! The only day I didn't do any writing was the 25th and that day was spent driving back home from the Thanksgiving celebration over 4.5 hours away. Even with the trip, I kept plugging away at this and didn't put it aside for a different WIP. That is all thanks to the support here. I've been keeping metrics posts for that kind of analysis later. One thing I noticed was having permission to jump around. Not that I needed permission, but I'm a very linear writer. So previously when I'd bog down in a scene and words would freeze, I'd keep throwing myself at with less and less results. This year and Rachael's writing messy mantra finally took hold, and instead of dropping the whole novel when I hit a block, I moved to a new scene and words gushed. Don't know what this means for the character who always gave me the blockages yet. :laughing:

What's your favorite piece of dialogue you wrote this year? What's your favorite piece of description or narration you wrote this year? Both come from this part of Trigun: Three of a Kind:

“Quiet, Punisher. I’m tired of balancing your divided loyalties.”

Wolfwood spun the cross off his back and the cloth unwrapped from around it. His right hand tucked into a hole in the center of it as he shifted his left leg back and pointed the long end at the Gung-Ho Guns. The metal split apart, showing a gun barrel in the center. It spit out bullets with sparks and smoke, and Wolfwood used them to draw a line of bullet holes at the Gung-Ho Guns’ feet. They all danced back, including Bluesummers.

“Mamajamming! That’s bigger than Uncle Vinnie’s bazooka!”

Everyone ignored Chuck to stare at Wolfwood. He smirked back at them. “I’ve picked a side, but you’re still going to have to deal with me.”

Bluesummers narrowed his eye and twitched his outstretched fingers.

Wolfwood dropped the muzzle of his cross gun to the floor as his body bent back like Milly-ma’am.

Bluesummers smirked briefly. “And you actually thought you’d be a deterrent. Gray the Ninelives, punish the traitor.”

The huge guy in brown gladiator armor lurched forward, reaching for the man in the black suit. This fit Hannah’s rule close enough. Chuck pulled out the blaster, aimed up at the big guy, and pulled the trigger. “Eat blaster, dome head!”

The blaster bolt hit Gray the Ninelives right on the brown collar that started right under the eyes of the dome and ended at the pecs as the armor went around those muscles. And the collar and the flesh-colored dome popped off Gray’s shoulders like a bottle cap when Uncle Modo opened a root beer bottle. The face underneath was made of brown metal but no mouth, just twelve slits around the bottom for escaping heat. The blue eyes were reflectors, not eyeballs. The brown metal didn’t make a full skull and green metal circuit boards looked like a brain out of the forehead.

Chuck blinked. “More like chrome head. You’re a robot!”

“You are the most troublesome child,” Bluesummers said with a weary growl.

“Every day all day long!” Chuck guessed he was too old for ‘troublesome tot’ that Limburger called him a lot.

Gray the Ninelives recovered from losing his disguise and reached for Wolfwood again.

Chuck grinned and leaped onto the massive arm. He ran up to Gray’s shoulder as the robot straightened and tried to grab him instead. Chuck ducked behind the head, grabbing hold of the edge of brown metal at the boundary of the computer brain. “Aooow! Hannah’s gonna be so jelly. She thinks she’s the only one who can rage against machines!”

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would, less, or about what you predicted? Honestly, less than I thought I would. I didn't anticipate getting caught up in conlanging and I didn't anticipate the computer issues that made me go "whelp, work on what has been working last month" and usually keep on writing Trigun: Three of a Kind. I'm not begrudging my words, I just thought I'd touch more projects.

Number of Days I Wrote or Edited: 333 days.

Number of Days Meeting or Exceeding the daily 600 word count: 185 days.

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them? I made myself accountable to more people for original fiction and having people I didn't want to disappoint and letting myself throw utter crap on the page where it would count did unlock progress there. I also didn't stick with linear writing when a scene locked up on me but jumped to a different scene and got words.

Did you meet last year's goals? Let's find out. The goals from my 2023 one-page business plan are:

Writing Strix series

November: Finish Strix: Forget the Sun's first draft = still not finished but pleased with progress this year

November: Edit Strix: Forget the Sun to second draft

November: Finish Strix: Forget the Sun's third draft

November: Send Strix: Forget the Sun to a developmental editor

Writing Star Wars fanfics

March, September: Edit Rescue the Farm: Mission on Mimban to second draft = still not finished

March, September: Send Rescue the Farm: Mission on Mimban to beta reader

March, September: Finish Rescue the Farm: Mission on Mimban third draft

March, September: Finish Sororal Lineality: Miha third draft = finished

March, September: Edit Sororal Lineality: Plans and High Command to second draft

March, September: Send Sororal Lineality: Plans and High Command to beta reader

March, September: Edit Sororal Lineality: Plans and High Command to third draft

March, September: Finish Rescue the Farmboy: Extrication first draft

March, September: Finish Sororal Lineality: Kyber first draft

March, September: Outline Everybody Lives But Maul story

Writing Trigun fanfics

January, June, July, December: Finish Trigun: Three of a Kind first draft = still not finished

January, June, July, December: Edit Trigun: Three of a Kind to second draft

January, June, July, December: Send Trigun: Three of a Kind to beta

January, June, July, December: Edit Trigun: Three of a Kind to third draft

Writing Zackverse

April: Work on Hyrueliana's overhaul

Writing Biker Mice From Mars fanfics

May, October: Find Wars Are Won series notes and see if stories can be consolidated

May, October: Finish next Wars Are Won story to first draft

May, October: Finish Evil Jack: Till Death Do We Part to first draft

Post regularly to Intentionally Left Blank, Dreamwidth, Discipline Under Fire, and Tumblr Random Thoughts = Do once a month

BookWorm's Library website maintenance

February, August: Make sure the software is up to date

February, August: Add any files that need adding

Add more fanfics to AO3

January, July: Upload twelve already published stories = this number is now at seven already published stories and twelve fanmixes for already published stories

January, July: Upload Rescue the Farmboy: Mission on Mimban third draft

January, July: Upload Sororal Lineality: Miha third draft next = finished

January, July: Upload Sororal Lineality: Plans and High Command third draft after Mission on Mimban

Other publishing

February, August: Upload Rescue the Farmboy: Liberation to the Library = finished

February, August: Upload Rescue the Farmboy: One More Service to the Library = finished

February, August: Upload Sororal Lineality: MJ-0002 to the Library = finished

February, August: Upload Sororal Lineality: Aftermath to the Library = finished

February, August: Upload Sororal Lineality: Miha to the Library

February, August: Upload Rescue the Farmboy: Mission on Mimban to the Library

Update FF.net profile of where newer stories are now

My daily writing plans to help the above list of goals get done:

Write 600 daily words. Can be split among stories. The yearly goal is 478,128. = I ended up writing 285,333 for the year, and had 185 days of or exceeding 600 words.

Write and edit every day. = Wrote 333 days this year.

Work in meditation time with Brain FM.

Figure out how to keep the house clean.

Figure out the house remodel.

Do you have any goals for the coming year? The goals from my 2024 one-page business plan are:

Writing Strix series:

April, September: Finish Strix: Forget the Sun first draft

April, September: Edit Strix: Forget the Sun

April, September: Send Strix: Forget the Sun to a developmental editor

Writing Star Wars stories:

May, October: Conlanging Honoghran

May, October: Edit Mission on Mimban to second draft

May, October: Send Mission on Mimban to beta

May, October: Edit Mission on Mimban to third draft

May, October: Edit Sororal Lineality: Plans and High Command to second draft

May, October: Send SL: Plans and High Command to beta

May, October: Edit SL: Plans and High Command to third draft

May, October: Finish Rescue the Farmboy: Extriction first draft

May, October: Finish SL: Kyber first draft

May, October: Outline Everbody Lives But Maul story

Writing Biker Mice From Mars stories

March, August: Finish Wars Are Won: Sacrifice of Happiness first draft

March, August: Finish Evil Jack: 'Til Death Do We Part first draft

BookWorm's Library maintenance

July, December: Make sure software is up-to-date

July, December: Add Sororal Lineality: Miha

July, December: Add any other files that need adding

July, December: Add recipes to Cookbook

Ao3

February: Upload already published stories

February: Upload Mission on Mimban third draft

February: Upload SL: Plans and High Command after Mission on Mimban

February: Upload thirteen fanmixes

I'm aiming for 600 words everyday which will be 219,600 for the year.

Here's to 2024. We'll get through all this together.

[princessrainbowpastel]

Do you celebrate Halloween?Have you ever carved a pumpkin? If so, did you carve one this year?

I do! I’ve celebrated Halloween my whole life lol! I have carved a pumpkin quite a few times myself, but when I was a kid my parents usually would carve it for me after I made a design with a marker lol.

Recently though, for the past maybe 3 years my family hasn’t gotten/carved pumpkins just for many reasons. Like one year I ended up getting surgery and I was still recovering so I couldn’t carve my pumpkin I picked out. The year after that I think I just never got the chance to carve it because my family was busy and I was dealing with depression, so I just didn’t feel like carving a pumpkin by myself that year. And last year my parents got married on Halloween, so we didn’t have time to carve pumpkins. We legit didn’t get home until like 9:30 or 10 PM that night and it was been raining while we had our post-wedding family dinner so the candy bowl we left for the trick or treaters was full of water lol. Hardly anybody took our candy because it was full of soaked little m&m baggies and wet candies lmao.

This year, we just haven’t had the time or money. We’ve been struggling with payments and bills in our house right now and we’ve been dealing with family stuff, so we didn’t even have the chance to get any new Halloween decor this year or pumpkins. We usually get a least something new for the yard, but yeah. I think the only new things we got were stickers to put on our windows. But yeah, we never got to pick out pumpkins this year so we won’t be carving any. I do get the day off on Halloween (and so does my stepdad because he asked for it off since it’s his wedding anniversary with my mom lol, also I asked for Halloween off too because I just don’t wanna work on Halloween lol I’d rather hand out candy, plus I bought an expensive costume so I’m gonna wear it lmao, PS it’s a Disney Hades costume lmaoooo I’m dressing as my f/o) so who knows? Maybe we’ll get some pumpkins at the last minute on Halloween if there’s any pumpkins left at the pumpkin patches in town? Idk we’ll see lol

[afeelgoodblog]

Best News of Last Week

Edition #020 - ️‍🌈

1. Conversion therapy to be illegal in Canada in 30 days

The federal legislation to ban conversion therapy practices in Canada received royal assent on Wednesday, meaning the bill is now a law, but the new criminal offences won’t be in effect until early January.

Per the coming-into-force provisions of the bill, the four new Criminal Code violations will be enacted 30 days after it received royal assent, which will be Jan. 7. That means that in a month it will be illegal to subject someone of any age, consenting or not, to so-called conversion therapy.

2. Looted Gilgamesh tablet returns to Iraq in formal ceremony

A small clay tablet dating back 3,500 years and bearing a portion of the Epic of Gilgamesh that was looted from an Iraqi museum 30 years ago and recently recovered from the United States formally returned to Iraq on Tuesday.

The $1.7 million cuneiform tablet, known as the Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, is one of the world’s oldest surviving works of literature and one of the oldest religious texts. It was found in 1853 as part of a 12-tablet collection in the rubble of the library of Assyrian King Assur Banipal.

3. Plastic surgeon performs 37,000 free surgeries for kids born with cleft lips — they can now finally smile

Plastic surgeon Dr Subodh Kumar Singh struggled in his childhood days to become a doctor; he now offers free corrective surgeries to kids born with cleft lip/palate.

From 2002, Dr Singh began a free treatment week to mark his father’s death anniversary. He started performing corrective cleft surgeries from 2003-04, became a part of The Smile Train project (globally the largest cleft surgery-focused organisation). “We set a target of 2,500 cleft surgeries by December 2005. The Smile Train India team, while considering our target too ambitious, asked us to go for just 500 free surgeries by 2005-end. We crossed that figure by 2004-end and went beyond 2,500 by the following year end,” says Dr Subodh. “Since 2008-09, we annually perform 4,000-plus free cleft surgeries under this initiative.”

Professional Photographers of America are huge donors to this cause. You can donate to him here .

4. Henry Cavill says his dog saved his mental health

"Superman" star Henry Cavill has revealed that not all heroes wear capes -- some just have fluffy paws. "He really is (my best friend)," the 38-year-old told Kelly as he stroked Kal. "We go everywhere together. He's 8 now and he has saved my emotional, psychological bacon plenty of times."

5. California tackles food waste with largest recycling program in US

California will soon enact the largest mandatory residential food waste recycling program in the US in January, an effort designed to dramatically cut down on organic waste in landfills and reduce the state’s methane emissions.

“This is the biggest change to trash since recycling started in the 1980s,” said Rachel Wagoner, the director of the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery.

6. Starbucks workers vote to unionize in Buffalo, New York

Starbucks workers at a store in Buffalo, New York, voted to unionize on Thursday, a first for the 50-year-old coffee retailer in the U.S. and the latest sign that the labor movement is stirring after decades of decline.

Lets go Buffalo, clap clap, clap clap clap

7. Chile legalises same-sex marriage

Chile has legalised same-sex marriage following a 21-8 vote in the Senate. Later, the House also passed the bill in an 82-20 vote. The bill was introduced in 2017 by former president Michelle Bachelet, who currently serves as Human Rights chief at the UN.

President Sebastián Piñera, a conservative billionaire, shocked many with his unexpected push in favour of the idea.

____

That's it for this week. Until next week,

You can follow me on twitter . Also, I have a newsletter :)

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[divine-noire]

My name is Alicia Robertson and I am the adoring wife of Tyesha Catlett Robertson. You never quite know what people are going through as the last 12 months particularly have been a true test for us. I had brain surgery #1 in October 2021 and am preparing for brain surgery #2. In the meantime, Tyesha had gastric bypass/hernia repair on April 13, 2022 and was initially doing well. We just celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary on April 27th. The next day while at work, I received a text from her mother that stated something didnt seem right with Tyesha and to please contact the doctor. I called my wife, who was very ill and after a brief conversation with her surgeon's office, I rushed her to the ER. That night she had emergency surgery due to complications from hernia repair, but the nightmare continued. Over the course of a few hours this beautiful, talented, artistic soul was placed on full life support. She then ended up having emergency surgery #3 on Saturday night. While we desperately hoped and prayed for the best, she devastatingly passed away on Sunday, May 1st. At the time of her passing, my wife did not have any life insurance. With all we had going on we had some savings, but nowhere near the cost of funeral expenses. I'm reaching out for help to lay my sweet wife to rest. Even if donating is not possible, please continue to pray for our peace and comfort during this time.