#roamingbadger

[panelshowsource]

If you had to pick a top three favorite episodes of any panel shows EVER, which would you choose? One of mine would have to be Terry Wogan guest hosting old NMTB, which I am dying to watch again in my lifetime. Your old-NMTB-posting reminded me just how amazing and formative those old episodes were for me. Anyway, it got me thinking… I would love to hear yours!

as long as i'm allowed to answer this totally subjectively...! because the objectively most iconic panel show episodes are probably quite different to the ones i gravitate to especially for rewatching — and especially in this difficult recent climate 🫥

this choice is almost bizarre knowing me, a huge huge huge sean lock fan, but this episode of cats does countdown — without sean! and not even golden era, probably, whatever that is in my mind — is so ridiculous and chaotic and stupid that i've watched it about 1000 times. there's something very specific about the dynamic between jimmy, jon, roisin, and joe without sean; those four have been in quite a few episodes without sean and they're like actual children without an adult in the room: jon is goofier and completely lets go of the game, jimmy throws even more to roisin (we do not talk enough about what a fucking kick jimmy gets out of her), roisin and joe's insane sibling dynamic becomes next level. anyways—this episode, which includes rly funny mascots, glory hole, the fucking hoop game and joe eating an onion and jon eating peppers???, THE UNICORN, its sheer childishness just cracks me up every time :') (if we're gonna mention the golden age, 2.02 is very iconic — from rhod killin it and always arguing with jimmy to claude to nick x susie hahaha but i have sooooo many catsdown episodes i love love love)

i really love the episode of 8 out of 10 cats following jimmy's tax scandal. it's not one of my favourite panel shows in general, but the circumstances of the news and the discussion epitomised what the show was meant to be: panel show meets reality tv meets a comedy central roast. watching that live, as the news was running it so heavily that even the prime minister mentioned it, as the press and twitter were reacting to it... wild times. it holds up incredibly well — it's hilarious watching them rip him to shreds, because he deserves every word and they're having a ball doing it to him, and i really appreciate jon grounding the conversation in just how tax avoidance hurts their country and some of its hardest workers — a really interesting, engaging mix of comedy and anger and wit and disappointment and political commentary that is not only funny but strikingly relevant no matter how much time passes. like so, so many people who were so, so disappointed in jimmy, this was the foundation of his carrying the responsibility, shame, reflection, and growth that people wanted to see — and that he truly needed to. since then he's talked a lot about not only righting the wrong (in paying back what he owed in avoidance) but just how the system is so broken — and taking the least complicated, most honest road forward since.

now i want to pick 1000 different things this is why i don't make lists or rank things!!!!! while my instinct is to pick a big fat quiz, i'm actually gonna go top-level nostalgia and say this episode of buzzcocks when stephen fry was a guest. what can i say — simon, stephen, it was two intellectual, mildly bitchy homosexuals on a stacked panel including josie long, dominic cooper, and yet another skinny white rock man for simon to pretend he's not trying to flirt with. stephen saying "there is a history, in pop music, of recto-veginal insertion" and denouncing god, like, in the first 5 minutes? stephen doing the intros round?? did i mention history boys-era dominic cooper??? such a throwback!!! (not to cheat but this ep with josh groban & martin freeman is my runner up)

i want to apologise to big fat quiz, taskmaster, wilty... THE WHOLE HISTORY OF PANEL SHOWS... I WISH I COULD CHOOSE YOU ALL

[wulfhalls]

A Sunne in Splendour adaptation would absolutely decease me. I NEED IT NOW!!!

sai bennett anne dream casting REAL

[ravenpuffheadcanons]

⭐️ I would love to hear what you’ve been dying to talk about, writing-wise!

Thanks so much for asking! Well, the actual thing I am dying to talk about is the solution to the mystery I'm writing, but I shall restrain myself there. I will mention, though, that the moment when the last pieces of the puzzle finally slotted into place was one of the purest moments of writing joy I've ever had. Probably the first time since I was a teenager that writing has felt - even for a moment - like it did when I was a teenager.

In lieu of being able to bother you about my puzzle, and especially since I'm pretty sure you don't actually go here (it is the tiniest fandom), I have picked some writing about writing in hopes it will still be interesting. For context, the few lines preceding this are an exerpt from TEDDY'S GRAND ADVENTURE! No 14 - Phyllis Carpenter. They are absolute rot.

Dorothea threw down her pen and stared balefully at the scribbled bilge in front of her. The cleverest new pen in Somerville indeed. She cast a longing glance at the clock, before picking her pen back up. (It had made an unsightly splotch on the page, which she could only feel improved it). She would give the faithful P. Carpenter one more hour of her time before gladly dropping her until tomorrow. That evening, she promised herself, she would spent two whole hours being plain old Dot Callum.

I'm having a lot of fun writing from the perspective of a character who is herself a writer, but it's surprisingly challenging! She's a very different kind of writer to me in terms of the way she relates to her work, and that relationship is at the core of her character arc. At the start of the story, she's in the Slough of Despond about her writing. It's 1941 and she lives in central London, which isn't a great start. Everyone around her appears to have tremendous sang-froid about the raids, but her own iron nerve seems to have gone missing just lately. Her best friend has just moved away; everyone she knows is doing meaningful, useful war-work apart from her; although she supports herself with writing, it's not at all the kind she wants to be doing. Setting her up at a point where she has such an unhealthy relationship with her creative life is one of the things I've worked hard at, and I'm really pleased with how it's turning out.

Of course, the temptation is to have her writing rescue her from the pit, especially since I'm having such a great time writing myself at the moment. That's not really what I want the story to ask. Rather, the reverse: instead of "can Dot write something she likes enough to pull her out of the Slough of Despond?", it's "can Dot get out of the Slough of Despond enough for her to start liking her own writing again?" It's such a different type of story from any I've told before, and I'm having such a good time doing it.

Have you ever written a story from the perspective of a writer or other artist? How much of your own thoughts about creating did you put into it? I am very curious now!

[oneiro-nautical]

I saw your tags on the post about The Borgias/Giulia Farnese and YESSS I have always thought that about her! She was so perfectly cast!!

Aaaaah right?? I've never watched it and was honestly probably going to scroll right past the post but ngl I got a little entranced by her!! 😁😁

[aadmelioraa]

For Spotify wrapped: 18, 25, 71!

thank you, friend!!

18. that's where i am, maggie rogers

25. sauron, bear mccreary

71. the adults are talking, the strokes

[dainesanddaffodils]

For the Spotify Wrapped ask: song #18? 😊

Can You Feel My Love (Acoustic) - Juniper Vale, Vian Izak and Erika Ishii

[roamingbadger]

As Lovers They Do Feign by roamingbadger Declan Fraser/Alison Heywood, Rated E No Archive Warnings Apply

Embarrassment and shame set her skin on fire. “Are you… are you saying you want to pay me to…” She couldn’t even speak the words.

“Don’t worry.” He sounded anxious to reassure her. “It’s only for one night.”

OR:

Declan Fraser needs a girlfriend. Alison Heywood needs money. A mutually beneficial fake relationship is the perfect compromise, right? Especially because no pesky feelings are involved. Nothing could possibly go wrong...

Chapter 1 on AO3

[boltlightning]

seven sentences tag game

tagged by the superb @chiropteracupola; thank you muchly em <3

i believe the rules are to post the last seven sentences written. please enjoy that + some change from this thing i've been picking at between longer projects:

“No,” Edith says suddenly. “No, fear not. How often does a lady get to see a dragon up close? Or perhaps I should say, how often does a dragon get to see a lady? They used to write songs about this.” Laurence huffs something between a laugh and a baffled cry. Edith does not look at him, instead watching Temeraire as unblinkingly as he watches her; she hopes his enhanced hearing does not catch the racing of her heart. “You are dressed very fine, and Laurence calls you Miss,” Temeraire says at last. “It occurs to me only now, I did not ask how you are doing. Is that very impolite?” Edith nearly laugh-cries herself. “I think we can excuse such behavior, Mr. Temeraire; the circumstances are rather unusual.”

tagging, should the spirit move you, @johnbly @tortoisesshells @roamingbadger @aloveforjaneausten and @audreycritter!!

[grapehyasynth]

Off Menu Tag

tagged by @genetic-lottery-unicorn - thank you!

You're in the dream restaurant and a genie waiter is ready to take your dream meal order:

Where does your dream meal take place? Definitely outside. All the best meals happen outside. It should be warm and green. Maybe there's some running water nearby, and/or a nice view.

Still or sparkling water? Sparkling. Inject that into my veins. I'd drink it from waking to sleeping if it weren't cost-prohibitive.

POPPADOMS OR BREAD? Bread! Love a variety bread basket

Dream starter: I guess since this is my dream restaurant I don't really HAVE to choose just one. But my mind immediately goes to cheese-stuffed fried squash blossoms that I had somewhere in Germany in, hmm, I want to say 2010? WAIT I GOT IT how could i forget my beloved fried plantainsssssss.

Dream main course: Why was my first thought pizza? That's so lame. Maybe, like, endless pizza that you can eat and fully enjoy without getting full? I don't feel like I have a favorite main... Maybe because I live in an area with bad restaurants so I have lost my imagination.... Oooh maybe a really good vegan döner from that one place in Berlin.

Dream side dish: My mom's green salad. I make salads all the time and just never feel like I'll capture the effortless perfection of her dash of this, dash of that dressing.

Dream drink: iced Thai tea or frozen hot chocolate

Dream dessert: Soooo difficult. Maybe brownies. Or ice cream cake. There will be chocolate involved, that's for sure.

Tagging some folks: @piebingo @norskheks @stygianirondiangelo @theaviatorthatcouldnotfly @swearphil @roamingbadger

[skatingthinandice]

i was tagged by @sirtadcooper - thank you so much, i love these things! 💛

tag someone you want to know better and/or some of your besties

favourite colour: it's been yellow ever since i was a kid, but also blue

last song: one from my rinch playlist - i think it was not alone by red - for a gifset i've been making

last movie: don't think i've watched one since the last time i did one of these, so it's still master and commander

currently watching: strictly come dancing, the persuaders, taskmaster, rewatching person of interest and doctor who

other stuff i watched this year: tv wise i can remember death in paradise, 911, the witcher, ghosts, schitt's creek, obsession, ted lasso, and the mandalorian. film wise, seven kings must die, some of the mission impossibles, charlie's angels, murder on the orient express and death on the nile, glass onion, dungeons and dragons, red white and royal blue, and barbie

shows i dropped this year/didn't finish: haven't yet watched the last season of the mandalorian (and may not), and sex education (but definitely will be doing!)

currently reading: nothing at the moment, waiting to see if anyone gets me the latest richard osman book for christmas lmao

currently listening to: every carly rae jepsen album on repeat basically, it's pretty much all we listen to driving home every weekend

currently working on: i've just finished my rinch gifsets, so next up will be another ripper street one to hurt me and @remembertheskittles

current obsession: my ariadne/dion fic is living in my head rent free rn. i know it's meant to be written down, but uhh the trouble with that is once you've finished a sentence, you have to write another one... but the vibes are impeccable

tagging some recent-ish mutuals if you want to do it: @roamingbadger @ourgraciousqueens @nyssalovescience @lllostgirlll @litallusion @aurora-boreas-borealis and @fidelias

[wannabesewcrafty]

Desperate Times

Prompt: “Pumpkin spice shortage at Starbucks” from @roamingbadger

Notes: Finally posting something for this ship, but it’s really just implied Alison/Declan and focuses on Charlotte and Declan interacting. Set in a modern AU because of the nature of the prompt and because I dare not attempt to write canon-era Sanditon fic. I haven’t finished Season 3 so Charlotte’s just by herself here.

Charlotte Heywood hurried to answer her apartment door, anxious to find out the reason for the insistent knocking coming from the other side.

“Declan,” she breathed, her gaze rising to meet her brother-in-law’s worried face. Sometimes, she wondered if Alison really had to marry the tallest soldier in his squad.

“Charlotte, you have to help me.”

“What’s the matter? Is Alison—?”

“She’s all right. It’s myself I’m worried about.”

“Come in,” she said, ushering him in, noticing that he had a grocery bag cradled in one arm. “What’s all that?”

“Supplies,” he mumbled, and Charlotte wondered if he was being serious or joking. She couldn’t always tell, but before she could inquire further, Fraser asked “May I use your kitchen?”

She blinked at the odd question, but led him through to the room.

He began taking things out of the bag he had brought with him, and she saw a few cans of pumpkin purée and some spice bottles. His plan began to dawn on her.

“Alison asked you to go to Starbucks, didn’t she?”

“Aye,” came the reply. “But they were out of the pumpkin spice thing she wanted. Anyway, I was passing by a shop and figured, why not try to make my own?”

Charlotte nodded. She had seen copycat recipes for various Starbucks items online. “How can I help?” she asked determinedly, and he shot her a relieved smile.

“Help me test recipes? I’m not one for those flavored coffee drinks.”

“Well, this version will be without coffee,” she pointed out.

“Given Alison’s condition,” he finished.

Charlotte couldn’t resist saying, “It’s the 21st century, Declan. You’re allowed to say ‘pregnant.’”

He dropped his gaze in embarrassment, and the oldest Heywood daughter could see how endearing a sight that could be to his beloved wife.

“Well, come on, then,” she urged him, giving him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.”

“Yes, Miss Heywood,” he said obediently, following her to wash his hands at the kitchen sink. Charlotte turned her head in time to catch the smirk on his face that told her he was teasing her, and though she rolled her eyes upward in exasperation, she couldn’t keep a fond smile from forming on her face.

[saecookie]

@goneadrift tagged me to list 10 songs with 10 names in the titles that I like, and then tag 10 people. But she opened my own pandora's box. So bear w me

Sarah, Kyo (elle est belle mais seulement quand elle pleure)

Baba O'Reiley, The Who

Layla, Eric Clapton (i'm begging darling please)

Delilah, plain white T (but they've got planes and trains and cars)

Eleanor Rigby, The Beatles or Cody Fry

Aicha, JJG & Khaled (comme si j'n'existais pas)

La tribu de Dana, Manau

Louise, Thomas Fersen

Lili (U-Turn), AaRON (you see it's not the wings that make the angels)

Lola, Superbus (comme un garçon)

Gabrielle, Johnny (tu brûles mon esprit)

Diego libre dans sa tête, Michel Berger

Fernando, Abba

Iris, Goo Goo Dolls

Mr Porcelain, Jude York (i've never been so close to such pretty things)

Who the hell is Edgar, Teya & Salena

Goodbye Marylou, Polnareff

Alejandro, Lady Gaga

Michel, Oldelaf (c'est Michel.)

Osez Joséphine, Bashung

Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond (good times never seemed so good)

Lolita, Alizée

yeah OKAY i might have a problem with. those. they make me feral.

So yk what i'm gonna try and tag 22 people. @jamgrlsblog @sschmendrick @wolfsnape @water-weaving @i-lost-a-flip-flop @gradually-watermel0n @casparelli @indestructiblesandwiches @emjee @finn-shitposts @its-captain-to-you-love @roamingbadger @katyastrophyqu @zet-sway @mintmentos @seanconneraille @windup-estinien @chodoyodes @dagss @mure-sauvage @gay-impressionist @katewalker

[ravenpuffheadcanons]

I saw your book recommendations and came here to say: I love The Doomsday Book. I also have similar mixed feelings re: Willis, but that book is incredible and makes me cry every time. I had to reread it in 2021 for my grad degree because I had chosen it on my booklist, and suffice it to say I found that very disturbing to read in the middle of a pandemic of my own!

I also saw your tag about a Crosstalk AU for Fitzsimmons, and oh my goodness, be still my heart! 😍 That would be utter perfection. Indeed the whole “I have ESP but not with the person I expect” thing has preyed on me since I first read that book (in the best way). I’ve thought about a similar AU for Alison and Declan (from Sanditon). But I have a love/hate relationship with that book… I am obsessed with some parts, and I get really fired up about others. Why do think it gets to us so much?

Did you ever read Willis’s book To Say Nothing of the Dog? I tried, but I couldn’t get very far… I’m afraid I love her *and* sometimes she very much gets under my skin.

Okay, last thought… have you ever read her novels Fire Watch? I think of it as a love story for history lovers and it never fails to make me cry.

Sorry this got so long!!! Love reading your thoughts either way.

The Doomsday Book makes me cry every time I read it too, even though I *know* what’s coming (good and bad). I love love love the mix of triumph and tragedy all tangled up together at the end - so beautifully done. The first time I read it, I started it at around midnight on a work night because I couldn’t sleep, intending to read a chapter or two until I nodded off. Instead I read it through in a single sitting and then somehow had to go to work, even though a) I’d been awake that night and b) I had been weeping copiously through most of the final 100 pages. I couldn’t bring myself to read it during the worst of lockdown - I am impressed you managed it!

I love the basic premise of Crosstalk *so* much, but likewise I have a love/hate relationship with it. I think the characters in Willis’ books can often be extremely stupid for the sake of furthering the plot. I think that’s one of the things that most frustrates me about her work, because she’s capable of such great character work and then throws it all away. Would any adult really be daft enough to get experimental brain surgery at the insistence of her extremely demanding and needy new boyfriend, without even looking at the side effects? It’s very difficult to believe it! But by the end of the book I was won over in spite of myself.

I have a theory that The Doomsday Book was such a runaway success that she’s no longer being edited properly (aka the Late Career Agatha Christie Problem), because a lot of the problems with Crosstalk (and Blackout/All Clear) could be fixed by better editing. I think that’s part of why her work frustrates me, because the good stuff is *so* good and I feel almost like she’s being let down by a wider team.

I do really like Crosstalk as a basic premise for a Fitzsimmons story, though - if I can ever bring myself to get through a reread! I would probably try to start it with them in the emotional equivalent of early s2 - best friends, estranged following a traumatic accident that led to traumatic brain injury for Fitz. Jemma’s so keen to help him that she agrees to experimental neurosurgery with Milton because the findings of the EED study might help people with TBI - so Fitz feels like she thinks he’s so useless that she’s literally willing to undergo brain surgery rather than accept him as he is, while she of course feels guilty that she’s “fine” and badly wants to help relieve his pain. It feels like it would make for a good angsty set up! Can’t you just see Fitz as grumpy CB hiding in the basement of a building with pictures of Hedy Lamarr everywhere?

I really enjoyed To Say Nothing of the Dog, but I was in exactly the right mood for a silly romcom caper when I read it. I also really love that light, frothy late Victorian/early Edwardian comic writing style that she was trying to ape, and I think she (mostly) did it successfully. If I’d been in a different mood, I would have found all the random side characters walking on stage just to opine about the nature of history very annoying.

I haven’t read Fire Watch - thank you for the recommendation, I will give it a try!

Oh and Sanditon is on my list of programmes to try this autumn/winter, because it’s finally made it to a streaming service I actually have. I’m looking forward to it!

[oneiro-nautical]

16 Questions~

Tagged by @inlovewetrust555!!! <33

Are you named after anyone? A singer I think

2. When was the last time you cried? When I watched The Fall last week

3. Do you have kids? No thank you!!!

4. What sports do you play/ Have you played? I did curling for a couple years as a kid but didn't stick with it

5. Do you use sarcasm? Boy do I lol

6. What is the first thing you notice about people? Height and hair probably!

7. What's your eye colour? Greenish

8. Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings 5everrrr

9. Any talents? Nothing specific, but I'm fairly decent at anything I do try so I'm lucky there

10. Where were you born? Ural mountains

11. What are your hobbies? I love writing. Would love to write something some day 😅

12. Do you have any pets? Cat!

13. How tall? 183cm / 6'

14. Favourite subject in school? History and anthropology in high school, all the various linguistics classes in uni

15. Dream job? Probably teaching languages, possibly archaeology!

16. What animals do you identify as your familiar? Otters, bears, possums :)

My loves: @capikun, @prommethium, @asthevermincrawls, @wretchie, @roamingbadger, @ssoheartbreak

[aadmelioraa]

rules: tag 9 people you want to know better and or catch up with then answer these questions below!

tagged by @moriondors <3

four ships: aethelflaed x aldhelm (the last kingdom), isildur x valandil (rings of power), keeley x roy x jamie (ted lasso), roman x gerri (succession)

last played: anything by adrianne lenker

currently reading: edinburgh by alexander chee

last movie: the woman king!

craving: lemon curd sounds really good rn, as does a full night's sleep

tagging @aethelreds @oliviermiraarmstrongs @destinationtoast @roamingbadger @brynnmclean @makalauriels @elrondsscribe @volvaaslaug @insufficient-earth-skills <3

[boltlightning]

wip tag game

tagged by the wonderful @starsuncounted, thank you sm!!

RULES: Post the last sentence you wrote (fanfic / original / anything) and tag as many people as there are words in the sentence.

"Oh, James; always giving, so polite."

a short sentence for once in my life!! tagging: @johnbly @widowshill @teamtadpole @nickydoesadraw @graysongraysoff @roamingbadger if you're feelin it!