#sarah watches critical role

[borifle]

marisha and liam’s characters disagree about whether a magic item should be destroyed or used, getting into a heated fight, tense conversation ensues, the rest of the party is trying to mediate….. say it with me folks.

BOWLGATE! 2!!!!

[sekahni]

To All the Fandoms I've Loved Before

Throughout my life, I've regularly participated in fandom—from enjoying art and AMVs/edits to writing fanfiction for Naruto, Supernatural, One Piece, and more. So, it's safe to say that I have a lot of experience watching the highs and lows of different fandoms.

And, trust me, I know the sting of finishing a series and learning that a ship I've loved for years hasn't been made canon. The frustration when a character I love dies. How a story deviated from what I hoped. It sucks! However, I also remember the hysteria too. Happening again and again. The malicious attacks and inappropriate conduct. Over and over.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, here are some examples:

SasuSaku blogs were flooded with threatening messages after Sasuke and Sakura were confirmed to be a couple

Kikyo stans were harassed out of forums, YT comment sections, etc., simply because they might've preferred her character over Kagome's

Genevieve Padalecki and Danneel Ackles endured a barrage of online attacks, bullying, and threats because they married Jared Padalecki (Sam Winchester) and Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester)

Amanda Abbington, Martin Freeman's ex-wife, faced similar attacks after she was cast as Mary Morstan in BBC's Sherlock—simply because some fans believed she was "getting in the way" of Johnlock

Prior to the Vox Machina animated series, when the campaign was still streaming, many people within the Criticial Role fandom villified Marisha Ray for her relationship with Matthew Mercer, wherein she became the victim of excessive online harassment and bullying

Laura Bailey portrayed Abby Anderson in the Last of Us II, a character who is highly controversial amongst fans. As such, Laura was subjected to mass online harassment and death threats. It was so bad, ign reported that HBO has increased security around Abby's live-action actress, Kaitlyn Dever.

Some Klance and Allurance stans routinely trolled and harassed each other—inciting such extreme inter-fandom conflict online that their "war" spilled into non-ship related content, discouraging others from interacting with the Voltron fandom entirely

Matt Smith faced unfair online criticism at the time of his casting, simply because he was the follow-up act to David Tennant's iconic Tenth Doctor—only for Matt Smith's iteration to be one of the most beloved incarnations ever

The frequent and ongoing racism POC cosplayers face every fucking day—slurs, threats, and more

The Cassandra Clare fandom came for the throats of anyone who had fair and justified criticism of both CC and her work—particularly around copyright infringement

The same thing can be said about the Sarah J. Maas fandom

2010s Tumblr blogs falsely accused John Green of pedophilia because he wrote contemporary romance YA—harassing him for months on Tumblr, and practically driving him off the platform

Marvel fans spread rumors about Brie Larson, accusing her of being an "arrogant racist" because they didn't like her or the MCU's depiction of Carol Danvers

Legend of Korra stans are still targets of misogynistic and racist rhetoric online—both here on Tumblr and on TikTok

The Durarara!! discourse of the 2010s was so fucked up, so vile, people disengaged from the series and the fandom entirely. This affected sales and the second season, which never really gained the traction it deserved because of how insufferable and toxic Durarara!! fans proved to be during the original run of the first season—I mean, people were harassing cosplayers at events! That's how bad it was

I could go on—and on, and on, until this post is nothing but a harrowing list of how people can't seem to behave themselves.

And, these behaviours need to fucking stop.

So, to reiterate what I've said on another post, but targeted towards a wider audience:

Your feelings of disappointment do not give you the right to harass others online

Your feelings of frustration do not give you the right to harass and bully actors, creators, and writers ever—online or otherwise

Your ugly biases will never justify viciously attacking women, POC, queer people, disabled people, and fat people in fandom spaces

You're entitled to feel your feelings and have your opinions. You're allowed to express your disappointment online and within your own community. But don't go around attacking others because of said feelings—this concept really isn't that hard to grasp. And in the same vein, don't incite conflict with fans who are disappointed to gloat about your "victories." Neither of these actions are productive and simply contribute to the growing toxicity in fandom spaces.

The only exception to this, of course, is if you're racist, ableist, fatphobic, homophobic, transphobic, etc. Cause if you're any of those things, you're disgusting and block me right the fuck now. This blog is NOT a safe space for you.

Sincerely,

A jaded fan, sick of the toxicity

[therealgchu]

WIP Wednesday - Spa Day

i've actually got something queued up for friday already, but it's pretty short. so, instead you'll get this little snippet i wrote.

i got the idea after listening to a critical role mighty nein eps where they all go to the spa. i really don't get the point of spas, personally. i even had a $150 gift card to some swanky spa up in boulder, and i gave it to a friend of mine, instead. like hwa, i don't like to be touched by strangers, and sitting and doing nothing sounds like hell.

tagging the coemancer crew, @atonalginger, @toxiclizardwrites, @silurisanguine, @fangbangerghoul, @a-cosmic-elf, @eridanidreams, @aro-pancake, and anyone else i'm forgetting.

if you'd like to check out my fic from the beginning, it's living at ao3.

new vignette incoming friday, called You Ruined Everything in the Nicest Way.

We have fic sign!

Sam found Hwa engrossed at the weapons worktable modifying a shotgun firing mechanism to high powered. She was wearing magnifying goggles, as the work could be fiddly and delicate when altering the internals of any gun. He realized she hadn’t heard him come down, so stayed on the stairs just outside of the door. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall to watch her. Her face was smudged with oil, her hair was sticking out in odd chunks from underneath the elastic band of the goggles; and the polish on her nails, presumably received at the spa, was gradually getting scraped away as she tinkered with the springs around the trigger release. When she paused and looked up, he asked, “Did you have fun at spa day?”

Hwa’s head whipped around and her expression was inscrutable, her mouth, if possible, was a weird squiggly line of part smiling, part frowning, and part confusion. “It was not an experience…I do not think it’s an experience I would choose to repeat,” she said slowly.

He chuckled knowingly, “I’m not surprised. It was nice of you to go, though. Did Cora have fun?”

She nodded, “But, I think she got bored by the end, too. And, it’s very difficult to read when you have slices of cucumber over your eyes. I’m not sure what the cucumber slices are for, however. So I ate mine.”

Sam choked, “You ate the cucumber slices?”

“What? I was hungry! There was no proper food, just … little cakes and pastries, and you know I don’t like that sort of thing. I could see no purpose that the cucumber slices were serving, so I ate them,” she shrugged.

He roared with laughter, shaking his head, “Oh my god, Hwa! I should have known!” He sat down on the stairs, clutching his stomach, tears streaming out of his eyes.

Hwa looked indignant, “I don’t know why you think it’s so funny. They were there. I was hungry. I ate them. It seemed a logical progression to me,” she pouted.

“I know,” he gasped between laughs, “logical progression. Right. Only you, Hwa.”

She started pouting in earnest, but turned back to her work, “If you’re going to make fun of me, you can leave me alone.”

Sam stood up, wiped his eyes and tried to get himself under control. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have laughed. At least not that hard.” He tried to suppress a giggle, but it escaped. She gave him a look. “Sorry! It slipped, OK?” He walked over and kissed her on the cheek as an apology. “So, other than vegetables, what did you think?” as he stood behind her looking over her shoulder.

Hwa paused and looked up again, staring at the wall. “Sarah and Noel called it “pampering”. If I wanted to be pampered, I’d have sex. I’m still trying to understand what was so pampering. Though, I did enjoy the sauna. Heat is always great for flexibility and I got to do some good stretching in there.”

It was a good thing she couldn’t see his face as it contorted into many forms as he tried not to burst out laughing again. “You know saunas are supposed to be for relaxing? You’re supposed to sit there, and ya know, relax,” he said in a slightly strangled tone.

“Why? That seems a waste.”

“You know what? You’re right,” he said after a couple seconds in the same strained tone.

She sighed, “You’re laughing at me again,” she said, frowning.

“No, I’m laughing behind you,” he said, finally losing control.

She grabbed a rag that was sitting on the workbench, turned and whacked his arm with it. “Jerk,” she said, pouting.

Sam laughed, softer this time, and gathered her in his arms, “Never change, love. Promise?”

[sisiofthemultifandom]

My Massive SHIP LIST

The following is a LONG list of all the ships I enjoy from a moderate to an extreme amount and have probably looked at fanfiction for at some point. Keep in mind this doesn't include every movie and/or show I've ever watched and I may make edits to this at a later time. Godspeed you unfortunate witness.

Agents of SHIELD

Coulson X May

Daisy X Lincoln

Fitz X Simmons

Bobbi X Hunter

Mack X YoYo

Arcane

Caitlyn X Vi

Arrowverse

Oliver X Laurel

Roy X Thea

Diggle X Lyla

Barry X Patty

Wally X Jesse

Caitlin X Ronnie

Kara X Mon-El

Alex X Maggie

Brainy X Nia

Attack on Titan

Eren X Mikasa

Falco X Gabi

Bertdholt X Annie

Ymir X Krista

Levi X Hange

Avatar the Last Airbender/Legend of Korra

Katara X Zuko

Aang X Toph

Sokka X Suki

Aang X Katara

Bolin X Korra

Avengers (MCU)

Steve X Natasha

Tony X Pepper

Thor X Jane

Wanda X Vision

Peter Q X Gamora

Scott X Hope

T’Challa X Nakia

Matt X Karen

Luke X Jessica

Peter P X MJ

Bucky X Sarah

Ben 10

Ben X Julie

Kevin X Gwen

Berserk

Guts X Casca

Bleach

Ichigo X Rukia

Uryu X Orihime

Tatsuki X Orihime

Gin X Rangiku

Toshiro X Momo

Boku no Hero Academia

Izuku X Occhako

Todoroki X Momo

Bakugou X Kirishima

Eraserhead X Present Mic

Castlevania

Trevor X Sypha

Alucard X Greta

Class of the Titans

Jay X Theresa

Atlanta X Archie

Critical Role

Percival X Vex’ahlia

Vax’ildan X Keyleth

Scanlan X Pike

Sylas X Delilah

Fjord X Jester

Beau X Yasha

Caleb X Essek

Imogen X Laudna

DC Comics

Clark X Lois

Bruce X Selina

Diana X Steve

Barry X Iris

Wally X Linda

Hal X Carol

Carter X Shiera

Oliver X Laurel

Arthur X Mera

Constantine X Zatanna

Dick X Barbara

Tim X Stephanie

Garfield X Rachel

Conner X Cassie

Kate X Maggie

Hank X Dawn

Garth Ranzz X Imra Arden

Nura Nal X Thom Kallor

Jo Nah X Tinya Wazzo

Val Armorr X Princess Projectra

Kara Zor-El X Querl Dox

Lar Gand X Tasmia Mallor

Demon Slayer

Tanjiro X Kanao

Zenitsu X Nezuko

Giyu X Shinobu

Digimon

Taichi X Sora

Koushiro X Mimi

Takeru X Hikari

Takato X Jeri

Rika X Ryo

Izumi X Junpei

Disney Animation

Mulan X Shang

Eric X Ariel

Simba X Nala

Tiana X Naveen

Tarzan X Jane

Rapunzel X Eugene

Hercules X Meg

Aladdin X Jasmine

Doctor Who

11 X Clara

Dota - Dragon's Blood

Davion X Mirana

Evangelion

Shinji X Kaworu

Fairy Tail

Natsu X Lucy

Erza X Jellal

Gray X Juvia

Wendy X Romeo

Final Fantasy

Zack X Aerith

Cloud X Tifa

Squall X Rinoa

Tidus X Luna

Lightning X Snow

Noel X Serah

Noctis X Luna

Fire Emblem

Byleth X Dimitri

Fullmetal Alchemist

Ed X Winry

Roy X Riza

Ling X Lan Fan

GI Joe

Snake Eyes X Scarlett

Garo

Kouga X Kaoru

Ryuga X Rian

Raiga X Mayuri

Gatchaman

Ken X Jun

Gundam

Domon X Rain

Shinn X Stella

He-Man (OG Continuity)

Adam X Teela

Adora X Sea-Hawk

Duncan X Sorceress

InuYasha

InuYasha X Kagome

Sango X Miroku

Sesshomaru X Kagura

Kohaku X Rin

Invincible

Mark X Eve

Kamen Rider

Hongo X Ruriko

Godai X Ichijo

Shoichi X Hikawa

Shinji X Miho

Takumi X Mari

Kenzaki X Hajime

Yuuto X Airi

Wataru X Mio

Tsukasa X Natsumi

Shotaro X Tokime

Ryo X Akiko

Eiji X Hina

Gentaro X Nadeshiko

Ryusei X Tomoko

Haruto X Koyomi

Kouta X Mai

Kaitou X Yoko

Shinnosuke X Kiriko

Gou X Reiko

Takeru X Akari

Alain X Kanon

Emu X Poppy

Sento X Banjo

Kazumin X Misora

Gentoku X Sawa

Sougo X Tsukuyomi

Aruto X Izu

Fuwa X Yua

Touma X Kento

Rintaro X Mei

Keiwa X Neon

Kingdom Hearts

Kairi X Sora X Riku

Aqua X Terra

Lea X Isa

Roxas X Xion

Riku X Namine

Lucifer

Lucifer X Chloe

Maze X Eve

Magic Knight Rayearth

Hikaru X Lantis

Umi X Clef

Fu X Ferio

Marvel Comics

Steve X Sharon

Tony X Pepper

Thor X Sif

Hank X Janet

Reed X Sue

Peter X MJ

Wanda X Vision

Jean X Scott

Kitty X Colossus

Rogue X Gambit

Rachel X Kurt

Black Bolt X Medusa

Clint X Bobbi

Bucky X Natasha

Matt X Elektra

Luke X Jessica

Warren X Psylocke

Miraculous Ladybug

Adrien X Marinette

Alya X Nino

Naruto

Naruto X Hinata

Sasuke X Karin

Sakura X Rock Lee

Neji X TenTen

Shikamaru X Temari

Ino X Sai

Choji X Karui

Gaara X Matsuri

Kakashi X Might Guy

Asuna X Kurenai

Tsunade X Dan

Yahiko X Konan

Ouran HighSchool Host Club

Haruhi X Tamaki

Persona

Yu X Rise

Chie X Yukiko

Kanji X Naoto

Ren X Makoto (or Kasumi if we're going with Royal canon)

Power Rangers

Tommy X Katherine

Jason X Trini

Adam X Tanya

TJ X Cassie

Andros X Ashley

Karone X Zhane

Leo X Kendrix

Carter X Dana

Wes X Jen

Cole X Alyssa

Taylor X Eric

Tori X Blake

Trent X Kira

Sky X Z

Doggie X Kat

Nick X Madison

Mack X Rose

Casey X Lily

Dillon X Summer

Ziggy X Dr. K

Kevin X Mia

Mike X Emily

Troy X Gia

Tyler X Shelby

Eddie X Vesper

Marv X Chloe

Amelia X Ollie

Ranma ½

Ranma X Akane

Revolutionary Girl Utena

Utena X Anthy

Rurouni Kenshin

Kenshin X Kaoru

RWBY

Ruby X Penny

Blake X Sun

Weiss X Marrow

Yang X Weiss

Jaune X Pyrrha

Ren X Nora

Qrow X Summer

Sailor Moon

Usagi X Mamoru

Ami X Zoisite

Rei X Jadeite

Minako X Rei

Makoto X Nephrite

Minako X Kunzite

Saint Seiya

Seiya X Shaina

Hyoga X Eri

Shiryu X Shunrei

Shun X June

Ikki X Esmeralda

Deathmask X Aphrodite

Aiolia X Lyfia

Yato X Yuzuriha

Sasha X Tenma

Koga X Yuna

Souma X Sonia

She-Ra (Netflix Version)

Adora X Glimmer

Catra X Scorpia

Star Wars

Obi-Wan X Satine

Anakin X Padme

Ahsoka X Lux

Luke X Mara Jade

Han X Leia

Finn X Rey X Poe

Din Djarin X Bo-Katan

Super Sentai

Ryu X Kaori

Sasuke X Tsuruhime

Chisato X Kouichirou

Shun X Miku

Yuri X Tatsuya

Yosuke X Ikkou

Isshu X Nanami

Mari X Ban

Sen X Umeko

Doggie X Swan

Sakura X Akashi

Masume X Natsuhi

Rio X Mele

Sosuke X Miu

Chiaki X Kotoha

Takeru X Mako

Alata X Eri

Hyde X Moune

Marvelous X Luka

Joe X Ahim

Daigo X Mikoto

Tokatti X Mio

Hikari X Kagura

Yamato X Sela

Amu X Tusk

Lucky X Hammie

Balance X Naga

Keiichiro X Tsukasa

Sakuya X Umika

Koh X Asuna

Bamba X Asuna

Shigeru X Sayo

Tarou X Sonoi

Sword Art Online

Kirito X Asuna

The Dragon Prince

Callum X Rayla

Amaya X Janai

ThunderCats

Lion-O X Cheetara

Bengali X Pumyra

Transformers

Optimus X Elita-One

Arcee X Hot Rod

Bulkhead X Wheeljack

Silverbolt X Blackarachnia

Ultraman

Ken X Mari

Voltron

Shiro X Matt

Keith X Allura

Lance X Pidge

Hunk X Shay

Winx Club

Bloom X Sky

Musa X Riven

Flora X Helia

Stella X Brandon

Tecna X Timmy

Layla X Nabu

[veliseraptor]

get to know you better game! answer the questions and tag 9 people you want to know better.

tagged by: @brawlite - thanks!

last song I listened to: "time stands still (at the iron hill)" by blind guardian, which had me once again contemplating a silmarillion reread

currently reading: currently rereading three parts dead by max gladstone; when I finish that it's going to be we are satellites by sarah pinsker.

currently watching: rewatching campaign 2 of critical role if that counts? but also watching dead friend forever with @ameliarating. paused in a till the end of the moon watch that I need to get back to

currently obsessed with: kind of struggling to obsess about things right now which is part of my problem. but the closest things working for me right now are bg3 and the aforementioned critical role rewatch. hoping my brain starts letting me get excited about things again soon

tagging @ameliarating, @winepresswrath, @abigail-pent, @anghraine, @curiosity-killed, @spockandawe, @anyboli, @thatswhatsushesaid, and @elucubrare to do as you please (or not)

[acourtofthought]

Forgive me, I'm back to rant about a few things I just dont get how elriels miss, in terms of big picture. And even subtle contrast between elains behavior around Az and Lucien in terms of character reveals and behaviors telling of endgame couples. NOT the in between, I mean the "you need to read between the lines" context to get it and see the bigger picture vs taking things for face value and not critically thinking.

For example, ACOWAR, when Azriel helps Feyre rescue Elain, which Elriels romantize like their ship depended on it, a few things.

Azriel didn't volunteer to save her first. It was only after Cassian offered that he spoke up. Cassian was hurt. We as readers by now should know Azriel has a hero complex, so really not surprising he put his life on the line for Cassian and Feyre, and yes, even Elain, she is who they are saving after all, but Azriel stepped up for more reasons than just Elain.

When they find Elain. It is NOT specificed whether Elain is speaking to Feyre or Azriel, when she says you came for me, could it have been both, sure? Could this moment have been when Elain saw Azriel in a different light, maybe. I see the appeal, a handsome male carried you back to safety, but its just almost too perfect. SJM, to date has never written an endgame couple in which the LI is the one saving the heroine.. They stand back, let their heroine shine. Rhys, Cassian. Rowan, Chaol, Dorian, Hunt, all stood by and watched their mates/endgame save themselves and others. This is why I firmly believe it wasn't Lucien who saved her. SJM made a very conscious decision, because if Lucien is Elains endgame, he isn't going to treat her like a damsel in distress. He can't be the one "saving her" when he's going to be the one building her up. She even has gone as far as explaning why she doesn't always give her heroines mates a role in their final showdown (when she said she needed to give Cassian something to do when Nesta was in the rite). It's very clear that it is important to Sarah that her heroines are independent and can save themselves, they don't NEED man saving her in the literal terms. I think we will see Elain in another situation where SHE will outwit and come out triumphant in the end because of her own strength. Not because of Azriel or Lucien. So my point is, I do think it was dilebrate it wasn't Lucien, aside from the obvious, he wasn't there. He'd already taken off to the continent to find help.

But it does bring me to my next point, when Lucien returns. at the end of ACOWAR, she shows concern for Lucien. He responds that the blood isn't his. Which, for someone who is underestimated, proves he is as capable of handling himself on a battle field. But the point is, Elain doesn't search for Azriel, isn't by his side. On page, she shows no concern for him in the end and this is a book, if it didn't happen on page, it didn't happen. She gives Lucien a soft smile. He is the first to acknowledge she stabbed Hybern. This is kinda big, as it is a huge telling and such a  parallel to the way SJM has her male characters see the strength and bravery in their mates before others do. Rhys saw it first UTM in Feyre. Cassian with Nesta, Hunt with Bryce, etc. Lucien doesn't fuss or worry, he is proud of her. Whereas, Azriel in ACOSF, still doesn't believe in Elain enough to go after the trove, elriels claim it's because he cares, sure maybe he does, but again that's not how SJM writes her couples. That in itself is telling. Imagine Rhys, Cassian, Hunt, Lorcan, Chaol, all telling their significant others they can't do x,y,z and see how that goes down. Actually, we can, we have enough textual evidence it doesn't go down well. Azriel holding Elain back, behind her back, even after he saw what she was capable off in ACOWAR, is not a good sign. But, in a turn of events, who is Azriel supportive off ? Gwyn. Elriels love to say it's because he doesn't care but, given SJMs  parallels, they are in for a rude awakening.

Lastly, sunshine. I can't believe how obvious this is. Anytime Sarah reveals something that is close and important to a character that ties another is telling. Example, Elide and Lorcan both were guided by gods who are lovers, Rhys and Feyre both look up to the stars and dreamt before knowing one another. The way Azriels shadows behave around Gwyn, which is unquestionably unique only to HER, per canon, no matter how much elriels deny it......:. Elain telling the readers she needs sunshine, and Lucien who is literally the sun personified is significant. I mean, yes, we know they are mates, what more proof do we need? They may not be together right now, but SJM has given us enough buildup for their story.

I went back over the scene to see how it all played out and I do get why E/riels make a fuss over it.

"She shook her head, devouring the sight of him as if not quite believing it. “You came for me.” The shadowsinger only inclined his head.

"devouring the sight of him" is a pretty intense way of phrasing it.

And taken as a single line, of course it looks like something.

But this is what happened before and after:

When you look at everything together, how romantic is it?

Cassian was the first one to speak up about saving Elain.

Az sat there observing Nesta's distress and her telling Cassian he can't go in injured so after "some unspoken debate" with himself he speaks up.

Nesta tells him he'll die but Az is cocky as hell and has a hero complex so of course he thinks he'll be fine. It's not that he's willing to die for Elain, it's that he doesn't think there's a chance of that happening (there is canon evidence of Az wanting to run head first into dangerous situations even when Feyre and Rhys tell him not to).

Feyre says with his shadows he might stand a chance, probably the exact same thing Az has convinced himself of.

Elain's eyes went wide over both Az and Feyre entering the tent because Feyre looked like Ianthe.

Then Feyre, after changing her appearance back tried to free Elain from the chains first using her powers from Helion.

Az only scooped up Elain because he said they didn't have time to wait for Feyre to figure it out.

Then they land and Az is barely able to stand but only Rhys is worried about his injuries. Elain gives the guy who's about to pass out a "thank you" kiss on the cheek then goes to her sister where she shows real emotion when she throws her arms around her.

Elucien's and E/riels can go back and forth all day on how they interpret these scenes. To me it seems clear that whatever hint of romance there was is always followed by something that shows why nothing between E/riel was ever going to be lasting.

But even without the back and forth debates, and leaving out how compatible Elain and Lucien are written to be, the one thing that trumps it all is that Lucien was the one who met Elain's father and spent time getting to know him. Lucien is the one who was with Elain after the sisters said goodbye to their father, Lucien is the one who offered his condolences.

Lucien will always be the one who holds this connection to Elain, with the first man she ever loved. It cannot be denied that what Elain shared with him was special and I think it was extremely intentional that SJM wrote it so her Mate developed a relationship with him before his death.

There is such poetry in that and all those shallow "cute" moments between E and A will never compare.

And as far as Gwynriel and his shadows are concerned, it's ridiculous to think there's not pretty major hints for them ending up together when we have the following in the bonus chapter:

Az's shadows will always be a part of him.

Az's shadows disappear around Elain.

Az's shadows are playful with Gwyn and she's the only character to treat them independent of Az.

[callioope]

What's this? An update?!

Is anyone else experiencing an onslaught of bots following them? Whenever I see that happen I wonder if it's because I've been so inactive lately; sometimes there seems to be a correlation there. So maybe just maybe it will help if I post something.

So here's an update.

Free time is a rarity for me these days -- offline life is busy! When I do have time to myself, I usually spend it stuck in the YouTube vortex (unfortunately, but it's the honest answer. I go there to watch Critical Role and get sucked sideways by the darn algorithm. I need to sign up for Beacon and just stop having a reason to go to YT in the first place). IF I can pull myself away from that blackhole, then I'm probably also avoiding writing by doing the NYT Games. And if by some miracle I dodge both of these digital traps, then I'm actually (gasp) reading or writing. (Or playing DND on the weekend.)

The Writing I signed up for Get Your Words Out this year, and even if I haven't been as productive as I might have dreamed, I'm still loving it because I do feel like it is working to get me writing more than I otherwise would have. And it doesn't feel as daunting as NaNoWriMo. So, here's my progress:

Pledged as a backpacker (honestly the lowest and easiest goal but I'm being practical about my time availability this year)

Wrote 33 days this year so far

Worked on 11 different projects -- this is a big oof for me; I feel a little adrift. I'm trying to console myself by likening it to an artists sketchbook (I think I saw a post about that on tumblr). Any writing is better than no writing! Nine (nein!) of the projects are shadowgast fics and two are original works -- something I might combine into 1 idea, we'll see. 

I've been focusing on the original idea lately, which is exciting!

I got a new laptop, and I'm able to go back to using Scrivener! Sadly had to pay for the upgrade, and still migrating story notes back into it, but excited. Anyone have any good tips for using it? Character templates, etc?

The Reading I have been able to get back into reading this year, which I am super happy about. This year I've read:

Our Bloody Pearl by D.N. Bryn (loved it)

A Power Unbound (The Last Binding #3) by Freya Marske (loved it)

The Magician's Daughter by H.G. Parry (enjoyed it)

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel (loved it)

The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson (enjoyed it)

Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson (it was fine)

Uprooted by Naomi Novik (enjoyed it)

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (it's complicated)

Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith (third read; comfort read)

Remalna's Children by Sherwood Smith (it was fine)

Silver in the Wood (The Greenhollow Duology #1) by Emily Tesh (loved it)

Drowned Country (The Greenhollow Duology #2) by Emily Tesh (loved it)

Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1) by Seanan McGuire (did not like)

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher (loved it)

Spellbound (Magic in Manhattan #1) by Allie Therin (disappointed)

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey (loved it)

Edited to add: Currently reading: The Hexologists (The Hexologists #1) by Josiah Bancroft. Healthy, loving, established middle age couple protagonists in a fantasy setting, where have you been?! I've been looking for a book like this forever.

I haven't read more than like 2 books a year ... probably since 2016 (thank you rebelcaptain and shadowgast for all the wonderful fics i read instead)

[borifle]

matt really said “actually, I’m not done with the cool alien mushroom shit after ravening war, let’s throw some of that at bells hells”

[byneddiedingo]

Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper in Maestro (Bradley Cooper, 2023)

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Matt Bomer, Gideon Glick, Maya Hawke, Sarah Silverman, Vincenzo Amato, Michael Urie, Greg Hildreth, Brian Klugman, Nick Blaemire, Mallory Portnoy, Yasen Peyakov, Zachary Booth, Miriam Shor, Alexa Swinton. Screenplay: Bradley Cooper, Josh Singer. Cinematography: Matthew Libatique. Production design: Kevin Thompson. Film editing: Michelle Tesoro. Music: Leonard Bernstein. 

The Aussies call it "tall poppy syndrome." It's that tendency to try to undermine or underestimate the achievement of anyone who excels. And I think we saw it directed at Bradley Cooper when the first big wave of negative publicity came out from a critic from the Hollywood Reporter who saw the trailer for Maestro and called the prosthetic nose Cooper wore to play Leonard Bernstein "ethnic cosplay." The word "Jewface," analogous to blackface and "yellowface," labels for white performers pretending to be Black or Asian, was tossed about, as if Cooper were somehow guilty of antisemitism, or even depriving a Jewish actor of the role. Defenders came to the fray, including Bernstein's family, who indicated their approval of Cooper's choice, and others who pointed out that Cooper wasn't playing a negative stereotype, or even a character like Shylock or Fagin, but an authentic musical genius. But the damage was done, and the controversy continues to be a kind of scrim through which we watch and assess the film. I think much of it stems from the fact that Cooper is one of the most exceptional talents of our time, recognized for excellence as an actor, director, and screenwriter  -- a tall poppy indeed. He has a total of nine Academy Award nominations in all three of those fields plus producing -- for Todd Phillips's Joker (2019) and Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley (2022). He won a BAFTA for the music of A Star Is Born (2018), for which he wrote and sang several songs, and for which he also won two Grammys. He was nominated for a Tony in 2015 for his performance on Broadway in The Elephant Man. (One of the critics of the prosthetic nose observed that he wore no disfiguring makeup for the role of John Merrick, suggesting that if he's that good an actor, he should have played the role of Bernstein without the help of makeup.) All of this is preface to saying that Maestro is an exceptional film that only adds luster to an already distinguished career. It has been labeled a biopic, which is inadequate. Biographical films are usually distanced from their subjects, dramatizations of events in a career. Maestro is more intimate than that, a portrait of a man and a marriage. Cooper goes beyond mimicry of Bernstein in a serious effort to suggest the social and sexual and artistic tensions seething within the man. If I have to voice a criticism it's that he doesn't quite bring it off -- it's a little too much for any actor or screenwriter to achieve. But Cooper shows us the depths even if he doesn't plumb them. He wisely lets us have our own thoughts about something even Bernstein probably couldn't define about his sexuality: whether he was gay or bisexual, or whether that question is stupid and irrelevant. Carey Mulligan's performance as his wife, Felicia, brittle and burning, is a perfect match for Cooper's. If they don't have the chemistry that Cooper had with Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook (2012) or Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born, that's partly the point: The marriage of Lenny and Felicia was one of unresolved tension. Hence the epigraph for the film: "A work of art does not answer questions, if provokes them; and its essential meaning is in the tension between the contradictory answers." I have the feeling that Maestro will be remembered and studied for years to come.

[distant--shadow]

get to know meme

lil thing where I'll give a bit too much detail so it fills its purpose, honoured honestly to be tagged by three of my favourite writers in this space @sharkodactyl, @unicyclehippo , and @astoriacolumnstaircase - anyone reading this should be reading their works instead.

favourite colour: brown(s), like a mid to a dark tone, i like them to have a bit of red involved. like our old-boy chet, I love the wood. my dream home would be all wood-panelled with built in inlayed and set back shelves and nooks a plenty and yeah just full of brik-a-brak. otherwise my favourite colours are navy blue and greens that are more mixed with blue than yellow, teals and emeralds and once again generally around the mid tones. green makes me very happy. moss and outdoors and all that.

currently reading: fic. haha. (suss my recommend reading tag) I did venture out to my (very) local queer bookshop and asked them for something that won't send me on a spiral if I'm already on one/provide some escapism and they reccomended river of teeth by Sarah gailey. anyone I've said about it to seems real enthusiastic about it, I am not well read at all when it comes to published things, tend to just get really into a few fandom authors works and picking them apart (rereading a lot) . still haven't started it but maybe I'll try take it out to the park in the next week or so. I'm dabbling in reading (and unfortunately writing) poetry thanks to @picturesofthegoneworlds and @blorbotomy 's influence, those mini books are fun to keep on you when out and about, poem or two on a tree stump or boulder with a grand vista and a brain that wants eyes on a phone screen.

last song: last song I consciously (not background music) listened to was:

I went on an early lord snow stint the other night because the air smelt crisp and there was a nice chill. they have remained my favourite heavy (as a broad term) band for a decade now.

I used to have music on all of the time, whether that be cd's at home or in my mp3 player (that I still take out with me) but these days I find listening more of an intentional activity and I prefer to have people just nattering when I'm at home and want background noise. think it's where my heads at and I've just got more sensitive to being overstimulated I guess. I was also pretty good at going to a live gig at least once a week before I did my back in, looking forward to getting into that habit again.

last series: I don't watch much stuff outside of critical role, least other than YouTube videos I'll put on whislt I'm drawing. oh wait yeah I ordered 3 seasons of xena on ebay because it's like a couple of quid a season and it is a real good comfort show and fucking amazing. I hadn't seen it since I was pre teen and it was on day time TV and I'd catch it on sick days. the amount of people I've brought it up to these past few months who've been so stoked to be reminded of it/eager to watch it with me is actually hilarious.

last movie: uhhhh God movies I watch even less. I haven't been to a cinema in over 12 years now, just not my thing, and it's funny caus my mum used to work in the film and TV industry and we had shelves and shelves full of VHS growing up (mostly bootlegged) and she can just ramble about pretty much any early era film up to the stuff from the 80s (when she was working on em) for days. never could sit through em, never felt satisfied with how the story went. guess that's why actual play appeals to me. but saying all this I did rewatch Bound for the first time since I was like 15 last month or so, enjoyed it a lot more than I did back then.

sweet/savory/spicy: savory all day. I am a salt fiend. I used to think I'd be fortunate enough to die from my salt intake. I'll put it on anything. cereal, toast, fruit. I think the other day I noted the one thing I wouldn't put it on, but I can't recall that right now honestly. it's gotta be decent salt too, sea salt or rock salt that has some texture and delicious flavour, I'm not fucking with that table salt shit. I carry salt with me in a mini mason jar everywhere I go, saves when you only have access to bland cold supermarket food. one of my earliest memories is when I was like 6 I had had my daily 1 glass allowance of squash/fruit cordial in my white Tom and Jerry printed beaker with the accordion bendy straw and so when I was pouring myself a glass of water from the tap I put salt in it caus I wanted flavour that would not show through the white translucent container. it's all been downhill from there, although I also, luckily I guess caus otherwise I would be really fucked, do drink a lot of water.

currently working on: myself and healing. hah. I never realised how much paperwork and phone calls came with this maintenance shit. I'm still out of work, and my mental health has taken a huge hit from not being able to do the things I usually would. so right now I'm just trying to keep everything together. I can draw again though, so sorry about that.

I never know who to tag in these things caus I don't think everyone wants to do them. so I'll go with this being open invite as always. hope anyone who read this far is having a good week, and sentiment is still there even if you didn't read this (unless you don't deserve my well wishes, then fuck you.)

[frary-us]

Toby Regbo is also a cast member of this comedy. I'm so happy I can finally watch him in his supporting role as Christian. 🙌

==========================

"It is launching (April 30) with Chivalry, a comedy originally commissioned by the UK’s Channel 4 and starring Steve Coogan and Sarah Solemani, and The Green Veil starring John Leguizamo.

Chivalry was written by Coogan and Solemani and is set in Hollywood, exploring the nuances, advances, and limitations of the entertainment industry in a post #MeToo era. It follows a critically acclaimed female director, played by Solemani, who is brought on to right the ship of a wayward production run by a seasoned male producer, played by Coogan.

Wanda Sykes and Sienna Miller also appear in the six-part series, which comes from Coogan’s BBC Studios-owned Baby Cow Productions and is exec produced by Sarah Monteith and Rupert Majendie. Its launch will be its U.S. debut after launching in the UK in 2022."

[denimbex1986]

'By his own admission, awards season has been bittersweet for Andrew Scott.

Currently basking in a flurry of positive reviews for his starring role in a new Netflix adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley, Scott recently collected the Critics’ Circle Theatre award for his remarkable performance in a contemporary rendering of Chekhov masterpiece Vanya.

But the occasion was tinged with sadness for the Irish star, 47, whose devoted mother Nora passed away with a 'sudden illness' in March - shortly before Mother's Day.

And Scott - who dedicated the award to her memory by telling audience members “she was the source of practically every joyful thing in my life” - admits he felt compelled to immerse himself in work following her recent passing.

'Well, you know, you have to — life goes on, you manage it day by day,' he told the Sunday Times.

'It’s very recent, but I certainly can say that so much of it is surprising and unique, and there is so much that I will be able to speak about at some point.'

A devoted follower of fashion away from screen and stage, Scott admits his love of clothes came from his mother and her passion for the arts.

'My mother was an art teacher, she was obsessed with all sorts of design,' he recalled. 'She loved jewellery and jewellery design.

'Anything that is visual, tactile, painting, drawing, is a big passion of mine, so I have tremendous respect for the creativity of designers.'

Despite the tragedy, Scott has attempted to maintain a positive attitude towards both his personal and professional life.

'I feel like, as a person, I am quite near my emotions,' he said. 'I cry easily and I laugh easily, and there is nothing more pleasurable to me than laughing.'

Nora's death was confirmed in a statement on March 9, with family members adding that she passed away on Thursday March 7 surrounded by her family at St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin.

An obituary read: 'It is with our deepest sorrow that we inform you of the passing of Nora Scott (née Boyle), beloved wife of Jim, mother of Sarah, Andrew and Hannah.

'Scott, Sandymount, Dublin, formerly Omagh Co. Tyrone, March 7th 2024 peacefully surrounded by her loving family and best friend Anne, in St Vincent's Hospital following a sudden illness.

'Nora will be deeply missed by her beloved husband Jim, her loving children Sarah, Andrew and Hannah.'

In 2018, Nora revealed Anthony Hopkins sent her 'more than three dozen red roses,' after finding out she was ill when speaking to Scott on the set of King Lear.

Hopkins, 86, starred in the BBC's Shakespeare adaptation as an ‘English Stalin’ with Scott playing Edgar - who becomes Lear’s secret protector.

She told RTE’s Ryan Tubridy at the time: 'There was probably more than three dozen red roses and attached to them was a little card from Anthony saying "Be well, sending hugs", and all sorts of things.'

'I was thrilled to get such a gift and for the kind thought that promoted it.

'Now I have recovered, I can enjoy these exquisite roses that grace our hall. It was such a beautiful gift.'

In January, Scott and his co-star Paul Mescal admitted they weren't too keen on their family members watching their new film, gay drama All Of Us Strangers.

The movie stars Scott as a screenwriter drawn back to his childhood home who enters into a relationship with a mysterious neighbour, played by Mescal, 27.

The film features several intimate scenes between the actors which the pair discussed during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show.

Asked if their families had seen the flick yet, Mescal said: 'With the Irish premiere, trying to allocate tickets to all the aunties and uncles is a tricky business.

'They have seen my bum before but there is a little more going on in this movie I would say!'

Scott added: 'I don't want to be there when my parents watch it!''

[historyhermann]

Beauty, dress codes, and fashion: Examining twenty fictional White female librarians [Part 3]

Continued from part 2

Screenshots taken from fandom gallery of "Through the Looking Glass Ruins" episode of The Owl House; a Dutch nun in 1992 and a Hungarian priest in 1935

Even more simplified is Amity Blight in The Owl House, who is directly shown as a librarian in the episode "Through the Looking Glass Ruins". As she travels into a dangerous/forbidden section of the library to help her friend Luz Noceda, she wears a library employee card in a lanyard around her neck, a black short sleeve dress, black point shoes, and orchid leggings. In the episode, she ties up her hair in a typical librarian style, as shown in the image above. She looks similar to those working in religious libraries, especially a nun or even a priest.

Reprinted from my Pop Culture Library Review WordPress, where this post was published on Nov. 29, 2022.

When I saw what she was wearing, it immediately make of something religious. Wearing the color black can express self-confidence, sensitivity, an attempt to impress someone, could indicate someone has a rebellious nature that doesn't accept authority, exudes a person's feelings of power and influence, and building walls to protect themselves. It doesn't necessarily make you "part of a suspicious sect" or anything like that. Rather, wearing black-colored clothes can be classy, mysterious, or distinguished. More specifically, some have argued that wearing black can be slimming, elegant, sexy, chic, or even overbearing and evil. Most of the positive qualities are the reasons that Amity is watching it, as the wearing black-colored clothes can signal "a desire to reclaim one’s power." [13]

Inter-related with this is the fact that librarian and library perform a specific role "in the language of fashion," employed in phrases like librarian chic, conjuring imperatives and fantasies on librarians, their labor, and recognition. This centers "class-privileged white women" as the stewards of librarianship and space of the library itself. Furthermore, cuteness can compel viewers to place value on what is cute, worthy to be desired, protected, and cared for. As such, if Whiteness is seen as cute, it is devoid of its "power to inflict violence" and is not threatening. The latter is the case with Amity, as often seen by fans, as she is clearly attractive, delightful, appealing, or even clever and mentally keen, and is White. [14] In that sense, the styles of Amity and Kaisa are somewhat similar.

Amity is also a lesbian, something which I mentioned back in October. Like everyone else, lesbians internalize societal standards of appearance and weight, even though they were more critical of "traditional social norms" when it came to roles and rights of women. A large number saw physical attractiveness as "important in a partner," even though such attractiveness was functional rather than a concern for looks like straight women. Not surprisingly, there is even a fashion style known as "lesbian chic." [15]

Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz, archivist at the Lesbian Herstory Archives, argued that librarians are marginal due to enduring values just as lesbians are marginal, noted that lesbian is a sexual orientation and a "constructed political identity." She also said that all lesbians may not be "equipped to be librarians" with a lesbian "subject specialty." [16] Amity may not have that specialty, nor may she know nothing about lesbian herstory, lesbian separatism, or lesbian feminism, but she would provide service of a high caliber to patrons and fight lesbian erasure at the same time.

Like Amity, other librarians also have their own style. This includes Mo Testa in Dykes to Watch Out For, public librarian Myra in The Public, Sabine in Sabine: an asexual coming-of-age story, Desiree, Sara, and Sarah, her two work colleagues. The latter three characters are in Too Loud, an animated web series. Starting with Mo, a lesbian feminist and reference librarian, is described as a "worrier and kvetch extraordinaire" on the comic's official website, she has a "penchant for striped clothing" just like the comic's author, Alison Bechdel. This means that Mo is falling into the style of being "overly conventional," and not as colorful as, let's say, drag queens. [17] The same can be said about what Desiree, Sara and Sarah wear while working at the library. Their clothes falls into typical wear like cardigans, dresses, brown pants, and sensible shoes. However, when Desiree finally dresses up in more girly clothes during the episode "Slumber Party," it makes clear what the now defunct Misfit Librarian's Style Catalog blog tried to prove: that librarians are stylish people despite some a perception of the opposite. [18]

Myra and Sabine also wear simple clothes, but nothing that could be called "dated" or "conservative". Sabine, even more than Myra, exudes a level of coolness as she is also a student as well as a part-time librarian at the college library. This is something that even the New York Times recognized years ago, noting that emergence of hip and cool librarians in a profession described as "nerdy" and a haven for "left-wing social engagement." More than any of the other librarians in this post, Sabine is more trendy and fashionable, although not as dedicated to fashion trends as those like Sam, Alex, and Clover in Totally Spies! to give three examples. Very few of the librarians I've described in this post are those are either wear hair in a bun, wear glasses, or a cardigan, with librarians getting a bad rap for the latter. [19] Rather they tend toward being more stylish, especially in terms of Amity, who dyes her hair green (her original hair color is brown) and later lilac, and Kaisa, who has put purple streaks in her black hair.

Continued in part 4

© 2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[13] Maria Hakki, "Here is What Wearing Black Says About You (and the 5 most common personality traits of these people)," iheartintelligence, May 28, 2020; Cassandra Sethi, "How to Wear Black," ehow, Feb. 21, 2022; Ada Polla, "5 Rules for Wearing All Black Clothing," HuffPost, Dec. 6, 2017; "What does black clothing symbolize?," Colorbux, access date March 22, 2022; Cameron Wolf, "Study Confirms That Wearing Black Clothing Makes You Appear More Attractive, Intelligent, and Confident," Complex, Aug. 28, 2015; bethany, "In Defense of Wearing All-Black," College Fashion, Jan. 31, 2019; Ellie Krupnick, "14 Reasons Black Is The Only Color Worth Wearing," HuffPost, Dec. 6, 2017; Brianna West, "The Psychological Reason Some Women Love Wearing All Black," Thought Catalog, Jan. 30, 2022.

[14] Vani Natarajan, "Nostalgia, Cuteness, and Geek Chic: Whiteness in Orla Kiely's Library" in Topographies of Whiteness: Mapping Whiteness in Library and Information Science (ed. Gina Schlesselman-Tarango, Library Juice Press: Sacramento, CA: 2017), p. 122, 132; "Cute," Dictionary.com, accessed March 22, 2022.

[15] Karen Heffernan, "Lesbians and the Internalization of Societal Standards of Weight and Appearance" [Abstract], Journal of Lesbian Studies, Vol. 3, No. 4, Oct. 12, 2008; "How to Dress Lesbian Chic," Wikihow, Jan. 31, 2022.

[16]  Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz, "Lesbian Librarianship for All: A Manifesto" in Reference Librarianship & Justice: History, Practice & Praxis (ed. Kate Adler, Ian Beilin, & Eamon Tewell, Library Juice Press: Sacramento, CA: 2018), p. 298-299, 301, 304. I'm not even getting into the somewhat problematic and strange idea that all librarians can be "lesbian librarians" even those who aren't lesbian. I think she just chose the wrong term for it. Maybe "social justice librarian" or something like that would have been better.

[17] "Cast Biographies," Dykes to Watch Out For Official Website, accessed March 22, 2022; Janine Utell, "The Comics of Alison Bechdel: From the Outside In," University Press Scholarship Online, Sept. 2020; Michael Rhode, "Alison Bechdel at Politics and Prose bookstore," May 4, 2012, Wikimedia Commons; Elizabeth Fernandez, "It's just a drag, darling, but this is a big election," F.M.I.: Female Mimics International, Vol. 20, No. 1, #57, 1990, p. 41. My favorite part of this quote was this: "Other critics offer a more unusual complaint: The contest has become overly conventional. Candidates nowadays resemble librarians more than drag queens, some say." It made me laugh a lot as it says a lot about what people see as librarians.

[18] Molly Wetta, "What makes a work wardrobe?," Librarian Style, Jun. 1, 2021.

[19] "Bookworms' backs up," Sunday Star Times, Jan. 31, 2009; Kara Jesella, "A Hipper Crowd of Shushers," New York Times, Jul. 8, 2007; Brytani, "A Study of Librarian Fashion," The Intrepid Nerd, Oct. 6, 2011; Heather Slania, "Welcome to the Librarian Fashion blog!," Librarian Fashion, Mar. 22, 2011. Slania is now the Director of the Decker Library at MICA and was formerly the Director of the Library at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

[pynkhues]

Were you a Sex in the City fan? I do feel like a show for the girls that are in the early to mid late 20s trying to figure it out. Is kind of missing in the market currently. Anyways if you’ve seen it there was a reboot with a whole new cast. What would your fan cast look like?

I actually watched Sex and the City in its entirety for the first time during the lockdowns, anon! While there are definitely parts of it that have aged badly and is very deserving of criticism, there's a lot that's aged surprisingly well too, and even as a first time viewer, I could see why it was the pop culture juggernaut it was. I really enjoyed watching it! Although maybe not enough to watch And Just Like That, haha (after all, what is Sex and the City without all four women?)

It really does feel like there's a bit of a gap these days in TV when it comes to mid-late 20s/early 30s women figuring life out. I feel like the closest we've had for a while was Broad City and The Bold Type, but even those have both been finished for a while, and are decidedly their own animals in focus, tone and style. While I liked it a lot too, I'd also say that The Bold Type never fully knew where it wanted to sit in terms of audience which really shaped a lot of the components of the story.

But yes! A Sex and the City reboot! I love it when you guys ask me to fancast stuff, haha.

Okay, let's start with Carrie:

I hadn't seen Ashley Park in anything until a few months ago, and have since had the triple hit of seeing her in Joy Ride, Beef and now the new season of Only Murders in the Building, and I just think she's so great. She's so, so charming and funny and I think really nails that complicated mix of high strung but also kind of loose and flirty that Sarah Jessica Parker nailed in Sex and the City. I think she could bring so much to Carrie and add after Joy Ride in particular, I'd love to see her lead something again.

Miranda's kind of a tricky one in some ways - you need someone who can find that middle ground between snark and genuine vulnerability, and I think that's really an area Ritu shines in between The Umbrella Academy and Polite Society. Plus she's delightfully watchable, and I think a role like Miranda could really stretch her skills (especially because I don't think Polite Society let her actually do all that much).

Fun fact: Charlotte's lowkey my fave from Sex and the City. I know a lot of people find her annoying, but I actually think she had one of the most fulfilling arcs on the show (I'm a bit of a sucker for characters who get what they want only to realise it's not what they need), and she also reminds me of a close childhood friend who I don't see as often as I want because we live on opposite ends of the country, haha. I looooved Charithra in Bridgerton, and I think she plays naivety without ignorance, and that sweetness without being saccharine really well. Plus I think she could be a really good balancer between Ashley and Ritu.

Okay okay okay, hear me out: Samantha is supposed to be older than the other girls, and one of the things I think is so ingenious about the original casting of Samantha is how they cast an actress who was basically a jobbing actress who'd worked across TV and genre movies for decades but became famous / a sex symbol for a few roles across raunch comedies. While Jessica doesn't quite have a Porky's on her resume, she comes from a similar background of tv, low budget horror, and a few meatier roles that show she can really act, and I've always had a soft spot for her, and tbh, I think she'd kill it.

The guys aren't as fun, haha, but mmm, I kind of like the thought of John Cho for Mr Big? An older guy with the right amount of suave that you can believe Ashley Park would be on the hook for, and maybe someone like Anthony Ramos for Aidan? I'm less sure about them, haha.

[wizardysseus]

tagged by @violaeade

LAST SONG: a song called "the great cloud" i'm trying to learn for church choir lol

CURRENTLY READING: what am i not reading, frankly

mammoths at the gates by nghi vo - i will probably finish this audio novella on my commute home tonight, i love this series

collected poetry and prose by wallace stevens and the whole harmonium by paul mariani, which i've had and read parts of since i took an undergrad class on stevens

monstrous affections ed. by kelly link - so far my favorite stories have been "quick hill" by mt anderson and "wings in the morning" by sarah rees brennan

the iliad tr. emily wilson - audio book is read by audra macdonald and excellent

essays on the odyssey - this was found for me by @elwing at a used bookstore, is from the 60s, and is kind of hilarious

a wizard of earthsea by ursula k. le guin, which i also haven't reread since college

CURRENTLY LISTENING: critical role campaign 3... i've gotten into a groove and want to see if i can catch up by listening/half-watching at work

CURRENTLY WATCHING: on my own: critical role. my brother and i are almost done watching phineas and ferb, and since it's finally cold in the midwest i'm making him watch hilda with me as well. with others: killsjoys s1, succession s4, fruits basket s2, the legend of vox machina s2, ouat s1

LATEST OBSESSION: hmm the iliad, but also my ocs and various wips

i'm tagging: @nativehueofresolution @kareenvorbarra @butchdykeorpheus @specialagentartemis @florallychaotic

[xtruss]

Phytoplankton bloom in the Barents Sea on August 14, 2011. This image was taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite. Photograph By NASA, GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/Modis Land Rapid Response Team

Climate Change Will Shift The Oceans’ Colors

In the next century, satellites will watch as the ocean's blues and greens intensify.

— By Sarah Gibbens | July 21, 2023

The color of deep blue oceans, shallow turquoise waters, and emerald green coasts is quickly changing as the planet warms, according to new research published in the journal Nature.

Analyzing 20 years of satellite data, the study's authors found that over half the world's ocean, 56 percent, experienced a shift in color. The cause? Changes in the density and distribution of plankton. These tiny organisms contain chlorophyll, the bright green pigment that helps plants make food from sunlight.

The recent study supports a similar prediction made by a Nature Communications study published in 2019 that modeled how phytoplankton will change as oceans continue to warm.

And while the new study used satellites to detect subtle changes in color, the prior research predicted significant changes by 2100, if the world keeps warming at its current pace.

Under a “business-as-usual” scenario in which greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, the bluest subtropical zones of the ocean will become bluer, and greener regions along the equator and poles will become greener, that study found.

More than just an oddity, the changing color is a warning sign, say the 2019 study authors, of drastic global changes that will take place in a world warmed by climate change.

How The Ocean Gets Its Color

Sunlight penetrates over 600 feet below the surface of the ocean. Everything deeper is enshrined in darkness. Above that, most water molecules are capable of absorbing all colors except blue, which is why blue is reflected out.

Organic matter that blankets the surface of the ocean, like phytoplankton, changes this color. As the ocean warms, currents become more irregular, and the layers in the water become more stratified, meaning warm regions don't mix as easily with cold regions.

There are thousands of phytoplankton species, uniquely adapted to warm or cold water. As oceans continue warming, some species may die off, some will thrive, and others will migrate to different regions.

But just looking at chlorophyll alone, however, won't tell scientists how a warming climate is altering phytoplankton. Naturally occurring events like El Niños and La Niñas can influence how much phytoplankton is concentrated in a given area

Stephanie Dutkiewicz, an author on both papers and marine ecologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said in 2019 that models used to predict future changes in color factor phytoplankton life cycles and movements into naturally occurring ocean patterns.

The 2023 study revealed that many of these predicted changes have already occurred. Using light-measuring devices aboard NASA satellites, scientists observed that over half of the world covered by ocean already showed a measurable shift in blue and green wavelengths, an approximation for the amount of chlorophyll in a given region.

What Do These Changing Colors Mean?

It's too early to say for sure what effect these changing colors will have on the environment, but scientists think more ecosystems could be dominated by smaller-sized plankton in the future, according to a press release from the National Oceanography Center in the U.K., which supported the 2023 study.

The ocean has absorbed about a third of the world's carbon emissions, and marine life like kelp, seagrass, and algae play a critical role in helping pull that carbon out of the atmosphere.

But smaller algae could reduce that climate change-fighting power.

“Phytoplankton are the base of the marine food web. Everything in the ocean requires phytoplankton to exist," Dutkiewicz told National Geographic in 2019. "The impact will be felt all the way up the food chain."