#223 years

[telekinetictrait]

"Shielded by my own obscurity, and by the lapse of years, and a few fictitious names, I do not fear to venture; and will candidly lay before the public what I would not disclose to the most intimate friend." (Agnes Grey, A Novel – Anne Brontë, 1847)

anne brontë likers we need to unionize.

ah, the 1840s! the brontë sisters, edgar allen poe, charles dickens... and what i can only imagine is an incredibly confusing amount of petticoats. the torso becomes thinner and longer, with the characteristic "point" ending of the bodice. skirts continue to grow, and grow, and grow... you get the point. sleeves fluctuate through this era, but are more often than not kept close to the arms – a major difference from the 1830s. the stereotypical victorian conservatism can be seen in daydresses of this era. speaking of daydresses, it became easier for women of the (gasp) lower class to mimic the styles of upper class women, as fashion moved from trims to the fabric and cuts themselves. its much easier for your average woman to obtain fabric than to obtain jewels, for example. going forward, expect a mix of upper and lower (more accurately, the slowly forming middle) class fashions!

also, i have been flying through these. i have no idea how long this amount of energy and hyperfocus is going to last. also also, to every cc creator that is getting tagged over and over: i'm sorry. it is a cc desert out here and you are oases. also also also: i reused a dress once. i could have sworn i downloaded ten but apparently i only downloaded nine ??

1800-1809 / 1810-1819 / 1820-1829 / 1830-1839

cc links under the cut

see my resources page

ealasaid : buzzardly28's 1840s hairs / bedisfull's pearl and frill headband / kiarazurk's fairytale dress / ikari-sims' princess gloves

echo : buzzardly28's 1840s hairs / jarisimcc's necklace / vintagesimstress' 1841 ball gown / dzifasims' jane gloves

edelmira : buzzardly28's 1840s hairs / simstomaggie's losse bonnet / elfdor's victorian dress #1

eidel : buzzardly28's 1840s cecilia hair / linzlu's colonial cap / acanthus-sims' tied fichu / vintagesimstress' 1843 day dress

elektra : wastelandwhisperer's chamomile hair / linzlu's fancy bonnet / simverses' norse visby fur cape / sunlittides' 1840s day dress

endzela : turquoiseesims' aster hair (download here) / huiernxoxo's mulani gem earrings / simsonico's shining nikki shy lady necklace conversion / buzzardly28's june dress / dzifasims' jane gloves

ernestine : linzlu's sallie hair / lace-and-honey's linzlu prarie bonnet conversion / vintagesimstress' 1843 day dress

estrella : tekri's lucrezia bun / glitterberrysims' victorian era / oydis' esther dress / dzifasims' jane gloves

euphrasie : pandorasimbox's victorian modest daycap / vintagesimstress' 1848 velvet dress

evita : feralpoodles' victoria hair / toksiks' silence choker / acanthus-sims' rose brooch / buzzardly28's summer ball gown

thank you to @buzzardly28 @bedisfull @ikari-sims @jarisimcc @vintagesimstress @dzifasims @simstomaggie @elfdor @linzlu @wastelandwhisperer @simverses @sunlittides @huiernxoxo @simsonico @lace-and-honey @tekri @glitterberrysims @oydis @pandorasimbox and @feralpoodles

[autisticaradiamegido]

day 223

rammom my beloved

[stillalittlelostngl]

Yall don't get it - I'm obsessed

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

GET ‘IM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cuppajj]

I posted 1,744 times in 2022

That's 474 more posts than 2021!

1,096 posts created (63%)

648 posts reblogged (37%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@/cuppajj

@/soundcrusher

@/dimorphodon-x

@/voiidbots

@/tigracespace

I tagged 1,741 of my posts in 2022

#cjj askbox - 676 posts

#reblog - 375 posts

#cjj arts - 331 posts

#drillburst - 244 posts

#not my oc - 224 posts

#sentient lost light au - 223 posts

#maccadam - 212 posts

#not my art - 211 posts

#ask game - 208 posts

#lovely anon - 201 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#also i’m not the best person to come to when it comes to the specific topics in it; i’m not in that group so my opinions shouldn’t be valued

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

The megop shippers are gonna go absolutely feral with earthspark megatron and optimus on the same side I tell you

1,193 notes - Posted October 9, 2022

#4

See the full post

1,279 notes - Posted September 6, 2022

#3

when he x2

[Youtube Link]

1,484 notes - Posted April 1, 2022

#2

may the light guide us both!

1,950 notes - Posted September 3, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

uhh did anyone tell him the ship was sentient

2,533 notes - Posted August 15, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[planet4546b]

Book asks: 3, 16, 20

3. What were your top five books of the year?

(in no particular order!!)

The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell. instlantly entered maybe my top 10 books of all time. absolutely phenomenal book. i dont even know what to say about it

The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin. this series ABSOLUTELY lives up to the fucking hype, i adore it. obelisk gate was also phenomenal, im just counting it as part of the series (still have stone sky on my shelf but havent gotten to it yet)

House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski. a book that seemed designed for me specifically to go bonkers about it, i could talk about it for hours and hours

Underland, Robert Mcfarlane. Macfarlane's style occassionally isn't my favorite (a bit too prose-y for nonfiction for my taste) but i appreciate a book about underground spaces by someone who clearly understands their weight and also their beauty

World War Z, Max Brooks. this one was unexpected! but it's a fascinating way to tell a story about zombies, and brooks does a really good job of actually imagining what this world would look like. i find myself thinking of a few chapters all the time

16. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

unfortunately Ancillary Justice, Ann Leckie. it's a book that i very much wanted to like but found myself unable to meet on it's terms and sort of walked away feeling unsatisfied. never been able to articulate exactly why!

20. What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?

im not watching too many releases, i think the most recent murderbot book was the only one i was particularly looking forward to!! its sitting on my shelf but i haven't read it yet so i cant judge if it meets expectations yet

[disasterpenguin]

250 posts!

Give me back my old blog and you'll see more than 250 posts. Bitch.

[oblivion-wonderlust]

ok so this is the first year i’m spreading the word about my annual albums of song i discovered but it’s my 3rd year running. you can kinda guess what point of year it is because it’s got new releases to keep time. i hope y’all like it.

[maddy-ferguson]

i just watched my 300th movie of the year and it was very good i gave it a heart on letterboxd

[telekinetictrait]

"If your dear heart is wounded, my wild heart bleeds with yours!" (Carmilla – Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, 1872)

there are two things we see in this decade, that kind of have similar popularity at similar times – the large bustle extending outwards from the ass, and the "princess" style dress, where volume came from the hips. the princess style dress was kept closer to the body, and was almost – gasp – form fitting! how scandalous! necklines largely stayed high, at or above the collar, but when they dipped you would see them paired with velvet chokers or necklaces with a single gem pendant. both hats and bonnets were worn during this era, and the hairstyles moved from the gentle low updos of the 60s to more styled updos associated with the late victorian era.

1800-1809 / 1810-1819 / 1820-1829 / 1830-1839 / 1840-1849 / 1850-1859 / 1860-1869

cc links and creator tags under the cut

see my resources page for genetics

hadassah : birksche's trixi hair / javitrulovesims' midnight gown + gloves

hedwig : teanmoon's cameo choker / acanthus-sims' bow / dzifasims' karenina dress

hildegard : buzzardly28's 1870s hair #2 / acanthus-sims' fichu wrap / dzifasims' christine dress / peebsplays' lace gloves

hjama : linzlu's sallie hair (updated) / linzlu's fancy bonnet / lillysplacce's rose cameo choker / trillyke's silk accessory shirt / sandrinifeierabrand's neo victorian bow dress (tsr download) (i just photoshopped it longer lol)

hlíf : linzlu's rose hair + hat + outerwear (download here)

hnoss : linzlu's rose hair (download here) / acanthus-sims' ribbon choker / acanthus-sims' lace fichu / cringeborg's florence gown / javitrulovesims' midnight gloves

hope : linzlu's rose hair (download here) / simverses' aas victorican jacket conversion / simverses' aas bustle skirt conversion

hrafndís : buzzardly28's 1870s hair #2 / historicalsimslife's victorian women's hat / sylvanes' lost souls bustle gown (tsr download)

hunter : buzzardly28's 1870s hair #1 / chere-indolente's dans la serre plain bonnet / simverses' daphne bustle dress

hyacinthe : buzzardly28's 1870s hair #1 / chere-indolente's dans la serre flowered bonnet + bustle dress + bow

thank you to @birksche @javitrulovesims @teanmoon @acanthus-sims @dzifasims @buzzardly28 @peebsplays @linzlu @lilysplacce @trillyke @sandrinifeierabend @cringeborg @simverses @historicalfictionsims and @chere-indolante

[autisticaradiamegido]

day 223

wizord

[astrometrych]

Astronomy #Space #Espace #Astrometry

[whumptober]

Whumptober 2023

Welcome to Whumptober 2023 — the sixth year running!

COMPLETIONISTS/PARTICIPANT BADGES CAN BE FOUND HERE

To those of you who participated last year, welcome back! To everyone joining this year, welcome!

Please make sure to read the Event Info carefully, as most of your questions will be answered there already. For everything else, you are welcome to come to our ask box or ask questions in our Discord server here.

This year’s AO3 Collection can be found here.

And this years playlist can be found here.

There are 139 prompt options in total this year - this is including the alternatives list! A special thanks goes out to those who took part in our trope vote back in July. From the 1526 responses to our list of 223 tropes, we looked through the popularity results, as well as your honourable mentions, and were able to produce this years prompts list. Stay tuned, as we will be posting some of the results at a later date!

We’re very excited to see the community come together once more and be a wild, chaotic bunch of creators and consumers of whump. Go wild with the prompts, and support your fellow creators - we wish you all the fun!

Best of luck and happy whumping,

Mods Vanne, Yenn, Kitty and Surro

(All 31 Themes + Prompts, Event Information and FAQs are posted below the cut!)

Whumptober 2023 Prompt List

No. 1: “But now this room is spinning while I’m trying just to fill in all the gaps.”

Safety Net | Swooning | “How many fingers am I holding up?”

No. 2: “I’ll call out your name, but you won’t call back.”

Thermometer | Delirium | “They don't care about you.”

No. 3: “Like crying out in empty rooms; with no-one there except the moon.”

Journal | Solitary Confinement | “Make it stop.”

No. 4: “I see the danger, It’s written there in your eyes.”

Cattle Prod | Shock | “You in there?”

No. 5: “You better pray I don't get up this time around.”

Debris | Pinned Down | “It's broken.”

No. 6: “Do or die, you’ll never make me; Because the world will never take my heart.”

Recording | Made to Watch | “It should have been me.”

No. 7: " “I paced around for hours on empty; I jumped at the slightest of sounds.”

Alleyway | Radio Silence | “Can you hear me?”

No. 8: “I’ve got soul, but I’m not a soldier.”

Overcrowded ER | Outnumbered | “It’s all for nothing.”

No. 9: “Learning everything ain't what it seems, that's the thing about these days.”

Polaroid | Mistaken Identity | “You're a liar.”

No. 10: “Can’t you see that you’re lost without me?”

Broken Phone | Stranded | “You said you'd never leave.”

No. 11: “All the lights going dark and my hope’s destroyed.”

Animal trap | Captivity | “No one will find you.”

No. 12: “I haven't slept in days but who's counting?”

Red | Insomnia | “I’m up, I’m up.”

No. 13: “It comes and goes like the strength in your bones.”

Cold Compress | Infection | “I don’t feel so good.”

No. 14: “Feed me poison, fill me ‘till I drown.”

Flare | Water Inhalation | “Just hold on.”

No. 15: “I don't need you to help me I can handle things myself.”

Makeshift Bandages | Suppressed Suffering | “I’m fine.”

No. 16: “Would you lie with me and just forget the world?”

Gurney | Flatline | “Don’t go where I can’t follow.”

No. 17: “You’re the lump in my throat and the knot in my chest.”

Collar | Touch Aversion | “Leave me alone.”

No. 18: “I tend to deflect when I’m feeling threatened.”

Blindfold | Tortured For Information | “Hit them harder.”

No. 19: “I’ll take one final step, all you have to do is make me.”

Floral Bouquet | Psychological | “I’m not as stupid as you think I am.”

No. 20: “People don’t change people, time does.”

Blanket | Found Family | “You will regret touching them.”

No. 21: “See the chains around my feet.”

Vows | Restraints | “Don't move.”

No. 22: “They never saw us coming, ‘til they hit the floor.”

Glass Shard | Vehicular Accident | “Watch out!”

No. 23: “It’s gonna get me by the end of the night.”

Shadows | Stalking | “Who’s there?”

No. 24: “I’ve got a head full of chemicals; mouth full of ridicule.”

Goodbye Note | Neglect | “I thought they were with you.”

No. 25: “You’re not delivering a perfect body to the grave.”

Storm | Buried Alive | “They’re not breathing!”

No. 26: “Sometimes I get so tired; I don’t even know myself.”

Seeing Double | Working To Exhaustion | “You look awful.”

No. 27: “You drew stars around my scars; But now I’m bleeding.”

Matches | Scars | “Let me see”

No. 28: “We might not make it to the morning; so go on and tell me now.”

Bloody Knife | Sacrifice | “You'll have to go through me.”

No. 29: “I only sink deeper the deeper I think.”

Scented Candle | Troubled Past Resurfacing | “What happened to me?”

No. 30: “It’s okay, just to say, ‘I’m not okay’.”

Borrowed Clothing | Bridal Carry | “Not much longer...”

No. 31: “I thought that I was getting better.”

Emptiness | Setbacks | “Take it easy.”

Alternatives List:

Betrayal

Aftermath of Failure

Brass Knuckles

Decoy

Body Modification

Playing Cards

Examination

Hunting

Drugging

Shaking

Panic

Broken

Miscommunication

Lab Rat

Reluctant Whumper

Event Info & Rules

~ Please read our extensive event info posts before sending us an ask ~

WHUMPTOBER is a month-long, prompt-based creation challenge (think: Inktober, but whumpier). There are 31 official themes this year - one for each day of the month - which can be used, skipped, or combined in any way you’d like. The 'theme' of each day is the line of lyrics.

The prompts are merely to serve as inspiration without being taken literally (e.g. you don’t have to include the exact wording of prompts into your work). Feel free to run rampant on interpretation. For example, if the prompt is "flame", you could create something with reference to a candle/campfire, your character could have suffered a burn, or the flame could be related to the 'spark' of a relationship. It's truly up to you!

In total, there are 4 prompts for each day: there's lyrics, an object, a trope and a line of dialogue to choose from.  We want to give everyone as much creative freedom as possible, as well as increase event accessibility for folks with triggers and squicks.

Creators can PRODUCE work in any media they choose, including but not limited to: writing, visual artwork, photo/video/audio edits, paper crafts and elaborate recommendation lists (not just a list of links). Creators can PARTICIPATE as much or as little as they want (i.e. you don’t have to do ALL the prompts if you don’t want to) and prompts can be used in any order. They are also free to use even after the event ends.

When uploading Whumptober content to your blog, be sure to tag the with:

#whumptober2023 …..(the event tag)

#no.1, #no.2, #no.3, …..(day number)

#lyric, #bruises, #stabbing,  …..(the theme or specific prompt you chose)

#fandom or #OC, … (ironman, originalcontent, oc …)

#medium …..(gifs, fic, podcast, art, etc.)

#teeth, #gore tw, #etc …..(trigger warnings & any additional tags. Add "tw" AFTER the trigger/content warning. )

#nsfwhump …..(only for nsfw content)

#your own tags go here

PLEASE BE DILIGENT WITH YOUR TAGGING. Only properly tagged posts are considered for archiving on the official @whumptober-archive blog. They must be tagged in the order above. An elaborate post about our tagging system can be found [here]

Unfortunately, due to the sheer number of participants in recent years, we cannot guarantee your work will be archived. A random selection of properly tagged posts from all genres will be reblogged each day.

Whumpers who produce content for 31 total theme days are considered event completionists and will be tagged in a masterpost at the end of the month. A form will be published at the beginning of November asking you to tell us if you completed the event. You do not need to post anything you have created, we rely on trust and we will not check this.

Questions not addressed in one of our many event info posts can be directed to this blog. We will not answer any questions that have been answered in the FAQs or rules already.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How does this year’s prompt list work? What do I have to choose?

You can create something based on:

The overall theme/lyric of the day

Prompt 1, 2 or 3

One or several of the alternative prompts

A combination of the above

Q. Is [specific anything] allowed?

When in doubt: JUST DO IT!

Q. Do I have to do all 31 days?

Participate as much or little as you like! Just be sure to tag your posts properly (ex. #no.7, #radio silence). If you create works for 31 total theme days you will become a completionist. But apart from that, there are no repercussions if you don’t fill prompts for each day.

Q. Can I post early/late?

Yes, you can post whenever you want. We will only reblog posts during October, but you can use our prompts all year round. The day you post will only affect your probability of being reblogged.

Q. Will you reblog my post?

Due to the sheer number of content posted during Whumptober we can’t promise to reblog every single post. We will make a random selection trying to capture a wide variety of content. The following will increase your chances at being reblogged:

tag your post properly

post within 2-3 days of the theme you want to fill: if you fill the prompt for Day 1 your chances of being reblogged during October 1st to 3rd are highest and will go towards zero afterwards.

Q. What if I don’t understand a prompt/theme?

Send us an ask! We’re happy to help with wild, unhelpful clarifications or brainstorming. That being said, the themes are entirely up for interpretation. Don’t take them too literally. For example: You can be choking on a cherry, someone else can choke you or you could be choked up on emotions, etc.

Q. What kind of content can I make? Can it be NSFW?

This is a MIXED MEDIA event! You can write fic, post meta, doodle or paint, create a gifset or photo edit, link a song, or get crafty with video - anything goes. As for NSFW, make what you like, we just hope that you’ll tag your work accordingly so that others participating in the event can stay safe.

Q. Can I combine Whumptober with other creation challenges?

Absolutely, as long as the other challenges allow it too.

Q. Can I upload/repost my Whumptober content to other social media platforms?

Of course! You can post your own content wherever you like (or you can opt to not publish it at all). Additionally we’ve created an AO3 Collection to archive any fics posted there. It can be accessed here. The tumblr blog @whumptober-archive is the official archive, so please respect the boundaries of any closeted whumpers in your social circle.

Q. Can I use prompts to write a new chapter for an existing fic?

Yes.

Q. An existing fic I am currently writing contains many of the Whumptober prompts, can I use it?

If you are actively writing this fic at the moment with the Whumptober prompts in mind, yes. If you’ve previously posted something that checks the boxes, we ask that you not include it retroactively for this current year. You can, however, add new chapters relating to one or more of the prompts.

Q. What kind of characters can I write for?

Fandom characters, OC characters, human, furry, alien, cyborg, RPF, whoever you like. You can use the generic “whumpee” character or have specific ones.

Q. Does it have to take place in a specific fandom?

No, you can create works for your own worlds or for fandoms or for both. You can also create more generic or pan-fandom works. You can do cross-overs or use OCs, whatever you want.

Q. Can I use a prompt multiple times?

Yes, but it only counts once towards being a completionist.

Q. If I’m not comfortable with one day’s prompts can I use a prompt of a different day as a substitute and still be a completionist?

No, you can’t exchange prompts for different days. However, if all four prompts of a specific day make you uncomfortable, we have created an alternate prompts list that you can draw from. You can exchange any prompt with these, but please make sure not to use them twice.

Q. Where can I post my work?

Post where and how you want. You don’t have to (cross)post it to Tumblr or at all. Just keep in mind if it’s not on Tumblr we will not be able to add it to the blog archive.

Q. Can I start posting early?

You can, but this is an October event and wouldn’t it be more fun with everyone doing it at the same time? That being said, you can post early, but we won’t be reblogging any work predating October 1st.

Q. Do I have to finish a fic I started/can I post WIP’s?

Yes you can post WIPs. And you’re not obligated to finish it in October for it to count towards being a completionist.  

Q. Is co-writing allowed?

Yes, absolutely, and it would count towards being a completionist for both/all of you.

Q. Do I have to create 31 standalone pieces to be considered a completionist or can I write one continuous story?

One continuous story is fine.  The challenge is to write something for 31 prompts. If that’s spread over 31 fics or just one, you are still considered a completionist. (The same goes for every other media you choose.)

Q. Is there a min/max limit on word count?

There is no limit.

Q. Can I combine prompts? Is there a limit on how many?

No limit and combine as many as you’d like.

Q. Is a hc/angst/emotional whump focus ok?

Of course! We are not going to establish a threshold for whumpiness. If you think it’s whumpy enough, then it’s whumpy enough. It can be physical, psychological, emotional, or any combination of the three.

Q. What’s considered nsfw?

See this post

Q. What is whump?

Typically the genre includes situations where a fictional character is hurt, be it emotionally, psychologically, or physically. Fanlore provides information here.

Q. My interpretation of the prompt isn’t whumpy at all, does that count?

If you don’t think your interpretation is whumpy, then it doesn’t count for Whumptober. Remember that whump comes in many forms, though, and that we don’t have a whump-checker or a threshold for how much whump needs to be included. If you think your interpretation contains enough whump to count, then it does.

Q. Can I start working on the prompts before October?

Absolutely! That’s why we post the prompts a month in advance. We recognise how difficult it can be creating for 31 days in “real time” so feel free to start creating early!

Q. How do I tag triggers?

tw at the end of the word, ex. #gore tw

Q. Do I have to use your tags?

Yes, if you want your work archived on the blog. If not, feel free to use whatever tags you want. 

Q. Does combining prompts count towards completion?

Yes

Q. Can we @ you?

Yes but we mostly rely on the #whumptober2023 tag.

Q. Is there anything we are absolutely not allowed to write?

There are no rules, but please make sure to properly tag your trigger warnings. And keep in mind Tumblr’s policies if you are posting it here (or the policies for whatever site you use).

Q. Where can I go for brainstorming help?

Here on Discord or come into our ask box.

Q. My characters are minors, is that ok?

Yes, but as with everything else, use clear and descriptive tags.

Q. Can I cross post on other blogs?

Yes, multiple platforms and blogs are perfectly acceptable. You can also post different works to different accounts under different names, without posting them everywhere at once.

Note: This is a creation challenge, please don’t repost your old work under our tags (unless it’s been changed or edited for the event).

Thanks for reading, and happy whumping!

[kinetic-elaboration]

January 31: Cabinet of Curiosities 1x08

I guess it’s okay that I sat through The Viewing in exchange for watching The Murmuring. That was definitely the best one. I really don’t have any complaints or anything I would have done differently; it’s so far and away the best of the 8 that I’m glad it was put last, or everything else would have been a steep downhill from there.

First off, no tentacles. No tentacles and no monsters and nothing weird or gory just for the sake of the twist. This was a good old-fashioned ghost story, there really wasn’t much unpredictable about it, and by that I mean it delivered on its expectations. It’s not that it was too simple—there are definitely a lot of aspects of it I feel like it will take me a while and maybe another eventual viewing to untangle—but that it knew so confidently what it was and what it was saying. There’s a haunted house, a tragic backstory, characters working through grief, increasingly eerie and uneasy ghost sightings, and eventual catharsis. All of it fits together.

I also really felt for the characters. Despite the tension between them, neither was the bad guy. Edgar wasn’t just there to prop Nancy up, even though it was more her story; he was realistically frustrated but also genuinely and truly in love with her and invested in continuing their marriage. And Nancy was just perfect and I loved her so much.

The pacing was slow but not too slow. Unlike many of the others, especially the ones of similar length, it was over an hour because it needed that time to allow the viewer to fully immerse in the setting, the characters’ grief, the tragedy of the house. It was sedate but in a purposeful way. The slow build of the creepy sounds and sights was also effective, so the climax was earned but not over the top versus all that had come before.

Certainly visually it was stunning. I’m a big fan of the lake and the waves and the trees and the distant island. Also I liked the characters’ outfits and all their knitwear.

The role of the birds is something I’ll have to ponder a little more. The ghost story and its connection to Nancy was pretty obvious: she wasn’t allowing herself to process or even approach her daughter’s death, and this same repression connected her to the house and the ghosts, so that through them, she could work through her loss. She’s paralleled repeatedly with the woman, and her visions early on are sometimes of a baby Ava’s age and sometimes of an older boy, so the two are very tangled together. The ghost are like a manifestation of her own grief, and perhaps other emotions as well—a sense of isolation, which has probably always been there, as she’s so alone in the boys’ club, and is also self-inflicted, as she refuses to share her feeling with Edgar—perhaps of guilt. That’s not to say that either of them was at fault for Ava’s death because there’s no reason to think that, but an irrational sort of guilt regardless.

But then what are the birds? They seem to be tied to the woman who died at the house, attached to it, even though it’s not natural to them, just as her spirit is. Then at the end, both birds and spirit seem to be set free. Perhaps because Nancy was able to set free the boy? Was that enough to allow the mother to move on as well, even though nothing can undo her actions? She seems to be taken away by or maybe turned into birds at the end, and then the birds rush Nancy as well, as if she is also being set free.

I don’t know. It felt right even though I can’t totally parse it out. Made me cry though.

[redgoldsparks]

Transcript below the cut.

instagram / patreon / portfolio / etsy / my book / redbubble

Panel 1: For the second year in a row, Gender Queer was the most challenged book in the US, reported the American Library Association.

Panel 2: It’s been a weird two years. Number of unique titles challenged in the US by year. 2000: 378 titles. 2005: 259 titles. 2010: 262 titles. 2015: 190 titles. 2020: 223 titles. 2021: 1858 titles. 2022: 2571 titles.

Panel 3: It’s been a hard two years. The ACLU is tracking 469 anti-LGBTQ bills in the US.

Panel 4: Usually I prefer to wait until something is over before I write about it, so I have time to reflect. But this experience has not ended.

Panel 5: It has only gotten louder. (A series of screen shoots of news headlines about Gender Queer, book challenges and an obscenity lawsuit against the book being dismissed in the state of Virginia).

Panel 6: I’m constantly wondering, “When should I speak and when should I let the book speak for itself?”

Panel 7: I remember when I realized that the previous most challenged book spent five years in the top five.

2020- Melissa by Alex Gino at #1 2019- Melissa by Alex Gino at #1 2018- Melissa by Alex Gino at #1 2017- Melissa by Alex Gino at #5 2016- Melissa by Alex Gino at #3

Panel 8: Oh, I think I can take my time figuring out how to respond. I think I’m in this for the long haul...

Panel 9: Ways to support libraries and challenged authors: Check out and read challenged books. Vote for and attend library board and school board meetings. Report censorship to the ALA and PEN America. Vote to fund libraries. Speak up against legislation limiting the teaching of queer history, sex ed, abortion and the history of racism in the US.

Panel 10: Most challenged books of 2022:

1. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

2. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M Johnson

3. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

4. Flamer by Mike Curato

5. (tie) Looking For Alaska by John Green

5. (tie) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

7. Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison

8. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

9. Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez

10. (tie) A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

10. (tie) Crank by Ellen Hopkins

10. (tie) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

10. (tie) This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson

[vidavalor]

Aziraphale always opening the bookshop door for Crowley

I am so. very. weak. for how every single time Crowley & Aziraphale go back to the bookshop together, Aziraphale unlocks the door, holds it open for Crowley and lets him go in first.

Is it the being so gentlemanly and respectful towards a being that has been treated terribly and not known a lot of kindness? Yes. Is it mostly just though that I love how Aziraphale made his home this place for Crowley and it's the only place in the universe where Crowley can go and be free of Hell for as long as he needs? Where he can breathe a bit and rest? Yes.

Aziraphale doesn't even need to unlock the door with physical keys the way he does. He's magic. He can snap it open if he wanted to-- Crowley does this when he goes in and out of it, alone, when it's on fire in S1. Aziraphale, though, uses the human keys to the shop so he can unlock the door by hand so he can physically hold it open for Crowley, who likes it so much that he never just snaps the door open when they're together.

Aziraphale *loves* inviting Crowley in. Crowley has been coming to the bookshop for 223 years and practically lives there now and it doesn't matter. Aziraphale invited Crowley in that first time and then just never stopped. He just keeps inviting him in, every time, ever since... like he's silently saying It's alright now. I know you're tired. Come in and I'll take care of you. You're safe now...