#Seasonal Nail Trends

[herespaaa]

Elevate your holiday style with exquisite Christmas nail art inspirations curated by HereSpa's experts. From snowflake elegance to playful Santa-themed designs, embrace the festive season with opulent gold accents and cozy holiday plaids. Let your nails become a canvas for festive expression and style with HereSpa's expert-approved manicure ideas.

[bluespiritshonour]

Mai has trimmed nails in season 3. I repeat Mai has short, trimmed nails in season 3.

No long nails. No nail paint.

😌

[nkscreationz]

Some cute fall nail designs!!

[sizzysizz420]

Some nail ideas I can't let go of 😩

[bizkaffee]

Holiday Nails Art

Holiday Nails: The Ultimate Guide to Nail Art Equipment and Accessories by Barista pro Shop #HolidayNailArt #FestiveNails #NailArtInspiration #ChristmasNailDesigns #WinterNailTrends #NailArtAddict #SparklingNails #CreativeManicures #HolidayNailInspo #GlamorousNails #NailArtGoals #SeasonalNailDesigns Are you ready to rock the holiday season with dazzling nail art? Get your nails in the festive…

[miss555star]

fall is the perfect szn to let go & realize that death brings a new life. a new you. CHOOSE YOU EVERY TIME. you will never go wrong.[nails done by mwah]😽

[axonspro]

The Hottest Nail Polish Colors of 2023: Expert Predictions

The Hottest Nail Polish Colors of 2023 Get ahead of the game with these expert predictions for the hottest nail polish colors of 2023. From solar neons to pea green, these trending shades will elevate your look and keep your nails on-trend Are you ready to revamp your nail game and stay up-to-date with the latest trends in 2023? Look no further! We bring you expert predictions on the hottest nail…

[rarjsmnails]

Pick your fighter on Halloween vibes👻

The coffee series set can make autumn a Little spooky🍂💅

[laaailuh]

-TROPHY WIFE PT.2🏀

╰┈➤PART 1

-pairing: basketball player!e42 miles x fem!black!reader

-genre: fluff

-summary: What it’s like to date Visions Academy’s most prominent basketball player.

a/n: I am obsessed with making these.

MILES MORALES who always needs you by his side to help him choose out of his D1 offers.

“What about this one? Their program seems pretty nice.” “Yeah but baby, it's in Texas.” “So?” “Im not tryin’ to be 1000 miles away from you so another nigga can think he has a chance, fuck no.”

MILES MORALES who continuously reminds the cheerleaders that flirt with him that he's taken whatsoever and not interested.

“That crossover trick you did was so good.” “You should totally teach us some time.” “Nah. My girl can teach you how to get your ass beat though? She crazy.”

MILES MORALES who will give you private basketball lessons. Even though you weren't the best at playing, you still wanted to learn it because it was something that he loved deeply.

MILES MORALES who needs reassurance/ comfort when he gets injured during his basketball season.

“I cant rest Ma, scouts dont look for the player who sits out the most.” “You’re injured though, you need to lay off your ankle.” “Nah I have to-” “Basketball will still be there for you when you heal, so please just rest baby.”

MILES MORALES who tries not to let a fight escalate on the court if another player trash talks or purposely trips him. He wanted to show you that he was bigger than that. 

MILES MORALES who will try and convince you to get him the new 2k game that comes out every year.

“Please mami, they added more moves and everything.” “Miles, you play the actual game in real life, you don't need it.” “But I wanna create a sexy ass basketball player.”

MILES MORALES who will leave his jerseys at your house intentionally because he knows you like to wear it to bed or to his games.

MILES MORALES who lifts his shirt up to dry his face when he's sweating. This makes you go absolutely feral and he knows it too.

MILES MORALES who will take you out to eat after school before one of his games, he wants you to have enough energy to cheer for him.

MILES MORALES who loves when you get your nails done with his jersey number on it.

“You like my new set?” “Mhmmm….I love them baby.” “Now we have to do that tik tok trend where I show my nails on your pants.” “You stay wanting to do that huh?”

[oftlunarialmoon]

75 Agere Journal Prompts

Draw yourself a kawaii bento lunch!

Write down any chores for the day as a to-do list or sticker check off list

Design a smol outfit

Make a playlist for your littlespace

Draw portraits of your stuffies

Write your headcanons for your comfort characters as caregivers

Write down some animal facts from different parts of the world that interest you!

List items that are your favorite color

Make a magazine collage with a specific theme

List ideas you want to do in certain seasons

List your favorite agere nicknames

Write down any agere headcanons you have for fictional characters or OCs

List stuffie name ideas

List all your current stuffie names

List your favorite phone apps for littlespace

Make a tier list of your opinions on different types of candy

Draw what your favorite characters would look like as stuffies

Invent a new kidcore fashion trend

List 5 facts about your favorite sea animal

Design your Jolly Roger if you were a pirate

Draw yourself as a Pokemon Trainer

List how you deal with stress in agere methods

Write out any recipes you can make while regressed

List crafts you’d like to make

Make a page about your morning routine when regressed

Make a page about your night time routine when regressed

Write out any rules or guidelines you have when regressed

What’s on your Agere/Littlespace Movies list?

Write about what you would do on a visit to the beach

List any animes you like when small

List your favorite agere books

Dear Past Me - What would you tell your past self?

Dear Future Me - What would you tell your future self?

List songs that make you regress

List your regression triggers (positive or negative)

Write about how you would comfort a friend in need

Write about your dream vacation

Make your christmas/birthday/holiday gift wishlist

List your fave agere video games

List your favorite stims

Write a letter to your favorite fictional character

Write a letter to a friend or family member

Play I spy and write down the categories and things you find

Make a page of your top 5 agere songs from the last month

List free activities you can do when regressed

Make a collage page from a coloring sheet and stickers

Play scavenger hunt with stickers of your preferred theme

Use a page to write down word games like word scrambles and mad libs

Fill a page with positive messages for yourself to read later

Write down tarot interpretations if you do tarot reading while smol

List ideas for kandi bracelets you could make

Declare a random day a holiday of some kind, write down how you celebrate it

Use a page to “braindump” all of your current thoughts, even if it’s babbling

Make a sticker collage inspired by your caregiver

Make a sticker collage inspired by the seasons

Trace your hand onto the page and give yourself fun nail art, tattoos, or accessories

Draw a race track for a toy car, add obstacles or scenery with stickers

Write a social media profile page for a comfort character

Make a “top secret” file with your stuffie’s secrets >:)

Make a collage inspired by yourself

Dedicate a page to facts about one of your special interests

Write a poem for your pet (or fave stuffie!)

Draw a scene around a sticker of your favorite animal

Draw the inside of a house and use stickers to furnish and decorate it

Draw a scene to play with your toys in

Try a mindful reset page (List problems you’re facing, then list more positive mindset changes to each one)

Document the stories you play out with dolls or toys

Write down “this or that” prompts in one color then answer them in another color !

Use stickers to tell a story or make a fun comic

Fill a page with word art, using any words that make you feel smol

Make a list of all of your OCs

Use a page to document Minecraft coordinates of your favorite builds

Draw the outline of a purse or bag, and use stickers to show what a character of your choice would have in their bag, or-

Use stickers to show what you would put in your dream agere bag!

Draw a face on a page in marker or pen, and use makeup to decorate it! (or face paint :p)

[charles-eclair16]

~The 5 times Charles talked about you publicly~

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x actress!reader.

Warning- it's my first time ever writing so please be kind. English is not my first language so please ignore it if there are any mistakes.

1. The first time Charles was caught talking about you was pure accident and it wasn't even him who brought you up. It was an overly competitive Carlos who couldn't keep his mouth shut. It was during a C² challenge of who knows your teammate better and it was all going pretty much in Charles favour because the questions were too easy according to him. So when the score was 6 to 4 he was feeling pretty confident about winning but what he didn't expect was the next question to throw him off.

"Who's your current crush?" Was honestly not a difficult question to answer and Charles knew he would nail it. He totally knew who Carlos was crushing on.

"It's Y/N! He watches her interviews and giggles because she's so beautif-oww mate stop hitting me!“ Charles knew he had to make his teammate stop talking before he spilled anything more.

"Is it true?" Now this was a question Charles didn't know how to answer, should he own up that he was hopelessly crushing on her and that it was true that he watched all her interviews. But then again who could blame him she was so beautiful and he honestly loved the way she spoke, something about the way she spoke made Charles want to listen to her for hours.

"Yeah it's true. I really like her as an actress and she's very pretty but I don't giggle watching her!" He thought that was a decent answer.

"He does! He does it! He even watches fan edits of h-" Carlos was cut off by a wildly flinging hand of Charles.

" I do not!" was what Charles could come up with as he tried to stop Carlos. The next day he woke up with thousands of mentions of fans telling him that they understood...he didn't knew if he should feel embarrassed or laugh at some of the memes. He even liked a few of them.

2. The second time Charles mentioned you it was after you had soft launched each other for two months without the fans knowledge. It was nice to share secret moments with each other and bask in the privacy of home dates. It had been 7 months of dating and Charles was on the moon. His car was great, he was leading the championship with 10 points and he had a wonderful women supporting him. The only thing which bothered him was him not being able to shout his love and show you off to the world. So a mutual decision was taken between you two to not hide anymore but what you didn't expected was Charles to come running towards you as he got out of the car after coming p2 in the Silverstone Grand prix. You weren't even able to utter a word before he was kissing you. It wasn't a peck it was Charles expressing his love and gratitude for your unwavering support.

" How does winning feels now? Much sweeter than before?" Was the teasing question he got as he went to the post race interviews. He wasn't surprised. He knew he was going to get questions after a public kiss.

"Yeah, it feels great winning here with Carlos coming p1. It's a great weekend for our team" he laughed as he answered the question.

" So I'm sure you have plans to celebrate tonight. Any special plans?" He knew what the interviewer wanted to hear so he gave it to him with a smile so big he knew his dimples were all out.

" Yeah there's a plan to celebrate tonight definitely, the teams been throwing different ideas but honestly I would just prefer to spend my time with my girlfriend and have a quiet night. She came directly from her shooting so I'm sure she would want to stay in. And we can party with the team next time!"

It was safe to say that they both were trending worldwide.

3. At first Charles didn't know why he was trending and before he could check it he was asked to hurry up and get in the car. It was the worst race of the season for him. He was leading the race with pole position in France but he lost traction in his rear tyres and crashed into turn 11 which caused him the race. He was frustrated and tired. He just wanted to go back and not think about the horrible way he got out of the race. He wanted to cuddle you and forget about the day so when he was told to to attend a group media pen he was annoyed. When the question came he was speechless at first his brain shutting down from the ridiculous question.

" It's a very bad time for you Charles with the dnf and your recent breakup so how do you seperate these things from your work? Did your breakup caused you maybe to lose?" He wasn't aware of his break up.

"My what?!" Charles was shocked he didn't knew he was broken up because he was not planning to break up anywhere in the future.

"You didn't tell me you broke up?!" Perrie was genuinely confused now. If it was true wouldn't Kika tell him that? He knew the girls were close and he was sure that Charles would tell him that, wouldn't he?

"What did you do?" It was Lewis who glared at Charles and he finally got his wits to answer.

"No! We are very much together and happy! Who told you that we broke up?! Is that why I was trending Today?"

"Yes there was news that you broke up with your girlfriend and that you were heartbroken." The interviewer nervously let out a chuckle which caused the drivers to laugh

"Oh my god! No! We are together and I plan to be together for a long time so there's no need to worry about that ...I don't think I would survive without her pasta to be honest and her too." He reassured.

When he finally got the chance to check his notifications later in the night he could only laugh as he looked at the memes and the threats he got for fumbling a baddie like Y/N. He showed her some too as she layed on his chest on their bed.

4. The fourth time Charles gets asked is the first time he felt nervous talking about you ever in the entire 5 year relationship. It was because he knew he was absolute shit at lying. So when all the fellow drivers continue to tease Daniel for throwing the wedding party of the year. He remains quite and laughs at appropriate times.

" Charles you're quite there! So now that your friends are settling down with Daniel and Max getting married is it safe to assume that you're next?" Oh shit! He was sweating. He didn't know how to answer that without revealing that he had already picked a ring and was going to propose very soon. He had even taken her father's approval last month on their family trip together.

"Yes mate when are you getting married?"

"He's definitely getting married next!"

"With how whipped he is for her how do have any doubts about that!“ Charles tried to tune out the teasing remarks of his friends to formulate words to answer.

" Uh yeah, I would very much like to but we are focusing on the present at the moment but there's no doubt that I plan to marry her because honestly I can't imagine anyone else by my side when I think of my future. I want to start a family with her and get old with her. She completes me in the true sense and is my piller of strength. I don't think I have ever felt this much love for anyon-"

"And this is why we don't question Charles because then he doesn't stop!" Charles laughed at that as if Max was any better when talking about his wife.

"So yeah marriage is definitely on the cards on the future " he concluded.

And after 2 months he knew why he was trending and he couldn't be more happier. He now laughed at the mentions and yes he knew how to fight for his fiance.

5. The fifth time Charles was asked about you he was smiling ear to ear and anyone who looked at him can see that he was glowing.Others would say it was because he was starting the new season as a world champion but he knew it was because of Y/N and what she had told him the night before and later to their closed ones. So he felt quite happy answering questions.

"How are you feeling for the new season? Excited? Nervous?" the interviewer couldn't stop himself from smiling too. Charles happiness was contagious.

"It feels good to be back to the racing. The car feels good and after last year we are quite excited for this season too. We are looking forward to the races and with new tracks added to the calendar the excitement levels have increased. Yeah there's nervousness too-ah only little bit but that's totally normal...But I am quite confident! Also now I have to be a little careful because now that we are going to have new addition to the family I can't risk it! I have to-"

"New addition?" He stopped talking eyes widened and looked at the camera.

"What?" He was fucked, so fucked. She was going to kill him. He knew.

"You told new addition? Is it true? Are you going to be a father? Congratulations!" He could only nod and accept the hug he was receiving. They were supposed to announce it with a cute insta post and he had ruined it. He was the one to suggest it, he had even thought about the caption.

"Tell us more! Is she going to come to the races now? I'm sure everyone would like that?!" The interview continued

"Oh yes! Yes she wants to come to the races but I think we'll keep it a little private and only between family to enjoy this moment together. It's a new beginning with my person so I want to be there for her at every step. Its- it's definitely a blessing for us and I'm so grateful for her."

The next thing he knew he was trending along with y/n as parents and he couldn't ask for anything more.

[herespaaa]

Tis' the Season for Stunning Nails: 6 Christmas Nail Art Ideas to Try | HereSpa

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Santa's Little Helpers:

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Glamorous Gold and Red Accents:

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Illuminate your nails with the colorful brilliance of Christmas lights for a vibrant and cheerful look.

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[leviathans-watching]

om m.list ━ brothers (part 1)

[back] | [part 2]

➳ edit 7/11/23: i hit 100 links on here, so everything posted on/after this date will be found in part 2!!

cupping their cheeks

awkward/embarrassing situations they've been in

sleeping/waking up with them (includes dateables)

dancing with them (includes dateables)

how they confess to you

"you were mean to me in my dream" (includes diavolo)

choosing the 'parent' tiktok trend (includes diavolo & barbatos)

chill mc (includes barbatos & simeon)

mc's afraid of bugs

mc doesn't celebrate their birthday (includes dateables)

rejecting them

rejecting them alt version

calling them by a pet name

when they hurt your feelings

coming out as nonbinary

mc w/ braces

seeing you in cute pjs

mc's afraid of needles

reactions to teaching diavolo wap

when you have a nightmare

wanting to cuddle you

teen delinquent!mc

holding their hands

reactions to you crying

comforting you when your dreams are insulted

hardworking mc

sharing their birthdate

sharing their birthdate alt version

calling them your whole world

using their shampoo (includes diavolo & simeon)

how they act on vacation

'losing interest' tiktok prank

defending you from a creep

coming out as ace (includes solomon)

when they're jealous

when they see snow

catching you sleeping

when you have art/writers block

"would you still love me if i were a worm"

waking them up to ask if they're asleep

at your wedding

burned-out mc

'the ick' prank

slow dancing with them

comforting a heartbroken mc

their morning routines

going on a boba date with them

seeing mc all bundled up for the cold

using kisses as leverage

picking them up from the airport

them as seasons

how they give you the ick

touching their horns/tails/etc.

slow learner mc

mc w/ glasses

before you

falling asleep in front of them

valentine’s day with the obey me boys

explaining the dentists to them | part 2

mc on their period

mc isn’t playing therapist

"i didn't want to be here"

you're dating someone?!?!?

mc’s brothers

carving pumpkins with them

nowhere to go for the holidays

mc with type 1 diabetes

when they (try to) surprise you

when they turn into toddlers

having a hard time in the human realm

comforting you after a loss

chaotic/feral mc texts (includes dateables)

photo not loading

adult twins are cringe

pride month?

deleting everyone cute

mc craving sweets during that time of the month

obey me boys as funny tweets | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | pt 5 | (includes dateables)

the brothers at university

pet names they call you (includes dateables)

om characters as wikihow memes (includes dateables)

obey me bros + pinterest nails

“he wants to order”

things not to say when someone comes out (includes dateables)

D&D(evildom) Beyond! - 6.5k, oc!mc

“Leviathan, Abel, what were you doing?” Lucifer prompts, and the two share a look.

“We were playing Dungeons and Dragons,” Leviathan begins slowly, “which, now that I’m looking–”

“–Our opening scene was awfully similar to this,” Abel finishes.

“Wait, are you saying you think we’re in your campaign?” Satan asks, eyes wide, and Leviathan nods.

“I mean, it makes total sense,” he says with budding excitement. “Like, I’m obviously supposed to be a ranger, Abel’s definitely an artificer, and Lucifer’s a total paladin. This is so cool, it’s like my dreams are being brought to life right before my eyes!”

my new neighbors are demons *not clickbait* - 1.3k

I love your writing ❤️❤️❤️

Can I request a shot with MC’s neighbor sort of just moving in and seeing the shenanigans of MC’s life that is the three realms.

Chaotic lessons from Solomon.

Accidentally catching MC using magic through a window they forgot to close.

Talking to Dia and Barbatos and Dia missing all social cues and taking everything literally.

Either be MC x Mammon or platonic with all

But also the brothers as they waltz into MC’s home whenever they are or are not in their home.

I can also see luke and mc bringing this guy extra sweets they baked

I’m sorry, I know this is a lot. I just thought your writing would match this perfectly.

come hell or high water - WIP; fem!reader

“Let’s get one thing straight,” he barks. “I don’t like you, nor do I respect you. This whole program is utterly ridiculous and I fear Prince Diavolo is a fool for suggesting such a thing. You’re just a lowly human, got that? You’ll always be nothing, especially to me, The Great Mammon.”

If he was looking for tears or offense, you were afraid that is not what he’d receive. You’d been playing the court since you were young, so these insults were nothing new to you. Actually, it was almost a relief for him to underestimate you because of your status as a human, and not a woman. Men were so dreadfully pigheaded sometimes, and you were sick and tired of having to play the good girl card, only smiling demurely instead of sharing your mind as you wished.

“Not going to say anything?” Lord Mammon snorts, and you cock your head at him.

“My apologies, Lord Mammon,” you say, “for I had not realized you were done speaking. I’m afraid I wasn’t listening all that closely.” Lord Mammon gapes at you, but you’re not finished. “Furthermore, I don’t know what the women down here are like, but I assure you, a few brash curse words and scowls thrown my way is not enough to scare me.”

(A Regency AU. Sort of)

mc on her period - 1.5k; fem!reader

“MC?” he asks, stepping closer to you. You manage a weak smile though you think it may have come across as a painful grimace. “Are you sick? Why are you huddled on the couch with like-” he pauses, eyes flicking over you, “-five blankets?”

You’re still not super used to any of them, what with you only having been in the Devildom for a few weeks, but you figure there’s no need to mince words. Demons could handle a bit of vaginal bleeding, couldn’t they?

“I’m on my period,” you say, and he winces. Maybe they couldn’t.

Sticks & Stones - 13k

“MC seemed off today, right?” Satan asked, looking at his brothers.

“For sure.” Belphie agreed, and it was quiet for a moment.

“I was going to ask why they were wearing your jacket, Mammon, but now I’m more worried about this,” Leviathan remarked, and Mammon smirked a little, but it was overshadowed by concern for his human.

“To be honest,” Asmo dabbed at his mouth daintily with a napkin. “I’ve been noticing it for a little while now, not just today.”

“As have I.” Lucifer seemed more serious than usual. “It is our duty as MC’s hosts to make sure that their time in the Devildom is satisfactory, and if they’re feeling down, it would be a good idea to know why.”

“Because we’re their hosts,” Mammon mocked. “Lucifer, we’re all worried about them, so ya can admit it too.”

* * *

You had been feeling a little low in terms of yourself, and the brothers decide to remind you if your self worth.

Are We Really Sure Crazy Equals Genius? - 2.5k; fem!reader

anon ask: can i request a obey me fic where female mc is super badass but also kinda crazy? like she has a gun or something idrk? thanks xx

[hollowdeath]

ravenclaw fashion

starting a new collection of posts going in-depth on my personal interpretations of the different houses & what they (mostly femme) would wear outside of hogwarts! as always these photos are not mine!

blue

ok, i know this is a bit overdone, but stick with me here...the ravenclaw girlies own every shade of blue. navy, cerulean, cornflower, all of it! and they incorporate it into everything in the most subtle, adorable ways possible. oh, i love that, but does it come in blue? they just pull it off better than everybody else somehow. it's like it was meant to be...

skirts

doesn't matter what season it is or how much snow is on the ground, these ravenclaws will always bust out a skirt and make it work. i especially see them pairing it with tall boots/socks, cardigans, and, of course, pantyhose. they can rock any length, too. mini, knee-length, ankle-length, they really cannot go wrong with a good skirt. they just suit them so well.

eccentric

again, stick with me here. everyone already knows ravenclaws are smart & wise, but they seem to forget that ravenclaw is also the house credited with creativity. because of that, i definitely see ravenclaws on the forefront of every fashion trend, including eccentric and eclectic fashion. they get ahead of the curve and aren't afraid to try new things. sticking with the skirt theme, i see lots of layering, mixing textures/patterns, and unique pieces. they might get looks for it, but their strong sense of intuition lets them feel confident in their eccentric style.

accessories

again, this house is where creativity thrives! so i just know these students love to accessorize the fuck out of an outfit. it's what completes the look! even in their school robes, they're covered in rings, necklaces, watches/bracelets, and, most importantly, ribbons. like i said, these ravenclaws are constantly ahead of the trends! they were wearing ribbons in their hair, like, 2 seasons ago. always looking for different ways to accessorize themselves to truly express their inner artist, like nail art and fun hairstyles.

hufflepuff | masterlist

[storm-driver]

hi, i have feelings about cartoon nostalgia and the audience perception of them 20 years on

this is gonna read hyper-specific, but bear with me

i refuse to credit butch hartman for the way danny phantom came out during it's first two seasons, at least outside of the initial pitch and the idea of the protagonist having white hair. i know the majority of enthusiasts for this show are more than aware of hartman's antics at this point. these anctics, i won't get into. other people are far more suited to explain that stuff vs me, a random guy on the internet. but there's very specific topics that i don't often see get brought up in detail, like the production and staff behind this show.

i'll get into it below the cut so as not to clutter your dashboard. but if you're not familiar with the actual production history of danny phantom, this might be interesting to read.

it's common knowledge these days that stephen silver is the one who developed the design for danny based on hartman's original rough sketches. the similarity between each drawing is apparent, but you can see clear as day which design was gonna be more apt for animation and overall audience allure back in 2003.

he also did character designs for hartman's other poster child, Fairly Oddparents. the trend is similar, though far from a huge concern. character design overhauls happen all the time in media production. designs might be too complicated for animation, so they get stripped down. or maybe things aren't complex enough and more nuance needs to be added. that's normal stuff, and i am not dunking on hartman for not nailing danny's design right out the gate. i'm pointing this out in case you've ever looked at butch hartman's recent work and wondered "how are these done by the same artist?"

the answer is they weren't. hartman had to adapt to stephen silver's conceptual designs in order to work on the storyboards. take from that what you will.

onto the actual writing.

butch barely wrote a single episode for this show's first two seasons.

steve marmel helped write at least 28 episodes of the original two seasons, with writers like sib ventress and marty isenberg bringing a good amount of episodes to the table, as well.

butch hartman is credited primarily for directing and storyboarding this show. the episode pitch and writing was by other people almost entirely. the ONLY episodes in the first two seasons that hartman is credited with having written are mystery meat, one of a kind and splitting images. and he's credited with co-writing these episodes alongside steve marmel and mark banker. ie, he did not write these episodes on his own. and allegedly, butch hartman had a tendency to be credited as a writer for an episode, even if he only wrote a few lines of dialogue. again, take from that what you will.

past that in season 3, he wrote infinite realms, torrent of terror, forever phantom, urban jungle, and ofc, phantom planet. which a lot of people know, these episodes in particular weren't the most enjoyable, nor was the overall direction of them very good.

a director's job is to make sure that the overall tone, feel, and message of the show is being kept consistent with intent. that means meeting with producers, who are the ones managing the, y'know, producing part of the whole project. it may sound like the director is the one heading the project if it's their job to keep things in check. which, i will not deny, hartman must've put in a good deal of work to make the show come out as well as it did.

but pile that with some of the off things per episode. the mean-spirited way that characters tend to be taught lessons, the voice direction getting a drastic change in season 3 (you can hear it explicitly with david kaufman suddenly going for higher pitches instead of the usual one he's done so far). there's really only one consistent motif in the entire show's OST. which isn't a bash against the music producer. it's a concern that the director of the show never asked him to change things up, and ONLY stuck to this one motif.

to briefly touch on the mean-spirited thing. there's multiple instances in the show where danny or someone else is seen fighting back against whatever has given them trouble, or they're taking matters into their own hands to ensure they won't be hurt ahead of time. and repeatedly, the show likes to kick these characters back down for trying to stand up. it's a trend in all of butch hartman's shows, and it's treated more like comedy than anything else. it's up to audience perception on how to view it. but for me personally, it starts to feel like an overused gag and turns into something more malevolent after seeing it overused almost every single episode.

okay besides that, i actually wanna look at specific examples of episodes that steve marmel wrote for. again, this is the guy who's more or less responsible for the show's serialization.

the complete list of episodes is as follows:

Mystery Meat, Parental Bonding, One of a Kind, Attack of the Killer Garage Sale, Splitting Images, What You Want, Bitter Reunions, Prisoners of Love, My Brother's Keeper, Shades of Gray, Fanning the Flames, Teacher of the Year, Fright Night, 13(Thirteen), Public Enemies, Memory Blank, Reign Storm, The Ultimate Enemy, The Fright Before Christmas, Secret Weapons, Flirting with Disaster, Micro Management , Kindred Spirits, and Reality Trip.

multiple episodes listed here are from the first season, which a lot of people consider the show's best. and of the handful listed for season 2, he wrote all of the hour-long specials.

i would be here for hours talking about how steve marmel tackles all of these characters and concepts significantly better than hartman does in season 3. but that's a topic best praised elsewhere. point is, if you watched any of these episodes and thought to yourself "wow, that was actually kinda clever," steve marmel is more or less the guy responsible.

butch hartman was in charge of direction, but that does not give him exclusive credit for every single line of dialogue or plot beat. there could be a LOT we just don't know because people on production staff don't want to comment. but the writing consistency taking a dive off the board by season 3, which is the same season that steve marmel departed from the project due to conflicting direction in the story? you might deduce that butch hartman was not the prized writer and artist behind this otherwise beloved cartoon.

to dredge up an easier-to-tackle target, season 3.

my criticisms are 18-year old echoes at this point, you've heard them all. from otherwise pointless episodes that don't develop the characters or world, to completely out-of-touch writing (looking at you, phantom planet) that juxtaposes the characters with everything we've been told about them so far. it became a slog of a season that didn't have any build-up to it's finale. the occasional gem of an episode like frightmare helped in some aspects. or the promise for something later with d-stabilized. but it all gets swept under the rug thanks to a rushed finale with poor build-up, bad writing direction for the characters, and most importantly, an unlasting effect on the viewer. (or a negative lasting effect, which is arguably worse)

for a season that knew it was on its last leg before inevitably needing to give up, there's seldom few episodes dedicated to advancing an overall narrative, and thus give a slimmer of hope for a satisfying conclusion. instead, the show goes all in with villain-of-the-week stories, and even the returning villains are hardly taken seriously or given more to do besides just being there.

of course, we know the reason steve marmel had left the project was because hartman wanted the show not to taken a more story-focused drive. it almost starts to feel like spite that kept the show so horribly grounded, letting it become stagnant before eventually being forgettable.

all this is in service of letting people know, it really wasn't butch hartman that made the show, not alone. death of the author and all that nonsense aside, he pitched the concept. and it takes a lot of love and dedication to make a concept something you can physically see and adore. don't let him swath in all the credit. recognize the others who made the work you can still enjoy.

[tipsytogglebutton]

Okay as someone who is in school for audio engineering and specializing in audio fiction let me break down why I think @desertskiespodcast is incredible sonically, and rant about one of my favorite topics in audio fiction: setting.

The key to audio drama, in all of my experience, is the setting. Can you ground the story in a place, can you evoke it with sound clearly? I think this is especially important as you get to be smaller and smaller budget productions. It’s why the Magnus archives works from the first episode. We’re grounded immediately in a sense of The Archives and that sense of the story belonging to that place never leaves, even if the script takes us elsewhere.

Wolf 359 nails this too because the story revolves around the Hephaestus. Whether it’s trying to leave, trying to fix it, etc. there are times where characters leave the station, but the story very much happens in context of the station.

I think a drama can succeed without a specific, fairly small and defined space to orbit. Tumanbay comes to mind. But if you think about it, Tumanbay manages to capture this technique with an entire city. The story jumps from character to character and setting to setting so much it becomes a story of the city more than anything else. (Someone please talk to me about tumanbay’s soundscaping some time because I legit almost teared up over a masterful use of panning once)

We don’t criticize any dramas on my page because all are lovely gifts of time and effort usually given to us for free. But I shall observe trends without naming names. Anything with time jumps in it is SO rough on the listener in audio. Especially if it’s time and place. Anything spanning countries or large regions just has a hard time keeping continuity. Anything that’s set in a place where there are very few or no sound cues to clue us in on setting, are all really rough on a listener.

I will pick on Wolverine a little here since Marvel is A Big Company and say that I think the reason it’s a rough transition from season 1 -> 2 is because it’s a complete context shift.

If you think about it, this translates to a lot of the really popular dramas. The Bright Sessions, Welcome to Nightvale, and Wooden Overcoats all function in sonic spaces that are defined and characterized in really lovely ways (the lofi radio eq on WTN, the echoy effect of the mortuary in WO, and obviously the whole therapist/recording gimmick of TBS)

Anyways basically this happens in all storytelling (esp serialized storytelling) but in tv the characters define the setting and in audio the setting is a character. Arguably the main character.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk please listen to Desert Skies and all of the dramas I talked about here they’re all awesome even the ones I picked on