#another bertie song

[my-mistake-lets-do-this-again]

source (x)

This whole Comic Relief video is amazing but the Jeeves and Wooster section is the best by far. Hugh Laurie’s singing + Stephen Fry’s everything killed it. With the bonus content from the whole video just being so funny.

Watch it and join me in knowing about this absolute gem.

[ceaseless-rambler]

Tim forgot what Bertie looked like, after some time. He barely even got to see him on the moon as it was, with the rarity of light, and it didn't take him long to be scrambling for memories of Bertie's face only to come up with nothing. He resents his eyes. They can't show him the one thing he truly wants to see. He resents the night vision that came with them. Maybe if he'd had it earlier he could have spent more time looking at Bertie, maybe he wouldn't have forgotten, but it's too late. He only has them because Bertie died. Was that death worth fancy new eyes with fancy new features and the eternity now stretching ahead of him? Eyes that won't even let him see his lover, no, partner, no, best friend, no one knows the nature of their relationship and he won't tell them, won't let them turn that into another story, that love that transcends friendship and transcends romance is only for them to know. Only for him to know, now. And he can't even remember the face of the man he shared it with.

And now, years centuries millennia eons later, more time than most civilizations have words to describe, he doesn't think about. He sings the song with Jonny and it doesn't bother him. He won't let it, he can't let it, and he's fine. But when they're chosing roles for their new, as-of-yet nameless space train album, and he sees Loki backing away from her wife, her love, he wonders if he'd recognize Bertie. If something deep within him would just know. And for the first time in longer than he cares to measure, he tries to remember Bertie. There's nothing. He knows that he cared, that Bertie had to have meant enough to him for his death to break him like that, but he doesn't remember what he felt. He doesn't remember anything but his song. So he takes the part of Loki. No one takes any note, of course they don't. And if he understands her more than he'd like? No one else needs to know.

[biffybobs]

Which is how Sunday ended up spending her Friday evening holding a seance in the old playroom with her girlfriend Song, Aunt Boney, and Great-Great-Grandpa Reggie.

"I'm getting.... the letter... B?"

"I swear to plumbobs, if another version of me pops out of this table I'm going to--"

"B for Bakewell? Could it be our founder Bertie??"

"No hang on it's--"

[ohtobealady]

Love your writing so much, may I be a bit cheeky and ask for another one? Would you do 'future'? <3

Oooo be as cheeky as you like, friend! This word was hard for me! I don’t know why. You deserve a better one. But I’m glad for the exercise!

—————,’—————

Future

They both laughed at the way Tiaa rounded the tree, snapping at the ball, pieces of grass flying from her abrupt change in direction.

The children called out the dog’s name and ran after her, the heavy cricket ball firmly lodged in her teeth. She looked as if she was smiling as she bolted out of Tom’s reach.

She heard as Edith laughed harder still when Bertie turned to them, his shirtsleeves rolled, his thin hair flopping over his forehead, and shrugged in defeat. George, Mary saw, similarly forfeited. She watched her son’s blond head drop back, his square chin lifting to the sky, before he loosely slung his cricket bat to the ground.

“Chasing her won’t do any good,” she called to them all. “If you ignore her, she’ll come to you.”

But Mary’s advice was largely ignored, and she and Edith looked on as Tom, Bertie, and the children tried to woo the dog, sweetly sing-songing her name and promising her all manner of treats.

Mary sighed and sank further into her chair. Beside her Edith laughed into her glass of lemonade, and Mary could see that she tracked Bertie’s movements before she quickly looked to her, catching her eye. Edith’s brows furrowed, and Mary knew Edith sensed the quiet disappointment that Mary was trying her best to hide away.

After all, Edith knew her. She always seemed to know her better than anyone else, for better or worse.

“What is it?” Edith asked, smiling, and Mary shook her head.

She looked away and across the lawn. “It’s nothing.”

“Are you sure?” Edith pressed. “You’ve been very quiet since this morning.”

“Well, it really should be nothing. I wanted it after all.”

At this Edith angled towards her, the wicker chair creaking slightly amongst the laughter on the grass before them.

“Henry?”

Mary nodded, but she didn’t look at her sister. She couldn’t. She kept her eyes trained on her mother’s parasol bobbing along in the distance. “It’s difficult. I’ve asked him to claim adultery so that it can go ahead easily.”

“And will he?”

Mary still watched, far beyond them on the gravel, as her papa lifted his head and laughed at something Mama must’ve said. His hair looked so much grayer in the sun. She drew in a breath. “Yes. After all, how could it not be true? We’ve hardly seen one another in months.”

“That may not mean anything—-“

But Mary shook her head, and she looked at her sister. “I think it does. Even if it doesn’t mean adultery.” She lowered her eyes and smoothed a wrinkle from her skirt. “Anyway, I’ve got the documents now. They came in the morning post. It’s only a matter of telling Papa before we proceed.”

“Oh, Mary.” Edith turned away from her, and Mary assumed she searched out their father as well, closer to them, Mama’s fingers clutching at the bend of his elbow. “I wish there was a better way. Seems unfair to have to place fault on someone in a divorce. Everyone’s unhappy enough as it is.”

Mary tipped her head. She agreed.

“How do you suppose Papa will react?”

“I don’t know. He said he worries for me. He doesn’t want me to be alone,” Mary answered. She looked and saw her parents were nearer, but had paused. Mama’s parasol blocked her view of their faces, but she saw the way they stood still together, at a distance from their family. She saw the way their feet moved to face each other, and Mary looked away. “He just can’t understand that I already am.”

In her periphery, Mary noticed that Edith had looked to their parents now as well. And eventually, when the silence had gone on for a few moments more, she turned to Edith who still watched across the lawn as Mama and Papa began to move again towards them. They were smiling. “No. No one with that kind of luck could understand.”

Mary sighed. “Not just luck, Edith.” They both watched their parents now, and Mary felt her lips soften into a smile. “They decided to want each other. And in the end, I deserve to be wanted, too.”

[frogayyyy]

Jeeves & Wooster + Mirrors analysis

S1E01: Jeeves Takes Charge

under the cut because it got ridiculously long for just the first episode lol

We first meet Bertie as a dishevelled, hungover young gentleman currently being charged with petty theft. He stumbles home to a disordered house, with clothes all over the floor and cupboard doors wide open, then he immediately passes out on his bed. To put it lightly - he’s a mess.

Enter Jeeves.

Jeeves sweeps in and fixes the place up with what feels like a magic wave of his hand. He mixes a little restorative drink without so much as a word from Bertie (not for lack of trying). The drink doesn’t magically fix Bertie’s rumpled appearance like the flat, but the effect on his mind and spirit is clear.

Bertie stands in front of the large mirror in his living room, apparently inspecting himself and the effects of Jeeves’ drink.

Despite his still ruffled hair and crooked tie, Bertie is viewing a reflection of a restored, fresh, well put together gentleman. He’s seeing an echo of a future self, one that accepts Jeeves into his life.

He turns away from the mirror and immediately hires Jeeves.

This could indicate that Bertie sees what he wants to see in mirrors, the version of himself that he likes most. Or perhaps, rather than reflecting his outward appearance - the mask he displays to the world - the mirror reflects his inner mood and emotions.

After their first back and forth about Bertie’s outfit, in which Bertie asserts that he will wear the clothes he already has on, it cuts to Bertie on the station platform and we see through the steam that he is wearing the tweed suit Jeeves had suggested.

He inspects himself in the train window, seemingly coming to the conclusion that Jeeves was right and the tweed suit was indeed the better choice. This troubles him, not wanting Jeeves to get the wrong impression that just because he conceded on this occasion that he would continue to do so, and reasserts himself to Jeeves.

W: Jeeves, I have to make one thing crystal clear.

J: Yes, sir?

W: I am not one of those who become absolute slaves to their valets.

J: No, sir.

W: Very well. We understand each other.

J: Perfectly, sir.

The phrase ‘smoke and mirrors’ comes to mind. As we know, eventually Bertie does in essence become an “absolute slave” to his valet, albeit willingly. Jeeves seems to know this perfectly well. The steam from the train serves as the ‘smoke’ obscuring the deception: Jeeves happily allowing Bertie to believe that he is in complete control.

I mention this scene because it highlights the beginning of an important evolution in their relationship. At first, Bertie strongly resists being “moulded” (“I’m not a jelly” as he said to Aunt Agatha earlier in the episode, though referring to a possible future wife) and Jeeves (falsely) reassures him that he isn’t.

However, even by the end of the first episode, Bertie starts to realise that he doesn’t mind these changes as much as he imagined he would.

Another important part of Jeeves and Bertie’s relationship is music. Music is used throughout the series to show the change in familiarity and ‘feudal spirit’ between them and the relaxing of their positions as servant and master.

The first time we see Bertie at his piano playing a simple call and response song on his own. When he asks Jeeves to join in singing the responses, we see Bertie through the mirror and Jeeves continuing his tasks.

Jeeves obliges and joins in, but still adds the proper ‘sir’s at the end of every line.

Bertie is disappointed with this and asks Jeeves to sing it again but to drop the sirs. He pauses his task and moves forward closer to the piano, and now we no longer see them separated in the mirror but side by side.

Although he can’t fully let go of etiquette, he tries to acquiesce and Bertie seems delighted with this.

Afterwards, they both move back to the mirror this time, firmly returning to their roles as master and servant as they prepare for dinner with the Glossops.

This could suggest that the mirror is being used to show the barrier of propriety between them. Bertie being isolated in the mirror at first but inviting Jeeves closer and trying to get him to abandon his feudal spirit. Here, the only time Jeeves joins Bertie in the mirror is when he’s performing his duties.

(Bertie realising he might not mind being moulded (not a euphemism) a little bit by Jeeves)

At the end of the episode, after Bertie escapes the engagement to Honoria Glossop and avoids being sectioned by Rodrick Glossop, we find them in the bathroom.

As we view them both only through the mirror, Jeeves reveals that he did indeed ‘work the whole thing’.

J: Well, if you’ll pardon the liberty, sir, I doubt if the young lady would have been entirely suitable for you.

In contrast to his earlier remarks about not ‘becoming a slave to his valet’, Bertie now seems perfectly content to know that Jeeves was controlling the whole evening.

We no longer see them divided by the mirror - the barrier between master and servant. Although the mirror is still there, it’s not separating them anymore. Jeeves has revealed his plan and his intentions and has been allowed into Bertie’s space (in a private and intimate place as his bathroom, no less), almost elevated to his equal.

It’s also interesting to note that for Jeeves, the mirror is used when he confesses a truth - in this case his role in getting Bertie out of the soup and his reason for doing so. We see this again in future episodes 👀

[analysisn3rd]

Bertram Wilberforce Wooster

Personality

I would say that Bertie Wooster has one of the most remarkable personalities in fiction, much like his man, Jeeves. He, too, is quite similar to another rather famed character, Dr John Watson, but not quite.

One of the most notable things about Bertie is his kindness. He’s too nice to refuse his idiotic relatives and friends’ pleas for help, resulting in almost all of his problems. He’s nearly too kind, really, as it’s what usually causes him to be “in the soup”, as he would say. Additionally, he’s a bit of a people-pleaser, which I will expand on more in the “Insecurities” section, as he’s mostly unable to refuse his friends asking for help, even if it will cause him to get in trouble. He’s, essentially, physically incapable of saying “no” to someone (and, if he does say no, his friends, mostly Stiffy but there have been others, end up blackmailing him into doing what they require from him).

Similarly, and much like his Holmesian counterpart, he’s incredibly loyal. This mostly presents itself in the form of the “Code of the Woosters”, and how he ought to, as a Wooster, help a friend in need and all that. I would even go as far as to say that he sees it as an obligation to help his friends, as a Wooster and all. His loyalty to his friends and relatives, and how much he cares about them, are major reasons why he’s (mostly, let’s be honest, because sometimes their schemes are horrifically idiotic) willing to help them. 

Another quite remarkable thing about Bertie is his friendliness. Not only is he incredibly kind and nice to everyone he meets, he’s also rather friendly, and this extends beyond social classes. He treats everyone almost the same, greets them, regardless of status, with his usual cheery “What ho!”, and it’s not really out of wanting class equality as much as it being simply that that’s how Bertie is. He’s awfully informal with everyone and it kind of makes them able to warm up to him relatively easier. Additionally, he’s awfully talkative. He tends to ramble on and on about random things that his Drone friends have done, unrelated topics and what-have-yous.

Bertie is often considered an idiot, stupid or mentally negligible, and I think that he is almost definitely not. What he is, however, is a rather naive man, who’s mostly concerned with the happenings of his direct social circle, that tends to take things a little too literally at times, which makes him seem stupid. Speaking of his naivety, I would say it’s because he hasn’t experienced anything aside from the usual shenanigans and problems that the other fellow Drones encounter, where this makes him more susceptible to manipulation (usually done by Stiffy in the form of blackmail) and the like.

On that same train of thought, something that I think others tend to forget a little about Bertie is that he’s bright in his own way. He’s creative. He has a musical genius that is unmatched, as he’s able to play songs on the piano without notes or anything, almost perfectly after hearing them once, which is what happened with “Goodnight Vienna” at the beginning of the series. He also writes and he does so in such a characteristic way that it sets him apart from other writers, with his odd language and rather conversational style of writing. Another way in which his creativity shines is in his choices of clothing, which are rather bold and flashy, causing the usual disapproval of Jeeves.

Additionally, Bertie’s schemes, even though they might not work, are quite smart in their own right and it’s usually his forgetting that some of the elements of his plan weren’t exactly considered that leads them to failure.

Bertie, unlike most men of his time, wears his heart openly on his sleeve. He’s very unabashed with his emotions, regardless of what they might be, and he’s quite open about them. I would say that this has allowed him to understand emotions to a greater degree than some others. However, I think that, putting those feelings to words and trying to describe his more emotional experiences to someone, would be rather difficult for him.

Insecurities and fears

Despite being a very happy-go-lucky character, Bertie Wooster has several insecurities and a handful of fears (two of which I would say are engagements to girls he doesn’t like and Aunts). I’ll be talking about a handful of them in this section.

Bertie has a horrifically low self-esteem, which is something that I think is only logical after being constantly criticised by his Aunt Agatha. She has called him awful things all throughout the series, of course he’s not going to feel good about himself after all of that. What’s worse is that he most likely genuinely believes what’s told to him, since it’s all that he’s ever really heard. All he hears from others about himself is how he’s stupid, how’s he’s useless, how he’s lazy, etc, etc; it’s perfectly sensible that he would end up feeling horrible about himself and brushing off any thanks for anything he’s ever done as nothing, because, at the end of the day, it wouldn’t really make up for all his supposed “awful-ness”.

It’s part of what makes him such a people-pleaser, I would say, as he’s trying to make up for all of his flaws and failures by trying to help people, to make them happy, to make them proud of him as much as possible.

Additionally, he probably links his self-worth with how often and how much he’s able to help his friends and relatives. After all, it’s been made clear to him that that’s essentially the only thing that he’s good for, aside from providing company and the occasional song on the piano. Even then, the one who usually does the actual help is Jeeves (this doesn’t mean that Bertie doesn’t try forming his own schemes).

One of Bertie’s most prominent fears is losing Jeeves, because he wouldn’t be only losing a valet, but also a mentor (of sorts) and a dear friend. This is not only because he would have to hire a new valet, which is an awful ordeal of its own, but it’s also because Jeeves means a lot to him. Jeeves doesn’t only help him and his fat-headed friends get out of “the soup”; he listens to Bertie and is sort of like a friend, if not more, to him. Over the course of the series, I would say that they’ve reached a major understanding with one another. They’ve gotten to know, know thoroughly, the other over their years together and they definitely love each other, regardless of how one describes this love. Losing this, losing Jeeves, would be one of the most devastating things for Bertie. I also want to mention that it seems that Bertie has sort of deleted that “unfortunate period”, when he and Jeeves weren’t on speaking terms because of the banjo, from his memory, because he appeared to have forgotten it when Jeeves mentioned that they previously knew Bingley, who was the valet stand-in at the time.

Conclusion

Again, I am talking about the show version of the character here, as I’ve only read one of the books so far.

I love Bertie Wooster so much. He’s undoubtedly one of my favourite characters of all time. He’s so kind, so sweet and just over all lovely. If I were allowed to, I think I’d write thousands of words just saying how sweet and lovely he is; I feel like he’s very under-loved. I hope that I did him some form of justice in this analysis.

[typingtess]

“I got a call from the DJ today.”

“Who?” Deeks was snoozing on the couch. It was a long day.

“The DJ, the wedding.”

“Malibu Mix-a-Lot. Because Sir Mix-a-Lot was so 25-years ago.”

“Dave, the DJ, said we didn’t give him a first dance song, a post-dinner dance song and a wrap up song for the night. He sent a list.”

“We have homework?” Deeks asked as Kensi handed her five pages of songs e-mailed by the DJ. "Today was a long day. I don't need homework."

“Three songs. Not homework.”

Sitting up, Deeks said “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is probably a hard no.”

“Deeks.”

“What,” Deeks shrugged as he looked at what seemed to be an endless list of songs. “I want to know what you’re thinking,” Deeks pushed the decision to Kensi.

“I don’t want a song I’ve heard at every wedding I’ve gone to in the last decade.”

“Well, that narrows things down.”

“No The Luckiest. No Always and Forever. No All of Me. No My Heart Will Go On.”

“You love "Titanic", why no My Heart Will Go On?”

“How did things end for Jack and Rose?”

“Not well for Jack but Rose got a big hunk of jewelry and died in her late 90’s.”

“I’d have made room for you on the door.”

“That’s true love,” Deeks flipped through the list. “There are way too many songs.”

“Dave the DJ is willing to find anything we need.”

“Well I need something easy to dance to.”

“We’ve got lessons for the four Saturday mornings before the wedding. Actually having the music would be helpful.”

“Can’t wait,” Deeks feigned enthusiasm. “Oh, The Way You Look Tonight. Frank Sinatra. Cool, good song.”

Kensi shook her head. “In “My Best Friend’s Wedding” - absolutely not.”

Deeks shook his head. “That was Tony Bennett.”

“Same thing.”

“Don’t say that in front of Bertie. Big Sinatra fan. Oh, I got it. Stevie Wonder – For Once In My Life. Good beat, I won’t make an idiot of myself and it’s Stevie Wonder.”

“On the list.”

“We’re making a list.”

“We need three songs. We’re making a list,” Kensi scribbled on a pad. “How do you feel about another old song?”

“How old?”

“Well, you took me to “Jersey Boys” old.”

“Go on.”

“Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.”

“I’m in.”

“You’re not just saying that to get this done.”

“I took you to “Jersey Boys” and I liked it. Liked the music. You even liked it. I’m in.”

“First dance song or after dinner song.”

“After dinner song. Let’s give them some real music before the Malibu Mix-a-Lot…”

“…Dave.”

“Malibu Mix-a-Lot plays all your techno music,” Deeks said lifting an eyebrow as he looked at the list. Whistling for Monty, “I’m taking Monty for his pre-bed walk. We’ve got the first dance and post-dinner songs.”

“We have to finish this.”

Picking up her pencil, Deeks circled a song and wrote something on his list. Monty made his way to do the door. “We’re good, Kens, we’re good.” He handed her the list of songs.

Kensi watched him leave with Monty before she looked at his choice. She smiled when she saw his “Sending them home with this” written next to his a circled song – Best Day of My Life by American Authors.

She would definitely make room for him on the door.

[belphegor1982]

Top 5 OTPs (Shows, movies, books etc) and why. GO!

OH OKAY UM

The thing is that I rarely ship romantically. Like, at all. There's a small number of ships that I'll always ship (and/or have been for decades) and the rest is tiers of "yeah, that's nice" to "eh, apathetic" to notps. So... I guess?? In vaguely order of current rotation in my brain, kebab-style??

Pike Trickfoot/Scanlan Shorthalt (Critical Role, Vox Machina campaign/The Legend of Vox Machina) My heart, my soul, my liver. I love them with a determination inversely proportional to the small place they seem to have in the fandom. It's a relationship that evolves over time (slow burn? do you slow burn?) because the individuals evolve over time. Character development first, relationship development second! And there's hesitation, and Fucking Up, and so much love and hand-holding/taking before both seriously consider the other as a romantic partner/equal (as opposed to on a pedestal). Also they're pure chaos separately as well as together and I respect that.

Evelyn Carnahan/Rick O'Connell (The Mummy films) Speaking of chaos! And love! And respect and growth! I've loved them since 1999 and even more since 2001's The Mummy Returns gave us battle marrieds who support each other and clearly can't keep their hands off each other. They perfectly complement one another, they build up each other's strength, they have inside jokes, and they love one another so much they constantly annoy their brother(-in-law) and kid. Those films are my comfort food. Also very pretty and nice/fun to draw.

Reginald Jeeves/Bertram Wooster (P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves short stories/Jeeves & Wooster) We're leaving canon and entering fanon and what a fanon, ladies and gentlefolk. Over 100 years old and in love with rapier wit, art deco, and smart men and their (not quite) idiots. The thing with this ship is that it should be entirely unbalanced: Bertie is Jeeves' employer and above him in social status. Bertie should have all the power, and Jeeves none. But Wodehouse excels at showing us how much that isn't true, because Jeeves is very, very smart, and Bertie, while the smartest of his social circle (...yes, really) and as pure of heart as he is dumb of ass, relies on him 100% (and is basically the Jack Black pointing meme. He loves his manservant SO MUCH). I love a loveable idiot with a dose of self-awareness and self-esteem issues and an unflappable brain going "...ah. yes. unfortunately that is my idiot."

Chel/Tulio/Miguel (The Road to El Dorado) Come on, I HAD to sneak in an OT3 :3 I shipped them before I even really knew what shipping was. I love me an OT3, and this is a perfect example. You start with a dreamer with Determination (all open heart and sunshine) and an insecure flamboyant conman who is very good at lying (especially to himself) who would die for each other a thousand times, and you add a jaded cynic stifled by her environment who sleeps with (and catches feelings for) one and gets on well with the other and BAM, perfect recipe! Because Tulio and Miguel are ride or die for each other and I don't see that changing with Chel in the picture! ANYWAY. Love them and only want good for them.

Scrooge McDuck/"Glittering" Goldie O'Gilt (Carl Barks and Don Rosa Disney Ducks comics) Ooooh them. I have a soft spot for asshole pairings, and they deliver. Reading The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck (and other comics) really bring into focus all the might have beens and the missed opportunities either by way of fate or one or both of them being dumbasses. They can't live with each other, they are 100% incompatible, but also they carry each other's heart and they will probably never love anyone else That way. Will they get a happy ending? I don't know! Do I want them to? I have no idea!! I just love them in a "Le Tourbillon" (the French song) way: people who find each other, lose sight of each other, find each other again, and the whole cycle starts once more. Sometimes it's not about having, it's about wanting and yearning and reminiscing <3

Thank you for the opportunity to ramble, dear anon 💜

[eirinstiva]

"C’est l’éruption de la fin"

New letter from my friend Bertie Wooster and after reading again I can comment about this. This story needs a soundtrack and I chose the version I'm most familiar with of L'Internationale.

I really like to read about how was political activism before the internet era. In general I love history and political propaganda and humour are important part of history.

See this illustration?

It looks familiar:

This letter shows clearly how Bertie is the "mom friend" of his group, and that's why chaps like Richard Bingo Little always ask him for help. Wooster has the intention but lacks of creativity to make plans. That's why Jeeves is so important in this dynamic.

Before we start, give me your honest opinion. Isn’t she the most wonderful girl you ever saw in your puff?” He had produced a photograph from somewhere, like a conjurer taking a rabbit out of a hat, and was waving it in front of me. It appeared to be a female of sorts, all eyes and teeth.

Another very ace moment of Bertie and another woman in Bingo's history. How can he fall in love so easily? IIRC this is the fourth woman after Mabel, Honoria and Honoria's friend. Love makes Bingo blind and he can't see the red flags likes this one:

You must meet old Rowbotham, Bertie. A delightful chap. Wants to massacre the bourgeoisie, sack Park Lane, and disembowel the hereditary aristocracy. Well, nothing could be fairer than that, what?

I'm all "eat the rich" but not a big fan of a massacre myself [*sips mate tea*].

When I was in college/university/whatever I met some guys who used political meetings as a chance to meet girls. Communist girls were very famous during the Revolución Pingüina (Penguin revolution) in 2011 like (now minister) Camila Vallejo. None of them used fake beards, tho.

Dear Bingo Little, you don't think that maybe it's a bit too early to start with expropriations? How can you invite a group of people to the house of a friend and demand food?

There's a Comrade Butt, a horse, too much food and tea but I don't know how Jeeves can use it to help Bingo and Bertie. And yes, I'm more than sure that Jeeves will be the one solving this. He's the brain of this duo.

[dancemachinetrait]

September 19th, 1910- Letter extract, Daisy Gillespie to Clem Gillespie

Mother and Mrs Yates are telling everyone the two of you have gone to take up a secretarial course. I know you’d be amused that they’ve finally found common cause. It’s certainly the first time I’ve ever seen them co-operate.

Things are strange here. I think Mama suspects I know where you are, but she won’t ask me- at least, not directly. That’s a relief as I’d find it hard to tell her a direct untruth. 

The most important news is that Jem was accepted into Brindleton College on a full scholarship! Mama has told everyone in the village a dozen times over and took him into Greater Windenburg to have his uniform fitted, even though he doesn’t start for almost a year. Papa has been telling him he mustn’t grow another inch, and Jem has resolved to give up his bedtime glass of milk ‘in order that I shan’t grow any more’ (although I think this is only an excuse as you know he hates milk).

Mama made Jem walk up and down the parlour in his uniform to show us all. Biddy fell about laughing and got sent upstairs and Papa hummed Burlington Bertie, which made me think of you. I couldn’t help but think of what you would have said. It does seem silly to make a ten-year-old boy wear a top hat, but then I suppose I don’t know anything about being a gentleman.

I’m glad there is a little while until Jem leaves. It will be strange when it’s just me and Biddy. I know she’ll miss Jem, too- the two of them are thick as thieves. Of course she will be starting at the village school next year as well. That will be a relief really. She was always headstrong, but since you left lately she’s become a bit of a terror. She got a tin of molasses out of the larder and by the time Mother found her half of it was in her hair and wouldn’t come out! You’ve never heard such ructions. In the end Mother had to cut her hair quite short and she cried bitterly at first, but I showed her some fashion plates of little girls with shingled hair from one of my magazines and told her none of the village girls had anything a bit like it, and that perked her up in no time. It really does look pretty on her, but then she always was the prettiest of us. I suppose you won’t mind me saying that, now that you…well, you know. 

Perhaps showing her the magazines worked a little too well. This afternoon I caught her walking up and down the pasture wall with a book on her head, and when I asked her what she was doing she said she was practising to be a mannequin for the House of Worth.

The village is much the same as ever. Paul Farber and Sybil Copeland were married last Sunday. Myrtle was head bridesmaid and looked like thunder. I suspect she’s chafing that Sybil is married before her, and her not even engaged. I think she and Justice Bowlinger have had a lover’s quarrel; she hasn’t been boasting about him nearly as much lately.

Eli has been teaching me songs in Yiddish (his mother’s language) and Ladino (his father’s). I’d never heard either before. I’m sure I make an awful mess of them, but he’d never say so. He’s begun calling me Margeritke, which means daisy, after one of the songs. Daisy is such a prosaic name, the sort of name you give to cows, but Margeritke seems quite different.

He laughed a good deal when I showed him your picture, but he swore he wasn’t making fun. He said you looked more natural in men’s clothes than you ever did in skirts.

I must go to bed now; I have to be up early to milk Betsy. Oh! and I enclose a portrait of Jem in his uniform. Mama had so many copies made, I don’t think she’ll miss one.

Your loving sister,

Daisy

previous | next | beginning

[chowtrolls]

It'll All Decay.

Google Docs Link || Song Link

It took you two days to say goodbye to everyone for good after the trial. You were very specific about it. The last time you left for the Fleet without a goodbye, your matesprit died. So, you made sure you hunted down each person. 

Marsie was the easiest, for obvious reasons. Carbyn wasn’t too hard to hunt down, you got him when he was visiting Nesseo. Two birds, one stone. Daseos and Hanagi were the same. You gave Das a letter, and asked she give it to her reading teacher. 

Your siblings made their displeasure very clear. None of them liked your decision. Even Bertie seemed hesitant to speak to you. As you hugged Faxaen, you promised them it’d just be a couple weeks. You needed your things. And had to steal a cat. That got a smile out of them. Calysa was quiet, but there was more under her lime eyes that you didn’t dare dive into.

Mondes was the most difficult to track down. It seemed like he was avoiding you. His gaze was cold again. You felt like you were betraying some unspoken promise. All you could do was tell him the last time you forgot to say goodbye, someone died, and you’d had enough death for one sweep. You hesitated, resisting the urge to hug him. You stared at each other, silently, in some odd unspoken duel. You left first. 

Your moirail dropped you off at the shuttle. It wasn’t a lengthy or glamorous goodbye. He didn’t ask you to stay, or questioned why you wanted to go back. Tori was a good moirail like that. Or maybe you were a bad moirail for wanting him to not express his concerns. 

Time began to move in fast forward after you hugged him goodbye. 

You blinked, and suddenly, you were back in space. You didn’t even remember the shuttle back to Commander Almiss’ ship. You were just there. Breathing in the stale recycled air through the filter on your mask. Each step took an eternity. Everything felt hazy and unreal. You had to be asleep. Still on Alternia, sleeping on the floor of that AirBnb while Mondes made soup in the kitchen. You could almost smell the soup on the stove.

You were on the floor. But not the AirBnb. The floor of Paenit’s office, cradling Mavrik’s head in your arms. No soup, just blood. Violet blood stained the clothes you stole from your brother. That was all you could think of in that moment. How difficult those stains would be to get out. Bertie would never forgive you. Bertie would never forgive you, and another person you loved would die before you could help them. Selfish thoughts to have in the moment. 

Mavrik would have surgery to fix his jaw. You would confront Paenit about why he did it. But you didn’t have it in you to hate him for breaking Mavrik’s jaw. You just hold him as he cries,  go to sleep instead. 

And thus the cycle begins. You wake up. You counted the bandages in your cabinets, took stock of the medical supplies, reorganized the locked medicine box. You forced down food. You checked on Mav. You stared out a window in his recovery room. You went to sleep. 

Two days becomes two weeks. Two weeks of waking up, working in the med wing, checking on Mav, staring out a window, going to bed. 

Two weeks becomes a month. You stop eating. Mavrik is cleared to leave. He and his crew leave suddenly, and you forgot to say goodbye. 

One month turns into two. With Mav gone, you spend more time staring out the window in your block. You wake up, attempt and ultimately fail to organize your medical supplies. You stare out a window in some random spot of the ship until Paenit finds you, and tries to get you to eat. 

Three months. You tell your commander that he should find another medic. He just agreed, and you looked back out the window of his office. That’s the last time you speak to him. The medical wing you worked so hard on is now in disarray. You’re barely ever there. You spend a lot of time sleeping in Paenit’s office. And staring out the window. 

Five months. You’ve stopped talking entirely. Words took too much energy. You only eat when you’re told to. You haven’t left your block in weeks. All you do is stare out the window. Watching the stars go by. 

You think about her constantly. You watch the extraterrestrial clouds swirl around stars and space debris, and you think about her. How scared she must’ve been. How much pain she must’ve been in. You should’ve been out there. You could’ve stolen another ship, you should’ve called Mav to find her. If only you had gotten to her. Hanagi was a doctor, but maybe you could’ve done more. You would’ve given anything for one more minute with her. One more minute, and maybe you could’ve changed the way this played out. 

Was death kind to her? Did she find peace in the stars? Did she finally meet Daisee, if the afterlife was real? Could she hear your thoughts? Did she know she was loved? If by no one else, by you? Where does the soul rest if lost in the expanse of space? Was it wrong to miss someone who caused so much hurt? Did you tell her you loved her enough? You didn’t mourn the death of that uncaring, cruel version of her. You mourned for the little kid who held your hand as she took her first steps, who learned how to braid with your hair, who taught you how to climb high into the trees.  All anyone on Alternia could talk about was how horrible she was. The entire courtroom was filed with contempt for her. You sat in front of Alternia, and it took every ounce of self control not to scream into the cameras that she was still your sister. Everyone wanted her to be the villain. But even villains deserve to be mourned sometimes. 

Your lusus told you once that grief was just love with nowhere to go. Grief made people do horrible things. Didn’t you do horrible things when Festur died? You didn’t have a killer to hunt down, so you made yourself out to be the murderer. You tried to kill the person you used to be, made yourself a new face. There was more blood on your hands than Twitch could ever have fathomed being a possibility. Her academy’s simulations could never conjure up the things you’ve done in the name of grief and self destruction. Like now, for instance. 

You didn’t want your stuff. You didn’t want a medal, you didn’t want the cat you told Faxaen you’d steal. You didn’t come back for Mavrik, or Paenit, or your med wing. There was no way you could explain it, nobody would understand. You went back to space, because that’s where she died. And that was the only way you could be close to her again. Because you swear the stars were stained violet. 

You don’t know what day it is. You just miss her. And Daisee, and Festur, and Mezaka, and Necrol. And Marsie, and Mondes, and Toresce, and Hanagi, and even Paenit. You’re so sick of death that it consumes you to the point of mourning those still alive. 

You don’t know what time it is. But based on how sick you felt, Paenit was due to bring you another tray of tater tots. You barely touched the plate of hashbrowns he left. You hug your knees tighter to your chest, and rest your mask against the cool glass of the window. You were tired of this grief. You were tired of being tired. 

When Paenit brings a tray of food to your block this time, you don’t just stare at him silently. You hold out your arms. Take off your mask. And finally let someone hold you while you cry. 

[zzthekaiju]

Best of the Reptiles in Media - 03 - Arlo

Back again with some more charming scaly protags! And once again, we've got ourselves an animated one!

This time, we're taking a look at one that starred in a film/TV show on Netflix that sadly seems to have undeservedly faded into obscurity. Of course, for me...not so much. This plucky swamp puppy pretty much had a vice grip on my head since the moment I said "what the heck" and gave his film a shot. To say I was captivated by it all would be a huge understatement.

For those who don't know, "Arlo the Alligator Boy" was an animated musical feature released in 2021. And it pretty much had everything I could ask for. A cast full of colorful characters brimming with personality, a gorgeous 2D-animation style (really, you just have to say your animation is 2D to immediately get my attention, it's a personal preference), songs that are immensely catchy, and while the plot wasn't terribly original, it was still a very charming and wholesome romp that I ended up watching several times. And because fate was kind that year, it was almost immediately followed up by a one-season series, "I Heart Arlo", which basically picked up where the film left off.

But enough beating around the bush, let's get to the biggest reason this film took off for me. Namely, the fact that it's titular protagonist was an absolute ball of sunshine in the form of an anthropomorphic alligator.

Say hello to Arlo Beauregard. As you can probably guess from the above gif, he's an absolute far cry from the reputation his more feral cousins have. In fact, let's talk about that for a second. Most of the time, members of the Crocodylia family are treated no better than their other reptilian cousins in media. They get the short end of the stick in the form of being characterized as ravenous, meat-shredding brutes. And, to be fair, that's not exactly far from the truth. Trying to pet a gator is like saying you want an amputation without having to pay any fees. But you know what, they're still animals, not evil monsters.

And that leads us to a very unique sort of main character. Seriously, how often do reptiles get to have the lead in these sort of movies, let alone ones like gators? That's part of the reason I gravitated so hard towards this film. It provides just that on a silver platter.

But what about Arlo the character as opposed to just Arlo the reptile protag? Well, the simple introduction here is that he's a half-human/half-alligator hybrid in his teens who lives with a swamp hermit in Louisiana. It isn't until he hits fifteen that he finally decides to figure out where his true family lives. And it just so happens that he has a dad...all the way in New York City. Thus begins the trek towards the city so nice they named it twice. And along the way, he meets a cast of equally displaced oddball misfits that may just prove to be a better family than anything blood relations could provide.

The best part about Arlo is, aside from the fact that he's an adorable little gator, is that it just so happens that he's another favorite archetype of mine. Namely, the blithe spirit. To put it simply, this is the character who brings out the best in everyone. An all-loving soul who sees the bright side in everything, even if it comes off as a bit naive. And we see it all throughout his journey. From instantly befriending a sad loner named Bertie (who, side note here, is some wonderful body-positivity rep in her own right), to some little scenes of him just instantly winning over complete strangers.

Seriously, some of my favorite parts include him just being himself and winning others' endearment that way.

And of course, I can't go this far without mentioning how great of a singer he is. Michael J. Woodard not only NAILS this character's bubbly personality (plus, he's pretty great at pulling off the more comedic bits too), but he's got one heck of a singing voice. If I had to pick a favorite song, it'd be "Beyond These Walls".

But reptile or not, I also really like how the movie concludes. Instead of living with his rich father, he ultimately decides that he'd rather be with the ragtag group who helped him the whole way through. Sure, father and son are on very good terms, but it's easy to understand why Arlo wouldn't want to be with the person who abandoned him twice over. Yeah, the artists knew how much the rich suck here (though Ansel Beauregard is less detestable and more laughably pathetic, so he gets a pass). Bottom line, this gator is no class traitor!

As for Arlo in the subsequent series, it's more of the same, and that's okay! Arlo continues to be a bastion of innocence, though I also commend the show for demonstrating that he isn't perfect. Some episodes have him show a habit of making swift decisions without thinking. Sure, it's always in the name of doing something good, but his lack of foresight leads to things like parties that go on for days and even runaway Ferris wheels. But he still pulls through and mends those mistakes in the end. Plus, the whole thing is about him and pals revitalizing a small beach-side community while his dad just keeps making a fool out of himself (not that he doesn't help, but still). It's all good...though not a day goes by where I don't wish it got just one more season. I mean, come on! There was plenty of material to work with, like whatever happened to his mom or whether or not he and Alia would become more than friends!

Oh, right...yeah...I'm not going to pretend you can't read that crossed-out part. Yeah, it's one of my major comfort ships. Though those who have followed me for some time probably already knew that. I just think it's adorable in a "city mouse meets country mouse" sort of way. Plus, anyone who shows unwavering faith and patience with someone who has very clear ADHD and/or aspects of being on the spectrum more than deserves that sort of happiness.

And that's Arlo for you! I wish so much that his film/show got more attention (and Netflix wasn't so dismal with marketing its originals), and now you know why. Sure, he's not the most complex reptile in this catalogue (that comes later, trust me), but he's the kind of character that I can adore from the get-go. I mean, when your lead is basically a scaly Steven Universe, do you really expect me to just blow that off? I don't think so!

[brandybradyrandyandyndy]

Tagged by @official-lauchzwiebel

Thanks for thinking of me!! :-)

10 songs that come up on shuffle and 5 I actually listen to:

1. Intro - Vince Pope (I'm not making this up I swear 💀; To me it's a bop. A banger even. A staple.)

2. ye. x Squired - gloss (I actually listen to this all the time bc I downloaded some music a few months ago from my edm phase when I was 13 jdjdjddjdjdj I still remember going through every song on the youtube channel suicidesheeep and downloading only the ones I liked, which were like 15 in total 💀💀💀)

3. Big Time Rush - Big Time Rush (What can I say? It's a classic.)

4. 2 AM - Animal Crossing City Folk (I have the whole hourly soundtrack for City Folk and New Leaf on my phone. To me it's a must 💪)

5. Stars Dance - Selena Gomez (Oh. My. God. I was obsessed with this song when I was 12. Banger.)

6. Sick Of You - Selena Gomez (That one I never particularly loved, but it's not bad either; only time I don't skip it is when I'm only listening to Selena Gomez at the moment or when I'm shuffling everything and don't care)

7. Relax, Take It Easy - Mika (BANGER. CLASSIC. ABSOLUTE STAPLE. Could listen to it ALL. THE. TIME. and I actually DO. Unskippable. If you ever catch me skipping it I'm either in a REALLY bad mood or I've been replaced by a doppelganger. This song is my everything.)

8. Investigation ~ Cornered (Variation) - Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney OST (Another banger! Videogame soundtracks FUCK.)

9. Rio - Mika (Funfact: for some reason I have most songs from No Place In Heaven three times on my phone but I don't want to delete any of them bc I don't know which ones "belong together", which is such a stupid thing to worry about, but I just don't want to separate them. Anyway. Now, every time I shuffle my music and a song from this album comes up, I instinctively skip it bc it annoys me how often they play 💀💀💀)

10. Jubilife City (Night) - Pokémon Brilliant Diamond (I've never actually played Brilliant Diamond, I only had Diamond for the DS, but I love the remastered versions of most of the soundtrack, so this is the version I have on my phone <3)

Now would be the time for the "5 I actually listen to", but I really do listen to most of the music on my phone regularly, so I'm doing some honorable mentions instead:

Nobody Likes Me - The Northern Boys (No explanation needed, this is a straight up BANGER. Been listening to it a lot recently.)

Zenryoku Batankyu - AOP (That rainbow road sound effect in the background is what I live for.)

Halb So Schön - Wincent Weiss (For real?? I'm a bit embarrassed to say this. But I went to a Wincent Weiss concert the other night and I had so much fun!! Not all German pop music is good, but it's definitely catchy!)

Die Jungs-WG: Oh là là in Nizza (Banger intro for a banger Jungs WG season, sung by a former Jungs WG member from another banger season of Jungs WG (Deniz from Jungs WG Lissabon) 🕺🕺🔥🔥🔥)

Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses DS OST (I listened to it this morning and it's eerie and creepy and nothing you'd expect from the soundtrack of a Barbie GBA/DS game. It's perfect. <3)

Thanks again for tagging me @official-lauchzwiebel!! I had a lot of fun doing this! :-D

Tagging: @9puppiesdrowninginapool @jofngve @tofufei @frogtossing @berg-gry @thia-chattering @midnightxxcrisis @sauerland-2001 @bertie-w-wooster @hard-boiled-noodle and everyone who really likes and/or really hates at least one piece of music I've listed above <333

[rainbowspinch]

Things my partner and I have said about CTC characters, an ongoing draft

“Bill Danton is baby girl”

“Norman would love Disney Princesses”

“Jacob probably does many forms of art that most wouldn’t associate with him. Like he could design a house really well but people would go ‘that’s not a Jacob thing’”

“Jacob does sculpting. His housewarming gift to Norman when he moved next door was a middle finger statue.”

“When Norman went into his new house for the first time, he found all the statues Jacob had been storing in there of himself.”

“Tom’s got a touch of the ‘tism. Another one for the pit.”

“They’ve all got autism. In our world, autism is the default and you have to prove you’re allistic.”

“I like that he is a little fucked up.” (About the Ink Demon)

“Jane has slight shaken baby(adult?) syndrome. Bill shakes her with passion”

“It’s the discord kitten in him.” (About Bill Danton)

“I LOVE HOW MAN HE IS” (about someone else’s interpretation of Sammy)

“Certified boy holder” (about someone else’s interpretation of Sammy)

“The babies. He is So Ugly<3” (about the Tom plush)

“Allison would be a crystal girl in modern days. Susie would be one of the ones with a super complex skin-care routine”

“Do you think big Bendy accepts Sammy’s weird behaviour because he gives good tummy scratches”

“Susie would hate mullets. A lot of them would. Not Jacob.”

“Norman would fucking love the song Piano Man. He would sing that shit with heart.”

“Do you think Abby helped Richie through dealing with Dave’s death?”

“Sammy+Susie: the mean girls

Jack: the cat kid”

“Norman finally exercising his ice cream rights” (about a video of a man on a game show eating an entire pint of ice cream and then feeling sick afterwards)

“High school mean girls Susie and Sammy definitely practiced kissing together”

“Me: where would Jacob be from?

Rat: Ohio probably. Look at him”

“Me: Sammy. Is he British?

Rat: yes. He tries not to be”

“I literally spent $50 on this shirt because I looked at it and went “OOooOu Norman!””

“No arguments, Nice is a people pleaser. She wants to be Alice’s best pal ever, even if that means she has to commit to atrocious crimes” (about Malice Angel’s two different voices)

“Norman goes to a thrift shop and goes “ooooo for me”. Jacob goes to a thirft shop and goes “ooooo for Norman”. Strange gay things for a strange gay man”

“Got shoved in a locker for being a nerd” (about Grant)

“I can’t explain how, but the way you’re typing is Tom like” (about me calling crabs Big Boys, Tiny Boys, and then struggling to spell anemone, followed by “how the fuck do I spell this shit”)

“He loves almonds. Nut boy. Nut boy.” (About Norman)

“Kismesis. Mmm. Regret regret regret regret” (me regretting referring to something Homestuck related while talking about Prophet Sammy and Malice)

“Do u think Tom Boris cleans people. Like lick lick.”

“What’s more powerful then being nothing AND A WOMAN AT THE SAME TIME” (conceptualising nonbinary transfem Bertie)

“He looks like a Mangle” (about Bendy-Bot)

“Old Men that make Unexpectedly Nice Poetry” (about Henry and Norman)

“Bertie: You want meeee to come put of retirement to work on your silly little project? Do I get anything out if it?

Joey: I can give you a kiss-?

Bertie: *unimpressed*

Joey: I could get on my hands and knees and start crying

Bertie: that’d be a start” (Rat’s genius)

“His boyfriends wedding, he deserves that cake” (about Wally eating Tom and Allison’s wedding cake)

“Tom wouldn’t say blimey. ..I lie. I’m sorry.”

“Sammy Lawrence is Michael Bublé”

“Pfft- love his handbag” (about a picture of Sammy holding a light from BATDS)

“Richie has discord server mod vibes”

“Rosalia is not a discord kitten. She’s the actual mod, Richie just talks too much”

“Norman is a discord kitty for many many people to turn a profit”

“And Bill and Jane look like they eat humans and get away with it. But In a Endearing tumblr sexy man Sammy way”

“What the fuck is her” (about Slicer)

“Jack is catish”

“You know he’s ready to grab things and “what if you went in my mouth”” (about Ink Demon)

“Grant is autism.

He verbally stims (tick tick tick)

He enjoys math

Canonically He can’t understand when people don’t do things for money which I assume our Grant doesn’t get it either

Bad social skills

Resting bitch face

I say so???? So??? You can’t say I’m wrong???”

“I bet he’s never heard of a social cue in his life” (about Grant)

“Grant’s ‘Strange Money’ tape. He sounds like a self conscious southern 20-something year old that really doesn’t want to be southern. He sounds divorced. He sounds like his ex-wife is a lesbian.”

““Simmons I left something in the Hell Dimension can you get it for me” that’s on brand” (about Joey)

“Henry come on, respect your parents” (about Henry telling Abby to ‘get a better name’)

“Do you think their whole group has a thing for photos, Joey’s photo book, Carol hangs some up and Simmons just has them stuffed into random places, cup holder, under the seats, in his pillow, with the spoons”

“The moment you’re in Simmons’ house you’re walking on eggshells. There could be a jumpscare anywhere”

“Joey - a list of ways he handles the studio, to emphasise that he’s trying his best

Carol - a list of ways she handles being a secretary and a front desk lady, to emphasise that she’s good at her job

Simmons - what the fuck? What is he even doing here?”

“He/him (in the gay way)” (about Simmons)

“She’s actually 12 sea mines in a turtleneck sweater” (about Susie)

“Bald Sammy Lawrence and Skin Eyes Jacob”

“Fuck you [romantic]” (about Joey’s letter to Henry)

“Sammy keeping inky handprints from PJ on his overalls” (based on a picture of a cat leaving wet paw prints on a boot and calling it a little accessory)

“Enemies to lovers [obliviously]” (about Sammy and Susie)

“Do you think even as teenage mean girls beefing it out, Sammy and Susie were still crushing on each other”

“No idea who Eugene is but fuck Chef Buck”

“He is Brazilian I’ve decided, and Sally will be Greek” (about Andre and Sally Newt, when I was designing them)

“Rat: why does 30 years make my eyes green?

Me: Tism does that

Rat: Norman, Norman, Norman, Norman, Norman, Norman-“

“Bill is what happens when you forget about a middle child”

Edit: “Jacob and Norman definitely do drugs. Anything they can grow, they will take.”

“[scary[hot]]” (about Malice)

[phoenixflames12]

Rules: Tag 10 people you'd like to get to know better

I was tagged by @gohoubi- thank you so much my friend!

Relationship status: Very single

Favourite colour: sludgy, mossy green

Song stuck in my head: Nothing specifc

Last song I listened to: It's De-Lovely from the 2011 Anything Goes Broadway Cast album

Last googled: 'and no one was fond of me and all were slain' - ask me no more, for fear I should reply by A.E Housman

Dream Trip: Venice

Anything I want now: Another cup of tea!

I will not tag 10 people, but I will no pressure tag: @sandfordsmostwanted, @bertie-w-wooster and @fairytalesandfandoms- only if you want to, of course!

[askgunpowdertim]

[... Excerpt from notebook labelled "GUNPOWDER TIM - DO NOT READ", written in blocky English letters in simply black pen:

03/01/2023 TUE

The other Ashes said their favorite Mechs songs were UDAD and Thor. Marius also said his favorite is Thor because of the line “Fuck you and fuck your train!“.

It’s also one of my favorites. Marius plays it really well.

Nastya: “if i don’t commit a violence by the end of the day i think i’m going to burst into tears“

Marius is. Courting me apparently. Yeah.

THE GIANT MECHAS WERE APPARENTLY A COURTING GIFT.

catcrumb.

- Gunpowder Tim

[Excerpt from the next page. Written in pink ink. There’s a lot of drawn hearts.]

04/01/2023 WED

The other Toy Soldier got stuck in a vent, I think. The octokittens were tormenting the poor thing. Got the other Ashes to help it as well.

...And they almost burned the poor things too. (The octokittens, not the Toy Soldier. I think they like it too much even think of hurting it.)

Ivy got lost in the bookstacks. Again. Like a loser.

[We have a cool new group blog now btw! @askthemechanisms]

I think there’s a ghost in the ship. Another one.

No dissing my boyfriend. I love them.

Someone asked how we tell the time on the ship. Aurora controls it.

REMINDER: Ramble about Jonny more.

REMINDER: Also hold Jonny more.

REMINDER: Also also kiss Jonny more.

I’m so gay.

Jonny cuddles. Very comfy.

- Gunpowder Tim

[Excerpt from the next page. Written in crayon. There’s some singed edges and smudges of coal.]

05/01/2023 THU

The other Ashes apparently spent the night pinned under some octokittens (lucky bastard) in the commons (not so lucky, but still a bastard).

I love Jonny so much.

Marius asked me out on a date to go blow some shit up in the City tomorrow. My kind of date. :-)

I STAND BY WHAT I SAID. ASHES O’REILLY IS A FUCKING BASTARD.

They said they had something to show me and set me on fire. :-(

My hair is ruined now. :-((( And I have a date tomorrow too! Goddamn it.

They did give me some of their whiskey though.

I met Scuzz. Did some introductions.

Brian is being a cat again.

Bertie is. A ghost? And he made a blog? What. Is this real?

Well. It’s real.

I’m taking a fucking nap.

Catcrumb. 

Also trans rights.

- Gunpowder Tim]