to be treated carefully, delicately, like a priceless and complex piece of machinery
to be viewed with reverence, amazement, at being so close to human. to have my similarity to a "normal" person be marvelled at, to be impressed by how close I get to being a person in a way that still intrinsically values my lack of humanness.
that I am a machine, that I am unlike a human is part of why I'm beautiful, a work of art and craftsmanship
picking apart my body and looking at the complex mechanics inside, and praising me at how beautiful it is, how stunning all the moving parts are
being valued because of my otherness, my lack of neurotypical humanity, not belittled for it
being treated the way one treats delicate expensive machinery, being treated like a priceless artifact
but also being treated like an object nonetheless, being touched and prodded and examined and taken apart at your will, but never in malice or judgement, just in curiosity and wonder and amazement at all my working parts
watching prone as you open up my chest to view my mechanical heart and heap praise on me for how beautiful I am, watching the gears turn faster and fans hum louder and the internal temperature of my face rise under your gaze and compliments
heads up: this games charity bundle was finally approved on itch.io! it opens this friday, april 12th, and will run for a week. all proceeds will go to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund.
you can check out the bundle on itch.io and follow @vgforpalestine on twitter for more updates!
—
EDIT: as of april 20th, 2024 this bundle is now live!!
After getting back into BBC's Merlin recently (read: a couple months ago) I realized I no longer trusted streaming services to still have it available long term and managed to buy a complete DVD box set.
But because the slip case had quite a bit of wear to it (and due to some minor scopophobia) I made it a box that looks like a book!
(More rambling info & video under cut)
Materials:
The base construction is cardboard and paper (used to cover the exposed cut edges and strengthen corners). The box's faux paper edge is a printed texture on cardstock that was then waxed. The interior is black cardstock with silver vinyl. The 'book case' is that same cardboard construction with faux raised bands (made with some scrap foam I had) wrapped in Cialux's night blue bookcloth (hence the minor wrinkles) with Cricut HTV in metallic gold and 'reflective rainbow'.
Design:
Cover: Obviously Pendragon logo had to go front and center, no argument on that one. (Also partially cause Merlin doesn't really have his own symbol to him? The triskelion just doesn't make sense to me because although Emyrs is a symbol for the druids, Merlin himself isn't a druid and I'd imagine would instead choose icons of Camelot and Arthur to represent himself besides.) ANYWAY-
Behind the crest, filligree containing a blade and the sidhe staff in that subtle reflective HTV that blends into the bookcloth exactly how I wanted until it catches the light (something something, hidden magic in the background something something).
(Appologies for the unsteady hands)
Spine: Mortaeus flower! Because it really felt like a turning point for the two (you've known each other... what a week? and you're going against your father to travel to some far off cave to get a flower?? that's some good as dnd-adventuring-party type shit I love it). Minor detail are the top and bottom shapes: pulled from some cool windows we see a lot in season one (I just think there' neat, okay?)
Back Cover: Excalibur with two butterflies cut from the blue-toned area of the rainbow HTV :)
And finally the Inside!: The cup of life! Because it felt just a little empty. I'm still tempted to put something small on the bottom left corner of the inside cover... maybe a crown? not sure yet
And that's everything! Thanks for reading! If anyone wants to make something similar for their own dvd set I'd be happy to share the .svg or .png file of the cut outs, just shoot me a message 👍
Before you go, wanna know the worst part about this project???
.
.
It doesn't even fit on my DVDs shelf :)))) It sticks out by about an inch and a half 😭So we maaay have to be relegated to the 'actual books' bookshelf...
january:
1 - heartstopper vol. 1 → alice oseman (reread)
2 - heartstopper vol. 2 → alice oseman (reread)
3 - heartstopper vol. 3 → alice oseman (reread)
4 - heartstopper vol. 4 → alice oseman (reread)
5 - heartstopper vol. 5 → alice oseman
6 - a fragile enchantment → allison saft
7 - some shall break → ellie marney (audiobook)
8 - only if you're lucky → stacy willingham (arc)
9 - over my dead body: a witchy graphic novel → sweeney boo
10 - notes on an execution → danya kukafka (physical & audiobook)
11 - murder on the orient express → agatha christie (reread)
12 - our wives under the sea → julia armfield (physical & audiobook)
13 - the invocations → krystal sutherland (arc)
14 - red string theory → lauren kung jessen
15 - the breakup tour → emily wibberley & austin siegemund-broka (arc)
16 - the name drop → susan lee
17 - the secret of the old clock → carolyn keene (reread)
18 - bright young women → jessica knoll (audiobook)
19 - last call at the local → sarah grunder ruiz (audiobook)
20 - no one can know → kate alice marshall
february:
21 - worst wingman ever → abby jimenez
22 - drop, cover, and hold on → jasmine guillory
23 - with any luck → ashley poston
24 - the atlas six → olivie blake (reread, audiobook)
25 - that's not my name → megan lally
26 - not here to stay friends → kaitlyn hill
27 - this golden state → marit weisenberg
28 - today tonight tomorrow → rachel lynn solomon (reread, annotation)
29 - past present future → rachel lynn solomon (arc, annotation)
30 - the atlas paradox → olivie blake (reread, audiobook)
31 - the guest list → lucy foley (audiobook)
32 - in the market for murder → t.e. kinsey (audiobook)
33 - the neighbor favor → kristina forest
34 - in the mix → mandy gonzalez
35 - everyone in my family has killed someone → benjamin stevenson
36 - the seven year slip → ashley poston
37 - veronica ruiz breaks the bank → elle cosimano (audiobook)
38 - finlay donovan rolls the dice → elle cosimano (audiobook)
39 - the simmonds house kills → meaghan dwyer (arc)
march:
40 - the mysterious case of the alperton angels → janice hallett
41 - the book of cold cases → simone st. james
42 - what the river knows → isabel ibañez (audiobook)
43 - cut loose! → ali stroker & stacy davidowitz
44 - how i'll kill you → ren destefano
45 - the reappearance of rachel price → holly jackson (arc)
46 - when no one is watching → alyssa cole (audiobook)
47 - outofshapeworthlessloser: a memoir of figure skating, f*cking up, and figuring it out → gracie gold (audiobook)
48 - julius caesar → william shakespeare (rerad, audiobook)
49 - the family plot → megan collins (audiobook)
50 - if we were villains → m.l. rio (reread)
51 - alone with you in the ether → olivie blake (physical & audiobook)
52 - disappearance at devil's rock → paul tremblay (audiobook)
april:
53 - shakespeare: romeo and juliet graphic novel → martin powell & eva cabrera
54 - shakespeare: macbeth graphic novel → martin powell & f. daniel perez
55 - shakespeare: julius caesar graphic novel → carl bown & eduardo garcia
56 - shakespeare: a midsummer night's dream graphic novel → nel yomtov & berenice muniz
57 - twelfth knight → alexene farol follmuth (arc)
58 - kill for me, kill for you → steve cavanagh
59 - murder road → simone st. james
60 - everyone on this train is a suspect → benjamin stevenson
61 - listen for the lie → amy tintera
62 - king cheer → molly horton booth, stephanie kate strohm, jamie green
63 - twelfth night (musical adaptation) → kwame kwei-armah & shaina taub
64 - in juliet's garden → judy elliot mcdonald
65 - fat ham → james ijames
66 - death by shakespeare → philip l. nicholas, jr
67 - a good girl's guide to murder → holly jackson (reread)
68 - good girl, bad blood → holly jackson (reread)
69 - as good as dead → holly jackson (reread)
70 - dark corners → megan goldin (audiobook)
71 - the one that got away with murder → trish lundy (audiobook)
72 - funny story → emily henry
73 - imogen says nothing → aditi brennan kapil
74 - people we meet on vacation → emily henry (audiobook, reread)
may:
75 - episode thirteen → craig dilouie
76 - the girls i've been → tess sharpe (reread)
77 - the girl in question → tess sharpe (arc)
78 - wild about you → kaitlyn hill (arc)
79 - just for the summer → abby jimenez
80 - my best friend's exorcism → grady hendrix
81 - second first date → rachel lynn solomon
82 - the ballad of darcy & russell → morgan matson
83 - the good, the bad, and the aunties → jesse q. sutanto (audiobook)
84 - truly, madly, deeply → alexandria bellefleur
85 - your blood, my bones → kelly andrew
86 - amy & roger's epic detour → morgan matson (reread)
87 - romancing mister bridgerton → julia quinn (reread)
88 - the viscount who loved me → julia quinn (reread)
89 - bittersweet in the hollow → kate pearsall
90 - to sir phillip, with love → julia quinn (reread)
91 - when he was wicked → julia quinn (reread)
92 - it's in his kiss → julia quinn (reread)
93 - on the way to the wedding → julia quinn (audiobook, reread)
94 - emma → jane austen (audiobook, reread)
june:
95 - first lie wins → ashley elston
96 - we got the beat → jenna miller
97 - firekeeper's daughter → angeline boulley
98 - chlorine → jade song (audiobook)
99 - what stalks among us → sarah hollowell
100 - hollow fires → samira ahmed (audiobook)
101 - part of your world → abby jimenez
102 - the road trip → beth o'leary
103 - yours truly → abby jimenez
104 - finally fitz → marisa kanter
105 - the last love song → kalie holford
july:
106 - dead girls walking → sami ellis (audiobook)
107 - home is where the bodies are → jeneva rose
108 - we used to live here → marcus kliewer
109 - the children on the hill → jennifer mcmahon (audiobook)
110 - what moves the dead → t. kingfisher
111 - my throat an open grave → tori bovalino
112 - dashed → amanda quain (arc)
113 - asking for a friend → kara h.l. chen (arc)
114 - beach read → emily henry (reread, audiobook)
115 - book lovers → emily henry (reread, audiobook)
116 - happy place → emily henry (reread, audiobook)
117 - you have a match → emma lord (reread, annotation)
118 - bonnie & clyde musical script → ivan menchell (reread)
119 - such charming liars → karen m. mcmanus (arc)
120 - she left → stacie grey (audiobook)
121 - let the games begin → rufaro faith mazarura (audiobook)
122 - death at morning house → maureen johnson (arc)
august:
123 - cleat cute → meryl wilsner (audiobook)
124 - i wish you would → eva des lauriers
125 - the break-up pact → emma lord (arc)
126 - water for elephants → sara gruen
127 - when you get the chance → emma lord (reread, annotation)
128 - come out, come out → natalie c. parker (arc)
129 - my lady jane → cynthia hand, brodi ashton, jodi meadows
130 - the lies of alma blackwell → amanda glaze (arc)
september:
131 - the spare room → andra bartz
132 - late bloomer → mazey eddings (audiobook)
133 - savor it → tarah dewitt (audiobook)
134 - triple sec → t.j. alexander (audiobook)
135 - the skeleton key → erin kelly
136 - the examiner → janice hallett (arc)
137 - the dark we know → wen-yi lee (audiobook)
138 - pretty girls → karin slaughter
139 - a good girl's guide to murder → holly jackson (reread, annotation)
140 - lady macbeth → ava reid