#gotta say though it was fun and I am pretty damn proud of the background

[hawaiianbabidoll]

Reef dragon

[killian-whump]

Game Night! [Liveblog #4]

I’m gonna try to finish up the last game and the end of the video in this post, so we better get right to it!

The last game they’re going to play is called Quiplash. Okay, they’re going to be given a prompt... and whoever finishes the quip in the funniest way wins. Kat warns that she’s a master at this and that everybody’s going down. Colin seems impressed by her bravado, but incensed to win nonetheless. “Here we go,” says Sam unenthusiastically 😂

AND THE GAME IS ON!!!

...or it’s meant to be on. Sam’s not joined the game yet. Seems to be having some sort of technical difficulty. “You scared of losing, Sam?” Colin asks helpfully. “All the rest of us got in pretty easy...”

Sam has joined. His name is now Colonislosin 😂 It’s hard to see exactly how it’s spelled. I don’t think any of them can see it that clearly, either. Sam has to tell them what it says.

“We’ll see,” Colin says. “We’ll see.”

The game begins. “It’s more like Col-on is losin,” Sam says. “Col-on.”

The audio is breaking all up in this segment, and Josh even comments on “Low internet signal. We’re doing great.” Hmm. I paid $10 for this, you damn well better find a stronger internet signal.

ROUND 1! The first quip is: We can all agree that... The two answers are: “Covid sucks” and “Josh... is... hairy” “Covid sucks” wins ~ and Colin gets all the points.

The second quip is: A terrible name for a funeral parlor. The two answers are: “Happy Times Palace” and “We put the Fun in Funeral” “We put the Fun in Funeral” wins ~ and Kat gets all the points.

The third quip is: “Knock Knock” “Who’s There?” The two answers are: “Me DUH” and “Get the fuck away from my door” “Get the fuck away” wins and Josh gets most of the points. Colin gets some too, I think, for his answer, because Sam voted for it.

The fourth quip is: “Something that would make a creepy replacement for the horses on a merry-go-round.” The two answers are: “Mini Josh’s” and “Creepy Princes” AREN’T THOSE THE SAME THING?! 😂 “One and the same,” says Sammy. “You don’t want to sit on a mini Josh, do you?” Sam ponders. Josh forgets to even vote, and Sam gets points for “Mini Josh’s”

At the end of Round 1, Sam is in the lead, with Kat and Colin tied for second.

I wanna take this moment to apologize for how BORING this post is so far. During the games, all five people (the three stars, Josh, and Sammy the producer) are in these miniscule windows on the far right of the screen. You can barely even see them. And during this game, there’s little to no conversation going on between/during the quips. As much fun as this game might be to play, it’s not a lot of fun to watch. The last one was better, but even that tended to DRAG for the audience at home. Josh really needs to work on the games he’s having stars play if he plans to keep charging $10 a month to watch this stuff. Also, the audio keeps breaking up in this segment, so even when they talk, some of it’s hard to decipher.

“I respect that Colin is doing this instead of reading bedtime stories to his children tonight,” Josh says as everyone’s entering in their answers for Round 2. “[That’s] how committed I am,” Colin replies. Kat says something that is so broken up, I can’t even begin to figure out what it is. Something about bedtime stories and Colin’s kids. It’s probably funny. 🤷‍♀️ I’m getting mad about my $10 gift card being gone again.

Alright. Round 2.

Quip #1: It never ends well when you mix ___ and ___. Answers: “poo and oatmeal” and “Sam and Josh” Okay, that second one is gold. Who did that? Apparently Colin did “poo and oatmeal” and Kat did “Sam and Josh”. Bless her. Colin gets the points with more votes, though.

Quip #2: The worst car feature that ends with “holder” Answers: “penis” and “diaper” Sam is just blinking rapidly. Now he’s laughing. “How does that work?” he asks. No one answers. “But I wanna know,” he says. “How does it work?” Josh wins the points with his “penis” answer - which Colin voted for, by the way - but no one cares now. “Does it move?” Kat asks. “Or does it just-” “Don’t ask too many questions,” Josh says. “What kind of size is it?” Sam asks. “Is it stationary or is there a motor feature?” Kat asks. “Maybe it’s a good idea...” Sam concludes, as Josh laments the kind of dreams he’s going to have now.

The third quip is literally happening in the background now, as everyone talks about the penis holder. Colin is noticeably silent on the topic XD

Quip #3: Something upsetting you could say to the cable guy as he installs your television service. Answers: “you smell like fart” and “want to see my murder room?” I’m sitting here going, “don’t be Colin, don’t be Colin” while simultaneously knowing 100% that Colin absolutely typed “you smell like fart” into his phone and... Yeah. Yeah, I’m right. That was him 😂 And he got 0 points. “Oh, boooo,” says Colin. Honey... Honey, I’m sorry, but that was bad.

Quip #4: The name of the reindeer Santa did not pick to pull his sleigh. Answers: “ohdeer” and “tipsy” Neither of these are very good. I hate this game. Kat gets the points with “tipsy”.

OH WOW, YOU GUYS. The final points are tallied and...

WHAT IS THIS TOMFOOLERY?! Colin is LOSING?!?! I mean, I know “you smell like fart” was bad, but this is unbelievable! I call shenanigans!!!

Colin is literally sitting forward in his chair now, lmao. The determination is intense, you guys. I once again cannot handle him right now. I wish he wasn’t in the teeny tiny window so I could show you guys better, but look at him getting his fucking game face on:

This man is a peanut and I love him with every fiber of my being. Look at him being a competitive little somesuch in last place. I can’t, you guys. Bury me here, etc, etc, I’m just a goner for this ridiculous man.

O’DONOINTENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last Round: Quip: Strange side effect to hear during a drug commercial. Answers: “cream cheese will come out of your butt” “seeing double horowitz” and “the screams of baboons” - there’s only three because Kat didn’t get her answer in before the time was up. Aaaaaaand the sound’s breaking all up again 😣 Josh is wondering what the point is of voting, if all you’re doing is giving points to your competitors. “Do you have to give all three votes?” Colin asks. “See,” Josh says. “Colin is thinking strategically, like me.” “Well, I’m not entirely sure the other two, I think, deserve any more than one point.” But it’s... it’s the WAY he says it, OH MY GOD, lol. Lemme... I gotta... Okay, I screen recorded it for you guys.

That O’Donosass is actually almost worth $10, you guys.

Which is good, because the audio is getting worse and worse on this and it’s starting to piss me off. Anyway! Everybody’s got a lot of points, because those were ALL good answers (Colin’s was “the screams of baboons” which I quite like). Let’s see the final tally...

Josh is the winner! But Colin managed a come-from-behind close second, so I’m really proud of him :D Sam mentions how Josh invited them all there to play games and then BEAT them. Josh is closing out the show, saying he hopes everyone enjoyed it... “I enjoyed it,” Josh says "But maybe that’s just 'cause I won at the very last second.” “No, well, you won ONE,” Colin cuts in. “You won ONE game.”

SERIOUSLY. BURY ME RIGHT THERE 😂😂😂

“Colin won the first round,” Josh says.

“...and then we have these two other people.”

Incidentally, I wish everyone’s webcams were as clear as Kat’s.

Anyway, now there’s some sweet summing up... and Josh hawking everyone’s current projects... (gee, it’s like this is promotional content or something) and the show closing down and-

“Can I win next time?” asks Sam Heughan.

~ The End ~

I hope you guys had fun reading this. I gotta say...  this one video isn’t worth $10. I can see if you’re a huge fan of Josh’s or really into celebrity culture, $10 a month might be a fine price to pay for a bunch of this kind of content... but for a one-time video when your fave happens to show up on his channel? Nah. He really should have a “one time access” fee available for individual videos that’s a LOT less. Like, I’m talking, like... $1 or 2. This is literally a zoom call... and as such, the quality’s only as good as his guests’ webcams and audio and everyone’s internet connections. Also, I found the game format enticing... but ultimately boring due to the games chosen. The Would You Rather was the most fun of the three, because we actually got to hear from the stars and get some banter going. The games relied too much on the stars interacting with their devices instead of each other or anyone really engaging the audience. Honestly, if it was any of my faves other than Colin in this video, I might not have even watched the whole thing. Colin’s adorable competitive streak and eagerness to win play games is what kept me watching. The idea is cute, but it needs some work. And the price is too high - especially with the audio issues in the last ten minutes or so. That’s my final verdict.

[autistic-paul]

hello do you have any autistic paul headcannons :)

Oh, I sure do! This is by no means comprehensive, but it’s still… Kind of a lot, sorry. I am also projecting for some of these and I have no intentions of hiding that.

Most of his stims involve his hands. They’re pretty much constantly moving, from little, barely noticeable comforts like tapping his fingers one at a time, to the fist taps in the show, to full on happy flapping.

The coffee is partially a sensory thing. Warm cup good. He flicks the lid a lot. He is heavily caffeinated all the damn time because he just doesn’t want to go without it. It’s also very much a routine thing, his mornings are very structured and that includes the mindless sleepily making coffee.

Ties are comfort items, I don’t make the rules. So is his collar. There’s security in the steady feeling of something around his neck.

Echolalia!! He says okay a lot. It’s not super easy for him to get other things stuck in his head, phrases on repeat, but that single word is very stimmy for him.

Film is his special interest. He just loves the whole process of how movies are made, the thoughts put into it. He can appreciate any genre, though he has to be in a specific mode for horror. The only thing he won’t watch is musicals. When he latches onto a movie, he’ll watch it on repeat for ages. Put it on in the background of whatever he’s doing and mouth along to the lines. Sometimes Charlotte or Bill have to gently tell him that he’s mumbling and it’s rather distracting. When he was younger he was very much a Film Snob. He mellowed out a little after college.

He goes nonverbal from pain. That includes sensory overload. He can still communicate, and his phone is his lifeline, but he just can’t speak.

He doesn’t get special interests very easily, they’re a little more lifelong for him. However, his Pokemon card collection from when he was a kid is stellar. He still has them.

He has a briefcase. It is brown. It is the most boring briefcase he could have bought. He has had it for a decade. It is incredibly beat up. He will cry if it ever tears beyond repair. Sometimes you just get weirdly attached to specific objects and that is very good.

He’s got an oral fixation! Somehow things just end up in his mouth. He cannot explain it. He can’t wear hoodies, the drawstrings are Addictive. Sometimes you just gotta chew. An extension of that, he doesn’t like water. Most of his hydration is coffee (Paul no) but he’ll drink juice at home. From juice boxes only. Straws are good for chewing.

He has a rubix cube on his desk that he has no idea how to solve, but the spin is nice, and a giant pile of paper clips that he routinely unbends. He’s fun in meetings. Give him something and he’ll destroy it. A fresh pen gets chew marks on the cap and he dissects it.

He doesn’t understand fashion. He does not care. He has two modes: Goofy dad outfits + khakis, or a full suit. That’s it. Buttoning up shirts is satisfying. He genuinely will wear a suit to a grocery store. Suits look nice, fuck you, why do clothes need specific occasions to wear?

Mimicry. This one is kinda canon, honestly. He’ll mimic people’s body language automatically because he doesn’t know what his is supposed to be. It’s also proven that mimicking people’s body language makes them perceive you as more friendly. This is good. People tend to like Paul.

He’s,,,, so tactile. My god. He just has zero sense of personal space whatsoever. This might just be Jon Matteson but I appreciate it anyway.

His social scripts… The way he talks to children… Repeating Emma (The godspell jokes, Fuck ‘em)… thank you for your service… he’s doing his best and I’m so proud of him.

More canon things! He shows every emotion he has on his face. When he is uncomfortable, you will know. When he’s in love… You’ll know. He’s just very expressive. He has an abundance of feelings.

His worst sense is auditory stuff. It’s so easy to get him to a sensory overload through hearing. He carries earplugs around everywhere.

He can’t lie. At all. He doesn’t even try. It makes him very easy to trust, a lot of people get the innate sense, based on how open he is, that he’s someone they can rely on. Everyone in CCRP seems to like him, he’s easy to love.

…Okay, I think that’s enough for now. I might reblog this with more later, if anyone has some, feel free to add on!

[monkey-network]

Good Stuff ~ Stray Thoughts: School Raze {MLP}

*sigh* Well, it’s the end of season 8 *loading gun shells* had some bad episodes here and there but it wasn’t that bad. But now, it’ll be a bit sad that I gotta say goodbye for now... *cocks shotgun* Roll it.

That’s Close enough

PART 1 (Tartarus’ Door)

Derpy! Aww, it’s a wonderful thing that you’re the first pony we get to see. Man I can’t see this going wrong in any-- *sees Cozy Glow*....I think I’m gonna hurl.

Ooh, I like the new rainbow haired background pony. Having some muted colors for her mane with a nice pink for the body. Easy, yet unique pony design I’ve seen in a bit

“Friendship Assistant“ Short for “Pastor’s kiss ass”

Silver Stream likes crosswords? That... doesn’t feel out of place for her

Wait, how do you keep saddle bags on as a pegasus? Wouldn’t they be blocking their... ability to fly?

Rainbow’s loyalty is as bold as how she dresses in style

One look into Cloudsdale and I’m seeing fake news. Storm clouds can’t survive in altitudes higher than the regular clouds. We gotta drain the swamp in the Rainbow factory

Glim Glam being the rock as usual. Though it begs the question, if you’re standing on something and you don’t have wings, will you still fall?

Not scared to immediately being proven wrong. That’s the warrior’s way

And why is Yona falling to her death the scene before the intro? Not COOL, show! 

Also, it’s a wonder, right? A character’s gonna die? Turn on the happy music.

How Ocellus was able to catch the admittedly heavy yak is something else

Man, characters can get over trauma pretty easy

OH NO, magical erectile dysfunction

Nothing to worry about? One (best yak) nearly became a pancake, Twilight, you taking this pretty easily.

I agree with Glimmy’s memeface, that was uncalled for, Twily

Snap, Ms. Glimmer

Yeesh, Rarity, you did that to yourself

Tirek? My my, best villain making a return?

That was gross. Thank you, Spike.

Why do potions need magic? It’s juice mixing.

3 DAYS?!

Wait, why do the others wanna go? Why not-- nevermind, it’s safe

Friends, pack your bags. We’re going to hell!

Surviving Discord’s shit is a bar you really gotta cross to challenge anything

Cozy, go dry yourself off

I smell a sabotage, and I’m glad the student 6 pick up on the child’s bullshit

That was casually speciest, Cozy

YONAAAAA! Standing up for her fellow dragon! Though, I gotta agree with Gallus. Who protests with homework?!

Cozy, I had enough of your shit

Huh, they’re already regretting the trip to hell. Wimps

So is the school an all day school? There’s a night school, so what?

Head Mare? More like Head Ass

Wow, ponies can be a-holes

Uhhh, Darla, why’d you leave the villainy open?

That was certainly a convenient yet useless artifact

Ah good, Pinkie was gonna sacrifice herself for the greater good

Okay, I want a book cataloging these animals of Tartarus

OH NO, racist allegory pony is back!

Cerberus!! Oh, I always wanted one.

TIREK! Good seeing ya

rerorerorerorerorerorerorerorerorerorero~

Oh, you didn’t think of this, did you ponies?

Come on, I’ve seen Kiwi farms eavesdrop better

Actually, nature would’ve killed off ponies if the other animals had their way

They’re college students, racist allegory pony, what the fuck would they want with magic?

Glad you’re standing for your fellow pony, Sandbar,

We got a “What in Tarnation?” folks. Giddyup

Wait, what revenge? You literally have no part in this.

Also, Pen pals with a demon. I think there’s an anime for that.

Cozy Glow was pen pals with Tirek? Gasp.

My god, Glim Glam! Wait, would that mean she’s gonna die in that orb or absorb the magic of that orb?

What realm? Why not just absorb the magic? You’ll practically have the infinity stones’ power in your hooves

Also, I like the 3D scene they did here. That is the best scene of this show period

“Friendship is Power“ Well... I mean-- you’re not THAT wrong.

For a future Empress of Friendship, you sure picked the right tape for making that crown, you cheeky ass clod

TO BE CONTINUED (after a commercial break)

Part 2 (Infinpony Crisis)

I just love when all shit is about to go down, then HAPPY INTRO TIME

Come on, Spike, this is no time for semantics

So that was the plan? Draining the magic to give Tirek some company? There’s GOT to be more to this plan.

Good job, Rainbow, you did them proud

Twilight, I know it’s not gonna work, but I am intrigued

We need to build a wall around Equestria, and make the dragons pay for it

Well you have a point, racist allegory pony, Twilight has caught the idiot flu over this season

JESUS CHRIST, it’s the hands of the damned!

You just now remembered your other friends, Sandbar?

Nice hostage room. Oh yeah, have ya’ll tried the window?

Also, have I mentioned Yona being the best? (MANY TIMES) Well it’s true. I’m glad she has undoubted trust in her friends

Okay, you get a brownie point for that line, Mayo pony

Also, nice crowbar

Also, 3rd best moment from Yona. Though I do not ship her and Sandbar. Gross.

Honestly, racist allegory pony is the most annoying part of this story

Alright, Cozy. I’ll cut ya some slack for shutting him down like that.

Oh no, they’re gonna throw him in the hot box

I’m glad ponies are easily impressionable enough to agree to chain bondage

This little girl has a fucking skull. What?

So... let me get this straight Cozy, you cotton candy headed nut, your plan is to run the school to get more friends. More friends equaling more power over Equestria, I suppose by having influence over the public for being such a kiss ass? When there is a goddamn castle right next to the school with everything a pony might want, need, in taking over the world. In addition to dropping all magic to another realm to keep the mane six in hell with Tirek, because you can’t think of owning the magic yourself?

Holy shit, this is the most unnecessarily convoluted plan in the history of the show. I thought Starlight did worse, but no.

Gloating wouldn’t ease that L of yours, racist allegory pony

Yona, never change. You are a highlight of this episode

Also, consider yourself redeemed, racist allegory pony

Good job, Tirek. You now have prison mates.

Wow, who knew Pinkie was more of a villain than a literal demon?

Okay, that was funny. You get another point, Cozy

*shudders* Finals.

Wait, how did you get all those pony down there, Darla?

Open the door, get on the floor, pony up on the dinosaur

How would they know it was the third day?

Tell her off, Gallus! Second best character

As much as this is quite a climax, I am not liking those ghost hands

The tree of EHARMONY, back at it again with the deus ex machina!

Okay, so Yona is honesty, Silver’s laughter, Smolder’s loyalty, Gallus is generosity, Sandbar’s kindness, and Ocellus is magic? Makes a bit of sense.

And that’s why Yona is best. She’s everything Applejack isn’t

Everybody duck, it’s explosion time

By the tools of Equestria... WE HAVE THE POWERRRRRRRR!

Pretty lights

Haha, and Tirek failed

Come on, Glim Glam, nothing wrong with a Yak hug

Ah, Cozy *rubs hands* you survived.

Alright, real talk.... Cozy, you fucking clod. Not only were you never convincing, not only was your plan remarkably crazier than Starlight’s of all ponies, not only was your motive behind this the 3rd dumbest I’ve ever heard from this series, but my god, you have failed to realize that what you tried to do was never gonna work in any fashion soon as the public thought for themselves. At least Starlight had her magic and charm to fool her town before the jig was up, YOU relied on sheer ignorance to hopefully get whatever it was you wanted. *chuckles* You make Frank Underwood look like a saint, you curly headed nutcase.

And you think you were gonna make friends somewhere else after you literally threatened to wipe away all magic? Bravo, show, you made me chortle harder than I imagined.

“Oh no, my tiny wings can’t outrun the law”

Well you say that, Neighsay, but Twilight really isn’t suitable for running a school. I think the season proved that pretty well.

It’s only been one semest- fuck off, show, it should’ve been well over a semester!

Though this might mean more student 6, which means more Yona. I’m down with that!! *BANG BANG*

What does he think friendship is, a currency? Who wrote this?

Thank you, CMC, you did your part

“Oh my god, they put a child in hell?“ Well, she did try to erase magic, as well as send 7 characters to their potential deaths and trap 7 more characters in the same hell. Compared to the other villains we’ve had, she genuinely pulled worse. So really, I’m indifferent about it, especially when I don’t... like her or care about her.

But she’ll be back?! *deep groan* I guess with Yona being around, there has to be an equivalent exchange somewhat. Plus we don’t know her origins so I guess it’s reasonable. Bad way to end the season, show.

But you know what? This was all fun. Won’t deny that.

So, woof, moral of the story? Well, just because you have friends, doesn’t mean you’ll have power because of it. The same way having followers, subscribers, whatever, doesn’t mean you're a permanent influence over them. Real friends give you power, power that you can use for the good of yourself as well as others. Your real friends give you the wholeness that you might’ve never been able to discover yourself, whether it be with wisdom or with laughter. “The more the merrier” is not a wrong idea to have, but quality should come before quantity, if that make sense.

MY LITTLE PONY: Friendship is Strengthening Your Pact

~See Ya Next Season~

[proserpine-in-phases]

@nachttour tagged me in a writing question thing!

1) is there a story you’re holding off on writing for some reason?

uh yeah there’s like, several. some of them are better developed than other but a lot of the reason I’ve been holding off on writing them just comes down to feeling inadequate due to my own limited experience with relationships and feelings of complete inadequacy. it’s hard to write an epic romancu when I’m aromantic as fuck and have a hard time conceptualizing what those feelings might be like to experience, for example, or like, I want the story to be funny but I feel like I’m not actually a very funny person?

also I always feel like I need to do more research. I get stuck on the research phase about 85% of the time haha

2) what work of yours, if any, are you the most embarrassed about existing?

man I am embarrassed by MYSELF existing, so  idk probably all of it when you get right down to it

3) what order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else?

it seems to vary a bit. sometimes I just power through start to finish, but sometimes I need to write the ending first to remind myself of what I’m shooting for. sometimes I just gotta write some random scenes in the middle before I forget what they are and have to figure out where they’ll go later.

considering the longest thing I’ve managed to finish comes in at about 12 k  I don’t know if I have enough data to really come up with a firm answer for this one though. from what I can tell, it really does seem like I start at the beginning and go for a bit, write the end, and try to connect the two with occasional random middle bits getting written out of order and a general feeling of “I’ll fix it in post” carrying me through

4) favorite character you’ve written

probably Samantha Traynor. she’s such a fucking nerd and I love her. it was surprisingly easy to write for her once I got started. at least I THINK I did a good job writing her, I have no actual idea haha

5) character you were most surprised to end up writing

I’ve written TWO mass effect fics featuring Samara as a main character and I have no idea how this happened or why because she’s about in the middle when it comes to my most to least favorite mass effect characters list

6) something you would go back and change in your writing that it’s too late/complicated to change now

there’s a couple of fics I wrote for fic exchanges that I kinda wish I could take back and turn into something else because I love the concept but feel guilty about idk, using as a springboard because the original is a gift, or something. it feels ehhhhhhhhh disingenuous to continue them when the gift is supposed to be a singular and self contained unit

for example, oh man I would love to take that vrisrezi space pirates au someplace, but I don’t know if I should because the fic itself is a gift, complete, and so forth. 

plus I hate the way I run out of steam about 4 chapters into everything. I would like to not run out of motivation please

7) when asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?

considering my output is so low I barely consider myself a writer at all tbh.

but yes, embarrassed. I hope to god the three people I know irl who follow me just like. never see those posts haha

8) favorite genre to write

space adventure! and lately? mysteries even though I have no FUCKING idea why or even how to write them, which is why I have at least three projects stalled out on me haha

9) what, if anything, do you do for inspiration?

I read a lot, mostly. sometimes I stare at a wall. or play minesweeper. 

also when I’m doing something fairly mindless sometimes my mind wanders and I hit something. 

oh and music. music is great

10) write in silence or with background noise? with people or alone?

I usually need music, mood music preferable, instrumental so the lyrics don’t distract me. generally I prefer to not be around people when I write, though a public setting is also fun to write in. I’m too distractable to actually get any done though, so I usually end up just looking like a tool with their notebook out if I try to write in a coffee shop or whatever tho, haha

11) what aspect of your writing do you think has most improved since you started writing?

I think writing fanfic has really helped me figure out what it means to write in character. also I think I’m starting to get better at balancing dialogue versus narration? at least a little bit

12) your weaknesses as an author

the inability to actually finish shit. 

unwillingness to approach emotions that make me feel uncomfortable. 

the fact that I often approach writing a character with the thought of what I would do in a situation rather than what the character would do (which is why writing fanfiction is helping me with that haha)

coming up with plots that lend themselves well to longer stuff

13) your strengths as an author

pretty good at dialogue

when it comes to my own shit, pretty good at coming up with interesting fantasy worlds (I think they’re interesting at least)

I’ve got a pretty firm grasp overall just the nuts and bolts of writing: I mean I tutored English in college for fuck’s sake I know how to write a grammatically correct run on sentence when I want to 

14) do you make playlists for your current wips?

not really

15) why did you start writing?

I wanted to know what happened next

16) are there any characters who haunt you?

not really? I mean, there are specific character TYPES that’ll get me every time, though, like the happy go lucky person who has to learn what pain is but still come out the other side a LOT worse for wear but not completely broken (think Tasslehoff Burrfoot, or perhaps less obscure Vash the Stampede) but I wouldn’t say they haunt me, per say

17) if you could give your fledgling author self any advice, what would it be?

don’t be afraid to be self indulgent. you’ll enjoy it more and who the fuck cares, anyway? people who’ll make fun of you for doing what you love are ass holes

18) were there any works you read that affected you so much that it influenced your writing style? what were they?

If I’m honest I can’t really say what influences my writing style, if I even have one. Mostly all I can do is list off my favorite authors because I’m pretty sure they all have something to do with it. 

so let’s just do that I guess.  when I was a teenager I tended to find a single author and just read through all their works before moving on, and these are the big ones that stand out:

Connie Willis, Anne McCaffrey, Steven Brust and Ursula K. Le Guin. Connie Willis for the humor she includes in almost all her writing, Anne McCaffrey because I STILL spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about Pern. She had a real skill for coming up with both great characters and great settings, even if what she did with them, and also her inability to keep continuity were less good. Steven Brust introduced me to the idea of relating to morally reprehensible characters at an alarmingly young age. Ursula K. Le Guin, I just love her. No idea if it’s actually done anything GOOD to my writing but she gives me something to aspire to.

I read just. a ridiculous amount of fantasy and science fiction as a kid, the genres as a whole without a doubt influence the type of shit I end up writing. also in seventh grade I mainlined dragonlance, just the whole damn thing

later in college I got really into Margaret Atwood. her focus on female characters and narrative just is really great.  

then I went through a depressive phase in my late 20s and just exclusively read Julia Quinn, Joanna Lindsey, Sabrina Jeffreys and Eloisa James, and that was IT. so I’m pretty sure my foray into the romance genre is what makes me honestly prefer povs limited to two or three characters  hey, reading romance novels also lead me to the realization that I’m aromantic so \o/ I guess

19) when it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, ect.?

I outline and then give up lol

20) do you write in long sit-down sessions or in little spurts?

little spurts until something grabs me and makes me marathon. usually that’s a deadline, but sometimes it’s also inspiration 

21) what do you think when you read over your older work?

mostly just holy shit I can’t believe I wrote this! sometimes that’s bad, sometimes it’s good. I can’t really tell if I’m good at divorcing myself from my writing enough to give me perspective on it, to tell the truth, because for a good lot of it, I still think it’s pretty good so ???

22) are there any subjects that make you uncomfortable to write?

it’s hard for me to let a character be embarrassed by the dumb shit they do. I don’t want them to do dumb shit because of it, which makes it hard for the character to have shit to grow and learn from.

23) any obscure life experiences that you feel have helped your writing?

I’m pretty sure my own issues with having and experiencing some emotions makes its way into the stuff I choose to write about, especially when it comes to the original stuff (I have. at LEAST three different plot outlines that involve characters literally losing the ability to experience emotions and having to find a way to heal or gain it back haha)  

also the fic I wrote about the box ghost is literally just about what it’s like to work in a factory haha

24) have you ever become an expert on something you previously knew nothing about, in order to better a scene or a story?

listen. 

yes.

I fucking. LOVE. research. 

honestly this is the stage where I most often get lost in the weeds, distracted by my own need to know more

25) copy/paste a few sentences or a short paragraph that you’re particularly proud of

“He was not the knight Casey taught him to be, but he was close enough for government work“ remains the single best pun I’ve ever written

tagging: @anthropwashere @inktail @manicpixiesdreamdragon if you guys are up for it!

[thotyssey]

On Point With: Shuga Cain

This queen’s got the goods, baked and otherwise. A Cali native with a golden voice, she’s getting ready to host her new monthly show at the West End and slaying parties and guest spots left and right in the meantime. One of our favorite new additions to NYC nightlife, get to know Miss Shuga Cain!

Thotyssey: Hi Shuga, thanks for talking to us! 

Shuga Cain: HI Jim! Thank you so much for having me! I’m so excited to be chatting with Thotyssey.

Yay! So it's already February now... that was a pretty insane January we just had, wasn’t it?

January has been insane! It’s been quite an emotionally charged first month of 2017...unthinkable, actually. I can’t believe the state of our nation's politics at the moment--if you can even call it politics. But I must say that drag has provided me the perfect platform to express all these emotions. And for that I am grateful!

I saw a clip of you doing Ashley Judd's anti-Trump poem/speech at Look Queen recently. It was pretty flawless--you must have listened to that non-stop for at least a day or two! HA! Thank you! Yes, I was trying to cut the mix the day it came out, and spent until the following morning tweaking. I listened to that mix on repeat for hours the day of the performance, up until about twenty minutes before I went on! I think that was the quietest I have ever been backstage. Usually, I’m chatting and messing around with the girls. Lord, I was stressing! My lip sync came and went, but the message was way too important and relevant not to do it. I had to perform it that night!

We're so glad you did! And in fact you've been turning it up quite a bit these past few months. Are you going the "go everywhere and do everything" route with your drag right now? I am! I’m kinda of an “all or nothing” kind of person, and being that I’m fairly new to the NYC nightlife scene, I have just immersed myself in all that is going on. And as you know, there is a lot going on! 

I’ve also just been grateful to have met some of the most wonderful people in the drag community, and supporting them is important to me. So yes, I’ve been everywhere lately! However, there are still so many shows/people I have yet to see/get to know, and so much I want to do. So I don’t see myself slowing down anytime soon!

Okay, so let's get to the beginning. First of all... you're originally a Cali girl, I believe? Yes, Miss Shug is a California girl, living the struggle in New York City, honey!  I was born and raised in Northern California, and moved to NYC about five years ago. What brought you here?

I used to be a Producer for Scholastic Education, and they shipped me from California to NYC to work on a few projects. I was so incredibly lucky to have made it to NYC that way. It’s been a dream come true, to live in NYC and perform. And after five years of working in the corporate world, I’ve finally made the plunge to focus on my creative projects! It’s scary at times, but I’m constantly reminded that I’m doing the right thing and all will be OK! I’ll have it no other way! 

When did you start actually doing drag? I’ve been doing it off and on for two years, but have been more serious about it within the last six months! So even though I’m old AF, I’m a young queen! Haha! I’m thankful for my background in performance, because that’s helped me so much. Tell us about that background! Well.. .I used to be an opera singer, got my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Opera Performance. Then I decided to switch to musical theater while auditioning for young artist programs. I did a lot of local and regional theatre in Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area, gigged with Disney for stint. This is part of my many lives that I mentioned earlier. God, I’m so old [laughs]!  The word is "seasoned!”

Ha! I’ll take it!

What was your first drag performance like? Shug’s first performance was so fun! It was a talent show for a local running group. I grabbed two of my closest friends to dance back-up, I mixed and recored vocals for the number and sang live.  It’s Shug’s signature number, but I rarely do it: “Land of Lola” from Kinky Boots, but I changed it to “Land of Shuga!” It’s somewhere on YouTube with like 10 views! Soon to be 11! So, what's the best thing about doing drag for you?

I think the best thing about drag for me is that I’ve finally found something that brings all of my creative forces together in one place. For the first time, I feel 100% comfortable artistically. I’m a perfectionist, and am always worrying about what it is that I’m doing, even while I’m doing it. And as Shug--I mean, I still am a perfectionist and I still worry about what I’m doing, but when the time comes to just do it and she takes over, and I stop second guessing myself and can just be present in my art. It’s incredible and I don’t take it for granted!

Okay, as always this gurl is booked, so let's talk gigs. First of all, I see you're guesting for Zalika Parsons’ and Bella Noche's show at the Rosemont on Sunday. That seems to be the new hot place in Brooklyn, have you been there before?

I’m nervous, cuz my passport expired. You need a passport to get there, right? [Laughs] It’s so damn far! I don’t go out to Brooklyn much, but that is going to change. I love the scene out there, and the BK girls are fierce and I want to be a part of that! It’s important to me that Miss Shug is a versatile kween. 

As far as The Rosemont, I haven’t been out there yet, and I am hella excited to go out and support my friends Zalika and Bella! These girls are fun, talented, and making waves! I can’t wait!

I kinda feel like, with your generation of drag queens, "Brooklyn v. Manhattan" isn't really a thing anymore... everyone performs everywhere! Do you find that to be the case? I totally agree. I don’t see a BK vs Manhattan thing at all. What I’ve noticed about the New York queens is that everyone is super supportive, and we all genuinely want each other to succeed! And I definitely see that within the new upcoming queens also. Now don’t get me wrong, we are slinging each other shade left and right, but it’s all in love!

I'm happy that you're part of the EDEN collective of nightlife luminaries that throw some of the best damn parties in the city. You'll be performing at their Zodiac: Age of Aquarius bash on February 10th at the Hudson Terrace. What do you think it is about the EDEN brand that makes it the Ticket? Yes! EDEN has been incredible, and so much fun! I’m living for these Zodiac themes this year, and am excited to be involved in the first production number to kick off EDEN 2017. I think what makes this brand the ticket is that they are trying to switch things up when it comes to gay nightlife. It’s not just a DJ and a dance floor. The themes encourage people to get dressed up and excited about the events. I love the incorporation of art, there’s always cool unique art installations. I started selling my baked goods there a few parties ago, and they always have sick pop-up performances. EDEN is giving you an experience and people love that! WERK, baked goods! 

Yas Miss Shuga Cain is a baker, henny! So if you children need cakes/cookies for bday parties, anniversaries, special events visit my online bakery!

And here's an exciting development... you're new monthly show at the West End debuts on February 23rd! What can we expect from “Shug's Sweet Drop?” YES! I am thrilled to join The West End family, and can’t wait for Shug’s Sweet Shop to debut! You can expect to get to know Miss Shug and her talents intimately! HA! Not like that! I meant that I’ll be debuting my singing abilities much more. I’ll have a special guest each month, we’ll serve you shows, games, and me on that mic! Lord help everyone when I get to telling stories! It’s a show that I always envisioned having, and The West End is a perfect venue for it. Think “variety show,” on a very intimate scale! Oh, and complete with candy, of course!

Anything else coming up?

I always have something to plug! Ha! Miss Shug is business women! Be sure to check out my website! You can check out my Online bakery there, My nail shop, and any other side business that I’ve come up with to make them coins!

Oh, and you can catch me February 9th at Hardware with Miss Dusty Ray Bottoms ...

...and February 10th, before EDEN, at Rockbar for Miss Runner Up with Viva Vidalia and Florence D'Lee.

And lastly, just want to say thank you for having me! It’s been so fun chatting with you! And congrats on your GLAM Award! Thotyssey is such an incredible resource for all of us! So know that we appreciate the countless hours of hard work that goes into creating this!! It's my pleasure gurl and thank you! Okay, last question... we just heard a really big announcement! Who is gonna win Season 9 of Drag Race? Oh Lord, I can’t wait! This season is going to be the best one yet, and NYC is reppin’ so hard! I’m so proud of our NYC girls, but I gotta shout out to my girl team Subway Fish! Get on board! Thanks again Shuga!

Shuga Cain hosts "Shug’s Sweet Drop” monthly at the West End on fourth Thursdays (11pm). Click here for a full list of upcoming appearances. Shuga can be followed on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and her website.

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