#i really need an editing masterclass or something

[wouriqueen]

2x06 thoughts - part 3 - Armand & co

He needed a whole section for himself because he's a freak

Masterclass of playing of the victim

"I can't do anything about the coven." "I'm protecting myself from Daniel Molloy." He's so funny and evil. The audacity the manipulation the lies. It's to the point where I might have to subscribe to the idea that he's got to believe some of what he's saying. Otherwise it's too big.

Armand and Claudia

"Thank you for never treating me like a child" + Claudia apologizing to Armand... Despite her fear of being put aside by Louis for Armand, and her resentment at Louis endangering her for the sake of his relationship with Armand, Claudia has always made sure to show respect for Armand and his position. She did her job. She spoke up respectfully. Stuff she didn't even owe him considering he strangled her and threatened to kill her over literally nothing. She went to him to get approval for turning Madeleine. When they meet again with Madeleine and Louis, she apologizes to him for the conflict he went through with the coven, even though that was mainly about Louis, and even though it started way before she even had any idea of turning anyone or going anywhere.

And right after that apology he lets her get kidnapped and killed. Just like her apology to Lestat was met with ugly mockery and eventually assault :(

"She's worth having" not the objectification.

"You'll come together again" (about Louis and Claudia) I know he believed that and I know that's why he let her die. Because he didn't want that. I know it.

"It's forbidden, Claudia doesn't want his (Lestat's) blood" Says the guy who called her Claudia de Lioncourt!!! And he's so disrespectful, saying that to Louis' face even though Louis was there when he called her that (and I liked that he defended her). Now you respect her wishes to not be associated with Lestat?

There's so many more hypocritical moments in general but I might just list them in another post.

Armand and Louis

Louis sick and tired of "Yes, Maître" My absolute favorite scene is at the park when Louis asks Armand to witness Madeleine turning, Armand tries to turn it into a "Maître" situation, and Louis immediately shuts down. He does kind of play into it with a nonchalant order but he also makes it clear he dislikes it. He just wanted to ask his boyfriend for a favor... He's already tired of having to play that game every time he asks for something that matters to him and they haven't even left Paris! Armand apologizes, but does he truly understand?

Not to mention, given the nasty looks Louis was throwing Madeleine before the bite, I'm sure he felt lonely. Having Armand by his side would have eased the feeling of loss (as Claudia said, "to get something you must lose something" but what he was getting didn't show up).

Armand moving in. I know Claudia herself wasn't really living at the apartment anymore but the way Armand moved in as soon as she left town aghdjshuis

Daniel spelling it out. Too bad that it had to be done that way for people to get it, but I'm glad Daniel pointed out how Armand's submission to Louis was only when it was convenient to him. It was always obvious. Hopefully the bad discourse around it dies down!

Armand, Louis and Daniel

Vampire apologies and dubious alliances. Armand apologizes to Daniel for the memory edit. He has to be prompted to apologize about the attempted murder. He does not apologize for the torture. Daniel is holding onto the shared outrage and the connection he found with Louis earlier, and at first they're kind of a team, but in the end it's not quite going as planned.

Poor Daniel is about to find out what it really feels like to sit on the outskirts of Louis' relationships. He better re-read those diaries for reference...

Vampire hackers and the Talamasca. WHAT is going on with that though? Armand asking about the suddenly encrypted laptop means he regularly snoops around in there, no? And why is he asking Rashid about Daniel's outing as if he can't read both their minds. He knows for sure. But why not just come out with it?

Anyway those were my thoughts, I loved the episode.

2x06 thoughts - part 1 - Madeleine & co

2x06 thoughts - part 2 - Claudia & Louis

[luciuscodedswedeboy]

tbh I think the writers just didn’t pay attention to the show they ended up writing and instead stayed focused on the show they thought they were writing.

Neil Gaiman has a great bit in his MasterClass about how you need to read through your story after you’ve finished your first full draft to see what the story is really about. Then you go back through in editing and punch up the bits where it’s “about” and remove or alter the bits where it’s not “about.”

So what happened in OFMD S2 isn’t something that’s strange or uncommon. There’s endless cases of episodic media where the writers lost track of their characters and their motivations and instead focused on achieving the plots or scenes they originally wanted. In some cases this feels strange, especially when the writers don’t change from iteration to iteration, but in this case it makes perfect sense.

Because the writers didn’t create these characters; the actors did.

Every actor was given the task of creating their own character and backstory during their audition. Even the established characters (Ed, Stede, and Izzy) were said to be fundamentally altered after the actors were cast because of how the actors breathed life into them. If you look at the original pilot script, almost none of the characters are recognisable as the characters who ended up on screen.

So I don’t think all of the OOC actions and dialogue and hand wavy motivations this season were truly intentional on the writers’ parts; they just weren’t paying attention to who their characters became or what their show ended up being about.

To be honest, it feels like we are a crew being led by season one Stede Bonnet, who purports to be all about kindness and care for his crew but only shows care and concern in the ways he thinks they want, based on whatever it is he would want.

This misalignment of needs and wants between the captain and his crew is the one of the core conflicts during S1, so in many, many ways it’s shame that the writers didn’t review their finished story after S1 aired to see what it was truly “about.”

[thedevillionaire]

masterlist, the new and improved version

💝 all my stuff is here 💝 alrighty, since that link is fine via browser but only works approx 50% of the time on the app, fics are also findable via the tag #cerbia

and in case of (insanely appreciated) interest, vanilla content lives here (my sideblog) ETA: I've now also included everything the above link is supposed to take you to under the cut. Hopefully the app will be happier about it. 🤞💕

supernatural soap opera fics, chronologically with most recent at the top (their chronology, that is, not the order I wrote the fics.) links that maybe the app won't be so moody about below.

Held, Responsible - He’s better, but, uh, not really. Short, sweet, semantics.

Gifted - Just a soft little domestic moment

Where The Heart Is - A prompt! Wherein they’re sort of fighting, kinda

Something More Unusual - Cerberus working with Ice, Kia flirting with snzfuckery

Illusionary - Thunder is a cliche and Kia’s fashion choices are suspect

The Twentieth - Happy anniversary, sweetheart

It’s No Secret - Specialty cooking and an oncoming cold

Home Truths - A very brief but significant moment in time

Four Days, Mostly - Okay this one is mostly just horn

Consequences - A little hot and heavy, a lot cold and wet

Chosen - She’s been away. He’s been unwell.

Much Better - Not a good day in the Sorcery department

A Masterclass in Inconvenience -  He really doesn’t like having a cold

Unguarded Moments - Sick, drunk and medfucked, my beloved

Invasive Species - Demonics Office, allergy edition

Icestruck - Cerberus takes magickal damage, some aftermath

Surrender - Intro piece, sort of, and the risks that woodlands pose

What Goes Around - It’s mirror world! Featuring Cerberus in the caretaker role

Best Served Cold - Least relaxing sick day ever. (Also some softness though)

Exordium / Panacea - The first time he gets sick once they’re a couple

Discovery - Third date, first encounter with the dust allergy he doesn’t have

The Answer - Necromancy isn’t flirting

Ice Cold Emerald - Angst and well before Kia; he’s sick and betrayed

incognitos

and there will your heart be also

sensoria

love conquers all

fire and ice

needs must

understanding

sanctuary

eye of the beholder

better than you know yourself (Now with GORGEOUS art courtesy of the incredible just-a-nervous-bean)

snapshots

blessings in disguise

soft places

dust

poetry

bless you, sweetheart

heat

wordless

Green Fire (nb: not snz, though it is about Cerberus, so there’s that)

visuals

a soft couch moment

snuggling and stifling

morning hours sick and tired

intro bed moment

Cerberus in Artbreeder (my avatar) and also in vanilla here but by me this time

Kia in Artbreeder and Picrew

Absolute gorgeousness Cerberus art by the amazingly talented mimikusu

Raven and Cerberus Have Tea (and Plot to Kill Someone)  - a collaboration with the fabulous evilfloralfoolery

parts 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8

The Crimson Charisma (vanilla fics - link to sideblog)

Something Quite Unusual - Cerberus and Kia first meet

[alertarchitect]

So! A new Doom game got announced!

Here's the trailer for those interested, it will help with what I'm about to go into:

As a bit of a Retro Throwback Shooter Shitter myself, I have some Thoughts. Read on if you're interested.

So, first of all I like the premise of exploring the time the Doom Slayer spent fighting demons alongside the warriors of Argent D'Nur. It's a time period that was purposefully left pretty damn vague in Doom Eternal, and the Slayer's lore before waking up again wasn't even really talked about much - if at all - in Doom 2016 from what I remember, since they were trying to play it a little safe due to Doom 2016 being a soft reboot of a series that hadn't gotten a new game in 12 years at that point, with the last title (Doom 3 and its various editions that attempted to improve it a bit) being a pretty big departure that had a wealth of issues, such as it being a Doom game with one of the worst shotguns ever put into a shooter. So it's a cool idea to explore this time frame of the Doom Slayer's history, and possibly show the events leading to the Slayer's imprisonment in Hell before he was rediscovered and subsequently awoken by Samuel Hayden in Doom 2016, including the Makyrs' fall from grace.

Second, I'm actually kinda hyped to see id Software still working on making retro throwback shooters. I was worried they'd get shuttered and their IP sold off after Rage was such a flop back in 2011, and they didn't make anything after it for 5 years until Doom 2016 came out, so it's nice to see they've found their groove again - making some of the best examples of the retro throwback shooter subgenre. Doom 2016 started the BoomShoot Renaissance, and Doom Eternal is still one of the best examples of the genre, mechanically. They are masterclasses in using an old formula while keeping the level design and visuals fresh with modern game design principles that have improved a lot since the 90s, along with new game mechanics to keep the moment-to-moment gameplay feeling fresh as well (such as the weapon / stat upgrade systems, the movement abilities you get in Doom Eternal, etc.). Seeing them pushing that even further is a treat to behold, and I'm confident it's going to be a pretty damn fun game, as long as it doesn't get forced into being $70.

Final point, though, is a bit of a downer for me personally. Why in the fuck are they making a game in the Doom series that's going for a more medieval-ish feel, when the Quake franchise is right fucking there and begging for a better modern entry than goddamn Quake Champions?? Seriously, making a Quake game calling back to the first game in the franchise - with the Lovecraftian inspirations, the more medieval-ish setting, the unique monsters like the Shambler you didn't see much of past Quake 1 - would be a fucking money printer. But no, Microsoft wants them to play it safe so they can get a guaranteed blockbuster because Quake Champions hasn't done very well since it came out of early access in 2022, which is definitely a fault of the Quake franchise not having any consumer interest and 100% for sure not because Quake Champions pivoted into being a fucking hero shooter trying to emulate the feel of old arena shooter deathmatching!! It's not like a soft reboot wouldn't be sorely needed after the goddamn disaster of a story that was the Quake 4 campaign! It's not like a modern Quake game that actually relies on having a fun weapon sandbox instead of relying on taking your opponents off guard with fucking superpowers on cooldowns is something the fanbase they're trying to pander to would nut in our fucking pants over or anything!!!!

TL;DR: This game looks really good and fun, and I like to see id is still making banger games, but I'm actually kinda angry that they'd rather make a Doom game with medieval vibes rather than using that other fantastic retro shooter IP they own to make something that kind of vibe would actually fit into better.

[sinceileftyoublog]

Black Belt Eagle Scout Interview: Expanding My Vulnerability

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Katherine Paul began the Black Belt Eagle Scout set at Pitchfork with whispered singing. As “My Blood Runs Through This Land” progressed, the song a standout from their third album The Land, The Water, The Sky (Saddle Creek), Paul’s singing transformed into a wail, albeit muted by her own guitar distortion and Camas Logue’s mighty drums. Fittingly, Paul’s voice never seemed like it was at the center. It was there, telling her stories, but always equal in sonic and emotional importance to her surroundings. Sometimes, the neighboring elements were symbolic, like the guitar solo of “My Blood Runs Through This Land”, “emulating [her] ancestors running,” as she told me at Pitchfork. (Paul is Coast Salish/Swinomish, raised in the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in LaConner, Washington.) Other times, they were perhaps coincidental, as when she sang about being “engulfed by beauty” on “Don’t Give Up”, right as her singing was overwhelmed by the swirling of Logue’s drums, Nay Wilkins’ bass, and Claire Puckett’s guitars. No matter what, the set was a masterclass in tension and ultimate expressiveness, the songs exponentially louder than their studio versions. With every repetition of “Need you, want you” on Mother of My Children’s “Soft Stud”, the guitars bellowed with mammoth force, the crowd whooping in approval. It was breathtaking.

The Land, The Water, The Sky is inspired by Paul moving back to the Swinomish Reservation on which she was raised, as well as her metaphoric personal journeys. The record contains love songs of varying recipients: her surroundings (“Nobody”), her immediate family (“Spaces”), her local queer community (“Sčičudz (a narrow place)”). This time around, she worked with some notable collaborators on the record, like multi-instrumentalist Takiaya Reed of excellent Melbourne doom duo Divide and Dissolve, who co-produced the album, and Mount Eerie’s Phil Elverum, who sings on “Salmon Stinta”. Though Paul played many of the instruments on the record and certainly led its expanded instrumental palate, its instrumentation and production was not a one-person affair like her previous two albums. Many artists find working by themselves intimidating; in contrast, for Paul, opening herself up to other musicians in this way was a key part of her growth in confidence. Ditto for playing live. “I have a really amazing band,” Paul said. “We’ve grown so much...for most of the year, we’ve been on the road non-stop, so we’ve learned how to work through certain sounds and passages together.”

Paul and I sat outside the festival press tent (as JPEGMAFIA boomed in the distance) to discuss The Land, The Water, The Sky, playing live, her writing process, and Divide and Dissolve. Read our conversation below, edited for length and clarity.

Since I Left You: You have three albums already and a somewhat limited set time. How do you decide what songs to play at a festival?

Katherine Paul: I really wanted to play a lot of the new album, but also bring in some of what I felt are the heavy hitters from my previous album. [Songs] that make the set flow. I tried to put some of the new singles in the set, and some that are the favorites in the previous albums. Since you’re playing to a lot of new people, too, something that keeps the energy up.

SILY: I definitely felt that with what you chose to play. I had never seen you live and wanted to come in green, so I didn’t watch any videos, and your set was definitely louder than I expected, in a great way. There was a lot of play with dynamics and catharsis and release. Are you feeling those emotions on stage?

KP: Yeah, I mean I feel like we kick it up a notch, and I like to rock out. For this show, I played on an amp I don’t normally play out of, and I loved it. I kind of want to get one. I love playing loud guitars. [laughs]

SILY: When you play live, do you find yourself in a similar headspace to when you wrote the songs? Are you trying to channel on stage what inspired you to write them in the first place?

KP: I think about what they mean to me, which is maybe a similar thing. I think about why I play certain parts. When I play “My Blood Runs Through This Land”, the guitar solo is supposed to emulate my ancestors running. It’s raw and beautiful. I think about that and put my feeling and playing into those thoughts. I like to make a connection to what the song means to me when I play it.

SILY: On the record, you did a lot of the instrumentation yourself. Do you find adapting the songs to the stage, with a full band, just as rewarding as writing and recording them in the first place?

KP: I’m still learning. That’s what I’m realizing. Sometimes, my natural instinct is to play them how they sound on the recording, but lately, I feel like I want to put a jam in there. [laughs]

SILY: You played “Don’t Give Up” right before playing “Indians Never Die”. In interviews around the release of Mother of My Children, you were talking about “Indians Never Die” and the idea of always taking care of the land. When you sing on "Don’t Give Up”, “I was only seventeen, I was only seventy,” is that a similar sentiment?

KP: “Don’t Give Up” has a lot of writing about my mental health and taking care of myself, having that knowledge that we’re still growing as people and trying to figure things out, whether we’re seventeen or seventy. That’s what those specific lyrics mean, but I think that could tie into, by taking care of myself, I’m taking care of the connection to where I’m from.

SILY: I also like the phrase on the song, “engulfed by beauty.” It suggests being almost overwhelmed by nature, and it works with the heavy reverb of the music.

KP: Yeah. Being swallowed by it.

SILY: Have you gotten to see anyone else at the festival?

KP: I got to see snippets here and there: Vagabon’s one and a half songs, Weyes Blood, Big Thief, yaya bey. I wanted to see Julia [Jacklin], but I couldn’t. Her set was so short. There was a lot of running around, getting food, getting situated.

SILY: Do you like the new Divide and Dissolve record?

KP: I haven’t heard it yet. I’m waiting for the right time to listen to it. I know it’s out, and I want to listen to it when I’m at home on a walk. When I heard the previous record, I was just gutted. So I want to listen to this one walking around in the woods or something.

SILY: Apart from the specific stories and changes in your life that inspired The Land, The Water, The Sky, is there anything else unique about it as compared to your first two records? And how is it a continuation of them?

KP: There are still those glittery sounds within the pop genre that pop up. The uniqueness comes with expanding my vulnerability as a songwriter, having different people play on it. It shifted my perspective of what my songwriting can be. Before, I was more afraid to take risks and do different things, but now, I feel better about it--almost encouraged.

SILY: Are you the type of songwriter always writing, or do you have to set periods of time for you to sit down and do it?

KP: I definitely have to set time aside to do it. I have so much going on in my life. [laughs] It’s hard to always be writing.

SILY: Is there anything else upcoming for you?

KP: I’m working on a mini tour documentary with Evan Atwood, who did the photo [on the front cover of] the album. We’ll have some live recorded versions and filmed versions on the songs. This coming winter, I’m just going to write music and figure out what’s next.

[gladiatorcunt]

Didn’t know you were a kpop fan babe 😧 Kinda not surprised, but still… Your faves?

“kinda not surprised” erm

(i got into it like around 2015 and i typically go for 3rd gen to earlier when it comes to music, also i don’t interact with any fandoms on social media anymore since i’ve gotten older (and i don’t rlly keep up with the idols themselves) beyond what edits i see or what gets so popular i have to see it on my fyp)

red velvet (my girlies)

loona (haseul could’ve been the baekhyun of loona if they used her properly beyond 1 line)

exo (masterclass in discography and actually being a capital i idol but also mess and mismanagement, arguably a big part of some of their issues is the tension between sk and china, etc.)

vixx (still a fair bit underrated imo when you consider how long they’ve been active, their vocal ability, being known for their concepts, like ughhhhh leo is one of the only idols who i will be like ‘that’s my husband and we have 6 kids <3’ about)

monsta x (very solid discography, talented, rappers that genuinely have something which there a lot of rappers in kpop groups just bc they’re trying to get appeal, still mildly irritated over the wonho thing bc the way companies deal with stuff like that when the idol is innocent is just so annoying. queen is one of the best bsides in kpop history.)

ramble under the cut

honorary shinee (jonghyun is my golden standard male vocalist), boa, snsd, sunmi, btob mentions

unfortunately jay park is cute and i do like mommae, dean’s like one album he did (i didn’t listen to the other one if that even was a full second album), i used to fw hyuna but she’s pissed me the fuck off

fave time out jail ig: bts (just really grew out of being into them ig since boy with luv came out, some of their tiktok fanbase proudly bullying people and how i feel about the quality of their music now (missing house of cards type quality) + the western validation debate + being on tumblr when people made jungkook’s whole personality at 19 yrs old being goo goo ga ga over banana milk and having a noona kink)), nct (the t*eil thing, but imo if people like that want to hide then they will so i think at least some of the members didn’t know, i don’t keep up with that so i’m not sure if any other info has since come out. i believe he did it with how things are rn and as a csa survivor i just feel a bit gross with being overly supportive of them)

and then there is the can of worms that is the group named after colors (another case where imo they were better earlier on, playing with fire >>>>)

i don’t really have any 4th gen faves, i love ateez and i like some stray title tracks (as in random not stray kids lmao) & bsides from groups here and there

i have mixed feelings about 4-5th gen (imo music is not the focus so much as international reach and social media presence), riize (wonbin is so fine though like sm employs pretty boy idols and refuses to manage them properly) and new jeans (i really wished i liked their music because literally everyone else does), ive’s title tracks are pretty solid (i don’t know anything about their bsides), le sserafim is ehhhhhhhh (i think i literally only like anti fragile + they do need to improve technically for me), enhyphen (i will say is the closet to being a fave for me because i eat up their obsessive songs that are apparently about their webtoon???????? and that one jyp cover (i assume bc he was there) bangs, also again they’re fine 😖)

for the life of me i can’t fully commit to aespa but their concept is cool (and the lore should stick to them and not be attached to every sm group imo)

talking about the songs i like & listen to regularly/industry opinions is a different discussion (that i dipped into too much here) i fear so i’ll shut up!!! i could probably get back into it if a company debuted a group and was like ‘안녕하세요! we are D.I.L.F!’ and the members are all at least in their mid 40’s and they groan when they try to bow

[billsfangearring]

Monthly Fandom Faves: February 2023 (ALOTO Edition)

I have Jess/Lupe recs again this month! The hyperfixation continues!

I didn't read as much as I normally do in February because I wrote something like 7.5k words this month and that's approximately 7.5k more than my usual. However, I do have two fics I'd like to highlight in addition to pointing all of you to the collection of Jess/Lupe Valentine's sprint week fics! I'm way behind on reading and commenting but there are some really excellent, creative takes on the prompts in there so I encourage you to check them out. :)

(If you'll indulge a little self-rec, in my opinion this is the best 250-word ficlet I wrote for the sprints week.)

Back to our regularly scheduled programming... fics reviewed below the cut, from longest to shortest:

some of us just had to fight (for even being looked at right) by @talaricula

an ocean of violets by @were-sailing

some of us just had to fight (for even being looked at right) by talaricula

(Jess/Lupe, E, 60k)

Jess and Lupe know too well how the world looks at people like them. But then they meet, and they see each other. This is an exploration of Jess’ and Lupe’s relationship throughout Season 1, as they become friends, get wildly horny for each other, fall in love, and finally do something about it. This fic is as canon compliant as humanly possible, and is built out of a mix of scenes from the show told from their perspectives, expanded upon background moments, and plenty of missing scenes.

I should probably start this little review by 'fessing up to the fact I'm an absolute weirdo who watched episodes 1-6 in September and episodes 7-8 this month. That's relevant because I read chapters 1-6 of this fic in October but didn't let myself read chapters 7-11 until now, because some of us is the ultimate love letter to Jess and Lupe's canon story. I can't comprehend how much careful study of the show must have gone into writing this, because talaricula masterfully weaves together every moment Jess or Lupe is on screen—even out of focus in the background—with introspection and missing moments in a way that feels fresh and fascinating and not like a rehash of canon. Jess and Lupe are both good people trying their best while still being flawed and human, and the POV switches highlight their strengths and blind spots. Queer themes abound, from personal identity to solidarity on the team and community in Rockford and in the history the story draws on to flesh out Jess and Lupe's world. I'm shy but I'll close by saying that the NSFW portions are very well-written and add a lot to the emotional arc of the fic!

She’s angry, in the uniquely tender way that Jess’ anger so often is. It’s like a fire – lethal when aimed at you, warm and bright when wielded for you.

an ocean of violets by weresailing

(Jess/Lupe, M, 6k)

It would be Jess’ first time seeing her house. Jess’ first time seeing her. Lupe stared at her reflection in the blank screen of the TV and wondered how much more time she needed before she might feel ready for it. It's the 80s; Lupe and Jess meet via a personal ad.

Concision and precision of language is something I strive for in my own writing, and weresailing puts on an absolute masterclass in both in an ocean of violets. Every word and punctuation mark is deliberate, resulting in prose that's arresting in its directness and that pairs perfectly with the solitary and repressed Lupe's POV. Lupe's personality and lifestyle are sharply defined within the first few paragraphs, and the brief but memorable hints at her backstory that are sprinkled in throughout the fic make her feel even more real. The churning, visceral knot of Lupe's conflicted emotions about herself, Jess, and their meeting is wrenching and relatable, and the ending holds onto both characters' hope and uncertainty instead of rushing through to a neat happily-ever-after. I was excited to read this as soon as I saw the summary because what a premise for a historical AU, and it blew past all my expectations and then some.

Lupe felt thirty-four and seventeen at once, standing next to a woman in her home and wishing she would come closer, so Lupe didn’t have to be responsible for it.

--

All of my ALOTO fic recs can be found here. I hope you find something you like!

[starlit-hopes-and-dreams]

10. The worst book you have ever read?

11. The best book you have ever read?

16. The book that made you fall in love with reading?

-verkja

(Edited for your reading comfort!)

@verkja, I also love you for the editing :D Thanks for the ask! From this ask game.

10. The worst book you have ever read?

Ooooh boy. I read a truly awful dark romance that was circulating booktok (yeah, yeah, i deserved it lol) called Den of Vipers by K.A. Knight. I regret reading the whole thing, I really do.

But what I regret even more was reading FIVE books in a series I hated because I owned them all in pb and I started it and by god I was going to finish it. That was The Monarchies of God series by Paul Kearney. It might not even have been bad, but I was bored out of my mind, so might as well have been. 😅

11. The best book you have ever read?

Fuck this question² lol

Okay, going with some of the best written (in my poor, i haven't even read some of these in a while, opinion lol)

Also, you get series, and multiple ones at that. Sue me :p

The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemison

Truly a brilliant writer, I have no trouble saying she's a masterclass author.

The Sevenwaters Trilogy by Juliet Marillier

Her writing is just so beautiful, and these books are heartbreaking.

Kushiel's Dart (and all the subsequent books) by Jacqueline Carey

Political intrigue out the wazoo. Great books.

The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

Do I even need to say anything? This man comes up with the most brilliant, inventive, and stunning magic, not to mention his worlds, and the interconnected universe, and... just wow.

16. The book that made you fall in love with reading?

I might be too old for this question; not sure I remember that far back lol. I was getting in trouble in the first grade for reading too much.

I had a subscription to the Babysitter's club books. There was the Boxcar Children as well. And Animorphs. But I'm sure there was something even earlier than that. Surely I didn't teethe on chapter books?? 😅

But Anne McCaffrey hooked me on fantasy with the Harper Hall Trilogy in her Dragonrider's of Pern series. Which is funny considering she is mostly on the sci-fi end of the range, and I generally won't touch sci-fi lol.

[into-september]

MAIN TAG: mlb meta

SHIP STUFF

Put your money on ladynoir, kids

On the merits of imperfection (why ladrien is my favourite side of the love square)

The innage tragedy of ladrien, and why I love it

So here’s the thing: (from the perspective of character growth, reversing the love square makes no sense)

To phrase this better than I did so late at night that it was technically morning: (lukanette is a masterclass in the crucial difference between showing and telling)

The NYC special might’ve sunk lukanette before it ever had the chance to happen

if we’re using “friendship is more important than a celebrity crush” to argue against the love square…

On shipping dynamics within the love square, mainly marichat vs. ladrien

ADRIEN AGRESTE MY BELOVED

Adrien Agreste and the limelight

Adrien Agreste and the question of unmasking

Some speculation about Gabriel’s possible ways out of being Hawkmoth and how they will affect Adrien

To cross your DNA with something reptile (on sentiadrien, because who needs narrative logic when you can have angst)

Being the topic du jour and all (the show has already shown that getting his amok can’t be a ~beautiful metaphor~ for sentiadrien’s freedom)

If sentiadrien is meant to be a commentary on child abuse then someone has no idea how stories work (spoiler: it’s not, because abuse is funny on this show)

SPOILER: I’M A CHLOÉ STAN I GUESS

Ending Chloé’s story as a villain would be a vaste of screentime and that’s why they shouldn’t

This be the verse (let’s just say I’m less than impressed with how early S4 handled the Bourgeois family drama)

Some more Zoé meta

Let’s talk narratological theory to explain why Chloé is an abused child in the text even if the creator insists she isn’t

WHY LUKA ISN’T MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER

Spoiler: Luka Isn’t A Great Character Yet (written in response to some people’s very low standards after “Truth” aired)

In fact he’s so poorly written that he’s pretty much an unintentional parody

Overthinking things (they don’t mean it like that but I saw some uncomfortable sexist themes to Luka’s akuma powers, both times)

Can we please stop blaming Marinette for Luka being a simp

MIXED BAG

Paper faces on parade (comparing and contrasting Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Gabriel Agreste)

On the feminist merits of MLB

The Scarf Came Back (on “Mr. Pigeon 72″ and the meaning of its many callbacks to early S1)

Related: S4 and “Gorizilla”

Jagged Stone is… (a spoiled manchild who’d be an awful parent if he’d stuck around and they were better off without him)

“Gang of Secrets” was underwhelming and that’s a problem

I finally realised where my entire problem with “Gang of Secrets” lies

Right now my main hope for S4 is that I’ll come out of it shipping alyanette like it’s going out of style (this show should’ve put more effort into Alya like three seasons ago)

MLB and the bad rich people

Some observations and a poor attempt at analysing the depiction of wealth in Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir

No, Marinette isn’t a Mary Sue (because I refuse to acknowledge linguistic drift and “Mary Sue” does not mean what you think it means)

Etymology ragepost, MLB edition

This show just can't up the stakes in battle

NOT REALLY META BUT STILL

Chloé should discover Cat Noir’s identity it’d be great

I also really want Felix to become a gentleman thief

What if all the heroes knew everyone’s identities except Cat Noir’s, wouldn’t that be super fun and not at all heartbreaking

My ideas for the Secret Sibling were way better than who it turned out to be tbh

Did you know that I have a tag devoted to Kagami being a fujoshi

Outline of the Hikaru no Go AU someone else should totally write

“Puppeteer 2″ was a microcosm of the Cat Noir-Ladybug-Nino-Alya mess of S4

Marinette is canonically bi in the Norwegian dub

GOING OFF ON OTHER PEOPLES’ POSTS

The Umbrella Scene Redux in the NYC special wasn’t about Adrien falling for Marinette but a foreshadowing of the importance of friendship going onward

Adrien’s pain lies not in unrequited love, but projecting his abandonement issues onto Ladybug

A small but heartfelt declaration to adrigami

When you have to make your characters repeatedly insist that someone is so totally in love, it’s not coming across as totally convincing to your audience

tl;dr I suspect that the reason marichat is so popular and ladrien is correspondingly disliked is about gender roles, actually

On marichat and ladrien and romance tropes

No really, ladrien is stupid and that’s why I love it

The Reveal is supremely unlikely to happen before the deciding battle against Gabriel and if it does, they won’t get together before it anyway

MLB’s got a bit of a genre problem and that’s why the plot cannot ever move

Chloé is the Loki of the MLB fandom and given how much attention the show proper gave her compared to the rest of the secondary cast, Thomas Astruc has no right to be surprised about it

Chloé can’t be Queen Bee again before she realises that she doesn’t need to be Queen Bee to do good things

More Chloé analysisin’: An irredeemable character wouldn’t need a three-episode storyline to explain her reluctant fall for the villain

Some people finding the sentiadrien narrative a healing parable about emotional abuse does not stop it from functionally annulling the actual emotional abuse the show depicted

[eowynn-bagels]

What I read in September

September was a crazy-ass month. Lizzy kicked the bucket, Don't Worry Darling crashed and burned, and most important, I read a ton of movies.

1. All The Light We Cannot See

All The Light We Cannot see might just be my book of the year. As I already talked about this in a previous post, I'll make this quick. All The Light We Cannot See has been described, and rightfully so, as a modern classic. Its unique presentation of its story and masterful management of story threads that sew together Werner and Marie-Laure through their childhood years and the present have cemented it into its position as one of the best books of the 2010s.

Final Verdict: 9.5/10 - Absolute perfection

2. Never Let Me Go

The second book I read in September was Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro. This is my third Ishiguro book, and I have to say - he is a brilliant author. The way he slowly draws you into the mystery of Hailsham, and how it's drip-fed to the reader what Hailsham's true purpose was for, despite the parallel storyline running in the modern day, it never gives away what they're doing, just that Kathy is a 'carer'.

I also went into the book blind, having no idea what it was about. I didn't read a synopsis, I didn't skim it, I just sat down and finished it in one sitting. Never Let Me Go is a masterclass in exposition and the flow of information to the audience. It treats the reader as if they too exist within the world of Never Let Me Go and it works incredibly well. The way it handles its themes, story and characters could not have come from anyone other than Kazuo Ishiguro.

Final Verdict: 8.5/10 - Read it blind!

3. Grand Hotel Europa

TW: Sexual assault

Then, I read Grand Hotel Europa, and it is a letdown. I bought it because it shares a similar title and seemed to share a similar story to one of my favorite Wes Anderson movies - The Grand Budapest Hotel. What I got instead was one pretty good metaphor about Europe, a useless, filler storyline that takes up 2/3rds of the book's material, and a really weird sex scene in which the author has with a 18 year old girl.

What you need to know about Grand Hotel Europa is that it is written as a true story, the author - Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer (one hell of a name) - presents the story as something that actually happened to him (down to the author's name and background). Sure, it's unique, but what makes it concerning is the aforementioned weird sex scene. The girl, Memphis, grew up in an abusive household where she was sexually assaulted. She was then adopted by rich parents and eventually ends up in the Grand Hotel Europa, the main setting and namesake of the book.

After they have sex, and Pfeijffer describes it in awkwardly high detail, she tells him to 'use her real name'. Even if this is fiction, it reads like some bizarre author self-insert fanfic, written as an excuse to jerk off, and somehow made it past rewriting, editing, publishing and translation. Outside of the Murakami-esque sex scenes, it isn't all that compelling. Like I said, the storyline about Clio and the lost Caravaggio painting is intensely boring. The only positive thing about this book is the book's namesake, the Grand Hotel Europa, which works pretty well as a metaphor for Europe in an ever-evolving world, and singlehandedly keeps this from being a 1/10.

Final Verdict: 4/10 - Murakami-esque, but without the good prose

4. Outline

Outline is the first novel in Rachel Cusk's Outline trilogy. I don't really have any strong feelings about it. Despite rave reviews, I don't feel like it says that much or wants to say that much, for that matter. Outline is an interesting, short-ish story about a woman who comes to Greece to teach a writing class, and in doing so meets several other people, who through conversation, are revealed. In the process, we also learn about the main character.

It is elegant and contains some great prose, but offers not much food for thought or discussion, not anything to write home about. Perhaps I need to read the next two books in the trilogy to understand it.

Final Verdict: 6.5/10 - Boring but not in the 'classical literature' way.

5. The Iliad

I also read The Iliad and it is a slog, but in an interesting way. The Iliad tells the story of the siege of Troy, one of the penultimate events during the Trojan War. It is also one of the oldest pieces of literature in the world that's still widely read, clocking in at around 2700 to 2800 years old. It moves like a giant, slow but immense in its proportions. Every chapter intensifies the stakes and every character is given their own motivations.

It's hard to talk about The Iliad without also talking about the censorship of Achilles and Patroclus' relationship. In my edition of the book, published in the 50s, they are referred to as 'companions', and to drive the point home, both take on trophy women. The translators are so insistent that both are straight that there are even addendums in parts where it's made explicitly clear that Achilles and Patroclus are fruity that say, in a nutshell: 'No homo, they're just the best of friends. Guy pals.' However, in modern depictions, most notably Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles, where Achilles and Patroclus' relationship is the main focus of the book, the story works remarkably better. Achilles turning to rage and accepting his fate after Patroclus dies works so much better when you know that they loved each other. It becomes even more of a tragedy than it already is.

The Iliad is an epic that has come to define classical literature, and will continue to stand as the quintessential epic. With themes of fate, love, time and hubris, it stands as one of humanity's greatest achievements.

Final Verdict: 9/10 - Achilles and his ''''Friend''''

[risu5waffles]

Dear Entropy Not (Another Ten) Again

The inexorable march of time waits for no one, and grinds us all to paste 'neath its grubby boots. But, hey! We got another ten levels over here.

i am going to go out on a limb and say this one wasn't playtested. Like, at all. Which, you know, fair, my levels have never gotten the playtesting they really needed; but this one is just a straight up mess. All the jumps are just a little bit off, the platforms can be moved when they really oughtn't, there's almost no clear communication wiv the player. It's a slog from start to finish.

i don't know if this one was part of a contest or something. It's got that AOG up in its name, and that's where people would usually indicate contest entries. This one is... kinda preachy? i mean, i appreciate a nice pro-environment message, but... it just feels kinda weird and half-baked. The level is fine, but wowsers, the music is way, way overloud. i almost feel like i should have turned it down in post, but... i mean, i imagine that's what the creator wanted, and i really don't want to be putting my own edits on other folx's work (barring cutting out loading screens, but that's on the game engine, not creator choice). If you ever wondered, that's why i try to preserve punctuation, spelling, and capitalization in level titles.

A really nice looking level here, and some solid, at times challenging gameplay. A fair amount of mechanical interactions here too, and i always appreciate that. i did feel some kind of ways about the framing device; helping someone loot some other culture's priceless artifacts is... you know... a bit of a lot. Not that i think the creator was thinking anything beyond an Indiana Jones-style hook to give the level diagesis, but... looking at it from over here, and it's not a great look.

i wound up having a really nice time wiv this one. i always appreciate a good Islands themed level, and this one leverages the look well. Gameplay is on the safe side of challenging, where i never really felt like i had to sweat for it, but i couldn't really slack off either. The power-up was simple and fun enough for what it was, which wasn't much, but i'm pretty sure hanging out wiv @hirunda-maxpw has spoiled me rotten in that department.

This is one of those masterclass levels that makes design look way easier than it really is. Seriously, tho', i feel like you could put this into just about any platformer wiv roughly analogous movement physics (so, like, Sonic is probably out), and it would feel at home wiv maybe a few presentation changes to fit the particular game aesthetic. It is so well done, and plays so smoothly, and all in LBP1 no less. The only, maybe, fly in the ointment is LBP physics being what they are, sometimes you might get squished by something falling in an unexpected way, but them's kind of the breaks. If you missed this level, maybe because you started the series later, i highly recommend giving it a shot. It's such a shame that Lockstitch's Vile Anchorage is broken in LBP3, 'cause that one was a real winner too.

We talked about this one on Friday, and nothing's really changed how i feel about it. It's still quite good, and worth a play or two; despite some of the gameplay choices.

Yoooo, Poppywoods, why'd you have to go and put such a nasty gameplay bit right dead center of your cruisy, bright level? Like, i was having such a nice relaxing time, and then i ran into those bouncy platforms, and it was like getting hit in the face wiv a wet fish. Did you do it just for the halibut? Now, i do have to give credit to the creator for putting in a totally superfluous room filled wiv little score bubbles. This is always a worthwhile addition, and deeply appreciated.

Ehhhh.... it's fine. Really. It's fine. It's an homage to the Canyons, and it's got all the Canyons stuff, and it's. Fine.

This is such a charming little level, and i'm not just saying that because Des has been a long-time member of our community (she actually knew me in The Before, if you can believe it. Well, a lot of the LBP-side of my community did, but it's still weird. i... like honestly i can't tell you how lucky i was wiv the batch of folx that'd been in my orbit back then). This is very solidly in that "kinda-sorta natural environment" LBP2 design style i talked about way back when, tho' it does have some little "man-made" flourishes in presentation and material choice that i really dig. Gameplay is pretty solid throughout, and the grappling hook gets a lot of mileage. The grappling up descending platforms in the waterfall section was a really nice touch. All that makes it sting all the more that the promised part 2 never came out.

This got picked up for Team Pick right after i recorded, but before the episode went live, and i'm not going to lie, i was a little salty about that. Shouldn't have been surprised, who ever runs the Level of the Day and Team Picks clearly has their eye on Mackway25, and their levels tend to pick one or the other up. i usually struggle a bit wiv their stuff, 'cause the colour schemes and camera work can make their levels difficult for me to visually parse, but there's enough contrast in choices here that i had a much easier go of it. And i do need to emphasize this one really is a well-done and fun to play level, most of Mackway25's stuff tends to be. i really don't want to take away from their hard work as a creator.

So that's that, and just ten levels away from 100 episodes. Holy shit. i'm... i'm not going to have my level out by then. There's a lot going on in life right now, and to be honest, it's really kicking the shit out of me. There's little joy in my heart at the moment, and it's hard to really spin up the kind of focus in need to build something big. Not that i haven't had ideas, but... half the time i think them out, and, it's like, "risuko, love, it's a bit dark innit? Do you need to, like, maybe talk to someone?"

[jpsportsinternship]

Entry 6

Career Aspirations

Heading into the Sports Media Degree, I wasn’t 100% sure on what exactly it was that I wanted to do. The Sports Media industry was the definite area I wanted to pursue, I just wasn’t sure if that would be commentary, journalism, video editing or something completely different. Now I’m at the very end of the course and I am still very open to all of aforementioned possibilities. Commentary appeals to me as I love the idea of calling sport live and applying your own unique twang to it. My player identification in the AFL is elite and the internship at OEFN has quickly developed my skills to attribute names to numbers & faces at a fast rate.

My video editing skills prior to the course were completely non-existent, whilst my writing skills weren’t bad. Both through certain assessments and the internship, my writing capacity and skills have broadened and strengthened, due to writing many previews and reviews, across multiple sports.

Masterclass 2011

Looking to the near future, I look to continue applying for jobs, but at an increased rate. I have applied for a couple here and there, whilst I’ve been busy with the internship and work. However now I need to focus more on applying jobs I want and a wider range of jobs.

My job search might be more fruitful following the appointment with Holmesglen jobs and skills serives. Ella was fantastic in pointing out how to strengthen my resume and some handy tips on how to word things to balance confidence with non-cockiness. Which was something I asked her about, given I tend to find it hard to talk myself up. Something I learnt through the course regarding importance of items in resumes changing was echoed by Ross & Young (2005), pointing out that the importance and presentation of certain information your resume should change depending what job you are applying for.

Hopefully I can land a job as a writer or digital content creator at a sporting club/organisation in the next 6-12 months. If not, I will keep applying for jobs and keep growing my skills, both sideways and upwards. A goal of mine is to develop a website which incorporates videos, articles, games and quizzes and run it myself and hopefully run it alongside friends when the website becomes bigger. This would be a multi-sport, multi-faceted website. Sports would likely range from Australian Rules Football to cricket, to netball, to hockey.

Late great Ed Sheerer - AP News

As mentioned, whether I am successful in my job hunt in 2023 or not, I will look to expand my skills in all areas, through Youtube tutorials or seeking further advice from professionals.

Further down the track, I aspire to become an ‘expert’ with respect to AFL, cricket, netball or any other major sport. I understand this will take a lot of time and hard work, but I am willing to do what it takes.

Sports Media has very much developed and broadened my skills, grown my confidence in these areas and as a person and helped me realise what I want my career to look like.

References:

Ross, C. M., & Young, S. J. (2005). Resume preferences: Is it really “business as usual”?. Journal of Career Development, 32(2), 153-164.

[paacifist]

dude the tumblr post editor is driving me insane and literally blocking me from editing and or doing basic stuff i ⸺

[moonmaiden1996]

Hi..I'm a new writer and i wanted to ask, if it was okay, if you could tell me how you go through your creative process. I have so many ideas not just for fan fics but for original stories. But I can't seem to put words to paper, y'know. If you could help that would be amazing.

Hi! Of course.

I start with a general concept of a story with a plot line and mind map it out. I am very visual, so I like to create a chart of everything and edit out the thing that might be too complicated or unnecessary. I also like to share ideas with people because I tend to overcomplicate things.

Once I have worked something out, I tend to start writing and editing and refine as I go. Sometimes I start writing and realise I don't like it or it doesn't work. Don't be afraid to change things.

It took me a long time to understand how to get things out the way I wanted them. There are some ready-good writing videos out there. Neil Gaiman did some masterclasses that were really helpful for the overall structure and the writing process.

If you struggle generally to write sometimes I write a skeleton of dialogue and key points and pad it out.

You have to find what works for you. If you need to talk through ideas or help, I am more than happy to help.

Good luck you will do amazing!

[beyondxmeasure]

Annual Writing Review

Thank you to @littleroverlouis @allwaswell16 @brightgolden and @thinlinez for tagging me in this.

1. Number of stories posted on AO3 in 2021: 8

2. Word count posted for the year: 176,210 Total. 166,050 (One Direction) 10,160 (Schitt’s Creek)

Fandoms I wrote for: One Direction, Schitt’s Creek

Pairings: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson; David Rose/Patrick Brewer

Story with the most: Kudos: A Simple Twisted Fate Bookmarks: A Simple Twisted Fate Comments: Freedom Always Comes With a Price

Work I'm most proud of (and why): Freedom Always Comes With a Price because it took me so long to complete. I had so many various obstacles along the way, and it became such a hard story to finish with a really complicated plot line. It made me rethink writing something that size ever again, but I have to remind myself that I essentially wrote a novel in just under a year (and only my second work posted for the fandom), so no matter what, it’s a pretty big accomplishment.

Work I'm least proud of (and why): Longing Like a Searchlight. Although I am very proud of this work, it felt a bit thrown together at the last minute, and I wasn’t able to execute it exactly how I envisioned it in my head, nor put the final polish with editing on it like I usually do. But I’ve got a lot of positive feedback, so that makes me proud. Someday, I will go back and spruce it up a bit!

Share or describe a favorite review you received: “I’ve never seen anyone weave in real life quotes and references so seamlessly. It was honestly my favorite part, so thank you.” I love this because one of my favorite things to do is sneak in interview quotes, fandom jokes or references like Easter eggs and see who notices. It’s always nice to hear about it when they do!

A time when writing was really, really hard: IDK?? Writing is always hard! I have very little time to do it with how much I work and struggle to stay focused with my ADHD, so I can’t think of any specific time except ALL the time! Hahaha. But I have recently discovered deep focus/binaural music on YouTube and Spotify that has been a total game changer for me. I live in my noise-canceling headphones now.

A scene or character that you wrote that surprised you: Almost all of Twisted Fate, mostly because I had a completely different second half planned out and changed it the week before I posted it. Completely scrapped 8k words with 10k new ones in 4 days. Utter chaos! LOL.

A favorite excerpt of your writing: Taken from I Know You Rider (Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone) Louis squeezes his eyes shut. Just as they enter the last tunnel, a firm hand splays warm across his back, long fingers wrapping around his middle to pull him in close. Louis’ arms land easily around Harry’s shoulders. Another hand ghosts across Louis’ neck, thumbing along his cheekbone and closing the distance. Warm breath washes over his lips. His fingertips knead into the supple skin of the back of Harry’s neck, letting the short, blunt edges of his nails scratch gently at the nape, coaxing him on. Their lips press together, hot, wet, and urgent. They’re strangers in the dark, but they find each other with ease and fit into each other’s space as if they’re meant to be there, warming themselves with glowing embers that have grown from a single spark. Louis loses himself in the scent and taste and feel of this boy close against his skin. His head is swimming with desire. Everything in this moment is a blur, a rush to all his senses, but the one thing that breaks through the fog in his mind is that he needs more, more, more.

How did you grow as a writer for this year: Last year my brother got me a subscription to Masterclass, so I used some of what I learned in those lessons. I continued the subscription this year as a gift to myself, so I hope to binge a lot more this new year. I didn’t take enough time to use it, so that’s another goal of mine!

How do you hope to grow next year: See above (More Masterclass) but also, write less and write more. Use fewer words to write better work, but also write more stories… shorter, less involved fics. Conquer my fear of the drabbles and ficlets.

Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc): So many! But off the top of my head, I would say @zanniscaramouche probably because she was such an amazing and patient beta. She gave me tons of great constructive criticism and advice that has really stuck with me and pointed out a lot of my challenges that I can easily spot and fix now. I have noticed my writing has improved a lot just by keeping her tips in mind anytime I write.

Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year: Not that I can think of, but I rarely pull from my own experiences (for plot ideas anyway). But I did recently have an idea for a Christmas fic. I didn’t have time to write that has a lot of myself in the characterization of Louis. Planning on turning it into an advent fic! 🤞

Any new wisdom you can share with other writers: Outlining is your friend! I used to be a ‘panster’ with everything I wrote, and would just start with the beginning of an idea and write. But now I outline everything, even if it’s just rough notes or a semblance of a brainstorm. I have to see my story arc from start to finish on paper before I write. I usually use the ‘beat sheet’ method/template and plot out each idea for that point in the storyline. The nice thing about this is that whenever I get stuck somewhere, it allows me to jump around to another section and always be writing, so I’m not waiting to get out of my writer’s block before I can move forward. At least I’m making progress somewhere. Then I just cobble all the pieces together later and fill in the gaps, if any.

Any projects you're looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year: My Big Bang, Fitness Instructor Harry, maybe my Eroda Fest??, and an advent fic with an idea I had this past Christmas but didn’t have time for, and a few other ideas…

Tag some writers whose answer you'd like to read.

I’m sure I’m tagging people that have already done this or have been tagged. But here goes anyway! Love you all… play if you want, ignore if you don’t.

@twopoppies @chloehl10 @solvetheminourdreams @casuallyhl @soldouthaz @bottomlinsons @2tiedships2 @falsegoodnight @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed @canonlarry @outropeace @itjustkindahappened @softfonds @dehydratedpool @sadaveniren @afangirlfantasy @daggerandrose @herefortommo @queenbeeharry @gaycousinlarry

Happy New Year!