#this meme has been done but list en I do what I want

[thevioletcaptain]

Hi! I don’t mean in any way to pressure you but I was wondering if you’re planning on continuing your fic “fortress”? I’d love to see it continue🥰 again no pressure I just really like your works!

Hi anon! Thanks for the message :)

Despite the hellishly long gap between updates, Fortress is not abandoned, and I do intend to finish it. It's actually pretty high up on my to-do list right now, and will be the next major thing I post once As A Friend is done.

Here's the order in which I plan to post DeanCas fics/updates over the next few months -- with some vague spoiler-adjacent-but-not-really-spoilery details for anyone who wants them:

Chapters 5 & 6 - As A Friend Roughly 35k words in total, split over these final two chapters. This will see Dean & Cas return to the bunker, announce their "fake" relationship to Sam & Jack, and then [redacted because I'm not giving the whole thing away even though you already know it's gonna be a happy ending].

Chapters 8, 9, & 10 - Fortress Roughly 22k words split between these three chapters. Chapter 9 (the during chapter in which Dean is suffering) & chapter 10 (the after chapter which follows the first days of Dean living with Cas after coming home) have been ready for a while, but chapter 8 (the before chapter, which features Robin's party when they were 16 👀 a party which you might recall was mentioned by Cas during the previous before chapter) has been holding them hostage. So as soon as 8 is ready I intend to post all three at once.

Oneshot - Hearts Beating Life (Into Each Other) Roughly 25k words of canonverse fuck-or-die fic. In which Cas gets cursed on a hunt, and you'll never guess what Dean has to do to save him..... lol. It'll probably get split into two or three chapters for readability, but I plan to post it all at once. This is only one final scene away from being complete at this point, but I want to finish As A Friend & update Fortress before I share it.

Chapter 8 - Isosceles Roughly 17k words, because this fic refuses to let me be succinct. Dean & Cas discuss more almosts, the angels make contact, we find out exactly what Sam said to Dean in chapter 4, Claire [redacted] when [redacted], Mary and Dean bond over [redacted], and the search for Kelly Kline picks up steam.

Chapters 3 & 4 - Empty Heroics Roughly 20k words split between these final two chapters. In which there is bed sharing, a plan is formulated, and Nobody Dies. I realize that barely anyone even read the first two chapters of this fic, but I still really like it and want to finish it off, so it's the fifth thing on my to-do list.

Oneshot - As-Yet-Untitled Shrinking Curse Fic Roughly 10k words of canonverse established relationship PWP. In which they've been together for literally three days when Dean gets hit with a shrinking curse that won't wear off for a year, and comes up with a creative solution to ensure that they can still enjoy the physical aspects of their new relationship despite being small enough to perch on Cas' shoulder.

Chapter 1 - One More Chain Does The Maker Make Roughly 10k words, and the first of five chapters. The whole fic should come in around 50-60k words, and it's canon-divergent from 15.06. Featuring a lot of pining, and Dean working on Jesse and Cesar's ranch. I posted about it here if you want to know more!

The final 5 chapters of Fortress & final 3 chapters of Isosceles will come next -- likely to be about another 30k and 45k respectively, based on current word counts and what remains to be written.

At some point in between all of this I also plan to post some updates to The Coda Project (I've written at least half of each coda up to 1.12 Faith at this point, I just need to buckle down and finish them off in order so I can start posting them again), along with a handful of short tumblr prompt meme ficlets I've written recently -- specifically, those based on the following six trios of emojis: [🧪🧛🏻‍♀️💦], [🔮🛁🫂], [🤠🎶🌬️], [🪼👀🎨], [🥬🍅✨], and [🥶😶‍🌫️🤯], all of which ended up being significantly longer than they should have been, hence the delay in posting them.

...aaaand I realize that this is far more information than you asked for so I apologize. But thanks again for your message, and for reading. I hope you enjoy all the updates when they're posted 💚

[odinsblog]

I'm confused. I thought both of them were abusive to each other? So why are we (or the person who tweeted all that) white-liberal-feminism-ing/yasss-queening Amber? 🤔

[re: this post]

Anon, you REALLY need to read that entire thread again, because none of what you just said is what was being conveyed. Like, not even a little bit.

I’m honestly not sure how anyone who actually read the thread could come away with the idea that it was somehow an ode to “white feminism” or “yasss-queening” Amber Heard.

In fact, very specifically mentioned in the thread was the concern about how non-wealthy (and by any logical inference, non-white) women would be harmed if even a famous, attractive, white woman can be so easily pilloried and vilified across various social media platforms:

“Domestic violence experts are scared that this trial will make victims feel less safe asking for help. “I can’t imagine what this might be doing to someone who may eventually want to seek safety and support,” said the CEO of National Coalition Against DV.”

“More evidence that the Depp/Heard trial is scaring other survivors. Dr. Jessica Taylor, a psychologist who specializes in sexual violence and victim-blaming, says victims currently awaiting case hearings are considering retracting.”

“The “mutual abuse” claim is especially troubling, as it frames abuse victims defending themselves, or reacting violently after years of being on the receiving end of violence, as just as bad as the abuser’s behavior. It confuses the actual dynamic at play.”

“If you are a victim who has defended yourself against your abuser, or been violent toward your abuser after being psychologically broken down by them, you are at risk of being arrested alongside them. You are also less likely to feel valid seeking the support you need.”

As I said at the beginning of my commentary in the thread I posted: I’m not a Johnny Depp stan. I’m not an Amber Heard stan. I don’t know them, I don’t daydream about meeting them, they aren’t my friends, they didn’t cure cancer or anything, and neither of them has made a movie so great that I would die on a hill for either one them. My monthly salary doesn’t go up or down if one of them wins or loses the case. But I dO recognize misogynistic MRA tripe when I see it, and that is absolutely what is being pushed in this whole trial.

EDIT: I’m a Black man and I find it qwhite interesting that OP tried to use “white feminism” and “yasss-queening” as a quieting tactic, but please look at what is OP doing - “yasss king-ing for some rich, old, white dude. Depp and Heard are both white. Imma go with the numbers here and believe the overwhelming statistical probability that it is more than likely that it was the dude who abused the much younger woman he had power over.

Anyway, I very strongly encourage anyone who hasn’t done so, to read (I mean actually read) the entire thread.

👉🏿 https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1526939945067286529.html

👉🏿 https://www.patreon.com/posts/66607327

Additional links from Ella Dawson’s thread:

👉🏿 https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/depps-choice-of-virginia-trial-in-heard-lawsuit-shows-strategy

👉🏿 https://www.vice.com/en/article/epxyn4/youtube-tiktok-johnny-depp-amber-heard-trial

👉🏿 https://www.yourtango.com/news/tiktoks-johnny-depp-amber-heard-trial-radicalization

👉🏿 https://www.safehorizon.org/safe-horizon-in-the-news/tiktok-trend-mocking-amber-heard-viral-domestic-violence/

👉🏿 https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/amber-heard-johnny-depp-trial-memes-chilling-effect-victims-domestic-a-rcna28572

👉🏿 https://www.yourtango.com/news/i-stand-marilyn-manson-movement-grows-johnny-depp-amber-heard

👉🏿 https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stephaniesoteriou/johnny-depp-fans-abuse-daughter-lily-rose

👉🏿 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54779430

👉🏿 https://bookshop.org/lists/intimate-partner-violence-and-abuse-reading-list

SN: terfs DNI. You are a much bigger part of the problem than you think, and Ella Dawson is not a fan.

[yavieriel]

@forerussake tagged me in a first lines meme, but I'm terrible at actually fucking finishing things and publishing them, so I'm doing a WIP-inclusive variant.

Rules: List the first lines of the last ten (10) stories you published worked on. Look to see any patterns you notice yourself, and see if anyone else notices any. Then tag some friends. A first-lines meme!

1. He flees the ruins of his body, and darkness encompasses him. Here, actually written and posted in about an hour yesterday.

2. The wind that pushed Melkor’s poisonous fumes back from the battlefield carried an achingly familiar scent of power, shimmering blue in the edges of his vision. Bind, which I have started desultorily prodding at again. There's a much longer but very piecemeal version still unpublished.

3. Olorin had appeared at the gates to Ingwe’s garden that morning, quiet and grave, and Ingwe had known at once that something was deeply wrong, the worry he’d felt since Melkor’s release coalescing into certainty. Manwe/Ingwe with a somewhat different take on their dynamic that my usual. A sequel of sorts to this fic by @gloriousmonsters, though I feel like the premise stands reasonably well on its own.

4. Varda has always loved teasing Ulmo, coaxing him out of his frigid solitude with her warmth and brightness. OT3: The Water Cycle, aka the Varda/Manwe/Ulmo fic. I mentioned this concept to @fireflypersona years ago and I still want to write it, but for now I have exactly three sentences.

5. The destination of the caravan was the court of a petty king who made his wealth selling slaves to Mordor, and so could afford its cargo of rare wines, polished gems, furs and fine linen from Gondor and points further north. I've always been a sucker for the classic premise of "Legolas is captured and enslaved and meets a stranger (Aragorn) who rescues him and they fall in love". I've read a lot of takes on it and always been unsatisfied one way or another; maybe someday I'll actually flesh this out. Very importantly, involves Legolas consensually acting as Aragorn's sex-slave to avoid blowing Aragorn's cover before they can escape, so like... fake dating turned up to eleven+fuck-or-die.

6. There was something different in the forest, something strange. The very long, largely canon-compliant Manwe/Ingwe fic I've been working on off and on for years now, spanning from Ingwe's first meeting with Orome to the War of Wrath.

7. When the evening meal is finished, Fingolfin retreats to his rooms. The practicalities of ruling are done for the day, set aside for rest and, sometimes, the more tender responsibilities of a lord to his people. I have a lot of nebulous feelings about nonsexual elven D/s relationships and fealty kink and occasionally try to work out what I think that would look like by writing about it.

8. It had been an absolutely miserable day at court so far. An Edrahil/Finrod/Barahir fic that I've been cowriting with @absynthe--minded, although it's been a bit neglected for awhile since iirc we hit a sticking point where neither of us were really happy with it.

9. Yavanna speaks to him a soft murmur of concern, the uncertain rustle of branches directing his gaze to the roots of Laurelin spreading across the crown of the Ezellohar, where a mote of gold is cupped within the high ridge of one curving root near the trunk. Another Manwe/Ingwe thing, meant to be a one-shot-ish thing set in the same universe as Pantie by the inestimable and much-missed Emily en Rose. Ingwe visits Valinor for the first time and much to his dismay, discovers that he's an omega by going into heat. Working title: "I'm so sorry Ingwe".

10. Valinor had always had a surfeit of exotic creatures - things that had long since vanished from Middle-earth, or lived far to the south or east of Beleriand, and some that he suspected were merely charming but not-quite-successful creations of the Valar that couldn’t survive without a little assistance. The thing where I've been faffing around with the idea of Finrod/Namo and/or Amarie/Finrod/Namo.

Feel free to ask questions about these if you want more of them, and/or to DM me for the googledocs link if you want to read whatever draft I have and comment on it there.

[scribbledquillz]

My OC as a Companion: Revka

Thanks to @wild-houseplant for the tag in this - I always love memes that let me re-imagine Revka's roll in the world!

I'm slow to this one and don't know who hasn't been tagged, but let's go with @heniareth, @siriskulk, @for-the-ninth, @ashabellanars and anyone else who wants in on it - no pressure as always!

Warden’s Name: Revka Tabris

Race / Class / Specialization: City elf rogue, dual wielding

Pronouns: She/Her

Introduction: While en-route to Ostagar, the Warden and Duncan come across the aftermath of what looks to have been a vicious scrap between two Templars and a bedraggled elf in a camp. The Templars look no worse for wear save some damage done to the weak points in their armor and a freshly bleeding slash across the back of one's leg. The elf, on the other hand, is in rough shape. Her left ear (or what is left of it) is wrapped in hasty, old bandages, her clothes are dirtied and torn, and she's sporting a fair number of bruises, scrapes and wounds of varying severity and age.

When asked to explain what's going on here, the Templars claim the elf is wanted on charges of assault against a member of the Templar Order, as well as aiding and concealing a known apostate. She was arrested in Denerim, but managed to escape and fled the city. They're simply doing as ordered and returning her for judgement, which they hint at will inevitably end with her walk to the gallows, considering this is now the second time she's attacked one of their number.

If the Warden asks Revka to give her side of the story, she doesn't deny anything they said other than who struck first, claiming she was defending herself against their attack of her. She spits blood at the Templars' feet - "Blighted cowards waited til I was asleep."

Recruitment: Duncan will step in as tensions between Revka and the Templars grow more heated, and informs them that she is no longer their concern. He invokes the right of conscription, and claims charge of her in their place. Everyone - especially Revka - looks bewildered to hear this. The Warden is able to give an initial reaction to his decision, and is asked their opinion by Duncan, but ultimately their input doesn't sway him. Revka is taken along with them to Ostagar, and the Templars are sent on their way with a message to their commanding officer of what has happened.

Later on, the Warden has the option to dismiss Revka from the party entirely, but not until the first time they make camp after leaving Lothering.

Where can they be found in camp?: Sitting on a log by the entrance to her tent, either tending to her armor and daggers, working on some mending, or reading a book. If she's reading when the Warden approaches her, she gives an ambient line of dialogue. Either "Maker's ass! Your Mam never teach you it's rude to sneak up on someone like that?" or "Oh, this? This is. Er. This is nothing. I was only- what do you want?"

Companion Quest: Listed as "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" in the quest journal, Revka's companion quest is triggered when the Warden and their party arrive at the shore of Lake Calenhad outside the Circle of Magi.

Regardless of whether Revka is in the party or not, she turns up as the Warden approaches the ferryman, and asks the Warden to take her into the Circle with them. Through dialogue Revka reveals for the first time that the apostate she was charged with harboring was her brother, and that he had been caught and taken to the Circle at the same time she was first arrested. She tells the Warden she needs to see him, to make sure he's alright, even more so now given the whispers they've been hearing about something bad happening in the Circle. The Warden can either agree to bring her along, taking her in with their party, or refuse, and find she has somehow managed to slip into the Circle regardless, encountering her later.

Once inside and after learning just how bad things are, Revka is even more insistent on finding her brother, to the point of reacting with hostility to the Templars' or the Warden's comments that the mages are most likely beyond saving. The Warden can either agree to Revka's pleading to find her brother, tell her they'll look for him if they're able but finding Irving and stopping Uldred / the abominations takes first priority, or refuse, saying it will be a waste of time. If the Warden refuses, Revka will storm through the doors on her own, saying she'll find her brother herself.

If they agree or say they'll try, Revka will continue with the party until they reach the third floor, where she'll comment on having not seen any sign of her brother anywhere. The Warden can either agree to follow her lead for a little while and harden their search for him, or refuse to deviate from the path. Again if Revka is refused she'll storm off on her own to look for him. If the Warden agrees to let her lead for a little while, they ask her where her brother might hide. Revka thinks for a minute, then seems to have an epiphany - "Of course he would. I know where he is, follow me!"

Revka takes off, leading the Warden through the different rooms on the floor (and the various fights inside) until she stops at the last side room before the large chamber. This room has a massive bookcase sat along a far wall, just below what looks like a small alcove set into the stone above it. Revka calls out to her brother, and a young elf boy no more than eleven years old pokes his head out of the alcove, elated to see her as he climbs down. The two rush to one another and embrace each other tightly.

If the Warden refused to help Revka, they find her in the same room with her brother as they explore with him already out of hiding.

However, a complication arises when another form materializes from within the alcove - a pale blue figure in the vaguely feminine shape of a mortal elf. Ceral introduces them as his friend, Hope. Revka is gobsmacked, asking if this is the same Hope he used to speak about back in the alienage, which he says they are. Ceral tells her Hope had found him when his magic manifested, has been helping him learn how to heal people, and protected him when the abominations first appeared. The Warden's reaction to learning of this determines how the quest ends; if the Warden is accepting or relents to the idea of Ceral and his "friend" being allowed to return to the other survivors on the bottom floor, Revka gains an approval boost of +30 or +15, respectively.

If the Warden claims Ceral is an abomination in need of culling, or demands Hope be killed before they move on and refuses to back down, Revka immediately becomes hostile and attacks the Warden along with Hope, and the Warden must kill them both. Ceral runs from the room, and is later found dead in the same chamber as Uldred.

If the former happens, Revka will approach the Warden after leaving the Circle to offer her gratitude. The conversation depends upon where her approval sat prior to Broken Circle, but amounts to her saying they have her gratitude and earned her loyalty tenfold. Revka's approval can now no longer dip below zero, and she will not leave the party under any circumstance (outside of the exception listed below).

Can your warden be hardened?: No - if anything she can be softened.

Gain approval by: Saving the mages during Broken Circle / keeping Ceral's friendship with Hope secret are the biggest boosts to her approval. Other bumps can come from things like -

Giving money to the elf family in Lothering / helping the orphaned boy

Offering to spar with her in camp

Successfully pick pocketing a noble, guard or templar

Killing the slavers in Denerim's alienage

Sparing Avernus and allowing him to continue his research under more ethical means

Helping Dagna convince her father to let her go to the surface

Gain disapproval by:

Being cruel / dismissive in dialogue towards vulnerable people who ask for help (ie the elf family in Lothering / orphan boy)

Keeping the Anvil of the Void intact

Speaking ill of mages / implying mages are dangerous by nature

Desecrating the Urn of Sacred Ashes

Killing an enemy after they've offered to surrender

Setting off traps after she's warned you of them

What gifts would your Warden appreciate?:

Sewing kit

Patchwork rag doll

Fine whiskey (or any other alcohol lbr)

Any romance novels

Throwing knives

Wildflowers

Feast Day gift? (Gain +100 Approval): Embroidered blouse - This blue blouse was clearly made by skilled hands. Beautiful silk thread needlework of flowering vines and songbirds decorate the hem, sleeves and neckline. While far from practical, it would no doubt be treasured by anyone with the knowledge to appreciate the craftsmanship. (Gives +4 to charisma, +2 to dexterity, +2 to willpower)

Feast Day prank? (Gain -100 Disapproval): 1,001 Daily Meditations for Peace of Mind and Emotional Stability, as transcribed by Revered Mother Gotlinda Pleathy from the Maker's teachings - This book is as dense as a Free Marches fruit cake, and half as interesting.

Can your Warden be romanced?: Yes, by any race / gender Warden

Would they be interested in sex?: Yes - but only after the Warden's relationship with her has grown to "love" on the approval scale. Attempts to invite her to the Warden's tent prior to this (or if not in a started relationship) result in a bashful, stammering Revka gently rebuking the offer before making a hasty, awkward excuse and ending the conversation.

Is there a gift your warden will give to their partner?: Yes. Once far enough along in the relationship, Revka will approach the Warden and hand them a heavy folded bundle of dark wool. "Noticed yours was looking worse for wear and... well, no sense in you losing a limb, least not to the cold." Upon inspection, the bundle turns out to be a beautifully made wool cloak, lined with velvet and trimmed with a lush red-brown fur - most likely from a wolf pelt.

How do they react if another companion is being romanced?: If she isn't being romanced by the Warden as well, Revka's reaction to a romance* varies depending on her approval rating - indifferent to mildly annoyed (if said romance results in a lot of gratuitous PDA or ruckus in the camp at night) to approving. High approval results in Revka telling the Warden she's glad they've found someone to spend their time with - "Nothing like a love story at the end of the world, is there?"

If also being romanced by the Warden, Revka will become angry when it's clear they've been seeing another companion behind her back without so much as mentioning it to her. She will end their romance then and there, with no chance to restart it. If the Warden mentions being interested in another companion prior to starting their romance, Revka will ask if they want to end things between them.

If yes, she will agree that it's obviously for the best, then. The romance ends, Revka will take a one time moderate (-10) approval hit, and all future dialogue with her will make it clear she has built a wall between herself and the Warden.

If no, she will tell the Warden they have a choice to make between them. She says plainly that she isn't bothered by their attraction to someone else - but that she herself is not in a place to add extra complications to this... whatever it is they have. Not for now, at least.

*With the exception of Zevran being the romanced companion. If he is romanced by the Warden, Revka will have this line of dialogue: "You and Zevran are... Oh. Right. 'Course you are, why wouldn't you? 'Spose that's what happens when you drag your- never mind. I'm... I'm happy for you. Both of you. Truly."

What companions do they…

Like the most?: Zevran, Alistair, Morrigan, Titan (dog)

Flirt with?: Zevran - it's definitely one sided at the start, but the pair will begin their own relationship if both are left unromanced.

Just get along?: Wynne, Sten

Start a rivalry with?: None

Does Shale have a name for them?: The scowling one

What’s your warden’s opinion on handling the Blight?: "Not much of a choice to it, is there? Either we act the hero and put a stop to it before it's too late, or the horde spills over into the rest of Thedas while Ferelden drowns in taint and blood. Take on all the help we can get from folk who're willing, and sod the rest. 'S no time for worrying over propriety."

What allies does your warden wish to seek aid from? (Would they rather preserve the mages in the tower to gain their assistance? Would they rather assist Harrowmont to get the support of the Dwarves? Etc.): Revka has few opinions on potential allies against the Blight outside of whether or not they're willing to take up arms or give aid. The only instances she will voice an opinion is when dealing with the Circle (she wants the mages - and by extension her brother - saved, regardless of their ability to help) and in choosing the heir to the Dwarven throne. She is hesitant to support Bhelen initially after hearing the rumors of his involvement in his siblings' death, but will acquiesce to whatever choice is made. Especially if the Warden (or Zevran, if the Warden does not choose the dialogue option themselves) points out that murder is all but a pastime when it comes to the goings on of nobility.

Is there anything that would make your warden turn on the party?: Like mentioned above, Revka will become hostile to the Warden if they choose to go through with the annulment of the Circle OR insists that her brother's involvement with Hope is too dangerous to be allowed and both must be put down.

She will also turn on them if, upon confronting the slavers operating out of the alienage in Denerim, the Warden agrees to the bribe and allows her former community to continue being shipped off to slavery in Tevinter.

What do they do following the Blight (if they had an Epilogue Card what would it say)?: "Revka remained with the Warden throughout the weeks which followed the battle of Denerim, taking it upon herself to ensure the Alienage was given resources enough to aid in their rebuilding efforts. Once certain her former neighbors' lives had regained some semblance of normalcy and word came of the Warden's promotion to Commander at Vigil's Keep, she informed them she would take her leave of the city the next day*. She would rejoin them in Amaranthine a month later, turning up with her brother Ceral in tow - permitted leave from the Circle as a favor for the service the Wardens had provided during their troubles." *If in a romance with Zevran, he will join her on her travels to the Circle to retrieve her brother and on to Amaranthine.

❗️Special Events❗️

Mage Tower: What vision is created to trick your warden while in the fade?: The Warden will find themselves outside of a small house - well maintained but clearly not belonging to a family of great means. When they knock on the door, they are met by a familiar looking elven woman with dark skin and long, coiled hair pulled back into a simple plait. She greets them warmly, saying they've come at a wonderful time - she has a lovely bolt of velvet that would suit their complexion just perfectly.

Regardless the Warden's reaction, she invites them inside where they see Revka across the room at a table laden with a pile of mending. She is wearing a simple linen dress, apron and an easy, contented smile they've never seen on her. She greets them as well, telling them she'll be with them in just a moment to take their measurements. "You're in good hands, you know. Mam is the best seamstress this side of the Frostbacks."

Haven: What does The Guardian say about your warden before beginning the trial?: "You made a promise to your mother on her deathbed to do what was needed in order to protect your young brother. But when the magic in his blood made itself known, you did everything in your power to keep its existence hidden. Tell me - did you truly believe yourself more capable of protecting him from the dangers of his gift than those within the Circle? You, an elf without a drop of magic in your veins or the knowledge of how to control its will? Or did you allow your selfish fear of losing the last living member of your family to the Tower's walls to cloud your judgement?"

What is their reaction to finding the Urn of Sacred Ashes?: *in a reverent voice* "Maker's breath. She was real." *Revka drops to her knees, hands fisted on her thighs with her eyes unblinking as she stares at the urn, voice a quiet mutter* "Sweet Andraste, bringing of light, merciful bride of the Maker - forgive us our trespass here in your place of rest. Grant us your grace and your blessing for the path we walk, so that we might push back the darkness that has fallen on our home."

Denerim: Does your warden have any parting words before the final battle with the Darkspawn?: "Happens in all the best stories, doesn't it? One last battle for the fate of the world, and the heroes trying to save it. We've done all we can, all that's left is the end. Whatever it turns out to be, good or bad - know I'm glad to have been a part of it with you. Now, let's send these blighted bastards back to the Void where they belong, shall we?"

If they can be spoken to after the battle during the celebration do they mention what they’re going to do next?: Yes. Revka tells the Warden her intentions to help the Alienage rebuild, and that she has a letter to write to Ceral - he'll be wanting to know she made it through alright. She mentions wanting to go back to at least see him, maybe find a way to bring him along to Amaranthine when she joins the Warden there. If the Warden comments on her mentioning joining them, she tells them of course she's bloody coming along. Not as though the taint can be reversed, is it? The Alienage isn't home any more, and she might as well make use of herself. "'Sides - can't let you have the fun of squabbling with nobles and training new recruits all to yourself, can I? Who else would you have to winge about all of it with over a pint? Alistair? *scoffs* Man can't hold his drink if his life depended on it."

Awakening: Does your warden return to help at Vigil’s Keep? Or does a letter arrive to the Keep to just check in?: Yes. True to her word, Revka arrives at Vigil's Keep to assist in the day to day operations, and is there at least through the events of Awakening. However, when word comes of the Chantry explosion and the fall of the Kirkwall Circle, Revka takes her leave of Amaranthine. Occasional reports during the build up to the Mage/Templar war mention a sighting of a young elven woman fitting her description traveling in the company of a young curly haired boy, though she is never seen in the same place twice.

[villa-kulla]

Fic Writer Review

Tagged by @fontainebleau22, thanks for the tag, sorry for the delay!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

26 at the moment.

2. What’s your total AO3 wordcount?

722 309. I’d have thought it would be more considering how long some of mine seem to get, although looking at other people’s answers to this meme, I guess 26 isn’t really a huge number!

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

My first fic ever was a little Lord of the Rings experiment for an exchange thing. But my first proper dip into writing for a fandom would have been Breaking Bad, where I wrote for a couple of years before it felt like my ideas had run their course. Then there was a Kingsman fic, and then Mag7 where - similarly to BrBa - wrote feverishly for a couple years until it felt like the well had been plumbed. Oh yeah and then jumped into the Marvel fandom to drop one Marvel fic before immediately jumping back out lol.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

So the Marvel fic has officially just become my most kudoed fic, which is kind of hilarious considering it was a SUEZ! CANAL! FIC! But in my opinion, a good one lol. So yeah, it would be 1. The SamBucky Suez Canal fic, 2. The Kingsman soccer AU, 3. Desert Sand, 4. Chisolm’s 7, and 5. Blue Devils. That last one surprises me, but I guess it was an early one for the fandom, so I think it became an automatic read.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not

I do! It’s possible I’ve missed some here and there, but generally I try to get them all.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I don’t think any of them! While my fics definitely include angst, ideally it’s still in a fun way, or at minimum, bittersweet? I don’t generally want the last taste in a reader’s mouth to be angst. ALTHOUGH. I really really wanted to include an epilogue to the selkie fic that’s kind of angsty. Basically the story would end, but then many years later we’d see an old man get off a bus on the coastal road, carrying a suitcase. He’d be wearing a suit, clearly back from many years travelling. He’d walk to the coast, back over a hill where there’d once been a little fishing cottage, long since torn down. He’d walk down to the beach and into a little cove where he’d kneel by the water he knew better than anyone. Opening the suitcase he’d take out a box which he’d then empty into the ocean, ashes spreading across the water. He’d take out a folded bundle of cloth and wrap it around his shoulders. Then he’d dive into the water, disappearing into the waves, leaving nothing but an empty suitcase behind him, and a folded pile of clothes.

I loved that ending but I’m still not 100% sure if it was keeping in tone with the actual ending, so I left it out. Maybe one day I’ll go and add it as en extra chapter snippet.

7. Do you write crossovers? If so what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I don’t know if I’d call them ‘crossovers’ exactly, although I did stick Goody and Billy into a Some Like it Hot ‘jazz band on a train’ situation, and I also did a Breaking Bad one that used some elements of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Those feel more like ‘AUs’ though. I like situational crossovers, but I’ve never been super into fics where characters from different fandoms actually interact.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Thankfully not. The most off-putting comment I’ve gotten was someone who - despite being very complimentary - decided to make a full-on laundry list all the anachronisms in a chapter lmao, like what. Stuff like "interesting that this character used this expression when XYZ would only been invented 10 years later!” etc. I’m positive they didn’t realize how it came off, but still, that was kind of hilarious in its.....obliviousness lol. It was special.

9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I do. And I guess I’ve done the full spectrum of ‘fade to black’ to ‘describe every bead of sweat in pearlescent detail’. It really depends on what the fic calls for! I’ve done some I’m quite proud of tbh, but there are others I’d like to go back and have another stab at, just because they felt kinda cookie-cutter.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

There’ve been a couple! I can’t remember which ones specially, but I had some people asking to translate some Breaking Bad ones, and I think a Mag7 one too. I remember someone messaging to ask permission like “We love your fics in Russia!” and that was a very sweet and wild thing to hear.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes, I wrote one with @yoporkchopsandwiches! Our Victorian opium dens Breaking Bad AU lol. I was just thinking of that recently actually and remembering how fun it was to read what the other wrote! We plotted out most of it together, and then took turns writing chapters or scenes. But of course while writing you come up with other details or ideas, so we’d then present the new chapter to the other with all the new bits added. And it was so fun to read what the other came up with like ‘omg no way didn’t see that coming/good idea!’ and then picking up their idea from there. In that sense it was almost like improv but for writers.

13. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

That I’ve written? I think I’ve had the most fun with Goodnight/Billy, partly for the time period, partly for the dynamic, but mostly for the plausibility. While I really enjoyed writing BrBa, it felt more like it came from enthusiasm for the show, not the central ship lol. Don’t get me wrong, the chemistry and its potential was extremely fun to write in a fic setting, but I don’t find I actually shipped it while watching the show itself. Whereas it’s been nice with Mag7 to write for a ship that’s actually....more believable lol. 

14. What’s a wip that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Ugh I can’t beLIEVE I have an unfinished fic up on ao3 lol it haunts me. I was sure I was done with Goodnight/Billy, and then early quarantine last year I had a train robbers AU idea, so I posted a couple chapters. But I don’t think my heart was super in it, I was more just messing around with the idea. I don’t want to delete it, but I’m also not super motivated to finish it haha, but we’ll see what happens. But tbh I like the poem summary better than the fic itself:P

15. What are your writing strengths?

Plotting, keeping things moving, and making stories feel visual maybe? They’re almost all movies in my head anyways, so I think I have good instincts for ‘cinematic moments’.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

I think I’m a little lazy, and also ‘end-product oriented’. In some ways it’s helpful to picture the whole fic before you write it, but sometimes it results in some scenes feeling slightly slapdash because I’m just trying to get them out to move onto the next. Like ‘everyone did everything I wanted to in this scene? Great, next.’ I could stand to ‘stop and smell the roses’ more while I write, and actually see what else I can do to improve a scene.

(also if I use a word once it sticks in my head I end up using it like 5 other times in a scene and don’t notice lol, I need to stop that)

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

All for it! Depends how it’s done though. I personally find long scenes of dialogue where you have to constantly jump down to the author’s notes for the translations to be distracting. I like when it’s integrated more naturally where actual translations aren’t super important. Like in River Grit, Billy overhears this little exchange between Goodnight and his childhood nanny:

“Ah c’est vrai, mon petit Bonsoir! J’en peux pas le croire!” she cried out and laughed as she embraced Goody. Billy realized with a start that he actually recognized one of the words: ‘Bonsoir’. Goodnight. (insert brief flashback of Goody teaching him the nickname) / “Ma Serafine,” Goodnight said with a laugh. “C’est vrai que tu ne vieillis pas. Tu vas me rendre jaloux, heh?” / Billy had no idea what Goodnight was saying, but he sure as hell recognized Goodnight’s tone for flattery, and it was confirmed when the old woman laughed and smacked his arm.

What they’re actually saying is: “Oh it’s true, my little Goodnight! I can’t believe it!” / “My Serafine, it’s true you never age. You’re going to make me jealous”. But it doesn’t matter because this fic is from Billy’s POV so it’s about how he experiences the language around him, which is why I wouldn’t have included a translation for the reader. If you understand it then it’s a bonus, but the words themselves aren’t really the point! 

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

That lil Lord of the Rings fic.

19. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Hmm for Mag7 I’ve always liked River Grit and love how it turned out. I also think Ashes feels very complete as a fic and I liked the flashback format. And while it’s not my favourite fic, in hindsight I’m impressed with the Kingsman football fic and how I had to write about 5 different soccer games and make them all feel different and exciting, and not just some variation of ‘He kicked the ball!’ I’m really pleased with how those sequences all turned out.

La fin! Not tagging anyone this time, but please feel free to do this if you see it! I love when people just take initiative to do these things without waiting for a tag (also please tag me in it if you do, ‘cause I love reading these things lol)

[kamiyu910]

All right, @the-defiant-pupil��, I’ll see what sort of research paper I can throw together here concerning Corona-chan.

Right now, we’re going on fatality rate based on known/confirmed cases. This global fatality rate is currently at 7.1%, with 3,253,181 confirmed cases and 233,014 deaths. We’re still lacking a lot of data, such as China withholding so much, and with other countries only testing those with symptoms while ignoring the high percentage who are asymptomatic.

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

Antibody tests are now being used to tell who has had the virus, and to see if they’re actually immune to it, which would allow them to go back to work. This also allows us to see exactly how far Corona-chan has spread, and this data is being used to show a slightly different picture for a mortality rate, since it helps identify those who were asymptomatic. Countries that don’t count asymptomatic people show a might higher fatality rate because they only count the people who seek medical help.

https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-antibody-tests.html

In the US, there are still places that are barely testing, and only testing those who show symptoms, such as the largest county in the country, the San Bernardino County. Currently, we’re listed at 2058 cases, with only 93 deaths, putting us at a 4.5% fatality rate. We cannot take that at face value, however, because even those with mild symptoms are being turned away, and those with no symptoms are being ignored. Out of a population of 2.18 million, only 20,000 have been tested. That’s 0.09% of our entire population. We’ve known about this virus since at least December last year, it has been in the US for months, yet we lack so much information.

https://sbcph.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/44bb35c804c44c8281da6d82ee602dff

https://coronavirus.1point3acres.com/en

Some sources say the true mortality rate is:

“In the new analysis, the death rate in confirmed COVID-19 cases is estimated to be 1.38%, while the overall rate, which includes estimated unconfirmed cases, is calculated at .66%.”

https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200331/covid-19-death-rate-drops-still-deadly-to-seniors

https://time.com/5798168/coronavirus-mortality-rate/

In this post by Berkeley, they say:

“A comparison of daily deaths in Italy since January 2020 with those over the previous five years there indicates that the fatality rate in that country for those infected with the new coronavirus is at least 0.8%, far higher than that of the seasonal flu and higher than some recent estimates.Extrapolating from the Italian data, University of California, Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory data scientists estimate that the fatality rate in New York City and Santa Clara County in California can be no less than 0.5%, or one of every 200 people infected.”

“The difference, the researchers say, is likely due to many deaths among older people that have not been counted in the official Italian statistics. The team found a much higher fatality rate for those over 70 years of age: In Lombardy, a region hit hard by the pandemic, those between 70 and 79 had a 2.3% infection fatality rate, while those 80 to 89 had an almost 6% fatality rate. Nearly 13% of those over 90 died.In comparison, those 40 to 49 had a 0.04% fatality rate.

In comparison, those 40 to 49 had a 0.04% fatality rate.These differing fatality rates can explain the observed higher number of deaths among younger people in New York City. Because the population there is younger than in Italy, more deaths among young people are expected, despite their lower fatality rate. The researchers predict that about 26% of all deaths from COVID-19 in New York City will be among those younger than 65.

The population of Italy, on the other hand, is older, yielding a higher overall fatality rate for the country’s population: 0.8%, versus 0.5% for New York. Only 10% of Italian deaths will be younger than 65.The team also estimated, based on the predicted fatality rate for those infected with the new coronavirus and the positivity rate for those tested for COVID-19 in New York City, that about one-quarter of that city’s population has been infected with the virus. This agrees with the recent announcement by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of 21% infection.The team’s predicted infection rate for Santa Clara is around 1%, while that for Los Angeles is around 2%, based on current mortality rates.”

https://news.berkeley.edu/2020/04/24/study-challenges-reports-of-low-fatality-rate-for-covid-19/

So if an area has a higher rate of elderly, they will have a higher fatality rate than an area where the population is young. If a rest home gets hit, it will be devastating, whereas if a nursery gets hit, it’ll probably not even be noticeable, though that doesn’t mean they’re immune, there will be a couple of kids who may need hospital care, and the potential for other side effects that’ll become more apparent later on (still waiting for more studies to be done to confirm this). 

There is a lot of fear mongering being pushed on people with all the misinformation out there, and people are actively allowing their governments to become controlling dictatorships out of fear. It is possible to maintain safety measures while opening up businesses so that the economies don’t collapse. We don’t have to go so extreme as to destroy ourselves out of fear. People are going to die one way or another, whether it be from Corona-chan or from a man made famine.

Take the US for instance. Farmers are being made to dump tons of food, perfectly good food, because they’re being told there isn’t a market for it just because certain businesses are closed, like schools. There are plenty of other places that need the food.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-dairy-farmers-feel-the-squeeze-from-coronavirus-as-milk-sales-dry-up-11588183989

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article241627101.html

https://www.chron.com/news/article/Farmers-seek-help-selling-crops-while-volunteers-15238489.php

My milk.... all of that precious milk...

We do not have to go this far, people. We do not have to go to the extreme! This is fucking ridiculous. 

I’ve seen this screenshot going around as well, not sure how accurate it is but if they cut off the supply chain, which is possible, it can be a reality. I’ve talked to more than a few people who have no idea how to keep a store of food to last a few months, and apparently it’s common for people to just have food for a week in the fridge/freezer/pantry. I don’t understand how that’s possible...

On top of all that, the government is overreaching on their control issues, going so far as to turn off electric and water to businesses that refuse to close

https://calepa.ca.gov/2020/04/02/news-release-governor-issues-water-shutoff-order-and-takes-steps-to-maintain-delivery-of-critical-water-services-during-covid-19-crisis/

https://abcnews.go.com/US/small-business-owners-file-suit-gov-newsom-ca/story?id=70365949

Not to mention all of these headlines, like what timeline are we living in that they feel these levels of invasion are necessary? You can fight a virus without going to this length of control! 

Not to mention New York itself, like really?

And while I can kinda understand wanting to prevent large parties from happening, they’re going after single people having a walk in the wilderness and arresting them for it, or going after a couple of dudes on a rooftop having a cold one, even boaters are getting arrested, despite practicing social distancing, yet we’re allowed to still go to the store? However, in some places like Michigan, they even have police checking bags for essential items...

Which, btw, is also a point of interest, as being allowed to buy seeds has been banned in many areas, but lotto tickets are still available for purchase. There aren’t near enough articles detailing all the things that people are slowly finding out are being restricted/outlawed, and honestly, the more I see people calling on some random person taking a lone walk around a neighborhood, the more I think of this meme:

In many ways, I’m more concerned with the government destroying us than the virus. Many governments around the world are taking advantage of this to tighten the leash. This is completely unnecessary. The main reason for the lockdown isn’t to prevent people from getting the disease - it’s pretty much just accepted that we will eventually get it - but to lighten the load on hospitals so we don’t end up overloaded like Italy, where they have to decide who to let die. The Netherlands is reportedly doing similar.

“...in the Netherlands as in Belgium, euthanasia has been applied for years, according to the authorities, “voluntary”. However, in Germany, and in France, Spain and Italy, they have received elderly patients from these countries to be cured, not of coronaviruses, but of anything, because they do not trust the hospitals of their country: euthanasia is not Voluntary, they say, nor is it respected - not infrequently - the will of the person to whom euthanasia is applied.”

https://es.aleteia.org/2020/03/28/coronavirus-dejar-a-los-viejos-que-mueran/

I can understand wanting to ease the load on hospitals, but again, house arrest is not necessary. These measures being taken are too extreme. Some governors in the US have eased up on their restrictions, and the number of cases has not risen dramatically like some people spreading fear claimed. Our hospitals are not being overrun with cases. 

In fact, the number is going down. Plus, look at the number of beds. It doesn’t mean I want more people to get sick, but we have to be logical about this and think about more than just the illness. We cannot keep letting the government say “money printer go brrrr” (not to  mention the insider trading they were doing, like this shit is blatant, the corruption can be cut with a knife)

If we head into another depression, there will be many more millions of people who will die. People in poverty are at most risk for illness in general, and greater health problems, and malnutrition, and they will be the most hit in a depression, obviously. The elderly who get made homeless will basically be guaranteed to suffer badly. We can balance this out so that we can save the economy (as long as it’s not too late) and protect people from the illness as well as keep hospitals from being overloaded. Balance is the best way to protect everyone. I know people seem to have an aversion to moderation for some reason these days, but it really is a good thing here. Balance the needs of everyone.

[shirbertshitposts]

Things you can do to help Anne With An E be Renewed

There are so many different ways big and small you can help in the fight to get Anne With an E renewed. I’ll do my best to compile all the ways you can contribute.

1) One of the easiest ways to let networks know there is a demand for more Anne With an E is to request it on their help page. Request Anne with an E season 4 so they know you want the show to continue. There is also no limit to the number of times you submit requests.

https://help.netflix.com/en/titlerequest

https://help.disneyplus.com/csp

For Disney+ click “Give Feedback” then “Request a film or show” then you can type in Anne with an E season 4

2) Watch Anne with an E on Netflix. Just constantly stream it in the lead up to the season 3 premiere. When the show premieres Jan 3rd make sure you stream the new season that day and in the days after. Not only do we want Netflix to know that the new season has a big audience, but we also want as many people watching at the same time for the show to make it to the “Popular on Netflix” category. New people may be attracted to the show if they see it is popular on Netflix.

3) Write emails to Networks. Netflix and CBC are not the only options when it comes to Networks that could renew Anne with an E, since it seems that the rights to the show are currently owned by Northwood Entertainment the production company behind Anne with an E. Many other fans have done the hard work of compiling lists of emails of network executives. I will provide links to various tweets I have seen with important emails. (of note, most will probably not check their work emails again until after the holidays, so you can draft emails now and send them out after Jan 1st) Also below is a google doc that includes emails of many network executives.

https://twitter.com/LeaOux/status/1205485569691680768

https://twitter.com/KindredsParty/status/1208518970002870272

https://twitter.com/KatVal11/status/1206141522820976640

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1StN_dHgHjhPhYkfgS_7AbeMbmu0KXhrtJW1ytAASUaw/mobilebasic

Template for writing emails and email addresses to send emails to: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nkEu-ZyIiBkCABleKRBLU21T8lRSwRxwWXuVDZ7cxeo/mobilebasic

4) Write emails to magazines, newspapers, websites, etc. Any form of Press about Anne with an E will draw attention to the show from people who may not have heard of it before. You could write emails to ask them to cover the news of the show's cancellation, to review the new season, to discuss certain topics the show addresses that set it aside from other shows and more. Anything that you could dream up that could be an article that could be written about Anne With an E you could pitch the idea to someone to write about. 

5) Appealing to other fandoms with similar interests. Two big movies that are about to drop that have an audience that may be interested in a show like Anne With An E, would be Little Women and P.S. I Still Love You (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before sequel). Little Women is also a period piece with a feminist heroine, so you could point out the similarities in the stories’ themes to appeal to fans of that film (which premieres Dec. 26th). For P.S. I Still Love You, the big connection is that in the third book of the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy, Forever and Always, Lara Jean,  Lara Jean states that Gilbert Blythe is her ideal man. Screenshots of this quote have been going around all over tumblr and twitter since the P.S. I Still Love You trailer dropped. The selling point could be that if you enjoy the films and relate to Lara Jean then you should check out the stories and adaptions of those stories that Lara Jean considers peak romance. ( It also helps that the premise of the films relies on love letters and AWAE season 3 features love letters as well). When entering into other fandoms tags to recommend Anne With An E make sure you are always being RESPECTFUL and don’t just spam the tags with Anne promotion. You could always create side by side edits of the two programs to demonstrate how similar they are. Basically, make sure your posts in their tag don’t seem like a blatant promotion for AWAE.

6) Rate Anne with an E on IMDb. (Note: It is listed as Anne(2017) on IMDb). Right now Anne is listed in Top 250 TV Shows, but it is toward the bottom of the list at #248, with an average show rating of 8.4 stars. If enough fans rate it, the show could move up on the list, which may attract new people to watch the show. You can rate the show overall, and rate each episode individually. Plus you can leave a review. 

7) Watch the Anne With An E Netflix trailer and share it with others. The more views on the trailer the better. The trailer is available on Youtube and Instagram. On twitter, people are organizing trailer boosting parties for Dec 23rd - Dec 30th. 

This calendar shows when trailer boosting parties have been planned detailed descriptions of what those events include with links to tweets and posters

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=potatolightbulbs%40gmail.com&ctz=America%2FNew_York

8) Sign the petition for the show to be renewed and get anyone you know who likes the show as well to sign it as well.

https://www.change.org/p/netlfix-awae-fans-renew-anne-with-an-e-for-season-4?recruiter=916548586&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition

9) Recommend the show everywhere. On twitter search “What to watch on Netflix” or “tv show recommendation” and reply to any of these tweets with Anne With An E and maybe a reason why you recommend the show. If someone has already recommended Anne With An E don’t recommend it again, we don’t want to spam or annoy strangers. This can also be done on reddit search “What to watch” , “Netflix recommendations” , “Period Piece” and comment on any of the relevant results with Anne With An E.

10) Tell EVERYONE you know to watch Anne With an E. A great way to spread the popularity of the show is by word of mouth. People trust the opinions of people they know, so your friends and family are more likely to listen to your recommendations than strangers on the internet (but there is no harm in trying #9 anyway). 

11) Continue to be your amazing creative selves. Gif sets, fanart, video edits, memes, etc. All of these can help attract new fans to the show, so continue to create and post things related to Anne With An E.

12) Make bookmarks or small promotional posters and leave them in public places. I have seen a trend of this on twitter and it's not a bad idea. One amazing fan even took it to the next level and made tiny posters that have QR codes on it that when scanned takes people to the Anne with an E trailer or the show on Netflix. Below is a link to tweets showing what those looked like and how they dispersed them.

https://twitter.com/itsMaeWithAnE/status/1208618422768033792?s=20

Here is a tweet thread with templates for the posters if you want to print them out yourself:

https://twitter.com/itsMaeWithAnE/status/1208816797555671040?s=20

13) Buy official merchandise for the show and wear it around. You could be a walking advertisement for the show if you want (and can afford to). There is different merch available on the official Anne With An E shop website and on Amazon.  Also sales of the merch may be considered by networks when they consider whether to renew the show. 

https://shopannewithane.com

https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/A8C18641-8ECE-4892-A276-6A0A952A125C

14) Join the r/Anne community on reddit. There has been some encouragement to grow the size of the community on this thread because it shows a static number of how many people are apart of it. This number could be used to approximate how much interest there is in the show. It currently only has 2.5K members. Even if you’re not very active on reddit, joining the subreddit would be helpful.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Anne/

15) Donate to the campaign to have a billboard to promote the show. Details can be found on the gofundme page.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/renew-anne-with-an-e?sharetype=teams&member=3295372&rcid=r01-157601384514-6d847f2ab5bb49bd&pc=tw_co_campmgmt_w&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet

16) Donate to campaign to run instagram ads for Anne With An E. More details on the gofundme page below.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/anne-with-an-e-season-3-ad-campaign

17) Let’s Make Some Noise Campaign. Some fans are encouraging people to write messages on white rags, like the ones the avonlea students use during their protest, and sending them to various streaming networks or Northwood Entertainment, the production company behind the show. Details can be found in the tweet below.

https://twitter.com/kindredsparty/status/1206624186342559745?s=21

18) Rate and review Anne With An E on Rotten Tomatoes. You can do this for each season. Currently there are a fair amount of negative reviews so it would be incredibly helpful to explain why you love the show. Good reviews would attract new potential fans to start watching.

19) Vote Anne With An E up on Ranker.com lists. This might attract new get people interested in the show if it consistently ranks high on lists of best shows.

https://m.ranker.com/list/the-best-new-original-shows-on-netflix-hulu-and-amazon-of-the-last-few-years/ranker-streaming?ref=also_ranked&pos=2&a=0&l=85370943&ltype=n&g=0

20) Take care of yourself. THIS ONE IS MOST IMPORTANT. Don’t sacrifice your health in your efforts to get the show renewed. If you need to take a break please do. Also don’t feel guilty if you need to step away or you can only do one or two things on this list. Every effort counts and is greatly appreciated.

I’ll try to update this as more stuff comes up. Good luck with all your efforts Kindred Spirits!

Remember “Dreamers change the world”

[heliosphoenix]

State of the Planet: 2020 Edition.

I know what you're thinking.

"How can you even think of doing one of these for this year? After everything that happened? You can't possibly be trying to do your little feel-good writeup!" 

Well...you're right. I can't. That's right, State of the Planet is cancelled.

I don't really have to explain why, do I? I have no words to describe this year and I know you don't want to hear them anyway. I understand your anger, your frustration, your sadness, everything you're feeling, I get it.

This wasn't the year you imagined and almost certainly not the one you wanted. Thanks for being there the entire way, and I'll see you next year.

Okay, I'm just kidding. I couldn't do that to you folks, I just wanted to get some more mileage out of a dead meme.

I first started this missive several years ago when I noticed that people were developing a tendency to condense the previous lap around the ol Sun into a series of terrible, horrible, no good very bad events at the expense of anything good that may have happened. I don't know why this was done, maybe as a ways to ensure that the coming year would have to be better by default.

Well...we all saw how that worked out for this year, didn't we?

As you all know I prefer to do things differently. I prefer to go out on a high note and remember all the good things that happened in the past year. If nothing else, I think it helps remind us that as much as we want to bemoan and be pessimistic about the state of our culture, society, civilization and even species, there's plenty of evidence to suggest we're not doing so bad after all.

And even thought it feels like this past year the world went out of its way to teach us some rather harsh lessons, I'm still determined to find something good that happened. So let's take a look back at some of the good things that happened in 2020:

A circumbinary planet was discovered at the TOI 1338 system.

Luxembourg became the first country to make it's public transportation free.

The Bhadla Solar Park became the largest solar park in the world.

The BepiColumbo space probe departed for Venus, en route to an arrival at Mercury in 2025.

A fast radio burst was detected from a Magnetar in the Milky Way, the first time such an event has been detected in the Galaxy.

A team of British and Kenyan scientists discovered a microbe that can block mosquitos from transmitting malaria.

A black hole was discovered in the QV Telescopii system, at 1120 light years away it is the closest known black hole to Earth.

A 425 million year old fossil of a millipede was discovered in Scotland, one of the oldest fossils ever found.

SpaceX launched their Dragon 2 spacecraft on its first crewed missions, the first astronauts to launch from US soil since 2011.

The Perseverance rover was launched to Mars and is expected to touch down in February.

The Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE became the first operational nuclear power plant in the Arab states.

Wild polio was eradicated from the continent of Africa.

Skeletons of 31 prehistoric animals, including 200 mammoths, were found at a construction site in Mexico City, it was the largest finding of mammoth bones ever.

The 5.37 mile La Linea highway tunnel was opened in Colombia, it's the largest road tunnel in South America.

Kosovo, Serbia, Sudan and Bahrain all decided to normalize their relations with Israel.

Phosphine, a strong predictor of microbiological life, was discovered in the atmosphere of Venus.

Preserved remains of a cave bear were discovered in Siberia.

A 1634 edition of Shakespeare's final play, The Two Noble Kingsman, was discovered at the Royal Scots College's library in Spain.

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft landed on the asteroid Bennu and collected samples for return to Earth in 2023.

The Falkland Islands were declared free of land mines.

Molecular water was detected near Clavius crater on the Moon. 

An AI algorithm called AlphaFold was able to figure out the process of Protein Folding. 

The UN commission on Narcotic Drugs removed cannabis from its list of dangerous drugs.

The EU committed themselves to reducing greenhouse emissions by 55% over the next decade.

A Great Conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn occurred, the closest one seen in the night sky since 1226.

Comet NEOWISE passed by the Earth and was the brightest comet in the night sky since Hale-Bopp in 1997.

Among Us became one of the most popular games in the world.

Half Life: Alyx was released, the first Half Life game in 13 years (FINALLY).

Joe Biden was elected as the 46th President of the United States.

Remember all that? Good. Because that's where I'm at.

You, dear reader, are in the future. Perhaps you're reading this in the final hours of 2020, or the first hours of 2021. Or maybe so much time has passed that both those years are now confined to the history books.

Perhaps everything I listed above is not enough to overcome all the bad things that happened this year, and that's a fair assessment. Maybe at the end of the day there's nothing that can overshadow the fact that someone in China who ate the wrong bat resulted in the entire world coming to a stop. If that's your feeling, then I understand completely.

But let the record show that those things did happen. In a year full of chaos and uncertainty and anxiety and dread, there were still moments where we could objectively punch our fists in the air and say "yes!" Even if only for a moment.

So now comes the part where I have to take all the things that we just went through and sum it up in a single word. Usually I don't think about this until the day of, but this time I've actually known for months what I was going to say:

The word is...Goodbye.

It sounds both strange and appropriate at the same time, doesn't it? As we close out this year, as well as this decade (reminder that 2021 is the real start of the next decade) we can look back and realize we've had many experiences. Both positive and negative. Hopefully they were mostly positive, even during this year.

But there is at least one experience we've all shared together, especially in times like these: saying goodbye.

I will confess to you all that I have a hard time saying goodbye. Hell, I don't even like the word. Whenever I end a conversation, I always use some variant of "see you later", since, to me at least, "goodbye" just sounds so final. Though with that said, I will also admit there's some people in this world that I had no problem saying goodbye to, and I don't mean "till we meet again", I mean "get lost." And I'd be lying if I said there weren't some people who felt the same about me, but I digress.

In the last episode of his show, Red Green delivered a monologue about saying goodbye. A monologue that I am now shamelessly ripping off for your reading pleasure. Not just because it's a way to get this done quickly, but because I think what he said is very true.

Red says that when it comes to your good friends and your family, you never really have to say goodbye. Why? Because they're always in your mind. And whenever you think about them, you're together again. I can tell you from experience that works rather well, even when it involves people that I don't want to think about. But even in that instance, where our last interaction was a negative one, I can't help but think back to all the good times we had together, and for a moment I reminisce. It's nice when it happens.

We've all heard the phrase "nothing lasts forever" and we tend to dismiss it as a cliché. But we're still constantly confronted with that reality, even if we never realize it. As Al Pacino said in Any Given Sunday; "When you get old in life, things get taken from you. That's a part of life."  

We've all lost things in our lives, and I just don't mean toys that have been sold or people that we love who are no longer on this mortal coil. I'm referring to the moments in our lives where we're forced to accept that our circumstances have permanently changed, and that the way things were can no longer be the way things are. This is why you shouldn't be having kids when you're in your 70's, and no one over the age of 50 should be naked in public.

On a more personal note, this year I got that feeling once again. It's not just because I'm most likely leaving one job behind for another job, but there were things in my personal life that shifted so dramatically that I knew things could never be the same again. And seeing as how, for the most part, I liked how things were, I'd be lying if I said that this change didn't cause me some distress.

But that's all a part of growing up, isn't it? As much as I may cringe about reaching 30 years of life on this Earth, I accept it all the same. Because, if nothing else, it's a reminder that I need to keep moving forward. Is it sad that the good ol days are now just memories and dreams? You're damn right it is. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing, because even if they're not what's happening now, they still did happen. And who knows? Perhaps the days to come will be just as good, if not better. In my opinion, that's something to look forward to.

And the same is true for all of us: if we want to live a happy fulfilling life, we have to keep moving forward. We can reminisce about all the fun we've had in days gone by, but it's just as important to be ready for the days yet to come.

I think that's why New Year's is such a poignant holiday for all of us. It's a tacit acknowledgement that we have to say goodbye to the old, so we can say hello to the new.

And at the risk of making this entry so long that by the time you're finished it will be 2022, I'd like to do that now.

To all the people that have been with me since my early days, thanks so much for all that you've done. I appreciate you sticking it out with me this far and I hope you'll continue to do so for many years to come.

To all the people that I've met recently and have decided to join me on this ride, welcome aboard. We're glad you could make it and we hope you'll stay a while as well.

And finally, to all the people that are no longer here, whether they've merely left my social circle or left this mortal coil altogether, all I can say is that we've had a great run. Whatever our reasons for parting are irrelevant now and I wish you nothing but good fortune in whatever it is you decide to do. Perhaps, God willing, our paths will cross again some day. But even if they don't, I hope that every so often we'll think about each other and smile a bit.

And now I'd like to close with something different. Usually I ask you to comment below with something good that happened to you this year. You're more than welcome to do that. But if you're looking for a change of pace, may I suggest that you close out your 2020 (or open your 2021) by listening to this song from the great Ashleigh Ball and Michelle Creber (yes I know many of you are hoping to leave the Miniature Equines in the past, but I'm hoping you'll permit them one last indulgence).

https://youtu.be/XjkPH6sZM_o 

This is the song that inspired me to write this missive (along with the aforementioned Red Green) and as you're listening, I want you to think about all of those you said goodbye to this past decade. Think about all the fond memories you had together and give yourself a smile as the clock strikes midnight. Even if they're not with us today, we still have all the memories of them that no one can take from us, no matter what happens to the world.

And now the time has come for me to end this missive. Let the record show that this was my final word on 2020 as well as my expressed hope for charity, kindness and goodwill to flourish throughout the world in the years to come.

So, good night unto you all.

Give me your hands, if we be friends

.And 2021 shall restore amends.

[piilokarsastus]

Quarantine ask game!

What’s your go to snack? bread:)

What’s a movie you could watch over and over? it’s been a while since i’ve seen a really good movie, i don’t have favourites

Favorite show to binge? Better Call Saul, apparently

5 songs that make you want to dance? no such thing

5 songs that make you feel less lonely? honestly music just increases the loneliness but at least i’m vibing

Favorite meal to cook yourself? bold of you to assume i’ve got the mental strength and/or patience to cook

How do you “treat yourself”? by ignoring all my responsibilities and doing absolutely nothing besides watching youtube videos and eating chips

Favorite thing to do when doing self care? eating 

Who have you been talking to the most? bold of you to assume i’ve got people to talk to

One thing you really miss right now? having something of a social life and seeing people at school every day

If you could be self isolated with anyone who would it be? i don’t mind being alone most of the time

Do you have any pets? no, but spiritually every cat on the planet has a place in my heart

Favorite videgames? undertale, terraria, minecraft

Favorite podcasts? i very rarely listen to podcasts

Favorite YouTubers? maiju, markiplier, muyskerm

Wake up time? preferably at noon, nowadays usually at 10:45 if I have a zoom lecture at 11

Sleep time? around 2-4 am

If you could go anywhere right now where would it be? technically speaking I’d love to be in my hometown right now but I really don’t like the idea of travelling there so I wont

What’s a change you want to keep when self isolation is over? I don’t want to have to wake up at 7 ever again

Have you learned something? no. head empty.

Any new skills? i sure as fuck still can’t adult but hey at least i can compose bomb ass melodies in strict two-part imitative counterpoint in the style of Orlando di Lasso

What’s a hobby you’d like to start learning? i don’t even need a new hobby i’d just love to start writing actively again at some point

What’s something you’d like to get better at? cooking

What food do you wish you had right now? chimken nuggit

Your go to quarantine outfit? clothes are optional

What have you done today? wasted my time online and contemplated the state of things

Any plans for tomorrow? contemplate some more and maybe work on my piece that’s about to be finished

What’s on your “to watch” list? i’m honestly just waiting for the next seasons of at least 4 shows so i don’t really need new things to obsess over:)) 

Any musicians/bands you’ve discovered? can’t say that i have

Post a selfie right now!! no!!

Post pictures of your pets! i don’t have any, we went over this already

When was the last time you drank water? like 2h ago

When was the last time you ate? 2h ago as well

When was the last time you got up and stretched? there was once a day in 2013

Favorite song right now? idk, Lasso’s Oculus non vidit is kinda bangin’ tho

Favorite social media to scroll through? tiktok

What’s the last thing you ate? bread:)

What’s the weather like where you are? pretty moist

Have you been playing animal crossing? no

How are you feeling? violently in need of a kiss right now so hmu

Who’s the last person you texted? my mum

What does your last text message say with no context? “en kestä noita koipia”

Post a meme that made you laugh recently! nah

Outdoor activity you’d like to do right now? sit on some rocks and have a long conversation with friends

Something you’re looking forward to when quarantine is over? seeing people

Someone you’d like to see when quarantine is over? any of my friends that I haven’t seen in ages

Any new games coming out you want to play? among us seems fun but i don’t have anyone to play it with

New shows you’ve discovered? haven’t gotten into any new ones in a while

Most comfortable piece of clothing you have? my 60s retro pajamas

Ask anything!! what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?

[hlupdate]

A hand­shake can quell polit­i­cal unrest and sti­fle impend­ing war. It can, with a bit of spit, val­i­date a gentleman’s agree­ment, end a years-long roman­tic rela­tion­ship or send a young heart rac­ing. But it all depends on the two par­ties involved.

Daisy, 21, felt a seis­mic jolt when Har­ry Styles, 25, wear­ing a striped jumper and rings on three of his five fin­gers, clutched her hand two days after this year’s Met Gala in New York, when she served him gela­to at the shop where she worked.

“He decid­ed on a small mint choco­late gela­to and I made his and the one for his friend and I said, ​‘Can I just say I absolute­ly loved your Met Gala look’ and he said ​‘Thank you very much! What’s your name?’ And I said, ​‘Daisy’ AND HE FUCK­ING EXTEND­ED HISHAND AND REACHED TO SHAKE MY HAND AND I ACTU­AL­LY FUCK­INGSHOOK HIS HAND WHAT THE FUCK,” she wrote on Insta­gram after The Shak­en­ing. ​“Like I didn’t even say any­thing to gas him up besides ​‘I loved your met gala look’ and his fine ass went and shook my hand! WHAT A BEAU­TI­FUL FUCK­ING HUMAN BEINGTHAT HE IS GOD BLESS HIM AND I HOPE HW [sic] LIVES FOREVER.”

For Har­ry Styles, a hand­shake can be a roman­tic ges­ture, con­jur­ing a potent rev­er­ence in its recip­i­ent, like the time he met Gucci’s cre­ative direc­tor Alessan­dro Michele. ​“He was as attrac­tive as James Dean and as per­sua­sive as Gre­ta Gar­bo. He was like a Luchi­no Vis­con­ti char­ac­ter, like an Apol­lo: at the same time sexy as a woman, as a kid, as a man,” Michele told me, has­ten­ing to add: ​“Of course, Har­ry is not aware of this.”

No, Styles has no idea the pow­er he wields. In per­son, he’s tow­er­ing, like some­one who is not that much taller but whose rep­u­ta­tion adds four inch­es. Styles has a seda­tive bari­tone, spo­ken in a rum­my north­ern Eng­lish accent, that tum­bles out so slow­ly you for­get the name of your first born, a swag­ger that has been nursed and per­fect­ed in myth­i­cal places with names like Pais­ley Park, or Abbey Road, or Grace­land. Makes com­plete sense that he would be up for the role of Elvis Pres­ley in Baz Luhrmann’s upcom­ing biopic. He was primed, nay, born to shake his hips, all but one but­ton on his shirt cling­ing for dear life around his tor­so. Then the part was award­ed to anoth­er actor, Austin Butler.

“[Elvis] was such an icon for me grow­ing up,” Styles tells me. ​“There was some­thing almost sacred about him, almost like I didn’t want to touch him. Then I end­ed up get­ting into [his life] a bit and I wasn’t dis­ap­point­ed,” he adds of his ini­tial research and prepa­ra­tions to play The King. He seems relaxed about los­ing the part to But­ler. ​“I feel like if I’m not the right per­son for the thing, then it’s best for both of us that I don’t do it, you know?”

Styles released his self-titled debut solo album in May 2017. The boy­band grad was clear­ly unin­ter­est­ed in hol­low­ing out the charts with more for­mu­la­ic meme pop. Instead, to the sur­prise of many, he dug his heels into retro-fetishist West Coast ​’70s rock. Some of the One Direc­tion fan-hordes might have been con­fused, but no mat­ter: Har­ry Styles sold one mil­lion copies.

Despite its com­mer­cial and crit­i­cal suc­cess, he didn’t tour the album right away. He want­ed to act in the Christo­pher Nolan film Dunkirk. To his cred­it, his por­tray­al of a British sol­dier cow­er­ing in a moored boat on the French beach­es as the Nazis advanced wasn’t skew­ered in the press like the movie debuts of, say, Madon­na or Justin Tim­ber­lake. Per­haps he was fol­low­ing advice giv­en by Elton John, who had urged him to diver­si­fy. ​“He was bril­liant in Dunkirk, which took a lot of peo­ple by sur­prise,” John writes in an email. ​“I love how he takes chances and risks.” Act­ing, unlike music, is a release for Styles; it’s the one time he can be not himself.

“Why do I want to act? It’s so dif­fer­ent to music for me,” he says, sud­den­ly ani­mat­ed. ​“They’re almost oppo­site for me. Music, you try and put so much of your­self into it; act­ing, you’re try­ing to total­ly dis­ap­pear in who­ev­er you’re being.”

Fol­low­ing the news that he missed out on Pres­ley, his name was float­ed for the role of Prince Eric in Disney’s live-action remake of The Lit­tle Mer­maid. How­ev­er, fans will have to wait a bit longer to see Styles on the big screen as that idea, too, has sunk. He won’t be The King or the Prince. ​“It was dis­cussed,” he acknow­ledges before swift­ly chang­ing the sub­ject. ​“I want to put music out and focus on that for a while. But every­one involved in it was amaz­ing, so I think it’s going to be great. I’ll enjoy watch­ing it, I’m sure.”

The new album is wrapped and the sin­gle is decid­ed upon. ​“It’s not like his last album,” his friend, rock ​‘n’ roll leg­end Ste­vie Nicks, told me recent­ly over the phone. ​“It’s not like any­thing One Direc­tion ever did. It’s pure Har­ry, as Har­ry would say. He’s made a very dif­fer­ent record and it’s spectacular.”

Beyond that, Styles is keep­ing his cards close to his chest as to his next musi­cal move. How­ev­er, the air is thick with rumours that his main wing­man for HS2 is Kid Har­poon, aka Tom Hull, who co-wrote debut album track Sweet Crea­ture. No less an author­i­ty than Liam Gal­lagher told us that both big band escapees were in the same stu­dio – RAK in north-west Lon­don – at the same time mak­ing their sec­ond solo albums. Styles played him a cou­ple of tracks, ​“and I tell you what, they’re good,” Gal­lagher enthused. ​“A bit like that Bon Iver. Is that his name?”

Har­ry Styles met Nicks at a Fleet­wood Mac con­cert in Los Ange­les in April 2015. Some­thing about him felt authen­tic to the leg­endary front­woman: ground­ed, like she’d known him for­ev­er, blessed with a win­ning moon­shot grin. A month lat­er, they met back­stage at anoth­er Mac gig, this time at the O2 in Lon­don. Styles brought a car­rot cake for Nicks’ birth­day, her name piped in icing on top. By her own admis­sion, Nicks doesn’t even cel­e­brate birth­days, so this was a sur­prise. ​“He was per­son­al­ly respon­si­ble for me actu­al­ly hav­ing to cel­e­brate my birth­day, which was very sweet,” she says.

Styles’ rela­tion­ship with Nicks is hard to define. Induct­ing her into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York as a solo artist ear­li­er this year, his speech hymned her as a ​“mag­i­cal gyp­sy god­moth­er who occu­pies the in-between”. She’s called him her ​“lovechild” with Mick Fleet­wood and the ​“son I nev­er had”. Both have moved past the pre­lim­i­nary chat acknowl­edg­ing each other’s unquan­tifi­able tal­ents and smooth­ly accel­er­at­ed towards play­ful cut-and-thrust ban­ter of a witch mom and her naughty child.

They per­form togeth­er – he sings The Chainand Stop Drag­gin’ My Heart Around; she sings the one alleged­ly writ­ten about Tay­lor Swift, Two Ghosts. One of those per­for­mances was at the Guc­ci Cruise after­par­ty in Rome in May, for ​“a lot of mon­ey”, Nicks tells me, in a ​“big kind of cas­tle place”. She has become his de fac­to men­tor – one phone call is all it takes to reach the Queen of Rock’n’Roll for advice on sequenc­ing (“She is real­ly good at track list­ing,” Styles admits) or just to hear each other’s voic­es… because, well, wouldn’t you?

Fol­low­ing anoth­er Fleet­wood Mac con­cert, at London’s Wem­b­ley Sta­di­um, in June, Nicks met Styles for a late (Indi­an) din­ner. He then invit­ed her back to his semi-detached Geor­gian man­sion in north Lon­don for a lis­ten­ing par­ty at mid­night. The album – HS2or what­ev­er it’ll be called – was fin­ished. Nicks, her assis­tant Karen, her make-up artist and her friends Jess and Mary crammed onto Styles’ liv­ing-room couch. They lis­tened to it once through in silence like a ​“bunch of edu­cat­ed monks or some­thing in this dark room”. Then once again, 15 or 16 tracks, this time each of his guests offer­ing live feed­back. It wrapped at 5am, just as the sun was bleed­ing through the curtains.

Even for a pop star of Styles’ stature, press­ing ​“play” on a deeply per­son­al work for your hero to digest, watch­ing her face react in real time to your new music, must be… what?

“It’s a dou­ble-edged thing,” he replies. ​“You’re always ner­vous when you are play­ing peo­ple music for the first time. You’ve heard it so much by this point, you for­get that peo­ple haven’t heard it before. It’s hard to not feel like you’ve done what you’ve set out to do. You are hap­py with some­thing and then some­one who you respect so much and look up to is, like: ​‘I real­ly like this.’ It feels like a large stamp [of approval]. It’s a big step towards feel­ing very com­fort­able with what­ev­er else hap­pens to it.”

Wad­ing through Styles’ back­ground info is exhaust­ing, since he was spanked by fame in the social media era where every god­dam blink of a kohl-rimmed eye has been doc­u­ment­ed from six angles. (And yes, he does some­times wear guyliner.)

Deep breath: born in Red­ditch, Worces­ter­shire, to par­ents Des and Anne, who divorced when he was sev­en. Grew up in Holmes Chapel in Cheshire with his sis­ter Gem­ma, mum and step­dad Robin Twist. Rode hors­es at a near­by sta­ble for free (“I was a bad rid­er, but I was a rid­er”). Stopped rid­ing, ​“got into dif­fer­ent stuff”. Formed a band, White Eski­mo, with school­mates. Aged 16, tried out for the 2010 run of The X Fac­torwith a stir­ring but aver­age ren­di­tion of Ste­vie Wonder’s Isn’t She Love­ly. Cut from the show and put into a boy band with four oth­ers, Louis Tom­lin­son, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, and called One Direc­tion. Became inter­na­tion­al­ly famous, toured the globe. Zayn quit to go solo. Toured some more. Dat­ed but maybe didn’t date Car­o­line Flack, Rita Ora and Tay­lor Swift – whom he report­ed­ly dumped in the British Vir­gin Islands. (This rela­tion­ship, if noth­ing else, yield­ed an icon­ic, can­did shot of Swift look­ing deject­ed, being motored back to shore on the back of a boat called the Fly­ing Ray.) One Direc­tion dis­cussed dis­band­ing in 2014, actu­al­ly dis­solved in 2015. They remain friend­ly, and Styles offi­cial­ly went solo in 2016.

It’s been two years since his epony­mous debut and lead sin­gle, Sign of the Times, shocked the world and Elton John with its swag­ger­ing, soft rock sound. ​“It came out of left field and I loved it,” John says.

After 89 are­na-packed shows across five con­ti­nents grossed him, the label, whomev­er, over $61 mil­lion, Styles had all but dis­ap­peared. He has emerged only inter­mit­tent­ly for pub­lic-fac­ing events – a Guc­ci after­par­ty per­for­mance here, a Met Gala co-chair­ing there. He relo­cat­ed from Los Ange­les back to Lon­don, sell­ing his Hol­ly­wood Hills house for $6mil­lion and ship­ping his Jaguar E-type across the Atlantic so he could take joyrides on the M25.

“I’m not over LA,” he insists when I ask about the move. ​“My rela­tion­ship with LAchanged a lot. What I want­ed from LA changed.”

A great escape, he would agree, is some­times nec­es­sary. He was in Tokyo for most of Jan­u­ary, hav­ing near­ly fin­ished his album. ​“I need­ed time to get out of that album frame-of-mind of: ​‘Is it fin­ished? Where am I at? What’s hap­pen­ing?’ I real­ly need­ed that time away from every­one. I was kind of just in Tokyo by myself.” His sab­bat­i­cal most­ly involved read­ing Haru­ki Murakami’s The Wind-Up Bird Chron­i­cle, singing Nir­vana at karaoke, writ­ing alone in his hotel room, lis­ten­ing to music and eaves­drop­ping on strangers in alien con­ver­sa­tion. ​“It was just a pos­i­tive time for my head and I think that impact­ed the album in a big way.”

Dur­ing this break he watched a lot of films, read a lot of books. Some­times he texts these rec­om­men­da­tions to his pal Michele at Guc­ci. He told Michele to watch the Ali Mac­graw film, Love Sto­ry. ​“We text what friends text about. He is the same [as me] in terms of he lives in his own world and he does his own thing. I love dress­ing up and he loves dress­ing up.”

Because he loves dress­ing up, Michele chose Styles to be the face of three Guc­ci Tai­lor­ing cam­paigns and of its new gen­der­less fra­grance, Mémoire d’une Odeur.

“The moment I met him, I imme­di­ate­ly under­stood there was some­thing strong around him,” Michele tells me. ​“I realised he was much more than a young singer. He was a young man, dressed in a thought­ful way, with uncombed hair and a beau­ti­ful voice. I thought he gath­ered with­in him­self the fem­i­nine and the masculine.”

Fash­ion, for Styles, is a play­ground. Some­thing he doesn’t take too seri­ous­ly. A cou­ple of years ago Har­ry Lam­bert, his styl­ist since 2015, acquired for him a pair of pink metal­lic Saint Lau­rent boots that he has nev­er been pho­tographed wear­ing. They are exceed­ing­ly rare – few pairs exist. Styles wears them ​“to get milk”. They are, in his words, ​“super-fun”. He’s not sure, but he has, ball­park, 50 pairs of shoes, as well as full clos­ets in at least three post­codes. He set­tles on an out­fit fair­ly quick­ly, maybe changes his T-shirt once before head­ing out, but most­ly knows what he likes.

What he may not ful­ly com­pre­hend is that sim­ply by being pho­tographed in a gar­ment he can spur the career of a design­er, as he has with Har­ris Reed, Palo­mo Spain, Charles Jef­frey, Alled-Martínez and a new favourite, Bode. Styles wore a SS16 Guc­ci flo­ral suit to the 2015 Amer­i­can Music Awards. When he was asked who made his suit on the red car­pet, Guc­ci began trend­ing world­wide on Twitter.

“It was one of the first times a male wore Alessandro’s run­way designs and, at the time, men were not tak­ing too many red car­pet risks,” says Lam­bert. ​“Who knows if it influ­enced oth­ers, but it was a spe­cial moment. Plus, it was fun see­ing the fans dress up in suits to come see Harry’s shows.”

Yet tra­di­tion­al gen­der codes of dress still have the minds of mid­dle Amer­i­ca in a choke­hold. Men can’t wear women’s clothes, say the online whingers, who have labelled him ​“trag­ic”, ​“a clown” and a Bowie wannabe. Styles doesn’t care. ​“What’s fem­i­nine and what’s mas­cu­line, what men are wear­ing and what women are wear­ing – it’s like there are no lines any more.”

Elton John agrees: ​“It worked for Marc Bolan, Bowie and Mick. Har­ry has the same qualities.”

Then there is the ques­tion of Styles’ sex­u­al­i­ty, some­thing he has admit­ted­ly ​“nev­er real­ly start­ed to label”, which will plague him until he does. Per­haps it’s part of his allure. He’s bran­dished a pride flag that read ​“Make Amer­i­ca Gay Again” on stage, and plant­ed a stake some­where left of cen­tre on sexuality’s rain­bow spectrum.

“In the posi­tion that he’s in, he can’t real­ly say a lot, but he chose a queer girl band to open for him and I think that speaks vol­umes,” Josette Maskin of the queer band MUNA told The Face ear­li­er this year.

“I get a lot of…” Styles trails off, wheels turn­ing on how he can dis­cuss sex­u­al­i­ty with­out real­ly answer­ing. ​“I’m not always super-out­spo­ken. But I think it’s very clear from choic­es that I make that I feel a cer­tain way about lots of things. I don’t know how to describe it. I guess I’m not…” He paus­es again, piv­ots. ​“I want every­one to feel wel­come at shows and online. They want to be loved and equal, you know? I’m nev­er unsup­port­ed, so it feels weird for me to over­think it for some­one else.”

Sex­u­al­i­ty aside, he must acknowl­edge that he has sex appeal. ​“The word ​‘sexy’ sounds so strange com­ing out of my mouth. So I would say that that’s prob­a­bly why I would not con­sid­er myself sexy.”

Har­ry Styles has emerged ful­ly-formed, an anachro­nis­tic rock star, vague in sen­si­bil­i­ty but des­tined to impress with a dis­arm­ing smile and a warm but firm handshake.

I recite to him a quote from Chrissie Hyn­de of The Pre­tenders about her time atop rock’s throne: ​“I nev­er got into this for the mon­ey or because I want­ed to join in the super­star sex around the swim­ming pools. I did it because the offer of a record con­tract came along and it seemed like it might be more fun than being a wait­ress. Now, I’m not so sure.”

Styles – who worked in a bak­ery in a small north­ern town some time before play­ing to 40,000 scream­ing fans in South Amer­i­can are­nas – must have wit­nessed some shit, been invit­ed to a few pool­side sex par­ties, in his time.

“I’ve seen a cou­ple of things,” he nods in agree­ment. ​“But I’m still young. I feel like there’s still stuff to see.”

[stylesnews]

The Face - Volume 4 . Issue 1

A hand­shake can quell polit­i­cal unrest and sti­fle impend­ing war. It can, with a bit of spit, val­i­date a gentleman’s agree­ment, end a years-long roman­tic rela­tion­ship or send a young heart rac­ing. But it all depends on the two par­ties involved.

Daisy, 21, felt a seis­mic jolt when Har­ry Styles, 25, wear­ing a striped jumper and rings on three of his five fin­gers, clutched her hand two days after this year’s Met Gala in New York, when she served him gela­to at the shop where she worked.

“He decid­ed on a small mint choco­late gela­to and I made his and the one for his friend and I said, ​‘Can I just say I absolute­ly loved your Met Gala look’ and he said ​‘Thank you very much! What’s your name?’ And I said, ​‘Daisy’ AND HE FUCK­ING EXTEND­ED HIS HAND AND REACHEDTO SHAKE MY HAND AND I ACTU­AL­LY FUCK­ING SHOOK HIS HAND WHAT THEFUCK,” she wrote on Insta­gram after The Shak­en­ing. ​“Like I didn’t even say any­thing to gas him up besides ​‘I loved your met gala look’ and his fine ass went and shook my hand! WHATA BEAU­TI­FUL FUCK­ING HUMAN BEING THAT HE IS GOD BLESS HIM AND I HOPE HW[sic] LIVES FOREVER.”

For Har­ry Styles, a hand­shake can be a roman­tic ges­ture, con­jur­ing a potent rev­er­ence in its recip­i­ent, like the time he met Gucci’s cre­ative direc­tor Alessan­dro Michele. ​“He was as attrac­tive as James Dean and as per­sua­sive as Gre­ta Gar­bo. He was like a Luchi­no Vis­con­ti char­ac­ter, like an Apol­lo: at the same time sexy as a woman, as a kid, as a man,” Michele told me, has­ten­ing to add: ​“Of course, Har­ry is not aware of this.”

No, Styles has no idea the pow­er he wields. In per­son, he’s tow­er­ing, like some­one who is not that much taller but whose rep­u­ta­tion adds four inch­es. Styles has a seda­tive bari­tone, spo­ken in a rum­my north­ern Eng­lish accent, that tum­bles out so slow­ly you for­get the name of your first born, a swag­ger that has been nursed and per­fect­ed in myth­i­cal places with names like Pais­ley Park, or Abbey Road, or Grace­land. Makes com­plete sense that he would be up for the role of Elvis Pres­ley in Baz Luhrmann’s upcom­ing biopic. He was primed, nay, born to shake his hips, all but one but­ton on his shirt cling­ing for dear life around his tor­so. Then the part was award­ed to anoth­er actor, Austin Butler.

“[Elvis] was such an icon for me grow­ing up,” Styles tells me. ​“There was some­thing almost sacred about him, almost like I didn’t want to touch him. Then I end­ed up get­ting into [his life] a bit and I wasn’t dis­ap­point­ed,” he adds of his ini­tial research and prepa­ra­tions to play The King. He seems relaxed about los­ing the part to But­ler. ​“I feel like if I’m not the right per­son for the thing, then it’s best for both of us that I don’t do it, you know?”

Styles released his self-titled debut solo album in May 2017. The boy­band grad was clear­ly unin­ter­est­ed in hol­low­ing out the charts with more for­mu­la­ic meme pop. Instead, to the sur­prise of many, he dug his heels into retro-fetishist West Coast ​’70s rock. Some of the One Direc­tion fan-hordes might have been con­fused, but no mat­ter: Har­ry Styles sold one mil­lion copies.

Despite its com­mer­cial and crit­i­cal suc­cess, he didn’t tour the album right away. He want­ed to act in the Christo­pher Nolan film Dunkirk. To his cred­it, his por­tray­al of a British sol­dier cow­er­ing in a moored boat on the French beach­es as the Nazis advanced wasn’t skew­ered in the press like the movie debuts of, say, Madon­na or Justin Tim­ber­lake. Per­haps he was fol­low­ing advice giv­en by Elton John, who had urged him to diver­si­fy. ​“He was bril­liant in Dunkirk, which took a lot of peo­ple by sur­prise,” John writes in an email. ​“I love how he takes chances and risks.” Act­ing, unlike music, is a release for Styles; it’s the one time he can be not himself.

“Why do I want to act? It’s so dif­fer­ent to music for me,” he says, sud­den­ly ani­mat­ed. ​“They’re almost oppo­site for me. Music, you try and put so much of your­self into it; act­ing, you’re try­ing to total­ly dis­ap­pear in who­ev­er you’re being.”

Fol­low­ing the news that he missed out on Pres­ley, his name was float­ed for the role of Prince Eric in Disney’s live-action remake of The Lit­tle Mer­maid. How­ev­er, fans will have to wait a bit longer to see Styles on the big screen as that idea, too, has sunk. He won’t be The King or the Prince. ​“It was dis­cussed,” he acknow­ledges before swift­ly chang­ing the sub­ject. ​“I want to put music out and focus on that for a while. But every­one involved in it was amaz­ing, so I think it’s going to be great. I’ll enjoy watch­ing it, I’m sure.”

The new album is wrapped and the sin­gle is decid­ed upon. ​“It’s not like his last album,” his friend, rock ​‘n’ roll leg­end Ste­vie Nicks, told me recent­ly over the phone. ​“It’s not like any­thing One Direc­tion ever did. It’s pure Har­ry, as Har­ry would say. He’s made a very dif­fer­ent record and it’s spectacular.”

Beyond that, Styles is keep­ing his cards close to his chest as to his next musi­cal move. How­ev­er, the air is thick with rumours that his main wing­man for HS2 is Kid Har­poon, aka Tom Hull, who co-wrote debut album track Sweet Crea­ture. No less an author­i­ty than Liam Gal­lagher told us that both big band escapees were in the same stu­dio – RAK in north-west Lon­don – at the same time mak­ing their sec­ond solo albums. Styles played him a cou­ple of tracks, ​“and I tell you what, they’re good,” Gal­lagher enthused. ​“A bit like that Bon Iver. Is that his name?”

Har­ry Styles met Nicks at a Fleet­wood Mac con­cert in Los Ange­les in April 2015. Some­thing about him felt authen­tic to the leg­endary front­woman: ground­ed, like she’d known him for­ev­er, blessed with a win­ning moon­shot grin. A month lat­er, they met back­stage at anoth­er Mac gig, this time at the O2 in Lon­don. Styles brought a car­rot cake for Nicks’ birth­day, her name piped in icing on top. By her own admis­sion, Nicks doesn’t even cel­e­brate birth­days, so this was a sur­prise. ​“He was per­son­al­ly respon­si­ble for me actu­al­ly hav­ing to cel­e­brate my birth­day, which was very sweet,” she says.

Styles’ rela­tion­ship with Nicks is hard to define. Induct­ing her into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York as a solo artist ear­li­er this year, his speech hymned her as a ​“mag­i­cal gyp­sy god­moth­er who occu­pies the in-between”. She’s called him her ​“lovechild” with Mick Fleet­wood and the ​“son I nev­er had”. Both have moved past the pre­lim­i­nary chat acknowl­edg­ing each other’s unquan­tifi­able tal­ents and smooth­ly accel­er­at­ed towards play­ful cut-and-thrust ban­ter of a witch mom and her naughty child.

They per­form togeth­er – he sings The Chain and Stop Drag­gin’ My Heart Around; she sings the one alleged­ly writ­ten about Tay­lor Swift, Two Ghosts. One of those per­for­mances was at the Guc­ci Cruise after­par­ty in Rome in May, for ​“a lot of mon­ey”, Nicks tells me, in a ​“big kind of cas­tle place”. She has become his de fac­to men­tor – one phone call is all it takes to reach the Queen of Rock’n’Roll for advice on sequenc­ing (“She is real­ly good at track list­ing,” Styles admits) or just to hear each other’s voic­es… because, well, wouldn’t you?

Fol­low­ing anoth­er Fleet­wood Mac con­cert, at London’s Wem­b­ley Sta­di­um, in June, Nicks met Styles for a late (Indi­an) din­ner. He then invit­ed her back to his semi-detached Geor­gian man­sion in north Lon­don for a lis­ten­ing par­ty at mid­night. The album – HS2or what­ev­er it’ll be called – was fin­ished. Nicks, her assis­tant Karen, her make-up artist and her friends Jess and Mary crammed onto Styles’ liv­ing-room couch. They lis­tened to it once through in silence like a ​“bunch of edu­cat­ed monks or some­thing in this dark room”. Then once again, 15 or 16 tracks, this time each of his guests offer­ing live feed­back. It wrapped at 5am, just as the sun was bleed­ing through the curtains.

Even for a pop star of Styles’ stature, press­ing ​“play” on a deeply per­son­al work for your hero to digest, watch­ing her face react in real time to your new music, must be… what?

“It’s a dou­ble-edged thing,” he replies. ​“You’re always ner­vous when you are play­ing peo­ple music for the first time. You’ve heard it so much by this point, you for­get that peo­ple haven’t heard it before. It’s hard to not feel like you’ve done what you’ve set out to do. You are hap­py with some­thing and then some­one who you respect so much and look up to is, like: ​‘I real­ly like this.’ It feels like a large stamp [of approval]. It’s a big step towards feel­ing very com­fort­able with what­ev­er else hap­pens to it.”

Wad­ing through Styles’ back­ground info is exhaust­ing, since he was spanked by fame in the social media era where every god­dam blink of a kohl-rimmed eye has been doc­u­ment­ed from six angles. (And yes, he does some­times wear guyliner.)

Deep breath: born in Red­ditch, Worces­ter­shire, to par­ents Des and Anne, who divorced when he was sev­en. Grew up in Holmes Chapel in Cheshire with his sis­ter Gem­ma, mum and step­dad Robin Twist. Rode hors­es at a near­by sta­ble for free (“I was a bad rid­er, but I was a rid­er”). Stopped rid­ing, ​“got into dif­fer­ent stuff”. Formed a band, White Eski­mo, with school­mates. Aged 16, tried out for the 2010 run of The X Fac­torwith a stir­ring but aver­age ren­di­tion of Ste­vie Wonder’s Isn’t She Love­ly. Cut from the show and put into a boy band with four oth­ers, Louis Tom­lin­son, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, and called One Direc­tion. Became inter­na­tion­al­ly famous, toured the globe. Zayn quit to go solo. Toured some more. Dat­ed but maybe didn’t date Car­o­line Flack, Rita Ora and Tay­lor Swift – whom he report­ed­ly dumped in the British Vir­gin Islands. (This rela­tion­ship, if noth­ing else, yield­ed an icon­ic, can­did shot of Swift look­ing deject­ed, being motored back to shore on the back of a boat called the Fly­ing Ray.) One Direc­tion dis­cussed dis­band­ing in 2014, actu­al­ly dis­solved in 2015. They remain friend­ly, and Styles offi­cial­ly went solo in 2016.

It’s been two years since his epony­mous debut and lead sin­gle, Sign of the Times, shocked the world and Elton John with its swag­ger­ing, soft rock sound. ​“It came out of left field and I loved it,” John says.

After 89 are­na-packed shows across five con­ti­nents grossed him, the label, whomev­er, over $61mil­lion, Styles had all but dis­ap­peared. He has emerged only inter­mit­tent­ly for pub­lic-fac­ing events – a Guc­ci after­par­ty per­for­mance here, a Met Gala co-chair­ing there. He relo­cat­ed from Los Ange­les back to Lon­don, sell­ing his Hol­ly­wood Hills house for $6 mil­lion and ship­ping his Jaguar E-type across the Atlantic so he could take joyrides on the M25.

“I’m not over LA,” he insists when I ask about the move. ​“My rela­tion­ship with LA changed a lot. What I want­ed from LA changed.”

A great escape, he would agree, is some­times nec­es­sary. He was in Tokyo for most of Jan­u­ary, hav­ing near­ly fin­ished his album. ​“I need­ed time to get out of that album frame-of-mind of: ​‘Is it fin­ished? Where am I at? What’s hap­pen­ing?’ I real­ly need­ed that time away from every­one. I was kind of just in Tokyo by myself.” His sab­bat­i­cal most­ly involved read­ing Haru­ki Murakami’s The Wind-Up Bird Chron­i­cle, singing Nir­vana at karaoke, writ­ing alone in his hotel room, lis­ten­ing to music and eaves­drop­ping on strangers in alien con­ver­sa­tion. ​“It was just a pos­i­tive time for my head and I think that impact­ed the album in a big way.”

Dur­ing this break he watched a lot of films, read a lot of books. Some­times he texts these rec­om­men­da­tions to his pal Michele at Guc­ci. He told Michele to watch the Ali Mac­graw film, Love Sto­ry. ​“We text what friends text about. He is the same [as me] in terms of he lives in his own world and he does his own thing. I love dress­ing up and he loves dress­ing up.”

Because he loves dress­ing up, Michele chose Styles to be the face of three Guc­ci Tai­lor­ing cam­paigns and of its new gen­der­less fra­grance, Mémoire d’une Odeur.

“The moment I met him, I imme­di­ate­ly under­stood there was some­thing strong around him,” Michele tells me. ​“I realised he was much more than a young singer. He was a young man, dressed in a thought­ful way, with uncombed hair and a beau­ti­ful voice. I thought he gath­ered with­in him­self the fem­i­nine and the masculine.”

Fash­ion, for Styles, is a play­ground. Some­thing he doesn’t take too seri­ous­ly. A cou­ple of years ago Har­ry Lam­bert, his styl­ist since 2015, acquired for him a pair of pink metal­lic Saint Lau­rent boots that he has nev­er been pho­tographed wear­ing. They are exceed­ing­ly rare – few pairs exist. Styles wears them ​“to get milk”. They are, in his words, ​“super-fun”. He’s not sure, but he has, ball­park, 50 pairs of shoes, as well as full clos­ets in at least three post­codes. He set­tles on an out­fit fair­ly quick­ly, maybe changes his T-shirt once before head­ing out, but most­ly knows what he likes.

What he may not ful­ly com­pre­hend is that sim­ply by being pho­tographed in a gar­ment he can spur the career of a design­er, as he has with Har­ris Reed, Palo­mo Spain, Charles Jef­frey, Alled-Martínez and a new favourite, Bode. Styles wore a SS16 Guc­ci flo­ral suit to the 2015 Amer­i­can Music Awards. When he was asked who made his suit on the red car­pet, Guc­ci began trend­ing world­wide on Twitter.

“It was one of the first times a male wore Alessandro’s run­way designs and, at the time, men were not tak­ing too many red car­pet risks,” says Lam­bert. ​“Who knows if it influ­enced oth­ers, but it was a spe­cial moment. Plus, it was fun see­ing the fans dress up in suits to come see Harry’s shows.”

Yet tra­di­tion­al gen­der codes of dress still have the minds of mid­dle Amer­i­ca in a choke­hold. Men can’t wear women’s clothes, say the online whingers, who have labelled him ​“trag­ic”, ​“a clown” and a Bowie wannabe. Styles doesn’t care. ​“What’s fem­i­nine and what’s mas­cu­line, what men are wear­ing and what women are wear­ing – it’s like there are no lines any more.”

Elton John agrees: ​“It worked for Marc Bolan, Bowie and Mick. Har­ry has the same qualities.”

Then there is the ques­tion of Styles’ sex­u­al­i­ty, some­thing he has admit­ted­ly ​“nev­er real­ly start­ed to label”, which will plague him until he does. Per­haps it’s part of his allure. He’s bran­dished a pride flag that read ​“Make Amer­i­ca Gay Again” on stage, and plant­ed a stake some­where left of cen­tre on sexuality’s rain­bow spectrum.

“In the posi­tion that he’s in, he can’t real­ly say a lot, but he chose a queer girl band to open for him and I think that speaks vol­umes,” Josette Maskin of the queer band MUNA told The Face ear­li­er this year.

“I get a lot of…” Styles trails off, wheels turn­ing on how he can dis­cuss sex­u­al­i­ty with­out real­ly answer­ing. ​“I’m not always super-out­spo­ken. But I think it’s very clear from choic­es that I make that I feel a cer­tain way about lots of things. I don’t know how to describe it. I guess I’m not…” He paus­es again, piv­ots. ​“I want every­one to feel wel­come at shows and online. They want to be loved and equal, you know? I’m nev­er unsup­port­ed, so it feels weird for me to over­think it for some­one else.”

Sex­u­al­i­ty aside, he must acknowl­edge that he has sex appeal. ​“The word ​‘sexy’ sounds so strange com­ing out of my mouth. So I would say that that’s prob­a­bly why I would not con­sid­er myself sexy.”

Har­ry Styles has emerged ful­ly-formed, an anachro­nis­tic rock star, vague in sen­si­bil­i­ty but des­tined to impress with a dis­arm­ing smile and a warm but firm handshake.

I recite to him a quote from Chrissie Hyn­de of The Pre­tenders about her time atop rock’s throne: ​“I nev­er got into this for the mon­ey or because I want­ed to join in the super­star sex around the swim­ming pools. I did it because the offer of a record con­tract came along and it seemed like it might be more fun than being a wait­ress. Now, I’m not so sure.”

Styles – who worked in a bak­ery in a small north­ern town some time before play­ing to 40,000scream­ing fans in South Amer­i­can are­nas – must have wit­nessed some shit, been invit­ed to a few pool­side sex par­ties, in his time.

“I’ve seen a cou­ple of things,” he nods in agree­ment. ​“But I’m still young. I feel like there’s still stuff to see.”

[callioope]

2019 Favorites

Rules: Time to love ourselves! Choose 5 favorite works you created in the past year (fics, arts, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2019. Tag as many creators as you want to spread the love!

tagged by the awesome @theputterer​! thank you!

HA, well, TBH I saw this meme going around and I was like oh no if someone tags me I’m not going to have anything to list!

It’s true I barely published anything in 2019 -- only one thing on AO3 -- but I did work on a few unpublished projects. So after some serious scrounging, I thought why not share some sneak peeks at what I’ve got cooking in addition to the few items I did publish!

First, what I actually published:

"I hope my love was someone else’s solid ground”

Firelight flickers across the faces around the campsite and the shadows press a little closer. She’s trying not to stare (to make her staring obvious), but as her gaze sweeps over friends it always settles on him. She keeps measuring the distance, counting the steps past Bodhi and Kay or the other way ‘round, past Baze and Chirrut, to the opposite, furthest corner of tonight’s makeshift home. Always when she finds his eyes, they fall a little farther from her.

She sighs and gets up. Waiting never suited her.

I don’t think an album has ever resonated with me as much as Sara Bareilles’ Amidst the Chaos, or a song as much as “Orpheus.” It’s just perfection. The moment I heard it, I thought of Jyn and Cassian, but this song also feels special to me personally as I’ve struggled with OCD and anxiety and have (finally) been going to therapy for it. It felt cathartic to tell a story about healing through Jyn and Cassian, and I just really loved the prose in this one. I haven’t posted it to AO3 yet because I was thinking about expanding it a little first, and then I never got around to it.

Learning Curve  - Chapter 4: Scarif

“You know,” she says, sliding onto his lap, “there are better ways to show your surrender. If you want me to stop talking about work…” She leans down and demonstrates, and kriff, he tastes like the sunlight dancing on his lips, warm and sweet and happy.

“I love listening to you,” he murmurs when she finally pulls away.

She’s just sitting, safe in his arms, but when he looks at her like that, everything just falls out beneath her, and she closes her eyes and grips his shirt and burrows her head against the crook of his neck and shoulder.

Months ago, when she first stepped foot on the tarmac outside the temple, she’d thought she’d spend a semester and go back to Rudrig, that her life would continue on at its boring, lonely pace, that work would perpetually consume her. She’d never suspected she’d run into Cassian (and thank the Force for that; if she’d known he’d be here, she might not have signed up in the first place, might have preferred to avoid the risk of running into him and facing the embarrassment she’d created all those years ago—and she never would have had the chance to move past it).

She’d had no idea what kind of happiness awaited her, how close a call it had been, how she might never have known the joy of eliciting Cassian’s hard-won smile, the anticipation of an imminent kiss, or the simple satisfaction of quiet companionship and unassuming acceptance.

This took entirely longer than it should have, but I was very glad to finally finish it. It was definitely a lot of fun to imagine a galaxy with no Empire, where Palpatine was defeated before he could enact any of his crueler schemes, and to see what this meant for Jyn and Cassian as well as Lyra and Galen. It was also a challenge -- lots of moving chess pieces to account for -- so thank you to my beta and brainstormer @allatariel​!

I do have a couple regrets: namely, that I didn’t split chapter 4 into two parts (it’s just so long! I suppose I could still split it...) and that I hadn’t watched Rebels yet, so I didn’t get a chance to imagine what kind of life the Ghost crew would have had. Maybe someday? 

The Stakes of Star Wars: whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal

As a writer, I frequently struggle with plot. Is it believable? Is it surprising? Is it exciting? Sometimes, it feels like plot is supposed to be what makes a story interesting. What makes for a cool adventure? The prevailing mindset seems to be: how high can you raise the stakes?

But I think over the last few years of writing, I’ve learned something important about the kinds of stories I want to read, and therefore write.

The stakes are important, but only for what they mean to the character.

It has to be personal.

It’s no secret that I hated TLJ. I wasn’t impressed with TROS, either. I think it’s easy (and, admittedly, cathartic) to point blame at one or the other and to write a laundry list of “things didn’t work for me” (which I did for TLJ -- though I only finished and published part of it). When it came to the final installment, I thought it was more fruitful for me to analyze the core of what didn’t work for me overall. I won’t deny there are things I did love about the sequel trilogy, but as a whole, trilogy-spanning story it really fails for me, and this is my attempt at finding out why.

Now, onto the unpublished projects!!!

Untitled “You’ve Got Mail” AU

Somewhere in a far corner of the Outer Rim, off the far reaches of the Perlemian Trade Route, past Felucia, near the Tion Hegemony, a small planet spins on its axis, and a new day starts.

As the sun rises, it conveys a whole palette of colors: rich reds bleeding into the purple and indigo of the fading night, gold light gleaming over the flat fields of blue-green grass spreading out in all directions.

Nothing stirs but a gentle breeze, racing along the grass like a wave; to the naked eye, this area of the planet remains entirely uninhabited.

And that is the point.

To a careful observer, someone with an eye for it, the grassy flatlands and the gentle rolling hills of Skuhl hide something valuable and just as beautiful as its surface. Such an observer could find it: the narrow crack in the ground; the cramped ten-meter vertical descent into the jagged earth; the winding, sloped passage that eventually blooms into a split-level cavern that might fit a squadron of X-Wing fighters—if they had a way in.

As it is, that cavern houses something else: the Skuhl rebel cell.

And in a little area partitioned off by a series of columns, stalactites, and stalagmites on one side and a makeshift counter, sink, and shelving on the others, Jyn Erso wakes to the sound of the caf machine whirring.

Groaning, she lifts her head from the table and blinks in the soft light of a lantern hanging off the shelf behind her.

“Good morning,” Hadder says, from next to the raucous caf machine. “You’ve got a message.”

AHHH I forgot how much I love this AU. I haven’t opened this in a few months. YEAH, I’ve got some purple prose going there, but I was really trying to imitate the opening of You’ve Got Mail, how it pans down into NYC and such. I got really stuck on this trying to write Jyn and Cassian’s correspondence (the whole point TBH, smh). Otherwise, this is all plotted out (again, thanks to the amazing @allatariel​‘s help) and I just need to write it. Currently has 4,294 words.

Fencing AU (Working title is probably “En Garde”)

Jyn holds a blade for the first time when she is eight years old. It’s shiny and makes a fun clang when she smacks Bodhi’s sword. She’s been watching him from the corner, while she waits for Bodhi’s lesson to finish and for Mama and Papa to pick them up from the YMCA. Saw doesn’t teach children, he already explained. Saw wants serious students. 

So Jyn watches Bodhi stand in front of the mirror covering the far wall and watches him hold his blade in different positions (four, six, seven, eight — she heard Saw name each one). She watches him flick his wrist and smack Saw’s blade (beat, she repeats in her head) and watches him turn his wrist and push Saw’s blade away when he attacks first (parry).

She watches this go on for an hour, and afterwards, when Saw looks away to talk to some of the parents, she knicks a spare blade and a spare mask and dares Bodhi to fight her. 

It doesn’t take long for one of the parents to point her out (adults can never be trusted). But she doesn’t see it at first, too busy stabbing Bodhi, or trying to — she’s sure she’s hit him plenty on his arm, because she’s reenacted that laser sword fight from Space Clash enough times to know how it’s done.

“Jyn,” Saw says behind her, “What are you doing?”

She whirls around, staring up at Saw through the grated black mesh of the mask. He’s looking down at her, arms crossed, and he sounds mad. But she doesn’t look away or back down, even though he’s really tall and sometimes the other kids get scared when he’s angry. (She doesn’t. She’s not scared of anything.)

“Fencing,” she says. 

Saw stares back at her for forever, and she gives back an eternity because she plays this game all the time. She can win.

What she doesn’t know then, but Saw does, is that she will win.

He shakes his head. “Not like that,” Saw says.

“But I can fence,” Jyn says, “I can be serious.”

“Serious fencers,” Saw says, “aim for the heart.”

That stops her next words. She glances at Bodhi for a second, who shrugs, and then back at Saw. 

“Ready?” he says, gesturing for them to continue. “Allez!”

Oh, if I had all the time to write, I would finish this before the Olympics... I guess I still have half a year. Maybe it can still happen!! As it is, I don’t actually have much more of this written (just plotted). I fenced for five years at the local YMCA, plus just a little in college (sadly my university didn’t have a team, so I could only fence when I was able to get back home). I miss it dreadfully. Every now and then I dabble in researching clubs down here to fence, but it is so expensive and time consuming. So much to do! So little time! So I thought I’d just write about it to scratch that itch. Basically the gist is that Jyn is an Olympic fencer, and she fences foil (because that was my weapon and I’m incredibly biased) while Cassian fences epee. Aaaand look at that, now I’m rambling on about fencing. (I’d give y’all lessons if I could, do not get me started) On to the next! 

Nat Geo AU

“You seem quiet,” Cassian says quietly, still reading what she’d refer to as a tentative draft of their piece.

She shrugs.

His eyes flick up to her face just briefly and he misreads the regret on her face. “Do you miss it? Your time with Saw?”

She’s startled into a laugh. “You mean war correspondence?”

His nod is almost imperceivable, but he knows she pays close attention.

“No,” she says, perplexed.

“Not as much action out here.”

He’s worried she’s bored. As if she could be, at his side. “I almost had to wrestle a crocodile for your life yesterday.”

He grants her just the tiniest crook of a smile. “I was safe in the boat.”

“That croc was sizing you up,” she says, thinking of a large crocodile that they’d thought had been resting serenely on the river bank, before it suddenly splashed into the water right next to their boat, towards Cassian’s perch at the railing. “I saw the glint in its eye. I know the look.”

“I’m sure you do.” He snorts. Then he gestures towards her pad, where he’s highlighted a phrase. “This one — for the headline.”

She takes it and reads what he’s chosen. “You know it depends on what Kay likes.”

“He’ll like that one.”

The premise is that Jyn and Cassian work for National Geographic (or rather, Rogue Geographic) and are assigned to cover a conservation project headed by Ezra Bridger and the crew aboard the Ghost. I’ve only managed to write an intro scene about Jyn and Cassian finishing up their previous project (entirely, entirely self-indulgent and based on my honeymoon). I was hoping to finish and publish this in January, buuuut I got way distracted by an epic post-war fic that @allatariel​ and I are working on, which I think we may have started plotting in 2019, though I’m not sure -- and at any rate, the NatGeo brings us to six so you’ll just have to wait for the next word on that ;) 

 WELP THAT’S IT. 

Thanks for reading! 

TAGGING: Anyone who reads this and wants to do it. Yeah, you. You who were hoping you got tagged? I’m tagging you. You’re it!

[cosmicmomma]

To The Mom Avoiding Unvaccinated Children,

I saw your meme. I saw your messages. You want the world to know what you think about unvaccinated children. You want them to know that you think of them as disease-ridden carriers and that you want to keep them as far away from your child as possible.

I get it. You’re upset. But you need to realize what you’re also saying when you post things like this. Your posts are communicating fear and uncertainty about a product that you’re trying to endorse.

They’re also telling the world that you really haven’t thought this all the way through. Because let’s be honest, do you really want to know who is and is not vaccinated? Do you really intend on “unfriending” and avoiding every single unvaccinated person? If so, I suggest you brace yourself. Because if you looked just a little bit deeper, this is what you would come to find.

YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR CHILD AWAY FROM THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION–INCLUDING YOURSELF.

The majority of the population is not “up to date.” The CDC recommended vaccine schedule is constantly adding more and more vaccines to the schedule, beginning with just a handful of vaccines in the mid 1900’s to about 14 doses in the 1980’s to the current recommendation of 72 doses from pregnancy to 18 years (1). Unless you’ve had all 72 doses of vaccines like your child is expected to get, you yourself are considered “unvaccinated” or “partially vaccinated” and definitely not “up-to-date.” This also goes for all adults, teens, and even older children.

You also need to know that vaccine immunity, if even attained, wanes over time (2, 3). It is unknown how long this so-called immunity lasts, and unless you pull titers on everyone in your family and contact list, it is impossible to know exactly what everyone is actually “immune” to.

The whole idea of herd immunity is just a myth, and if you look into the history of the concept, you’d find that it was a term coined in the 1930’s to explain the immunity attained by natural infection–not vaccination.

If your goal is to avoid everyone who is unvaccinated by today’s standards, then you’ll have to find out when the last CDC recommendation was made in order to avoid everyone born before that time. You’ll also have to find out what vaccines each person has received and declined from that point forward. Doing this for each person you meet is what it takes to truly keep your child away from the “unvaccinated.”

YOU SHOULD NEVER TRAVEL OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES WITH YOUR CHILD.

I hope you don’t like traveling because you’ll really struggle with this if you are trying to avoid the unvaccinated. You see, the United States vaccinates far more than the rest of the industrialized world (4). In most cases, we give up to twice as many vaccines.

Some countries have banned certain vaccines because of the associated adverse reactions. Japan had postponed vaccination to the age of two in order to lower their incidences of SIDS (5). The UK does not vaccinate for the chicken pox because the vaccine can lead to more severe and higher incidences of shingles and chickenpox in adulthood (6), and many countries just don’t think that the chicken pox is that big of a deal (7).

If you truly want to stay away from all of the unvaccinated people in the world, then also stay away from foreign tourists, immigrants, and other countries. This will be what you need to do to keep your child truly “safe.”

YOU WOULD NEED TO KEEP YOUR CHILD AWAY FROM EVERYONE.

I know this sounds like a bit of a stretch, but the reality is that vaccines only somewhat “protect” us from about 16 diseases. The media does a great job of focusing on these 16 diseases in order to ensure pharmaceutical profits and vaccine compliance. They will cover every single case of the chicken pox or measles in a “doom-and-gloom” type of broadcast even if the nearest incidence is 1000 miles away. Notice that you will rarely hear anything about all of the other diseases in this world.

You may find it overwhelming to find that there are hundreds of bacteria and viruses capable of spreading infection. There’s leprosy, typhoid, scarlet fever, hand foot and mouth disease, tuberculosis, and so many more that you probably don’t even think about because they’re not being drilled into your psyche.

Should I fear you because you have not been vaccinated for any of those diseases? Think about that one for just a bit. You can’t spread what you don’t have, and just because you haven’t been vaccinated for a disease, doesn’t mean you carry it.

We’re all unvaccinated for the majority of infectious diseases. If you truly believe that vaccines are the only way to protect your child from disease, then they won’t be as safe as you think they should be.

YOU NEED TO RETHINK WHAT YOU’VE BEEN TOLD ABOUT VACCINES

You may strongly believe in vaccines, but you need to understand that not all of them prevent the spread of infection like you think they do. The pertussis vaccine only eliminates or reduces symptoms. It does not prevent the spread of infection, which can make for a dangerous situation because of the possibility of asymptomatic transmission (8).

Live-virus vaccines, such as the Rotavirus vaccine, shed and are capable of transmitting infection as well, especially to those who are immune-compromised (9-section 5.4). Some vaccines only prevent infection against certain strains, leaving your child more vulnerable to mutated or alternative strains that are far more dangerous.

Tetanus is not contagious. Hepatitis B can only be spread via sexual intercourse, shared needles, or by an infected mother at birth. Did you know that if a child at your child’s school has Hepatitis B, they cannot disclose this to you? The same goes for HIV. Or HPV. If those do not concern you, then why should another child’s vaccination status matter?

What should really matter is keeping your child as healthy as possible by feeding them nutrient-dense foods and making sure they gets proper exercise and sleep. Reducing their toxicity load can also help immensely. This can be done by limiting exposures to toxins and heavy metals, including those found in vaccines. You may even find it interesting that unvaccinated children are often healthier overall than vaccinated children for this very reason (10). It really changes the message when you take a closer look, doesn’t it?

I know you’re pretty set on what you believe. You’re afraid. You’ve been led to fear disease in order to vaccinate your child, and then further led to fear those who don’t vaccinate in order to make sure that they vaccinate their children as well. Because let’s be honest–if vaccines really worked the way you’ve been told they do, you really shouldn’t be worried and broadcasting your fears. If you truly believed in vaccines, your memes should exert confidence instead of fear.

The truth is, however, you worry because you’ve been told to worry. It wasn’t always like this though. People weren’t always afraid–even long before we had 72 doses of vaccines and high levels of compliance. You see, all of the infectious diseases we vaccinate for have not been deadly in this country since prior to the introduction of vaccines. Fear has just been used to sell vaccines. It’s all part of the plan to get everyone vaccinated.

I know it’s not what you’ve been told, and I know that rethinking everything can be scary. It may even be scarier for you than the diseases you fear, but you need to step back and do your own research. Use logic and reasoning to think through the propaganda. Learn the actual history behind vaccination (11).

And then, ask yourself, Why would someone choose not to vaccinate their child? You may be surprised at what you discover. You may also be surprised to find that many of us actually did vaccinate, and our children suffered from severe adverse reactions. It’s not just 1 in a million like you’ve been told.

Instead of fearing the majority of the population for being unvaccinated, fear those who are spreading the lies in order to coerce the population into mandatory vaccine compliance. Discover the truth for yourself and then rise up and share it, so that others may do the same. The truth is liberating, and it can truly set you free.

1. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-indications.html

2. http://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2018/03/21/mumps-vaccine-protection-wanes

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26091979

4. http://rescuepost.typepad.com/files/gr-autism_and_vaccines_world_special_report1.pdf

5. http://www.truthlibrary.info/articles/corporate-fraud/japan-and-the-mmr-vaccine-and-the-sids-connection/

6. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/chickenpox-vaccine-questions-answers/#routineschedule

7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8CbgaDsoHs

8. https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-015-0382-8

9. https://www.gsksource.com/pharma/content/dam/GlaxoSmithKline/US/en/Prescribing_Information/Rotarix/pdf/ROTARIX-PI-PIL.PDF

10. http://vactruth.com/2014/02/26/unvaccinated-children-healthier/

Find more articles like this one here..

11. Dissolving Illusions: Disease, Vaccines, and the Forgotten History

https://anupstreamlife.com/a-letter-to-the-mom-avoiding-unvaccinated-children/

[batobob-blog]

undefined

[kittensintinytophats]

Rules: answer twenty-one questions, then tag twenty-one people you’d like to get to know better!

I was tagged by @peri-scoop-da-loop thanks :D

Nicknames: mann I haven’t had one in so long but Serser (sair sair) was one I had in elementary, oh tho I have a friend who calls me by my last name if that counts 

Zodiac: Aries 

Height: 5′3″ I think

Last Movie Seen: Spiderman into the spiderverse

Last Thing I Googled: TWRP, I wanted to see where in Canada they’re from

Fav. Musicians: I have a lot so I won’t list them all, ELO, Bo en, Daft Punk, Eve, TWRP, Gorillaz, Jonghyun, Kenshi Yonezu, Lucky Tapes, OK Go, sasakure.UK, siinamota (aka powapowa P.). There’s also a lot of bands/artists from the 60s-80s I like but I don’t want my post to be a mile long, I just like a lot of music

Song Stuck in My Head: Pale Blue Dot by TWRP (tho during stats I always get the mp100 OP stuck in my head because I watch the new ep after class)

Other Blogs: Nope, had the same blog for like 7 or 8 years that why it’s such a mix of different interests 

Do I Get Any Asks: Sometimes if I reblog an ask meme, I really appreciate when people send in asks 

Following: 254 (but I think most are dead blogs now)

Followers: 485 

Amount of Sleep: haha not enough probably, around 4-6 hours every night, I fall asleep around 12-2 and wake up around 7-9 or earlier depending on what I have to do that day

Lucky Number: 13 or 9

What I’m Wearing: black sweatpants, a shirt from an ice cream shop in PEI that says the milking dead and has a zombie cow on it (I love cheesy weird shirts, my fave is from this ice cream shop it’s tie dye shirt that says Austin Cowers and has a cartoon cow that looks like Austin Powers and says moo baby moo, so dumb i love it)

Dream Job: Some sort of artist or animator, or a florist in a cozy little town

Dream Trip: I wanna go to Japan one day

Fav. Food: Everything, but there’s a type of breaded chicken that’s my comfort food cause mom used to make it for me on my bday

Play Any Instruments: I’m a little rusty but piano and clarinet

Languages: English and French, I can read and understand French better than I can speak it

Fav. songs: I’ll just pick some that I’ve been listening to lately, the Mother 3 ost, undertale/deltarune ost, mp100 OP/ED, Pale Blue Dot and Starlight Brigade by TWRP,  Dramaturgy and Last Dance by Eve, Shunrai and Fogbound by Kenshi yonezu, White Ball by Miracle Musical, Two Time and Inchman by Jack Stauber, Stakeholder by Tofubeats

Random Facts: I’m in grad school and my project is on propagating Cannabis using tissue culture so that’s cool. Also, I have a weird amount of work stamina (I’ve been called a workhorse before) last summer I worked 7 days a week doing landscaping and took 2 university courses at the same time (holy shit that was so miserable never do that kids) but I’m someone who’s pretty laid back and would rather just play video games all day so I think the work stamina is just me not wanting to let people down

Describe Yourself Using Aesthetic Things: Ivy on an old building, crunchy fall leaves, warm tea on a cold day, mossy forest with little mushrooms, beach glass and shells, plaid and oversized sweaters

I always forget who’s filled this out already so if I have any mutuals that haven’t done this yet, go for it!

[digimon-digital-adventures]

Digimon Spotlight: Thundermon

What’s this? It’s been a year and now it’s time to do another Spotlight because I’ve been neglecting things and been busy, but I did it guys! I’m sorry for the wait but I hope things are more worthwhile.

Note for everyone who isn’t in the Discord; 1.3 is mechanically done, there simply isn’t a PDF yet. This does include the TCG Tamer packet and the Tamer Qualities (although the latter two may require tweaking as the PDF comes out.) This spotlight will be using those mechanics, and if you want to find the new rules try this link:

Main book: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ltxa4nx_ghGl4LjI6WYrT47MDdS7dQVj2PWLVRt0fpw/edit?usp=sharing

TCG Tamers: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zp-E9SDgkRJromTB45jXwjzZM6RZcSEntT5xlMptILA/edit?usp=sharing

Tamer Playtest Packet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/181uzmwn94XqkKkTWomM3TbZCGd53sUJVUUFW8Geb-vc/edit?usp=sharing

Either way I put this off for a bit, but it’s time to enjoy a new spotlight. I’ll be only using the fluff from the direct lines from here on out, because I want to avoid redundancy with what I’ve posted. I’ll also be updating the spotlight catalog ASAP.

As per usual, artwork not mine, builds not final.

“Also known as the "Digimon Dynamo", it is conjectured to be a member of the Mamemon-species. Its tiny body has the properties of a magnet, and is always clad in electricity and discharging lightning.” - Thundermon’s Wiki page

There isn’t much about Thundermon’s personality or general environment, but going with what we know about the Mamemon-species, it’s safe to assume it has a generally friendly demeanor but it has a nasty side with immense destructive power.

This might also generally lead Thundermon to have a bit of a trickster or mischevious personality. This fits with it being a somewhat smaller species of Digimon with deceptive levels of power hiding behind its outer appearance. This can make for some really fun roleplay scenarios, similar to how the Icemon line works.

Evolutionary Line Ideas

Fresh: Leafmon, MetalKoromon, Botamon In-Training: Minomon, Koromon, Tsunomon Rookie: Elecmon, Kokuwamon, Kunemon, Toy Agumon, Thundermon* Champion: Thundermon, Mamemon* Ultimate: Mamemon, BigMamemon, CatchMamemon, MameTyramon, MetalMamemon Mega: PrinceMamemon, BanchoMamemon, TonosamaMamemon Burst: Various custom Burst Modes.

*While Mamemon may canonically be an Ultimate level Digimon, I feel like the line’s most direct evolutions have a bottleneck at the Champion stage. Since most of the other Ultimate-tier Digimon are a subspecies of Mamemon, it feels acceptable to potentially shift Mamemon down to the champion stage to avoid this. But be sure to talk to your GM about it.

“It digivolved in a harsh environment. Contrary to its cute appearance, it conceals a terrifying destructive power. With the exception of one Digimon, it is perhaps the most powerful class. The large hands attached to its small body are capable of turning into powerful bombs and detaching themselves. Its nickname is the "Smiley Bomber".” - Mamemon’s Wiki Page

“It exists as the boss of Mamemon. As a matter of fact, it's suggested that it is an aggregation of Mamemon. Since normal Mamemon are the same size as Rookie Digimon, they possess a degree of power that couldn't even be imagined from their appearance, but as its name suggests, BigMamemon is dozens or even hundreds of times the size of a Mamemon. However, the reason why a "Mamemon" is this size is still unclear. Its personality is extremely gentle, and it hates conflict and battle, so it is always playing with its Mamemon followers. The text on the soles of its shoes reads "BIG" and "MAME".” - BigMamemon’s wiki page

“A Mutant Digimon resulting from the evolution of Mamemon after it was fused with the data from a file management software. It has a serious personality and an uncompromising side, and seems to think that managing Digi-Eggs is its duty. It is also capable of walking without needing to float, by using its arm parts as legs.” - CatchMamemon’s wiki page

“It is a tiny Digimon feared as the "Small Tyranny" (Tiny Tyrant). It condensed Tyrannomon's data into its tiny body, pushing its ferocious nature and combat instinct to the surface, where they have strikingly manifested in its behavior. While its body may be tiny, rather than assaulting opponents en masse, it always acts by itself, swooping down on Digimon roaming its own territory without wasting breath on discussion, and always making a show of being the strongest in its domain. However, because its body is tiny, its territory is not very wide. With its physical strength condensed several hundred-fold into its tiny body, and its tenacious jaw that can crunch even super-hard armor, it possesses fighting strength that surpasses even that of gigantic Dinosaur Digimon.” - MameTyramon’s wiki page

It digivolved further in strength than Mamemon, who holds the alias of "Smiley Bomber". As usual, if one is deceived by its cute appearance, they will have a terrible experience. Nine-tenths of its body is mechanized, and it has the Psycho Blaster equipped to its left arm.” - MetalMamemon’s wiki page.

Thundermon and subverting expectations

Thundermon is one of those tiny Digimon who pack a real wallop, making it a really good way to mix a bit of humor in with your build without having to go full meme mode. If even Mamemon is only the size of the average Rookie, and judging by its appearance in Adventure 02, Thundermon is only about the size of someone’s eyeball at best. It’s tiny! This makes the damage it can dish out all the more amusing.

However you can take this in other ways besides size; giving the digimon an upbeat and carefree personality only to have it turn around and destroy the obstacles in its way. This can also make a wonderful partner concept; but don’t put too much into the idea of plowing your way through every encounter, a GM always has the ability to one-up a player’s Digimon.

“Having taken in data on the Net concerning a royal family, it is a prince of the Mamemon world. Partnering with KingEtemon, it plays the part of a mock royal family of the Digital World, and that's why it looks so gorgeous. Although its personality isn't awful, it was incited by KingEtemon and is convinced that it truly is a member of the royal family, and the embarrassing thing is that it considers even the "Royal Knights" to be its subordinates. Despite its appearance, the part that it boasts is its tremendous destructive power, since it is a Mega, after all.” - PrinceMamemon’s wiki page.

- no information given (BanchoMamemon)

- no information given (TonosamaMamemon)

Variants and Subspecies

Being an element based Digimon, Thundermon is a really easy Digimon to make variants of, although this list will also go over a few new Mamemon variants to boot.

Fireballmon (Red): this species of Thundermon emits shocking amounts of heat and flame despite its small size, and is significantly more aggressive than its normal Thundermon cousins. However, if Fireballmon aren’t careful they’re liable to wear themselves out much quicker than other variants, becoming exhausted and unable to produce much more heat. Many tamers who partner with Fireballmon will carry it in their pocket, where its aura of heat can keep the tamer warm even in the coldest environments. (+Accuracy, +Damage, -Armor, -Dodge)

Snowballmon (Blue): this type of Thundermon is the polar opposite of its red cousin; the Digimon is naturally cold to the touch and quite shy. It uses its tiny size to avoid conflict by hiding in crevices that only Digimon much weaker than itself could fit into such as Fresh and In-Training stage Digimon. However, due to living in the unforgiving arctic environment, Snowballmon are exceptionally hardy and able to go long distances through meter deep snow without tiring. Many Snowballmon also cover themselves in discarded furs similar to Gabumon, in order to stay warm in their icy environment. (+Health, +Armor, -Accuracy, -Damage)

Smokeballmon (Green): this variant of Thundermon repels intruders with its constant emission of toxic fumes. Very few Digimon can stand to be near the stench, with the exception of Digimon such as Numemon and Sukamon. And in the event that an opponent gets close enough to be a threat, Smokeballmon is capable of firing blasts of debilitating toxins from the Mame Blaster on its arm. (++Accuracy, -Armor)

SkullMamemon (Ultimate): A Mamemon whose body has worn down to almost nothing, it’s resorted to dark magic in order to keep moving its body, spells it stole from Wizardmon. This bouncing skull Digimon is no less dangerous for it, combining Mamemon’s terrifying offensive potential with the utility of a variety of magical skills.

JetMamemon (Ultimate): A Mamemon who appropriated technology from Andromon. In this case, a jetpack and a specialized cannon which fires hyper-compressed air at the opponent strong enough to dent Chrome Digizoid. JetMamemon combines terrifying melee potential with devastating ranged power and mobility.

BanchoMamemon: Burst Mode (Burst)

EmperorMamemon (Burst): through decades of diligent training and discipline, PrinceMamemon has gone through a terrifying change. Clad in shining armor, this variant of Mamemon rules its domain fairly, but without mercy to those who oppose its laws. Its optimistic and naive nature makes it very easy to manipulate, and many evil Digimon of shrewd nature have used an EmperorMamemon as a figurehead to further their own goals.

Building the line from Champion Up

Thundermon

Wound Boxes: 10 Stage: Champion Size: Tiny (+2 Agility, -2 Body) Speed: 11 (Jump 11/11)

Health: 5 Accuracy: 6 Damage: 5 Dodge: 5 Armor: 5

Body: 3 Brains: 8 Agility: 7 BIT: 2 RAM: 2 CPU: 2

Misc. Qualities

Speed Striker Optimization (1 DP) Armor Piercing Rank 3 (3 DP) Certain Strike Rank 3 (6 DP) Charge Attack (1 DP) Extra Movement: Jumper (0DP*) *For everyone not aware, Champion stage Digimon in the current version get a 1DP discount on their first purchase of Extra Movement.

Attack List

Thunderball [Ranged][Damage][Blast][Armor Piercing 6] Thunder Bomber [Melee][Damage][Charge] Thunderbolt [Ranged][Stun][Line][Certain Strike 3]

Build Breakdown: Thundermon is a solid all-rounder type Digimon. It doesn’t excel in any particular area of combat, it’s not incredibly durable but it’s not likely to go down in one hit either. It’s got a mixed bag of tricks to utilize; Thunder Bomber to deal some melee damage or reposition itself, Thunderball as your go-to attack for damage, and Thunderbolt to provide a bit of support in slowing down the enemy.

This means Thundermon is best to fill in the gaps for what your party needs at a given moment; if you need someone in the melee fray, it’s got an option, if you need to stand back and bombard the enemy at range, it’s got an option, and if you need to slow down an enemy, it’s got an option.

Just be careful: with the new rules you can only use a given attack once per round unless you’ve entirely run out of attacks.

Mamemon

Wound Boxes: 14 Stage: Ultimate Size: Tiny (+1 Agility, -1 Body) Speed: 10 (Jump 10/10)

Health: 6 (7) Accuracy: 7 Damage: 7 Dodge: 7 Armor: 5 (7)

Body: 6 Brains: 11 Agility: 8 BIT: 4 RAM: 3 CPU: 3

Misc. Qualities

Close Combat Optimization (1 DP) Flurry (3DP) Armor Piercing Rank 3 (3 DP) Certain Strike Rank 3 (6 DP) Charge Attack (1 DP) Extra Movement: Jumper (0DP*) Weapon Rank 3 (3 DP) Chrome Digizoid Weaponry (1 DP) Chrome Digizoid Armor (1 DP)

Attack List

Smiley Bomb [Melee][Damage][Armor Piercing 6][Weapon] Strike Upper [Melee][Knockback][Weapon] Buster Drive [Melee][Burst] One-two Rush [Melee][Charge][Certain Strike 3][Weapon]

Build Breakdown: Mamemon has entered the fray as a bruiser; a melee striker with some solid survivability, but it’s not exactly something you would want to be your main tank unless you entirely lack one for the fight.

It still has a bit of that utility that Thundermon had; it can cover a few more things than its main job, it’s specialized significantly better for melee combat now. With One-two Rush and Smiley Bomb with another free basic attack from Flurry, it can really dish out the hurt.

It has a few other tricks up its sleeve; if it has to push something back a bit for one reason or another, Strike Upper can be your saving grace, and if you’re surrounded by enemies, Buster Drive might be a good trade-off over the single target power of Smiley Bomb and One-two Rush.

BanchoMamemon

Wound Boxes: 19 Stage: Mega Size: Tiny (+1 Agility, -1 Body) Speed: 16 (Jump 16/16)

Health: 7 (9) Accuracy: 9  Damage: 9 Dodge: 9 Armor: 5 (9)

Body: 8 Brains: 14 Agility: 10 BIT: 5 RAM: 5 CPU: 4

Misc. Qualities

Close Combat Optimization (1 DP) Flurry (3DP) Armor Piercing Rank 3 (3 DP) Certain Strike Rank 3 (6 DP) Charge Attack (1 DP) Extra Movement: Jumper (0DP*) Weapon Rank 3 (3 DP) Obsidian Digizoid Weaponry (3 DP) Red Digizoid Armor (2 DP) Speedy Rank 2 (2 DP)

Attack List

Bukkomi Otokodama [Melee][Damage][Armor Piercing 6][Weapon] Strike Out [Melee][Knockback][Weapon] Senbon Dokkān [Melee][Burst] Golden Rush [Melee][Charge][Certain Strike 3][Weapon][Pass] Ougon Batto [Melee][Stun]

Build Breakdown: BanchoMamemon combines the best of both Thundermon and Mamemon; still taking that all-rounder statline that lets it be a solid frontline bruiser with supporting aspects. By taking a few ranks in Speedy it’s now got Thundermon’s mobility, and with Ougon Batto it has that stun potential. Golden Rush takes the place of One-two Rush, but this time Mamemon can use it for even more positioning potential with the Pass keyword. Other than that, it takes a very similar role of its lower stage, it just does it significantly better. It isn’t afraid to get into the middle of the fray, but on the other hand it doesn’t have the survivability to soak up hits like a proper tank.

Starter Pack: Bean Machine

The starter pack Bean Machine plays up on Mamemon’s cute outer appearance and devastating combat power by having it play a mix of defense and utility early on, then turning around and hitting the opponent as hard as possible. The goal is to keep your enemy on their toes if they know what’s coming, and make them underestimate you if they don’t.

Note: this is using the updated TCG Tamers Splat. In short, each card may only have a single negative quality now, deck sizes are cut in half, and some mechanics have changed. For anything more specific, please go check out the book!.

Digivice x1 (Common, Evolution)

Ruined Meal x2 (Common, Power) Delayed Reaction Rank 2 (-2 Rarity), Trick Shot (+1 Rarity), Assisted Boost (+1 Rarity) Applies Fear, +2 Accuracy. 

Bean Sprout x1 (Uncommon, Power) Iron Wall (-2 Rarity), Alias (+3 Rarity) +2 Dodge

Something Lost, Something Gained x1 (Uncommon, Power) Sacrifice Rank 2 (-4 Rarity), Potency Boost Rank 2 (+2 Rarity), Duration Boost Rank 3 (+3 Rarity)

Mamemon x1 (Rare, Attack) Last Stand (-3 Rarity), One-two Punch (+2 Rarity), Potency Boost Rank 3 (+3 Rarity) Grants: Smiley Bomber [Melee][Damage][Certain Strike 3][Armor Piercing 6][Weapon] (purchased Signature Move)

The deck has two ways to cycle through it, and both of them have to be thought through. After Digivolving to the Champion stage, you can either apply a Ruined Meal to an enemy, or use Bean Sprout on yourself. This will depend on who you’re fighting; if you want your opponent to not come anywhere near you, use Ruined Meal. If you know your opponent is definitely going to attack you and doesn’t have an AoE, you can also use Alias to get a free turn instead. Once that’s over, use Something Lost, Something gained to remove the rest of your deck and get a massive boost. Last it’s time to use Mamemon for a massive finish: with the previous bonus still active you’ll be hitting like a truck! Smiley Bomber’s Signature move status combined with your two normal attacks will put a dent in any opponent.