#2020 october writing challenge
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for those unable to attend the livestream i present:
NOTES FROM THE HATCHETFIELD HALLOWEEN PARTY
14th October 2023, 01:00 BST (my time!) / 13th October 2023, 17:00 PDT (their time!)
Note: These notes are at times a little nonsensical and useless and just quotes. This is because it lasted from 01:00-04:00 for me meaning I was incredibly tired. Please bear with <3
Section 1: Nerdy Prudes Must Die talkback
Started with chiptune of Feast or Famine and then chiptune of Jane’s A Car
Steph’s dad may be dead but at least she has a boyfriend <3
Joey was eating beef and potato stew for most of the first segment
When Jeff was asked for the inspiration for The Summoning: “[…] I don’t know. That just popped in my head. It could be true.” (His answer was Wizard of Oz.)
Section 2: Hatchet Town Trivia Challenge
I tried to keep track of “chat vs cast” points but lost count and failed rather miserably
Nora’s last name is Beanie. Nora Beanie
Jeff is “an avid lover of baby-water” (water pure enough for babies to drink) and “widely known as Doctor Spreadsheets” (my notes just say “baseball game”)
Every time the world destroys, Ted dies twice: once as Ted, once as homeless guy
Lex helped deliver Hannah by teleporting her out of the womb through the Black and White
Greenpeace Girl’s name is Harmony Jones!
Wilbur Cross murdered Duke Senior (Duke Keane’s dad) this may be explored in future.
Section 3: Workin’ Boys
All of my “notes” here are just gushing about the characters. I have written nothing useful enough to be put here
Section 4: Workin’ Boys talkback
Chad was not included in WB because it was deemed that nobody could live up to the legend. This spawned the “Darren 4 Chad” movement in chat
The Workin’ Boys album will be out around next week if all goes to plan. It is 5 tracks and would include Mariah’s version of the Show Stoppin’ Number monologue as well as at least some of her singing it (as seen in the show; hoping for a full version!!)
Mariah’s character in the audience was called Woman.
Lauren’s character in the audience was Courtney, Thrash’s girlfriend from Killer Track
Paul Gabriel’s character was Paul Gabriel
Linda Monroe auditioned for Workin’ Girls and was the only one who didn’t get a part (Ruth was chosen over her). This is why she was happy to see it crash and burn
The programmes made for Workin’ Girls had very detailed bios, which hopefully when in full quality will be readable when paused. This may set up the potential for the Workin’ Girls actresses to be in future HF projects where this can be explored
Jaime will hopefully be in the next Starkid musical!!!!
The Black Book was originally supposed to debut in Workin’ Boys, in its original form in 2020
The 2020 version was planned as a feature-length film but eventually it was decided that it was confusing and remodelled.
The Summoning was supposed to be in Workin’ Boys – the producer would have tricked Hidgens into making the girls perform a ritual; it was realised that this didn’t make much sense so the song was transferred to NPMD
Section 5: The Future Of Hatchetfield
Hatchetfield was supposed to be finished by 2020
Starkid is not going to be exclusively Hatchetfield in the future; their next full-length musical will not be Hatchetfield
NMT3 is hopefully going to happen provided there is enough interest! It was supposed to happen in the same year as NMT2 but they take a long time to write (much longer than a full musical) so that couldn’t happen
NMT3 would conclude Lex and Hannah’s story after Yellow Jacket
It would be produced more face to face like a TV show – Nick said “less Zoom call-y”
It would include stories withheld from NMT1 and NMT2
It would entirely depend on how much interest, particularly views on NMT2.
It would be Halloween themed.
“More things akin to Workin’ Boys would be nice” - Nick
The episodes would be:
Bottle Imps
“Bill Woodward has been chosen to test CCRP’s latest and greatest product: Bottle Imps. These reality-bending buddies will bring their owner the one thing they desire most. When his new imp, Lovely, leads him to his soulmate, Bill decides to use his magical companion to play matchmaker. But to help Charlotte find the man of her dreams, Bill will have to bend the Imp’s rules. Rules he’s been warned, must never be broken…”
Frankenruth
“Desperate to see a naked body, Ruth Fleming and Richie Lipschitz volunteer at the morgue of St. Damian’s Hospital. Their terrible plan becomes exponentially more terrible, when they become unwitting subjects in the experiments of the body-snatching madman, Doctor Lazlo, who claims to have conquered death itself. If Hatchetfield thought Ruth was bad before, then they will cower before the unspeakable horror of… Frankenruth!”
Becky Barnes Climbed A Tree
“Becky Barnes is on top of the world! Not in a literal sense, of course. She’s deathly afraid of heights. After years of struggle, Becky’s life is finally everything she dreamed it would be. She’s engaged to her High School sweetheart, Tom Houston, and the two have a surprise baby on the way! But as the couple prepared for the arrival of Baby Marie, a shadow from Becky’s past returns to haunt them.”
Devil’s Night
“Tim Houston has a crush. Unfortunately, it’s on his older, mature, and totally cool babysitter, Grace Chasity, who he fears will never see him as anything but a snot-nosed little kid. But when a devilish maniac with murderous designs on Grace attacks Hatchetfield the night before Halloween, Tim must protect his beloved, or join the killer’s growing body count. It’s another slashing adventure on the night HE came home… Devil’s Night.”
Miss Holloween
“It’s Halloween in Hatchetfield once again, and Miss Holloway is celebrating the same way she’s done for decades, staving off the horrors that go bump in the night. But when Duke gives her an invitation to his wedding, the dejected Miss Holloway begins to chafe under the terms of a contract forged many years ago. She strikes a new bargain, but unfortunately her creditors are known for their tricks, not treats. Just as Miss Holloway gives up her powers in exchange for a mortal life, a monstrous new threat rears its ugly head. As All Hallows Eve descends, and all Hell breaks loose, Miss Holloway must save the town or die trying… for real this time.”
Orbweaver
“Lex Foster had a life once. A home. A boyfriend. Now there is only the road, and her sister, and the fear of the men who are hunting them. As Hannah Foster watches Lex sink deeper into despair, she is certain of only three things: Webby is gone. She cannot help them. They are alone.
Elsewhere, an old soldier awakens from a catatonic state. Returned from some unimaginable Hell with a mission. He knows that somewhere two magical girls require immediate evac… then maybe some coffee.”
As NPMD was conceived of first, it was supposed to be a Nerdy Prudes series: Nerdy Prudes Must Die, Horny Campers Must Die… (this was turned into NMT2’s Abstinence Camp)
The next Hatchetfield full-length musical would probably be about Miss Holloway if there was enough interest.
There is the possibility of a full movie set in Hatchetfield if there is enough interest. (Workin’ Boys was like a trial for how Hatchetfield works in film)
It would be called Cast Party Massacre
“The Hatchetfield Community Players. You will never find a cattier troupe of two-faced thespians. But when the blood begins to flow at their latest show’s cast party, they must consider: is there a secret murderer in their midst? And more importantly, who amongst them is a good enough actor to pull off such a performance? Can they set aside their petty squabbles and tangled romances, or is it curtains for this ensemble? Who will survive… the Cast Party Massacre!”
It would possibly feature the girls from Workin’ Boys.
The licencing rights to TGWDLM will be available soon!
#that took fucking AGES to type out#it's almost 5am now i'm going to bed#thhat was SUCH a good livestream though!!!#starkid#npmd spoilers#<- vaguely? a little? best be safe#hall of fame#gnomeantics original 🌟
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Miss Fisher's Whumptober Challenge is back for 2023!
What is Whumptober?
Whumptober is a month-long creative fandom challenge consisting of 31 themes and prompts. “Whump” means a work in which characters are put in emotionally and/or physically painful situations, and usually these works can be categorized as hurt/comfort.
How does this work?
If this sounds like your thing, simply go to this spreadsheet, write your name behind one of the prompts, and create something for it (to be posted at any point in October and the first week of November; it doesn’t have to be up on the actual day your prompt was assigned to). Each prompt can be claimed by multiple people and you can create something for as many of them as you want.
Please tag your works “MFMMwhumptober” and if you post them on AO3, you can also add them to this collection.
Even if whump isn’t for you, we’ve modified the event so you can still participate! We’ve had several writers bend the rules and write fluffy or smutty works for this challenge. Just make sure to tag your works appropriately and specify whether they contain comfort elements or are pure angst. Our main goal is to get you to write so all contributions are welcome!
This is the original announcement post and here is the official collection, which you can also add your entries to as long as they somewhat fit the overall theme of the original challenge.
Where can I check out the previous years’ entries?
Whumptober has been a longstanding tradition in this fandom so there are a lot of examples to draw inspiration from. You can read all of the past entries here:
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
The fandom has grown a lot since last year and we want to encourage as many of you as possible to participate in this wonderful event. We look forward to seeing all your wonderful contributions!
#miss fisher's murder mysteries#mfmm#mfmmwhumptober#miss fisher#phryne fisher#jack robinson#phrack#phryne x jack#mfmm fic#mfmm fanfic#mfmm fanart
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Hiya! My name is Izzy-Loa, and a Jr Web Developer and today, I thought it would be a great idea to just share my own personal coding journey! I have answered a lot of asks in the past about how I recommend other people to start their coding studies, what websites to learn from and roadmaps etc. But one question I kept having to repeat myself answering is the "Okay how did you get started?" - it is completely my fault not writing this down properly~! (I did actually)
Anyhoo, I'll just speed through my journey, sharing what I learnt at what times and what I'm currently doing now! ✨
☆ Starting from Scratch
I started coding back in 2017 during the summer break when I was just 15 years old. At that time, I didn't even know what coding was! It was my dad who suggested that I learn HTML. I hesitated at first, thinking HTML was some "complex high-level programming language". Little did I know, it was just a markup language...
I started with HTML and then moved on to CSS during that summer. However, once school started in September, I set coding aside and forgot about it. The following year, 2018, I decided to give it another shot and relearned HTML and CSS. But again dropped it because of school work and upcoming exams!
☆ The Turning Point
Fast forward to 2020, a year that marked a turning point!. I started creating websites using HTML and CSS. I briefly played with JavaScript but decided to focus on mastering HTML and CSS.
In January 2021, I made a significant decision. I dropped out of school due to personal reasons and decided to fully commit to programming, plus getting my first remote job (non-Tech). From there, I gradually delved into JavaScript a lot more and even dabbled in Python along the way. My learning process was on and off, but I was making progress! Around this time I learnt Git and GitHub!
☆ The Apprenticeship
Around September/October time, I applied for an apprenticeship. My skill set included HTML, CSS, Python, and basic JavaScript. I got accepted and continued to learn Python, delving into C# and Java as well. It was a challenging but rewarding experience! Happily dropped Java towards the end!
At work, I also learned SQL, working with Microsoft SQL Server and MySQL. I even explored .NET Framework and ASP.NET. It was a lot to take in, but I embraced the learning process! The older developers at the workplace were super helpful and very experienced - felt as though they were happy to give me all their knowledge as best they could~!
☆ Expanding My Knowledge
During my apprenticeship, around October 2022, I decided to further expand my skills. I enrolled in a front-end bootcamp, where I revisited HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. I also learned jQuery, Node.js, npm, and even ventured into React. Though, due to not practising it enough, I forgotten React and Node.js~!
☆ My Ongoing Journey
Currently, I'm continuing to explore Python and experimenting with Lua. I'm also revisiting JavaScript, jQuery, and recently, I've started working with SCSS (Sass) to streamline my CSS development - I highly recommend people in Web Development to learn SCSS!! I love it so much!
Looking ahead, my learning wishlist includes TypeScript, React, Vue.js, Angular, and C++. However, I'm not rushing into learning everything at once. I'm taking my time to absorb each language and framework thoroughly.
In summary, it has been a continuous evolution, from HTML and CSS to SQL, .NET Framework, and various other languages and tools. I've faced challenges and taken LOTS of breaks, but each step has brought me closer to becoming a proficient developer. I want to be better! But slowly and in good time!
Hope this was somewhat helpful to other people and yeah, have a nice day/night!
⤷ ○ ♡ my shop ○ my twt ○ my youtube ○ pinned post ○ blog's navigation ♡ ○
#resources#codeblr#coding#progblr#programming#studyblr#studying#computer science#tech#comp sci#programmer#about me#personal#academia#cs academia#light academia
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wait why ranboo (idk much abt him)
ESSAY WARNING AHEAD do not fucking repost this shit anywhere holy fuck i will kill you!!!!!!! respect my boundaries :((
ok my thought process was somewhere along the lines of
rboo (kid wanting to blow up as a mcyter during summer 2020) getting attention through making fan content of dream smp (also trying to write themself into the lore) -> dream (kid who blew up as an mcyter before the pandemic hit, getting even more insane numbers) sees himself in rboo, adds him to the dream smp
-> path 1: parasocial stan delusion - ran is both viewer and cc, relatable to viewers in a down to earth way while gaining an insane amount of success very very fast -> heightened scrutiny to not fuck things up because his audience is full of normal people who care about social justice on paper (part of dreams influence in having a gender and race diverse (somewhat) audience) -> growing importance of boundaries (tm) -> fandom becomes insanely blue haired liberal and jumps on every mistake, demanding quick and GOOD apologies for both inane and serious shit -> fandom becomes volatile and creates disproportionate responses to everything -> they (rboo) become spineless -> this attitude and spinelessness leaks over to the whole of mcyt since most of dsmp shared an audience at that point -> feedback loop we see today
(sidebar: growing media illiteracy combined with volatile reactions extend to lore shit on all ends and was absolutely compounded by their joining -> "sanctity" of the lore -> michael -> dsmp audiences split over the parasocial belief that character = content creator's thoughts beliefs and actions in real life instead of. acting)
-> path 2: control and queerness - branch off from blue haired liberal -> viewers have good intentions in wanting more rep in the cc space (queer and women, not so much race) -> marginalized communities cant afford to make mistakes as much as white men in the space -> disproportionate amount of criticism for both white men and marginalized ccs -> viewers attempting to take control of ccs due to ran blurring the line between viewer and cc during lockdown/most viewers' formative social years being taken from them -> not much education about queerness in the first place -> queerbaiting discourse and queer being a symbol of goodness -> people seemed to want dream to be straight and evil and ran to be gay/queer and good -> double standards when dream and ran come out because of dream's perceived power, status, and past growing up in conservative florida he had already been addressing, but ran gets a warm welcome because of bending to the audience more than dream has and past not holding as many mistakes meaning they could claim queer as an identity -> selective biphobia because if dream is queer hes a bad queer so everything he does is evil
-> return to main thread - brighton bastards formed, beeduo date and break up, everyone becomes bitter boots after lockdown ends and dream abandons his adopted bastard child he came to love that george originally gave birth to -> october and drexodus -> quackity resentment somewhere in there behind the scenes, dtkq breakup -> former audience split over lore comes back into -> qsmp shit -> dream and by extension dteam/munchy is evil except badboyhalo who supports dream but is still on qsmp because hes a lore andy -> schisms from the past continue to grow, new schism of q's side vs dream's side appears (secret third challenger of brighton floptopia) -> people air out their dirty laundry and snide comments -> november and december -> relative peace -> march-> karl gets hit by a car -> present day -> dnf sextape
i may be wrong for quite a bit of this but this is how i saw it . again this is a tumblr exclusive if you repost this anywhere even iwth my url cropped i will fucking kill you.
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The Lakes
The lakes is about escaping the challenging aspects of Taylor Swift's life with her muse to form an artist community like Wordsworth and Keats had in the Lakes district in the 19th century.
Above, the Lyric video shows wildflowers, LK has referenced this song and Harry also has for a Pleasing campaign. In the vertical video Taylor is on a swing, reminiscent of the swing in Seven, possibly about Harry. Finally a photo with a swan in The Lakes District.
In the Long Pond Session Taylor said (I've shortened it)
'The Lakes is a testament of what I wanted to escape from and where I saw myself escaping to. We'd gone to the Lake District in England a couple years ago. In the 19th century you had a lot of poets like William Wordsworth and John Keats. There was a poet district. They had their own community of other artists, which I've always in my career.' Jack: 'it's not just I've found something worth escaping to it’s a person to escape with.” Taylor agreed "That's a huge sincere statement of hope, everything I'm naming is completely small compared to this love.” “Hoax as the ending song was interesting for a couple weeks but then I wanted the real last song. The Lakes shows you exactly what the overarching theme of the whole album of trying to escape and having something you want to protect, protect your own sanity and saying look they did this hundreds of years ago, I'm not the first person who's felt this way.
Taylor said they had gone to the lakes "a couple of years ago", and she described a poet district with an artist community, meaning fellow songwriters. She had been to the Lakes with a couple of years ago with on her first trip there with Harry Styles on her birthday in 2012. At the time Taylor said it was her best birthday since she was 6. Like Taylor, Harry has a similar experience of fame and is a lyricist. Harry has also sung about being in an artist community with Taylor, in Canyon Moon, which has a very similar idea as The Lakes.
I have seen people refer to the Invisible String Lyric "Our three-year trip / Getting lunch down by the Lakes" to point to Joe. While not photographed, their 3rd anniversary was October 2019, or 6 months before this song was recorded. 'A couple of years ago' rather than 'last year' implies the earlier trip. Joe is also not a lyricist, she spoke about an artist community. He is credited as a producer on Folklore. Taylor described how William Bowery wrote the melody's not lyrics.
Lyrics
Is it romantic how all my elegies eulogize me?
I'm not cut out for all these cynical clones
These hunters with cell phones
An elegie is the speech at a funeral, her songs, particularly those she is reclaiming are like diary. She lost her eulogie, the story of her life.
The last line refers back to 'I Know Places' "They are the hunters, we are the foxes" where she and Harry ran from paparazzi, now they hide from every person with a cell phone.
Take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die
I don't belong, and my beloved, neither do you
Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry
I'm setting off, but not without my muse
Taylor is saying she is not cut out for the music industry life, she lost the rights to her diary, constantly photographed. In the Long Pond she referred to having this plan for years, which she foreshadowed for Lover, and I think Harry's Peace ring. I think they may have shared this plan when they first visited for when she turned 30 and into 2020. Folklore is about communication and how life differs to what a 23 year old planned.
The final line is so lovely, her muse is Harry Styles. No other partner has inspired so much work or so much success, they have inspired and encouraged each other to do their best work. Even when they are with others for years they still write about each other. When they see each other they are prolific. Harry has even sung about how he writes too much about her. I could list what proportion of awards and hits are about this relationship, but let's stay in the Windermere peaks.
Despite their success Taylor does not think they are cut out for this life. Taylor has sung about Harry's anxiety in New Years Day and Now that we don't talk, it's also apparent watching him at award shows in his solo career. This song and many (Mirrorball, I know places, Slut!, You're on your own kid) are about how fame impacted Taylor.
What should be over burrowed under my skin
In heart-stopping waves of hurt
I've come too far to watch some namedropping sleaze
Tell me what are my words worth
The first line I think could have 2 meanings, one that the relationship should be over but it is not and the waves are hurt of not being together. Or, and I think this because of the second half, Taylor cannot let her masters go. The last line is a pun on the worth of her words and the poet William Wordsworth.
I want auroras and sad prose
I want to watch wisteria grow right over my bare feet
'Cause I haven't moved in years
And I want you right here
A red rose grew up out of ice frozen ground
With no one around to tweet it
While I bathe in cliffside pools
With my calamitous love and insurmountable grief
I want auroras and sad prose, refers to Harry Styles. She describes his eyes as “aurora borealis green” in Snow on the Beach. She also describes him as sad boy in Question..?, he does write sad prose.
In the Long Pond Session Taylor said "I could see this you know you you live in a cottage and you've got Wisteria growing up the outside of it and you just why you know of course they escaped like that." William Wordsworths cottage (below) has wisteria growing on the side, which is a slow growing purple plant, almost a lavender haze!
I love the imagery of 'Red rose grew out of rose in frozen ground', because it refers to Rose, which is a Haylor theme. But also because it refers to the track before Hoax: "My winless fight, this has frozen my ground" It also refers to a theme of hiding their love, "I would die for you secret" in Peace, that something beautiful and no one needs to know about it.
The last lines are so poetic and dramatic I love them. Calamitous love refers to a love that’s “built to fall apart (and back together)” in OOTW or "a crooked love in a straight line down” in IWYW. Taylor used a similar word discussing SOTB, calling it cataclysmic love. Taylor describes her dramatic and passionate relationship with Harry rather than staide and safe one described with Joe.
Her insurmountable grief is all she’s lost, her masters, the things she gave up in your own your own kid and things she has to pine about.
Take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die
I don't belong, and my beloved, neither do you
Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry
I'm setting off, but not without my muse
No, not without you
Love this chorus, such beautiful poetry about poets and love.
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now for something completely different (and something of a third anniversary post)!
as i’ve stated once in a while about the music room scene in the comic: it was one of several scenes i’ve been extremely excited to draw. its gone through a lot of revisions, which is detailed here.
it, along with captain’s first appearance was literally one of several reasons why this part of sticky notes au exists as a comic as opposed to just writing it as a fanfic. sure, it may have taken less time to write, but words can’t really compare to the buildup, gutpunch, and subsequent tone shift that came with that one scene.
i’ve literally been revising this one specific part since october 2020, which puts into perspective as to how long i agonized over it (for reference, the scene went live online in fall 2022*). so have that process to the lead-up to the snap.
* (disclaimer: a good chunk of the scene was in my drafts for months prior to its posting, but you get the idea.)
late 2020 (pics 1-2):
the original plan was for krupp to fall. i never figured out how or why-- maybe he just slipped on some vc-barf! i think some versions had him additionally fall back into the stairs as a result of that. but in that moment the boys just took advantage of that moment and snapped their fingers to switch him over before he hit the ground. this was also back when krupp also knew the method of switching, hence his hands in the first pic.
early 2021 (pics 3-5):
still had the concept of krupp knowing about snapping, but i swapped it to the idea to him learning it right at the moment before he switches over in the coming months. early sticky notes krupp and captain are learning how this works and having their initial assumptions about the other challenged, so i figured it would be the more appropriate story beat for the whole thing at the time.
i don’t remember the context of the comic thumbnails in the 4th photo, i think i was just playing with how the snap itself was going to be illustrated. but the right panel was a different version of it. krupp was initially supposed to say... something. i don’t think i planned that out in specifics, but the point was that he was supposed to be genuinely afraid. the hand was going to come into view, and was blurry. when it snaps, the hand is the one in focus and krupp is blurry. the change in focus is all symbolic. here’s my original commentary on the subject:
theres going to be a future page where the boys start talking but it just continues to linger on krupp's pov for a lil bit and how he feels abt the boys just being v casual and callous about the fact that theyre making him fight a monster (semantics about how its CAPTAIN whos gonna fight notwithstanding)
before yanking the pov back to the boys for some sweet sweet dissonance
a version of this dissonance does make it in the final comic, so there’s that.
2022 (pics 6-9):
we’re almost there folks. the trio of poses (and gif made of those 3 poses) was from a version of events that had less block-busting. basically, the gag eel was at the door much sooner, and running out of options, the boys essentially say “the stealthy [prank] option isn’t working, he’s dry enough, we have to do it now”. krupp is confused and panicked on the fact that there’s a monster and this whole bit in the music room was a set-up.
he starts panicking and hurling accusations/theories about how they did it. he even had a throwaway line along the lines of “did you steal one of melvin’s inventions [to make me into captain]”. that line was immediately scrapped since mentioning him felt a little out of left field at this point of the story and i wanted to keep the scope small.
while in this version of the thumbnails, the frames were meant to gradually zoom in to krupp’s face, i did do a set of full body poses just in case i did want something more than a waist up... mostly to make sure if krupp’s pose and hand placement could be feasible
note the fact that he’s covering his head but not his ears. he’s really working off of assumptions
#mells draws a thing#captain underpants#sticky notes au#anyway sticky notes is 3!!! wild#anyway THROWS commentary at you
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How the competitions will work on the figure skaters AU
Chapter 2 is up! Like I said from the previous post, the story will use the 2019-2020 season structure and here's why.
disclaimer: I'm not an expert in this but I researched as much as I can so I hope this is as accurate as possible. I didn't use the latest season structure because it wouldn't fit into the timeline so far.
The seasons prior to this one has a different qualifying structure. All disciplines (singles, pairs, ice dance) start competing at 9 regional events. The top 4 of each disciplines advance to the 3 sectional competitions (Eastern, Midwestern, West Pacific). And again, the top 4 of each earns a spot at the National Championships.
so: Regionals—Sectionals—Championships
Season 2019-2020
The National Qualifying Series (NQS) was introduced. It is a series of competitions where athletes earn a score*, receive a placement in the individual competition they enter, and an overall national ranking in their level and a regional and sectional ranking. The qualifying structure was changed to:
singles: NQS or Regionals—Sectionals—Championships
pairs/ice dance: NQS or Sectionals—Finals—Championships
So basically, competing in the NQS will allow Wednesday and Tyler to have an opportunity to immediately advance to the US Ice Dance Finals without having to compete in the sectionals. This is called having a "bye" that speeds up an athlete/team's process in competing for nationals. Like, you're literally saying bye to all the qualifying process lol
Then, the top 4 placers for Sectional Singles Final and top 12 placers for US Pairs/Ice Dance Finals earns a spot for the national championships. This is what it looks like:
*the score being referred to in here is the Technical Elements Score (TES). In order for senior-level athletes and teams (like Wednesday and Tyler) to compete for the championships, they must earn the minimum TES prescribed for the season. This is important because here's the catch: even if an athlete places on the top spots of Sectional Singles and US Finals but didn't meet the minimum TES, their spot for nationals won't be given to them.
However, the NQS competitions are actually not mandatory. It's just a way for athletes to get a chance to have a "bye" for the finals (not the championships). TES may be attained—aside from competing at an NQS event—through a Regional or Sectional Challenge (singles), a Sectional or U.S. Final (pairs/dance), or any international competition. The TES that would be recorded is the highest score you got from a competition you participated in.
Another thing about NQS is that ice dance competitions are scarce compared to singles and pairs. These competitions are spread out and far from each other which makes it difficult for ice dancers—the discipline that Wednesday and Tyler competes in—because you would have to spend more resources (like travel money) if you want to participate in more than one competition. For instance, this year's NQS calendar only has FOUR ice dance competitions out of twenty. (located in Texas, New York, Cali, and Penn)
Now that Wednesday is left with no partner, with the NQS competitions coming into a wrap, the only way for her to still participate in the USFS Championships is to advance through the ice dance sectionals competition in October—with a new partner 👀
So that's it! I have the next two or three chapters plotted out including the one about how Enid will become Wednesday's partner, all that's left is to write it. Not sure if I'll be able to do weekly updates because uni started again so I might become busy in the following days 🥲 will try my best tho. If you've come this far, thank you for reading 😭
#wml ao3 fanfic#I really hope this makes sense#wenclair#wednesday addams#enid sinclair#wednesday netflix#wednesday#wlw#lgbtqia#lesbian#sapphic#ao3#ao3 fanfic#wenclair fanfic
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“Ink Blots”
4/5
for @krikeymate
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June 21st, 2019
Dear Sam,
The summer solstice. The longest day of sunlight in the whole year.
I remember that you used to force me to stay awake, and savor every drop of sunlight. Some years we spent it at the beach, some in the backyard, some on the roof of the twins house. It didn’t matter where we spent it, as long as we were together.
Amber picked up on our plans. She now makes me spend the day with her, holding her hand at the county fair and riding the tilt-a-whirl until I get ill. I hate spinning. But it makes her happy.
How do you spend your summer solstice? Do you stay outside all day? Or do you hide?
I wish I could hide. The sun doesn’t shine quite as bright without you.
Your sunshine, Tara.
—
August 1st, 2019
Dear Sam,
It’s been a muggy, humid summer. I can’t go outside without my hair sticking to my face and my clothes damp. It’s disgusting.
The bad news is, our air conditioner is broken. Has been since early July. Mom never paid the bill, so the city shut it off. I’ve been working non stop at the local Dairy Queen, but surprise surprise. Minimum wage doesn’t pay shit. It’s not like I can do anything with my checks anyways. Most of it goes to house bills.
Luckily Amber lets me sleep over. I’ve been practically living there. It’s been nice, being in a house where mothers act like mothers, and fathers stay. Plus the dinners and A/C. It’s been nice.
I hope wherever you are, you have air conditioning. And popsicles. I know you like Helado de coco. Papi used to pick those up from the taquería on the way home from work. You used to spill it everywhere and get me all sticky when you hugged me.
I’d kill for a coconut-y, sticky hug right about now.
Love, Tara.
—
October 3rd, 2019
Dear Sam,
Junior year is kicking my ass. I can’t remember the last time school challenged me this much.
You were always so good at school. So bright. So good at math and science. Unlike you though, I am a whizz at English. Seriously! I can write like no other.
I’m now the Chief Editor of the newspaper. Ms. Smith put a lot of faith in me to be able to handle a staff. I'm not very good at it. Leading people isn’t very natural for me. It is for you, though.
Chad is the captain of the football team, Mindy the captain of the debate club. Amber was made captain of the forensics team. We’re all growing up, Sam.
The kids you used to spend so much time doting on, feeding, changing; are all grown. Not really. I won’t be eighteen for a bit. But still.
I hope you know we think of you everyday. I do at least. Chad likes to talk about the sleepovers you held for us, and Mindy wishes you were here to help with calculus. Amber gets an odd look when we talk about you, but I don’t care enough to ask.
Sending you love, Tara.
—-
December 14th, 2019
Dear Sam,
I am seventeen. Does anything special happen at seventeen?
Mindy stuffed so many balloons in my locker, that when I opened it, a bunch exploded. That wasn’t a very fun principal office experience.
It wasn’t my first time there, though. I try to keep my nose clean, but I still sniff after danger. I mean, you left me Sam. I know what you did in high school. The teachers know.
I want some danger, too. I want to know what it was like for you to disappear and leave me. I want to know what forced you to leave me.
So I drink. I smoke. I have an ID. I drove drunk once.
It doesn’t matter. I don’t really care. As long as I graduate and leave, that’s all that matters.
Happy Birthday to me. I’ll pretend you said it to me.
Tara.
—
January 1st, 2020
Dear Ssmmy,
i can’t see straight and i miss you so much do you know that
but it’s new year and i’m seventeen and i have all these beliefs that you broke why does it matter
hope it’s nice where you are
i love you tara
—
March 24th, 2020
Dear Sam,
It’s been a minute. I’m sorry. Time has moved so fast, but also, not at all.
Chad won state of the basketball team. A buzzer-beater shot. Whatever that means. He picked me up and spun me around after he won. There’s a photo in the newspaper of it. I don’t like him like that, but he's my brother. I love him like that.
Mindy took the debate team to nationals. They got second place. I watched her on the shitty livestream. She was incredible Sam. You would’ve been so proud. She’s always been a genius argumentalist. Ever since she was young.
Amber won first in her forensics division. Something about stab victims and their criminal family. It creeped me out how much eye contact she made with me. I didn’t love that.
I just write for the newspaper and sling ice cream.
What do you do? Are you happy? Does life still pass you by? Or do you live?
Love, Tara.
—
April 19th, 2020
Dear Sam,
Well, AP season is upon us. I signed up for five.
I’ll ace maybe three. Environmental science, Spanish, and English literature. The other two are math. I’m not good at math, but perhaps it’ll work.
I stumbled upon a photo of us when we were young. Twas the night you taught me how to bake cookies. I had so much flour in my hair. How did that happen? Did I bathe in it? Doesn’t matter. I just love seeing your big smile, always directed at me.
Sometimes if I close my eyes I can still feel your smile on my face. Like the sunlight from the solstice.
Better go back to studying. One of us has to go to college and become master of the universe. I know you aren’t in college. It was never your speed.
Once I make a shit ton of money, I’ll come find you.
I promise.
Love, Tara.
—
May 17th, 2020
Dear Sam,
I passed ⅘ of my tests. Failed the physics one. No surprise there. I skipped that class at least three times a week.
I’m almost done with Junior year. And then I’ll be a senior. One step closer to leaving.
We didn’t have heating or a/c through the past few seasons. I can’t make enough money to keep us afloat. Mom works, but she’s out of the country more often than not. And gas bills are not forgiving, let me tell you that.
I’m moving into Amber’s house for the summer. I can’t survive another couple of months dying from sweating.
Your birthday/leaving anniversary is soon. You’re gonna be twenty-two. That should be fun, yeah?
I miss you. I miss you. I miss you.
Love, Tara.
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Kinktober ‘22 Masterlist
Hey all you lovely people! Hope you’re all doing great and having the best day! I’ve decided to do Kinktober a little differently this year since I’ve done it two (and a half haha) times in the past with the usual amazing list of kinks. This year I’m doing the “whatever the hell I want” theme and list 😁It will just be a collection of stories about my fave guys and my fave things about them. Some will be fluffy, some smutty, some in between. I have a loose list already and I hope to include some challenges I’m doing as well. I won’t be writing for each day, just when I can but I hope you’ll come along and enjoy! Thank you so much! Sending all the love and hugs! ❤️❤️❤️ (Divider by @firefly-graphics thank you love!)
🥰 = fluff
🔥 = smut
😏 = a tease
Kinktober 2021 Masterlist
Kinktober 2020 Masterlist
HBC Week of Kinks Masterlist
October 1st: A Good Hair Deal 😏 (Steve Harrington x reader x Eddie Munson): these two boys have some of the best hair out there and I love it!
October 3rd: Never Enough 🔥(Eddie Munson x reader): One of your favorite places on Eddie is his neck and you can never get enough.
October 6th: A Plum Deal 😏 (Stucky x reader): You and Steve love to do Bucky’s hair but he’s always a little grumpy about it...unless he has his favorite treat.
October 9th: Boys in Bed with Books 🔥(Steve Harrington x reader): You distract Steve while he’s reading in bed.
October 12th: Just a Reminder 🔥(Eddie Munson x reader): Eddie worries that he’s not as hot as the jock guys at school so you give him a solid reminder of just how much you love him.
October 15th: Bound by the Night 🔥(Vampire!Bucky x reader): This is for Roo’s HalloCream Extravaganza: A storm drives you off the road and leaves you stranded in the middle of nowhere and you’re the perfect meal for what lurks in the woods...
October 18th: Boys in Bed with Books 🔥(Matt Murdock x reader): You distract Matt while he’s reading in bed.
October 21st: Picture Perfect Mirror🔥(Eddie Munson x reader): Eddie loves that you have pictures of him on your locker door and your mirror at home.
October 24th: Falling All Over Again 🥰 (Eddie Munson x reader): You have a fun day of fall adventures with Eddie.
October 27th: Just Admit It! 😏(Bucky Barnes x reader): Bucky has been wanting to make a change but you’re not sure you like the idea.
October 30th: Come Closer🔥(Demon!Eddie Munson x reader): Happy Halloween 😁 Your love for ancient Grimoires brings you some unexpected company (mabye a little soft!dark)
#kinktober22#steddie x reader#steddie#eddie munson x reader#steve harrington x reader#eddie munson#steve harrington#bucky barnes#bucky barnes x reader#bucky barnes x you#bucky barnes x female!reader#stucky x you#stucky x reader#stucky#stucky fanfiction#eddie munson fic#eddie munson x you#eddie munson x female!reader#steve harrington x you#steve harrington x female reader#vampire!bucky x reader#matt murdock#matt murdock x reader#daredevil#daredevil x reader#vampire!bucky barnes
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Ups and downs
2023 was a year of... Ups and downs.
Downs
My mom had a blood clot in march, but thankfully, she got help ASAP. She's up and at it again, with very little side effects. It was, needless to say, a very nasty experience, which only added to-
Had a rough time at my retail job. Had a breakdown. I've spent the past 6 months on sick leave, recovering as much as possible. Not something I'm proud of, as it's affected everything from giving me stress and anxiety, to being unable to work on my art and fanfics (art's slowly recovering, writing... ehhh)
Third and worst, having to saying goodbye to my dog, Sara in october. She was 13½, but I can't help wishing we could have had more time.
Ups
I was able to get in contact with a really nice psychologist. He's been incredibly helpful, and has helped giving me tools to deal with my stress and anxiety, among other things. I'm still far from being 100% (I'd say I'm at least... 50, maybe 60%), but it's good to have someone to talk to.
I have also been approved for a special course through the jobcenter, for a psychoeducation course, done by specialists who help out autistic people such as myself. Paperwork is still being done on some parts, so waiting for news there, but it's a positive step forward.
And finally, in late November, we brought home little Lunte. We were looking for a dog for myself, but it ended up being my mom who fell for him and *hard.* I don't mind though, because I have no doubt that mom also misses Sara.
And come on, how can you say no to this little face?
It's a challenge for my mom to have a puppy again, but I'm doing my best to help her out.
If I had to have a resolution, my biggest goal is just... general recovery. Not gonna lie, my earlier mentioned breakdown's been kind of building itself up since 2020, but... yeah, could have done without the nervous breakdown and the misery piled on top. So yeah.
All in all, I am not sorry to see 2023 go. But here's to hoping 2024 will be a little more positive.
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2023 writing round up
@jesuisici33 and @a-noble-dragon wanted to know what I wrote this year...These are all Schit's Creek unless it says otherwise.
Jan:
Celebrating the MVP - smutty words inspired by some of @lizzie-bennetdarcy's amazing art
New Beginnings - Jan drabbles. I had so much fun I'm doing Jan (ficlits ths time) in 2024
Feb:
Five nights at Ray's (and one day away). -Early days of Patrick introspection mixed with smut.
March:
Pie Day - Headcanons for Ruth in fanfiction form
April:
You'll Scuff the floors -Sexy times in the stock room
Perfectly Fine - My Rare fest story
You're the cutest - Tumblr prompt for @ramonaflow
Sing for me? - Tumblr prompt for @heathermaru
May:
May the 4th be with you (Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston)
In Sickness (9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020))
[Fan Art] Lightning Bolt Sweater (IDK If this counts but I'm counting it)
Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken? - My tribute to Tina Turner in fanfiction form.
I'll cover you (9-1-1 (TV))
June:
Black Onyx (Schitt's Creek) - A birthday gift for a friend @statueinthestone
July:
Sweet Dreams - Tumblr prompt for @jesuisici33
Tanabata- Fairytale retelling?
Baby kiss my hands - tumblr prompt for @jettestar
Where it doesn't hurt - Indiana Jones inspired ficlit.
Button (9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020))
Never Before - smut for @jesuisici33 birthday
This is your song (Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston) - Drabbles for RWRB
August:
Sand Castles - Summer word challenge for @mallpretzles
Strawberries and then something more - Stevie/Ruth's first kiss
September:
Lift me up, Hold me down - smut written for my friend @a-noble-dragon on My SC anniversary.
Stitch and Bitch - My contribution to Passions and Past times.
October:
Drabble Smith
You'll have good luck. - very short ficlit for @apothecarose
Take my whole drabble too. (Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston, Red White & Royal Blue (2023))
November:
Foliage - Stevie takes Ruth on her first Turkey Shoot
Leather and Lace - Smutsgiving Drabble
December:
Without a 2nd thought - My long fic that was just supposed to be a summer thing
By the Seashore - My Autistic!David. This is my favorite universe to write in.
Frozen over Piece
I have already tagged some of my mutals. I would love to read everyone's SC work. It really is getting to be a cozy fandom.
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Shamima Begum has lost her latest bid to overturn the government’s decision to strip her of British citizenship, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
Ms Begum left the UK aged 15 with two other east London schoolgirls to travel to Syria in February 2015.
Last year, she lost a challenge against the decision at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC).
Here are the key developments to date:
August 1999: Shamima Begum is born in England to parents of Bangladeshi heritage.
February 2015: British counter-terrorism police launched an international hunt to find three London schoolgirls who were making their way to the so-called Islamic State’s (Isis) territory in Syria.
Ms Begum, 15, had slipped out of her house in east London, with friends, Kadiza Sultant, 16 and Amira Abase. They caught a flight to Istanbul, Turkey and travelled to the Syrian border from there.
In late February, the Metropolitan police confirm that Begum and her friends had reached Syria. Ten days after arriving in the country, Shamima Begum marries Yago Riedijk, a Dutch-born convert to Islam and a convicted terrorist.
October 2017: A US-backed alliance of Syrian fighters takes full control of Raqqa, ending three years of Isis rule in the city.
13 February 2019: The Times’ war correspondent Anthony Loyd finds Ms Begum, then 19-years-old, at the al-Hawl refugee camp in Northern Syria. A pregnant Ms Begum tells him that she wants to return to the UK to raise her child but that she did not regret her decision to join Isis. She says that she had had two other children who died of malnutrition.
She says she had been unfazed by seeing the head of a beheaded man as he was an “enemy of Islam” but believes that Isis did not deserve victory.
Three days later, Ms Begum gives birth to a baby boy.
19 February 2019: The UK government serves notice that it intends to strip Ms Begum of her British citizenship.
The then-Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, writes to Ms Begum’s parents to inform them of his order to strip her citizenship. He believes that, because her parents are of Bangladeshi heritage, she can apply for citizenship of that country.
The law allows the government to remove citizenship if they can show the person behaved “in a manner which is seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of the UK” and when there is “reasonable grounds for believing that the person is able, under the law of a country or territory outside the UK, to become a national of such a country or territory.”
24 February 2019: Ms Begum’s father, Ahmed Ali, speaks to The Mail on Sunday and says that he “doesn’t have a problem” with his daughter’s British citizenship being removed.
Speaking from his home in Bangladesh, he said: “If she at least admitted she made a mistake then I would feel sorry for her and other people would feel sorry for her, but she does not accept her wrong.”
16 July 2020: The Court of Appeal rules that Ms Begum should be permitted to return to the UK in order to fairly contest the British government’s decision to revoke her citizenship. This ruling was appealed and sent to the Supreme Court.
26 February 2021: On February 26, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously against bringing Ms Begum back, thus reversing the previous decision.
15 September 2021: Ms Begum asks the British people for forgiveness in an interview with ITV. The now-22-year-old says that Isis’s killing of innocent people is “unjustifiable”.
She apologised for comments she had previously made to a BBC journalist about the Manchester Arena bombing. In 2019, she had claimed - when asked about the 2017 attack - that it was wrong to kill innocent people, but that Isis considered it justified as retaliation for coalition bombing of Isis-held areas.
She told ITV: “I do not believe that one evil justifies another evil. I don’t think that women and children should be killed for other people’s motives and for other people’s agendas.”
November 2022
Before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), Ms Begum’s counsel said: “Without seeking to investigate and determine, still less consider, whether she was a child victim of trafficking and whether there were failures by public authorities in the UK to prevent her being trafficked.”
January 2023
In the BBC podcast series, she said she understood public anger towards her but insisted she was not a “bad person”.
She said she accepted she was viewed “as a danger, as a risk”, but blamed her portrayal in the media.
February 22, 2023
Ms Begum lost her appeal in a SIAC court to overturn the government’s decision to strip her of her British citizenship.
October 2023
Ms Begum’s appeal against the loss of her British citizenship began in the Court of Appeal.
Begum’s team of barristers claim she was a victim of Isis propaganda and was groomed into terrorism.
Samantha Knights KC told the court the government had failed to consider the legal duties owed to Ms Begum as a potential victim of trafficking or as a result of “state failures” in her case.
February 2024
Three judges dismissed Ms Begum‘s bid at the Court of Appeal.
Giving the ruling, Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr said: “It could be argued the decision in Ms Begum‘s case was harsh. It could also be argued that Ms Begum is the author of her own misfortune.
“But it is not for this court to agree or disagree with either point of view. Our only task is to assess whether the deprivation decision was unlawful.
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I just need to say what on my mind. I could do this physically in a journal but it’s far so I’m doing it here.
The last 4.5 years have been super wild. I’ve done so much healing work. I’m like unrecognizable to who I was back in July of 2019 when my spiritual awakening started.
Through the years, I’ve taken a couple reiki trainings both which served their own purpose. However, the tool that was most life changing for me was my Akashic Records course back in the spiring of 2020. It was also during this time that I started experiencing psychosis and was super disconnected from reality. This led me to be hospitalized and I ended up with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
The Records really opened me up spiritually with my gifts of being a channel. However, for a period after being hospitalized I completely detached from this gift and became so attached to the physical world and my diagnosis. With some time, I’ve come back to spirituality and I’m so glad I did. I still continue to experience what many call “auditory hallucinations” but they’re what I know as qualities of mediumship.
One of the ancestors that played a part in my psychosis days was my uncle who passed away years ago. I think it was 2004, meaning it’ll be 20 years since his passing in October. I remember spending time in the summer with my cousins and my uncle and aunt. It was always the highlight of the summer. I knew it was him through connecting with him through auditory means (mediumship or clairaudience) and even through psychic smell. I remember rushing my teeth and smelling the scent of aftershave.
The reason why I’m writing this is that I’ve had a challenging upbringing especially surrounding my teen years. And, from what I know about my uncle is that he was a very fun loving guy and really enjoyed his life.
There’s someone who I connected with just prior to my spiritual awakening… six months prior. He’s played an important role in my entire spiritual experience in the last few years. He’s someone that allows me to be in my heart space and connect with my inner child. I remember hanging out with him one night, and it was so easy to connect with my inner child through just being silly. I can’t wait to spend more time with him so I can connect with my inner child and have some play time. It’s been years since I’ve been able to have that experience with anyone so I’m excited to finally be able to tap into the sense of play.
Obviously I can do this through non-romantic avenues too, but he automatically came to mind.
That’s all for now. If you made it through reading all this, bless 🙏🏻✨
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FFXIV Write 2023: Master Post & Round Up!
Seven years of FFXIV Write in the bag! Whether this is your first year or your seventh, whether you wrote seven words or seven thousand, GOOD JOB, EVERYONE! And a thank you, as always, to @sea-wolf-coast-to-coast for continuing to host and provide prompts for us year after year.
As with last year, I will not be checking my word count or any other sort of stats; I ended up focusing on that in past years to my detriment, and the point of this challenge is to have fun! It's enough for me that I wrote every day. :D
BUT! October is here--and that it means it's time for my own personal challenge: FFXIV Edit! The heart of FFXIV Write is just to write, regardless of mistakes or roughness, but I do like to go back and revisit my ideas and see if my brain wants to put some more polish on my entries. So, throughout October, I will continue my tradition of posting each of my prompts to AO3 once a day and take the time to give them an edit or expansion or rewrite as I see fit.
Happy FFXIV Write, everyone! And now: THE MASTER POST!
--
AETHERCRAFT (AO3 login required)
Previous Master Posts:
2017 || 2018 || 2019 || 2020 || 2021 || 2022
--
Prompt 01 [Envoy]: All Work and No Play || On AO3
Prompt 02 [Bark]: Drumming Song || On AO3
Prompt 03 [Free Write | Reclamation]: The Ink on Your Soul || On AO3
Prompt 04 [Off the Hook]: Boys Will Be Boys || On AO3
Prompt 05 [Barbarous]: Levin Deals || On AO3
Prompt 06 [Ring]: The Form of Magic || On AO3
Prompt 07 [Noisome]: Bug Juice || On AO3
Prompt 08 [Shed]: Behold, a Man || On AO3
Prompt 09 [Fair]: The Heart of Things || On AO3
Prompt 10 [Free Write | Reactivation]: [INDIGO ABRASAX] || On AO3
Prompt 11 [Once Bitten, Twice Shy]: The Inaction of Hope || On AO3
Prompt 12 [Dowdy]: Right under Their Noses || On AO3
Prompt 13 [Check]: Post-Op || On AO3
Prompt 14 [Clear]: An Apple a Day (Does Not Keep the Paladin Away) || On AO3
Prompt 15 [Portentous]: Wolf's Legacy || On AO3
Prompt 16 [Jerk]: Allspice or Nothing || On AO3
Prompt 17 [Free Write: Refocillation]: Knifesong || On AO3
Prompt 18 [Fish out of Water]: A Raven's Shield || On AO3
Prompt 19 [Weal]: The Warmth of You (NSFW) || On AO3
Prompt 20 [Hamper]: The Art of the Booby Trap || On AO3
Prompt 21 [Grave]: Ashes || On AO3
Prompt 22 [Fulsome]: Code 'Buncle || On AO3
Prompt 23 [Suit]: No Risk, No Reward || On AO3
Prompt 24 [Free Write | Refraction]: Sovenance || On AO3
Prompt 25 [Call It a Day]: The Best Cure || On AO3
Prompt 26 [Last]: The Ivory Tower || On AO3
Prompt 27 [Sole]: One in the Hand || On AO3
Prompt 28 [Blunt]: Triptych || On AO3
Prompt 29 [Contravention]: Spices and Contraband || On AO3
Prompt 30 [Amity]: Denouement || On AO3
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Want to play a game? 😏
Pick a series you've written...
Maybe it's the one you're proudest of.
Maybe it's the most recent one you've written.
Maybe it's one you wish had gotten more love.
And tell me your favorite chapter and why.
Then pass the game on to another writer! (Could be in their inbox, or you could just tag them.)
I'm so curious as to what you're gonna choose! 💕
Ooooh, this was an interesting one, @zepskies!
This actually took me a while to figure out. I’m a tough critic on my own writing, so this took me longer than expected.
I’m going to cheat and not link a series or a chapter, but instead an old one-shot I wrote in 2020.
I wrote a platonic reader fic called Sugar about how the reader would handle a drunk bar-goer who can’t take a hint 😏. I picked this one because I wish I could be as badass as the reader is, but also—so many of my “older” stories need some serious editing/rewriting, but I still felt pretty proud of this one when looking back. I also was super new to Tumblr at that point (and really stopped posting after October 2020 until more recently), so I felt like it’s one that doesn’t get a lot of traction.
Thanks for tagging me in on this one! Have you already been challenged or can I challenge you, @zepskies? 😜
#supernatural fan fic#supernatural fanfiction#spn fanfiction#supernatural fanfic#supernatural ff#spn fanfic#spn ff#supernatural reader insert
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Maria Brink and Chris Howorth of In This Moment
by Greg Prato
On their 2023 album, GODMODE, their epic music videos, and their most misunderstood song.
Since 2005, singer Maria Brink and guitarist Chris Howorth have been the leaders of In This Moment, a band that is hard to pin down to a single style (a most welcomed attribute in an era when seemingly most successful rock acts are one-dimensional). Are they industrial metal? Goth metal? Alternative metal? Maybe a little bit of all three – which is on display throughout their eighth studio offering, GODMODE.
And while they have certainly obtained an impressive amount of success and career highlights (a Grammy nomination, billed on some of the world's biggest festivals, a Gold-certified record...), there was a point in their career when, for a brief period, the band was over. Luckily, Brink "kicked the door in" and the band found a path forward with a new visual presentation in their concerts and videos.
Both bandmates spoke to Songfacts shortly before the October 27, 2023 release of GODMODE to discuss the album's mysterious title, the stories behind several of their best-known tunes, and how they conceive their videos.Greg Prato (Songfacts): How has the band's songwriting changed over the years?
Maria Brink: It definitely has. We've been together now 18 years. When we started off, we didn't know what we were doing. We were just trying to figure it out. We used to butt heads a lot and have a lot of confrontation. Now, it feels like we flow like a river together. I think we're just more mature and we've grown with each other, and we've really learned what each other likes and how we work. It's definitely become a lot smoother.
We approach songwriting on all different levels, whether or not Chris writes a song and sends it to me, or I write something on piano. Sometimes I'll even mimic a song on a voice message, with instruments and everything, and Chris will bring it to life for us. So, we really don't have a one-way approach, but we've gotten better at it, that's for sure.
Chris Howorth: In the beginning, it was like we just had a bunch of songs written, and I had a bunch of stuff. I was kind of forcing it on Maria at the very beginning. And then we started trying to figure out what we would do together, and it was a battle. Every album was its own challenge – up until this one, which feels like one of the smoothest experiences we've had together. I guess all that time, we learned how to do it.
I don't like to be told what to do or how to sing something.Songfacts: What is the meaning behind the album title GODMODE?
Brink: The album itself felt fierce. It felt really powerful. And we're always about empowering people and wanting people to listen to the music and feel empowered with themselves. Our last album [Mother, 2020] was a bit more on the somber side because we were really depressed when we went into that album. But on this album, we felt fire and we felt really all the things. I'm always speaking about certain spiritual aspects and tend to sway into that.
But this name, GODMODE, is powerful, epic, limitless. And then Chris when I told him, he's a huge gamer, and he was like, "Actually, in the gaming world, god mode is something you can turn on that your character can't die and all these cool things." So he loved the name right off the bat. It was a no-brainer for Chris and me. We loved the name. Once we both said we should name it this, we were like, "Let's do it." It fit the album as well. Right Chris?
Howorth: Yes, it did. It felt right. And it was like what we were saying about the songwriting: Everything flowed into place on this one. And that too happened during the making of the album. We didn't have a name, and that just popped in. Like, "Oh wow. That's cool."
Songfacts: What was the lyrical inspiration behind the song "The Purge"?
There was this magical moment that happened that felt pretty liberating to Chris and me with writing. He actually wrote most of the musical-type stuff with this song – the verse and the chorus – and sent it to me randomly, and I loved it. I was like, "What is this that you just sent?" The music was so strong to me, and it gave me a really cool feeling. It made me laugh in a way - when I hear something that I love so much, it kind of makes me laugh. It's like this funny, "I can't believe how good this is feeling." So I just loved it.
The lyrics came from all the tension and all the build-up that happened. Why we had to be home and stuck in our houses. Every time I'd turn on the television or go on a social network, that's like what the lyrics are, how it all feels to me. I tried to bring it all into that song.
Songfacts: What are some memories of filming the song's video?
Howorth: The video was totally weird for us. The last few years, all of our videos have mainly been helmed by Maria and this guy named Robert Kley. That collaboration started when we did the "Blood" video, and it's been great. But this time, Maria had her eye on this guy Jensen [Noen], who had done some videos with Motionless In White and Falling In Reverse that were so amazing. You see those videos and you're like, "Oh my God. That is so good." And she was like, "I think we should get this guy for this song."
A lot of technical issues had to happen. She was on the East Coast, I'm on the West Coast. The band is all split up, so she recorded a bunch of her scenes on the East Coast in the church and all this crazy, cool stuff. And then the band got together here on the West Coast at Jensen's studio and did a bunch of stuff on green screen, and he seamlessly put it all together. It was one of our favorite videos. We're totally blown away by how good it came out.
Brink: And like you said, I've been doing the videos for almost 10 years now and it was a little scary to relinquish that power, but everything he was doing was just amazing. He was fine with letting us have our own artistic direction, and we wrote the storyboard and he worked with us on it back and forth. He is just amazing. I would definitely want to do our next video with him. He's badass.
And it was really cool with all of us filming in the church. We went for two days straight and it was pretty crazy. All of it felt pretty epic and awesome. The only thing that was strange was not being with the boys when they were filming. But I actually sat with them the entire time on FaceTime and FaceTimed with them while they were doing their little parts. I FaceTimed with them trying to encourage them while they were doing their make-up and stuff, too.
Songfacts: Are there are any other interesting lyrical inspirations behind certain tracks on the new album?
Brink: Everything we write comes from our soul and my heart. I have to always be honest whenever I do any music. But it's definitely a visceral album. This album is the heaviest album we've had in a long time, and it has a lot of frustrations that built up in me over the last few years with society and things around me, and dealing with my own mental health. So there's definitely a whole journey of emotions in there.
Howorth: I think Maria said it best. The time we had off, it created this angst and this appreciation for what we do. Also, this kind of, "I want to unleash everything." This album was just a natural reaction for those feelings.
Songfacts: Going back a ways, what was the lyrical inspiration behind the track "Blood"?
Brink: "Blood" was a pretty significant moment for us in our careers. Our band had just quit on us, our manager dropped us. Our famous story is, we broke up for half an hour, and then I came back in, kicked the door in, and told Chris, "We're not done! We're not even close to done!"
We did feel like people didn't believe in us and maybe we shouldn't believe in ourselves. We really got down on ourselves for a little bit.
Then there was some sort of surge of energy that happened within us, with all these people not believing in us, that made us want to fight harder than we've ever fought in our whole lives. And [producer] Kevin Churko, who had been working with us, he still believed in us, and so did Century Media. They both wanted to still be on board. So we went and did some songs with Kevin Churko, and "Blood" was one of the songs.
Nobody was showing us any love, and everybody was treating us like the red-headed stepchild. Then we sent that demo out to everybody – just the song – and we were getting all these amazing reactions. We had people lining up to talk to us, and our whole career changed.
You can hear the struggle in that song. It's kind of self-doubt and self-love, and that kind of back-and-forth that we were feeling at that time. Kind of these voices that I think we hear in our own heads, the devil and the angel on your shoulder.
Howorth: That was a whole natural thing that came together. Like this album, it felt like we just followed the path and let all those emotions dictate what was happening.
Songfacts: And what about "Black Wedding," which features Rob Halford?
And Rob Halford is a good friend of the band. He just popped into our lives asking to come see us. He's such a great guy – he and Maria became friends – and we thought, "Let's hit him up and see if he's interested," because she was doing this "mother priest" thing lyrically.
He instantaneously said yes. He jumped on board completely energized and ready to do whatever we wanted to do. He was down for the video and everything. He's one of the coolest people we ever worked with.
Brink: We love him. It was a huge honor to work with him. He's such an amazing guy. It was always emotional and weird for me to work with writers, because like Chris said, we didn't do it quite often. We did it on our new album with Tyler Bates, but we wanted to do that. We chose that. So, when other people are trying to have us work with writers, to me, it's an uncomfortable feeling. I don't like to be told what to do or how to sing something.
But then one day I thought, You know what? I didn't write "Hurt" by Trent Reznor. And if I could meet with Trent Reznor and he could help me write a song like that, dear God, maybe I should be open a little bit to this. So, I am grateful that we did wind up doing that and writing that song because that is one of my favorites. And honestly, out of everyone we worked with, Rob is really one of our special favorites.
Songfacts: Which of your earlier songs seems most relevant today?
Brink: "The Gun Show." Because [the Sirius station] Octane plays "The Gun Show" and people love "The Gun Show."
Howorth: And I would say "Beautiful Tragedy."
Songfacts: What's an In This Moment song that doesn't get a lot of attention but means a lot to you?
Brink: "Legacy."
Howorth: Yeah, I'll back her up on that one. She had lost her grandpa, my dad had passed away, and our other guitarist Randy [Weitzel]'s father had passed away all within a few months of each other. We all came into the whole album bummed and depressed, just feeling that loss. That song literally was just born of thinking about our passed relatives.
Brink: It was in honor of them. My grandfather was my father, so it was a really emotional album for us in general. But that song was special. Chris does a solo for his dad, Randy does one for his, and the lyrics are for my grandpa. The whole thing was really emotional to us. We'll probably do that live again someday because it's special.
Songfacts: What's the most misunderstood song in the In This Moment catalog?
Brink: Definitely "Whore." When I met my partner's mother for the first time, she asked me, "What's your song 'Whore' about?" [Laughs]
It definitely can be perceived as something more on a sleazy side, or a more not-understanding-where-we're-coming-from side, but it's actually this super-empowering, sarcastic nature. It's all about women and empowerment. It's about taking something dirty and degrading and twisting it into something that empowers yourself.
Songfacts: Lastly, how did the idea come up to cover the Björk song "Army Of Me"?
Brink: I love Björk. I'm a huge Björk person. I grew up in the '90s just loving her, and I was always so inspired by her. We wanted to do a cover, and I always get tracks - they call it my "art tracks" - where I can just do this and that. And this was one of those songs that I picked where I wanted to do a cover and showed Chris three different Björk songs. This was the one that he loved the most. He liked it right off the bat.
Howorth: The main riff, when I was listening to that I was like, "That's really cool." And then once we put heavy guitar on it, it was like, "That is outside of metal, rock, techno, whatever her music is called. That is just a cool riff not matter how you slice it – on keyboard, acoustic-whatever, saxophone... it would just be a cool riff."
Brink: She's a brave icon. I love Björk. She follows no rules.
October 10, 2023
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