With any long-term project, you inevitably change and grow so much as you're working on it that it becomes -- well, it depends, I guess, but it becomes a time capsule, or an archive, or a means of understanding a particular period in life, or...

𝓑𝓲𝓽𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓒𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓻𝔂 - mini-project

Runaway Shrimp

Notes: this is based on a very fun request I made with Malleus, Leona and Azul where Reader accidentally confessed their feelings to them and instead of facing them and waiting for a reply, they just… “bolts” (as the Anon said lol). So then @gilswifey asked if I could do a part 2 with Jade and I thought, huh why not? 

Jade Leech x g!n reader who runs really fast / headcanons / fluff & comedy / part 2 / use of “you” pronouns

“Our house will be a mushroom farm like this…,” you blurted out. It was a big mistake on your part, considering that the alchemy workshop was so empty that your voice projected better than ever, and above all, Jade had enviable hearing. Especially because he was right next to you. So much so that he took his eyes off the poisonous mushroom he had in hand just to face you;

There were no great excuses to be made, no means of deflecting the subject. The implication that you imagined living together with Jade in the future — and the awareness that the constant presence of mushrooms would be inevitable — was right there, heading for more things. More clear that this would have been to have asked for his hand at that moment;

But you chickened out. Well, you never intended to let him find out your feelings, let alone reveal them in this way. Jade still stared at you for another minute, his heterochromatic eyes going from wide in surprise to slowly relaxing into gentle amusement — mostly from your expression of horror — when…;

... you ran away. Few things really impressed Jade in seventeen years of life, being two years of earthly experience. He could be fascinated by various things, develop curiosity about human habits, and wanting to know different things without further ado. But that was the day he was most taken aback by things. And all this is your work;

You ran out of the workshop faster than a flock of sardines when they spotted a monster whale. Jade congratulated your speed — even though you were out of sight to hear it. Calmly, he got up, put away his newest mushroom in a terrarium and made a little call;

From the point where you were, you had two directions: the outskirts of the Ramshackle or some point near the library, near Main Street. That’s considering you were running in a straight line. A third option would be the Hall of Mirrors region. The Leech’s aquatic predator ability aside, you personally had the advantage of knowing how to run really fast. But Jade had an idea that would save him time;

You thought you were out of danger. Your legs had carried you to the other side of the school, somewhere in the woods near the library. Not a sign of Jade following you. You leaned against a tree to catch your breath, but the fatigue wasn't all that was making you feel bad. It was a mixture of guilt and a certain disappointment that you were really alone after all;

Not for long though. Someone took you in their arms by surprise, putting a frightening distance between you and the ground. When you turned around and saw turquoise hair, you even thought it was Jade... but Floyd’s laugh totally broke your expectations;

“I see you’ve managed to catch a runaway shrimp for me, Floyd. What a good brother you are,” Jade smiled when he met the two of you. Floyd carried you in his arms to the courtyard of the Botanical Garden and dropped you into the arms of his twin — the game was good while it lasted. Floyd had mentioned that Jade would spear him from eating the test shiitake dishes if he looked for you in one area of the school while his brother went in the other side;

A master plan, you had to admit. Although there was still the problem that you had nowhere else to run and hide — not with Jade carefully holding you in his own arms, purposefully not giving you that opportunity anymore;

“I personally don’t understand why you ran away like that. It’s not like your feelings aren’t reciprocated,” Jade said gently. It caught you off guard. The feeling was so clear on your face that the merman had a little chuckle. Jade had a docile smile, something very uncommon to see — especially for how sincere it was. But the truth was that he always had that one smile when you were around him.

| Special notes: not very necessary to the story but I imagine that Floyd was still there when they solved things up and he's like "oh for Ursula, get a room you two! gross! this? right in front of the school facility for everyone to see? disgusting, I'm telling mom" :P while they only smiled to each other bc he's that type of supportive brother lmao |

The Doctor Who Script collection dropped earlier this week and I've already spent, uh, many hours digging through various scripts (including all of the SJA scripts!), but if you've been here awhile, you know that the first one I went for was School Reunion.

It was really fun reading through what was changed, what beats were scripted vs. which weren't, and the emotional backdrops. One of the things that struck me most was that, for a very bittersweet episode, the script absolutely leaned harder into the bitter side of bittersweet than the episode as aired did. There were elements that I'm very glad didn't stay as well as moments I desperately wish had been kept. Overall, it was a joy to see the original draft of the story that got me into Doctor Who all those years ago.

He's so happy. Transported. Mesmerised. Dazed, reeling from the encounter. Oh, my HEART. This scene was pretty much aired as written, and David played it to the nines, of course, but it's really sweet to see how explicit the script is about how overwhelmed the Doctor is in this moment. So much of the episode focuses on Sarah's emotional reaction (rightly, if not always perfectly) and the hurt/discomfort that colors their relationship once she realizes it's the Doctor, so to have this moment of the Doctor's unadulterated happiness to see her is really lovely.

More highlights (including things that were cut, changed—for better or worse, and just directions that made me happy or that I found interesting) under the cut!

This scene was definitely different. The script didn't include the bit about them both investigating at the school and it has a bit more flippancy. I can't imagine this scene without the iconic slow shot of Sarah backing up and turning to see the Doctor behind her, so I'm really, really glad that they moved away from the idea of them colliding into each other and leaned into the gravitas a bit more.

Oh, what I would've given for them to have kept this!!!

On to the diner scene...oh boy, feelings about this. I've written essays about this scene—how in some ways it feels perfect and appropriate and Sarah's grief/lines like "you were my life" make a lot of sense in the context of the shock and hurt of an old wound reopened so violently, how that shouldn't be taken to mean that she'd wasted her life or that she's been paralyzed by a broken heart for thirty years, how everything is heightened and that's okay even if, on their own, some of these beats paint a grim picture—but whew. This would've been harder to swallow with the last bit, which I remember Lis having mentioned as something she fought back against.

I actually do love that she mentioned UNIT and Harry! But yeah, very glad that Lis talked them out of the last lines. There clearly wasn't an effort to adhere to Big Finish canon but minimizing and deflating her successful career on top of everything else would've been upsetting, and there just wasn't a good reason to paint her entire life as tragic outside of the raw reactions the Doctor's return illicit.

"If I thought about you..." Project it onto my GRAVESTONE!

THIS WAS SCRIPTED I AM SCREAMING, this is one of my FAVORITE little beats of the episode (so much so that I made a gif out of it like 13 years ago!)

The Sarah/Rose dynamic was a little 🙄 in the episode and a little more-so in the script, but I liked this bit:

The explicit apology is nice, but goddamn, I wish they'd kept "He doesn't deserve us."

I'm fascinated by the fact that in the script, she shrugs him off! The script generally has a slightly more bitter tinge than the episode itself did, which is so interesting to me, and that I'm glad was tempered.

The goodbye scene as scripted is set in the ruins of the school. I like that they moved it and created some space and time—everyone's changed clothes, they've had some breathing room, emotions have cooled a bit. It serves the scene better than I think this would have. This bit of the script includes a line that I always assumed had been cut given her line in the episode about "And like I said, I wouldn't have missed it for the world". Other than that, the dialogue and beats are pretty much what we see onscreen.

And then:

I have a very messy tangle of feelings about "Last chance" / "I know" that I'll be sorting out for the next 4-6 business weeks, so...stay tuned. (I also have an essay about ace-spectrum Sarah Jane that builds on the "he was a tough act to follow" line that WILL exist outside of my head at some point!)

Anyway! This was a fun deep dive 💞 I got a Doctor/Sarah-inspired tattoo earlier this month so I'm really in my renaissance era here!otp

Double Donnie

"So, fellow Donatello. I have a query for you."

"Sure." Donnie drops a bit of the "ooze", as they call mutagen in this dimension, into the chemical compound.

"Why bio-chemistry as your science of choice?" Donald leans hazardously close to Donnie's project. "Because I noticed that it holds you back from making some truly incredible tech otherwise by dividing your time and practice, and I can't figure out why anyone would ever do that to themselves."

"You do chemistry too, I've seen it."

"Yeah, as a side-science. Tech and machinery are clearly superior."

"Mm-hmm, sure. Now, back away, would you? There's a good chance this'll explode."

"I am used to explosions."

"This is a chemical explosion."

"Yes, so there will be the lack of my usual shards of metal, and, running screaming from flying pieces of shrapnel!"

"At least we relate on that experience." Donnie adds one more drop of ooze. The mixture bubbles, turns pink, turns red...

POP!

Donnie groans and thunks his head against the worktable.

"There there." One of the robotic arms of Donald's battle shell pats Donnie on the head. "This is simply what happens when you mess with an inferior branch of science."

Donnie lifts his head to scowl at Donald, one of those strange red representations of a bulging vein overlaying itself on his forehead and giving off a faint heartbeat sound. "You're telling me you're a mutant of combined turtle and human DNA made from a mysterious substance, and you didn't want to figure out how all of that worked?!"

"Never had the strong urge, no! Why would I, when I had robots to build!" Donald throws his arms out, and his various pieces of tech surround him in a blink! He smirks at Donnie.

"And I had DNA to test and compounds to make! Our passions went in opposite directions, that's all there is to it! ... Actually, thinking about it, it's very possible this was the multiverses way of balancing the universes, directing us into situations that fostered different passions in different fields. Not that I don't love robotics, of course, but I find myself in a lot more situations where my bio-chemistry comes in handy."

"And I, my beautiful beautiful tech."

"Fascinating. Even though our interests are nurtured from the time we're too young to know what situations we'd deal with, we both ended up with our interests perfectly suited to what we'd need most when we became heroes. This implies some level of existence of Fate, which, come to think of it, if further supported by the many consistencies across universes-"

"Sorry, the many?"

"There's a version of us that lives in the year 1987. We don't need to talk about them right now. Their Raph sounded a lot like me and I still don't know how I feel about that."

"You have a lot of feelings, so I'm not surprised that they become hard to differentiate from each other."

"Yeah, well, a complex mind breeds complex emotions."

"That is not the case."

"Anyway, if I wasn't passionate about bio-chemistry, I would never have been able to make retromutagen and stop the Kr- uh, the... other guys. If you didn't have your passion for tech, well, same story! Sort of."

"Let's not talk about that ever again actually."

"Sorry."

"Wait, is that what you're doing there? Creating a reversing agent to the oozequitos?"

"I'm hoping to. I just, feel bad for some of the people your Mikey told me about. Plus, it's pretty nice when the people who want to kill you aren't incredibly strong mutants."

"I don't know how much that'll matter here, honestly. Also, this seems dangerous to have around us. I'd rather not suddenly turn back into a regular turtle."

"Relax, it doesn't even work yet. I'm really having trouble adjusting to the laws of this universe. Did you know that your April took me to her high school the other day? No-one batted an eye!"

"Ah yes, your humans are much more likely to scream, and point, and shout about 'Oh no, horrible hideous monsters!'."

"Thank you for the reminder," Donnie grumbles. "That's another reason I pursued bio-chemistry. When I was young I hoped I could possibly find a way to turn my brothers and I human as well."

Donald tenses up, his face twisting into disgusted horror. "You... want to be human?!"

Donnie scoffs. "Um, yeah? Like I said, our dimension is a lot less friendly to us. We can't even go out in the daytime unless there's something bigger going on, like millions of rats swarming."

"... Has that happened to you?"

"More than once."

"Your dimension sounds like the worst place to ever exist. But aside from that, explain why you want to be human other than wanting life-essential sunlight and vitamin D intake."

"Well, to go to school sounds nice. Connecting with other scientists. Meeting people besides my brothers and humans we know because of kidnappings and their attempted vigilante careers. Generally having the same opportunities that a human does?"

"I see, I see. But you're stronger than a human in your dimension, right?"

"Yeah."

"And faster?"

"I suppose..."

"So what's the problem?"

"Wh- what's your problem?! You don't feel like a freak?!"

"Not really, no."

"How- we- we have shells! And our hands only have three fingers! And we're green!"

"I don't understand, now you're just pointing out the obvious. Ooooh, wait, you're listing things that make us different from humans."

"Yes!"

"I don't know if I'm equipped to handle this, actually, because I find your train of thought very hard to follow here. May I direct you to Mikey, or perhaps the cloaking brooch shop?"

"... The what?"

"Cloaking brooch. They're used by Yokai to disguise as humans and live amo-"

"YOU HAVE A WAY TO MAKE ME LOOK HUMAN?!" Donnie bolts out of the room.

Donald blinks after him, and then taps his forearm screen. "Angelo, I think Other Donnie may need one of your Doctor personas to pay him a visit. Yeah, yeah apparently he deeply hates himself for being a mutant. I know, I don't get it either. Anyway I think he's tearing the lair apart trying to find a cloaking brooch. No, I don't know if he's touching your kiiiii- oh, no, he is, he's going through the kitchen cupboards. Try not to kill him."

Your writing and art is such a major inspiration to me and has reignited so many projects I've scrapped in the past because I thought I couldn't do it or I didn't have the skill to. How do you plan your universes from scratch (and add the characters afterwards)? Or do you make characters and then build the universe around them? I'm really fascinated by how huge your OC universe is and I was wondering how you plan it, along with any other tools or tips to write one!

FDSGLHSFS that's so very kind of you to say T_T and im wishing you the best with your projects!!! they're waiting for you to complete them, and no one else :D

I'm not sure if my process is a great one, but feel free to reference it!!

sometimes it goes world first -> charas later, but for MO it's mostly charas first -> figure out world/story later

ngl for MO, most of the guys are there because I went "ur handsome, let's date." planning is haphazard at best

the upcoming The Doll Witch is the opposite, where everything is a lot more purposeful... LOL

to tell you the truth, all the different worlds and stuff didn't exist at the time of MO Ciel's release LOL. it was just going to be that world + the dream world, afterlife, etc. Magicians weren't even a thing yet, either

by total coincidence, the month theme came to me (and hey what a coincidence--Marchen sounds like March!!! maybe it was fate?)

from there, i wondered what other kind of worlds would be needed to make a functioning universe (based on Clavie's morals and the magic system), which led to June, Feb, September... also July/Nov representing necessary things like time and space

the remaining worlds, i thought would be interesting to use as sort of testing grounds for various scenarios. like October being a world with dying magic, and December being the closest thing to a utopia

i have a general idea for the stories that'll take place when we get to them, but nothing is super set in stone! so characters can come and go when i actually sit down and work everything out

tldr, i don't think there's a wrong way of doing it. you just have to make sure you do!!!

best of luck :D! if you're curious about anything else, lmk!

Hello!! For the ask game: ✏️🖋️🖥️

(It’s nice to meet another sapphic aspec!)

Nice to meet another one too! Thanks for the ask!

I ended up writing A LOT about this ask! Super excited to share everything (thank you!!!) but it's super long so under the cut. But I did format a bit to make it hopefully easier to read.

✏️"what are your current WIPs about?"

The main WIPs that I'm currently focusing on are The Secret Portal and School of the Legends, the former of which with more focus.

The Secret Portal is about a group of preteens/teens who discover a portal to another dimension. This dimension is full of people with powers with a minority of those without. After decades of protests from the oppressed minority, tensions rose, and eventually turned into a war of two extremes.

Hard to explain how everything connects, but I appreciate the nuance and multi-perspective approach this needs, but man is it hard. So much brainpower to make this story work, but I'm proud of what I have.

Despite a young cast this is a YA series (think Stranger Things in terms of age of characters vs demographic. This is TV-14 so to speak). I focus heavily on young perspectives because a) I was a kid when writing this for the first time (see later this post) so it just happened but also b) it ended up working thematically with a level of innocence needed there. Bonus, c) being in education I'm fascinated with young minds.

Still a long way to go and currently in the beta reading stage (see pinned post), which is definitely needed given a wide range of topics and fully appreciated to those who have given me their advice.

Planned to be a five book series that's essentially a long continuation from each installment to the next.

School of the Legends is a much easier story to write even if I don't have everything planned yet. It deals with various legends, stories, fairy tales, nursery rhymes, etc. in the same universe, but My Version, aka, things are based on the above, but not a direct copy.

The titular school is an international school meant for those gifted (people born with powers), magicked (people learning magic as a skill), and cursed (people who have powers thrust upon them).

I have an outline for the overall plot of the series (four books are planned) but not super far into it.

Have more characters planned than I know what to do with but most will probably be in the background no matter how sad that makes me.

🖋️"what inspired you to write your WIPs?"

Hm... Sometimes it's just impulse but let's backtrack.

TSP was first conceived as a grade school creative writing project. I just went overboard. Let's get into it.

Went into more detail on my website and tiktok, but the short version is that it was loosely inspired by a stuffed animals game from when I was a little younger which was in turn was loosely inspired by (drumroll) The Rainbow Magic fairy series. Don't know how that happened, so I guess that was a huge influence despite no similarities now.

My friends all inspired parts of it, as most of the OCs have their roots being friend inserts (gone now but it's funny the fragments that are left over from this).

What inspired me to keep going, however, was actually a bit of pride. I was super proud of the original assignment (15 pages!!! Twice as much as the second longest!! I got a 100%!!) and was also super invested in the world I made.

Admittedly when middle school me decided to turn this into a more """"grown up"""" series, it go really cringe...but I was so ambitious this would be published some day (HA).

TSP became what it is today due to an obsessive amount of writing in eighth grade (age 14) and hitting a block in all projects and deciding to start it over, very different from previous drafts.

SOTL was a bit of a passion side project that wasn't meaning to be #2 in WIPs, but I like where we are and it has more broad areas of inspiration.

What started my love for fairy tale adaptations were the Whatever After series and The Land of Stories series, especially the latter. I wanted to make my own version, so had some ideas for characters once again based on my friends. No plot ideas.

In early seventh grade I wrote a dreadful draft that included a "princess school" which was inspired by...I don't actually know I think I read a lot of princess school books but I don't remember the titles. So inspiration from there of course.

Other fairy tale retellings just increased my love for the subgenre, and I got more passionate about making my own, though each draft is so different it's hard to draw connections. It was basically an idea I tried until it worked.

🖥️"what types of writing do you do?"

Well, there's the obvious novel writing.

I love it. It's so hard but I live for the thrill.

Novels are more my thing because I have Too Many Ideas. I wrote a lot of short stories in my creative writing class and found them too limiting. Some may become novels, some maybe novellas. We will have to see.

Fiction is my thing but especially fantasy (I'm using this as a broad term that means "not realistic fiction" including sci-fi and other branches - I'm actually bad at high fantasy).

TSP has annoying sci-fi elements (I walked into this as if this project needed to be harder!), but SOTL is a more relaxed fantasy.

I love reading realistic fiction, but for my writing RF is too real sometimes, if that makes sense. That's obvious...idk how to get across what I'm saying, but I find myself able to express myself through fantasy when I'm doing my own creative writing.

Even in my creative writing class, I'd always make a fantasy story, since we never were told anything had to be realistic fiction. Never intentionally, that's just where my brain defaulted to. I can't think of a single realistic fiction idea I haven't scrapped completely.

It's not that I don't like RF, I LOVE reading it. But it's not for me writing.

I also tend to write geared toward Young Adult. Maybe I'll go for MG or New Adult but I think YA is my ballpark.

Outside of fictional writing, I mainly write reviews or analyses of other media.

I don't post these anywhere attached to this pen name, they're mainly just for me and my friends.

I don't need the world to know my opinions, but I need my opinions on paper. I am a writer by nature, so I feel a compulsion, an itch, to write down my thoughts on everything and anything.

And when I have super strong opinions about X media...well I gotta write about it. Whether it's short form reviews of movies, complex reviews of TV shows, rants about X subject, I gotcha.

I'm working hard on a review/analysis right now, so haven't worked on TSP in over a month, which is awful, but I need to reach a stopping point for this project before going back to it. I do think it is a needed break, though, since I find marathoning writing for TSP before needing to take a step back before another marathon.

I also find analyzing media, why I like it, why I don't, what worked, what didn't, helps me in my writing. By examining other works, I realize how I can improve my craft, by either doing something or not doing something or learning from another media. They're intertwined, to me.

I do writing for school, too. Education major and am working on a case study. I actually like it?? Combining two interests is interesting who knew?

And that's the end of this super long post!! This was so much fun thank you for the ask and thank you and anyone who actually read this far!

Going into the Dragon Ball fandom, I wasn't expecting it to resonate with me as much as it did. Initially, I had only really heard about the "It's over 9000" meme, until a friend in my Discord community shared clips of DBZA in October of 2023. While watching the parody, I was immediately drawn to the relationship between Gohan and Goku, which felt surprisingly genuine, even amidst comedic exaggeration. This led me to dive into the actual anime series, and I was captivated by the intricate storytelling, intense battles, and the development of characters beyond their initial impressions. I found myself drawn towards the Tournament of Power arc and, having been part of the Ninjago Fandom, another community that took stories meant for a younger audience and expanded upon them unexpectedly, I appreciated the depth that Dragon Ball offered.

The Tournament of Power, with its vast array of characters from different universes, each with their unique abilities and backgrounds, was a spectacle that kept me eagerly anticipating each new episode. The stakes were high, the action was intense, and the emotional moments genuinely moved me. It was during this arc that I truly understood the enduring appeal of Dragon Ball. As I explored the lore and intricacies of the Dragon Ball universe, I was impressed by how the series evolved. It wasn't just about the battles and power-ups; it was also about exploring the moral dilemmas faced by the characters, the consequences of their actions, and the exploration of the multiverse concept.

What struck me the most was the complex character development. Dragon Ball went beyond the stereotypical hero-villain dynamics, portraying characters with shades of gray, making them relatable, and adding layers to their personalities (something I've been exploring in my FSMR Ninjago AU). Being part of the Ninjago Fandom, where fans often contributed to the narrative through various mediums, I was pleasantly surprised to find a similar creative energy within the Dragon Ball community. Fan theories, fan art, and fan-made content added a new dimension to my experience, allowing me to engage with the series in ways I hadn't anticipated.

Thus began my journey with this story. I initially read stories revolving around the post-Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie and my adoration for Gohan reached an all-time high. As a character, Gohan had already become a favorite of mine during the Tournament of Power arc. His growth from a timid child to a formidable warrior and his genuine kindness and intellect resonated with me. He reminded me of myself at times, and the headcanons revolving around his trauma struck a chord within me that I hadn't expected. The exploration of Gohan's character, both in the official material and the fan-created content, became a focal point of my journey into the Dragon Ball fandom.

Gohan's evolution remained a central theme in the post-Super Hero movie stories. The narratives delved into the aftermath of the events, his relationships with other characters, and his personal struggles. The fan-created stories, much like the Ninjago AU content I was familiar with, showcased the depth of creativity within the Dragon Ball community. Fan writers and artists took Gohan on new adventures, exploring facets of his character that hadn't been fully realized in the official material.

The themes of trauma and personal growth became particularly poignant in these stories. It was fascinating to see how the fandom took the foundation laid by the series and expanded upon it, addressing the psychological impact of the battles Gohan had faced. The parallels between the struggles of fictional characters and the complexities of real-life experiences were unexpectedly resonant.

As a participant in the Ninjago and Dragon Ball fandoms, I found a common thread in the fan communities' ability to use creative expression to explore deeper themes within the source material. Whether through fan fiction, art, or discussions, the fans contributed to the narrative in a way that went beyond mere entertainment. It became a means of introspection, empathy, and shared understanding.

The unexpected connection I felt with Gohan's character and the nuanced exploration of his experiences in fan content added a personal layer to my journey. It was no longer just about watching an anime or reading fan stories; it became a form of self-reflection, a way to connect with others who found resonance in the same narratives.

As my appreciation for Dragon Ball deepened, I enjoyed the official content and actively sought out the diverse expressions of creativity within the fandom. It was a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and how fictional narratives can become a canvas for personal exploration and connection within a community of like-minded enthusiasts.

Designing a less wasteful fashion industry

For many people, fashion is fast and fleeting. But there is a growing shift towards conscious and ethical shopping. We can no longer ignore the 92 million tonnes of textile waste that is produced every year; the equivalent of a garbage truck full of clothes ending up in landfill every second.   The considered efforts made by a growing number of small, eco-conscious businesses to prioritise sustainability and thoughtful design cannot be ignored, and wonderful as they are, they are currently just a tiny segment of the fashion market. But there is something new on the horizon, that could spell the answer to the challenge of how we can indulge our love for fashion and clothes without hurting the planet.   The answer lies in a dress I remember well from my university days; a black jersey dress that could be ‘worn in 100 ways’ (all of which made me look like a bridesmaid and none of which I’d wear now). But the concept itself is worth exploring.   Design innovation Convertible clothing, often referred to as transformable or multifunctional clothing, are garments that can be designed to serve multiple purposes. These pieces can be easily altered or manipulated to create various looks, making them an ideal choice for individuals seeking to maximise their wardrobe's potential. They transcend trends, occasions, and often seasons too, and are, in essence, super-versatile clothing.   My fascination with convertible clothing grew when I decided to pursue my childhood love for fashion and launch my own small clothing brand, POLKO. This passion project would give me, a documentary filmmaker and journalist, some joy in days otherwise consumed with dreary emotions around climate change, record-high heatwaves, wildfires, and floods. But how could I enter the fashion world without becoming a part of the problem that I was trying to escape? I went back to my roots.   As a little girl growing up in the 90s in Pakistan there was little to no ready-made clothing available. We wore what we created, and I spent many weekends with my mother immersed in fabric markets, finding trimmings, and sketching designs. Culturally, clothes required emotional involvement; it was fun, it was exciting, it was creative. I even recycled cushion covers and made them into dresses. But the care with which we approached clothing was in stark contrast to the way the fashion industry approached Pakistan - a dumping ground for rich nations' discarded clothes.   Meeting demands of eco-conscious consumers The overproduction and overconsumption linked to fast fashion has come under the harshest scrutiny since the shift towards more conscious and responsible shopping. Over the past 15 years, clothing production has doubled while the length of time we actually wear these clothes has fallen by nearly 40%. Would we give in to impulse buying if the clothes we had never went out of style and use?   Circling back to my wear-it-100-ways dress (though I wonder if this sales pitch might have been a slight exaggeration), convertible clothing isn’t a new concept. It was originally associated with a limited range of styles or a utilitarian aesthetic, but reedited designs today are making it more sophisticated and mature.   It all starts with innovative and purposeful design. Convertible fashion requires huge levels of commitment and creativity from its designer. It is the ingenious use of zippers, snaps, buttons, patterns and fabric that enables a single garment to seamlessly transform into several different styles. There is also a lot of trial and error in perfecting these designs. Of course, all these elements make convertible pieces more costly to produce which means they come at a higher price. But this is the future of design, and the industry will need to adapt. Fast.   From the perspective of style, convertible clothing offers a dynamic wardrobe that thrives on self-expression and curiosity. Most people wear 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time, but playing dress up with dynamic pieces, experimenting with different combinations, mixing and matching, and mastering new styling tricks can make getting dressed a more fun and personalised experience. It helps us all wear each item more ways, more often, and for longer – considerably reducing waste. For example, extending the active lifespan of a garment by just nine months could reduce its carbon, water and waste footprints by as much as 30%. This is a great lesson; creativity - not buying more - is the answer to solving wardrobe boredom.   Convertible clothing is great news for those aiming for a minimalist and eco-friendly lifestyle. These versatile pieces can be dressed up or down, streamlining both your wardrobe and your mindset.   Changing minds If we begin to see our future clothing purchases as investments—purposeful and long-lasting—then fast fashion seems less appealing and more problematic. The growing slow fashion movement takes pride in repeating outfits. It values the quality of garments over the quantity, and classic styles over changing trends. All this means less will be bought (but worn more) and less will end up in landfills. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that the emissions impact of clothing could be reduced by 44% if people wore their clothes twice as often as they do now, and yet a study found that 33% of women consider their clothes ‘old’ after only three wears.   But here’s the thing, the planet is changing and so are we. As the industry evolves to meet the demands of a generation that wants to do better, design has to play an active role in shaping the future of fashion. Convertible clothing is likely to become an integral part of wardrobes worldwide. Its ability to meet the demands of contemporary life, with its emphasis on sustainability, practicality, and style, makes it a compelling choice for fashion enthusiasts who are seeking to do more with less. It is a movement that is thoughtful, well-intentioned and bold.     ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maheen Sadiq is founder of POLKO, the creator of a forward-thinking and innovative new fashion outfit that can be worn 14 different ways, to multiple occasions, and on repeat, meaning you are covered from work to dinner, from the party to the beach, and everything in between. It’s your entire capsule wardrobe in one intelligent and convertible design, decluttering your space and mind. POLKO is passionate about making life simpler and helping us all to cut down on fashion waste by reducing the number of clothes that are discarded and end up in landfill. Be the first to own this stylish 14-way design from POLKO by ordering now on Kickstarter ahead of the general launch.   Web: www.polko.co.uk Instagram: @polkostudio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/POLKOLondon/ Founder, Maheen Sadiq on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maheen-sadiq-32865751/     Read the full article

Underwater

The second date with Panda, I went back to his place. He works 11a-8p and asked me to come over around 7:30. He still had a bit of work to finish so I told him I was going to entertain myself by going through all his stuff. He has a small bookshelf with like 20 books on it so I was looking through those and commenting on them. He said most of them are from his friend, who moved but didn’t have anywhere to store the books, so he’s holding onto them. The others were gifts. There was one that was an overview of psychology and important research studies, one that was a video game comic basically (a gift from his work), and two on dating. One is the Aziz Ansari book, which he said he read and was helpful in building a dating profile and making him less anxious about talking to girls. The other was The Art of Seduction. I started reading that, and was basically horrified. He said that one of his friends gave it to him and said he should read it. It says some pretty wild, misogynistic things, and makes sweeping gender assumptions. He finished work and came over to sit next to me on the floor. I shared some of the craziness from the book and he basically said, “Whoa, didn’t know that, I guess I won’t be reading that one.” And we made a few jokes about it for the rest of the night. 

We ended up sitting there talking for a while which was nice. We kept touching each other in various ways while talking, until he eventually asked if we could move to the bed to snuggle, to which I obviously agreed. 

He’s not quite as touchy as Otter, but it’s close, and it still feels nice. Or maybe he is just as touchy but isn’t quite as comfortable with himself. Otter would just grab me and smoosh, and Panda isn’t that confident. I’m doing what I can to make him comfortable and let him know it’s okay to do things like that, but we aren’t quite there yet.

He shows me that his friend got him a new light for his apartment. He turns it on, and it's one of those that project colors onto the ceiling. This one has a few different color options, and it moves. It looks like you're underwater, looking up at the surface. It's beautiful and fascinating. We end up just laying on his bed, staring at it for a while.

12/10/22

I believe that walking is a performative art. Walking enables men to live as part of the landscape, and it allows them to experience nature through the use of senses.

Men have always been fascinated by nature, therefore it has been their desire to capture its beauty and art has always been the medium to represent it.

Cave paintings are a great example of how it was possible for cavernicolas men to embody what they saw while walking, looking for food and a prey to hunt.

Then with the passing of time, art itself and how it was expressed, changed.

Nevertheless artists like Richard Long and Haegue Yang preserved the act of walking and incorporated it into their arts.

Long shaped a line in the earthy ground of Peru by walking back and forth, Yang instead used her senses. During a bus ride, in which she felt car sick, she let her hand be guided by the vibration of the vehicle travelling on a bumpy road. Even if the final result was different, both artists started from the same action of travelling or walking and then translated it into art.

Actually the origin of many projects from other artists comes from a simple stroll that then evolves into something else.

To name other artists, Billie Eilish had a similar experience to this. In one of her interviews she said that while visiting Sidney she was amused by the sound the traffic lights made when they signaled pedestrians it was safe to cross. She sampled the pulsating sound and it made the chorus of her song “Bad guy”, which is one of her “most catchy” song.

Therefore I think that during a walk people have to let their senses overcome them, they have to be used as a sort of guidance. Walkers can be guided by the chirping of birds, by the buzzing of insects or by the smells that surround them, or they can follow a sudden inspiration.

When I went out on my walk I didn’t know what I would follow that day. Would I be guided by my senses?

I had my sketchbook with me in case I had some inspiration on my walk. But first thing first I headed to the nursing home where my grandma stays at. Usually when I visit her she talks about the weather and how she doesn’t like when the other elders steal her food, but today it didn’t happen. When I arrived she saw my little sketchbook and her eyes lit up.

My grandma was an artist when she was younger, she loved to paint.

She asked me if she could draw something. I said yes, a bit taken aback.

After a while she smiled and handed back my sketchbook so I could see her drawing. It was a cute but shaky drawing of us talking in the garden of the nursing home. My grandma sighed, she missed her paints.

I was sorry for her but I suddenly felt hectic. That was the input I was looking for!

That drawing became a new memory that I would recall whenever I visited the nursing home or walked past it.

We, as human beings, tend to cherish our memories and hold on to them because they are elusive. In our frenetic lives we are submerged constantly by new memories and the recollection of specific ones can become difficult, if not impossible. Eventually illnesses come and take them away.

So I decided that it would be nice to have a map of the city that could also be a recollection of many memories.

I packed my things, kissed my grandma and then I walked towards the city centre to have breakfast with my mom. We met at the new coffee shop which had various brewed coffees and many sweets. We chatted and while eating I asked her if she would draw us in that exact moment. She laughed but I insisted.

I thought that it would be more genuine if she did it and I was scared to overdo it.

When she finished I thanked her and went on with my walk.

The city centre is not that big, so I just wandered, waiting for my feet to drag me to more significant places. I then arrived at the central garden. There I thought of when I had picnics with my friends and I tried to capture them through the lines of crayons.

In the following hour I had met many people, but I only handed my sketchbook to the old couple that was sitting in the gallery. They were my old neighbours, who I stopped seeing when I moved. They decided to draw their usual sitting spot, and they told me it was their lucky spot because they met there for the first time thirty two year earlier. I smiled and while waving goodbye the old lady winked at me. Was it an encouragement on my journey?

I then headed to the conservatory, which was my childhood nightmare.

I had started at a young age to learn propaedeutic music and violin. Needless to say I failed because I couldn’t handle the stress nor reach my parent’s expectations, but nevertheless I still love music and its performance.

Although when I stopped in front of the music conservatory I had mixed emotions, I felt both nostalgic and relieved, so it was a bit of a challenge deciding how to represent it.

Suddenly I realised that on that day I had my tutor appointment! I rushed through the city and luckily I made it on time. Before leaving I asked the little girl I tutor to draw us together during our sessions. She seemed amused by the request and she did it anyway.

When I got home I then drew the last memory that would go on my map which was my own house.

"Unexpected Encounter"

•Fandom: Duskwood

->⚠️Slight Episode 5 spoiler

•Pairing/Character: Jake x MC

•Word Count: nearly 1.8k

•Genre: AU, some fluff🤭

•Request (1) by @letseatarainbow: Heey! 😊I don't know if you're still taking request or ideas for fics, but in case you do... I have some! (I'm just in Ep.4 so there is a loooot of things idk yet) 🙈First one is an AU where Jake and MC both live in the same city, while most of the game story happens, and they meet by accident in a 7-eleven. MC doesn't know what Jake looks lile, so she doesn't recognize him... but keeps looking at him thinking he resembles kind of what she imagines for Jake's appearance.Jake has a little crush on her (perhaps not so little, he just doesn't admit it out loud yet 🤭) and this thing of her smiling to him, a random guy in a store, makes him think that someday a guy more outgoing than him would smile back, and start talking to her, and they'll be together...He feels quite jealous of this imaginary guy, and just when he start going down insecurity lane, MC sends him a text, which makes him feels better and kind of dumb at the same time, and... Damn it. Now he has to pay for his stuff all blushed.

•Authors Note: At the end of the story

-----

Strolling along the streets of a big, anonymous city, MC allowed herself to let her mind wander around. Thoughts dancing around the investigation, how she found trust and friendship in strangers so quickly, Jake.

A shiver crawled over MC’s skin. Her clothes and the weather didn’t cooperate well, leaving her to feel slightly too cold for her preference.

The city hasn’t been familiar to her for long, only some months ago she found shelter here.

Occasional smiles slipped onto her lips when a stranger made eye-contact, sending a wave of comfort and gratitude through her own bones. Especially when those strangers smiled back.

After being sealed away in her thoughts, the usual look of the local 7-Eleven brought her back around.

Entering the store, the amenity of warmth seep through MC’s skin. She grabbed one of the shopping baskets, going along her way as she mentally went through her shopping list she thought wasn’t necessary to take with her.

Lively melodies of music mixed with the busy moving and doing of citizens. No one mildly paid attention to one another. Here, nearly everyone cared for themselves, brushing the needs and existence of fellows off their minds. At least that’s what the clichés say.

MC went through the aisles. As slow as possible, as fast as necessary. She wasn’t eager to go outside again.

Spiting her efforts to focus, her mind went different places again. MC was fascinated by Hannah’s friends and the pace at which they dedicated their trust to her, a stranger. She was fascinated by Jake, even more so.

He seemed to be someone special since the get-go. His way of using words was unique to her, the boldness he had when he first approached her, the shyness and hesitation within his replies from time to time and, what she loved the most, Jake’s honesty.

A sudden bump followed by a swift apology and hasty hand grabbing her arm fired her back into reality.

Her own eyes crossed with those of a man whose face was filled with surprise the first moment, shock and dizzy traces of joy the next. MC tilted her head sideways, curiosity of a little puppy struck her features. Something felt familiar.

The already mild grip on her arm softened.

“Thank you for the catch” A subtle tease hid in MC’s voice.

“I nearly ran you over.”

“So?” MC’s smile returned to her lips, various reasons being the cause for this. “You caught me, nothing happened. Pardon the question, but do we know each other?”

“I am afraid not.”

A skeptical look passed over MC’s face. The man occurred to be a resemblance of her guilty-pleasured fantasies of Jake, his slender frame, uncared hair and pale skin and eyes almost perfectly projected her thoughts to the outside.

Of course it was him. God forbid he’d tell her.

Jake’s mind cluttered, filled with questions and blinded emotions. He perceived her cold skin under his hand, now paying more attention to what she was wearing. Her clothing was unsuitable for the temperatures outside.

He released MC from his grip, attempting to distract his thoughts away from her. His efforts met empty results. She was in front of him, his mind prohibited the permission to simply look away, instead studied all details and features her messenger profile failed to show.

MC cleared her throat, promptly blinking away her own thoughts.

“Excuse me. Is there a reason why you’re staring at me so intensely?” She asked sheepishly, unsure if it was truly Jake, whom she could only visualize in her most vivid dreams until now.

Grabbed by embarrassment and feeling like a deer in the headlights, Jake attempt to regain his demeanor.

“Apologies. You have been staring at me as well.”

“Two peas in a pod” MC grinned. Jake’s effort to disguise a smirk threatened to go down the toilet, MC had already picked up on the subtle twitch of the corner of his mouth. “Stay on topic, okay?”

"Why aren't you wearing a jacket?"

“I have overestimated the temperatures and my own cold tolerance” The words left her with joking tones, serving the sole purpose to hide her surprise. There was a gleam inside her eyes, seizing Jake of all his focus.

His next actions weren’t in limits of his conscious control. He slid off his hooded jacket, stretching his arm towards MC and bravely swallowing the doubts lurking around the corners of his sanity.

A dumbfounded look morphed onto her features, heart beating a little faster. She knew it was the only opportunity she might get. She didn’t want to hesitate, didn’t want to think of the possibility of not seeing Jake again for eternity.

MC grasped the jacket, making sure to graze her fingers along Jake’s to savor the briefest of his warmth. Now, that she was certain it was him.

Their goodbye came to fast for both their liking.

---

Within the comfort of his own home, Jake’s heart and mind refused to settle. The utter sweetness and kindness of MC’s smile profoundly refused to leave his mind, robbing him of his focused and concentrated demeanor.

Setting down the bag with groceries, he made his way to the couch and opened his laptop. Barely paying a second thought to it he opened MC’s profile. His heart speeded higher as Jake carefully studied her pictures, fascinated by the shine in her eyes, captivated by the brightness her face mirrored into his gotten-dull life.

She was so much more than the photos. Her smile remarkably exceeded anything they captured.

The beating in Jake’s chest fluttered as he thought about MC smiling at him, a stranger who nearly knocked her to the ground with his inattentiveness. He wondered, does she present her gentle smile to anyone who looks her in the eye?

The thought of it made his own fade. Kindness laid rooted deep in MC’s nature, the probability of her doing so was unpleasantly high.

Colville wasn’t known to be friendly nor sympathetic. People here mostly went on with their days, swiftly forgetting any manner of hospitality dedicated to them. Jake’s mind went to unimaginable countless scenarios.

One day a guy more outgoing and providing than Jake may recognize the tenderness, smile back and take MC’s heart by storm. Take her to places he never could, grant her the warmth and love he had locked away for eternity. A guy with the ability to serve a future she’s worthy of.

Images of MC holding this guy’s hand clung to Jake’s mind, making his chest clench and stomach twist. All his attempts to rid of those thoughts ran in vain, leaving him to wish the imaginary hand would be his very own.

He couldn’t provide.

All Jake had of MC were the imaginations he refused to acknowledge. Fantasies enabling him to hold her tight, run his fingers over her cheeks; laying with her, entangled in sheets. Thoughts he felt guilty for having, thoughts he loved to contemplate.

All he had was a chase and inability to meet MC’s emotional needs. It was bordering him to insanity.

The sound of an incoming messaged grabbed Jake off guard, taking him back from imaginations of misery to a skipping heart when he gazed upon her name on his display.

MC, 07:11pm:

“Thank you🙂”

Almost immediately his thoughts swept away. Jake typed and erased a message multiple times. He found himself astounded at the matter of MC texting him almost each time his mind went to her. Admittedly, he knew he had been caught promptly. No indicators of reasons for MC to be thanking him were able to be found in their previous conversation, which laid hours back.

How did she recognize him, so fast at that?

MC, 07:11pm:

“The jacket still smells like you. I like it”

The light prickling of doubt evaded MC’s mind, maybe she was mistaken?

Subtle shades of pink and red inched onto Jake’s face. “I like it”. His heart elevated into a higher speed as her words resonated inside his head. This situation was new to him, what was he bound to say? Hesitantly, he typed the only words he was capable of telling her.

Jake, 07:11pm:

“I am pleased you like it.”

MC, 07:11pm:

“Cat got your tongue? 😋”

Jake imagined the chuckle which likely laid on MC’s lips. The heat on his face started to compete with the Californian summer sun, exceeding to levels he hasn’t felt before. No matter how much he tried, the image in his head was too entrancing to push away.

Jake, 07:12pm:

“A little bit. How did you find out?”

MC, 07:12pm:

“I recognized the jacket. It has been burned into my mind from our first call on”

Jake, 07:12pm:

“Apologies.”

MC, 07:12pm:

“I did not say it was something negative”

Not realizing she did, MC smirked at her phone. Jake had managed to capture a special place in her emotions in the shortest brink of time. Abide that, there was a small desire longing to see him again.

The chat was left in silence. Both were filled with uncertainty and words they wanted, but didn’t dare to say. At least, until MC decided to speak up.

MC, 07:13pm:

“I want to give you your jacket back”

Has it only been a minute?

Jake, 07:13pm:

“I am afraid that won’t be possible at this moment.”

MC, 07:14pm:

“And why not?”

Jake’s forehead wrinkled, eyebrows furrowing to a point they nearly meet in the middle. The truth risked her trust in him to dwindle. The bright smile on his face fell, bit by bit. Somehow, the fact of not being able to meet MC again saddened him as much.

Jake, 07:14pm:

“I will be out of town for an indefinite period of time.”

MC, 07:14pm:

“Why are you lying, Jake?”

MC, 07:14pm:

“What are you afraid of?”

Jake loved this ability of hers, despite it playing against him at the time. Unlike him, she didn’t need emoji’s nor periods, question or exclamation marks to understand emotions and lies behind a simple text message.

He knew their stubbornness would play against them. Jake assumed he’d be the one to back down in this argument. On the other hand, something trusting lingered inside him. Something trusting combined with his logical parts. She’d understand this rather extraordinary truth and back away for her own sake… right?

Jake, 07:15pm:

“MC, I am a hacker wanted by the government.”

MC remained quiet for a brief second, gaze hung on Jake’s message. A mysterious sparkle cradled in her eyes, a low laugh she failed to suppress filling her room. This was so twisted, she would have almost labeled it hilarious. She began to type out a message.

MC, 07:16pm:

“Seems like we share the same fate😄”

-----

A/N: Hi!💕 Thank you a lot @letseatarainbow for giving me my very first requests, I was so excited about it!! I hope the story meets what you have imagined🌿💕

If there are any inaccuarcies including the 7-Eleven store, I want to apologize, I don't have a 7-Eleven store in the country I live in and I hope you're still able to enjoy the story!🌿

Lastly, thanks a lot to @dreamer-writer-fangirl for helping me out when I was stuck with the story!

See you on the next story!🤭💕🌿

Contributor Spotlight: Paulette

Now that Issue #1 is live, we at OFIC Mag are excited to shine a light on some of the amazing contributors from our inaugural issue. We hope you all love them as much as we do!

Today’s spotlight is on Paulette | @GrannyRocko, who wrote “Refrigerate After Opening” for Issue #1.

Tell us a bit about yourself!

I'm queer as a three dollar bill and in love with the whole gamut of books and film. Highbrow, lowbrow, and everything in between—I refuse to choose a side because life is too short and my "to be read" and "to be watched" lists are too long lol. I think being a writer is sort of like being a sub: you're in ecstasy and pain in equal measure, and getting the most out of your experience is just a matter of figuring out what kind of torture you like best. Is that too gauche to say?! As a kinky queer weirdo, I'm saying it because I think it's true. For better or worse, novels and novel-length fanfics are my preferred form of writing torture. :)

How did you find fandom?

For years, I had a tumblr that I rarely touched. But in 2016, I watched Bryan Fuller's exquisite Hannibal TV show and opened that beloved trash gremlin of a website, searching the Hannigram tag like my life depended on it. I think the friends who recommended Hannibal to me might have also steered me toward tumblr? I can't remember how it happened, but I went down the rabbit hole and didn't come up for air until my browser was crashing because of my exponentially growing AO3 tabs.

What fandom are you in now and what brought you here?

Currently, I spend most of my fandom time in the Teen Wolf sphere. During the first year of the pandemic, it became the trash TV balm to my depressed soul. I was in the mood to rewatch Buffy for the hundredth time but decided I ultimately wanted something new, and that's how I got sucked in. I even wrote an article about it for Gayly Dreadful, talking about the way it soothed my chest dysphoria and made me contemplate the nuances of my own gender identity.

What’s your favorite book of all time and what do you love about it?

Donna Tartt's The Secret History. I'm sure some people think it gets thrown in "best" categories too much, but it's such a perfect intersection of the things that have fascinated me in fiction throughout my life. Class disparity/tensions, the area where obsession and violence and hedonism meet, queerness, picturesque insular settings where everyone has incestuous friend groups and gossip runs amok, haunting past trauma, pretentious people hiding behind the smokescreen of seemingly grandiose/profound ideas as justification for their behavior, lush, complicated, lyrical prose that somehow never feels too dense, it just... clips along like a beautiful, layered melody. It's also one of those rare books that grows with you. I've read it at various points in my life and gotten different things out of it each time. It never loses its glow; the glow just shimmers a little differently. 

What projects are you working on right now?

I'm working on a novel that deals with the intersection of those aforementioned obsessions (queerness, violence, kink, trauma), and it's been a shift from my first novel because it's much more fast-paced, almost noir-ish in the murder mystery aspect. Plot is one of the things I struggle with the most, and I'm always trying to find some middle ground between "waxing poetic about the woods for a whole page" and "all plot, no waxing." My writing leans literary and descriptive. It's always been that way, and it's something I never want to lose. Merely hone and tame and maybe (hopefully) find a way for it to co-exist with a propulsive plot. I'm also working on a [redacted pairing name lol] fanfic...

What are your aspirations as a writer, big picture or small?

To get books published, either in trad pub or with small presses I admire that are currently putting out really interesting, daring work (Clash Books, Weirdpunk Books, Amphetamine Sulphate, to name a few) and get stories published in lit mags I admire. And just to continue doing work I'm proud of, to always be pushing myself to write about the things I'm scared to write about because otherwise, what's the point? You have to take the risks or you won't grow.

If you could give one piece of advice to beginning writers, what would you tell them?

Write about what you want to write about, the ideas that keep you up at night. Stay true to your instincts and shut out everything that tries to dampen them (worries about perfection, worries about how your work will be perceived, every single worry the publishing aspect of the industry puts in your head). Because at the end of the day, if you're not excited about what you're writing about, why are you doing it? All of those worries can come after drafting, but you need to learn to keep the wolves of doubt at bay if you're ever going to finish a draft. Writing is always going to be difficult and stressful in one way or another, but remember to stay in touch with the spark, the tingles you get when an idea first turns on the light in your brain. And if you think that whatever excites you is too niche, I guarantee there is someone out there who is fascinated/excited by the very same "niche" things and will be happy to see your work. 

Thank you for being a part of the OFIC family, Paulette! We’re so thrilled to share your work with the world.

So I made an SCP entry for Bugsnax...

I thought with the ending and all of the disturbing stuff that this game has, it would fit perfectly with SCP stuff. Not to mention, there has to be an SCP equivalent in the Grumpus world. GCP? SGP? SCG? I dunno man, have some horror writing about muppets.

SCP-3470: Sentient Sustenance

[Heavy spoilers for Bugsnax ending]

Item #: SCP-3470 aka “Snaktooth Island”

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures:  Due to its nature of being a landmass the most SCP teams can do is obscure its location to the populus. Efforts have been made to create rumors of numerous shipwrecks--akin to SCP-605 “Bermuda Triangle”--to deter the public from exploring the location. If unauthorized ships are witnessed crossing into the restricted zone, they are to be terminated immediately.           Addendum: Due to the recent insubordination of Dr. [REDACTED]. All authorized personnel that enter or exit SCP-3470 are to be subjected to a rigorous screening process to ensure that no instances of SCP-3470-A are brought out of the restricted area without B Class Permission or higher. Further precautions being considered are a 10 minute test in which personnel seeking access to SCP-3470 are to be placed into an empty room with an instance of SCP-3470-A. If SCP personnel show any signs of wishing to consume SCP-3470-A, they are to be removed from the team immediately. Permission from Professor [REDACTED].  Is awaiting approval.

Description: SCP-3470 is a large landmass off of the coast of [REDACTED].  Spanning 50 mi^2 and nearing 1.5 mi in height. Several sections of SCP-3470 are flux in weather patterns, ranging from lush forests to arid deserts in the span of 3 miles. Although similar in appearance to locations such as  [REDACTED].  And  [REDACTED]. , further research concludes that flora are substantially different in chemical composition, containing traces of [REDACTED].  Which was only recently discovered. Due to this, nearly all flora encompassing the island are inedible, as digestion induces hazardous effects ranging from intense stomach pains to spastic vomiting. 

The most significant aspect of SCP-3470 are various instances of sentient life, which are to be referred to as SCP-3470-A-[1-100]. SCP-3470-A take appearances of common food items, such as SCP-3470-A-1 [“Strabby”] taking the form of a ripe red strawberry with what appear to be dollar store googly-eyes [all instances of SCP-3470-A share the final trait]. All instances of SCP-3470-A vary in physique, behavioral patterns and similarities to their respective food item. Each instance also appears to have a “name” that it repeats ad nauseum despite not having observable mouths or vocal chords, making them easier to classify. Chemically however all are similar, containing faint traces of  [REDACTED]. . This can be witnessed upon any attempt to alter SCP-3470-A instances from their base form, dissolving into an unknown inedible fluid, losing sentience in the process. 

Due to SCP-3470’s flora being inedible, SCP-3470-A instances become the landmass’s only source of sustenance. Consumption of SCP-3470-A induces a drastic and instance side-effect of modifying the consumer’s limbs, thereby becoming SCP-3470-B. The limbs of SCP-3470-B instances vary depending on the instance of SCP-3470-A that has been consumed, alongside how many instances have been consumed prior to said event. Fundamentally however, all limbs modified take on the appearance of whatever the SCP-3470-A instance was impersonating. The more instances a subject consumes the more of their body transforms, beginning with the hands and feet and extending to the entire torso and face. The internal functions of the body remain intact along with full autonomous control, however the structure and physique of transformed limbs change drastically, such as an SCP-3470-B instance’s arm transforming into a banana after consuming an instance of SCP-3470-A-12 [“Banooper”]. These transformations subside in time [correlating to amount of SCP-3470-A instances consumed], with SCP-3470-B limbs reverting back to their original state, containing faint traces of [REDACTED]. 

Addendum 3470-B: Increased Exposure

Proceeding with experimentation with SCP-3470-A instances under Prof. [REDACTED]. , extended exposure and consumption of SCP-3470-A instances results in increasing addictive tendencies and side effects. File below contains audio files of experiments with Personnel D-125.

<Begin Log 01, skip to 00:02:17>

Dr. [REDACTED].: D-Class 125, approach SCP 3470-A-45.

D-125: What is…? Ok, seriously what the grump is this??? Like, I signed up for this expecting a lot of horrifying stuff, but-did someone slap googly-eyes on a piece of corn?!

Dr. [REDACTED].  : 125, please approach SCP-3470-A-45.

D-125: Yeah, yeah, alright. So… (to A-45 after approach), what are you supposed to be then? Did Dr. [REDACTED].  Have their kid put their arts and crafts project on display or-

A-45: Cobhopper!

D-125: GRUMPIN WHA- IT JUST TALKED?! IT MOVED IT’S LOOKING AT ME!!!

Dr. [REDACTED].: (whispering) so much for being the ‘toughest D-class around… ‘

<Skip to 00:08:24>

D-125: So you’re telling me I just… eat it? The eyes too?

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Correct. Do not worry, upon further testing the eyes seem to be made of a material akin to valentine’s candy hearts (lie).

D-125: Huh… alright then. Down the hatch, I guess?

Sounds of eating, cries of A-45

Dr. [REDACTED].  : D-125, describe the flavor.

D-125: It’s… good actually! I was honestly expecting the insides to be guts or poison or something, but it’s actually pretty good! Nice and buttered to, a bit of salt? Reminds me of my mom’s barbeque. 

Dr. [REDACTED].  : And the sensation of your leg transforming?

D-125: Huh? (125 looks down and notices their leg transformed into a head of corn). Oh… Well this is pretty cool I guess. 

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Any uncomfortable sensations?

D-125: Not really no. It’s weird… I can still feel my toes, but it’s like a peg leg. Actually, I think I can see a few kernels wiggling if I try. Neat!

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Is… that it?

D-125: Yeah I think so, *chuckles,* this is actually pretty cool!

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Hmm… (To recorder) Despite initial panic from witnessing A-45, subject D-125 has adjusted to transformation with record pace. Further research required.

<End Log-01>

<Begin Log-04>

D-125: Heya doc!

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Greetings D-125. Have you adjusted to recent transformations?

D-125: Yeah it’s been going alright. The pineapple hair is a pretty nice dew all things considered, and the bacon tongue makes me look like a snake. I like it!

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Pleased to hear it. Now, approach SCP-3470-A-52.

D-125: Alright, what’s on the menu today then? Who’re you little guy?

A-52: Sodi-D Sodi-D!

D-125: Huh, a drink this time. Change of pace I guess.

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Please consume A-52.

D-125: Right away ma’am. Sir. Whatever.

Sound of soda can opening and drinking, cries of A-52.

Dr. [REDACTED].  : (To recorder) Upon the first drop of A-52’s fluid, transformation has already occurred, transforming the subject's ears into what appear to be soda can tabs. No further transformations appear to occur on consecutive gulps-wha (To D-125) Sir?!

Sounds of crunching, further cries of A-52, then silence.

D-125: Not bad! I don’t usually drink soda, beer’s more my thing personally, but it was pretty sweet! Just the right amount of sugar. And hey, new accessory!

Dr. [REDACTED].  : ...D-125, why did you eat A-52’s shell?

D-125: Huh?

Dr. [REDACTED].  : The… the can. Nobody has attempted to consume the can.

D-125: Oh. Uh… 

Silence for 7 seconds 

D-125: I dunno, I guess since the eyes were edible on the other guys, I thought the can would be here? Wasn’t too hard to eat, kinda like biting into ice. Didn’t hurt.

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Very… interesting. This will be recorded for future experiments, thank you D-125.

D-125: No prob. And hey, call me Chuffee.

<End Log-04>

<Begin Log-09, skip to 00:09:54>

D-125: Hehey, candy corn teeth! Pretty sharp too, should make eating these things even easier!

Dr. [REDACTED].  : D-125, you’re nearing complete bodily transformation. Have you been experiencing any discomfort as of late? Any anomalies?

D-125: Nope, in fact I feel great! I used to have this crink in my back for the longest time, but now it’s gone! I’m more limber than I’ve been in ages!

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Fascinating… very well then, thank you for your time.

D-125: ...wait, what? That’s it?

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Hm?

D-125: There isn’t any more left? I thought there would be a bit more.

Dr. [REDACTED].  : *sigh,* D-125, we’ve went over this last time. We cannot give you more than one instance a day due to 3470-A’s high caloric count. The instance you just ate was over twenty th-

D-125: You know you keep saying that. Didn’t you guys want to really figure out what’s with these things? When I ate that soda can you said yourself that nobody’s tried that before, so let’s go further! I’m still hungry anyways, I’m craving a burger if you got any like that.

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Sir, please exit the room. I cannot give you any more than what I am authorized.

D-125: ……..You know, it’s interesting how your window is so high up there. I can hardly see you.

Dr. [REDACTED].  : ...excuse me?

D-125: You heard me [REDACTED].  , I can barely see you from down here. You can see exactly how I change, the new stuff I get… but I can’t see yours.

Silence for 15 seconds.

<End Log-09>

<Begin Log-10, skip to 00:11:02>

D-125: I know you’re holding out on me up there [REDACTED].  .

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Sir, I’ve told you countless times already. I can’t give you any more than I’m authorized.

D-125: (Sarcasm) Oh yeah, suuure. For all I know you guys are feasting away on these things up there, while leaving me for dust! Like seriously, a single popcorn kernel?! That’s it?!

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Sir, that is all I can give you today. Please exi-

Sound of a door opening

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Wh- Professor [REDACTED].  ?

Professor [REDACTED].  : Hello D-125. 

D-125: Oh great, another snob to tell me what to do. If you aren’t gonna feed me, then just shut up already! My stomach’s growling like crazy, and I’m not leaving until I get my meal!

Professor [REDACTED].  : Not to worry D-125, I’m fully prepared to grant your wish.

D-125: ...wait, really?

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Professor, what are you-

Professor [REDACTED].  : I listened to the log of your previous meal, and you raised a good point. If we at the SCP foundation wish to fully understand what these creatures are capable of, we must push the boundaries of what we believe are possible. So then…

(Sound of metal grinding, several overlapping cries of SCP-3470-A instances)

D-125: Oh, my…

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Professor, what are you doing?

Professor [REDACTED].  : Eat until you can’t eat anymore. Consider it my treat, to you.

D-125: Ooohohohohoooo yes!!! Now we’re talking!!! Come to papa little guys!!!

<Skip to 00:32:59>

Professor [REDACTED].  : Subject so far has consumed 34 instances of 3470-A. Since consuming number 21 he has shown increased signs of vigor, despite eating half of his body mass. 

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Professor, please, stop him. This is-

Professor [REDACTED].  : (continuing) Upon complete transformation of limbs to SCP 3470-B instances, any further consumption appears to override a prior one. His leg, previously resembling a head of corn has transformed now into a roll of sushi. His tongue, once a strip of bacon, now a wad of chips.

D-125: (While eating) Mmmph! Oh my god, what are you a jar of pickles! More the merrier!

Sound of sloppy gulping, glass crunching, cries of SCP-3470-A-35

D-125: Ooogh, some noodles too! Love japanese food!

Sounds of rapid slurping, rapid glass crunching and licking.

Professor [REDACTED].  : Subject appears to have increased vigor in consuming 3470-A instances, not leaving a single crumb or shard left uneaten. A query: what is the chemical makeup of instances contained in glass jars or bowls? The bowls themselves? Further research required.

<Skip to 01:42:47>

Dr. [REDACTED]. : Chuffee please, stop! You’re going to hurt yourself!

Rapid, feral sounds of crunching and slurping.

Professor [REDACTED].  : Subject has now eaten approximately eaten 1.5 times his body mass yet continues to feat, now with no regards for table manners whatsoever. I have already called for a janitor to wait outside.

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Chuffee stop!! You-

Laughter, slowly increasing in volume

D-125: This!! This is the best I’ve eaten in my entire life!!!

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Chuffee please-O-oh… oh my-

Professor [REDACTED].  : Subject’s left ear has disconnected itself from its host. There appear to be no signs of blood or even markings indicating he has had one at all-there goes a tooth!

D-125: Hooooh I knew you all were holding back on me!!! This stuff is delicious, amazing, spectacular!!! I’ll never go hungry again, no more rotting on the streets!!! This is all mine, you hear me?! Mine, MINE, MINE!!! HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAH

Laughter continues for several seconds, sounds of objects falling to floor as volume slowly decreases, ending with a loud clatter.

Dr. [REDACTED].  : Ch-Chuffee, I- urp!

Sound of vomiting

Professor [REDACTED].  : Subject, after eating nearly twice his body mass, has had each limb separate from his core torso one by one, now fully resembling their respective food items, until his eyes transformed into SCP-3470-B instance, resembling the mixed nuts that made up his head. Soon after, his torso and head fell apart, scattering into mixed-nuts. I can not recognize Subject D-125 in the slurry.

More sounds of vomiting

Professor [REDACTED].  : These results are quite fascinating. Further research is required into these various side effects. End tape.

<End Log-10>

THE STAR Magazine April 2021 Issue featuring JAY B

Translated by defdaily.

GOT7’s eternally sincere leader JAY B. A friendly interview where you can feel his warm-heartedness.

*This interview was done in informal language to give off the feeling of two friends chatting*

It has been a while since we last met for GOT7’s feature in 2017.

Right, hi. I’m JAY B. Nice to meet you. Have you eaten?

JAY B has been chosen to be on the cover of THE STAR’s 8th anniversary issue.

Dobby is free now. (Laughs). I’m a freelancer now but I still can’t believe the fact that I was chosen to be on the cover of THE STAR’s anniversary issue. I’m so thankful to THE STAR for choosing me to be on the cover so I worked extra hard during the shoot.

How are you doing these days? We’re curious to know what you have been up to.

A freelancer’s daily life is always similar. I work when there is work and rest when there isn’t. I was busy recently organising this and that to release GOT7’s digital single ENCORE. I took the lead and there were many things I needed to figure out such as paperwork. So I was very proud. The members have all joined agencies but I want to take a little more time and think about it carefully before choosing. I’m still a freelancer.

Does the freelancing life suit you?

I don’t know if it suits me but it’s fun. Now work-related calls come to me directly, so I would be asleep then receive a call. I’d go “Ah I fell asleep for a moment, sorry. What is this about?” (Laughs). Since I do even these kinds of small communications myself, it’s nice and fascinating to realise the value of work and opportunities. If I didn’t have this time and experience, I think I might have not realised the value of work as much. I used to be on edge at times when the managers used to tell me things in the past. But now that I’ve learnt how much processing has been done before the information reached me, I feel sorry. Now I have a heart full of gratitude for opportunities.

I don’t know if it’s because you’re a freelancer now, but you seem much brighter than before.

Dobby is free now. (Laughs) I’m joking. Of course it was very helpful having a company. But now that I do everything myself, I feel more satisfied. I enjoy it.

The GOT7 members have all started solo activities. It must not have been easy for everyone, how did you come to your decision?

Right. It definitely was not easy. The seven of us researched a lot so that we can continue as GOT7 together. But then we thought that we should broaden our view so each of us could end up in a better situation. In the process, what we each wanted changed a little and, there is a future that each person dreams of right? The company said we did everything we could do on our part and that they will cheer us on in the future, that made me feel proud. We are also very thankful to the company. I felt that we received a lot of protection under a large umbrella. After all, the company is like the mother that gave birth to GOT7, so I’m thankful to them and respect them. I also thought a lot and looked into a lot of things about how to continue as GOT7. I also went to the president and asked him for advice, and I greeted and thanked Jinyoungie hyung for everything.

While preparing for new activities, what was the thing most discussed amongst the members?

“So what is it that you want to do?” “So what do you want to do?” We asked that a lot. So everyone said “We have to do it" So I asked again “No, not 'I have to', but do you want to do this? Or do you not want to do this?” If you are going to do something, you should do it properly, right? If you are not going to do something with an active attitude, I think it’s better to not do it. So we all came together and decided to give it a try.

It’s clear that you are GOT7’s leader.

One advice the company president told me was that my talent and effort as a leader starts now. Personally handling matters related to our recent digital single, I felt this “Taking the lead as a leader, I need to really work hard.” There was a lot of pressure, but if I don’t do it, who would. It pushed me to work hard.

You mentioned very clearly in your social media livestream that “GOT7 did not disband.” I felt your affection towards the team, what does GOT7 mean to JAY B?

One extremely important thing in my life. Actually, it’s an indispensable part. I’m thankful for the fact that our team exists. You have to know that because GOT7 existed, we individually exist too. It wouldn't matter if my beginning was as a solo, but my beginning was as GOT7. That's what made me who I am now.

How is Lim Jaebeom different as JAY B within GOT7, JJ Project, Jus2 and ØFFSHORE?

Comprehensively they’re all sides of me but if I have to split them, they would be a novel vibe versus an essay vibe. ØFFSHORE and Def. are all about music I like, regardless of genres, and honest stories I want to tell. As for GOT7, JJ Project and Jus2, we would have a particular concept and make it a bit more fancy.

Most of the songs you have shown on SoundCloud are R&B genres with a groovy feel. Have you ever had a conflict between music you want to do and music you have to do?

I felt that I needed to work harder to prove [myself] to do what I wanted to do. I can’t always be spoon-fed. To prove [myself] I made more GOT7 tracks and sent around 15~20 demos. Later on Jinyoung hyung and the president acknowledged me and said “Jaebeom will take care of the musical aspect. You can trust him with that.” I felt really proud hearing that. I don’t really feel a sense of conflict between the musical differences. From pop and R&B to folk and modern rock, I don't want to draw lines between genres and make music that sounds good.

We are curious about the music JAY B will show alone and what you’ll pursue. What stories do you want to tell?

I want to do a variety of things. Alone, I think I will try mixing genres and do things that are fun and experimental. I can also do R&B pop or Urban genres which I’ve originally liked. But that might change later on.

Is there an artist you’d like to collaborate with in the future?

Someone with a pleasant tone to listen to. Even now, when I listen to music and I like the artist’s tone, I send them a DM asking if they’d like to collaborate. And Korea's top hip hop artist, IU-nim. Do you think it's possible? (Laughs).

Then would you like to send a message to IU?

Suddenly? Um… I will work very hard. If by chance you think my song is alright, I would love for you to add your nice voice to them. (Laughs)

An appearance that may seem cold with a tsundere charm. But what do you think your real personality is like?

I’m the type that is quiet and calm, but people close to me tell me I’m a weird person. When I cry reading a book or watching a movie, or when I get emotional they say “It’s so weird, it doesn’t suit you.”

Are you the tender type?

I think I just often get hit by waves of emotions.

We’re curious about the lifestyle you seek and your values.

To live each day without any regrets.

Is there a place you’d like to visit after COVID-19 ends?

Kyoto, Japan. It’s a place where there is a lot of Japanese heritage and it’s also pretty.

Recently you have combined your two Instagram accounts @jaybnow.hr and @def.cnvs, what was the reason?

I’m the one doing everything after all, it is just the musical name that was different. I can’t split my body into two. I realised I could combine them into one account and just show the difference within it. And as I get older, it’s hard to manage two accounts. (Laughs). Was I too honest? Now I'm confused about what's what.

Was there any other moment that made you feel old?

I don’t do much and my whole body aches. In the past, my body wouldn’t get affected by the weather. Now when the weather is gloomy my back hurts and my knees go numb. (Laughs).

I can see that you’re interested in artistic aspects such as photography, painting and fashion etc. Do these things influence your music?

Of course. They affect the way you live in itself. I’m a person who wants to express and leave behind what I feel. Calling myself an artist feels somehow cocky.

What are you interested in recently?

It’s not art but I’m interested in moving around. Living as a freelancer, I spent more time lying down at home, but now I need a fast-paced daily life. I try to wake up in the morning to eat breakfast and nutritional supplements then go outside to photosynthesize and soak in the world. Everyone has to keep moving. (Laughs).

Are you interested in fashion and lifestyle curation and design etc?

I don’t think I’m a person who dresses up exceptionally well, but if someone asks I’d be willing to help.

What would you introduce as JAY B’s preference?

Freedom. Regarding fashion too, I liked vintage and grunge styles but recently I’m interested in work look and amecage styles. My preference keeps changing. I can't define myself clearly either, but I like the sense of being free.

What inspires you?

Many situations and people, my experiences as well as indirect experiences.

How do you have an indirect experience?

Watching movies and reading books. Nowadays I read song lyrics and unfold the scenes in my head. I try to think of various points of view in these one-act plays.

To JAY B, love is?

Nonexistent. A moment. I don’t know. As you live life, I think falling in love is a momentary emotion. If it lasts long, I think it’s affection not love. I'm a person who has to talk about love, but sometimes I wonder if it’s okay to feel this way. There are also many different forms of love. The love that my parents give me and the love that my fans send me. I’m thankful for everything.

While promoting for 10 years, what was the happiest moment and most lacking point?

I feel like every moment until now has been somehow lacking. Whenever you look back you end up thinking “I should’ve done better back then.” I think everyone feels that way. But I never regret those times I’ve spent. The happiest instance was when I spotted my parents at a fanmeeting and ran to them and held them while singing. It felt like I was boasting to my fans “These people are my father and mother,” and it also felt like I was showing my parents how I was receiving that many fans’ love and support. I'm thankful that the fans looked at my family happily at that moment.

Have you ever had a slump?

I don't think about something if I think I'm going to fall into something serious, but I'm the type who gets stressed out to do something new.

You are loved not only in Korea but also abroad, have you ever thought about why your fans like you so much?

A lot. I just don't understand. I'm not even popular among my friends... Why on earth?

Think of at least one thing.

Maybe it’s because I worked hard steadily? To be honest, during the past 10 years I have never not tried my best on stage. I can say this with confidence. I’m thankful to be able to do what I like as a job. I have told the members about this previously, I’m sorry for not being affectionate to fans onstage. It’s my nature so I can’t help it. But I have never been indifferent as a singer onstage, that is a fact.

Your bucket list that you surely want to achieve this year?

Being healthy mentally and physically. Since the members have started their solo activities this year, I think I should release an album as well.

Any words for the readers?

Everyone, I’m not saying this as a formal greeting but I really want to say thank you. Hmm… How should I put this? Don’t worry since we are not disbanding. That’s why I tried hard to release the digital single. Continuing on I’m going to try my best to do as much as I can. You might feel disappointed at times along the way, and I apologize in advance for that. But what I can promise is that I’m going to do my best. Thank you so much for supporting me for 10 years. You all know this already, but I’m not so good at things like sending hearts and saying thanks affectionately. I just want to speak sincerely. Thank you so much. I hope everyone will be more happy, not just because you like and support us… I could sound arrogant saying it like this but... I hope our fans are sturdy people who will find their own small sources of happiness in their daily lives even if that isn’t us. And I hope everyone is happy. I’m so thankful and I want to ask you to trust me.

Lastly let us know your future plans.

We will try our best to match our times and do GOT7, JJ Project and Jus2 etc. no matter what. Even if our times don’t match somehow, we’ll try our best to gather even 4 or 5 people and return, so don’t worry. And Dobby is free now. (Laughs). I will do my best in everything. I've made a lot of songs and I'm diligently working on songs right now too, so look forward to it. You’ll be able to listen to it soon. Thank you. This has been GOT7 JAY B. Please give lots of love to The Star’s April issue!

Translated by defdaily.

Crafty Batkids

Literally. Just batkids doin' crafts. As someone who does..... way too many crafts to list here (I'll send a list if asked but just trust me) I feel like I've gotten a good feel for this.

Dick

My man grew up in a circus, regularly checking ropes and tensions....

Macrame. He's a pro at macrame. Maybe he doesn't do it often, but like. For his friends, he'll sometimes surprise them with lil gifts.

When any of his Titans buds move he makes them those fancy hanging macrame plant holders. Donna and Kori both love them, and have been known to fight over them during white elephant/dirty Santa type gift games.

Probably doesn't have the ability to sit still for long periods of time, so can't do anything that'll unravel if he puts it down. It takes him a long time to finish a project, so he really only buys materials as he starts a new one, and doesn't have any excess stuff lying around his apartment.

Jason

You cannot tell me he doesn't crochet to unwind. Like. Idk if he's any good at it, but he def angry crochets.

Probably has been working on one scarf for like five years

Never has consistent stitches

Likes touching all the yarns at the store

Probably just enjoys squishing the yarn in general tbh. It's slightly more satisfying than ever actually doing anything with the yarn.

Cass

One time Bruce took her to like. Silver Dollar City or somewhere else that had someone with a loom, and she was fascinated. She made him buy her a shawl and then made Tim put together a power point about why she should have a loom.

Bruce ended up caving and buying her one that's skinnier, for like table runners. It's great, because she's mostly fascinated with making gradients in her weaves.

She learned Swedish Weaving (it's a like an embroidery/weaving hybrid) so she could embellish her works.

Mostly gives them out as gifts. She gave one to Selina, who guards it possessively. Harley tried to borrow it once and about lost her fingers.

Probably also learned to make little tassles for the ends

Tim

Attention to detail? Obsession over the minutia? Oh. You know my boy is an epoxy resin artist.

Has a crafting station in his room that's meticulously organized. There's cubbies for pigments, flowers, glitters, bits of ribbons and strings, etc etc

Probably makes all kinds of thing tbh. Phone cases, trinkets, you name it. But pens are his favorites, because they're both simple and practical. There's like a whole army of pens that just... keeps growing in Titans Tower because he always forgets where he's put his.

None of his teammates realize he is the source of the pens. They (Kon, Cassie, Bart) just think the pens are an infestations and/or are pairing up and making baby pens. But Cassie and Bart love them bc ✨aesthetics✨

Probably has a tik tok or an insta where he posts videos of himself de-molding things to soothing lofi tracks. Literally just. All the vibes. It's gorgeous.

Steph

Also all the vibes. She is a bujo/stationary queen.

Her collection is much messier than Tim's, but has a surprising amount of overlap. Sometimes they borrow things from each other, and have collabed on their social accounts (he makes journal covers, she makes them into notebooks, he supplies her with pens, she uses them when making a weekly/monthly set up, etc)

Stickers and glitter everywhere

Probably sponsored.

Canonically draws cute little cartoons in the comics, they absolutely are a regular on her socials and in her bujos.

Duke

For some reason I don't peg him as being as craft-oriented as his closest-in-age sibs? He probably has less expensive coping mechanisms tbh

That being said I can see he would enjoy those stores where you go in and paint pottery and they kiln/glaze it for you? Like he isn't into sculpting it himself, but painting the little kitchenware pieces or statuettes is relaxing.

He paints mugs for all his sibs on their birthdays, and for Alfred.

Alfred probably has a whole army of custom mugs made for him by the kids, now that I'm thinking about it. Like half of them are from Duke, because he doesn't know what else to do with them. There are just so many because it's so simple.....

Kate Kane, Tatsu Yamashiro, and Jeff Pierce also all have mugs. Actually... Lowkey highkey I can see that Tatsu might have introduced Duke to this kind of stuff in the first place? I can see that she would enjoy something simple that you can do while trying to clear out your mind.

Damian

Well. Damian is a gifted artist, but this translates differently into actual crafts. It just does.

He's probably a good printmaker. Not only does this take advantage of his art skills and keen attention to details, but it's one of the oldest artforms still in practice today. Most printmakers develop their techniques by perfecting one of several forms of the art, which have been passed through generations, and have a really firm grip on art history. Those stories would appeal to Damian, in addition to the craft itself.

Damian is the most likely of his siblings to be able to sit still for prolonged periods of time and do a repetitive motion. In fact, it may actually be something he can enjoy if it means he can just zone out for a bit. So, he's probably actually decent at spinning yarn. If the sky is grey and rainy, he drags out a wheel and some pre-sorted rolags and spins yarn, exclusively for Cass, who then weaves it. He enjoys the progression of colors in the fibers as much as she does, and they bond over it.

The feeling of different fibers slipping through his fingers is also really soothing. Bad day? Time to spin some merino, because it slips like water through his touch. Need to feel grounded? Time to spin a cotton blend, because you have to be present enough not to chafe your hands on the rough fibers...

Probably also really good at embroidery, for the same reasons. Plus, it's really satisfying to feel and hear the pbt-psht, pbt-psht of the needle and thread pulling through the taut fabric.

Bruce

Obviously knows how to forge/metalwork. I like to imagine he's also dabbled in lost wax casting.

Probably has little trinkets he made when he was younger scattered around the house. Maybe he donated a few to charity auctions.

Has made rings/jewelry pieces. But doesn't talk about them. (One ring went to Selina, and a pair of earrings went to Talia)

Alfred

The all-talented, all-knowing. There's probably nothing he can't do. He already sews all their outfits. So I mean.

Sometimes it feels really good to have something to stab. I'm not saying he does needle felting, but I'm not saying he wouldn't.

Probably was the one who taught Bruce about lost wax, and the one who helps Damian research about printmakers.

Silently supplies all the kids with all the art things.

Has a chest in his room filled with all the things that he's been gifted with over the years. There's little uneven macrame hanging from when Dick was just getting the hang of it, lumpy scarves that are too short for anyone to realistically wear from Jason, linen sets made by Cass, various trinkets from Tim, handmade cards and notebooks from Steph, mugs from Duke, and old embroidery pieces from Damian in unevenly stained hoops.

Old School X is a project interviewing X-Files fanfic authors who were posting fic during the original run of the show. New interviews are posted every Tuesday.

Interview with Audrey Roget

Audrey Roget has 10 fics at Gossamer, with some different ones at AO3, fanfiction.net, and her website. You might know her from her very good fics or as part of Musea, a collective that all wrote fic and posted X-Files fic recs. I’ve recced some of my favorites of her stories here before, including Three Times Dana Scully Didn’t Go to San Diego for Christmas and The Shirt. Big thanks to Audrey for doing this interview.

Does it surprise you that people are still interested in reading your X-Files fanfics and others that were posted during the original run of the show (1993-2002)? A little, yes. Not so much by folks who were around in those days. I sometimes go hunting for beloved stories from the early years, both those I read and loved, and those I never got around to. I am always delighted to hear that later generations of fans have stumbled across my stuff, especially since I haven’t posted anything new in a number of years. It’s fantastic that both years-long fans and new ones are out there continuing to rec fic from all eras, and to maintain archives for fans yet-to-be born. What do you think of when you think about your X-Files fandom experience? What did you take away from it? What did you take away from your experience with X-Files fic or with the fandom in general? It may sound corny, but the main thing I think of, and the thing that has ultimately been most valuable and lasting, has been the friendships. The feeling of having found a tribe – not just of TXF fans, but of other people who could be as enthusiastically engaged as I was (if not more so) with fictional stories and characters – was mind-blowing. Since I was a kid, I had often mulled over the books/movies/TV I loved and speculated internally about what happened off the page or off-screen, or created new stories for characters in my head. But, except for an elementary school phase where I and my two BFFs regularly played Charlie’s Angels, I hadn’t engaged in that kind of gleeful immersion in a fictional world with others until TXF fandom. My involvement in fandom followed pretty quickly from getting hooked on the show, so for me, it’s all one big ball of experiences. Even as my interest in/involvement in fandom has waxed and waned over the years, I’ve been lucky to remain friends with wonderful people who I originally connected with as fellow fans.

Social media didn't really exist during the show's original run. How were you most involved with the X-Files online (atxc, message board, email mailing list, etc.)? What got you involved with X-Files fanfic?

My initial entrée to the fandom was through fanfiction. I didn’t get interested in the show until mid-season 5. Around the same time, I read an article in a zine called Might (co-founded by Dave Eggers) about this thing called fanfiction that people would write and publish online. At first I thought it was satire or a joke – the fic cited involved Wilma Flintstone and a polished sabre tooth, as I recall – but then realized this was an actual thing. So I figured that a show then at the peak of pop culture must have fanfiction, and I went looking. Early on, I scrolled atxc on a daily basis and downloaded stories. But I didn’t engage in discussions about the show on Usenet, since I only knew how to access it with my Earthlink email client, and I didn’t want to post using my real name.

Later, I set up a pseud address with Yahoo and subscribed to a couple of email fanfic/discussion lists, and stayed subscribed to those for years. There was also a period in there somewhere – of maybe only a year or so, when I think about it – when I’d often nerd out into the wee hours with other fans via IM chat groups. That was around the time the small writers’ collective Musea was founded, and we were active for several years after the show’s initial run. In the early aughts, I followed many authors to LiveJournal and eventually set up my own account and stayed involved in fandom that way, until it mostly dispersed as well. What was it that got you hooked on the X-Files as a show? In a word: Chemistry. I had casually watched a couple of episodes during the first four seasons, but I’m not a huge sci-fi/horror fan at heart, and the story lines didn’t immediately grab me. But I happened to tune into The Red and the Black in 1998, and BOOM. For the first time, the intense layers of emotion and attraction between Mulder and Scully really struck me – and then of course, upon further viewing, I realized it was unmissable, an essential element in the fabric of the show. As a wise woman once said, a switch had been flicked. Mulder and Scully’s magnetism was like nothing I’d ever seen, and though I eventually came to appreciate the storytelling, humor, production values, and other components that made the series so successful, watching those characters interact has always been what kept me coming back. Were you involved with any fandoms after the X-Files? If so, what was it like compared to X-Files? I was part of a list-serv discussion group for The West Wing for a while, which was a fun melding of character and plot analysis with political discussion. Later, I got into the House, MD fandom, again mostly as a fanfic reader/writer. I was finding that other fandoms, unlike TXF, were more dispersed, the networks of people structured more loosely, if at all. There were fanfic and discussion communities on LiveJournal, and fanfiction.net was the other main hub for posting and reading, but if there was anything centralized like Gossamer, Ephemeral, or the Haven, I never found it. Within all those fan communities, as in TXF, there were partisans for various characters and pairings, and flame wars erupted over plot developments that outraged this faction or that. One main difference was that those other shows had larger, ensemble casts and more varied subplots. So on one hand, there was more opportunity to explore back stories and multiple perspectives. In House MD in particular, there were several entrenched rival shipper camps, which were about equally grounded in canon, rather than TXF’s central ship. I was less into TWW fic, but my impression was that readers were less militant about their pairing preferences than TXF or House fans. Who are some of your favorite fictional characters? Why?

I was deeply fascinated by Greg House for several years. (And the love-hate chemistry between him and Lisa Cuddy was a strong draw for me.) House MD came early in a wave of TV shows centered on anti-heroes, and Hugh Laurie brought amazing complexity and thoughtfulness to the character.

Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (The Americans) are a lethal pair of antiheroes. The inherent moral conflict of a sympathetic narrative from their POVs, and the global political conflict they embody was TV catnip for me. The internal struggles at the hearts of those characters were so exquisitely written and performed, they completely fascinate me.

The West Wing felt so much like a show created specifically for me. I’m especially fond of story arcs and scenes that centered on CJ Cregg, Charlie Young, and Josh Lyman. Though I loved Martin Sheen’s human portrayal of Jed Bartlet, the fact that he was the President always made him a little untouchable in my mind. But CJ, Charlie, and Josh were basically hard-working functionaries who were ambitious and idealistic and funny and flawed, and they spoke to me. What is your relationship like now to X-Files fandom? Do you ever still watch The X-Files or think about Mulder and Scully? Do you ever still read X-Files fic? Fic in another fandom?

I do continue to think about Mulder and Scully and watch episodes somewhat often. I’ll sometimes run a favorite episode as background when I want something comforting on. I read TXF fic pretty regularly, which can inspire me to go back and watch a particular episode or story arc I haven’t thought about in years. Just recently, I started listening to The X-Files Diaries podcast (@XFDPodcast, @admiralty-xfd), and that’s a fun dive into the characters, and how other fans react to and interpret episodes.

Every once in a while, a TV show or movie – and more particularly, the characters – will grab my attention and make me curious about how fanfic writers have interpreted the original material. Random example, I saw Singin’ in the Rain for the first time in a theatre a couple of years ago, and the chemistry of the three leads sent me to AO3 as soon as I got home. I also loved the first season of Mercy Street and found some well-done stories in that fandom. I usually peruse the Yuletide gifts every year and have been amazed by the sheer variety, creativity and cheekiness of the output. There are a bunch of other shows I’ve followed faithfully, and sought out fanfic – Broadchurch, The Killing, Agents of SHIELD, Elementary, The Good Wife. Although I’ve found some well-written stuff in those fandoms, I’ve rarely gotten the same charge from them as reading TXF fic. Do you have any favorite X-Files fanfic stories or authors?

syntax6 (@syntax6) – Universal Invariants/Laws of Motion. I’d also shout out to syn’s Hunter fics, too – well worth reading even for those who have never seen or particularly loved the show itself.

JET – I re-read Small Lives Awake every year around Thanksgiving time. Other annual holiday re-reads: Revely’s The Dreaming Sea and Jordan’s Through the Fire (both set at Halloween).

Amal Nahurriyeh’s Casey universe – the rare post-col fic that felt hopeful, made extra intriguing by a kick-ass original character. [Lilydale note: the series starts with Machines of Freedom and has lots of additional fics and snippets.]

Prufrock’s Love – Finding Rokovoko was genuinely terrifying and tender.

melforbes (@melforbes) – Seaglass Blue is a recent favorite, lyrical and bittersweet.

These are just a few (apologies to those that didn’t come to mind immediately). Fortunately for readers, there’s an astonishing number of authors who have written in TXF fandom whom you can depend on for a good yarn, insightful character study, and/or ingenious “fixes” where 1013 went awry.

What is your favorite of your own fics, X-Files and/or otherwise?

Probably the two set in my own (former) backyard of Southern California: Enivrez-vous and Ravenous. I’d first read the Baudelaire poem that was the source of the former’s title back in university days, so I was tickled to be able to use a few lines as an epigraph. Do you think you'll ever write another X-Files story? Or dust off and post an oldie that for whatever reason never made it online? It’s not out of the realm possibility. I’d meant for “Three Times Dana Scully Didn’t Go to San Diego for Christmas” to be followed up with “And One Time She Did.” In fact, the idea for that never-finished story was what inspired “Three Times” in the first place. I have a couple of scenes sketched out and – unusually for me – even know exactly how to end it. Every year, November rolls around, and I think I should finish and post it…maybe in 2021?

Where do you get ideas for stories? Sometimes it’s from my environment. “Enivrez-vous” and “Ravenous” describe places that I’m fond of, that made me want to place Mulder and Scully there. “What Not to Wear” has that element too – I set it in Memphis as a tribute to a great trip there with a sister Musean. But WNTW was also inspired by a kink challenge in a years-ago LiveJournal thread, so sometimes ideas come from fandom discussions or even other fanfics. In the House MD fandom, a fic by another writer made me want to continue the story, and the author kindly allowed an authorized sequel. What's the story behind your pen name? I wanted my pseudonym to sound like it could be a real person’s name – or at least, maybe like a romance writer’s pen name – rather than an online handle. I also wanted to use a slightly obscure fictional character, to amuse anyone in the know. I had long had a bit of an obsession with Whit Stillman’s 1990s film trilogy, which started with Metropolitan; the 3rd installment, Last Days of Disco, came out the same year I started down the TXF rabbit hole: 1998. The central heroine of Metropolitan – who is mentioned in or makes a cameo in the other two – is Audrey Rouget, a lover of Austen and, eventually, a book editor. I altered the spelling of the last name as a nod to every writer’s companion, Roget’s Thesaurus. Do your friends and family know about your fic and, if so, what have been their reactions? I have a few close friends – from outside TXF fandom – who know that I’ve written fanfic. I don’t know if they know my pseud; if they do, or if they’ve ready any of the fic, they haven’t said so to me. They are fannish sorts themselves, but not really TXF fans. A smattering of other friends and family members know or could intuit that I’ve been a fangrl on some level for years. My boss, whom I’ve known for about 3 years, recently mentioned off-handedly that she was really obsessed with TXF “back in the day,” and I am DYING to know if she got involved in fandom, but don’t think I’ll ever work up the courage to ask.

Is there a place online (tumblr, twitter, AO3, etc.) where people can find you and/or your stories now? Most of the X-Files stuff continues to be generously and steadfastly archived by Forte at The Basement Office. The House MD stories and some TXF things are at fanfiction.net; same for AO3. If ever post anything new, it will probably go to TBO and AO3. I really ought to get it all together in one place, one of these days…

(Posted by Lilydale on April 6, 2021)