#I was inspired by the moomins one forgive me

[mwebber]

6, 16, 20, 48, 58

>:3 nayq for all because i mean we know who is the better driver it's obviously [i am removed from your ask box]

nayq for all! okay!! let's go!!

6. Who would beg the other not to leave? Who has to leave to protect the other?

canonically they both fuck up bad enough to inspire the other person to leave, but i think mark's the only one who begs seb to stay during the Great Almost-Break-Up of 2013, so i'll go with that! as for who has to leave to protect the other--it's gotta be seb, who's an Actual Double Agent. but seb would (and does) put up a fight to stay with mark, because that's imperfect love babeyy

16. Can they stay up all night just talking?

when their relationship is good, yes!! mark loves the sound of seb's voice, especially when they're cuddling and they don't have to raise their voices over a murmur. they'll pick up any thread of convo. usually it starts with mark asking seb something, and seb going on a spiel he has locked and loaded, and mark prompting him onwards. more often than not, it turns into a lighthearted debate about trivial things. but sometimes, when mark is feeling up to it (esp after they fix their marriage), they'll talk about life philosophies and deeper things and even the future. but ever since [REDACTED BECAUSE PREQUEL SPOILERS BUT YOU KNOW] they've been super careful about jinxing their chances for things.

20. Choose one song that perfectly describes their relationship.

... ONE? oughh i wanna say accidentally in love by counting crows SO bad. but like canonically i think it's more like. easy love by lauv. but their first dance is a thousand years by christina perri for a reason. BUT one of the main inspirations for this entire fucking thing is barry manilow's cover of can't take my eyes off you. anyway. where was i. oh yes. one song? i can't help falling in love with you, elvis presley. cas voice i just. i like songs about love. is that a good enough answer, dean?

48. Who's the better driver?

yeah yeah the better driver. we all know the one. yeah uh. uhm. no i'm kidding it's seb. 4x nascar champion :)

58. Who’s more likely to hold a grudge after an argument?

oh, seb for sure. but when it comes to mark, he also forgives the grudges easily--literally lost count of the number of times mark fucks up and seb is like that moomin knife meme, taking it out and then putting it away. in all seriousness, though: in french, you have the verbs connaître and savoir, right. they both mean "to know"--but they're different kinds of knowing. savoir is easy; it's the kind of absolute knowing that comes with facts. connaître, meanwhile, is more associated with familiarity, as in familiarity with people and places. in english, when you say you know someone, you mean it in this familiar way, but there's no distinguishing between the kinds of knowing. seb knows mark, and he knows mark loves him. the extent of this knowledge changes over the course of the series! but he almost knows it all in more of the savoir sense; as an absolute, as an inherent part of the world, because in their world, it literally is. so it's easy to hold and drop grudges like stones. at the end of the day, they want to be together, even with all their issues!! in mark's words: everything else is white noise.

ask me about martian / nobody asks you questions!

#nobody asks you questions #inbox #thank you caro!! #martian #martian monday #my writing #endured psychic damage reading twist and shout just now #' different huh?' 'different.' #long post

[goat-slice-art]

I know my occasional ds sketchy comics were missed, and I had a free hour or two... I had to deliver

#don't starve #dont starve #don't starve together #ds wickerbottom #ds warly #ds walani #ds winona #ds wendy #ds willow #ds wormwood #ds walter #meme #sketchy comics #I was inspired by the moomins one forgive me

[i-am-just-a-kiddo]

favourite male fictional characters

Thank you @vishcount​ for tagging me, this was a lot of fun! 💞 I originally planned to follow your example and put ten characters here but suddenly it became a lot more oops. also i hope you forgive me for following your format, it’s neat 

I am tagging @isabellaofparma​ , @the-cloud-whisperer​ and @sassyassassy​!

I chose the characters that impacted me deeply on a personal level throughout my life (often shown by how long my love lasts over the years and if i was inspired to write for them). 

In no specific order under the cut: 

Legolas

The Lord of The Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien. 

I think it’s only fitting I start off with this magnificent guy. Maybe I gotta admit, i’ve just had a crush on him ever since I was like, nine years old? He’s the character I will fight tooth and claw for (though I guess he doesn’t need me to do that). I love Orlando Bloom’s portrayal of him, eventhough he is vastly different from the books. Book Legolas is such a delight as well, he feels so whimsical and playful and his banter with Gimli is just gold. I was sad when The Hobbit trilogy came out and I was so disappointed by how they butchered his character, it just did not feel authentic anymore (maybe I am also just bitter about the forced hetero storyline for him. makes no cents, this elf is GayTM your honour. and he will meet his soulmate Gimli in a few decades).  Either way, Legolas is the love of my life, thanks for coming to my tedtalk,

Peter Pan 

Peter Pan, J. M. Barrie

Another childhood crush of mine. The gif I chose if from the 2005 movie because we always used to watch it and it is to this day one of my favourite movies. It’s so dreamy, so magical, yet also incredibly sad and sweet.  I have this very strange fascination with Peter Pan. There is something incredibly unsettling about him, especially in the book. He represents something every child wants - who doesn’t want to escape their bedroom and fly away to experience magical adventured far from the adult world? And yet he also represents the impossibility of it, the curse he carries around with himself because he will forever stay alone, no matter how many lost boys he gathers around himself. And Wendy - it’s a love that was never meant to grow and mature, it’s a fleeting dream for the both of them.  I have seen many different adaptations of Peter Pan and I have my favourites, though I want to give a special mention to the book Peter Darling by Austin Chant. It’s a retelling of the story how we know it, in which Peter returns to Neverland after having finally grown up BUT the main points I want to highlight is trans Peter? Heck yes. Gripping and compelling gay love story with our favourite original lost boy Captain Hook? YES. 

Snufkin

Moomins, Tove Jansson.

I have discovered Snufkin for myself only last year, and yet I know he will stay with me forever. In short - I vibe with him, he vibes with me. His anxieties about being with people and longing for solitude? His fear of being loved and being important to someone to a point he doesn’t know what to do with himself? This man just wants to roam freely with his own mind and yet he always returns for something that captures him. Mum, I love him because I have rarely felt this seen before. Also, Snufkin said ACAB. 

Prince Jing - Xiao Jingyan

Nirvana in Fire (2015)

This too is a darling I have only discovered recently. I watched Nirvana in Fire this year and let me tell you, it’s the best show I have seen in a long while. It’s absolutely amazing and it also ripped my heart out. All the characters are absolutely amazing and I am still not over it.

To be honest, I contemplated between Xiao JIngyan and Mei Changsu, because character-wise I think the latter is a lot more interesting and compelling. He makes for a fantastic heartbreaking and flawed protagonist.

However I have to admit - it was love at first sight with Prince Jing for me and I’m still lowkey mad abt it rip. Seems like I am not immune to Pretty Prince Propaganda. But apart from that, I adore him for his genuine

goodness,

his almost naive drive to be better and seek justice. He lost everything, and for the longest time did not have anything to fight for. So alone and lost and bitter, it makes me sad how much it hardened him. He is heartbreak and clumsy kindness hidden under a skin of scars that was inflicted by his father and many others. I see his sad cat-eyes and I cry, that’s just how it is.

Edmund Pevensie

The Chronicles of Narnia, C. S. Lewis

I grew up with these books and movies - they have always been part of my life and it will probably always stay that way (only last night I rewatched the first movie and sobbed).  Imagine my surprised when I finally watched the last movie about five years ago and was incredibly impressed by how they adapted the book; also imagine my brain suddenly going CASMUND in bold letters at Skandar Keynes’ and Ben Barnes’  performance in that movie.  From there, I rediscovered this story completely anew for myself. My favourite Pevensie sibling has always been Lucy (and still is, because I identify with her so much and she feels like home to me); however this new discovery of Edmund’s character was overwhelming. It’s interesting to see characters you’ve grown up with from a more grown up point of view. I don’t want to lay out all my thoughts here, just know I am so heartbroken for him, and so so proud as well. His character arc is amazing and maybe that’s how the last movie makes me even more emotional. Seeing Edmund and Lucy still holding on to Narnia but knowing that that door was closing for them? Not to mention what happens in the later books (we don’t talk about that).  Also did I mention Casmund. Here, have my incredibly emo and depressing take on Edmund’s character that I started writing four years ago and which will forever stay a WIP. 

Nie Huaisang

The Untamed (2019)

My son. My soul. My bane of existence. The tragic thing about him is, that he does not really exist in canon as I have created him for myself. He’s a secondary character in the show, always so relatable yet still brings the ultimate twist of the story, yet he still remains this incomplete shadow. The movie

Fatal Journey

gave him a lot more and I cried tears of joy and devastation. I don’t know why I latched on to him so much, but apparently he is the one that I project on, the one that feels like he sits somewhere inside my chest. I don’t know what else to say - this year he has been everything to me. I spend a lot of time in his head while writing, and maybe that’s how he’s there forever now. Nie Huaisang saw my brain and went it’s free real estate. All my love for you, you dramatic art hoe.

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Ah, another lifelong companion. There are many adapations that I adore - starting from the origin of it all, the books and stories which I have all devoured; the 80s adaptation with Jeremy Brett which was incredibly wonderful; to BBC Sherlock which shaped and traumatised me (I still like the first three seaons but I am too hurt to think about it); to the numerous movies -  but by far my most favourite performance is Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes. Somehow he manages to capture the Holmes I see in my head when I read the books, the sharp yet polite eccentric detective, who loves his companion so much and who has desire to help others.  Sherlock Holmes will always stay special to me, in so many different ways. He shaped my youth and I know he will stay with me. (also what would you say when I told you he helped me discover that I can, in fact, be queer AND ace at the same time? thanks pal).  What else is there to say? Sherlock Holmes is a universe that you can dive into and find many amazing treasures. 

Isak Valtersen 

SKAM (2015)

There he is, the boy that changed my life. SKAM changed my life. All of the characters did. However, Isak is special for many, as I imagine. I remember winter 2016, when tumblr was flooded by these norwegian white boys kissing in a pool and cuddling and I was like ‘nah’, this doesn’t look convincing.  I don’t know what changed my mind but I remember sitting down at last and watching all that was released of season three and it was only downhill from there. I remember starting to follow the real life updates religiously while watching the other previous seasons in between. The one clip that completely wrecked me was when Isak went to the school nurse about his struggles with sleep - it felt like for the first time I saw someone on screen that could understand me on so many different levels. The entierty of seaons three is so personal, I would tell you to go watch it if you don’t know what I mean. The entire show in fact. It’s a masterpiece and it feels so real. This show impacted my life in a way that no show has managed to do before. I miss it so much. I miss Isak too sigh. 

Shang Xirui

Winter Begonia (2020)

Technically, for me personally, Shang Xirui is the nonbinary, gay and ace representation I need in my life (or at least that’s my own personal take on him), but since that is not official, he’s still here on this list. Of course he is because wow, it’s been a long while since I’ve seen such a compelling character on screen. I went from disliking him to being absolutely heartbroken over him. I don’t think any other character in this show captured me as much as he did. There are so many layers to him and discovering all of his sides is a wonderful, heartbreaking, painful and also beautiful journey. I’m not sure I understand all of him yet, but I am willing to try and dig and just ponder his existence. This too, is a perfect example for a flawed yet authentic protagonist. Also he is the most beautiful thing on this planet, or at least that’s how I have been feeling ever since I watched this. I wish to write more of him in the future. 

Aang

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005)

I grew up watching ATLA and my favourite characters have always been Toph, Zuko and Uncle Iroh. In recent years however, I completely fell in love with Aang all anew. 

I think especially in the past, I had these prejudices against main characters and found them all the most boring personalities ever. In recent years this changed a lot and especially Aang is a prime example for that. Watching him from the perspective of older me, I find so much wisdom in this young boy. Somehow he represents all I wish to be in my life but at the same time he shows his flaws, he carries this sadness with him that will accompany him all his life. This inner battle and chaos that he has to face day to day and in the end - he is just a young boy. So much has been taken from him and yet he learns how to not let it overtake him, that anger and hurt. He tries his hardest to be better than the day before, even if sometimes the world crashes down on him and he gets overwhelmed. He is a child recruited by adults to manage their mistakes and play into the hands of predestined fate and in this essay I will -

Harry Potter 

Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling

I am surprised myself. I thought I would put Fred and George here, or Remus and Sirius, however I realised that none of them quite capture this feeling of lifelong change, of personal, deep impact that Harry had on me. 

As with Aang above, I used to think Harry was the most boring protagonist, yet my opinion took a 180° turn in the past years. Many of the things I wrote for Aang apply to him too - the fact that he was a child, that lost so much, and was always faced with challenges that a child should never have needed to face. Something I want to address is how my favourite book, The Order of the Phoenix, lays all of this out. Harry is just as flawed, just as vulnerable and angry as anyone else. I know some people did not like his ‘emo behaviour’ in the fifth book but for me it just showed how human he is, how he was just a teen like myself at that time. As for many, this boy shaped my entire life, shaped a generation, and I will forever be grateful. I’m sad and angry at how J*R behaves, and how she puts us in the position of doubting our love for these stories. I know I will always love them, but I will not turn a blind eye on all the problematic shit is carries with itself and what the author piles upon us. 

Lan Wangji & Wei Wuxian 

The Untamed (2019)

I will try and keep this short, because if you want to read my thoughts about Wangxian just go to my ao3 and find the  over 70k i wrote for them.  I decided to put them here together because I can’t seperate them and I can’t choose between them. Each of them carries something I recognise in myself, and each of them is the opposite of me. They each own my heart and soul and I know there will never be a fictional couple like this for me ever again. They’ve snuck their way into my heart and have never left. They deserve to be here, together, because my love for them is indescribable. Bless them.  + Bonus:

The Doctor

Doctor Who (1963/2005)

Technically, the Doctor doesn’t count as a “male” character, but since he has been presenting as male up until recently, I needed to include him. I chose the Tenth Doctor because he is the one that broke my heart the most. I adored Nine but he was there too short, and I do love Eleven and Twelve a lot, and Thirteen absolutely owns my heart, Ten has just always been the one that made me cry the most. I loved this era of Doctor Who, I loved how sad and hopeful he was, how heartbroken and yet determined to help wherever it was needed. Doctor Who is always that show, when I return to it, I am reminded that maybe, humanity and the universe isn’t all that bad. 

phew, this took ages damn. but i had so much fun! i decided to leave out honorable mentiones because we would be sitting here until tomorrow lol. 

#gosh this was nice #a lot of incoherent rambling here #thanks dear #tag game #personal

[jancmalandra]

Moominpapa Steps Up

On the benefits of being in a family of storytellers

As Moominpapa had predicted Saturday was a bright, clear, sunny day. It was a perfect day to do the laundry in the morning and spend the afternoon tending the garden. Moominpapa brought the washtub out into the yard and Moomintroll set up the clothesline. Tayberry took care of supplying the hot water with supervision from her grandfather. Moomin was really looking forward to their turn at storytelling. They wore a light yellow Spring dress that contrasted nicely with their light blue fur and a straw sun hat with a rose from Moominmama's rosebush stuck in it. It was their favorite regular outfit for when they spent their days with Moominmama, helping her and their mother around the house. Snufkin lounged nearby in the hammock playing a slow, sweet, soft tune on his harmonica to accompany Moomin's story.

Moomintroll brought out the sheets from all the beds in Moominhouse in a laundry basket and as he and Moomin began scrubbing them on the washboard, Moomin began their story.

"Grandma, Mom, and Little My reached the Hobgoblin's Hotel with ease. After they checked in, Little My made straight for the dining hall.

" 'The first thing I'm going to do,' she said, 'Is stuff myself with food until I can't move!' "

"The Hobgoblin found this very amusing, and turned to grandma and Mom, asking, 'Will you be joining her?' "

" 'Perhaps you can point us to somewhere where we can eat a lighter meal?', asked grandma delicately."

" 'We have just the thing!', said The Hobgoblin enthusiastically, and he lead them up the stairs just past the reception desk to a luxurious tea room on the second floor. It had several small tables with comfortable easy chairs around them. There was a long table along the back of the room with a solid brass cappuccino machine, several teapots filled with aromatic teas, and tall cake displays with slices of cake, brownies, and biscotti on pretty desert plates. There was also a platter of cookies and a platter with a variety of sandwiches cut into triangles. Along the other walls there were cabinets with a selection of beautiful teacups and saucers from all over the world, each with a special teaspoon that belonged to the set. Every table had a sugar bowl filled with sugar cubes and a small pair of tongs to go with it and a small pitcher of fresh cream."

"Grandma and Mom made themselves a wonderful lunch, and were just sitting down to enjoy it when they noticed another guest having tea at a table in the far corner of the room and observing them with curiosity. She was a tall older woman with long brown hair and pale skin. She wore a flowing gown that was covered with an abstract multicolored design that seemed to move constantly like a kaleidoscope."

" 'Oh! Forgive me for not having seen you earlier. Won't you join us for lunch? My name is Moominmama and this is Snork Maiden.', said Moominmama.

" 'Thank you very much. I think I shall.', said the woman as she brought her tea and cake over to their table and got comfortable in one of the other two armchairs around it, 'My name is Gwendolyn. Did you say your names were Moominmama and Snork Maiden? You wouldn't happen to come from Moominvalley, would you?' "

" 'Why yes, we do!', said grandma, who was a little surprised at the question."

" 'Why, then you must be the mother of the family of Moomins my daughter Alicia has been writing about to me for years!', said Gwendolyn delightedly, " 'I can't thank you all enough for befriending her the way you have!' "

" 'It was our pleasure!', said grandma, 'Alicia is a delightful young woman and we're all very glad that she's the Witch of Moominvalley! She's been doing a marvelous job of it!' "

" 'That's very kind of you to say!', said Gwendolyn, 'I have been hoping to meet you for a very long time so that we could get to know each other properly and become good friends! It may sound strange for me to say this, but I was hoping you could help me get reacquainted with Alicia. She may be a fully mature Witch, but she will still find me quite a bit intimidating.' "

" 'But, why would that be?', asked grandma, " 'You're her mother, after all. She certainly proved herself a match for your mother from the start. I think Alicia wound up changing her for the better more than she had ever intended.' "

"At this Gwendolyn laughed heartily. 'Yes that turned out exactly as I had hoped! I am very proud of Alicia for the change she brought about in my mother. I could have forced her to change against her will, but Alicia's kind ways turned out to work much better.', she said, 'You see, Moominmama, I am the Supreme Witch. I always did my best to let Alicia grow up to be her own person, but it was inevitable that she would find out about my position in the worldwide Witching community sooner rather than later. I'm afraid she's lived in awe of me for a very long time, and we haven't been as close as I would have liked. Perhaps I could come back with you to Moominvalley when you return. I feel sure that you could help me get closer to her.' "

" 'But of course you can come back with us! We can put you up in Moominhouse for as long you would like! But, we were planning on staying at the Hotel for the whole week. I really DO need a proper vacation right now.', said grandma."

" 'But, that's perfect!', said Gwendolyn, 'You can stay with me in my penthouse suite, and we can really get to know each other! I'm sure that your companions won't mind. They can explore the Hotel on their own and enjoy themselves without being worried about you!' "

"Mom nodded 'yes' eagerly and left the tearoom quickly before grandma could raise any objections. She went towards the dining hall. She was trying to quickly formulate a plan to keep Little My distracted to allow grandma and Gwendolyn comeplete freedom."

"Mom found Little My fast asleep in a chair in the hotel's dining room. She was groaning softly with satisfaction. Mom picked her up and stood in the middle of the dining room wondering what to do next for a minute or two. Suddenly, she was struck with inspiration. The Hobgoblin's Hotel was practically a living thing, dedicated to serving The Hobgoblin's friends. Perhaps addressing it directly would help her find the best place to take Little My."

" 'Uhmm, what's the most relaxing place in the hotel?', asked Mom aloud to the room. A door suddenly opened up in the right hand back side of the dining room. Mom went out into the hallway, where only one of the hovering overhead lights was lit. As she walked down the hallway, this light led her way just ahead of her. It stopped in front of a set of double doors which opened for them. Over the doors there was a sign that read, "Hot Spring". There were two small doors in the room that they led to, one with a sign over it saying 'Men', the other with a sign saying 'Women'. Mom entered the Women's room and found a dressing room with two rows of lockers. She thought it would be better not to undress Little My without her permission and walked into the next room, which was a luxuriously outfitted hot spring, just as the sign had promised. She slowly lowered herself and Little My into the shallow end of the hot spring and Little My began to wake up."

At this point in Moomin's story, the laundry had been entirely finished and hung out to dry and the entire family decided to move straight to the gardening so as not to interrupt Moomin's train of thought. Moomintroll brought out the harvesting baskets from the cellar and a large pitcher of lemonade for everyone to drink, Moominpapa started to take care of the weeding, and the children and Moomintroll began to harvest the ripest vegetables for a big dinner they decided to have once Moomin had finished their story. Snufkin sat down and leaned up against the garden fence and continued to play his harmonica for all of them.

Moomin drank a glass of lemonade and then began harvesting the tomatoes as they resumed their story: "Little My was still groggy, and reacted to being immersed in the hot water with suspicion at first; 'Where are we? What are you doing to me?!', she shouted."

" 'Take it easy Little My!', said Mom, 'I asked the hotel to show me a place where we could both relax, and it brought me here. Don't you find the water soothing?' "

" 'Well, yes.', admitted Little My reluctantly, 'But, why isn't Mama with us?' "

" 'I thought she should have this week entirely to herself. None of us will be able to enjoy this vacation if we're all worrying about her all the time. I talked it out with her, and she agreed.', said Mom, 'We'll have more freedom to have fun on our own, especially with the hotel itself guiding us.' "

" 'Well, you're not wrong.', said Little My, 'But, this all sounds very fishy. You're definitely up to something. I'm willing to wait to find out what it is, as long as I'm kept entertained.' "

"After they had dinner, the hotel lead them to a suite of rooms. Every morning for the rest of the week they awoke and the hotel provided their breakfast in their room and then lead them to different areas in it that would provide welcome diversions for the two of them, like a game room with a selection of table games and board games for them to play. They would return to their room in the evening to find a sumptuous meal set out for them. They never ran into grandma and Gwendolyn until the following Friday, when it was time to sail The Adventure back to Moominvalley. Grandma introduced Gwendolyn at the place where the boat was docked and they were all immediately looking forward to introducing her to the rest of the Moomin family and helping her get closer to Alicia."

" 'So that's what you were hiding from me.', whispered Little My to Mom with a sly smile on her face as they set sail, 'I wouldn't have thought that you were so devious. I'll just have to be more careful around you from now on.' "

"Mom laughed a little embarrassedly at this. She and Little My had gotten a lot closer than ever that week, so she was able to really appreciate this compliment from her. The end."

Everyone around Moomin applauded them for their story and brought the vegetables into the kitchen for that day's dinner. As Moomintroll prepared the fried vegetables and rice and Moominpapal and the children set the table, Moominpapa made a suggestion to his family.

"How about we spend all of Sunday camping in the big cave near the beach? We'll spend the day swimming and stay there overnight. We'll have roasted fish that we caught ourselves and I'll tell you some of the wilder stories of my youth that I've left out of my Memoirs until now."

Everyone enthusiastically agreed with Moominpapa's plan.

To Be Continued

#moomin #snufkin #moomintroll #moominvalley #moominmama #snork maiden #little my #the hobgoblin #moominpapa #moomin oc #moomin fanfiction

[lilith-swbf]

How do you think the other skaters like Minami, Phichit, Yurio, and Chris etc pamper Haru-chan once he's a toddler?

*plops down and opens storybook with flourish* I’m GLAD YOU ASKED! pfff this got long af forgive me

Imma go into more than just when he’s a toddler if that’s alright lol as well as random tidbits that crossed my mind 😄

Phichit:

• At first, Phichit is kinda wary that Chiharu doesn’t like him, cause he’s pretty quiet when Phichit holds him, but as it turns out, Chiharu is just super comfortable around him. When Yuuri goes to skate and Viktor has to coach, for example, they hand Chiharu off to Phichit most of the time, if he’s there, cause Chiharu is just so calm with him and rarely gets fussy. He snuggles his lil plump cheek on Phichit’s shoulder and watches mama skate on the screen in the warmup area, and will often refuse to let anyone else hold him once Phichit has him.

• All. The. Selfies. With Viktor and Yuuri’s permission, Chiharu becomes a co-star on Phichit’s instagram when he babysits. Gahh, imagining Chiharu with those cute instagram filters makes me melt, omg… 😍

• Can you say newborn photography??? Spoiler alert for the next chapter, but while Haru-chan is still tiny, Phichit books a flight and comes to visit with photography equipment in tow. Under Viktor and Yuuri’s watchful eyes, he poses bby nugget in several different ways and captures some truly precious photos. He convinces grumbling, reluctant mom and enthusiastic dad to be in a few of them, too. (Extra spoiler alert: one photo in particular gets chosen in a photography contest)

• Because Yuuri calls Phichit “Phichit-kun”, Haru-chan copies his mama and calls Phichit “Cheeto-kuu” while he’s learning to talk and it makes everyone in the vicinity die of cuteness every time. (੭ु ›ω‹ )੭ु (many thanks to @croaissant for sharing that invaluable headcanon with me literally over a year ago. I remembered ♡)

Minami:

• Kenji-nii (or Kenni-nii in babyspeak) is the designated wrestler, for sure. Toddler Chiharu wins every time, naturally, and Minami delights in his triumphant giggles when he pretends to fall over from tiny baby punches and head butts. ♡♡

• Catching bugs!! Especially butterflies, which are Chiharu’s absolute favorite. Minami teaches him to hold extra still so they’ll light on his finger, and he’s just spellbound by the lil bugs. For several weeks, Viktor’s lock screen is a picture of Haru-chan with his brow creased and his lip poked out in concentration, shining eyes fixed on the bright yellow butterfly perched on his chubby finger.

• If Minami is holding Chiharu, he’s most likely on his shoulders. Nevermind the fact that Haru-chan holds onto his hair and probably pulls it sometimes; Haru-chan likes to be tall and that’s the way it will be. (Bonus: imagine Yakov solemnly shaking hands with bby bean at eye level)

• Minami knows better than just about anyone how to make Chiharu laugh. Even during the stage of babyhood when Chiharu is pretty solemn, Minami is always able to coax a few gummy baby giggles out of him, and it’s the sweetest sight. Viktor and Yuuri have about a thousand videos of him doing it. ♡

Chris:

• During the stage when Chiharu isn’t great at ‘r’ sounds just yet, “Chris” becomes “Kiss”, lol. Chris tries and tries to get him to pronounce the ‘r’, but Haru-chan stubbornly insists he’s “Kiss”, at least until he learns to pronounce ‘r’ correctly. It turns out to be apropos, though; toddler Chiharu mimics Chris’ European way of greeting (kisses on both cheeks) and gives Chris two sweet, clumsy cheek kisses every time he sees him. He won’t give anyone else two successive kisses exactly like that, so it makes Chris feel so loved. 😢

• DESIGNER BABY CLOTHES. Yuuri is horrified at the thought of Chris spending that kind of money on their baby, but eventually realizes Chris is going to do it anyway and relents. Catch Chris on instagram with a Gucci diaper bag over his shoulder, holding baby bean and sporting matching Balenciaga hoodies #fashionablebaby #coolestuncle😎

• You wouldn’t think Chris would be the type to be good with kids, but he IS. If Haru-chan is fussy while they’re all out and about and mom and dad are looking tired, Chris is usually the one who ends up with him, especially when bean is fairly small. Chris just holds lil man and rocks him and rubs his back, quietly humming to him, and 9 times out of 10, Chiharu is asleep within a few minutes, drooling on his shoulder. Yuri is very jealous and thinks it’s witchcraft.

• Haru-chan is fascinated by Chris’ stubbly chin and jawline. He sleepily reaches up to touch it sometimes when Chris is bottle feeding him. ♡

Yuri:

• Let’s face it, Yuri is the favorite uncle, mostly because he comes to visit the most often. Any time he knocks on the door of either Viktor and Yuuri’s house or the onsen, wherever they happen to be, Yuuri (who of course would know Yuri was coming) will stop what he’s doing and turn to Chiharu and raise his eyebrows in a gasp.

“Who’s at the door, Haru-chan?” He whispers, hushed with excitement. “Is it uncle Yura?”

And Chiharu’s eyes get all big and starry and he hastily scrambles up from his seat with all the grace of a 2 year old and toddle-runs his way to the door at top speed with Makkachin trailing protectively behind him. He yells Yuri’s name over and over in his sweet little voice, but of course, it comes out more like “Yoo-ah” than Yura.

(Outside the door, Yuri’s struggling not to melt from the inside out cause he loves bean so much lolol)

Yuri finally opens the door, kneels down, and catches his happy nephew into his arms for a tight hug and a ruffle of his messy black hair.

(Viktor was recording the whole time shhh don’t tell Yuri)

• Despite being frigid and competitive out on the ice, Yuri is soft to a fault with Chiharu. Any game Chiharu wants to play, any kid’s movie he wants to watch, Yuri’s there for it. Even if it’s something he normally hates. Haru-chan wants to play save the princess? Yuri looks damn good in a crown anyway. Haru-chan wants to watch Yuuri’s old Moomin VHS tapes for the hundredth time? Pop that shit in, buddy, I’m sure there’s something in there we missed the first 99 times we watched.

• (Viktor and Yuuri have a plethora of pictures of Yuri sprawled on the couch asleep with Chiharu conked out on his chest after a long day of play.)

• It’s hard, but Yuri really does do his best to temper his language around Chiharu. You can bet that Chiharu’s probably heard a few things he shouldn’t, but at least Yuri’s trying. (Cue Haru-chan toddling up to Viktor while he’s washing dishes and asking what a “fuck” is. A plate is probably dropped.)

LOL I got carried away but that’s fine 😂 thank youuuuu for inspiring me to ramble about these babes cause I love them so much 💖💙

#anonymous #yuri on ice #swbf #bby bean is so so loved #😭🙏❤❤

[zone-call]

Today is the 9th of August, which is the amazing creator, author and illustrator Tove Jansson’s birthday. This lady has meant so much to me and I really can’t thank her enough. Her intriguing use of shape and colour, her attention to detail captured my eye but what really brought it home for me was the characters in her stories. They were very characters I could relate to - when they got angry they bit, when they wanted to be alone they simply left and no one judged them for it, they were curious, adventurous, stubborn, grumpy, scary and well, -layered-.

I have been so inspired by her throughout the years and I continue to be - if you don’t know her as anything other than the lady who wrote about the Moomins that’s good, but I urge yourself to check out her other work too. From her illustrations of Alice in Wonderland (which she wanted to make more scary but the publishers wouldn’t let her! I’ll never forgive them!), to Who shall comfort Toffle, or her books about her childhood... just do yourself a favor and pick them up.

This is my take on one of my favorite illustrations of her. Thank you for everything Tove, and I hope that wherever you are there’s plenty of barrels to loot.

#happy birthday #tove jansson #illustration #illustrator #artists on tumblr #digital art #IOU #art #drawing #floral #clip studio paint

[officetime02-blog]

How To Use A Household Ledger To Give Your Financial Life A Fresh Start This Year

I came across the idea of a household ledger (a kakeibo, 家計簿) during a trip to Japan a few years ago, even though at the time I didn’t quite realize what they were. They’re often found in stationery stores and are essentially an inexpensive way (costing around $6) for Japanese women to keep track of their finances, bills and outgoings/incomings. 

Originally they were designed for housewives, traditional keepers of the Japanese household, and became a thing. Now you can get kakeibo in dozens of designs from cats to Moomins. Amazon Japan has pages of them up for sale at year’s end and many have plastic pockets for a pen or receipts. Most keep the same design: sections for pay, bills, and then the ability to input things you buy (on a weekly basis), be it an onigiri from FamilyMart or the cost of the internet bill. Recently, they’ve been imported into English language and become a thing. There are loads of videos on YouTube showing “Budget Plan With Me”s and many households keep what the US terms “budget books,” often oversized binders which live at home but contain every aspect of their owner’s financial lives.

I started using a somewhat overpriced kakeibo that had just been released (essentially a blank journal designed for finances in the Japanese style, with goals and motivational quotes, I’ve linked to it so you can see the inside and get a better idea of the basic layout). Then I realized it would be more efficient and cheaper to just make my own when that one ran out. So, to make yourself a kakeibo, you just need a pen, a ruler, a notebook of your choosing, some time and a couple of coffees as a motivational bonus.

I used it, at first, to help me get some personal debt down. But I found the idea of categories of spending fascinating. You see, aside from bills and big expenses, the idea of a kakeibo is that it works around categories, not each individual expenditure. What they are depends on you but I use ones like ‘groceries’, my guide dog (who has a carrot obsession) to the obscenely terrible ‘coffee/drinks out’. Each week you add or remove categories until you’ve refined what you use, personally. At the end of the week is a tally where you can add up how much you’ve spend in each category and across the board to get a better idea at where your money is going (be it spending in cash, purchases on Amazon or carrots).

Each month starts with a page where you write out your incomings (pay, benefits, side-hustle cash) and your bills. Most of the latter, in my case are paid by Direct Debit (the UK version of automatic payments) on the first of the month but there’s something almost calming about having a single page spread with dates, names and precise amounts. Especially if you then go over the paid expenses with a nice highlighter. 

All the details are there and if something changes, like the cost of your phone bill, it’s very easy to change. I also add in monthly non-utility subscriptions like Spotify, Patreon, YouTube and Netflix, all of which go out automatically but take their own chunk out of my monthly incomings. Ouch but totally worth it for keeping me sane.

The original book I using was size A5 and felt huge. Now in my second year, I wanted something smaller but still portable and something which was uniquely me. My kakeibo has plenty of numbers in but no personal information, aside from my email address in case of misplacement. Just figures and dates. Oh, and it’s one of the core items in my Every Day Carry.

I bought myself a tall slim Hobonichi Weeks Mega made using very thin but forgiving Tomoe River paper from Amazon Japan, split into a diary at the front and a good 200 blank pages at the back. The paper thickness means it doesn’t take up a lot of room but can also go anywhere with me.

I use the diary section to record notes about expenses, things I need to do (like double check a payment for the following month or note when my shopping will be delivered and the cut off for editing the order). I note my balances each day (from my current accounts to my credit card balances). I note “no spend days”(which I’m trying to do more of) and keep lists in the back like my financial goals for the next few years. 

There are “spreads” (a Bullet Journaling term referring to a double page spread) where I work through the cost of a holiday to Dublin I’m planning, how much that PlayStation 4 Pro I’ve been coveting for a year and a half will actually cost me. There’s also a list of important items I need to buy in the next few months and, of course, the weekly spreads which let me track my spending. Yes, it involves a little set up but this is easily done with that first Monday morning coffee.

I keep my kakeibo in a cover which allows me to add in a pen, a Liquid Paper pen for those annoying mistakes, a ruler and a scratch paper notebook from Muji where I can do calculations. This also comes in handy when I note down the standard cost of coffee in my favourite coffee shop chains (which really helps when you realise you drank one coffee at Costa, another in Starbucks and a third at the pub with brunch but didn’t think to get receipts).

I keep a pencil case with me which allows for color-coding payments, highlighting when my income has been paid, as well as noting down when subscriptions are due or when I get paid from my side-hustle. I have three bookmarks: one marks my week in the diary portion, the second my weekly spread and the final one whatever spread I’m working on (right now it’s a year end review).

The most important thing it’s taught me is the accountability of purchases and the peace which comes from having everything you need to hand. I plan a month ahead and am able to know how much I need for all my bills going out on January 2nd. I know exactly when I’m being paid and when those big expenses, like services charges, will be due thanks to a dedicated household expenses single spread which goes through each month of the year and lets me be able to prep for expenses a whole year in advance, from my MedicAlert subscription through to household contents insurance.

But it’s also a place I can dream, including plans for holidays and savings. One of my big aims for 2019 is to be able to get a nice £5k “cushion”/emergency fund in place for…well, emergencies. Thanks to my spread on my plans, to do that I know I need to put £100 away each week to reach my desired amount by year’s end. That’s a nice thing for aim for and I’ll probably have to find a savings tracker spread, blocks to color in or something.

I love the portability and, at the end of the year, when I do my review, I’m curious to see where I spent money for the last two month of use. I’m pretty sure that it will also help me, especially as, right at the front of I have the maxim of a British finances expert reminding me: Do I need it? Can I afford it? Will I use it? Is it worth it? Just asking myself those questions has already saved me from several impulse/Bipolar-inspired stationery binges.

I tried noting every expense in a spreadsheet, but I’ve found the old schoolness of pen and paper to be more useful and cathartic. I write things down to remember them (which reminds me to renew my Field Notes subscription…) and, surprisingly, I do. But I also have the space to plot, to focus on a more positive financial future and then try to bring it into being. Okay, there might be little deviations, but each week is a new one — and that mentality, plus that Monday morning setup time, is totally making the difference.

With the new year upon us, I really do recommend considering making your own kakeibo. If only for the amount of financial-related anxiety it helps to do away with. It’s not about fancy spreads, it’s about numbers and dates, about looking ahead and writing down those things you’d otherwise forget like car payments or an insurance renewal. Planning, writing down important payment dates and then having it with you, is a part of financial responsibility that no one tells you about but is just as important, in my humble opinion, as actually being able to pay for these things. I hope it helps you as much as it has me and, the most important thing, it doesn’t have to be something you start on January 1st either. Remember: every week is a fresh start.

Asha Bardon is a former freelance journalist turned sci-fi author and manga adaptor. They can be found on Twitter and Instagram as @ashabardon and lives in a quaint English market down with three cats and a carrot-obsessed guide dog. Their much-neglected blog can be found at www.ashabardon.com.

Image via Unsplash

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