there’s a hell of a good universe next door
hi
So I keep a meticulous film journal, and according to it I have watched Howl’s Moving Castle 10 times since the end of October. That number actually seems low to me, but I trust in the journal (it is very, very meticulous), so it must be accurate. It’s reached a point that calling it anything other than a coping mechanism is disingenuous. But, you know, on the scale of coping mechanisms, it’s probably on the milder side. So on I go, having this conversation with myself every night:
(that magnificent thing was created by my pal Kevin)
Notable Breakfast
post-surgery-friendly meal of applesauce, very soft crumpet, and turkey sausage cut very small.
Dog Thing
annual xmas card outtake in which they are baffled and beribboned
Mixed Media
When Selfie was airing I thought to myself, “I need to watch that. I love John Cho. It looks so cute. I should do it.” But I get very extreme second-hand embarrassment and a lot of comedies are excruciating for me, so I put it off, out of fear. And then it got cancelled. And I put it out of my mind, until last week when a friend bullied me into watching it (i.e., mentioned it was all on hulu, HI ELIZA!), and I sat down and watched the whole thing.
Y’all, Selfie was a really good show. Like, really good. A remake/update of Pygmalion (which you might know better as My Fair Lady), it features social media-obsessed Eliza Dooley asking her coworker Henry Higgs (a PR expert) to help her rebrand herself after a mortifying incident in front of their entire office.
It quickly goes from him helping her better herself to the two of them helping each other. They fall in love, obviously they fall in love.
Karen Gillan’s American accent is iffy at best, but she’s cute and funny and I was quickly distracted. Her physical comedy is great. John Cho is charm on charm on charm, as always, and really should forever be cast as romantic leads.
The whole show was 13 episodes, so go, go now, watch it. Watch it and then write some goshdarn fanfic for me, there is a serious dearth.
I finally sat down with the Hamilton Mixtape, and man is it great. Just. All of it. I bought the new Pentatonix Christmas album, but the only track I really like on it is isn’t a holiday one, it’s their cover of “Hallelujah.” So I switched back to my default, the Muppet Christmas Carol soundtrack.
Yuri!!! On Ice still rules my life. The last episode is next week, and presumably you’ll hear me screaming about it no matter where you happen to be.
A full year after the first and only time we played, my Star Wars RPG group finally got together again, and it was so fun. My techie teen Nautolan character is the best and my love for her is deep and true. We’re hoping to meet monthly from now on.
I finally saw Moonlight, and it is just stellar cinema. The best movie this year, by far. I hope it wins every category it’s nominated in. I saw Rogue One last night, of course, and really loved it. It feels tonally different from other Star Wars movies, but that’s not a criticism. There aren’t enough fucking women in it, even in background roles, which was hugely disappointing after Force Awakens. I watched Paddington, which was sweet and fun, and holiday faves Muppet Christmas Carol and Meet Me in St. Louis. The latter was a delight to revisit. It nails girlhood in a really excellent way.
Anxiety Pyjamas
Fics I Shouted About (so many)
the warmest part of winter by dadvans Yuri!!! On Ice, Victor/Yuuri, future fic. Featuring really lovely illustrations by wortwood, this is a fic about Victor and Yuuri getting married. It’s very sweet, but what made it for me was the way they both interacted with the other important people in their lives. I cried.
a city built on water by Deputychairman Star Wars TFA, Finn/Poe, future fic. This is a romance, but the meat of it is Finn character study, with some great world-building dealing with the galaxy post-war.
the magic of your sighs by kevystel Yuri!!! On Ice, Yuuri/Victor. What Victor did while in Japan by himself. I love the integration of the group chats in this fic.
searching through the crowd by lily_winterwood Check Please!, Jack/Bitty, Yuri!!! On Ice crossover. In retrospect this was inevitable, but was such a delight to come across. The CP! characters follow the events of YOI. Bitty and Lardo are big skating groupies.
Rocky Mountain High by lamardeuse Selfie, Eliza/Henry. The day Henry turns 40, they’re snowed in in Colorado, waiting for a meeting.
the naming of cats by csoru Yuri!!! On Ice, Yuri/Otabek, future fic. Yuri and Otabek interact over the years. I love the way this fic deals with their physical bodies, the way they relate to their own limbs.
untitled by alocalband Check Please!, Nursey/Dex. Nursey knows that Dex likes helping Bitty out in the kitchen, but he doesn’t know what to think when he finds him there all alone.
all her wishes by dollsome Selfie, Eliza/Henry. Henry and Eliza spend Valentine’s Day together. Platonically. This fic nails their voices, I love it.
melt me down by ohhotlamb Yuri!!! On Ice, Yuri/Otabek, future fic. After years of friendship, Otabek speaks up.
some things require leaving by idrilka Yuri!!! On Ice, Yuuri/Victor. Another fic about Victor in Japan, carrying over to after the end of episode 9. I love it when fics show how Victor fits in with Yuuri’s family.
equations for a falling body by csoru Voltron, Keith/Lance. Lance and Keith end up imprisoned together. Things happen. Afterwards, they deal with it…differently.
Easy Open by Helenish Mission Impossible, Benji/Ethan. The Benji and Ethan interactions are some of my favourite things about the recent Mission Impossible movies, and Helenish carries them out to a lovely conclusion.
kick on the starter by Febricant Check Please!, Kent/Alexei. Kent Parsons is a character I have never had any real interest in, but I found myself completely consumed by this beautiful, beautiful fic. Alexei (Tater) is, of course, the best.
Lastly
I love this article about anxiety and mental health in Yuri!!! On Ice. The way the show deals with both subjects is great.
ok i love you bye
