Doc I have combed your blog/the internet and can't for the life of me find a reference to a theater show you liked--it was a man who was a trained magician/card shark telling stories from his life interspersed with tricks and there was an audience member who was asked to come back to the next show every performance. If this rings a bell, can you remind me what it was called/who the performer was please? Thank you!
IN AND OF ITSELF BY DEREK DELGAUDIO. It still rocks me. I saw this YEARS ago, and I still think about parts of it.
Here is my post pitching it
Here is a response to a question about it (do not read if you have not seen the show)
Hi I'm an autistic queer jewish lady in PA who has (within the past 5 years) been diagnosed with several chronic health conditions. I want to thank you (oh so much) for this blog and I wanted to reach out and see if you would be ok with dispensing some advice. Do you have any resources you would recommend for people who are new to being sick all of the time? (Especially in PA?) If not, I'm just happy to wave and say "Same hat!" :D
I am really low on one-on-one advice-dispensing spoons right now. There are all kinds of great chronic illness blogs out there, but I am in serious brain fog SO I am going to crowdsource this. <3
If there was one thing to be said about this life Anthy lived, it was that she knew where she belonged in it. She knew how to feed the roses, she knew what she was growing them for, and in some small way, she found the strength to feed herself off the scraps they left behind. If she could not find it within herself to be free, she would find it within herself to be fed.
Utena brought all of that into question. There was something about her that Anthy hated more deeply than all the rest, something so cruel and so evil as to poke beneath her armor like the root of a tree, growing and growing and threatening always to buckle and twist at her foundation. There was a feeling in her that was worse than hate, worse and warmer, something she kept growing toward like her own sort of rose to the light.
It was too bright, and too painful, and she would put a stop to it. Her hand tightened on the dagger behind her, her palm too high on the grip, and she felt the clear sharp cold of it rip into her palm, the warm dark of the blood running between her fingers.
Akio would not have this one. This one had hurt her too deeply, had looked into her eyes too kindly.
“What’s that behind your back?” She said, like a child about to receive a present.
princessofapples replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”
The little saying, "blood is thicker than water"- people get that wrong. "Blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb." In a way, Rei already has her children. Her bar. Haruka and Mako. She may not have blood children, her water of the womb, but she certainly has her blood, her covenant, and her love for them is apparent, and she's no less motherly, queenly for it. And there's no doubt she can win.
EXACTLY. She had the things she needs to nurture and grow already with her bar and her idiot staff, which she will turn into adults whether they like it or not.
More replies below the cut--I could hot have predicted this would be one people would love but I’m so pleased!!
princessofapples replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”
Of course, I also loved the past present and future line. But there was something that jumped out at me- Rei is drawn up as a queen, and we certainly always do tend to see Rei presented, perhaps, a little royally. She's commanding, haughty, intense, beautiful, elegant (?), in control. But in a way, Rei seems to me in this, more like a mother. Which is an interesting thought, given what Senator Hino says to her- "you, with a child."
A queen not only rules her kindgom but guides it and helps it grow, when a queen is good, and Rei, for all her faults, I would say is a good queen
yamadara87 replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”
Your gift with character voices is never more evident then when you write these AUs. No matter what the setting, how you have each character speak is so well defined. This was fun and not only a great showcase for Rei, but also for Mako. Look forward to more of this AU.
Thank you! Jet requested this literally two years after I wrote it the first time aahah
skylineofspace replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”
This was great, I'd absolutely love to see more from this setting. It's amazing how well you've built the foundation for this AU, it feels like a place that could really exist somewhere.
Thank you!!
sailorsunspot replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”
Rei cares in such a practical way. “Shut up and better yourself I DONT CARE”
“YOU ARE AN IDIOT ALSO I PACKED YOU A HEALTHY LUNCH”
sailorsunspot replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”
ALSO AGHHHHH MINA’s last call isso perfect i am SUCH A SLUT for a good AU my god
Mina’s sassy hot takes are literally my favorite part of writing her--she’s a character I can border on overclever dialogue with because she is so intelligent and quick.
sailorsunspot replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”
My fave line was about how “some knew the past, they all knew the present, but nobody knew the future”. Out was such a nice bit of description that flavoured the piece
Thank you!!
sailorsunspot replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”
THIS WAS SO GOOD. Not to have feelings, butive been having a lot of weird dad things recently, and i felt a sort ofrighteous vindication in this. I loved how this was portrayed, i love how this was presented, i love it!
THANKS YOU a lot of people gave me a version of this comment, some off the fic itself, so I’m super glad it resonated with so many people!
dancinginredshoes replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”
Oh my perfect Mina <3 never ever ever change
She’s so beautiful and terrible
skylineofspace replied to your post “So a bunch of you asked for the Bar AU, which is officially I guess...”
This is a great piece, both hilarious and building a fantastic sense of depth to the world; it's always fascinating to watch you take these characters and rebuild them in different circumstances, so that we can see what really makes them tick
Thank you, it’s REALLY HARD. Any Au that sufficiently far from canon is basically an original story using stock characters we know, so it’s important to me to TRY and pull “what would they all be like if they were never senshi? what else might they do?” and pull it through whatever I have them do.
tymp3st replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”
Rei being the unquestioned queen of her realm is glorious, I fully support future senator Hino. Even more so the character interactions are, as always, super enjoyable.
Thank you!!
pouncequick replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”
I love this. I love the way you write Rei and her father, I love Mako working to make sense of everything (or deciding it's not worth it), I love Rei stabbing Mina with a cocktail fork, I love Rei organizing everyone's lives for them in just her own way, and I am here for seeing Rei run against her father someday.
THANK YOU
madegeeky replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”
My favorite is the pairing prompt: Rei/Usagi friendship!dinner date <3 always and forever
Friendship dinner date
The idea of Usagi wanting to do serious things with her love of food is something I play with on again, off again, whenever I try and mess with her. I was never super pleased with that fic, so it’s always fun to hear from someone who sees something I don’t in my work Thank you so much!
Dear Drunk Doc, what are your favorite /momentsthings in The Dark Crystal?
FUCKING ALL OF THEM
FOr those who don’t know it, The Dark Crystal is a Jim Henson film, that is my absolute favorite Jim Henson Film. I know everyone creams their ass over Labyrinth/David Bowie’s package, but for my money, in the vein of semi-dark children’s movies, there’s not much better.
AND I’M GOING TO OFFER UP AN UNPOPULAR OPINION: I THINK DARK CHILDREN’S MOVIES ARE GOOD. I THINK STORIES TEACH US HOW TO COPE WITH LIFE (look for hours of this fucking conversation in my patreon kubo livestream)
The story ultimately ends happily, but it is with sacrifice and the ending is not a perfect one, it simply an opportunity, as life always is.
OKAY I’VE GOTTEN AWAY FROM THE QUESTION:
The duality of the Skeksis and the Mystics–we are all both, and only in being whole can we bring any kind of wholeness to the world. Good is possible, purity is not.
FIZZGIG SCREAMING IS OFTEN #MOOD
The soundtrack is amazing and sweeping and glorious
I love the interplay between Kira and Jen, how Jen is the role of the scholar—he has learned these things all his life, and knows all the words, but Kira, she is the heart–she knows nothing of prophecy, can’t read gelfling, but she know what iss right to do.
dancinginredshoes replied to your post “If you are still doing it, Haruka with #8, imaginary friends. Your...”
This is terrifying and seriously creeping me out so I'm going to imagine Mina brings her not-really-but-actually-really girlfriend Rei to exorcise our way to a non-dead Haruka ending
AHAHAHAHAHA brilliant
sailor-neptunus replied to your post “If you are still doing it, Haruka with #8, imaginary friends. Your...”
THIS WAS SO GOOD I can't properly express my feelings about this but holy shit. It really sucked me in and I couldn't stop reading. And when I was done I had to go back and read it again because I didn't want it to be over. I LOVE HARUKA AND HER FAMILY AND HOW SHE FEELS ABOUT HER FAMILY AND OMGGG everything about this is just so good!!!!!! I got CHILLS at the end, wow, Michiru, wow. Doc, I seriously just love your writing!!!! This is so great!!!!!
Thank you so so much! I’m not normally nice to haruka in the family department, so it was kind of a fun thing to rework
sittingoverheredreaming replied to your post “If you are still doing it, Haruka with #8, imaginary friends. Your...”
OH MY GODDDDDDD i spent my whole break reading this and I plan on coming back with more comments, but OH MY GODDDDDDDDD I LOVE HIS
I AM SO GLAD
awashsquid replied to your post “If you are still doing it, Haruka with #8, imaginary friends. Your...”
DAMN. I saved this for after work, and wow am I glad I did. Your pacing is just so great, the way you weave in that the story doesn’t end well, and yet against knowledge the reader wants it to. I can so easily see Michiru being this selfish and cruel, especially after so long of being alone, of never being anything but a showpiece. Haruka is great as always, I love how you flip between the dynamics of her hard outer shell and the softness beneath. I would love to read Michirus POV or a sequel!!
YES Haruka can be tough because, on her surface she’s such an asshole sometimes, but it doesn’t take a lot of work to figure out she’s pretty insecure and self-hating and so trying to balance showing that with how she can come off and why was a challenge and always is
tymp3st replied to your post “If you are still doing it, Haruka with #8, imaginary friends. Your...”
This was fantastic and slow creepy and really well built.
Thank you so much!
babyrowsdower replied to your post “If you are still doing it, Haruka with #8, imaginary friends. Your...”
this was incredible!
Thank you!
princessofapples replied to your post “If you are still doing it, Haruka with #8, imaginary friends. Your...”
Michiru actually committed suicide because "Arranged marriage to Mamoru? Well fuck that. Nope. Nope. Fuck you, fuck you too, fuck you in particular. Kaioh Michiru out."
AHAHAH my thought wasn’t even that Mamoru was a bad guy, just that, she didn’t want to marry any man at all, BUT I GUESS IF I HAD PUBLISHED MICHIRU’S SIDE THAT’D BE MORE OBVIOUS.
princessofapples replied to your post “If you are still doing it, Haruka with #8, imaginary friends. Your...”
I couldn't stop reading this. I found myself- the entire time- wanting to see Michiru's side so yeah count me down to read Michiru's POV. As much as I loved- LOVED- the way you wrote Haruka in this (heartrendingly fucking real holy shit, she bled through the screen), Michi was my favourite. I loved her cold, coy selfish malice that just gave simultaneously no fucks and somehow all the fucks. And also, through it all, I could not stop dying laughing over the idea that...
I’m going to publish it to the patreon, I decided! I’ve have the first part up today!
pouncequick replied to your post “If you are still doing it, Haruka with #8, imaginary friends. Your...”
This is incredible. I love the way you build up the characters, the depth you've created... I love how you show Haruka's love and intensity and protectiveness; I love Michiru's manner of expressing herself; I love Mina and Mako's characterizations; I love Haruka walking the line of genre awareness (wouldn't we all, if we walked into a ghost story?) and her self-doubts on all the different aspects of her life; I love Mina's line about inspiration ...and Michru's "I am a bit lonesome", I love Mouse appearing here. Although I am also a bit suspicious of Mouse. Mouse, what is your role in all this? I love the way you work in the tiny emotional moments and the way they build on each other and grow. This was eminently worth the wait. I'm so glad I waited until morning when I could sit down and read it properly.
Thank you so much for this! I worked really hard on this and it’s wonderful to see people take to it
