Tag Archives: slice of life

MaxKodan’s “Dappled Shores”

10 Friday Nov 2017

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Today’s story warns about the hidden dangers of “shows, don’t tell”.

Dappled Shores
[Romance] [Comedy] [Drama] [Equestria Girls] [Slice of Life] • 4,640 words

Rarity and Sunset are having their third weekly Dappled Shores marathon.

And then Sunset ruins everything.

FROM THE CURATORS: Don’t let that story description fool you — this third-place winner in the recent Changing Seasons contest is a light-hearted (and ultimately heartwarming) romp about the perils of spoilers.  “The story is consistently both witty and hilarious,” Horizon said in his nomination.  “Bon mots like ‘it was time to call in the least terrible people she knew’ litter the text, and the dialogue is consistently whipcrack smart.  The shipping scenes, too — with their wealth of loving detail, like the matcha tea and Rarity’s nose for laundry detergent — are a delight to read.”  AugieDog agreed, much more succinctly: “I’d call this romantic comedy done right.”

But we quickly found that there was plenty to like in the story whether readers appreciated shipping or not.  “The comedy is the big sell here,” Chris said.  “Once the story started diving into Sunset’s and Rarity’s overreactions, the hushed horror of their friends, and Rainbow having only one make-up plan, I was sold.”  Soge was impressed by the prose: “God damn, the writing is really strong here, full of clever turns of phrase, great pacing, and a keen sense of comedic timing.”  And the relationship itself even won over some doubters.  “Maybe it’s just that the prescription on my shipping goggles needs an adjustment, but I’m always a little leery of stories that start off with any of Our Heroines in a romantic relationship,” AugieDog said.  “By the end of this one, though, I was absolutely convinced that there was something very real between this Sunset and this Rarity.”

The icing on the sweet cake of the prose was the solid construction throughout.  “Most impressively, in less than 5,000 words it manages to give solid moments to each of the entire Humane Seven,” Horizon said, while AugieDog praised the structure: “I really enjoyed the way we only see the unfortunate aftermath of each plan and the way Rarity sort of floats over the whole middle section of the story like a will-o-the-wisp, drawing Sunset on to ever-increasing extremes.”  That reinforced the core strength of the story, Chris said: “The running gags and the winking mockery of the sillier parts of the show (and movies), all while letting the characters take the central conflict seriously at every turn, kept things funny without turning it all cynical.”

Read on for our author interview, in which MaxKodan discusses object transpositions, old film, and midnight definitions.
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WishyWish’s “Sugarcube in the Corner”

03 Friday Nov 2017

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An unlikely crossover source mashes up with pony in today’s story.

Sugarcube in the Corner
[Drama] [Sad] [Slice of Life] [Tragedy] • 8,069 words

Enter Painless — a young resident physician at Manehattan East Side Memorial Hospital who drew the short lot, and ended up working through Hearth’s Warming. With the city caught in the grips of a blizzard that weatherponies are still trying to get under control, the night is boring, the decorations contrived, and the coffee is as bitter as his sensibilities.

Tonight, Painless has a single, pointless task assigned to him — to keep the company of a lonesome, unconscious stallion who is essentially already dead. In so doing, a young doctor will learn that medicine is about more than scalpels and technique.

It’s also about mending broken hearts.

FROM THE CURATORS: One of the joys of fanfiction is running across the sorts of stories which the show itself won’t offer us — but which feel like they nevertheless fit right in with the show we love.  “How about a hospital drama with a high realism factor, lots of emotion, and a young doctor learning not to harden his heart to the world?” Present Perfect said in his nomination.  “Plus, it’s a M*A*S*H tribute. You don’t see a lot of those.” We quickly came to appreciate that blend.  “This feels well removed from the show, but not in a way that breaks immersion … learning a lesson in empathy like this is very much in MLP’s bailiwick,” Chris said.  And while it drew many elements straight from the M*A*S*H episode it used as inspiration, it was “an excellent adaptation, and a strong story in its own right,” Horizon said.

That was due at least in part to the way that it brought MLP canon into its tale.  “The turning point in this story comes when it’s revealed early on that the dying stallion is not just another OC like the main characters, but Mr. Cake,” Present Perfect said.  “It was quite the effective tactic, and it pays off well by the end.”  There was also plenty of payoff along the way, Chris said: “I feel like Corner is at its best in its smaller moments.  Painless’ coffee selection in the opening is a tiny but revealing moment, and there are a lot of those scattered about, buttressing a melancholy but touching story about doing what you can for living and dead alike.”

Both those big and small factors were repeatedly cited in our discussion.  “This does some impressive character work at its epistolary core, but what makes it exemplary for me is the emotion past the final turn,” Horizon said.  “The meditation on death that this draws from its crossover source is profound in a way that really touches on the moral core of MLP — about caring, and about what caring means.”  But ultimately, it was the successful meshing of two very different styles behind this story’s strength.  “It’s a powerful juxtaposition, throwing ponies into an unfixable situation,” AugieDog said.  “There’s always a chance in the Pony universe, always a possible solution that will right the balance and mend the broken heart.  This story doesn’t have that … but it treads very close to the line.”

Read on for our author interview, in which WishyWish discusses Alphasmarts, Flutterhugging, and rock candy cherries.
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The Albinocorn’s “Firebird Dahlia”

20 Friday Oct 2017

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An explosive sibling rivalry is at the center of today’s story.

Firebird Dahlia
[Drama] [Slice of Life] • 48,819 words

Life is looking up for Sunset Shimmer.

With her grandstanding at the Battle of the Bands, Canterlot High has taken a new approach to her. Amends have been made, friendships have been restored, and Sunset is on the fast track to becoming a better person.

But even now, there are still apologies that have to be said.

For her Spring Break, Sunset returns to Equestria to make up with her estranged family: the parents that raised and provided for her, and the sister she left behind. But a lot has changed since then, and some wounds won’t heal by just saying ‘I’m sorry.’

Fixing friendships is one thing. Sunset will be put through her hardest test yet when she tries to bring her family back together.

FROM THE CURATORS: Our immediate reaction to this story was exemplified by AugieDog’s joy of discovery.  “After seven years of reading ponyfic, I love it that I can still come across ideas that clang so happily against the bell in my brain,” he said.  “I mean, of course Sunset and Spitfire are sisters!  It’s perfect.”  But it takes more than a great premise to make a story exemplary, and Firebird Dahlia was happy to deliver more.  “I adore stories that delve into the whys and hows of Sunset’s downfall, and this is absolutely one of the best,” Present Perfect said in his nomination.  “Her rivalry with Spitfire, her inferiority complex in the shadow of her all-pegasus family, her goals as Celestia’s student: it all coalesces to turn a pony who was shy, nerdy and picked on into a megalomaniac trying to conquer Equestria.”

Our discussion repeatedly turned to the fine touch with which this fic handled its cast.  “It’s a triumph of characterization,” Soge said.  “Sunset’s characterization is marvelous, and the way it justifies her actions and personality was extremely well realized. All other characters are also stand-outs, from Spitfire to their parents, to all the mane cast that get involved in the proceedings.”  AugieDog agreed: “I’ve got an older sister and two younger brothers, and the family dynamic displayed here feels absolutely true and honest to me.”  And Horizon was impressed with their depth: “It’s exemplary work to have a redemption story handle such complex characters so sensitively, and the result is heartwarming.”

As we discussed various aspects of the story, it was hard to find an element that didn’t get singled out for accolades.  “We get a really well-paced story full of eye-popping moments, interesting revelations, and drama that always feels earned,” Soge said.  “The redemption arc works really well, and it left me wanting to see more in this continuity.”  Present Perfect praised the prose: “The writing was quite good, maybe a little flowery in places, but structured for deep crafting, whether of setting, backstory, or character.”  And even the things it didn’t say were well-chosen, Horizon said: “I am also a huge fan of how this acknowledges critical questions about what happens past the ending of the piece, and yet leaves them in the future.  That serves the theme of redemption as an ongoing struggle well.”

Read on for our author interview, in which The Albinocorn discusses worm cans, slow burns, and cross-country dreadlocks.
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Rocket Lawn Chair’s “Star-Crossed”

06 Friday Oct 2017

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Today’s story is a tale of love written in the sky.

Star-Crossed
[Romance] [Slice of Life] • 2,968 words

A thousand years ago he was turning Equestria into a hotbed of mayhem.
Five years ago he was growing moss and lichen on his shoulders.
Today he’s asking Celestia out on a date.

Celestia didn’t know such a creature as Discord would be able to change so radically without it being part of some elaborate prank. But what’s more unsettling, she didn’t know she’d be able to change just as drastically. As she finds new feelings for the Master of Chaos, she begins to have doubts toward the integrity of her desires, and suspicions of her sister’s possible involvement.

FROM THE CURATORS: For a story about Celestia struggling with the ambiguity of her romantic feelings, this had some delicious ambiguity of its own.  “The best thing about this story is that Dislestia shippers can read it as a straight romance,” Chris said in his nomination, “and people like me can read it as a psychological horror story, and it still works.”  And while we disagreed on the specifics of the piece’s depth — “The subtext, especially of that final scene, steers away from the psychological horror interpretations … which is not to say that Luna’s free of mischief, and that extra layer adds a delicious complexity to the piece,” Horizon said — we agreed on its richness.  “The storytelling here is so wonderfully measured, like the ticking of a grandfather clock,” AugieDog said.  “It’s still sneaky, though, jumping back and forth in time, and more than a little cryptic with its sparse dialogue and frequent silences. So it’s got a nice mix of qualities associated with Celestia, Discord, and Luna.”

Indeed, the story’s portrayal of those three drove much of our praise.  “The characters are presented in interesting ways, and it’s a good bit deeper than your average shipfic,” Present Perfect said.  Horizon agreed: “The big thing right is the character work here,” he said, “often subdued and subtle but sometimes with the prose just blossoming like a flower. Like: ‘I think that love, in its own way, is a kind of chaos. Thwarting logic, driving us to do the impossible. Sounds like the kind of thing that would come naturally to him.'”

We found the rest of the prose equally quotable.  “The author gets a lot of mileage out of the smallest actions,” Chris said, citing the story’s final sentence (to which Horizon responded, “That last line is goddamn perfect”). Chris’ praise went further: “The whole fic is like that, piling import upon trifling actions, and seeding passing fancies and casual memories with a deeper significance.”  That layered with its thematic richness, AugieDog said: “The story here does have a somewhat haunted air to it, with all its talk of night and the sea and autumn.”  As Horizon put it, that added up to an exemplary package: “All in all, this is solid and poignant and endlessly surprising.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Rocket Lawn Chair discusses thigh proportions, bending backward, and the seventeenth try.
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FrontSevens’ “Fun in the Summit”

15 Friday Sep 2017

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Today’s story is a foray into diplomatic impunity.

Fun in the Summit
[Comedy] [Slice of Life] • 7,774 words

Trade negotiations. Board meetings. Formal garden parties. Not the definition of a fun weekend for Princess Celestia at all.

However, Celestia has a plan. Rarity’s going to join her this year, and by their gossiping powers combined, they may be able to turn this upcoming convention into something a little more unconventional.

FROM THE CURATORS: When we find a story that we appreciate for its depth, it’s a rare pleasure to find it also in top form from the start.  “This story had me hooked from the first line, displaying a detached, dry humor which I found instantly appealing,” Chris said to wide agreement such as Horizon’s: “Chris isn’t kidding about the excellence of the opening. It cracks not just three solid jokes but three different types of jokes in three sentences. The sequence about the meeting’s bureaucratic opening is somewhat low-hanging fruit, but the execution of it is a thing of beauty.”  And that beautiful hilarity extended to the details: “What kind of a name is ‘Snaptibia’?” Present Perfect asked.  “A great one, that’s what.”

But the deeper drama here drew as much praise as the comedy.  “Toward the end, FrontSevens turns to a bit of introspection on how immortality changes one’s priorities and sense of scale, and — importantly — does so without abandoning the tone of that which came before,” Chris said.  “The exaggerated characters which surround Celestia and Rarity complement that tone perfectly as well.”  He wasn’t the only one to comment on the smoothness with which the story made that transition.  “The comedy is never forced, with a breezy quality exemplified by how Celestia and Rarity blithely ignore everything and everyone around them, and it’s entirely hilarious,” Present Perfect said.  “Then, the final scene’s poignancy was unexpected, but not unwanted.”

We found both the comedy and drama bolstered by sharp character work.  “Rarity is just fabulous throughout the fic,” Soge said.  “The way she talked with Celestia worked really well, and every time they started gossiping I had a smile on my face.”  And it was tied together by the fic’s unusual princess interpretation: “I have to say that I quite like this characterization of Celestia,” AugieDog said.  “It’s a huge contrast to the way she’s usually presented — she has no goals at all, and in fact can’t see anything but silliness in what’s going on around her. That’s why the narrative voice is so arch and distancing: this is the unreliable third person narrative going on in Celestia’s head, the one that reduces all conflicts to checkers games and just about every other being in the world to buffoons and caricatures.  But she’s making an honest effort to reconnect to the world, and her plan kind of works.”

Read on for our author interview, in which FrontSevens discusses bonus edgelords, cross-stitch signals, and dingus hahas.
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Pen Stroke’s “Morsel of Truth”

01 Friday Sep 2017

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Sink your teeth into today’s spooky story.

Morsel of Truth
[Slice of Life] • 4,349 words

There is a bit of truth to every legend, though the ravages of time can bury it deeply. Myths and lore become twisted, melded, and torn the longer they are around. One of Equestria’s oldest legends is that of Nightmare Moon. It is the core of Nightmare Night and the excuse for children to go out asking for candy with a single, common rhyme.

Nightmare Night, what a fright. Give me something sweet to bite.

FROM THE CURATORS: While the RCL has featured its share of darker, creepier fanfics, you always go back to the classics — like this story which treats its spooky themes with a gentle Equestrian touch.  “This is a short, standalone fic that I think is representative of Pen Stroke’s style,” Chris said in his nomination: “To take a premise that would probably be pretty dark or even gruesome in another author’s hands, and turn it into something with a more slice-of-life feel to it.” And it was that gentler approach which caught the attention of curators like AugieDog: “In a lot of ways, it reminds me of Unicorns are Magical, but I thought that story took things too far out of a Pony context, and this story plays it just right for me,” he said.  “Yes, it’s horrific (they’re gonna be eaten!) but it’s also very Pony (they’ve been turned into candy!).”

While it was that lighter touch which drew most of our commentary — “I thought the best part of this was the final scene, which has a ‘fae folk’ feeling to it, and resolves in the best fairy-tale traditions,” Horizon said — the story still earned praise for its horror elements.  “The tension ramps slowly,” Present Perfect said.  “The ending of the first scene is a little confusing, but once the same thing happens in scene two, you quickly realize this story ain’t fooling around. The tensions only get higher by the final scene, with the poem leaving us on a perfectly terrifying note. It’s a bit of a slow burn, but absolutely chilling and totally worth it.”

It also earned curator approval for tight writing that kept the focus strongly on its theme.  “I liked that it never felt the need to delve too deeply into the reasons or mechanics or anything of the sort behind its Nightmare Night legend,” Chris said. “Rather than bog down in explanations, it simply shows us what happens to the girls on a Nightmare Night when things get Traditional.”  It played with those traditions in the best sorts of ways, AugieDog added: “Having Pinkie unknowingly save the others because she understands and respects the unwritten rules of Nightmare Night is the frosting on the cake, as it were.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Pen Stroke discusses sugar hangovers, lightning rods, and attempted butt reality.
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Hap’s “The Donutier”

25 Friday Aug 2017

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Today’s story will éclair-ify what it means to truly have friends.

The Donutier
[Slice of Life] • 13,097 words

My name is Twilight Sprinkle, and my passion is donuts—from the delicate morsels I serve at elegant cocktail parties to the hearty pastries enjoyed by hard-working ponies who get up early. I don’t have friends, I don’t have books, and I sure as the sun don’t have any wings. I don’t care whether you’re here for revenge, for romance, or for a favor. My name is Twilight Sprinkle and I’m not who you think I am, so either buy a donut or get the hay out of my store!

FROM THE CURATORS: Collectively, we had the broadest range of reactions (and votes!) to The Donutier that we’ve ever had to a successfully featured fic — which included disagreeing on such basics as the story’s primary genre.  “Despite lacking a Comedy tag, this is a really funny story with an immense heart,” Present Perfect said in his nomination.  “I don’t see this as a Comedy,” Soge countered.  “It’s a solid, entertaining fic, a lighthearted slice-of-life-cum-adventure wrapped in a light and fluffy mistaken identity story.”

Our most vigorous debate centered around the characters (especially the justifiability of Twilight Sprinkle’s actions), but the ultimate consensus was that they were a showcase for strong writing. “In its modest length this manages to introduce us to the life of two very distinct ponies, who go through a full character arc — and, in Twilight Sprinkle’s case, the Hero’s Journey — while simultaneously exploring really well the themes of friendship, destiny, and finding one’s place in the world,” Soge said.  Present Perfect appreciated both of the protagonists: “While snarky, Twilight Sprinkle never becomes tiresome, unless you just really hate donut puns,” he said.  “And ‘Ravenwing Bloodmane’ is a perfect foil for her. The real story is about them becoming friends, and it flows very naturally.”  Horizon praised their interplay: “PP noted that there’s a Trixie and Starlight dynamic here … it’s to this story’s credit that it can capture that dynamic without recapitulating the canon relationship, and then give a subtle nod to it with Starlight’s cameo.”

As our debate went on, Death Of The Author ultimately got invoked: “I enjoyed the heck outta this … though I hafta admit, I’m unsure if the author meant to portray Twilight Sprinkle as an unreliable narrator or if it’s something my brain decided for reasons of its own,” AugieDog said.  Regardless of the debate, it provoked near-unanimous enjoyment, and Horizon took a stab at summing up why we all read it so differently.  “The Donutier isn’t afraid to advance its storytelling through implication,” he said, “and while that leads to a lower-key storytelling style with a surprising economy of words — it packs eight chapters and an epilogue into its 13K — there’s still enough happening on-screen to keep it consistently compelling.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Hap discusses homemade mayonnaise, stripper boxing, and idyllic adventure apocalypses.
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JapaneseTeeth’s “Octaves”

18 Friday Aug 2017

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Take note of how today’s story tips the scales of storytelling quality.

Octaves
[Slice of Life] • 15,097 words

“I’m going to be famous!”, “I’m going to be the next big thing!”, “I’m going to be a superstar!” Octavia couldn’t even count how many times she’d heard her roommate claim that she was headed for fame and fortune.

But the worst part is, Vinyl might not be wrong. At least, not entirely.

FROM THE CURATORS: Octavia and Vinyl Scratch are MLP fandom’s most classic odd couple, and their relationship is well-trodden ground — which makes it all the more impressive when a story about them makes us sit up and take notice.  “This is Scratchtavia that barely even feels like friendshipping and yet paints a robust picture of their uniquely dysfunctional friendship,” Horizon said in his nomination, and this quickly accumulated accolades such as Present Perfect’s: “It’s the best of JapaneseTeeth’s work, a solid piece of character work with a harsh and poignant look at the world of professional music-making.”  Even Scratchtavia curmudgeon Chris found himself offering a recommendation: “If you asked me to rank all the fics of this one’s ilk, it would come out at the top.  It has a conceptually strong character base … some solid writing and good jokes.  I got a kick out of the endless P.S.es.”

But the story’s most arresting feature was its construction.  “The piece makes some interesting structural choices driven by the album it’s paying homage to,” Horizon explained.  “The bridge chapters are brief, atmospheric and poignant, and despite feeling almost dischordant to the progression of the plot they add depth and tone.”  Present Perfect agreed: “It’s a successful example of albumfic, and the ‘sharp’ chapters are nice, calming experimental bits in the midst of all the friendship and drama.”  That gave it a laid-back style which sat well with us: “I like how the story’s so aggressively ‘slice of life,'” AugieDog said.

The icing on the musical cake here was the superlative character work.  “The author also pulls a lot of character out of small details, which is a nice complement to the overall small-stakes feel of Octavia’s involvement,” Horizon said, and Chris had similar praise: “Vinyl’s cockiness comes across as actual self-confidence coupled with lack of self-awareness, rather than the generic jerkishness which is so common to her portrayals.”  That the story could create such sympathetic portrayals out of such emotional distance was one of its major strengths, AugieDog said: “Vinyl’s usually half-asleep when she’s giving Octavia the run-down on her latest travails. Octavia’s air of essential indifference is so well-presented, the one moment where she pushes it aside to give Vinyl a pep talk almost feels out of character. But both characters are shown to be deeper than they act, and that’s a really nice touch.”

Read on for our author interview, in which JapaneseTeeth discusses white whales, dream theaters, and winged anxiety magnets.
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The Cyan Recluse’s “The Lighthouse and the Sea”

28 Friday Jul 2017

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As a fairy-tale romance, today’s story shines.

The Lighthouse and the Sea
[Romance] [Slice of Life] • 1,042 words

A short tail of love and lighthouses, seas and sea ponies.

FROM THE CURATORS: Here at the RCL, we’ve featured everything from short-short stories to door-stopping novels — and it’s always a pleasure to find a story that can tell a big tale in a small space.  “This is evocative in its succinctness, and uses the reader’s familiarity with fairy-tale conventions to its advantage,” Chris said in his nomination of this Writeoff Association medalist, and that sentiment quickly gathered broad consensus.  “It is almost a doodle of a story, utilizing the least amount of detail possible to deliver its premise,” Soge said, and Present Perfect agreed: “We get the bare minimum of words to convey the story, and it never feels like we’re missing out or being shortchanged.”

It was that economy of words — and the emotional depth that went along with it — which drew the most praise from us.  “This is a story that shows how to create emotion out of setting and arc,” Chris said. “Rather than trying to smash a bunch of character development into too little space, the author keeps the narrative carefully reserved, leaving the reader to infer the hows and whys from a brief highlighting of thoughts and events.”  That was helped by a fine attention to detail, AugieDog said: “The details that the author chooses to include are more guideposts than plot points … I’d almost call it a prose poem that way.  Or a lighthouse beam, sweeping over the narrative, picking out certain moments to call to our attention.”

And we found emotional resonance within those moments, from start to finish.  “The author’s note laments the ambiguity of the ending, but I thought that was one of its strengths,” Horizon said.  “That it’s so gracefully balanced between such different interpretations gives it, if you’ll pardon the pun, a lot of depth.”  That effective use of its wordcount added up to an exemplary story, Present Perfect said: “In that tight space, we get that sense of loneliness, so that the romance can be a catharsis.  Easy to see why it’s a medal winner!”

Read on for our author interview, in which The Cyan Recluse discusses scientist weaknesses, sturgeon addenda, and silent pigeon-holing.
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Chinchillax’s “Magical Intelligence”

30 Friday Jun 2017

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Today’s story is a smart take on punishment and forgiveness.

Magical Intelligence
[Sad] [Slice of Life] • 3,010 words

Princess Luna created me in order to make sure she never would forget the pain she caused Equestria.

But this? This is not the way to accomplish my directive.

If only I could let her know…

FROM THE CURATORS: It’s no secret that we at the RCL are fans when fics take novel approaches to language — we’ve repeatedly featured poetry, for example — but even so, this story is a first for us: one which has major elements structured as programming code.  “This fic hits a lot of good points for me, all centered in how it uses its premise: the Tantabus as a magical computer program,” Soge said in his nomination.  That quickly drew praise from the rest of us, techies and non-techies alike.  “The code gimmick was really solid,” Present Perfect said.  “I mean, just the way it let Chinchillax world-build in single lines was pretty amazing. It’s easy to follow, and there are some interesting suggestions about the way spells and emotions interact in Equestria.”

What impressed us went beyond the unusual formatting, though — and into character drama and big ideas.  “The first chapter here is a little weak, but the code gimmick maintained my interest, and the last two chapters do a nice job of shifting the focus to the Tantabus itself — what it is, what it wants, and what it’s being forced to do,” Chris said.  Soge, too, appreciated the uses to which the code was put: “Chinchillax recontextualizes the Tantabus’ actions, casts its relationship with Luna in a new light, and even manages to hit some interesting sci-fi-inspired notes about an artificial intelligence that is aware of the mutability of its nature.”  Chris commented on that as well: “I like how there’s an argument about AI development hiding in the wings of this story, and how the author never feels the need to draw it to the forefront.”

Ultimately, we decided, it was the emotional strength which turned this from a strong gimmick story into an exemplary one.  “The story about forgiveness is the real draw, of course,” Present Perfect said, and Chris agreed: “This is ultimately a story about forgiveness and suffering, and Chinchillax never allows a clever writing trick or a bit of lore to get in the way of that.”  As AugieDog said, much of that power came from the unexpectedly sympathetic look at its protagonist: “Well-rounded villains always see themselves as heroes … it’s nice to see the artificial intelligence here running amok for very good and very Pony reasons.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Chinchillax discusses flashlighting, fandom fandom, and literary sleep aids.
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