M, Boycritter, and I went down to the nearest Hobbytown (about an hour away) for Bandai Builders Day yesterday. This Hobbytown just became the only Bandai Builders certified shop in the state, so I definitely wanted to support them and their events. (Hobbytowns are franchise shops and each individual one is locally owned.)
This event had a free 30 Minute Fantasy kit, unique to this event! We got there a smidge early, did our check-in (and skewed their demographics, ha!), and got our kits. It was a pretty simplified kit, so I think it only took about 15-20 minutes to build. We chatted with other folks who turned up and posed for some photos while working, lol. By the time we were done, other people were arriving and waiting for our seats. Yay for a good turnout! By the time we'd finished shopping, maybe 2/3 of their stock of the event kit was gone.
(I picked up a 30MF accessory set, HG Abyss, HG 0 Gundam ACD, and HG Murasame Kai as well. M got a ton of paint for his tanks - though he did like the event kit and might pick up some 30MF stuff. Boycritter got a RG RX-78-2 Gramps and HG Sazabi.)
From there we went up to the conveyor sushi place and ate ourselves broke. So tasty! I tried to be a little more adventurous and found a few things I really liked. Next time I want to try more. ^_^
Details aren't entirely available yet, but there's some sort of 30 Minute Label competition in March and I'm interested, but that's also not a lot of time to come up with something, get a kit, and build. So I guess we'll see. But then again, I'd really like to enter for the fun of entering. Hmm.
I've shared a bunch of recs from this year's threesentenceficathonhere at my journal! Fandoms include Dr Seuss, Emily Wilde, Leverage, Narnia, Original Work and Star Wars.
I hate to say it, but: I think he'd freeze. And his dad would die.
Think about how Jake spends that entire book uncharacteristically fucking up his role. Normally, Jake's strength is being decisive — he makes a call in a millisecond, because someone has to, and the others trust that call. Not because he's some kind of brilliant strategist, as Marco says in #54, but because someone has to do it and Jake is the one with the confidence to take a guess and then yell it out loud.
But when Tom's yeerk really starts to get into it with Jake's dad, Jake... sits there. And listens. And then he flees the house. And he stays away for as long as he possibly can. The first time that yeerk almost gets his dad alone, Jake stands there on the sidewalk hyperventilating until Marco (also uncharacteristically) grabs him and tells him "you're not alone," which helps snap him back to the present moment. The second time, Jake starts morphing on the roof of his house as Tom and Chapman are in his front yard, and all either controller would have to do is look up to see him. Then Jake panics and attacks civilians over two different false alarms. Then Jake really goes off the rails when he has his team beat Melissa unconscious, drag Mr. Chapman from his home, and use Ax to convince the yeerk that he's about to be tortured to death, host and all. When the yeerk is about to stab their dad, Jake's crouched in the woods half-morphed, having a panic attack.
Like, I've speculated before that Tom — helpless, cringing, resigned — is Jake's personal worst-case scenario for his own life, and I think Jake most directly experiences Tom's perspective on the war in that moment. He isn't literally unable to stop his own hand from picking up the knife and jamming it into their dad's spine, but that's close to how helpless he feels in that moment.
So: I think he'd fail. Steve would die. And then, when Marco got there 2 minutes later, Tom would die too.
I love this idea, because I love the image of him and Jake sitting on the back porch of his cabin together, finally taking the chance to have some of the peace that they both fought for. Grandpa G isn’t described as a particularly warm person, so I don’t know that they’d be hugging and crying much, but Jake also describes him as one of the only people whom Jake feels like he understands these days, and vice versa. Plus, the last line of #31 (“I’ll need to buy a footlocker”) suggests that Jake wants to be like his great-grandpa someday.
Because #31 is so much about Jake seeing these possible futures for himself. His dad is this ideal future self that Jake can feel slipping out of his reach: “He was a good guy, my dad... Because he did his work as well as he knew how and wasn’t a jerk to the people around him... that’s what I hope I’ll do when I’m older: treat my family right, do my job well ...You can have the hero thing. Me, I wanted a day when all I’d have to do was be a decent human being.” Steve is Jake’s dream for himself, fast moving out of reach. That’s what Jake hopes for — that someday he’ll get to be a decent person — but he doesn’t see it happening as likely to happen.
And then there’s Tom, Jake’s personal worst case scenario: “begging for someone to save him”, “lost, hopeless... all he wanted was to die”, “I felt every ounce of his despair... a part of me”. Tom is surrender, is giving up on fighting to make things better. But it’s all wrapped up in that yeerk, the other extreme: “He rolled his eyes... ‘After you win, then you start talking about honor and courage. When you’re in battle you do whatever you have to do’”. The yeerk is relentless stubbornness, no mercy and no compromise, because all that matters is winning at all costs. And to Jake, the combination of those two sure looks like an object lesson in ruthless tyranny tending to work out better than innocent surrender does.
But Grandpa G is something else entirely. He’s not naïve like Tom, he’s not ruthless like that yeerk, and he’s not effortlessly warm like Steve. He’s troubled and sad, having seen his friends die and his country betray him. He doesn’t fit in anymore, and his only desire is for peace. But he understands how precious peace and kindness are, more even than Steve does. And if he and Jake can learn from each other, I do think Jake could find some of that peace as well.
Last November we asked the community to submit questions to our OTW volunteers in celebration of International Volunteer Day. In this series of posts we will spotlight some of our committees' responses.
The Communications committee (Comms) disseminates information to the general public, media, and fans. We draft and beta news posts and social media posts, and are often the first point of contact for anyone interested in the OTW.
We asked Comms for replies to your questions, and received a lot of feedback! Below you can find a selection of their answers:
Communications Committee Specific Questions
Question: We're so thankful for how fast you guys always respond when the ao3 website goes down. I was wondering what's the circus like behind the scenes when it happens? xD Do you usually first notice when we start panicking, or does someone keep an eye on it 24/7, do emails start flying from social team to it, is it usually scary or is it very organised and calm since you're so experienced, who makes the decision to pull the plug for a few hours if it's really bad and looks hopeless, stuff like this. Thank you! Committee answer: Accessibility, Design, & Technology (AD&T) and Systems (our two main technical committees) have already given their own replies to this, but from Comms’ end, we often are the ones that handle posting and disseminating information for downtimes! We work hand in hand with AD&T and Systems to ensure that we're distributing the most accurate and concise information to the public, and coordinate with our fellow volunteers to make sure that it’s sent out in time. We do our best to handle the public logistics so that our coders can focus on their own work!
General Questions
How many hours a week do you spend on your OTW volunteer work?
It truly depends on the week! Typically I would say ~4 hours, for just keeping on top of things and my weekly tasks. It can be upwards of 10 if there's things outside of the norm or that require a bit of research. (Caitlynne)
For me, it depends on the time of year most of all! As an Event Coordinator, half of the year I'd say it's ~2-6 hours a week. The bulk of our anniversaries and holidays converge into fall and winter, during that time it's more ~6-8 hours. (Elin)
How do you manage your volunteer time, and do you do the same thing every day like with a day job?
I hop on my computer pretty frequently throughout the week, so I tailor my OTW time to when I'm on my PC. If there's a day I'm busy and away from my PC, I know I'll have to "catch up" the next day when I have time, so to speak. (Tiana)
I try to check our chat tool/the Comms email when I can throughout the day and give a dedicated half hour or so on my laptop in the evenings. It doesn't always work out, but that's the goal! (callmeri)
What's your favorite part about volunteering at the OTW?
I like that tending the little OTW!Tumblr corner of the landscape helps the whole fandom ecosystem. (Remi)
The best part of volunteering at the OTW is the people, for sure! The social aspect is easily what motivates me the most to stay. I have made lots of friends and the Communications committee has been a really supportive environment! (stork)
What's the aspect of volunteer work with the OTW that you most wish more people knew about?
We are fans just like you! There are so many different cultures and fandoms coming together every day to make the organisation run. (Tal)
We are really big on emojis! The custom emoji feature on our chat tool is definitely getting a lot of mileage with us XD. Also, you can put OTW work on your resume if you want to. (stork)
What does a typical day as an OTW volunteer looks like for you?
Check the Tumblr notes and ask box in the morning, before scrolling through my personal dash and then the tags the organisation follows looking for Things To Queue. Mosey through the #ao3 tag on occasion to reply or leave little notes to folks. Every day is similar, but none are The Same. (Remi)
I often start by checking and responding to messages from other volunteers, and then make a list of current tasks to work on. Sometimes that means brainstorming activities for a special milestone, other times it's writing posts, or preparing for an event. (Elin)
What is your favorite animal? Alternatively, do you have a favorite breed of cat/dog?
I love bats and think they're super cute, but identify with possums on an emotional level. (Caitlynne)
My favorite animal is a saiga antelope. Fave dog breed: Irish wolfhound. (Communications volunteer)
Do you enjoy reading fanfic? If so, what's your favorite work on AO3?
For a dyslexic person I seem to read A LOT of fanfic... I actually tend to read more on AO3 than actual books?? Anyway, my favourite of all time would have to be unholyverse. I don't think anything can beat that… (Gray)
I love reading fic so much it's kind of concerning how many tabs I have open all the time. My favourite fic is locked but another fave is between the sheets by DasWarSchonKaputt. og. goat. mother. (choux)
Do you write any fanfic yourself? What do you enjoy about it?
I do write. I enjoy the creativity and the ability to explore characters. (Communications volunteer)
I do! It's my favorite hobby and one I neglected a bit last year. I hope to get back into the swing of it in 2026. (Tiana)
What fandoms are you (currently) in?
I’m very active in the Dan and Phil fandom :3 (Gray)
Mostly MDZS and IWTV for the past few years, but Heated Rivalry took over my brain so it looks like I'm getting on that ride. (callmeri)
Do you feel glad or proud to see fanfiction in your mother tongue?
I'm also a tag wrangler, so I get to participate in tag translation (every tag wrangled needs to have a documented english translation). There aren't as many German works, but we have loads of German volunteers – this means there's often several of us running to translate whenever there's a German tag. it's really cool to see very specific cultural references in works! (Tal)
I read a TON of socmed AUs in Filipino along with the Filipino fics in general! I'm super happy to see fanwork in Filipino and when a creator is Filipino as well! especially when I see actual locations or cultural tidbits getting referenced. (choux)
Thanks so much to every volunteer who took the time to answer!
(For more answers, check out this work on AO3, where we collect additional replies to each question!)
The Organization for Transformative Works is the non-profit parent organization of multiple projects including Archive of Our Own, Fanlore, Open Doors, OTW Legal Advocacy, and Transformative Works and Cultures. We are a fan-run, donor-supported organization staffed by volunteers. Find out more about us on our website.
A lovely Winterthing box from tainry! (A couple of days ago, actually-)
Oooh, jewelry! Lemon earrings! I don't think I've ever worn hooks like these and I had to get an old pair to put in to make sure my holes were clear. Got it figured out, though. ^^;; And the set, omg it's gorgeous. I need to spend more time being elegant. (Though when it gets warmer, I think.)
Spatula! I love bamboo spatulas and this one is gorgeous. One day I will climb up and get the whole collection spruced up and take some photos. (They're on top of a china cabinet; I at least need to stand on a chair.)
Bag!! I actually have a bunch of Marvel reusable shopping bags from boycritter but not this one! I use these bags for everything so it will get a lot of use. (I still have some of my very original cloth bags from... almost twenty years ago now?! Quite a few have fallen apart, but some have surprisingly survived. It'd be nice if they'd catch on more here but a lot of people are still surprised and baffled by them.)
And stickers and goodies, omg. These are an absolute joy and I'm going to be pawing through them forever to pick favorites and decide what goes on my new toolbox. (And possibly my old toolbox, when it gets warmer, since that's just in the garage and will be getting use. It still has a bit of real estate here and there.)
Happy Anniversary, Lemonade Cafe! I certainly did not think, 23 years ago, that I was creating anything enduring. But it is still here, and I am still here. Go figure.
I have, in fact, chosen a notebook to tackle, though it's going to share with writing a bunch of stuff (hopefully) for the small_fandoms Drabblethon. It has some blank pages, so I can also write drabbles in it. (Ha!) So far I've been able to tear out and pitch some pages of things already long written and posted, which feels good. Some of what's left includes notes for projects that are downright ancient. And, like, to be honest I can probably just write whatever to finish some of these up? It's been so long that I feel like any actual expectations have vanished.
“Hey there!” Cassie crouched down next to the hawk, who made no move to take wing. Whether this was because he – definitely a he, too small for a female Coopers – didn’t notice or didn’t care, she didn’t know, so intensely focused he was in grabbing up beakfuls of the roadkill pigeon to eat as fast as possible. She looked up at the Human guards watching nearby, concern written on her face. “Is this normal? Does he live here?” “Yes ma'am,” The guard who answered didn’t even sway from following protocol even when answering a question about a hawk. “He’s quite the fixture ‘round here. Think he lives in a tree just by the force field, see him by the road quite some eating roadkill.”
A scene from a friend’s WIP post-series fanfiction, Cassie seeing an unusually friendly Coopers Hawk dining on roadkill in the rain, just outside Visser One’s prison. She has to make sure that he’s alright!
A post-series Cassie drawing, I need to get back to drawing more again. I’ve not drawn any of the Animorphs as their human selves before, I should try more of them.
2/2 And later in #35, Cassie again draws on her experience with an unjust world (“deal with what IS”) when trying to help Marco handle his feelings.
Oh yes, totally. Jake is very much our everyman protagonist, in many ways the least mature Animorph because he's had the least experience with what Marco calls "reality": loss, death, hard decisions, everyday injustices. Like, if Piper Chapman is the Trojan Horse who gets middle-class white viewers into Orange is the New Black for the laughs before the social commentary hits you like a truck, then Jake plays much the same role in Animorphs. He's sweet, he's naïve, he really does think on some level that the war is "like a video game" (Marco's words) or "like some comic book where the heroes never die" (again, Marco's words).
Cassie understands death. Marco understands death. Cassie has held it in her hands and felt it happen, often after fighting for hours to save what can't be saved. Marco can never be the same again after it stole into his home and took not just his mom, but his dad and his entire world as well. Ax is about to get an understanding of death, five minutes after we meet him, but it won't sink in for a few books. Rachel and Tobias understand other tough realities that Jake does not (the fallibility of families, the shittiness of society), but neither of them gets death either. Which is why those three are raring to go ahead with the fight, while Marco and Cassie are dragging their heels.
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