u/throwaway-renee-1967

Hello! I've been a longtime fan of Warriors since I was a kid, but it's been literal years since I engaged with the books. After hearing the news that a show is in development (!!!) I've been inspired to return to the fandom, but I'm honestly feeling a bit overwhelmed with all that has happened since. I'm planning on rereading the first four miniseries but I was hopeful folks here could catch me up to speed on some other general aspects of the fandom. I have a few questions (okay more than a few, sorry):

1. ⁠Is it worth it to read Vision of Shadows and onward? I distinctly remember reading The Apprentice's Quest when it came out and... just not being that into it for some reason. Especially after >!Sandstorm!< died, lol. The writing just felt different. That's not to say I won't give it another chance but I'm curious if people here think the newer miniseries hold up to the first five.

2. ⁠Speaking of writing, I've heard some members of Erin Hunter retired. What's up with that?

3. ⁠Are kids still reading these books, or is it now more of an adult fanbase/people who grew up with the books? The new website definitely seems oriented towards younger readers.

4. ⁠I've been seeing a lot of screenshots on here of what looks like remakes of the manga? The art style is different, but it's the same books being adapted as far as I can tell. Was there any particular reason they decided to do this? (like how Wayne Mcloughlin's death led to the new covers)

5. ⁠Is there any way to access the old version of the website? Purely for nostalgia purposes. I've been able to play The New Prophecy Quest through Flashpoint but I just miss the look of that site. There were some old videos containing interviews with the authors and drawing tutorials that were pretty cool, I don't know if those were on YouTube as well.

6. Does Firestar like waffles?

P.S. Can I just say how awesome it is that we're finally getting a screen adaptation? I distinctly remember getting so excited the day the movie was announced, but of course that didn't pan out lol. Kid me would be so happy to hear this news. I can only think of all the kids reading the books now who are excited for the show!

EDIT: Reupload after trying to fix formatting.

Beforehand I'd like to clarify l'm not looking for pro-ed advice or anything like that, this is just a vent post :)

I've been struggling on and off with disordered eating since I was 16 (I'm 20 now), and while I've alternated through periods of binging and restricting throughout, my weight has overall been stable. I've never been overweight or underweight, and honestly I think the most I've ever lost is >!10lbs.!< But throughout that entire time, even when I was eating relatively "normally", my brain has never let go of the mental patterns. I'm so aware of what I eat and how I look and how others look and yet my appearance has never really changed. I am quite short, so I have struggled to eat in a calorie deficit for my height, but it honestly feels so invalidating and alienating to be struggling this much on the inside but not have it really translate to the outside. I recently relapsed into my restrictive habits, and while the scale has barely moved, I feel like food and my weight are all I think about now. I have friendships to maintain and goals I want to achieve this summer (unrelated to my weight) but it's all falling to the wayside because I either don't have the energy to get out of bed or my mind is just consumed by these thoughts. Does anyone else relate or struggle with something similar? :(

I'm a sucker for emotional, visually stunning romances/dramas set in historical Europe or a fantasy setting. I know what I just described is incredibly specific, so I am of course open to anything that checks some but not all of those boxes, but put simply, I am here to swoon and yearn and have my heartstrings tugged. If you have any recommendations of media that are similar to the above, or have a similar vibe, I would appreciate them. Does not have to be a movie or show, I enjoy books and games/visual novels as well. Thanks in advance!

Does anyone struggle with this? I'll consume some form of media (usually a movie or TV show) and right after I finish it I'll get a surge of inspiration and fic ideas. Usually it's when there's a character in particular who emotionally impacts me in some way. It's like the tone of the media leaves me in this particular headspace, and everything feels fresh and inspired and I can put a lot down on paper. But I have to capitalize on it right then and there, because the feeling leaves quickly. And when I try to come back to the fic after a bit, I find I can't get back into the headspace or even match the tone/characterization I had going initially. I've tried rewatching movies/shows to try to recapture the "spark" but even then, it doesn't really work because I know the characters and I know what happens. It's been a source of frustration for me lately, because I currently have a WIP I was very excited about writing, but I just cannot get back into my original headspace for. The ideas aren't flowing naturally.

If anyone has any stories of experiencing something similar, or if they have tips or suggestions that worked for them, please share! I appreciate any and all input.

(Reupload because Spotify links were not embedding for some reason)

I think these all technically fit under the genre of darkwave on Spotify, but after browsing the genre playlist I had a hard time finding songs that stood out to me like these four bands do. I strongly recommend checking out these bands or darkwave in general if you're not familiar, but put simply I am looking for dark, danceable, 80's inspired synth music. Thank you in advance for any and all recommendations!