#iris henson

[muppet-facts]

Muppet Fact #899

Elin, a young girl from Sesamstraße, shares her birthday, April 18, with her performer Iris Schleuss.

Source:

Sesamstraße Facebook post. April 18, 2023.

[crosseyedcricketart]

MET Gala 2024, "The Garden of Time."

[skyfallscotland]

The constant "maybe you should have re-read Fourth Wing and Iron Flame before jumping into Onyx Storm, don't blame the author for you being confused" posts are getting on my last nerve.

Stop being a pick me. Do you think we're all over here saying there were "so many people" because we're referring to Lynx & Baylor?

Sorry, I'm upsetti spaghetti. I was fighting for my life with my brain trying to remember all this in the first ten chapters, sorry I thought it was going to be important 🙃

Duke of Calldyr - short blond beard, four different consorts in four years

Duchess of Elsum - dark brows

Duchess of Morraine - high pitched voice, golden-brown skin, ruby earrings and necklace

Duke of Luceras

Queen Maraya - light brown skin, dark eyes, curly hair

Captain Anna Winshire - talkative, strawberry-blond, brown eyes

Captain Henson - female, tightly woven black braids, air wielder

Lieutenant Pugh - male, blue eyes, farsight

Lieutenant Foley - male, agrarian (plant-wielding)

General Tinery - in command of the Southern Wing

Ewan Faber - stocky, sour-faced, Navarrian Fourth Wing wingleader

Iris Drue - wingleader of Navarrian First Wing

Theophanie - long silver hair, high cheekbones and full mouth, pale skin, tattoo on forehead, beautiful, venin sage or maven

They were all introduced in the first ten chapters. Of a 60+ chapter book. This doesn't include description only characters, dragons, or places.

She did a really good job in the last book of introducing the Assembly as "silver beard" or "battle-axe", getting their descriptions stuck in our heads before we moved onto actual names and that, in my opinion, worked really well. That kind of technique can sometimes be greater than throwing a whole bunch of names in off the bat like she did with all these captains and lieutenants, especially if they're not going to be important.

Sometimes giving them a name is giving them significance—to me, it signifies to the reader hey, these people are going to be around a lot, you should know them!

I've also seen people saying "well there's a map and an index" ...these people aren't on there. The Isles aren't on the map. I have no visual for where we're going. If you're worried about spoilers, you can always put the "new" map at the end of the book for those who want to see.

I'm not 'blaming' Rebecca Yarros. She's allowed to make whatever choices she wants, it's her book, but these are choices she's made that she could have made differently, and I don't think it's kind to be calling other people idiots because you think we're all out here forgetting who Tecarus is because you only took in the surface level.

How are we supposed to know who is going to be important? We don't know where the story is going and all of this is getting shoved at us one by one in the opening chapters.

Also, as a generally nice human being, if I were on the other side of this discourse, I would have said "I'm not sure how people are so confused, what are you missing?" Not, "sorry you're too stupid to understand, maybe you should not be reading fantasy" 😃

The internet has made it far too acceptable for people to be rude to others. We're allowed to all have our own experiences and disagree. You can do that without denigrating other people's opinions and gatekeeping fantasy? Ew.

I don't dislike Rebecca or the series in general, I think she did a fantastic job with introductory world-building and introducing characters in the first two books, it's why I like it so much. The techniques she used worked. I just don't think she used them as effectively this time 🤷‍♀️

As I constantly say, if you only read it on surface level, if you're just here casually for the vibes, I love that for you! I wish I was you! But the toxic positivity can fucking go.

[labyrinthloreplusmore]

Jim Henson's Labyrinth Bestiary - A Definitive Guide To The Creatures of The Goblin King's Realm - Written by S.T. Bende and Illustrated by Iris Compiet This book was gifted to me last year for my birthday by a dear friend who shares a love for Labyrinth (we got to see it last year in theaters together, amazing experience!) and before I ever opened the book I was overjoyed that something like this existed! I flipped through pages, drooling over the amazing illustrations and enjoying the breakdowns of all the beloved characters I've known since I was a child...that is, until I reached the back of the book. The final part of the book introduces us to new creatures that exist in this fantasy world but weren't featured in the movie. There was one character that caught my eye immediately, not only for his dark design but his story and how it expands on Jareth's and how he became Goblin King. Before the Goblin King...there was the Owl King!

I plan to make a post with a breakdown of the Owl King's character, including what the book tells us...and why if the rumors are true and Robert Eggers is taking on the reboot of this wonderful world, why I think the movie should be a prequel, focusing on the Owl King versus any kind of remake of the original 1986 movie. More to come but I would love to hear your thoughts!!

[hellbeast-go-walkies]

Favorite running jokes in MST3K

that scream every time there's something creepy or someone's way too close to the camera

[celebrity A] is [celebrity B] in The [celebrity C] Story

It's Jim Henson's ______ Babies.

[when someone's giving a speech] You're not funny!

Paragon Cable!

when their inner theater kids get loose

reading any newspaper headline except the one the movie wanted us to focus on

[every time an annoying character talks] Shut up...

cheering every time an unlikable character gets hurt

He's got a cute shape!

[character A whispers into character B's ear] That's filthy!

It's the NBC Mystery Movie!

Great! Who are you?

No one will be seated during the [boring, unnecessary] scene.

Diarrhea is like a storm raging inside you...

The Maidenform woman: You'll never know where she'll turn up!

We've switched [character's item] with Folger's Crystals. Let's watch...

It's the Land of Dairy Queen!

[anytime a character reaches for something in their pocket] HE'S GOT A GUN!

Shut up, Iris...

And I didn't steal no bike, neither!

[Dr. Forrester and Larry getting called evil] Thank you <3

Wah, wah, wah...

Line? (Rifftrax)

LLLLLLLadies... (Rifftrax)

anytime Jonah sees a gun and yells, "BANG!"

laughing at each other's jokes

[pop-pop-pop-popculture]

MET GALA 2024 Review: May 6, 2024

I feel that there's more photos and guests, but vogue.com only posted 263 images.

Yes

Lana Del Rey

Dua Lipa

Zendaya

Jessica Biel

Harris Reed

Penélope Cruz

Aurora James

Jennifer Lopez

Lil Nas X

Karol G

Natasha Poonawalla

Christine Beauchamp

Jennie Kim

Tory Burch

Grace Murdoch

Taika Waititi

Rita Ora

Ivy Getty

Nelly Korda

Michelle Williams (I love the pink hair!)

Taraji P. Henson

Shakira

FKA Twigs

Ugbad Abdi

Shakira

Doja Cat

Nicki Minaj (OUTFIT, NOT PERSON.)

Camila Mendes

Adut Akech

LaQuan Smith

Usher

Anok Yai

Imaan Hammam

Karlie Kloss

Cardi B (OUTFIT, NOT PERSON.)

Tyler Mitchell

Kaia Gerber

Iris Law

Men either try or don't try at all, so kudos to the stylists of the men that actually tried.

No

Serena Williams (The gold was gorgeous, but I don't like the construction of the dress. On top of that, it didn't flatter her physique well.)

Kylie Jenner (obviously)

Kris Jenner (obviously)

Michelle Yeoh

Sydney Sweeney (I like the shade of blue and flower appliques, though.)

Yes and No

Ariana Grande

Elle Fanning

Kylie Minogue

Kendall Jenner

The Redmayne's (They went all out, that's for sure, but I don't see how their outfits correlate to the theme.)

Olivier Rousteing (I like the top and flare pants!)

Irina Shayk

Camila Cabello

Kelsea Ballerini

Naomi Campbell (The color and fabric are pretty, but I feel like she went a little too safe.)

Taylor Russell

The F*ck?

Cara Delevingne

Lizzo

I know that there were a ton more people, but I wanted to keep the list of each category short.

🌸 May 8, 2024 🌸

[unhingedselfships]

KimiKura Pining Phase Playlist

You - The Pretty Reckless “You don't want me, no You don't need me Like I want you, oh Like I need you And I want you in my life”

Wicked Games - Chris Isaak (Ursine Vulpine cover) “What a wicked game you play, to make me feel this way What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you”

Iris - The Goo Goo Dolls “And I'd give up forever to touch you 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be And I don't want to go home right now

And all I can taste is this moment And all I can breathe is your life And sooner or later, it's over I just don't wanna miss you tonight”

Hallucinations - PVRIS “I always thought we'd have another life Dancing alone Left in shadows I paint you in the corner of my mind Pull the colors from the rays of light

Close my eyes, I can't erase you

Hallucinations, you occupy My imagination's running wild”

10AM Gare du Nord - Keaton Henson “My endless distraction, you worry me But I'm trying to figure out how You don't have to make any promises love I'm afraid I might die for you now”

Dead in the Water - Ellie Goulding “If I was not myself And you were someone else I'd say so much to you And I would tell the truth

Cause I can hardly breathe When your hands let go of me The ice is thinning out And my feet brace themselves”

Until the Levee - Joy Williams “I'm gonna wait out past the shadows And breathe the bitter taste I'm gonna drink the lonely down, the lonely down Let the current take me over Let the ruin turn to white I can feel it all around, all around

I'm gonna stand I'm gonna stand here in the ache, until the levee Until the levee on my heart breaks”

Just Pretend - Bad Omens “I can wait for you at the bottom I can stay away if you want me to I could wait for years if I gotta Heaven knows I ain't getting over you

We'll try again When we're not so different We will make amends Till then I'll just pretend”

Sudden Desire - Hayley Williams “I wanted him to kiss me how With open mouth, an open mouth We keep our distance now I wanna feel his hand go down I try not to think about What happened last night outside his house Too far to go back now”

It’s All Your Fault - P!nk “It's all your fault You called me beautiful You turned me out And now I can't turn back I hold my breath Because you were perfect But I'm running out of air And it's not fair”

Almost Lover - A Fine Frenzy “Goodbye, my almost lover Goodbye, my hopeless dream I'm trying not to think about you Can't you just let me be? So long, my luckless romance My back is turned on you Should've known you'd bring me heartache Almost lovers always do”

Monster - Meg Myers “I gotta know that your heart beats fast and I gotta know I'm the only one for you What have I become? I'm a fucking monster When all I wanted was something beautiful

My love too much Your love not enough”

affection - BETWEEN FRIENDS “You're taking what you want right from me Wrapped up in so much life, it's just the way you hold me You're picking miscellaneously Wrapped up in all the choices you're not giving to me

I'm laying on the floor We're drinking 'cause we're bored”

All I Wanted - Paramore “I could follow you to the beginning Just to relive the start And maybe then we'd remember to slow down At all of our favorite parts

All I wanted was you”

He Wants Me Not - Vukovi “Bring you in I know I can't win But your heart don't belong to me And you don't want me then you want me I'm praying for your beating for your Aching for your heart, heart, heart”

Out of My League - Fitz and the Tantrums “'Cause you were out of my league All the things I believed You were just the right kind Yeah, you were more than just a dream You were out of my league Got my heartbeat racing If I die, don't wake me 'Cause you are more than just a dream”

The Trouble With Wanting - Joy Williams “Always on my mind Always alone You could be miles and miles away But somehow you're close

If I can't have the cake And I can't eat it too I guess the sound of your voice and the ache It'll just have to do”

To Die For - Sam Smith “I long for you Just a touch Of your hand You don't leave my mind Lonely days, I'm feeling Like a fool for dreaming”

DYWTYLM - Sleep Token "Do you roll with the waves? Or do you duck into deep blue safety? Is it always the same? Do you wish that you loved me? Do you pull at the chains? Or do you push into constant aching? Each and every day Do you wish that you loved me?"

I Wanna Be Yours - Arctic Monkeys (Sofia Karlberg Cover) I wanna be your setting lotion Hold your hair in deep devotion At least as deep as the Pacific Ocean Now I wanna be yours

Secrets I have held in my heart Are harder to hide than I thought Maybe I just wanna be yours”

[margindoodles2407]

how on earth do you expect me to pick just one

“Your little brother never tells you but he loves you so” -"Colors" by Halsey

“Oh my love, my heart, don't cry/We were born to die/But for this moment, for all time/I will fight for you/I will die for you” -"Battle Cry" by The Family Crest

“But you, my brother in arms/I'd rather I lose my limbs than let you come to harm” -"The Soldiering Life" by The Decemberists

“Oh my friends, my friends, don't ask me/What your sacrifice was for” -"Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" from Les Miserables (actually that whole song but i digress)

"Miss you terribly already, miss the space between your eyelids/Ehere I'd stare through awkward sentences and void through awkward silence/Miss your teeth when they chatter, when we smoked out in my garden/When we couldn't sleep for all the heat, soft talk began to harden/Miss your small hand in the palm of mine, the fact they're good at making/Miss you sitting up incessantly, and the fact you're always waking in the night" -"Small Hands" by Keaton Henson

"I am drowning. There is no sign of land/You are coming down with me, hand in unlovable hand" -"No Children" by The Mountain Goats

"That's it, it's split, it won't recover/Just frame the halves and call them brothers" -"Call them Brothers" by Regina Spektor

"This is a soldier's cry/And no one wants to hear it/No one wants to hear it- but I'm afraid to die" and "Oh, the weight of man/Please lift me up, please hold my hand/Oh, the ways of man/Just leave me here, just drop my hand/Oh, the wars man/Come break my heart, please lay me down/Oh, the weight of a man" -"Soldier's Song" by David Berkeley

"I long to hear your voice as I remember it/But now I have no choice but to remember it/No recordings were made/No MP3s, no AACs, no WAVs/I long to hear your voice, the timbre of your voice/I long to hear your voice as I remember it" -"I Long to Hear Your Voice, As I Remember It" by AJJ

"When everything feels like the movies, yeah you bleed just to know you're alive" -"Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls

"Sometimes you've gotta bleed to know/That you're alive and have a soul" -"Tear in my Heart" by Twenty-One Pilots

There are so many more but this post is long enough as it is

reblog and put in the tags a lyric that absolutely cuts you. im so curious to see what makes everyone hurt

[graceoldmanaru]

My Top 3 Inspirational Illustrators

The Frouds Brian Froud, Wendy Froud, and Toby Froud have profoundly influenced my approach to character design and world-building, especially in the realm of fantasy. Brian Froud’s work, particularly with the Jim Henson Company, has introduced me to the power of blending whimsical, otherworldly elements with the rawness of nature. His detailed and textured designs, featuring creatures like trolls, faeries, and goblins, show how to create characters that feel grounded in reality, yet belong to a magical world. Brian’s ability to convey emotion and personality through the smallest details, such as the wrinkles on a creature's face or the posture of its body, has shaped how I design characters that are both fantastical and emotionally resonant.

Wendy Froud, renowned for her work with The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, has also had a significant influence on my design process. Wendy’s mastery of fabric manipulation and costume design emphasizes how clothing, materials, and the interaction with the surrounding world can reflect deep character traits. Her work in puppetry and costume design highlights the importance of making characters feel tangible, adding another layer of emotional depth to their design.

Toby Froud, the son of Brian and Wendy, continues the family legacy with his work on projects like The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and his own personal projects. Toby’s designs combine the Froud family’s traditional elements—grounded, nature-based creatures—with a fresh, modern sensibility. His work continues to emphasize the emotional depth and tactile nature of fantasy characters while bringing in new layers of creativity that align with contemporary storytelling. Toby's ability to marry the Froud family’s core artistic elements with a new perspective has inspired me to think about how my own character designs can evolve while staying true to their roots.

I was fortunate to meet the Frouds in person and hear them speak about their creative processes, which was an invaluable experience for my research and personal growth as an artist. During this visit, Brian, Wendy, and Toby shared insights into how they approach character design and world-building, offering a deep dive into their collaborative process. Brian spoke about how he draws inspiration from the natural world, studying the textures, shapes, and expressions of animals and humans, which is reflected in his highly detailed and tactile designs. Wendy explained how her expertise in puppetry and costume design shapes her characters, making them feel alive and interactive within their worlds. Her attention to fabric and physicality reinforced my understanding of the importance of texture and materiality in character design. Toby also offered his unique perspective on combining traditional elements with modern design approaches, encouraging me to think about how my own designs can evolve while maintaining their emotional core.

Both Brian and Wendy, along with Toby, emphasized the significance of blending whimsy with realism, which I’ve integrated into my own work, particularly with the troll characters in Where Oskar Grew. Hearing about their meticulous attention to detail and their ability to create characters that feel both magical and grounded helped me refine my design process, especially in bringing emotion to my creatures through subtle expressions and body language. The experience not only deepened my appreciation for the role of world-building in creating emotionally resonant narratives but also inspired me to think more holistically about how my characters interact with their environments. The visit provided me with not only technical insight into their design processes but also a renewed sense of creative inspiration and a deeper understanding of how to blend the fantastical with the relatable in my own artwork.

Iris Compiet Iris Compiet’s work, particularly through her own studio and collaborations with publishers like Flesk Publications, has deeply influenced my approach to character and environmental design in the realm of fantasy. Her delicate yet detailed illustrations often blend light and shadow to create an ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere. What stands out in Compiet’s work is her mastery of texture, which she uses to bring an element of tangibility to even the most fantastical subjects. This has encouraged me to experiment with different textures in my own designs, such as the rough skin of my trolls or the soft, magical elements of the forest in Where Oskar Grew. Compiet’s nuanced use of color and light also inspires me to think more about how I use these elements to evoke emotional responses in the audience. Her ability to infuse her creatures with both grace and mystery has influenced how I approach emotional depth in my characters, especially in my troll designs, which must convey empathy and mystery without overwhelming the viewer.

Maurice Sendak Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are has had a profound impact on my approach to storytelling and visual design. The book’s integration of childhood imagination with raw emotional truths has shown me how powerful it is to use visual cues to tell complex emotional stories. The shifting landscapes in Sendak’s illustrations, from wild and chaotic to quiet and introspective, serve as a visual representation of the protagonist Max’s emotional journey. This has inspired me to consider how the forest in Where Oskar Grew might mirror Ingrid’s internal transformation, changing its mood to reflect her stages of grief. Sendak’s use of space, his carefully crafted characters, and his ability to convey vast emotional depth with minimal words have encouraged me to focus on using subtle, visual storytelling in my own work. Like Sendak, I strive to use the environment and the design of my creatures not just as backdrops, but as active participants in the emotional narrative. Through Where the Wild Things Are, I’ve learned the importance of pacing, mood, and silence in storytelling, and I apply these lessons to create a rich, immersive world in Where Oskar Grew.

[shipburner]

For the past week (or perceived week, she had only her watch to go by), Iris Henson had been using the ［ＬＯＮＥ  ＳＴＡＲ］ as a base of operations. The room was easily refindable, the food was edible, the beds were safe, and the staff wasn't inimical to human life.

Iris just wished that it wasn't so aggressively Texan.

Her partner, Stheno, lacked the cultural context, and treated it as just another one of the Memory Palace's cavalcade of oddities. And to be fair, it was plenty odd, since none of the animal or plant life implied by the ［ＬＯＮＥ  ＳＴＡＲ］ was native to Texas, or, in most cases, Earth. But the name – the intent of the food – the overall aesthetics – made Iris cringe harder than anything she'd seen yet.

To be fair, it wasn't all bad – the most requested jukebox tune was a passionate ballad of a truck's love for his man by a singer with a voice like a glass guitar, followed by a lot of mooing that allegedly translated to a song about rustlers having stolen all the singer's trucks. The staff appeared to understand human gender better than most humans did, and the Daisy-Dukes-and-close-tied-flannel uniform showed off a full spectrum of cheesecake, beefcake, cheeseburger, yeast block, singing mouth, and chassis. In fact, Iris couldn't remember ever having heard a mean word said in the place.

The biggest problem, flagrant Texaninity aside, was the floor show.

Stheno held a clear plastic umbrella in two arms, sporadically wiped it clean in a third, and held Iris' chocolate mousse behind them in a fourth, shielding Iris and her sketchpad from the spurts of blood and gore as the showpeople tore each other to bits. Iris was busy recording the anatomy of the most human-approximant staff members – glass skeletons intricately whorled to support their hydraulic muscles, nine cervical vertebrate clearly revealed whenever one got their skull pulled out, four stomachs in a familiarly ruminant arrangement … "Ooh!" remarked Stheno as something bounced off the umbrella; Iris shot out another arm and grabbed it before it fell to the sawdust floor. She turned it around and examined it. "Their hearts are wasps' nests? Huh. Not what I was expecting." "Just wood pulp," Stheno corrected, pulling it down to Iris' chest so she could see. "I'll be damned if wasps were involved in this." "Hm. Ooh, Nutella!" A hazelnut eye had ricocheted off a neighboring table and landed in the glass, shattering into fragments as it hit the adamantine pole of the tiny fancy umbrella. Iris handed her sketchpad to Stheno and stirred the fragments into her dessert, spooning it into her mouth. "I don't know how you have the stomach to eat this." "Like you know what it's like to have a stomach, Stheno." "Get fucked."

"YEEEEEEEE-ALLLLLLLL-RIIIIIIIIGHT, PARDNERS!" blared the sound system. "THAT'S A DE-CI-SIVE – AN' IN-CI-SIVE – WIN FOR MX. OPHELTEK! LET'S GIVE EM ALL A BIIIIIIIIG HAND! OOPS, LOOKS LIKE E'S ALREADY GOT ONE, AHAHAHAHA!" Mx. Opheltek held up the severed hoof-hand of eir last opponent over eir head. "WE'LL BE BACK AFTER THE BREAK! GET UP, GET ANOTHER DRINK, GO POWDER YOUR –" the last word sounded like "NOSE!", "MUZZLE!", and "GRILLE!" layered on top of each other. Stheno folded the umbrella gingerly as Iris got up to head over to the bar. "Jes' water fer the li'l misses, 'sright?" squawked the bartender. They were perhaps the least aesthetically consistent person in the place, being a swarm of parakeets inhabiting an articulated wire cage that Iris thought looked a little like Jimmy Buffett. "Mhm." Iris nodded, rubbing under her glasses. It had been a long day, especially when they'd had to brachiate through the ribcage of a Spearmint Hound carrying an unconscious lumberjack. Stheno squeezed her hand supportively and accepted the drink. "Heeeeeeeey y'all!" There was a heavy thump as someone slid onto the bar next to Iris, along with the squishy sound of body parts pushing themselves back together. "Whoof, I got splattered out there! Top me up, thank y'kindly …" A quiet snick noise accompanied the retraction of six glass claws as their owner held out a glass skull to be topped up with bloodwine. Iris turned to see a showgirl sitting on the bar, tall, tan, young, handsome -- Iris quelled the rising strains of "Girl from Ipanema" along with some unhelpful gay thoughts. The woman's hazelnut eyes took in the mutualistic partnership, flicking between meeting Iris' gaze and Stheno's. "Hey, how y'all doin'?" she said. "Saw the host here doin' some sketchin'; we puttin' on a good enough show y'wanna capture it?" She downed the bloodwine and wiped her lips, which Iris could now see were just lipstick painted around her mouth. Iris swallowed, voice suddenly ragged. "More … scientific interest. We're not … not from around here." "Ooh, you a bio nerd? I'm psych, myself. Workin' this job t' put myself through college." She took another long gulp and held out her hand. Iris shook it cautiously; Stheno circled a arm around them. "Annie-Mae, pardner; what're y'all's monikers?" Annie-Mae probably didn't notice the bit of Iris that died inside when Iris put together what her name sounded like. "Iris Henson." "Stheno." Iris reflected belatedly on the lack of differentiation between their voices -- clear enough to her and Stheno, but since they both had to use Iris' vocal chords, she wondered if Annie-Mae could tell who was which. "Nice t'meetcha! Am I gettin' y'all's grammar right?" Iris looked down at Stheno, who shrugged a pair of arms; Iris said, "… No, we think you've gotten the right take on our partnership." "Sweet! So what brings y'all around here?" "Stumbled through the wrong hole in space, both of us," said Stheno. "Now we're both stuck on this crazy-train of a castle." "Whoof! Sorry t' hear that, but y'seem like y'all're enjoyin' the show here." "I am," said Iris. "More … energetic than I'm used to, but I am interested." "Personally, I'm disgusted," said Stheno. "Well, ne gustibus te disputandum'n'all that!" Annie-Mae kicked a leg high in the air, which probably meant something like nonchalance in whatever body language her species had, but which caused Iris to suddenly become very interested in her water. "Y'all hangin' around here for the night?" "Think so, why?" said Iris. "Wonderin' if we can continue this conversation or if I'm keepin' y'all! Y'all're becomin' a regular; figure it's worth meetin' y'all, proper-like." She slithered down off the bar onto a stool besides Iris, resting her angular chin in her broad hands. "You two an item?" she asked, suddenly, voice sugary. Stheno's arms coiled, half under her own power and half under Iris', who stammered, "We're … uh …" "As romantically entangled as two people this physically entangled have to be, I guess," filled in Stheno. "We're a … package deal, at any rate." "Is this a deal y'all're offering?" Annie-Mae licked one of her eyes, grin glassy. Iris' throat stalled for several seconds.

Annie-Mae recoiled quickly, face falling. "Sorry, I can never judge how fast is too fast with visitants. I made y'all uncomfortable an' that ain't the ［ＬＯＮＥ  ＳＴＡＲ］ way." Iris shrugged. "I think we're both filing it under cultural relativity, and I gotta say -- the 'Lone Star way' where I come from is a lot less courteous than it is here." "I ain't rightly sure if I should feel good about that." Stheno rolled her eyes. "Trust me, you'll need a lot more of that bloodwine if we're discussing Iris' homeworld. Or mine, really, but we already went through the section of the castle that's got my cultural baggage attached. All the evil in this place is dramatic. Overt." Annie-Mae hung her head. "I ain't no damn good with y'all plausibly evolved folks." Iris patted her shoulder. "Better than we are, ma'am." Annie-Mae laughed. Well, let loose a horrifying screech, but Iris had heard enough of her species laugh before. She took another swig of her bloodwine. "So! How's bio life?" "Art life, actually," said Iris. "Anatomy studies, y'know? I mean. I hope it's art life. I don't know how 'getting sucked into a memed-up Borges novel gone metastatic' is gonna affect my major." "I'm just a tech," said Stheno. "Biological, but I went into trade." "Oh, ain't that jus' a zmood. Time's a fluid; y' should get back fine, if I remember anythin' from physics when I was a scrap." "Thanks, that's … comforting." "May I offer a restrained yet supportive 'yeehaw'?" "You may not," said Stheno, the joke clear enough in her tone, and bumped Annie-Mae's proferred fist. "Yee haw!" Annie-Mae said, the bisection of the word groaningly obvious to Iris' ears. "Thanks," said Iris, "I hate it." Annie-Mae sprayed bloodwine out of her mouth, Stheno opening the umbrella just in time to deflect it humorously. Iris couldn't help laughing too as Annie-Mae contorted, dislocating several joints with the force of her screeches. "Your – your deliv'ry – ho-leee fuck, Iris – hoooooooo dawg-geez, I needed that." Two minds trying to speak in unison through one set of vocal chords tended to produce a fairly good Voice of the Legion. "What can we say, except, you're welcome …" The reference didn't appear to land with Annie-Mae, but that was par for the course; frankly, Iris (and Stheno, in the case of her references) was more surprised when one did. Annie-Mae wiped her face and leaned back. "So, how's the art and/or trade life, funnybones?"

They ended up chatting far longer than any of them had in truth expected. Iris and Stheno described their own consistently-weird homeworlds and attempts to break into the art world/museum scene, respectively, and as the subjective night wore on, pipe dreams, like unseating Mike Mearls and claiming his skull-throne, or winning the Abomination Foundry Ceremonial Brisket for excellence in species design. Annie-Mae described her inconsistently-weird homeworld – the ［ＬＯＮＥ  ＳＴＡＲ］ and related rooms, and her efforts slowly working towards a psychology degree, and, later, her own pipe-dreams, about wandering through the mind of a long-dead god she'd found a few floors greenward and healing its hurts, or maybe just getting to rip her back off on Hellevision. The parakeethead behind the bar eventually had to shoo them upstairs, citing concerns about them turning the mops all "Sorcerer's Apprentice snuff film".

They told more stories, upstairs, of the time Iris and Stheno had faced the Xenomorph version of Billy Bob Brockali in rock-combat, of the time Annie-Mae had gotten a glimpse into what turned out to be an erotic baking show from Stheno's homeworld, and of loves lost and dreams deferred and huge old things seen when the viewers should have been asleep.

It would be nice to draw a curtain over the room, and praise darkness and creation unfinished. For indeed, Iris and Stheno had foes to face, friends to find, and, eventually, a way home, although for now we should perhaps send our well-wishes to Iris and Stheno not for homefinding but for overcoming the dour tentpole ghouls of Barthes' Necropolis, and for the assistance of the Warden Sueish, the only author who enacted his own narrative death. But before we send Iris and Stheno to go out deconstructing and to deconstruct, well-fed, well-rested, well-comforted, we have one stumbling block to place in their way.

Annie-Mae's hat hung on the bedpost atop Iris' pea coat; cowboy boots and sneakers lay jumbled together on the rug that might be called cowhide by someone who had never actually seen a cow. The room was dark, the air warm with breath and things that worked like breath. Stheno began to speak –

A squat, humanoid skeleton-creature poked eir cumberously-hatted head out of some fourth-dimensional space, hissing, "Niiiiiiiice…….." The words "CORPSE-GRADE QUICKLIME" flashed into Iris' eyes from eir shirt. Stheno lifted her bodily off the bed with all ten arms and sent Iris' feet plowing right into eir face. E made a noise like an EDM opossum and vanished with a puff of sand. "What'n tarnation was that?" Annie-Mae said, dazedly. Iris groaned. "That's … not far off. Eir name's Darnation, with a D. E's a skook. Skooks are the … Dante's Vergils of the Palace ecosystem, at least in our experience. E is a horrible little neman and we're probably being taught a really heavy-handed lesson by eir presence." "Yeesh. I can recommend a de-curser, if y'all think that'd help." Iris and Stheno turned all four eyes to her. "We don't." "Well, I can help y'all forget em." "We'd like that."

[This is my overwrought birthday present for @titleknown, inspired by the anon message posted above. What character, after all, is more a character than the fantastical Memory Palace?]

[Also, in the spirit of the thing, Annie-Mae, Iris Henson, Stheno, and Darnation are all free to use under a CC-BY 4.0 Vanilla License as you see fit as long as I, Nausicaä Harris, am credited as their creators when you do so. The Memory Palace, and the species I call skooks, are under the same license, as long as Thomas F. Johnson is credited as their creator. ETA: The anon on whose ask I built her character graciously gifted me with credit, and open-sourceness, for Annie-Mae.]

[And, while I don’t have designs for Iris or Stheno worked out yet, I do have a design for Darnation. Eir cheap trick is pocket sand; eir hat is meant to represent that e was born on a mountain, raised in a cave, and craves nothing but truckin’ and fuckin’.]

[femmesilk]

Fave Met Gala 2021 Looks Pt. 5

Sienna Miller in Gucci

Storm Reid in Prada

Suni Lee in SUKEINA

Taraji P. Henson in Moschino

Tessa Thompson in Iris Van Herpen

Yara Shahidi in Dior

[lovestruckhaze]

1. red - taylor swift

2. the 1 - taylor swift

3. iris - the goo goo dolls

4. lacy - olivia rodrigo

5. bsc - maisie peters

6. heartbreak baby - gretta ray

7. long way home - 5 seconds of summer

8. wish you were sober - conan gray

9. paper rings - taylor swift

10. fault line - gracie abrams

11. torn - natalie imbruglia

12. galway girl - ed sheeran

13. atlantic city - bruce springsteen

14. fade into you - mazzy star

15. skinny love - birdy

16. nocturne op. 9 no. 2 - frederic chopin

17. the last time - taylor swift

18. fearless - taylor swift

19. intuition - natalie imbruglia

20. no witnesses - keaton henson

21. betty - taylor swift

22. you’re on your own kid - taylor swift

23. history of man - maisie peters

24. poison & wine - the civil wars

25. none i’m pretty sure

26. cornelia street - taylor swift

27. liability- lorde

28. writer in the dark - lorde

29. since u been gone - kelly clarkson

30. can’t wait to be pretty - cate

free tags

doing it bc why not

1. pink in the night by mitski

2. $20 by boygenius

3. chemtrails over the country club by lana del rey

4. the last of the real ones by fall out boy

5. green light by lorde

6. shake it off by taylor swift

7. i know the end by phoebe bridgers

8. does graceland too by phoebe bridgers count?

9. true blue by boygenius

10. all my music is sad but um what was i made for by billie eilish

11. stick season by noah kahan

12. adore by amy shark

13. there is a light that never goes out by the smiths

14. lover by taylor swift or just exist by eliza and the delusionals

15. friday i’m in love by phoebe bridgers

16. nuvole bianche by ludovico einaudi

17. exile by taylor swift or defying gravity from wicked except i can’t hit the notes

18. mine by taylor swift

19. there it goes by maisie peters

20. buzzcut season by lorde

21. sofia by clairo or heather by conan gray

22. white dress by lana del rey purely because i like it

23. night shift by lucy dacus

24. buzzcut season by the mae trio

25. nothing compares to u by sinead o’connor

26. sofia by clairo and fall in love with a girl by cavetown

27. first love/late spring and thursday girl by mitski

28. garden song by phoebe bridgers

29. anti-curse & true blue by boygenius and chemtrails over the country club by lana del rey

30. sober II by lorde

tags:

@dumbassbella @lukiverse @im-dead-still @trashmeowcan @chanda-chamke-cham-cham @waitingforthesunrise @urlocalsadkid-l @isitovrnow

and anyone else literally

[brokehorrorfan]

The Dark Crystal Bestiary: The Definitive Guide to the Creatures of Thra will be released on October 13 via Insight Editions. The 168-page hardcover book is written by Adam Cesare (Clown in a Cornfield) and illustrated by Iris Compiet.

The immersive in-world guide brings to life the world of Thra and its inhabitants, from those created by Jim Henson for his 1982 film through the extended universe of novels and comics to Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

The Dark Crystal Bestiary is available for pre-order for $24.29 on Amazon. It features foreword by Brian and Wendy Froud, who helped create many of the creatures from the original film. The synopsis is below.

The Dark Crystal Bestiary is the definitive in-depth exploration of the flora and fauna found in the world of Thra. Created by Jim Henson for his 1982 puppet masterpiece, Thra is a remarkable realm in which all living things are connected and the lines between animal, vegetable, and mineral are blurred—rocks can sing and trees can walk! For the first time, this deluxe volume delves into the many creatures, plants, and beings created for the Dark Crystal universe, from the original film through to the expanded universe of novels and comics, and Netflix’s TV series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Filled with beautiful illustrations of the many specimens, each accompanied by in-world commentary on their unique biology, The Dark Crystal Bestiary is the ultimate guide to the world of Thra and its inhabitants.

[baubellum]

What an exceptionally good book day!

First I got a message from my local bookstore specialized in science fiction and fantasy. The Dark Crystal Bestiary illustrated by Iris Compiet had finally arrived. The choice of artist could not be better. It is with a feeling of a torch being passed on I see her take on Brian Frouds masterful designs from Jim Henson’s movie. She has done a massive job.

The exquisite nerve in her personal work shines through in many of the beautiful watercolors. I like her best in some of the lesser known creatures like the Guffle, Shrumpin or Shrookil. Perhaps in them she is less restrained by achieving a likeness. But to me the true testament for her love for this unique world is to be found in her landstrider artwork. It is truly as if she has had one to study in real life.

I am really happy to see Iris talent recognized by one of the gigants in the industry. It is so well deserved.

Secondly! I passed by my number one thrift shop and there really must have been some fairy magic going because lo and behold, there was a copy of Brian Froud and Terry Jones’ Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book to fit in a gap in my bookshelves I’ve been longing to fill for some time.

Perfect!

[thepowerofblackwomen]

Taraji P. Henson for Iris Covet Book