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ofmdrecaps · 1 year ago

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07/08/2024 - 07/09/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Rhys Darby: AfterMidnight; TheCryptidFactor; Taika Waititi; Time Bandits; Con O'Neill; Samba Schutte; Nathan Foad; Kristian Nairn: Beyond The Throne and Surprise Wee John Wednesday; Madeleine Sami: Deadloch S2!; Astra TV Awards Nominations; YouBearFineThingsWell Day 1; Gold Derby Voting Reminders!; Fan Spotlight: YouBearFineThingsWell; Cast Cards; Never Left Podcast; Sea God Ed; Non-Binary Awareness Week; Love Notes;

== Rhys Darby ==

Rhys was on AfterMidnight last night, and boy did he deliver! You've probably seen gifs, and images everywhere, and the list of links to youtube below are courtesy of the Rhys-Archiver Extraordinaire @wastingyourgum!

Part 1 - Intro

Part 2 - Tokbuster

Part 3 - Talk Show

Part 4 - Pop or Unpop

Part 5 - Hashtag Wars

Part 6 - Final

Please Note: That is a Great Big Cow Band T-Shirt he's wearing, talk about a Proud Dad <3

Source: AfterMidnight Instagram / Rhys Darby's Instagram

= The Cryptid Factor =

Video version of the new Cryptid Factor Episode is up their Patreon! Here's a preview on Dan's Schreiberland Instagram!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dan Schreiber (@schreiberland)

instagram

Source: Schreiberland Instagram

== Taika Waititi ==

Looks like the promotions for Time Bandits are finally here! First off is an adorable photo of Taika and the main kid of Time Bandits, Kal-El Tuck!

Source: Kal_El.Tuck Instagram

Apple TV released their full Promo Poster!

Source: Taika's Instagram

Next we have an interview with ScreenRant, Taika, and Jemaine!

ANNNND this article from Variety + more BTS Info from ScreenRant if you're interested.

Also, apparently I'm late to the game as Con has announced this before on WJW a while back-- so his won't be news to everyone-- but for those who didn't know-- Con will be in Time Bandits as well!

And last but not least, the full trailer with some amazing shots of Taika as the Supreme Being:

youtube

Side Note: There were some trolls out there on the Time Bandits trailer trying to spread some grump, and sassy Taika came out to play! Thank you so much to IBrokeCharacter on twitter for capturing this!

Source: IBrokeCharacter on Twitter

== Samba Schutte ==

Just a quick update from Samba in his Voice Acting adventures: "Sacré booth!🎙️✨🙏🏾"

Source: Samba's Instagram

== Nathan Foad ==

Nathan out with friends looking cute AF!

Source: Nathan Foad's Instagram Stories

== Madeleine Sami ==

FANTASTIC news! Mads is getting a season 2 of Deadloch!!

Source: Madeleine Sami's Instagram Stories

== Kristian Nairn ==

Can you believe it? Kristian's doing a signed version of his book that's coming out in September! It's even got a chapter about OFMD in it! Wanna get in on it? You can preorder them in the US/UK on his Linktr.ee!

AND THEN -- Last Minute Wee John Wednesday July 10, 2024 at 9 PM BST! Kristian and Nathan will be chatting about all things Beyond The Throne, Our Flag, catching up & answering questions!

Source: Kristian & Nathan's Instagram

== SO MUCH BELOW THE CUT ==

== 2024 Astra TV Awards Nominations! ==

Our friends over @adoptourcrew were kind enough to share that Our Captain has been nominated for "Best Actor in a Streaming Comedy Series!" at TheAstraAwards! Visit the article below!

Source: AdoptOurCrew's Twitter

== REMINDER!: Gold Derby Voting ==

Be sure to get your nominations in by July 10, 2024 9pm PST!Rhys, Taika, and Our Flag Means Death are up for some more nominations-- this time the Gold Derby for best Comedy Series / Comedy Actors! It does require you to sign up, but if you'd like to add to the nominations you can follow this handy guide: Voting in Gold Derby | OFMD Renewal Repository

Thank you again to @adoptourcrew for sharing the GoldDerby information!

Source: AdoptOurCrew's Twitter

== YouBearFineThingsWell ==

As you've probably heard, @adoptourcrew has started up celebrating the upcoming #HungryGames! Check out the daily plans! Fan contributions will be highlighted in the fan-spotlight below!

Source: AdoptOurCrew Twitter

Source: AdoptOurCrew's Twitter

== Sprizzy 'Arts & Crafts' Week ==

For all you Sprizzy fans out there, 16th-23rd July is Sprizzy Week! You can join the celebration by creating things with a general theme of Arts and Crafts (fic, art, craft, edits, music, cake… whatever you would like to make!) If you're interested, please follow the Sprizzy Week accounts below! Twitter / @xoxosprizzy on Tumblr!

Source: Sprizzy Week Twitter

== Gotcha For Gaza Updates==

The sign up period for Gotcha For Gaza has ended! Starting July 9 through Aug 9 you can donate to help raise money for Palestine (they must be to the specific causes listed on their Carrd) and submit a prompt to the artists and writers! Visit OFMD Action's Gotcha For Gaza Cardd for more details!

Source: ofmdaction's Tumblr

== Fan Spotlight ==

#YouBearFineThingsWell

Starting off the fan contributions of #YouBearFineThingsWell is our glorious crewmate Meaghan! Aka @ theMeaghan on twitter! I was seriously thinking about Paddington when this whole week as announced.

Source: TheMeaghan's Twitter

Next up is our fabulous crewmate Kate! aka @ Kaddele over on twitter! Never stop Kate! These are so much fun!

Source: @ Kaddele's Twitter

And how could we pass up an entry from one of our Gif-Master Generals @ofmd-ann!

Source: @ofmd-ann's Twitter

We even had a a fine video with the description: "This gentlebeard gentlebear 🐻 was SHOCKED" made by the spectacular Ashley aka @ Seven_Sugars on Twitter!

Source: @ seven_sugars Twitter

And last but certainly not least is the magnificent Sarah, aka @ chaotickraken91 on twitter! The bear family between the cake toppers really got me in the feels!

Source: ChaoticKracken91 Twitter

There were so many amazing submissions! I was only able to get permission for some but feel free to check out the hashtag on your favorite platforms for more! Great job starting off #YouBearFineThingsWell everyone!

= Sea God Ed =

As you can imagine, our fellow crewmates have begun to draw parallels between Time Bandits and our beloved OFMD! Another fabulous edit by the one and only Ashley aka @ Seven_Sugars on Twitter!

Source: Seven_Sugars Twitter

= Cast Cards =

@melvisik's back with Marcelo Olivas! Another frequenter to Spanish Jackie's in the Republic of Pirates!

Source: @melvisik's Twitter

= Never Left Podcast =

New episode of Never Left Podcast! This week is focused on micro motifs! Listen in on your favorite platform by visiting their https://linktr.ee/neverleftpodcast!

Source: Never Left Podcast Instagram

== Non-Binary Awareness Week ==

Happy Non-Binary Awareness Week friends! Sending so much love to all our Enby crewmates out there! This week is about celebrating the identity and experiences of all our non-binary friends, so as I find them I'll try to include some relevant articles as they roll in!

28 non-binary stars and activists making the world a better place

Source: Pink News Instagram

== Love Notes ==

Hey there Lovelies! Holy Moly! What a week it's been, and it's only Tuesday!! I cannot tell you how nice it is to see so many folks so excited! It's like we got an injection of pure dopamine from all the news, and I'm so happy it's helping everyone feel a little levity!

And you know what?

You deserve a break!

You deserve to feel happy!

It's been a lot lately, and some people might try to shame you for being happy about something while there's so much not so happy going on in the world, but please oh please remember, that you deserve to have happiness too.

Even if it's just a little here or there, or bounds of happiness -- you deserve a break from all the things you have to deal with every day. You deserve a chance to smile, and to laugh, and to enjoy this crazy life we live, and bask in the warm sun, or the cold wind.

You do not need to feel bad for enjoying yourself once in a while. No matter what it is-- even if its unrelated to the fandom, or anything that's happened the last couple days, please go out today or tomorrow and enjoy something.

Do you like tea? Drink a cup of your favorite tea!

Do you like going for walks? Get on out there and move those legs!

Do you like animals? Find a random neighborhood cat (not a wild one) and give it some much needed pets if it's friendly!

Do something that brings YOU joy, not anyone else. Take a moment to savor that feeling, hold it deep down in your chest where you can feel your breath coming in and out, and remember that you deserve to feel that joy, and you don't have to do anything different, or be any different to deserve it. 💖 Sending so many good vibes lovelies-- may your day be filled with excitement and wonder, or calm and love, whatever it is that will brings you joy. 💖

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bwat5-blog · 6 months ago

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A Clear Logical Look At The Grey: Warcrime or not?

**Spoilers For Arcane**

Alright. By now, I and many others have gone over "The Grey" in one way or another many times over. The discussion regarding Caitlyn's arc and story in season 2 has sparked just about every reaction imaginable, and the show has been over long enough that it seems the lines in the sand are drawn, and people are pretty much settled where they landed.

So, why am I getting into this again? Because I keep seeing the same term over and over from the anti-Caitlyn folks. "War Crime". And to be honest, I realized while I like every other adult in the world had heard the term in the news, movies, tv shows and more throughout my life, I really don't have a strong understanding to say one way or another if this was what people say it was. This will ONLY be related to her use of The Grey, as that is what I keep seeing pop up regarding this discussion.

To that end, what I'm doing here is attempting a clear, logical, easy to follow analysis of this question using real world sources and laws. A few things of note for clarity and fairness:

I am not educated or working professionally in any field related to this topic. I am a layman trying to present the argument and analysis in a clear and unbias way based the research I am able to do.

I am a huge fan of Caitlyn's story and have advocated logically only for the use of "The Grey" many times. For some of you that will invalidate anything else I say. That's fine. For the rest of you I just don't want you feeling that I was trying to get one over on you. This discussion is not going to deal with the story of the show, Caitlyn's growing aggression or any of that. I am simply hoping to address this particular issue.

Obviously, this is a discussion of a fiction substance in a fictional world. So while I am going to try and keep this as grounded as possible there may have to be a mental leaps required.

The use of chemical weapons in warfare and "war crimes" is an extremely serious topic with a history of death and horror. Any lack of sensitivity or respect on my part is not intentional I assure you.

WHAT WE KNOW:

Origin:

It is factory smog trapped underground. Caitlyn learns that her forebears created the ventilation system used to remove it from the Undercity. It is clearly harmful over extended exposure. Caitlyn sees medical sketches of people who have grown up under continuous exposure.

-"The people of the underground deserve to breathe"

First Time We See It Used:

Season 1 Episode 7: The Boy Savior-

Silco meets with the chem-barons and seems to use The Grey to put them in their place, although it is worth noting it seems different. We don't see that particular green haze when he releases it. Although I admit it is possible this was simply an artistic choice later. it is possible this is entirely different. But it gets mentioned quite a bit, so I think it is worth including.

The Strike Team:

This is part of Caitlyn's story where this comes into play. After the attack on the memorial a full force of Enforcers armed with Hex-Tech entering Zaun is imminent. Vi comes to Caitlyn assuring her that is not the way, as they will be on the Zaunite's terms and she must find an alternative. Caitlyn forms her team and goes to the council announcing her intent to enter Zaun. The Strike Team has 3 goals:

Dismantle Shimmer

Apprehend Jinx

Neutralize agents still loyal to Silco

Something to note for understanding:

Zaun is not independent. It is its own city yes, but it falls under the jurisdiction of the Council. Hence the need for the vote at the end of season 1. For further evidence, in the beginning of season one we see multiple instances of Enforcers moving freely in the Undercity with no issue.

What They Do-

With all that in mind, we see them actually engage in their mission. Using the very ventilation system the Caitlyn's family built they engage in a series of tactical strikes carrying out their objectives, using the grey to clear the streets of civilians and incapacitate enemy combatants in controlled and specific areas. Things of note to consider here:

Amanda Overton recently confirmed use The Grey was "strategic to a pinpoint". But did ask "still does that make it forgivable?"

2. Vi tells Jinx in 2x03: " We used the Grey to clear the streets. To keep people safe"

Now, there of course can be an argument made that Vi was simply trying to justify it to herself given the conflict she was obviously dealing with acting as an Enforcer. But I'm really trying to stick to what we know here and not interpret intention. So let's go over a few points:

They are after Jinx. And good or bad, love her or hate her, she likes to blow things up. Using that information anything that would clear innocents from the area before the Strike Team engages would be a logical decision.

I have seen this image making the rounds being used as proof that they targeted civilians-

This comes from the early portion of the Hellfire cinematic. This is not showing something they did in the current story. The dress of the people and the appearance of Zaun in the image tell us this. Additionally, the image is of the same color scheme and style as the older images Caitlyn sees while using the Kiramman key.

Known Exposures And Confirmed Symptoms:

Exposures-

Silco's Table:

Silco: Died by gunshot

Finn- Died by sword wound

Renni- Died when throat cut

Smeech- Died in fight with Sevika

Chross- Arrested? Hard to tell

Margot- Arrested? Hard to tell

Strike Team:

Jinx- Alive (we all know it)

Vi- Alive

Heenot- Alive (we assume, Caitlyn had him arrested)

Loris- Died from multiple arrow wounds

Maddie- Died of gunshot

Caitlyn- Alive

Steb- Alive

Unknowable amount of people in Zaun who were cleared from streets

Jinx's Attack On Piltover:

Unnamed little boy- Presumably alive

Unknowable amount of people in Piltover

*Presumably each of the surviving Barons. Various guards. Native Zaunites like Vi and Jinx have been exposed to it before certainly. These were just the ones I was confidant enough to document here*

Symptoms-

Painful irritation of eyes: Seen in essentially every exposure

Nasal irritation: Many characters sneeze but Heenot especially

Coughing: Essentially every exposure

Breathing Trouble: Seems to make it harder for some targets to breathe than others. (Assuming it was the same, Finn had extremely violent reaction to exposure compared to say Silco himself, who was standing there completely unmasked)

** It should be noted that we see multiple chem-baron foot soldiers laying on the ground when Smeech and his people arrive, in 2x02, however we get shots each of them confirming they are awake and breathing**

Possible Long Term Effects: Many people have expressed concerns over the potential of long term impact to the health of any and all who were exposed. In truth we just can't know. Obviously there are side effects to the people who have spent their lives breathing the Grey. But it is logical to suggest that short single exposure would not carry the same risk.

The Accusation:

Okay. The accusation of being made is that by using The Grey Caitlyn Kiramman committed what would be a war crime in the real world. In our world, this sort of thing is defined and laid out by something called "The Chemical Weapons Convention".

Classifying "The Grey"-

For our purposes, the comparison here is "Chemical Weapons" versus "Riot Control Agents".

Chemical Weapon- "A Chemical Weapon is a chemical used to cause intentional death or harm through its toxic properties. Munitions, devices and other equipment specifically designed to weaponize toxic chemicals also fall under the definition of chemical weapons"

Riot Control Agent- "Riot control agents are intended to temporarily incapacitate a person by causing irritation to the eyes, mouth, throat, lungs, and skin. Riot control agents, such as tear gas, are considered chemical weapons if used as a method of warfare. States can legitimately possess riot control agents and use them for domestic law enforcement purposes".

Effects: Tears, coughing, and irritation to eyes, nose, mouth and skin; constricts airway

_______________________________________________________

Now there are other types of Chemical Weapons of course. I list these only so you have all the various categories to investigate for yourself so you can see I'm not hiding something that matches The Grey.

Choking agents- Effects include fatal fluid buildup in lungs

Blister agents- Burning and blistering skin/eyes/windpipe/lungs

Blood agents- Cell's ability to use O2 impaired, leading to damage to all vital organs

Nerve agents- "Overstimulation of parasympathetic system effecting the peripheral and central nervous system, including: lacrimation, salivation, sweating, blurred vision, headache, difficulty in breathing and vomiting. In higher doses, nerve agents cause seizures, loss of body control, muscle paralysis (including heart and diaphragm) and unconsciousness"

Returning to RCA'S (Riot Control Agents)- As you can see above, states are permitted to possess and utilize RCA's for domestic law-enforcement purposes. But they are prohibited and classified as Chemical weapons when used in warfare. Which brings us to our next questions.

Summary: "The Grey" is essentially a symptom-for-symptom match for their example of an RCA.

Domestic Law Enforcement Or Warfare-

For a reminder:

Caitlyn is acting as essentially part of the council (since the seat is hers even though she never really takes it) but also under the auspices of the Council Of Piltover. Both Piltover itself and Zaun fall under their authority. Meaning they are quelling a domestic threat to public safety.

The show makes a point of Vi needing to be an Enforcer to assist them in an official capacity. The team Caitlyn leads is a team of Enforcers.

We see various instances in the show to reinforce this idea anyway, but in LOL lore, the enforcers are actually known as the "Piltover Wardens". The LOL official wiki describes them as: "The Law Enforcement organization in Piltover". But, for a more relevant Arcane example, the entire hunt for the kids after the explosion in season 1 act 1. Grayson and Marcus are tasked by the council with solving the crime.

They do not use the Grey to kill or harm. It is very specifically said by Vi to be used to reduce harm as much as possible and has no evidence of being fatal. It is being used to reduce violence and control the situation.

Summary: Caitlyn leads a team of members of the law enforcement agency that answers to the Council, into a city they have equal jurisdiction over, to quell a threat to public safety. While doing so they use The Grey with no intent to harm, but to control the situation and reduce violence.

Was Caitlyn's Use Of The Grey Proportionate and Targeted?-

So essentially what we need to consider is was Caitlyn's use of the grey while conducting the strike team's mission fair and disciplined. They knock over a stop sign you don't get to blow up the town square for example.

LSD Law defines Proportionality as the following: " A principle in international law that states the use of force should be proportional to the threat or grievance that provoked that use of force"

The Threat/Grievance (I realize there is nuance/detail to all of this just listing the hard details from Piltover's POV:

Jinx kills six enforcers and burns down a building so she can steal hex-tech gemstone

Caitlyn first hand has been almost killed by Jinx repeatedly

Jinx kills the sheriff of Piltover (corrupt coward but still happened) and several Enforcers in a massive explosion

Jinx easily abducts the daughter of a councilwoman from her own home

Jinx assassinates three councilors of Piltover, seriously wounding 2 others and several other people, and destroys the council chamber

Piltover is attacked by a large force of Zaunite warriors, including Shimmer hulks during a memorial that was supposed to be secure. Several fatalities. Confirmed attempt to assassinate at least one other surviving Councilor. They would have every reason to assume Jinx was involved given her recent activities.

The Strike Team's Response:

Five person team of Enforcers working in city they have full authority to be in.

Targeting Jinx, Shimmer, and Chem Barons.

Moved primarily through Ventilation system (they were not marching through the street in the open getting into firefights like storm troopers, for example)

Use of The Grey to clear the streets in areas there was going to be conflict and reduce/control violence. Which based on the parameters we have discussed I feel comfortable classifying an "RCA".

Grey was used only in extremely specific tactical locations as confirmed earlier in this doc by Amanda Overton.

Summary: A small, controlled, goal oriented team of people acting with full legal authority specifically targeting threats to public safety, moving as much as possible in way that does not endanger the public, and using RCA in pin-point tactical fashion for purposes of reducing violence as much as possible.

Conclusion:

Ultimately, I'm just another fan, and this is a very complex topic with way more to it than I'm probably qualified to speak on. I can say based on my reading and learning I do not believe it to be accurate or reasonable to call Caitlyn a war criminal for the use of The Grey. I recognize there plenty who will read this and disagree. And that's okay! Sadly though there are also those who won't bother to read it, and stick to their guns without being willing to broaden their understanding.

Like I said in the beginning I really just wanted to focus on the question at hand so I didn't get into the story motivations or anything. That being said, I hope this broadens your understanding and appreciation of the character and her story as it did for me. To all those who take time out of your day to read my rambling, I love and appreciate you all. See ya next time!

***I didn't want to put this in the beginning because I was trying to leave anything with any attitude out of it. Yes RCA's are permitted in domestic law-enforcement situations and not in warfare. This can lead to statements like " Your defending her for using something we can't even use in war"..... You know what is allowed? bullets'. Bullets are allowed***

#arcane season 2 spoilers #arcane #caitlyn kiramman #jinx arcane

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heroesriseandfall · 1 year ago

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Canonical Batfamily Birthdays

Here are all the birthdates I know of that are canon somewhere in DC, with a preference for the main comics continuities. I have included exact sources and image references when possible. I am not including character introduction dates, just actual birthdays.

If you find any other sources for Batfamily birthdays, please do share!

A moment of silence for Batfamily characters who don’t have canonical birthdays yet, so far as I know. This includes Damian Wayne, Stephanie Brown, Duke Thomas, and more. :(

Summary

Source images will be further down, but here’s an overview in roughly age order (I’m not sure of Kate vs Selina’s ages) with the dates the birthdays were introduced and used:

Tim Drake: July 19th (from 2003)

Jason Todd: August 16th (from 2004)

Cassandra Cain: January 26th (from 2002)

Helena Bertinelli: February 14th (in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold universe, from 2010)

Helena Wayne: September 7th (from 1984), potentially October 20th or the 22nd of unknown month or maybe October 22 or maybe Feb 28th (all the New 52 on passports from 2011-2012). These could also be New 52 Helena Bertinelli’s birthdays or nobody’s birthdays. who even knows.

Dick Grayson: March 20th (from 1995), October ~24th ish (from 1990), November 11th (from 1976), December 1st (on Earth-16 in animated Young Justice universe, from 2012)

Barbara Gordon: September 23rd (from 1976), sometime in fall (from 1987)

Selina Kyle: March 14th (from 1976)

Kate Kane: January 26th (in Batwoman TV series from 2020), March 21st? (word-of-god by J.H. Williams III from 2012)

Bruce Wayne: October 7th (from 2021), February 19th (from 1970s various to more recently), April ~7th (from the late 1940s)

Jim Gordon: January 5th (from 1976)

Alfred Pennyworth: April 8th (from 1976), August 16th (in the Injustice: Gods Among Us universe, from 2016)

Note: in this post when I say “main comics continuity(s)/universe” I’m referring to anything that’s been a “home” continuity for the comics at some point. For example, pre-Crisis Earth-2, Earth-1/New Earth, and Earth-0/Prime Earth, as opposed to Elseworlds or DCEU earths that are still part of the broader DC multiverse but have never been the primary continuity of the comics.

Below are further details and source panels.

Details and Sources

Tim Drake

Tim has only been given one canon birthday. He turned 16 on July 19th in Robin Vol. 2 #116 (cover date Sep 2003).

Robin Vol. 2 #116 (Sep 2003)

Jason Todd

Jason turned 18 on August 16th in Detective Comics #790 (March 2004). This is his only canon birthday.

Detective Comics #790 (Mar 2004)

In post-Crisis/preboot (1986-2011) continuity, there was a gap of six months between when Jason died and when he was resurrected (Batman Annual 25). Jason died April 27th according to his death certificates in Batman Annual 25 and Batman Files 2011, so he would’ve resurrected near late October.

Batman Annual 25 (May 2006)

So, it could be that post-resurrection Jason is biologically 6 months younger than he chronologically should be. But honestly, do we even really know what multiverse-breaking resurrection punches and then a Lazarus Pit on top of that do to someone’s body??? Either way it’s just much more simple to just use his chronological age.

Cassandra Cain

Much like Tim and Jason, Cass has only ever been given one birthdate: January 26th from Batgirl Vol. 1 #33. With that birthday, she turned 18 in Batgirl Vol. 1 #37.

Batgirl Vol. 1 #33 (Dec 2002)

When Jan 26th actually comes, Bruce suggests David Cain could’ve lied about it, but Cass denies that idea and continues to treat the day as her birthday.

Batgirl Vol. 1 #37 (Apr 2003)

Why it's likely her real birthday: Bruce initially believes Cain must’ve lied because he doesn’t think Cain could’ve known her birthday. However, we later learn Cain had lied about her origins and was actually her biological father. Batgirl v1 #62 and #73 show he was there for her birth and could absolutely know the date.

On top of that, in Batgirl #37 Cass remembers celebrating her birthday with him as a child, so he did seem to actually keep track of it. I honestly don’t see any reason to believe he’d lie (Bruce is just a jealous spoilsport).

Helena Bertinelli + Wayne

I’m combining them here because the New 52 gives me a headache.

Helena Bertinelli celebrated her birthday on February 14th in a spin-off comic from the animated Batman: The Brave and the Bold series. This is obviously not part of regular comics continuity and the characters differ from the usual comics in many ways. And yet, for reasons that will soon be clear, it’s my favorite for actually being about Helena Bertinelli the Huntress and for not being an utter mess.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #14 (Apr 2010)

In a character profile at the end of Infinity Inc. #7 (Oct 1984), Helena Wayne’s birthday was September 7th, 1959. Calculating back from October 1984, that would make her 25 at the time.

During the New 52, Helena Bertinelli was initially portrayed as a long-dead (secretly alive but don’t worry about it) mobster’s daughter and replaced by Earth-2’s Helena Wayne who got stranded on Prime Earth. This H. Wayne stole H. Bertinelli’s identity in the form of several forged passports and IDs, which had hints toward birthdates. The question is, can we take any of those birthdates seriously, and if so, which birthdates and for which character? (Cue my headache.)

Skip ahead to Dick if overthinking fake passports sounds boring.

When comparing to a real Italian passport, the date on H. Wayne’s fake Italian passport appears to be a birthdate. Note that the fake name is Carol Bertinelli, not Helena. H. Wayne said her IDs were inspired by H. Bertinelli but clearly she’s taking liberties for the IDs so that’s a point toward these being useless for H. Bertinelli birthdays.

Huntress Vol. 3 #1 (Dec 2011)

I don’t recognize the month abbreviation as a real abbreviation, but from the visible letter O I’m going to assume it means October. If it is, then the date is 20 October 1985. Sidenote: a 1985 birthdate during 2011 could put her age at about 26, which is actually quite close to how old she could’ve been based on pre-Flashpoint! 1985 has been given as Helena Wayne’s death year before, so it’s an interesting choice of a birth year for her. (Thanks to DC’s sliding timescale, though, birth years don’t actually mean anything in the comics.)

They don’t show her complete US passport, but I can see a “22” in line where the day of the month should be for her birthdate. This already contradicts the previous passport. This one uses Helena Bertinelli’s actual name, though–does that make it more relevant than the Carol one or this all still ridiculous because of the discrepancies?

Worlds’ Finest Vol. 1 #1 (Jul 2012)

We can try to glean the US passport birth month from the passport number at the bottom. The first two digits (“12” here) indicate the agency that issued the passport. 12 means the Honolulu agency. Right after “USA” is supposed to be the birthdate plus an extra number, in the order of year/month/day with the year being the last two digits of a year. Here we encounter another problem. It says 810228. This would imply her birthdate is 1981/02/28. That’s February 28, 1981. Since the earlier line indicated her birthday fell on a 22nd, this already contradicts itself.

Interpreting a Machine Readable Zone (MZR) on a Machine Readable Travel Document (MRTD)

However, I’d bet comic writers and artists aren’t always well versed in passport numbers (it’s already a stretch for me to bother checking it…). If they put the extra digit before the birthdate instead after, and the date is formatted month/day/year (the most common format in American English, so probably their first instinct), then we can drop the first 8 and it’s 10/22/8[?] with the last digit unknown. This would put her birthday as October 22, sometime in the 1980s. The 22 matches the earlier line, the October might match the previous passport if that really did say October (but contradicts the 20th), and the 1980s year could be 1985 to match the Italian passport.

At the end of the day I’m personally just going to let Helena Bertinelli be a Valentine’s born baby and call it a day, unless/until she gets a better one in the comics. For Helena Wayne I’d easily pick September 7th.

(My question is: did they give the crossbow vigilante a Valentine’s birthday as a Cupid joke??)

Dick Grayson

Dick has probably had the most birthdays of everyone (unless Bruce has more I don’t know about). All of them have their drawbacks.

In a main comics continuity, his most popular and most recent is “the first day of spring” so probably March 20th. This comes from Robin Annual 4 when his mom says she calls him Robin because he was born on the first day of spring. That presents some problems since there are other explanations given for the origin of “Robin,” including that his mom said he was “always bobbin’ along” (Dark Victory #12, page 17) or the original inspiration of Robin Hood (Detective Comics #38, p3).

Robin Annual 4 (Jun 1995)

Before that, in Secret Origins Vol. 2 #50 (Aug 1990), Marv Wolfman wrote a version of Dick’s origins where Dick turned 10 a week before his parents died on Halloween. That would make his birthday October ~24th (presuming that “a week” before Halloween literally means 7 days here).

Secret Origins Vol. 2 #50 (Aug 1990)

The first drawback of the October birthday is that it’s tied to Dick being 10 when his parents die on Halloween. Dick’s age and the date his parents die change a lot depending on the writer (Nightwing Vol. 1 #1 says his parents died June 27th, Dark Victory #8-9 says May, etc.). The second drawback is that few people remember this version of his birthday even exists.

Dick’s birthday is November 11th in Super DC Calendar 1976. Note: Despite being a non-diegetic calendar from almost 50 years ago, this source remains well known and used among comic enthusiasts (including those working at DC). Generally, I would say it should mainly apply just to pre-Crisis continuity, but it is also useful for characters that haven’t gotten updated birthdays ever since (like Roy Harper, Barbara Gordon, or Selina Kyle, for example).

Super DC Calendar 1976

Sidenote: Since Damian doesn’t have a canon birthday, November 11th is favorite to steal for my own fan canon Damian birthday. Dick has plenty birthdays to share and I think it’s cute. @ DC, give Damian and Steph birthdays, they’ve been birthday-less for decades!

Indeed, DC writer Tim Sheridan and editor Mike Cotton debated whether Dick’s birthday was in March or November. They favored March 20th and wrote a birthday scene in Teen Titans Academy #1 (published March 23rd, 2021). The publishing time near Dick’s birthday was intentional, though the date isn’t mentioned within the comic itself.

Link to tweet

The above birthdays were all meant to apply to a main comics continuity at some point. However, Earth-16, better known as the animated Young Justice universe (therefore outside of main comics continuity), says YJ Dick’s birthday is December 1st.

Young Justice Vol. 2 #20 (Nov 2012)

Unlike Helena Bertinelli, Dick has plenty of comics birthdays to choose from, so personally I’ll only count Dec 1st as being the birthday for YJ animated/Earth-16 Dick Grayson until or unless it’s ever mentioned to apply to main comics continuity.

Barbara Gordon

Super DC Calendar 1976 says Barbara’s birthday is September 23rd.

Super DC Calendar 1976

Since then, the only time I recall her birthdate hinted at is in Secret Origins #20 when her adoptive mom says her birthday is in the fall. This could support her birthday being September 23rd.

Secret Origins Vol. 2 #20 (Nov 1987)

Although she has celebrated her birthday on panel since then (the end of Nightwing Vol. 2 #153), she hasn’t been given any other actual birthdate. So I’ll keep September 23rd and call it a day.

Selina Kyle

Super DC Calendar 1976 says Selina’s birthday is March 14th. Once again, although it hasn’t been mentioned within a comic, it’s stuck around in popular consciousness (see: Catwoman actress Zoë Kravitz wishing Selina a happy birthday on March 14th).

Super DC Calendar 1976

Selina celebrated a birthday on panel in Catwoman (2002) #37 but the date was never mentioned. I don’t know of any other reference to her birthday, but my reading of Selina is thus far more sparse than my reading of the others.

Kate Kane

Kate’s birthday options all come from outside of the comics themselves.

In “An Un-Birthday Present,” season 1 episode 11 of Batwoman, a parallel version of her twin Beth had a driver’s license showing her date of birth as January 26, 1990. She and Kate later celebrated their birthdays on an episode aired Jan 26th, 2020. I don’t keep up with live action DC shows so I unfortunately can’t offer a screenshot (if anyone has one or the timestamp, please let me know!).

(I kinda wonder if somebody looked up Batwoman’s birthday for these episodes, saw Batgirl’s (Cass’s) birthday, and just ran with it. Batwoman and a Batgirl sharing a birthday is just. Ughhh.)

In 2012, one of her comic writers tweeted to choose a random date for her birthday and picked March 21st, which so far as I know has never been used as her birthday in comics.

Link to tweet

Bruce Wayne

Bruce’s most popular birthday is February 19th, but his most recent one is October 7th from the digital-only comic Legends of the Dark Knight. I believe that’s the only time October 7th has been referenced, but I’ve heard the animated show The Batman said his birthday was in October (can’t confirm, haven’t watched it recently).

Legends of the Dark Knight #10 (Jun 2021) - Note: two pages have been combined into one for this post

Still, even associates of DC seem to remember his February 19th birthday better. In February 2023, Warner Bro’s Gotham Knights game did a sale for Bruce’s birthday. I’ve also heard the birthday was used in the Gotham TV show, but again, I don’t watch much live action DC shows.

The February 19th birthday appears to come from the 70s and 80s. It’s his birthday in the Super DC Calendar 1976, and in Batman Family Vol. 1 #11: “Suprise, Suprise!” (May 1977). Bob Rozakis (known as DC’s “Answer Man”) said Feb 19th was Bruce’s birthday in the letter column of Detective Comics #494 (Sep 1980).

Letter column of Detective Comics #494 (Sep 1980)

Batman Family Vol. 1 #11: “Suprise, Suprise!” (Jun 1977)

Super DC Calendar 1976

Way back in the 40s, his birthday was in April, possibly April 7th. During a birthstone murder mystery, Bruce says his birthstone is a diamond, which is traditionally the April birthstone.

World’s Finest Comics #33/6 (Mar-Apr 1948): “The 5 Jewels of Doom!”

Star Spangled Comics #91 (Apr 1949) might imply the exact date was April 7th but we’d have to assume the party is on his birthday and that “this month” refers to the publishing month of April. I believe this is where people get the April 7th birthday when they bring it up.

Star Spangled Comics #91 (Apr 1949)

Early April also shines in Batman: Year One where it shows Bruce’s first night out as Batman being either the night of April 6th or the early morning of April 7th (Batman #405). So although the April Bruce birthday hasn’t been used in decades, it’s still a Batman birthday in a way.

I have also heard people say Frank Miller considered Bruce’s birthday to be in November. However, I have yet to find an original source of him saying that, and honestly (just like the “March 21st” birthday for Kate) if he never used it in any canon material I don’t put much weight in that.

Jim Gordon

The only birthday I’ve ever seen for Jim is January 5th from Super DC Calendar 1976.

Super DC Calendar 1976

Alfred Pennyworth

Alfred’s birthday in Super DC Calendar 1976 is April 8th.

Super DC Calendar 1976

In the Injustice: Gods Among Us universe (an alternate reality where the video game of the same name is set in), they show Alfred’s birth certificate, where it says his birthday is August 16th, 1943.

Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Five #26 (Jun 2016)

Maybe you’ll notice that August 16th is Jason’s birthday. A little funny considering the issue features Alfred refusing to share his birthday only for us to learn it’s the same date as Jason’s. Still, annoying. There are so many days in the year! Stop choosing the same ones!

This Alfred birthdate runs into a similar problem Helena’s birthdates did: it’s not part of main comics canon, it’s an alternate universe, so it may not be applicable to the main comics universe.

Note: if we calculate that 1943 birth year from Jun 2016 when the comic was published, that’d make Alfred 72 soon to be 73. Does that mean anything in canon? Probably not, but oh well. Also...token British character born by Windsor Castle? …of course.

Personally, I would rather go with the April 8th birthday than the Injustice one, since Injustice is an alternate universe. Also, outside of the humor of it, the idea of Alfred and Jason sharing a birthday is a bit too much for me. Still, it’s up to people’s own cherry picking.

Chronology

The birthdays in publishing order alongside notable reboots. A soft-reboot refers to reboots that only changed a few details with minor consequences, keeping the overall continuity mostly intact. A major reboot has significant effects on continuity (too many to list).

1935-1986: Pre-Crisis era (Golden Age begins ~1946, Silver Age runs from late 50s--early 70s)

Mar-Apr 1948: Bruce’s birthday is in April

Apr 1949: Bruce has a birthday party on the 7th of “this month”

Skipping a good three decades because I barely even know what’s in there. Sorry lol

Mid 70s to early 90s: Bronze Age era

1976: the super dc calendar says Bruce’s birthday is February 19th, Alfred’s is April 8th, Dick’s is November 11th, Babs is September 23rd, Selina’s is March 14th, Jim’s is Jan 5th

Jun 1977: Bruce celebrates his birthday on February 19th

Sep 1980: letter collumnist says Bruce’s birthday is February 19th

Oct 1984: Helena Wayne’s birthday is on September 7th, 1959

Mar 1986: the major Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot (begins post-Crisis/New Earth era, many previous comics are now considered Earth-2 instead)

Nov 1987: Babs birthday is in fall

Aug 1990: Dick turns 10 a week before Halloween (probably October ~24th)

Sep 1994: Zero Hour soft reboot (Batman and Robin become urban legends so Robin is not allowed on video, Bruce’s parents’ murderer is changed to unknown instead of Joe Chill, Selina is no longer a once-prostitute)

Apr 1995: Dick’s birthday is the first day of spring (probably March 20th)

Oct 2002: Cass learns her birthday is January 26th

April 2003: Cass turns 18 on January 26th

Sep 2003: Tim turns 16 on July 19th

Mar 2004: Jason turns 18 on August 16th

Jun 2006: Infinite Crisis soft reboot (Joe Chill is restored as the arrested Wayne family murderer, Superboy-Prime's punch retroactively resurrects Jason)

Apr 2010: In the Batman: Brave and the Bold universe, Helena Bertinelli celebrates her birthday February 14th

Oct 2011: the major Flashpoint reboot (end of post-Crisis/preboot, begins the New 52 and changes the primary universe to Prime Earth; significant character/timeline changes and erasures)

Dec 2011: Helena Wayne’s fake Carol Bertinelli passport seems to list October 20th as a birthdate

Jul 2012: Helena Wayne’s fake Helena Bertinelli passport lists some 22nd unknown month, Oct 22nd, or Feb 28th birthday

Sep 2012: Batwoman writer J.H. Williams III randomly picks Kate’s birthday as March 21st on Twitter

Nov 2012: Earth-16/YJ animated Dick Grayson celebrates his birthday on December 1st

Jun 2016: In the Injustice: Gods Among Us universe, Alfred’s birth certificate says his birthday is August 16th

Jul 2016: Rebirth reboot (restores some pre-Flashpoint continuity, some characters regain previous histories but now semi-synchronized with the New 52 era)

Jan 2020: Batwoman TV show Kate celebrates her birthday on January 26th

Mar 2021: Writer Tim Sheridan says he & his editor chose March 20th as Dick’s birthday over the November option

May 2021: Infinite Frontier holds all previous continuities as potential canon, restoring more of pre-Flashpoint

Jun 2021: Bruce says his birthday is October 7th in a digital-only comic

Feb 2023: Gotham Knights game has a sale for Bruce’s birthday

#batfamily #batfam #tim drake #dick grayson #bruce wayne #dc continuity #heroesriseandfall #cassandra cain #dc comics #jason todd #helena bertinelli #selina kyle #barbara gordon #jim gordon #alfred pennyworth

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summerlinenss · 1 year ago

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out of curiosity, if Max doesn’t release its metrics, then what metrics are you actually using to make these statements about the show’s popularity? what does “it’s currently in the 99.7th percentile of the comedy genre, meaning it’s in higher demand than 99.7% of all comedy series in the u.s.” even mean? How are you measuring what’s “in demand” - by who? Where? It’s bold to claim that this show was wildly popular (despite the fact that I never hear about it outside of tumblr, tho that’s a personal anecdote) but cancelled just for being queer, so I would be really interested to know where you’re getting all these numbers from. Thanks!

hey anon! first of all i am so sorry for the delayed response. i started typing something up and then i got distracted with something else and totally forgot about this in my drafts.

sure, i have no problem citing sources. i probably should’ve linked some in my original post, that’s absolutely fair.

this ended up way longer than i planned so bear with me, but a quick overview of what i’ll be going over:

1) what are the stats/where did they come from?

2) how is the show so popular?

3) was it really cancelled for being queer?

(also just a disclaimer that this will contain spoilers for the show)

1) first, the numbers

you’re right that hbo doesn’t release metrics to the public. in fact, ceo casey bloys tried to justify the cancellation to the hollywood reporter by saying “the numbers weren’t there,” despite refusing to say what exactly those numbers were or where they came from.

however, there are websites dedicated to researching/analyzing the data of different media. one of those is parrot analytics, who focus on industry insights like audience demand, competitive analysis, and content valuations. they’re trusted as a reliable source by forbes, the new york times, reuters, the wall street journal, and more.

this is what we can learn from them about our flag means death from a basic google search (note that all of this data is relevant to the last 30 days as of january 26 2024):

audience demand for our flag means death is now 33.6x greater than the average tv series in the united states. as explained in the “about demand distribution” section, this means it’s one of only 0.2% of all u.s. shows to fall in the “exceptional” performance range compared to the “average” demand benchmark of 64.1%.

the change in demand for ofmd in the u.s. has increased by 7.5% compared to the average tv series.

ofmd now actually ranks at the 99.8th percentile in the comedy genre in the u.s. i’m not a math person, but in basic terms, this is like a scale of measuring and comparing performances to create an average score. essentially, ofmd is performing at the very top of all comedy series in the u.s.

ofmd has 100% home market travelability. as it says above, the market of origin is always 100%, so in fairness i included the graph of international markets for comparison. some of these aren't super high, however (as explained by parrot analytics themselves) one of the key issues with the international market is accessibility to content, which has been an ongoing struggle for international fans. many people (i guess fittingly) have resorted to pirating ofmd because they don’t have access to max or affiliate streaming services in their country.

there are more stats i could have and wanted to go more in-depth into but it would make this even longer than it already is, so i’ll just leave some links you can check out if you’re interested and move on:

• comparison of ofmd's success to shows like ted lasso, euphoria, and peacemaker

• ofmd's placement as #1 most in-demand breakout series in the u.s. for 8 weeks

• ofmd's impressive 94% critics score and 95% audience score on rotten tomatoes

• how ofmd evolved from sleeper hit to a flagship series at max

• a list of ofmd's past and present award nominations/wins

• praise and recognition from news/entertainment sites: the atlantic (2022); the new york times (2023); tv guide (2023); vulture (2023); forbes (2023); the los angeles times (2022); vanity fair (2023)

2) so why haven’t you (or others) really heard of the show outside of tumblr despite all this success? likely because max did a terrible job marketing it.

ofmd first aired on hbo max (pre-merger before it was “max”) in march 2022. the entire season aired over one month, every thursday at 12am pst. season 2 followed a similar release schedule in october 2023.

season 1’s marketing was almost non-existent, pretty much relying on taika waititi’s name being attached. there was one teaser and one full-length trailer, as well as a few clips on youtube of taika and rhys darby answering pirate-themed trivia, all painting the show as a “silly pirate workplace/buddy comedy.” but hbo max didn’t put any real effort in because they didn’t care. david zaslav and the other higher-ups had no faith in the show and expected it to fail.

most people weren’t aware it was actually a romance due to the poor marketing, and although there were many romantically charged scenes between them, many were still wary to believe it wasn’t queerbaiting until ed & stede confessed their feelings and kissed.

showrunner david jenkins has said in interviews that he had no idea how deeply queerbaiting had hurt audiences and impacted their ability to trust what’s on screen without feeling like they’re being ridiculed, despite the fact that he was calling it a love story the whole time. it wasn’t until people realized they weren’t being queerbaited and that it was a funny, sincere show with a compelling plot that word-of-mouth began to spread. by the time the season 1 finale aired, there was a decent-sized fandom that continued to grow as it received more praise.

it was a fight to even get the show renewed for season 2, and david jenkins and the cast have majorly credited that renewal to the unexpected and massive fan response to the show, which basically forced hbo’s hand.

max didn’t bother trying to properly promote the series until season 2, when they begrudgingly accepted that it was one of their most profitable and successful shows. ofmd had huge billboards in times square, downtown los angeles, and on the side of hbo headquarters. they started accurately marketing the show as not just a workplace comedy at sea, but a heartfelt romcom. max began selling long-demanded merch (which became best sellers) and spent money on an FYC campaign.

i will emphasize, whether they liked it or not, they knew ofmd was their new moneymaker (especially with the recent end of succession, which was obviously a cash cow for hbo).

photo credit: @/bookishtheo

3) now if it was that successful, was it really cancelled just for being queer?

i mean, i can’t say that definitively. no one can. there are several potential factors at play that we may never know, and there have been a lot of rumours and speculation (many of which i don’t feel comfortable discussing in case they aren’t true) since the cancellation.

but do i believe the fact that it’s a queer romcom was one of those factors, especially since max has a history of cancelling and scrapping its most diverse projects? absolutely.

first and foremost, i can’t stress enough that this isn’t just a show with a few characters thrown in for token representation. ofmd is built on a diverse, intersectional cast and narratives, including:

• lgbtq+ representation: 5 main couples are explicitly queer (including mlm, wlw, nblm, and nblw relationships). multiple characters are implied to be poly, and there’s a polycule forming in season 2 that was hinted to be developed more in season 3. beyond relationships, it’s confirmed that (similarly to the way wwdits depicts all vampires as being pansexual) all of the pirates are somewhere on the queer spectrum.

• bipoc representation: the majority of the main cast are people of colour. this includes david fane, joel fry, leslie jones, samson kayo, vico ortiz, anapela polataivao, madeleine sami, samba schutte, ruibo qian, and taika waititi, as well as many guest actors (like rachel house, simone kessell, and maaka pohatu) and extras.

• disability representation: multiple characters have physical disabilities, most notably amputated/prosthetic limbs and visual impairment. a lot (actually most) of the characters also deal with mental health issues, particularly coping with severe trauma and suicidal ideation/behaviour.

• the show has been praised for addressing difficult and serious themes like toxic masculinity, colonialism, and self-discovery, all while still managing to be a witty comedy and not come across as “preachy.”

• the diversity also extends off-screen, with a team of directors, writers, and additional crew comprised of numerous bipoc, women, queer people, and trans/non-binary people.

my point isn’t just the quantity of representation, but the quality. they take great care and respect into every marginalized group depicted on-screen. the actors would often be consulted about their characters’ costumes, hair, tattoos, and the kind of language they use. it’s not a world where discrimination magically doesn’t exist, they just have zero tolerance for it. if a character does something homophobic or racist, you can guarantee they’ll quickly (and often violently) be punished.

so okay, sure, it’s got great representation. what does that have to do max cancelling it?

because they’ve been interfering with production from the start.

i already mentioned the marketing issues so i won’t get into that. it was also revealed in interviews with david jenkins after season 2 that hbo cut their budget by 40%, which is why they had to do everything they could to save money. this included letting go of some of the original cast (and even still having episodes where some of them don’t appear at all) and moving the entire production to AoNZ. the budget cuts also meant two less episodes, so they had to rush to fit an entire season’s worth of plot into eight half-hour long episodes.

but one of the biggest frustrations is hbo’s (alleged) censorship of the show. samba schutte revealed that the entire plot of episode 2x06 was completely different in the original script. before it was rewritten as “calypso’s birthday,” the episode took place during lucius & pete’s wedding and focused on the crew getting sick of the sexual tension between ed & stede and trying to get them to hook up (this aligned with lucius & pete getting engaged and ed & stede deciding to take things slow in the previous episode).

vico ortiz and writer jes tom have also commented that many scenes between jim, oluwande, and archie establishing them as a polycule were cut, including one of the three of them emerging from a bedroom in their underwear. jes has mentioned other elements of season 2 that had to be cut out or rewritten, like the implication of other poly dynamics between the crew and more sexually explicit scenarios and jokes.

considering that ofmd is an extremely sex-positive show that isn’t afraid to be raunchy or taboo, it’s clear that either higher-ups at hbo forced them to cut these things out or they had no choice but to cut them out due to tight budget/time restraints.

in addition to this, a recent article citing an “anonymous insider” has alleged that hbo was uncomfortable with and was unsure how to market the “shock violence” in the show (the same network that aired game of thrones), which david jenkins outright called out as being bullshit. ofmd is rated TV-MA and the posters and trailers all show the audience that it contains violent content. there is literally nothing more graphic in ofmd than any other pirate show — it’s probably a lot tamer than most of them, actually.

violence on the show is most frequently used in a comedic context, in the sense that it’s not meant to be seen as scary or taken seriously. the few instances of serious graphic imagery on the show are meant to invoke a mood shift, like ed’s transformation into the kraken or ned low’s murder. it should also be noted that some of the most graphic deaths are reserved for bigots, like ed snapping the neck of a colonizer who was ridiculing stede’s love letter.

it’s also most often used in a sexual context — not sexual violence, but violence as a sexual metaphor. more specifically the act of stabbing as a metaphor for penetration, as seen with both ed & stede and anne & mary. bearing all this in mind, it seems like the real issue here isn’t executives struggling to market explicit violence to a mainstream audience, but rather explicit gay content.

as much as we joke and affectionately call it the “gay pirate show,” ofmd has always been nothing more than an opportunity for rainbow capitalism for hbo (e.g. the fact that they waited three months to announce season 2 just so they could do it on the first day of pride month). like other cancelled queer media, ofmd was a way for hbo executives to show how “inclusive” and “accepting” they are when it was convenient (aka profitable) for them, but they never actually respected the show or us as a community.

it’s impossible to be certain of what the exact reasoning for cancellation was, especially when they won’t give us a clear answer themselves. and maybe it had nothing to do with ofmd being a queer romcom at all. maybe that’s all a horrible coincidence. but for hbo/max to axe a critically acclaimed and beautifully inclusive show that’s successful by every metric, with an extremely devoted fanbase, especially after casey bloys just had the nerve to ask “gay twitter” to hype up the gilded age? it doesn’t exactly put them in the best light regardless.

in summary, i’ll leave you with this editorial, which details how the campaign to save ofmd isn’t just about one show, but a fight to save the future of all queer art.

#asks #anon #ofmd #our flag means death #save ofmd #renew as a crew #fuck david zaslav #queer media

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alittlehurtwithyourcomfort · 1 year ago

Text

The Dragon Prince Whumplist

Character: Callum (voiced by Jack DeSena)

Age Rating: TV-Y7 (FV)

Show available on Netflix

Genre: Animation, Found Family, Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Synopsis: In the magical land of Xadia, magic comes from six primal sources: the sun, moon, stars, sky, earth and ocean. When human mages create a seventh kind of magic -- dark magic -- they start capturing and harvesting the unique magical creatures they need as ingredients, which sparks a war between Xadia and the Human Kingdoms. Three kids from opposite sides of the conflict -- two princes and an elven assassin sent to kill them -- discover a secret that could change everything and decide to join forces and go on an epic journey. That trek could be their only hope of ending the war and restoring peace to both worlds. (Via Google)

Notes: This show is GOOD. If you like ATLA, you'll enjoy this. It gets progressively darker and more violent as the show goes on, so fair warning for that. The relationships between the characters are amazing, and there's also great diverse representation! I highly recommend.

TW's: Violence, mild blood/gore, death, child abuse/neglect, child endangerment, mild emetophobia

List Key:

bold = most whump, best whump, or favorite whump scenes

~ = a scene break

THIS LIST CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE SERIES!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

1x01: sparring ~~ upset, argued

1x02: teary-eyed, emotional goodbye ~~ knocked around, holding his head ~~ threatened

1x03: betrayed, stressed ~~ manhandled, restrained, voice taken (by magic), heavy breathing ~~ scared, gets voice back and coughing ~~ terrified, shocked and teary-eyed, out of breath

1x04: stressed ~~ held at swordpoint

1x05: stressed

1x06: extremely worried, scared

1x07: emotional conversation, stressed

1x08: scared

1x09: scared, stressed

2x01: sad, stressed

2x02: extremely emotional, sobbing ~~ grieving

2x03: grieving, worried, teary-eyed ~~ sobbing, comforted ~~ betrayed

2x04: stressed

2x05: grieving, stressed

2x06: crying

2x07: glowing eyes, passes out, concern for him ~~ helped to stand, weak

2x08: helped to walk, delirious, weak ~~ in pain, delirious, unconscious ~~ terrifying dreams ~~ concern for him ~~ struggling to breathe, concern for him

2x09: still struggling to breathe, held, concern for him, wakes up gasping

3x01: stressed

3x02: none

3x03: stressed

3x04: stressed

3x05: stressed

3x06: emotional

3x07: out of breath, almost passes out

3x08: frustrated

3x09: stressed ~~ choked, gasping for air ~~ crying, terrified, almost falls

4x01: stressed ~~ startled ~~ solemn, crying

4x02: stressed, startled

4x03: angry ~~ solemn

4x04: angry ~~ scared, choking, half-collapsed, possessed, body puppeteered, glowing eyes ~~ still possessed, concern for him, collapsed, unconscious, held

4x05: crying, choked up ~~ emotional conversation

4x06: stressed

4x07: emotional conversation, "i need you to kill me", talking about possession

4x08: stressed ~~ sleeping spell, weak, collapsed unconscious

4x09: rough awakening, scared

5x01: stressed

5x02: stressed

5x03: stressed

5x04: terrified, worried about his aunt

5x05: stressed

5x06: none

5x07: half-collapsed, magical exhaustion, struggling to breathe, helped to stand, supported, concern for him ~~ tired ~~ hands chained behind his back, chin grabbed/manhandled

5x08: unconscious, chained to a pole, shaky breathing, slowly waking up, scared, threatened, electrocuted/beaten (off-screen)~~ slowly waking up, still chained, blood and bruises on his face, heavy breathing, in pain, chin grabbed/manhandled ~~ scared ~~ manhandled, hands chained behind his back, stumbling, collapsed/forced to his knees, concern for him, weak ~~ extremely worried, yelling, angry, knocked out ~~ chained, struggling, pained voice, collapsed ~~ weak, "blood freezing", choked, gasping in pain, struggling, dropped, struggling to breathe, concerned ~~ sad, concern for him, hugged, guilty

5x09: concerned ~~ slammed into the ground, restrained

#whump #whump community #whumplist #whump blog #whumplists #whump recs #whump list #animated whump

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sirfrancisvarney · 1 year ago

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So as the show is halfway through, and before episode four drops, I've tried to put together and organize all the information I've gathered so far.

In 2005 (18 years ago), Anders Lund found Tsalal station. Raymond Clark joins. The shots of the website don't show when everyone else joins, but some of them join within the next few years. The source of Tsalal's funding is hidden by several shell companies that link back to Tuttle United.

Seven years ago (or possibly earlier), in 2016, Annie Kowtok insists on joining her friend on her visit to Tsalal station, and immediately starts a relationship with Clark. This behavior is apparently unusual for her. Did she go to Tsalal specifically to meet Clark? Why keep it a secret? Also in 2016, Clark bought a trailer. It's assumed this was used to meet Annie K in secret.

Next year, sometime in spring 2017, Oliver Tagaq left Tsalal for reasons unknown. In April, Annie is killed. She records herself, clearly frightened and afraid of getting caught, on her smartphone in what appears to be an ice cave, saying, "I found it. It's here. I found it, I found it. My name is Annie Kowtok. If anything happens to me please--" she's pulled away from the camera and she is heard screaming. The camera view at the end is on the skeleton of some marine animal encased in ice.

On April 18, Annie's body is found. She was stabbed 32 times with a star-shaped instrument, ribs and teeth broken. She was kicked after her death and her tongue was cut out. Four days later, on April 22, Clark gets a spiral tattoo that match's Annie's. I don't know how long it takes to arrange getting a tattoo, so I don't know if he already had plans to get it, or if he got it because of Annie's murder.

Time passes. At some point, Clark turns the trailer into a shrine of some sort for Annie. The mannequin in the bed is wearing her cardigan, and there are baby dolls and children's toys placed around it, possibly a reference to her role as a midwife.

Clark covers his research notes with writing, including repeated phrases and words such as "her eyes her face," "I can hear her coming/moving outside," "cold," "dark," and "her fingers." It's unknown when this behavior started.

Fast forward to the end of 2023. A few weeks before the show starts, Clark's behavior becomes noticeably stranger. At some point before December 17, he obtains Annie's smartphone, which appears to have video of her last moments, and he is assumed to have acquired her tongue. He could have gotten these at the time of Annie's death, or at any point since. If he didn't take Annie's tongue himself, maybe getting them caused his mental instability to get worse?

On December 17, the last sunset of the year, a hunter watches as a herd of caribou get spooked from an unknown stimulus, and flee. It's unknown if this is connected to the events of the series, or merely meant to be symbolic. On the same day, the water in the villages goes bad, for reasons unknown. The mine is blamed. Also on December 17, the scientists at Tsalal are living their lives, relaxing in the evening, doing chores. Anders Lund is going over old data on a whiteboard (no spiral is visible on his forehead). Molina is filming himself making a sandwich, when he sees Clark, shaking or shivering. Part of Clark's hair is dyed blue, and where his hair touched the parka, the dye has transferred. He has clearly been outside in the snow. When Molina asks if he's ok, Clark turns and says "she's awake," which is immediately followed by a power outage that also affects Molina's smartphone.

On December 22, the delivery guy arrives and finds the place empty. A figure moves inhumanly fast through one corridor, but no other sign of life is present. The TV is playing "Twist and Shout" in repeat. He finds Annie's tongue on the floor underneath a table (several feet away from where Clark had been standing) and calls the police.

The next day, Rose finds the bodies of the scientists. They are frozen together, almost completely buried in the ice, bodies twisted in agony. They are naked, with burnt corneas and blood from their ears. Some have scratched their eyes out or bit themselves. Lund has Annie's spiral drawn on his forehead. Somehow, he is also still alive. (I don't know if this is important, but Danvers had to brush snow away to see the spiral, but Rose knew about it and told Navarro. Maybe it was more visible when she found the bodies and snow covered it before the police arrived, maybe Travis told her.) The scientists's clothes were found folded neatly near the corpsicle. The shoes look like indoor slippers, and it's likely that the clothes match what they were all wearing the night of December 17. A single handprint was taken from one shoe. It appears to be missing part of the ring and pinky fingers on the right hand (or they just couldn't get the print of those fingers).

Lund wakes briefly. He tells Danvers and Navarro, and I quote, "we woke her. She's awake. And now she's out. She's out there in the ice. She came for us in the dark."

Those are all the relevant facts concerning the main murder case (to my knowledge) as of episode three. I suppose I could have included a picture of Annie's stab wounds, but I couldn't make any kind of pattern out of them, or take a guess at what the weapon was. There's also the snow Navarro hit in the first episode, but I couldn't tell what it is, or if it's anything more than dirt and snow piled on the road. Personally, they do not suggest a microbial origin or cause. Diseases take time to infect, and they don't progress in everyone at exactly the same rate. The scientists were found together, practically climbing over each other. They died at almost exactly the same time, apparently in abject panic. I don't think a disease can kill that precisely. How did Clark avoid getting infected, since he lived with them all? Plus, whatever happened to them happened shortly after the power outage, since Molina' left his sandwich behind. One would assume he meant to eat it, since he went through the trouble to make it. The death of the scientists, the power outage, and the water going bad are all too closely linked in time to be unrelated. I wish I had a map of Ennis. I'd like to see how close these are in physical distance.

I also don't think there are any real clues to be found in the website. Their bios look about like what you'd get if you asked someone to come up with backgrounds for people studying ancient microorganisms in glacial ice. Plus, I think most of the scientists are ultimately going to be unimportant as individuals. Out of all eight men, Lund and Clark are the only ones focused on by the narrative. When interviewed, the cleaning ladies only mentioned Lund (yelled at them for touching his stuff) and Clark (his crying, probably over the brutal unsolved murder of his girlfriend kept them from being able to clean his room) by name. Lund survived (for a while, at least). Clark is missing and is closely connected with Annie's case. Oliver Tagaq mentioned Lund by name when he learned the scientists were dead. (On a side note, I really wish Danvers and Navarro (mostly Danvers) hadn't been so hostile when questioning him. They might have gotten more information from him if they hadn't gone at it like assholes. Granted, that's practically an impossible task for Danvers.) The rest, sadly, don't seem to be important. They are effectively ignored and dismissed, much like how they ignored the cleaning ladies.

So what could have happened on December 17, and how is it tied to Annie's murder? Honestly, I don't know yet. I'm not sure there's enough information given to answer those questions. Lund's speech and the way the scientists died suggest a supernatural explanation, but other details surrounding their murder seem to suggest more prosaic, human causes. There's no sign of a struggle at the station, but maybe someone cleaned up after themselves. The way part of the note at the bottom of the whiteboard is erased looks unusual, like it could have happened accidentally. Maybe someone got knocked against it, or their coat brushed against the board when they were writing the message. It's also possible the murderer was able to make them all leave without a fight. The power had just gone out, so maybe they all gathered together to put it back on? Where's the circuit breaker or generator for the station? Maybe that's where the actual crime scene is. The folded clothes feel like something you'd make a person do right before you execute them, sort of like making your victim dig their own grave. It could also have the opposite motivation: I could see a person not in full possession of their faculties (like Clark, or maybe one of the cleaning ladies in a fugue state) instinctively trying to straighten things up. Both feel like very human actions.

Finally, who is "she"? Is that even the right question? When did "she" wake up? The scientists didn't seem to be doing anything that would trigger her awakening on the 17th, so it must have happened before. I wish I knew more about what made Clark's mental illness ramp up in the weeks before sunset. It feels like there could be an important clue there. Too bad Clark is missing and anyone else who could answer the question is dead.

#true detective #true detective night country #spoilers #long post #hope all of that makes some kind of sense #i still don't know how the polar bear fits in #i need to stop obsessing over this show #i have other stuff i need to do

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mazarinememories · 11 months ago

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About the Blog & the Author Behind It

The Blog:

This blog's primary focuses include: Star Trek (The Original Series and TOS films), the Spirk ship (Kirk/Spock), other variations of ships of the triumvirate (Spones, McKirk, and McSpirk), and anything regarding Leonard Nimoy, the actor who portrayed Spock in Star Trek: TOS.

The blog was created to showcase the blog author's creations and contributions to the Star Trek fandom (coming soon, I promise). It's also to record other important contributions to the fandom; such as artwork, fanfiction, music, zines, memes, edits, behind-the-scenes facts and photos, as well as TV show and movie screen caps and scenes.

The blog was first created on November 20, 2023, but not revamped until July 16, 2024 for the Star Trek fandom.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog occasionally features text and images that are NSFW, so minors be warned (you can still interact with me, but just be wary of any adult-themed content you might see on my blog). It's also not spoiler-free -- proceed with caution!

Reason for the URL:

Mazarine: being one of the names of the author of the blog, meaning "deep blue color".

Memories: the author has always had a fascination with psychology and memories. This is also a nod to the many decades of hard work, passion, and dedication from many of the cast, writers, filming crew, and fans who kept this series alive; the legacy of multiple forms of art left behind; and the inspiration of many people to pursue STEM careers and further the advancement of human society.

The words put together: the memories of the blog's author that give them a reason to live, to be strong, to be logical, to never give up despite the hardships of life, and to leave the world a better place than when they first entered it. The URL also has a nostalgic feel to it, as the series is a source of nostalgia for some.

The title:

Ad Astra Per Aspera is Latin for "through hardship to the stars". Not only is it a personal favorite motto of the blog's author, it's also a most fitting quote for Star Trek's philosophy.

Tag system:

#about mazarineasc: Anything about the author. ('About' on site.)

#mazzy's logs: The author's thoughts and experiences in the Trekkie fandom. ('Logs' on site.)

#mazzy's asks: Any asks sent to this blog or any asks the author sends to other blogs. ('Interactions' on site.)

#mazzy's oeuvre: Original work by Mazarine, including: fanart, fics, vids/edits, audio, etc. ('Oeuvre' on site.)

#mazzy's posts: Original posts by Mazarine. ('OG Posts' on site.)

And the author makes their entrance...

My name is Mazarine A.S.C. (Mazarine Alcine Severen-Cress). I also go by Mazz, Mazzy, Mazzy Star (like the band), and Masc. (Someone once called me 'Mezzanine' and I accept that too, I like Massive Attack.) I'm a fic writer as well as a fledgling vidder and archivist. I'm also an active participator of KiScon as well as their Discord server as of July 2024.

I'm 22 years old, genderfluid/nonbinary, and a certified lover of women and enbies. My preferred pronouns are they/them/theirs.

About my name: I chose this moniker to identify myself because I wanted a unique, debonair, gender-neutral name that had the same vibes as Yves Saint Laurent or Christian Dior (not that I shop those brands but it's to give you a good picture of what I was trying to go for).

The meanings of each name are as follows:

Mazarine: Deep blue color. Feminine and French origin. The hex code for the mazarine color is 273c76.

Alcine: Strong-willed. Gender-neutral and Greek origin. (I found it when trying to look for 'witchy' names.)

Severen: Stern, severe, austere. Masculine and Latin origin.

Cress: From atop of the hill. Gender-neutral and French origin.

I like to think that when the names are put together, it means: "The stern witch from atop the deep blue hill."

My profile picture is a cropped image of one of the pictures displayed in the New York Times article regarding the death of Leonard Nimoy. (Note: the article is paywalled.)

About Mazarine the Trekkie

How Mazarine Got Into Star Trek:

I was first introduced to Star Trek like many other people have been: their relative putting on a few episodes of The Original Series or The Next Generation on TV during childhood and watching in awe as the characters solved problems in a futuristic time on a weird and wonky planet and learning a lot about themselves along the way.

I didn't truly pursue an interest in Star Trek until 2020, however. But months before I started watching the series, I stumbled upon an interesting fanvid... that's right: "Closer". Because I had no clue what exactly it all meant ("What if they never returned to Vulcan in time?" and all the spicy clips of two men going at it), I was very confused, but fascinated! I was already quite interested in mlm and yaoi content and had harbored such interests for years before encountering that video. I didn't know at all that Kirk and Spock were shipped, let alone of how much of a legacy and impact it had left.

It wasn't until the night of September 1, 2020 (I theorize that's the exact date), that I started watching TOS. I'm someone who prefers to watch in release order because I believe that's the best way to understand a franchise. This was back when Netflix carried all of the Star Trek shows and movies. It was in the midst of the pandemic and I was starting college. I had plenty of time on my hands apart from online schooling and freelance work, so why not start watching shows and movies I had been meaning to try? I decided to start with Star Trek. I was in my living room and I found The Original Series, and selected the very first episode: "The Cage". I found it cerebral, but interesting; I kept watching despite how cheesy the 60s production value was.

Never in my life had I seen a single show from the 60s at that time, except for The Twilight Zone. The production style was completely new to me: it was colorful, the sounds were softer than today's TV shows, and it had so much more dialogue. It was engaging even for my bad attention span. The writing of the characters was so intricate and life-like, it was no wonder the show caused such a mania and cult following.

I mostly used it as background noise whenever I did work, chores, or creating art. I was still able to pick up what was going on thanks to the frequency of the show's dialogue. In time, Spock and his suave ways began to grow on me. I noticed the way Kirk and Spock interacted with each other and began taking a liking to their friendship. Eventually, I began shipping them a little bit.

One night, I was doing some scrapbooking and I had Star Trek on. Dr. McCoy was voicing his concerns about Spock to Captain Kirk and Nurse Chapel was running out of Spock's room while he was yelling at her. The Vulcan stormed out, and his face looked so angry. I snapped my head up from my journal and my eyes were instantly glued to the screen. Now this, I HAD to watch.

My art abandoned, I watched with great interest as Spock reluctantly explained to his commanding officer that he needed to take an early leave because of a fatal condition that came every seven years and could only be satiated via coitus. I gazed with anticipation as T'Pau approached, as T'Pring declared Kal-if-fee, and when Kirk was then made to battle his first officer and best friend to the death. I leered at the screen as they fought, their theatrical movements and bodies rolling in the sand putting me in a trance. Kirk's shirt tears in a place I had no idea I needed to see. I watched in horror as Spock eventually, and inevitably, delivered the final fatal blow.

"Well, what the fuck are they gonna do now? Kirk is dead!" I thought to myself.

T'Pau bade him Live Long and Prosper. Spock forlornly responded, "I shall do neither."

My heart palpitated with an indescribable feeling upon hearing that. In sickbay, Spock was about to relinquish his authority, then I smiled like an idiot as Kirk came up right behind him.

"Don't you think you better check with me first?"

"Captain... Jim!"

And thus, a trekkie is born.

I literally GASPED out loud, hands covering my mouth, eyes going wide as saucers. He smiled. He fucking smiled. And a real smile this time -- not one caused by drugs or one of those slight smiles of amusement! A real, motherfucking smile! Oh, it was beautiful. Thank you so much, Nimoy!

The episode concluded with McCoy's sarcastic remark, and I'm left sitting in my chair giggling like crazy. Spock became my favorite character that night; and Nimoy, my most favorite actor of all time.

A moment later, it hit me like a truck: the "Closer" video! My eyes went wide as I suddenly remembered the video and then I pieced the puzzle together.

"I ship it." I whispered happily to myself.

Then, came the falling down the rabbit hole: the 3 AM fanfiction readings, the hours of perusing Tumblr blogs, hunting down rare Star Trek paraphernalia, cosplaying, discovering KiScon, and eventually joining the KiScon Discord server and making a lot of wonderful friends there, on Twitter, and Tumblr. Now I'm here, writing this About Me page to pin at the top so you can groan at how long this is. Thanks for putting up with me.

The show gave me a sense of optimism during the heavy turmoil of 2020 as it did for those in the 60s. Like many others, it inspired me to get into STEM, so I changed my course of study years after starting college and began teaching myself statistics, programming, and medicine.

I love being a Trekkie. I love that the fandom still persists to this day despite it dwindling, but I thank the internet for keeping it alive and well and warmly welcoming new people with open arms. I enjoyed watching my brother get into Star Trek, and now we can't stop quoting the original films to each other. The impact it has even to this day is timeless and unreplicable. It's art in itself. Gene Roddenberry claimed he was no guru, but it doesn't take anything less than a genius to create what he did.

Favorites:

Character: Spock (TOS version)

Show in the series: The Original Series

Films: The Motion Picture, V: The Final Frontier

Favorite episodes: "Amok Time" (S2E1), "I, Mudd" (S2E8), "The Corbomite Maneuver" (S1E10), "The Menagerie" (S1E12/13), and "Assignment: Earth" (S2, E26)

Ship pairing: Spirk (Kirk x Spock, or K/S, or "The Premise")

Show tropes: the way Kirk looks at Spock, Spock and Bones bickering

Fanfic tropes: old married Spirk, pon farr, domestic life (living together in San Francisco or the flop in "The City on the Edge of Forever")

Quote: "Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many far outweigh the needs of the few." "Or the one." "You are my superior officer. You are also my friend. I have been and always shall be yours." (The Wrath of Khan)

Scenes of all time: When Spock Realizes Kirk Isn't Dead, Spock Motivates Kirk to Take Command, Spock's Arrival on the Enterprise, This Simple Feeling, It Gives Me Emotional Security

Favorite fanart: I Shall Do Neither by Nox Zaiden

Favorite fanfiction: And Filled With Tomorrows by Android_And_Ale (Pairing: Kirk/Spock, Rated: E, Words: 5,886, Published: March 22, 2024)

About Mazarine Themselves:

Interests:

Star Trek: TOS

Wong Kar Wai films

Portishead (90s band formed in England)

60s gogo dancers

Geisha and maiko (Japanese culture)

Psychology and mental health

Art history

LGBTQIA+ history

Writing (poetry, plays, and fanfics)

Documentaries/docuseries of literally anything

Favorite Things:

Colors: mazarine blue, sky blue, indigo, lavender, mauve, jade green, seafoam green, ivory, black, and vermillion

Singers/Bands: Portishead, Fleetwoood Mac, Björk, Massive Attack, Mazzy Star, Röyksopp, Daft Punk, The Flaming Lips, David Bowie, Garbage, Nirvana, The xx

Song: "Glory Box" (Portishead, 1994)

Music Genres: house, trip-hop, electronica, jazz, classic rock, industrial, k-pop, alternative/indie, lofi, vaporwave, 60s garage rock, and anything 70s, 80s, and 90s.

Actors: Leonard Nimoy, Michelle Reis, Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, Lauren Bacall

Authors: Franz Kafka, Sylvia Plath, Margaret Atwood, V.E. Schwab, Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allen Poe

Films: Fallen Angels (Wong Kar Wai, 1995), Frances Ha (Noah Baumbach, 2013), 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968), American Graffiti (George Lucas, 1973), World of Tomorrow (Don Hertzfeldt, 2015), Deathwatch (Vic Morrow, 1965)

TV Shows: Star Trek (TOS), Arrested Development, Parks and Rec, Nathan For You, Community, Better Call Saul, The Sopranos, Squid Game, The Good Place

Directors: Don Hertzfeldt, Wong Kar Wai

Art: Ballet Rehearsal on Stage (Edgar Degas, 1874), The Brooch. Eva Mudocci (Edvard Munch, 1903), Fireflies on the Water (Yayoi Kusama, 2002), Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow (Piet Mondrian, 1930)

Interesting Facts About Me:

My astrological signs are Aries Sun, Pisces Moon, and Taurus Ascendant.

I'm an INTJ-T on the MBTI scale. (I know the history of it, but I still found it interesting.)

My ancestral research has linked me to Irish and Scottish druids, as well as Nordic vikings. It's quite funny, because their blood now resides in an anxious shut-in obsessed with a fictional show.

My hobbies include writing, poetry, journaling (regular journaling and bullet journaling), listening to music, learning languages (currently Japanese, Mandarin, and Arabic), collecting CDs, reading fanfiction, doodling, and people-watching.

My ultimate goals in life: to become a psychiatrist, a published author, a playwright; to live in Massachusetts, travel the world, and see every Star Trek show and film.

I'm older Gen Z, born in 2002.

I have maladaptive daydreaming disorder (MDD).

I own a first edition copy of Killing Time by Della Van Hise and a signed copy of Leonard Nimoy's autobiography I Am Spock.

My Socials:

Linktree

Discord: mazarinememories (Please, feel free to friend me there! I love making new Trekkie friends and just any new friends in general. I think I'm pretty cool.)

Email (for artistic inquiries): mazarine.asc @ gmail.com

By all means, friends: be well to each other. Live long, and prosper.

Ad astra per aspera.

#about mazarineasc

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hauntedparaclassics · 3 months ago

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Jillian Lauren is 2nd Celebrity Wife Charged with Attempted Murder Tied to TV’s ‘Ghost Adventures’

Posted on: April 10, 2025 - Last updated on: April 10, 2025

Corey Levitan

Victoria Goodwin wasn’t the only celebrity wife charged with attempted murder tied to “Ghost Adventures”

Jillian Lauren Shriner, wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner, visited the TV show to talk all about murder last year

Before Victoria Goodwin, wife of “Ghost Adventures” star Aaron Goodwin, was arrested last month for allegedly conspiring to murder her husband, the Las Vegas-based reality TV series had another dalliance with a celebrity wife charged with attempted murder.

According to TMZ, Jillian Lauren Shriner, the better half of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner, filmed an upcoming episode of “Ghost Adventures” back in November. Shriner has made national headlines every day since being shot and injured by LA police on April 8.

The incident occurred during a search for hit-and-run suspects that ended up at the couple’s house in Eagle Rock. According to local media reports, Shriner had opened fire at one of the suspects after they tried breaking into her property.

When police arrived, Shriner then emerged from her house with a weapon pointed at them and refused to drop it, despite “numerous” demands, according to an LAPD press release. She “then pointed the handgun at the officers,” who shot her in the shoulder.

Shriner, 51, was arrested for attempted murder.

Not Murder-y Enough for Ya?

Shriner’s “Ghost Adventures” episode — filmed at Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum in Las Vegas — was all about Samuel Little.

Little was a serial killer who confessed to 93 murders, mostly of women, between 1970 and 2005. He died in 2020 in an LA County hospital at 80 years old, with no cause of death publicly confirmed.

Shriner is a bestselling author best known for her memoir “Some Girls: My Life in a Harem.” She appeared on “Ghost Adventures” because she wrote a book about Little and also somehow ended up in possession of his ashes, which she turned over for Bagans to display last September.

The tabloid website reported that Shriner recounted her experiences interviewing the psychopath for her “Ghost Adventures” episode … including some graphic threats he made to her.

He also painted a portrait of her, on display at Bagans’ museum, which she noted was terrifying because Little was only known for painting portraits of his murder victims.

Source: Casino.org

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ofmdrecaps · 6 months ago

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12/27-31/2024 Daily OFMD Recap Part 2

TLDR; David Fane & Rachel House; Anapela Polata'ivao; Connor Barrett & Brian Gattas; Dominic Burgess; Damien Gerard; Christopher Corbin; Adopt Our Crew Lists; Articles; Fan Spotlight: Tiny Crew Big Raffle w/Lindsey Cantrell Interview and BTS; Our Flag Means Fanfiction; Love Notes;

Continuation of Part 1

= David Fane & Rachel House =

Are you in Aotearoa and want to show your support to the Maori people? Our dear Fang, David Fane (and Mary Reed, Rachel House) shared how to's on how to make a submission on the Treaty Principles Bill. Check out more at Koekoeaa's Instagram!

Source: David Fane's instagram

= Anapela Polata'ivao =

Anapela was out at PerthFest with other members of the Tinā film!

Source: Anapela's IG Stories

= Conner Barrett & Brian Gattas =

Our Hornberry and Siegfried are out and about with friends for the holidays!

Source: Brian Gattas Instagram Stories

= Dominic Burgess=

Dominic, aka Jeffrey Fettering, aka the cat-content king of social media is back with more cats!

Source: Dominic's Bsky

= Damien Gerard =

Our Father Teach is on vacation for the holidays and he sent so much love our way!

Source: Damien's Bsky

= Christopher Corbin =

So you may remember, our "We Could have Made Magic" Pirate, Christopher Corbin played santa in a an NFL ad recently. He posted the progression from Chris to Kris Kringle, and I just had to share it because it made me giggle!

Source: Christopher Corbin's instagram

== Adopt Our Crew ==

Our absolutely awesome fan crew, @adoptourcrew put together some lists regarding our dear show, and it looks like 30 different articles featured OFMD as one of the worst cancellations of 2024!

Source: Adopt Our Crew Bsky

They also put together a list of the Select 2024 Media Mentions! OFMD averaged at least one media mention per week! Holy cow!

Source: Adopt Our Crew Bsky

== Articles ==

Thank you to @adoptourcrew as always for the many articles OFMD has been featured in recently!

Source: Adopt Our Crew Instagram

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Tiny Crew Big Raffle =

In honor of the Tiny Boats raffle, the @ofmd-buys-boats team had an Interview with our dear Set Dresser, Lindsey Cantrell! You can read the full thing on their substack-- here's a sneak preview!

They were kind enough to let me share the info here as well!

"Amy: What was your favourite set to dress? Linds: What a hard question. The favorite that first comes to mind is John Bartholomew's Captain's Quarters. The scene where Zheng Yi Sao leads a raid on Bartholomew's ship, and then convinces him to join her crew. The day we were going to shoot this scene was pulled up in the schedule, so during a few lunches and a few private rehearsals, I was brought over to the unfinished set to get my opinion on the status of its dress. What to add, where to move items, take away, etc. And it needed to get done quickly. We were pulling dressing from all over. Production Designer Ra and Art Director Troy really wanted it to be layered. They were discussing someone who'd lived in that space for ages. Our Set Dec team left the bones of it in a good place, but on the day we went to shoot it, we still scrambled a bit throwing items together for more chaos (some good ideas, some bad- ie: a stool ended up on top of a dresser?) I still love the way the lighting was shot through those windows and how it all came together. Plus, didn't that charcuterie look delicious?"

Source: OMFD Buys Boats Instagram

"Amy: Speaking of the tiny boats, we’d be remiss if we didn’t ask about them too - how did you make them and how long did it take you? I can testify from making repairs to our broken ones that they’re fiddly little things! Linds: Yes they are! The strain on my eyes that week! The bases of these tiny ships are custom lead molds created in the Propmakers Workshop. Next, painted and aged brown. Then, one by one I stabilized them and carefully drilled one tiny hole in the semi-center of each ship's base. Hoping each time that I didn't push too hard or for too long, potentially breaking through to the bottom. So I held my breath and got through all of that step. Off to the side, I had the makings for the tiny flags. I painted and aged what felt like a million toothpicks to start. Trimming off the bottoms of one end so they would sit flat inside my pre-drilled hole. I cut the different pieces of construction paper in a tiny triangle with one flat end, and put a line of glue on that side to place underneath a toothpick and rolled it over to hold. Some bits of my fingertips are definitely attached to the glue inside those tricky little flags. When my deadline was getting closer, I started to just begin placing the dried flags inside the bases the next day. Until I found some of them falling over by the time I came back from lunch. So then I realized I needed to add one tiny drop of super glue into the hole first. The final precise measure was making sure when I held the flag down to attach, that I was holding it straight up & down. Sounds easy enough, but if you're only looking at one side, you may be pushing the flag down and away. So if you check your other angles afterward, you'd notice it's leaning to that opposite side, as if the tiny ship is in a storm, someone told me. [...]"

Source: OFMD Buys Boats Instagram

Once again-- for the whole interview and additional BTS please check out their substack! Thank you so much @ofmd-buys-boats for not only giving us this wonderful gift but allowing me to share some of them as well!

= Our Flag Means Fanfiction =

Our friends over at Our Flag Means Fanfiction are looking for more co-hosts!

"Everyone is always invited to be a part of the podcast! Here are 3 ways you can be involved (if you can think of more ways, definitely share them!) 1) Narrate a fic for a minisode! Just get the author's permission first then e-mail the audiofile (mp3 or wav) to [email protected]. Everything you send in, I will put it on the pod. 2) Want to be on an upcoming episode? Just DM here or send an email and consider yourself included the next time we record. 3) Have a group of friends and want to make your own episode? Do that! Just make your own podcast episode using zoom then send the audiofile to [email protected] and I'll edit it (remove all the pauses, ums, and anything else you want cut out). This is an all-inclusive, open-source, podcast. Everyone who wants to be involved, can be! #ofmd#ourflagmeansdeath#fanfiction"

Source: Our Flag Means Fanfiction Instagram

The next Gay Pirate News Hour airs on Jan 4, you can check it out on the Our Flag Means Fanfiction Youtube!

Source: Our Flag Means Fanfiction Instagram

== Love Notes ==

I really am so sorry I'm so behind lovelies. I hope you all had a wonderful and restful holiday season. I'm going to share a few extra love notes tonight because I've seen some really lovely stuff the last many many days -- and I have so much to say and haven't had a way to do so.

The first I wanted to share is from TheLatestKate with the message I most want to send to all of you. This year has been a hell of a time, and you have no idea how very grateful I am that you were here to share it with me and so many others, and still are.

Source: The Latest Kate's Instagram

Life can be so damn hard and sometimes it feels like you just aren't making any progress... or your impact isn't as big as you want it to be.

I wanted to remind you though that the earth spins at 1000 miles per hour (1,600 km/hr), that's 24,000 miles per day (38625 km/day)... but sitting on it, it doesn't seem to be moving at all. Now look at it from space, and you can see it rotating, you can see the light of the sun reflecting off of it. You can see all the lights on the dark side, and the clouds, and the winds, and vastness of the oceans. That's what I see in you. That's what others see in you. We can see all the wonderful things you are, and how brightly you shine because we aren't living it second to second like you are. So please believe me when I say this-- you are capable of anything, and you are doing SO DAMN WELL despite this crazy life.

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A post shared by Katie Abey ☀️Angela Sandland 🧚🏻 spirituality and creativity (@happinessenchanters)

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Source: Katie Abey's Instagram

Our Pirate Queen shared this one (I couldn't remember if I'd shared it before, but here it is again if so!). Your softness, your creativity, all of that is your strength and I will die on that hill.

Source: Ruibo's Instagram Stories / HopeHealingArts Instagram

Lastly, I just wanted to say thank you for being a part of this little community called the OFMD fandom. This crew is phenomenal, and it has brought out so much love and healing in me (and so many of us) this past year. You are beyond a doubt some of the kindest, most badass people on the planet, and I am so very happy I get to share what little bits of time I can with you. I am slow to respond to things right now because of how crazy life is, but please know I'm here if you need me. I want so very much to see you succeed, and grow, and bloom in this crazy messed up world we live in. You are the change, and the softness this world needs, and I believe whole heartedly that each time you are kind to someone, you emit a wave of change that makes the world a better place. Rest up lovelies. Happy New Year <3

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A post shared by bailey (@anxiety.positive)

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Source: Anxiety Positive's Instagram

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the-vampire-queer · 2 years ago

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The Vampires Digital Media Poll: Round 2, Bracket 1

Creator's note: I recommend taking extreme caution as you vote for this one. It is easy to accidentally confuse these two, so be careful when choosing.

Please reblog for a bigger sample size.

Results get posted on December 20th. at 5PM CST.

| Next poll ->

If you wish to learn more about your options, either as a refresher or an introduction, press the "Keep reading" button.

What is Interview with the Vampire (1994) about?

Summary: "Born as an 18th-century lord, Louis is now a bicentennial vampire, telling his story to an eager biographer. Suicidal after the death of his family, he meets Lestat, a vampire who persuades him to choose immortality over death and become his companion. Eventually, gentle Louis resolves to leave his violent maker, but Lestat guilts him into staying by turning a young girl -- whose addition to the "family" breeds even more conflict." Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Source: Interview with the Vampire (1994)

Cast:

Brad Pitt - Louis de Pointe du Lac

Tom Cruise - Lestat de Lioncourt

Kirsten Dunst - Claudia

Christian Slater - Daniel Molloy

Antonio Banderas - Armand

Note: Cast lists provided here are not complete lists of people and characters featured in the media being listed. These are partial lists that include some of the main characters and their actors.

Additional information: This movie is based on the Anne Rice novel of the same name. Anne Rice was an author who wrote 13 books for her book series The Vampire Chronicles, which starts with the book, The Interview with the Vampire. In 2022, a tv show of the same name was created, also based on the book(s).

What is Interview with the Vampire (2022) about?

Summary: "In the year 2022, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac lives in Dubai and seeks to tell the story of his life or afterlife to renowned journalist Daniel Molloy. Beginning in early 20th-century New Orleans, Louis' story follows his relationship with the vampire Lestat [de] Lioncourt and their formed family, including teen fledgling Claudia. Together, the vampire family endures immortality in New Orleans and beyond. As the interview continues in Dubai, Molloy discovers the truths beneath Louis' story." Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Note: Rotten Tomatoes incorrectly labels Lestat de Lioncourt as "Lestat du Lioncourt". This is corrected by me via brackets.

Source: Interview with the Vampire (2022)

Cast:

Jacob Anderson - Louis de Pointe du Lac

Sam Reid - Lestat de Lioncourt

Bailey Bass - Claudia (will be replaced by Delainey Hayles in the next season)

Eric Bogosian - Daniel Molloy

Assad Zaman - Armand

Note: Cast lists provided here are not complete lists of people and characters featured in the media being listed. These are partial lists that include some of the main characters and their actors.

Additional information: This tv show is based on the Anne Rice novel of the same name. Anne Rice was an author who wrote 13 books for her book series The Vampire Chronicles, which starts with the book, The Interview with the Vampire. Previously, in 1994, a movie of the same name was created, also based on the book(s).

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cannotthinkofanaccountname · 2 years ago

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Notes on the new Goosebumps series

1) Lucas and Margot are adorable, I ship

2) Isaiah needs to chill with the jealousy towards Lucas

3) I'm not offended by the whole "Woke" thing, but I personally don't think they need to keep reminding the audience that James is Gay in nearly every episode. Like, we get it, he's Gay, and that's fine! But come on, just leave it at that. 4) The whole plot revolving around Harold Biddle being burned to death in a house fire after a prank gone wrong, and then coming back to get revenge on the kids of the parents who killed him, gives me both Carrie and Nightmare On Elm Street vibes. I like. 5) From what I've read on ONE website, Chris Geere is APPARENTLY going to be voicing Slappy. Anyone not familiar with him he's a British actor who played Roger Clifford in Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (2019) as well as the lead role playing Jimmy in the 2016 TV series "You're The Worst". If this is true, I think he's gonna do awesome and all the human characters in a Goosebumps story are once again gonna be upstaged by a Ventriloquist Puppet XD (I say "If this is true" because only one website has stated Chris Geere will be the voice of Slappy, but it does not exactly look like a trustworthy source. If this is untrue, they had better remove the article and stop telling lies about Chris Geere, given that the SAGAFTRA strike is still happening).

#goosebumps #goosebumps 2023 #slappy the dummy #disney plus #hulu #goosebumps slappy

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wolfgiselle · 1 year ago

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Character Reaction Fanfictions (watching the show/movie or reading the books) -Recs -

One of my favorite tropes in fanfiction is characters being forced to watch/read/react to their own stories. Unfortunately, a good majority of these are crap. Readers looking for these stories often have to dig through a lot of coal to find just one diamond in the rough. Here's a list of the ones I’ve managed to find. Ones that aren’t just a written recreation of their source material.

Is This The Way It Ends Now? by Seastar98 (Death Note) (Finished) This is one of my favorite Death Note fanfictions for a reason. It doesn’t make us watch or read the dialogue or action of the show along with the characters; It assumes we’ve already seen it and focuses on the character’s reactions (what we’re actually here for) and gives more character development to some of its minor characters (Mello, Near, and Matt being clear examples. I was happy about this in particular since my favorite characters in Death Note are Matt and Matsuda). L and Light end up together, but romance is not the focus.

Hunter x Hunter / Assassination Classroom by EternalQuestForGoodFics (Finished) Basically, Killua ends up in the Assassination Classroom world. To go home, he must eventually allow his classmates to watch the HunterxHunter series to learn more about him and where he came from. These two fandoms are a great matchup, and Killua is one of the best characters to end up in the AssClass world. Seeing Killua bond and make a new friend out of Nagisa made it worth reading alone. Their reactions are part 2 of the series.

MHA X Hunter by makifinity (My Hero Academia / Hunter x Hunter) (In progress) This is a good fanfiction where the My Hero Academia characters watch the HunterXHunter anime together instead of their own show. What makes ‘this’ great is how different the two worlds are and the morals that hold them together. I love that the villains are also involved in this viewing room since, in most My Hero reaction fics, the villains are left out of the experience and don’t get to have their own voices and opinions about what is happening on screen.

The Journey of the Unholy Trinity by Arremi (Code Geass) (In progress) If you’ve been in the Code Geass fandom long enough, you’ve probably seen a few of these stories. This one is the longest, most well-written, and most complete I’ve found.

Code Geass: The Blame Game: by AllHailThe99th (Code Geass) (In progress) One thing I like about this Code Geass reaction fic is the author’s obvious and stated hate of the character Suzaku. Suzaku is on my list of most hated characters; I like reading people judging and calling him out constantly on his shit. It’s a very therapeutic read. I recommend it to anyone who felt a similar rage when watching the show.

Appearances by McKinney_Wylis (Marvel / Avengers) (Finished) This story has the Avengers going to Asgard to check on Loki when they find a weird video clip online that scares them into believing Loki may have broken free. It turns out the video clip was from a different universe (our universe), and they suddenly had access to the Marvel movies that were available at that time. They watch the Thor movie and learn things about Loki, unknown before. The watching of Thor actually doesn’t take up the whole fic, but this story still counts. It takes place during the Thor: The Dark World storyline.

In terms of pairings…well, I’ll read any pairing if it’s written well enough. Even a story with Loki and Steve shacking up. I don’t like Steve, but I like how he was written in this fic. The way he and Loki interact is cute enough that I can look past it.

Part of the Journey is the end by hunkahulkaaburningfudge (Marvel / Avengers) This series starts with the characters watching Infinity War and has been going through the continuing movies and TV shows; with great writing and lots of material, this is definitely one of the best. I loved the Wanda and Loki reactions. And the ‘What if?” storylines were hilarious.

Avengers Watch Snippets by Ifihadatardis (Marvel / Avengers) As advertised, the characters watch little snippets of scenes of each other’s lives. Sometimes, these fics are preferable because the characters can learn about each other without going through their entire movies.

All the Days of Our Lives Series by ElrondScribe (Marvel / Avengers) This series has the characters react to Captain America, Iron Man 1, and Iron Man 2. It takes place after Civil War and has them watching the movies in Wakanda. I like the Tony Stark and Pepper focus in these fics, and I thought the writer did well with the other character voices, even for the ones I didn’t like.

School Watches Assassination Classroom by TheSteinsGateFormula (Assassination Classroom) (Finished) This is not just one of the best reaction fanfictions of all time but one of the best, period. The author not only had the original class and teachers watching the show but the entire school (baring the Principal, thank god) yet still managed to keep everyone in character and give everyone a distinctive voice when trying to keep up with so many people.

Attention is given to situations that were mostly glossed over without consequence in the actual show, like the students who came from abusive households. My favorite characters, Nagisa and the younger Asano, get a good amount of attention.

The only negative of this fic is how long it is. Over 700,000 words. It takes some serious reading time, but it’s worth it. Trust me. But once you start, you might not want to stop. Make sure you have the time to dedicate to it.

Lucifer Reacts to Supernatural by SilverWolf7 (Lucifer/Supernatural) As much as I love Supernatural and wish I had more good recs for it, this is one of the best options I can offer in this category. I haven’t seen the show Lucifer yet (I’ve been meaning to), but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this fic. Seeing Lucifer’s love of Sam’s character and hearing him rage about many of the things in the show that frustrated me or he thought were inaccurate were giant highlights of this story. Warning: If you’re a Dean fan, you might get defensive about how much Lucifer bashes him (I live for it, but that’s me). One of the other characters that he’s watching it with even rage-quits on him for how much he was dissing her favorite character. If that doesn’t bother you, this might be the fic for you.

Watching You, Watching Me, Watching You by trippedandfellintopurgatory (Supernatural) This is one of the only good Supernatural watching-the-show fics I’ve found. So, of course, it only has 19 chapters, sits at 30,000 words, and has a slow updating schedule.

Blank Disc by TheFallenArchangel (Supernatural) Another of the few good Supernatural watch-the-show fics. This one hasn’t been updated since 2014 and has only seven chapters. Dean and Sam are teenagers, and their father and Bobby watch with them.

The Void by iAnneart (Yugioh: Duel Monster/ Yugioh Abridged) This fanfiction was one that I used to love, and I hate that it still hasn’t been updated and doesn’t look like it ever will be. The characters of Yugioh react to their own abridged series to hilarious effect. This fic was the entire reason I watched the Abridged Series by LittleKuribo - still one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen, and admittedly much better than the actual show. Another fanfiction is more popular and has them watch more episodes. But this fic was much better written with only ten chapters.

Under a Watchful Eye by my secret thoughts (Harry Potter) A story where the Harry Potter characters read the books. It focuses on Harry and Sirius. There is no actual recitation of the books (thank god), but it’s written well enough to tell what they’re reacting to. So far, this is the only reaction fic like this in the Harry Potter fandom I’ve liked. It takes place during their 5th-year, and the other characters are mostly Order of the Phoenix members.

Truth Revealed by Lucifer swift (Full Metal Alchemist) One of the first reaction fanfictions I ever read. It's been reuploaded on fanfiction.net. In this reaction series, the characters are forced to relive the pain they witness themselves having on screen. Any of you who have seen Full Metal Alchemist know that is leading to an agonizing time.

No such thing as a painless lesson by RoseJennison (My Hero Academia) The best My Hero Academia fanfiction that’s actually still going and might eventually catch up with the episodes…maybe. The characters in this are also forced to suffer the pain they see themselves experiencing onscreen. Think about all the times Midoriya breaks himself and imagine him having to feel all that again continuously.

In the Grasp of Schadenfreude by ThoughtSpinner (My Hero Academia) The parents and teachers/heroes watch the show and find out what's been going on with their children and at school. Needless to say, these parents have a lot of thoughts.

Reaction Ritual by PreshByPyre (Naruto) This is only six chapters, but I hope the author returns to it. It’s a good idea, and well-written Naruto reaction fics are rare.

A number of fragments by eliscool (Naruto) Exactly what the title suggests. Instead of watching Naruto episode by episode, the characters are watching random fragments of the show and have to try and put together what’s happening. This occurs when Naruto and the kids are still in the Academy - but before Itachi commits the massacre.

Old stories, new discoveries by Daniablazin (Discontinued) (Miraculous Ladybug) This is my favorite Miraculous Ladybug reaction fiction. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go past the first season. It’s been discontinued because the author said they didn’t like where the show was going. A real shame. The writing on this was amazing, and it had serious potential.

What are our children up to? by o0Lithium0o (Teen Wolf) The parents of Teen Wolf from earlier in the timeline get to see what their children are up to and their future. The kids aren't actually in the room with them. Probably for the best. They are so grounded for the foreseeable future once they all get back.

As Above is Below by kswriter (Shadowhunter Series)The characters of the Shadowhunter series (pretty much all of them) sit down to read the books. This goes by the book canon, not the show canon. I mainly love this series for the Mangus and Alec content. This is the only reaction fic I've seen with these characters.

Reaction: Six of Crows by error_404_gender_not_found (Six of Crows) Characters from Six of Crows and Shadow and Bone reading the Six of Crows books. This ignores the TV show canon.

Honorable Mentions: 1.Watching Hunter x Hunter by catnip_riceball 2.HxH watches Hunter x Hunter by bb_bubblepopb33 3.I Have Regrets, but this Just Might be the Worst of Them Series by by IzuochaRay (My Hero Academia) 4.Cheat code central by orphan_account (My Hero Academia)(Villains react to the show) 5. Mansion Of Time: Watching Season 1 by Perez_K (My Hero Academia) 6. Watching as Hope is Lost by GeorgeFredSlytherin (Code Geass) 7. The Trials and Tribulations of Spider-Man, the People's Hero by ironfidus (Marvel/Spiderman) 8. Glee meets Glee By: babeitscoldoutside (Glee) 9. when the teacup shatters by SolusMormont (Hannibal)

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jules-has-notes · 2 months ago

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My Mother Told Me — VoicePlay music video

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A song with just two short verses repeated over and over could easily become boring. But when you've got a lyrics as powerful as this Icelandic verse and singers as creative as VoicePlay, there's no danger of nodding off. In fact, you may have trouble staying in your seat. Just give them a few minutes before you pack up and head for the longships.

Details:

title: My Mother Told Me (feat. Jose Rosario Jr.)

original performers: Peter Franzén as King Harald & Jasper Pääkkönen as Halfdan the Black in Vikings (2013), s.4,ep.9 "Death All 'Round"

written by: lyrics based on chapter 40 of "Egil's Saga", a poem about Egil Skallagrímsson, likely written by Snorri Sturluson; melody composed by Einar Selvik for Vikings

arranged by: Layne Stein

release date: 23 April 2021

My favorite bits:

Jose kicking things off with a clear, confident tone

passing the bare melody to a new singer with each line

Layne singing in a slight thematically appropriate accent

adding hummed harmonies as Geoff takes his turn

Geoff just becoming a viking war horn with those subharmonic drone notes through the second verse

the increasing rhythmic and tonal complexity of the harmonies as the song progresses

Eli's threatening gesture to illustrate how he plans to ♫ "hew many foe-men" ♫

the series of body percussion hits to close out the second verse

that lush homophony in the first half of the third verse

Layne ramping up the percussion in the first bridge as he starts visibly beatboxing

the quick crescendo and crisp cut-off at the end of the bridge

fierce Eli soaring into the heavens as he asserts his destiny further

Jose and J.None's subtle ascending harmony runs

the slow, staggered canon of ♫ "stand up" ♫

building anticipation with the trio's dissonant chords and an extra bar of Geoff's reverberating bassiness

the speed and audio panning on Layne's percussion in the final bridge section

turning away from the camera to gaze upon their respective domains as they settle into those octave harmonies

Trivia:

This song was suggested by a number of Patreon patrons and other fans, so VoicePlay decided to take a crack at it.

It brought in a fair number of new fans, as well, mostly folks who already enjoyed the Vikings TV series and/or sea shanties in general.

Although many people associate the song with the Assassin's Creed: Valhala video game, it isn't actually featured in it. The game does share several historical characters with the Vikings TV series in which this version originated, though, which is probably the source of the confusion.

This was VoicePlay's first collaboration with Jose. They had mutual friends both through the local Orlando performance community and in his Rockapella bandmates.

They were filmed individually against green screen at the PattyCake studio. Jose documented some of what they got up to behind the scenes. [scroll through for photos and videos]

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A post shared by Jose Rosario Jr. (@joserosariojr_11)

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The landscape backgrounds were created by Eli using Unreal Engine, software usually used to make video games.

The only additional crew member in the studio was makeup artist Rick Underwood, who applied their tattoos.

The symbol on J.None's forehead is a Norse bind-rune, tónlist, meaning "music". All of the guys have one as part of their makeup somewhere, though the others are a bit less visible.

Some of the guys didn't bother removing their makeup before going home for dinner… or meeting people at a restaurant.

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A post shared by Geoff Castellucci (@geophr3y)

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These things happen when you marry an artist, I suppose. 🤭

Their new looks received some mixed responses from friends and family on social media.

(The guy giving Geoff a hard time is his brother Greg, who is a Naval officer like their dad. Boys. 🙄)

A few days after the video's public release, they posted a live excerpt from Geoff on their social media accounts in the hopes that it would lure some more viewers to the full version.

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A post shared by VoicePlay (@thevoiceplay)

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This song was a bit of a trend for a while. Several other popular versions were recorded by VoicePlay's friends and colleagues, including The Hound + The Fox (feat. Adam Chance), and The Wellermen.

Peter Franzén, the actor who played King Harald in Vikings, also recorded a version with the original Norse lyrics as a collaboration with Swedish band Hindarfjäll that was released in July of the same year.

Dr. Jackson Crawford, a scholar of Old Norse, provided a brief history of the saga, a more literal translation of the lyrics, and a reading in the original language a few months later. There's even a bonus (more bawdy) shanty from his former sailor neighbor.

The VoicePlay vikings returned almost exactly two years later for a bombastic rendition of "Valhalla Calling".

#VoicePlay #Jose Rosario Jr.#music video #a cappella #music #music from TV shows #video

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