#☓ The Crows see all... {Dash Commentary}

[plague-on-the-run]

(( I need Caz to get a datemate, if only for them to smooch the glass container on their sternum that holds her trans-plant-ed heart to be all sweet and make her all flustered 🥰 ))

[entitytcken-a]

@smalltownbcy​ replied to your post: Max Mayfield has appeared!

Yes, hi, Mike is going to cuddle her, thank you

🕹️Max had no issues with this, immediately wrapping her arms around him as she held onto him. Honestly with everything that had been going on... this... this was nice.

[kebriones]

Alcibiades music playlists

Okay here it goes!

There are 2 english playlists and 1 greek. Note 1: so some of these are very self-indulgent and might not make sense but at the very least maybe you'll find a new song you'll like. this was really hard to do because evey song reminds me of him. I tried to make sure all the lyrics fit him somehow, might've failed at that, and the order is completely random.

Note 2:

a (v) next to a song menas it has a music video I reocmmend checking out,

a (s) means it is heavily socrates/alcibiades focused rather than just alcibiades.

Note 3: Feel absolutely free to add your own suggestions!

ENGLISH PLAYLIST (part 1) -Anger (sleeping at last) -Young and beautiful (lana del rey) (s) -Because the night (Patti Smith) -Cellophane (FKA twigs) (s) -i dip (Sawn Wasabi) -All Eyes on Me (Or3o) -Heavy in your arms (florecne and the machine) (s) -The first disciple (tamino) (v) -Grown Ocean (fleet foxes) -Dots and Dashes (Silversun pickups) (v) (s) -Never look away (vienna teng) (s) -Behind blue eyes (L'Orchestra Cinematique) -Ever fallen in love (Pete Yorn) (s) -Neo Surf (GENER8ION, 070 Shake) (v) -The greatest show ( -everything I wanted (Billie Eilish) -i wanna be your slave (Måneskin) -we have it all (pim stones) -accidentally in love (counting crows) (s) -the shrine/an argument (fleet foxes) -Eros and Apollo (studio killers) -S&M (rihanna) -Scream until you're coughing up blood (against me!) -Addicted to bad ideas (the world/inferno friendship society) -Wicked game (chris isaak) (s) -Everything at once (lenka) -Your younger man (the world/inferno friendship society) (s) -The rifle's spiral (the shins) -two men in love (the irrepressibles (s) -the weight (amigo the devil) (s) -Desire (champs) -Rich (andrea vargas, cosmo sheldrake)

ENGLISH PLAYLIST (part 2, songs that i'm on the fence about kinda) -I'm so sorry (imagine dragons) -Bad Karma (Axel Thesleff) -Mountains (Socrates) -Sugar boats (modest mouse) -Not strong enough (Apocalyptica) (s) -Everybody knows my name (Harley poe) -dear fellow traveler (sea wolf) -Who are they (Danai Nielsen) (v) (half is in greek) -Revenge, and a little more (unlike pluto) -No good (kaleo)

GREEK PLAYLIST (with commentary, some translated lyric bits are in purple . If anyone wants a full translation of any specific one, let me know! songs are linked on the titles for your convenience)

-φρονιμα κουκλα μου (behave yourself, doll, I tell my soul. Everything will happen as we have planned it, there's a flirtiness towards the soul there that UGH idk) -μαγιατικο (every other lyric in this song is so alcibiades coded I am losing my mind) Newly brought spring, my red fate Awaken to speak your dreams Awaken and hold close The most beautiful things, the most distant, with stubborness and bait The haze from the perfumes, your youth's load I woke you up suddenly, I know You'll see I'll turn the wreath twice on my head, my mind is the warp and the weft is the world's daze -αναθεμα σε (the socrates/alcibiades mood here :''') shout out to my best friend, this is their favorite singer ) -κατω στης μαργαριτας τ'αλωνακι ( the overall vibe of the song gives me something alcibiades-like, also: their sleep smells like wildfire, the sun writhes on their teeth) -τα μπλουζ της αγριας νιοτης ("the blues of wild youth") -δεν χωρας πουθενα ("you don't fit in anywhere", but the phrase for fit in is here literally means not fitting in due to size, like something that doesn't fit in a box because it's too big, not because it doesn't match.) -με γελασαν τα πουλια (the birds tricked me and told me I would never die, so I built my house taller than the rest) -κοκκιν' αχειλι (traditional love song, there's some desperate feeling underneath it all that reminds me of alcibiades. also half the sun and the whole moon turns red after a kiss how crazy imagery is that) -ελα ψυχουλα μου (okay so I really fought with myself for this one because I think it's cringy as a song but some of the lyrics scream socrates/alcibiades and that made me put it on the list. I am sorry. I debated this for days but if I have to hear this and think of them, you have to as well.) -σιμουν (everything went wrong and everything is beautiful, along with "sends ships off the cliff, fades the shade and turns me into brushwood, but me, I don't care gives alcibiades) -καιγομαι και σιγολιωνω (again, socrates/alcibiades I am also partial to this version of it) -σπιρτο και βενζινη (tell me this isn't an alcibiades song with soc/al undertones i dare you) -γιορτη (set fire to what burns you, what eats at your soul, the streets outside are breathing, thirsty, open. Love is a trip from celebration to celebration. live with me in the wind, the fire, the rain, empty days and fractured skies await us, love is a trip from wound to wound) -παντα θα ξημερωνει (I'll become a thorn in your throat, dust in the eye, a whisper in your ear and shivers on your back, a splinter on your certainty) -Κρασι, θαλασσα και το αγορι μου ("wine, sea and my boy". a eurovision song from the first time greece took part in it.) -μη χαμηλωνεις τα φτερα (turn your heart into stone, and hold onto the stone)

[unironicallytes]

Ye Olde Pinned Introductory Post

This is my sideblog for The Elder Scrolls. My main blog is @unironicallycringe

Hi I'm Shea (they/he), I'm 30+, and I do a little of this and a little of that. I primarily write and draw original Dark Brotherhood content here, but will also reblog and share all TES content as I see it around.

Dear Brother: 01 || 02 || 03 || 04 ||...

Lorepost Directory: Black Hand Hierarchy || Sanctuary Map || Domitius' Vow (additional commentary) || Crows & Contracts || ...

Characters: Silencer Zathiril

Dear Brother is a story following an OC Silencer before and during the events of 3E433. It is simultaneously a deep dive into Brotherhood faith lore, a rewrite of the questline, and a story about gay pining. You can find excerpts and characters under the tag #Dear Brother. You can find my art under #My Art.

This got longer, so more About Me is under the cut!

A Bit More Shea Background:

My main haunts are within Legend of Zelda spaces. My hiatus from my fanwork there has turned into a bit of a lengthy vacation as I spread focus to other creative ventures - helps me breathe a little, but I haven't abandoned any of my prior work. I'm always likely to disappear randomly because I am an adult with adult responsibilities and problems, such as taxes and healthcare or whatever, but my chosen drink of escapism is worldbuilding off of pre-existing fantasy worlds.

A lot of my work is comprised of revisited concepts from years ago. That old work was largely unposted because I avoided being active in fandoms and was deathly afraid of being Too Cringe. I am now older and wiser and embrace the cringe because life is too short to not play make-believe with your little dolls in the playground sandbox. Ultimately that is all we're doing. Try not to take yourself and discourse too seriously (spoken from experience). Vibe in the sandbox with your friends, curate your dash, etc.

I am a LARP enthusiast and once ran story design for a chapter I was part of. Being a director burned me out and I haven't LARPed in a while, especially due to additional health issues. When prompted I will ramble about LARP and amateur costume design. It's one of my favorite hobbies!

That's all for now! Thanks for visiting!

[moviemunchies]

You guys should watch The Sea Beast.

In a world of island empires and giant sea monsters, someone has to make sure that the sea monsters stop attacking human settlements, and that goes to the hunters. Hunters take to the seas in ships fitted with weapons and take down these marine kaiju. Orphaned Maisie desperately wants to be a hunter (despite being a child), especially since her parents died as heroes on a hunter ship while battling a monster, and she sets out to join the most famous and daring hunter crew of all: the Inevitable, led by Captain Crow, first mate Sarah Sharpe, and the courageous Jacob Holland.

But the Inevitable is facing some troubles of its own. After trying but not slaying an infamous beast called the Red Bluster (whom Captain Crow has long-standing enmity with), the monarchy sets a deadline. Except when Maisie and Jacob get separated from the main crew in the fight with the Red Bluster, they start to learn things about the creature, and question the narrative of how the kingdom was made, and if hunting sea beasts was ever the right thing to do in the first place.

So that’s fun.

I think that an interesting aspect of this movie is that in its message about the history of the kingdom and how it’s corrupt, the film really goes into that. A lot of films that try to do commentary on history like this don’t do it on anything other than a surface level. Because telling a moral is simple, but there’s nuance that often gets missed. Like, we can say, “Cutting down all the trees is bad,” all we want, but fact is that a lot of people depend on the business of cutting down trees in order to make their living, and that’s the only job they can find.

Incidentally, that’s how the old animated adaptation of The Lorax handled things. Also the animated series Gargoyles? Very often it would have stories about guns or deforestation, and the morals would be complex–not that “Guns are bad,” but that “People who own guns have a responsibility to take care of them safely,” or no that “Cutting down the rainforest is bad so you should punch those people,” but “Those people are trying to make a living, so be mindful of how you handle this situation.”

So The Sea Beast presents this culture which has lionized sea beast hunters, and it points out that a lot of people have died in battles with sea beasts and are viewed as heroes. When it questions this notion of “People HAVE to kill the sea beasts,” it shakes a lot of the characters because they see those killed as heroes and can’t accept anything else. 

But sometimes heroes can be wrong, The Sea Beast says. It doesn’t say these people weren’t heroes, or that their sacrifices and struggles weren’t noble–they were. That doesn’t mean the cause they fought for was just. It wasn’t.

And that’s an interesting message in today’s world, where we’re becoming rather obsessed with looking at our own heroes and putting them, and their causes, under the microscope (and I don’t think that’s a bad thing in and of itself). The movie points out that maybe that guy you idolized in the past, or that hero ancestor you brag about, could have been a great guy! But that doesn’t change that his or her side of the conflict was the right one, and we can move past it.

I had recently been thinking that it would be really nice to see more nautical fantasy–high fantasy in a setting that reflects the seafaring age. This isn’t precisely what I had in mind, but it’s darn close. The design of the ships is familiar to anyone who is into stories about pirates or naval battles, and watching our characters dash around the deck and rigging in their battles with these monsters is quite thrilling.

[Apparently a lot of work went into making sure the ropes looked good? A lot of pioneering in animation has been done in making water and surfaces look good, but the crew of this movie had to make sure, with all the ships and such, that the ropes looked authentic as well.]

The creature design in this movie is fantastic–I thought they’d go with fairly generic looking sea monsters, like a giant shark, a giant squid, and a sea serpent, but they managed to do creative designs for pretty much every creature in the film. I do think that the Red Bluster’s face looks an awful lot like Toothless, which is a bit odd, but I don’t think that was intentional–I think both sets of animators were working on getting a creature with somewhat feline facial features, and that was a coincidence that came out of it.

I think that if there’s one real weakness with the movie, it’s that the antagonist storyline is not really that well defined? It’s suggested that the reason people get up in arms about sea beasts is because the people in power established a narrative that they have to–but it’s unclear why this narrative benefits them that much? If we saw the monarchs getting super rich off of slain sea beasts or something, but it’s only vaguely explained that they get to dominate the seas because of it. And this subplot goes unresolved. I expect that having a French Revolution-style takedown of the people in power would not do well in a children’s movie, but it just seems as if the people realize they’ve been manipulated and the monarchs cower and that’s… it?

I guess?

Still, it’s a good movie. It’s a fantastic family film, it’s got great animation, memorable characters, delightfully-designed monsters, and awesome action sequences. It’s a fantasy film with an original setting, and Lord knows we need more original stories out there these days. I am delighted with this movie, and it’s great fun. Watch it if you can.

[corvidprompts]

I just wanted to reach out to see if y'all are alright, haven't seen y'all on my dash recently and wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your prompts and commentary. Even if you've taken a break or quit or anything, I just hope that you're all having great days and taking care of yourselves!

hello! this is crow

i'm plagued by ADHD but things are continuing to occur. prompts brain broken. every time i log into tumblr i have that sinking feeling i should be submitting stuff but you see. I am stupide. i cannot make the very small words.

i'm very into jujutsu kaisen right now and dragged mod echo in hell with me. we are fucking disasters. i'm having the time of my life.

birds

[wellntruly]

Les Misérables, Vol. II, Book 1—

Yes I’m just making this joke again. You see it just somehow manages to capture exactly the sensation of turning the page and suddenly being dropped into 50 pages of Napoleonic warfare.

The secret is that I was actually fully ready to skip 'Waterloo'. I was all set to making a jokingly tearful apology that I skipped it Hugo, I’m so sorry I skipped it! I read it before I promise!

Only, I read it. I read the whole thing aahahahaha, hell. I mean by the time it started to slog down a bit after all the haunting lines about wells full of skeletons and a dead orchard of bare apple trees and crows before a wood full of violets, well I was already in so far. Might as well get to the end.

And if I hadn’t, I would have missed this exquisite bit of French-on-English commentary:

“A detail to be noted. There was in the English infantry, particularly in Kempt’s brigade, a great many raw recruits. These young soldiers were valiant in the presence of our redoubtable infantry; […]they performed particularly excellent service as skirmishers: the soldier skirmisher, left somewhat to himself, becomes, so to speak, his own general. These recruits displayed some of the French ingenuity and fury. This novice of an infantry had dash. This displeased Wellington.”

I also would have missed the reveal that the near-dying officer whom Thenardier robs on the battlefield is one of the Marius line, something my butt had completely forgotten from nine years ago!!

This man: “My name is Pontmercy.” Literally me, abruptly swallowing a blood orange toddy: “WHAT!”

And then the next book again is just a fraction of the length of the previous book, Hugo ha ha what’s this about!

The few pages of 'The Ship Orion' do contain however both of the following very good chapter titles:

CHAPTER II—IN WHICH THE READER WILL PERUSE TWO VERSES, WHICH ARE OF THE DEVIL’S COMPOSITION, POSSIBLY

and

CHAPTER III—THE ANKLE-CHAIN MUST HAVE UNDERGONE A CERTAIN PREPARATORY MANIPULATION TO BE THUS BROKEN WITH A BLOW FROM A HAMMER

As well as this brief description:

“an evil Norman monk, a bit of a sorcerer, named Tryphon[…]. This Tryphon is buried at the Abbéy of Saint-Georges de Bocherville, near Rouen, and toads spawn on his grave.” (This part came from Chapter II)

Now comes the point where I have to confront my numbering system. For Hugo does not just keep counting up books until 48, he starts over in a new volume—we are back at Books 1 and 2, honestly speaking. But, I’m just going to keep going like this, it gives a sense of the whole. Maybe my notation will be like this:

Vol. II, Books 9-10 /48 ✓✓

[Brickolage]

[who-is-page]

The Curiosity and Curse of Canon

Author: Dash Type: Essay Words: 1,372 Summary: A discussion on the differences between Dash and the basilisks from the HP universe, and some commentary around non-fictionkin/fictive ideas and interpretations around canon connections. Author's Note: Created in connection to/inspired by Prompt #2 from the Fictionkind Dreamwidth group.

[Part of the Sol System’s Alterhuman Writing Project for NaNoWriMo 2021. If you don’t want to see these posts, block the tag #inkedpaws]

I’m a basilisk of startling similarity to both canon and some fanon appearances of basilisks from the Wizarding World or Harry Potter universe created by J. K. Rowling.

Within the canon, basilisks are said to have magic-resistant hide comparable to that of a dragon, with deadly venom and a gaze which could kill any living entity who make eye contact with it—save for phoenixes. Males were said to have a scarlet plume, and basilisks are described as green with bright yellow eyes with functionally no pattern or color morphs that are ever mentioned. They have a lifespan of 900-1000 years. A basilisk egg can only be created from a toad incubating the egg of a chicken. Spiders are terrified of them, and roosters can kill the basilisk with its crows.

This is, while not an exact match, unnervingly close to my own species. Perhaps the only immediate differences are that my species of basilisk does indeed come in different patterns and morphs based on, I suspect, subspecies and ritual differences, and that the ritual to create a basilisk egg is not so simple as it is described. Spiders and roosters are also not, as far as I understand it, especially important to my species either—rather, I am more familiar with our hatred of phoenixes and certain magical mustelids. I also do not know the if the lifespans match, though I would not be entirely surprised if 1000 was the upper limit of a basilisk’s life. There’s also the fact that some females and intersex basilisks may have plumes as well, though it is not nearly as common as males’ feathers. Like in some fanon stories, I also have a semi-transparent secondary eyelid to utilize when I want to prevent my gaze from killing someone while still retaining some semblance of sight.

It is curious, given that I do remember my previous life with clarity, but can find no record within the Harry Potter nor connected canons of any tyrant wizard kings who terrorized muggle and magical citizens alike somewhere in the modern United Kingdom, who would likely have existed prior to the 1692 International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. It seems such a classic story to tell, of an evil mage who uses his diabolical minions and villainous(ly handsome) serpent to keep the population and dissenters in-check while he steals all their tax money, and of the rebel (asshole) hero and his mighty (asshole) phoenix partner which thwarts him in the end—I’m almost surprised I can’t find anything which even resembles it, given the seeming bizarre closeness of everything else.

I’ve talked with a partner of mine, who is also from a magic-oriented world which contains basilisks, and while his and I’s world are similar in certain aspects—such as magic primarily being sympathetic in its designs—it makes me wonder where exactly I come from, and how useful it might potentially be to label myself as a “Wizarding World-adjacent fictionkin/fictive.” On one hand, it might be the best and most fitting descriptor for me now and looking into spaces centered around that identity could be useful in potentially limiting down whether or not it’s just happenstance that there’s so many similarities.

On the other hand, when it comes to discussions which relate to or mention this fictional universe there’s one thing that immediately jumps out at people before all else, content of the topic included: the author, J. K. Rowling, who is a well-known figurehead (and dare I say leader) within several hate groups, and who is currently spearheading the effort in the UK to criminalize transgender healthcare and whittle down queer rights overall. A despicable person on all fronts and especially embarrassing to be connected to in even involuntary forms when one themself is transgender and queer, as my system is.

Given the rightful animosity toward Rowling, there’s an unfortunate possibility that using the label would result in misdirected dislike and hatred towards myself as well. Even transgender individuals who are utilizing what remains of the related fandom in transformative, pro-queer, “TRANS RIGHTS!” ways have been attacked online and accused of indirectly supporting the queen of TERF island herself. All I’m doing by comparison is existing, which is sin enough in the eyes of some. Overall, quite a frustrating situation to be stuck in, and something I’d like to avoid. Internet attitudes that assign blame over fictotype associations just don’t jive with me and never have.

It’s a bit of head scratcher, to say the least. I honestly might just try to take a middle position and occasionally utilize the terminology to better find the resources I want, without publicly aligning myself in any sort of fashion that could have consequences foreseen or otherwise.

But even with that said, the idea of “canon” itself in how it’s viewed by others as a wider concept is a bit puzzling to me. Is there a way my universe was “supposed” to be or “meant” to be? Is there some sort of mold that I would be or am expected to fit into, because of how the Wizarding World functions in games and books?

I suppose there’s a major benefit in the fact that I can find no trace of my life in fictional literature, Wizarding World-related or otherwise. As I’m not even a side character, much less a main character, there’s no preconceived notions about who I should be, or how I should act, outside perhaps the thinnest of connections to Salazar Slytherin’s basilisk by virtue of species. And even then, the basilisk who was imprinted on Salazar Slytherin is not an individual we ever seen speak: they are more comparable to a tool than an actual character within the novels and movies, which is, admittedly, accurate for how humans historically have treated basilisks within my world as well. Still, I find it odd and off-putting that people might judge me before even meeting me, based purely on what they know about a world I might hypothetically be from.

It bothers me quite a bit when I see fictionkin and fictives attacked for things they’re supposedly responsible for, by virtue of being part of a specific world or by existing within a particular canon. Not only because I think it’s frankly an immoral thing to do, but because I also feel like it reduces and misunderstands that each individual’s relationship to the world or universe they hail from is going to multifaceted and unique. The opinions, feelings, and actions they have and connect now to their former (or parallel, or psychological, or etc.) home may not line up in any way with what non-fictionkin/fictives expect or assume. Somehow it seems like people cross the lines of “endorsement of” with “have an involuntary relationship with or connection to.”

For me, I interact largely with perspectives and memories of my home by creating fictional textbooks, memoirs, and similar in connection to and inspired by it, both to honor it and to reclaim the part of my life lived there. But that’s not how my systemmate Stormy (“Page”), who is a Mass Effect character interacts with the Mass Effect world and her memories, nor how my systemmate Noel interacts with her possible Temeraire-adjacent home and memories, which I feel just further illustrates the point I’m driving home here about the complexities of where one person might see themself in relation to their canon or canon-divergence. It gets even more complex in cases like Noel and I’s, where the worlds are suspiciously similar but due to factors of existing in wholly different time periods and regions than what is described within the canon, it’s impossible to know if they really are our canon. But if we lay any sort of claim or connection, even on the caveat that this is not based off absolute knowledge and is instead merely due to similarities and the usefulness of doing so within public spheres, we’re liable to get completely misunderstood and misinterpreted.

It’s an aggravating situation to be in, and not one I’m entirely sure of how to tackle outside of just jumping right in and navigating to the best of my ability, changing things as needed or useful or relevant.

[neonun-au]

hiiiii long time no chat can i ask for a director's commentary on my personal faves return our lives or the space between time? or both if u want haha

storm !!!! welcome back to the blog hahaha i have enjoyed seeing you on my dash in all your anime loving form :'))

you also always choose some of my faves to talk about as well LOL

the space between time is such a pet favourite of mine and you know what? both of these have a very strong link with each other. time loops.

which is a concept i never really considered much before until i read the diviners series by libba bray. the main character's brother is trapped in a time loop created by this scientist guy trying to harness the power and energy of the diviners to sort of...in essence transform the world into this image of the crow king or smth? idk i dont remember the details BUT the time loop is a crucial aspect of it

and there was something SO potent and emotional about it that i was just like...there is so much to explore here.

i guess the space between time isn't exactly a loop, its more like a tear in the fabric of time itself on a single date to allow this to happen but i think the principle of time being the thing that is causing this pain and anguish is just...so potent. and i love it. and omg i need to go and dig up that fic again because now that im thinking about it im like...wow i really popped off with this one.

part of me really wanted to write an extended au of the space between time, but i think its better left on its own. existing as this little snapshot without needing to be overworked :'))

[plague-on-the-run]

Enter: Heron

Finally--Finally!! Cas had made it to a beach...!

She had been walking for days, stopping only to sleep in the evenings (electing to eat on the go). Immediately she felt more at ease when she reached it, the smell of salt water making her nostalgic. Her weight sank into the sand, and she longed to sink down into it completely. But this wasn't the time to just relax. She needed to think.

She took off her boots, socks, hat and vest, opening her shirt to feel the cool breeze on her skin. Folding and propping up everything on some rocks, Cas walked into the ocean, letting the water rush over her legs and feet. Finally...she had made it.

The world melted away when she was in the water. Feeling her feet sink into the sand, she imagined the bad things washing away with the tide; her fears, her memories, her pains, and all the thoughts scrambling around in her skull...it belonged to the sea now.

Cas could take this time to close her eyes and reflect on what the past two months had brought her. New faces. New places to explore. New enemies, trying to collect the bounty on her head. Most of all...New partners, and all their knowledge and patience.

There were many acquaintances that Cas had met since she left Ireland, many of whom offered their help or even friendship. But she had always turned them away....it was better to keep moving and stay alone, she thought. If no one joined her, no one became her 'friend', she wouldn't have to deal with the pain of loss--or worse, the guilt of seeing them get hurt because of her.

But the handful of odd characters she had met in the last 60 or so days...felt different. Try as she might, she just couldn't shake them. They always seemed to cross paths, in some form or another. It was...uncomfortable. But with the discomfort, Cas also felt a sense of longing. A desire to know more about them, and stick around. Maybe...keeping these folks around wouldn't be so bad.

The sun warmed Cas' skin, but the cool air gave her goosebumps simultaneously. Cas shivered, but she wasn't cold or frightened. Eyes closed,, breathing calm, she was centered--listening to the crash of waves, whoosing of wind, and cries of birds above her. This was it...this is what she needed....

....Wait. Birds.....something about the ocean and birds felt familiar. How many were there, she wondered? She had seen many in her travels, and read about even more. There were seagulls...pelicans...herons.....

Wait...Herons....what about them? They were beautiful, yes. Long beaks, silvery blue and purple plumage. Long hair and funny clothes--no. That wasn't a bird. But his name....his name was a bird. His name was....

"....Heron?"

'Yes, my dear?'

Cas' heart swelled at the sound of the familiar voice. A sense of familiarity and warmth made her heart race,, pumping the feeling through her body. She whipped around towards the shore, and felt tears stinging her eyes. Realization. Relief.

It was all coming back to her. The bird face. The silvery blue and purple feathers. The funny clothes, and long hair. It was real--all of it was real! Her imaginary friend had always been there...he never left her.

'Have you finally remembered, Cassandra?'

His voice was as deep as an ocean, soothing like a father's. Cas had missed that voice so much--and she didn't even know it until she'd realized she'd forgotten about him, convinced by her 'family' that it was all in her head.

"Y...yes..." Choking out the words,, the tug on her face made her aware of the smile she hadn't noticed on her face. Tears of joy streaked down her cheeks.

"Y...You're real. You were always real--im...I'm not crazy...!"

Heron smiled. 'No, my child...you never were. And now that you remember, you are ready. We can begin again.'

Cas' brows furrowed together, delighted but puzzled. "Ready? Begin what....?"

'Why...teaching you how to use your magic, of course.'

Cassandra and her family guide Heron have finally reconnected! The first crossroads has been reached.

What sort of magical being will Cassandra turn out to be? Will she be able to find the balance between Sun and Shadow? Or will she be consumed by Purest Light and Deepest Darkness...?

[entitytcken-a]

🎃 “Imagine the small dick you must have to comment on someone’s makeup... which is for a Halloween costume no less.”

[archive-archives]

Coming in April!

NEW 2020 1080p HD masters                                                                               JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS IN OUTER SPACE

Run Time             352:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs        DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio       1.33:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    COLOR

Disc Configuration 2 BD 50

 Rock stars Josie and the Pussycats are out of this world...literally! When the bumbling Alexandra accidentally launches Josie and the gang into outer space, they travel through the galaxy searching for a path back to Earth. Along the way, they meet cat people, robot monsters, evil dictators, space pirates and plenty of strange creatures, including their new companion Bleep, voiced by Hanna-Barbera legend Don Messick. Fortunately, everyone’s a fan of Josie and the Pussycats, including aliens! Rocket through the universe with your favorite superstars as they save the day, sing some songs and have a hip-happenin’ good time in a 2-disc, 16-episode Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space complete series collection that hits all the right notes!

                                                                                                                                NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of preservation film elements!       

GREEN DOLPHIN STREET

Run Time             141:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    BLACK & WHITE

Disc Configuration           BD 50

Special Features: Lux Radio Theater Broadcast;  Theatrical Trailer (HD)    

                                                                        The Academy Award® winner about star-crossed love that spans the years – and the globe. After her triumph as the lunchroom temptress in the crime classic The Postman Always Rings Twice, Lana Turner expanded her range with Green Dolphin Street. Set in 19th century Europe and New Zealand, this sweeping romance tells the story of two beautiful sisters, one headstrong (Turner) and one gentle (Donna Reed), and of the man (Richard Hart) who marries one even though he loves the other. The film’s riptides of emotion are matched by breathtaking physical tumult: a fierce Maori uprising plus a catastrophic earthquake and tidal wave that earned the film a 1947 Oscar® for special effects. With its dramatic story and spectacular visuals, Green Dolphin Street drew huge audiences for epic moviemaking, being one of the top-ten box office hits of the year.

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of Nitrate preservation elements!               

BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940    

Run Time             102:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    BLACK & WHITE

Disc Configuration           BD 50

Special Features: Making-of Featurette: "Begin the Beguine" (hosted by Ann Miller); "Our Gang Comedies: The Big Premiere"; MGM Cartoon: "The Milky Way" ; Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)

 The job – a career breakthrough – is supposed to go to hoofer Johnny Brett, but a mix-up in names gives it to his partner. Another example of Broadway hopes dashed? Not when Johnny is played by Fred Astaire. Sparkling Cole Porter songs, clever comedy and dance legends Astaire and Eleanor Powell make the final Broadway Melody (co-starring George Murphy) a film to remember. Powell’s nautical “All Ashore" routine (a/k/a I Am the Captain”), Astaire’s blissful “I’ve Got My Eyes on You” and Fred & Eleanor's elaborate routine to Cole Porter's classic "I Concentrate On You" are more than enough to please any fan. But they’re just a warm-up for the leads to tap one finale number into immortality: “Begin the Beguine,” introduced by Frank Sinatra in That’s Entertainment! with, “You can wait around and hope, but you’ll never see the likes of this again.”                                                                                     

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from a new 4K restoration of the last-known surviving nitrate Technicolor print!

DOCTOR X (1932)            

Run Time             76:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color      COLOR; BLACK & WHITE

Disc Configuration           BD 50

Special Features: Alternate B&W version of feature; DOCTOR X (HD): UCLA Before & After Restoration featurette (HD); New documentary: "Monsters and Mayhem: The Horror Films of Michael Curtiz (HD); New feature commentary by author/film historian Alan K. Rode; Archival feature commentary by Scott MacQueen, head of preservation, UCLA Film and Television Archive. Original B&W Theatrical Trailer (HD)             

 Is there a (mad) doctor in the house? “Yes!” shrieks Doctor X, filmed in rare two-strip Technicolor®. An eminent scientist aims to solve a murder spree by re-creating the crimes in a lab filled with all the dials, gizmos, bubbling beakers and crackling electrostatic charges essential to the genre. Lionel Atwill is Doctor Xavier, pre-King Kong scream queen Fay Wray is a distressed damsel and Lee Tracy snaps newshound patter, all under the direction of renowned Michael Curtiz. The new two-color Technicolor master was restored by UCLA Film and Television Archive and The Film Foundation in association with Warner Bros. Entertainment. Funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Foundation. Also includes the separately filmed B&W version (which has been restored and restored from its original nitrate camera negative) originally intended for small U.S. markets and International distribution, and which has been out of distribution for over 30 years.

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of original nitrate Technicolor negatives!       

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (1950)

Run Time             107:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Sound Quality    DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English

Aspect Ratio       1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    COLOR

Disc Configuration           BD 50

Special Features: Susan Lucci retrospective & intro piece (from 2000 DVD release); Outtakes: Let’s Go West Again-Betty Hutton, Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly-Judy Garland, I’m an Indian, Too-Judy Garland,  Colonel Buffalo Bill with Howard Keel and Frank Morgan; Stereo audio pre-recording session tracks including There’s No Business Like Show Business featuring Judy Garland; Theatrical Re-issue Trailer (HD)

 Betty Hutton (as Annie Oakley) and Howard Keel (as Frank Butler) star in this sharpshootin’ funfest based on the 1,147-performance Broadway smash boasting Irving Berlin’s beloved score, including “Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly,” “I Got the Sun in the Morning” and the anthemic “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” As produced by Arthur Freed, directed by George Sidney, and seen and heard in this new remastered HD presentation, this lavish, spirited production showcases songs and performances with bull’s-eye precision, earning an Oscar®* for adaptation scoring. The story is a brawling boy-meets-girl-meets-buckshot rivalry. But love finally triumphs when Annie proves that, yes, you can get a man with a gun!                                                                    

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master!                                                                                 QUICK CHANGE (1990)

Run Time             88:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Sound Quality    DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English

Aspect Ratio       1.85:1, 16 X 9 WIDESCREEN

Product Color    COLOR

Disc Configuration           BD 25

Special Feature: Theatrical Trailer

 The star of Caddyshack, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day headlines and codirects this uproarious Big Apple heist-and-pursuit caper. Bill Murray plays Grimm, a frazzled urbanite who disguises himself as a clown – and sets out to rob a bank. Geena Davis and Randy Quaid play accomplices in Grimm’s daring scheme and Jason Robards is the blustery cop caught up in Grimm’s “Clown Day Afternoon.” Swiping a million bucks is a snap compared to getting out of town. Grimm and cohorts commandeer a car, a cab, a bus, a baggage tram and a plane (and encounter future stars Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub in hilarious supporting roles) to make what becomes a less-than-merry escape. But for comedy lovers, Quick Change is a ticket to ride!                                                                                                 

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of best surviving nitrate preservation elements!            EACH DAWN I DIE (1939)

Run Time             92:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    BLACK & WHITE

Disc Configuration           BD 50    

Special Features: Warner Night at the Movies including 1939 Short Subjects Gallery: Vintage Newsreel,  WB Technicolor Short: "A Day at Santa Anita", WB Cartoon: "Detouring America"; Restrospective featurette: "Stool Pigeons and Pine Overcoats: The Language of Gangster Films" ; Feature Commentary by Film Historian Haden Guest; Breakdowns of 1939: Studio Blooper Reel; WB Cartoon: "Each Dawn I Crow"; Radio show w/George Raft & Franchot Tone; Trailer for "Wings of the Navy" and Original Theatrical Trailer for Each Dawn I Die (HD)  

 Framed for manslaughter after he breaks a story about city corruption, reporter Frank Ross is sure he’ll prove his innocence and walk out of prison a free man. But that’s not how the system works at Rocky Point Penitentiary. There, cellblock guards are vicious, the jute-mill labor is endless, and the powers Ross fought on the outside conspire to keep him in. Frank’s hope is turned to hopelessness. And he’s starting to crack. Two of the screen’s famed tough guys star in this prison movie that casts a reform-minded eye on the brutalizing effects of life in the slammer. James Cagney “hits a white-hot peak as [Ross,] the embittered, stir-crazy fall guy” (Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide). And George Raft (Cagney’s friend since their vaudeville days) portrays racketeer Hood Stacey, who may hold the key to springing Ross.                               

 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of best surviving preservation elements!                 

ANOTHER THIN MAN (1939)

Run Time             102:00

Subtitles               English SDH

Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English

Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME

Product Color    BLACK & WHITE

Disc Configuration           BD 50    

Special Features: M-G-M Musical Short: Love on Tap; Classic M-G-M Cartoon: The Bookworm

 Dum-Dum, Wacky, Creeps, Fingers: They’re just a few of the hoodlums in the world of amateur sleuths and professional bon vivants Nick and Nora Charles. And now there’s a new hood: parenthood. A birthday – make that boithday – party that some of da boys hold for infant Nick Jr. is part of the fun in this third film in the witty series. The case begins when the Charles family arrives for a weekend with a Long Island industrialist who fears someone wants to kill him. Sure enough, his fears come true. Nick (William Powell) is among the suspects. Asta scrams with what may be the murder weapon. And Nora (Myrna Loy) has her own ideas about the case and sneaks off to a nightclub to ferret out a clue. “Madam, how long have you been leading this double life?” Nick asks. “Just since we’ve been married,” she replies.

[sanderssidesfanfiction]

Royal Growing Pains - Chapter Thirty One

Warnings: Homophobia, transphobia, misgendering, sympathetic Deceit

Royal Growing Pains Tag

Roman was literally shaking as he sat in the car with Damien and the Queen, with Virgil in shotgun and the Queen driving. “Roman, are you okay?” Damien asked softly.

“Yeah,” Roman said, continuing to shake. “I’ve just dreamed of this day for years now. I get short hair again.”

“Any plans?” Damien asked. “In terms of haircut?”

“Probably a quiff,” Roman said. “Not very original, I know, but if it works it works.”

“Very true,” Damien said. “You’d look rather dashing with it.”

“Shut up,” Roman said, blushing.

Damien kissed Roman’s knuckles and said, “Never, my love.”

Roman took as deep a breath as he could in his new binder and sighed. He had insisted on wearing it when he tried on clothes, purely so that he could ride the euphoria of gender-affirming clothes and body at the same time. But all the happiness and nervousness building up in his system meant he was shaking rather violently, and couldn’t see any signs of stopping soon. “You know, between your comments and the plans of the day, it’s not unlikely for me to just faint.”

“I’ll catch you before you hit the ground, my love,” Damien said with a soft laugh. “But I’ll also try to go easy on you for a little while, just until you calm down.”

Roman nodded. Part of his shaking was out of sheer nervousness. What if his mother was right? What if this wasn’t what he wanted? What if the haircut turned out poorly? There were so many ways that this could go wrong, and Roman knew it wasn’t healthy to focus on them, but they were difficult to push from his mind.

As they pulled into the parking lot in the shopping center, Damien growled and Roman swallowed. There were people pointing at their car and pulling out phones, presumably to take pictures. “The drawbacks of being royalty,” Virgil snarled. “The fucking papparazzi.”

“I don’t want to deal with questions,” Roman said faintly. “If I have to hear one more word about my mother today, I’m going to burst into tears.”

“I’ve got you, my love,” Damien said, grabbing Roman’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “It’s a ten-foot walk to the door. And no one will bother you once you’re inside. If anyone so much as think s about interrogating you, they’ll have me to answer to.”

Roman looked at Damien, noticed the sincerity in his eyes, and smiled softly with a small nod. Damien would be there for him, he didn’t doubt that.

They let go of each other’s hands to step out of the car, and Roman gave the obligatory polite wave to the people before walking past the car to Damien, linking hands with him as they walked into the barber shop.

“Prince Damien!” one man who was cutting another’s hair exclaimed, hastily bowing. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

“I’m afraid my fiancé is in need of a good haircut, Vince,” Damien said with a grin. “My mother and Virgil are right outside, so no funny business, understood?”

“Of course! I never shave the heads of newcomers unless they ask for it!” Vince laughed. “Have a seat, Your Highnesses, anywhere you like, and I’ll be with you in a moment.”

Damien practically dragged Roman to a chair in the back, while two barbers puttered around the shop, and Vince finished the haircut. “I only trust Vince to deal with the bird’s nest that is my hair,” Damien explained to Roman. “Not that the other barbers here aren’t excellent, but Vince was the only one I trusted as a child to not yank on my hair when there were tangles, and since then he’s always gotten top priority on my haircuts.”

Roman nodded, not letting go of Damien’s hand for a moment. “Good to know he’s experienced,” he said.

Vince finished brushing hair off the other client, who quickly left, and Vince turned the sign on the door to “Closed.” “For just a bit of privacy, Prince Roman. I know that you must be going through a lot right now.”

Roman smiled nervously as Vince came over. “I appreciate it, thank you,” he said.

Vince draped a sheet over Roman’s shoulders and tied it in the back, pulling his loose ponytail out from under the knot. “Your hair is very healthy,” he complimented. “How short do you want it?”

“Chop it all off,” Roman said. “Much as it’s healthy, it’s entirely too long for my tastes.”

“Oh, I understand that,” Vince said. “Any style or length you want?”

“Quiff please, no longer than four inches. Three would be ideal,” Roman said.

“You’ve got it, Your Highness,” Vince said, taking a pair of scissors out of a drawer and straightening Roman’s ponytail.

Roman clutched Damien’s hand tightly as the scissors went to the base of his skull, and with two high-pitched and expertly placed snips, his ponytail fell to the floor, hair coming to rest above his shoulders in a bob. Roman looked at the mirror and laughed. “I look like a bisexual,” he joked.

“Not for long,” Damien laughed back.

“Taper fade on the bottom?” Vince asked.

“Please,” Roman said.

“Hang on one moment,” Damien said, pulling out his phone and pressing a few buttons. “Hey, Remus?” Damien asked into his phone.

“Yeah, you’ve got me!” Remus’ voice came over the phone, and Roman’s face broke into a relieved grin. “What’s up?”

“I think there’s a moment Roman would like to share with you,” Damien said.

When the flash on Damien’s phone came on, Roman waved to the camera. “Guess who’s finally getting his hair cut!” he crowed.

“Hell yes, my man!” Remus exclaimed. “I want to see them shave your head!”

Roman laughed as Vince grabbed a razor and began to get rid of all the long hair on the back of Roman’s head. With Remus on the phone he felt so much more relaxed, and more self-assured. He knew he was trans, and so did Remus. Remus never questioned him for a second. This was what Roman needed, and it was nice to be reminded that this was normal, this was healthy, this was good.

Remus was giving running commentary in the form of compliments, and Damien just sat back in his chair with a pleased grin. When the fade was complete, Vince took a pair of scissors to the hair that was left on the top of Roman’s head, combing it so the short strands left were pointed towards the front, rather than to the sides. Roman watched this process in the mirror in awe, finally looking at his reflection and seeing someone resembling himself. When Vince took off the sheet after brushing the last of Roman’s hair off his neck and shoulders, Roman stood slowly, observing his new look in the mirror.

“How do you feel, Roman?” Damien asked.

Roman broke into a wide grin. “Gone are the days of Veronica Sarah Ayer!” he crowed. “You are looking at none other than His Highness Roman Augustus Ayer, prince and soon-to-be-husband of Damien Byron!”

Damien whooped and high-fived Roman, and Roman felt tears coming to his eyes as Remus cheered and clapped over the phone. “You did an amazing job as always, Vince,” Damien said. “Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Vince said with a bow. “I hope the two of you have a great rest of your day.”

“You too,” Roman said as Damien paid Vince and the two walked out.

The Queen gasped as she saw Roman and exclaimed, “Oh, dear, your haircut is perfect!”

“Thank you!�� Roman said, grinning. “It feels amazing to look like myself.”

“Are you ready for an updated wardrobe?” the Queen asked.

Roman nodded, blinking back tears. “So ready to figure out what styles I like in men’s clothing,” he said, voice watery.

Damien kissed Roman’s cheek and Roman squeaked, whacking him lightly.

“Damien Janus Byron, if you do not behave with your fiancé, you will not get to help him pick out clothes, and that’s a promise,” the Queen warned.

Damien turned away and swore under his breath, and Roman blinked in shock. “That is...quite the middle name,” he said mildly.

“It was his father’s choice of name for him. I told him simply that if he didn’t want his son to be bullied for a majority of his childhood, we would give him a more common first name. Damien was what we agreed on. But Janus is a family name,” the Queen explained.

“I see,” Roman said. “Sort of, at least.”

The Queen smiled. “Are we ready to keep shopping?”

“Yeah,” Roman said, smiling. “I think I could even brave a couple reporters if I had to. Still hoping I don’t have to, though.”

“We’ll try and avoid it,” Damien assured him.

They walked to the stores just a couple buildings away, and Damien swept Roman into the most upscale of them all. Damien looked around, waving off the associates who tried to walk up to the three of them. “He’s fine,” Damien said. “Just give him a moment to soak it all in.”

Roman looked around, feeling all the air leave his lungs. There were mannequins with suits in the windows, button-up shirts on the shelves, nice pants, both of the dress variety and ones more appropriate for a relaxed dress code. And not a dress or skirt in sight.

“The women’s equivalent is across the street,” Damien said. “But I figured you’d much rather be in a men’s store, at least to start.”

“Thanks,” Roman said faintly.

Damien nodded with a smile. “Go wherever your heart tells you,” he said. “I won’t judge...too much.”

Roman laughed, but dutifully walked further into the store. There was a pastel green button-up that he picked up, looking around. He grinned when he saw T-shirts, knowing that territory much better. He grabbed a shirt with Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album art on the front because rainbows, duh, and then went for a pair of dark skinny jeans, and called, “Damien, I’m gonna try on a look, I want your opinion when I walk out of the changing room!”

“Copy that,” Damien called into the racks. “I’ll meet you on the far right where the changing rooms are!”

Roman sprinted through the aisles, grin splitting his face. He was a fashion disaster sometimes, bue he had a good feeling about this. He tore off his shirt and caught his breath for a moment inside the changing room. He shouldn’t make a habit out of running in his binder, he saw now why Remy was so strict in his instructions.

When he had his breath back, he took off his pants and put on the shirts first. The green was a stark contrast to the gray, so he had a feeling he was on the right track. He pulled on the skinny jeans, up over both of the shirt’s ends and made sure they were tucked properly. Roman did the bottom two buttons of the green shirt and looked in the mirror, giving himself some nervous finger guns. The shoes on the other side of the door were undoubtedly Damien’s. Roman took a deep breath, ran his fingers through his hair, and unlocked the changing room door, walking out with his hands in his pockets. “Thoughts? I need something more iconic than that time Remus went out on Halloween dressed as a stripper—complete with rippable tuxedo. This do it?” he asked Damien.

Damien said nothing, looking Roman up and down for a moment, before he said, “Fuck, I’m gay. If we weren’t in public I would jump your bones.”

Roman squeaked. “So you’re a fan, got it,” he said with a laugh. “This is going to be my ‘ultimate boy mode’ look.”

Damien managed a strangled laugh. “Yeah. Mother is grabbing you some dress shirts and pants for special occasions. But as for style...looks like you’ve got at least one look. Now go on and take it off, we’re getting that and anything else you might want.”

“I have good stuff in terms of T-shirts already, aside from a disparaging lack of rainbows. I might buy a flannel and some pants, but let’s be real, I’ll be stealing your shirts most days.”

“At least you’re honest,” Damien huffed as Roman retreated back into the stall.

Roman changed back into his regular clothes and walked out, new outfit in hand. “I’m wearing that combo to Pride first chance I get, I hope you realize,” he informed Damien.

“Fine by me, so long as I get to scare off any pretty boys who try to make a pass at you,” Damien said, just a hint of huskiness still in his voice.

“You’re not as discreet as you like to think you are,” Roman said, glancing down and then up meaningfully at Damien.

“Hey, be careful who you tease,” Damien warned. “I’m most likely going to be the one teaching you how to position when you get a packer, and if you keep this up I’ll make tasteless jokes every time your packer shifts.”

Roman sighed. “Okay, I see your point,” he allowed.

The two of them got a few more pants for Roman, and Roman picked up a yellow and red flannel, and then went to the front of the store, where the Queen was waiting for them. Once everything had been rung up and they were walking out of the store, Roman laughed. “God, this doesn’t feel real,” he breathed. “I’m free. I’m genuinely... free.”

“Glad to hear you feel that way,” Damien said, kissing Roman’s temple.

Roman turned to Damien and smiled. “Am I free to kiss you?”

“Ah...” Damien glanced away, turning red. “I don’t know how to feel about that. It’s not a no...”

“If it’s not a yes, then it’s a no,” Roman said. “It’s okay. Hopefully you’ll be okay with it by the wedding.”

“I do as well, I do not want to disappoint the people waiting for us to kiss,” Damien laughed nervously.

“Even if you aren’t, I know ways to fake it,” Roman said with a shrug. “Besides, we don’t even have to use tongue. That’s not a requirement for a kiss at the altar.”

“I would be slightly concerned if it was,” Damien laughed. “I do not need all my relatives to watch me kiss using tongue.”

Roman snickered. “Remus would make disgusting gag noises every time I kissed a boyfriend when I was younger. It was never appreciated at the time, but looking back on it, it’s a little endearing. I mean, he’s still a little shit, but...”

Damien laughed genuinely and a few people turned their way, before one brought a camera out of her bag. “Oh, no, the paparazzi are after us!” Roman hissed.

“To the car?” Damien offered.

“To the car!” Roman agreed, and the three of them rushed to the car and order Virgil to drive, narrowly dodging the woman as she tried to cross the street and get a good picture of them.

“Are we going to continue to risk the commonwealth tearing us apart or are we heading back to the castle?” Virgil asked.

“Back home, please,” the Queen said. “I need to make some calls before the wedding rehearsal tomorrow, see if we can change plans that involve Roman’s parents, and ensure that Remus leaving the country won’t endanger his security to the throne.”

“What, no dance practice?” Damien questioned.

“Oh, you two will get plenty of dance practice in,” the Queen assured. “I just won’t be there to oversee it. I trust Logan to keep you two from killing each other.”

“Hey!” Damien squawked indignantly, while Roman just tittered next to him.

[brooklynislandgirl]

Ask character limit get fucked challenge

There is no reducing this to a single, simple statement of x is memorable. Not when my actual first recollection of an opinion was, in itself, complexity.

Beth was a mesmerizing presence on my dash long {like, far too long, let’s be real} before Petting happened because there was just so much to her. Seriously, watching her put me in mind of the ocean; an unfathomable depth with a surface by turns placid, welcoming, terrifying, storm-tossed. The rarity of a character that was so real as to have both the same framework of being and to flow with, have various aspects brought to the surface or pushed below it by other characters and situations alike.

And like a real person, her personal exploration wasn’t simply the adding and removing of attributes, or that there was only growth while the foundation was washed out. Beth grows, but Beth also viciously prunes herself back into appealing shapes. The foundation of who she is remains the same, none of those important formative experiences and struggles are left off. She’s this incredible mixture of things that remain consistent without stagnating or being forced into boxes of banality on demand of an unappreciative environment.

All of that was paired with an equal rarity; the writing itself.

Descriptive and real without losing a fragment of the absolute poetry, beautiful flow, or emotionally evocative experience. That’s very much what your writing is, an experience. Immersive, something you don’t merely want to be swept up in, you simply are. While so much of that is in whichever character you’re breathing life into at that moment, it’s also the world around them. Wherever they are, it’s not as simple as the already difficult to achieve feeling of it being palpable or easily recalled in one’s own memory, it’s very much the sensation of literally being there.

Like the characters themselves, the world they live in is absolutely real, and in ways beautiful and terrible, mundane and fantastical.

It’s extraordinary, and none of it is any single element, but rather, the complex commingling of elements woven together. Maybe, the better comparison there is painting, actually. As one can cognitively know that this is the achievement of combined knowledge, practice, and innate talent, but it’s all at such a point of perfection that the brushstrokes would only be visible with upon extreme magnification.

That is what stood out then, it is what stands out now, and though difficult to distill into something I can pour into a glass and pass over, it’s what both was and remains memorable about you as a writer.

The Lost Memes || - You are one wordy cryptid, Shady, and I cannot even know where to begin to process all of this because it’s breathtaking. I feel so very honoured to have garnered both your attention and your partnership over the years, and I still think I love the Petting because I remember going straight to Crow when I saw it in my ask and was like “UHM. ‘Scuse me?! What do?!” I didn’t know if you were just joking, or if you were serious. I couldn’t really think of a way to make it work with Beth because...Beth. You know her. Clearly, you love her. And thus Keni was born, and has given me SO MUCH life. I appreciate the fact that you can see her as I wanted her to be. I don’t know else to write my creations but she’s one of my particular favourites. I’ve connected with and written her as sharing a lot of experiences I have had in real life but she was and is never a self-insert, and in a lot of ways she also encompasses parts of people I know and love very well in real life. And taking that with the commentary on my actual writing itself, from you this is perhaps one of those highest of compliments, gifted with a glimpse of the Grail because I hold you in high esteem, and could almost repeat back every word that you’ve given me in regards to your own writing. I will never cease to be envious in how well you dive deep into Anakin’s incredibly rich, often tragic, inner life. How you turn a phrase, the evocative vocabulary you use, and in particular with Nolakin, the way I feel I’ve gotten to know New Orleans despite never having been there. I so very often find myself sad when I reach the end of your post because I don’t want them to end. I want to devour your novels that would rival the Russians or Professor Tolkien, I love the excerpts, the stuff you leave on the editing floor, the cleverly hidden in-jokes. You are wonderful and only make me up my game. <3 So, from the depth and breadth of my heart, I can only say thank you.

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

Amazing Mary Jane #1 Thoughts

Apologies for not getting to this, or indeed other of the recent comics sooner. I’ve felt unwell recently and had computer troubles which conspired to delay my reading and writing up about this.

As such this is possibly going to not be as nitty gritty as I maybe usually would do as I’m going off memories a bit.

TL:DR version is, it’s good with one, albeit notable, flaw.

And Hell let me get that out of the way immediately.

Why...isn’t Mary Jane informing Peter that she’s working alongside a bunch of criminals?

Now look...I’m willing to give the story and Leah Williams the benefit of the doubt. MAYBE Mary Jane is playing a long game here or something. But if she’s not...I mean...that’s kind of a big problem with the story isn’t it?

MJ is allowing actual criminals, including Mysterio, to roam free. Worse she’s arguably doing that because she wants to make the movie and have it be a success but...isn’t that rather irresponsible and selfish, to say nothing of dangerous to herself. Of course MJ is a bad ass and can handle herself. But she is literally surrounded by criminals including a guy who Spidey usually only beats because he has a magical danger sense to help him out. Unless she engages in some Batman levels of cunning she wouldn’t realistically survive this situation.

Now again MAYBE there is something more going on, I very much hope so and am waiting eagerly to see that, but if there isn’t it’s going to be a huge thing working against this series quality.

However apart from that literally everything else was firing on all cylinders.

It’s difficult to do anything other than gush.

First of all the artwork is fantastic. It’s like if Todd Nauch and Ramos had a kid and it looked stylized like Ramos but also how people should look like Nauck.

The characterization, exempting the one thing I spoke about, was also very much on point. I can’t recall Mysterio and MJ ever interacting much (if ever) before but the idea practically writes itself, it’s such a natural pairing!

The gag about being insured was great and clearly drawn from Leah Williams past experience in that business, I hope we get more of that.

MJ herself is presented very well. She’s confident, she’s serious, she’s determined, but also fun, upbeat and has dashes of goofiness and flirtation (with Peter I mean).

So far, so good Williams seems to have a strong grasp on her character (again sans that ONE problem I noted).

I especially liked how Mysterio wasn’t a typical thuggish villain like you’d imagine Scorpion or Electro being. For instance rather than make inappropriate remarks regarding MJ as the likes of Crusher Creel might do, he actually gets angry at the idea that she used sex to get her part. But here is the nuance in Williams writing. Because whilst it’d be typical to make Mysterio a thuggish villain like Rhino or Sandman or Electro, in it’s own way it also would’ve been typical to have made him a pseudo chivalrous villain who doesn’t tolerate sexism. Instead she sets that up but then veers to the side as Mysterio is actually angry at the idea that HE could be manipulated by sex (or ‘womanly wiles’ as he puts it) thus making Mysterio atypical but still most definitely a villain.

  The idea of Mysterio as the ‘artiste’ of the Spidey rogues has been milked very effectively starting with Spencer’s run and the idea that he and MJ could honestly connect through their passion for their art is a great bit of character writing. It tells us a little about who Mysterio is whilst also demonstrating MJ’s own social skills. Peter and Mysterio could never get along this way, and I know that because they started to in Webspinners #1 (which Mysterio’s movie is based upon btw) but the conversation got awkward and they walked away from one another.

Other stuff I liked was the subversion of expectations. I walked into this believing the plot would likely be that about us readers fearing for MJ as she didn’t realize who she was working for and thus how much danger she was in. But Williams simply had MJ figure that out almost immediately and now, besides the Savage Six, we don’t know where things are going to go and that’s a good thing.

By the way, isn’t it great that this is a story where yes MJ’s association with Spider-Man has led MJ into working with one of his enemies and arguably being exposed to danger from him, but she herself deduces that, then chooses to continue taking that risk and isn’t bothered by it? The real danger is coming from Mysterio’s enemies not Peter’s (okay they are technically Peter’s enemies too but you see what I mean). Literally just 2 years ago this would’ve been fuel for the ‘see they can’t be together because it’s too dangerous for her’ jackasses like Slott.

Now it should go without saying (but I will say it anyway) that the PeterxMJ scenes were delightful.

For a split second was thinking phone sex isn’t really in character for Spider-Man. But then I thought you know...MJ has in the past had the effect of loosening him up (see every kinky 90s thing artists did with them) and you could arguably say they were being somewhat ironic anyway. Of course the shipper in me liked it all the same. As I did with the 20 second dance party which I suspect will be trotted out many times in years to come within the MJ fan community. Appropriately it was referenced in the same scene as her crowing moment of awesome, the Chameleon (who appeared in ASM the same day) baseball bat incident. Williams knows her shit it seems!

Now there is one other thing I feel I should talk about.

There was a rather lengthy scene regarding the writing of MJ’s character that was clearly intended to be meta commentary upon the portrayal of female characters.

The question is what specifically was Williams passing commentary on?

How Mary Jane has usually been written?

How she has usually been written until this solo book of her’s?

How women in comics are usually written?

Or how women in films/comic book movies are portrayed?

I’m not sure. I think if it’s options 1 or 2 that’s rather unfair and not really looking at the nuance of the character.

But to be honest looking at this book and Williams’ own comments regarding MJ in interviews prior to this book’s release I don’t buy that. Williams’ comments combined with some of the deepcut continuity she references here doesn’t paint her as someone who thinks MJ is underdeveloped or who’s only purpose in the story is to serve Spider-Man’s story. Indeed any MJ fan worth their salt is aware that part of what made MJ successful and popular to begin with in the 1960s was that she precisely DIDN’T do that.

As such I think options 3 or much more pressingly option 4 is what Williams is commenting upon.

The condensed nature of comic book films mean that it’s a rarity for characters beyond the lead or the villains to get much of their own stories to play out. This is certainly the case with Michelle in the MCU Spider-Man movies and Emma Stone in the Webb movies. But curiously less the case with Dunst’s Mary Jane.

Let’s also consider that this story was promoted as talking about the movie business, something Williams has insider knowledge of and thus it makes sense she’s commenting upon and satirizing that as opposed to comic books (hence we got that insurance gag early on).

In a sense you could say she’s using Mary Jane as a (logical and entirely in character) mouthpiece to comment upon how female characters in movies like Mysterio’s are more like Gwen Stacy but should be more like her, Mary Jane.

Although I must admit the dialogue where they talk about her character int he movie lacking powers and such did confuse me. I didn’t get that.

So over all...yeah...this was great. Again there is one notable problem I hope gets addressed before everything is said and done but in every other way this thing is scoring touchdowns all the way.

Buy it!

Buy 2 copies!

Buy 2 copies and some variants, then get the digital edition and pre-order the trade!

P.S. Thanks to this new comic I learned a new word! Ingenue, gotta find a way to slip that into conversation some time.

[ducktracy]

140. porky’s poultry plant (1936)

release date: august 22nd, 1936

series: looney tunes

director: frank tashlin

starring: joe dougherty (porky), tedd pierce (rooster)

a cartoon with a number of important firsts! starting with the most obvious: this is frank tashlin’s first cartoon! he was only 23 at the time. he worked at schlesinger’s as an animator from 1933-1934, but got fired after leon schlesinger wanted a cut of tashlin’s comic (titled van boring, a play on his former boss van beuren) and tashlin told him to go to hell. after floating around from ub iwerks and hal roach’s studios, tashlin returned to schlesinger’s in 1936 to replace jack king. tashlin would leave once more in 1938 after an argument with executive henry binder, working at disney and returning once more to schlesinger’s in 1942, leaving in 1944 (his cartoons running from 1943-1946) to head into the movie business. one of my favorite directors for sure with his sharp eye for cinematography and liberal use of line of action and dynamics.

another important first is that this is carl stalling’s first cartoon at warner bros! to label stalling as a genius would be an understatement. composing for over 600 cartoons and staying all the way until 1958, his scores greatly enhanced the impact of so many cartoons. his biggest shtick was accompanying scenes with literal, appropriate scores—if a character strikes it rich, “we’re in the money” would play. any scene involving a tree was usually accompanied by “in the shade of the old apple tree”. a character is hunting, you can count on an underscore of “a-hunting we will go”. it seems simple, but stalling pulled it off amazingly well and his music is an absolute delight to listen to.

in regards to the synopsis: porky’s been struggling with a declining population of chickens thanks to some hungry hawks. when another hawk snatches a chick, porky is determined to reunite the baby with its mother by any means necessary.

15 seconds in and frank tashlin already works his cinematography magic with this amazing pan. pan across an aerial view of a big farm, focusing on a line of chicken coops. we hone in on a flag that triumphantly reads “porky’s poultry plant”, a wonderful pan sliding down the pole and to the coops themselves as a leisurely rooster make his way out of the coop, yawning and stretching. he wanders over to a crate situated behind a microphone and a music stand, stepping on the crate and flipping the music open to reveille. a few clears of the throat and hearty slaps to the sides later, the rooster clucks reveille over the PA system.

one by one the hatch doors are opened from the coops, all sorts of birds streaming out. chickens, ducks, geese, you name it. elsewhere, porky himself steps out onto his porch and revels in the freshness of a new day. he stretches and announces (stutters) “boy, what a day!” the animation is truly hilarious as porky beats his chest repeatedly, so hard that he ends up in the midst of a coughing fit. he grins sheepishly at the audience and jogs away offscreen—a great first impression by tashlin.

porky pours some fresh seed into a tin pan from a chute, scattering it along the ground, calling for the animals to come and get it. all the chi-chi-chicks and du-du-ducks and gee-gee-geese come running, followed by a poor little chick who keeps getting swept up in the stampede. the animation of all of the animals running towards the feed is very smooth and satisfying to watch.

the birds move in droves, zigzagging in one giant pecking pack as porky tosses the seed back and forth on the ground. again, great animation. very frenzied with a lot going on. i’d hate to be the one animating it! the poor chick tries its damnest to get some food, but continues to get run over by the starving stampede. porky notices and frowns at the gaggle, but an idea hatches. he scoops a heaping handful of seed into his hand and fakes the birds out by pretending to throw it. the birds fall for it, running away, and porky pours the handful of food down just for the chick, who inhales it immediately and swells up like a tiny balloon.

more barnyard gags ensue. a duck scrapes corn off the cob with its beak in rows, porky feeds a gaggle of geese who get their long necks tied together in the midst of the rush (including a neat shot of porky tossing feed directly at the audience), and so on. a few chicks follow some worms who dive in their holes, and porky, grabbing a funnel, plays it like a pipe and acts like a snake charmer (porky the worm charmer!), the worms writhing out of the ground and getting sucked into the chicks’ mouths. this gag would be traced over in clampett’s chicken jitters, including a slightly incongruous large porky body with his smaller, more refined 1939 head.

transition to a much more somber mood. we see a poster with the profile of a hen on it reading “OLGA—STOLEN BY HAWK APRIL 6, 1936”. another hawknapped hen by the name of dorothy. we zoom out to see a teary eyed porky mourning the loss of his precious hens (one of them named petunia, sharing the name of porky’s girlfriend also created by tashlin in porky’s romance.) porky’s remorse fades to vengeance as he now confronts a giant poster with a menacing hawk on it (looks more like a vulture to me), hilariously labeled “PUBLIC CHICKEN ENEMY No. 1”. porky vows to exact revenge: “i’ll get you yet, you old buzzard!”

just the time to fade to a hawk floating around in the sky, searching for its next victim. it looks down at the ground and is immediately pleased, licking its chops in anticipation. it circles around an oblivious hen, who’s minding her business, pecking at the ground with her children nearby. clever staging as she spots the shadow of the overhead hawk and panics, attempting to wrangle her children as the hawk settles into a nosedive. porky spots the hawk and immediately runs to turn the crank on the “hawk alarm” (a siren.) panic and crisis ensues as all of the birds scramble to take shelter as the hawk zooms overhead. the speed isn’t as exaggerated as it could be (a small nitpick), but the sense of urgency is very much present.

the hawk has a particular chick cornered, dashing back and forth between the fence as the hawk’s shadow follows. now we have some nice exaggeration and speed as porky repeatedly fires a rifle, the impact so tremendous that he’s sent whirring backwards through a pond like a speedboat and sent crashing into an apple tree. tentatively, all of the birds poke their heads out of their respective hiding places to see if the coast is clear. it appears so. the mother hen is relieved... until she isn’t. she panics, hurriedly counting how many of her children are present. one appears to be missing. we see that the hawk overhead now has her missing chick in the safety of its talons.

now in a hysteric frenzy, the hen rushes up to porky, clucking like mad. a very clever decision to have her clucks briefly morph into decipherable english: “oh, my baby! oooooh, porky! look! look look look!” she points upwards, and porky does a take. he immediately rushes inside the barn to get something.

what follows is a sequence with nonstop great animation. we start with a straight in view as an airplane barrels towards the screen, the plane flying upward and curving slightly towards the camera before settling, porky inside. the plane feels very volumetric and three dimensional, and the animation is just mesmerizing. the hawk recognizes he has someone on its tail and panics—excessive bullets fired from porky don’t fare well either. we have some more stunningly beautiful camera angles as porky follows the hawk, shooting the tail feathers off of the hawk. the scene is urgent, fun, captivating, and exhilarating.

desperate, the hawk calls for help. a nearby flock of hawks overhear and follow, all taking off like airplanes and using a cliff as a runway. now porky is outnumbered. if the population of his foes wasn’t enough of a reminder that he’s being hunted, pulling his tail repeatedly serves as another suitable reminder. the hawks taunt porky, each plucking at his tail before dropping him back in the plane. another beautiful angle (this time an undershot) as we view the hawks bombing porky with a barrage of eggs.

more creative (and unseen) animation as porky ushers the hawks into a cloud, firing his gun. the camera jolts back and forth, back and forth, our only context clues being gunfire, crowing, and a chorus of “ow!”s. with that, porky comes out of the clouds the way he came, the hawks trailing HIM and now armed with his gun. the bullets spray the propeller, reducing it to nothing. some dizzying angles as porky is plummeting straight to the ground. a great number of shots one after the other, not even a second long. the chickens, porky, the laughing hawks, and then an upshot of a windmill. porky crashes straight into the windmill, which proves to be a worthy substitute for a propeller, the windmill blades situated right where the propeller used to be. porky is now back on track.

a scene that reminds me of many of tex avery’s “interlude” gags (like the train sequence in porky the wrestler, though to a much lesser extent), the hawks now form a huddle and converse. thus sparks a game of football, the rooster at the PA system from before (vocals by tedd pierce) providing the riveting commentary. hilarious animation as two hawks play monkey in the middle with porky, using the defenseless, unmoving chick as a ball. unfortunately for the hawks, one of them misses the throw (“and he fumbles!”). the chicken is now plummeting straight towards the ground.

porky immediately swoops in, the nervous hen from below passing out from the excitement. porky recovers the little chick, victoriously cradling it in his hands. but the chase isn’t over yet: the hawks are gaining furiously on porky. to retaliate, porky smothers them in a thick cloud of exhaust. sure enough it works: all of the hawks plummet to the ground, the chickens below even digging a giant hole for them to pile up in. once everyone is settled, the chickens cover the dirt up and you have yourself a grave. the cherry on top is the tedd pierce rooster forlornly placing a flower on top of the dirt mound.

finally, all is well. porky comes to a not so smooth landing, the plane rocking back and forth a few times before settling. he hands the chick back to the hen, reassuring “here’s your baby, henrietta. all safe and sound.” henrietta smothers her baby in reunion kisses and hugs. she clucks terms of endearment as she struts along, but the all too familiar shadow of a hawk stops her dead in her tracks. now in a frenzy, she rushes back to porky and alarms him, who wastes no time retrieving his rifle. porky aims, preparing to fire... and we zoom out to reveal the source of the shadow: a weather vane. iris out as porky points and laughs at his mistake.

i forgot how dynamic of a cartoon this was! i knew the opening shot of the flagpole was great, but i completely forgot how exhilarating the entire hawk chase scene was with all those wild angles. the exposition of the cartoon ran a little long in my opinion, but the snappy pace of the hawk scenes definitely make up for it. tashlin’s first cartoon and he’s already showing how great of a director he is! those angles can’t be beat and you need to see them for yourself. as heavy as tashlin’s vendetta against porky was (complaining there was nothing to do with him and that he took too long to talk), he characterizes him well. tashlin’s porky is certainly the most endearing out of the avery-tashlin-king trio. quite a few scenes of this cartoon were reused in clampett cartoons such as chicken jitters and wise quacks (though it’s my understanding clampett and tashlin were pretty good buds)—i can definitely see this cartoon’s influence in a lot of clampett’s barnyard cartoons. with that said, you should watch it! the hawk scenes especially. this cartoon is chock full of interesting angles and dynamics. very carefully crafted and fun to watch. and it’s tashlin’s first cartoon! give it a go!

link!