#Free Gulliver's Travels

[noxcorvorum]

I had a friend guess the mechs (he did get a couple things right not counting my fatal mistake of showing him pictures with their instruments in them but he also not only made up new roles but switched the existing roles around)

Jonny:

Name: Stevie

Role on crew: bodyguard

Mechanism: eyes

Instrument: lead guitar

Fun fact: makes chili in his free time

Tim:

Name: Johan

Role on crew: navigator

Mechanism: lungs

Instrument: vocals

Fun fact: bisexual

Ashes:

Name: Axis

Role on crew: captain

Mechanism: toes

Instrument: bass

Fun fact: die hard mlp fan

Marius:

Name: Claude

Role on crew: medic

Mechanism: heart, maybe eye

Instrument: violin

Fun fact: holds the world record in yahtzee

Raphaella:

Name: Ariel

Role on crew: captain

Mechanism: spinal cord

Instrument: lead vocals

Fun fact: enjoys all seasons of dancing with the stars

Name: Amy

Role on crew: travel log keeper/travel logger

Mechanism: small intestine

Instrument: flute

Fun fact: hates gulliver’s travels

Brian:

Name: Joey

Role on crew: hr desk

Mechanism: hands

Instrument: drums

Fun fact: writes poetry

Nastya:

Name: Emily

Role on crew: medical assistant

Mechanism: pancreas

Instrument: cello

Fun fact: plays on pc

Toy Soldier:

Name: Grand Admiral

Role on crew: GRAND ADMIRAL [specifically in all caps]

Mechanism: kidney

Instrument: cello

Fun fact: knows a lot about WWII (like a lot)

[kindlythevoid]

Jason Todd’s Reading List

(bc I got tricked deceived shown a comic list of his best appearances instead of the classics that this boy would be reading)

(And then I got carried away so now it’s organized by phase)

(Enjoy and feel free to add as I haven’t read his comics nor a ton of classics~)

Jason’s Reading List:

(this is what I imagine he read as a child; books that Sheila read to him, or if he spent time in the library during story time or checked out books; pre-Robin days)

The Secret Garden

The Three Musketeers

The Wizard of Oz

Alice in Wonderland

Sherlock Holmes

Jason Todd-Wayne’s Reading List:

(so this isn’t quite what I imagine him reading for fun as Robin, so much as what I imagine he read during his school years as Bruce Wayne’s adopted son; books that he may not have picked up on his own otherwise)

To Kill a Mockingbird

Of Mice and Men

The Great Gatsby

Old Man and The Sea

Great Expectations

The Scarlett Letter

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Tempest

Anthony and Cleopatra

The Odyssey

Gulliver’s Travels

Doctor Faustus

Robin’s Reading List:

(these are books that he definitely read in his free time, absolutely found in the Wayne Library and you cannot convince me that he and Alfred didn’t/don’t have a little book club)

Pride and Prejudice

Emma

Sense and Sensibility

Persuasion

Northanger Abbey

Mansfield Park

Jane Eyre

Romeo and Juliet

Much Ado About Nothing

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Henry V

Richard III

Red Hood’s Reading List:

(as if this man would give up his reading habit; however it is now with 250% more angst, death/revival/ghost references, and family/betrayal-related jabs)

Wuthering Heights

Frankenstein

Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The Count of Monte Cristo

Hamlet

Macbeth

Othello

King Lear

Caesar

Moby Dick

The Iliad

Catch-22

1984

Crime and Punishment

Anyway there you go!! Feel free to add or reject any of books!! And special thanks to @animal-123-crazy who mentioned wanting to see this once (1) which gave me the courage to make this!!

[scarlet--wiccan]

Seeing you said about having headcanons and ideas about the witches road, I was wondering if you could show us a few of what's in your mind?

For sure! So, in the TV show, the Road is presented as a series of magical trials that witches have to overcome to receive power and other rewards. That's a tried and true fantasy trope, but it's not really how the Road is presented in comics. In Scarlet Witch, it appears to be more of spirit world, with branching paths representing different folklore and mythology. It's also home to the Witchcraft goddess, an abstract entity personifying witchcraft itself and the natural laws that govern it. The Road also leads to other worlds and planets beyond Earth, and contains a special afterlife realm where witches go when they die, and which seems to frequently enable their return.

We've never really seen witches visit the Road under "normal" circumstances, so it's hard to say how often they visit, but I think the logical assumption is that it's a special place where witches go to commune with gods, spirits and ancestors, and something they can use as a means of inter-world/inter-planar travel, sort of like the Bifrost. I would really like to see it incorporated into more stories any time witches need to gather, communicate, or visit other worlds. These days, most of the spellcasters in Marvel comics can just astral project or make portals when they need to get around, but I think magic is more interesting when you add these details and devices.

Just for fun, I designed some imaginary grimoire pages explaining the rules and layout of the Road. To be clear, this is basically fanfiction-- I have a strictly-canon breakdown here.

As for story ideas, I have a few--

I wrote this outline for Hecate's return as a recurring villain.

Billy's mentioned receiving magical lessons and mentorship from Wanda, but we've never seen this on-page. Obviously, teleporting between Throneworld and Earth isn't hard for them, but the Road would be a convenient place for them to meet up without having to physically travel. Staging conversations there could be an organic way to bring up stuff like the Scarlet Witch lineage, how Billy fits into it.

On a related note, I've always wondered if it would be possible for some of the other Maximoffs to walk the Road-- we've talked about the possibility of including Tommy and Pietro in the magical world, and I've also said that having Luna explore her magical potential would be a great way to stage meaningful conversations about heritage.

Outside of the Maximoffs, there are a lot of characters in this particular corner of the Marvel world who would benefit from unpacking some of their ancestral baggage. Zoe Laveau, Alice Gulliver, and Nico Minoru are all top of mind. I would love if the next step in Nico's journey was to reach closure with her mom's history, and forge her own staff so she can reclaim that power on her own terms.

If we ever revisit Agatha's history with the coven at Mount Wundagore, including the Witches' Road would be a natural choice. I'm imagining Agatha convincing Nico, Zoe, and some of the other coven descendants to walk the Road in order to revive an old magical pact between the families. Agatha would obviously make a power grab, but the descendants-- maybe with help from Wanda-- would thwart her by altering the pact to be more equitable. (yes, this is my idea of a more in-character version of the TV plot.)

Chthon is free again. We know that there is a history of witches and the Witchcraft goddess binding chaos magic, and I think that Wanda is coming around to the idea that she can't, or shouldn't, shoulder that burden alone. Reviving the old coven, or maybe forming a new one, could the first step in binding Chthon more sustainably, and maybe the witches will need to walk the Road in order to get help from the goddess.

Hexfinder also has history with the Witchcraft goddess. If she's going to be a recurring villain, I'd like to revisit that. I imagine that Wanda would want to find a way to settle the debt between Witchcraft and the alchemists, not just to get Nicola off her back, but to provide genuine, transformative justice. That's the core principle of how Wanda operates as a solo hero.

[rabbitcruiser]

National Day of the Cowboy

Saddle up and get ready to ride into the sunset with the thrill and excitement of the Wild West! Cowboys are the ultimate symbol of grit, determination, and adventure.

Giddyup! Ride ‘em Cowboy!

Celebrate this symbol of the American West by learning about and appreciating the National Day of the Cowboy.

History of National Day of the Cowboy

Following the Civil War, many men moved west looking for ways to work and make a living. One of the attractions of the American frontier was the relative freedom, as well as the option to become cowboys who could access free range cattle.

The “Wild West”, beginning in the 1860s through the end of the 19th century, became a time of a bit of chaos on the frontier where gangs of criminals were easily bred. Infamous cowboys, like Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Butch Cassidy and John Wesley Hardin were outlaws who committed various robberies, cattle rustling and even murder.

First sponsored in the US Senate in 2005, National Day of the Cowboy was originally brought about by Wyoming’s US Senator at the time, Craig Thomas.

Former president Bush said this about the National Day of the Cowboy: “We celebrate the Cowboy as a symbol of the grand history of the American West. The Cowboy’s love of the land and love of the country are examples for all Americans.”

National Day of the Cowboy Timeline

1725

The term “cowboy” is first being used 

Jonathan Swift uses the word in his famous book, Gulliver’s Travels, but it really just means a boy who tends cows.

Mid-1800s

The “Wild West” period begins

After the American Civil War, many men head to Texas where free-ranging cattle are available for any cowboy who wants to round them up – and the popularity of eating beef increases.

1875

“Billy the Kid” is first arrested 

This infamous cowboy criminal is a gunfighter, murderer, fugitive, cattle rustler, and eventually dies at the young age of 21.

1930

John Wayne first appears in film 

The Big Trail is the first movie that actor “Duke” Morrison makes in what will be a series of more than 75 films over his lifetime.

1960

Dallas Cowboys are founded 

In the early days of the National Football League (NFL), the Dallas Cowboys franchise was established and went on to become an extremely popular team.

How to Celebrate National Day of the Cowboy

Celebrating National Day of the Cowboy can be loads of fun in a variety of ways! Try out some of these delightful ideas to enjoy the day:

Dress Like a Cowboy

This can be a way to connect with your inner cowboy by wearing some special gear to work, to school or just while running daily errands. Try out some basic blue jeans, some clever cowboy boots, a leather vest and a western shirt (complete with shell snaps!).

Perhaps try a bolo tie or a handkerchief tied around the neck. And, of course, it would be appropriate to top it all off with an enormous cowboy hat. The bigger, the better!

Listen to a Cowboy Song Playlist

Because they typically hail from the southwest, cowboys may have a particular style of music they enjoy. National Day of the Cowboy would be a perfect time to create a list of songs that give a nod to the tunes of these unique characters:

Mommas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboysby Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson (1978). This one was originally recorded by Ed Bruce in 1976, but this more popular version was recorded two years later.

Cowboy Take Me Away by The Chicks–formerly Dixie Chicks (1999). A play on the phrase “Calgon Take Me Away”, from the famous slogan from bath product commercials, this song reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart in February 2000.

Cowboy Cassanova by Carrie Underwood (2009). Released on Underwood’s third studio album, Play On, the single was certified 2x Platinum.

The Cowboy in Me by Tim McGraw (2001). Written by Jeffrey Steele, Al Anderson and Craig Wiseman, this song made it to #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart that year.

Visit a Rodeo

A great time for enjoying all things related to National Day of the Cowboy, visiting the rodeo can be an amazing experience! Regular events include activities such as steer wrestling, bull riding, calf roping, steer roping, bareback horse, barrel racing and saddle bronc riding. Of course, don’t forget the scorecard for keeping score.

Don’t forget to wear the above-mentioned cowboy gear when headed to the rodeo. Those who are lucky might get to see a rodeo clown. Perhaps even try riding the mechanical bull!

Follow Some Sage Cowboy Advice

Cowboys from the Wild West have lived a great deal of life and have tons of experience! With all of that experience comes a great deal of wisdom and they have often been known to share their advice with others in clever phrases, like “Don’t squat with your spurs on”, or “Never corner something meaner than you”.

Enjoy a few of these phrases and consider sharing them with friends, family and coworkers in honor of National Day of the Cowboy. Some of them might even be fun to have printed on a t-shirt to wear on the day:

“Don’t go in if you don’t know the way out.”

“If you get thrown from a horse, you have to get up and get back on, unless you landed on a cactus; then you have to roll around and scream in pain.”

“Some cowboys have too much tumbleweed in their blood to settle down.”

“If you’re ridin’ ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there with ya.”

Watch Some Cowboy Movies

One of the great film settings of all time, the Wild West is the perfect place for cowboy movies to be made! This day offers a great time to enjoy a collection of classic Western movies in honor of National Day of the Cowboy! Try out one (or all!) of these:

True Grit (1969). One of John Wayne’s most famous movies, this film features a US Marshal and Texas Ranger who chases down a murderer in dangerous territory. It was remade in 2010, starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Brolin.

Rango (2011). Fun for adults and family members alike, this computer animated Western comedy film stars Johnny Depp who voices a chameleon character who accidentally gets stranded in the desert.

The Lone Ranger (1956). This classic cowboy film was based on the American television series of the same name that was from 1949-1957, starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels.

No Country for Old Men (2007). Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and Woody Harrelson are the all-star cast in this modern Western crime thriller movie created by the Coen brothers. Based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy, this film won a huge array of film awards.

Are cowboys real?

Yes. Although they are less common than they may have been several decades ago, the American cowboy continues in places like Colorado, Texas, Montana, and even Connecticut.

How did cowboys dress?

Cowboys are known for their pointy leather cowboy boots, vests with pockets and very large cowboy hats.

What are cowboy hats made of?

Cowboy hats are typically made of either felt or straw. Less commonly, they can be made of leather.

Do cowboys ride cows?

No! Cowboys ride horses, of course. They are called cowboys because they take care of and drive cattle herds.

How do cowboys talk?

Depending on where they are from, cowboys may have unique phrases like “Howdy Partner”, “Giddyup”, “City Slicker”, and “Head ‘em up and move ‘em out”.

Source

[bigfootbeat]

Early Non-Native Accounts of Bigfoot in North America

There are many accounts of Native American encounters with Bigfoot recorded in history. However, European settlers and their descendants also had Bigfoot experiences. Here are some that occurred before the Bigfoot craze in the 1950s popularized the idea.

A white woman named Rachel Plummer, who was taken captive by a Comanche raiding band in Texas in the year 1836, is credited with making one of the earliest and most prominent references to Bigfoot by a non-Native American. After the Comanche set Plummer free in 1838, she wrote and published a narrative detailing her traumatic experience as a captive. She went into enormous detail about the creatures that lived in the prairies, in addition to providing specifics about their everyday lives and the roles that men, women, and children had in their lives. Among these animals were wolf packs, bears, elk, and even what her captors referred to as "man-tigers."

According to what she reported, "The Indians claim that they have discovered several of them in the mountains." They say, "They describe them as having the characteristics and proportions of a man." People report that they walk upright and stand between eight and nine feet tall. It was not until nearly a century later that five gold prospectors in Oregon documented the existence of a beast that was very similar to the one described. The men, venturing into the wilderness in 1924, claimed that an "ape man" had accosted one of their party members, Fred Beck, earlier that day, and had shot the creature, inflicting injuries as he fled. Later that night, a larger group of these animals battered the prospectors' hut with rocks and boulders. The men were certain that they were exacting their vengeance for the previous shooting that had taken place. The animals attempted to smash down the door of the cabin, but fortunately, the guys were able to delay their progress.

As soon as the sun began to rise, the apemen fled, and the five terrified prospectors made their way to the closest settlement. It was believed to such an extent that the United States Forest Service initiated an investigation and dispatched two rangers back into the forest with Beck to see if they could find any evidence of the beasts or even the beasts themselves. Despite the lack of evidence, the story quickly spread throughout the Western region, leading to the continued use of Ape Canyon as the name of the alleged attack site. Buffalo Bill and Daniel Boone, two of the most famous frontier folk heroes in the United States, have legends about Bigfoot in their backs. The Pawnee Indians of the Plains presented Buffalo Bill with a gigantic thigh bone as a gift, as described in his book, The Life of Honorable William F. Cody. Buffalo Bill also mentions this experience. According to their assertions, the bone belonged to "a race of man... whose size was approximately three times that of an ordinary man."

Daniel Boone's account went one step further when he told a story about how he shot and killed a "hairy giant" that was ten feet tall in Kentucky. He referred to the beast as a "Yahoo," which is a reference to the brutes that resembled humans that appeared in Jonathan Swift's classic novel Gulliver's Travels. As a result of the 1950s discovery of footprints in Bluff Creek, California, the search for Bigfoot experienced a surge in popularity. These tracks were believed to be the creature's. In the hopes of discovering some evidence that Bigfoot does in fact exist, a large number of people, including cryptozoologists, scientists, adventurers, and other Bigfoot fans, traveled to various regions in the state of Washington and Northern California. Despite the lack of conclusive evidence, people maintained their belief in the existence of a hominid that had been absent from human history for a significant period.

[cosmoglass]

Fumito Ueda was inspired by… Galaxy Express 999 (1979).

Ueda has cited the Galaxy Express 999 manga series as one of his influences. Watching the film they made in the middle of its run, I could see a lot of Ico and also some Shadow of the Colossus.

It made me think of Gulliver’s Travels, Alice in Wonderland and Firefly as we follow the boy, Tetsuro, visiting different planets. On a planet called Titan, Tetsuro is given a gun by an old woman that turns out to be ‘the only cosmo gun capable of killing machine men’. Ueda's games feature special weapons that are uniquely effective against the antagonists.

Spoilers for the movie ahead!

It prefigures Ghost in the Shell. There's a character called Tochiro who, moments before his death, gets Tetsuro to activate a machine that vaporizes his body and transfers his consciousness into the supercomputer of his best friend's ship, 'Arcadia'. Maetel, one of two Yorda-like figures, explains to Tetsuro, "I am a copy of your mother in her youth. I am a shadow in the form of a human. When I grow old, I get a copy of a new body. That is how I survive through the ages and travel through time." Both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus feature characters whose bodies are vessels for other consciousnesses (Yorda for The Queen and Wander for Dormin). With the line ‘I had become a witch who controlled time’, it actually sounded more like a warning against plastic surgery.

The castle in the movie gets destroyed.

The other Yorda-like figure is Claire whose mother forced her to trade in her body for one made of glass. Her appearance is reminiscent of petrified Yorda and she has a power that makes her glow which she uses not to open Idol Gates but to save Tetsuro from Queen Promethium.

At the end, Maetel says to Tetsuro, ‘From now on, I will be a woman who lives on only in your memories. I will be nothing more than an illusion of your young boy’s heart, a phantom of your youth.’ The lyrics of 'You Were There' for me carry a similar feeling of nostalgia.

....................................................................................

The movie can be watched for free on YouTube.

[smoll-stace]

What are your fav G/T Movies?(Please feel free to ramble about each!)

Hey thanks so much for the ask! saw this earlier but never got around to it till now xD OKAY SO MOVIES out of gt movies i gotta say night at the museum movies, Gullivers travels the live action or indian in the cupboard. also bunyan and babe ill supply images for those who havent seen these movies bellow night at the museum is just probably one of my favorite movies of all time, the characters, the story, the villians, the emotional funny scenes just chefs kiss best movie series. Proably one of my comfort shows ngl the 3 worlds of gulliver this one shows both side wich i rarely see gulliver in lilliput and Brobdingnag its only the first two voyages but usually they only show lilliput so extra points for this serries (its not very acurret to the audiobooks tho) indian in the cupboard use to be my favorite movie i watched it so much as a kid not as good as the audiobooks (personal opinion) but its a pretty good movie bunyan and babe, cute movie havent watched it in awhile alot of fun little scenes do recomend appolgies for any miss- spelling of names aaa pictures will be under the cut ^^

thanks for letting me ramble :>

[uschi-the-listener]

I have a new friend ... I think. A huge spider showed up on our bedroom ceiling recently, maybe a week ago. I decided to let them stay.

Usually, I would use the cup-and-cardboard method to escort them to a suitable outdoor location.

Not this time.

So, a few days ago, they were gone. Then, the next day, back in a new location. And again.

I decided to name him/her/them Lemuel, after Lemuel Gulliver, after all the traveling. If you’re a really big spider with nearly an inch (!) long legs, traversing an 1100 square foot house adds up to a lot of traveling.

They have gone elsewhere again, but we are notably free of extraneous bugs. Not a mosquito or a fly to be found.

I hope Lemuel is getting enough to eat.

.

[akaeijis]

What's your AC? Because I need to hit that

prompt: library books and pouring rain x “Just five more minutes.” tags: spamano, vaguely high school au, pre-relationship

“Just five more minutes.”

“Lovino, I’ve never seen you read so much before.” Antonio frowned, “Is it because it’s raining outside?”

Lovino flipped to another page and said without missing a beat, “Sorry that you’re too stupid to ever notice, but I do read.”

Antonio sighed. He thought that staying at the library after school was booo-ring, but it was raining outside and no one else was free to entertain him. Francis had left as soon as school ended and Gilbert was at band practice. There was no soccer practice today because of the rain, so he thought that it was the perfect opportunity to spend some time with Lovino!

He was not expecting to be ignored the whole time. Antonio groaned, leaning back dramatically against the beanbag he was sitting on. He began counting the books on the shelf behind Lovino. He couldn’t make it to ten.

“Lovino, I swear it’s been five minutes already. Can we please, please do something else now?”

Lovino checked his phone quickly and turned back to his book. “It’s only been two. Let me finish my chapter and maybe we can do something else. Maybe try thinking of what you want to do since it’s raining.”

And like that, Antonio was chopped liver.

Antonio hated the rain. He hated anything that wasn’t a beautiful sunny day with a bright blue sky. Fall was a bit tolerable, but gloomy and pouring rain might as well be his circle of hell. He didn’t really have any great ideas on what to do on a rainy day. Usually, he stayed in and played some video games. Sometimes he would bother Francis and Gilbert and they would get up to something, their latest adventure being that they stole wine from Francis’ parents and played poker.

And what could be so interesting that Lovino was reading anyway? He didn’t even try to look at the title, since the book was one of those older ones with no cover and just some imprinted letters on a dark background. The book was Gulliver’s Travels.

Antonio racked his brain trying to figure out how he had heard of that book before. “Why are you reading that book? I remember Arthur talking about it in class, but he’s annoying and I tune out everything he has to say.”

Lovino rolled his eyes, “You tune out everything.”

“That’s not true. I listen when I think it’s important. Like with my friends. Or with you.”

“What, am I not a ‘friend’?” Lovino grumbled, but put the book away. Antonio was gleeful from the newfound attention. “It’s a satire from the 1600s. It’s about this stupid sea captain and he travels the world.” Lovino said flatly.

“Mhmm. But I asked why you’re reading it. See, I’m aware of stuff.”

To Antonio’s shock, Lovino stayed quiet. Antonio smiled, he finally figured out what he wanted to do for the rest of their afternoon now.

“What, are you hiding something? I can’t really think of what you’re shy about, but I won’t make fun of you. After all, it’s just a book.”

Lovino was scarlet. Antonio was terribly intrigued. He swung his feet from under the table, waiting for Lovino’s answer.

Then, Lovino whispered. “It’s for my D&D group.”

“What? D&D… Isn’t that…”

“Yea,” Lovino nodded slowly. “Dungeons And Dragons. We’re doing a campaign where our PCs travel across the sea, and I wanted to check out old-timey adventure books on the sea for inspiration. Our DM recommended it to me.”

Antonio sat. He had no idea how to take in this information. Lovino, sweet Lovino, who almost fell asleep in every class. Lovino, who had very high standards when it came to, well, everything, was… a nerd?

Instead he focused on, “What’s a DM?”

When he took a peek at Lovino’s embarrassed face, Antonio’s heart almost burst out of his chest. “Dungeon Master.”

Antonio grabbed Lovino’s hand and watched with delight as he turned a bit more red. He asked, “When is the next game?”

Despite his flush, Lovino rolled his eyes and said, “We call it our campaign session. Why?”

“Please let me come with you!”

[...]

“What the hell is he doing here?”

Antonio ignored Arthur and observed his surroundings. They were in Arthur’s basement, which was pretty dim and decked out with a lot of candles. Antonio wondered if it was a fire hazard. The table was hollowed and had a map in the center. Inside were little figures of trees, ships, and other impressive details.

“He wanted to check it out, so stop your bitching.” Lovino said, sitting at the corner. He pulled up a stool and pointed for Antonio to sit there.

“I didn’t know we could bring guests,” Lukas said, who was sitting next to Antonio. “I would’ve brought Emil.”

“No guests aren’t allowed. This is a closed group, Lovino!” Arthur scowled. “We cannot start with him here!”

Lovino replied with heat, “This is not a closed group. You bastard, you literally brought Alfred here two months ago! All because you let him hit.”

Antonio covered his mouth to stifle his giggles. Across the table, he saw Elizaveta and Matthew laugh a bit.

“Fuck off, that’s not true. He wanted to join that day to get inspiration for our other campaign,” Arthur rolled his eyes. But he let Antonio sit without question and Arthur went to plug his laptop.

“It’s true,” Matthew spoke up. “Our campaign was getting a bit dull. Even I was getting bored.”

Lovino inched closer to Antonio and whispered, “Arthur, Matthew, and Alfred have another campaign with Yao from math class. It started because they’re all neighbors, but I hear Yao likes to go too much into the lore.”

Antonio barely heard what he said. He was too focused on Lovino’s hot breath by his ear.

Lovino took out a little figurine. His character had a sword and a shield.

Antonio asked, “So this is your character? What’s his name?”

Despite the chatter, the room seemed so silent. Antonio waited.

“His name is Don Quixote.”

“Uhm… Lovino isn’t that-”

Lovino turned to look at him with eyes wide with emotion. “Shut it, dumbass. I know what you’re going to say. Yeah, whatever it’s like a satire so was the other book I was reading today, I got a brain. Anyway, I just thought that I could give him another life on the board. See his dreams get fulfilled or whatever.”

Antonio was taken aback. He sat there in silence, processing everything Lovino had said. He heard Lovino grumble, “Whatever, if you don’t have anything to fucking say.” He then went back to setting up his papers and whatnot.

Antonio put his hand on Lovino’s shoulder as if he had no control over his body, and said, “I really want to kiss you right now.”

Instead of turning into the lovely shade of red that Antonio was expecting, Lovino furrowed his eyebrows. “This is what makes you fess up? What, you have some kinda nerd fetish or something?”

Without a beat, Antonio said, “Yes. When it’s you.”

Lovino rolled his eyes and swiftly pecked him on the mouth. “You are so fucking weird.”

a/n: i might post this on ao3 but not sure. I'm trying to do this thing where I post drabbles & one shots as writing exercises. anyway, looking for more of my writing? here's my ao3 I'm working on a spamano romcom :) this was so fun to write! i don't know anything abt dnd LOL and it took a very long time to research stuff abt it anyway this is inspired by romano's adventure w paladins & knights & don quixote

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

The Weird History of Western Animated Movie Sequels

This is a rewrite of sorts of a history post I did on theatrical animated movie sequels in the West (largely the U.S.) a few years ago, and how weird it is... How we went from a handful of sequels over the course of three decades to an *explosion* in them... I'll collect all this fun stuff in a timeline of sorts.

(This list will mainly focus on traditional sequels, not so much films sharing similar themes and FANTASIA being planned as an ever-updating anthology w/ every re-release had it done well initially. And also, theatrical sequels. With the exception of movies re-routed to streaming because of COVID-19. That sorta thing, ya know?)

Late 1930s-Mid 1940s: Walt Disney and his studio entertain the idea of sequels to SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS and BAMBI, titled SNOW WHITE RETURNS and BAMBI'S CHILDREN. Nothing comes of them. If FANTASIA is to be successful, Walt's plan for the film is to update it every couple of years, taking some segments out and replacing them with new ones. And repeating that once more. FANTASIA bombs at the box office upon general wide release in early 1942, so the plans fall through. A feature film BONGO is developed at the beginning of the decade, and at one point it is suggested to be set in the same universe as DUMBO and would feature characters from that film. BONGO eventually became a much pared-down segment of the package film FUN & FANCY FREE in 1947.

1942-1944: Disney and their distributor RKO Radio Pictures release two anthology "package" features, SALUDOS AMIGOS and THE THREE CABALLEROS. During World War II, Nazi influence began to take shape in Central and South America. American filmmakers, including Walt Disney and a select team of his artists, traveled south in part of a larger government strategy to strengthen goodwill between the U.S. and Central/South America. SALUDOS and CABALLEROS are thus "goodwill" pictures, formed up of multiple segments themed around those territories. Both of them feature Donald Duck and Jose Carioca. Because of this, CABALLEROS could be viewed as a "sequel" of sorts to SALUDOS.

April 1946: Disney and their distributor RKO premiere MAKE MINE MUSIC, an anthology of musical segments not dissimilar to FANTASIA. The picture goes into general release in August.

May 1948: Disney and RKO release MELODY TIME, another musical anthology film. The film notably features both Donald Duck and Jose Carioca in a segment called 'Blame It On the Samba', reprising their roles from SALUDOS AMIGOS and THE THREE CABALLEROS. The Aracuan Bird from CABALLEROS also appears during this segment. Like MAKE MINE MUSIC, these two films can be seen as an extension of the FANTASIA concept, and MELODY TIME could be seen as a sequel of sorts of MAKE MINE MUSIC. The Disney company never considered any of these films to be "sequels", at least in a more traditional sense.

We have a long gap here because Walt Disney Productions was the only animation studio in America that was making feature films, and there were plenty of times where they could've ceased doing just that. Couple that with Walt's general hesitance to make sequels, and thus there weren't any animated feature sequels made from the 1950s to the end of the 1960s... Other animation studios in America had attempted to make features, but never got past a small number of them. The Fleischer studio made both GULLIVER'S TRAVELS and MR. BUG GOES TO TOWN in 1939 and 1941 respectively, and their studio was shuttered shortly after BUG's quiet and brief general release rollout in early 1942. The UPA tried their hand at animated features, but only got around to making two, 1001 ARABIAN NIGHTS and GAY PURR-EE.

By the 1960s, more animation studios were making feature-length productions, such as Hanna-Barbera and Rankin/Bass. By 1970, there was at least one new movie from an American house every two-or-so years. A good chunk of them were also based on hit TV shows or well-known properties. Hanna-Barbera did features based on THE YOGI BEAR SHOW and THE FLINTSTONES, there was also a PEANUTS-based movie called A BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN. Ralph Bakshi shook up the animation world with his adult independent feature FRITZ THE CAT in early 1972.

A BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN and FRITZ THE CAT would be the first American animated movie sequels to get theatrical sequels...

August 1972: PEANUTS movie SNOOPY COME HOME!, a follow-up to A BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN involving much of the same key crew (such as director Bill Melendez and producer Lee Mendelson), is released by National General Pictures to poor box office.

June 1974: THE NINE LIVES OF FRITZ THE CAT, a sequel to Ralph Bakshi's FRITZ THE CAT that didn't involve Bakshi, is released by American International Pictures and doesn't repeat the success of the first movie.

August 1977: RACE FOR YOUR LIFE, CHARLIE BROWN is released by Paramount, and doesn't make much of a mark at the box office.

Late 1970s: Despite the success of Ralph Bakshi's rotoscoped THE LORD OF THE RINGS in the fall of 1978, a follow-up is considered but does not materialize due to funding issues.

May 1980: BON VOYAGE, CHARLIE BROWN (AND DON'T COME BACK!!) is released by Paramount to weak box office.

1984-86: After much turmoil, the Disney enterprise sees a major corporate shakeup. Outsider executives Michael Eisner and Frank Wells become CEO and President of the newly-christened The Walt Disney Company, respectively. Upending the old tradition of not making feature sequels, Michael Eisner and the new executives ask the staff of the animation studio what their highest grossing feature was to date. When revealed that it was THE RESCUERS, a sequel to the film is greenlit.

March 1986: A fast-tracked sequel to 1985's THE CARE BEARS MOVIE is released, and only makes a fraction of what the first film - a minor hit in its own right - took in.

August 1987: A third Care Bears movie, THE CARE BEARS ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND, is released to equally unremarkable box office.

1988-89: Following the record-breaking, game-changing success of ex-Disney animator Don Bluth's Steven Spielberg-produced AN AMERICAN TAIL in 1986, a sequel is put in development, with Bluth initially tapped to helm. Bluth later broke ties with Spielberg over creative differences, and following the runaway success of WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, Steven Spielberg would set up a new animation studio called Amblimation. They took over the film.

November 1990: THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER is released to mixed critical reception and weak box office. Within weeks of release, Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg has all the marketing for the film pulled.

May 1991: Computer animation studio Pixar enters a feature film deal with The Walt Disney Company. This three-picture deal, which would later be expanded, stipulates that NO sequels be pitched. Every film pitched by Pixar for this contract is to be an ORIGINAL film, for the sole purpose of introducing new worlds/characters for the company's theme parks and consumer products divisions.

November 1991: Universal releases AN AMERICAN TAIL: FIEVEL GOES WEST, the same weekend as Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. The film flops at the box office.

Mid 1991-Early 1992: Walt Disney Home Video initially refuses, at Roy E. Disney's behest, to release FANTASIA on video formats following its 1990 theatrical re-release. Michael Eisner makes a deal with Roy: Release FANTASIA on video, and a follow-up to FANTASIA will be greenlit. FANTASIA is released in November and pulled by January 1992, selling a record-breaking 14 million units. FANTASIA CONTINUED is greenlit.

Mid 1994: Following the success of THE RETURN OF JAFAR, which was essentially an hour-long direct-to-video pilot for the ALADDIN TV series, Disney Feature Animation does not pursue making theatrical sequels to their animated features. The only exception being FANTASIA CONTINUED, which is Roy E. Disney's pet project. All other sequels are to be outsourced productions, and are produced exclusively for the home video market.

March 1996: A sequel to Don Bluth's ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN, which didn't involve Bluth much like FIEVEL GOES WEST didn't, is released to poor box office.

Early-Mid 1996: Following the success of Pixar's debut feature, TOY STORY, Disney immediately commissions a direct-to-video sequel that is to be made by "B-team" of sorts at a satellite studio, while work on A BUG'S LIFE takes place at Pixar's main building in Point Richmond. (This was before they moved to Emeryville.)

July 1997: Legacy Releasing released a sequel to THE SWAN PRINCESS, titled THE SWAN PRINCESS: ESCAPE FROM CASTLE MOUNTAIN, to virtually nonexistent box office grosses.

February 1998: TOY STORY 2 is changed from direct-to-video project to theatrical feature film, though it will not count as part of Pixar's then extended film deal with The Walt Disney Company. That very contract mandated that all of Pixar's productions be original features, or else they wll NOT count as part of the deal. Pixar and the Disney company also enter a gentleman's agreement, in that Disney will not push sequels to Pixar films *without* Pixar's permission.

Early 1999: TOY STORY 2 is taken over by the staff at the main Pixar building due to concerns over the quality of the story. The film is significantly revised, with the release date mere months away.

November 1999: TOY STORY 2 is released, and becomes the first animated movie sequel to outgross its predecessor at the box office. Despite the film's success, and despite the considerable stress the production was, Michael Eisner refuses to count it as part of the deal. Pixar owner Steve Jobs strongly feels that TOY STORY 2 should count.

January 2000: On New Year's Day of the new millennium, Roy E. Disney's FANTASIA follow-up FANTASIA 2000 goes into IMAX-exclusive release after a world premiere the previous month.

February 2000: Disney makes the unorthodox decision to release THE TIGGER MOVIE in theaters, a production made by the satellite units that otherwise would've gone straight to video. The film is a financial success.

June 2000: FANTASIA 2000 goes into general release. The film does not recoup its costs at the box office, and is generally a dud with audiences.

Around Early-To-Mid 2000: Despite the contractual agita over TOY STORY 2, Pixar is keen to do a TOY STORY 3. However, it is not greenlit by Disney.

November 2000: Paramount releases a sequel to their Nickelodeon-based hit from 1998, THE RUGRATS MOVIE. While RUGRATS IN PARIS does not make as much money as the first movie, it is still a financial success.

Early-To-Mid 2001: DreamWorks, who are about to release SHREK, are already at work on a sequel. When SHREK defies its pre-release odds and becomes a box office smash upon its May release, the sequel goes full-steam ahead. Unlike Disney Animation, whose sequels are farmed-out straight-to-video endeavors, and unlike Pixar who can't make another sequel per their contract with Disney, DreamWorks has none of this baggage and goes right ahead with a SHREK sequel.

February 2002: Disney releases another satellite production, PETER PAN sequel RETURN TO NEVER LAND, theatrically. The film is a box office success.

June 2002: Following the success of the Blue Sky production ICE AGE, released by 20th Century Fox, work is already underway on a sequel. Much like DreamWorks, they too don't have the baggage Disney Animation and Pixar have concerning sequels.

February 2003: Disney releases satellite production THE JUNGLE BOOK 2 theatrically, another financial success.

March 2003: Disney releases satellite production PIGLET'S BIG MOVIE to theaters. Costing double that of RETURN TO NEVER LAND and JUNGLE BOOK 2, the film is a box office flop.

July 2003: RUGRATS GO WILD, the third RUGRATS movie and something of a sequel to THE WILD THORNBERRYS MOVIE, is released by Paramount to poor box office.

Early-To-Mid 2004: Friction develops between The Walt Disney Company and Pixar, making a split between the two seem likely. Per the contract, Disney has first rights to the studio's animated movies that made up the extended film deal. (Everything from TOY STORY to a then-forthcoming THE INCREDIBLES and CARS) If Pixar were to break off from the Disney company, Disney could feasibly make sequels to their films without them involved... And Michael Eisner took full advantage, going back on the gentleman's agreement between the two parties. Disney launches Circle 7 Animation, a CG studio meant to make these Pixar-less sequels. Work commences on TOY STORY 3, MONSTERS, INC. 2: LOST IN SCARADISE, and FINDING NEMO 2. It's largely a hardball tactic to get Pixar to renegotiate and extend their film deal.

May 2004: DreamWorks releases SHREK 2 to record-breaking box office... This is where the game is truly changed... DreamWorks has three more SHREK movies lined up (the first of which aiming for a summer 2006 release), in addition to a direct-to-video prequel about the film's breakout character Puss In Boots.

February 2005: Disney releases one last satellite production to theaters, POOH'S HEFFALUMP MOVIE. Costing half of what PIGLET'S BIG MOVIE cost, it does alright at the box office.

Mid-To-Late 2005: DreamWorks sees another box office success in MADAGASCAR, and greenlights a sequel. This makes it the second ever DreamWorks movie to get a theatrical sequel. (Oddly, SHARK TALE from the year before, despite being a box office success and Oscar nominee, doesn't get a sequel.)

September 2005: After a campaign ran from the outside by Roy E. Disney, Michael Eisner resigns as the CEO of The Walt Disney Company. His successor, Bob Iger, seeks to renegotiate fairly with Pixar. Pixar's final film for the original contract, CARS, is less than a year away from release.

January 2006: In a historic move, The Walt Disney Company announces a $7.4 billion acquisition of Pixar.

March 2006: 20th Century Fox releases ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN to great box office. Another film is on the way.

Early-To-Mid 2006: Following the announcement of Disney's purchase of Pixar, Pixar regains control of sequel production. Circle 7 Animation is shut down, and Pixar immediately begins work on *their* TOY STORY 3 for a 2009 release. Since a MONSTERS, INC. sequel and a FINDING NEMO sequel got to the script stage, Pixar eventually has to make their sequels to override those. A MONSTERS, INC. follow-up quietly begins development around this time as well. In addition to all of this, Pixar head John Lasseter takes over Disneytoon Studios and shuts down all traditionally-animated direct-to-video Disney sequels. This indicates that a future Walt Disney Feature Animation production, now named Walt Disney Animation Studios, will get a theatrical sequel if it's a box office success.

November 2006: HAPPY FEET, released by Warner Bros., is the biggest of the non-Disney/Pixar/DreamWorks/Blue Sky movies of the year and up until that point. Makes a big splash. Sequel likely.

May 2007: SHREK THE THIRD opens and is another blockbuster for DreamWorks.

January 2008: A rather unorthodox development, Big Idea makes a theatrical sequel to JONAH: A VEGGIETALES MOVIE, with THE PIRATES WHO DON'T DO ANYTHING. Universal distributes. It flops upon release.

April 2008: Two years into The Walt Disney Company's ownership of Pixar, a massive movie slate with Disney Animation, Pixar, and Disneytoon productions is unveiled. The game plan is the first announcement of a CARS sequel. This makes CARS the second-ever Pixar film to get a sequel. At the time, this movie is penciled in for a summer 2012 debut. TOY STORY 3 has also moved back a year, to 2010.

Mid-To-Late 2008: DreamWorks sees a new breakout hit with KUNG FU PANDA in the summer, and a sequel success with MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA.

July 2009: ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS is released by 20th Century Fox, and scores excellently at the box office.

September 2009: Three features in, relative newcomer Sony Pictures Animation scores a good-sized hit with CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS. A sequel is planned thereafter...

So now... We see where it all waxes... With that, we'll just look at things year by year...

2010: TOY STORY 3 is released and becomes the highest grossing animated feature of all-time. Earlier in the year, Pixar confirms that they are in production of a MONSTERS, INC. follow-up. DreamWorks sees another breakout hit with HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, a sequel is also imminent. Newcomer Illumination scores big with DESPICABLE ME, a sequel is also inevitable. DreamWorks scores another hit with SHREK FOREVER AFTER.

2011: It's a sequel/franchise film explosion, kinda unprecedented in feature animation up until this point... KUNG FU PANDA 2, CARS 2, and PUSS IN BOOTS all come out this year and make big money. Disney Animation makes a 2D animated WINNIE THE POOH, but it is sadly a box office bomb. HAPPY FEET TWO, from Warner Bros., also bombs. HOODWINKED TOO! HOOD VS. EVIL is belatedly released this year, it is also a money-loser. New films make a splash and are to get sequels.

2012: Two sequels this year, the highly successful MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE'S MOST WANTED and ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT. Disney Animation, after years of misses and mulligans (TANGLED didn't really make much of a profit theatrically, but was a very popular film), notably scores a profitable hit with WRECK-IT RALPH, a sequel slowly begins development.

2013: Plenty of follow-ups here, with MONSTERS UNIVERSITY, DESPICABLE ME 2, THE SMURFS 2, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2, and CARS spin-off PLANES (produced at Disneytoon and not Pixar). The majority of them do pretty good at the box office, some of them *very* good. DESPICABLE ME 2 is named by Universal as their most profitable film ever released, to date.

2014: This year saw the releases of RIO 2, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 and PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE. MADAGASCAR spin-off PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR is deemed a disappointment by DreamWorks, leading to company-wide ramifications.

2015: DESPICABLE ME spin-off MINIONS debuts and is a rare animated feature to cross a billion worldwide, with only TOY STORY 3 and FROZEN having previously done that. Elsewhere, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 and THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER - a belated sequel to THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE from 2004 - are released and also do well. Notably, Disney Animation announces FROZEN II this year. The first of the post-Eisner animated features to get a follow-up announced, though the WRECK-IT RALPH sequel - announced a year later - opened before it.

2016: KUNG FU PANDA 3, FINDING DORY, and ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE are released this year. The fifth ICE AGE movie does fine, but not well enough to lead to a sixth film. A CG remake of Disney's 1967 THE JUNGLE BOOK - with a single real-life actor - is released this year to massive box office.

2017: THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE, spin-off of 2014's THE LEGO MOVIE, debuts this year and does well. The other LEGO spin-off, THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE, doesn't. Elsewhere, CARS 3 does okay at the box office, DESPICABLE ME 3 breaks the billion, and Sony reboots the Smurfs movies with an all-animated film SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE. They deem the film a box office disappointment. THE NUT JOB 2: NUTTY BY NATURE, a sequel to the 2014 ToonBox-produced movie, debuts to muted numbers.

2018: Big year for sequels: Billion-dollar smash INCREDIBLES 2, big hits HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 and RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET, and... Belated flop sequel to 2011's GNOMEO & JULIET, SHERLOCK GNOMES.

2019: Two Disney smashes in TOY STORY 4, the 99.99% CGI LION KING remake, and FROZEN II, though Universal's THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 doesn't make half of what the breakout 2016 original made. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD does fine, while THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE 2 and THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART underperform.

2020: COVID-19 impacts the theatrical market, re-routing many films to streaming. TROLLS WORLD TOUR and THE CROODS: A NEW AGE debut this year, ditto a U.S. release of Aardman's first-ever movie sequel, FARMAGEDDON: A SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE. A third SPONGEBOB movie, SPONGE ON THE RUN, rolls out internationally before a quiet U.S. debut in the next year.

2021: The theatrical market slowly crawls back upon the unrolling of COVID-19 vaccines. Sequels this year include SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY, THE BOSS BABY: FAMILY BUSINESS, THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2, SING 2, and the unusual SPIRIT: UNTAMED: A follow-up to a TV series that was a follow-up to a flop DreamWorks movie.

2022: HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA: TRANSFORMANIA, TOY STORY spin-off LIGHTYEAR, MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, and PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH make up this year, as we all know.

Last year: SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE, TROLLS BAND TOGETHER, and - notably - straight-to-streaming Aardman sequel CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET that still was theatrical-caliber.

This year: KUNG FU PANDA 4, INSIDE OUT 2, DESPICABLE ME 4, MOANA 2, MUFASA: THE LION KING, WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL...

Next year: THE BAD GUYS 2, ZOOTOPIA 2, THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS, PLANKTON: THE MOVIE

2026: UNTITLED MARIO FILM, TOY STORY 5, SHREK 5, PAW PATROL 3, MUTANT MAYHEM 2

2027: MINIONS 3, FROZEN III

Also on the horizon: SPIDER-MAN: BEYOND THE SPIDER-VERSE, INCREDIBLES 3, THE BOSS BABY 3, a third LEGO MOVIE, THE SEA BEAST 2, SECRET LIFE OF PETS 3, SING 3, a PEANUTS MOVIE sequel, and probably many more I'm forgetting at the moment...

Basically, the major cracks in the dam were TOY STORY 2, SHREK 2, and ICE AGE 2... Making sequels to animated movies was for a long time not ideal, getting an animated feature out period was at one point a gamble. (Still is, but not like it was many decades ago.) But yeah, a lot was at play for a while and then after it all blew up... Yeah, that's why there are so many of them.

[grandhotelabyss]

What do you consider some of the best funny works of literature? (Not necessarily “funniest”, but best works that are funny); your canon of humour

My favorite style of humor—and humor seems more personal as well as more culture- and time-bound than seriousness—is arch and dry wit. I prefer this to a zany, slapstick, or gross-out style. Thus for humor if not for other artistic virtues I prefer Austen and Wilde to Dickens, for example, Emma and The Importance of Being Earnest for preference. Ulysses is the encyclopedia of every kind of humor as it is of every other kind of thing, and the funniest parts of Ulysses are the funniest parts of any novel ever written. Beckett, as Joyce's devoted student, and perhaps a disguised descendant of Wilde too, is hilarious in his plays' bleak repartee, though he might lean too hard on the scatology. Works before the 19th century are perhaps too distant from us to be funny, exactly. The Decameron, The Canterbury Tales, Don Quixote, Candide, Gulliver's Travels, Tom Jones all seem somehow too cruel, as Nabokov observed of DQ, to the modern sensibility. The deadpan irony in Dante's contrapasso is somehow funnier than all of those, somehow more forgiving in its cruelty. Shakespeare may be funnier to us in the tragedies, where the jokes flash like lightning in the darkness. Is anything funnier than the cosmic joke of Hamlet? Whereas I can't share the worship of Falstaff. Tristram Shandy is closer to us, but strained, over-familiar, like a beer-swilling uncle clapping you between the shoulders; I feel the same about the humor in Moby-Dick; both of those books are grab-bags of dick jokes. Henry James is funnier than he gets credit for being, especially in dialogue. To return to the 20th century, the aforementioned Nabokov is obviously funny; I like him better the subtler he is, as when Humbert describes Charlotte Haze descending the stairs and enumerates her features as they become visible to him "in order," from her feet up—as if any other order were possible! Pynchon? Too stoner for me; I prefer his elegiasm, though The Crying of Lot 49 always makes me laugh with its zaniness so adjacent to tristesse. Gore Vidal's critical essays might offer the acutest wit of the 20th century. Roth is funnier the further he gets from sex, ironically, and Operation Shylock is immensely funny at micro and macro scales, the height of die-laughing political comedy. Humor being, as I've said, personal and local, I have described DeLillo's White Noise as the funniest novel I've ever read, and I stand by that, even if the world it affectionately mocks is no longer quite ours, and even if I am affected in this instance by some latent Italian-American consciousness and its dry skepticism.

(I see from the inadvertent psychoanalysis in the above free association that there are two kinds of humor: one moves toward the body and its grosser functions as a source of laughter and the other moves away to higher levels of abstraction upon the world. I obviously prefer the latter, humor as high-minded irony, as pointed wit, a defense against sensation. The unruly body, the "lower bodily stratum" as I think Bakhtin called it in his study of Rabelais, whom I still need to read, is likelier to show up in my constellation of taste as a source of anxiety, tragedy, or, at its best, forbidden or abashed and therefore serious eros. Which self-analysis I'm sure a reading of my archly witty novels—they've been described as body horror—will bear out. Those who have scrutinized my sensibility as "very Catholic" will have something to say about this, given Catholicism's intensely abstract, paradoxical, and therefore inherently witty theology, based in its turn upon an equally intense and deadly serious affective veneration of the wounded corpus. Why else find Dante funnier than Boccaccio?)

[emerald-notes]

Found something in my draft and wanted to share it...

So, I just read Johnathan Swift’s Meditation Upon a Broomstick. Honestly, I barely knew its context yet the finishing misogynistic tone kind of threw me off. So, I did some digging and here’s what I could gather so far.

Let me give you some quick summary and the background context of it. Apparently, Swift had to do some reading of Occasional Reflections Upon Several Subjects by Robert Boyle to the ladies of the house. These are usually some observations of Boyle’s of the regular objects and his attempt to link a philosophical connection with the said objects using biblical references and such. Swift found them to be absolute nonsense and in an attempt to criticize Boyle he produced his very own lamentation on a regular object such as the broomstick which he called some kind of ‘meditation’ from his part. At the beginning, the ladies could not catch on to that but soon realized that the rant was taking an absurd turn instead of a philosophical one.

Now, upon reading some analysis of the text (Swift’s), I came to find out that not only he meant to ridicule Boyle but also his readers. And I took it personally. What kind of person mocks other people just because they take pleasure from certain kinds of entertainment that doesn’t appeal to this particular person personally?

Now, I might have considered that Swift genuinely believed that Boyle’s ideas were trash if I hadn’t read something in another article. There are hints that Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels were inspired by Boyle’s idea of creating such a romantic story. So, I would have loved to question, why Johnathan, why? Why did you despise Boyle so much? Is it because his works entertain more ladies than yours? Because he’s more popular among women than you are? Are you jealous?

I also came to another conclusion upon this matter. It is not new that we are ridiculed for our liking for anything. Women have been insulted time after time for something they are interested in, something that they can relate to, something that gives them comfort. Whether women enjoy romantic movies or K-pop or anything at all, they are sure to be made fun of. Because long before, they were even insulted upon liking someone who is now known to be the first modern chemist. In this context, Swift's witty nature seems bitter, doesn’t it?

I loved A Modest Proposal, which is the first and the only thing I read by Johnathan Swift. I really expected something better from him. Now, some of y'all might come at me saying it was only meant to be a joke. Swift and even the ladies might have had some laughs over this event. Of course, that could be the case. I wouldn’t even have to know about it then. The fact that he esteemed this manner was right to be made public in writing is what bothers me.

That was just my thoughts. Let me know if you have something to say as well. Also, feel free to correct me if I get anything factually wrong.

[a-typical]

In Jonathan Swift’s 1726 classic adventure novel Gulliver’s Travels, one of Gulliver’s excursions takes him to a fictional island off the southern coast of Australia, populated by a race of intelligent, exquisitely rational horses called the Houyhnhnms—yes, that’s spelled correctly. In the surrounding woods roams a hairy, smelly, irrational, species of human-ape called the Yahoos. Gulliver realized in conversation with these horses that to them, he was in every way much more like the Yahoos than like themselves.

As a geeky kid, I remember on first reading this story how I longed to be like the rational horses. Their thoughts: crisp and clear. Their decisions: reasoned and rational. When I got older, I discovered for myself that emotions are what drive feelings. The Houyhnhnms are cold and emotionless. Yet feelings are a feature, not a shortcoming, of what it is to be human. So feelings can and perhaps should affect our personal equations of risk versus reward even if doing so may leave us occasionally confused about whether we made the right decision.

All I ask is to see accurate and authentic data, analyzed from all directions—free of bias and tunnel vision—before I layer my emotions upon it. In the end, we must live with the consequences of our decisions. After all input of facts and statistical analysis, our emotions may defy reconciliation with data. That’s okay too.

— Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization - Neil deGrasse Tyson (2022)

[bracketsoffear]

From Below (Darcy Coates) "No light. No air. No escape. Hundreds of feet beneath the ocean's surface, a graveyard waits... Years ago, the SS Arcadia vanished without a trace during a routine voyage. Though a strange, garbled emergency message was broadcast, neither the ship nor any of its crew could be found. Sixty years later, its wreck has finally been discovered more than three hundred miles from its intended course...a silent graveyard deep beneath the ocean's surface, eagerly waiting for the first sign of life. Cove and her dive team have been granted permission to explore the Arcadia's rusting hull. Their purpose is straightforward: examine the wreck, film everything, and, if possible, uncover how and why the supposedly unsinkable ship vanished. But the Arcadia has not yet had its fill of death, and something dark and hungry watches from below. With limited oxygen and the ship slowly closing in around them, Cove and her team will have to fight their way free of the unspeakable horror now desperate to claim them. Because once they're trapped beneath the ocean's waves, there's no going back."

Gulliver's Travels (Jonathan Swift) "Plays a lot with perspective -- Gulliver is a giant on one island, and an ant on another. There's also an island that flies and blots out the sun to conquer the lands below it."

[demonzoro]

For the character asks, 25 + each of the supernovas? I don't remember if I've ever seen you talk abt them and I'm curious. Feel free to skip any you want/don't have much to say about!

OOOOOH how fun !! please keep in mind that my first impressions are me at eleven so there might be a bit of a jump LOL

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

LUFFY – (first impression) funny monkey guy who RULES!! my #1. i loved his conviction and sense of "right" being people should be free to do what they want. (now) FUNNY MONKEY GUY WHO RULES. idk what else to add his portrayal has been so consistent even over the years, and so has my delight in him :]

ZORO – (first impression) fun but not as cool as luffy. kind of faded into the background for me with luffy commanding most of my attention. don't really get his deal lol. (now) brain chemistry has been altered forever. somehow overtook luffy as my fave?? i don't even know how that happened. i want to be him, i want to be with him, i need to study him, i need to rotate him in my brain forever

BLACKBEARD – (first impression) surprisingly profound tenets about the age of dreams still being alive. still kind of a weird guy. i enjoyed that he and luffy were complete opposites in stupid ways but shared a core belief. (now) i need him dead. why are you as a man with a RAFT for a ship messing up everyone's business like that.

BEGE – (first impression) i genuinely thought the little guys he kept on him were just that size (like gulliver's travels-esque). yes i'm stupid but also i was eleven. (now) FAMILY MAN... i really love his godfather vibe and his role in whole cake. can't say no to a wife guy who is ruthless at his day job <3

BONNEY – (first impression) LOVE how loud and unapologetic she was. saluting her common sense rip zoro you could never be her. (now) intrigued w her backstory ... i've only gotten up to the part where she's seen what they've done to kuma... really excited to learn more abt what's up w that

HAWKINS – (first impression) cool asf powers.... is he just as cool... i will stay tuned to find out. (now) ngl he's a bit of a pathetic wet blanket to me but his whole vibe still goes hard.

APOO – (first impression) this guy is really annoying i need him outta here. (now) this guy is really annoying in the funniest possible ways. blow their ass up with piano!! tumpet!! BWAAA

KID – (first impression) LOOKS SCARY... really cool powers but kind of annoying :/ luffy is literally cooler than you. (now) i truly don't know his deal but i like his scrappiness and loyalty to his crew. his powers are REALLY cool.

KILLER – (first impression) masked character with curved blades on his arms. instantly fell in love. cooler than his captain, get him more panels please. (now) sorry for pitting you against kid like dat... do not separate these two... i was so sad to see him w his mask off :( like an angel w/o wings.... to me....

OROUGE – (first impression) you. are weird. (now) IS HE RELEVANT ANYWHERE? I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE HE'S AT.

X DRAKE – (first impression) COOL DESIGN... an ex-navy pirate was such an intriguing concept to me. i wonder if no-one can trust him because he turncoated the navy... (now) TRUST NO-ONE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR AGENDAS ARE. very intrigued to how his undercover thing with koby pans out ..... i think i'm two character revelations away from being obsessed w him

LAW – (first impression) genuinely unsettling but he looks like he fumbled his wardrobe so bad. already could feel like sliding off my psyche luffy is literally right there. (now) unfortunately obsessed w him. i want to make more art/fic for him bc i have very specific thoughts about what he did in the timeskip. he's also the right level of goofy balanced w edgy that makes him very endearing to me....

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send me a character + a number from 1-26!

[stagelightwhump]

Personally, if a bunch of Tinies tied me down with dental floss, Gulliver's Travels style, I'd just let them. I wouldn't escape, or rip up the floss or anything. I'd let them feel in control and safe and not in danger.

It's only after they deign to free me that I'd reveal I could've escaped the whole time, and was only playing along to help them feel safe, because it's simply in my nature to be kind to others.