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thiswasinevitableid · 3 years

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5, sternclay, nsfw? 👀

Here you go

5: Incubus

“Buddy, I promise, you can come in and cuddle in like, ten minutes.”

The whining at the bedroom door stops, replaced by a big, wet nose, just visible through the crack at the bottom of the door as it snuffles back and forth. It’s very cute, but Barclay is not about to let his dog deprive him of a much needed jerk-off session.

He’s ready for bed, so it’s just a matter of pulling down his pajama pants and getting to it. Closing his eyes, he pictures that cute customer who gets black coffee and a croissant every morning at the Lodge. It takes a few tries to find a fantasy he likes, the one about the back counter and the new uses for a spatula.

Outside the door, Sass starts whining again, scratching frantically at the wood. There goes his deposit.

God, he can practically feel the guy up against him.

The bed dips on the outside of each thigh. Opening his eyes reveals a man wearing nothing but deep blue boxer briefs and a smile.

“Holyshitwhatthefuck?” He clambers back, banging his head on the wall in his hurry to sit up, “what the fuck man, how’d you get in here?”

“A portal between dimensions. That’s the, um, simplified version. But don’t worry, I’m not here to hurt you. The opposite really. I’m an incubus.”

“Why the fuck is a fucking sex demon in my bedroom?” Barclay yanks his pants up. The incubus looks sad at this development.

“I feed on sexual energy, and to do that I follow trails of that same energy to their source. You have a lot of it.”

“Yeah, year-long dry spell’ll do that.”

“Consider it broken.” The demon leans forward only for Barclay to hold up a hand.

“Nope. This is not how I want to break it. Sorry.”

“Is it my appearance? I can look like anyone--or anything--you want.” His features morph, eyes going from brown to blue to green, hair from honey-blond to fire red, “if you’re shy, my powers let me see into your deepest fantasies and make them come true.”

“No that’s not the problem, I wanna fuck someone I have some kinda connection to, not some guy who dropped into my bedroom. And would you please knock it off with that face-changing? I’m not gonna fuck you, so you can just look like yourself.”

The incubus starts, surprised by his sharp refusal, features landing on short, black hair, blue eyes, and a face that’d make a movie-star insecure.

“I said you don’t have to try and be hot.”

“...This is how I look.”

“Oh. Uh. Cool.”

The demon smiles, “Having second thoughts?”

He takes a deep breath and lies through his teeth, “Nope.”

With that, he stands, grabbing the nearest shirt and pulling it on. Sass wiggles when he opens the door, takes one look behind him, and runs the other way.

“I wish I knew why earth canines react that way to me. I have a hellhound named Mother Leeds who adores me.”

“Jersey Devil reference?” He pads into the kitchen, starts the kettle and rummages in the cabinet for the most soothing tea blend he owns.

“Yes!” The demon grins from his new position by the fridge, “when I found her she was pregnant with a litter. Most people don’t get it. Demons don’t either.”

“Friend of mine likes Mothman and all that kinda stuff. Uh” He takes a cup down, reaches for a second one automatically and then stops, “are you gonna hang around? Because my answer isn’t changing and if you keep pestering me I’ll just leave the apartment.”

“No, I’ll drop it. You’re not interested and sexual energy only works if it’s from something consensual. But, um” he toys with a magnet, “could I ask a few questions before I go?”

“About?”

“Humans. How things work up here, what your daily lives are like, that sort of thing.”

“Uh, sure.” He gets down the second mug, “is this so you can better seduce them or something?” Turning, he finds the incubus sitting at the table, producing a small notebook and pen from the air.

“No, this is my own research. I’m, um, more curious about humans than the average demon. I basically ended up an incubus because at my last job I kept trying to talk with humans or spend more time around them than was wise and, well, my supervisor got sick of it. So they offered me a reassignment to a role where the whole point was to be around people.”

“You fuck people just so you can, like, interview them afterwards?” He sets the two mugs on the table, notices that the notebook is crammed with questions in neat, elegant handwriting.

“Technically, I also need the energy from it. But, um, yes” he blushes, “I know it’s a sort of silly hobby.��

“I don’t think it’s silly to wanna know about other worlds and people. But this doesn’t seem like the most, uh, effective way to do it.”

A sigh as the demon picks up his mug, “You’ve got that right. Sometimes I can get a few questions in during ‘pillow talk’ but mostly it’s in and out. Literally.” He snickers at his own bad joke, which further kindles the inexplicable, protective impulse Barclay feels towards him, “Don’t get me wrong, I like my work, and being a good incubus takes skill and dedication. It just...isn’t quite what I thought it’d be.” He sips the tea, brings the mug away from his mouth to study the liquid, “what kind is this?”

“Mostly chamomile.”

“Chamomile…” he flips through the book, which contains more pages than should be physically and spatially possible, “that’s a plant, one that humans thing is calming, right?”

Barclay can’t help but smile, “Right. You want me to sit here and quiz you?”

“No, there’s too much to discover. What would you say is your area of expertise?”

“I’m a cook, so food.”

“Food, food, ah here it is. Let’s see, why do humans persist in eating things that could kill them?”

“You mean things like rhubarb or are we in, like, Fugu territory here?”

The demon smiles, “I have no idea, please say more.”

They sit at the table until two in the morning, at which point Joseph ,the incubus, excuses himself to go collect energy from a willing participant. Before he disappears, he takes a chance and tells Joseph that he can come back if he has more questions. The demon thanks him and, out of what Barclay suspects is a habit more than anything else, blows him a kiss goodbye.

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“Y’know, I kinda figured you’d look more demonic. Do incubi just get human forms?” Barclay shakes red pepper flakes onto his pizza while Joseph finishes a filled breadstick.

“This isn’t my ‘true’ form. When you asked me just to look like myself when we met, I figured you meant the least alarming version.”

“As long as it’s not, like, a beast with a thousand eyes, we’re good.”

Joseph wipes his mouth and by the time the napkin reaches the other corner of his lips, Barclay is gasping.

His nails turn sharp and silver, his eyes pure black, but it’s his skin that’s most noticeable; it’s swirls and swoops of blue and silver, dancing down his arms and blooming out from the neck of his “Museum of Anthropology” souvenir shirt. He stands, giving Barclay a fuller view. Short horns sprout from his head, doubtless the perfect size and texture to hold him in place with your dick down his throat. His tail is that same mix of royal blue and silver, the right length to wrap around your hand and tug while you fuck him. Every inch of him is made to be pinched and pulled, groped and fondled, and Barclay will not be standing up from the table any time soon.

“It’s the color that gets people.” Joseph smiles with pointed teeth as he sits back down.

“It’s incredible, Joseph.”

The demon smiles, mischievous, “I’m glad you like it. Now, where were we?” He uncovers his notebook from a stack of parmesan packets and clicks his pen, appearance fading back to the human one Barclay is used to. He mourns his loss for a moment, before Joseph draws him into an animated conversation about movie theaters.

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“Come on Sass, it’s okay. Look, I even have your favorite.” Joseph holds out the treat, still fresh from the oven, while Barclay puts the rest of the batch out of range. The dog no longer runs from the demon, but will not come within arms reach of him.

Sass whines, looking from Joseph to Barclay and back.

“Here” Barclay settles on the couch next to him, resting his arm along the back of it, “see, buddy, he’s our friend.”

Sass creeps forward, still on his belly, plucks the treat from Joseph’s palm, and retreats to his bed.

“Progress.” Joseph leans back, pleased. Their positions mean he comes to rest with Barclays arm around him. Barclay doesn’t move it, and the demon stays put until the end of the episode of Hells’ Kitchen

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The newest Agent X is so engrossing that Barclay doesn’t register Joseph until his friend slumps onto the bed.

“Hey, you’re early.” He sets the book down on the nightstand, scooching to where the demon sits rubbing his forehead.

“I’m, um, I’m having a bit of a problem.” When he looks up, silver and blue peeks through the skin on his face, “I misjudged how much energy I was going to get from my last two visits. I’m so weak I don’t think I can make it back home. I, um, I came here because if I’m going to be stuck and without powers I” his horns appear and he scratches them awkwardly, “I want it to be around someone I trust.”

“What’ll happen if you can’t get more energy?”

“I’ll get sick, and if the worst happens I’ll have to signal for someone to come get me. Which’ll get me demoted for sure.” He tucks his legs up onto the bed. He’s wearing the UFO socks Barclay gave him as a surprise last week, and the cook sets a hand on a flying-saucer covered ankle.

“You can stay as long as you need, okay? And if there’s anything else I can do to help, let me know.”

“Unless you feel like taking me door to door to ask your neighbors if they want to fuck, a safe place to rest is what I need most.”

“What if, uh, you recharged here?” He draws a finger up and down the side of Josephs’ calf.

The incubus raises his eyebrows, “Barclay, are you forgetting how we met?”

“I didn’t want to fuck you then, but now...now you’re you, this handsome, clever, dorky guy who also happens to be a sex demon who hangs around my house most nights. I, I didn’t ask about sooner because I was afraid you’d think it was fuck me or lose our friendship, but if I can help you in a kinda self-serving way, I’m down.”

Joseph shakes his head, “That’s sweet, but you’re not the only one with concerns. How can I be sure you actually want me, and you’re not just offering because you want to help?”

Barclay snaps his fingers, “You can read my deepest desires, right? How about you take a peek and tell me what you see?”

Joseph closes his eyes, tail twitching as he concentrates, and Barclay gets the distinct pleasure of watching his face as he learns the truth.

“Oh. OH. Um, you’re not kidding about how badly you want me. And some of this makes the reaction you had the one time I showed up in a suit make way more sense. But we can explore that later.” His eyes, now-pitch black, snap open, “right now, big guy, I’ll do whatever you want, however you want it.”

“In that case” Barclay catches Joseph just as he tries for a kiss, “how about you tell me what you want?”

“Barclay, I’m an incubus, I want whatever the person I’m feeding on wants.”

“Nuhuh, I don’t buy that, babe. You’re telling me there’s nothing that’s your favorite, or that you’re curious about?” He teases their lips together.

“N-no?”

“You’re not getting any kisses until you tell me the truth.”

Joseph narrows his eyes with a “hmmph.” Then, as if it’s his greatest secret, he whispers, “I want to know what it’s like to get a massage as foreplay. No one’s ever wanted it or offered, and it sounds so nice.”

Barclay rewards him with a kiss. The demon melts against him, slides a forked tongue into his mouth to tease it. Clawed fingers tug at his shirt until Joseph remembers he can do magic and renders them both naked with a wave of the hand.

When they part, Joseph licks his lips, “Holy hell, Barclay, that kiss was enough to make me feel better than I did this morning. Tastes nice too, like coffee with lots of cream.”

“So, coffee the way you like it.” Barclay nudges him backwards, rolls him over as the incubus keeps talking.

“Usually it’s a neutral sweetness. I wonder, hmm, maybe it has something to do with the fact you’re attracted to me, as in the actual meOHohhhhhhh” he flattens into the bed like a cat on a sunny floor as Barclay digs his thumbs under his shoulder blades.

“You can theorize later babe, I promise. Right now, all you gotta do is let me rub you down. Uh, can you magic up some oil or something? It’ll feel better if--great, thanks.” Barclay sets the lit massage candle safely on the nightstand, waiting for it to melt.

“Should I put my human form back on now that I can hold it?”

“Nope” he traces his hands up parallel patches of silver, pinches one horn playfully, “I love that version of you, but this one is so, so, fucking hot. Now” be kisses the base of his neck, “relax.”

Drizzling liquid wax down his spine makes the incubus moan, but the sound is nothing compared to what happens when he starts kneading him like dough. It’s a yowl, rough and inelegant in a way Joseph never is, and Barclay dedicates the next fifteen minutes to finding new ways to trigger it. He’s so beautiful, it’s like touching a painting, a galaxy, a miracle.

By the time he reaches his lower back the incubus is grinding on the bed and Barclay is half-hard from touching him. He grips Joseph’s ass, parting it enough to grind between the cheeks.

“Don’t tease” his tail delivers a scolding thwack to Barclays cheek. The cook growls, turning his head to capture the offending appendage between his teeth.

“OHholyffffffuckinghell.” Joseph rips the blanket as he flails, “no one’s ever thought to do that before and now I really wish they had.”

That’s all the encouragement he needs. He ignores his growing hard-on in favor of nipping and kissing his way down Joseph’s tail. It’s velvety, feels like nothing he’s ever experienced as it twitches and trembles under his tongue. The base gets an extra-hard lovebite and Joseph moans, rolling over so fast he nearly catches Barclay in the face with his cock. And what a cock, on the narrow side but covered in swirling ridges.

“Holy shit, you just get hotter and hotter.”

“Th-thank you, big guy, now for gods sake pleeEEEase fuck me.” He whimpers adorably when Barclay licks up his shaft.

“Okay babe, we can fuck. But I think…” he grabs the incubus, flipping them so Joseph straddles him, “I want you to fuck me.”

Joseph registers his words and his eyes glow deep blue.

“Uh, is that a good thing?”

“Yes, big guy, it’s the closest I get to having my pupils dilate when aroused. And since you look so good underneath me, I’ll expedite things” he snaps his fingers and Barclay inhales in surprise; his ass is dripping lube and stretched like someone just pulled three fingers away from it.

“Fuck yeah” he spreads his legs, “c’mon blue eyes, don’t make me wait anymoreOHFUCK, fuck, yeah, like that.” He hooks his legs around Joseph as the incubus thrusts all the way in. Joseph kisses in precise shapes up and down his face, even as his hips keep a rapid, erratic rhythm.

“Shit, shit, Barclay you taste so good, feel so good, please, please don’t stop touching me.”

“Not sure I could ever keep my hands to myself again, babe, god you’re so fucking handsomeAH, hah, someone got a praise kink?” He gasps out laughter as Joseph fucks him harder with each kind word. The ridges on his cock are solid enough that Barclay feels them with each drag, and it sets his toes curling.

“Maybe a little one” the incubus smiles against his neck, “though kink is a distinctly human concept and a complex one-SHITfuck, fuck please do that again.” He kisses Barclay hard as the human obligingly pulls his tail with one hand and smacks his ass with the other. Teeth catch Barclay’s lower lip on the next tug, a moan spilling from Josephs’ mouth down his chin.

“That’s it baby, fuck me while I rough you up, fuck, Joseph, your dick is fucking perfect, never gonna want another one, c’mon please, I’m close.”

Joseph sits up, grinning joyfully, and grips Barclays cock. It’s a masterful handjob, because how could a sex demon give anything else, but what strikes Barclay most is how happy and relaxed Joseph is. The incubus admitted once that even when he was having sex, he constantly worried about fulfilling the fantasy to earn enough energy to feed. Yet here he’s laughing and smiling, eyes aglow as he works Barclay up to the best orgasm of his life.

It means something; Barclay only hopes Joseph will stay in his life long enough for him to figure out what.

He’s too busy with the sparks behind his eyelids and the pleasure coursing down from his head to his toes to note that Joseph managed to make them cum at the same time. The incubus pushes a hand through his fair, swooping it back and off his face, as he notes this accomplishment.

“I want to run a marathon. Or maybe go hiking, or swim the lake. I have so much energy. Barclay, it’s amazing. You, it’s never been like that before. It’s felt good, but that was fucking transcendent.

“No fucking kidding.” Barclay shifts onto his side, nestling up against him so his head is under Joseph’s chin. He yawns, kisses a blue shoulder, “but you might have to burn off some energy without me. You wore me out, blue eyes.”

Joseph adjusts his arms so he’s holding him, “If I stay the night, can I walk Sass with you in the morning?”

Barclay nods, already falling asleep, safe in the knowledge that Joseph is okay and, better yet, so fond of him that his eyes are still glowing, “You got a deal, babe.”

#sternclay #agent stern/barclay #reader requests #monster march #TAZ amnesty

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purplesurveys · 3 years

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1111

Something a little bit random and silly for my 1111th, just because.

survey by joybucket

List three things you love that start with each letter.

A: Art and most forms of it; anchovies, in most cases; and Angela.

B: Burgers, Beyoncé, and buffets.

E: Escargot, the name Eloise, and elephants.

F: FISH, Friends, and some folk indie.

S: Sleeping, signing off work at the end of my shift, and all kinds of seafood.

T: I’m obsessed with tteokbokki; trying out new food; and table tennis.

Q: I like the quiet time I occasionally give myself; quail eggs, especially in the form of kwek-kwek; and quattro formaggi pizza.

R: Rainbows, the rain, and riding planes.

O: Old movies, the ocean, and Okinawa milk tea.

List a phrase including an adjective, noun, and verb for each letter. Examples: "angry artist anticipating", "rude rascals running", "dirty dogs dancing", or "empty elephants eloping." Have fun!

A: Adorable animals appearing.

F: Fabulous fingers frolicking.

C; Chummy classmates cooking.

S: Suspicious self salivating.

R: Rambunctious raccoon running.

T: Tired turnip tumbling.

Q; Questioning quail quipping.

J: Joyful joggers jamming.

I: Inquisitive igloos imagining.

L: Luxurious lemonade luminescing.

Z: Zesty zebras zoning out.

E: Ethereal eagles embracing.

List three different occupations starting with each letter.

O: Orthodontist, oceanographer, opthalmologist.

E: Engineer, equestrienne, elementary school teacher.

F: Firefighter, flight attendant, farmer.

S: Scientist, singer, seamstress.

T: Talent agent, tricycle driver, tennis player.

I: Illustrator, inspector, IT technician.

E: Economist, editor, electrician.

L: Lawyer, librarian, lifeguard.

A: Accountant, actor, architect.

Y: Yoga instructor, youth pastor, yogurt maker?? if that counts, lol. Otherwise I got nothing else.

List three adjectives that begin with each letter.

A: Affable, abrupt, adequate.

B: Broken, blunt, bleary.

C: Crazy, clear, clingy.

D: Daunting, delirious, dark.

E: Existential, enraged, exemplary.

F: Fantastic, far-flung, flavorful.

G: Ghastly, gentle, gigantic.

H: Harrowing, healthy, hopeful.

I: Intelligent, identical, impervious.

J: Jovial, jaded, joyous.

List three nouns that being with each letter.

K: Kangaroo, keychain, kiwi.

L: Lemonade the album, lemon the fruit, and Liz Lemon.

M: Mall, maple syrup, and mop.

N: Nightingale, nest, napkin.

O: Ogre, olive, orange.

P: Piano, panini, and pizza.

Q: Queen, quill, quilt.

List three verbs that begin with each letter.

R: Running, raking, reliving.

S: Singing, sailing, surfing.

T: Tricking, tossing, teeming.

U: Understanding, urging, unwrapping.

V: Villifying, venerating, vaccinating - get vaccinated, folks.

W: Wandering, washing, wriggling.

X: I don’t know if there are any and I can’t bother to look it up.

Y: Yawning, yelling, yearning.

Z: Zipping, ziplining, zapping.

List three...

girl's names you love: Olivia, Mia, Emma.

boy’s names you love: Mason, Jacob, Lucas.

girl’s names you dislike: Karen, and our local versions of Karen, Marites and Marivic.

boy’s names you dislike: Chad, times three.

things you hate about summer things you hate about winter things you hate about spring things you hate about fall things you love about spring things you love about winter things you love about fall things you love about summer Crossing these out because my Southeast Asian ass can’t relate, but if you do decide to take this survey feel free to un-strikethrough them!

things you miss from your past: Having more freedom to make mistakes; not having to worry about the future; and friends I’ve since lost.

people who have really hurt you in the past: Gabie, my mom, Marielle.

names of people you have had crushes on: Gabie, Andi from 5th grade...and that’s it, really.

names of people you have gone on a date with: Only Gabie. And I guess maybe Mike? Since he asked me to go with him to his ball as his date.

places you've been and would love to go again: Sagada, Jeju, Bali.

places you want to visit before you die: Morocco, Spain, Thailand.

items on your bucket list: See Times Square, live in a condo, plan a solo trip.

health conditions you have: Scoliosis, lactose intolerance, and very possible depression.

health conditions you've had in the past but don't anymore: Dehydration, UTI, and some kind of weird low-platelet-count thing that was just that, and never diagnosed as anything.

things you are allergic to: Possibly some types of grass, and maybe face masks. Idk how to confirm it really; I just know my skin gets irritated around them sometimes.

youtube channels you love to watch: Good Mythical Morning; the KBS YouTube channel mainly for clips of Return of Superman and 2 Days 1 Night; and Binging With Babish.

favorite drinks: Water, coffee, Long Island Iced Tea.

favorite foods: Sushi, chicken wings, pizza.

favorite desserts: Cheesecake, MACARONS, cupcakes.

favorite holidays: The only one I care for and get super excited about is my birthday, if that counts. Christmas is fine, but I only get the excitement for it on the actual day itself.

favorite colors: Pastel pink, white, maroon.

people you would like to meet: Ysa and Bea, my teammates at work. I’ve met them only once before, and I wish we can be allowed to report to the workplace physically soon so that I get to see them more often and strengthen my relationship (both working and personal) with them. I’d also love to be able to chat and chill with Hayley Williams even for just 30 seconds.

people you want to meet in Heaven: I don’t believe in that, but I’d love to have met my great-grandfather on my maternal grandfather’s side. Also, Audrey Hepburn and Princess Diana.

good names for a dog or cat: Depends on their personality.

reasons why you get up each morning and keep on living: Because I’ve been able to see myself get better, and why stop all the progress?; because I’d want to be able see if the future will get better; and because I’m afraid of what will happen to/who will look out for my dogs if I’m suddenly gone.

For each name, think of three people you know with that name, and list their occupations.

Amanda: I only know one Amanda, and she’s a friend of my ex’s younger sister. She’s only in senior year of high school. I know an Amandine which is close enough I suppose?? and she’s a dentistry student.

Sarah: She’s a media contact and I’m constantly in touch with; she’s the editor-in-chief of a local magazine. I think she’s the only Sarah I know.

Ashley: Also a media contact. I’m not sure about her title, though.

Beth: @bionic-beth is a teacher! :) But I don’t know any Beths in real life, I think.

Katie: Well I know Kate, and I’ll sometimes playfully call her Katie. She works in a government agency and she’s one of their PR people. The HR person who recruited me to come work at my current employer is a Kate, but I have never and have no plans to call her Katie.

Matt: That’s too foreign-sounding a name where I live.

Emily: Don’t know any Emilys, either.

Chris: Media contacts. They run blogs or news sites of their own.

Mike/Michael: The one Mike I know is currently a med student. Not sure if he’s working on the side - I think he is, since I saw him post about a job update on his Facebook a few months ago; but I can no longer remember what he does, or if he’s still doing it.

Jessica: I went to high school with a girl named Jessica but I don’t follow her on social media, so I have no clue what she’s up to now.

Becca/Bekah: Rita’s sister is a Becca. I think she is currently a grad student.

For each name, think of three people you know, and list one adjective to describe each person. (Skip if you don't know anyone with that name.)

Laura

Michelle: Hilarious.

Victoria: Strong.

Tessa: Friendly.

John

Claire: Influential; motherly.

Briana/Brianna: Bitch.

Vanessa

Brittany/Britney, etc.

Allison/Allie/Ally, etc: Kind.

Olivia

Jordan

Jo/Joe: Ambitious; pretty.

Corey/Kori

Sophie: Sweet; quiet.

Mitch/Mitchell: Tall.

Madison/Maddie/Maddi

Out of all the people you know or have met, list three...

redheads: Yeah, you’re not going to find them in most of Asia. West Asia and some parts of East Asia, probably, but definitely not for the rest.

tall people: Jo, Chesca, and Shaun.

people with really curly hair: I know Kleo has naturally curly hair from her Aeta roots, but it’s been straightened for a very long time now. I think Chesca also has curly hair, albeit slightly. There is also Liana.

sets of twins: My sister had two sets of twins in her high school batch, but I can no longer remember their names. I also had an English class with a pair of twins named Ardy and Thirdy.

of the cutest babies you've seen on social media: My workmate’s baby. My friend Jar has a super squishy niece/nephew pair of twins as well.

people you miss: Angela, Kate, my grandpa.

people with beautiful eyes: I can only think of my ex.

people with nice hair: God I have not been around people for so long, I can barely think of anyone for this.

people who are the same height as you: Aya, Hannah, Tina.

own one of the same clothing items as you: Angela since we went to the same high school and have several of the same school shirts; Laurice since we share a college org and we have our own trademark polo shirt; and my brother and I have our own pairs of Nike Cortez shoes.

make you laugh: Andi, Hans, and this girl I had a couple of history classes with, Rose.

List three celebrities who...

are the same height as you: Lady Gaga and AJ Lee are the only ones who are coming to mind. I wouldn’t call AJ a celebrity though.

have the same hair color as you: Mila Kunis, Kelly Rowland, Dita Von Teese.

look like you: Only based on comments I’ve gotten in the past and not because I necessarily claim these for myself, Lucy Hale, Anna Akana, and Kakie.

List three....

adjectives to describe you: Timid, stubborn, sensitive.

academic courses you enjoyed: Philippine social history, international relations, anthropology.

words you always forget how to spell: Rhythm, committee, accommodate.

things you wish you were better at: Singing, dancing, drawing.

things you are really good at: Writing, reading people, and knowing the best things to order at most restaurants hahahah.

jobs you'd like to have: Ideally, a lawyer or doctor. But realistically, I’d love to have a leadership position in the PR sphere.

jobs you've considered having: ^ Again, lawyer and doctor. Also a journalist or news anchor, back when I still thought I was passionate about journalism.

jobs you'd hate: Journalist, an LTO clerk, an assistant to an asshole celebrity.

things you miss: Being a student, many parts of the past, and deceased family members.

names your mom considered when naming you: Ariel, Kathleen, Katrina.

things people call you: Robyn, Byn, Bynbyn.

*Bonus*: what is your name? (first and middle)? I always feel like just sharing Robyn.

#survey #surveys

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draconesmundi · 4 years

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Book Review: Dragonlore by Ash DeKirk

Dragonlore is a guide to dragons of the world, including dragons from mythology, from video games, from literature, and from films. DeKirk has a BA in anthropology, and demonstrates her level of research well by presenting a thorough investigation into dragons from different cultures. A lot of books on dragon lore will focus chiefly on European and East Asian dragons, with little focus on other regions, but this book relishes a chance to flex on the author’s knowledge on mythology. This book was my first introduction to North American dragons, for example (things like Meshkenabec, Gaasyendietha, Haietlik, etc.). If you’re interested in dragons outside East Asia and Europe, this is the book for you!

This book is very full of information, and split into four sections: Dragons of The World is first geographically, then alphabetically. For example, the Africa sub-chapter has entries on dragons from Aido Hwedo through to Wadjet. There are roughly 20 dragons for each geographic region (China, Japan, Middle East, the rest of Asia, Europe, North America, Meso America, South America, Africa and Oceania) and each dragon is given a sentence or two of information.

The next section is Dragon Myths of the World, a series of short stories, each a paragraph or two long, about dragons. Stories about Emperor Yu, the Pai Lung, the Lambton Worm, Seigfried and Fafnir etc. (25 legends in total). Some of these stories are missing details; for example, ‘The Koshi Dragon’ does not mention the dragon is sometimes named ‘Yamata no Orochi’, despite the ‘dragons of Japan’ chapter mentioning the ‘yamata dragons’.

The third section is titled ‘Dragons of the Modern Realm’, encapsulating dragons from literature, film and games. DeKirk has a good grasp on dragons from popular culture and media, and this is one of the few books I have read that delves into modern dragons. However, the author definitely talks more about her favourite games and books rather than talking about the most influential dragon media.

For example, if I were to list the dragon books people talk most about, which shape opinions of dragons in the modern world (keeping to books from before 2006, when Dragonlore was published), Dragonriders of Pern, Temeraire, The Hobbit, Eragon, How to Train Your Dragon (although the film that made it popular outside the UK didn’t come until 2010 so an omission of this book is fine), Dragonology, The Neverending Story and the Earthsea books come to mind. I have not read most books on dragons, but I know which ones are famous and well known. DeKirk’s choice does include The Hobbit, and Dragonriders of Pern, but also many books which I have not heard of, and a few that I have heard of but also know to be obscure (The dragon knight series by Gordon R Dickson, for example). So her list of books is not necessarily the ‘list of best and most well known books of dragons’, but a list of books that she personally recommends the reader – which is great when you’re looking for what to read next!

Curious side note – DeKirk does not mention the Neverending Story book, but in her description of the film she describes Falkor as having pearly white scales and ruby red eyes – features of the book dragon moreso than the fluffy puppet with brown eyes seen in the film.

DeKirk is clearly a huge Yu-Gi-Oh fan, and Final Fantasy fan, and in the mythology chapters she will link the mythology to the games, which is an interesting way to link history to the modern world, and provides the reader with a knowledge of the origin stories behind these game characters.

If you want to know about dragons and dragonlike creatures in Dungeons and Dragons, Dragonlore has you covered, as the book delves not only into vanilla D&D Dragons, but also dragons in the Dragonlance, Rifts and Forgotten Realms settings.

There is a small section of original fiction in this chapter; the first part of a high fantasy novel, a few poems, and a short story about a dragon that makes nice dreams for people. The high fantasy story is of note because the worldbuilding for this story is very heavy (a mix of Netflix’s The Dragon Prince and Alison Goodman’s Eon: Dragoneye; probably predating both of these works, but it’s set in a kingdom of elflike people waring with humans, and some are spiritually linked to magical dragons) and some of it was missing from the original fiction chapter because it had been placed in the mythology of Southern Asia.

Alongside the Makara and the Naga, the editors or author saw fit to drop ‘The Seven’ and give a quick description of 7 dragon gods from this original fiction in the ‘Dragons from Asia’ chapter. The dragons on the cover of the book are also from this fiction story: a lot of importance is placed on this work. In ‘Dragon Myths of the World’, as well as retelling real world stories, the author drops in a poem based on the lore of the story. I personally did not like the way they mixed this fictional story with mythology and history of real world cultures – the story itself I won’t assess as these reviews are for how useful books can be for researching dragons.

The final chapter is ‘Dragons in the Natural World’ is of course the chapter I will be most nit-picky about in this review. Many of the animals mentioned are erroneously called ‘lizards’ – this is down to a creative choice from the writer to try and describe what the animal’s name means. For example, DeKirk calls Kentrosaurus a spiked lizard, pterosaurs flying lizards, Albertasaurus a lizard from Alberta, etc. Even with modern animals, the American alligator and Nile crocodile are classed as lizards!

The phrasing of the natural history chapter of this book is poor, and there are many typos or non-scientific uses of names – generic names with lower case letters, specific names with upper case letters and weird attempts to make plural versions of generic names. These latter mistakes are entirely forgivable given that Dragonlore is not meant to be a science textbook, but if you have a background in biology brace yourself before reading this chapter! Furthermore, the slightly arbitrary sorting of prehistoric animals into ‘drakes’ and ‘dragons’ is a little irksome to me, but it helps divide the chapter into neater chunks.

Final notes, the illustrations: the book has some gorgeous high-fantasy illustrations by Ian Daniels and Erif Thunan, but also seems to take some images from history. These images are likely in the public domain, but I still wish they would add sources to such things. Some of the images seem misplaced, for example the ‘ancient drake’ image (a retrosaur illustration) and the ‘ancient wyvern’ image (a pterosaur) are found in next to chapters about the Final Fantasy video games and the Harry Potter books respectively, and not anywhere near the chapter about dragons in the fossil record. This is a bizarre place to put these images.

This book is a great resource for learning more about world mythology, especially mythology of North, Meso and South America. It also aims to be a complete and well-rounded dragon book, talking about dragons in popular media and science, which makes it a satisfying read overall. Once you’ve read Dragonlore, you feel like you’ve explored dragons in culture thoroughly.

This book was also written by an official wizard school: https://www.gswhandbook.com/

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Dragonlore-Ash-Dekirk/9781564148681 (£12)

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dragonlore-Archives-Grey-School-Wizardry-ebook/dp/B07J16VXS1 (paperback £3, kindle £14)

(the Dragon Jewels story in the book is said to be on fictionpress, but I have not found it – the pen name was Sanzo Sochisama according to the book)

#Dragon books #Book Reviews #Ash DeKirk #Dragonlore #Ash LeopardDancer DeKirk #Grey Wizards School #The Grey School of Wizardry #I had a lot of thoughts on this book it's a longish review #also my copy has white paint on it because I am a fool

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arecomicsevengood · 4 years

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Watching Movies In Self-Isolation, Part Two

L’Assassin Habite Au Rue 21 (1942), dir. Henri-Georges Clouzot. Clouzot is better known for directing The Wages Of Fear (the movie William Friedkin remade as Sorcerer) and Diabolique, but this is the first movie he directed. It’s a pretty effective comedy, as well as an Agatha Christie style murder-mystery thriller. It’s really cool to watch these things that feel like they are just “movies,” before a bunch of genre conventions got built up and put in place. This one’s also eighty minutes long, super-short. The premise of the movie is there’s a serial killer on the loose, leaving a business card on every dead body. A dude passes along to the police that he found a stash of the business cards in the attic of a boarding house, so the killer must live there. A police officer goes undercover as a priest moving into the boarding house to investigate the residents. His wife, an aspiring singer, has made a bet with him she can solve the crime first, and in doing so become a celebrity that will be hired to perform places, so she also moves into the boarding house, partly to annoy him. The stuff at the boarding house is basically the film’s second act, while the first and third act are more typical murder-mystery stuff, although the tone of comedy is maintained throughout, despite all the cold-blooded murders.

All These Women (1964), dir. Ingmar Bergman. Kind of dumb sex comedy directed by Ingmar Bergman, but with gorgeous Sven Nykvist cinematography, bright jewel-toned pastels, and sort of theatrical staging in spots seeming to foreshadow Parajanov’s The Color Of Pomegranates or eighties Greenaway stuff. About a critic who visits the palatial estate of a famous cellist to write a biography of him only to find a harem of women; the whole thing unfolding from the cellist’s funeral a few days later. The winking humor is both music-hall bawdy but in a way that feels self-aware or “meta” in the context of a sixties film.

The Touch (1971), dir. Ingmar Bergman. Bergman’s one of my favorites, many of his canonized classics resonate deeply with me, but he was also astonishingly prolific, with a bunch of movies of his blurring together in my mind, and even more that I didn’t know existed, like this English-language one, starring Elliott Gould. Gould’s another favorite of mine, being in a bunch of great movies in the sixties and seventies, but damn, he’s unlikable here. Unlikable characters “hit different” in older material because I’m not sure if you’re supposed to sympathize with them according to the sexist cultural attitudes of the day. Here he’s “the other man” Liv Ullman is cheating on Max Von Sydow (RIP) with, but he’s pretty emotionally abusive, just a shit to her, extremely demanding of her in a relationship he did nothing to earn, though it does feel like the movie is kind of treating him as a romantic lead.

The Anderson Tapes (1971), dir. Sidney Lumet. This is heist movie, starring Sean Connery as a dude fresh out of prison, planning to rob his girlfriend’s apartment building, costarring Christopher Walken in his first film role. It contains all the plot beats of a typical heist thing, all the satisfying “getting the gang together, planning things out in advance, chaotic elements interfere” stuff but also a totally superfluous bit of framing about like constant surveillance, video monitoring and audio tape. All this dystopian police-state stuff seems, implicitly, like it would make a crime impossible to execute, the criminals are monitored every step of the way, by assorted agencies. But then the punchline, after everyone’s arrested for reasons having nothing to do with that, is that all this recording is illegal and all the tapes should be erased as the high-profile nature of the case makes it likely the monitoring agencies will get caught. Sidney Lumet directs a good thriller, even though I don’t find Connery (or Dyan Cannon, who plays the girlfriend) particularly compelling.

The Testament Of Dr. Mabuse (1933), dir. Fritz Lang. I watched this years ago, after reading Matt Fraction praise it, particularly how skillful the transitions between scenes were, and I really enjoyed it, but didn’t remember much about it and was excited to rewatch it. It’s got a lot going for it: An exceedingly elaborate criminal plot whose only goal is to wreak chaos, low-level criminals caught up in something they’re morally unprepared to reckon with, a charismatic police detective interviewing a bunch of weirdos, Fritz Lang following up M by continuing to be a master of film and sound editing very early stitching it all together. The Mabuse character was previously the star of a silent film I haven’t watched, and here he’s mute, which is a clever choice I didn’t register until writing it out just now. He’s gone completely insane, but is nonetheless writing a journal filled with elaborate crime plots, and his psychologist is completely insane and following these directions, in a commentary on the rise of Nazism in Germany at the time.

House By The River (1950), dir. Fritz Lang. I watched this in the pre-Quarantine days, but it totally rules. Again, it feels sordid in part because of how old it is and my assumption you’re meant to identify on some level with the completely loathsome protagonist’s sexual desire and anger at getting turned down. It’s so creepy, he’s listening to the sound of his maid showering at one point. All the characters seem very fun to play, they’re all pretty cartoonish. This guy murder his maid, and then gets the idea that he should write a book about the murder when someone explains the idea of “writing what you know” to him, and he is then surprised when his wife reads the book and puts together that it’s a murder confession, saying something like “Really? I thought I disguised it pretty well.” The film functions as a dark comedy because every character is completely mortifying. Lang’s work becoming less ambitious and more reduced in budget during his time working in America is pretty sad but this movie feels legit deranged.

Midsommar (2019), Ari Aster. Heard good things about Hereditary, but haven’t watched it yet, having been put off by the plot summary of Aster’s preceding short film, about a kid who rapes his dad. This is like a longer version of The Wicker Man, basically, starring Florence Pugh, who I had heard was like the new actress everyone’s enamored with, but didn’t think was that compelling in this. A bunch of Americans go to a Swedish village, one of them (played by Chidi from The Good Place) has studied their anthropology extensively, but all are unprepared for the fact that their whole culture seems to revolve around human sacrifice and having sex with outsiders so they don’t become totally inbred. There’s a monstrously deformed, cognitively impaired child who’s been bred specifically so his abstract splashings of paint can be interpreted as culture-defining profound lore, which I took away as being comparable to the role Joe Biden plays within the death cult of the DNC.

Long Day’s Journey Into Night (2019), dir. Bi Gan. This got a lot of acclaim, but I am almost certain the main reason I watched it is because the director made a list of his favorite movies and included Masaaki Yuasa’s anime series Kemonozume on it. Does a sort of bisected narrative thing, where half of the movie is this sort of fragmented crime thing, a little hard to follow, and then you get the title card, and then the second half is this pretty dreamlike atmospheric piece done in a single shot, with a moving camera. I’m not the sort to jerk off over long shots, although I appreciate the large amount of technical pre-planning that goes into pulling them off. The second part is pretty compelling though, enveloping, I guess it was in 3-D at certain theatrical screenings? I’m a little unclear on how my fucked-up eyes can deal with 3-D these days and I was never that into it. The first half is easy to turn off and walk away from, the second half isn’t but I’m unsure on how much it amounts to beyond its atmosphere.

Black Sun (1964), dir. Koreyoshi Kurahara. This one’s about a Japanese Jazz fan and dirtbag squatter who meets a black American soldier who’s gone crazy and AWOL. He loves him because he loves Jazz and all Black people, but the soldier is pretty crazy and can’t understand him anyway. Jazz is, or was, huge in Japan and this is a cooler depiction of that fandom than you get in Murakami novels but it’s a fairly uncomfortable watch, I guess because the black dude seems so crazy it feels a little racist to an American audience? Maybe he wasn’t being directed that well because there would be a language barrier but it’s weird.

Honestly the thing to watch from sixties Japan on The Criterion Channel is Black Lizard (1962), dir. Umetsugu Inoue, which I watched shortly after Trump’s election in 2016, when all the Criterion stuff was still on Hulu, and it cheered me up considerably in those dark days. It feels a little like The Abominable Dr. Phibes, but with a couple musical numbers, and is about a master detective who thinks crime is super-cool and wishes there was a criminal who would challenge his intellect. Then the Black Lizard kidnaps someone. It’s a lot of fun, with a tone that feels close to camp but is so knowing and smart it feels more genuinely strange and precise. One of those things you get fairly often where the Japanese outsider’s take on American genre stuff gets what it’s about more deeply and so feels like it’s operating on a higher level. I really love this movie.

I had this larger point I wanted to make about just feeling repulsed by genre stuff that self-consciously attempts to mimic its canonical influences and that might not be all the way present in this post. Still, something that really should be implicit when talking about movies from the past is that they are not superhero movies, and how repulsed I am by that particular genre’s domination of cinema right now, and how much of cinema has a history of something far looser and more freewheeling in its ideas of how to make work that appealed to a broad audience, and how much weird formal playfulness can be understood intuitively by an audience without being offputting, and the sort of spirit of formal interrogation connects the films I like to the comics I like (as well as the books I like, and the visual art I like), this sense of doing something that can only be done within that medium even as certain other aspects translate.

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archived---titaniumxwill · 4 years

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TAGGED: @hardcoreproved TAGGING: annie tagged almost all the people i talk to so *finger guns*

LAYER ONE : THE OUTSIDE

NAME - mason “dipper” pines EYE COLOUR - brown. HAIR STYLE / COLOUR - brown, curly and slightly poofy HEIGHT - 5′8″ CLOTHING STYLE - lots of plaid, jeans, both normal and ripped, beanies sometimes and sneakers BEST PHYSICAL FEATURE - chest, broad chest like his grunkles

LAYER TWO : THE INSIDE

FEARS - losing someone he loves, triangles, being seen as weak and cowardly GUILTY PLEASURE - mountain dew, chips and ghost harrasers marathon BIGGEST PET PEEVE - being underestimated, being seen only as a nerd AMBITIONS FOR THE FUTURE - some sort of ghost-related job as a side from his anthropology bachelors

LAYER THREE : THOUGHTS

FIRST THOUGHTS UPON WAKING UP: checking that he has all of his body parts, since bill kinda fucked him over in sock opera WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT MOST: paranormal things WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT BEFORE BED: dipper has two modes. either he doesn’t think about anything over how exhausted he is, OR he is thinking TOO Much about things and will not go to sleep WHAT YOUR BEST QUALITY IS: his bravery and his brains

LAYER FOUR : WHAT’S BETTER ?

SINGLE OR GROUP DATES - single-- and even with that, he gets easily nervous TO BE LOVED OR RESPECTED - ideally both, but dipper would chose respected BEAUTY OR BRAINS - both, but if he had to choose, brains DOGS OR CATS - both, since dipper does not have a preference

LAYER FIVE : DO YOU…

LIE - if he has to, he will BELIEVE IN YOURSELF - more than he used to BELIEVE IN LOVE - yes, but he is kinda skeptical until he falls in love WANT SOMEONE - yes

LAYER SIX : EVER BEEN …

BEEN ON STAGE: yes DONE DRUGS: just drinking and will occasionally smoke a joint CHANGED WHO YOU WERE TO FIT IN: he used to do it as a kid, he is much more comfortable in his skin as he grows older

LAYER SEVEN : FAVORITES

FAVOURITE COLOR - green FAVOURITE ANIMAL - he has a preference for deer FAVOURITE MOVIE - the thing (both versions) FAVOURITE GAME - any action game because they’re easier to BUTTON SMASH

LAYER EIGHT : AGE

DAY YOUR NEXT BIRTHDAY WILL BE - august 31st HOW OLD WILL YOU BE - verse dependent AGE YOU LOST YOUR VIRGINITY - verse dependent DOES AGE MATTER - mostly, yes

LAYER NINE : IN A PERSON

BEST PERSONALITY - brave BEST EYE COLOUR - does not care BEST HAIR COLOUR - does not care BEST THING TO DO WITH A PARTNER - anything his partner wanted

LAYER TEN : FINISH THE SENTENCE

I LOVE - my family I FEEL - anxious I HIDE - my insecurities I MISS - tyrone I WISH - i wasn't so nervous all of the time

#🌲 OUT OF THE WOODS / ooc.#headcanons tag pending.

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nodesiretogrowup · 5 years

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it’s time for my play-by-play review (put some breaks in so it’s not a giant wall of text):

“Here in Duckburg, life is like...a hurricane?” Ha ha theme song reference.

El Pato is Spanish for the duck and that amuses me. Although we call our version of that storm system El Niño, so shouldn’t it have been El Patito?

Mr. Chunk’s EXTRA CHUNKY Chili Chunks

“Could you give us a hand?” *All laugh* In hindsight, he probably should have helped them instead of using the time tub again. He’d still get in trouble for stealing, but he probably would have gotten a less harsh punishment.

“We should have plenty of food we won’t get sick of.” “I said sick from and you know it.” Classic kid logic.

Are the chili dogs a Sonic reference, since Ben is playing him in the upcoming movie?

“Chili dogs put the ‘hooray’ in ‘hooraycane’ party.” That was an awful pun and we should all be mad at Della for it.

“And we all get scurvy. Again.” This is why they need Donald home.

“Is that your parenting strategy or did you get that off a bumper sticker?” Beakley keeps in real.

Beakley and Della have a great dynamic this episode. I honestly think Beakley sees a lot of herself in Della and is trying to teach Della what she wishes someone had taught her when she had her own kid(s).

Louie pushing Huey to the center of the room so that nobody notices him leaving, smart.

“My brother’s gonna be a professional nerd.” Hooray for supporting your brother!

Mary Poppins-CONFIRMED MEMBER OF THE MCDUCK CLAN.

The wooden cane reminds me of Hop Pop’s

“That boy’s up to something.” Crazy thought here but maybe you should be proactive about that and follow him YOURSELF.

Launchpad never ceases to amaze me. How did he nail wood to STAINED GLASS?

That’s coming out of his paycheck.

“You’ve got your own tub?! Lucky.” GET THIS MAN A TUB, STAT!

I hope we get more Louie and Launchpad stuff. The way they play off each other is great.

Louie’s little presentation is great and runs on kid logic.

Bubba is adorable.

BWAMP. Nice sound effect.

“Time Treasures, a subsidiary of Louie Inc. It’s not a crime if it’s lost to time.” Cute, but I doubt that would hold up in court.

Also, did Louie’s plan/most of the episode remind anyone else of Bender’s Big Score? Bender pulled a similar scheme at the end, only his time traveling caused a rip in the fabric of space. So they got off lucky here?

I totally buy Launchpad keeping a shower cap and rubber ducky on his person at all times. I WANT HIM TO GET HIS BUBBLE BATH, DAMMIT!

“HEY COOL. A DEAD GUY!” Dewey, you really shouldn’t get that excited over corpses. I know Bubba is actually alive, but did they?

Webby, Bubba is taller and buffer than you. I don’t think he qualifies as a “little” guy.

I DEMAND to know about the times Scrooge was frozen in an iceberg! Is Webby counting the time he and Goldie were frozen together?

Metaphors and hypothetical situations don’t work on Della. Maybe it’s a pilot thing.

“HISTORY IS ALIVE!” I LOVE MY NERD SON.

I love when people meet someone who doesn’t understand them/speaks a different language, they think talking louder will help.

“He’s got a hat like a person!” Is that racist?

Of COURSE Dewey turns the hat backwards.

“Your Funky Fresh ways” These kids have watched waaaay too much 90s media. The little hip shimmy was great.

Chili dogs>tree bark

“Man, I am learning SO MUCH.” Me too, Webby. Me too.

Did the exchange between Louie and Launchpad about the ethical nature of Time Treasures remind anyone else of when Jim and Launchpad discussed Jim’s plan to get himself into the movie or am I seeing parallels where there aren’t any?

Louie went to the school of Katara. (Both agree it’s ok to steal from pirates)

NOTHING is ever 100% safe

Dewey reeeeeeally wants another sibling. I bet someone is gonna push his mom into the dating scene.

OG DUCKTALES REFERENCE FTW

Bubba-a lyrical genius

Launchpad looks SO LOST while all of this is going on. Though he seems pretty lost in the whole episode.

“At least make him wear a helmet.” Safety lessons!

“SHUT UBBA, MAN.”

“Don’t think about it too hard.” A rule of thumb when dealing w/ time travel.

Poor Launchpad is having an existential crisis.

And THAT is why we leave time travel to the professionals, Louie. Next time just ask Uncle Scrooge.

How did they make a graphic for Timephoon so fast?

Roxanne is salty, but of course the source is McDuck Manor.

I DEMAND MORE FRANKLOON. Maybe Fenton could write a musical about him. Sidenote: I REALLY WANT a Ben Franklin musical.

Bubba-an artistic MARVEL

Shimmy that board clean!

The little head stroke she gives Louie. MY HEART!

I...don’t think that is how to do math.

“I see how you turned this into a lesson in parenting and I’m impressed.” THAT’S HOW GRANDMAS ROLL.

Gyro-the most USELESS TWINK. I love him.

I love the way Bobby says “oh boy” for Louie.

“HE IS OFFENSIVE TO THE FIELD OF ANTHROPOLOGY!” Time travel in general is probably offensive to anthropology.

Is it wrong to enjoy Huey going FERAL AS FUCK? Because I thoroughly enjoy it.

Why would you listen to Dewey on research?

“Did you SEE that finger progression on that solo?”

Bubba-MASTER MUSICIAN! Also, KEYTARS ROCK!

“COME HERE, YOU HISTORICAL ABOMINATION!” Not saying Huey’s killed a man, but he knows how to and how to cover it up.

Pretty sure Webby and Dewey are trolling.

“Definitely not cloning an army.” I have SO MANY QUESTIONS.

Louie’s in hoodie-ville.

“He could be anywhen!” Time travel jokes.

I like that they all assume it’s Gyro at first. WHAT CRIMES HAS THIS MAN COMMITTED?!

“It’s one of the kids.” “I’ll get Dewey.” I could see Dewey stealing the time tub, but he’d just try and change the name of things into Dewey puns.

Ninjas,worse than termites-Scrooge Mcduck, 2019

MORE BEAKLEY/DELLA TEAM UPS PLZ

“Even good kids do dumb things.” And good adults. No one thinks Louie is a bad kid, but he was pretty dumb.

What was with the log?

SANTA TRAP

“Oh no, they may be French.” That line made me laugh.

Launchpad falling asleep when the tapestry was over his face-hilarious.

“Don’t ask.”

Launchpad-always asking the right questions.

“Thank you past and/or future me.”

I love Huey trying to make sense of Bubba.

“I hate this.”

Poor Huey.

Bubba-an amazing animal tamer

I really like how much Della admires Beakley.

Webby shouting “GRANNY!” T_T

So is that picture of Scrooge, Donald, and Della fighting pirates a time travel related adventure?

Hi Woody and Jessie

“I’VE IMMEDIATELY FAILED YOU.” Mood

Launchpad is so wise. But I think time is more timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly, right Scrooge?

Della’s angry mom voice

The fight is cool.

“AH, ME SCURVY!” BRICK JOKE FTW!

Not the time for time travel logic, Dewey. Plus they seem to be coming from different countries so anywhere would still work.

Bubba-A HERO

“GO, YOU FREAK OF HISTORY!”

#youtriedLaunchpad

“EVERYTHING WE DO HAS ALREADY HAPPENED!”

Della shouting “KIDS” and Louie shouting “MOOOM” really hit me in the gut.

Let’s pour one out for Bubba.

I PRAY TO GOD someone writes fics about what each character was doing in the time period they ended up in.

Della was giving me MAJOR Joan of Arc vibes in that armor.

Yeah, this scene hurt. But it needed to be done. Louie still seems to think that it was all a good idea. He hasn’t learned his lesson yet.

That scene also reminded me of Merida and Elinor’s fight in Brave. Both sides have a point, but both went too far.

I’m glad Louie didn’t instantly accept his mom. It’s more interesting that way and feels real.

I love that Launchpad looks around at everyone before he reacts. He most likely knows nothing about the Spear of Selene incident so he has no idea of how hurtful Louie’s comment was.

Gyro had NO REACTION to any of that fight.

That broke poor Della.

“I went to the future. I’ve seen how the world ends.*pause* It was neat! See you there soon!”

I wonder why Launchpad was the only one who went forward in time. Could it play a role in stopping the invasion?

“Some people aren’t ready for the truth.” So wise.

Bubba-THE FIRST OF CLAN MCDUCK

#ducktales #dt spoilers

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Wonder Woman 1984: DC Comics Easter Eggs and Reference Guide

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This article contains Wonder Woman 1984 spoilers. Our spoiler free review can be found here.

Wonder Woman 1984 has brought its message on the importance of truth onto screens worldwide. With retro stylings and a Hans Zimmer score, the second installment in Diana Prince’s story shows a more mature Amazonian who has adapted to man’s world and her solitary life, developing her skills as a superhero and her ability to keep out of the limelight.

Wonder Woman 1984 takes place well before the introduction of the other heroes of the DCEU and largely exists as a standalone film. However, there are still plenty of references to Diana Prince’s own history across the comics, small screen, and previous films.

We’ve used all the wisdom of Athena to chronicle as many Easter eggs as we can spot, but as always, if we’ve missed anything, do let us know in the comments. Let’s get into it.

Themiscyra

This expansive opening brings us back to Themyscira, Wonder Woman’s home, which is sometimes referred to as Paradise Island. As always, we love any and all time on Themyscira, a world made up of exclusively strong women, ruled by Diana’s mother Hippolyta.

Since this sequence takes place in the past, Robin Wright’s fantastic character Antiope is back! Audiences will unfortunately recall that Antiope was killed in the battle on the beach in Wonder Woman.

The triathlon-like trials here, which the production team have called the “Amazon Olympics” are reminiscent of the trials all Amazons competed in during the comics to see who would make the sacrifice of leaving Themyscira to go with Steve to save the world of man. In that iteration, Hippolyta was all in on saving the world of man, as were the other Amazons, so there was no need to leave under cover of darkness.

This offers our first look at Diana’s skills as a kid, especially archery and horseback riding, two of her signature abilities. The girl playing 10-year-old Diana here is the same actress as last time, Lilly Aspell. She’s excellent, and really did all of this great action work – only the log that comes swinging above her head is CGI.

Kid Diana is dressed similar to adult Diana back before she knew about her history – strappy sandals, arm gauntlets, and tan clothing she can easily move around in. Here, instead of just the partial tiara from Antiope that she’ll one day wear, she has a child-size version that matches Antiope’s exactly. It looks like everyone competing is more or less in a uniform, which includes that tiara with chin straps, which is also a reference to the helmet on the Asteria/golden eagle armor Diana will wear toward the end of the film.

Lindy Hemming, the film’s costume designer, told a group of reporters including Den of Geek that, “They’re in their triathletes suits, 2000 or however many years ago version of their Speedos really. We’re saying, design-wise, that they’re made of leather and that, in honor of the golden-ness of the games, and this golden theme really in this film.”

Hemming wanted some continuity with this setup flashback and Diana’s gold armor later on in the movie: “There’s a link between the end of the film and the beginning of the film, in a way. The gold and the gold, the beginning and the end of the film.” – more on that below!

If you’re wondering why all the action looks so damn good here, a few big reasons: practical effects, the use of real-life women athletes like last time, and Cirque du Soleil. We even see an Amazon do their signature move from the first film, cantilevering herself off the side of a horse to grab a helmet off the ground.

When can we go back to Themyscira in the present? At the end, when Diana is flying and the air clears, I briefly thought Diana was headed back and yes please!

Wonder Woman’s apartment/life in DC

This isn’t the first time a version of Diana Prince has lived in the Washington, DC area. Back in the 1940s, she even ran for president in an issue set 1,000 years in the future! We’ll be referencing Greg Rucka’s Rebirth run frequently since Patty Jenkins likely drew quite a bit of inspiration from it. During that run, Diana lived in Arlington, Virginia while working for Director Etta Candy at ARGUS, squaring off with Cheetah and reuniting with Steve Trevor. Diana also operated out of DC at various other points throughout her 80 year comics history.

We see lots of little incognito rescues by Diana here, alluding to how she’s escaped notice for so long. Her big public return in the present day was depicted in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and then Justice League, so it’s assumed that she operated in secret during all the ensuing years, as well.

The opening sequence, at least until Diana gets to the real action at the mall, feels a little bit like the opening credits of Richard Lester’s otherwise maligned Superman III, where the credits unfold over a series of mishaps on a Metropolis street forcing the Man of Steel to get involved.

Diana works in cultural anthropology and archeology at the Museum of Natural History in the Smithsonian – a far cry from her long-running job as a secretary in the comics. As the last movie joked, “where [Diana’s] from, that’s called slavery.”

Diana can read Latin, which surprised Barbara. She can read hundreds of languages, as she told Steve in the previous movie, but messing up and letting it show in front of someone who doesn’t know her secret is a hat tip to her being a demi-goddess, a classic move from the comics.

There’s a newspaper article that says “The Great War Ends” next to a photo of “the gang” from the first movie (sans Steve) all dressed up with flowers – maybe they were at a wedding or celebrating the end of the war? It is not the same photo Bruce Wayne will send her in the 21st century, as depicted in the first Wonder Woman movie.

Elsewhere in Diana’s apartment we see a newspaper clipping referring to Steve as a “local hero,” a shot of Steve with his plane, Steve’s watch, and a photo of Diana in front of a sign that says “Trevor Ranch,” which we’re guessing is some kind of charity ranch in honor of Steve (possibly founded/funded by Diana?). Steve’s watch will come up again later, but at the end of the previous movie he gave it to her before he sacrificed himself.

Where’s Etta Candy?

There’s a photo in Diana’s apartment that shows her liberating a concentration camp during World War II with Etta Candy, so while Diana seems to be staying out of the limelight, she’s not sitting on the sidelines.

In addition to their great relationship in the previous movie, in the comics, Etta and Diana worked together frequently, including at ARGUS, so this kind of team-up is a natural fit. Another photo shows Diana with an older version of Etta in New York. Etta would likely be in her late 80s or early 90s in 1984, so it’s likely that she’s no longer with us. Pour one out for a real one.

Barbara Minerva and Cheetah

While there have been no fewer than four Cheetahs in the comics, Barbara Minerva is the main one and one of only two who has actual powers. Cheetah is one of Wondy’s great foes in the comics, a frenemy and a vicious eater of human flesh! For a while she’s worshipped like a goddess in the jungle in the fictional African nation of Bwunda. She’s, uh, a little different here. There’s usually at least some element of Barbara asking for powers or a better life as well as the “be careful what you wish for” element where key information is withheld about what being the Cheetah will really mean.

There’s a fun little moment of foreshadowing when Barbara compliments Diana’s animal print heels. Costume designer Lindy Hemming shared during a set visit that at one point they debated having Barbara wear a bit of cheetah flair earlier on, but ended up saving it all for her transformation. This little shout-out feels more fun, and brings in the added layer that later on, Barbara walks well in heels.

In a sign of Diana’s very specific brand of feminism, Barbara makes a comment about scientists not wearing heels and Diana responds that in fact, they do, since she’s a scientist and she’s in heels. In the 1980s as women entered and stayed in the workplace at unprecedented levels and reached new heights in their careers, most workwear trends like big padded shoulder blazers were focused on blending into what was presumed to be men’s spaces, rather than standing out or taking over the space. Since she grew up on Themyscira, Diana has less of that cultural baggage.

Barbara ends the movie in human form now – probably. She isn’t necessarily all gone and vanquished. We never saw her renounce her wish and, unlike most of the wish-makers in the film, she was modified with layers of wishes. We wrote more about what this ending means here.

Let’s go to the mall!

Diana uses her tiara to take out security cameras, with surprising precision. This was one of Diana’s original skills in the 1940s comics, and at some points the tiara had telepathic capabilities. Whatever the reason, Diana does it because she’s still trying to fly (ahem) under the radar, likely to accommodate the fact that her “big entrance” comes in Batman v. Superman. The tiara is, of course, Antiope’s. After her beloved mentor was killed on the beach of Themyscira, Diana now proudly wears it. Oddly enough, the film’s ONLY real nod to wider DCEU continuity is the fact that Diana is staying the heck out of it.

Director Patty Jenkins has referenced this mall scene as wanting Diana to have a Spider-Man-style scene swinging through the mall:

“The way we’re telling these Wonder Woman films, she’s got emotional stakes pretty quickly so the thing I kept saying to the studio and everybody was, after ending the first movie, I’m craving that Spider-Man-like moment where you’re just delighting in your superhero at their best. A lot of superhero movies have those moments at the three-quarter point because they don’t have big emotional stakes, so how they beat the villain is how you get that.”

She continued “I needed there to be that badass, flying around [sequence] – I always loved that part of the Spider-Man movies.”

The jewelry store is called “Koslov Jewels.” This may be a coincidence, but it shares a name with a couple of very minor DC Comics characters, both of whom appeared in 1970.

The first (and perhaps most likely of these two unlikely connections) is a Colonel Koslov, who took on Superman and Batman in the pages of World’s Finest in 1970. This Koslov was the military leader of a fictional Eastern European country called Lubania.

The other is a former boxing opponent of Ted “Wildcat” Grant who appeared in a single issue of The Brave and the Bold when Wildcat teamed up with Batman.

Is it just us, or would that vault in the back of Koslov Jewels have made a great opportunity to tease obscure stuff from other ancient or mystical corners of the DCEU like the Rock of Eternity in Shazam, Atlantis from Aquaman, or magical things that will appear in the upcoming Black Adam movie (such as Dr. Fate’s helmet).

The mall scene is reminiscent of a similar one in Greg Rucka’s Rebirth run when Diana takes Barbara to go shopping (after Cheetah has reformed) and Diana is mobbed by the press.

Steve Trevor returns!

Steve’s watch starts working again when he’s brought back to life by the moonstone — ahem sorry, Dreamstone. In a nice nod to the first movie, he puts a very ’80s Casio watch in Diana’s hand to let her know it’s really him, since he basically unwittingly body-snatched some poor guy.

Ironically, in the comics Steve was once meant to be used as a vessel to bring back someone else’s spirit, the malevolent plant god Urzkartaga who bestowed Cheetah’s powers upon her. Luckily, Wonder Woman helped Cheetah see the light and they stopped Urzkartaga from sacrificing Steve and taking over his body.

Steve has been killed and brought back to life on several occasions throughout his comic history. He has been resurrected by Aphrodite and even brought back as a double and then merged with his original self, which feels spiritually similar to what happened here.

Steve mentions not knowing where he was, but he knew it was somewhere nice, so that implies he could be brought back again, right? Here’s hoping.

In this movie, Steve gets to be the fish out of water instead of Diana. While she was delighted by ice cream, Steve lights up at the Smithsonian air and space museum (of course – he’s a pilot!) and he mistakes a trash can for art when Diana shows him some modern outdoor pieces, a nod to her future work at the Louvre.

I love the ’80s!

Aerobics! Pay phones! Stationary bike! Watching the wall of TVs in a store window! There are plenty of nods to 1980s culture throughout this film.

Steve continues to be the damsel, doing a period-appropriate montage usually reserved for the leading lady. We can’t get enough of these fanny packs! And of course: “Does everyone parachute now?”

Sadly Steve’s navy outfit is not a jumpsuit but possibly a Members Only jacket and swishy pants, which is very 80s and we stan.

Steve Trevor eating pop tarts and “cheese on demand” is living his best 1980s life.

Maxwell Lord has “a great relationship with Sears,” offering to hook Diana up with a, gasp, 19-inch TV.

The unnamed President in this film bears a passing resemblance to Ronald Reagan, who was, of course, President of the United States in 1984. If you squint, he might look a little like E.G. Marshall, who portrayed a similarly Reagan-esque President in 1980’s Superman II.

At one point we can spot a poster for a Minor Threat gig on a brick wall, and it’s great to see the legendary hardcore band get a shout here. The only problem? They broke up in September of 1983. This movie takes place in July of 1984. Ah, well. Go listen to some Minor Threat anyway.

Rock the Casbah, I guess

Egypt actually made a go of pan-Arabism from 1958-1961, bringing together Syria and Iraq under the name the United Arab Republic. There have been other attempts at pan-Arabism, but this is the most relevant to this context. Really, shouldn’t the attempt to reclaim ancestral lands be about Israel, like it is in real life?

As always, it is DEEPLY uncomfortable to watch Gal Gadot in any Arab and/or Middle Eastern context – put down those kids Gal!

While this movie invokes the fictitious Middle Eastern country of Bialya, they still do some from within the very real location of Egypt. It’s unclear what exactly is going on here in the increasingly manic and global final act of this movie, but our best guess is that the fictional Emir Said Bin Abydos, an existing DC character, lives in Cairo in exile from Bialya. He wishes for his ancestral lands to be returned.

This is where things get even more hairy. In the comics, it’s an arid desert and the geography we’re given is “north of Iran and Saudi Arabia” which doesn’t really make sense. It would need to be carved out somewhere around Iraq or Syria (which would be North of Saudi Arabia and west of Iran) or perhaps eastern Turkey. Instead, we see the border spring up disruptively in Egypt, seemingly in the heart of Cairo. That puts at least part of Bialya on the Africa continent in an arid desert. That fits since Libya under Qaddafi seems to be an inspiration, but in this world does Bialya have the Suez? Does it go up into the Levant or stay in Africa? Basically I have a lot of questions.

Diana dragging herself under the truck feels like an homage to a stunt Indiana Jones pulled off in Raiders of the Lost Ark, itself an homage to stuntman Yakima Canutt, who did the same thing in 1939’s Stagecoach. Funny enough, at least one of the punches Steve lands seems to use the same sound effect that we often hear when Indy throws one.

Asteria and the Golden Eagle Armor

This film provides a really lovely new backstory for the golden eagle armor of the comics (we dug in deep on the comics history of the golden eagle armor here). In the film, the armor is first worn by Asteria, who had to hold back the men while the rest of her Amazon sisters escaped to Paradise Island. It’s made up of pieces of the other Olympians armor, all given to her to help her in her sacrifice.

Diana tried to find Asteria but could only find her armor.

We never see Diana’s standard sword (the Sword of Athena, not the destroyed God Killer sword from the first movie) and shield here, nor the axe that goes with the golden eagle armor in the comics – perhaps part of her stance on nonviolence and deescalation? Costume designer Lindy Hemming viewed the wings on the suit as shields, so perhaps that’s why the standard shield was considered unnecessary.

During a set visit, Hemming said of the wings, “They become like Roman shields. So she’s protected. I won’t give away the story of why that’s the kind of protection she needs. But basically her fighting style is with the shields. So I’m really pleased now because I think that there was no logic to being a pair of wings, really. But there is a logic to being something she can glide in on.”

Agree to disagree on the logic of nonfunctional magnificent gold wings, Lindy, but fair point. Diana used to wear this armor when she was vulnerable, or facing a particularly strong enemy – ironic that she uses it once she regains her full strength. Although, Barbara is meant to be equally powerful, at least after the first wish, and then gets more, so maybe she still needed it. She was definitely on the defensive for a while there.

Invisible Jet

The invisible plane is nearly synonymous with Wonder Woman. Whether you watched the old Lynda Carter show or grew up reading the comics, the invisible plane has been around since 1942 and had the same creator, good old William Moulton Marston. The invisible aircraft was a necessity because like the Diana of the big screen, comic book Wondy couldn’t fly until the mid-80s (Crisis on Infinite Earths).

While Diana’s plane in WW84 seems to be normal in every way except invisibility, in the comics it could fly 2,000 miles an hour when it was first created. The jet only got faster as the decades went on, up to 40 miles per second, which is 144,000 mph. In the old William Moulton Marston days it was equipped with a “mental radio” so Wondy could receive telepathic distress calls (or send them) from Paradise Island.

Around the 1950s there was an upgrade and it became an invisible jet, specifically. It can go to space, go completely undetected by RADAR, and a more recent version of it is actually sentient and shape-shifting and went by the name WonderDome.

Here we see Diana use her own will to make the plane invisible, which is quite similar to the original origin story of the plane in the comics, rather than the more recent one. The comics version of the plane could send out rainbow rays to penetrate the mist around Themyscira and allow Wondy to fly back home. The fireworks may have been a nod to that in addition to a great visual device for the invisible jet (rather than the adorably hoaky image of Lynda Carter sitting in a plane outline while clouds scroll by). It could certainly be a possible route home for her in the future.

Wonder Woman can fly!

Yes, Wonder Woman can fly! In one of the more emotional arcs, we see Diana develop her ability to fly in this movie, picking up where her hovering in the last film left off. She starts with extended leaps and riding air currents and lightning bolts to stay in the air far longer than anyone else could, and after she and Steve talked about flying while in (where else?) the invisible jet, she learned to fly freely on her own.

This is another one where the image of Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman has imprinted itself so thoroughly on the collective consciousness that people who have never seen the show have still seen her fly through the air.

Meanwhile, on the comics side of things, Diana Prince first learned to “manipulate air currents” (AKA Buzz Lightyear “falling with style”) in the late 1950s. It wasn’t until the 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot, which changed up a lot of her powers, that she was able to fly for real. Since then the origins of her flight have differed a bit, but Hermes is usually mentioned. Sometimes it’s like recipe given in the Wonder Woman movie – “…beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Athena, stronger than Hercules…” with Hermes contributing flight. Other times, his feather touches her thigh and suddenly she’s got the gift.

Wonder Woman harnesses lightning

Before we see Diana fly, we see her use her lasso to harness lightning and ride it through the sky, swinging from bolt to bolt. This feels like a natural progression since in the first film we saw her redirect Ares’s lightning and later on in WW84 she flies completely of her own power.

This visually arresting new power is likely derived from the fact that Zeus, god of lightning, is her father in some tellings of her origin. In the New 52 era of the comics, Diana gained the ability to manipulate lightning, expel it, and use it as a weapon, with help from her bracelets. Since they were made from the Aegis, an Olympian artifact will get into below, they were both indestructible and helped her harness something of the divine.

The shockwave and the Bracelets of Submission

We love how they keep Wondy’s suspiciously strong shockwave from crossing her gauntlets from the first movie, which is how she first suspected she was different from the Amazons. Here it’s still a powerful move, although it might even be stronger than the last time we saw it. Diana has definitely been leveling up in the last few decades.

We haven’t spent much time discussing the provenance of the various items Diana took from the armory on Themyscira, but in the comics the bracelets are indestructible, which was reflected in the previous movie when they repeatedly stopped bullets. Sometimes they dampen her strength, but others they direct or even amplify it. They were forged from the remains of the goddess Athena’s shield, which itself was made from the Aegis, the indestructible hide of a goat named Amalthea who nursed Zeus when he was just a baby god. Uh, wow, gods are weird. Anyway.

This ability has only been around for the few decades of Diana’s history, but it quickly became iconic and definitely beats what it replaced. Earlier in Wondy’s comics history, the bracelets would render the wearer powerless if chained together by a man. All Amazons wore them as a reminder of the time when they were enslaved by men or, alternately (depending on when you are in the continuity) as a reminder that they had failed to save humanity. So, uh, yeah, we’ll take the divine shockwave thing instead.

And in case you were wondering, her gauntlets are officially called “the bracelets of submission” and wow, creator William Moulton Marston wasn’t really hiding that kink, huh? (If you have no clue what I’m talking about, check out Jill Lepore’s book The Secret History of Wonder Woman or the movie Professor Marston and The Wonder Women, to learn about the kinky poly Tufts professor who invented the lie detector and created Wonder Woman, with significant help from his partners.)

Losing her powers

Wonder Woman’s powers waning throughout the movie seems like a nod to an oft-used superhero movie sequel trope. Both Superman II and Spider-Man 2 featured their title characters losing their powers, but the story logic in Wonder Woman 1984 has far more to do with the former.

In Superman II, the Man of Steel gave up his powers entirely in order to be with Lois Lane…making this decision just as three villains from Krypton made their presence known on Earth. Oops. But Diana losing her powers for her love of Steve here echoes Clark’s choice, and like Clark, she ultimately renounces her love in order to save the day.

It could also be a reference to the de-powered era of her comics history. In 1968, a character who was created as a feminist symbol of women’s power independent of men was written to surrender her power in order to care for a man, Steve Trevor, rather than join her sisters the Amazons. Steve was killed off and Diana went on to learn martial arts and wear some truly fabulous clothes, but it’s a disheartening turn of events nonetheless.

Enter Gloria Steinem. When she couldn’t put presidential candidate Shirley Chisholm on the July 1972 cover of her new feminist magazine Ms., the full magazine’s first, Steinem got permission to put her childhood hero Wonder Woman on it instead, towering over a town as she fights off a tank and stops a fighter jet from harming civilians. Steinem apparently asked DC for an update on her favorite hero and was horrified to learn that Diana Prince had no powers.

Meanwhile, Ms. flew off shelves and a new generation was excited about Wonder Woman. DC gave Diana back her powers. According to DC Comics archivist and librarian Benjamin LeClear, we have Gloria Steinem to thank.

New uses for the Lasso of Truth

Diana uses her lasso of truth, sometimes called the Lasso of Hestia, to show Steve Trevor the truth. Ares sort of did this in the last movie except the vision he showed Diana wasn’t so much the truth as it was his version of it. The lasso has been used for this purpose in the comics, and Diana has even used it on herself when she doubted her own memories.

In the White House, we also see Wondy whirl the lasso like the a giant propeller on an airboat, one of the coolest and most visually appealing of her abilities yet. We haven’t found any prior references to this, so hit us up if you know of any! And if not, props to Patty Jenkins and her team for inventing a new move for a character that’s almost 80 years old.

Max Lord

Max Lord also appeared on Supergirl for a hot minute! Remember when Alex was straight? Remember when Alex “was” “straight”? But the Supergirl version of Max was far more a traditional “corporate villain” than how he originally began life in the comics.

Max’s bravado and eagerness is very reminiscent of how the character was first introduced in the Justice League International comics in 1987, when he was the man who re-formed the Justice League, albeit with lesser known characters than Superman and Wonder Woman. Could we possibly see Pascal return as Max in a future DCEU movie, where in his ongoing quest to redeem himself from his actions in this film, he puts together a team of second-string heroes to try and save the world? Probably not, but we can dream.

Max did have some low level metahuman abilities in the comics, where he could implant mental suggestions in others to “push” them to do something. Usually when he would do this, he would end up with a small nosebleed. While Max’s health problems here are far worse than a nosebleed, the eyes, nose, and ear bleeding is certainly a nod to his comics power set.

In the comics, Max’s biggest run-in with Wonder Woman didn’t um…it didn’t end well for him.

Simon Stagg

The investor who Max ends up on the wrong side of (and who then ends up on the wrong side of Max) is Simon Stagg. Stagg has been kicking around DC Comics since 1965. Despite his long history, Stagg has never quite made it to A-list status in DC Comics, and is primarily known as the main antagonist of Metamorpho, the Element Man, although he did appear briefly in the first season of The Flash, played by William Sadler.

The Dreamstone

While this particular version of the Dreamstone doesn’t have a direct DC Comics parallel, there are a few points worth noting about it…

There are certain similarities to the Dreamstone worn by the protagonist of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, Morpheus. There, the Dreamstone was also known as the Materioptikon, and while it looked more like a finely cut ruby than the unhewn stone we see here in the film, it could still make dreams into a reality, although it wasn’t quite as literal as the way we see Max wield it here. It’s probably not really intended to be the same thing, but it’s still cool.

Anyway, it can’t be the same as The Sandman Dreamstone because that one was created by Morpheus himself, while this one was crafted by someone Diana refers to alternately as the God of Lies, Dolos Mendacius, and the Duke of Deception. The name Dolos does indeed coincide with a minor figure from Greek mythology, whose name literally translates as “Deception.” But that “Duke of Deception” name has some historical significance for comics fans, as he was one of the first foes Wonder Woman ever faced in the comics, way back in 1942 and who has bedeviled her in various adventures through the years.

Asteria and the Post-Credits Scene

As we see in that mid-credits scene, Asteria is indeed still wandering the world…and she’s played by none other than original TV Wonder Woman Lynda Carter. What a cool tribute.

The Asteria flashback we see in the story is a nod to a Wonder Woman origin story that I don’t think we’ve seen referenced in the movies, that the armies of man (led by Heracles) had at one point enslaved the Amazons.

There’s a very minor existing DC Comics character named Asteria (who, as far we can tell made her first and only and exceedingly brief appearance in Elseworlds’ Finest: Supergirl and Batgirl #1 in the ’90s), however she bears little resemblance to this version of Asteria, who has us extremely excited. This all fits quite nicely with the idea that Asteria was already “in the world of men” if you take that as a riff on the idea that Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman TV show was a metaphorical early foray into our world.

Other Random Stuff…

Diana in the clouds hearing the wishes of the world feels a little bit like the scene in Superman: The Movie where Supes is cautioned by the spirit/memory of his father not to try and bring Lois Lane back to life. He disobeys, of course.

The idea of a villain strolling into the Oval Office to get the President to do his bidding, and then an all out battle in the White House, feels very much like another nod to Superman II, where Kryptonian villains Zod, Non, and Ursa take the White House by force.

On Diana’s shelf is a book called “The Natural Life of the Gorilla.” Is it possible that in her travels Diana has heard of or even stumbled upon Gorilla City, home of noted Flash villain Grodd and Flash ally King Solovar?

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The white dress Diana wears to her work gala is obviously playing with Grecian themes as a nod to her Amazonian heritage, but it’s also very reminiscent of a white Grecian maxi dress with a high leg slit she wore in the comics during her de-powered era when she wore a lot of mod fits, and white almost exclusively. You can see the dress here and more looks from that era here.

Did you spot anything we missed? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, and if it checks out, we’ll update this!

The post Wonder Woman 1984: DC Comics Easter Eggs and Reference Guide appeared first on Den of Geek.

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lichenthrope9 · 3 years

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The Eternal Sea of Ys

Ys is a cold, stormy, mostly oceanic world with four major continents and many islands and archipelagos. It is incredibly volcanically and tectonically active due to its relative geological youth and its very large, very close primary satellite, Māni. It is a world of uncertainty, conflict, and symbiosis. Underlying it all is the Syntax, the network of semiotics that carries the signals which lie beneath the surface of all living experience.[1]

Nearly a thousand years before the Great Mari Empire, the races of the Followers began developing the political power and tools necessary to wipe out all but Humans (then called Īnfili, now Ynviri and Song) and Elves (then Māni, now Mari) on the planet. Your adventures take place at the very beginnings of this genocide.[2] Your most powerful weapons are your words, be they the ancient runic script of Norn, the spoken common tongue of Řīqu, the many variants of Yg, or the prestige dialect of Classical Ith. For on Ys, magic is just an especially visceral form of communication and embodiment.[3]

Powerful Wizard-Queens, half-forgotten as humans but still worshiped as demigods by many, set these events in motion long ago. They constructed a cipher to the Syntax called Ith to communicate with the goddesses, accessing the underlying semiotic fabric of the universe and its power to grant wishes.

A little-understood but closely guarded grove of sacred trees in the caldera of an extinct volcano offers clues to the magical Protic Ith language that might prevent the ensuing war; it grows in response to the language’s use, and the Original Ithic script shines in the folds of its trees’ bark.[4] The few surviving Wizard-Queens, half-mad or more with immortality and so far removed from their own histories that they are hardly living at all,[5] may offer some insight as well – if they grant you audience, and if you survive the interviews. Or your journeys might take you to the Hidden Lands, the continent to the far Northwest across the Eternal Ocean nearly impossible to sail to even if you know where you’re going. There you’ll find a secret city of Ofan Eshkin who still speak an old dialect of Norn, among other wonderful and dangerous things – the Ofani may kill you to protect their secret city, though.

Historians, linguists, ethnographers, and priestesses of ancient religions will all be invaluable resources as well, but beware: their institutional entanglements may ensnare you into the grip of the Māni State from which many of them hail.[6]

What the Moon’s Seen

My book will take place 900 Ysi years (approx. 1580 Earth years) after the beginning of this genocide, when the Elves and Humans have displaced all other races in the known world and covered the lands. Their languages diverge into non-magical dialects[7] and the speakers of Mari, the ancestors of the Elves, once again attempt to conquer the world, having traded their sense of history for their myths of demigoddesses and heroes. The first act of the book is about Sinja, a young Song inventor who finds power and community in language; she is Deaf and cannot communicate outside of her family until she designs and presents a compelling educational reform to the ruler of her lands.[8] She becomes the Grey Queen’s Royal Inventor and revolutionizes the Song Territories’ transportation and mining industries until the invading Mari Empire besieges the capital and abducts her away to the Mari islands in exchange for the Song Territories’ continued sovereignty. There, she is forced to invent weapons for the Mari Empress. She tries to help a group of Song dissidents stage a regicide and coup d’état by carrying coded messages between insurgents, but the coup fails and Sinja must go into hiding.[9]

The second act of the book is from the perspective of Kíta, the wealthy Mari scholar who tries to protect the Song inventor by marrying her. However, she becomes jealous of her talented wife and steals her notes on a translation of an ancient religious text, publishing a plagiarized version before Sinja can publish her own. Kíta’s translation becomes famous and is used to proselytize the Mari religion to the Colonies on Ynvir, and Kíta becomes the Imperial Cartographer and Translator for the Mari Colonies.[10] On an expedition to the far west of Ynvir, however, Kíta disappears, abducted by the mysterious leader of a band of pirates.

The third and final act is told from the perspective of Fía, Kíta and Sinja’s daughter. A carpenter’s apprentice and skilled cat burglar, Fía pays her way through the Mari Academy with crime. Before graduating, she is caught by the Captain of the Empress‘ Guard, who offers her freedom in exchange for service as the Ambassador to the Song. Knowing the Empress only wants the Song Territories for the Empire, Fía refuses to help the Mari colonize her mother‘s homeland. The Captain reveals her ace in the hole, though: they know Sinja‘s identity, and have deported her to the Penal Colony on Ynvir. Fía finds her mother‘s old notes on the magical religous text in Protic Ith, and after escaping the clutches of the capital city, travels to the Penal Colony, where she finds a group of anarchists already trying to destroy the prisons. Fía must use all her skills to bring down the Penal Colony and the Empire and free her mother,[11] perhaps unleashing an old magic in the process.

[1] The magic system I use was originally called the Mycorrhisyntax, as a nod to Massumi’s “fields of intensities” and Tsing’s Mushroom, as well as to Peirce’s semiotic. Magic is an “emergent property” of these phenomena.

[2] The death of the most fantastical creatures (Dwarves, Goblins, Gnomes, Vampires, Giants, angel-like Eshkin, ghostly Shades, Halflings, Orcs, shapeshifting Chirals, etc) on this world is supposed to be a little Nietzschean; the world is closing a chapter of magic and entering a secular age through violence, much like Nietzche’s murdered God.

[3] The specific powers of this magic include disguising oneself as someone else, becoming invisible, and other such transformations (see Deleuze & Guattari’s ATP Essay 10.1730: “Becoming-animal”)

[4] A reference to the ecological, rhizomatic natures of signification and affect, these clonal trees are supposed to be aspen-like, in that their roots travel horizontally beneath the soil and shoot up new trunks for the colony’s total health.

[5] As in the work of Barthes, myth becomes dangerous and ahistorical. To achieve immortality is to die, in a way; to become mythic is to live outside history.

[6] See David Graeber’s Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology for a critique of Marxism in academia; essentially, the requirement of a High Theory for radical politics rarefies and uproots radical movements, institutionalizing them in the very powers they seek to overthrow.

[7] Derrida’s “Difference:” change is its own force that needs to act on the world. These magical languages are unstable and need to be resolved into a less volatile form.

[8] Sinja’s initial story is about how language presents opportunities to form connections; what an individual may not be capable of can be accomplished through community. Importantly, Sinja derives her own prestige from working within systems of power.

[9] Because Sinja didn’t destroy the systems that oppress, her newfound power is precarious, and she loses it.

[10] A note on how translation is a highly political act.

[11] Fía‘s motivations may be partially or entirely familial, but this is a note on how responsibility to the community and to the family are often intertwined and engaged in transactions. Fía finds a new family in the Ynviri anarchists, regardless of whether she successfully frees her mother.

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connectacttransform · 6 years

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I received the nicest complement today from one of my childhood friends that touched my heart and soul. I feel compelled to share with you all, as it has validated the journey I've been on... A journey to rediscover who I am at my core. She's been lost for way too long and I'm really freaking happy to welcome her back.

"I'm so fascinated with your journey, you are becoming the person I always envisioned when we were little - a cool hippie who was in touch with the earth!... I liked her and her Half-shaved head. She was a badass and sensitive.. I'm partial to skater Dani with her hippie music and life"...

For those of you who only met me as a professional or as an adult or as a mother or as a wife... you may not know that I was a very different person in my younger days, as many of us often are... I was a unique, spirited, adventurer who never fit into any box that was trying to contain me... I have a great love of travel and adventure and fun and learning about people. That is my favorite thing in the world... getting to know the essence of people, as their/our differences are the fabric and magic of life. Together, we create a beautiful patchwork of beauty, texture, richness and abundance...

I was reminded of how fierce and free I always was:

- In middle school I shaved off the left side of all of my hair (called a One Eyed Jack)... I didn't care who liked it or not. I liked it. (I don’t think there are many photos of that hot look, but I’ll try to drum some up)…

- I was a competitive athlete (I could beat any boy in a freestyle swim race any day, any time)... I was a dancer, a singer, a young actress and member of SAG... I was a cheerleader, a lifeguard and an artist.

- I was a sister, a daughter, cousin, a friend to many...

- I was a black sheep and an odd little person who listened to weird music and hung posters of Robert Smith of the Cure and Depeche Mode and Duran Duran, yet also sang hymnals in the Tour Choir...

- I was a latch-key kid and a stellar, conscientious student and I would lead the pack of friends around the neighborhood on our ten speed bikes to play rounds of SPUD and Manhunt and listen to the Beastie Boys...

- During High School I was an exchange student for 7 months to Caracas Venezuela (was supposed to be a year). I was one of 2 students from my high school to go abroad. I came home early after an attempted coup d'etat and I was one of 16 American kids in Venezuela as guests of the International Rotary Club... The year was 1993. It was time to go home.

- During College at SUNY New Paltz, I was an International Relations major and won recognition at the Model United Nations, competing against Ivy League Schools and the Holy See (even my Professor and Classmates were as shocked as I was that I was selected out of almost a thousand students!)... Cultures of India was one of my favorite classes (as well as some obscure movie class and another about Animal Life where my professor brought in live Peregrine Falcons to class!)… I'm fascinated by cultural anthropology. I traveled to Belgium to participate in the Model European Union at the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies… and I backpacked around 11 Countries after graduation and only came back to the States because my corporate job in Advertising was being held for me in NYC and they needed me back if I wanted employment… (I was VERY tempted to not come home!)

I’ve been reminded of many of these fun memories and quirks of the younger, truer version of myself… I like that version better than the person I had woken up to discover that I had become… After years of churning in a Corporate America job and suffering from burn-out, adulting, parenting (which I do love, but do not have enough time to do it the way that I would love to actually do it)… I’m so very grateful that I woke up and was reminded of all the fun that I was and had and still love in my soul.

I am bringing Dani back, little by little, but better… I have the wisdom and experience that I’ve gained from life to know what I want and what I don’t want… I know that I don’t want to live as a zombie, who is tired, beat, not energetic nor taking care of myself. I want to live and love and have fun and be passionate and travel and spend time enjoying life experiences with family and friends… I want to spread love and light and provide healing and service to others… Life is meant to experience joy and love and connect with others. We are meant to share, support, uplift and love each other…

Little by little, I encourage each and every one of you reading this post to think about what fuels your soul. What did you want to be and do when you were little? What did you love in a way that your soul came alive and you were filled with joy? Try to remember how you felt when you experienced that and figure out how you can bring that joy back into your life… Is it going to a concert or a show or learning a new instrument or traveling to a place on your bucket list?

I encourage you to really take the time to think about it and bring some of your younger self into your current life, if it’s missing… I’m so grateful that I finally woke up after a very prolonged slumber… Life is so much more abundant than I could have imagined and I want to experience life fully and joyfully with a heart full of love and light. I wish the same for you.

#connectacttransform

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readyaiminquire · 4 years

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Part 0.5 - Initialising, please wait...

This is a re-write of my master's thesis, to be better suited for a blog. As such, you can expect some changes, and more importantly, expect it to be far more approachable than the otherwise heavy and academic work this is derived from. If you want to read the original work, you can find it here, otherwise, sit back and enjoy!

I was sitting in a basement lecture hall in Birkbeck College in Bloomsbury, London. Just a few steps from the anthropology department at UCL, it felt appropriate that my last days 'in the field' were so close to ‘home’. I was attending a transhumanist conference organised by the London Futurists, themselves a part of the global Humanity+ network. It was a weekend of techno-utopianism, futurism, AI, human augmentation, quantum computing; everything that might be in a broad sense fit under the topic of "future technology". During a break, I found myself in conversation with a self-avowed transhumanist and entrepreneur from the U.S. After he heard I was researching practices of human augmentation, he asked me "Do you think all transhumanists are optimists?". Sure, I figured. Over the past few months I had been exposed to so many different strands of techno-optimism, I had started taking it for granted. Part of me even figured that you had to be an optimist. "I don't think they are," my American interlocutor told me, "I mean, sure, ideologically they are, optimists in technology. But I don't think they are optimists. All they do is complain, and think and overthink, and talk, and over-talk. No-one has dared to do anything in years. They're not optimists, they're just optimistic about technology."

I have always found myself thinking back at this particular conclusion, and the more I have thought about it, the more I believe this American transhumanist to be correct. In many ways, this isn't a story solely about optimists, though some people and characters that I came across are undoubtedly optimists. Rather it is a story about optimism in technology. This techno-optimism will hopefully shine clearly through in the text, more than the number of times I refer to it directly. This view of technology, in turn, has great implications on how these individuals perceive the future: of society, and humanity as a whole. It is also a story of the body, and how it is - put bluntly - lacklustre. Though before we get into any of this, it is important to fully understand what "this" is. Fleshing out transhumanism, biohacking, human augmentation, implants to name a few will be the focus of this post. It will lack some of the narrative elements of the other posts in this series, but having a solid understanding of the background is fundamental to understanding the other posts in this series. Always bear in mind that things go much deeper than just descriptions and explanations; there is only ever so much that can be translated to paper, and what is transferred is invariably affected by what the author wishes to say and perhaps more importantly how the author wishes to say it.

I had spent four months in Sweden, originally to study microchipping practices. A media-buzz had been created around this ‘sub-culture’ (of sorts, more on that later) in late 2018, and much was put down to a type of early-adopter mentality; something I will in hindsight proclaim to be the lazy answer. This became the starting point for my adventure. I worked with and among transhumanists, biohackers, and self-proclaimed tech-enthusiasts only to be surprised early on that there exists no 'chipping community' as such. I was often told outright that there was no community at all. Given media reports, but also the existence of discussion boards and social media groups, this seemed unlikely. The truth lay somewhere in-between. The 'community' as I had imagined it did not exist. These practices of body-modification, augmentation, or experimentation existed as a part of several groups: Transhumanism, in short, is a philosophy that hopes to improve the human condition through the marriage between humanity and technology. Author Mark O'Connell writes that their end goal is "[the] total emancipation from biology itself". BioHackers, on the other hand, aim to maximise the potential of human bodily potential, often by 'hacking' biology (hence the name). These 'hacking' practices range from optimising diets, workout routines, or sleep patterns, to using nootropics. This often overlaps with life-logging - keeping a log of any number of metrics to better understand yourself. This key difference, then, between these two groups is often put down to the practical. Unlike transhumanism, BioHacking can't just be theoretical but requires practical involvement. The final group is general tech-enthusiasts - or tech-nerds, as some put it. While they might share ideas or practices with both transhumanists and BioHackers, they don't identify as either, and they're a more fluid group in this sense, more easily defined after what they are not, rather than by what they are.

It became clear quickly during my time with these different people that they simultaneously were and weren’t a community. They worked in a sphere where they would exchange ideas, thoughts, or developments, while also granting each-other legitimacy as they were, to some degree, mutually supportive communities. This is not anything new, especially not within the world of technology and innovation (see Fred Turner's book From Counterculture to Cyberculture for more details, where he calls these type of groups “network forums”). Though they aren't one community, for the same of brevity I will continue to refer to them as one community.

The glue that keeps these people together in Sweden is the relatively new practice of microchipping. Though it has been used in animals for around 15 years, it wasn't until 2007 when a club in Barcelona started offering RFID implants to their VIP customers. Through various twists and turns it arrived in Sweden in 2014 - though some of the people I worked with recall implanting themselves and their friends as far back as 2011. In 2014, in a basement in Stockholm, I was told, six friends met up after hearing about these implants through internet message boards. They had ordered the first chips from the U.S., and were ready to begin; "It was me and Samuel, you know Samuel, and four or five others that met that night. It was our first chipping party. I think we might have been the first to get our implants in Sweden then, but I'm not sure" Harrison told me while we met for a coffee. These individuals, though tied together by their shared interest in this new technology, would later part ways, and already in 2014, they represented the various branches of 'chippers' that I would engage with in 2019.

The implants, though sometimes spoken about in terms of human augmentation, are more mundane than what might be implied - compare a biplane with the SR-71 spy plane; in this analogy the implants are the biplane. Though there are several different version of the implants - Samuel ironically said that "there are about eight different standards" - there are (at this time, at least) two main models. The MyFare Classic and NTAG 216. These are around 13mm x 3mm and 12mm x 2mm respectively. In theory, the implants can be used for anything that uses contactless technology: travel cards, bank cards, access control (keys, locks, doors, passwords etc.), and general information storage. However, the chips remain technologically primitive, still, meaning much of the functionality is dependent on the infrastructure. This means in practice that what can be done is entirely dependent on what companies and organisations allow them to do. Though the comment I get the most is whether you can use the chips to pay, this is still impossible, as banks don't allow it. The same goes for most travel cards, though there are some exceptions like Statens Järnvägar (SJ) in Sweden. It should not be forgotten that on top of all of this you have the different standards, furthering inhibiting use.

What do you use it for, then? Most use it for access control, computer passwords, and information storage (often business cards and the like). Part of the reason this is especially popular is its ease of implementation: most phones can transfer the relevant information. There are more complicated applications: implementing the chip into your smart home appliances, starting cars, or even opening home-built lockboxes, but these often require much more involvement and know-how. I spend some time playing around with using the chip to remotely access my personal server, to some success. However, in the word of one of the people I've worked with, it would "often be simpler with a normal button".

To end this section, I want to point out a couple of things. It is worth knowing, as you read this, that I don't identify as a transhumanist, BioHacker, or otherwise 'involved' a chipping community. Rather, I see myself as a sympathetic observer, whereby I am sympathetic to what they want to achieve, but I am also critical of some of their methods. This is invariably going to colour my account. In addition, I will also focus on some specific themes. These are the body, the future, and society. This is not to say that there aren't other themes that would be equally, if not more, fascinating to look at. The ones I have come across are:

Gender: something especially noteworthy as in my months in the field, I only spoke to two women. I think why this would be fascinating speaks for itself.

Risk: this is a topic that comes up, a lot. However, there seems to be a pattern that focuses very much of either discrediting risks as minor or ascending them to existential risks. The lack of a middle ground implies that there is work that needs to be done there.

Mundanity: some research has already been done on the mundane uses of things like fitness trackers and other wearable technologies. As such, looking at how body implants, modifications, and ideas of human augmentation is used among groups that lack any strong ideological underpinnings (i.e. 'mundane' uses, for the lack of better words) calls for more insight.

This about wraps up this segment, and I hope you will stay with me for the ride ahead. I think you might be in for something very different than what you first envisioned.