#Mark whitaker

[larrywilmore]

Mark Whitaker on his new book

[camyfilms]

ARRIVAL 2016

But now I'm not so sure I believe in beginnings and endings. There are days that define your story beyond your life. Like the day they arrived.

[kittycatlukey]

A screenshot I took earlier of Deek🤍🥺

[bob-the-movie-man-film-reviews]

Big George Foreman (12): A "Lean, Mean, Grilling Machine"... but mostly boxing.

#onemannsmovies review of "Big George Foreman" (2023). #ForemanMovie. Solid but staid telling of a remarkable life story. 3.5/5.

A One Mann’s Movies review of “Big George Foreman” (2023). (The full title is “Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story Of The Once And Future Heavyweight Champion Of The World”, but who on earth can be bothered with that!) “Big George Foreman” is a biopic on the remarkable true story of the boxing champ George Foreman. And it really is an incredible tale. Being of a certain age, I was…

[movienized-com]

Surprised by Oxford

Surprised by Oxford (2023) #RyanWhitaker #JordanAlexandra #PhyllisLogan #MarkWilliams #RoseReid #SimonCallow Mehr auf:

Jahr: 2023 Genre: Drama / Romantik Regie: Ryan Whitaker Hauptrollen: Jordan Alexandra, Phyllis Logan, Mark Williams, Rose Reid, Simon Callow, Nicholas Aaron, Ed Stoppard, Ruairi O’Connor, Michael Culkin, Lourdes Faberes, Tim Matthews, Emma Naomi, Anabelle Holloway, Tyler Merritt, Dean Shortland … Filmbeschreibung: Die brillante, aber emotional verschlossene Caro Drake (Rose Reid) kommt in…

[milksockets]

mark whitaker jacket in the london fashion book by andrew tucker (1998)

[true-illusion]

So, I finally got round to watching the new Doctor Who season.

I had lost interest since Clara became the companion and after Peter Capaldi was the Doctor. I only watched two episodes of Jodi Whitaker - the first episode and the one with John Barrowman and Jo Martin. I thought both episodes were rubbish. Plus, it took effort to find and download the show, so I stopped watching. I haven’t gotten round to the Tennant specials cos I thought they were just nostalgia bait.

So, I was very sceptical, going in to Ncuti Gatwa’s era. I worried it would be another snooze fest that was more interested in being PC and box-ticking than telling a good story. But I had nothing else to do, and it was on Disney, so I turned it on.

IT WAS SO GOOD. I binge watched the whole thing in two days.

I could definitely see Russell T. Davis’ hand in it. It felt like the Eccleston and Tennant era episodes. It was exciting and fun and funny, but not too silly. They made a social point without being too preachy. Ncuti Gatwa is growing on me - I think the binge watching format made it harder to sink in that, "yes, he’s the Doctor". But I’m getting there.

But, I think it was Ruby that carried the season. There were quite a few Rose-type moments. But she was different enough to be her own person. I liked Ruby overall. She was sweet, she felt genuine, and she was not forced into that “sassy/arrogant” characterisation. I was invested in her story.

Her mum was not bad - Jackie Tyler was still better, imo, cos though she had a heart of gold, she still had her flaws. Ruby’s mum was just too perfect. Gran was hilarious though. I want more scenes with Gran just waiting for someone to finally give her a cuppa.

[ALERT: SPOILERS AHEAD]

Some episodes were better than others. Episode 2 “The Devil’s Chord” was AMAZING; it is the episode I want to go back and rewatch. They should have incorporated “American Pie” into it at some point. Haha! Jinkx Monsoon as the Maestro was brilliant. It was so larger-than-life and over-the-top, it was fantastic. Only thing I hated was the twist song at the end. Cringe.

Episode 5 “Dot and Bubble” was also amazing because of how disturbing it was. How people cannot function - cannot look at the world, can't even walk - without the devices, how Lindy sacrificed Ricky to save herself, how they refused to let the Doctor save them in the end. It felt like a reflection of our society and the trajectory we could be on.

Episode 1 “Space Babies” was pretty lame. If I had seen that first instead of the Christmas episode, I might have not continued. The babies were just cringe, and the snot monster… ugh. Plus, with the space station and giving Ruby universal roaming which she immediately called her mum with - it was a bit too much like Eccleston’s Doctor and Rose’s first outing.

The Christmas episode itself also wasn’t great, but it introduced the characters and the season's central mystery well, and got me interested in them. The episode reminded me of Labyrinth. “Magic Dance” kept running through my head. The bad-luck goblins were funny. Unfortunately, this Goblin King is no David Bowie. Also, no sinister robot Santas or killer Christmas trees that were a staple of past Christmas specials. It irked me a bit that the entire season’s central mystery might have been solved if the Doctor had just went up to Ruby’s mother then. He knew she was looking for her mother. He knew they couldn’t go back cos he couldn’t cross his own timeline. So why didn’t he go to her?? (Ok, then there wouldn’t be drama for the rest of the season. Lol!)

Episode 3 “Boom” was also weak. It tried to deal with strong themes - war, family, faith. It introduced interesting technology. But the story itself doesn’t hold up too well. The way the war started and continued was just too far fetched. I thought it was cool that majority of the thing took place just in that one crater though.

Meanwhile, other episodes left question marks. Episode 4 “73 Yards” was good (I loved the Welsh landscape), but a bit too much of building up to something and then it’s an anticlimax. Eg the people at the pub building up to some horror movie scenario, and then it was just some delivery person at the door. Roger just running away and giving up politics just like that? Maybe I just wasn’t paying full attention, but it was a bit too timey-wimey and weird. What was it that the woman said to all those people to make them run away screaming? Was she really Ruby all along? Where was the Doctor all that time?

And episode 6 “Rogue”… silly story with the cosplaying aliens, but it was a nice bit of fun after “Dot and Bubble”. It made me laugh the way they kept referencing Bridgerton, and how the characters were all about the Drama, with a capital D. The resolution of Ruby pretending to be the Chuldur was very disappointing bait-and-switch. But I love Rogue. I want to see more of him. Why couldn’t he stay? He could be the new Captain Jack Harkness (not that anyone could replace Capt Jack Harkness). Rogue and the Doctor together was something special (and not just in the sexual way). I want him as another companion. But the way it ended, I don’t think we’d see him again.

I don’t have much to say about the last two finale episodes, “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” and “Empire of Death”. It was a rollercoaster. It was intense. It was a bit too “Bad Wolf”. There was a lot going on but I’m not really sure what was happening. I liked seeing Kate from UNIT and the old companion Mel. Kate’s “sign out” line made me emotional. Unfortunately, she didn’t stay dead in the end. I also never watched the old episodes with Sutekh, so I don’t think I got it. The scale of the destruction was just too big in this story. The Doctor just randomly going down to that planet to get the spoon… why? If Sutekh could track dead skin cells then why couldn’t he get to the Doctor instead of through Mel? And just conveniently, the DNA test law pops up. Did Ruby find her mother in the database or not? The end resolution with the magic rope and thingy felt, again, like more bait-and-switch. I was intrigued about the concept of how Ruby’s mother is not actually important except that they had placed importance on her, thereby imbuing her with more worth. But I don’t get why Sutekh couldn’t see her or why he cared. But again, maybe I wasn’t paying full attention. The end ending was sweet - how the Doctor didn’t think Ruby should go talk to her mother but Ruby did it anyway and it worked out well. And then more questions at the end. Who exactly is that neighbour woman?

I hope Ruby returns next season. Honestly, I watched this season more for her than for the Doctor. I'm glad I gave this season a chance. I’ll watch next season, for sure.

[ricky-tiki-tah]

ISWM: The Damien Theory

You know how we all pretty much agree that Ms. Dorene Whitaker is pretty much Celine? If that’s true, then where is Damien??

I’ve got a theory!

By this point we all know that The Actor is in charge of all the multiple choice stories(ADWM, AHWM, ISWM), that they are stories that he is telling, right?

We also know that Actor will not play the villain in his own stories, he cannot let himself be seen as anything less than the hero who can do no wrong, or else his carefully crafted fantasy will be ruined.

Engie is not a hero. In fact, we could even go so far as to call him the villain of ISWM, no matter how unintentional it was.

Who do we know is the villain in Actor’s stories?

Dark. Or more specifically, Damien.

My theory goes like this: Darkiplier can be separated into Celine and Damien in the Actor’s stories because at the end of the day they are only stories and not the egos reality.

As we agree that Celine plays the part of Dorene, then where would Damien be?

Engie as a character is already vastly different from the ‘Mark’ character that Actor plays in the other two series’. I’m not entirely sure how to explain it, but his whole personality is not consistent with the past ‘Mark’s. Engie’s entire personality is more reminiscent of Damien, in both WKM and DAMIEN

If Celine is in the story as the cryptic old lady, what would stop Actor from casting Damien as the starring role? For some reason, Actor enjoys seeing Damien as his evil counterpart. (I don’t know why. Damien seemed to be the only person he didn’t have beef with during WKM) Would he really pass up the opportunity to spring the biggest twist yet?

“But wait, what about how we saw Dark at the end?!” You ask.

My explanation: The credits rolled, the story ended. Darkiplier is no longer separated.

Dark also comments on the warp crystal, about how there was a big old story and a lot of fuss over such a small thing. He appears to have thought the entire story to be overly complicated and dramatic.

“What about Old Engineer Mark?” You ask again. “He had so many parallels with Actor, like saying how he’s the hero which directly parallels his speech in DAMIEN.”

Old Mark wasn’t seen as the bad guy in Actor’s story. He’s set up as the Hero fighting us (the “bad guy”). Old Engineer Mark could potentially, probably, be the Actor. As I said before, Actor has to be the Hero, and he has to have a part in his stories.

Old Mark technically shouldn’t exist since Engie never actually went back to ‘fix’ the warp core. Old Mark and Engie have to be two entirely different people.

Actor definitely could have/has set it up so that Old Mark appears to be Engie from a different universe just so that he could get a part to play in his story.

Anyway, that’s my theory, my SPACE THEORY!

(More possible evidence)

[story-addict]

Claim to Fame S3

Episode 1

2 Truths & a Lie and Talent Show

Miguel (Raphael) - Grandfather (Aunt), Actor, Oscar

Gracie Lou (Gracie Hyland) - Uncle, Musician (Actor), Emmy

Dedrick (Sigmund) - Uncle, Musician, Best Rock Song of the Year

Danny - Uncle, Wrestler (Musician), Grammy

Hud - Mom, Musician, Grammy

Jill - Grandfather (Uncle), Actor, People’s Choice Award

Adam - Uncle, Actor (Musician), Grammy

Shane - Cousin, Actor, Oscar

Mackenzie - Dad, Musician, Tony

Naomi - Cousin, Musician, Young Artist Award

Bianca - Aunt, Actress, Peabody

Wine Clue Winner - Gracie Lou (chose Naomi's clue)

Bottom Two - Miguel & Bianca (Guesser)

Incorrect Guess - Shane related to Forest Whitaker

Revealed - Bianca related to Robin Roberts

Episode 2

Spelling Bee Riddles

Bianca - Alley Oop = Robin Roberts (used to play & ESPN)

Mackenzie - Goatee = Trace Adkins

Hud - Jubilee = John Mellencamp (The Lonesome Jubilee)

Jill - Gemini = John Stamos (Full House)

Danny - Maraca = Marc Anthony (Latin Music Singer)

Gracie Lou - Alimony = Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men)

Dedrick - Giraffe = Michael Jackson (owned giraffes)

Naomi - Chastity = Molly Ringwald (Pretty in Pink)

Shane - Valkyrie = Marlon Brando (Apocalypse Now)

Missing Riddles = Adam & Miguel

Wine Clue Winner - Naomi (chose Hud's clue)

Guessers - Gracie Lou & Jill

Incorrect Guess by Jill - Miguel related to Antonio Banderas

Incorrect Guess by Gracie Lou - Adam related to Dustin Hoffman

Revealed - Jill related to John Stamos

Revealed - Gracie Lou related to Jon Cryer

Episode 3

Telephone Limericks

Limerick #1

On the mountain there once was a lion, In a handmade rose dress she was stylin, But her dancing was bad, And it made the town sad, So they shipped her right off to the island. 

Limerick #2

His toga was in disarray, On an oddly peculiar Friday, He wrote a honky tonk song,  But his hair was too long, And his pompadour needed a spray. 

Hud - Lion = "Johny Cougar" = John Mellencamp

Naomi - Rose Dress = "Pretty in Pink" movie = Molly Ringwald

Dedrick - Dancing was Bad = "Bad" song = Michael Jackson

Miguel - Oddly Peculiar Friday = "Freaky Friday" movie = Jamie Lee Curtis

Mackenzie - Honky Tonk Song = "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" song = Trace Adkins

Danny - Toga = "Roman: Mark Anthony" = Marc Anthony

Adam - Hair too long = Michael Bolton

Shane - Pompadour = Marlon Brando

Wine Clue Winner - Danny (chose Dedrick's clue)

Bottom Two - Shane & Miguel (Guesser)

Incorrect Guess by Miguel - Dedrick related to Little Richard

Revealed - Miguel related to Jamie Lee Curtis

Episode 4

Lie Detector Test

Wine Clue Winner - Shane (chose Mackenzie's clue)

Bottom Two - Hud & Adam (Guesser)

Revealed by Adam - Naomi related to Molly Ringwald

Episode 5

Wheel Of Senses

Miguel - Pumpkin Pie & Cotton Balls = "Halloween" & "Scream Queens" = Jamie Lee Curtis

Shane - Cannoli & Spaghetti = "The Godfather" Movie = Marlon Brando

Dedrick - Bubble Wrap & Egg Beater = "Bubbles" the monkey & "Beat It" song = Michael Jackson

Adam - Mullet & Bolt = Michael Bolton

Mackenzie - Fried Chicken & Horse Manure = "Brown Chicken Brown Cow" song & Country Singer = Trace Adkins

Hud - Chili Dog & Melon = "Jack & Diane" song & "MELLENcamp" = John Mellencamp

Danny - Bongos & Fire = Latin singer & "Man on Fire" movie = Marc Anthony

Naomi - 16th Birthday Cake & Pancake = "Sixteen Candles" & "The Breakfast Club" movies = Molly Ringwald

Wine Clue Winner - Adam & Hud (chose Danny's clue)

Bottom Two - Shane & Dedrick (Guesser)

Incorrect guess by Dedrick - Adam related to Owen Wilson

Revealed - Dedrick related to Michael Jackson

Episode 6

Connect the Dots

Danny's Clue (taken by Hud)

"This Latin superstar starred in an action thriller with Dakota Fanning and Denzel Washington" = Marc Anthony

Trail to get there: Driver's License -> Olivia Rodrigo -> Uptown Girl -> Dakota Fanning -> Marc Anthony

Shane's Clue (taken by Hud)

"This actor's character played an integral part in helping save Superman's life as an infant in the original film" = Marlon Brando

Trail to get there: Jennifer Lawrence -> The Hunger Games -> Liam Hemsworth -> Henry Cavil -> Superman -> Marlon Brando

Adam's Clue (taken by Shane)

"This love ballad specialist gave Kelly Clarkson a true fan-girl moment when he surprised her by singing a duet with her on her talk show" = Michael Bolton

Trail to get there: Olympics -> Georgia -> Luke Bryan -> American Idol -> Kelly Clarkson -> Michael Bolton

Hud's Clue (taken by Adam)

"Madonna and the "Small Town" farm boy were both inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in 2008" = John Mellencamp

Trail to get there: Amy Adams -> Patrick Dempsey -> Grey's Anatomy -> Seattle -> Madonna -> John Mellencamp

Mackenzie's Clue (taken by Mackenzie)

"While Missy Elliot talked about her Gadonk-a-donk-donk, this singer talked about a Badonkadonk that was Honky Tonk" = Trace Adkins

Trail to get there: Quarterback -> Patrick Mahones -> Taylor Swift -> Grammy -> Missy Elliot -> Trace Adkins

Wine Clue Winner - Hud (chose Adam's clue)

Bottom Two - Shane & Danny (Guesser)

Incorrect guess by Danny - Mackenzie related to Blake Shelton

Revealed - Danny related to Marc Anthony

Episode 7

Clued In Board

Hud - John Mellencamp

Known As: Cougar

Professional Field: Music

Notable Appearances:

Notable Costars:

Mackenzie - Trace Adkins

Known As: Dangerous Man

Professional Field: Music

Notable Appearances:

Notable Costars:

Adam - Michael Bolton

Known As: Mr. Time, Love & Tenderness

Professional Field: Music

Notable Appearances:

Notable Costars:

Shane - Marlon Brando

Known As: Mr Mumbles

Professional Field: TV/Film

Notable Appearances:

Notable Costars: Martin Sheen

Wine Clue Winner - Mackenzie (chose Shane's clue)

Revealed by Mackenzie - Shane related to Marlon Brando

Episode 8 - Season Finale

Advertisement Billboard

Hud - John Mellencamp

Wheel of Senses: Watermelon

Connect the Dots: Player

Clued In Board: Cougar, Music

Revealed Billboard

Photo of Hud on Ranch Fence - Imitates "Scarecrow" Album Cover

Hud And The Scarecrows - Album "Scarecrow"

Opening Act: "Diane & Jack" - "Jack & Diane" song

Opening Act: "The Authority Fighters" - "Authority Song" song

Tonight at the Pink House Theater - "Pink Houses" Song

No one under 72 admitted - John Mellencamp's age is 72yo

Mackenzie - Trace Adkins

Wheel of Senses: Horse

Connect the Dots: Dangerous Man, Music

Clued In Board:

Revealed Billboard

Photo of Mackenzie as a Cowgirl - Imitates "Dangerous Man" Album Cover

Mackenzie Dangerous Woman - Album "Dangerous Man"

"Men love Country Girls" - "Ladies Love Country Boys" song

Grand Ole Opry Member - Member of The Grand Ole Opry

Celebrity Apprentice Winner - Winner of Celebrity Apprentice

Tonight Only at the Monarch Theater - "Monarch" TV show

Adam - Michael Bolton

Wheel of Senses: Mr Time, Love & Tenderness, Music

Connect the Dots:

Clued In Board:

Billboard - NOT REVEALED

Revealed by Adam - Mackenzie related to Trace Adkins

Revealed by Adam - Hud related to John Mellencamp

WINNER - ADAM RELATED TO MICHAEL BOLTON

The Wine Cellar Clues

Bianca (eliminated before taken) - "Good Morning America Anchor who Plays BasketBall" = Robin Roberts

Naomi (taken by Gracie Lou) - "Bratpack Princess in Breakfast Club" = Molly Ringwald

Hud (taken by Naomi) - "Cherry Bomb Artist who Hurts So Good" = John Mellencamp

Jill (eliminated before taken) - "SitCom Uncle in the 90s who Plays Drums" = John Stamos

Gracie Lou (eliminated before taken) - "Loves Girl in Pink & Plays Bad Guy in Superman" = Jon Cryer

Miguel (eliminated before taken) = "80's Scream Queen Turned 90's Secret Agent" = Jamie Lee Curtis

Dedrick (taken by Danny) - "Scarecrow Who Walks Backwards In NeverLand" = Michael Jackson

Mackenzie (taken by Shane) - "6 ft 6 Country Music Artist Who Won Celebrity Apprentice" = Trace Adkins

Danny (taken by Adam & Hud) - "Man On Fire Latin Singer Who Fell for JLo" = Marc Anthony

Adam (taken by Hud) - "Long Haired 90's Artist who Sings Love Ballads" = Michael Bolton

Shane (taken by Mackenzie) - "Hollywood Icon with Italian Kingpin Role" = Marlon Brando

The Clue Wall

https://www.tvinsider.com/1141493/claim-to-fame-clue-wall-explained/

Bianca = Robin Roberts

Basketball Hoop = Southeastern Louisiana University & ESPN

USA Flag = Good Morning America

Microphone = ESPN

2. Gracie Lou = Jon Cryer

Army Men Toys = Two and a Half Men

Duck = Ducky in Pretty in Pink

3. Naomi = Molly Ringwald

Bacon and Eggs = "The Breakfast Club"

School Bus = "Sixteen Candles" & "The Breakfast Club"

School Supplies: Calculator, Abacus, Pencil - "The Breakfast Club"

4. Jill = John Stamos

Greek Yogurt = Oikos Super Bowl Commercial

Two Crabs = Twins/Full House = John Stamos

Drum

5. Hud = John Mellencamp

Scarecrow = Album

6. Miguel = Jamie Lee Curtis

Asian Props = "Freaky Friday" & "Everything Everywhere All at Once"

Knife = "Halloween" & "Knives Out"

Magnifying Glass and Footprints = "Knives Out"

Rock = "Everything Everywhere all at once"

7. Dedrick = Michael Jackson

Scarecrow = The Wiz

Moon = Moonwalk

Giraffe = Owned Giraffes

Bubbles = Michael Jackson's monkey

Egg Beater with phrase "Simple Life" = "Beat it" & "Destiny" songs

8. Mackenzie = Trace Adkins

9. Danny = Marc Anthony

Maracas

10. Adam = Michael Bolton

Lightning Bolt

11. Shane = Marlon Brando

Red Car = "A street car named desire"

Eiffel Tower = "Last Tango in Paris"

Others:

Spinning Balance Peg Top

Luggage Tag

Mardi Gras Mask

Screws on a piece of wood

Headphones

Wood Slingshot with Carved Bear that says "Shave....ke"

Lanyard with Butterfly and Whistle

Fishbowl with Moorish Idol fish and maybe fake jewels

Theater Mask

Vase with Palette 2 Knives

Weird White Object? (Bottom Left)

Snail? (beside school bus, upper left)

Basilica Art?

Fire Department Badge

Hawaii Ukulele

Feather Duster

Wall Thermometer

Grenade

Lock

Yawn Ball with triangle charm and over weird wood branch

Jewelry? (behind ukulele)

Red Bedazzled Heart

Orca Whale with sun charm in the mouth

Pink Mirror

Black Horse

Skateboard

Magic Wand

Concord Grape

$10000 stack

Baseball

Light bulb

Aviator glasses

Marionette of boy with sombrero

Doll

Corner Mirror

Star Police Badge

Bus Toy

Angel Figurine

Coconut Purse

Salt Shaker

Flashlight

Purple Silk Ribbon

Komodo Dragon

Converse Sneaker

Sombrero

White Bunny with Pink Collar that has a heart lock

Spoon

Yarn sun? (behind komodo dragon)

Hand Cuffs

Wrenches

Earring

Bubble Wrap Popping Toy of a Car

Pop Corn Bucket with Tickets Stubs coming out of it

Chair

Bicycle Horn

Wooden Door

White Afghan Hound

White Sea Coral

Game Console Controller with Ladybug

Robin Bird

Racket with voodoo doll? made out of wine corks

Weird Plastic (behind sombrero)

Clothes Hanger

Paint Palette

Cone with Asian characters, wine corks and sticks at the top

Stapler

Sea Journal

Cowboy Hat with Tiara

Native Mask

Electric Guitar

Notepad

Sailor with ship helm

Bird Cage

Piano

Hand Fan

Tree

Kettle

Car mph gage?

Snake

Apple

12 point metal Star

Harmonica with Asian characters and "hero"

Asian doll with flute

Glass Rose

Green fish

USA flag

Queen Doll

Weird platter (under USA flag)

Porcelain lady figurine

Yellow Old time car

Yueqin (chinese musical instrument)

Treasure chest with $100

Paint Brush

Foreign Coat of Arms

Piggy Bank

Black Pepper shaker

Green toadstool

Hourglass

Blue tennis ball

Olympic? Medal (behind maracas)

Red & Green Pepper on a bowl

Stethoscope

Blank book

World Map

Horn? (bottom right)

Music Sheet

Military Plane

Spatula

Bell

Flower Crown

Amputated Hand with metal Bracelet

[humbly-a-doppelganger]

THE STOLEN CHILD - WIP intro

So, I thought I’d post an overview of the world that burst inside my mind four years ago, and has so far refused to leave :)

The Stolen Child is the first part of a multi-book, multi-POV series titled The Kinship Chronicles. The story falls under the self-engineered time capsule urban fantasy genre, which is short for a mosaic of urban fantasy, historical fiction, adventure, a touch of horror, a tentative dark academia, and probably a couple other genres I’m forgetting right now. It's also YA! But, above all else, TKC is a story of doomed debts dealt across generations.

The synopsis is as follows:

Coraline 'Cal' Everitt has a secret. Her body, which at the age of five, she discovered would split into two forms—one mortal, the other not. Oftentimes without her consent. Why? All her attempts to learn the reason proved fruitless. But here's the one thing she's certain of: no one in her family shares her ability, thus, she must bring it to her grave.

Oliver Whitaker has a secret. His double-lived identity. He hails from The Kinship, an underground society for the otherworldly Saz. And yet, he spends his days Aboveground, spying on Cal in search of a sign that would mark her as one of his own, like her parents before her. Even though they hold no memories of it.

Diana Zubairu has a secret. The ghosts of her past haunting her present. Her family moved to London in hopes of escaping the aftermath of her brother's death. She may think herself on the path to healing, may find new companions in Cal and Oliver, yet John's clutch is strong and stubborn—and he has deemed her his sole victim.

Then a sudden attack falls upon them, causing the walls guarding their secrets to crumble to dust. Cal, Diana and Oliver will have to rediscover reality in the latter's native land—the very same land Cal and Diana are also entitled to. But in The Kinship, they'll get entangled in a quest that will challenge the very basis on which their perceptions hinder. Min Hao, the youngest daughter of a dying politician, is missing.

And only they may save her.

The Stolen Child is an amalgam of a myriad of tropes, plot points, etc. that don’t quite fit into any categories. You’ll like it if the following catches your eye:

Character-driven stories

Fleshed-out lore

Slowburn

Victorian era aesthetics

Underground, secret societies

Unconventional powers

A strong emphasis on platonic relationships

Mysteries

Queer characters and storylines

Time loops

Creepy, monstrous children

Saphic yearning

Rotten utopias

"We were fated to meet"

Diary romance

Journey to acceptance

Complicated families

I have a sick obsession with making characters. Seriously. The Stolen Child has a main cast of eight:

Cal Everitt ✧₊⁺ A newcomer lost amid her birthright

Oliver Whitaker ⚕ A healer who many help all but himself

Diana Zubairu ཐིཋྀ A foreigner hiding from her ghosts

Selvar Zandstra 𖤓 A survivor frozen in time

Atalanta Everitt-Melton ೱ A historian on the verge of collapse

Hunter Hao 𓍼 A brother with a blindfold in tatters

Morgan Hao ☠︎︎ A sister burdened by her misery

Caleb Verninac ♫ A son of secrets and pain

If any of this interests you, here’s the chapter list with links to each respective chapter!

Aside from posting on Tumblr, you can also find me on AO3 (Crosskill11), on Wattpad (Crosskill-11) and on Instagram (humbly_a_doppelganger), though I very, very rarely post anything there, if at all.

Now, this is getting too long, so I’ll be posting my inspirations for The Stolen Child—and The Kinship Chronicles as a whole—under the cut.

Early 2000s urban YA fantasy literature: in many ways, The Kinship Chronicles is an ode to those stories of girls who discovered the world was not what it seemed, that magic was not the stuff of fiction and that, despite everything, she was owed a place among that newfound reality. Only it is queer

The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare: literally all of it, from The Mortal Instruments to The Last Hours. In fact, The Kinship Chronicles started out as a mesh of wild TSC fan fiction and a pre-existing WIP of mine I’d created at 14. Those books have nurtured me in my adolescence (and early adulthood) and in many ways, The Kinship is what my social sciences brain would’ve liked the shadowhunter world to be. The Infernal Devices and The Last Hours made me fall in love with the Victorian and Edwardian Eras

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs: his books were the first time I heard the word ‘time loop’ (or bucle temporal in Spanish), and I remembered being so mesmerised by the kind of powers peculiars wielded—they were, in themselves, peculiar, and I hope that Saz’s insignias embody that same peculiarity

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James: I don’t think many people have read this book, I finished it at 2:00 a.m. in a random summer and it’s stayed branded in my brain ever since. I can’t recommend it enough. Strangely, it made me love the idea of falling in love with a person who you’ve only known through their writings

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie: listen, the second line of the first chapter of The Stolen Child directly mentions Barrie. Peter Pan was my first fictional crush, Neverland my first form of Heaven. Two summers ago I read the original book from the early 20th century and I bawled my eyes out. Because of this, my main character, Cal, adores Peter Pan and I hope to be able to convey at least half as much as what Peter Pan conveyed to me. I don’t care if it sounds childish

Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac: eight-year-old me had no business watching this anime, but I’m glad I did. My man Ikki had done wonders to help me worldbuild

Tales of Berseria & Tales of Zestiria: undisputed JRPG masterpieces. Great, great, great for worldbuilding

Uncharted & Tomb Raider: I will cry, I wanted to step into their worlds so much I carved out a piece of them and stitched it into Mirror (this is very vague inspiration, but inspiration nonetheless)

Plato’s philosophy: truly inspired a great plot point and Morgan and Hunter’s character arcs. I should really get to reading the Symposium

Descartes’s philosophy: can’t say how or why, but by God I love Descartes

Spanish and, more particularly, Andalusian culture and heritage: this will be evident at the very end of The Kinship Chronicles. It’ll potentially traumatise some people, but that doesn’t erase the fact that I think my culture’s beautiful and that I’m forever grateful that I get to experience it

Roman law: my inner law student took the reins. The XII Tables my beloved

[libras-interactives]

Do you have any OC’s for Lackadaisy who didn’t make it into the fic or who were made after you started writing? I love hearing about all of them so much

;v; wagh

So 2~3 of these kitties are connected to Devil's Moon characters but probably won't show up (or at least, will only be mentioned), and two arent related to it at all.

Viviana Carmina Holst - Slyvester's wife, who Ive thought so much about but may not even show up "on camera" LOL. A calico with auburn hair she keeps in a fairly old-fashioned style, to match her more modest dress. She's thin and has big, bright green-brown eyes.

She's quite sociable, observant, easygoing and a terrible cardshark. She loves company and doesn't get it nearly as much as she'd like; they live in a modest yet well-decorated home outside St. Louis city limits. Carmina comes from a large Italian family. She was the first of her siblings to be born in America. She's always been known as Carmina to them (there were already three Vivianas in the extended family), and Vivi to her husband.

Because she and Slyvester could not have children, they adopted three nephews after the boys' parents passed (Carmina's side). The boys are now grown and the two oldest are quite successful. The youngest still lives with them to help his mother, as Carmina is disabled and Slyvester works a lot, and they've yet to find a live-in nurse that suits them.

Carmina and Slyvester grew up together in the same Italian-majority neighborhood; his family is Danish and was one of the few non Italians on the block. Carmina's parents approved of him bc he agreed to convert, they knew he wasn't a drinker, and they were relieved their sickly daughter was able to get married and have someone take care of her for the rest of her life.

Flynn's Family - I've thought a lot about them but I don't think they'll be super relevant or come up, alas. His older brother Seamus is fairly important to the business, but rarely makes himself known. He has some pretty bad physical and mental damage from the war, so tends to be anti-social, plus years of Flynn's emotional manipulation have taken their toll. Tomas was the youngest and the golden child, died in the war. Flynn couldn't stand him. Sorcha was older than Tomas but younger than Flynn, I'm still unsure what happened exactly, but she's not around her parents anymore. They didn't really dote on her like they did the boys, or Tomas.

Their mother was tall and slender, while the father was more stout and broad, and a little shorter - only Seamus had his build and coloring, the rest of the children were looked and were built like their mama. All of them had orange and black markings but the Flynn we know is the only chimera.

I keep wanting to think of more for the family - their history, and appearances and whatnot, but then I pull back because it "won't be relevant" in Devil's Moon ... well, might do it anyway bc I just like writing family dynamics and drama, lol. I already wrote a ton about Carmina so might as well.

Okay these two are 100% not UTDM related and from an Arkham Horror board game/kinda tabletop bc we rp'd it a ton. The setting is 1920s anyway, and I forced my friends to play and make lackadaisy OCs (it was my birthday damn it 😂). These two characters rotted a crater in my brain for 2 weeks straight and I still like em a ton. Sister Marguerite was mine and Father Elijah was initially my partner's but I have since stolen him haha.

Sister Marguerite, formerly Adelaide Whitaker. Wheeww... so much to say here but I'll condense it. Originally from a wealthy East Coast family, she was forcefully sent to a "wellness and manners" sort of school for "esteemed ladies" that was really just a ruse to hide her pregnancy. It wasn't a Magdalene asylum/laundry, though. She lost the child, but a handful of nuns showed her such kindness (and she'd had religious-fixated OCD for years that her family actively made worse anyway) that she converted to Catholicism and began the process of becoming a nun once she was old enough. She's happy with her current life, enough that her OCD has lessened somewhat, but ofc there are still bad days. She often fixates on physical purity, baptism and "healing water"; most of her sisters chalk her "peculiarities" up to her extreme devotion and are willing to overlook her bad, spiraling days bc shes v dear to them. She's a good-hearted woman, quiet, and doesn't scare easily. Puts others before herself again and again.

As a cat, she's white with unsettling sectorial heterochromia, big slender ears, and an odd face. Lackadaisy cats are generally pretty cute but she's meant to be more "homely". Her eyes are more unnerving than striking. This is the photo that was the first inspiration for her, though this kitty is very cute, haha. If she were human I think she'd have bright eyes and a very plain face. I've drawn her but my art is pretty oof! I need to keep practicing bc her face and headshape in particular are kinda different.

Actually considered reworking her backstory to be one of Jack's many siblings; he did have a sister who ran off, but thats kinda irrelevant in UTDM rn. If anything itd be mentioned in an epilogue.

Father Elijah - A handsome man from a good Midwestern family. They were disappointed when Elijah joined the church, feeling like he was wasting his potential. He's always felt close to God and wanted to help others, but he's also a deeply scholarly person and loves theology, even if some things he studies would be considered heretical. This doesn't necessarily mean he's open minded, especially to those he considers "irredeemable", but he's always polite, protective of his flock and usually a pretty affable guy.

Elijah certainly has some kind of mental stuff rolling around in his noggin; I don't want to call it disorder or illness, especially since he doesn't really have a name for it at the time period (like Marguerite with her OCD). In the tabletop, they came to Arkham together as allies and quickly became rather ... obsessed with each other. He's very fixated with Marguerite, believing her to be a pinnacle of what a godly person should be, and later believing she can actually speak to angels (or is one??). He wants so much of her attention, to hear her opinions and interpretations of faith. To say he puts her on a pedestal is an understatement. Calling it "romantic" interest isnt the whole picture, and too simple for... whatever the hell he's got going on. Marguerite admires him deeply but in a more "inspired" way. Platonic is also too simple for what she's feeling, but her attachment certainly isn't as deep as his.

As a cat he's an orange tabby with pretty blue eyes. Meant to be a really tall good looking dude, a contrast to Sister Margy. Maaany women in the church have admired him but he's never considered or indulged in feelings like that until Marguerite; he doesn't even consider his appearance much. Just tries to keep tidy. I also terribly drew him real quick for the tabletop. I think his ears should have kind of a cute shape and he's got extra fur around his face :3 Still not sure on what sort of tail he'd have, though.

Shoutout to tabletop!Father Elijah who dual wielded a pistol and giant crucifix on the regular, constantly threw himself into danger to save Margie and slowly became twisted by the dark powers he was trying so hard to stop 👍🏽 One of my favorite scenes was both of them jumping into a portal together, then getting separated bc we rolled poorly and they both got HP/Sanity down to 0. Elijah woke up in the hospital in extreme pain, left without fully restoring HP and ran all the way back to the church to find Marguerite. They held each other at the altar for a while and she gave him her rosary bc he lost his crucifix in the void. and they promised to never leave each other again and stayed attached at the hip in spite of the usual eldritch horrors. normal arkham horror things. I'd love to make Arkham LCG cards for them; theyve already got custom cards for the 2nd edition board game (but now my other fixations and nerdness is showing so ill stop here).

(shoutout to that poor eldritch-corrupted NPC who sister marguerite believed needed a baptism to restore him, so father elijah held the dude down while he almost drowned and margeurte prayed over him and one party member witnessed all this and told the others so EVERYONE avoided "those catholic freaks" for the whole session sdkdskfs)

[kittycatlukey]

My screenshots of Deek🏍️🧟🫶

[smiledog15578]

Hi ! I feel like youre thé best person to Ask this,but do you remember what were celines and damiens family name? I dont recall actor mark having one,no? I forgor

I don’t think they ever had one but ppl usually call them Doom or Whitaker

[winterpinetrees]

The Carnival (Gap Years Part 8)

June 17th 2019

Union County, OR

Once again mustering the strength to post oc stuff on the cringe oc site. This doesn’t get easier. The events of this part were inspired (years ago) by a Mark Rober video where he recruits a friend that is also a professional baseball pitcher to help him win carnival games.

…………………

There’s an old cliche about how war is 99% boredom and 1% terror. This isn’t war. This is the survivor of a coup and his three teenage allies driving across the country on a circuitous path going nowhere. It’s still boring though.

When Brian and his friends began driving after their first fight, he’d hardly expected to survive until morning. Now, the sword slash across his chest has healed and they still haven’t seen an elf other than Marin. He knows he should be happy about this, but the anticipation is killing him. Brian has always been good under pressure, and he has a lot of awards to prove it. He’s never been good at the waiting though. At some point, that one percent of terror will come back and they will need to fight for their lives. It could be any moment now. Yesterday, Clay and Sierra went off to investigate a town and only Sierra came back. They spent four hours panicking before finally remembering to call Clay on the same satellite phone that they’d all mocked him for carrying. Without it, he probably never would have come back at all. It’s a horrible reminder of the stakes after a week of nothing. Brian feels like he’s going to explode.

They’re driving through northern Oregon. They could have been all the way across the continent by now if they’d wanted to be. However, with nowhere specific to go, they’ve instead chosen to take a winding path up and down California, stopping literally anywhere that catches their attention (They did eventually make it to Redwoods National Park). Today, Brian is taking all of them to a fair. He’s justified it by saying that crowds are safe, but he really just needs to throw something. Also, Marin is really getting on his nerves. Elves always act superior in the movies, but it’s different to spend a week in a car with a ‘teenager’ who clearly thinks that the three of them are moderately better than dogs. It’s not that this sort of talk is new to him. His father is the California governor and solidly on the liberal side of things, but the Whitakers have been in politics since before the Civil War. They all have opinions about his bisexuality and about Sierra’s first-generation mother and certainly about Clay’s habit of running off to the bad parts of town. He’s really sick of it.

Specifically, Marin keeps talking about how elves are just more evolved than humans. Brian’s a humanities kid, but he knows that isn’t how it works. Evolution doesn’t make better animals over time, it just makes things that survive. Marin may have magic and live for a while, but he isn’t any better than Brian just because his bones are hollow like a bird. That’s the other half of the reason for dragging him to a fair. It’s stupid, but Brian wants to challenge him to games until he beats him at something. Maybe it’s foolish and this graceful magic prince will win everything, but Brian is a varsity baseball player with a stack of wrestling metals and a black belt. He killed a nobleman (noblelf?) with a crowbar. He’s confident that he can pick Marin up and throw him. Unfortunately, that’s not a common carnival game.

Marin also keeps dancing around the idea that humanity would all be better off under elven rule anyway, which is just, not something Brian is willing to discuss.

He puts the car into park and they all step outside. He can tell from the fact that the parking lot is just dead grass that it will all be dissassembled by the end of the summer. Clay kicks his door shut with his foot. His sunburns are pretty bad, and he’s not in any shape to carry the sci-fi rifle he loves so much. It would be too conspicuous anyway. Instead, Brian takes a pistol with emerald detailing from Marin’s bag. He doesn’t have all of the right qualifications to concealed carry in Oregon, but the group agreed that Marin should just brainwash anyone that gets suspicious. Hopefully they won’t need to. Sierra takes her magic measuring device and Marin swings his bigger-on-the-inside messenger bag over one shoulder. They’re just four teens going to a carnival. No one will notice the magic, or the weaponry, or the huge amount of cash that they’re carrying because Clay pointed out that someone (elves or their parents) could track their credit card information. They’re three billionaire’s kids and a prince. Things were never going to be any more normal than this.

………………

“I went to something like this with my mother once. It was in the early 60s. Georgia, maybe?” Marin says casually as they walk towards the ticket stand.

“Really? Your mother? I’m surprised that the Apex had time to kill around us simple humans” Clay replies.

He ignores the insult. “Well, my mother was an exception. She didn’t have enough magic, so they sent her away for a while when she was a kid. She spent a lot of time along the Gulf Coast, in both worlds,” He pauses. ”I think she was happiest here. Here meaning the human world, not here”.

Brian has a thought, tries to ignore it, and then decides to follow it anyway. “Wait, when was your mother young?”

“This was the early 1700s”.

Marin is a prince of the elves. You can tell from his pointed ears and silent footsteps and the way that his eyes shine in the dark. However, from a distance, he looks like any Black teenager. His mother almost certainly had the same features. There’s got to be a story here, but Brian isn’t comfortable asking. They buy tickets and stand in the grass.

“Marin, I challenge you to a duel”.

“What in Lazarus’s name is that supposed to mean,” the elf replies.

“It means that we are going to go around this place and try a bunch of tests of skill until I beat you at something”.

“This is about how I said humans are less evolved, isn’t it?”

Brian smiles. “Also I really need to throw something”.

They shake hands. Marin doesn’t have a very strong handshake, which Brian decides actually makes sense, because strong handshakes are probably not an elf thing.

Clay offers to be the referee. “We already know this, but Marin, all of these are rigged”.

He nods, but doesn’t turn his eyes away from Brian. “Where I come from, the challenger sets the terms of the duel”.

“Wait, you have an actual dueling code?” It isn’t that surprising, to be honest.

“Several. Where should we begin?”.

Brian looks around. Should he start with a game he’s sure to win by physical strength alone? Or is that just playing into elven logic? Maybe he should choose one of those nearly impossible throwing games, but maybe there’s some sort of elf baseball and Marin has played that too. Maybe he’s just not good enough. That’s always how it always goes with his older brothers, and Marin is eighty-six. Brian might be in over his head. They walk to the milk-bottle toss. Brian hands over a ticket in exchange for a baseball and turns back to his opponent. The bottles are metal and bottom weighted, and the staff certainly won’t give an athletic eighteen year old one of the stacks that are rigged in favor of the player.

It won’t matter. Brian’s the starting shortstop on his team. He can throw a ball. He tosses the ball in the air, catches it again, and throws it with perfect form at the stacked bottles. It hits the center of the base and the whole thing collapses. Brian takes a stuffed elephant for the trouble. He’ll give it to some other kid. There’s no room in the car.

Marin looks around at the many-colored decorations of the stand and hands the staff member a ticket. The elf mimics his action, throwing the ball into the air and catching it as well. He throws, and the ball strikes almost the exact same place as Brian’s. The top bottle falls, the other two wobble, and Marin does not win a prize. He shrugs and moves to tie back his locs.

“You are just proving my point. That wasn’t about accuracy. That was a strength game”.

“Brian has one point, Marin has none” Clay winks. “Don’t kill each other”.

……

They keep walking. Both boys beat the basket toss, Marin wins a cute pink wolf at darts, and both of them, against their better judgment, try and fail the stupid little game where you throw the rings over bottles. They play against each other, against little kids, and against the rigged games themselves. After over an hour, the group pauses for a moment by a shooting game and Clay mutters something under his breath before grabbing a bb gun with his burned hands and getting shockingly close to a win.

“Brian, you still have that pistol?” Sierra laughs.

“Very funny. At least I didn’t get knocked over by recoil last week,” Clay replies.

Brian, Clay, and Sierra give all of their prizes to other kids (Well, Sierra keeps one), but Marin keeps slipping his into his messenger bag. He’s won a wolf, a snake, and a fox. Eventually they all come to the two games that aren’t even competitions. With his strength, Brian will win the hammer-swinging strongman game. Marin will win the ladder climb with his perfect balance. There’s nothing to do but play it out.

Brian not only gets a higher score than Marin, but actually beats the strength game. (It’s all about leverage, he’s done this before). He’s going to lose overall though. They’re tied now, and Brian doesn’t have a chance at the ladder climb. He’s not even the most coordinated human of the group. The older man running the game glares at Marin when he approaches. Brian chooses to think that it’s because he can tell that the elf is going to win, instead of something far less palatable. And Marin does! The disguised tightrope that sends Brian flailing to the inflatable floor after three steps hardly shakes when Marin climbs it, and he claims an orangey-brown cat half his size.

Brian shrugs. He’s lost by a point. “I think that’s everything! Good game, man! Or elf? How does that work?”

Marin doesn’t react. The prince of the elves just looks into the cheap plastic eyes of this big cat, unblinking.

“Marin, are you okay? You won! I was being sort of mean earlier”.

The elf looks back at Brian. His bright hazel eyes are very wide. Is he about to cry? He blinks and composes himself. It’s gone.

“Thank you. I needed this”.

Marin does not elaborate on what he needed.

It’s only a few hours later, as Marin leaves a message in an elven language using Sierra’s phone, that Brian realizes the cat has fangs. It’s not just some oversized ginger cat, it's a saber-toothed tiger, a smilodon. Wasn’t that the symbol of Marin’s house? Genus Sondaica, represented by a sabertooth in emerald green?

He brings this up to Clay and Sierra. What were the symbols of the other elven families?

“His betrothed is a fox, I think. That might have been a metaphor though. Smart women are foxes a lot,” Sierra explains.

Clay adds something. “I remember a snake. We had to explain your dumb joke afterwards”.

Brian remembers that too, now that it’s been mentioned again. “Marin chose those animals as prizes. A wolf, a snake, a fox, and a sabertooth. He didn’t give them away”.

“You think they’re gifts for other elves?”

Sierra looks back at him, “I mean, is anyone else even left?

Brian watches Marin out of the corner of his eye, “Coups are never easy. There’s got to be someone”.

“The question is whether we’ll be alive to meet them”.

………

Next time, Ishtar and her High Council start to figure out what in the worlds is going on. I was going to include a scene of the council here, but this is long already.

[byneddiedingo]

Paul Walker, Alex Neuberger, Cameron Bright, and Vera Farmiga in Running Scared (Wayne Kramer, 2006)

Cast: Paul Walker, Vera Farmiga, Cameron Bright, Alex Neuberger, Chazz Palmenteri, Karl Roden, Johnny Messner, Ivana Micevic, Michael Cudlitz, Bruce Altman, Elizabeth Mitchell. Screenplay: Wayne Kramer. Cinematography: James Whitaker. Production design: Toby Corbett. Film editing: Arthur Coburn. Music: Mark Isham.

[isaterriblebore]

StEx Appreciation Month Day 1: Rusty

Favourite Actor My favourite actor is Max Rizzo! He was the first Rusty I saw live so he will always be very special to me. I also enjoy the current Rusty Max Luca Maus, Adrian Hansel, Rommel Singson, Paul Whitaker, Greg Mowry and... heck I just love every Rusty so much! If you name a Rusty actor there’s a big chance that I will love them.

Favourite Songs/Scenes My favourite song is the Starlight Sequence. The way the Sequence is staged in the current Bochum production is SO beautiful. I also enjoy Call Me Rusty too ☺️

Favourite Costumes My favourite costume is the current Bochum one! I think the hat just completes the costume!

Favourite Ships My OTP is Steam Press which is Rusty and post 2018 caboose! But I also love Rusted Brakes, Rusty and Ruhrgold, and I’ve started loving Pearl and Rusty.

Headcanons I headcanon Rusty to be Italian because my favourite Rusty (Max Rizzo) is Italian and I headcanon him to be Espresso’s cousin! I also headcanon him to be really good at knitting and crocheting.

Unpopular Opinions I don’t think I have any.... which is kinda boring sorry 😅

Photos: Photo 1: Rommel Singson — Bochum 2000 Photo 2: Paul Whitaker — Bochum 1997 Photo 3: Adrian Hansel — London 1999-2001 Photo 4: Michael-Demby Cain — Broadway 1987 Photo 5: Mark Daye — Bochum 1993-1995 Photo 6: Kristopher Harding — UK Tour 2012 Photo 7: Max Luca Maus — Bochum 2023 Photo 8: Max Rizzo — Bochum 2022