#Midnight Rogue

[vintagerpg]

So, for a long time, Midnight Rogue (1987) was my favorite Fighting Fantasy book. I like thieves. This book is about an elaborate test of thieving skills to gain entrance into Blacksands’ thieves guild, by stealing a massive gem. You get thieving skills in addition to the regular FF rules (you only get three, though, so make sure one of them is lockpicking or you’re going to be frustrated). Then you go about the city, shaking people down for clues and generally being a menace to polite society. Stu circa 1990 ate this up.

2023 Stu, fresh off a recent re-read, is a little grumbly. Those things above are true, but here are some more facts. The whole thing is shockingly linear. Like, nearly straight as an arrow if you’re not picking the daftest options. There are also a fair number of errors in the book, which is not a thing I usually notice or care overmuch about with gamebooks, which means these must be rather glaring. And the ending, dear god, talk about a St. Elsewhere level betrayal of a twist. I legit did not remember this from back in the day, to the point I genuinely wonder if I ever finished the damn book as a kid. All the aggravating things about this book smack harder because the core concept is such a good one, and for the most part the book carries it off. Perfection was so close!

Ah, but this is why you should sometimes be content to experience a thing once. At the very least, I got to appreciate the John Sibbick art with newly adoring eyes, now that I have a better understanding of his place in the UK fantasy art traditions. Cover and interiors are both him. I particularly like the first-person views of thieving maneuvers going wrong. Fun stuff.

[floertoer]

[dandelionjack]

an essay about Rogue, The Chimes of Midnight, and how i believe all this ties in to the overarching themes of the series EVEN IF the inside-a-tv-show theory proves untrue

“Rogue” named himself after a stock character. he is the archetypal Handsome Rogue because there has to be a Handsome Rogue role in a period drama story set in Austenesque Regency England.

it’s all theatre — smoke and mirrors. just like the war waged against imaginary foes in boom (because there needs to be an Enemy in a wartime story) was theatre; the creation of the Bogeyman in space babies (because there needs to be a Scary Monster in a children’s bedtime story) was theatre; The Woman following Ruby in 73 yards (because there needs to be a Ghost in a folk horror story) was theatre. dot and bubble less so, but it’s wise to note — the dots created the slugs after all. they invented the slugs so that there would be a tangible Creature for the finetimers (and the Doctor) to fear, rather than simply being betrayed by their own technology. because that’s exactly what the false, harmful narratives colonialists tell themselves — stories of taming and conquering a wild Mother Nature and her ferocious beasts — have trained them to expect from the world. the dots were telling a story too, or rather putting on a play.

the penultimate episode of any doctor who series, if not always leading directly into the two-parter finale, will typically begin to tie up loose narrative strands that have stretched across the entire season. at a first impression rogue doesn’t seem to be doing that. but then you take a closer look at the antagonists: creatures that play a role for fun without the slightest regard for those around them. lethal LARPers. cosplayers out to kill. to put it pretentiously, a hyper-realistic theatre of cruelty.

to nobody’s surprise, i’m bringing up my favourite eighth doctor audio drama — the chimes of midnight. edward grove gives every person trapped in the time loop a designated role: the chauffeur, the doctor-detective, the plucky young lady of the house, the lady’s maid, the scullery girl, the housekeeper. they keep playing these roles, over and over, until they begin to forget their original identity, until the part they’re playing takes over their entire sense of self. the servants keep dying over and over because they cannot transcend their roles, because they believe themselves to be “nothing but a scullery maid”. they are reduced to the parts they play in the narrative until they become nothing outside of it, until they become confined to a single location.

the chimes of midnight is set in Edwardian-era England, a time of restrictive, prescriptive class, status and social roles which defined a person’s life and career trajectory — this strict delineation is driven to its logical conclusion and deconstructed under the unnatural conditions of Edward Grove. similarly, rogue is set in a Regency-era mansion — another historical period defined in the popular imagination by its complicated social rules, elegant courtship dynamics, strict class barriers, gossip and elitism. these two doctor who stories don’t have any intentional watsonian connection, but they are deeply linked on a thematic level.

high society is forced theatre. a 24/7 LARP. play your part, put on your costume, don’t interrupt the performance. the audience is waiting. they’re oh so hungry for tragedy.

the biggest part of them all, the most sought-after role, of course, is The Doctor. a standard to live up to. a name to wear like a banner, a pledge, a promise. he has to be like this because this is what he’s like.

the Scullery Maid scrubs the kitchen floor. The Detective searches for clues. the Chauffeur starts up his car. the Duchess hosts a glittering soirée. the Rake hides a secret fling with the Wallflower. the Rogue breaks hearts and broods on the balcony.

and the Doctor? the Doctor dances. “onwards and upwards”. forever in perpetual motion, spinning and spinning and spinning across the stars. never pausing to breathe. never stopping.

p.s.: so, pray tell, what is Ruby Sunday in all this? “The Companion”, of course. smart, funny, sassy, quick-witted, brave, cheeky, curious, self-sacrificial. she almost feels generic because she’s meant to be. she wasn’t born. she was written. an essential part of the story too. circling the Doctor like a satellite forever.

[imgonnagetkilledbynutstink]

Hey podcast listening ppl I need help please!

One of my summer resolutions is to get back into listening to more fiction podcasts that I haven't heard yet. Under the line will be a complete list of podcasts I have listened to or am currently listening to (I will specify) and I'm gonna color code the names based off how much I liked them and I'd love it if y'all could suggest shows based off of that, thank you :)

Green = favorite

Orange = enjoyed

Blue = meh

Red = bad

Juno Steel (still listening)

The Magnus Archives

The Magnus Protocol (still listening)

ars PARADOXICA

The Bright Sessions

The Orphans

Camp Here And There

RADIO: Outcast (still listening)

EOS 10

Archive 81

CARAVAN

Brimstone Valley Mall

Look Up

The Second Citadel (haven't finished but gave up)

The Strange Case Of Starship Iris

The Bridge

StarTripper!!

Wooden Overcoats

Red Valley (still listening)

The Sheridan Tapes (also gave up)

Midnight Burger (still listening)

Dreamboy

Malevolent (still listening)

Bridgewater

Rebel Robin: Surviving Hawkins

Victoriocity (still listening)

Zero Hours

The Riddler: Secrets in The Dark

Hot White Heist

Rogues! The Podcast (still listening)

Desert Skies

Mount Olympus University

The Adventures Of Sir Rodney The Root

[aceywhomps]

was explaining some kinda fairy tail lore to a clueless friend on stream, these doodles are the fruits of my labour...

[cloudyfacewithjam]

Mitski - I Bet on Losing Dogs

[purplezombietumbler]

XMen characters as Taylor Swift lyrics bc I felt like it!

Logan/Wolverine: I have this thing where I get older, but just never wiser midnights become my afternoons.

Jean Gray: I regret to say do you believe me now?

Scott/Cyclops: You are the best thing that's ever been mine

Ororo/Storm: "Who's afraid of little old me?" You should be

Erik/Magneto: You swore that you loved me, but where were the clues? I died on the altar waiting for the proof

Charles/Professor X: In plain sight you hid but you are what you did and I'll forget you but I'll never forgive the smallest man who ever lived

Kurt/Nightcrawler: God rest my soul I miss who I used to be the tomb won't close stained glass windows in my mind I regret you all the time I can't let this go I fight with you in my sleep The wound won't close I keep on waiting for a sign I regret you all the time

Remy LeBeau/Gambit: Even if it's handcuffed, I'm leaving here with you

Jubilation Lee/Jubilee: I promise that you'll never find another like me

Rogue: Pick your poison, babe I'm poison either way

Laura/X23: You're on your own, kid you always have been

Kitty Pryde: The future's bright, dazzling

Victor/Sabretooth: And I can go anywhere I want anywhere I want just not home and you can aim for my heart, go for blood but you would still miss me in your bones and I still talk to you when I'm screaming at the sky

Raven/Mystique: I don't dress for villains or for innocents I'm on my vigilante shit again

Wanda/Scarlet Witch: They're burning all the witches, even if you aren't one they got their pitchforks and proof, their receipts and reasons they're burning all the witches, even if you aren't one o light me up

Pietro/Quicksilver: Who am I supposed to talk to? What am I supposed to do if there's no you?

Hank/Beast: Too big to hang out, slowly lurching toward your favorite city pierced through the heart, but never killed

[sarahwatchesthings]

In the next episode, Doctor Who takes on fanfic writers, personified as evil aliens who mimic the characters' words and then finally steal their voices to use as th-- Wait a second...

Ed: Replaced RTD with Doctor Who because my dumb ass forgot it was Kate Herron and Briony Redman who wrote this episode.

[luminosityspecter]

He might be non-binary but He's too busy being evil to really think about it

(redraw from this month's @fairytail-redraw :3c I FINALLY DID IT)

[wolfs-writing-den]

An Unexpected Wake (Drabble)

After a rough full moon, Shay wakes up mid-change back - exactly where he shouldn’t be.

There’s some body horror elements, for bones breaking back into place etc. Nothing overly graphic 🐺

There was nothing quite as brutal as the first wicked crack of bone after a lengthy lapse in shifting. The soreness would linger, every joint stiffer, every breath aching. Shay would usually shake out his fur and stretch into a bow, waiting for the pain to ebb- but even then, it took a few hours of hunting before he was warmed up enough to feel truly settled again.

However, waking up in the midst of turning back was a close second on that list of unpleasantness. Getting dragged into consciousness as his ribs cracked and his spine straightened was disorienting enough - but never being able to tell where he was or who may be around to hear his strangled cries made it much worse. He was blind to his surroundings and trying to focus on his senses beyond the crunch of bone and the acrid copper of blood in his mouth was near-impossible. It was horrifying, as one so used to being hyper-aware, to be suddenly cut off from everything. Thankfully nothing had happened yet- but he’d had close calls. Waking too close to the farmer’s field, turning halfway through the forest as he tried to run back to the Morrigan- right by a supply camp. On one memorable occasion, having to wrangle his clothes back from a pack of raccoons after inadvertently picking a clearing too close to their den to stash his clothes the night before.

He dreaded the day he’d wake in a settlement, in a town- even New York itself, if he was truly cursed. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when.

And as some noise from the outside world started to trickle in past the sound of blood rushing through his temples - that cold dread washed over Shay all at once.

Someone was moving, too close, just out of sight. He thrashed and groaned, trying to call a warning- or maybe plea-

But then his hands tangled in fine sheets, and his shoulders snapped back into place with an almighty crack. His ears rang. Fingers worked in the fabric, a shadow of familiarity flashing across his mind. His chest worked slowly, wheezing every breath as he took in the comforting scent of parchment and pipesmoke.

It was disconcerting, he knew where he was and he definitely knew where he shouldn’t be. The discrepancy between the two boggled his mind and almost distracted him from the change until his knees popped. The white-hot flash of pain had him seeing stars, chest seized as he bit his tongue to try and strangle a sob.

It was only when a warm, calloused hand was placed over his forehead that he stilled, and forced out the air he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

“Haytham…” the whisper was unintentional, and he’d have room to be embarrassed at such an informal address later- but for now, he’d take whatever comfort he could.

He really shouldn’t be in the Grandmaster’s quarters and he had absolutely no idea how he’d even gotten there… but the hand on his forehead had moved to gently scratch at his scalp, and Shay was powerless to do anything but go limp under the touch.

“Shhh, dear one. It’s early yet. Sleep.”

As the change wound down and left him utterly exhausted and achy… he obliged, letting his questions be. Haytham never moved from his station, and under the other’s tender attention, his eyes grew heavy. Reassured he was safe and yet undiscovered by the world at large, Shay had never so swiftly been lulled into a blissful sleep.

[lilacharbour]

Happy New Year! I finally drew one thing each month so I can fill one of these out without slightly cheating.

Template from here

Also because I drew him a little bit. I counted how many times I've drawn Rogue this year. And courtesy of @electronicclowncollector, I was given four categories to fit them into.

I've drawn Rogue 239 times this year starting from late July

40 fall under the category of 'Silly'

4 were of Rogue dying (or severely injured)

In 2 of which he was a catboy

and finally he was kissed in 6

I'm sure your life has improved drastically with this information

[thevulturesquadron]

Growing up is realizing that Rogue was always 'Jolene' to Belladonna and Gambit.

[secretagentsagainstwhatever]

the companions that never were are some of the best (and saddest) characters :(

Astrid Peth Jenny Perkins Lynda Rita Tim Latimer Dee Dee Blasco Rogue Victorian Clara

[coelura]

was going to say can u guys believe i nearly cried during the final 5 mins of andor s2 and there wasn't even anyone dying! but then had to sit with myself and say girl literally everyone can believe that 100% that's like the most predictable thing you could have ever done

[jewishcissiekj]

I love Age of Apocalypse *explodes*

[helmstone]

Murder Mystery May on Acorn TV