#Parade of Peril

[fibrefox]

Brennan: That's a natural one! Two failed death saves for Santa [laughs, claps hands] Lou: Don't fuckin' clap, you fuckin' monster.

[telomirage]

mr guppy what did you do to the now immortal doll 😂😭

Mr. Guppy: it can't…it can't die

Melinda Guppy: no, regular dolls can't die either. that's—

Mr. Guppy: not like this one can't

Melinda: how, uh

Mr. Guppy: we have made a thing. we—I shouldn't implicate you in this. if anyone asks, you DIDN'T help

Melinda: okay?

Mr. Guppy: when they come for this, they come only for me

[adverbally]

Slow, So Slow, I Fell to the Ground on My Knees

Written for the @steddieangstyaugust prompt “Terrible Things - Mayday Parade” | wc: 1,002 | rated: T | cw: dustin in peril, hospital | tags: canon divergent, what if Dustin came back to help Eddie buy time, no I couldn’t bring myself to actually kill Dustin, meditation on guilt and love and responsibility, not as sophisticated as that sounds, pre-steddie, hopeful ending

———

Eddie probably doesn’t have any right to be here.

After all, it’s his fault Dustin was so determined to get back to the Upside Down. If Eddie had just followed him up the rope instead of cutting it, they both would have been safe. Instead, he played right into Dustin’s need to know what’s going on, created a puzzle that Dustin just had to solve.

Eddie should’ve known that Dustin would find a way, but it didn’t occur to him. All he thought of was his own pride, his own vow to stop running. It wasn’t until he heard Dustin shouting his name, running into the swarm of demobats alongside him, that the horrible reality of the situation set in. Not only would Eddie die, but he would take Dustin– sweet, stubborn, loyal Dustin– down with him.

By some miracle, Steve, Nancy, and Robin had shown up just in time to save them both. They had dragged them back to their own world, done what little first aid they could manage, and got them help. But the damage was done.

Eddie had held Dustin, told him everything would be okay even as blood oozed out of his mouth. Even as Dustin grew weaker, and his voice got softer, he apologized to Eddie with tears in his eyes. It still makes Eddie sick to remember how sincere he had sounded, saying he wished Eddie had never been dragged into this and he was sorry to leave him like this.

Standing at the foot of Dustin’s hospital bed, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat on the monitor, watching the rise and fall of his chest as he breathes, Eddie still can’t shake the guilt. He was an adult, it was his job to watch out for Dustin and keep him out of danger.

As with everything else in his life, Eddie had failed miserably.

“It wasn’t your fault, you know.”

The voice is soft, coming from a dark corner of the room, but Eddie still startles. “Jesus!” he gasps, clutching his chest.

“Sorry, I wasn’t sure whether I should interrupt.” Is that…? Yep, Steve Harrington himself rises up from the stiff-backed chair, still moving a little gingerly, and moves into the pool of light that gently illuminates Dustin’s bed.

Eddie looks down at the scuffed, shiny linoleum. “I, um, didn’t expect anybody to be here.” It’s late, technically past visiting hours, but Mrs. Henderson’s job with the hospital has allowed them some flexibility as long as they keep it quiet.

“His mom is on the night shift. I didn’t want him to be alone.” He explains it so simply, like it goes without saying that Steve would be the one to step in. Maybe it does. Whether it’s because it’s Henderson or because Steve would do the same for any of them, Eddie can’t say, but he hopes Steve would have stayed with him too if he had been the one in the bed.

“You really care about him a lot, huh?”

Steve doesn’t respond for a long time. When Eddie glances up, he looks… not sad, exactly, but serious. “Yeah, I do,” he eventually says, hushed in the quiet of the room.

Eddie already knows, of course. Even before all of this Vecna bullshit, Dustin’s ravings had included a lot of references to the things Steve did for him. Not just shit like dropping him off at the arcade. Helping him get ready for the Snow Ball. Giving him advice about his relationship with Suzy. Bringing him soup and crackers and Sprite when he was sick and his mom was stuck at work. Steve had already started teaching him how to drive, for God’s sake.

He’s seen it for himself, too. He can never forget the moment when Steve realized that Dustin had been hurt so badly. How he’d taken one look at Dustin’s pale, blank face and collapsed to his knees, his eyes wide with horror, and let out the most spine-chilling noise Eddie has ever heard. It was the sound of some animal kind of grief, something so deep that Steve wasn’t even conscious of it. Eddie still hears it in his nightmares.

Yeah, it’s obvious that Steve cares about Dustin. Loves him, even. Like a little brother, almost like a son.

Eddie wishes he could love someone like that. Standing in that field, telling him, “Never change, Dustin Henderson,” it felt like he already did. As if he had any idea what love meant outside of family and excuses and obligations. As if he even knew Dustin at all. What Eddie does know is that he would have sacrificed himself in a heartbeat if it would protect Dustin. He hopes Dustin will wake up soon so he can tell him that.

And here comes the guilt again, curdling in his stomach. Eddie braces his hands against the footboard of the hospital bed, leaning over to look down at the knit pattern of the blanket covering Dustin’s feet. “I’m sorry I didn’t keep him safe,” he says, to Steve, to Dustin, to anyone who might be listening.

“Don’t do that to yourself,” Steve sighs. “Nobody blames you. Dustin definitely won’t.”

“I do,” Eddie scoffs.

“Then you’re wrong.” Steve steps closer and rests a hand over Eddie’s on the bed railing. “Trust me, I’ve been there. You did your best in a really shitty situation.” When Eddie looks up at him through blurry eyes, Steve’s expression is soft. “I know it’s hard to believe it at first, so I’ll keep reminding you until it sticks.”

Eddie clenches his jaw and nods. He doesn’t trust his voice enough to speak. Instead, he twists his hand underneath Steve’s, putting them palm to palm and threading their fingers together.

They stay there like that until Eddie can’t stand for much longer, and then Steve drags him over to the pair of chairs in the corner.

They’re still holding hands when they drift off, shoulders and heads slumped together as they keep their vigil.

[angstics]

on my chemical romance's history of racism:

(edit: i wont rewrite anything since that will create discrepancies in reblogs. however, i will include these important additions: post 1 and post 2)

cultural appropriation is a neutral term that turns negative when people co-opt a culture without consideration to its people and history, or their prejudices and privileges. the rising sun japanese flag is an imperialist symbol used during japan's occupation of other countries from 1870 to 1945 (the guardian 2019). unlike other symbols of terror, the rising sun is normalized because of the japanese government's refusal to acknowledge its history. the symbol's meaning was popularized a few years ago when people from south korea protested its legality in the 2020 tokyo olympics (bbc 2020). aware or unaware of its history, americans have long appropriated the rising sun. in part because of their fascination with japanese art, in part because of orientalism -- a fixation on asian cultures that centers "exoticism".

my chemical romance has been associated with the rising sun symbol a couple of times. frank iero used to have a tattoo of it. gerard way designed frank's killjoys outfit to include it (seen in concept art and music videos). it is often used in mcr fanart.

tokenism is when something contains limited diversity to divert criticisms for the lack of it. my chemical romance has had a very white cast of characters in their music videos and stories. in the "i dont love you" music video, a main character is in black body paint. in the casting call, they specifically asked for a white man (there is 100% an online source -- please let me know if you have it). even casting a black person for this role would place him in a video that appropriated his skin color to mark his "difference" from the light-skin female character.

the female character points to the band's main problem with tokenism. if they arent casting a white woman, theyre casting a light-skin asian woman. the woman in the "i dont love you" mv is fetishized for physical traits stereotypically attributed to east asian women: big eyes, daintiness. east asian women feature most prominently aside from the band and main characters in the "welcome to the black parade" music video and photo shoot. the photoshoot is the only place where an ashy-faced black man and ambiguously tribal? brown man are seen (brought in by photographer chris anthony per the "making of the black parade" book). the director antagonist of the danger days music videos (shown in "sing") is a japanese woman. she is the only main character of color in the music videos and the killjoys: california comics. the focus of this post is on my chemical romance, but the comics are important to showcase that the reality is never "color-blind casting" or "limited roles". it's mostly white creatives (band members and directors and artists) who ignore non-white people when they cant use them, reflected as much by gerard way years later (nyt 2019).

"japan takes over the world" is a media trope that is built on the late 20th century fear of the return of imperial japan. this trope frames japanese people as unique aggressors, feeding into "yellow peril" fears of asian people "taking over" the white race. this trope is suggested all over the danger days universe, where the corporation BL/ind overthrows the US government. the appropriation of the japanese modern flag and lettering on the killjoys outfits, the primary BL/ind villain being a japanese person who only speaks japanese in videos, the official BL/ind website having a ".jp" domain and english-japanese translations. japanese people and culture only exist in this universe to decorate and threaten.

the point of this post is not to punish my chemical romance. in the decade+ since, they have made meaningful changes -- the sing it for japan project to aid japan during the 2011 earthquake-tsunami, developing diversity in gerard's comics / tv show, a mexican-american main character in the 2020 summoning video. people of color treated as real goddamn people.

however. all these faults exist in frozen time. there is no discussion attached to the work. so anyone, fan or casual, may come across it and not notice or care for these important issues. i know all this shit and i still fail to see instances of what i highlighted. it's difficult locating not only your own prejudices but those of others. those you look up to.

"my chemical romance" is the product of many people from 2001 to 2013. many of these people were male, white, american, and/or, most radically, liberal. clearly laying out what they did wrong is important. being careful with history and culture and personhood is important. prioritizing growth is important. constantly. forever.

[raina-at]

Box

Sometimes Sherlock's mind runs at high speed, sometimes he's brilliant and every input sparks a million deductions and interesting thoughts and new ideas. Sometimes he marvels at the complexity of his brain, the intricate rooms and spires of his mind palace.

Sometimes, and there's no other, less harsh word for it, sometimes Sherlock hates being in his own head.

Sometimes, when everything is loud and wild and too much, he feels like he would do anything, anything, to have a moment of peace. A moment of quiet, the insatiable engine of his brain stopping just for a second for a second so he can rest.

Sometimes, days are slow and grey and boring, and his mind is a slog of conflicting thoughts and memories, and the very idea of any kind of movement is already too much. Sometimes even the light hurts. Sometimes even John's voice is too loud. Sometimes even his dressing gown chafes his skin raw and even the air feels like pins and needles on his feet.

Sometimes Sherlock goes quiet, on days like this. Sometimes he gets high.

But he really hates the days when he gets nasty. He can't even really stop himself, he just spews out all the hateful thoughts about himself and other people into the face of the first person to touch him the wrong way.

Sometimes, that person is John.

Like about half an hour ago. Sherlock had been lying on the sofa since yesterday evening, unable, unwilling to even think of moving, and John had insisted he at least drink a bit of water.

Reasonable. Kind, even.

Sherlock opened his mouth and he eviscerated John. With deductions about his family, his bad habits, every tiny inadequacy in the bedroom he ever experienced (though their sex life, let's be honest, is fantastic, but at that moment he didn't care, it would hurt John and he would leave Sherlock alone in his misery). 

John, predictably, left.

Sherlock seriously asks himself whether one of these days, John won't come back. And he's frankly baffled when John comes back, not twenty minutes after Sherlock said some things to him that Sherlock himself will probably not be able to un-hear.

But John doesn't even seem overly angry. Resolute, yes. Wearing his 'Fuck with me at your peril' face, yes. But not angry.

"Okay," he says. "This ends now. Sit up."

Curious in spite of himself, and fully aware of how thin the ice he's walking on currently is, Sherlock does as he's told.

John puts a nondescript cardboard box on the table. "We're playing."

Sherlock doesn't roll his eyes, but it's an effort. This is an old game, one John invented for him back when he first moved in to entertain Sherlock between cases. John calls it 'What's in the box'.

Sherlock calls it a waste of his precious time and brain capacity. It's never taken him more than ten minutes to guess what's in the box. The only reason it’s even a bit of a challenge is that John is delightfully unpredictable. But still, Sherlock always guesses correctly.

But one look at John's flinty eyes, the telltale tension in his jaw muscles and the way he stands nearly at parade rest tells Sherlock that arguing right now would perhaps not be altogether in his best interest.

Sherlock holds John's determined gaze for a moment, then, after John raises a challenging eyebrow, directs his attention at the box.

It's a square box of brown cardboard, about 20 centimetres in diameter, large enough to hold a novelty mug, for example. Sherlock picks it up and starts examining it. It's very light, he notices that immediately. It's also cool to the touch, and slightly damp. It's snowing outside, so the deduction that John just went out and purchased this box is immediately obvious. But did he purchase the contents as well?

It has no discernible smell aside from the slight whiff of John's hand cream and London snow. The edges are smooth, whatever John put in there fit easily. The box makes no noise when he shakes it, so either the contents are well-secured or fit the box so perfectly that there is no room for movement.

“Five questions,” John says quietly.

Sherlock acknowledges the rules of the game with a tilt of his head and asks his first question. “Did you purchase the contents?”

John nods. “Four.”

“Did you do it within the last hour?”

John shakes his head.

Sherlock looks up from the box and meets John’s eyes. John is watching him with a mixture of anticipation and wariness, and Sherlock is suddenly overwhelmed with guilt, with disgust at the horrid, uncontrollable part of him that’s capable of spewing such ugliness to a person he loves so much. “Why are you still here?” he whispers, holding John’s eyes.

“Where would I go?” John asks quietly, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Anywhere has to be better than here on days like today,” Sherlock answers, his voice raw with emotion and the full force of his self-loathing. 

“Open the box,” John says gently, nodding at the small cardboard square between them.

“But the game-”

“Sod the game,” John says with his usual impatience. “Open. The bloody. Box.”

Sherlock decides arguing is pointless and opens the lid.

Inside is a lot of packing paper.

And inside the packing paper sits a small, square, velvet-covered ring box.

Sherlock looks up, surprised, aghast, shocked. “Why?” he asks, unable to say any more.

John shrugs, a quiet smile on his face. “Because. Because most days you’re wonderful. Because most days we have fun and adventure and closeness and great sex, because most days you’re brilliant and clever and funny and charming. Because on the days you’re not, you’re still you and I still love you. And I don’t see that changing any time soon. And I want you to be able to think about that when you look at that ring, and remember that even on the days when you hate your brain, I love it, and always will.”

Sherlock is speechless, helpless, planless in the face of this onslaught of affection. He looks down at the box and opens it with gentle, shaking fingers. 

The rings are lovely, of course. Plain white gold, simple, perfect.

“I don’t know what to say,” he says, addressing his words to the box because if he looks at John now he might very well die of overload. 

“It’s customary to say either yes or no,” John says, and underneath the teasing he can sense John’s actual uncertainty.

Sherlock takes John’s hand, encircling John’s ring finger with his fingertips, imagining the ring there. Finally, he looks up, and he smiles. “Yes.”

-------

Tags under the cut as usual, please tell me whether you want to be tagged or untagged. Sorry if I forgot to tag you, it's been a looog day. Also sorry if there's any mistakes in there. Long day.

@calaisreno @totallysilvergirl @peanitbear @keirgreeneyes @meetinginsamarra @jrow @jolieblack @helloliriels @discordantwords @lisbeth-kk @victorianpining @catlock-holmes

[saltygilmores]

11 Reasons Why The Gilmore Girls Episodes Teach Me Tonight and Lost and Found Are Virtually The Same Story

1.Something happens to Rory that is troublesome but hardly life-altering (loses her bracelet/minor car accident) 2.Lorelai immediately dials the minor incident up to eleventy

3. Luke offers Jess' time & labor to the Gilmores behind his back/without his consent (and unironically declares Jess doesn't really need to be paid for either); In TMT he receives tutoring from Rory and in Lost and Found he performs manual labor for Lorelai (gutter slopping), both with little to no complaint, I might add. Lorelai reacts to these suggestions as if her very life is in peril. 4.The inanimate object at the center of the war was “made” by Dean (his car and his Quarter on A String) and both are of questionable monetary and sentimental value to Rory 5. Dean will get angry with Rory for something happening to her that was no fault of her own. One of Rory's deepest concerns in both episodes is Dean's reaction. 6. Lorelai steamrolls Rory's feelings about the incident and insists Rory is in shambles when Lorelai is the one who cares waaaay more about what happened than Rory does. 7. Both the accident and the lost of the Quarter on A String were not due to Jess intentionally setting out to hurt Rory or even to piss off Dean. The car accident was just that, an accident. Lorelai reacts to the accident like it was attempted murder and the "theft" as grand larceny. 8. Lorelai defends Dean in both episodes (she has the nerve to suggest that Dean would never get into a car accident? how she knows this is unclear) 9. Lorelai Gilmore, 33 year old mother of one, declares war on a teenage boy 10. Jess Mariano contemplates where his life went wrong and quietly wishes he was still living with his negligent alcoholic mother and her parade of abusive boyfriends (oh, right, that actually happens after TMT). 11. Lorelai becomes enraged with Luke for "forcing" Jess and Rory together, even though (1) they are friends who hang out on their own and (2) Lorelai literally gave permission for both the gutter-slopping and tutoring (thank you @sarabethsilver) Lemme know if I missed anything else!

[staff]

tumblr today: costumes you’ve conjured

Felicitations, Frankenfolk. We wish you a very Halloween, Tumblr, on this most auspicious of eves. We have, alas, reached the end of the Build a Beast challenge. Today is—as some of the more discerning among you will have noticed—a Monday. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Today, we celebrate your costumed critters. 

How will you celebrate? If you haven’t yet, check out the entire parade of crafty characters your peers have created. If you’re new to the challenge, you could even have a go yourself if you like. It’s never too late to build a beast (here’s a reminder of week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4 templates for your convenience). For now, enjoy these:

@clockspur​:

@colinarcartperson​:

@megumar​:

@randomxiwi​:

@rinachiba​:

@imstillwandering​:

@northofnothing​:

@sl33by-gh0st​:

@5c3n3​:

@beingmegucaisnotsuffering​:

@pentultimate-peril​:

@galladegamer​:

@baby-of-goo​:

[theinkphantom]

The merchandise of Phantom Blot.

I feel it's would be very interesting to check what goods he got during the years of his creation.

First his figurines.

These two figures from Disney Parade collection was made by De Agostini in 2002/2003.

---

Made by Leblon Delienne in 2012, these figurines is limited to 1000 copies. and got two different colorings for mickey.

---

Made by Dark Horse in 2012, this figurine is limited to 750 copies.

---

This french figurine was made in 2021 by Hachette.

---

This one is unknown, hard to tell and very rare.

---

Now i will talking others objects :

This t-shirt is made by Dolce&Gabbana and was quite the only one with phantom blot in it.

----

Probably the most weird and unique marchandise is this wetsuit by the brazilian JANGA company. Even made a sorta video of that. There's also a Green, and Blue colors who super limited. The description is pretty funny.

----

Wizard of Mickey franchise have Pb cards (foil) and a deck, and one figurine.

---

There's a whole collection of "The Perils of Mickey Mouse" with phantom blot made in 1993, who promotes a lot about mickey in comics, there's this article who talk about that.

____

And his car! Called the Black Mobile, made for Topolino 2502 to 2505. And there's a little trailer of it.

[cor-lapis]

Quest-Related Content

Chapter I Act IV Prelude: Bough Keeper Dainsleif

Chapter I Act IV: We Will Be Reunited (extra)

Version 1.5: Beneath the Light of Jadeite (Zhongli Story Quest II, Teapot quest)

Bennett and Barbara hangouts, other misc doodles

Chapter II Prologue: Autumn Winds, Scarlet Leaves (and other 1.6 content)

Chapter II Act I and II, Yoimiya and Ayaka Story Quests

Version 2.1: Chapter II Act III (Trailer, Omnipresence Over Mortals) and Raiden Shogun Story Quest I, Kokomi Story Quest

Version 2.2: Labyrinth Warriors

Version 2.3: Shadows Amidst Snowstorms (Trailer, Quest) and Arataki Itto Story Quest (extra Itto doodles)

Interlude Chapter Act I: The Crane Returns on the Wind

Chapter II Act IV: Requiem of the Echoing Depths

Interlude Chapter Act II: Perilous Trail (pre-release cowabunga)(quest summary)(alt ending animatic)(childe moment)

Chapter III Act I and II

Version 3.1: Pre-release anti-gap-moe + aranyaka, Chapter III Act III and IV, SCREW TIRZAD

Version 3.2: Pre-release scara drip, Chapter III Act V

Interlude Chapter Act III: Inversion of Genesis

Version 3.4: Al-Haitham demo, Desert World Quest 2

Chapter III Act VI

Version 3.5: Windblume's Breath

Version 3.6: A Parade of Providence

Chapter IV Act I and II

Chapter IV Act III and IV

Version 4.2: Furina demo, Chapter IV Act V

Version 4.3: Roses and Muskets

Version 4.6: Pre-release Cyno SQ2, Arlecchino Story Quest, Cyno Story Quest 2, Cyno SQ2 Outtake

Chapter V Act VI: Bedtime Story

[worldhistoryfacts]

Occasionally, the Manila galleons that traveled from the Philippines to Mexico and back didn't make it. Sometimes, this was due to foul play.

The capture of Nostra Seigniora de Cabadonga off Samar Island in the Philippines was a massive coup for the British. Not only did Anson take all of its goods — 32 wagons’ worth, which were paraded through the streets of London — but he got hold of important Spanish navigational charts that detailed the routes of the Manila galleon and other Spanish trade ships, allowing the British to harass Spanish shipping in their contest for imperial dominance. Anson’s feat was given a heroic treatment in English art, too. Here’s Samuel Scott’s 1772 painting of the incident:

{WHF} {Ko-Fi} {Medium}

Much more here:

[lolotheparagon]

Every MLP G3 Special In a Nutshell

A Charming Birthday: A bunch of ponies construct a 50 ft tall friendship bracelet for the village hermit's birthday cos she've never been surprised before. I think that would surprise anyone tbh.

Dancing in the Clouds: Two ponies ride a rollercoaster, immediately get inspired to do a dance routine and then GOD APPEARS to summon butterflies to make the ponies fly. Cos why dance in a routine when you can cheat?

Friends are Never Far Away: This is the first time I've seen in a kids cartoon where the main characters meet indigenous people with the offering of friendship and not colonisation and seizing their land. Funny how MLP G4 completely spat on that idea.

The Princess Promenade: A pony becomes princess because she was given a flower by a stinky old lizard...oh and she also has to organise a flower parade as well because a pixie couldnt do it....Nah, being a princess is boring, let's make everyone princesses!

A Very Minty Christmas: Minty's OCD caused her to break a magic candy cane and thinks she's ruined Christmas for everyone so she goes on a perilous journey to fix things when all her friends want is her to be home. Awww.

The Runaway Rainbow: A unicorn filly who's a part of The Rainbow Justice League is teleported to Ponyville, spends a day rolling around in mud and eating cake and then says im tired i wanna go home. Oh and this filly is apparently a vital element of nature because without her making rainbows, THE COLOURS OF THE WORLD ARE FADING THIS IS A SIGN OF THE END TIMES

The Ladybug Jamboree: Pinkie has a brain blast that makes all her band members play successfully for the first time...moments before they go on stage

Greetings from Unicornia: Rainbow Dash and Rarity fuck around in a castle for a few minutes

Come Back Lily Lightly: A unicorn is scared of being judged because her horn lights up when she giggles... I have no idea what kind of metaphor this is supposed to be.

Two for the Sky: A lesbian couple desperately want to fly. They get their wish but they quickly hate it cos they cant sleep together with those giant wings in the way.

Positively Pink: The ponies pink-ify the entire town for Pinkie Pie's birthday but realise they just wasted a whole day because her birthday's not until tomorrow.

Pinkie's Special Day: Oh so this is what they did for her birthday: they gave her a clipshow! Wow, that's cheap. That's like the giftcard equivalent of birthday surprises.

Rainbow Dash's Special Day: OH GOD DASH WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU WHY DO YOU SOUND SO WRONG?!

Star Song and the Magic Dance Shoes: Starsong and Pinkie try to do a dance routine without their shoes but realise its they cant dance without them. THE SHOES ARE A CRUCIAL ELEMENT IN DANCING WHERE'S THE SPARKLY PINK SHOES?!

Pinkie Pie's Party: Pinkie Pie has an anxiety attack during a trip about party and then goes to speedrun prepare for a party. Then her friends decide to make a party out of preparing for a party. Yknow Ponyville can make even paying taxes sound like a party.

Rainbow Dash's Party: Dash hosts a hat fashion show for all her friends where she likes everyones hats so much, she lets them all win. Even though one clearly should’ve won. I mean come on, Starsong’s has functioning piano notes on it. Do you know how much wiring goes into that? No, in fact Toola Roola's should win, its got the best motif and why arent easel-style berets a thing yet? Im way too into this. Lets carry on.

Cheerilee's Party: The ponies have a sleepover where they refuse to go to sleep. Hey, why dont we let Crane tell the scary stories. That'll help them stay awake.

Scootaloo's Party: Scootaloo hosts a sports day party for her friends and they decide to give her the trophy. Awww.

Starsong's Party: A pony gets stage fright about singing on stage but her friends encourage her to try anyway at a concert and whilst the pony is singing off stage, the curtains go up, revealing her talented voice to the world. And then G4 remade this plot into someone's nervous breakdown.

Toola-Roola's Party: Toola Roola spends a whole day waiting for her friends' painted plates to finish drying cos she doesnt know what a kiln is. Then she gets them mixed around cos the namecards are lost when its clearly obvious which is which. What a disaster horse.

Sweetie Belle's Party: The ponies put their own ideas for a cake into one batter, end up making something that even Buddy the Elf would have a heart attack and then Sweetie Belle suggests making them into a cake with separate layers….that’s still gonna taste like shit.

Twinkle Wish Adventure: A dragon steals a star Pokemon from the ponies because she thinks its a toy and by her logic, will help her get more friends. And then the ponies sing about how great their friendship is. Girls, she stole your property. Punch her.

Waiting for the Winter Wishes Festival: This is literally just a deleted scene from Twinkle Wish adventure. If you want to see Scootaloo fumble around doing a holiday tiktok dance, here it is.

Sweetie Belle's Gumball House Surprise: The core 7 ponies spend 5 minutes searching for Sweetie Belle in her house via scavenger hunt only to find she's just in the backyard. The little gremlin.

Pinkie Pie's Ferris Wheel Adventure: Pinkie creates/manages an entire theme park by herself just for her friends to visit. Pinkie, where did you get the money to create this theme park? Are you a rich kid? Do you have a trust fund?

So Many Different Ways To Play: Baby Scootaloo is just pure chaotic gremlin mode and drives her sister and her friend ragged. This is the content I want to see.

Over Two Rainbows: The baby ponies find out baby Sweetie Belle has god-like powers but just wants to have a dress up party. AND APPARENTLY BABIES ARE MADE WHEN TWO RAINBOWS FUCK

The World's Biggest Tea Party Live: It's weird to see me watch this without 3 ex-bronies screeching at the screen for how 'cringeworthy' it is and then go completely off the rails to talk about Tumblr memes and have nipple fights.

....Oh yeah, the plot of the show is that Pinkie and Minty have a miscommunication boo-boo and now their tea party's fucked cos they aint got a teapot. Then they ask the audience to summon a giant teapot with the Tea-necronomicon. There was much rejoicing

[knownsome]

My troupe is gonna do our Mardi Gras parade session this upcoming Tuesday!! This is my blorbo, Caius Lennox/local drag queen, Clover Clarke, prepping his performance, ready to be the Queen of Carnival. I've got a few surprises in store for everyone (even our Storyteller) so I'm super excited to get this rolling when it's showtime. I can't believe I've been playing him for almost 3 years now.

I had like 4 different ideas for his horrid t-shirt, but this was my favorite. (Others I didn't go with were: "Sluttiest Boy in the Morgue", "Fangboy Hooters", "C*nty Dracula" and "Toreador by blood, Bitch by choice." (Feel free to steal, but I take no responsibility for any Serious Talks with the Sheriff one may have about Masquerade breaches; wear at your own peril))

I'll post Clover's dress for the show soon too, there's a big outfit and several layers/reveals mapped out.

(I even have a narrated walkthrough of his lip synchs/choreo; am I too extra? Can you be too extra with a Toreador? Not this one, at least.)

[disneytva]

November 2023 - Programming Highlights

Kiff

Hungee Squirrel ; Foreverangees 11/4

Snow More Ketchup ; Kiff And Barry Go To Prom 11/11

Hamster & Gretel

Shush Hour ; I Was a Teenage Mad Scientist 11/4

Too Many Crooks ; President Fred 11/11

The Ghost and Molly McGee

Smile Valley Farm ; The Grand Gesture 11/4

The Many Lives of Scratch ; Alaka-Sham! 11/11

F.O.N.A.A.! ; Game On 11/18

Mickey's Christmas Tales

Starstruck - SHORTS PREMIERE 11/27

How To Build A Snowman 11/28

Holiday Hideaway 11/29

Slip N' Sleigh 11/30

Playdate With Winnie The Pooh

Piglet And The Kite 11/1

Eeyore, Kanga And The Treasure Hunt 11/15

Tigger And The Toy Hoop 11/29

Pupstruction

Itty Bitty Barn Build; A Colorful Job 11/3

Pupstruction Saves Christmas; Pups On Ice 11/27

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures

Charhound Chase ; Creature Comforts 11/8

An Adventure with Yoda ; The Talon Takeover 11/9

Mystery of the Opal Cave ; Clash 11/10

Stuck in the Muck ; Junkyard Sleepover 11/17

The Great Leaf Glide ; The Harvest Feast 11/24

SuperKitties

Merry Mousemas 11/28

Firebuds

Hello, Halo!; What's Up, Woodpecker? SEASON PREMIERE 11/1

Sugar Crash; The Cut N' Chrome Caper 11/2

Mayhem At The Museum; Wrong Way Rescue 11/3

Apple Pie Peril; Hike & Seek 11/10

Blizzard Buds; Parade Escapade 11/30

Alice's Wonderland Bakery

Jacques Turtelle's Soup; The Curious Case Of Crumbs 11/4

Mickey Mouse Funhouse

Mickey's Sky-High Birthday! ; The What About Me Birthday 11/17

Minnie's Snow Ball! ; The Snow Princess 11/19

Spidey and His Amazing Friends

How To Train Your Doggy ; Dome Alone SEASON FINALE 11/10

[kylobith]

LotR Week - Day 4 (14th Dec)

friendship | family | loyalty

Word count: 3,668

Flutes, fiddles and harps enlivened the streets of Minas Tirith on the day that the silver crown graced King Elessar’s head. Chants, clamours and cheers resounded from the gate to the citadel in celebration of the rebirth of Gondor. Fairy lights and colourful banners hung between the houses and the royal colours were hoisted high from the roofs, if not from the facades and the ramparts. As the people raised their pints and cried out their elation from windows and doors alike, giddy of heart and red of face, it seemed that the promise of a bright future had reached them at last. All looked up to the White Tree, now certain that it shall flourish and blossom anew. Hope had returned.

At the citadel, a banquet was thrown in honour of the new monarch and his company. In the Hall of the Kings and onto the terrace where the coronation had occurred, distinguished guests walked out and about, goblet in hand and lavishly clad. They mingled and met, talked and shared, bowed and laughed. In the crowd stood Men and Hobbits alike, Elves and Dwarves equal. Hearts were lighter, as were their shoulders now rid of armour, with the exception of military leaders. Common soldiers had been permitted to shed them for the festivities, facilitating movement and dancing.

Aragorn moved from group to group with his beloved Arwen at his arm, in order to thank them warmly for their presence and for their loyal service to Gondor and the greater good. By the end of the feast, he would have met about everyone, now that he had paraded the streets of his new seat, meeting with the people he swore to serve and protect until he last drew breath. His arrival and ascension were met with unanimous enthusiasm by the population, who had long suffered the decline of their realm and the tarnishing of the glory their land had once known. He intended to restore all of it and more. This time, Gondor would never falter again; it would stand tall and proud, strong and loud until any evil-wisher would be vanquished. All the while, he could not help but think to himself how much he wished that Boromir were there to see his cherished city come to life again.

Farther away on the terrace, the remaining members of the Fellowship gathered organically, clinking their glasses and exchanging smiles. Towering over them, Gandalf looked ahead to watch the king, his chin raised and his eyes wrinkling at the corners.

‘It is a new era begun,’ he announced in peaceful solemnity. ‘It should not be long until the White Tree burgeons again.’

‘It is indeed,’ Legolas acquiesced, sipping at wine. ‘I, for one, am honoured to witness this change.’

‘Change will be an onerous task still, whether in Gondor or in Rohan,’ the wizard continued with a nod of his head towards the Elf. ‘Nothing will ever be the same again. And I can only imagine that it also rings true to any of you. Tell me, my friends, what will you endeavour to do next?’

There was a momentary pause as his companions thought about what their future entailed. Their perilous journey, only just completed had left no room for contemplation about what they would do once peace was restored and the enemy defeated. Starved and strained, sore and struggling, the mere idea of home was nothing but a fantasy, a faraway illusion whose existence they so often doubted. At times, it had felt as though their fight had occupied their whole lives. As though they had been born right in the middle of combat and left to fend for themselves, or grown up climbing mountainsides and venturing through cursed marshes. When they were finally given the luxury to ponder about it, ideas and inspiration eluded them.

To nobody’s surprise, it was Legolas who answered first, running his fingertip along the rim of his cup.

‘I will return to Taur-nu-Fuin and report to my father. Then, I suppose we can finally clear our beloved woods of its evils and see it reborn.’

‘I remember the days when Mirkwood was a most inviting forest,’ Gandalf responded, rubbing his bearded chin pensively. ‘When birds and butterflies flew by each other’s side and deer and boars feasted on the plentiful grass. It was nearly as green as the meadows in the Shire!’

The Elf nodded knowingly, his thin lips curving into a joyful grin at the recollection. Yes, there used to be a time when Mirkwood was not so… mirky. His kin had witnessed it, but none of the living Men, Hobbits and Dwarves had been graced with its fulfilling sight.

Gandalf eyed his other companions, wondering whether they had plans once they returned home. The Hobbits shrugged and shook their heads, exchanging innocent glances.

‘We will return to the Shire, yes, but what we are going to do there, we don’t know,’ Merry said.

‘There is this book that Uncle Bilbo started to write,’ Frodo spoke up, his gaze lost ahead of him, as though seeing something that none other could behold. ‘He left blank pages for me to write my own adventure. Perhaps I should do just that.’

‘Yes, that is a wonderful idea, Frodo,’ the wizard chimed. ‘If you do, none of the fallen will have truly disappeared. They will live in your tale.’

Frodo bit the inside of his cheek, the tips of his eyebrows pointing upwards and creasing his forehead as he considered Gandalf for a second. Whether the old man was right or not, he could not tell. Maybe it depended on one’s belief. Or, perhaps, it was another way for the wizard to protect the young Hobbit’s feelings. It was something that had irritated him as of late, although he never showed his annoyance at it. Everyone walked on eggshells around him, weighing their words and smiling more than usual. Why would they do it to him, and not to the others?

As he distracted himself from his frustration by tasting the bitter pale ale of Gondor, it was Sam’s turn to express his enthusiasm.

‘I believe I will return to gardening and add flowers from the various lands we crossed on our adventure to my beds,’ he beamed. ‘But I will also make time to tend to Mr Frodo as he heals.’

‘And we just don’t know,’ Merry and Pippin said in unison, before the latter added: ‘Perhaps I will pester Sam from time to time to keep things fun.’

‘You do that, and I’ll make sure that Farmer Maggot gets his hands on you for stealing his crops!’

All of it was in good fun, of course. As soon as the words had left Sam’s mouth, they were followed by a hearty laugh as he wrapped an arm around the younger Hobbit’s shoulders, squeezing him against his side and clinking their pints together.

‘Well, it seems that there will be much merriness in the Shire after all, and I should worry about neither of you,’ Gandalf chuckled, before bringing his attention to the Dwarf smoking his pipe with a foaming mug of ale in his other hand. ‘What about you, Gimli?’

‘Aye, I would set out to recapture Moria if I weren’t on my own,’ he announced in his husky voice. ‘I’d much like to see my cousin’s hall restored to its former glory. If Minas Tirith can, Khazad-Dûm should know the same fate!’

‘I see. Perhaps you should seek the help of Ironfoot. Now that the Balrog is gone, I am certain that he would be willing to send troops to rid the Misty Mountains of its goblins.’

Gimli blew out the smoke from his lungs and swigged the ale, leaving foam bubbling on the copper hairs of his moustache and the tip of his large nose.

‘Dáin will never agree to it. He lost too many men in the mines already.’

‘He would be foolish to refuse. Besides, the fallen Dwarves deserve a proper resting place, not a forsaken mass grave.’

‘Aye, they do.’

Before he could take another sip of his beverage, a group of children emerged from behind him and jumped on his back. Taken by surprise, Gimli let go of the mug — narrowly saved by Legolas’ sharp reflexes — and his pipe, eyes wide and arms waving around to try and rid him of his assailants. The children held on, roaring with laughter as they laid their hands on the Dwarf’s head. Swinging from side to side, trying not to tumble down, Gimli shouted and protested, cursing his mates for watching the scene in amusement and laughing along with the little ones. Once their cheeky deed was done, the four boys fled, and the little girl accompanying them pecked his cheek before hitching her skirts up and following them.

‘Ah, children,’ Gandalf exclaimed, his shoulders still shaking from his laughter. ‘I believe that two of them are the offsprings of the Lady of Lossarnach.’

‘Noble or not, they are little rascals all the same,’ Gimli grumbled, patting off his sleeves and his tunic. His motion was interrupted, however, when the stifled chuckles of the Hobbits reached his ears. ‘What?’

‘Don’t you think that Gimli smells better all of a sudden?’ Pippin asked Merry, eyes watering as he restrained himself to keep his composure.

‘He sure does, Pip! Like the loveliest lady!’

‘What are ye two blabbering abo—’

As the Dwarf’s eyes lowered to his tunic, he caught sight of daisies adorning his beard. He patted the top of his head and felt flowers in his hair as well, dropping his hand by his side as the pair of Hobbit finally allowed themselves to give in to a fit of hilarity. Gimli snatched his pipe from the ground and proceeded to wipe the mouthpiece from dust and gravel, before retrieving his mug from Legolas.

‘Oh yes, make fun of the Dwarf! I was attacked, I’m telling you! Attacked!’

Gimli’s remark did not quieten his peers’ amusement. Rather the opposite. Merry and Pippin scampered off as he grumbled in their direction, and Gandalf seized the opportunity to talk to Frodo and Sam alone. Left with Legolas, the Dwarf sighed and thanked him for saving his pint. They stood in silence for a few seconds, before Gimli shook his head again.

‘Bairns…’

‘Well, they certainly made you look rather elegant,’ Legolas teased with an eyebrow raised. ‘They managed what I could not.’

‘Nobody can change this Dwarf,’ Gimli scoffed and puffed his pipe.

‘Certainly not.’

The Dwarf peeled one of the daisies from his beard and instantly heard the gasps from the children a few feet away. He met their gazes and took notice of the flowers they had gathered in the palms of their hands. They loomed over him as a threat, ominous and menacing.

‘Ah, well,’ he said loud enough for the children to hear, sliding the daisy back in the coarse red hairs of his beard, ‘I might as well leave them in.’

‘Good choice,’ the Elf acquiesced. ‘Children are not too bad, are they? They have seen their share of suffering here. They should embrace their childhood now.’

‘Aye, aye, they should. Perhaps they should even make me a flower crown. And one for you too, Elf.’

Legolas laughed and finished his wine, watching the little humans tiptoeing through the crowd of nobles in search of their next victim to embellish. There had been a time when he had wished for children of his own. He had longed to hold his flesh and blood in his arms, to look after and coddle until the bairn would have been old enough to train in archery with him. Often, he pictured himself braiding his child’s hair to keep it out of their youthful face until they were able to do it themselves. And such a day he would have fervently dreaded, for it would have meant that his help and love in such simple gestures would no longer be needed.

But after all that he had seen and lived, the idea of producing offspring sounded much less attractive to him than it used to. For once, he found himself yearning to care for the living more than for the unborn. He felt no sorrow at such thoughts; if anything, there was peace in his decision. He would gladly tend to the children of his dearest friends, but having his own would be out of the question.

Lost in thought, it was the unexpected pressure against the side of his neck that dragged him out of his reverie. Blinking in confusion, he caught a glimpse of Gimli folding his arm back against him and looked down at his pale blond locks, among which one daisy was nestled. Legolas chuckled and took it out, tucking it above his ear instead with a smirk.

‘Much better,’ he commented, flipping his hair over his shoulder. ‘See? You are not that much of a grouch after all. You do have a heart underneath that tough shell of yours.’

‘Of course, I do, pointy-eared lad!’

‘You do indeed. You have a lot of it, I must say. It is one of the reasons why I like you.’

Gimli flinched and furrowed his bushy brows as he stared up at the Elf. His heart seemed to have stopped as all colours drained from his face. His mouth opened and closed, yet no sound escaped it. Not a peep. Out of panic, he snapped his head around and called out.

‘What is it, lad? I’m comin’, I’m comin’! Sorry, Pippin is calling me.’

With this said Gimli hurried away, cursing under his breath, leaving a dumbfounded Legolas behind. The latter shrugged it off and approached one of the tables to find something to nibble on.

The celebration continued until late in the night. Dancing was now the main preoccupation, and many were the pairs twirling and pressing their hands together in the lofty hall. Aragorn and Arwen engaged in the most elegant choreography, once taught to them in Rivendell. Sam danced with one of the few children still awake, complimenting her on her steps and spinning her around to trigger a laugh from her. Merry and Pippin leapt around the place, inebriated and their mouths full of food — it was a wonder that they had not yet choked on any of it. Farther towards the thrones, one could see the tall, dark-haired beauty from the coastal lands of Gondor bowing and circling around the unusually bashful, yet pleased king of Rohan in a traditional dance of the realm. Under the arches, resting their weary feet on a bench, Faramir placed his head on Éowyn’s shoulder as she weaved her fingers through his hair, spying on her flustered brother with a bemused stare.

Gimli did not partake in any of that. He leant against one of the columns, drinking more ale and stealing fleeting glances at Legolas. The Elf seemed deep in conversation with Prince Imrahil, unaware of the Dwarf’s scrutiny and scowl.

What did Legolas mean by what he said? Gimli could not wrap his head around it. Was there something on the Elf’s mind that eluded him or that he was too blind to see? Had he done anything to warrant such words?

When Legolas bowed to Imrahil and excused himself, Gimli instantly looked away, focusing instead on Sam and Frodo sharing a pastry while sitting on a bench on the opposite side of the hall. The Elf approached Aragorn and Arwen and whispered something in their ears, which he could not discern with the music and the clamour of the guests cluttering his hearing. The king pulled Legolas into a warm embrace and patted his back, smiling and speaking words that did not reach the Dwarf either. Arwen did the same, and smiled sweetly at the Wood Elf, squeezing his arm before waving at him as he left the festivities.

Yes, he might as well go, Gimli thought while grumbling, lighting up the weed he had shoved into his pipe while observing the scene. If Legolas was in the mood to pronounce such silly words, then he could not be helped.

Blowing out a cloud of smoke, the Dwarf pressed the back of his head to the pillar behind him. Despite everything that was happening around him, he could not get the damned Elf’s words out of his head. He had tried to follow conversations, but it took less than two sentences for him to find his mind wandering back to his embarrassment earlier. Gimli scrunched up his face and grunted. He needed to know.

Once in his quarters, Legolas stretched his back and sighed in relief, his head buzzing after leaving the constant hubbub of the coronation feast. He delicately removed his belt and unbuttoned his silken tunic, lifting the intricate circlet from his brow and placing it back on its velvet cushion on the nightstand. Disrobing and carefully folding or hanging the pieces of his garment, he entered the bathroom and picked up the satin robe he had left there in the morning, covering his bare body with it.

Before he was even done tying it around his waist, there was a soft knock upon the door.

‘Ent—’

A loud bang thundered across the room as a furious Gimli kicked the door in and entered without letting him finish his invitation. The Elf shrieked and nearly tore the robe off himself in a start. Not giving him a chance to protest this violent entrance, the Dwarf pointed his finger at him and stomped over to him.

‘What did you mean earlier? I’ve thought about it over and over again and it makes no sense to me!’ he roared.

‘What are you talking about?!’

‘You said that you liked me! Now, what was that about?!’

Legolas stared at Gimli for a few seconds, before erupting in a fit of laughter. He squeezed the Dwarf’s shoulder as he passed him by to close the door, relieved to see that it was not damaged despite the forceful kick it received. His friend watched him in confusion, an eyebrow raised as the Elf went to sit on the edge of the bed and patted the space next to him.

As Gimli joined him, maintaining some distance between the two of them, Legolas grinned and tilted his head.

‘What I meant by that,’ he started, his voice quiet, ‘is that I like you. Nothing more, nothing less.’

‘I don’t understand, lad.’

The Elf snorted and rubbed his bare heel against the wooden floor.

‘Is it so difficult to conceive that I might consider you as my friend?’

‘Well, it’s odd comin’ from an Elf.’

‘Ah, that is what worries you.’

‘Mh. Not really.’

Gimli sighed and relaxed his shoulders, dropping his hands onto his lap. Now that he knew for sure that there had been no hidden meaning behind any of it, he felt rather foolish. The heat rising to his cheeks reddened them into a similar hue to that of his hair and beard.

‘You know,’ Legolas intoned, tucking his hair behind his pointed ear, ‘now that the Fellowship is dissolved, I fear that I will lose most of what I hold dear. And you are part of it. I sincerely hope that the end of our journey does not mean that we must sever our ties.’

‘Nah, laddie, don’t worry ‘bout that,’ Gimli guffawed, patting him sharply in the back and sliding a little closer to his mate. ‘We’ve been brothers in arms through the worst our world has seen. There’s no way that I’ll let this happen.’

Silence settled in as Legolas gave him a nod of gratitude. He noticed that Gimli’s hair was still full of drying flowers, and he could not help the grin from forming on his lips. Indeed, the Dwarf had much more heart than he had originally given him credit for when they met in Rivendell at the start of their saga. And even after the horrors they had encountered, he would not trade it for anything in the whole world. Neither would Gimli, although he did not express it openly.

What Gimli did express, however, was his desire to see Legolas again once the celebrations ended.

‘Will ya visit me in Erebor?’ he asked bashfully.

‘I would love nothing more. And you are welcome anytime in Mirkwood. After all, we do not live so far from each other, do we?’

‘No, I suppose not.’

Another moment of contemplation lingered as they gazed at each other. An idea bubbled in the Elf’s head, but he hesitated to voice it at first. When the Dwarf raised his eyebrows, taking notice of his conflicted expression, Legolas yielded.

‘You spoke of retaking Moria,’ he intoned. ‘I can try to speak to my father about it so he can send some of his men to accompany you. It will take some convincing, but I am sure that we can find a compromise with him. And even if he refuses, I will gladly help you reconquer your cousin’s hall if you accept me.’

Gimli grinned and bowed his head.

‘Aye. There’ll always be a place for you in my company. It’s about time that Elves and Dwarves bury the hatchet. It’s caused more harm than good to our kin, and your deeds likely earned the sympathy of my kind.’

Legolas placed his hand over his friend’s and squeezed it gently, smiling from ear to ear. The twinkle in his eye pushed the Dwarf to say something else.

‘Besides, counting dead Orcs is only fun when it’s you I’m competing against, lad.’

‘You stand no chance against me, Gimli.’

‘We’ll see about that!’

They shared a hearty laugh and Legolas cupped the back of Gimli’s head, tilting it closer to his until their foreheads touched. Understanding it as a gesture of affection and acceptance from the Elf, the Dwarf held Legolas’ head in turn and grinned.

‘I’m glad that I know you, brother.’

[newyorkthegoldenage]

New York has two Grand Army Plazas—the one at Fifth Ave. and 59th St. in Manhattan, and one at the entrance to Prospect Park in Brooklyn. On May 30, 1936, more than 50,000 people, including tens of thousands of children, marched to the cheers of a half million others to mark Decoration Day (as Memorial Day was then called) as well as Brooklyn’s 300th anniversary.

The Times said that that day “was one of the most spectacular—from the point of view of parades—in the 300 years of the borough’s history, since that day long ago when two men made the perilous trip across the East River from the Dutch village on Manhattan Island and established a little settlement on Gowanus Bay which they then spelled Bruijkleen.”

Photo: NY Times via Instagram

[bitterkarella]

Midnight Pals: Penguins on Parade

Edgar Allan Poe: i feel like there's been way too much drama here lately Poe: too many cranks just venting obsessions and paranoias! Poe: can't we just hear a nice, simple, old-fashioned horror story? HP Lovecraft: i-i've got one Poe: ...son of a bitch

Poe: ok howard let's hear it August Derleth: wooo! yeah! Derleth: go off Howard, you got this! Lovecraft: y-yeah ok Derleth: a-grade storytelling, right here! modern master!

Lovecraft: a premise occurred to me one night while in the throes of fitful sleep Derleth: yes! yes! tossing and turning! sweat that plot out Lovecraft: about an ill-fated expedition to the Antarctic Derleth: cold as ice! chilly like my willy, baby Lovecraft: p-please stop

Poe: ah, the South Pole Poe: a promising location for a doomed voyage Poe: not to spoil anything but Poe: they all drown in the magnetic whirlpool, right? Lovecraft: Poe: that resides at the bottom of the world, right? Lovecraft: Poe: perhaps they're slaughtered by hostile peoples of the inner earth?

Lovecraft: n... Lovecraft: no, there's a continent there Poe: oh, a fantasy story? fun!

Lovecraft: even the beginning of this terrible journey is fraught with peril Lovecraft: for they must encounter that most loathsome of all birds Lovecraft: THE PENGUIN Clive Barker: Barker: ah ha ha Barker: oh man Barker: let's fucking go, curtain up

Dean Koontz: i like penguins :) Koontz: stephen let me watch happy feet Koontz: it was funny Koontz: except for the seal Stephen King: we had to fast-forward past the seal King: and the orcas King: pretty much the entire second half Koontz: i like when they dance

Lovecraft: b-but these are no ordinary penguins Lovecraft: the average penguin is black AND white Lovecraft: a hideous mixture in itself Lovecraft: yet these massive creatures are ALBINO

Lovecraft: so pale as to be mistaken for snowdrifts at a distance Lovecraft: you might say they are passing for white Poe: uhh Derleth: shhh, let him cook

Lovecraft: t-the group found a perplexing frozen specimen Lovecraft: i-it was only when they discovered the ruins later that they realized it was a being of great intelligence Lovecraft: for, you see Lovecraft: the thing had no skull to measure

Lovecraft: millions of years ago, the Old Ones flourished upon the continent Lovecraft: they built a society dedicated to pure scientific achievement Lovecraft: yet, in the cruelest irony Lovecraft: they were overwhelmed by sheer brute strength Barker: lol Barker: get owned nerds

Lovecraft: i-it was a most grand civilization Lovecraft: accomplished universities. safe to slither the streets at night Lovecraft: and then a certain kind of creature Lovecraft: i shall not say whom Lovecraft: took over Lovecraft: and the property values... they plummeted

Derleth: okay look i'm getting a little sick of all of you calling Howard a bigot Derleth: i keep telling you he's simply a man of his time Lovecraft: the shoggoths were faceless slaves of the deepest black hue Lovecraft: possessing a fiendish malevolence to compensate for their lack of a brain Derleth: Derleth: oh and i suppose you're just going to take THAT out of context

Lovecraft: most chilling of all the shoggoths' attributes was their infernal piping Lovecraft: it imitated the structure of the Old Ones' music Lovecraft: but it was as if they spoke rather than harmonized it Lovecraft: and inserted coarse references to anatomy

Lovecraft: there were indeed some horrors in this house Lovecraft: and they were wet and gushy Lovecraft: no bucket or mop would suffice

Lovecraft: they escaped with their lives, yet Danford was tormented by visions of the shoggoth unto madness Lovecraft: for knowledge of the unknown has a terrible price, and death and ignorance are our only mercies Lovecraft: the end Derleth: Barker: Poe: Koontz: King: King: so, Dean, I have this DVD of Norm of the North

John W. Campbell: say, that's a pretty good yarn, but couldn't more happen with the shapeshifting Campbell: what if the shoggoth was able to fully mimic its human prey Lovecraft: fully ASSIMILATED among men? Lovecraft: there is cosmic horror, sir, and then there is simply bad taste

Thanks to guest writer my pal Morbiose for help with this thread!