#St. Guess Trilogy

[artdecosupernova-writing]

Character Voice Tag Game

Thank you @ashen-crest for the tag!

Rules: Rewrite the line of dialogue from the person who tagged you into the voice of your OC’s! (You can include a short beat of action to help establish character if you want.) Pass on the tag with a new line of dialogue.

Tagging @drippingmoon, @sleepy-night-child, @pertinax--loculos, @drabbleitout, @druidx, and anyone who may want to participate ✨ Your line is "That's easy!"

My characters' line is "Say that to my face." I've chosen to only use characters from my two most established projects as I'm more attuned to their voices at the moment.

Partners/St. Guess—

Reagan: "Try again." Ben: "You think you got the chutzpah to say that within haymaker distance, pal?!" Mickey: He gives a slow, shark-like smile and beckons with a finger. Tod: "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Darkspace Portent—

Thrive: "Would you like a chance to correct yourself?" he asks, eyes glittering dangerously. Warren: "Sorry, what the fuck is up?" Guetry: "C'mere and say that with your whole chest."

[vintagerpg]

Falconmaster (1990) shares the same creative team as the previous scenario, which maybe is a big contribution to why the three-part saga feels so cohesive. The included cardboard model is a big temple of St. Cuthbert where the climactic action takes place. It’s suitably grand.

In some ways, I wonder if the Falcon trilogy was intended as a riff on Power Behind the Throne. Re-reading this one, it sure seems cut from the same cloth. The Falcon is back and at large. The city is rife with cult spies. In an attempt to learn more about whom they are dealing with, the players journey out of the city to her secret lair. She’s already been back, but there are still secrets to be gleaned. After the set-up of the opening chapter, which involves a lot of exposition dropping and some investigation, this section is a nice bit of wilderness and dungeon exploration, punctuated by reasonable events. When the party returns to the city, though, there’s big trouble coming, in the form of an imminent attack on St. Cuthbert’s cathedral. Maybe don’t trot the model out at the start of the module, I guess.

The assault could be worse, but I still don’t love it. I find it funny that Games Workshop, makers of famous tactics games, managed to resolve Power Behind the Throne without breaking out the miniatures and rulers. And, if the story is to continue, the Falcon must be allowed to escape, either through the players’ misadventure or via DM fiat. Don’t love that.

[sancta-seraphina]

Hi, I hope this isn't too complex a question. What books would you recommend for someone looking to get into angels? I'm looking for anything... lore, other novels to read, comics, whatever you can offer

Oh man, please don't apologize, this is exactly my type of question! Also this post got a bit long.

Obviously, there are tons of references for lore. If you're looking for a basic run-down of angels in the Bible itself, I'm writing a series of posts on that subject specifically, even if updates are few and far between right now (I'm so, so sorry, the ballet eats all of my time):

[Biblically Accurate Angels Part I - Seraphim, Cherubim & Ophanim]

[Biblically Accurate Angels Part II - The Named Angels]

This is because the easiest and most accessible information on angels is in the Bible itself (and hey guess what—you can read the Bible for free online! If you need a translation suggestion, I would go for the ESV bibles, and there's a Catholic edition of the ESV if that's an issue. You could also get the NCB which is what I cited)

If you don't mind chewy literature, then I'd say please read Pseudo-Dionysius' De Coelesti Hierarchia, or St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica. I cite both of these in my posts on angels since they're rather standard sources of information on them, and they're also where the Catholic church gets its canon from.

A great reference, even if I don't particularly agree with everything stated in it, is Gustav Davidson's A Dictionary of Angels. Most people look at it for angel names, but I'm very interested in his sources, since many of them I've not yet managed to get my little paws on.

I'm not even going to get into my favorite sources of angel lore because this is enough for someone just looking to start. I can do a separate post on those if people want them.

Now. Moving on from lore.

For classic literature, my two obvious recommendations are for The Divine Comedy and Paradise Lost. Over on IG, myself and Jami (@a-thenais) made a little book recommendation post. [You can find it here]. Being the angels nerds we are, everything is pretty on theme and has poetry, scripture, classics... the only thing we didn't do is current angel literature.

So for that, if you want a popular series, than I'd say go take a look at @nicosraf's Angels trilogy, especially since he just announced a new short novel coming out in December!

I personally also like @marsadler's First Creation, although I'd recommend his works mainly for horror fans.

And lastly, if you don't mind waiting/are keeping a list of angel books that are coming out, well, of course I'd suggest my own series [The Divine Tragedy], even if horror isn't everyone's cup of tea. The main series (Holiest, The Harrowing, & Heresiarch) and the series of novellas (The Infernal Apocrypha) are heavy on the horror, but in my last project, the Sepher Metatron, only the third part has horror in it, and the rest of it is more palatable to non-horror fans (the very first part of the book is also fully illustrated)

But if you can read Italian, then I'd also suggest @a-thenais' Nova Apocrypha Vulgata series! These are three novels (Thanatos, Hybris, & Afasia) that she is working towards publishing, and a few additional works too. You can read about them on her tumblr, and I've done multiple fanarts for them. We also tend to consider TDT and NAV 'twins', so if TDT is something you want to read, NAV will also something you'd probably like!

If you want to follow some angel artists, then please check out my pals @ultrainfinitepit (who makes gorgeous angel pins which I hoard) and @helplessavacado, both of whom have their own unique styles and stories as well.

[chasingshadowsblog]

"I've seen suffering in the darkness. Yet I have seen beauty thrive in the most fragile of places." - History, Culture and Identity in Cartoon Saloon's Irish Mythology Trilogy

Written accounts of Irish history and culture only begin to appear from the 5th century onwards and what came before we are left to piece together from archaeological remains whose meanings and motivations we can only guess at. What is clear, though, is that during that broad stretch of time between the Early Mesolithic and Late Iron Age, a distinctly Irish identity had been established and developed on by the craftsmen, artists, hunters, foragers, farmers and warriors that populated the country, through their housing, weaponry, metalworks and stone monuments. The development of the Christian church throughout the Early Medieval period brought its own beauty to the art and architecture of the country, but also adapted its culture to suit the needs of an integrating religion and sites and ceremonies of pagan worship were amalgamated into the Christian calendar. Following this were Viking raids, Anglo-Norman settlement, English conquest, plantation, oppression, rebellion, famine and civil war. From the Early Medieval period to the present day Ireland has experienced an almost constant shift in leadership and identity with little time in between for the dust to settle. Culturally, a "Celtic Revival" in the late 19th and early 20th centuries sought to re-invigorate the arts and history of Celtic Ireland (a broad, problematic concept in itself) as an expression of nationalism and to bolster a distinctly Irish artistic and literary identity.

All of this is to say that wading through Ireland's history of social upheaval, religious and political conflict, and loss and confusion of identity is no mean feat. To take those threads and conjure up original stories for modern audiences, embracing the suffering and celebrating the beauty, is impressive. To do it three times is witchcraft.

In their films depicting Irish history, culture and mythology, animation studio Cartoon Saloon have approached their stories with a respect for the past, both fact and fiction. By evoking the artwork, legends and real history of Ireland's past and combining it with their own fresh, unique visual style, Cartoon Saloon brings some much needed authenticity and vibrancy to the depiction of Ireland in mainstream culture. Absent are the twee figures of backwards island folk or the commercialised idolatry of a St. Patrick's Day parade. What we get instead is something more personal, recognisable on the surface to every child and adult who learned about Fionn, the Fianna and fairy circles in primary school and with nuggets of information and visual cues for explorers of Ireland's broader history.

"I can't tell you which parts of this story are true and which parts are shrouded by the mists." - The Secret of Kells and the line between history and mythology

Set roughly in the 9th century AD The Secret of Kells is the earliest depiction of Irish culture in the trilogy, a period which saw the continued integration of Christianity into the country alongside traditional pagan practices and festivals, a relatively soft conversion compared to later events. Although the main character, Brendan, comes from a Christian monastery and carries those beliefs, The Secret of Kells does well to capture this balance between a new religion and old beliefs with the inclusion of Aisling and Crom Cruach, who live alongside the monastery and influence the story as much as Brendan and the brothers do and whenever Brendan is punished by Abbot Ceallach it is for disobedience not a lack of faith.

"It is with the strength of our walls that they will come to trust the strength of our faith." Abbot Ceallach's fierce desire to build a wall around the monastery is fueled mostly by the threat of Viking raids, but it is his hope as well that the protection they offer will encourage the faith of the natives and draw them behind those walls. Abbot Ceallach finds comfort and safety in his monastery and danger and violence outside of its walls, so, not only does the wall protect them from invaders but it also cuts them off from the forest beyond - the domain of shape-shifters, wild animals and pagan temples, a world which Brendan can only glimpse through a crack in the wall. A staple of the entire trilogy is this depiction of wilderness in some form and its association with Ireland's symbolic wilderness and pagan ancestry. What sets it apart from the threat of Vikings is that, in spite of its wildness, it poses no threat to their way of life. When Brendan enters the forest for the first time it is dark and frightening until Aisling, an ethereal Sídhe figure who can shape-shift into a wolf, shows him how to navigate it and suddenly the forest grows bright and beautfiul, Brendan's fear is eliminated and Aisling becomes his friend.

Hidden throughout Brendan's trek in the forest are old, moss covered ogham stones and stone circles, allusions to native practices, but deeper in, the colour palette changes from bright greens and natural browns to a wash of dark greys and black when Brendan stumbles across a temple to Crom Cruach (a deity who, in Irish mythology, is eventually destroyed by St. Patrick). Aisling tries to warn him away, "It is the cave of the Dark One," but Brendan dismisses her worries, "The abbot says that's all pagan nonsense, there's no such thing as Crom Cruach." At the sounding of the deity's name, black tendrils emit from the cave and pull on Aisling as she stops them reaching Brendan. Later, Brendan returns to the cave to steal Crom's eye - a magnifying crystal that will help Brendan and Brother Aidan with their illumination. In a beautifully animated sequence Brendan battles Crom Cruach in his cave by trapping him in a chalk circle and stealing his eye. Crom Cruach is depicted as a never-ending snake (in a geometric pattern similar to both pre-Christian art and the knotwork of Christian manuscripts) possibly in reference to the 'snakes' banished from Ireland by St. Patrick. What's most fascinating about this sequence is that Brendan experiences it at all. Although the experience is supernatural it is never implied as anything other than real. Brendan is a committed monk in training who will spend his life in service to the monastery; even after meeting Aisling and battling Crom Cruach he never questions his faith or his elders and when he returns to the monastery with the eye no one disputes the story of how he came by it, "You entered one of the Dark One's caves?" At this time, at the edge of a growing monastery and with a direct reference to the abbot's desire to convert the natives, there is still space for pagan ideas to exist. Similarly, Aisling using Pangur Bán's spirit to free Brendan has an effect on the real world. There's an argument to be made that this is a film and anything can happen, but for problems to be solved by magic, the way Aisling frees Brendan, firm world-building rules must be established and in this world, 9th century Ireland, spaces exist in which otherworldly figures reside and actions beyond the mortal realm occur, and these spaces exist alongside the film's version of civilisation.

"I have lived through all the ages, through the eyes of salmon, deer and wolf." As an animated feature, there is a lot the film can tell us through visuals alone, and The Secret of Kells does a wonderful job capturing an Ireland in transition. The prologue opens with a close-up image of the Eye of Crom with abstract shapes swimming around it, followed by a glimpse of Aisling hiding in a tree as she narrates over these images in an eery whisper. Following these we see a salmon, deer and wolf, three animals important to Irish mythology, identity and history; the salmon, related to The Salmon of Knowledge, represents mythology, the deer is the national animal of Ireland, and wolves (in the world of Cartoon Saloon) represent its wildernes and history (the elimination of the wolf population became more active in Ireland during times of English occupancy, a theme that is explored more deeply in Wolfwalkers). Even the waves crashing around Iona as Brother Aidan escapes morph into wolves, futhering their symbolism as something wild and dangerous, but natural and not actively destructive like the Viking raiders. The monastery is littered with Iron Age motifs existing alongside Early Christian imagery. Spiral motifs occur in trees and plants, in the ropes that bind the wall's scaffolding together, and circular, semi-circular and zig-zag shapes continue to appear with knot-work patterns and religious figures - even the snowflakes falling during the raid are strands of knot-work. The monastery itself is accurate to the period with its round tower, beehive shaped structures (called clochán) and the town growing around it, while outside its walls Brendan crosses a stone circle. We even see a game of hurling, the ultimate unifying bridge between pagan and modern Ireland. The walls of the abbot's cell are covered in his own drawings of plans for the monastery's construction. These are exquisitely detailed and clearly a plan for the future but drawn in a style that cannot escape the past. Zig-zags, spirals, circles, semi-circles, dots, triangles, sun and star motifs and something that looks like an alignment chart - the style is evocative of Neolithic and Bronze Age art and the insular La Tène style that preceded the arrival of the monks in Ireland, all styles that combined the abstract and geometric, seemingly random, but clearly symbolising something greater.

"You must bring the book to the people." In their last interaction as children Aisling helps Brendan recover the pages of his manuscript as he flees the Vikings. In this gesture Aisling aids Brendan on his religious journey - during the montage later on she even guides him home. Faith never comes between these two - it doesn't need to since Aisling's existence and her convictions are as real and strong as Brendan's. Their relationship is one of mutual curiosity and sharing their differences. In Irish mythology, female figures (particularly shape-shifting ones) are often symbolic of Ireland itself and to have the support of these figures is, for kings and heroes, a mark of validation. At this time, these two worlds still live alongside each other and Aisling is allowed to support Brendan's work as a monk while maintaining her own natural way of life, while Brendan can learn about pagan concepts from Aisling without wavering from his faith or trying to mould her to his. Although Brendan's final journey home shows the spread of Christianity across the country we get one final image of Aisling, changed to her human form in a flash of lightning, that shows us while she might be hiding she hasn't disappeared just yet, while Brendan, now an adult, returns to Kells, committed to continuing Abbot Ceallach's work.

"This wild land must be civilised" - Wolfwalkers and the taming of Ireland

Set in 1650, Wolfwalkers occurs roughly 800 years after The Secret of Kells and presents a vastly different universe. The monks' Christianisation of the natives was a far more gentle affair and one founded in a desire to educate and adapt. Ireland under the Lord Ruler (a stand-in for Oliver Cromwell) is a world of service, punishment and fear. By chopping down trees and employing hunters to cull the wolf population the Lord Ruler is attempting to tame the countryside and, most importantly, the people themselves. References to "the old king" and "revolt in the south" place us, historically and politically, in the Cromwellian Conquest, when Cromwell was sent to Ireland to quell uprisings against the newly established English Commonwealth. Heavy stuff and this is a simplification of a period of major conflict in Ireland but Wolfwalkers successfully impresses on us the feeling of living under the thumb of an active oppressor on a personal scale. The Lord Ruler wants the people of Kilkenny afraid and complacent so that they support his efforts to cull the wolves and cut down their forests. Unlike Abbot Ceallach who fears a real threat in the Vikings, the Lord Ruler fabricates a threat in the wilderness beyond the city walls in order to bend people to his will, "Oh, lass. Lord Protector has strict rules." Although the wolves pose no threat to the city, people have been made to fear them, resulting in the loss of their connection to the forest outside the town walls. One character even says that the wolves are attacking them because they've been chopping trees down, because they've been going against their ancient pacts: "

Set in 1650, Wolfwalkers occurs roughly 800 years after The Secret of Kells and presents a vastly different universe. The monks' Christianisation of the natives was a far more gentle affair and one founded in a desire to educate and adapt. Ireland under the Lord Ruler (a stand-in for Oliver Cromwell) is a world of service, punishment and fear. By chopping down trees and employing hunters to cull the wolf population the Lord Ruler is attempting to tame the countryside and, most importantly, the people themselves. References to "the old king" and "revolt in the south" place us, historically and politically, in the Cromwellian Conquest, when Cromwell was sent to Ireland to quell uprisings against the newly established English Commonwealth. Heavy stuff and this is a simplification of a period of major conflict in Ireland but Wolfwalkers successfully impresses on us the feeling of living under the thumb of an active oppressor on a personal scale. The Lord Ruler wants the people of Kilkenny afraid and complacent so that they support his efforts to cull the wolves and cut down their forests. Unlike Abbot Ceallach who fears a real threat in the Vikings, the Lord Ruler fabricates a threat in the wilderness beyond the city walls in order to bend people to his will, "Oh, lass. Lord Protector has strict rules." Although the wolves pose no threat to the city, people have been made to fear them, resulting in the loss of their connection to the forest outside the town walls. One character even says that the wolves are attacking them because they've been chopping trees down, because they've been going against their ancient pacts: "Everyone knows you can't be cutting down their woods. If you do, they'll get you. Sure, that's the deal...Saint Patrick made it with the old pagans and you're breaking it, you eejits!" Of course, any reference to a world ouside of the current mode of conduct is cause for immediate punishment and suppression and the wood cutter is quickly quieted. Even Bill and Robyn, loyal English citizens, are punished. Robyn is forced to work as a maid in the castle when she begins to speak of wolves and Wolfwalkers and when Bill fails to cull the wolf population (and control his own daughter) he is stripped of his rank as hunter and forced into the role of soldier, robbed of the little freedom he had.

"This once wild creature is now tamed, obedient, a mere faithful servant." Although this line is spoken in reference to Moll, held captive in a cage in her wolf form, it is the human characters who suffer the most from this ideology - even the nameless background characters are confined to the walls of the city in fear of punishment, "Lord Protector put my father in chains for nothing." What comes to mind when hearing of tamed creatures is not Moll in her cage, who exudes strength and power even behind bars, but Robyn in her maid's uniform, once lively and imaginative, now returning home with lines under her eyes after a long day of hard, monotonous work, and Bill, quieting his daughter's eagerness in fear for what will happen to her, then later shackled at the neck and forced to march behind the Lord Ruler's horse when he disobeys, "We must do what the Lord Ruler commands". Although Moll is held captive too, it is in the form of a humongous wolf; she is locked away in the Long Hall for fear of the danger she represents. The Lord Ruler is aware of how poweful she is and so he must keep her locked up to show the people of Kilkenny just how much control he can wield, quelling any potential notions of power they might have held in themselves. And in the case of Moll, Robyn and Bill, each time they are held captive by the Lord Ruler, their captured bodies submit to the wolf form to escape, drawing on a deep-rooted strength and wildness within themselves to escape the confines of the Lord Ruler's rigid society.

"What cannot be tamed, must be destroyed." The ending of Wolfwalkers is bittersweet; Robyn, Médb and their parents are safe after defeating the Lord Ruler and his soldiers, but they are still forced to leave their forest home. "All is well," Bill and Robyn tell each other, and the family appear content, but, before now, leaving the forest was not on the agenda; leaving the forest meant retreating from a threat and this is still the case. Médb wanted to save the forest, but, after everything that's happened, the family are no longer safe on the borders of the town. Robyn, Médb, Bill and Moll might have saved each other but they can't save their home and the people still living behind the city walls - the Lord Ruler may have been killed but that doesn't mean the end of his conquest. Historically, this period saw Ireland amalgamated into the Commonwealth and Irish Catholic landowners ousted by English colonists, the diminishing of Irish customs and traditions, and a high level of deforestation and the elimination of the wolf population. The family's departure from Kilkenny allows viewers a safe, happy, narratively satisfying ending, without erasing the changing social tides that occurred at the time or ignoring the history that followed.

"Remember me in your stories and in your songs" - Song of the Sea and loss:

If Wolfwalkers is the taming of Ireland then Song of the Sea is Ireland tamed. Set roughly in the 1980s it is the closest depiction of a modern Ireland in Cartoon Saloon's ouevre. In contrast to The Secret of Kells and Wolfwalkers, which represented Ireland's native identity in the forest, here it takes the form of (drumroll) the sea, but while those other films depicted the battle between the wilderness and civilisation Song of the Sea depicts its defeat. The last of the Sídhe live in hiding in a rath disguised as the centre of a roundabout and use a sewage system to get around. In their diminshed forms, Lug, Mossy and Spud also resemble more closely what we might think of as 'fairies' in Ireland today, not the imposing figures of power the Sídhe really are in mythology. Still, Lug, Spud and Mossy wear torcs, brooches and earrings of gold - symbols of wealth and status - and strewn about their home are ogham stones and hurls; in a nice marriage of modern and ancient tradition, they play the bodhrán, fiddle and banjo, singing a version of the Irish language song 'Dúlamán'. Only in this one pocket in the middle of the city do different aspects of traditional Irish culture survive.

All throughout Song of the Sea we see iconography of modern Ireland. Conor drinks a pint of Guinness (unlabelled but unmistakable), the front of the pub he sits in is decorated in proto-typical Irish pub fashion. On the wall in Granny's house sits proudly a picture of Jesus with the Sacred Heart lamp as she warbles along to the classic Irish children's song, 'Báidín Fheilimí'. Ben and Saoirse take refuge in a shrine to a holy well with a rag tree outside that is bursting with religious iconography as well as a toy sheep - symbols that are as much a part of the national identity as those pre-historic and mythological ones. There are also references to the assimilation of pop culture outside of Ireland in a Lyle's Golden Syrup tin, the Rolling Stones poster on Conor's old bedroom door and Ben's 3-D glasses and cape, an emulation of a superhero costume. These images are, ultimately, harmless but have overtaken their native counterparts. Although we see statues of the Sídhe in the background, these are not shrines but detritus, and they lie forgotten, covered in plants and moss, in the company of bags of rubbish and old televisions. The diminishing of one era of Ireland's history to make way for a newer more powerful and modern identity is just one kind of loss that is portrayed in Song of the Sea, but each character experiences their own version throughout. The loss of Bronach that has affected Ben and Conor; the potential loss of Saoirse as she grows sicker; the loss of Mac Lir that drove Macha to such despair she literally bottled her emotions and those of others until they turned to stone. All of this comes to a climax at the end of the film when these tragedies are laid bare. As in Wolfwalkers the greater connotations of this theme are presented on a smaller scale: Ben and Conor's pain by the loss of Bronach.

Ben and Conor are representative of the human world and so suffer her absence more visibly than Saoirse who approaches her mother's world with curiosity and ease. In contrast, Ben, although he misses Bronach, rejects the sea (her home and symbolic identity) and his sister, a physical as well as spiritual reminder of what's been taken away from him. He turns his back on his past as much as he mourns its loss. We see it less obviously in Conor who wallows in his own memories and grief and tunes out Ben's references to his mother "It's as though I've been asleep all these years. I'm so sorry." Ben's grief is more expressive compared to the inwardly focused Conor and even towards the end of the film when Ben is trying to help Saoirse, Conor brushes over his insistence that only her selkie coat can save her. It's only when Saoirse is finally wearing the coat and wakes up from her sickness that he finally engages with Ben on the subject of Bronach, "She's a selkie, isn't she? Like Mam." "Yeah." (Which looks like a weak conversation written down but it's the happy smile on his face and the emotion in his voice that give the single word weight). "Please don't take her from us." During the film's final sequence, when Saoirse sings her song and wakens the sleeping Sídhe, Bronach returns but only to take Saoirse away. With tears in her eyes she begins to lead Saoirse along until Ben and Conor stop her, not forcefully but pleadingly, "she's all we have." All they have is Saoirse, all they have is a thread connecting them to Bronach's world and their memories of her.

"All of my kind must leave tonight…" As the Sídhe are wakened by Saoirse's song we watch them rise joyfully to form a glowing processional in the sky as they make the journey across the sea to their home. This scene is so beautifully animated and so filled with a sense of magic and wonder that we are charmed into believing this is a good thing. The Sídhe are returned to their noble forms and going to their home "across the sea"; they fill the sky with a warm, mystical light, but they are taking that light and their magic with them. As Bronach quotes in the film's prologue, "Come away, o human child, to the waters and the wild, with a fairy, hand in hand, for the world's more full of weeping than you can understand." This is a world that can no longer bear the force of two identities. Unlike The Secret of Kells where Brendan and Aisling were allowed to live alongside each other without compromising their beliefs or ways of living, Bronach, a spiritual being, is forced to leave, while Ben and Conor have no choice but to stay and Saoirse, who walks both worlds, is made to choose between them. Although this is a happy ending it is still being depicted on a personal level. On a grander scale, the country has lost something that isn't coming back and this is depicted as a relief for the ones leaving it behind. On the other hand, Saoirse's decision to remain shows that, in small pockets of the country, the magic can remain.

It is fitting that Song of the Sea, as a representation of modern Ireland, draws on loss; Ireland has been experiencing loss on a grand scale for centuries. Although the march of progress is mostly positive, in some cases it has altered our respect and interest in the past. Today there is a nihilism attached to Irish heritage - the spirituality that's associated with airy fairy hippies dancing naked in a moonlit field; the language that is almost universally despised by every secondary student forced to grapple with the Tuiseal Ginideach; its disappearing and continually exploited ecological landscapes; the preservation of archaeological sites in frequent battle with the progress of industry. In the interest of leaving behind the worst of our past we are at risk of losing the best. The writer Manchán Mangan suggests that this desire to forget lies in the pain we feel when we consider our history. Some, like Conor, try to push all reference to this pain out of their lives, others, like Ben, divert their pain into misplaced anger. Mangan cites the Famine as a source of generational pain and its effect today on our use of the language, but really it can be attached to many events and periods of time, "English was the future; Irish would only bring suffering and death." This is a sentiment that carries through to this day; despite encouragement from schools, local councils and the government, Irish remains a least favourite subject for most people who dismiss it as unuseful for success in the wider world. By proxy, anything to do with the notion of "Irish", the language, history and culture, is old-fashioned (suffering and death) while success and the future lie outside of the country. Mangan goes on to suggest that only by confronting the pain of our past can we unlock an ability in ourselves to engage more fully with our identity, "We might stop blaming our failure to learn on teachers, or the education system, or Government policy, and realise that we have no difficulty learning any other subject…" Ben and Conor are given the opportunity to say goodbye to Bronach before she leaves, allowing them to carry on with their memories of her and the last strand of their connection to her as represented by Saoirse. More and more people today are looking to Ireland's past, ecology and language for whatever it is they need or want to find in life. It isn't necessary to convert to paganism and live on the shores of the Connemara coastline to achieve this connection, but actively disengaging from your past can only hurt more than it can help. In their respective stories Brendan does not compromise his beliefs but still builds a friendship with Aisling, while Robyn and Bill integrate fully into Médb and Moll's world. There is no right way to engage with this side of our history and identity, but in contrast to Ben and Conor, Brendan and Robyn have balanced and fulfilling relationships with their native counterparts. Ben and Conor were stuck in their pain over Bronach's loss and it is only after getting to see her one last time that helped them to move on and heal. Conor tells Bronach that he still loves her and he will carry that love and his memories of her througout his life as a source of joy rather than sadness; Ben lets Saoirse into his life and is able to move past his grief and fears of the sea. Here, the threat of loss and destruction comes from within and can only be treated by engaging with the past - its rich heritage and tragic history - and moving on with all of the wisdom and experience it provides. All three films in Cartoon Saloon's Irish mythology trilogy suggest that the integration of both worlds, an engagement on some level between the two, is not, perhaps, necessary to live, but is certainly recommended.

[adamprrishcycle]

WIP ask game

Tagged by @tartadxfresa <3

rules: make a new post with the names of all the files in your wip folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have wips

Needle - decladam. Adam bumps into declan at a fairy market and helps stitch him up. Adam has never stitched someone up before but he’s patched up his clothes so how different can it be?

SOTB - pynch. Currently on 40k+ words. Adam didn’t go to Aglionby, never met Ronan and Gansey, never sacrificed himself to a sentient forest. He graduated, went to Harvard and got a hush hush government job in a department that polices dreamers after the events of the dreamer trilogy. He gets sent back to Henrietta to check out a farm under the name of Lynch. Enemies to lovers type of vibe. Adam is kind of evil.

Suburban Legends - adansey divorce, they bump into each other at a school reunion

Decladam 2 - decladam, obvs. The next part to my ao3 decladam series Find Me, and in this part Ronan Finds Out

Demon au 3 — rovinsky/pynch. Part 3 of Hell Is Where I Dreamt of You on ao3. College break up pynch and kavinsky is back from the dead. Totally chill 🙂‍↕️

Hot priest — pynch. Fleabag au (kind of but not really at all) Adam is the groundskeeper of St Agnes Catholic Church. After Father Ryan doesn’t show up one day, a replacement is sent…guess whooooo

A boy’s will — a collab lynch bros fic I’m writing with @tartadxfresa which she already posted a snippet of here, it has a road trip to Maine, Declan chasing his father's secrets and coastal angst (what could go wrong?)

I’m tagging @clotpolesonly @lizpaige @decladams if you wanna xxx

[pomnavi]

A Ballad of Sword and Wine | Qiang Jin Jiu - Vol. 1

A Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu Vol. 1, Written by Tang Jiu Qing, Illustrated by [St]. Published by Seven Seas. Translated by Jia, Xia, and amixy.

This is my first Danmei (Chinese BL) series, and my first Chinese novel series that wasn't initially trad-published (I've read the Remembrance of Earth's Past Trilogy, better known as the Three Body Problem trilogy by Cixin Liu).

I've been into the Apothecary Diaries series recently, and I did enjoy the anime for Raven of the Inner Palace. I'm also in the middle of watching Kingdom (the anime). Also, I'm a fan of Legend of Galactic Heroes, which is a 10-book political sci-fi epic. 

Why am I stating all of this? When I looked into danmei, this was the first book that caught my eye. I really like the art, and the premise was interesting too. So I knew that this series was probably squarely in my strike zone. 

The Synopsis, I'm too lazy to write my own, sorry. 

Shen Zechuan is the eighth son of the traitorous Prince of Jianxing, a man who doomed his cities and people to destruction at the hands of the foreign enemy. As the only surviving member of his reviled line, Shen Zechuan is dragged to the capital in chains. He bears the hatred of the nation, but no one’s hate burns hotter than that of Xiao Chiye, the youngest son of the powerful Prince of Libei. Xiao Chiye would love nothing more than to see Shen Zechuan dead–but against all odds, he clings to life. Rather than succumb to his family’s disgrace, he becomes a thorn in Xiao Chiye’s side, clawing his way into the cutthroat political world of the capital. Yet as these two bitter enemies beat against the bonds of their fate, they find themselves kindred spirits, unlikely allies…and perhaps something more.

We all love a good enemies to lovers plot-line. I was really impressed with this series. The story hooked me right from the beginning, and I wanted to see how Shen Zechuan navigated all the issues. I don't have a good read on what his motivations are right now, other than surviving and maybe getting revenge (but against who?). 

Surprisingly, it seems like quite a bit of the political intrigue wraps up in this book. But knowing that there are going to be 8 books total, I'm really excited to see where things go next. The development of the "relationship" between Xiao Chiye and Shen Zechuan was fun to read since they always kept each other guessing. I don't think that's going to change anytime soon, as they barely set aside their animosity when interacting with each other. 

There are some really hard scenes to read, mostly due to the torture at the beginning and one scene of animal abuse. It definitely had the intended effect, but do keep that in mind. 

You definitely need to pay attention while reading this book, as there are dozens of important named characters, but I actually like that. I got sucked into the intrigue right away. 

I think this could easily become one of my new favorite series. I already have books 2 and 3, but I'm going to pace myself and read something more lighthearted next.

Source

[petruchio]

It’s such a weird feeling because ultimately I GUESS I liked the extra bits of worldbuilding and that there’s a new addition to the world but I didn’t need really need it? It doesn’t feel crucial to my understanding of the world. But since I read it so quickly when i eventually reread maybe my opinion will change. All this to say I agree with you on lots but I’m mad that I do I wanted to like it so much more sorry for rambling

yeah idk like i also feel like we didn’t even get that much new worldbuilding that we couldn’t have either found or assumed from the original trilogy or ballad. like ive been DYING for more information on what they do in their school for like a decade, i would’ve loved if we had gotten more info about life in the other districts, how the career training/volunteering process works, but we didn’t. idk like most of it was stuff we already knew or st least it felt that way to me (but i spend more hours thinking about the social structures in d12 as we know them from katniss than like. any normal person so maybe that’s just me)

but also i did read it super fast like you so perhaps ill be more charitable in a few months or something. but i dont remember being so annoyed after tbosas, i was more just like ok, cool and i feel like half of that went over my head. whereas with this one i was like well i GOT everything that was in here… i just didnt really like it.

idk guys im going to get in trouble for being a hater on main but sorry to say i am an opinionated gal and thats my truth!!

[kyluxtrashpit]

Finn/kylo ♡~

Ship It

What made you ship it? Honestly, I don't fully remember? I think it was around the time when people really started going into detail on Finn's parallels with Kylo (this may have been tlj era??? I don't remember the details lmao). I know at first I wouldn't have thought about it, considering it too ""problematic"" (I have since evolved beyond such silly concerns sldsksldkls), but there was just. At some point it Clicked and I was like. Omg. Yes. This is very good actually, why are we not talking about it more? Maybe it was force-sensitive Finn stuff too, idk. I think it was just a blind spot for me until suddenly my eyes were opened

What are your favorite things about the ship? The parallels!!! They are The narrative foils of the sequel trilogy, for all the ST failed to actually finish the thought on it. Which sucks, because it does a tremendous disservice to both characters. These two are also imo the two most complex characters in the films so it's really interesting to put them together, to have all their complexities and emotions and fears and all that play off each other. There's some really incredible opportunities there and tbh my only regret is that I've only written them once

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship? Hm once again I guess that I ship it at all lmao? It's pretty niche, so idk if there's many opinions that are considered "unpopular". I do have strong opinions on the characterizations of both characters, once again, but tbh that's also just the default for me so 😆

[hopecomesbacktolife]

old/tired/already done star war discourse rehashing ahead

yknow, truly, I’m happy for the kylo /reylo fans who get to have their little emo blorbo and that they’re having fun over there— I am, genuinely I’m glad they found their corner of the star war!— but like. just for me personally. I truly could not give less of a fuck about kylo ren. at all, whatsoever. I felt this way in 2015 and a decade later my feelings are unchanged. I’m glad they (the fans, I mean) are happy but I will truly never understand them. I’m here for Finn + Rey +Poe + BB-8 + Leia + Luke* and the soundtrack, and any single one of them compels me so, so much more than.. whatever that whole thing was.

like genuinely kylo is to the star war (imho etc) as that character-who-shall-not-be-named (bc i forgor) (intentionally) from tears of the singers is to trek: ultimate go on girl give us nothing, wet cardboard vibes

I know this is old discourse (for which I am eternally grateful tbh) (like I truly truly do not miss the post-tlj fandom discourse what a fucking exhausting time to be a sw fan) but like. idk I’ve been revisiting some of the sequel trilogy characters and clips and plots and stuff and truly like. I don’t get the draw to that man at all, 0%, in fact I get the opposite of a draw. when he comes onscreen I’m like “oh okay we can skip the next 10sec lemme get back to my dear friends the Jedi and Resistance”

I just. what do ppl see in him that they love 🤨 any plausible explanation for me to try to Get It TM is but a thin shadow of another star war character but done worse here. I don’t get it, I don’t get it at all. is it because they find him hot? (again, no shade if that’s what it is: I’ve loved many a character, and/or loved many a character more, because I find them attractive or hot. it’s human and normal and it’s fine, genuinely.) like. I’m sorry I’m so happy for yall but it’s like a mystery for me. I feel like I’m staring at an empty warehouse and someone’s ooing and aahing next to me about the beautiful mountainous vista we’re looking at. and I am just filled with the most utter bafflement.

this isn’t a hate post or a salt post, it’s a… confirmation that my views on the ST haven’t changed and that I’m still utterly befuddled and bewildered by this?post, lol. it’s also not a hate post for reylo, like for real y’all I love anidala lol, Ani is *my* little emo blorbo! like, I’ve got no room to speak. I’m not gonna hate you for loving a controversial/ unhealthy/ etc star war ship, okay. I’m just.

so deeply confused by this, still, a decade later, lmao.

I have changed in many ways as a person since December 2015 but on this.. it’s a constant, I guess. Except that I love our main trio of hero characters more bisexually than I did then, but that’s for a different post! anyways Poe & Finn & Rey are my beloveds and BB-8 too, he is such a massive source of happiness and joy any time he’s on screen ♡

—

*the better au!Luke who they didn’t character assassinate sorry I know this is old weary disc horses I KNOW but I’m still mad whenever I remember it okay. I love MY sunshiney strong heart-of-Padmé golden boi from the OT okay, he’s the one I know

[artdecosupernova-writing]

Excerpt St. Guess

↳ Joey peered hard through the doors, cupping his hands around his eyes to get a better look inside. "Huh," he muttered, his breath fogging the glass in front of his face. "Well, it ain't a whiz-bang in there. Guess it's not open after all. Let's come back tomorrow."

Mickey looked in over Joey's shoulder and his expression settled on a concentrated frown. Farther inside the museum, in front of what Mickey could vaguely make out to be the security office, a man in a tan single-breasted suit without a hat spoke to a much more refined, older gentleman. The younger man took a catalog envelope from the older man and smiled personably, patting him on the shoulder and engaging with him directly, holding grateful eye contact. The older man smiled as well, shaking his hand as his brows pitched in apology.

"Are there people inside?" Joey asked.

Mickey watched the younger man laugh at something and turn toward the front of the museum. "Security guard talking to the director. Likely picking up a series of misplaced paychecks."

Joey stepped away from the door and urged Mickey to do the same. "What?"

"During the renovations, the staff paychecks were either misplaced, improperly handled, or halted," Mickey explained as he moved to stand closer to Joey. "One of the security guards has just received his back pay."

"How do you do that?" Joey shrugged, mystified. "One of these days, you gotta tell me how you do that."

"And give away my secrets? Joey." Mickey tutted with a grin. "It's fairly obvious."

"If it was obvious, d'you think I'd be standin' here makin' myself look stupid?"

"Hmm," Mickey intoned, choosing at the benefit of everyone not to respond to that otherwise.

The security guard opened the door, brushing past the pair as he exited. "'Scuse me, fellas," he said, gracing them both with the same warm smile Mickey had seen inside the museum.

Mickey locked eyes with him for one moment that dragged on like several. Neatly combed, blue-black hair—dyed. Shiny. Slicked down with pomade. His eyes were green, full of life, youthful in contradiction to the shallow crow's feet at the outer corners. His smile could have illuminated an entire room.

He shifted the envelope to his other hand and bounded down the steps.

Mickey watched him, his gaze tight. Willing the man to glance back at him.

Some physical distance grew between them before he did just that. He threw one last look behind him, halfway across the street, and the friendly smile developed into one of deep understanding…an acknowledgement of words unspoken, or perhaps a pass of pleased appraisal.

Joey's stare bounced from the man to Mickey. "You know him?"

"No," Mickey said.

But he was sure he would.

[lokasreads]

Wednesday Wrap-Up: March 5th

Hello hello!

I hope everyone's had a better week than I have. The perils of working full-time, taking college classes, and deciding to start a blog. Who would've guessed that stresses you out? ╮(￣▽￣"")╭

Since this is the first week, we won't have a Finished This Week section, but the rest of the format will be the same in the following weeks.

Be sure to check out the links below - two of this week's books are featured in giveaways on Storygraph and/or Goodreads!

Current Reads:

Schroeder by Neal Cassidy (Storygraph | Goodreads) check out either of the links to enter a giveaway for a free copy! A literary thriller/horror with stream-of-consciousness narration, Schroeder takes us along for the titular character's ride of violence through the city. A true antihero, you can't help but empathize with the narrator's astute observations of the world around him and even his thoughts and feelings about himself and the way he's treated, only to be unceremoniously yanked back into reality when he reaches the next stop on his list.

Breaking Generational Silence: A Guide to Disrupt Unhealthy Family Patterns and Heal Inherited Trauma by Nicole Russell-Wharton (Storygraph | Goodreads) another giveaway in Storygraph! A psychology and mental health self-help book, Breaking Generational Silence focuses on the way repressed trauma can affect you generations down the line - and, of course, how to break the cycle. Whether we realize it or not, every family has their own form of generational silence to break, but Russell-Wharton provides a much-needed diverse, intersectional lens to the topic that too often seems to only be discussed by white women.

Up Next:

Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven (Storygraph | Goodreads) Yet another YA romance with reincarnated soulmates? Not quite. Evelyn remembers all of her past lives, including falling in love with - and being killed by - a supernatural being named Arden. Desperate to live longer than she ever has before to donate blood marrow to her sister, Evelyn becomes the hunter in this reincarnation, searching for Arden to break the curse and maybe, just maybe, not fall in love this time.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (Storygraph | Goodreads) I know, I know, I'm late to the party. A wildly popular YA fantasy with a Netflix adaptation, Shadow and Bone is the beginning of Bardugo's "Grishaverse", with related books that go beyond the Shadow and Bone trilogy. This book follows a Grisha soldier in Ravka's army, gifted (or cursed, depending on who you ask) with magical abilities that could reunite her war-torn country or destroy it altogether. I was introduced to the Grishaverse after reading the Six of Crows duology last month - thank you, as always, Noé for your amazing recommendations - and cannot wait to dig into the book that started it all. And yes, King of Scars is also on my TBR. ¬‿¬

Many thanks to NetGalley, M & S Publishing (Schroeder), Sounds True Publishing (Breaking Generational Silence), and St. Martin's Press (Our Infinite Fates) for the ARCs in exchange for honest reviews.

As always, check out my Linktree to find me on Storygraph, Goodreads, and Instagram.

[trickstersintime]

Pirate's Comfort List

Comfort food(s): LF choc/hazelnut mochi, Free From raspberry ripple cake things, LF cheese on GF toast, and I found out I can eat Twirls again now.

Comfort drink(s): Decaf soy gingerbread or hazelnut latte. Lucela's chocolate rum. Yellowtail shiraz. Berry smoothies.

Comfort movie(s): Labyrinth. Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy plus On Stranger Tides. Back to the Future trilogy. The Princess Bride. A Little Princess. The Chorus. You've Got Mail. The Neverending Story.

Comfort show(s): I want to say FarScape as it's my favourite show but it's not really a comfort show. So I'll list my genuine comfort ones. Red Dwarf. Blackadder. Community. Lucifer. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ATLA (the original series). Quantum Leap (original, I still need to see the newer ones). I guess Taskmaster but I'm watching all of that for the first time.

Comfort clothing: Dressing gown, pyjama bottoms, oversized t-shirts, and hoodies. Incidentally, that's just what I wear because IBS makes tight clothes rude.

Comfort song(s):  Gawd, too many songs to pick from. Dancing in the Moonlight by Toploader makes me happy but I'm trying to think of my most recent comforting thing that isn't melancholic af. Ok no I fail that, I'm very comforted and consoled by St Agnes and the Burning Train at the moment. If an instrumental counts as a song. For happier comfort there's Streaming Music Studios' Stardew Valley Overture. Ooh Gareth Dunlop's Devil Like You soothes me, too.

Comfort book(s): Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and Brian Jacques' Redwall series. Also Howl's Moving Castle.

Comfort game(s): Mass Effect trilogy, Baldur's Gate 3, Dragon Age Veilguard, Portal 2, Midnight Suns, Transport Tycoon, Dungeon Keeper 1, Stardew Valley, Sea of Thieves, Valheim. I guess Destiny 2 slightly counts because I'm comforting myself obsessing over weapon spreadsheets.

Tagged by: @divinityrisen (Thanks my love <3)

Tagging: You!

[clericsandpaladins]

A day FULL of girls...

Hello hello! My name is Syd, I'm genderfluid and I use they/them pronouns. This is my blog where I reblog/post anything and everything related to Stranger Things (mostly byler analysis unless I see something else interesting XD). My main blog is @thecatspirits, which used to be an IT blog but has since devolved into me reblogging anything I find interesting. I also have a StarKid cough Hatchetfield Trilogy cough blog which is relatively new where I plan to mostly reblog various stuff, it's called @darknesswillsavemysoul (because of course it is). Finally, I have a ST analysis account which will probably become a general literary/film/anything blog called @theoveranalyzer. A few facts about me are that I'm a Kiwi, meaning I'm from New Zealand, though I was born in California. I'm asexual and somewhere on the aromantic spectrum (still figuring that out y'know). I'm also in the process of getting diagnosed with Inattentive ADHD. I love writing and science and my plan is to become an ecologist and work in conservation. That's about it I guess, nothing much to talk about really lmao.

p.s. i also have a deviantart account where i casually post harpg stuff in case you're interested.

[enkisstories]

Every now and then the idea that there might be sequels fans pops up on reddit and then it is theorized how such a lifeform could come into being. The most creative idea usually is that they must be very young fans, who grew up with the ST.

I find that baffling, because for me it was the other way around. I grew up with the OT, and was in my early twenties when the prequels released. Already having grown out of the target audience, I held all the canon deviations and contradictions against the movies, couldn't find any character I really liked (other than Qui-Gon) and had went in with a very different idea of the Republic (closer to an utopia rather than just capitalism with space ships) and the Jedi (closer to medieval knigthly orders with considerable land, wealth and influence). So this didn't go too well.

Had the sequels used the EU canon and they'd gotten Jacen, Jaina, Zekk and Jag wrong, the same disillusion would have happened again. Starting over was probably not a good idea in the big picture, but went a long way towards my acceptance of the new trilogy. A mix of "Hey, new Star Wars" and "Ey, they'll botch it again anyway".

This time I grew attached to the characters instantly - Poe, Finn and Rose almost on sight, Rey at least in the first movie and Hux starting with the third (but then retroactively with full force). BB-8 took a while to warm up to, too, as he was too prominent in the pre-movie advertisments, something that made me reject him at first. And finally Kylo is sort of the insert in a package deal that I have to take along for my overall discount.

That attachment enabled me to tolerate even the worst beats of the story ("They fly now" is my personal low - criminally disdainful/dismissive when they full well know that they are fighting brainwashed fanatics that could be saved with time and one emperor less in the galaxy).

With my favorites, I'm interested in spinning new stories after their tale ended or fix their stories in various ways. (And since I had the "genius" idea to put them into The Sims earlier this year, it turned into a full blown hyperfixation). I never felt that desire about the prequels characters. With that kind of longevity of the cast, rewatching their movies comes as a side effect, whereas I only rewatch the prequels on the rare occasion someone close to me wants to do that. So over time the ST got reinforced positively, something that didn't happen for the PT.

I don't know how typical this experience is for sequels fans, so I guess I just leave it out here.

[dasboligrafo]

Illinoise -- May 24, 2025 @ St James Theatre

Oh my god, what to say about this one. Remember my theatre rating system (how many times I cried, over 5?) By the system, this show is...what percentage is infinity out of 5?

Basically, the lights went down, the (absolutely fantastic) band swelled out the first few bars of "Concerning the UFO Sighting," and I started silently weeping and I. Could. Not. Stop. for the remainder of the show. Despite being, generally, a huge crybaby, I could not have predicted that reaction.

I passed on seeing this show at the Armory (I have a string of terrible decisions involving the Armory...I still have not seen Lehman Trilogy after passing on seeing it on opening night, among so many others.) I will say I'm not sure that was, for once, necessarily the wrong decision, just because it's hard for me to imagine seeing this show there, especially from high up in the seats. I suppose it depends on the showz but that space can feel quite alienating. The St James is a pretty small theatre and I doubt there are any really bad seats in the house as a result. I'm sure the show got sanitized, some edges polished unto anodyne for Broadway. It doesn't matter. It was so fucking moving.

Before taking my seat, I grabbed my summer theatre treat of choice (the $50 big white wine, with ice. Pure class) and the lady who sold me the drink, while perfectly friendly, asked me what I knew about the show in that sort of tacky way I get asked about stuff in New York by younger white people who assume they must know more than me than whatever interest of theirs I'm about to engage in. (I guess, interpreting charitably, I look like a tourist to them.) I mumbled something about Justin Peck and NYCB, not even trying to get to -- listen, Lady, Sufjan was the music we listened to in college, so by extension, it is the LAST popular music I am aware exists. Sufjan is very much the soundtrack of my life.

Only I didn't really realize that, apparently, until I saw the show? Although I listen to Seven Swans a few times a year, I didn't realize, prior to "Illinoise," that I know every word to "Illinois."

The thing about "Illinois" is that, like all great generational works of art (there, I said it), you can receive it entirely differently depending on your age at the time you encounter it. So when I heard "Illinois" as young dumbass, I thought it was music about yearning; about the things you want so badly and might never realize and/or might not be able to front the cost. And now as an old(er) dumbass I find the record is about regret, about the things you give up and the mistakes you make ("I made a lot of mistakes...") making those choices or letting them happen to you, and about how the choices haunt you, even as you're making them. And I didn't understand that then, although the *second* word sung on the record is "revenant."

The *magic* of this record is that it is spiritual concept folk-rock opera music, still managing to connect, in an age devoid of spiritualism and shy of conceptual pop music, with an incredibly broad audience. To clarify, I'm talking about the current age; when the record came out, you could still make a concept album. I believe that age ended around 2012, Kendrick Lamar excepted. I don't know when the age of spiritualism ended, I think it was before I was conscious of contemporary art works. If you go to a Sufjan Stevens concert, or to "Illinoise" for that matter, you will be treated to the sight of literal children -- people under 15 years old -- singing all the lyrics. And crying millennials, naturally. My boomer friend told me "Chicago" is his and his (gen z) daughter's song, dating to when he drove her to Chicago for graduate school.

And oh, yes, it is a sublime piece of Americana purporting to exalt the state of Illinois and its millions of inhabitants and events, past and present, and actually examining, at the most personal level, how faith can fail to deliver you, and still impart your life with grace.

The magic of "Illinoise" is that it is a concept ballet masquerading as Broadway, of all things, i.e. an expression of universalism and accessible theatrical cliche where the text is, incredibly, a tale-as-old-as-time style campfire story anthology (hello, Decameron! I've got your story framing device here....) WITH NO DIALOGUE, about leaving your (gay) lover behind to experience the pleasure and promise of the big city and how you will feel regret and gratitude forever for the gift of having him, the gift of moving on, the gift and curse of free choice, the curse of loss.

When I think about "Illinois" only barely disguising its core concern with Christianity ("to recreate us...all things go, all things go" only a couple misunderstood syllables away from "to the Creator..." for example) and outright telling us what it's about in other places ("I made a lot to mistakes," "If I was crying, in the van, with my friend, it was for freedom from myself and from the land," etc)...this beautiful directness and lack of high-minded artifice was always already destined to be on Broadway. I didn't mind that the show is, at times, frankly...quite literal. I experienced "Illinoise" as the rare miracle of a message arriving packaged in its perfect medium. I feel so fortunate to have seen it.

Coda: I thought the dancing was fantastic, easily my favorite Justin Peck choreo this year. Genuinely accessible, technically proficient, appropriate to its text and moving.

[lady-bluebird-luv]

Hello Luv, Santa is back! Just in time for a little Halloween celebration. Are you doing anything especially frightening for 31st?

I will always read 300 pages of your Feysand takes, so bring them on. And did you somehow introduce me to a new Hozier song? Wasteland Baby is my favorite album but I had never listened to the special edition.

I did a lot of evil cackling, maybe even steepled my fingers, when I read your responses to my questions. There were two or three fic ideas I had kicking around in my head, and I think I've chosen the one that will be a feast of favorites! I can promise at least that someone will be covered with blood.

Would you be interested in some teasers and other little gifts between now and the official release date? I can certainly light a few candles and try to build some anticipation.

In the meantime I have a few questions for you:

What are some of your favorite books?

Tell me a little bit about your other fandom and what drew you to write for it!

And: what's your favorite scary movie?

Until next time! 🎅

Santa, I would be beyond happy to get a stocking stuffer! I hope you're enjoying spooky season :) I'm so excited to see what you come up with, and I hope you're having fun plotting! I'm also absolutely thrilled to introduce you to more Hozier, and I don't suppose you've heard Ethel Cain's new song, too?

As far as choosing favorite books goes... WOOO-WEE I don't know where to begin. I love books that are kinda weird and/or surreal. It doesn't need to be fantasy or sci-fi to scratch the itch, but it often is. I also love fictional worlds that just... feel really lush and vibrant, which I know sounds really vague, but I don't know how to describe it much better than that. :/ I guess a good example would be Marlon James's Dark Star Trilogy, which I adore.

Some of my other favorites right now are the Aye, and Gomorrah collection by Samuel Delany, anything by Toni Morrison or Yoko Tawada, and The Overstory by Richard Powers. Stuff by Emily St. John Mandel (think Station Eleven) and Lydia Millet (especially A Children's Bible) are also up there. Dark academia also hits the spot for me, so I love work by Maggie Stiefvater and Laini Taylor, although it's been a long time since I reread their books. I used to be obsessed with The Mortal Instruments. I'll still always have a soft spot for them and the Infernal Devices.

I don't consider myself a huge poetry person, but the book that I keep coming back to more than anything else is actually my anthology of Louise Glück's poems. She writes a lot about the loss, failure, shortcomings, etc. that are inevitable in life. A lot of her material is pretty depressing (if not straight-up dark), but she weaves painful experiences into extraordinarily beautiful poems. I admire that a lot, and it's... comforting, in a way? Catharsis doesn't quite capture what I mean. She's not going to tell you that it will all be OK in the end, but that's alright, because that's how life is sometimes. I like that she rips the band-aid off AND shows you how to grit your teeth while she does it. Ocean Vuong's poetry is also some of my favorite writing.

I don't know how familiar you are with my other fandom, Attack on Titan, but it was a HUGE part of my life for a long, long time. It still is near and dear to my heart, although ACOTAR has taken some brainspace from it for sure.

I've always read a lot, and when I was... 13? 14? somewhere in there. I got bored to death with a lot of the YA novels I was reading. I got into anime/manga to try something new, and since AoT was one of the big shows at the time, I watched it first.

It was a hell of a first anime, but I really liked the action and how deceptively simple the premise is. In case you aren't familiar, I won't spring any spoilers on you. But basically, the premise is very easy to grasp until you realize that a lot of characters are lying through their teeth about themselves and the world around them. AoT was also one of the few major animes at the time that had basically zero fanservice, which I appreciated, and the characters were really appealing. AoT has a strong anti-war message, and the story is partially about how governments can prey on young, idealistic, hurt people by turning them into war machines. There are no heroes in AoT. If you think otherwise, wait a few episodes.

I love morally grey characters (if you couldn't tell) and angst that seems to have no good solution, so that drew me in. Hange might be my favorite character.

I'd already written a little fanfic before AoT. It was for a really trashy fallen angel romance called Hush, Hush. It's definitely still out there on fanfiction.net LMFAO. I don't remember my username or the name of the story, which might be for the best. In any case, when I found the AoT fandom, I was so excited to find a huge and incredibly talented fandom. AoT is what introduced me to AO3 (for better and for worse) and where I learned to channel my writing itch into projects that I could stay passionate about for, in some of my fics' cases, years. Looking back, some of what I wrote was definitely cringey. Nevertheless, I'm also really proud of how well some of it has held up and performed. I learned a lot from writing AoT fic, and writing for AoT undeniably boosted my confidence as an artist.

Also, Santa, I LOVE horror movies. I'm not gustsy enough to try to write horror, but I think it's one of, if not THE hardest genre to execute well, and I admire a good horror film. My favorite has to be Hereditary.

This video essay is a great breakdown of what makes the film awesome. It's a way better explanation than what I could do, but it's also almost five hours long. So, the TLDR is that the film subverts and reworks a lot of tropes while having insane acting, cinematography, effects, etc. When I saw it, it was the first genuinely frightening movie I'd seen in a while. I'm not super into the torture porn/pure shock value style horror movies, and I think this one strikes a good balance between disturbing gore and psychological horror.

I moved to Central Europe recently, so I celebrated Halloween in a very foggy ex-Yugoslavian city with lots of bridges over canals. The spooky vibes were indeed spooking. I hope you had fun :).