#This is really helping me with working out 'Young Ralph'

[renaultphile]

So what does 'gone the whole way' mean?

So while we're on the subject, as I've never really had an answer to this one, Ralph says this in his suicide note:

I can see now that I was wrong even at school; I should either have gone the whole way, which in those days would probably have shocked you and put you against it all, or shut up about it altogether.

I know 'go the whole way' probably didn't have the (to me slightly comedic) overtly sexual connotations it does now, but if there is a kiss I can't see what else it means. So is he basically saying 'I should have gone full Hazell with you?' Presumably not that day, he's talking about before? And Laurie is still pretty conflicted about sex even at 23, so why the reference to 'in those days'?

[loz-furbies]

Ralph

Design

Usually it's the girls who get unique and memorable designs, and the boys have to settle for a much more boring isekai mc-kun style look, but not here! This is amazing, bright blue frilly bell bottoms with purple stripe decorations! And the little wizard hat! And the 00's deviantArt OC edgy hair over one eye! The badass cape! Oh he has nail polish too! He is just great. In general he looks a little dorky but that's okay, it's a very memorable design. The cape fits the hero image he's trying to maintain, even if he's not very good at it.

The eyebrows are also a striking design element and even has plot relevance, but more on that later. So, uh, spoilers for Oracle of Ages? Or in general all of these potentially have spoilers for their respective games, not that I've warned about that before...

The frills and triangle pattern are elements that also repeat in the Oracles' designs. I really like this, they're all different so it doesn't feel like they're wearing a uniform, but it also gives the sense that the world has its own distinct fashion style.

In the entire LoZ franchise there are remarkably few friendly older teen/young adult male important npcs, or at least in the "attractive anime twink" style Link inhabits, compared to the situation with the girls (when almost all games have at least Zelda in the main girl role). And Ralph is one of the few exceptions, which I welcome. Or like I said in Nayru's entry, he's actually a lot shorter than I thought and might even put him in the "kid" category, but I elect to ignore that.

Character

Ralph starts out reasonably enough saying how he counts on Link with Nayru's safety, but quickly changes to stating that he doesn't think Link's help is needed after all. After Nayru is kidnapped he pops up here and there through the story on his own quest to save her, repeats how he will be the one to save Nayru and usually has a pretty condescending attitude towards Link ("Well, if it isn't Link! Dawdling about, as usual.") But he does offer some useful advice during his appearances, so he's willing to help and share information at least.

Later Ralph expands his heroism to wanting to save the general population in addition to Nayru, and even gets a moment where he is ready to sacrifice himself for the greater good despite being scared ("Maybe it is terrifying… But if I must, I must. To do nothing and live just isn't me.") In general he feels like he's the typical hotheaded shounen hero of his own story.

Towards the end of the game Ralph has to eat some humble pie when Link saves the day. After this Ralph apologises for his behaviour, praises Link, admits that he was the one who didn't accomplish anything, and outright says that he now considers Link his friend.

In general Ralph gets surprisingly much character focus for a character in a GBC game, he gets to show a lot of different emotions in different situations and even gets noticeable character development.

Role in the story

I would say that Ralph has the most well developed role out of all the characters in both of the Oracle games, which is peculiar since he isn't even the poster girl. He's the only one to get a proper arc, and has a lot of presence since he shows up in OoA regularly. And most importantly after Nayru gets saved after dungeon 6 out of 8, he is actually the final damsel in distress for OoA. The execution is a little different since Nayru's predicament is the usual kidnapped girl fare, while Ralph has to be saved from himself since he rushes to fight the end boss on a suicide mission. You see, after Nayru is freed from the villain's possession, the villain possesses the queen (in the past) instead, and it is revealed that Ralph is her descendant. So he intends to kill queen even if it means that he won't be able to be born. The way this works is a little clunky here since he already knows Link is able to undo the possession, so his sacrifice feels kind of dumb and reckless. Also he only survives because of plot armour because the villain could have killed him before Link takes over the battle but just chose not to. But points for trying I guess, this is still way above the writing the other characters in either of the two games got.

Considering how much focus Ralph gets and how actively he tries to contribute, it's a little shame how his actions don't really amount to anything. The most you can say that he works as the game's hint system because sometimes he points where the player should go next, but it would be nice if he got to do something more notable too.

I feel that he is similar to the original Pokemon rival (Blue) in that he's this cocky rival that shows up to mock you through the game, and the in the end you get to feel vindicated when they're defeated. Both of them are even actually helpful by sharing information too! Though I do feel kind of bad for Ralph since he's just so crushed at the end and just lies on the floor lamenting how he looks like a fool now.

I like that the revelation that he is the queen's descendant is foreshadowed a little (with how he knows about a secret entrance to the palace) and isn't just dropped out of nowhere in the finale.

Relationships

Ralph is a childhood friend and self-proclaimed protector of Nayru, acts kind of jealous about the possibility of someone else doing the protecting, and spends most of the game running around trying to save her. I don't remember instances where his behaviour could only be interpreted as romantic so make of that what you will.

Surprisingly his most interesting relationship is with Link. Or he is the main character, but at this point of the franchise he usually doesn't get nearly as many character moments with even the main girl of each game so it's pretty big.

Ralph strikes a one sided rivalry with Link about the Nayru rescue, and then behaves in a condescending manner when they run into each other. However I find it interesting that he doesn't blame Link at all for Nayru getting captured in the first place, because it was Link who brought the disguised villain close to her in the first place. Or it wasn't Link's fault since nobody know about the disguise, but I would have imagined that Ralph would hold it against him.

Once Link is the one to save Nayru while Ralph did nothing he apologises properly, and starts preparing to take down the villain, even if it would cost him his own life. And then he starts throwing lines like "May fate bring us back together!", and later "Umm… Link… Don't forget me. I mean, I think of you…as a friend…" when preparing for his suicide mission. If this was a more popular and recent game people would ship these two way more but now they only have 5 results on ao3. Even the villain refers to him as Link's "dear friend".

Once the day is saved and everyone is hunky-dory Ralph comments how Link is amazing and apparently teases him for the embarrassing statue the queen put up for Link. Then they get a cute cutscene in the credits where Link tries to teach Ralph to do the spin attack with the sword, but he spins too much and gets dizzy. So we end on the note that they're friends now, with Link taking a mentor-like role.

He also gets a brief scene with the queen, with both being proud about the relationship, though the queen takes offense at being called grandmother. It's a shame they don't get to interact more, but it's nice that their relationship didn't go completely unaddressed.

[strawbrygashez]

Henry and Ralph Teen/Young Adult hcs bc why not :)

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•Once henry reached a certain age and point of not caring much about keeping his parents happy at all/being punished, he began to leave the house a lot more. He’d rarely ever be there and he sneaks out if he has to :/ He spends the majority of his time at Ralphs but he also hangs out around music/cd stores, comic books stores, and other friends houses.

He just started hanging out at Ralph’s so much to the point where his stuff at home slowly keeps all making its way to Ralph’s room lol like extra clothes, comics, cds, stuff for pranks, and etc.

I feel like in the beginning of him leaving the house so much, his parents would keep nagging him about it and punishing him but he kept on doing it anyways so they eventually gave up. They probably even start locking the doors when it gets dark but it doesn’t matter bc if he needs back in, he’ll get Peter to help him or he will find his way in somehow or another.

•Henry rarely ever cuts his hair. He only does so when Ralph goes on about how tangled it’s getting. He doesn’t care about it looking great tho so he’ll just cut whatever chunks he needs to out. So his hair is long but different lengths in some spots. His hair is always sticking out.

•Henry has such an internal struggle inside once he realizes he wants piercings. He’s still extremely afraid of needles no matter what age but since all of his music idols and the people him and Ralph hang out with in the music scene have them.. he finds himself wanting some of his own more and more.

He’d try fake ones for a while but after some teasing about how ‘fake ones are lame’ from some people, he tries to put his fears to the side so everyone won’t think he’s ‘lame’.

He’s learned a few techniques to somewhat calm himself down when it comes to needles and shots as he grew up but he still has a death grip on Ralph’s hand as he waits to get pierced.

(Over time I think he’d have maybe a couple. A couple ears ones and an eyebrow one maybe.)

•Ralph on the other hand has no problem getting piercings done so he has a few too. Plus he also has a couple tattoos which Henry helped design! :)

•Once Henry officially moves out of his parents place, he goes no contact with most of his family members. He’ll talk to Peter pretty often and will chat a little with the family members who actually treated him well as he was growing up but that’s about it. Whenever holidays come around, he only goes to Ralph’s relatives with him.

•Henry works on a lot of the design aspects when it comes to his band. He designs album covers and merchandise (though Ralph takes over a lot of the stuff that has to do with fashion, like stage outfits and band t-shirts)

•Henry eventually starts seeing a therapist because he knows he needs one and Ralph helped push him a bit to seek one out. He finally gets diagnosed with a couple different things only when he’s finally an adult.. which he feels kinda odd about since he realizes he went his whole childhood dealing with all these mental issues with no support. Like he thinks pretty often about how if they’d just tried to actually figure out what was going on with him, maybe his life could had been a lot easier and more pleasant.

•Ralph has to help Henry remember to take his meds and help remind him where they are. Which he doesn’t mind at all. Even if Henry makes a bit of a show about not wanting to get up and take them.

•Henry mostly wears grungy type outfits but sometimes will toss on something more metalhead-y for concerts. Ralph wears just a whole lot of fashion styles because he loves so many.

•The more ‘darker’ songs that end up on their albums are almost always written mostly by Henry. He had so much pent up for so long it all just comes out when writing ideas for songs.

I’ve seen a few times people say Ralph would try to make Henry not make all of the songs about depressing things but that doesn’t really make sense to me. They both like rock music and music like that isnt exactly known to be all cheerful lol. They’d more than likely have some songs that are just fun and whatever but I really doubt Ralph would tell Henry no about an idea for a song. It’s their band not just his.

•Before their band gets big enough to where they can just solely rely on it as a career, Henry worked at music and instrument stores while Ralph mostly took up jobs working in clothing stores.

(Henry sketches a lot whenever he can during the slow hours at his job.)

•This one is REALLY a HC bc it kinda has nothing to do with canon at all but… I hc Henry to have heterochromia. And I think once Henry starts hanging out with musicians in the alt music scene, he hears a lot about how well it fits him and their bands visual style. It makes him stand out. (Like yknow how OCs are usually called edgy for having heterochromia??) He already thought his eyes are cool too but it makes him even more confident hearing that :)

[yellowjacketsfashion]

How is it that you go about finding these articles of clothing so precisely?

Well, honestly, I can never really be 100% sure that when I find something that it’s the exact item from the show but it really just depends on the item.

To start, when I’m look for an item I try to go off of clear reference photos or I’ll watch scenes with said item in them. From there, I begin my search for an item. I won’t really go into the search process as I’ve already described it in a previous post but you could check it out if you’re interested in that.

You wanted to know how I find things so precisely. Usually, items can be found with a couple of techniques.

If the item has specific patterns or details, I make sure the item I find has those same patterns and details. I just keep breaking down the things that makes the item from the show unique and compare them to the item I’ve found until I’m satisfied they are the same item.

For example, I knew Simone’s pink top was the same as this one from Zara because I compared the details. Simone’s shirt has a hexagon shaped pattern of eyelets on her right side, the Zara top has that same pattern on its right side. Plus, we can see the vertical flower pattern of Simone’s left side also represented in the Zara shirt. I further broke it down comparing the details but because all the details matched up, I determined it was the same top.

I did the same evaluation process with this Shauna plaid until I was satisfied they had the same pattern. While the Grayson Plaid’s lines match up with the placement of Shauna’s sometimes plaid patterns can be placed differently because of how the fabric is cut. For example, with young Shauna’s Vans flannel, the item photo I used had the pattern flipped upside down. In that case and cases similar, it is important to asses the pattern as a whole not just in how it relates to/is placed on the show item.

Other items on the show have logos so I have a narrower search field to sift through in order to find the right item. For example, Jackie’s sweater has the Ralph Lauren logo and “Polo” written on the side. Those logos told me that I was looking specifically for a Ralph Lauren “Polo” brand blue striped sweatshirt versus just generally looking for a blue striped sweatshirt. From there I did the same detail assessment. Does it have the blue logo coloring, does it have “Polo” written on the side, does it have the pink collar and the same general number of stripes etc.

For the season 3 plaid coat, I was able to find it in a similar way I do for items with logos. While the coat doesn’t have its tag anymore, we can see the remnants of it with those black vertical lines. When I saw those I instantly thought of the brand Forever 21 as I’ve cut tags off of some of my clothes from there and it looked the same. From there I was specifically searching for Forever 21 fleece lined flannel jackets which ultimately lead to me finding it.

Another way I can find items is through statements made by cast members, the costume department, and more. By listening to interviews and reading articles about the show’s fashion, I’ve been able to find a lot of items based off of information provided by people who work on the show (reliable sources with first hand knowledge). For example, Simone Kessell did an interview focused on Lottie’s outfits and I was able to find a bunch of items with that intel.

Other clothing items are less distinctive. Those items are generally much harder to find / narrow down. For Natalie’s gray shirt, it really could’ve come from anywhere as it’s just a gray shirt. But because I’ve found a ton of other items from the show, I have a list of commonly featured brands that I can add to my search to see if it helps identify the item. In this case, Natalie wears a lot of AllSaints shirts and so when I saw the listing for this shirt I knew to check it out.

But sometimes I can’t really determine if an item I’ve found is the exact item from the show which is why I have my Close Matches. For example, Mari has a gold and white raglan baseball shirt. If you search that into a search engine you’ll find a bunch of matches and they all look the same. There’s no way I could narrow that down further unless I had access to the show’s wardrobe department to look at Mari’s shirt tags. (Though sometimes I use Close Matches for items that are just remotely similar to the items seen in the show if I can’t find the exact item or something more closely accurate.)

Ultimately, when looking for items it all comes back to looking at the details. I hope you found this insightful and if you have any other questions feel free to ask!

[because-she-goes]

cinnamon

warnings: bit of matty headrot, some enemies to lovers, old lady thinking they’re a couple trope, swearing, some pretentious music references. Enjoy!

With a click and a woosh, the document Rooney has spent the past month or so working on was sent to the editing team. For the past month, Rooney has spent every day thinking and writing solely about Matty. Glad to finally have every last one of her thoughts about him out of her brain and sent off for someone else to deal with, she decided to take Arlo for a walk before heading home to Bowness-On-Windemere. where she would begin the planning stages on her next piece for NME.

Grabbing her keys and Arlo’s leash and giving it a jangle, she awaits the puppy to come bounding to her. From the door, she sees her adorable companion come around the corner, and near her. Panting, barking, blissfully unaware of how Rooney has barely slept and is in desperate need for some fresh air and a fridge restock as she’s been living off of microwavable instant ramen the past week.

Clasping the leash on Arlo’s collar and stepping out into the world, she locks her door behind her and starts walking around Notting Hill. Passing the famous bookstore with teenage girls excitedly waiting to get inside the rather underwhelming building - she was once one of those girls. She too once thought it would be a wonderfully curated shop like in the movie only to find out that it truly only sold bestsellers and what she had seen on the glossy pages of magazines where publishers pay the company for the advertisement. Dreams of her local bookstore back home came to mind, bookshelves filled with Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Louisa May Alcott - real literature she thinks, the type that got her to want to be a writer in the first place. She soon became overwhelmed with how much she loved her life now and how amazed she was by it. If young Rooney could see herself now and how different her life was…

Smack, splat. Onto the ass of her jeans she falls - Arlo’s leash coming out of her manicured hand. Arlo jumps onto her hind legs and as luck would have it, a mop of curls come into her periphery. For fucks sake. He sticks a hand out to help her and she bats it away.

“Yikes, clover! Geez it’s just me, no need to get your panties in a bunch.”

“I’m fine and for the record, my panties are none of your business Healy.”

“We’ll see about that…anyways, who is this adorable creature?” Matty bends down to grab the leash and pat Arlo’s side softly.

“Arlo… after Guthrie.” That just about knocks Matty on his ass, who else would know about american folk singers - let alone enough and have enough passion about them to name their fucking dog after them. Matty’s own dog comes to mind and he really named Allen after the american poet Ginsberg. They were too alike, he thinks. He silently melts as he watches her fumble to her feet and bends to dust off her jeans, her crimson hair blowing in the London breeze. He looks away quickly when he spots a series of delicate ink lines dancing and swirling down her spine. It is like he is reading her teenage diary, something sacred and deeply personal, like another aspect of her life has been revealed to him. If only he could see the whole piece of artwork. if only he could see it fully, if only he could know Rooney fully. Truly know her, not just as a work acquaintance or friend. Matty immediately wants to know what side of the bed she sleeps on, what music she listens to while cooking, if she prefers scented or unscented laundry detergent. In an instant, he is even more enthralled by her. It is in that moment, while he takes her in and pets her dog that Matty Healy knows he is well and truly enraptured. He comes out of his spell when he feels Arlo brush against his knees a bit.

“May I join you and Arlo on your walk?” She looks into his eyes finally, they’re ocean deep and for the first time she feels like she can see Matthew. Not Matty Healy, the frontman or the guy trying to impress her in an interview, Matthew. The guy stood in front of her, petting her dog in his blue nike hoodie, sweatpants and sneakers. He looks like himself, not someone he is trying to be. She realizes she loves that about him. How comfortable he is in himself, how he can jus5 be Matty. She could only hope to have that level of confidence someday.

The rest of the walk is sublime, a picturesque day in her area of London. An ideal fall day, bright and sunny with still a nip in the air. They make their way to the Notting Hill Market. Matty still holding Arlo’s leash while Rooney scrolls on her phone to find some good walking music he may like. It is about a 15 minute journey to the market from where the two collided. Her iPhone begins to play No Matter What by Badfinger, one of her personal favorite bits of 70s music she would play while cooking. The harmonies, guitar riffs and percussion fill the air between them - Matty quietly whistling along to the tune. He always loved Badfinger and his dad would play it in their family car growing up - the fond memory of childhood planting a grin across his cheeks. Rooney continued selecting the music for their walk, not bothering with small talk since the two felt so comfortable in their quiet enjoyment of the afternoon together. Badfinger which turned into David Bowie then the Sex Pistols and The Clash finally finishing their walk with Supertramp.

Rooney made a note to herself to see if Matty liked her beloved Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Before she could ask, he had pulled her and Arlo towards a stall in the corner of the market.

“Hummingbird Bakery? I haven’t ever heard of this place, is it any good?” She quickly, albeit a bit nervously asks her companion.

“Best on Portabello Road, Sugar. Trust me.” He adds with a wink

“I never said I didnt, did I?” She adds with a smirk.

“Good. Hi Darling, A slice of the Halloween Batty Orange Chocolate Cheesecake and a pack of the assorted vegan cupcakes. Thank You!” Matty orders with a smile to the older woman working the stall.

“Here you go, dear and something for the adorable little munchkin down there. It’ll be 15 pounds.” The sweet woman informs, handing Rooney their treats as well as a pup cup for Arlo. Matty hands her some money and they thank her.

“Have a lovely rest of your outing , you two love birds!” She adds as they walk away.

“Oh we- we aren’t…. we’re not…” The pair stumble over each other frantically trying to correct her as Arlo eyed the pup cup ravenously hungry.

“Cute. Don’t worry, you’ll both realize it soon.” The woman winks and the two decide to just leave her be and enjoy the pastries at a bench nearby.

Matty takes a bite of the cheesecake and lets out what can only be described as a pornographic moan. He points at it, mouth full of sugar and hands it to Rooney. She mimics the action exaggeratedly throwing her head back.

“Fuckin hell, Healy! Who knew you had such good taste in sweets… and how did you know I loved chocolate oranges?” The redhead asks him once she’s passed the cheesecake slice back over and eaten her bite.

“You think my taste in sweets is good, you should see my dinner spots.”

“Not happening! Totally unprofessional, please I can’t be going on a date with the fuckin guy I’m writing an article about… are you mad?”

“Oh c’mon go on one date with me, Atkinson. I promise no funny business.” Matty says a silent prayer, he doesn’t miss the twinkle in her eyes when he says Atkinson. He takes another bite of the cake, humming in delight. He knows he is gonna win this. He passes her the pasty.

“Will it get you to leave me alone?” Please say no, please for the love of god let him say no. God, a date with him would rot her brain for good. God, why does this cheesecake have to be so good. She passes it back to him after her bite.

“Never. I'm addicted, sugar.” Another fucking wink, bite and pass. Jesus christ.

“Fine, Healy. Pick me up at 8pm, heres my London address.” She finishes the cheesecake, scrawls her address onto the wraper of the pastry and shoves it in his coat pocket roughly.

“Perfect. I’ll be counting the minutes.” He sings as she takes Arlo’s leash, her cupcakes and walks off. Fuckin hell, what has she gotten herself into.

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

SHREK 2, approaching its 20th anniversary, took in around $1.3 million this past weekend... In its first theatrical run since its original release.

I have a movie theater job, and I worked this past Friday. Spring break for many schools was this past week, and this week too. Those screenings on Friday at my cinema were often packed, and a lot of them were packed with kids. As in, kids who were born well after this movie originally hit theaters. And *after* SHREK FOREVER AFTER was released, at that.

Yeah, there's some multi-generational appeal there with SHREK and SHREK 2.

Some animation fans jeered at the SHREK movies back in the day, feeling that their early 2000s attitude and pop culture references-aplenty scripts would date them, ditto their art direction and design... But no, nostalgia is very strong, especially when it's passed down. These movies appeal to little kids today. The second PUSS IN BOOTS movie being more recent also helps.

It goes to show that at the end of the day, the characters and what the movie does with them can make something a long-lasting flavor.

And I'm saying this, as someone who is not the biggest fan of those movies myself. As a kid, I did *love* SHREK and SHREK 2. I was the perfect age for them, you could argue - I was 8 1/2 when SHREK came out, 11 1/2 when SHREK 2 hit. I could probably quote whole sections of them verbatim. I know it's sacrilege to say these things, but to me, the SHREK movies are basically the animated equivalent of late '90s/early '00s live-action comedies that were usually made for adults, but in PG-rated form. Set in a fractured fairy tale world with ogres and talking donkeys and dragons and such. If not for those fantastical elements, these movies could've been some '00s live-action comedies with hot stars. They just have that vibe to them, right down to their contemporary soundtracks.

I don't see the first two SHREK movies as the high-water marks of the animation medium that they were sometimes made out to be by critics who didn't see animation as anything other than babysitter fluff. In addition to feeling that MONSTERS, INC. deserved the inaugural Best Animated Feature Oscar over this film, I also never bought that the first two SHREKs were these "revolutionary" "adult" alternatives to whatever Disney had out at the time. There's a roughly 2-second scene in Ralph Bakshi's X-rated FRITZ THE CAT - from 1972 - that's a way better satire of Disney than this movie is said to be, haha. I know at least one person who doesn't really like animation, but they will admit that they liked SHREK. That tells me a lot... SHREK was an animated movie that managed to appeal to just about everybody, including folks who would otherwise not bother with cartoons. It just has that zazz to it... Their core appeal, well specifically, SHREK 1 & 2, is undeniable. How many other relatively chill, less formal comedies like this did you see in mainstream feature animation at the time? It's not zany like, say, Disney's similarly irreverent buddy comedy THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE from five months earlier, nor is it like Pixar's clever, tightly-plotted movies.

The first SHREK movie hit a sweet spot with a lot of American audiences at the right time. Adult audiences who were burnt out on Disney's Renaissance formula being repeated for each movie after THE LION KING, and especially all the movies made at other studios following their lead. Like ANASTASIA and QUEST FOR CAMELOT. Even DreamWorks' own THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, for that matter. These big, grandiose musical pictures... Certain young film fans nowadays will say "those movies went SO HARD", but back in the late '90s/early '00s, the attitude towards them was "Okay, enough of that already." They were often called things like "politically correct", that era's version of "woke". Audiences wanted an animated film that they could just laugh and have a fun time with, without the moral messaged in a specific way.

Adults had also avoided the slew of edgy action-adventure animated movies aimed at a demographic that would never be there, films like DreamWorks' THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, along with Disney's ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE and Fox's TITAN A.E.

So you have this particular landscape of animated features, circa early 2001... Big grandiose family-friendly musicals that have become rather traditional, and these action-adventures for preteen boys that few were interested in seeing in theaters. Few exceptions are in-between, like THE IRON GIANT, but those were ignored because of other circumstances. IRON GIANT by all means should've been a small respectable success back in 1999 at the very least, if not a sleeper hit/blockbuster, but distributor Warner Bros. didn't believe in it. That's the animated movie landscape of early 2001... and then this chill comedy with dick jokes and a gross-out factor to it comes along... Right place, right time, planets aligned... One person put it this way: SHREK was an animated movie that "you could have a beer with."

And to think that SHREK was at one point shaping up to be a cursed, troubled production. Something that animators were punished with. An impending bomberoo, a film that was stopped and restarted, that lurched through a tumultuous 5-year journey...

Then the sequel went on to break records in the spring/summer of 2004, a high that the later films in the franchise couldn't rekindle.

SHREK THE THIRD certainly made a lot of money back in 2007, it was the highest-grossing animated movie of that calendar year, beating out the likes of THE SIMPSONS MOVIE and RATATOUILLE... but I don't remember it landing the way SHREK 2 did. I remember seeing it opening weekend with my dad, my good friend, and his family... and... largely forgetting about it afterwards! I was in high school at the time, and had mentioned one day that a fourth one was coming. This was around late 2007, by the time SHREK 3 was out of theaters and close to DVD release. (And HD-DVD as well, remember that?) One of my classmates responded, "Ugh, they're making another one?" A new SHREK movie wasn't as novel and fresh by then, and when SHREK FOREVER AFTER came out in the spring of 2010, I remember everyone being hyped about TOY STORY 3 - opening less than a month later... Not a word on the fourth green ogre movie. SHREK 4 still made plenty of dough though, it was bigger worldwide than here. Then DreamWorks pumped the breaks on the green ogre, as FOREVER AFTER was billed as "The Final Chapter".

It's interesting to note that DreamWorks' original plan was to make five SHREK movies, and PUSS IN BOOTS would be a direct-to-video movie with the subtitle THE STORY OF AN OGRE KILLER. The fifth SHREK movie would've been a prequel, interestingly enough. But over time, as PUSS IN BOOTS graduated to theatrical feature film and was given to SHREK 3 director Chris Miller, the plans slightly changed...

PUSS IN BOOTS had a rather blah opening in fall 2011, no doubt fueled by franchise fatigue and arriving just a little over a year after SHREK 4... but the cat legged it up something fierce. Because it was pretty good, and for some, a return to form after two lackluster SHREK sequels. It was right for the time, too. An old-school swashbuckling adventure for the family, featuring a fan favorite character from the SHREK sequels. I'm not sure a Donkey or Gingy spin-off would've landed the same way, lol. I remember the early 2010s being a time of more sincere animated movies, a country mile from the ironic early 2000s attitude of the first SHREK movie and all of its imitators. PUSS IN BOOTS Uno was more in line with those kinds of movies, and some of the classic-style adventure movies that DreamWorks had out at the time, like HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON and the first two KUNG FU PANDA films. Their then-recent comedies, like MONSTERS VS. ALIENS and THE CROODS, leaned in a more cartoony and wacky direction. The early 2010s, to reiterate, were way different from the early 2000s in terms of animated movie output. What goes on in the world moves the needle as much as the pop culture does, indeed.

So then, some 11 years and at least one period in limbo later, PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH comes out. An exciting reinvention of the whole franchise, and arriving after a decade-long void where SHREK became something of a meme. Add in nostalgia, word-of-mouth, THE LAST WISH was a gradual trip back into the world of SHREK for many audiences. A big hit in the end, and a beloved movie. It's certainly my favorite movie in this series, for sure. I still find it neat how they didn't just do the safe thing and simply make a SHREK 5 after Comcast acquired them, no. They stuck to that long-gestating PUSS IN BOOTS sequel and saw it through first, as a sort-of lead in to new SHREK movies... And still did something amazing with it, when it could've just been another typical-style SHREK universe movie. It could've also been the movie that it was initially planned to be.

I have no doubt that SHREK PLEADS THE FIFTH, when it hits in a few years, probably makes a good run at highest-grossing animated movie of all-time. SHREK 2 was just that for six years. $919m back in 2004 - without 3D, IMAX, and other such premium formats - was **massive**. TOY STORY 3 took the crown thereafter, and held onto that for three years. SHREK 5's target to beat is the 2019 CG remake of THE LION KING, $1.6 billion. If you don't count that, FROZEN II with $1.4 billion.

I wonder if this re-release of SHREK 2 sparks Universal and DreamWorks to re-release other older films of theirs. Maybe even one that didn't do so hot back in the day? This year also happens to be SHARK TALE's 20th, and MONSTERS VS. ALIENS' 15th. 2014 saw the release of three movies: MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, and PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR. 2019 saw the arrival of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD and ABOMINABLE.

Who knows...

I think they should re-release animated movies more often, no matter the studio. The SHREK 2 re-release opened wider than the three recent Pixar first-time ever theatrical runs of movies that went straight to Disney+, and people turned out for it. It also helps that the movie is that old, whereas those three Pixars aren't that old. SOUL, the oldest of that trio, came out Christmas 2020. Not even four years ago.

Now, if Disney re-released a Pixar film wide like - say - THE INCREDIBLES this year, I'd imagine it'd get *some* traction like this SHREK 2 re-release did. Or if Disney did the same to an animated feature like LILO & STITCH. Remember those 3D re-releases of various Disney Animation and Pixar films? THE LION KING did quite well in 2011, while everything else barely made half of that... But still quite a bit nonetheless. $40m+ for, say, FINDING NEMO in 2012 is something a new animated feature would fight for today.

Every year, my cinema does the Studio Ghibli fest. Most of the beloved movies... Ya know, little tiny unheard-of movies like SPIRITED AWAY and PRINCESS MONONOKE? Always sold out to the front row.

The original KUNG FU PANDA ran for a few weeks earlier this year in the lead-up to KUNG FU PANDA 4, and a few people showed up for those screenings.

Yeah... More re-release of animated movies, please. Plus, they're great to experience on the big screen again.

[msfbgraves]

From the creators of "Daniel was the real bully all along", aka "Cobra Kai"...

We have Ralphie hinting at a "Daniel second guesses Miyagi-Do, aka Miyagi-Do has always been evil".

Look, Ralphie loves hanging out with Billy for these promos and I love seeing them together because they deserve to have a good time really they do. Yuji, Billy and Ralphie deserve to enjoy themselves because they have brought their absolute A games to the show and it shows and I love them for it.

But ffs, creators. I know you felt so called out by a film about a sweet boy teaching us that bullying is evil and that fighting can be a form of self-expression and helping others rather than a pissing contest in which people get killed you had to make a whole show about why bullies are cool actually, absent fathers are dope and kindness doesn't exist because there is no kindness without an ulterior, sinister motive. Because you haven't been kind a single day in your life and even though some part of your conscience has survived for long enough to understand that there is something wrong with that, making you feel bad, you have spent over six years of your life propping up your ego instead. It had to be somebody else's fault. It had to be Daniel's fault. It has to be Miyagi's fault No way that can't have been secretly evil, and we're going to expose it! Because repeatedly saving someone's life, as Miyagi has done for Daniel, can't not be sus, right? Trying to beat someone to death, now, that is upfront manly behaviour. Saying like it is. All this stealthy defense stuff? There's gotta be something going on there, right? They should have killed Daniel and been on their way in film 1, then the Cobras could have had some sympathising manpain and gotten laid after beating up more people for existing. That is how you live a good life! But no, so now we have to right the wrongs perpetuated by films that tell you that a kind handyman can help you beat up a rich bully while also understanding that this bully was probably a product of his environment he was too young to understand was harmful. Can't have that! That would make them wrong! And they can't be wrong, see? They wrote a story too! So there! Pussies!

My only hope is that Ralph has directed an episode of this first bunch and has always done his best to keep infusing this garbage fire with kindness. I know Daniel can be a little saintly, but his heart, that's all Ralph. And the love between Billy and Ralph is also incredibly sincere. So I know they'll do their best with it, and Ralph acts in between lines anyway. But the underlying message since season three at the lastest has been so terribly unkind. In a show about manhood, apparently, they keep celebrating

-Not taking responsibility

-Solving every problem with violence

-Equating kindness with either weakness or deceit

And that is how recognise that these are boys who are never going to grow up. Taking responsibility, practicing restraint and choosing to be kind because you understand basic empathy is how you become an adult. That is what the karate kid franchise taught! The value of hard work, taking responsibility, protecting others and choosing kindness wherever possible. To have this so called homage literally trying to undermine that message at every turn, is feeling like some kind of moral injury.

I will always be grateful to the series for introducing me to these characters. But I am so sick of middle aged men taking over a beloved series about what it takes for men to be decent, be it Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Who or The Karate Kid, and basically raping it to death in the guise of appreciation.

[thealmightyemprex]

80's Fantasy month :Time Bandits

Welcome to 80's Fantasy month where I shall look at classics of 80's fantasy ,starting with a personal childhood favorite

A young boy named Kevin(Craig Warnock ) is whisked away by the Time Bandits (David Rappaport ,Kenny Baker,Jack Purvis ,Malcolm Dixon ,Mike Edmonds and Tiny Ross ) ,servents of the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson)who have decided to use a map to various holes in time to get stinking rich ,unfortunately they are being watched by Evil (David Warner )who wants to use the map to take over the universe

This is a film that feels diffrent watching as a kid then as adult .As a kid the creativity and imganitive visuals are what stood out to me ,but as an adult its the cynical humor . I love the tactile look of the world,you feel the grime and dirt ,and I adore the costume design from the Bandits whose costumes are made of bits and bobs from diffrent eras to Evil who has a biomechanical look fitting his obseeion with technology .CErtain visuals have stuck with me since I was a kid like the giant with a ship as a hat ,or the minotaur who I cant tell is just a guy wearing a dead bull head or is a legit minotaur .The cynical humor really stands out to me as an adult from the fact the great figures,mythical and historical tend to not be as great as youd expect them to be ,to God being less this wise beneovlent being and more a grumpy kind of distracted guy ,to the Bandits not really being heroes but just a bunch of guys trying to make a quick buck to the ending which didnt work for me as a kid but works now for me

The film is full of guest stars who do their small parts really well with IAn Holm as a height obsessed Napoleon, John Cleese as a faux friendly Robin Hood ,Michael Palin and Shelley Duvall as starcrossed lovers ,Peter Vaughn as an Ogre with a bad back,Katherine Helmond as his wife (Apparently it was her idea for her to be human while he is an ogre,and that makes it even funnier that they are just so lovey dovey ) ,legendary Shakesperian actor Ralph Richardson appears as the Supreme Being ,and even Sean Connery appears perfectly cast as Kevins pseudo father figure Aggamenon (If I have a complaint with the film I do wish they were able to do the finale as originally intended with him coming to aid Kevin in the final battle but cest la vie )

David Warner is scene stealing as Evil.Warner is perfectly cast being both sinister but really funny as he discusses how understanding digital watches ,Car telephones and VCR's will help rule the universe .He balances the comedy well while still being a classic fantasy bad guy .I love the final battle where he is just easilly taking down every attack thrown at him

Kevin is a solid lead,a kid interested in history who is the voice of reason among chaos.The Bandits themselves are great,all 6 actors are wonderful,though I think the standouts have to be David Rappaport as the egotistical Randall ,Jack Purvis as the tough Wally and Kenny Bakker as the friendkly Fidget

Overall this is a funny and wonderfully creative movie and if you havent seen it give it a watch

@amalthea9 @angelixgutz @the-blue-fairie @ariel-seagull-wings@princesssarisa@makingboneboy@themousefromfantasyland @theancientvaleofsoulmaking

[natdrinkstea]

tagged by @chiropteracupola and @dxppercxdxver :3 time for you all to judge my taste in books!

rules: list ten books that have stayed with you in some way, don’t take but a few minutes, and don’t think too hard - they don’t have to be the “right” or “great” works, just the ones that have touched you.

putting this under a cut because I hate making long posts. the rules up there say "don't take but a few minutes and don't think too hard" but I don't know how to do Either of those things. this post is Long. you've been warned.

1. is, of course, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making by Cat Valente. It's a wonderful, clever story that absolutely ruined the way I view fantasy, devotion, and girlhood at a young age. It's beautiful and magical and devastating AND I LOVE IT!!!!

2. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. I post about this series all the time but I never really express how much it means to me? It's about a friendship that's so strong it defies all odds, it's about finding magic in the mundane, it's about being a weird little guy with anxiety who's trying to be braver.

3. The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under The Whispering Door by TJ Klune (they are tied). SORRY FOR THE BOOKTOK MOMENT LOL but these novels are about finding love at an older age in an unexpected place!!! about relishing little moments with people you care about in a world that's beautiful! and the way klune writes introspection really feels like how I Think. it's like a magnifying glass into my brain

4. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. another one I post a lot about that seems very out of left field considering the rest of the list! but it was recommended to me at a hard time by one of my closest friends, and the incredibly intelligent and thoughtful way it uses Words and Language to express both Horror and Humanity has had SO MUCH influence on how I want to write

5. Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White. This novel captures queer rage in a way that feels deeply personal and wildly cathartic, and the desperation and passion with which Benji views the world and the people he cares about feels the same. Also it helped me get over my fear of meat 👍hooray, meat!

6. Now this is getting hard. um. Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir <3 sorry to put a popular book again but listen. it's about humanity and how ugly and brutal and full of love we are. it's about being so painfully Normal and Alive in a world that's trying to keep what you love from you. It's about eating breakfast and petting a dog and swimming in the sea and it's UNAPOLOGETIC IN IT'S HONESTY. IT'S SO HEALING TO THE INNER CHILD TO SEE NONA LOVE SO FIERCELY

7. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. listen. it's not a great book. it's stereotype-y and gross and kind of boring but. when you're in fifth grade and very neurodivergent but trying very, very hard not to let yourself show it, reading about a girl who is proudly Weird and Impulsive and Kind and Creative is like finally getting to see what you could be if you were a little less afraid. she was a manic pixie dream girl but she was mine, y'know?

8. (at this point I'm getting up to look at my bookshelf)

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. Again, hugely different from the rest of this list, but probably the book I read in high school that I felt was most worth my time. Stunning, earnest writing and a deeply human story. I could go on for probably an hour about how clever Ellison's imagery is, and how powerful a choice as small as leaving your protagonist nameless can be. If anything on this terrible list is required reading, it's this

9. similarly, The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I read this book for school, but by choice, and I kind of hated it! Not gonna lie! But something about how batshit insane it is left a huge impression on me. While it's wildly unrealistic and often frustrating, there are little bits of earnest grief and uncomfortably close-to-home interactions that make it feel like it Could happen. The way it describes parent-child relationships makes me want to escape my mortal flesh due to feeling Too Seen.

IF YOU READ ALL OF THAT WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!!!!!! anyway @haijinks @neonphoenix @human-sweater-vest @lasaraleen @samwisegamwise I'd love to see your ten books but there is No Pressure :3 love u !

10. FINALLY THE END! FUCK YOU! PERCY JACKSON!!! it's so funny and clever and diverse and ACCURATE! twelve year olds are little shits who want desperately to run away from their parents and make friends and have adventures! it made my sense of humor what it is, it introduced me to a blonde female protagonist who was INTELLIGENT AND BRAVE (things I always thought I was but was afraid to be)!!!!! and, most importantly, my first thought upon receiving my adhd diagnosis a week ago (it's been about five years since I last read pjo), was "wow. I'm one step closer to being a half-blood".

EDIT: there are bonus books in the replies that my dumb brain forgot ab until rn if u wanna see :]

[dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram]

Hi Ralph, what can you say about Louis being emotionally intelligent during these album signings?

That's a really interesting question anon. I've been fascinated with how Louis navigates signings since the first Walls signing. I feel like it brings together a lot of very specific skills. I'm actually reluctant to discuss it simply in terms of 'emotional intelligence', because I think that rather flattens what's going on. He's using a set of inter-related skills for work and I think it's useful to explore what they are.

Regular readers of this tumblr will not be surprised that I want to focus on the work context first. The first important thing about record signings is that they're using the promise of connection to sell albums. The whole set-up is providing that connection in as efficient way as possible. It does make me think of Taylorism (Frederick not Swift) and I think fan discussions often miss that the first imperative is that it goes as fast as possible. Fandom discussion of the requests not to film Louis rarely mentioned that people go faster when they're not filming things - and I suspect that was the most important reason (and Louis' arm made it even more important not to drag out the event). And I don't think Louis' skills can be understood without starting from that tension - the goal is to give the feeling of connection in as limited time as possible.

So what makes him so good at it? The first aspect is just presence - he's able to absolutely focus on the person he's meeting. That's not an unusual skill - lots of people have it and lots more people have developed it, but he is very good at it. And he's good at it because he is in the moment, not performing being in the moment. I was reminded of the infamous video of Liam on the Arias red carpet where - Louis is present at these signings.

But more than that, Louis is engaging with people who have given him, and this interaction, a huge amount of meaning. People deal with this in different ways, some try and have banter, some are crying, but it's this very intense moment. Louis accepts that meaning and finds somewhere to meet them. He has had practice in some of this - 1D members have had a lot of opportunities to develop their skills in how to respond to young women crying in their presence. But it's the sheer range of how many different ways people respond to being near him and the meaning he's given.

I think there are two things that make him so good at this - one, which I've mentioned in lots of different contexts, is the way he brings a real brotherly energy to the way he interacts with fans. It's a way of being safe and comforting, but also gives him great range to meet people with humour and camaraderie. That ability to build on that particular energy is really important.

Then the final and most important thing is boundaries - having boundaries, knowing what his boundaries are and knowing how to enforce them without breaking that connection (again brotherly energy really helps with that). A key part of Louis' job is to keep the chain moving and he's really good at doing that. In addition, he's incredible at not engaging with things he doesn't want to engage with in an environment where fans can say literally anything to him and he has to assume he's on camera as it happens.

********

So those are the skills I think he's using and why I find it mesmerising to watch videos

But I think it's only possible, because he genuinely gets something out of it. And a lot of fandom discussion of this is all 'he loves us and he's a good person because he loves us' - and I hate all of that. I don't think there's any virtue in how you interact with fans - and hating fans is a completely legitimate position for anyone to take. But it's become increasingly clear - astonishingly clear when he goes to the barricade with a broken arm - that he really gets something from interacting with fans. You see it in the signings, but it's present in so much else he does (including how relaxed he is when a small group of fans hang around outside when he's recording and rehearsing).

It's not at all unusual for an artist to get something out of interactions with fans, that is part of the point. But I think what I find so fascinating is that Louis has a lot more reason to be anxious than most (as the ask I just posted suggested) and seems far more relaxed than most. It is the central conundrum of the moment.

[oswednesday]

What media property would you want to be the world you're from in a kingdom hearts esqe thing? Like, as a Disney world scenario or the final fantasy hub world stuff, or the end game world is fucked scenarios that occasionally appear.

Id want some vaporwave shit like paradise killer but like, being one of the young adults working as a camp counselor at like a goosebumps type thing would be cool too.

omg lets brainstorm, i liked in earlier games and find me missing in the era of games im in right now is like, built in shop where you have to get items only from here, a bunch of different shop designs were adopted around this time but i think it adds something to be mildly inconvenienced by commerce, so maybe its a huge vaporwavey shop world? theres gacha arcade stuff for like secret bonus ending collectables to get here and a keyblade to get here along with regular collectables and items? the wreck it ralph characters could be there imagine, how concept two would work out im not sure but i think the characters from parasite eve should be there

but re: me, beneath this Cut

i like the idea of the game which contains this reality would have multiple play things unlocked so its like a new game plus world situation? like you can see it sometimes on the map but you cant really get to it and there would be others like that! theyd be locked behind like requirements like kill a thousand enemies or something like that

what the kh world is based on is lost early conceptual draft for an animated film from the early princess era, the common belief is that it was scrapped for the sweeter snow white story and when some concept art was found many years later it contributed to the art direction of the black cauldron, (in this reality) mamoru hosoda and kōji morimoto co-direct under studio 4 C the now fully animated movie length release of "sighs blow the cradle" (usa and elsewhere titled: lullaby for princesses), the movie is distributed globally via disney

obvi the sequence of events is a bit different in the movie than the game, kh replacing bedtime stories of adventure within the world with like kh lore, and of course the endings majorly differ, the princess* escapes as a rabbit into the garden and the prince cannot/or chooses to not tell the rabbit apart from the Real rabbits in the garden, and vows to take care of the land until he can, the princesses all move back into the treehouse like castle and help out in a dialog-less montage, which does not happen in kh; they remain on their princess adventures instead, which imo is the better story, but theyre representative of like time and war so them settling down is like, significant, to a world so based around violence, i get what they were going for

[avatarskywalker78]

🗣️ 📝

🗣️Talk about your favourite WIP

Currently I'm really excited about Part 2 of The Shieldmaiden Saga - mainly because I've been working out ways to make it work, such as less POVs and also putting the whole thing onto one document rather than having each chapter seperate - it'll be posted as chapters, but writing it as one thing will, I think, make it easier. Steph's mentor status is going made clear in this one (even if she denies it because she's too young to be a mentor dammit) with Joss, Griffin, and Lea (her intern who also turns out to have powers) being the mentees, and of course her friendships with Eddie, Alyssa, Ralph and Hartley her are also going to be centre stage.

We're also going to see some more of Steph's flaws, mainly her ability to hold a grudge - directed at Barry (Steph's willing to try and get him out of Well's clutches, but this is outside of that, so it's complicated).

📝Share a snippet of an unposted WIP, with or without context.

“You didn’t know me, Riley, you had no reason to trust me.”

“But I did have a reason to trust Buffy, and I didn’t when I should’ve. And then you saved my life, and I’ve realised that I still have a lot to learn because I didn’t extend any trust to you when I know the world’s not so black and white and never was.”

“You’ve been going through a lot.” Angel pointed out.

“Come on, man, I’m trying to apologise here.”

This is from my Angel & Riley fic, where Angel doesn't immediately try and beat up Riley because all he sees is a young man in need of help - this takes place some time later and is a key turning point in their relationship.

Wip ask game

[bookswordsworlds]

SLEEPING GIANTS by Rene Denfeld

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐  -  A compelling story of trauma and the life that comes after it.

I can't honestly say what put me on to this book, but I have no doubt the cover was a factor. Robin Bilardello's work in designing it is nothing short of a masterpiece, not only for the compelling emotion and power it conveys, but also as it leads directly into the first chapter of Rene Denfeld's work.

Opening on Dennis, a young boy throwing himself into a violent see to escape the violence that has plagued his all too short life, Sleeping Giants tells the story of the twenty-year fallout of this event when the young boy's sister comes to the small seaside town of Eagle Cove, Oregon looking to solve the mystery of the brother she never new.

Amanda connects with Larry, a retired, widowed police office who has moved to the seaside town out of respect for his wife's dying wish. Finding little to do in a town where the waves strike so violently that even walking along the beach can be deadly, Larry becomes engrossed in Amanda's mission, helping her ford the chasms erected by the brusque locals.

The unlikely pair learn that most of Dennis's young life was spent in a now-closed orphanage occupying the periphery of the town. This begins a parallel story structure revealing Dennis's past life in the institution and Amanda and Larry's present attempts to solve the mystery of his disappearance.

Overall, this novel surprised me. In the hands of many other writers, this would have been a bleak and depressing tale, devoid of hope. In Denfeld's hands, the bleak and depressing aspects of the tale are held at bay by the innocence, wonder, and hope that she is able to imbue into her characters, especially Amanda and Dennis.

On top of that, while there are no tentpole events between the dramatic beginning and the final third of the novel, the story never slows, and I never found myself losing interest in it. While the voice of the characters is one significant reason for this, I also think it has to do with the choice of perspective, characters, and setting.

Amanda is sweet, innocent, and a little naive - as she says of herself, "slow, not stupid." Suffering front an undiagnosed mental disability, the lens through which she navigates the increasingly dangerous mystery is captivating and refreshing.

Similarly, Eagle Cove is brilliant setting, symbolically reinforcing the idea that secrets and violence simmer just below the surface of land and person alike.

I didn't care for the Alaska sequence in the late stages of text, and I actually thought some of the violence - none of it too graphic - was out of place in this story - a little too Hollywood for the very real story being told. But overall, this was a bracing and hopeful story.

Favourite Moment? Really any of the moments spent on the dangerous beaches of Eagle Cove and those with the character of Ralph, the janitor.

Who Should Read It? Anyone looking for hope and healing. Teachers and anyone working with difficult children would benefit from this perspective. Readers in a slump looking to be reinvigorated in the power of the written word.

Rating & Content Concerns? 14A. This deals with young boys in an institution, and unfortunately that brings in discussions of abuse. There are fleeting mentions of sexual abuse and conversion therapy, but the main form encountered is "Holding Therapy," a real practice once thought to be beneficial before it resulted in the death of half a dozen children and the trauma of countless more. Denfeld's novel is a response to her knowledge of it through her own foster children, and the novel describes it in chilling first person accounts that are disturbing though not overly graphic.

SLEEPING GIANTS by Rene Denfeld

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐  -  A compelling story of trauma and the life that comes after it.

[naomikozura]

Might As Well Be Looking At Us

Actor!Satoru Gojo x Model!Reader (reader is afab)

Warnings: some cursing, tabloids making some crazy headlines, nothing major (let me know if I missed anything!)

A/N: I was listening to Slut! by Taylor Swift and idk a actor x model story just popped into my head, plus the song is really good so it’s just a nice vibe.

W/C: 3.7k

Super Model Y/n L/n Spotted With New Flame?

Has Actor Satoru Gojo Found Another Name To Add To His List Of Love Interests?

Actor Satoru Gojo Seen Spotted with Jewelry Hieress

World Famous Model Y/n L/n Seen With Japanese Billionaire At A Charity Dinner

Satoru Gojo spotted with Co-Star Mei Mei, New Flame or Publicity Stunt For New Movie?

Super Model Y/n L/n Sparking New Romance With Toji Fushiguro, Japan's Most Notable Business Man

Satoru Gojo: Japan's Playboy Bachelor

Y/n L/n: Japan's Most Beloved Model and Most Eligible Bachelorette

• • •

Tonight was the night of the benefit dinner held by the Zen’in Foundation. They were raising money to help fund a new school system within Tokyo, especially to help kids who’s parents couldn’t afford the tuition at many prestigious schools for their children. The head of board, Maki Zen’in, was passionate about helping these families. She too had once been apart of a family that accepted a grant to go and study for her future. It’s what led to the rise of the Zen’in Foundation. It was inspiring how someone so young could rise to the occasion so quickly.

The night was filled with lively music, photographers, endless trays of champagne and hors d’oevre for the attending guests. Servers in fancy tuxedos walked around while serving drinks, the giant ballroom full of all types of Japan’s elite. Actors, models, businessmen and women, philanthropists, fashion designers, magazine editors, heiresses, photographers, musicians. This night had the greatest turn out in the history of the Foundation.

Outside the Gala, was an onslaught of paparazzi, magazine interviewers, and fans of the most renowned people attending the event. The flashes of lights blinded nearly every person who stopped to pose for the photographers, letting them capture their outfit for the night with their plus one in attendance.

The loud chatter seemed to die when a familiar black van with tinted windows pulled to the curb, security ensuring the attendee inside made it out safely. The flashes stopped for a split second as the door opened and a head of white hair appeared.

Dressed in custom tailored Ralph Lauren suit, and a white shirt nicely layered underneath his suit jacket, wearing black dress shoes and his hair done in a messy yet proper style, Satoru Gojo stepped out into the flood of screams as chaos erupted. Fans waving posters for autographs and photographers calling his name for a photo.

His charming smile spread across his face as he grabbed a few pens, signing posters, taking photos with fans, and saying hello to others. Satoru enjoyed meeting fans regardless of what his PR manager said. He was a famous Actor who needed to be more careful. He didn’t care, he enjoyed meeting the people who loved him.

“Satoru! What new project are you working on?”

“Satoru Gojo, is it true that you have a new lover you’re keeping secret?”

“Gojo! What size shoe are you!”

“Satoru over here!"

“I have a question for you Mr. Gojo!”

He smiled as he looked up, the screaming of photographers seeming to die down as another van pulled up to the event. Satoru looked at the car from the poster he was signing, walking towards the entrance of the catwalk as he waited patiently for the door to open.

As the security opened the door, a beautiful woman dressed in a stunning golden dress. A sweetheart neckline with a one shoulder style, the dress tightly around her waist as the train followed behind her delicately. She wore golden heels to match her attire, her h/c hair down with the front slicked back and pushed behind her ears. The moment she stepped out of the vehicle and looked up, the crowd exploded into screams and flashes of lights.

Satoru felt his breath get stolen right from his lungs and his words trapped in his throat. He’d never seen anyone look so regal, classy, so… perfect.

“Miss L/n, Who are you here with?”

“Y/n, Y/n over here!”

“Y/n L/n, is it true you and Mr. Toji Fushiguro are secretly in a relationship or is it a different billionaire?”

"Y/n, Is Mr Fushiguro secretly funding your lifestyle?"

“Y/n!”

Y/n L/n.

A well known super model throughout the country of Japan and even every country on this side of the world. You had grown into your fame, always holding yourself to a high standard and never letting the tabloids know too much about your life.

Of course Satoru had heard about you, seen you in magazines and on the tv but he never seen you in person.

You were more perfect in person than he’d ever imagined. It was the first time someone had taken his breath away in god knows how long. In ever actually.

You posed beautifully for photos, your smile fitting your face perfectly as you made sure to show off the details of your gorgeous gown.

You kept walking until one of the security grabbed your hand, helping you up the stairs. Satoru snapped out of his dazed look, making his way through the photography tent and walking inside after posing for a quick moment.

He tried to find you but you had already slipped into the crowd. A server walked by with a tray of champagne and he requested a whiskey neat instead, the server nodding before heading to the bar.

“Satoru!”

“Suguru! Hey, long time no see!”, Satoru greeted his old friend from his high school days. Suguru Geto had become a famous stunt actor, fighting and doing crazy stunts in all his films that he was up for a lot of awards for his work.

“How is everything? How’s that new movie working out for you?”

“Man, you have no idea. I have to do a million things for one scene and it’s exhausting but hey, it’s what pays the bills right?”

The two of them laughed, catching up on their busy lives before Satoru noticed Suguru look behind him, his eyes flickering with a desired look. Satoru turned, seeing the very person holding his friend’s gaze.

You.

You were talking to Utahime Iori, a famous fashion designer and Shoko Ieiri, a well known surgeon and doctor in Tokyo. From the looks of it, it would seem the three of you had known each other for years. You smiled at them as the three of you laughed over something that Satoru couldn’t quite make out.

“She’s better looking in person, don’t you think?”, Suguru asked as Satoru looked at him from the corner of his eye.

“Yeah, I didn’t think someone could look so good honestly.”, he admitted, his blue eyes caught in a daze.

“You think she’ll take my number if I give it to her?”

“Doesn’t she turn down guys all the time?”, Satoru mentioned, remembering watching an interview of yours online about your love life being strictly yours and you often turned down random men who asked for your time.

“Yeah but I mean, I’m sure they’re bums or something. I’m sure for us it’ll be easier, right?”, Suguru smirked before placing his empty whiskey glass on a server tray, straightening his suit and walking towards you.

Satoru leaned on the standing table, watching to see how the scene would play out in front of him. Suguru reached you as you excused yourself from Shoko and Utahime.

“I’m Y/n, it’s nice to meet you in person Suguru. I’ve heard a lot about your movies and all those stunts you do. I’m surprised you don’t have more scars than you show”

“I mean, it’s hard work but all worth it in the end if it means doing something I love”, he smiled flirtatiously, cool and suave, as he listened to you talk about your favorite movie of his. It made Suguru feel prideful knowing he had even an inkling of your attention.

“Well, how about you? Model of the Year?”, he said as you took a sip of your champagne.

“Oh, I mean.”, you smiled, looking at your glass before looking up at him. “There are.. a lot of amazing women up for the award this year. I think it’s good to empower women to keep working for that goal, you know? Even if I don’t win, atleast another woman who worked just as hard will and I think that’s what matters the most”

Satoru couldn’t help but feel antsy, he wanted to know what the two of you were talking about. Was he being obvious in hitting on you? You were smiling a lot, your body language seemed open and relaxed. Suguru was a lot more smooth and popular with women than he let on. The tabloids always made him out to be a gentleman because of his respectful persona whereas they made Satoru look like a player because of his friendliness.

“Well, I don’t want to take up your time from your friends, Y/n. I just wanted to see if you’d be interested in dinner sometime, just the two of us.”, Suguru said it almost as a statement, not questioning himself because he knew most women liked when men took the initiative to ask them on dates.

You smiled at him, before you placed your empty drink on a server tray and turned to him again.

“I’d love to, Suguru.” you started, his inner thoughts celebrating. “But, I don’t think it would be a good time right now. I have a lot to focus on at the moment, but if you want to grab a coffee as friends we can definitely do that”

There’s no way, right?

You just friendzoned Suguru.

He smiled at you, handing you a small card with his number on it.

“I’d love to grab coffee as friends sometime”, he smiled as you grabbed the card, giving him a gentle hug as he walked back towards where Satoru sat.

“Dude… No way she just hugged you”

“Well she did”, Suguru said as he grabbed the second round of whiskey from the tray. “She also friendzoned the shit out of me”

Satoru tried to control his expression. Did you really turn down the heartthrob Suguru Geto? The one every woman considered a catch? Gentleman, charming, smart, talented, funny, rich? He wondered why.

The night continued with small talk, a few speeches, and a dance floor before opening into the donation event. The auction would happen right after dinner was served, leaving room for more socializing and networking.

You had walked over to the balcony, excusing yourself from your friends and letting yourself get a breather after a long day of work followed by this event. You were tired to say the least, but you liked attending these events, especially for the cause Maki Zen’in had organized it for. You were once in a position like hers, not having enough money to attend school so your parents went into debt because of it. Once you became a successful model, you were able to pay off all your family’s debt and move them to a nicer home.

You let your thoughts wander as you made your way out of the big ballroom. You found a small staircase that led to the floor below the mansion, following it into the garden that had a pool in the middle filled with water lilies and a few koi fish. You smiled at how beautiful the moonlight reflected off the water, taking in the cool breeze of the night.

“Needed to get away for a bit, huh?”, you turned to look at the voice behind you, your eyes widening at seeing the infamous white haired actor. He looked absolutely devastating, like he was groomed into this life.

“Yeah, too many people. It’s starting to get overwhelming”, you admitted. You didn’t have a care in the world admitting even you got tired of attending social events.

“I get the feeling. It’s like, once you become famous enough you suddenly have to be okay with attending more events than you can keep track of.”, he laughed, his humor reaching your ears as you smiled.

“Exactly. Why do we have to come to these things? The only reason I’m here is for the Zen’in Foundation.”

“You know the Zen’ins?”, Satoru asked softly. There was no need to talk too loud if it was just the two of you. The music from above creating good background noise.

“Only Maki, she was a child when I met her but her mother knew mine. They were good friends but even though we have quite an age difference, we still support each other regardless”, you smile at the memory of your friendship with Maki. She was almost like a little sister to you.

“It’s good to keep family ties. Not many people can say they still have them”, he breathed as he looked at you with calm eyes. Your eyes met his in a calm way, the blue reflecting in the moonlight.

“So, what is the infamous Satoru Gojo doing out here with little me?”, you asked playfully, watching as he straightened and removed his suit jacket, throwing it on a nearby chair.

“Wondering what I can do to get the gorgeous Y/n L/n to dance with me?”, he said as he stretched a hand out to you, a slow song playing softly from above. A dance waltz. You smiled at him, grabbing his hand, before you pulled away.

“If we’re not being formal,”, you said as you took off your painful heels, tossing them to the side as you grabbed his hand again. “They were killing my feet”

“No complaints here”, he smirked as your placed a hand on your waist and you placed your hand on his shoulder and the other clasped in his.

The both of you moved in sync with the music, you missing a few steps as you tripped but laughed it off as he chuckled. His humor filling the air as the two of you talked softly about your lives, not saying too much but enough to keep the conversation going. He twirled you in a final move before bowing you, his eyes meeting yours before pulling you back upright as the song ended.

“Satoru Gojo. Who would’ve guessed you were such a skilled dancer?” you smirked.

“And who would’ve guessed you had two left feet?”, he whispered back as he smiled. You laughed at him before sitting down in the chair, putting your heels back on and looking out at the small pool.

“For being a model, it’s hard to dance. I’m coordinated in walking the runway not stealing the dance floor”

“You’re an interesting person, Y/n”, you raised an eyebrow at his comment. “Don’t get me wrong, I think you’re amazing. Beyond amazing honestly, but you’re interesting.”

“Care to explain, Satoru?” why did you saying his name give him chills. He felt warm inside.

“It’s just, it feels like everyone is so… superficial.” He shrugs. “It’s nice to see someone care about their family, you know? Most people just care about rising to the top, being the best of the best for money or fame but you seem to only have your family in mind through it all.”

You didn’t say anything as you soaked in his words, watching as he pulled his lips into a charming smile.

“Suguru told me about your thoughts on being nominated for Model of the Year. I think there needs to be more women like you. Happy for whoever wins because they worked just as hard, even if you don’t physically see their work. It’s admirable”

“You flatter me.”, you smile. “I think it’s true though. Sometimes I wish people saw me for me instead of this super model. Why can’t we be nominated for awards for who we are instead of what we are? I know some girls in the industry who feel the same too.” you smiled sadly, catching yourself before you ruined the mood. You weren’t about to dump your heart and soul to someone who was trying to keep the mood happy. “What about you? What makes you different than all the superficial people in that room?”, you asked, turning the attention to Satoru.

“I started acting to get away from my family. I just wanted to prove that you can do whatever you want despite of the plan your family has for you. In my case, they wanted me to do business like the rest of them but I decided to stray. They disowned me but I didn’t really care, I just wanted to break away from that cycle of ‘Your life will go the way we planned it! There is no room for anything else!’. It’s lame but you know”

“I think it’s admirable”

“Oh now you’re flattering me”, he looked at you while laughing.

“Honest”, you raised your hands then leaned on your palm. “I think there needs to be people who break generational issues, especially if they aren’t what you really want to pursue in life”

“Yeah, I suppose so”, Satoru smiled at you as you tucked your hair back. He stood from his chair, stretching his arms as he grabbed his jacket and stretched a hand out to you.

“Shall we go back?”, you took his hand, his gentle touch bringing you warmth.

“You don’t think the photographers will think you have another name to add to your list?”, you joked.

“I think we both know what bullshit those tabloids are. Besides, they saw you going out with Toji Fushiguro to a restaurant to surprise his wife for her birthday and they assumed you two were dating”, he rolled his eyes, annoyed at the ridiculousness of the media.

You laughed as you shrugged. “Look, to be fair, they don’t know he’s married, so I get how it looks like that. But yeah, it’s pretty stupid”

Satoru liked that you joked about the stories the magazines and media published, especially with 99% of the time, none of it was true.

The two of you walked up and back into the ballroom, waving him goodbye as you went back to Utahime and Ieiri and he went back to Suguru Geto and a new face, a young up and coming horse racer, Yu Haibara.

“Where were you?!”, Utahime said brightly, Ieiri eyeing you as if you were up to something suspicious.

“Nothing, I just went outside for some fresh air”

“And you come back with the Satoru Gojo?”, Ieiri poked.

Across the room, Suguru and Haibara eyes Satoru as he smiled while taking a sip of his drink and seemed in a better mood all together.

“What has you all giddy?”, Suguru asked.

“I know what it is”, Haibara smirked, wrapping an arm around Gojo. “He walked back in with Miss Y/n L/n”

“What? No way,” Suguru looked over at you as you raised her hands in defense as Utahime pondered you with questions. “What happened?”

“Nothing. Went out for some fresh air, she was there, we talked, and then we came inside. That’s all.”

“That smile doesn’t say ‘That’s All’. More happened you dog.”, Satoru just shrugged, wanting your short lived moment to be just between the two of you.

The night went on and ended around midnight. Satoru was tired, his body sore from months worth of improper sleep and his lack of a good work life balance. Everyone said their goodbyes, waving to the cameras on the outside of the building.

Satoru paused when he saw you, contemplating in his head if it was worth shooting his shot and asking you on a date. He watched as you smiled at the security guard before he opened the door to your vehicle.

Satoru ran over to you, the paparazzi stunned at the infamous Satoru Gojo running after the attention of the stunning Y/n L/n.

“Y/n!”, he called after you, causing you to stop you from getting into your car. “Hey, how about we get together sometime. Maybe I can show you how to steal the dance floor if you’re interested in lessons” he smirked as he saw the humorous smile spread on your face. You looked up at him with glistening eyes full of curiosity and interest.

“Yeah, I would like that Satoru”, you smiled as he pulled out a card from his jacket and handing it to you, your hand softly grabbing the card. He didn’t let it go, instead leaned in and whispered in your ear.

“For the record, I thought you looked stunning tonight, I’d like to see what you look like as just Y/n.”, he gave you a small kiss on your hand before pulling away, leaving the card in your fingers as he smirked and walked away.

You watched him go, not even noticing the chaotic outbursts that just happened. You didn’t even realize how that scene just looked to the paparazzi and the attending guests. Your heart thumping in your chest as you finally got into your car and started to head home.

You looked down at the clean, well made business card of Satoru’s. It had his name and number on it.

You turned it over, recognizing some scrippled blank pen writing.

I’ d give you an award for having the best heart, we need more people like you, just Y/n.

You smiled stupidly before tucking the card in your clutch, staring out the window at the passing city lights as you thought of the charming white haired bachelor from tonight.

• • •

Breaking! Satoru Gojo and Y/n L/n In A New Romance?

Model Y/n L/n Seen Being Wooed By Tokyo’s Playboy Satoru Gojo

Have Two World Famous Names Become A One True Pairing?

The Pairing You Never Thought Of But Can’t Stop Thinking About: A Look Into The Night With Satoru Gojo and Y/n L/n

Stunning Y/n L/n Caught In The Garden With The Handsome Satoru Gojo

Y/n L/n Leaving Award Ceremony as Newly Awarded Model Of The Year With Infamous Actor Satoru Gojo On Her Arm

Has Japan's Sweetheart Been Swept Off Her Feet?

Is Japan's Playboy Finally Settling Down With Japan's Sweetheart?

• • •

~Extended Ending~

“How does she even give a guy like you a chance?”, Suguru asked while out with Satoru.

Satoru shrugged as he brought his whiskey to his lips, “It’s the Gojo Charm”

A small buzz from his pocket made him dig his phone out and flip it open. It was you.

Satoru smiled as he downed the rest of his drink and leaving cash on the bar for the Bartender.

“Gotta go, my stunning date is waiting for me”, he smirked as he waved his phone and said goodbye to Suguru.

“That bastard.”

[scentedchildnacho]

Well I had to walk to dinner so after that many attempted hit and runs I'm not all that afraid of death by battery

Mind shield he is just another one of Them and people like them go out to get their own ass kicked and it's disinteresting

Yea but he can't like actually hit people and has to walk away so I'm not doing to bad....

I did try to figure out my suggestions to the little lady whose son works at Ralph's.....and we are cats to the neighborhood I only had to check to see if the wicker couch free from windows and near the sidewalk was wet from rain and this scary Blondie smoker came out and immediately took it away....I've tried to give Abyssinian cats an old sweater sometimes in an old house and as soon as they can a cat is an animal so

So I guess the surrounding furniture is all of Guantanamo bay if you sit on it the neighbors will shoot something at you

That also she is a nice looking racially correct little white or Irish or southern I don't know lady and yet they leave her so poor and I don't think she is poor ...

Cops is what I'm told procedure is I have to go a couple days sometimes to be assessed and have a cell toilet and be fed normally and if the judge clears me for psychiatric release then I go to more privilege lock ups but this as victimizing is really contagious and I don't think I would be allowed here to touch stuff

Im sorry my feelings dont get all that hurt by blunt speaking but no one cares about me pope francis said it's all a i. And they only care about relieving me from pressure to be me with a young me.....we are animals sheep to herd to them ....and i can have a small criminized network I am actually able to talk about about who i truly am with and what i go through...

Uhm no I wouldn't say I really care that that black lady was threatened I get the feeling she doesn't like me all that much the argument between them just wouldn't stop and I found it so annoying I played white superior I get nukes they don't so I'm going to talk dumb and without any type of mercy or sympathy till that goes away permanently the situation just kept causing me anxiety.......

Well thats my clue .....it's help look out for other Shirley's and maybe there will be relief from the concentration I would like to know though why we can't go to Shirley.....

[warningsine]

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (also rec’d by André Leon Talley, Bob Dylan, Brian Eno, Ernest Hemingway, Martin Luther King Jr. & Nelson Mandela)

“Tolstoy is considered by almost everyone as the greatest novelist that ever lived, and I can only say, me too. From his first beautiful book on [war] and [Sebastopol,] all through his long and marvelously productive life he stands alone as a writer…It is interesting to me to think of the seeds of his stories, ‘his illuminations.’ Anna Karenina was evolved because he had heard of a woman who had jumped in front of a moving train and died. The grandeur of [War and Peace], a historical novel, which must have brought Tolstoy almost daily illuminations. He was fastidious as Proust in his realism of the styles and fashions of the times, and like Proust he was working on an immense canvas.” -CM

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky (also rec’d by Grimes & Ralph Steadman)

“The next and possibly one of the strongest influences in my reading life is [Dostoevsky] – Tolstoy, of course, is at the top… One is just swept away from one incredible scene to another incredible scene. The scene when [Nastasya] lights a fire to burn up the bank notes in front of [Ganya] is almost like a [True Story] fiction, but in spite of it, the emotions of the scene make it so real.” -CM

My Life by Isadora Duncan

“When I was fourteen years old, the great love of my life, which influenced the whole family, was Isadora Duncan. I read [My Life,] not only read it but preached it. My daddy, who believed with my mother, that a child should read without censorship, could not help but be amazed by my preaching of ‘free love’ to the family at large, and anyone else who would listen. One nosy neighbor criticized my parents for letting me speak so precociously about [Isadora] Duncan and her love life.” -CM

Dubliners by James Joyce (also rec’d by Cheryl Strayed, Ernest Hemingway, Hozier, Jim Morrison & Leonard Cohen)

“This week I’ve been reading [Dubliners.] How such a spasm of poetry could have come out of the grimy Dublin streets of that time is miraculous to me. [A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,] I also read every year or so. … Whenever I think of artists having a hard time I think of James Joyce. He had one hell of a time to earn a living for himself and his family. [Dubliners] was suppressed, and at one time burnt, I believe [Ulysses] was suppressed and pirated all over the world, and of course James Joyce did not receive any of the pirated money. He earned only the fame and the grandeur of a noble spirit.” -CM

Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald (also rec’d by Cate Blanchett, Gene Wilder, Henry Rollins, Julianne Moore & Peter Hook)

“…Another lesser writer who is also dear to me. Scott Fitzgerald, always in debt to his agent; with a wife that was mad and confined to institutions. Scott, extravagant, [lovable,] playful and impossible. His genius flourished, and he wrote [Tender is the Night,] in the most appalling psychological situation.” -CM

The Beast in the Jungle by Henry James (also rec’d by Susan Sontag)

“It’s a bleak white January day, and I’ve been drinking cup after cup of hot tea and reading Henry James. I’d never realized how really good he is. One is quite willing to stumble through pages of ambiguities for those sudden, exquisite lines, those almost unexpected revelations. I’d never realized how deeply he has influenced the present poets—Eliot, Auden, etc. I want us to read the Beast in the Jungle together.”  -CM

Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen

“[Edwin Peacock and John Ziegler] insisted that I read a book called [Out of Africa,] and since I thought it was about big game hunting, I insisted just as firmly I didn’t want to read it. In the end they got their way, for when Reeves and I were in the car on our way to Fayetteville, they slipped two books in my lap; they were [Out of Africa] and [Seven Gothic Tales.] I started [Out of Africa] in the car and read until sundown. Never had I felt such enchantment. After years of reading this book, and I have read it many times, I still have a sense of both solace and freedom whenever I start it again. I have naturally read all of her books, but these particular two are my favorites.” -CM

Black Boy by Richard Wright (also rec’d by Howard Zinn)

“Another writer who was particularly dear to me is Richard Wright. … Dick and I often discussed the South, and his book, [Black Boy,] is one of the finest books by a Southern [Negro.]” -CM

Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust (also rec’d by St. Vincent)

“After the postman comes this afternoon I’ll read Proust. Today I was thinking of the immense debt I owe to Proust. It’s not a matter of his ‘influencing my style’ or anything like that—it’s the rare good fortune of having always something to turn to, and great book that never tarnishes, never become[s] dull from familiarity.” -CM

Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster

“Another author whom I read constantly is E.M. Forster. One of the most enjoyable times I’ve ever had was when Mary Mercer read aloud [Where Angels Fear to Tread.] We both went into fits of laughter.” -CM