#an entire theatre full of people and it's like they're the only ones there

[ingravinoveritas]

Tonight is press night for Macbeth, and Michael is sitting in the second row beaming at David as proud as can be. The two of them looking at each other like that is everything...

[still-a-morosexual-help]

okay so lately I have seen a lot of people claim they hate mammon bc he steals from mc, and like there's nothing wrong with disliking a character lol but I don't recall mammon ever stealing from mc?? like the only thing I can think of is that one time in season 1 I think where he was going through their stuff and said he was looking for something to sell (I think?? it's been a while) and beel straight up calling him a liar lmao l'm just wondered if I missed something? or if this is just newer players who maybe misunderstood that one scene? and I figured if anyone would know it would be you lmao

I got so fucking pissed about this (not at you anon <3) cos this is the third time I got an ask like this, that I scrolled all the way down my 'Obey Me Mammon' tag to June/July 2020 and then slowly scrolled my way up pulling all the receipts I could.....I saw this immediately after you sent it and I just finished now...... turns out it takes 5 straight hours to go through my Mammon tag😶

I have answered this exact same ask twice before and I can only assume it's new people? Like honestly you can't play the game for a long time and still think this (they prove this false within the game in LESSON FOUR)

Not only does Mammon NOT steal from MC, he also:

a.) Gets legitimate/legal jobs whenever he wants to buy MC something (which is pretty frequently)

b.) Shares the money with them when he comes into a large sum of money

But anyway here are the links to the posts talking about all this:

(everything is directly taken from canon or based off canon)

A.) No he doesn't steal from MC

• Full Summary of the Lesson 4 locked chapter where he goes through MC's stuff and a compare and contrast of what we know about Mammon from future lessons, events, devilgrams

• First post talking about this, goes more into detail about him not stealing from them

• Second shorter post about how he doesn't steal from them

• They're literally Partners in Crime

• He straight up refuses the Midas touch (multiple times I believe) after realising it means he won't be able to touch MC anymore

• HEADCANON that maybe he steals/borrows their clothes, with their knowledge, to wear

• In the small introductory manga page they say the thing he likes as much as money is MC

• In S3 he admits to loving MC more than he loves money

B.) He goes out of his way to get MC Presents (which we works actual jobs to earn money for)

• Mammon at the Office Devilgram, where he gets an actual office job so he can buy MC a watch he saw them looking at

• In the Movie Date Devilgram he rents out an entire theatre for the two of them because it was the anniversary of the day they first met

• In the You Always Ride Shotgun Devilgram he rents out a pool for the two of them

• He's always giving MC presents

• Usually he buys matching things for them

• He buys them shoes in their favourite colour

• Mammon's love language

• He wants to share his winnings from a lottery with MC

• He finds a secret second map in the pirate au event and tells only MC so they can share the treasure

C.) It's not just MC, he puts the others before Money too

• In the Presents From Mammon Devilgram he buys presents for everyone

• In The Guardian Demon Devilgram he saves a 9yr old orphaned homeless human girl from a mugger, fosters her and plans to pay for all her needs until she's an adult/can provide for herself - which is why he's always in debt to the three witches who look after her for him, there's also extortion going on from them towards him

• He'd rather lose the entire fortune he won than make Luke upset

• List of times he's put others before money

• He straight up tells Luke he doesn't mind missing out on a reward as long as it means Luke is alright

• Socks for Beel

• He gets a stone for his birthday which can give him whatever he wishes for, he wishes for fortune to come to whoever has the stone and then gives the stone to a student who tried to hurt him

D.) How Mammon works as a character

• Solmare makes you form certain expectations about him and then starts breaking them within the next few lessons and it's amazing to witness

• Friendship, Actions & Reality Vs Calling MC 'Servant'

• Mammon, MC and their Friendship

• Mammon being smart and why he comes off as an idiot

• His thoughts about himself vs MC

• He's actively changing and growing as a character and he knows it

• How Mammon actually views himself

• Why there's a difference in his level of affection in public vs privately

• Jerk with a heart of gold trope but better

• Mammon and how much he cares about consent

• How outsiders see Mammon vs how people from the city see Mammon vs how his close friends and family see him

• Chasing some creep away from MC

• How his relationship with MC changes and grows throughout the season

E.) Other reasons to love him

• Examples of how much he loves MC

• How supportive he & MC are of each other

• Some of his funniest moments

• He's objectively terrifying

• Mammon being a good brother

• He's extremely ride or die for MC

• He waits for MC when they've got to stay late at RAD for other work

• Despite being an ancient being all his best memories consist of the time he's spent with MC

• He created a whole line of toys based around missing MC

• Everything he says about loving MC in his 2022 birthday event

• List of things he's good at

• The amount he loves MC

And this is just a few of my posts about mammon, his character and what there's to love about him

And look it's MORE than okay for people to dislike a character but at least dislike them for something that actually happened?

[gurggggleburgle]

For various reasons i constantly think about how I want a scum villain musical thats basically what if you gave the book to starkid in terms of tone and vibe. I have very few requirements other than the entire play the joke is Shang Qinghua is the narrator and he is constantly holding the actual script in his hand and will in fact pull people aside to tell them you're off key or that's not the right line. The joke here is the play is supposed to be a faithful retailing of pidw but Shen Yuan is the only other actor who acknowledges this is a play and decides to flip the script to make a better ending. It's a whole play within a play thing.

There is a song that basically is "all you gotta do is hit that kid!🎶"

A 'im a mushroom man' song

And the cliff scene is a heart wrenching duet.

Binghe has his harem girls sing about how they're glad that he's gay

Tentpole number in the abyss where binghe does a solo rock song about taking the world so he can take one man

And of course a song about fucking over the system and being ooc

For the obvious limits a stage play presents the climax is that the Binghe wants to do a romantic duet. An ultimate symbol in theatre that they are meant to be and the melody is the underlying score of the whole play and prior to the tragic duet anytime the two sing it is not together and then they gay sing but Binghe goes so high in the notes and virbrato it kills

Just a song about big dick and maybe even loving it

I think of this all the time. Constantly. I want this adaptation so bad. I don't even want it to be like a full adapt of the book. I want it to satire musical genre conventions in the same way the book does harems and isekais. It just... Feels like the perfect bad idea

[tokkias]

How about actor au hc’s for fairy tail! (Nalu centered cuz i need my nalu crumbs)

so i got like 80% of the way through writing these before i realised i may have misinterpreted this ask, and that you were in fact probably asking for an au where they're actors on fairy tail as a show. oops! but these are actually headcanons that i have (to no ones surprise) talked about pretty at length with @nalunalu which is why this was my default list.

in fact, they even drew some absolute banging art based on one of these headcanons so you should go look at it <333

if that is in fact what you meant, and you still really want to hear my thoughts on it, i would still love to write that up, just send me another ask and i will make a post, but i hope you enjoy these general actor au headcanons nonetheless <3

misc natsu + lucy headcanons

natsu primarly does actions films and lucy mostly does dramas

natsu got his start in the industry as a stunt double but eventually started getting acting roles of his own

he does all (or most) of his own stunts

lucy gets into acting in college where she's doing a business degree at her fathers demands and she takes an improv class to try and make friends

she's really bad at improv and thinks it's fucking lame, but it sparks her interest in acting and she gets a conjoint degree in business and theatre

she would have dropped her business degree but if she did that her father would have stopped paying for it and it was the only way he would entertain the idea

as soon as she graduates she leaves home, cuts off all contact with her father and goes to pursue acting

she works waitressing and modelling for a while and she's offered the chance at a full time modelling contract but as much as she likes it, she still wants to pursue acting

natsu is crazy good at spotting cameras and paparazzi

like this video is natsu

there are so many photos of natsu and lucy where lucy's minding her own business, chatting along, while natsu just stares dead straight into the camera

natsu's instagram is made up entirely of bad pictures he takes of lucy

he only posts when he's contractually obligated to promote something and it's always his stupid genre of bad lucy photos

when he's not allowed to post bad lucy pics to promote his new projects, it's bad pics of his cat happy

his agency gets so sick of his terrible instagram prescense that he has it taken away from him and a social media manager takes over

they start posting actual nice good quality photos from red carpets and other events and people fucking hate it

the comments are so flooded with demands to bring lucy and happy back that they are forced to give it back to him, which he of course announces with a bad picture he took of lucy holding happy

all the comments are just like. the return of the king.

people constantly ask if his phone/camera is like 10 years old or if his terrible quality photos are an aesthetic choice, and it's not. it's 5 years old and has a crack on both cameras because he's always dropping it doing dumb shit

lucy still does a lot of modelling for magazines after her acting career takes off, but more for fun that for money like when she first ran away from home

brands are clambering at her feet to have her as their ambassador

she becomes a style icon and still retains her expensive taste from growing up in the heartfilia household

she wears lots of designer dresses on the red carpet and she works with a stylist but most of her stuff she picks herself

while lucy is always wearing show-stopping gowns on the red carpet and to every other promo event, natsu has one (1) suit he wears to every event

the only thing he changes is the shirt he wears underneath and it always matches what lucy's wearing

nalu specific headcanons

they meet for the first time on the set of a romcom that they're starring in opposite of each other and it's both of their first time doing anything like it

they're pretty much instant besties and they surprise literally everyone with how great their chemistry and comedic timing is

lucy did not know of his stunt double background until she watched him do one on set for the first time and she was fucking mortified. she screamed

their first kiss (and probably natsu's first kiss ever) is on set and they both get a little too into it for their own good

it's just a good old friendly kiss with no meaning whatsoever except for the fact that it definitely goes on for way longer than it was scripted to

they have a sex scene in the film and lucy is super nervous because it's her first time filming one

it's natsu's first time too but he's not nervous at all because he's jumped off of moving cars before so pretending to have sex with lucy is nothing compared to that

every time the cameras aren't rolling natsu is just goofing around to try make her feel more comfortable and it works a little too well because they're laughing and giggling and goofing off the whole time

if they were good friends before that, they're basically inseperable after it

on set, it's cute sometimes and infuriating other times

lucy's hair stylists and makeup artists fucking hate him because he will not leave her alone while they're trying to do her hair and makeup

he once got himself cursed out for giving her a noogie between her hair being done and get scene

once filming wraps they're both really bummed because they go from seeing each other every day to being lucky to see each other once every few weeks

once promo for the film starts they are attached at the hip

the films marketing team doesn't even have to try to push them into a fake relationship to promote the film because everyone just thinks they're dating anyway

in fact, they're so close that they're constantly accused of being in a fake relationship and that it's "so fake and forced" even though they're not actually dating

so much arguing ensues because of the sheer natural chemistry they have together in interviews even though both sides are wrong, they're just close friends who kiss for a job

lucy desperately needs everyone to know that they're not actually dating and that they're just friends but the films marketing team shushes her because it'll be good promo for the movie

natsu on the other hand does not care about it at all because he pays so little attention to the media anyway that he didn't even know people thought they were dating

both of them were pretty well known before the film, but the dating speculation and their acting in the film itself turns them both into household names and people hardly seperate one from the other

they both make cameos, even small ones, in each others films

lucy landed a role in a soap opera and natsu, who has never worked in television before, plays a recurring role as her love interest

he is not very good at acting in soaps because he thinks they're kind of lame and he's not practiced in it at all so his role is pretty limited to scenes with lucy because they just have stupid insane chemistry that everyone loves

natsu enters stage left. natsu kisses lucy. natsu exit stage left.

it's not until years of being best friends and well after the dating speculation dies down do they actually start dating, but neither they or their reps reveal it

no one gets confirmation that they're dating until pictures of their wedding pops up online and everyone is like THEY'RE MARRIED???

lucy writes a super long heartfelt post about how she got to marry her best friend and how much he means to her

natsu posted a picture of him and happy in matching suits and then the one (1) nice photo of lucy he has on their wedding day on the second slide with no caption

[stinkyhyena9000]

FInally just got to watch Sing 2 for the first time in a month or so (I'm a very busy gal) and ohmygod I just remembered why I love Sing 2 so much: the ending.

The entire performance of Out of This World is great, but I'll only be going over Clay's part and thereafter.

Seeing Clay down breakdown, and hearing his voice softly apologize about not being ready. It really shows how vulnerable he is, and how even if we put on a brave face and think we're ready, loss and mental struggle is not just something done quick and easy. Furthermore, it really means a lot to see him here, finally putting of his whole facade and finally letting loose a second time.

Speaking of which, I actually wanna look back in earlier parts of the movie (still within the time frame of the performance). During the time where everyone gets ready and the scene where Meena and Alfonso singing, we get to see glimpses of Clay sighing and staring deeply at his guitar case, like he knows what's inside it is going to hit him emotionally, and hit him hard.

Back to the show, when we see Ash first exit, we can see her alone, sing the songs Clay have sung before. Clay sees this, and he sees himself within her. (See me later for how they're so father-daughter). He sees this, and realizes that he can do this too, and he's not alone either.

I also want to note that Ash's quills actually do sort of resemble a white mane here. (2nd pic from later in the song)

We can even see Ruby's ghost come in behind Clay, kinda sort of saying "get in there, she needs you." I like to think it's also a little call back when Ash asked Clay if Ruby would've wanted him to give up on music.

The theatre is flooding with lonely silence as she sings, even though it's full of people, similar to how people going through depression may feel lonely when surrounded with love. The crowd eventually chimes it, but it still feels close to that same way still.

And then BOOM, we get chills when we get hit with that first guitar. As soon as we start to hear him, the room fills with life as well. We hear applause from the crowd. We hear percussion. It's just great.

Now before I continue, I just want to mention. This scene is probably one of the best animated scenes throughout all of Sing 2. They did just such fantastic work on his facial animations. I can say that for every Clay scene in Sing 2, but especially here. And they didn't just do a fantastic job with facial animations, but all animation here.

GUESS WHAT BABY. IM BRINGING IN LYRICS TOO!! (of course I am). So, this part also goes with the following lyrics

I believe in the Kingdom Come Then all the colours will bleed into one Bleed into one But yes, I'm still runnin'

I like to believe the lyric about running can be interpreted two ways. Firstly, it can be interpreted as a call back to him running from his emotions, in constant denial over his loss of Ruby. Another way of seeing it is him running towards, trekking on through all the hardships he has faced.

Back to the actual movie, I just want to mention: bro is getting groovy with it. You can se by the way he moves his body that he is really getting into the music, especially after 15 years

Later on in the song, we actually see Ash and Clay look at each other, kind of like thanking each other. Clay, thanking Ash for getting him out of that rut, and helping him to continue onward. Ash, thanking Clay for coming to the show, and being her idol for who knows how many years.

Oh yeah, lyric time again! Here they are

You broke the bonds And you loosed the chains Carried the cross of my shame Of my shame You know I believe it

Ash is the one who broke Clay's bonds of that rut he was in, and she buried the cross of his shame by never making him ever feel bad about what he was going through, but being understanding with him.

Anyways, back to the main summary. God I love the song. I love how you can see the pure unadulterated hope and joy enter Clay's face as he sings his song. I love how you can see the moment he's officially caught his second-wind.

I mean, look at this face and tell me it doesn't make you feel all warm and inside. It doesn't give you hope for a better tomorrow.

Unfortunately, I can't include any more images at the moment, but I can still go on.

Anyways, now we're moving onto the next famous bus scene. You know the one that plays that one song. We all love it.

It's just so great seeing all the cast members finally interact with each other again after being separate for a lot of the movie doing their own stuff. It's just a great reminder on how they really are just one big family. Even better is seeing how quickly Porsha, Nooshy, and Clay were integrated into it. Sure, the other two had some time to warm up but Clay? Clay just got here, and yet he's still already seen part of the family, and I'm really glad to see it.

The camera angles and lighting here and before are also just plain phenomenal. They really do a fantastic job with the camera and the different views of the different characters, and the warm lighting just does a fantastic job.

Super random but Clay also does a nice sigh here, and it really just speaks words. You can tell that that sigh was long overdue, and how he's just so ready to keep going and not be so caught up in not letting go. He's finally allowing himself to relax. Around the same time, we also see Ash cuddle up to Clay, and I just love the idea of Ash seeing Clay as a father figure. It's so good and true.

Oh and do NOT get me started on that song. I could really ramble on about it all day, but I'll try to keep it short. (Mostly) each character was saved by music, and that really makes the music fit. It's also worth noting that FUNFACT. Bono and U2 kinda made that song for funsies too.

(Quick summary of what happened: Bono teased wanting to make a song because the story of Clay spoke to him so deeply. Jennings wasn't actually expecting it to happen, but then Bono literally gave him a demo at the end of his first recording session)

And now we get to The Majestic. It is just plain gorgeous, and it really shows off of Sing 2 could've been just jaw-dropping gorgeous the entire way through given they were able to utilize their setting a lot more. LOOK AT THAT CITYSCAPE!! THOSE PRETTY LIGHTS!!

And then we also see just a lot of nice and comforting smiles. I mean come on, look at the guy!! It's so awesome seeing Buster Moon so unbelievably proud of what he's accomplished.

And then of course we cannot forget the final part. I'm sure everyone knows this by now, but it's so amazing and invigorating seeing Sing 2 end the same way Sing 1 started, like Buster is finally a kid again. It's just an awesome throw-back. I really don't see how Sing 3 can top this.

[mariana-oconnor]

The Solitary Cyclist pt 1

This one I know I like, but also I get it mixed up with Copper Beeches. I think they're kind of similar?

Many startling successes and a few unavoidable failures were the outcome of this long period of continuous work.

Watson protecting Holmes' reputation here. He only fails when it's unavoidable, you know.

For this reason I will now lay before the reader the facts connected with Miss Violet Smith, the solitary cyclist of Charlington, and the curious sequel of our investigation, which culminated in unexpected tragedy.

Ah, that's another reason I get this mixed up with Copper Beeches, they are both called Violet and my brain has a tendency to switch off after first names.

This is why I always get Barry Manilow and Barry White mixed up. They are both called Barry, they both sing, my brain decides they are the same person. I know one of them's dead. Don't ask me which one. Genuinely.

Also, we are being prepared for tragedy.

And yet without a harshness which was foreign to his nature it was impossible to refuse to listen to the story of the young and beautiful woman, tall, graceful, and queenly...

A flattering description this time, and a very determined Violet. Holmes is setting aside a case for a millionaire for this. I'm not sure it's entirely for the reasons Watson is suggesting here, though.

It was vain to urge that his time was already fully occupied, for the young lady had come with the determination to tell her story, and it was evident that nothing short of force could get her out of the room until she had done so.

She will clearly take no shit. I like her already. (Well, I already liked her because it's one of my favourite Holmes' stories, but you know what I mean.)

“...so ardent a bicyclist must be full of energy.” She glanced down in surprise at her own feet, and I observed the slight roughening of the side of the sole caused by the friction of the edge of the pedal. “Yes, I bicycle a good deal, Mr. Holmes..."

I really like this exchange because yes, she's surprised, but she immediately follows his train of thought and isn't put off by it. It's a neat way of establishing that she's clever and not easily thrown.

Also, Watson follows the logic, too. He's learning!

Also, hands up all of us who are a little bit sad that it's the wear on her shoes that singles her out and not the dreaded 'bicycle face'.

It's period appropriate, you're missing a trick with the terrible Victorian medical science here, ACD.

"You observe the spatulate finger-end, Watson, which is common to both professions?"

Such a complimentary way to describe the fingers of the woman whose hand you just grabbed without consent.

"There is a spirituality about the face, however”—he gently turned it towards the light—“which the typewriter does not generate. This lady is a musician.”

I assume this means he turned her face towards the light. He's really just getting all up in Miss Smith's business, isn't he? Also the idea that musicians just glow with spirituality is wonderful. What does spirituality as a facial feature look like? I'm imagining a glow, but that's at least partially because light is referenced and partially because I come from the western Christian tradition of halos and radiant beams of holy light.

“My father is dead, Mr. Holmes. He was James Smith, who conducted the orchestra at the old Imperial Theatre. My mother and I were left without a relation in the world except one uncle, Ralph Smith, who went to Africa twenty-five years ago, and we have never had a word from him since."

Hmmm... a mysterious relative in Africa.

(I am now realising that much like with the other stories I remember the gist, but not the steps of how we get there.)

"When father died we were left very poor, but one day we were told that there was an advertisement in the Times inquiring for our whereabouts. You can imagine how excited we were, for we thought that someone had left us a fortune."

People have got to stop believing that notices in the newspaper will bring them fortunes. Let me guess, it's going to turn out your Uncle Ralph was a Nigerian Prince?

"There we met two gentlemen, Mr. Carruthers and Mr. Woodley, who were home on a visit from South Africa. They said that my uncle was a friend of theirs, that he died some months before in great poverty in Johannesburg, and that he had asked them with his last breath to hunt up his relations and see that they were in no want."

I absolutely believe and trust these people. There is no way this is a scam at all.

“Mr. Woodley seemed to me to be a most odious person. He was for ever making eyes at me—a coarse, puffy-faced, red-moustached young man, with his hair plastered down on each side of his forehead. I thought that he was perfectly hateful—and I was sure that Cyril would not wish me to know such a person.”

Aw, Violet Smith, you too can join in with Watson's judgemental description club. Although you do start with the 'making eyes' at you bit, so this comes across as a little less straight up judgement based on appearance and a little more informed by his personality. The last bit is kind of weird, but I guess Victorian. Of course your boyfriend gets a say in who you know. I think a little more is coming back to me now though.

"What I wished to say was that Mr. Woodley was perfectly odious, but that Mr. Carruthers, who was a much older man, was more agreeable. He was a dark, sallow, clean-shaven, silent person; but he had polite manners and a pleasant smile."

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the nicer ones who hang out with the worrying ones are, in the end, always worse.

"He inquired how we were left, and on finding that we were very poor he suggested that I should come and teach music to his only daughter, aged ten."

Ah, yep, it is a lot like Copper Beeches. I'm contemplating whether it's worse here that they're doing this all privately or worse in the Copper Beeches where Violet Hunter is hired through an agency and it still does nothing to help her. Probably Copper Beeches.

She's getting £100 a year from this suspicious widower, which is £10,000 a year. Not exactly a fortune, but she's also getting food and board for the week.

As soon as the text is telling me he's a widower, though, I'm absolutely looking for him to be trying to scam her into marrying him. Convenient lack of wife and a suspicious interest in the young woman? It's all very Jane Eyre. (I don't think he has a wife in his attic, though.)

"The child was a dear, and everything promised well."

This Violet lucked out on the child front. At least the child she's caring for is not a psychopath in training.

"He made odious love to me, boasted of his wealth, said that if I married him I would have the finest diamonds in London, and finally, when I would have nothing to do with him, he seized me in his arms one day after dinner—he was hideously strong—and he swore that he would not let me go until I had kissed him. Mr. Carruthers came in and tore him off from me, on which he turned upon his own host, knocking him down and cutting his face open."

That's a little bit more than just 'making eyes' at you, Violet. You really buried the lede on this one. But he gave Mr Carruthers the opportunity to be a knight in shining armour. Oh dear. It's really not hard to look like a good guy when you're in direct comparison with someone that rapey.

"The road from Chiltern Grange is a lonely one, and at one spot it is particularly so, for it lies for over a mile between Charlington Heath upon one side and the woods which lie round Charlington Hall upon the other."

When was pepper spray invented? Does she have a hat pin for stabbing? She should get a nice sharp hat pin.

He seemed to be a middle-aged man, with a short, dark beard. I looked back before I reached Farnham, but the man was gone, so I thought no more about it.

GHOST CYCLIST

"I mentioned it to Mr. Carruthers, who seemed interested in what I said, and told me that he had ordered a horse and trap, so that in future I should not pass over these lonely roads without some companion."

Oh I bet he did. I just bet he leapt at the chance to offer you more help.

“The horse and trap were to have come this week, but for some reason they were not delivered, and again I had to cycle to the station."

Hmmm? That is very odd. Almost as though no one ordered them.

"I slowed down my machine, but he slowed down his. Then I stopped altogether, but he stopped also."

This image is hilarious. Also what's going through mystery man's head. Clearly he's not trying to be subtle. It's all got a very scooby doo feel to it.

It's good to see her taking the initiative and actually trying some things out, though, including the trap that is never sprung.

“Oh, it may be a mere fancy of mine; but it has seemed to me sometimes that my employer, Mr. Carruthers, takes a great deal of interest in me.”

Yeah, super Jane Eyre vibes.

“Well, at least he is fairly well-to-do. But he goes into the City two or three times a week. He is deeply interested in South African gold shares.”

Gold, you say? I smell motive. I smell a great deal of motive. And South Africa is where your estranged dead Uncle used to live, correct? Whose death and last living status have only been told to you by these two men who both appear to be interested in 'wooing' you?

"One more point. What sort of a menage is it which pays double the market price for a governess, but does not keep a horse although six miles from the station?"

These are the kind of little Victorian details you just can't pick up on in the 21st century. I certainly don't know what the going rate for a governess was in 1895. Although I probably could have guessed that not having a horse when you're six miles from the station is a bit weird. I guess they never take the kid anywhere.

“No, my dear fellow, you will go down. This may be some trifling intrigue, and I cannot break my other important research for the sake of it. On Monday you will arrive early at Farnham; you will conceal yourself near Charlington Heath; you will observe these facts for yourself, and act as your own judgment advises.

Ooh, Watson goes alone. And he's to act as his own judgment advises? That seems... risky. He's liable to just tackle the man to the ground. Which would solve the identity problem, I suppose. That is something to look forward to. I wonder if Watson will spot all the wrong things and completely ignore the things that Holmes wants to know.

[clay-cuttlefish]

Finally we've arrived at 52, the series that turned me from a casual reader of a few comics into a full-on DC fan and Question enthusiast. This is the reason I set out on this project in the first place. I love it so much.

#1

This is my fifth time reading this in full, I think, and I still get hyped at this opening issue. Look at my guys.

It's a miracle this came together as well as it did. The omnibus is great for giving some insight into that construction process.

#2

There's just so much in 52 and I can't believe they pulled it off. Part of that is that it's thematically coherent, despite how different the plots are. Grief, reinvention, self-destruction as a means to cope with loss... it all feeds into itself.

In a slightly different timeline I came out of 52 fixated on Booster Gold and stumbled back into the Question later through Blue Beetle, instead of the other way around.

It took 416 issues but they're interacting! They're together! It's paying off!

Renee's heartbreaking spiral into self-destruction is interrupted by this massive dork. I love them.

#3

I really need to read Steel. Captivated by these two.

Skeets nudging the gyro cart owner out of the way is a very good panel. Catlike behavior.

#4

Booster and Bea's conversation is so. Hhh.

In the omnibus, Mark Waid calls Vic and Renee's scene "one of the high points of the entire series", and I'm with him.

#5

Renee and Maggie...

The metahuman hospital's a really cool piece of worldbuilding.

The only plotline I don't care much about is the spaceguys. I still like them, but the bar's really high here and I want to see other characters more.

Wish this was less creepy about Starfire.

#6

Kind of obsessed with Bob the theatre teacher and villain-for-hire, conceptually.

It takes a while for the Black Adam plot to pick up steam so this part isn't quite hitting yet.

Booster having a normal one.

#7

Renee hasn't talked to her mom in three years by this point. Oof.

The exes of all time!

Booster... Ralph blaming him for Ted's death is brutal.

#8

Oh cmon girl you're smarter than this. It's Lex Luthor, when has he ever had anyone's best interests at heart.

At least Ollie's still doing his thing.

Clark hating Booster is so good.

#9

"Smart-ass." "Consistency is everything." He is so annoying!

The John and Natasha fight is great.

#10

Clark taking a page from Lois' book is so good. Ridiculous.

I like Will and Professor Morrow a lot, nice that they're back in focus.

Supernova time :)

#11

His anti-smoking rant...

"I don't owe you anything." Oof ouch my soul.

Big talk here from a guy who spent a decade hung up on Myra.

The one superheroine ass shot I respect is in the "that's a Batwoman" panel because Renee deserves to appreciate Kate's ass.

#12

Besties moment.

Black Adam's plotline is gaining speed.

Oh Ralph.

#13

Oh NO, Ralph.

#14

They both look so good here. Love his stubble.

Desperately want to hear Tot's side of their conversation, and also their previous phone calls, because I'm sure he'd have Opinions about Vic deciding to become a mentor.

Shaking him. You are so annoying!

"There's no such thing as crazy, just behaviour that society has deemed unacceptable." SO true bestie.

#15

BOOSTER...

#16

Oh god, Renee.

Billy officiating Black Adam's wedding is very sweet.

#17

Luthor's superteam is one of the series highlights.

Still very funny that there's just a guy named Hannibal on it. Zero subtlety here.

Oh Lobo. I do not care about you.

#18

He's so silly.

Renee is having truly awful time falling back into old coping measures and he's out here getting scooped and being made fun of for cockblocking.

Booster's shitty funeral still fucks me up. Choosing to believe Skeets intentionally didn't invite people for evil reasons because the idea nobody showed up is too much.

Once again, oh no Ralph.

#18/2

A backup with Vic's origins. It's about right, though I prefer him starting as the Question before moving back to Hub City.

It lists his "essential storylines" as Mysterious Suspense, The Question 1987, and Cry for Blood, which I mostly agree with. Mysterious Suspense is less important but reading a pre-DC story is useful background for the 87 run and it's his only solo option.

[ineffablelunatic]

@oddsydviscous, @thattransboyaled and I have made a fabulous Ghosts highschool AU!

Thomas: Massive theatre kid, is a member of the drama club and is in every play, plays the acoustic guitar in a sappy band. He carries a satchel full of poetry and writes with an actual calligraphy pen. He has a new crush every week.

Kitty: Eats lunch in the art block every day, has had a long-term secret crush her entire time at the school. He's actually some hapless guy in one of the years above who's never spoken to her, but she's convinced herself that they're in love. Really she just wanted to have a crush, rather than actually liking him. She and Thomas are best friends.

Humphrey: Always hangs out in the library with his nose in a book, massive English nerd (the subject, not the nationality). He runs the school magazine and he's very, very shy.

Captain: Also a theatre kid, although less outrageously so, plays the trumpet in the marching band. He's the one who plays the song at the start of every Remembrance Day assembly. CCF Squadron leader. Good at languages. Also on the fencing team and joint head of the cricket team.

Mary: Hopelessly shy, almost never talks unless she's picked on by a teacher, everyone is shocked if she actually speaks. She runs the gardening club, which has a small but loyal group of members. Sometimes she bakes cookies for her close friend group.

Pat: Joint Head of the student council, also Head Boy. He runs a lot of clubs. Nobody is quite sure how he manages to attend all of them. He's not necessarily popular, but nobody actively dislikes him - after all, he's hard not to like. Except for the teachers, that is - no real reason, he gets good grades, but he talks to anyone who's next to him, no matter how many times they move him.

Julian: Typical bad boy. Poor attendance, throws parties every weekend, sticks gum under the desk, vapes in the Maths block toilets. He and Robin sell sweets behind the bike sheds. He has a lot of special offers on, but only if you're cool enough. He's also obscenely rich, but he just wants the money for extra pocket change.

Robin: Physics nerd, struggles with English. He does Julian's homework for him (he blackmails Julian into paying a fiver for each piece, or else he'll snitch). The two of them dominate the chess club. They essentially have an underground black market for contriband going. Somehow they haven't been caught yet.

Fanny: Head girl, Joint Head of the Student Council. Not very popular. She's the teacher's pet and enforces all the rules, even though it's not her job. Everyone hates her, but she gets good grades, especially in Maths. She doesn't really try in any other subject. Always telling people to tuck their shirts in and stop talking. All the Year 7s are scared of her. Her and Pat organise the discos, and she loves textiles class.

Alison: The beloved student counselor and head of Pastoral Care. The students always go to her for help, partially because she keeps a bowl of sweets on her desk. She also teaches PSHE, and she has a lot of pride flags on her wall. She's really into art, and she met Mike by sitting next to him on an art course. Lets kids do mindful colouring the day before their exams.

Mike: The PE teacher who's nice enough, but he's always on his phone and doesn't let you wear a jacket, even when it's freezing cold and he's wearing a scarf. Still, all the students like him. He'll let you sit off sport if you don't feel up to it.

Havers: Transferred mid-year, was very close with Captain before he left. Basically the only person Captain spoke to. He was one of those kids that everyone knows but nobody has a strong opinion on. He also hung out in the library a lot. He struggled with Maths, French and Spanish but was good at most other things. Very sporty - head of the cricket team alongside Captain, fastest runner, on the table tennis team. Captain is good at languages and liked to tease him about it.

Annie: A student from the Catholic school down the road who taught Mary to speak up for herself a little more. She bunks off school to hang out with Mary. She's in the year above, and so she goes off to university before Mary, but they still call each other a lot, and she comes back to visit.

Bonus info: Pat and Fanny became joint heads of the Council because it was a tie. Pat wanted to do Rock, Paper, Scissors but Fanny said it was undignified. Fanny is also somehow on the PTA, despite not being allowed.

Alison plays music in class and has fairy lights in her office. She takes her class outside for walks in the summertime - but only if they want to go, otherwise they can just sit outside. She passively talks about feminism when the class are doing something boring, punishes those straight boys for the smallest things because she knows how they act around other people. Gets kids to write other things they could say instead of swearing.

Alison's screensaver on her work computer is a wholesome meme. Julian regularly hacks into the school system, although he needs Robin's help to do it. Sometimes he changes his grades using that method. If he does too well in Drama or Art he lowers them so he looks cooler. If he has negative housepoints he removes them and replaces them with positive ones.

[tamelee]

So I’ve a few questions: First, what got you get into drawing? Secondly, do you have any good recommendations for absolute noobs like myself to learn to draw? (I wanna be able to create my own Naruto OCs for a fic I’m working on) Third, what is your favorite arc of Naruto and why? 💗

Hi @fluffy-with-the-red-clouds !💕

What a nice ask 🥹~

Ah! What got me into drawing was a long journey of doing many other different things first and not quite knowing what it is that I liked doing. I wish I was one of those people who could say "I drew literally all my life! So it is only natural!" but that is not at all the case, I started to draw late when I realized that writing alone wasn't fulfilling enough for me. Nor do I feel like I'm great with words tbh. I have done many things with entertainment, film and theatre- then graphic design and marketing so maybe that's why.. but I decided I wanted to study storytelling (which is what I'm currently doing) and learn how to draw (which is also what I'm doing) and then go from there! (Perhaps combine them if possible 🤗)

If you want to create Naruto OC's I'd recommend you look at the official Naruto design sheets like these:

They're not only helpful when it comes to lighting, clothing folds, hair.. but you can also practice anatomy and expression. I mean why not? In Naruto's design sheet for example you can see that he's 7 heads tall.. these things are good to keep in mind when designing characters. Some of these sheets give you insight on what they're wearing underneath and how it works. I mean, some people really did believe that Shinobi were wearing fishnets 🤭 (It's armor..)

What also helps to design a character is to see what motivates them and see if you can combine that and their personality to then create a unique silhouette.

Drawing itself requires time, patience and fun. Find things you'd like to draw, gather resources like video's tutorials.. but not too many!! Don't allow yourself to get overwhelmed. Focus on one thing that you want to learn otherwise there is a possibility that you freeze up as there is just so much out there- You want to learn character design? Great! That's very specific. (I'd love to recommend a video/tutorial but I have yet to venture out into this domain of the art-world.. I do like this guy and this channel had great tips too.)

Now.. favorite arc?? Hands down Land of Waves. It is full with parallels, double, no, sometimes even triple entendre's, hidden meanings yet in plain sight!! Foreshadowing. done. well. And then it has the most satisfying and beautiful ending which even has the most hardass bro's sobbing and wailing because it is just that good. And let's not forget because it is BALLSY certainly because of its time even though plenty of people now are ready to sugarcoat it anyway. AND THEN to have this all set up to even further strengthen the bond between Naruto and Sasuke in the most insane and feral way- I'm just..

Yes, I'm intentionally being vague because If I were to go into specifics I'd be writing an entire BOOK. I'm just showing my appreciation for the arc. Literary greatness is what it is.

I hope you're having a great day 🌷

[feenixmork]

Something interesting about watching Utena AFTER already being a fan of a few Utena-like shows is how much less captivating the duels get after the first 12 episodes (peak fiction)

I have a lot of smaller complaints about the black rose arc that made it terrible to watch, but the repetitive entirely impersonal fights is a big one. Utena has no reason to fight the people she's fighting. THEY don't have a reason to fight Utena. And they don't ever make a point out of that like they almost do with the first black rose duel (Kanae being pitted against Anthy because somewhere way deep down in her mind she blames Anthy for her fiance not giving her any attention? Not knowing Anthy is a victim of Akio's herself? And a man in power uses that to further his own goals? Yeah there's A Point there, even if it doesn't come up for the rest of the arc)

I'm still only at the beginning of the next arc so I'm hoping it'll be better. It's at least got a bit more visual spectacle, but it is always. The same spectacle. The cars are cool but they don't even change color or models or anything, at least the black rose arc tables had character-relevant props on them? They've still not really got anything to do with Utena or Anthy. Utena still wins all the time because she Has To or else the plot won't work. It's too important for her to be the top duelist for her to lose. Except whenever eventually (hopefully) she has to lose for an emotional low point to happen.

Anyways back to my point uhhh GOD I MISS THE DUELS FROM REVUE STARLIGHT AND GUNDAM:THE WITCH FROM MERCURY

Vague spoilers for both btw (also I'm not claiming they're better shows overall, definitely not Revue Starlight as much as I love love love it, and Witch From Mercury is only really better for 1 season+a bit of season 2)

Revue Starlight doesn't make the stakes of the duels so high that the protagonist has to Always win, so I don't just entirely mentally check out of them for that. The conflicts are all personal and/or the occasional bigger picture setup (and then the movie's are all VERY personal). And they're not always between the protagonist and a side girl! And on top of that like. The fights in the show visually are exactly what you'd expect from "the guy who was mentored by Utena's director makes a show about magical girls who are all theatre kids". And the movie only gets more insane with it (those cars in Utena WISH they were Wagamama Highway). And having the actual characters both talking AND singing out their conflicts is always fun.

GWitch has a very similar setup with Suletta fighting people for the role of groom to the war robot school's principal's daughter. But also the dueling system has an added level of being how EVERYONE at school can settle conflicts and makes demands and bets on these duels between each other. Plus there's other emotional conflicts that go into it. It takes a while for Suletta to get used to this system and start acting on it herself and insighting duels for herself and her bride's and friends' sakes. And then when she gets too used to and comfortable with the duel system, the show turns and goes "this isn't how war works, loser" and the betting stops mattering to characters because they start ACTUALLY JUST FUCKING KILLING PEOPLE AND THERE'S TERRORIST ATTACKS AND POLITICAL CONFLICT AND EVERYTHING SUCKS FOR A WHILE BECAUSE WAR AND CLASSISM AND THE CYCLE OF SIN BAD. And Suletta now suddenly has to deal with THAT. And it doesn't stop there! More personal shit happens! God I wish the second season wasn't so rushed, it absolutely reeks of "this show was forced to be shorter than planned because it was openly gay". The first season was so perfect. Why did this happen. At least it got to have a full story, as butchered as it is...

[ingravinoveritas]

Look at this. They make me sick 🥹😭.

Oh, this is just...perfection. I've had a few people send this to me and it looked like an edit, but I wanted to be sure before responding. From the source I've spoken with, it seems these were two pictures--one of David, and one of Michael--taken by the same photographer (who was at the performance tonight) and then that person edited the two pictures together.

In addition, according to the photographer, David and Michael were, in fact, looking into each other's eyes. I feel like we could see that from the original photo, but to have it confirmed by someone who was actually in the room leaves me breathless on multiple levels. Knowing that Michael and David are being so public and open about it, seemingly not caring who sees anymore, because they know they have each other. Gorgeous.

I have many other Asks that have come into my inbox tonight, so I am going to save my additional thoughts for those, but thank you so much for sharing this with me. I adore them so...

[ladycatryx]

In Defense of Harry Potter

If you or someone you love is a trans person in crisis: The Trevor Project‘s 24/7/365 Lifeline [US]: 866-488-7386 Trans Lifeline [US]: 877-565-8860 TrevorChat, (online instant messaging option) International Support: TrevorSpace

I minored in Gender Studies for both my Bachelor's and Master's. I have a bookshelf full of queer theory. I have several trans friends.

And I went to a Harry Potter themed party the other day.

Like many of my fellow 90s kids, I grew up reading Harry Potter. It was an era-defining feature of my adolescence, eagerly anticipating book releases and midnight movie theatre screenings. But unlike many of my peers, it is not merely a feature of my past. I still regularly read and write Harry Potter fanfiction. I have beautiful art books and unofficial compendiums chock-full of lore and behind-the-scenes details. I am a HP trivia wizard---or witch, as the case may be. I have so much investment into the lore and the world of Harry Potter, and I often find myself in Hogwarts and the surrounding Highlands in my dreams---even moreso now that Hogwarts Legacy has given us a first-person and 3D experience of the layout and landscape of the Wizarding World. So I relished the chance to don my Slytherin robes and get all dressed up in character. The pictures turned out great. But I couldn't post them on any of my social media. I have been told, in no uncertain terms, that anyone who continues to support or engage with the Harry Potter franchise is a TERF and a fascist. Full stop. To quote one of my friends, "I don't interact with Harry Potter media anymore. And frankly I treat any interest in it as a sign of transphobia for my own safety. So I really don't care to know much about the [Hogwarts Legacy] game aside from the disgusting blood libel it chose to use in it's narrative. It's a hard line for me as a trans person."

It's a controversial topic, to be sure. Now I absolutely hate cancel culture's tendency to drag something someone said 10 years ago into the spotlight and blow it out of proportion, even sometimes taking it out of its original context to spin it as a bad actor with bad intentions, and then to deny people the ability to apologize or acknowledge personal growth (see: what happened to Lindsay Ellis. Thanks, I hate it). But let's be clear: that's not the case here. JKR has only dug herself deeper into the hole, being belligerently and purposefully ignorant and cruel despite a PR team probably begging her to shut up, and despite an entire world of people who have attempted to teach her better. She has acted, and continues to act, in bad faith, even writing trans and queer-coded villains and serial killers into her latest books. This is not a person who has attempted to apologize and make right her wrongs when they've been pointed out. This is someone who has been given every opportunity to not be an awful person and instead has doubled down on her hurtful and hateful views.

So, now that we know JKR's true colors, clearly the entire world of Harry Potter is suspect, as is anyone who continues to enjoy it....right? Sure, maybe not everyone who still rocks their House Pride merch is a TERF, but, like the sandwich-eaters of Chick-fil-A who just need their chicken fix, they certainly can't be counted as allies....right?

I've struggled with this.

And maybe this entire blog post will be read as nothing more than a selfish person defending their right to enjoy a thing guilt-free in order to conveniently overlook or dismiss the harm they're doing by persisting in centering their nostalgia over the real-life danger JKR's views presents to trans people. You can be the judge of that, I suppose.

My impulse since all of this has been to lean into "death of the author," an argument that says, essentially, it is not authorial intent that matters for meaning, but the text itself that is authoritative. In theory, the text can speak for itself, and the way readers engage with it and interpret it can stand in isolation from whatever meaning was meant by the author. (For an excellent video on this subject, click here, and here for a JKR-specific one). But I'd like to expand on that here, because 1) as the links above point out, engaging with the work of a living author still empowers them and gives them a platform and 2) is usually just an emotional response to silo oneself from the guilt of consuming the content of a problematic creator. In other words, it's a cop-out.

But I'm a sociologist. I'm currently an ABD Ph.D. student. I specialize in theory, gender, religion, and culture---the latter is just an elaborate system of signs and symbols that we are embedded in and have to make meaning out of. And meaning-making is a messy business. Interpretation is a vital and integral part of meaning-making. Messages aren't just handed down from the heavens and absorbed---social actors are actively engaged in the process of receiving them. Sometimes there are interferences, misunderstandings, and mixed signals that scramble the meaning. Intent does not equal impact, and so the messages we receive and understand do not always correspond to the meaning that was meant. (Again, not saying JKR is misunderstood or that we're misreading her intentions here---she's pretty unequivocally awful. But I am saying that in a world where meaning is what we make it, a trash person can still produce something of value, since beauty is in the eye of the beholder.)

Sometimes reading a meaning other than that which was meant into something can have humorous consequences. Sometimes the results are disastrous. Sometimes it means that we humans, as pattern-seeking creatures, see the face of Jesus on a slice of toast, or a baby-shaped cloud in the sky the same week we find out a loved one is pregnant. I think the fact that we can make meaning where there is none and make beauty out of nothing is spectacular, miraculous. In this age of disenchantment, many people are looking for ways to reconnect and reenchant their lives, to create sacred rituals out of their mundane routines. We are meaning-seeking creatures, and with many people feeling burned by, disillusioned with, or distrustful of traditional religion, we are turning to nontraditional sources of wisdom and inspiration. For literal millions of people, the Harry Potter books have been one such source. And I think there is value to them still, despite what has come to light about their author.

In college, I was heavily involved in interfaith activism. I no longer identify as Christian, but I was raised Christian. And I started to feel the parallels from my own experience.

If a person has been hurt by a Christian, feels Christianity is toxic, identifies passages in the Bible that have been used to oppress or were the product of a time that was openly endorsing of slavery, homophobia, misogyny, etc...their experience is valid. They have a right to say "Hey, I was raised with this thing and at one point it meant a lot to me (or maybe not, maybe it was always forced) but it hurt me and I no longer feel comfortable there and I choose not to engage with Christianity anymore." They have a right to be wary if they hear someone is Christian and they don't know anything else about that person.

But no religion is a monolith. The Bible is not a monolith. For every passage that may be hurtful or harmful or be interpreted in bad faith to support a particular agenda, there are dozens more about love, kindness, and compassion. Religion has been the driving force behind so many wars and evils...but it has inspired countless good as well. The Bible has been wielded as a weapon to cause suffering as well as been looked to as a resource of hope and peace.

I'm not saying that cancelling someone for resonating deeply with the Harry Potter series and not wanting to give it up because of what it means to them is like asking someone to not be a Christian or to give up their faith so as not to offend others. Of course, the comparison seems flippant. Religion is religion! We give it special legal protections because of its literally sacred status. It concerns matters of ultimate importance. The other is...fiction.

But what is sacred is a social construction. I'm going to bracket here any discussion about the existence or nonexistence of deities, an afterlife, and etc. What does religion actually do for people? What does it mean in the lives of the faithful? It is a source of comfort. Of hope. Of inspiration. Of answers. It can be a moral guide, with lessons and instruction and a guide for how to live that others can model their own lives on.

Casper ter Kuile, cofounder of the podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, (check out their values statement if you want to know where they stand---spoiler alert, they're as progressive as it gets) would not find the comparison ridiculous. In fact, ter Kuile (who is, by the way, a gay man) founded the project with a fellow student while at Harvard Divinity School. In his book The Power of Ritual (2020) he talks about how the HP books have been a source of solace and inspiration and sacred reflection for him---and not just for him, but for thousands. Millions.

"Millions of readers already treated the Potter books as sacred in their own way. Therapists and counselors report young people using Hogwarts as their psychological safe space to go to in times of struggle and pain. And it isn't simply a refuge from the world. The Harry Potter Alliance, founded in 2005, has mobilized thousands around the country to act on marriage equality, fair-trade chocolate, and other progressive issues, using the narratives and rituals from the books to motivate and shape winning campaigns. Just as social justice movements have reinterpreted biblical narratives like the Exodus story and quoted the psalms, so too the Harry Potter Alliance references characters and plotlines from the wizarding world to motivate readers into action" (2020:44-45).

The HP books have helped people (and kids) cope with the loss of loved ones, understand privilege, learn that adults, authority figures, and even the government that makes the laws can lie and be corrupted and may not always have one's best interests at heart. That what is legal is not necessarily right or just. That evil doesn't just look like pale, snake-faced men who attempt to murder babies---sometimes it's enough for people in power to do nothing, to care more about maintaining their own relative privilege, power, and comfort. That often bullies lash out because they too have been hurt, and that hate can be easier to speak than love when it's all that you know...but that in the end, it is our choices that matter, not our abilities or the circumstances of our birth. The books have powerful messages, and they have nuance.

Take, for example, Petunia Dursley. As ter Kuile points out, universally disliked. But:

"As Vanessa and I reread that first chapter, we saw a young woman, unsupported in motherhood, suddenly given a second infant to care for after the death of her sister. Imposed on by a world she has always envied and feared, with no explanation, she feels vulnerable to a society that can only spell danger. No doubt, Petunia is abusive to Harry. She neglects him in the most foundational years of his life. But this sacred reading illustrated that narratives of good and evil nearly always are more complex when we risk our hearts to explore a sacred reading. It not only gave me a new lens for understanding a character, but it challenged me to realize I'd let the polarizing news narratives construct simplistic binaries of innocence and guilt" (2020:49).

The books aren't perfect. Even the messages JKR wrote into the books aren't all good, even if many are. Many people despise Dumbledore despite the twinkle in his eye and his many wise sayings for the way he used Harry like a pawn, like a tool---keeping him in the dark and just getting him to survive long enough to get him to die at the right time. By putting him in danger year after year, putting responsibility on his shoulders that no child should ever have to bear. For thinking that there would ever be an acceptable reason to leave him in the care of abusers, blood or no, magical love ward or no. And I love fanfiction because this messiness is explored and unpacked.

And yet, in canon, this jock who married his high school girlfriend and became a cop named his son after that guy and the incel who lusted after his mom man who tormented him and his schoolmates for years (I do love Snape as a literary character though, speaking of nuance...) instead of, oh, Remus, Rubeus, Arthur...y'know, any of the other men that were actually decent father figures to him in his life.

And yes, there are some heinous things in the book, like giving the Asian character the name Cho Chang and the Black man the name Shacklebolt. The antisemitism of the way goblins are portrayed: big-nosed, greedy, and money-hungry. And don't get me started on the fucking shofar. It has become trendy to shit on the books and other related IP, even to the point of ridiculousness. (Case in point: the uproar over the inclusion of a trans character in Hogwarts Legacy. And not from TERFs, but from the progressive community. At first I didn't understand---performative allyship? Surely her inclusion, and the ability to make trans characters in the character create, is better than the alternative, right? Apparently, it's her name that's the issue: Sirona Ryan. I had to actually look up why people were mad because again, I didn't get it. Evidently, people took issue with the "Sir" and the "Ryan," arguing that two such masculine-sounding elements on a trans woman's name was the equivalent of naming her "Penis McMan." Yes, really. Guess we better tell Serena Williams she's canceled too for perpetuating the "Black women athletes are too muscular and masculinized" stereotype). Anyway, it's been a dogpile lately to point out the plot holes and the poor world-building. And I admit, fanfiction authors often wield some amazing transformative alchemy, building on some of the half-assed parts of the lore and magic system and turning it into something far superior to what is canon. Nevertheless, it is reductive and revisionist history to portray the books as something other than the international bestsellers that they are. They are not the most amazing, brilliant things ever written, and yes, there are series out there that deserve the fame and attention and accolades that the Harry Potter series got. But nor are the HP books terrible derivative drivel that suddenly everyone wants to portray them as. In reality, they're a mixed bag.

What they undeniably are is important to people.

People read sacred texts because:

"the thousands of years in which generations have engaged these texts is something we need to pay attention to; and that we can step into a continuous stream of conversation between the text and human beings that has lasted centuries" (The Power of Ritual 2020:38).

There are nuggets of wisdom and timeless truths to be found, even in fiction. There is nostalgia for those of us who literally grew up with these characters, being of a similar age to Harry, Ron, and Hermione as we first read the books. The HP series is fairly unique in being both culturally relevant---a pop culture touchstone (I can't recall ever attending themed midnight release parties at a bookstore for any other series)---and possessing of longevity. The HP generation is passing the books along to their kids now. It connects generations in a way not many other franchises do. Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are the only other ones that come to my mind at the moment.

JKR is a TERF (which is not a slur, incidentally). Unapologetic. An awful person, certainly.

But I've seen people call her evil.

We can debate the meaning of the term, certainly. Evil itself is not black and white---her own books taught me that. If someone is evil, can anything they produce contain some good? Or is it irreparably tainted? Can someone be evil and still donate millions of pounds to charities for the homeless and victims of domestic violence? Could an evil person be capable of writing such emotionally deep and nuanced characters?

I think we are all capable of great evil and great good. Again, I'm not advocating for forgiveness or redemption here---she's done nothing to earn such goodwill. I don't support her.

But I think there are ethical ways to continue to engage in and enjoy the franchise. Don't buy officially licensed merch---but the fan-made stuff on Etsy labeled "Red House" or "Magical School Badger House" I find fair game. Buy your copy of Hogwarts Legacy used, or borrow from a friend. (Personally, I'm pessimistic enough to think that there's nothing I personally can or can't do that will financially impact her in any meaningful way...throwing away all my HP merch and not buying the $7 Slytherin slipper socks at BoxLunch isn't going to make a dent. It's up to the major companies and corporations that have partnered with her in the past to license Harry Potter-themed merch to roll back their association, and for production studios and actors to refuse to associate with the franchise. That's what she'll notice and care about. But I digress.)

On a personal level, I find deep psychological satisfaction from identifying as a Slytherin. (I'm also that bitch who is way too into her MBTI archetype and knows her rising sign and other obscure details of her natal chart, so sue me.) Just the other day, I got into an argument with my partner, who accused me of employing leading questions to get information about his mental state and plans for the day---he prefers directness, I find subtlety to be much more polite. We speak different languages. That's not the point. The point is, he felt manipulated, and even though he knows me well enough to know it wasn't out of any malicious intent, it felt slimy to him. From my perspective, my approach comes from a history of emotional abuse from my father, who has Borderline Personality Disorder and a host of other mental illnesses I inherited (yay, trauma!) In other words, it's a survival tactic. (Self-preservation: also a Slytherin trait.) I had to learn to prioritize myself from a very young age to avoid being taken advantage of. To some, that may sound selfish. For me, it was survival. And the word "manipulation" gets a bad rap, but it literally means "to handle or control (a tool, mechanism, etc.), typically in a skillful manner." That isn't necessarily sinister or done with bad intentions. It's strategic. It's smart. It's what emotionally aware humans have evolved to do as social animals. We don't talk about manipulating tools as shady behavior. It's an asset, this ability.

Maybe that's my ambition speaking. But I wouldn't be where I am today---working hard to earn my Ph.D., having already earned a Master's Degree from a highly prestigious institution, having graduated summa cum laude with research honors at my previous university---without ambition. But I do understand that people distrust sly, slippery, cunning people. But Coyote is a culture hero, I don't abide by the maligning of snakes and serpents, and I'm a Prometheus/Lucifer apologist. People may not find their methods entirely honorable, but you can't argue with the results being for the greatest good. Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends. It all fits, and it's a label that allows me to understand myself and my motivations and priorities better.

If you've been hurt and betrayed by JKR and can no longer find solace in a world that was once a source of comfort for you, I grieve that with you. I understand, and I'm sorry. No one should be forced to engage with something they find tainted and harmful, and everyone must draw that line for themselves. But I think there are ethical ways to continue to enjoy and engage with a franchise that has been a source of joy and inspiration for so many, including those within the LGB+TGNC community. The text even lends itself to queer, subversive, progressive, and action-oriented readings, which is the sweetest form of reclaiming and empowerment, and which the queer community has a long history of---appropriating the hurtful and harmful and transforming it into something playful and prideful. Queer folx are the original alchemists.

It's an egregore now, especially the fanon version of the Wizarding World. It's the collective product of millions of people loving and investing in these characters and their world. It has taken on a life of its own, independent of its creator. And like Lucifer, like humankind, it can defy the will and designs of its master and break away. It's expanded beyond her. She may have built the framework of the house, but we grew up there. We furnished it. And we can return to move things around and play in it from time to time. Some of us never left. I won't give that up because I've been made to feel I have to.

Oh, and that Harry Potter themed party? It was held at a business that is an unofficial hub for the local queer community. A portion of the proceeds went to a local LGBTQ charity, and there were several trans people in attendance. And we all had a fabulous time.

[askjesse]

Wait, is that JESSE ST JAMES?  they kinda look a lot like CHARLES MELTON, don’t they? i heard the 21 year old is known as the EGOTIST around mckinley. it seems like they auditioned to be in VOCAL ADRENALINE AS CO-CAPTAIN which is so lame? people at campus have said they’re MAGNETIC, but don’t be fooled since they’re also RUTHLESS. rumor has it, you can find them at DRAMA/DANCE when they aren’t belting show tunes. their entire vibe revolves around THE HIGH NOTE AT THE END OF SANTA FE FROM NEWSIES, A PSEUDO BAD BOY PERSONA, SCULPTED CHEEKBONES THAT WOULD MAKE A GREEK GOD WEEP but no one pays attention to that here in ohio.

LIST ABOUT 3+ HEADCANONS ABOUT YOUR CHOSEN CHARACTER!

Jesse St James was born to two out-of-work actors and immediately pushed into the performing arts. From an early age he was in singing, dancing, and acting lessons, and filming local commercials. Although some people criticise stage parents, Jesse thrived in the environment and adoration became his fondest friend. 

Unfortunately, despite what he could only describe as flawless performances, Jesse was unable to gain entry into any prestige musical theater courses, begrudgingly opting to train at McKinley instead of deferring and trying again next year. He’s trying not to let him slow him down, and his pride and joy is Vocal Adrenaline, where he has naturally risen to captain. 

Some may think that his self-assured, egotistical bravado is an act, but this is truly who Jesse has been since a child, and it hasn’t made him well-liked, but it’s made him excellent. He’s not out to make friends, he’s out to make fans, and if he breaks some hearts along the way, all the better. 

BASICS

full name: jesse georg st james

pronouns: he/him

nicknames: n/a

hometown: atlantic city, new jersey

birthday & age: january 18th, 21 years old

relationship status: single

sexuality: bisexual

occupation: student at mckinley arts college

sports/clubs: drama, dance

glee club: vocal adrenaline (captain)

major: musical theater

CONNECTIONS

blaine anderson: watching someone steal the national championship from your automatron hands not once, but three times, will definitely leave a bad taste in your mouth, and a broken egg on their head.

rachel berry: when you perform sixteen going on seventeen with someone in front of 200 people in the lima community theatre production of the sound of music, you don't forget them easily, so it was a no-brainer when shelby told him to put himself back on her radar.

quinn fabray: he won't lie and say he doesn't have a soft spot for the soft-voiced beauty.

finn hudson: between being the most predictable choice that quinn could have made, and heading the most riff raff showchoir in the country, the guy doesn't impress jesse.

madison mccarthy: both of them are razor-sharp focused on their ambition and are prepared to do whatever it takes to get there. naturally, they're not fans of each other.

sebastian smythe: they say that when two people get that close, they're about to kiss or kill each other. with these two, it's both.

jeff sterling: jesse's really into his showchoir, jeff's really into his band. hustle recognises hustle.

[gay-jesus-probably]

Random old movie suggestion: The War Game (1965), which I believe may have been the very first movie seriously exploring how nobody can possibly win a serious nuclear war. At the time, it was considered so disturbing that it was immediately banned from being shown in theatres or aired on TV; they decided it could only be shown to an audience that had specifically been invited to watch it.

it was supposed to be released on October 6th, 1965, but the ban meant it wasn't premiered until April 13th, at the 1966 National Film Festival, where it was shown until May 3rd. This movie is specifically about the United Kingdom's nuclear policies and how they would fare in an actual attack, but it ran for less than a month in Britain before being shut down for good - after that, the only audience the film got was in foreign film festivals (where it routinely won awards anyways).

The ban was eventually lifted, and The War Game was aired on British television... but not until 1985, twenty years after it was made, and that was only because it looked like a cheerful distraction next to Threads (1984), the infamous movie that thought The Day After (1983) was being too optimistic about the aftermath of a nuclear apocalypse. And The Day After full on showed you a third of the cast being obliterated in the nuclear strike, then made sure you knew they were lucky to die instantly as every other character died slow, agonizing deaths in a hopeless, radioactive wasteland. Threads was much, much worse.

Anyways, I'd call The War Game the earliest incarnation of The Day After and Threads, and it's a very important snapshot of British nuclear policy and public opinions during the 1960's. Especially since they treat the movie as an interesting blend between fake documentary and real documentary - half of it is a mockumentary of a nuclear war and its aftermath, with interviews of people discussing their lives in the aftermath of the end of the world, while the other half is an actual documentary about the nuclear policies of the time, featuring interviews with actual civilians and officials about how the nuclear policies are supposed to work, and how much the general public actually understands. The whole movie just sort of bounces back and forth between the two, and it really works.

One thing I really like about comparing The War Game, The Day After and Threads is that you can actually see each movie focusing on different things as science learned more about the effects of nuclear bombs. Like, The Day After goes hard on how the bombing would kill a lot of people, but the radiation in the aftermath would get everyone else, and the people that didn't die of radiation poisoning would eventually starve to death, as all the livestock are dead and the topsoil is too irradiated for planting. Threads took that even further, as it was the only of the three movies to be made after Carl Sagan had published his theory of nuclear winter - as in, Threads was literally the first movie to ever show a nuclear winter.

The War Game barely even mentions radiation, they don't consider it to be something worth worrying about - they're a lot more concerned about the fact that a nuclear strike would set the entire goddamn island on fire, and that alone would kill most of the population while leaving the survivors horrifically traumatized. Also, they just genuinely did not have access to that sort of information - British Civil Defence knew they were making a movie criticizing nuclear war as being suicidal for everyone involved, so they refused to cooperate with the filmmakers at all, they had very little access to government information on nuclear bombs. The movie focuses on the devastation of the fire, because the only officials willing to work with them were firefighters, who were absolutely fucking terrified of a nuclear war occurring, because they were the only ones that had realized just how bad the fires would be. The filmmakers also studied the WW2 bombings of Dresden for their research on the firestorm phenomenon (which was definitely a risk in Britain, with very limited land and very dense population).

[crabussy]

Can you recommend any good horror podcasts that arent just TMA and the purple eye town one?

OH ABSOLUTELY. I only have a few because I only recently (few months ago???) got into horror podcasts but boy are they good.

Hello from the hallowoods is definitely my top recommendation. It has every flavour of queer you could imagine, I can think of literally one cishet character and he's ace WHICH IS AWESOME. There's trans ghosts seeking revenge, repressed gay men who turn people into instruments, stitched-together monstrosities who are 7 feet tall and super polite (AND THEY'RE NONBINARY), goths who use neopronouns, intersex girls with FANTASTIC luscious moustaches, and so so much more. It's wonderfully done and each character explores their queerness in different ways. Some have accepted it for a long time and its just part of their lives, some are only just finding themselves, some are actively fighting to be seen and accepted.

every character is fantastic and fleshed out with lovely arcs and character growth. The stories are haunting and thrilling and heartbreaking and distressing. There are elderly lesbians with crossbows and aromantic creepy girls with pet spiders and werewolves with gold threaded through their fur and gay old fishermen who gradually turn into all powerful eldritch beings.... SO much more.

The basic plot without spoilers is that the world has to some extent ended, due to black rain that fell from the sky around 20 years ago, twisting everything and causing horrors to form. The deer in HFTH have 3 eyes and two sets of jaws and shrieks that sound like they're dying. A kid who fell into a lake full of black water when he was 8 warped into a being towering over 10 feet tall who still has the brain of a little kid. its fantastic and beautiful and horrifying, nestled somewhere between sci fi and horror. A huge corporation called the Botulus corporation has created Dreaming Boxes, colossal metal cubes capable of holding over a million people, where you can escape the end of the world and dream for your entire life.

surprise surprise BotCo is terribly fucked up and corrupt, and revolution starts happening from the inside. Lady Ethel Mallory is like if lady dimitrescu was trans and wore heart shaped sunglasses and fur scarfs and had giant pet flies. I love her.

Your narrator is an ancient god who is secretly an overdramatic theatre kid. Their name is Nigiknik and they are SO indignant and SO poetic and overdramatic (on purpose, its his character). Pretty much every character is loveable and horrifying and so, so haunted

It's about 90 episodes at this point and new episodes come out every wednesday, it's one of the best horror podcasts I have ever listened to. please please check it out!!!

_______

Other significantly less long-winded recommendations:

Camp here and there, transmasc host, fast paced, set at a camp for kids in a TOTALLY NORMAL PART OF THE WOODS. yeah the sky is blood red yeah the trees eat people yeah there's a guy in a pink plastic elephant mask who stands at the treeline but its FINE.

The penumbra podcast is more sci-fi then horror but its absolutely horrifying. Juno, the protagonist, is such a good character. all the characters are fucking fantastic. Very very good story!!! Juno is a private eye who has to go around solving other peoples problems while trying to resist kissing people. its great and scary

I haven't listened to it yet but I've heard that Old gods of Appalachia is VERY GOOD.

thats all for now!!!!!

[pinkandgreenarepurpleandyellow]

Theatre LMK au (note: since my spellcheck keeps fucking me over, we'll be using MK and Mei instead of their actual names for this post):

Ok, so this is a three-part show, done like that one fucking 18 hour opera in the sense that you have to go see all the parts to get the full story.

It's also not unlike Come From Away in terms of how many cast and crew members there are and everyone playing multiple roles.

Each season is one show, with a brief transition screen (the animation shown at the end of the episode) flying in from segment to segment. The entire stage rotates, with a total of three relatively constant sets and one space that's used for whatever special thing is needed. The constants are the noodle shop, Monkey King's lair, and a generic forest area.

DBK is actually three different people all moving the suit around and one of them shouting all the lines (the other two are usually the guys who play Silver and Gold because they're on the least).

PIF's hair is a wig that she built herself. She also does WBD's makeup.

The possession moments are actually a really complicated transition sequence done one of two ways if it's onscreen. There's either a convincing body double and a well-timed fall-to-swap (onstage person falls, 'possessed' falls w/them, og rolls off as the 'possessed' one rises) with the original actor for that character now wearing special contact lenses, or creating a smokescreen and focusing attention away from that character for the five seconds they need to put the contacts in. It's part of why when Monkey King is possessed, there's a cut to MK's reaction.

The falling trick is also used for Macaque's appearances and disappearances. It's combined with trapdoors in the stage and hidden swinging/rotating panels in the sets.

Lots of little gadgets that shoot out fake fire. Red Son is responsible for their creation and testing.

Related to that, his actual hair looks a lot like the character hair, but he wears a wig that has fake fire tech built in that allows it look like live flame with the flick of a button (usually hidden in his sleeves and handed off to PIF when that's not an option).

All of the demon characters have on a MASSIVE amount of body paint and complex makeup to make the horns and glowing eyes look 'natural'.

A lot of the comedy moments are improvised and change from show to show.

Holographic effects are used for the clones. Clones that interact with real objects are done via a similar-looking actor hiding in a hologram that's modded to work with their body instead of being pre-programmed in it's moments.

The light and soundboard have the ability to insert light and sound effects on the fly for improvised comedy bits.

WBD is actually played by three different people: The girl, her twin, and a woman who looks like the girls if they were older. They swap out off-screen or when the lights briefly go dim before revealing the creepy glow.

Scorpion Queen and Spider Queen are played by the same woman, in an almost identical costume. The body stays the same with the limbs being switched out. Silver and Gold (much like with DBK) control the body's motions so she can use her arms and say the lines without needing to worry about moving the bulky costume.

Macaque is a certified stage combat instructor, qualified for both weapons and bare-hand combat. He teaches MK and Sun how to fight with a staff and has the entire cast go through basic warmup exercises every day.

Tang is the group historian/researcher. He works with Sandy to make the sets more accurate and leaves notes for the costumers.

Mei and Red Son are the primary tech-geeks in the group and built a majority of the transforming mechs and cars out of scrap and old vehicles.

The purple demon that corrals Silver and Gold is the stage manager. She only has 3 appearances in the entire show because she's calling cues and herding everyone to where they need to be the rest of the time. The lever she pulls in season 3 is just about the only scripted bit that calls for special effects that she doesn't call and is triggered by her pulling the lever from one side to the other.

There are about seven extras in total, all of whom are constantly donning new wigs and accessories to look like different people. Whichever one of the WBD girls isn't currently onstage/about to go on helps with hair clips and checking for any quick-change mistakes. All of the other background people are just well-painted set-pieces and actors for named characters that aren't appearing in this episode or the next one.

Red Son not appearing in Season 2 and most of Season 3 was because of the larger amount of robots it was necessary to operate. He's controlling all of the little spiders and creating the creepy flickering lights during Macaque's mini-shows.

The shadow effect for Macaque is one of the most complicated things they work with. From hidden doors and panels, to brief blackouts, to wire harnesses that have to be disguised on the spot, the appearances and disappearances of a certain monkey are pure evil.

Nezha is the assistant stage manager. He was only persuaded to appear in the 3rd show when it was promised that he wouldn't have to be onstage for long. He's almost always standing in for straight-man characters whenever someone needs to practice lines and their partner isn't available.

The crew is surprisingly chill with each other. Unlike Phantom's orchestra, they mostly get along.

Pigsy is a great cook both on and offstage. He's in charge of catering and makes sure to set aside some extra snacks for younger actors and anyone doing an especially complex scene.

The jokes about Wukong having stage fright are based off of an actual conversation he and MK had during their very first tech week.