#backwall

[jagoprinting]

081-126-7460 (GARANSI TERMURAH), Promo Banner Cetak Foto Brebes

[ratatatastic]

happy erod is gonna carry out first pitch duties for the cats tomorrow to all who celebrate!!!!

[muktepavel]

ACQUA DI PARMA BACKWALL

[sasster]

if u have a friend/ship with me our ocs spent halloween together and also they ate so much candy and now they are spending the last of the night watching scary movies

[voxblade]

Tumblr stop recommending me anti zadr blogs challenge

[tradeshowboothdirect]

Are you looking for a lightweight fabric backwall for your next tradeshow? Tradeshow Booth Direct offers a variety of fabric dye sub-printed graphics attached to the frame.

[rainingmusic]

Dozer - Days of Future Past

[killthemwithyourawesome]

Transitional Dining Room in New York

[honey-minded-hivemind]

🔦Rewind AU Snippet:

• It's cloudy outside, when they come in. They can already see the older TV and electronics along the backwall, as well as the rows and rows of old and used games and tapes. And for now, it's just them and their co-worker.

• Reader groans a little as they carry a box of old VHS tapes, feeling their back pop a little. Their co-worker is already grabbing the box from them and setting inside before they can blink. Huh. Must be a morning person. Reader walks back to the beat-up car, checking the trunk... and finds one more box. They're careful, lifting it up and bringing it inside. Their co-worker takes one look at the titles, and are eagerly grabbing one of the tapes.

• "Hey! Careful!" Reader grumbles, setting the box down on the counter as their co-worker pops in the tape. But they don't seem to hear Reader, too engrossed in whatever they're doing. "Reader, I can't believe you have all of these! You must have been quite the fan!" they chatter, and Reader turns to stare at them, unsure of what they're saying. "Fan of what?" Their co-worker grins, pressing the rewind button, watching the static on the glass screen. "The X-Men, duh. You have all of their tapes!" Reader feels a headache coming on. Did they take their medicine? "Oh, those were uhm, X-Men tapes...? Must have been from awhile back..."

• Their co-worker finally gets the tape at the beginning, then press the play button. Soon the theme song can be heard, and the episode plays in the background as the two of them sort through the various tapes and CDs and cassettes. The store doesn't open for the next few hours (thankfully) so they have some time to set up the new items. Reader can hear the faint buzz of the static play as they work, sorting through the box of old tapes as their co-worker moves some records to the back of the store. They find themself humming along for a moment, their head drifting into a peace they haven't felt in a while... But then they hear something, a clatter, and look up-

• Just to see the characters on the screen staring straight ahead... almost as though they're watching them... "Reader!" Reader's gaze breaks, then they're hurrying to the back to help their co-worker catch a radio that almost fell as they'd been restocking. It didn't take much time to set it back up, checking the antenna and dials, and when Reader found nothing broken or cracked, they wandered back towards the front of the store, then went back to sorting through the old tapes. Each one seemed in good condition, save for a bit of smudged marker or dust... But still... As Reader worked, they couldn't shake the feeling of something watching them.

• Their co-worker came back up about an hour later, panting and laughing a little, which was when Reader decided to ask them if they felt the same thing. "Like something's watching you... Hmmm... Nope! What? Are you not used to watching TV?" Reader blushed a little at that remark, frowning. "Um... no..." Their co-worker gasps, soon patting their shoulder. Reader jumps at the foreign touch, pulling back. "What?! No wonder you're so grouchy all the time! No one has ever shown you the joys of... animation!" You snort, earning a look. "That won't do! That's it! We're watching all of these tapes! Pop in another one when this one's done playing! I'll see you, once you've realized how awesome it is!" They playfully stuck their tongue out at you, and you snickered, just a small one. You sighed, turning back around once they left...

• And saw the screen seemed to be paused. Yet it couldn't be, because the music was still playing... You take a step closer, eyes squinting behind your glasses. The music is soft in the background, as is the cracked of quiet static. The screen isn't broken or cracked or glitching. But the characters stare for a minute, as though shocked or surprised to see something. With a worried shrug, you go back to what you were doing. Soon after, the video seems to play correctly again, because you can hear a conversation going on between the characters. As the minutes fly by, you're discovered that there were a few extra tapes, about an additional season or two's worth, and tucked those away. You can investigate those another day...

• It's almost a relief when the store opens, letting in the stray teens or tired adults or confused older folk, all of whom for reason or another have stopped at ReelTheatre to find something old ready to be used again. It's nice, every now and again, to see someone's eyes light up in happiness when they find something they've been looking for for quite some time... You're quiet, checking people out at the counter and bagging games and the occasional keyboard. It's almost nice, not being so busy or loud...

• "Hey, Reader, is the screen broken? I think your old VHS tape is stuck," your co-worker tells you near the end if your shift. They look puzzled, but not worried. You glance back at the screen- and see the characters staring out, but talking about something- then turn back to your co-worker. "Um... I'll look at it tonight. Let me grab it," you mutter, then approach the TV. You don't know why, but when you open the tape player and see the screen cut out.. for a second, the characters seemed pleased, even mentioning a visit... You're ready to go when it reaches 9:00pm, taking the tape home with you and a few others. It's quiet at night, walking home, but you carry your keys tightly in one hand, while your bag is carried over your shoulder. You feel a bit safer, just a little, with the added weight to the bag and the cold metal in your hand (it felt like you had weight between you and danger). Seeing the door to your home, you rush across the lawn to it, releasing a breath sigh.

• Opening the door and settling in, you start to feel better. Simply washing off, drying your hair, and relaxing into the couch felt good after that uneasy feeling all day. You huffed a little, thinking about it. Why were you worried? What could put you so on edge? You tried to think of the answer as you checked over the tapes, rewinding them and making sure the film didn't break or tear. Was it the fact it was getting colder? Or that it was darker earlier? You just- it seemed stupid now, bit you still weren't sure why you'd felt that way. You pop in one of tapes, letting it start while you prepare dinner from whatever you have in the pantry or refrigerator...

• And hear an odd conversation cominh from the screen-

• "I haven't seen 'em in a while, but I sure do miss 'em..." "It's okay; I'm sure we'll be seeing them soon!" "Of course; I hear they're coming back quite soon, in fact." "Well, that just means we'll be ready for them. Right, team?" "Got it, boss! Wonder what they're up to now~!" "Well, mehybe dinner is a good idea, eh? Gambit's cookin' somethin', an' it's almost done!"

• You hum a little, scooping out some buttered rice, then mixing in the sausage, sauce, shrimp and herbs of jambalaya... It smells warm, like warm rooms and nice people and bright smiles and heavenly spice... You go to sit down on the couch, blowing on a spoonful of your dinner... and see the X-Men eating some, too, on the screen. For a minute you feel that sense of unease again-

• But you push it down, breathing in deep amd eating your food. The spicy yet hearty taste is warm and flavorful on your tongue, and you can't help but smile a little...

• "Well... ain't it nice ta have dinner together, as a family~?♡"

• That night, you find it easy to fall asleep...

• And in the morning, you take the tapes back to work with you, ready to start another day...

• And so the adventure begins~

( @thewickedweiner @sugar-soda @danni1323 @vivid-bun @weebwholovesuchihasasuke @crowwithguns @roxanndrummond @opossumdaydreamz I hope this feeds the imagination for a bit~ I'm liking this AU, and depending on how dark you want it, Cube Anon, this can get pretty dark... How dark do you want to go?)

[lobautumny]

So like, there's some really shitty video that this toy saw a while back about QoL mods in Terraria and how if you install all of them and then crank all of their settings up to the maximum, then the game basically plays itself. The whole video was weirdly hostile and vindictive and effectively just made fun of the concept of QoL features/mods as a whole. But it stuck in this toy's mind, not because the video itself holds any value, but because the core topic of how quality of life & accessibility features have a tangible impact on a game's design is really interesting and nobody talks about it with any kind of nuance.

So like, Terraria is obviously a very different game from what it used to be. But all of the raw content (hardmode, bosses, biomes, weapons, NPCs, etc.) that always gets the spotlight in updates only makes up a relatively-small portion of that outside of, like, the tinkerer’s workshop from 1.1, and damage classes being added in 1.0.6, both being relatively-early additions. The plethora of things that were changed/added to make the game look nicer also aren't the core thing responsible, obviously. So what is the biggest reason modern Terraria feels so alien when compared to 1.0.X versions, or even 1.1?

It's the quality of life features. Inventory management got exponentially easier/more efficient, you have a minimap at all times, smart cursor lets you expend far less effort mining and dealing with backwalls, there are special equipment slots for grappling hooks and light pets, grappling hooks are bound to a hotkey instead of being an item that you need to manually select and use, you can use items directly from your inventory instead of needing to place them in your hotbar and then select that hotbar slot, you automatically walk up 1-block inclines and open/close doors as you walk through them, there’s a plethora of features to make getting around the world trivial, the start of the game moves way faster due to the player getting access to better equipment faster, block-swapping exists… This toy posits that this is all why Terraria feels like a fundamentally different game. In old versions, it felt like you had to fight tooth and nail to get anything accomplished, but nowadays, everything feels all buttery-smooth. The main friction you encounter in progressing through the game is with boss fights, as Re-Logic obviously intends.

Now, obviously, it would be insane and stupid to claim that Terraria is a worse game, right now, than it was all the way back in the 1.0.X era, and it would be even stupider to claim that it’s worse because it has QoL features. However, this toy does not believe that every single QoL feature added to the game was inherently objectively positive or correct from the game's inception. Rather, they were natural, smart conclusions for Re-Logic to come to with the direction they decided to take the game in as it continued development. But this was not the only direction Terraria’s development could have taken.

There’s a very unique feeling to old-ass Terraria versions, and it sucks that tracking down and playing these versions is so goddamn hard. You only ever have a vague idea of where you are because there’s no map to use as reference so you’re heavily encouraged to keep most of your stuff on the surface, and to build infrastructure to connect important things underground/in the sky so you don’t get lost. Everything is so unwieldy that building a simple house and making it look remotely nice feels like a herculean effort, enemies kick your ass way harder earlygame due to decent gear being much harder to access, and there’s a lot more gravity to the choices you make in what gear you use, because it’s a lot harder to hot-swap your armor and accessories when you're not actually at your base, which is harder to get to/from due to the world being far more difficult to navigate, as a whole.

This all leads to an exponentially slower game than modern-day Terraria is, where every single thing you do needs to be deliberate and well-thought-out, and everything takes a much longer time to do. This toy remembers spending weeks as a kid building housing for the meager number of NPCs that were in the game back then, alongside farms for all of the potion-making herbs and a big obsidian generator, and all of that could be accomplished in a single play session in 1.4.X.

There is a universe in which Terraria saw minimal QoL updates and instead leaned really hard into this direction, making a slow, exploratory game where the player’s power level very slowly increments upwards and you’re encouraged to build largescale infrastructure rather than the (relatively) fast-paced boss rush where your power balloons out of control immediately and your infrastructure is a fast-travel teleportation network that takes minimal effort to set up that the game currently is, and that version of the game would not have been wrong, inherently. It would’ve been more niche, for sure, but it wouldn’t have necessarily been bad, or even worse than the current game is.

This is what makes this toy sad that old Terraria versions are so difficult to get ahold of, as well as what fascinates it so much about the retro Minecraft community. Speaking of, let’s switch gears and talk about Minecraft for a bit.

Minecraft, as it’s sure most of the people reading this are well-aware, has recently been having something of a renaissance in its retro community, the people who prefer alpha and/or beta versions of the game to the modern game. A handful of complete overhaul mods have come out for these versions (notably, Better Than Adventure and ReIndev) that put interesting spins on the game’s design, basically asking the question, “What if Mojang decided on a different direction for Minecraft to take from this point in time?”

A lot of these mods cast aside the instant-gratification convenience and linear progression of modern Minecraft in favor of slower-paced, more survival-ey gameplay, placing more emphasis on the act of exploring your world and gathering resources as the core gameplay loop as opposed to… Well, modern Minecraft really doesn’t have much of a core gameplay loop to speak of, and that’s sort of the problem, now isn’t it? This toy doesn’t want to get too far into all of this, though, as its thoughts on Minecraft’s game design are not the focus of this essay. Rather, it wants to put the spotlight onto Minecraft’s community.

An ever-increasing number of people have been growing more and more critical of Minecraft over the last 5 or so years. It’s obviously always had its detractors, but in recent time, there have been more of them that have gotten more vocal, and it’s become pretty normal to have the take that Minecraft has been getting worse lately. And a big culprit that people keep pointing to is QoL. One of the most common criticisms of Minecraft online is that quality of life features have made it way too easy to trivialize the process of blasting through the game’s content, getting obnoxiously overpowered enchanted diamond (or netherite) gear, reaching the End, and getting access to elytra and shulker boxes.

Despite both being excessively popular games that have been made far easier through their QoL changes and overall polish, that have both been in constant development for over a decade at this point, the critical responses to those features in Terraria and Minecraft could not be more different. This is amusing, and gets at something deeper with regards to game design that this toy doesn’t know it’s ever heard anyone actually say: Quality of life features are fantastic tools for reducing the noise that gets in the way of a game’s vision, but when you add them haphazardly and/or with no real vision for what you want your game to be in the end, you can very easily wind up accidentally removing a large portion of what could’ve otherwise become compelling parts of your gameplay loop. They need to be used intelligently, or they can, in fact, harm your game and make a significant contingent of your playerbase enjoy it less.

[jagoprinting]

081-126-7460 (GARANSI TERMURAH), Promo Cetak Banner A3 Brebes

[bullet-prooflove]

Bourbon: Daniel LaRusso x Reader

Tagging: @kmc1989

Danny is waiting for you at the hotel bar. He’s sipping from a glass of whiskey as he studies the ornate design work that lines the backwall. He’s always been captivated by it, the swirls in the wrought iron, the way the black offsets the gold. It’s one of your pieces, the first one he ever laid eyes on. He remembers thinking how subtle it was, how beautiful and then he met you and he understood completely.

His gaze catches yours in the reflection of the mirror that’s set into the design. You’re wearing that pretty black dress he likes. The one he made love to you in for the first time.

It may have started off as sex, two lonely divorces seeking comfort in each other but it’s become so much more than that. He smiles when you approach him, his fingertips pushing a glass of bourbon towards you. You smile back and instead of sitting down you tuck a hotel room key into his breast pocket off his suit.

“Bring it with you.” You murmur into his ear, your palm coming to rest lightly on his chest. “You can lick it off me once we get to the room.”

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[zsnes]

Digging up into a worms guts... Hitting a worms backwalls... Giving a worm a clitoral orgasm... Bringing a worm home from the bar... Exploring a worm sensually

[ellorypurebloodculture]

Okay, running with my previous ask, consider: (Also forwarning super long- like straight up a small fic)

The future 'Miss' Petunia Evans is determined to be found worthy of magic, but before that, she is a Big Sister, has been since long before magic was ever involved in her life, and a good Big Sister protects her Little Sister. And so Petunia must be Strong, because her Little Sister is entering a world she cannot fully follow.

To that end, Petunia Evans studies Magical Theory and Culture and every minutia of Manner and Custom there is to know while Lily learns the Practicals of the magical world in Hogwarts, they write letters to eachother thrice as long as any essay a professor assigns going over everything the other has learned, and every visit Lily makes to her Sponsor is accompanied by an entire dossier sent by Petunia covering everything from Wandlore to Goblin Relations to Alchemy to what type of Tea is appropriate to serve when hosting both Rivals and Allies.

Eventually, intrigued but cautious, the Host couple invites Petunia and Lily out for tea at a neutral location to meet their Sponsoreds older sibling. They leave delighted with the articulate young girl dressed like her sister in a simple set of over-robes, and Petunia starts taking afternoon lessons twice a week in a nearby magical community during the school year to further her understanding of the world she is determined to join.

Time and effort see Petunia becoming the Cool Logic and Curiosity and Resourcefulness to Lily's Vivacity and Optimism and Severus's Cunning and Visciousness. They dig into magic further than their classmates, Petunia's Curiosity leading the way.

[Is there a difference between Monkswood, Aconite, and Wolfsbane?]

<No, they are the same plant.>

[Are they? Those names are for the same TYPE of plant, but from different regions - doesn't that mean the amount of various chemicals would differ based on regional patterns in the water and soil, exposure to sunlight? Do chemical levels not affect Potions or Alchemy at all? If they don't, what happens to the excess if energy can not be created or destroyed?]

(Lily and Severus now have an experiment running in an unused classroom, courtesy of Professor Slughorn, that is one part Potions, one part basic Alchemy, and one part experimental chemistry and biology- figuring out how to measure the chemistry make-up of ingredients from across the globe and if there are similar magical properties that should be measured and quantified as well. There are cross breeds and plants grown in non-magical environments, and those grown in only magical environments, ones that were watered and those that only received rain, wild variants and heritage and modern all being tested and monitored to see if there really is no difference.

There are old texts and recipes and a few potions or alchemical experiments from grimoires that have 'not worked in years' being redone using only the original indigenous ingredients. Calculations and calenders line the walls and chalkboards, and a rudimentary version of a 'computer', based on arithmancy and runes, is in development along the backwall to figure out what will change if there are differences, what will it mean for magic as we know it?)

(The experiment, whether it proves or disproves the difference, will be the most extensive study to ingredients in the history of magic and will be enough to land Severus the potions apprenticeship of his dreams. Lily, who has never backed down from a challenge, will get her and her sister's name written down in history or die trying.)

In the meantime, Petunia betters herself where she can so that her entrance into the magical world will be seemless. To that end, she takes up fencing, a sport still performed in the magical world that requires no magical skill, and after a rough start of training up her body, she excels. Years of having Lily teach her wand movements with modified sticks has given her some insight into the motions required to fence, and in those lonely months without her sister, it makes her feel closer to her. With no short amount of dedication and a long list of victories, Petunia is soon skilled enough that she could qualify for the Junior Olympics.

This skill is not known in the magical world, and for good reason, Petunia has only one practical skill that she can use to defend herself and her sister and does not want it known to the magical public, which she does not know well enough to know who might be friend or foe.

/////~All of this to lead to~\\\\\

One weekend, Petunia manages to go to Hogsmeade to spend the day with Lily and to an extent Severus, who she has come to know and like better through their experiments, only to witness one of Heir James Potter's extravagant, and not entirely gentlemanly, displays to win her sister's favor (one cannot try to get a courtship date in the same breathe as insulting ones love interests childhood friend and think it chivalrous).

~After display that has left Severus in a sour mood, Lily furious, and Petunia dazed and slowly growing more irrate. Though Petunia, Severus, and the Mauraders initially stay out of the arguement because this is ultimately between James and Lily~

James: Come on Evans, why don't you and I go get a Butterbeer and let Snivellus and this bird get along with their date? *wink and hair ruffle*

Lily (trying to keep her temper in check in public): Severus, Petunia - My Beloved, Older Sister, and I will be enjoying the day in EACHOTHERS company, Potter. No Toerags or taggers-on allowed. * looks at the other Mauraders while saying this*

James (backtracking cause even a blind fool knows how tight the Evans Sisters are despite one being Magicless): Your Sister? That's great, its amazing to finally meet you, as lovely as your sister,*Petunia looks on, a raised eyebrow the only show of how unimpressed she is* Sirius can escourt you, and we can make it a double date! The boys can be our escourts. No, Snivillus necessary.

Lily (more annoyed and trying to use formality to add distance): That won't be necessary, Heir Potter, as we have a full day scheduled ahead of us already planned out.

James (trying to persuade her): Come on Lily-flower, don't be like that-

Petunia (cutting in for the first time, eyes sharp): What did you just call her?

(Lily looks a little taken aback, as do all the Mauraders, but Severus looks amused, knowing Petunia's temper personally)

James (a little stunned): Lily-flower

Petunia (daring James to try something stupid): I do not recall my sister giving you permission to use her given name, and I AM sure if she had, I would know about it. Yet you not only use her given name familiarly, but even a diminutive nick-name? You insult my sister with your careless words, Heir Potter.

Sirius (under his breathe): Oh Chaos, it's like a second Cissy.

James (shocked and scrambling for words): I would never-

Petunia (cutting in): And now you imply I spek untruths when I have borne witness to your actions myself in present company?

James (getting defensive): Now see here, Potter's are Honorable!-

Petunia: Prove it.

James: What?

Petunia (smiling slightly): Prove you're Honorable? * her last word said like a mocking question*

James (whose Pureblood training is actually kicking in now that he's not goofing around): And how would you have me Prove my Honor exactly?

Petunia: Duel me. You've insulted my and my sister's honor, I would duel you for that.

James ( a little confused and suspicious): Your have no magic. How would you have us duel?

Petunia (starting to become delighted): With swords of course, I know a fair bit of fencing.

James (brow furrowed): I, however, do not.

Sirius (speaking up): I do, Father had me learn as Heir, (speaking first to James then to Petunia) and as his dueling second I can stand in for him since his family's first Vassal isn't here.

Petunia (curiously): That's fine with me. Are you any good?

Sirius (snorting): My Father was a Champion Duelist whose career was ended by a stray dark curse. Anything less than exceptional was never an option.

Petunia (with a smile that reminds Sirius a little too much of his eldest cousin): Perfect.

~ James insists the duel happen at Potter Manor (as an excuse to get Lily into their future home), where Sirius and Petunia are given their choice of swords and a rather unimpressed Dorea acts as judge and referee in their dueling hall.

A game of best two out of three is settled on. The duel is short the first time, Petunia taking the fall. The second round she plays with Sirius, just barely beating him out. The last round is brutal, Petunia intentionally draws it out, going after every weekness Sirius has, after what feels like a lifetime, she finishes him off as easy as you please. Sirius dropping to the ground in exhaustion.~

Petunia (exhausted but delighted, from the experience): I believe custom dictates you not seek my sister's company for some time, isn't that correct.

James (looking at Sirius in shock before his shoulders sag in defeat): Yes, Ms. Evans. I will not unnecessarily impose myself on Miss Evans person for the next year and a day.

Petunia: Delightful, and Heir Black, *Sirius makes a gesture of acknowledgment from the floor he hasn't yet gotten up from* It was a good game, I do hope we can do this again some other time, though preferably under different circumstances.

~Dorea escourts the Ms. and Miss Evans and Master Snape back to the floo so they may return to Hogsmeade, leaving the Mauraders behind.~

Sirius (from the floor): Hey, Prongs?

James (still a little sulky): Yeah, Padfoot?

Sirius (loopily): We're going to be brothers.

Remus and Peter roll their eyes and make sounds of amusement, realizing where Sirius is going long before a still stunned James.

James (a little bewildered): Huh?

Sirius (with a little delirius smile): I'm gonna Marry that Girl. I bet even Mother and Father will approve once she has Magic. Chaos, they'll probably write up a betrothal contract once Aunt Dorea tells them what happened today. Petunia Black, Lady of the Misty Isles, what a lovely ring. We'll name our first daughter Estrella, the star flower. That sounds nice, right? Where should I take her on our first courtship date? Should I ask her later today?

James (a little incredulous): Hey, custom says you can't interact with her for over a year!

Sirius (finally off the floor and smiling a little viciously at James): No, YOU can't interact with her or her sister, ~I~ on the other hand can, as I was merely your stand-in, I didn't commit the slight against them. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a courtship to plan.

~James and Sirius leave the room squabbling as they go, Remus and Peter trailing behind them~

Remus to Peter: Of course, a woman who could toss him on his arse would be his type.

Peter back: When has a Black ever loved anything that didn't have claws and teeth?

~Petunia, already in Hogmeade, sneezes violently.~

Lily: You know, in some cultures, they say that means someone's talking about you.

Petunia (snorts): The only people around here who no me are you and Sev, so I highly doubt that.

End

This is fascinating! Thank you for sharing.

I can absolutely see Sirius/Petunia as a pairing.

[mariana-oconnor]

The Final Problem pt 1

🎵It's the Fi-inal Proble-em🎶diddle-uh duh! Diddle-uduhduuuh!🎵

And now that's going to be stuck in my head all week.

I have seen multiple adaptations of this story and I believe I have read it twice in the original as well as having used it a few times for reference back in my days hanging out in the Sherlock comms on lj. So I know it pretty well. No rampant speculation this time, although there may be several highly inappropriate memes. I'll see what I can do.

It is with a heavy heart that I take up my pen to write these the last words in which I shall ever record the singular gifts by which my friend Mr Sherlock Holmes was distinguished.

Ah, here we find the true dichotomy of Watsonian vs Doyleist, as depicted in the diagram below.

My hand has been forced, however, by the recent letters in which Colonel James Moriarty defends the memory of his brother, and I have no choice but to lay the facts before the public exactly as they occurred.

ANOTHER FUCKING COLONEL! Colonels are the worst. I'm sure that at some poitn in his life ACD was in some way drastically wronged by a colonel in the British army whom he never forgot or forgave. Not a Major or a Lieutenant or a Captain, but definitely a Colonel.

Also, I thought Professor Moriarty was also called James. Did their parents just lack imagination? Or could they not be bothered to learn more than one name. Does it matter which child turns up, as long as one of them does? Is James just the name that ACD uses when he can't think of any others?

I alone know the absolute truth of the matter...

Are you sure about that, Watson? I feel like maybe there's like... one tiny thing you don't know. Just one. Absolutely minuscule thing. Not important at all. Barely worth knowing.

It may be remembered that after my marriage, and my subsequent start in private practice, the very intimate relations which had existed between Holmes and myself became to some extent modified.

Literally the other day you were living with him in Baker Street again, and it seems like you spent more time with Holmes in the months after your marriage than you did with your wife or at work, so I'm not sure that starting this true account of events off with a bald-faced lie is the best course of action, but sure.

Reading these stories in this order and seeing with complete clarity that ACD paid no attention to his past writing with regards to timeline and continuity is kind of funny. There were only three cases in 1890? I'm sure we've had more than three cases give us specific dates in 1890. I can't remember exactly when he got married, but it wasn't that long before 1890 (1888 wikipedia tells me, and many stories take place in that nebulous 'months after I was married' period. The timeline is honestly just chaos. One of the last stories was set in 1892, which from the date of this story is clearly impossible, so... Watson just makes up the dates to suit his own agenda?)

I received two notes from Holmes, dated from Narbonne and from Nîmes...

Now that I know he was recently in Nimes, I am going to be picturing Holmes in a pair of jeans for the rest of this story. That's just how it is. Sorry. And before you say it's anachronistic, denim trousers became popular in the 1870s in the states, iirc, so it's entirely plausible.

"...I must further beg you to be so unconventional as to allow me to leave your house presently by scrambling over your back garden wall."

Watson I have come to close your shutters, smoke a cigarette and climb over your backwall, and I'm all out of shutters and cigarettes.

"Is Mrs Watson in?" "She is away upon a visit." "Indeed! You are alone?" "Quite." "Then it makes it the easier for me to propose that you should come away with me for a week to the Continent."

Oh, and also to invite you on an impromptu romantic getaway to the continent, seeing as your wife's not around. I'm in fear for my life, but it's going to be great fun.

Watson suggesting that this is an 'aimless holiday' is odd. Watson, if your friend comes to you and admits that he's afraid of being shot and has been in a fight, wants to leave your house in an unconventional manner that will help him avoid being seen and simultaneously suggests you leave the country. It might be connected. The destination is clearly less important than the departing.

"You have probably never heard of Professor Moriarty?" said he.

This reveal was kind of spoiled for modern readers with the Colonel's name earlier, which is a bit of a shame. But I guess ACD had no idea that Moriarty would become such a household name that just this in itself would be able to make readers a century on go 'Oh!' Still a pity, though. Having that whole 'in danger for his life' thing and THEN the Moriarty reveal would be a better build up for modern readers.

"His career has been an extraordinary one. He is a man of good birth and excellent education, endowed by nature..."

👀

"...with a phenomenal mathematical faculty."

What is an 'army coach'? I mean, I know what I feel like it means, but I fail to see how it would be a good job for a professor of mathematics. Did he coach them in maths?

"He is the Napoleon of crime, Watson. He is the organiser of half that is evil and of nearly all that is undetected in this great city. He is a genius, a philosopher, an abstract thinker. He has a brain of the first order. He sits motionless, like a spider in the centre of its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well every quiver of each of them."

Me, trying to find the most ridiculous gif of Macavity from Cats (2019): There's so. many. to choose from.

"Again and again he strove to break away, but I as often headed him off. I tell you, my friend, that if a detailed account of that silent contest could be written, it would take its place as the most brilliant bit of thrust-and-parry work in the history of detection."

When I first realised that Moriarty appears in only 1 of the Sherlock Holmes stories, I was kind of astonished, because he always seemed like he must have been a recurring nemesis to have made such an impact on the canon. But no, it really is just this story and ACD gives him a lot of hype. It leaves a lot of space in the narrative, and as we all know, the plot holes are where the fanfic gets in. Sherlock Holmes, I believe, is the most adapted character in English literary history. More than Robin Hood, more than King Arthur, more than any Shakespeare play. And you've got to wonder if part of that is because of the gaps in the narrative that are mentioned, but not fleshed out.

I wonder if, at the time, there were Sherlock Holmes fan groups who pored over past cases trying to find evidence of Moriarty's hand in previous stories. I bet there were people scribbling their own ideas of what happened between Moriarty and Holmes and reading them to their friends and family in the evenings. Just as I bet, after this story, a million fix it stories were written/told. I've never heard of any existing, but it feels like there must have been.

"I was sitting in my room thinking the matter over, when the door opened and Professor Moriarty stood before me."

"His appearance was quite familiar to me. He is extremely tall and thin, his forehead domes out in a white curve, and his two eyes are deeply sunken in this head. He is clean-shaven, pale, and ascetic-looking, retaining something of the professor in his features. His shoulders are rounded from much study, and his face protrudes forward, and is forever slowly oscillating from side to side in a curiously reptilian fashion."

Police officers are mammalian and criminal masterminds are reptilian. Good to know.

"'You have less frontal development that I should have expected,' said he, at last. 'It is a dangerous habit to finger loaded firearms in the pocket of one's dressing-gown.'"

"You have a small head." Interesting opening line. Although it is fair to say that he's right about the gun. Not best practice.

"'All that I have to say has already crossed your mind,' said he. "'Then possibly my answer has crossed yours,' I replied."

These lines are iconic, but also, as someone who has written on occasion, also genius. Why bother trying to work out a suitably intelligent and ominous conversation when you can do this instead and have it work ten times better. It's a lovely bit of writing.

"'You crossed my path on the 4th of January,' said he. 'On the 23d you incommoded me; by the middle of February I was seriously inconvenienced by you; at the end of March I was absolutely hampered in my plans; and now, at the close of April, I find myself placed in such a position through your continual persecution that I am in positive danger of losing my liberty. The situation is becoming an impossible one.'"

I do also love this matter of fact little summary, where Moriarty has clearly had his thesaurus open at the word 'blocked' and just picked words at random. The exasperation and yet strange calm of having this all written down in his diary is great. Moriarty is very well constructed as a character.

He goes on to say 'tut, tut' as well, which is just such a supercilious, condescending little thing to say. He is eminently hateable, and yet simultaneously has done nothing actually wrong on page.

Holmes refers to him as Mr Moriarty to his face and Professor Moriarty to Watson, which is a nice little bit of pettiness. Technically he isn't a professor any more, but just that little bit of disrespect to his face. Beautiful.

"I took a cab after that and reached my brother's rooms in Pall Mall, where I spent the day."

Oh hai, Mycroft!

So far, Holmes has escaped death 3 times today. So he's doing pretty well.

I do find it odd that with so many days advance warning, Moriarty can't find another way to not be arrested on Monday that isn't killing Holmes. Can't he just... stop whatever thing is happening on Monday?

"The practice is quiet," said I, "and I have an accommodating neighbour. I should be glad to come."

The return of Watson's accommodating neighbour, the true unsung hero of these tales. There had better be a fanfic on AO3 that's a bystander POV of Watson's long-suffering doctor neighbour and all the times Waton pops his head in and says 'I have to have adventures today, you don't mind keeping an eye on my practice do you, old chum? Splendid! See you in a week!'

I'm sure all of Holmes instructions about how Watson should get to the station are justified, but they are also very funny.

"...dash through the Arcade, timing yourself to reach the other side at a quarter-past nine."

Ah yes, I know exactly how quickly to run through the arcade to make sure I get to the other side at exactly quarter past nine. Who doesn't?

This is only a two parter, and the next part is due tomorrow, it says, rather than on Tuesday. So, everyone get your mourning bands ready.

[kamehamehamlet]

A teaser for Mayor Lear of Townsville, showcasing a handful of projections which would be used in the show and edited in homage to a then recent trailer for Twin Peaks: The Return.

Play-Dot Archives: Mayor Lear Projections

Early on in development, I knew I wanted to use projections for Mayor Lear and that one of the MN Fringe venues was Intermedia Arts. Intermedia Arts, like many incredible theatre and arts building in the Twin Cities has since shuttered, but in 2017 the theatre's projector could be used to cover the back from floor to ceiling.

In a later scene in the Mayors office, the Townsville Skyline was animated to be on fire. (Emily Rose Duea, Bre'Elle Erickson, Natalie Rae Wass, and Meghan Wolff). Photo by Alex Wohlhueter.

And for the MN Fringe, where all of your props and set needed to be in and out of the theater in a matter of minutes before and after each show, using projections meant we could have near effortless set changes. Well, effortless during the show at least. See on top of writing the script, I also tasked myself with making the projections. Since I was responsible for both, I had no one to blame but myself for needing over 50 projections with a mix of flat images, animations, and one very special video.

A folder containing many of the still images of Mayor Lear of Townsville.

It's also worth noting that many people assumed our images had come from the TV show when in reality they were all created digitally by me. Although many of the popular location were recreated with heavy reference usage. It was really fun to learn the shows art style, and in some cases animation style, and it really can't be overstated how cool it was to be in that theatre with the projections covering the whole wall. Seven years on, it's easy to be nostalgic, having packed the memories of stress at trying to get all of these ready on time somewhere deep deep away.

A longer image which would pan across the backwall, imitating a shot in the TV shows opening. Since this took place years after the show, a few of the villains were aged up and other baddies were added as well. To cap off this longer archival post, I want to share one last stupid choice I made that summer: I became the world's most amateur storm chaser. Throughout June and July, I kept a close eye on the weather and when a Thunderstorm was approaching, I race to a bluff about a 10-minute drive away, trying to catch a recording of lightning alongside the Saint Paul Skyline. All to sell a bit during big Lear storm scene, where the cartoon world would snap away and we see the inner turmoil of The Mayor.

The hills outside of Townsville during the storm, and the opening of Scene Nine. While I did catch the perfect bolt lightning which illuminated the city... my equipment was not made to capture it well. Eventually, I would have to cobble together some of my footage, use some after effects basic vfx, and call it a day. But as meh as I felt my video was, there's a real magic in theatre. After 40 minutes of campy cartoony melodramatic fun, it was absolutely electric watching Natalie shed the hokey outward persona of The Mayor and deliver one of Shakespeare's best monologues. It made every soaking wet, bone chilling minute of my foolish storm chasing task worth it. I had known for years Natalie was an incredible force of nature on stage and we were so lucky to have her as our lead. I choose not to take the easy pun and say as "our Lear" because... did I mention she was double cast?

Come back tomorrow to learn about my other favorite scene in Mayor Lear! Want to see more photos of the projections? Check out yesterday's archival post!

Have questions about Mayor Lear or Kamehamehamlet? Join us during our weekly Rally Stream on YouTube this Saturday.