#c; irma

[goldberry-edition]

Tarot-themed W.I.T.C.H. artwork

by Kui San

[wondrousmuses]

Continued @starsmuserainbow

Everything was perfect in the beginning. The two went to the mall, ate delicious food at a food court and even tried on some funny hats and accessories. What changed was the plushie doll incident. The way he left her high and dry confused and upset her. She didn't know what she did wrong for him to do that.

Fast forward to an 1 hour later where she found him on top of the roof. Irma felt some anger towards him and she wanted to give him a piece of her mind. She deserved to know why he abandoned her like that. Before she could, she heard an apology from him and an explanation. So that anger she had for him sort of diminished. Had Irma known about his past with this alien speices, she wouldn't had bought him the plushie.

"Well, I'm sorry too. I didn't know but you didn't have to leave me like that. I wish you would've told me."

[daringsunflowers]

@starlingisms cont here in beta

“and what makes her feelings more important than your own?” Irma asked, “i am so tired of everything being about her. we arent even together anymore and yet tasha still stands in my way. at what point does what you want or how you feel matter? this is your life, not hers.”

[itachikun]

e meu nucleo da UP que quer fazer reunião presencial amanhã as 12h30 e dps ir junto pro ato da palestina as 16h e eu só fico pensando qnd é q a militancia ao mossa?

[vadimtea]

"the story is always the same — Malkavian and Toreador.."

(c) our GM

Jessica Toredo, Malkavian — mine

Irma de Carodosso, Toreador — @she-who-must-not-be-woken

[yumeniz]

W🔮I💧T🔥C🌳H💨

Will Vandom 🔮

Irma Lair 💧

Taranee Cook 🔥

Cornelia Hale 🌳

Hay Lin 💨

[nayialovecat]

The Ink Demonth 2023 - Day 12. Angel

Day 12. Angel Crossover: W.I.T.C.H. (comics) This could be true, if it weren't for the fact that Joey is probably canonically gay (but I'm not sure if it's a fact).

And now a bit of history. Comics W.I.T.C.H. in Poland were published for about ten years from 2002 and were extremely important to me. I bought this newspaper from the first to the last issue - I skipped maybe 3-4 issues when I was on vacation and couldn't find a shop that had the current press (I'll fill these holes someday). For me, this series was extremely important and played a big role for many reasons - firstly, it was how I learned to draw human figures and my style still somewhat resembles the style of W.I.T.C.H. Secondly - reading this comic coincided with the moment when I first started to suffer from depression and reading about magic, about friendship that works and that friends don't stab you in the back - made it easier for me to cope with reality. Finally, thirdly - I was then very into magic and I was looking for it in a more interesting form than the one presented in Harry Potter (where magic, by the way, is very boring and monothematic). In each issue, apart from the next part of the comics, there were interesting horoscopes from different parts of the world, methods of fortune telling and interesting facts about various magical things. This was the beginning of my collection of myths, spells, creatures and magical plants. But then the comic stopped being published, and then that nasty French series came out, which is one big abomination - and I completely forgot about W.I.T.C.H. for many, many years... But then, some time ago, my dad, who was cleaning out my old room (where he has his "office"), found a huge pile of my magazines and decided to bring them to me - among them were all my issues of W.I.T.C.H. magazine. When my daughter saw it, she was immediately delighted and asked if I could read it to her. Reading comics is difficult and unattractive to the listener, so I thought she would get boring quickly - but no... we're halfway through the first saga (about Merdian) and Ursa keeps asking for more. And when I read it to her, I take a sentimental journey back to my childhood, I'm moved again by the stories, I laugh at the jokes, I discover that I look at the characters differently, but like them the same, although for completely different things.

That's why I decided to include such an important element that made me who I am now in this year's Ink Demonth - and the slogan Angel seemed more than appropriate. Interestingly, the previous entry also fit here, and in order to include the Phantom of the Opera, I had to find another place for it, because - yes - it lost to W.I.T.C.H. However, this inconspicuous comic book for teenagers had a greater impact on me, my character, interests and who I am today - than the musical I saw several years ago or the book I read only this year. Sad but true.

I must admit that I had fun drawing and colouring this. And if someone asks: my favourite character is Will - not only because she is redhead and is (like me) a Capricorn, but many threads from her story were similar to mine. This hasn't changed. However, today I look more kindly at Cornelia, whom I once disliked, and a little less favorably at Irma, whom I once liked very much (the way she treats Martin at the beginning is terrible). While drawing them, I realized how unfairly Hay Lin is treated - her guardian outfit is the worst and least highlights her charms. However, after upgrading the outfits, she gains the most, while Cornelia's and Will's outfits are terrible. By the way, Taranee, what did they do to your hair, tell me? By the way, it was even fun to do something similar to the SATIM comic - was this comic always so electric yellow? It was very difficult for me to adapt to this...

Bendy and the Ink Machine (c) Joey Drew Studios Inc. W.I.T.C.H. (c) Disney Italy Sammy and the Ink Machine (c) Nayia Lovecat

[yaggy031910]

The napoleonic marshal‘s children

After seeing @josefavomjaaga’s and @northernmariette’s marshal calendar, I wanted to do a similar thing for all the marshal’s children! So I did! I hope you like it. c: I listed them in more or less chronological order but categorised them in years (especially because we don‘t know all their birthdays). At the end of this post you are going to find remarks about some of the marshals because not every child is listed! ^^“ To the question about the sources: I mostly googled it and searched their dates in Wikipedia, ahaha. Nevertheless, I also found this website. However, I would be careful with it. We are talking about history and different sources can have different dates. I am always open for corrections. Just correct me in the comments if you find or know a trustful source which would show that one or some of the dates are incorrect. At the end of the day it is harmless fun and research. :) Pre 1790

François Étienne Kellermann (4 August 1770- 2 June 1835) 

Marguerite Cécile Kellermann (15 March 1773 - 12 August 1850)

Ernestine Grouchy (1787–1866)

Mélanie Marie Josèphe de Pérignon (1788 - 1858)

Alphonse Grouchy (1789–1864)

Jean-Baptiste Sophie Pierre de Pérignon (1789- 14 January 1807)

Marie Françoise Germaine de Pérignon (1789 - 15 May 1844)

Angélique Catherine Jourdan (1789 or 1791 - 7 March 1879)

1790 - 1791

Marie-Louise Oudinot (1790–1832)

Marie-Anne Masséna (8 July 1790 - 1794)

Charles Oudinot (1791 - 1863)

Aimee-Clementine Grouchy (1791–1826)

Anne-Francoise Moncey (1791–1842)

1792 - 1793

Bon-Louis Moncey (1792–1817)

Victorine Perrin (1792–1822)

Anne-Charlotte Macdonald (1792–1870)

François Henri de Pérignon (23 February 1793 - 19 October 1841)

Jacques Prosper Masséna (25 June 1793 - 13 May 1821)

1794 - 1795

Victoire Thècle Masséna (28 September 1794 - 18 March 1857)

Adele-Elisabeth Macdonald (1794–1822)

Marguerite-Félécité Desprez (1795-1854); adopted by Sérurier

Nicolette Oudinot (1795–1865)

Charles Perrin (1795–15 March 1827)

1796 - 1997

Emilie Oudinot (1796–1805)

Victor Grouchy (1796–1864)

Napoleon-Victor Perrin (24 October 1796 - 2 December 1853)

Jeanne Madeleine Delphine Jourdan (1797-1839)

1799

François Victor Masséna (2 April 1799 - 16 April 1863)

Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte (4 July 1799 – 8 July 1859)

Auguste Oudinot (1799–1835)

Caroline de Pérignon (1799-1819)

Eugene Perrin (1799–1852)

1800

Nina Jourdan (1800-1833)

Caroline Mortier de Trevise (1800–1842)

1801

Achille Charles Louis Napoléon Murat (21 January 1801 - 15 April 1847)

Louis Napoléon Lannes (30 July 1801 – 19 July 1874)

Elise Oudinot (1801–1882)

1802

Marie Letizia Joséphine Annonciade Murat (26 April 1802 - 12 March 1859)

Alfred-Jean Lannes (11 July 1802 – 20 June 1861)

Napoléon Bessière (2 August 1802 - 21 July 1856)

Paul Davout (1802–1803)

Napoléon Soult (1802–1857)

1803

Marie-Agnès Irma de Pérignon (5 April 1803 - 16 December 1849)

Joseph Napoléon Ney (8 May 1803 – 25 July 1857)

Lucien Charles Joseph Napoléon Murat (16 May 1803 - 10 April 1878)

Jean-Ernest Lannes (20 July 1803 – 24 November 1882)

Alexandrine-Aimee Macdonald (1803–1869)

Sophie Malvina Joséphine Mortier de Trévise ( 1803 - ???)

1804

Napoléon Mortier de Trévise (6 August 1804 - 29 December 1869)

Michel Louis Félix Ney (24 August 1804 – 14 July 1854)

Gustave-Olivier Lannes (4 December 1804 – 25 August 1875)

Joséphine Davout (1804–1805)

Hortense Soult (1804–1862)

Octavie de Pérignon (1804-1847)

1805

Louise Julie Caroline Murat (21 March 1805 - 1 December 1889)

Antoinette Joséphine Davout (1805 – 19 August 1821)

Stephanie-Josephine Perrin (1805–1832)

1806

Josephine-Louise Lannes (4 March 1806 – 8 November 1889)

Eugène Michel Ney (12 July 1806 – 25 October 1845)

Edouard Moriter de Trévise (1806–1815)

Léopold de Pérignon (1806-1862)

1807

Adèle Napoleone Davout (June 1807 – 21 January 1885)

Jeanne-Francoise Moncey (1807–1853)

1808: Stephanie Oudinot (1808-1893) 1809: Napoleon Davout (1809–1810)

1810: Napoleon Alexander Berthier (11 September 1810 – 10 February 1887)

1811

Napoleon Louis Davout (6 January 1811 - 13 June 1853)

Louise-Honorine Suchet (1811 – 1885)

Louise Mortier de Trévise (1811–1831)

1812

Edgar Napoléon Henry Ney (12 April 1812 – 4 October 1882)

Caroline-Joséphine Berthier (22 August 1812 – 1905)

Jules Davout (December 1812 - 1813)

1813: Louis-Napoleon Suchet (23 May 1813- 22 July 1867/77)

1814: Eve-Stéphanie Mortier de Trévise (1814–1831) 1815

Marie Anne Berthier (February 1815 - 23 July 1878)

Adelaide Louise Davout (8 July 1815 – 6 October 1892)

Laurent François or Laurent-Camille Saint-Cyr (I found two almost similar names with the same date so) (30 December 1815 – 30 January 1904)

1816: Louise Marie Oudinot (1816 - 1909)

1817

Caroline Oudinot (1817–1896)

Caroline Soult (1817–1817)

1819: Charles-Joseph Oudinot (1819–1858)

1820: Anne-Marie Suchet (1820 - 27 May 1835) 1822: Henri Oudinot ( 3 February 1822 – 29 July 1891) 1824: Louis Marie Macdonald (11 November 1824 - 6 April 1881.) 1830: Noemie Grouchy (1830–1843) —————— Children without clear birthdays:

Camille Jourdan (died in 1842)

Sophie Jourdan (died in 1820)

Additional remarks: - Marshal Berthier died 8.5 months before his last daughter‘s birth. - Marshal Oudinot had 11 children and the age difference between his first and last child is around 32 years. - The age difference between marshal Grouchy‘s first and last child is around 43 years. - Marshal Lefebvre had fourteen children (12 sons, 2 daughters) but I couldn‘t find anything kind of reliable about them so they are not listed above. I am aware that two sons of him were listed in the link above. Nevertheless, I was uncertain to name them in my list because I thought that his last living son died in the Russian campaign while the website writes about the possibility of another son dying in 1817. - Marshal Augerau had no children. - Marshal Brune had apparently adopted two daughters whose names are unknown. - Marshal Pérignon: I couldn‘t find anything about his daughters, Justine, Elisabeth and Adèle, except that they died in infancy. - Marshal Sérurier had no biological children but adopted Marguerite-Félécité Desprez in 1814. - Marshal Marmont had no children. - I found out that marshal Saint-Cyr married his first cousin, lol. - I didn‘t find anything about marshal Poniatowski having children. Apparently, he wasn‘t married either (thank you, @northernmariette for the correction of this fact! c:)

[irregularincidents]

Over the course of 25 years, Albert Pierrepoint killed between 435 and 600 people, with his last being in 1956. He was Britain's most prolific hangman, and in late 1945 he was brought to Germany with a specific task: Executing Nazis.

A private man, both Albert's father and uncle had been hangmen before him, and over the course of his career he killed a variety of people, conventional criminals, serial killers (plus an innocent man a serial killer had framed for his crimes), and spies.

He didn't particularly like advertising his side-gig as someone who killed people on behalf of the state (for obvious reasons), but due to his reputation for efficiency (anecdotally he would figure out in his head the length of rope required to kill someone as quickly and relatively as possible just by eye) General Sir Bernard Montgomery, one of the senior figures in the British armed forces during WWII announced his involvement to the press.

Arriving in Germany, Albert was first assigned the task of executing the captured Nazi war criminals that had been operating the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camps, including such people as the 22 year old Irma Grese, nicknamed Hyena of Auschwitz by her victims. He hanged the women individually, the men he hanged in pairs. Reportedly starting with the younger criminals first, under the reasoning that they would be the most scared.

Pierrepoint travelled several times to Hamelin, and between December 1948 and October 1949 he executed 226 people, often over 10 a day, and on several occasions groups of up to 17 over 2 days. After the Belsen executions, he was moved on to Nazi sympathisers, including the American-born fascist William Joyce, who had been granted the nickname Lord Haw-Haw due to his broadcasts across the English Channel in a fake posh accent trying to convince the British to surrender. He died 3 January 1946.

It is notable, however, that despite some claims to the contrary, Pierrepoint was not the hangman assigned to the war crime trials at Nuremberg (which fell under the jurisdiction of the Americans). It's notable in contrast to Pierrepoint, whose grim expertise in killing people with rope was such that he was hired to teach his methods to hangmen in Austria (reportedly their method was to let people strangle to death rather than their body weight breaking their necks like they did with his way), the American hire... err... wasn't that?

In fact, in contrast with Pierrepoint's... for lack for a better word consideration for the people he was killing, the American's choice, John C. Woods, had no prior experience as a hangman (reportedly lying that he had served as one as back in the US... in states where state-backed hangings had been phased out decades prior), and was notably at being kind of terrible at it? While Pierrepoint was all about killing people as quickly, painlessly and quietly as possible (both for the benefit of the prison staff as well as the victim), Woods deliberately botched executions to make the Nazis suffer as much as possible. Under the gallows operated by Woods, Nazis would dangle for minutes as they slowly strangled to death. Which considering the crimes that they had been convicted of, fair, but the contrast between the two men is fascinating.

Not least due to their later perspectives of their careers, with Albert returning to Britain and operating as a hangman for a further decade or so to retire to the pub in Preston that he had bought with the money from his executions back in the 1940s which he ran with his wife, Annie Fletcher.

It's notable that in the years following his retirement, he became opposed to the death penalty in Britain, and his obituary would quote his option opposed to the idea that capital punishment deterred crime,

'If death were a deterrent,' he wrote, 'I might be expected to know. It is I who have faced them at the last, young lads and girls, working men, grandmothers. I have been amazed to see the courage with which they take that walk into the unknown. 'It did not deter them then, and it had not deterred them when they committed what they were convicted for. All the men and women whom I have faced at that final moment convince me that in what I have done I have not prevented a single murder.'

Albert passed away in a nursing home in 1992 at the age of 87.... while with his former colleague John, his own view of his time as a hangman was a lot more glib.

I hanged those ten Nazis … and I am proud of it … I wasn't nervous. … A fellow can't afford to have nerves in this business. … I want to put in a good word for those G.I.s who helped me … they all did swell. … I am trying to get [them] a promotion. … The way I look at this hanging job, somebody has to do it. I got into it kind of by accident, years ago in the States …

For his part, John would himself die in 1950 at the age of 39, when he accidentally electrocuted himself to death while stationed in the Marshall Islands.

[shiversdownyerspine]

Ole Munch Time

LET'S TALK ABOUT MUDMAN AGAIN. Let's talk about…the biscuit scene. There's gonna be a part 1 and a part 2 cuz OH BOY I GOT STUFF TO SAY.

Part 1

So, Ole Munch shows up at the Lyon's home and sits patiently for Dot while Wayne keeps him company, who I imagine is trying to chat our mudman up and just be his regular friendly self? I doubt Munch really knows what to do with that, he's out of his comfort zone here. I think the last time he was given a warm welcome was likely centuries ago when he met the people of the plains.

Then Dot arrives and the fun begins.

As they talk he does this strange balancing act between polite guest and grim reaper. He tries the tough guy act and the music reflects it in the scene. He's all intimidating; scowling, a bit snarly, Mister Grim & Gruff being all, 'no, our fight isn't finished', 'this is the way it has to be', 'you took a man's flesh now you must give your own in return'. Old Testament, yadda yadda yadda. But I don't think this is what he REALLY wants, it's likely that with the way his life has gone that this is just what he thinks is fair. What's available to him.

A little note about him being gone for a year and dressed all in black; what was the mourning period in medieval times for a child facing the loss of a parent? A year. And the appropriate color garb when in mourning? Black. He's trying to honor Irma's passing.

Let's talk about the handshake. Wayne offers his hand, and Munch, still staring at Dot, tilts his head away from it. I don't think he's flinching or cringing in fear, but I could be wrong. Maybe he's never been offered a handshake before, wasn't expecting the gesture, or…he knows what the gesture is and doesn't want to accept it.

It kind of feels like a pouty kid going, 'No, I'm not gonna shake your hand. I can't. I'm not allowed. I have no choice but to be the Harbinger of Death and you're ruining it. :c'

Dot approaches then, and Munch says, "We will finish our engagement now."

Dot's confused, says she thought they were done. What is he doing here, he had helped her and said she was free now. She hadn't understood his meaning then, that it wasn't about her and him. I think Munch telling her, 'The tiger is free', was meant as in free from Roy. Period. Her debt to Roy as his runaway bride was going to be absolved.

So, the debt. He's had much taken from him. Not just his flesh; remember, the money he was paid to go after Dot in the first place was stolen back. We saw Roy find the duffel bag in Gator's closet after he'd been abducted. Not just that, but Munch's new mother figure was also killed. He's gained nothing for his pain and suffering. The only debt that could possibly be paid fairly, according to his Code, is his ear.

And then he's being given a soda and he looks away from Dot to peer at it like..'??? What is this bright thing…oh, a beverage.'

It's funny how he rejected the handshake but accepted the drink, yet we saw previously how distracted he gets by the marvels of the modern world, so he accepts it if just to inspect the soda. And THEN he accepts the kind gesture behind it, but not before side-eyeing Wayne suspiciously. Like he's maybe mulling over whether or not he should thank him, or he's wary of Wayne's intentions. But Munch is clearly touched by the gesture, even if he doesn't WANT to be. He's being shown real hospitality and he finally accepts it, because deep down he WANTS it, so we get an almost begrudging, "A man is grateful".

Like he's going, '…Okay fine. I'll admit...this was nice of you.'

Then Wayne starts asking about him, and notice how Munch is STILL looking at Wayne, not at Dot. And his body language changes a bit, like he's surprised, maybe flattered, that someone is showing interest in him as a person. And he responds to that. Munch doesn't ignore Wayne, he opens up to him.

And the whole scene is hilarious because we can see how receptive Munch is to respect and kindness and family that it's like…buddy, your Code is a mask and it's about to crumble right off your face.

Dot then steers the conversation back to the reason he's here, the debt. She challenges it, but in a respectful way. She doesn't understand why everyone insists on paying debt no matter what. She understands, "keeping a promise, but people always say 'debt must be paid'. Except what if you can't? If you're too poor, or you lose your job, maybe there's a death in the family (all things I think Munch can intimately understand). Isn't the better thing, more humane thing, to say the debt should be forgiven? Isn't that who we should be?"

Remember his monologue in the bath? How the ones who have plenty insist on greed, insist on taking from the ones who have nothing? As if life itself owes them a debt, their greed must be fed regardless of the cost. And the cost is death. This scene feels like a continuation of his talk of kings, and I think he's reminded of what a kindred spirit Dot is.

I think to Munch, the debt is about keeping a promise to himself. Because all he has IS himself. His Code. If no one else is advocating for him, HE must advocate for himself. But now he has to reconsider what debt is to him, if it should be paid, if it should be forgiven. And he struggles with it because this will change him and he doesn't know if he should let it. Will this get him hurt? Will it be worth it? It's such a vulnerable place to be in.

And then Wayne mentions it's probably time to make biscuits. And it takes Munch a second but his attention snaps to Wayne. A hint of interest, maybe?

And Dot goes, "You know what? You're right." She smiles. Enough of this, she's said all she needed to say about debt and payment. Time to move on.

Dot asks her family to set the table, and looks back at Munch, and she's smiling in this certain way at him. Like she thinks she knows what to do next. Because I think she's starting to realize how alike they are. Maybe she used to think the way Munch did before she escaped Roy.

An eye for an eye. Think back to Dot's dream; Dot insists Linda owes her, that she needs to do something about the hurt and suffering she went through. Pay the debt. But Dot forgives her. She can move forward, no longer trapped. I think Dot recognizes Munch is stuck in survival mode and hurting, because she was stuck in it for so long.

Her family walks away and her smile fades. Munch looks confused, unsure of what to do next. So Dot gives him a choice, "Whatever it is you think you came here for, we're halfway to supper. And it's a school night. So either you wash your hands and you help, or we do this another time."

And Munch looks like he's pouting but he's considering his options. Dot gets up and leaves him to mull it over.

I wonder if Dot remembers that dream, of making a doll and having dinner with those other Linda's (other versions of herself). She fought against it at first, but deep down she wanted to heal from her past. She wanted forgiveness, love, and joy. Family. So she offers Munch a chance to do the same, because deep down she knows he wants that too. He wants to escape but doesn't know the steps to take. That's why he's there.

And Munch's faaaaaaaaace. He's in turmoil, he's confused, he's thinking of debt and forgiveness and Irma. His want of family, his want of being cared for and having people to care about in return. He peers up at the family and the music is tense with, 'oh no is he going to attack??'

But honestly? I think the music is a hint to how he's feeling. Munch is terrified of this family, of joining them. BUT HE JOINS THEM ANYWAY.

And just like Dot in the dream with the Linda's, he fights it at first. Shaking his head like, what is he doing, this is all wrong, a man has a Code. And he tries to insist on his Code. It's all he has, it's all he is. It's everything. It's safety. Change isn't safe, it's a risk and he just wants to be safe. Yet there he is in the kitchen trying his best to prepare something for everyone to eat.

They take his coat, accepting him into their fold, and you can see how uncomfortable he is. Exposed. His hands hover by his hips, like he wants to reach for a gun or a knife. He's struggling but he's trying. He saw himself in Dot and wants to understand just as much as he wants to be understood.

He clutches the measuring cup with both hands, maybe to give himself some sort of security. Grounding himself as he watches what Dot does with clear interest. Then Dot starts talking with him about the job he took from Roy. She discusses the risk that naturally comes about with accepting such work. She acknowledges that he got hurt. And that he can't be mad at the risk because he accepted the possibility of risk when he took the job.

You don't get mad at the boulder for being a rock. You don't get mad at the risk for existing in whatever form that it takes. And he understands that.

She makes him realize that he's not here because of the risk or the lost ear. But that forms a paradox because he thinks that's why he is here. So then…why is he here? He shakes his head, it doesn't make sense. That HAS to be why he's here. His Code.

Dot talks about family, of why she was a risk to him. She asks him to empathize by thinking of his mother across the sea, loving him. What if someone went after her? Tried to take her away from him? Wouldn't he expect her to fight like hell to get back to him? Wouldn't he understand his mother making that choice? Wouldn't he understand why Dot made that choice?

Munch responds, "You say that as if life is a circle, but it's a line. Mother is the start, this is the other side."

It doesn't make sense for him, because he's lived so long. Life just stretches out and out and out. A line, not a circle. It doesn't curve back and connect with itself, with all those memories of living sitting side-by-side. I can't help but think when someone lives so long, memories begin to fade. And the memories of his mother are so far away. Dot is discussing something that happened at the very beginning of the line, and this job happened at the other end of the line. It's been so long, he doesn't remember his mother and what she would have done, doesn't understand why Dot would mention such a scenario. He can't imagine it because to him it might feel like she never existed.

Dot doesn't know what he means, but she rephrases. She puts it in a way he can understand, "What I'm saying is, it's a choice. You made a choice."

They both made choices in life. He made a choice to take the job. He made a choice, and by doing so, became a threat to Dot. Dot made a choice, and by doing so, became a risk to Munch. For every action there is a reaction. It's natural.

She's not going to yell at him for being the threat, just as he shouldn't yell at her for being the risk associated with that threat. That's just life and where their choices led them. Now they have more choices to make, and she's made hers. She's accepted and forgiven him for being a threat. It's his turn to choose, which means thinking about what he wants.

The look on his face when she says that reminds me very much of the look he sported when Irma asked him what he wanted. Just, pure vulnerability and longing.

Dot guides him forward. She acknowledges his hurt and gives him options. Follow his Code, or accept change. Let his Code become something healthier that will serve him in the long run, instead of being trapped by it like she was.

[consult-sherlockholmes]

Just a little question of curiousity: What would be the better option, injecting them with a syringe filled with liquified datura seeds or with an overdose of insulin.

I would inject them under their tongue while they sleep so the scar won't be found. Afterwards I would pack them up in my car and drive at least two hours away from where I live. There I would dig up a 12 feet hole, bury the victim halfway, put the corpse of a dead animal on top and close the hole.

If I'm feeling fancy I may cut up the victim's corpse and and bury them all halfway with animal caveses on top, far away from my home.

Anyways, what's the better poison for this?

This is all theoretical and for science's sake, it's a fun mental exercise to sometimes plan a murder so do not be concerned. An usually endogenous substance like insulin that naturally exists in the body would be much harder to determine as the murder weapon, than an exogenous poison like liquified datura seeds that usually is not present in someone's body except if they have been poisoned. Insulin isn't part of regular tox screens, so if there is no suspicion no one would go looking for it. So in that case insulin would be the better choice.

It's difficult to determine and interpret insulin levels postmortem, insulin not being very stable and autolysis or hemolysis making blood as a sample impractical, which is why vitreous humour is used. Insulin levels can be determined with immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) or liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In the case of natural insulin levels, it should be below the detection limit in the vitreous humour, but if the levels are increased due to poisoning it should be above the detection limit of the method, thus indicating that the death was not natural.

Another way to differentiate endogenous (your own bodie's) or exougenous insulin poisoning, is by looking at the ratio of insulin to C-peptide. During the synthesis of insulin in the body, C-peptide is cleaved from the proinsulin, which means that per formed insulin molecule there is also a C-peptide molecule formed, so with an endogenous poisoning the ratio of C-peptide to insulin should be 1:1, while if the insulin has been administered exogenously the ratio is >1 (more insulin than C-peptide).

And I am not entirely sure how you would want to create a proper solution of 'liquified datura seeds' that can be properly injected, because that would require purification and extraction of the active compounds. You can't just crush some seeds and put them into a syringe with a bit of liquid, it would clog up the needle. Meanwhile insulin already exists as solutions ready for injection, much better choice. Making such a datura seed solution would mean more effort, and would be easier to trace than insulin.

An injection under the tongue sounds uneccesary. Would be quite awkward trying to open someone's mouth while they sleep to put a syringe under their tongue, they would wake up and your plan would be foiled. And neither would it scar given scars are a healed wound and if they are dead there won't be any healing or scarring anymore. And why bother hiding the injection site when you already plan to dispose the body anway in a way so no one would find it. Hiding injection sites is only necessary when someone finds the body, but if the body is burried and decayed there won't be any determination of an injection site when the tissue is decomposed. But the whole process of transport and burial sounds a bit risky and could be prone to failure.

[goldberry-edition]

Winx fairies as Guardians of the Veil

by Falegeffa

[wondrousmuses]

Continued @starsmuserainbow

The guardian was shocked that Wildfire didn't know how to swim. She figured since he was a hero, he should have known. But then again, Cornelia didn't know how either and guess who had to teach her. She wouldn't mind teaching him though. Hopefully it won't be a disaster.

"Sure. You're lucky that you're friends with the best swimming coach in Heatherfield!"

That was an exaggeration. The brunette stepped into the cold water. How refreshing for a hot summer day!

"Okay first, I want you to step into the water and be comfortable in it. That is, if you have any fear of water. Then, I'll show you how to float on your stomach."

[keepofkandrakar]

W.I.T.C.H. Character Headcanons (bc I say so)

So for those of you who don't know, I'm creating a rewrite of W.I.T.C.H. on Wattpad. It will essentially be if it were given a live action adaptation with a standing total of 60 episodes (5 seasons; 12 episodes per season). These headcanons all apply to said rewrite -- I have my Wattpad linked on my blog so go check it out!

Irma is canonically a Latina lesbian, that's zero debate, however I specifically headcanon her as Guatemalan.

Taranee and Peter Cook are canonically blasian! The Cooks are out here representing the blended families! I will be taking no arguments or criticisms!

I read a post a while ago about how every other fantasy world is based on Medieval Europe, Metamoor/Meridian being one of them and I was like "you know what would be cool? if instead Metamoor was based on Ancient Indian culture." so that's what I did and now Elyon and Phobos are ethnically Indian (Elyon's new name is Elyon Bhandari and I can't think of it as anything else now) (plus Metamoor is actually ten times more interesting with the amount of lore I'm creating for it).

sidenote: I need it to be known that Elyon will also be serving as the vice president of the Sheffield Student Government/Student Council to foreshadow her queenliness and she's also a book girly and she has initiative and Phobos is actually clever enough in his manipulation tactics for Elyon to not question everything until the last couple days leading up to her coronation. I wanted the queen to serve.

Everyone imagine real quick (cartoon) Matt Olsen as a black man. I don't know how I started picturing him black but now I cannot stop because it just works! We need a black lead guitar/lead singer of a rock band everyone will be making thirst edits over who is also humble kind sweet loyal loving-- And can I just say he would look sexy hot with the Shagon dreads! You cannot change my mind on this!

Kio Cyr is literally Eric Lyndon! I found an image with him in a NASA t-shirt and I was like "that's him folks!" Though, I do specifically headcanon Eric as Filipino.

Alchemy is now Alchemy Torres and she's a chem/bio nerd with an affinity for puzzles. I'm still figuring her out but she will gain more importance in S2.

I made a crackship out of Nashter (one of the Runics from the 100% WITCH arc) and Taranee and now it's very very serious. Not only does he have a British accent (do not ask) but he and Taranee are basically a detective duo/partners-in-crime turned besties in S3, which corresponds with the Crisis on Both Worlds arc which means angsty Taranee which means incredible banter between a smartass and a flirt.

And when I tell you that Nashter is the only white Runic I mean it: Darmon is lighter skin black, Shalin is Asian of some sort (specific region TBD), Cromo is dark skin black, and Ran-Rah is indigenous af.

Caleb lowkey is giving indigenous energy? I've barely touched him but the farthest I've gotten is that I saw one fanart of Caleb if he were on Phobos' side originally and now he has a whole defection arc in S1 from head of Phobos' guard to rebel leader in addition with angsty C&C so there's that going for us.

[ask-the-big-c]

What's your relationship like with the rest of the pizza time players and guest stars?

Well..

*Big C cleared his throat*

Startin off with crusty, he’s alright, but he needs to work on dat performance, cat had nearly drove me mad a couple a times. Jaspah, that fruitcake dawg does well at his performance, but could be much better, we’re kinda close, don’t cha be tellin anyone ya nitwit, but I see em as a buddy, as much as he annoys the livin daylights outta me with his humor and that laugh, he still ain’t bad, but sheesh does he sound hysterical!

Dem Warblettes are great at their job and know what their doin, if I tell em somethin they know what I wat, Daisy, Maisy and Irma are sweethearts I’ll tell ya, but don’t cha take ‘em for granted, maybe ya will get a peck to the head if ya tried. Pasqually, we go back and forth yellin insults like we’re in one of dem movies with the constant arguin, I start it up of course, but he needs to be workin on dem pizzas and leave the preformin to us most times, we cannot have a pizza without a chef!

*Big C lit up his cigar.*

Dolli dimples! She’s one provocative powa house I can tell ya that, always flirtin it up with the audience and speaks with em like she’s tryna wrangle in anotha husband, but lemme tell ya she may have been round the block, but she knows how to make one heck of a performance. I got rocky relationships with most of dem guest stars, harmony howlette is a big pain!

*Bib C grumbled quietly “had to make me double down multiple different times”*

“I at least had a good one with dat king lion and a few othas, or was it dat king cat?”

(Ooc I would go into full detail but I cannot spend all day on this😭)

[popculturebuffet]

Monthly Muppet Madness: Survival Street Review: Brought to You by the Letter's F and C for Fuck Captalisim (Comission for WeirdKev27)

Today's review is courtsey of viewers like you.. specifically you. Kevin. Thank you

Hello all you happy people and welcome back to Monthly Muppets Madness, my look at all things muppety. And after last month's adventure with mean green mother's from outer space, we're back to more felty corners of the muppet globe with Surivial Street, a 4 issue mini series from 2022 by the writing team of James Asmus and Jim Fesante with art by Abbylay Kussainov.

Asmus is a longtime comic book writer whose work I have read before with his decent runs on Gambit, Quantum and Woody and All New Inhumans. He also co-wrote the second arc of Robert Kirkman's Thief of Theives. So while not someone I seek out, he's a solid writer.

As you can guess by the title and that awesome cover, Survival Street is a parody of Seasame Street, though heavily on the affectionte side: it's very clear from the writing Asmus really loves the show and it's goals of free education for children who might not have acess to it and teaching love and kindness are core to this book.

That said Survival Street is also over the top as hell. It's messages are as subtle as a brick to the head saying "Corproations Bad' and a lot of the book can come off as

Okay some are.. but most of them probably aren't going to listen to their bullshit being called out in the first place, let alone by muppets. The question is can this book ballance it's over the top satire with it's heart, fairly well thought out characters and comedy? Find out under the cut won't you?

We open with America: A Timeline. In 2025 in this timeline, Jury's out on ours, the Supreme Court voted to make Corporations able to run for public office. Naturally this backfired and soon corprations pulled their money out from other candidates and ran themselves, and by 2028 they've taken over the country, privitazed everything and in our proper oppening scene, invade Salutation Street, our Seasame Street expy and shut it down. It's also clear there's rampant anti-muppet xenophobia in this universe, something that will only grow worse as we cut to present day: 2031, in New Best America TM.

It's in this new corprate hellscape we meet our heroes who are traveling around america in an RV. Driving it is an expy of Gordon, Mr. Burton whose dealing with a checkpoint. As it turns out though roads are now privitazed and upon seeing a family hassled over this, our grover stand-in, Herbert decides to take a more hands on approach

This does save the people there.. but is quickly used as propoganda by the local fox news stand in. Because of a course a corporate hellscape still has fox news, every hellscape needs one or it's just not a hellscape. Their anchor is Irma, our ernie stand in, who spouts out the usual racist drivel but about muppets this time. I do like the touch of having the two headed monster be their right and left wing commentators.

We then ove to the a-plot: Junior, the president is auctoning off detained children of illegal immigrants to the highest bidder in florida, with our heroes sneaking in to stop this via the global warming flooded ocean outside.

I mean a bunch of rich assholes auctoning off children is both plausable and has likely actually happened, but it dosen't make that funny or entertaining. Junior himself is, from saying his assitant asking about his medication he stole from his daughter is a HIPPA violation to how over the top he is and it keeps things from being too GET IT GET IT CAPTALISIM BAD GET IT. It's enoguh to take me out but not enoguh to make me leave.

So our ABC team break in and we properly meet them all as they make their way through. And since the comic has really fun intro captions for each of them...

Their leader, Bert stand in and the one holding the brain cell

Kind to a fault and mostly a "master of disguise" because he's the only human they have.

Like Burton we've seen him before. Explosives expert with a short fuse. ANd god I love that gag: it's so damn dark and it should not work but it does.

Our Cookie Monster with traces of Zoey given the pigtails. I also thought Elmo but we'll meet our equilvent for him in isue 3. Kind, good at inflitration but struggling with staying clean.

Our big bird, a good strong boy whose basically big bird if he was a grown man and could also suplex you.

Their tech guy and oscar the grouch.

Our heroes begin their plan once they get it: THey found about this thanks to a fellow muppet calling for help, so now their inside they can excute the plan: Gurgle and their inside man will use card scanners that burton stole and rigged to steal all the money from the auction, explaning how they keep funded when public funding no longer exists. Hippy resuces the prisoners using his massive strength to free the kids and his kindness to help calmly guide them out, and Herbert.. nearly snaps and kills everyone and everything in his path after finding out these bastards are using the children for their organs. Thankfully Birdie is able to calm him down in one of my faviorite jokes of the mini

It's what makes this work: while the satire is about as subtle as a chainsaw through your front door wielded by a screaming goat man, the muppets in the thick of it.. still ACT like muppets on seasame street. They still have the same kindness and sensiblities.. it's just tempered into bloody action by being the only source of hope and freedom in a dystopian hellscape.

Birdie and Tony set up signal jammers so they can hyjack the procedings.. only to find out that Irma is here, gladly promoting this shit show like any republican. Birdie is naturally just the slightest bit livid her ex is promoting child organ farming but she soon has bigger issues.... desert is being served early.. and ice cream is present.

And with that Gurgle is exactly no days sober of ice cream and shit officallly hit the fan. On the bright side Shit is our word of the day. So at least there's that. Anyways our heroes are soon outgunned and out manned, with Birdie barely saving gurgle by tearing herself open and using her string to sew her up, but the two are soon cornered and Birdie does the whole save yourself i'll hold them back routine. Thankfully , Herbet dosen't listen well and when , as seen in the panels above, told not to go out loud.. he didn't listen. He rigged the place with explosives, blows up the wall holding out the water real good and floods the bitch. Our heroes valantly escape, but not before Hippy beats the every loving shit out of Junior, showing he may be nice but he has limits.

Birdie however makes a late exit as she and Irma have some words, with Birdie hyjacking her limo. So Birdie, needing some answers... asks irma a very important question

I love this page.. mostly for making Irma a more complex villian. She could easily jsut be "birdies very obvious ex who sold out"... but you see she's just someone who got broken by the fact that nothing they did mattered. She's still not a good person: she still sold out muppetkind for her own profit and is still bad.. but it's more intresting to hav ea reason why she ended up the sack of shit she is instead of just, as Birdie wondered, always having been like this.

Birdie isn't swayed and goes on with the rest of our heroes.

Issue 2. I love the structure of this series as the first three issues are all made so they can be read done in one for the most part. Ther'es a cliffhanger at the end of issue 3 but it's nice when a comic makes good use of the isdsue by issue format. Issue 4 ties it all together well, but it's still essentailly three connected stories that lead up to one big finish.

Anyways issue 2 begins with our heroes hiding in a church under a hail of gunfire: Burton and the RV are halfway across town, and it dosen't look good. We flash back to how they got there and find out WHERE they are: Hollow Point, a company town ran by the WRA, the NRA's legally distinct cousin. Yup this is a gun rights issue, with the town having become a conceal and carry paradise where people can just.. have gun duels to decide whatever and Charlton heston is naturally given an honrary statue.. and Clint Eastwood an expy in Cain Westwood.

The head of the WRA is present and naturally gives a gun to a baby.. and the satire works a BIT better this issue as frankly.. none of it's exagerated. The NRA GENUINELY want this, they genuinely talk about crying "lib tears". Clint Eastwood is an advocate for them. Their extremists probably would argue the right ot carry begins at conception. I"m not saying ALL gun owners or even nra members are this fucked, I have a friend who owns guns and keeps them in a safe, locked up where no child can get to it. But the NRA as an orginzation sure as hell is.

Our heroes try using this dueling strategy to call the WRA chairman's bluff.. but he turns it on them: since their basically challenging the law itself witht heir duel they've challenged the orginzation.. which means it's 5 muppets against a whole damn town armed to the teeth.

We then get a flashback to Herbert's childhood on M'Na N'Nam, part of the snufflpogaos islands. A muppet paradise.. until a shady buisness man shows up offering a partnership for a chemical they can find on the island.

I'm going to go ahead and cover all of this now for simplicties sake as the flashback's only two parts: Years later their leader.. has shown her true colors, fully selling out to ethe corpration and the mine as it's poinsing her people and end sup casuing an explosin.. and rather than help , the company pulls out, leaving the villiage to die in fire and Herbert forced to immigrate, barely scraping by thanks to racisim until he got the job on Salutation Street.. only to find out later his parents died on the island. It's a well done story too as horrible things like this happened all the time and without the hyper exagerated satire... it's something entirely real and entirley painful: a culture exploited and destroyed by greedy white assholery.

Back in the present the fight continues, as our heroes are held down. Thankfully Hippy and Gurgle make a distraction and do one of my faviorite manuvers: having the smaller characteer on the bigger characters shoulder. Mostly for this one scene from x-factor

Sadly Flint Westwood decides to join the party.. as does anamatronic charlton heston, so our heroes are soon on the backfoot... but not before Tony is able to complete his plan, hyjacking their cars and easily taking down the mob since, naturally their cars are also mad max murder mobiles. As for the head of the HRA himself.. well given he's sorta the lead this issue.. Herbet takes care of him personally.

He then challenges the man to a duel, though Birdie IS able to talk him down from shooting the man on live tv... but not from killing him as he shoots out the camera and impliclity finished the job offscreen.

But that leaves a vacum.. and Westwood is promoted to the job.. and given the job to hunt down our heroes. More on that later

So issue 3 introduces us to Milo, our Elmo expy. He's rich and like irma is working in the corprate hellscape. Unlike her though he's still in kids television , still talks to the others even if things are understandibly tense with most of them, and while reluctant to their request has a good reason for both taking the seemingly easier route and being reluctnat to help.

It's a scene I love a lot. Milo comes off at first like a smug asshole.. but then it's clear beneath that is someone who GENUINELY values what he's doing. It's a reminder of how important children's intertainment is... and how important it is that when you have the power to do something good and necessary, you do it, regardless of the risk.

Our heroes go to rescue the kids, who are fire fire fighters and make a good entrance enough, coming in in a garbage made recycled buggy, saving them.. but soon our party is left trecking through the wild fire. THey got in thanks to milo's friends, but it was one way. So while Gurgle finds an ice cream truck, the kids tell their tale: turns out in this dystopian hellhole future they outlawed abortion.... keep in mind this comic launched just two months after Roe V Wade was overturned, so the timing is eerie as hell. The kid they talk two's mother didn't want her born into this hellscape, got arrested for it and she got sold to corproations using her as a proxy for their crimes. The fact any of this sounds like it could become actual law at some point should spoeak to how horrifying it is. While this book isn't subtle, and it's a weakness.. it's strength is that Asmus goes just a TOUCH beyond what we have now after the first issue. The first issue is plausable, but a bit over the top. With the nra having a whole lawless western town or children being sold into slavery to work off corprate crimes... it's a lot more plausable given how fucked our legal system is and it makes it that much easier to buy.

Our heroes naturally wepp at this waking nightmare, so it's a good thing they get distracted.. the bad thing is that it's by Gurgle, trying to save her from more fire. Birdie gets horribly injured in the process and needs help NOW.

Things.. look bad as they hit a corprate checkpoint, by the same monsters that turned off the water the fire kids were using, and there's no hope of escape or out shooting them. This causes the team to break down playing the blame game.. which is bad enough.. until HIPPY of all people breaks.

This.. destroyed me. Up to this point Hippy had been the unbreakable optimis they needed.. but now .. we see that beneath his sunshine is a lot of regret, a lot of doing this because he had nothing else and feeling what thier doing.. simply isn't enough. But Mr. Burton's message is right.. and it's the messasge the book goes for: things are bad, they will probably get worse.. but we can't just give up and do nothing. As a wise vampire once said "If nothing we do matters, all that matters is what we do". And to prove that point.. an old friend drops in to help

So the asholes are left to die, Milo implicitly adopts the kids having them play in his pool and Birdie wants to see them all.. only Gurgle's missing, having left in Milo's tesla. Because of course he has a tesla. Gurgle's gone.. and she's gone to the enemy

I was nervous going into this one when I first read it. The fact is this book while optimistic is still fairly dark so while I felt our heroes MIGHT win, they could just as easily loose or barely get away.

They could... but instead we get something way better.

Though to start things aren't looking great: Rufus, head of F News, is talking to a bunch of other corprate overlords including Elon Musk, suprising no one. THeir not happy that his propoganda machine isn't keeping the puppets from having an impact: Junior is facing public backlash for his child selling, the babies carrying firearms bill has been blocked.. this needs to stop. So the network cranks up i'ts proogranda, with anti-muppet racisim rising and a a puppet child attacked by some other kids. When one human girl tries to help him she gets maced.. thankfully

Things still aren't great: Birdie's recovering and Faux News trots out Gurgle.. and somehow makes a valid point, making them somehow have a point abovfe the actual fox news: apparently Gurgle used to be called "Sundae Fiend". While she says "it was a diffrent time" being remidned of it clearly bothers her.. while Rufus wants more answers: where. are. your friends.

And it seems he got them as we see a heavily armed WRA troops, with junior and westwood along for the ride and livestreaming the whole debalce. Turns out the Muppets main hq is a Salutation Station theme park. Not disneyland as Senator Disney does not want to be associated iwth muppet terrorists... again. That was their joke by the way, great stuff. Also means we might meet kermit and friends counterparts if this ever gets a sequel.

What follows.. is one of the most awesome cilmaxes to an arc i've seen in a comic. Turns out... our heroes were ready for them: they aren't the ones trapped... the WRA are. Not only that for once it's entirely legal: since Salutation Street is it' sown corpration, the park is soverign terriotiry and they entered illegally. So after all their racist, anti-immigraint retoric.. their the ones who are the actual invaders.. and are soon wiped out with rides, from a cyclotron type thing spinning some to oblivion.

To the recyling troll melting a bunch of mooks with acid and recyling Charlton Hestron into scrao abd cumilating in a one on one brawl between Bernie and Westwood which ends with Bernie killing the motherfucker via rollercoaster

The moment after it is easily my faviorite of the whole book though, with Bernie confronting the mooks left

It's a reminder that while Bernie is the quickest to kill among them, easily.. he's still a kind, good person. Just one who will cap your ass when necessary.

Faux News TRIES to use Gugle to get the narrtive under contorl.. but as you likely guessed by now, she too was part of the plan

I fucking love this issue for the setup: you EXPECT it to be our heroes darkest hour and them to barely make it out or Gurgle to at least still be a traitor.. instead? It was a plan the whole time: Gurgle finally kicked her addiction after last issue, our heroes easily take out their enemies with the home field advantage and to cap it off, we get one hell of a chekovs gun: earlier we saw mascot suits... so Birdie sends junior out, his mouth taped up in one with the recording to talk. THey shoot him down thinking hie's hippie.. and thus the presiden't sson whose also the president I guess is dead, everyone involved int he raid is entirley to blame and our heroes just got free publiclity showing THIER not the bad guys here. We wrap up as Irma flees to her dressing room... only to find a letter from birdie

And that's survivial street. It's heavy handed.. but damn if it isn't good. The jokes present land, the action is beautifully drawn and the characters are compelling. It takes what COULD'VE been a lazy joke premise, and fills it with heart and character, deconstructing PARTS of seasame street.. while at the same time remaining true to it's spirit. It's out in trade from darkhorse if your intrested, I HIGHLY recommend picking it up. And hopefully we'll see more of it again some day. But for now, we got something specil here and i"m glad I got to share it with you all.