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dragynkeep · 3 years

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Hi there, ironpines! (Love the name btw, I read a really good fic about ironwood being a father-figure to Oscar when RWBY and co. get to Atlas).

So this is probably going to be very long but I’ve really gotta vent about some stuff.

(Also, first ask. I honestly didn’t know how to do this for the longest time. Just got back into tumblr a bit ago).

1. I hate Jaune Arc (a lot of people do), but I want to know why. Do you think/believe he’s an author’s pet? Also, why the HELL did he kill Penny in the first place?!? Why not Winter, Nora, or Ruby? Why did he have to go to the island? Just- WHY?

2. In the first three volumes I really liked Team RWBY, but now….how did they get so skewed? What went wrong? How can Ruby be THAT arrogant that she point-blank says to Qrow: “we never needed an adult’s help.” Like- yes you did! If not for Qrow killing the Grimm in v4 they would have been continuously fighting Grimm. I’m the fight against Tyrian (one of my favorite characters and favorite fights) if not for Ruby getting in the way Qrow wouldn’t have been POISONED!

3. (This is the one I’m going to get cyber-ly killed for). (I also had just started RWBY when volume 5 was airing weekly.) The beginning of Volume 5, in my opinion was good. I liked the first five-six chapters, but when AU watched ‘Rest and Resolutions’ V5C7, I was so angry! Everything about the conversation between Ruby, Weiss, and Yang felt so out of character and out of place. It was so bad and the next episodes following that were not good either (only the raven v cinder fight was any good). The battle of Haven was a train wreck that I honestly have no idea how I even retained braincells after that. Like- why KEEP teasing Weiss v emerald if you aren’t going to do anything with it. Why tease Mercury v Yang if you’re not going to do anything new and interesting with the two (Mercury isn’t even a character anymore!)

4. I wish we got good rep. I really wish we didn’t get confirmation on LGBTQ+ characters from supplemental material (that’s not even canon). And I’ve gotta ask, why do you consider cannon? Cuz for me, the only things I consider actually CANNON to the storyline are the Red, White, Black, Yellow Trailers and the show itself (Grimm Eclipse just for the sake of more cool lore about Mountain Glenn and the fact of mutant Grimm). That’s it. I don’t consider the World of Remnants, manga (DC or otherwise, those were HORRIBLE!), anthologies, and the DISGUSTING novels.

(This is the last thing, I promise!)

5. I’m working on a quasi-rewrite RWBY fic and I didn’t know whether or not I should post the first chapter on my page or not. I just really don’t want the simps to come for my head (though it might happen anyway). But I’ve been writing this for about a year and a half now and I really want to post it but I’m so nervous about the reception and backlash. What do you think?

Thanks for answering me and indulging the fact that it’s okay to like something and still want it to be better (critics/the Rwde tag is my favorite because I can read opinions that I mused share but are too scared to put as a post).

Thanks, we picked Ironpines because we loved Ironwood and Oscar, and then our friends, being the good friends they are, immediately told us it was the ship name for them so now we can't have anything nice.

1) First off, yes, we absolutely think Jaune is an author's pet. We don't really go for self-insert anymore since everyone in RWBY was a self-insert, Monty clearly based them off his friends. But now, Jaune is absolutely an author's pet and has been since the start of the show.

Just look at Volume 1. Jaune literally had more of a storyline than Yang, one of the girls in the title. He then went on to have a dumb love triangle in V2, only to resolve it with Neptune without any input from Weiss, because why not, and then V3 was Jaune finally taking more of a step back for Pyrrha, who was long over due some character.

Until V4 where, rather than everyone mourning Pyrrha, we focused on Jaune mourning her instead. Nevermind that Pyrrha was Ren and Nora's teammate too, probably their only family since they're orphans, or how Ruby literally watched Pyrrha die in front of her. Nope, gotta focus on Jaune. Add that it stretches into V5 also, adding another storyline about his Semblance while Ren, Nora, and Ruby have to stand in the background and wait their turn, while Weiss literally loses all her braincells so she's injured for Jaune's development, how the confrontation with Cinder doesn't go to Ruby, the main protagonist, but Jaune.

Then we get that stupid statue scene in V6 that took over Oscar finally getting some development of his own. It's not even the whole team, because it's only Jaune that gets to meet the lady who totally isn't Pyrrha's mother, it's Jaune that gets the big teary moment, and how Ren and Nora have to stop and comfort Jaune because of course they have to.

I was glad that Jaune finally took a backseat in V7. I actually started to like him again, because he wasn't sucking screentime away from those who need it. But then V8 happened and now I want him dead.

I've said it countless times before so I don't wanna repeat myself, but Jaune is one of the last people that should've killed Penny. He shouldn't have killed her, he shouldn't have had the big tearful scene because another redhead died, he shouldn't have fallen into the void to join Team RWBY, but he did. Now there's no doubt in my mind that Jaune is a fucking author's pet, because the writers won't let him go into the background where he belongs.

2) There's not much to say about Team RWBY. They just suck now.

3) After watching V8, V5 is no longer my least favourite volume. That's how bad it was.

4) Yeah, RWBY's rep is absolute trash and it's because they keep putting it in supplemental material, and also because they look at the LGBT and only see L. The only MLM we have is Scarlet, and he's a catty fae gay stereotype that is so unlikeable and voiced by a creep. Nevermind the whole Fairgame queerbait controversy because this company can't stop themselves for five minutes.

5) I always say that, when you post work on the internet, whether its art of writing, you have to understand that you will get criticism back. It'll suck, especially when you've put so much time and effort into something, but that's the risk you have to take as a content creator.

The good thing is that AO3 has features that let you manage what you see properly. If people just want to hate without giving proper criticism, you can always remove it and ignore it, but I personally believe that people aren't entitled to criticism when it's only said nicely. Sometimes, people will get annoyed and say it in a meaner way, but that doesn't make the criticism any less valid.

Either way, decide based on how you think you'll react to it. If you don't want the stress of criticism, be careful, but if you think you can handle it? Then go for it, the world's your oyster.

#rwby #rwde #jaune arc #ruby rose #weiss schnee #yang xiao long #lie ren #nora valkyrie #pyrrha nikos #anti jaune arc #answered #luke.txt

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wexhappyxfew · 4 years

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The Nightingales of Fortune Favors the Brave

A Band of Brothers Fanfic Coming Fall 2021 (or presumably whenever Landslide finishes up!)

HELLO!! If you’re reading this, then as you can see, I’ve finally created a master post with all my Nightingales (well, not really mine THE PUBLIC’S but you’ve all gifted them to me ever so graciously, and it honestly, it means the world to me). Just to see the excitement and reception I’ve gotten from so many people in the fandom involving a female group of Pathfinders - an area of war, I have wanted to cover ever since nearly over 2 years ago I got involved in the fandom. All OC’s will have their creators name listed beside them - I did not create any of these OC’s, all credit goes to the lovely people who crafted and gifted them to me for FFTB!

Viewing where I currently am in my life, I’m going to going to college this year! I got accepted into the school I wanted, the program I wanted, even a scholarship! And I’m beyond excited. I really wanted to have something there for me when college does finally, you know, HAPPEN, and so Fortune Favors the Brave was the only way to go! To have a wonderful group of Nightingales, of female Pathfinders in the Band of Brothers fandom, seemed to be the way to go. Updates and such will definitely be different - I’m picking up more work hours this year, probably even summer classes, night classes, weekend classes - whatever I can do to benefit my degree and myself, I’m taking the opportunity.

And so, updates will presumably be quite different, depending on a variety of things, but...this will be my college story! No matter how many years it takes to complete and update and write, this will be the thing I have with me through it all for when I need a mental break from school! And I am beyond excited for when I do finally get to share this story more than anything!

We have such a great group of OCs here - different backgrounds, different reasons for joining, different creators who gifted them to me, different friendships, relationships and abundances of sisterhood and brotherhood moments. I’m truly beyond excited to showcase the Pathfinders side of the war in the light of 16 female OCs, whose stories will be told through their viewpoints based on different episodes whether whole or split!

So thank you ALL!! These past 2 years have been a joy in the fandom and let’s hope for another few more! I’ve managed 3 fics and 4 books total and I’m excited to bring, presumably, my FINAL Band of Brothers fic in the fandom to you all in the near future. Thank you!! <3

THE NIGHTINGALES

Team C DZ C for 506th PIR, 501st PIR

-> 2/506 PIR (Stick 2/Plane #4)

-- TOCCOA VETERANS --

Team Leader

Captain Eleanor Graham - @basilone

Eleanor Graham had never met a challenge she couldn’t conquer - the eldest of four and a farmer’s daughter, teamwork and diligence were drilled into her mind like clockwork, along with being as much of a leader in the eyes of her family as she could. There was more to life than a farmer’s wife for her future though, no matter how much she adored the farm her family had grown to craft from the ground up. Iowa brought no opportunity except the farm life deemed fit for her, so upon seeing the advertisement “ It’s Your Fight Too “, OCS had never seemed like a better choice in her eyes. Because it was all their fights - man, woman, child, anyone - it was a World War, a fight for all their lives, for human lives. And with the capability to obtain Captain just before leaving for Camp Toccoa, it solidified her position for not only leading in Easy Company, but leading the Nightinagles - the first stick of female Pathfinders.

Assistant Team Leader

Lieutenant Florence Godfrey - @pxpeyewynn

A British lady and an artist at heart, from the little town of Avebury, set inside Wiltshire of Great Britain, her father made it big in New York just as the war that swarmed throughout Europe, erupted into spitfire. And suddenly thrust into the world of an America before war, was unsettling. Her country fought while America remained neutral. Yet, when the advertisement flooded throughout New York City - she couldn’t help but take it as her only way to get into war. OCS was beyond enough challenges, but walking in as a Lieutenant for Easy and for the Pathfinders, she was no longer the little girl who prayed at night to whomever was above to end the people’s suffering, or avoided interaction to instead draw in her notebook. She was a Lieutenant, and she was a woman at war - yet what was she even fighting for?

Eureka Operators (each equipped with a Eureka Transponder each)

Sergeant (NCO) Marie Reynal - @thoughpoppiesblow

Grandmère Reynal always held her at night, under the dark night sky and sang in her soulful Cajun French, the words flowing from her lips and remaining an ever-present comfort in times where food was hardly ever on the table, or when she had to watch the other girls at school get the latest Mary-Janes and she was stuck with her old ones. Her grandmère taught her to appreciate the small things in life. But when the “It’s Your Fight Too” poster came out in the papers, Marie Reynal knew there were larger things in life than the newest Mary-Janes at school. Packing up what she could, Marie headed out to Camp Toccoa, equipped with nothing but some clothes and her fiddle.

Corporal Edith Lockner - @mercurygray

Remember to look up - her mother would always tell her that. Especially when things on their little farm got hard in Stanford, Illinois where the only thing that occurred there was the wagering price of corn that fluctuated with the ever-changing times. So...she figured that’s why she always tended to look to the stars when her mother would tell her that before bed each night, looking out the wooden window under her quilt as a cold draft blew in. She always imagined herself up there, amongst the stars and for once seeing what the stars saw. But to be up with those stars and to get to study them, she’d need a lot more money than what ever amount the corn tended to bring in. And the Airborne with a fantastic pay grade, along with the Pathfinders and their earnings -- it seemed her ticket out. Maybe there won’t be stars - but anything’s got to be better than here.

Wireman

Corporal Chiyoko ‘Luna’ Omori - @papersergeant-pencilsoldier

Know your place. Eyes down, mouth shut. And most importantly, honor your family. Chiyoko Omori has never been one to step out of line, nor has she been one to speak when otherwise not spoken too. Trained in the art of kendo, the Japanese martial arts that her ancestors trained in, she leads with discipline and integrity amongst the group of Nightingales training as Pathfinders, as the solo wireman of the group. Her intelligence, more than once, has saved her and in war might just save her again and again. Her father’s garage had always been home to a multitude of repairs and many she had learned to do herself. But there she had been Chiyoko. But for war, she must forget who Chiyoko is and embody the only other name besides her family name that she will ever know - Luna.

Lightmen (each equipped with 2 Halophane Lamps each)

Staff-Sergeant (Senior NonCom) Sarah Prowse - @junojelli

For once in her life Sarah Prowse would not have her twin brother by her side. He hadn’t been by her side for years after he went back home to fight with the English and lost his life at Dunkirk. But this was real, this was happening - and the Pathfinders withheld the opportunity to prove to herself that Edmund had died with valor and courage. And he would not have died in vain. The nannies had always said they were inseparable but they weren’t those kids anymore. This was real life. And in real life, there was love and loss and pain. And sometimes the only way to get through it all was to do the thing to distract you most from it all. Some days she wished her family could’ve just stayed in England - maybe Mum would still be here. With her sharp mind, and the ability to read people like an open book, rising to the rank Staff-Sergeant had come easily - reading the field and reading people were pretty similar...right?

Corporal Jean Dawson - @tvserie-s-world

Life in Louisville, Kentucky had always been a sort of cozy-comfort that Jean Doxon had always enjoyed. The weekend fairgrounds filled to the brim with people enjoying the night life it offered, early summers filled with watching her father race horses around the tracks sprinkled throughout the town and nights by her boyfriend, Glenn Hartley, where the sky seemed to stretch forever into the night. That is before the war sent him away to the Pacific. And their only form of communication was reduced to letters, with pressed flowers and the hint of rose perfume. Jean refused to mope about, when she knew this war was hardly far from over. Quick-thinking on her feet, and a town champion for knot-tying in her days in elementary, she packed what she could and left for Georgia the second she was able to take the first train out. The Airborne had much to offer, but more importantly so did the Pathfinders.

Corporal Mercy Codonoa - @whoahersheybars

Mercy Codona always been a traveler, never staying in one place and always on the move to somewhere new that she might've never quite been before. This meant new neighbors, new friends and a new way of life. Something the United States readily offered. Each new town in a new state had a different way of life than the next. She figured that's why she was so quick to adapt to her surroundings - nothing was ever permanent, nor set in stone. Neither was family. Orphaned by 17 and left to fend for herself, left in the care of her mother's estranged sister, Mercy took the liberty by herself to do what she could to support herself. Taking up odd jobs in each town she traveled to and managing what she could to feed herself. But she was proud of her Romani-Croat heritage and what her ancestors had done in their past lives. She intended on continuing what their stories had not finished. If only she could continue to support herself. It was only when the "It's Your Fight Too" showed up newly on the Fort Wayne clipboard by the post office in April 1942 and then and there in that moment did she decided - with the extra money the Airborne offered, along with that of the Pathfinders, she'd be able to support herself in the future as well as possibly find people with the same dreams as herself for their futures, and for once finally belong.

Private Kennedy Rutlidge - MINE

Kennedy Docherty had always had quite a wild and exciting mind, always having a new idea, or a new method on selling the most recent paper that got her a few cents an hour. All through her schooling years and even up to her senior year, she took to the busiest corner on Lake Ave and Lyell Ave, calling out to sell her papers, before heading home for the night and running her normal routine the very next day. She spent summers at Lake Ontario, in her grandmother's home on the lake, where some of her fondest memories of her youth had been born. She always believed that's why she was always fascinated with flying, like one of the birds or hawks that flew out across the lake in the early morning. What she'd give to get that feeling just once in her life, away from school and away from the constant need to make as much money as she could to help with the family. The words "It's Your Fight Too" scrawled across the paper in early April had caught her eye within a second and left her running home just that night to break the news that she was signing up. And almost a week later, she found herself packed on a train towards Camp Toccoa, Georgia, bright eyes and the last bit of innocence fading from sight.

Security Personnel

Sergeant (NCO) Alexandra Calypso - @iilovemusic12us

A Boston girl who grew up with her proud Jewish faith, with a Greek mother, knew hard work and sometimes it was pushing yourself to the very limit beyond what the human body could handle sometimes. So that meant falling, scrapping your knee a few times, sucking up the tears, sending a quick prayer to God and moving on with your life. Life had always been like that - they weren’t the richest, nor the poorest, but there wasn’t ever enough food on the table or enough money to fix the roof, or even to keep the mortgage paid. But her parents never stopped working. And she supposed what drove her to the Airborne and to the Pathfinders was seeing how hard they worked. And they paid well she had heard. She could work with it. And if anything, the Pathfinders were more accepting than any school in Boston she’d been to.

Sergeant Nellie Shaw - @hellitwasyoufirstsergeant

Hailing from a small, coastal town in Maine, the proud Scot wanted more than anything to stay out of war when it finally came knocking on America’s doorstep. But Nellie Shaw, loyal as saint, knew that there was one thing she could do for this country and that was fight. Give her a pack of cigarettes or a bottle of gin, and she’d go in swinging for the war effort, even with her grumpy morning attitude that slowly became infamous in her elementary school days among the school children. She had no purpose on a farm on a mountain side anymore, rather destined to do what part of the fight she could. Taking Greer Riddell under her wing, the fellow Scot befriended the least likely person to enjoy her company and yet Nellie’s easy-going companionship slowly became integral to the entirety of Easy Company and the Nightingales.

Private Greer Riddell - @leighinthesky

Schruz, Nevada was home for 21 years and by the looks of it, home for the rest of her life. A bee farm in a tiny town wasn’t idle for the rest of her life, but if she never got the money for college to get out of the small town, she feared she wouldn’t ever leave. And knowing the military had offered 16 women a stick of a plane to get their shot at becoming Pathfinders for the Army was her ticket straight to Toccoa, Georgia for training. The pay could send her not only to college, but could get her out of that tiny town which had confined her to nothing but her family and a cute little bee farm where hard work always paid off. Don’t be fooled by her subdue and withdrawn nature, the second her hands touched the rifle - the field was hers and yet so was the valley.

Codebreaker [Betchley Park Member]

Sergeant Laverne Robinson - @vintagelavenderskies

For her 23 years of life, Laverne Robinson had known just about every spot in London where you could catch a smoke break and not get caught by one of the older women and get scolded for doing so. She blamed her older brother, he blamed her. It was a mutual thing. But that had been the only thing to fear in London - until war struck, which sent every eligible man off to fight for the effort. Her brother included, leaving her staring out the rain speckled window all alone as the smell of her mother's soup wafted past her nose. Yet, like many women of the time, she wanted to fight too. Fluent in French and German and skilled in mathematics and code-work, Bletchley Park seemed the best fit. Working on codes, both sculpting and breaking them inside the building, keeping her lips shut and going on about her normal day when not inside the institution, life didn't seem as dreary as she had anticipated. Because she knew she was apart of the effort to end this war. That was until, she was called upon in late March 1944 to join up with the 101st Airborne with the first female stick of 12 pathfinders to make the jump into Normandy and assist them in anyway possible. Laverne knew it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and if her brother were there, he would've told her to run with it. Becoming a professor of mathematics would have to wait.

REPLACEMENTS

Corporal Alessandra Lisi - @tvserie-s-world

Alessandra Lisi had never known her parents. She was always told that sickness had taken them when she was just a child. Her brothers had been older than her and had tried to protect her from the sight of her parents dying. And so when their Nonna had taken them into her home without hesitation, Alessandra grew to look to her Nonna as the other parental figure she’d ever had. Of course, her brothers were always there for her, protective as they were, they never let her get into any sort of trouble without hearing about it first. Alessandra grew to adore her Italian heritage, cooking with Nonna on Sunday’s, inviting family over to enjoy the meals and even getting to stir the sauce as Nonna dropped in fresh, cut tomatoes. That was life and it had always been life as such. But when war sent her 3 brothers away, she knew she would not go down without a fight either. Upon receiving the paper in November 1943, she noticed the cover page withheld the picture of 12 women, adorned in jump wings as well as military grade goggles and scarves standing with wide smiles and bright eyes in front of a C-47, the title 'The Nightingales', lying just underneath. Female Pathfinders. If her parents were here, they would've been telling her what Nonna would've been telling her now. Fight for what you believe in, because while there's life, there's hope.

Private First Class Bettie Smith - @sgtxliptons86

Brooklyn, New York had it all - the kids in the streets, the shops on the corners where you could get a piece of candy for as little as 5 cents, even the corner stores in the summer where you could get ice cream for a dime. And as Bettie Smith grew older, running the streets of Brooklyn became like a weekend job - checking in on the younger kids of friends, riding bikes past the floral shops and picking up flowers for her sister, getting a bag of charcoal for her father. Even throwing some curses towards the boys who would heckle her for the way she wore her hair or the old shoes laced on her feet. Her older sister wasn’t too pleased with it all, but ever since Ma had passed, she seemed to let it slide - it was an escape for Bettie. So when war came knocking on the Smith’s door, anger, yet pride for their country filled the home, as well as the streets of New York, as more men and women began signing up for the cause. More friends left to join the effort, leaving Bettie there on the concrete doorstep. So when Bettie received the daily paper in November 1943, showcasing the 12 female pathfinders of the 101st Airborne, front and center for all to see, Bettie took it in quite large strides and took the first train of December 1943 to Fort Benning, Georgia.

Private Annie Laine - @wereinadell

Annie Laine, the daughter of Finnish immigrants, had always dreamed of leaving the quiet countryside her parents had always preferred for their family for the big cities of the Midwest - maybe she’d go to Chicago and study theater, or maybe she’d go and finally attend college in Milwaukee. Anything to get out of the small town she currently resided in. But the countryside had brought alone its perks - orienteering and hunting were big in the Laine family and every child, her 3 brothers, her and her sister, had all been taught the noble art. Swimming the streams, fishing in the lakes, taking hikes through the forests and coming back with a deer for dinner - life had always been quite peaceful Annie felt. But she could always hope that one day it changed. And it seemed war rung those bells quite early on. Annie was tired of structured life and if anything, she knew that the start of structured life in the military would fall quite nearly to shambles once they hit war. The November 1943 issue of the daily newspaper brought upon not only sudden interest in the military, but in that of the female pathfinders who were paving their way in all of military history to be the first stick to jump into continental occupied-Europe. All it took was what cash she had saved for college and a small suitcase to get her on the way to Fort Benning, Georgia.

Private Marla Hughes - @hellitwasyoufirstsergeant

Lafayette, Louisiana had been home all her life - Baton Rouge just to the East and New Orleans just a little further. It had always been home for as long as she could remember. With the fancy parties her father always allotted for the family to attend, talking with the men in pristine suits, or the women with the big hats, some days Marla Hughes just wished to be able to go outside and enjoy nature instead of suffocating amongst the people who seemed to live in a world that didn’t even seem like real life. She supposed that was when she had hit her breaking point and joined the Airborne in Fort Benning, Georgia. She was tired of the life that did absolutely nothing for her. There was more to this world, so much more and yet she was confined to a party dress and an expensive glass of wine that tasted bitter when it rushed down the throat. There were small bars, where the music played, and you could dance until your feet grew tired, there were beer bottles awaiting to be clinked together with friends and there were people beside the stuck-up society she was forced into. The Airborne accepted anyone far and wide - and maybe she could strip of the posh life given to her and finally be set free.

THESE ARE THE NIGHTINGALES!!!

> if you have any questions, feel free to send them in! if not, it’s all good! these are our 16 nightingales! :) thank you to all of you who sent them in back in early December! It’s been an honor to craft these wonderful OC’s!

#band of brothers #fortune favors the brave #the nightingales #pathfinders #easy company #bob fic #band of brothers fandom #band of brothers oc #master list post

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that-shamrock-vibe · 3 years

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Movie Review: Cruella

Disclaimer: This is my non-spoiler review for Cruella, posting either the day or the day after the movie is released in the U.K, so if you are yet to see the movie and want to go in with a clear head do not read on until you do.

General Reaction:

Cruella however, I knew from the first trailer I was determined to see in cinemas and the fact it was my first time back in cinemas seeing a movie, I could not think of a better opening play.

It has been a while not only since I have been to the cinema, but also since I watched a new movie. Anything new that has come to me through the lockdowns have been older movies that are new to me. I haven't watched movies on PVOD or Premier Accees because I don't want to pay for them while in my bedroom on a small television and also they don't interest me enough to pay for them.

And that's what this movie is, an origin story. It's a Disney live-action adaptation of a beloved Disney villain's origins, sound familiar? That's what fans originally believed Maleficent to be before it became a redemption story of sorts.

Cruella was the villain of One Hundred and One Dalmatians because she wanted to skin puppies to make a coat, but this movie isn't about that, despite there being some excellent foreshadowing and even reworking as a prequel to the original story, this movie is about how Cruella became Cruella, not necessarily how she became a villain but making the character more three-dimensional and layered.

Here, without going into spoilers, we do see the reasoning behind Cruella being the villain we love her for and it is very much a nature vs nurture style of moral, but it isn't done to the detriment of the villainy Cruella is known for.

What Disney and the creatives behind Cruella have done with this movie is not only take note with everything great and bad with the more recent Disney live-action movies and filter out the bad, but also the potential of movies like Maleficent and even Mulan to a degree which failed to live up to their promises creatively, have seemingly been reworked for this origin story.

Does that mean she's not a villain in this movie? Well while she's not the movie's primary antagonist, Cruella stays true to herself and doesn't compromise why fans love the original character, if anything she amplifies why she's such a great character.

Cruella is such a love letter to the 1970s punk rock era while also managing to not just be style over substance but deliver on story and character as well, that I can't imagine anyone having that much of a problem with it.

It's what I would honestly call an artisan's delight, I'm not creative in a fashion sense, I love fashion and it's a reason I connect with Cruella so much, but I couldn't do what she does. I'd possibly be the Artie of her gang if not Horace and honestly I'm okay with that. But the way fashion, music and visual storytelling is used in this movies rivals the 1996 live-action 101 Dalmatians in that sense when scenes largely focused on the dogs selling the scenes without speaking. A picture paints a thousands words and Cruella's eccentric fashions were scene stealers.

It's funny, it's dramatic, it's well acted and directed. The writing is brilliant with maybe one exception with the Baroness which we will discuss in the spoiler review.

Speaking of spoilers. Way back when this movie was first announced I believe in 2016 I was adamantly against it, I thought it was sacrilege and that it would not be a patch on the original movies.

That being said, since seeing that first trailer and that stunning dress reveal I was hooked and have since watched pretty much every single trailer and TV spot this movie could churn out to the point where I feel I saw the entire movie already...but I was wrong.

From the trailers if you think this movie is going to end at a certain point you'd be wrong. I could kinda tell when the movie was going to end based on how the scene was set up, but even then there's more to the story.

I mentioned how this movie foreshadowed to the original One Hundred and One Dalmatians story as a prequel of sorts but also how it rewrote history so to speak, again the mid credits scene blows my mind as a Dalmatians fan and it cries out for a sequel.

However, to sum up, the original 1961 animated One Hundred and One Dalmatians is to this day my favourite movie of all time. Dalmatians are my favourite dog breed despite the fact I currently own a frenchie pug and Cruella De Vil I believe to be my spiritual mother.

Usually in these reactions I'll give a quick recap of my opinions of the movie or franchise the one in question is a part of, but I feel I've spoken about my love of all things Cruella De Vil and One Hundred and One Dalmatians enough in the past to get the point across.

All that being said, I am trying to compartmentalise my thoughts and be unbiased in my opinions for this movie. But honestly if this movie was bad I'd be coming down the hardest out of any critic on it because of what the property means to me personally.

So yes, I am going to big this movie up because pretty much every single element in this movie is 99% perfect. There is room for improvement, but that's where a sequel comes in to not only capitalise but better itself. And keeping the same creative team and bringing back the same cast, I feel this will be the Disney sequel to break the mould just as Cruella is the Disney movie to break the mould

But I have hyped up the lore and the character enough, what do I think of the movie? Well as much as I praised the creatives behind the movie for such a fabulous movie, director Chris Gillespe is partially to blame for how the movie looks. It’s still a visually orgasmic movie in terms of how it portrays its artistic choices, but in terms of those scenes and shots that could’ve been and should’ve been as visually pleasing as the fashion and art shots, just don’t leave as striking and lasting an impression as those shots and scenes.

Cast:

Honestly upon the announcement, to the point where I made a rant session post about it, Emma Stone as Cruella just didn’t land with me upon said announcement. However, as I said since seeing the first trailer, Emma Stone is young Cruella for me.

Glenn Close for me is Cruella De Vil in live-action. Victoria Smurfit on Once Upon a Time was fabulous but in opinion an elseworlds version of Cruella because she had magic and her story wasn’t really in line with the source material. Now, without spoilers but because it’s an origin you kinda can guess, Emma Stone’s version isn’t really in line with the source material either and up until seeing the movie I was all for viewing this version as an elseworlds story. even after seeing it I am all for viewing it as an elseworlds story from the original source material.

But does that mean it’s bad? No it’s just different. As I said earlier this is definitely a more fleshed out three-dimensional version of the Cruella that the original animated version and Glenn Close’s adaptation delivered, but honestly I’m excited to know where this Cruella goes from after seeing this movie. This is my favourite Emma Stone performance to date.

As for the other Emma, Emma Thompson as the Baroness, well she and Stone’s Cruella not only capitalize on Meryl Streep’s The Devil Wears Prada performance, but also adds that extra layer that make both characters not only believable as people but also villains. There’s no mistaking Thompson’s Baroness is a villain, but she does it in the best way and has never looked more fantastic doing so.

This movie also humanizes Jasper and Horace for me, I’m still unsure as to their relationship, if they’re friends or brothers, but based on the fact Jasper is race-bent in this movie and Hotace is still caucasian I’m going with not. However, without spoilers, based on how they meet Cruella I’m in favour of them not being related and simply lost souls coming together. But yeah they’re both funny, you believe they’re Jasper and Horace there’s no thinking one should be the other, and the chemistry between Jasper and Cruella is so electric that it demands a pay off in a sequel and actually speaks to a problem I know some male fans (including me) may actually have with Cruella as a character.

The other biggest breakout in this movie is John McCrea as Artie, who is not only Disney’s first clearly openly LGBT character but a scene-stealer in every shot that he is in. I said I would probably be Artie or Horace in Cruella’s gang and I stand by that because I think Artie is who I’d want to be (aside from Cruella herself) but Horace is physically who I would be.

Then as for the side characters, the movie does an interesting turn on the Anita/Roger origin story, Mark Strong as the Alonzo substitute is mysterious and brilliant, and the dogs are again scene stealers. Aside from 3 dalmatians (who are still alive at the end) there are two completely original new dogs who are part of Cruella’s gang and whether or not it’s because I’m a dog lover and own a dog or just because of the dog’s direction, they just pull focus every scene and make the characters more sympathetic because of how they interact with them.

Is this a knockout movie? Unfortunately no, I feel mistakes are made that leave holes for trolls to swoop in, however, I don’t think they should/ Honestly uou cannot make the “live-action” The Lion King a billion dollar flick and then complain about this movie, this is original, brilliant and 95% well executed. Yes I’ve dropped from 99 and we will discuss the issues in the spoiler review.

Recommendation:

But honestly this movie is worth the watch, it deserves the watch. As for seeing it in cinemas vs. Disney+, I could say it’s worth the £20/$30, but to get a true feel of some of the bigger and better artistic scenes it demands a big screen viewing. Also support local cinemas and all that jazz.

So that’s my non-spoiler review for Cruella, what did you guys think? Post your comments and stay tuned for my spoiler review hopefully coming soon, meanwhile you can check out other Movie Reviews and posts.

#cruella #disney #cruella de vil #101 dalmatians #one hundred and one dalmatians #baroness von hellman #jasper and horace #emma stone #emma thompson #glenn close

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faultlessfinish · 4 years

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This is not a positivity post. I put it all under a cut so you can easily skip it and used the dndads negativity tag even though I’m not 100% sure whether this is the kind of thing that is supposed to be there. If you aren’t interested in hearing me talk about content warnings and/or problems with them, please go enjoy some more cool art and discussions instead of reading this. It’s all under a cut - very skippable!

As payment for your time, here is a pic of Glenn being a good dad to Nick, who had a nightmare and was in the living room watching movies a bit too loud so that someone would wake up and keep him company. It worked and now he fell back asleep. Those Close boys, forever in my heart.

[ID: A digital drawing of two people on a couch in a darkened living room. One is an Asian man with long dark hair, tattoos, a bracelet in Philadelphia pride flag colors, and a red shirt that says “Blessed Grandma.” He is looking affectionately at the other person. The other person is a kid with shorter dark hair with a red streak, a bracelet in trans pride colors, and a blue shirt that says “University of California Santa Barbara.” He is asleep and leaning on the first person. Both have black-painted fingernails. The light bouncing onto them suggests that they are in front of a TV. In the background is a potted plant, a family photo (a sloppy background redraw I did based on a very beautiful commission from Nat) and a bookshelf with books and a framed photo. /end ID] The very gently-phrased TLDR: Enjoy their story all you want, they’re very funny and the characters are wild, but if you’re recommending the show to someone who might count on content warnings, maybe mention that the CWs on this show aren’t particularly reliable.

(Okay, first up? I understand that some people are really sick of hearing criticism of the show and/or the cast. I hope I’ve taken enough steps to keep this out of people’s faces if they don’t want to engage with this. I also hope that people will remember that I’m not, like, Monarch of La Resistance and signing off on every post by anyone critical of the show with my feathered ink quill before it goes out into the world. There are various people out there with various concerns and various ways of approaching how they communicate about it. We’re not in charge of each other, we don’t all agree with each other, and many of us don’t even know each other.) I’ve been thinking about the recent content warning failure to tag Willy’s verbal abuse in episode 48. Now, we know that multiple people were affected by this, but I’m specifically thinking of one person and how their problem was handled. I’ll call them D (they/them), and in full disclosure, they’re a friend of a friend but I have not spoken to them personally. Redacted screenshots and image descriptions of them are provided at the end of this post, but it’s so many words that I feel like I’ll lose people if I start with them. So here’s the summary version:

- Episode 48 had content warnings that did not initially include verbal abuse. Multiple people, including D, were caught off guard by the verbal abuse and consequently experienced panic attacks. - D reached out to request that the verbal abuse get tagged (as mentioned in their Reddit post) and didn’t get a response. I’m not sure from context whether this was a modmail, a DM to someone, an e-mail, or what. - D turned to the official dndads Patreon discord show-discussion channel after giving up on contact method 1 and mentioned it again, to which they got some sad reacts, including from a mod, but no other response. - 2.5 hours later, D mentioned it in the discord again and got "they’ve been added to the description after a couple of people had suggested them. seriously sorry about the delay in adding them” from a different mod. (Not the mod’s job or their fault, I should note.) - The episode description was updated the same day to include verbal abuse, but the website was not. Someone on the Patreon discord messaged Freddie directly on December 9th and pointed out that the CWs were still incomplete on the website. They did not receive a reply from him, but the website was eventually updated sometime on December 10th. - A week later, someone had a question on the official subreddit about the verbal abuse moment in episode 48 and how others reacted. D responded with their experience, including “[...] the verbal abuse tag was not there when the episode was first posted. I read the tags, because I know that I need to. That tag was NOT there. So I requested it. No one responded to me, so I turned to discord. By the time the discord members responded to me, the tag had been edited in. Suddenly, I'm the asshole in everyone's eyes because they see someone who didn't do their due diligence” and “I did not feel one single modicum of support from this community. I thought that since OP's question addressed the exact moment that made me cancel my sub that I would affirm for them that it was distressing for me too. I hope my contribution helped them feel seen and heard. I had hoped that if my contribution inspired a response, that I might feel seen or heard too. Maybe next time.”

[ID: A digital drawing of a skeptical-looking woman with dark curly hair with red highlights, a red dress, red lipstick, and medium-dark skin. Even though she’s supposed to be Erin O’Neill, she’s not wearing a witch hat, for the simple reason that I hate drawing them. /end ID] And here come more words, because I have thoughts...

As people have probably picked up, I have PTSD, I work in the health field, I specialize in disability and mental health, and I care about content warnings. I also think dndads fans tend to be very funny, clever, talented, and kind, and I still hang out with a lot of them. That’s why I still hear about this stuff despite no longer listening to the show. I waited most of a month to see what would happen. Would there be an apology to D, besides from that mod? An acknowledgment that there had been a problem with the episode 48 content warnings? A statement about their plans to keep this from happening again? Nope. Nothing.

Let me try to get out ahead of the arguments that seem to get brought up when things like this happen.

A. Well, maybe they didn’t know it happened.

You would have to convince me that all five members of the cast, plus their community manager, don’t read the show discussion on their official discord or their official subreddit closely enough to find any of the posts about this, and that whatever initial contact method D used was somehow defunct. Also defunct, to support this explanation? Freddie’s DMs.

Somebody fixed the episode description and, later, somebody fixed the website. Pretty clear that somebody on the team got the message.

B. It’s not their job to tag for everything.

Of course it isn’t. For instance, I have a weird trauma response to seeing fish flopping around out of water (it’s a long story and fortunately thanks to medication and therapy, is much more manageable). It’s a very specific and unusual trigger, and I don’t expect shows to tag for it, I just kinda keep my head on a swivel.

But Willy being verbally abusive is the first thing they ever decided to warn people about. They warned about Willy before they did any other warnings, way back in February. Willy’s ability to cause fear with his words is so built into this story that it’s literally one of Ron’s casting abilities. If there’s one thing that you would expect to be tagged, it’s Willy being verbally abusive. And then they added the tag later, so yeah, they know it should have been in there. They didn’t tag for a thing they usually tag for. This is just a fuck-up, plain and simple.

C. People are always mad about stuff/maybe if somebody had asked more nicely/if they had asked differently.

D never touched discourse or said anything negative to or about the cast or story. They were doing due diligence by reading the content warnings before enjoying the show, and they got badly harmed because they trusted the show’s content warnings. They sent multiple politely-worded messages on multiple platforms before they became frustrated and bitter about how the situation was handled. If you insist on a perfect plaintiff before considering critique of the show, I don’t know what more you would want here. D. But they did fix it, eventually.

1. The system for figuring out content warnings can’t be based on how Calvin’s dad says bridge load limits work. D didn’t volunteer for that, nor did any other abuse survivors.

[ID: A Calvin and Hobbes comic by Bill Watterson, in black and white. First panel: A car approaches a bridge. A sign says “Load Limit 10 Tons.” Inside the car, someone asks, “How do they know the load limit on bridges, Dad?” Second panel: The dad replies cheerfully, “They drive bigger and bigger trucks over the bridge until it breaks.” Third panel: The dad continues, smiling, “Then they weigh the last truck and rebuild the bridge.” Fourth panel: Calvin, in the backseat, says, “Oh. I should’ve guessed.” His mother, angry, says, “Dear, if you don’t know the answer, just tell him! /end ID] 2. Fixing it without mentioning anywhere that it had needed to be fixed left people, including D, looking like (in their words) “the asshole.” D is not the only one who felt like they had to defend that they did check the content warnings and that verbal abuse had not initially been included. You know what’s fun, when you’re having a trauma response? Being put in a situation where it looks like it’s your fault, and doubting yourself because the thing that hurt you isn’t there anymore and there’s no evidence that it ever was. E. This was a mistake, yes, but they will do better moving forward. 1. They didn’t apologize or do better moving forward after they tagged for child harm in one episode and then didn’t tag it in the following episode when a kid full-on (if temporarily) died, so I find this pretty optimistic. 2. It’s been most of a month since this specific incident and they haven’t acknowledged it, apologized, or mentioned a plan for doing better. F. So I guess they just shouldn’t do content warnings at all, since they can’t do them to your finicky standards. Nope, I think content warnings are a great idea, and are especially necessary for a show like dndads that wants to engage with heavy stuff like intergenerational trauma and child abuse. However, I think it’s pretty obvious that doing them poorly is even more harmful than not doing them at all. To be clear, if the solution to half-assing something important and being called out on it is to conclude that you shouldn’t do the important thing at all instead of doing it better, you do not actually think it is important. It’s like the peanut allergy thing. If you have a peanut allergy and you go to a bake sale full of homemade goods, you know that you have to ask questions and be cautious and maybe steer clear entirely, because this is just amateur bakers who may not know how to help you stay safe. But if you buy a candy bar from the store that says “This food may contain or have come in contact with soy, eggs, or dairy products,” then you would reasonably conclude that peanuts aren’t on that list because they’re not in the candy bar. If there were peanuts anyway, despite that label, and you had an allergic reaction, you would be justifiably unhappy. G. Don’t just complain without offering solutions. So here’s one where my solutions credentials are pretty solid, given that I did begin to coordinate a volunteer-based content warning system back in June of last year. Although I hadn’t intended the cast to be involved, Freddie messaged me about it as though it was already their thing, said he’d run it past “the team,” and never followed up in the remaining month during which I was open to providing free labor for the show in any capacity. That the original version we planned would have been volunteer-based does not mean any and every random person is qualified to come up with content warnings. This is a qualified area of expertise that people receive training in, and the content warnings at present are clearly not being done by a qualified or trained person. It’s not my job to write out in detail who they should look for, but perhaps the Storybreak boys could see about paying for the time of someone who does this for the MaxFun shows. H. Why are you so pressed about it, just move on, I’m concerned for your mental health. Because people have been telling me for months that the cast is responsive to feedback, cares about mental health issues, cares about abuse survivors, takes trauma seriously, acknowledges when they make mistakes, and tries their best to do better. Someone was seriously harmed by this mistake. They were informed of this by 3-5 official channels. They eventually fixed the thing that caused harm without apologizing or responding to the harmed person who reached out (or any of the other people affected, both those who discussed it publicly and those who didn’t). (The person affected did receive an apology from a mod, which is thoughtful, but when it’s from someone who didn’t commit the harm, an apology can only serve as a “I’m sorry this happened to you,” not a “I’m sorry I did this.”) There is no indication that any steps have been taken to keep this from happening again. What happened in this chain of events that looks like good people trying their best, holding themselves accountable, and taking trauma seriously? Because I think I missed it. I. So what do you even want from them, since they clearly can’t do anything right in your book? First up, let me be clear - this post isn’t addressed to the cast or the community manager. I know how to get in touch with them, and I know that they ignore me when I do. I don’t want to hear from them now or ever. This is a post addressed to the listening community at large, and specifically the subsection that chose to engage after my warnings up front. I don’t have a problem with people enjoying the rollercoaster that is dndads, but I think people deserve to know that this particular rollercoaster is not compliant with the safety standards it claims to follow. That’s pretty much it. These are careless people telling a story carelessly and causing verifiable harm as a result. They fuck up, they get called out, they fix it silently (sometimes). Then they move on without apology or acknowledgment to the people who got hurt, and without a plan to avoid committing the same fuckup in the future. Enjoy their story all you want, they’re very funny and the characters are wild, but just... if you’re recommending the show to someone who might count on content warnings, maybe mention that the CWs on this show aren’t particularly reliable and don’t seem to be a high priority. That’s my conclusion.

Receipts, in Full

D brought the missing content warning up on the Patreon discord the same day the episode was posted:

1. Discord post 1.

[ID: A discord post in dark mode with username redacted from 12/8/2020. It says “Moment (22:36) caused a massive panic attack for me and I’ve had to stop listening to the ep. Could we consider a trigger/content warning for verbal abuse? /end ID] 2. Discord post 2. D didn’t get a response (besides emoji reacts) in the patreon discord, and posted again later: [ID: A redacted Discord post in dark mode, in channel Show Discussion, from 12/8/2020. D/User 1: How do we go about requesting trigger/content warnings for episodes? Is there a procedure, a person to message? Jumped into today’s episode and got absolutely blindsided by trauma triggers. Very upset, very angry. User 2: There are content warnings in the description of the episode, at least on patreon not sure about other services like Spotify. I believe this one included verbal abuse. Mod: they’ve been added to the description after a couple of people had suggested them. seriously sorry about the delay in adding them. User 2: Ah didn’t realize it wasn’t included right away. D/User 1: Not sure if it was there the whole time. I see now that it says verbal abuse, but I swear when I opened the patreon page to listen a few hours ago, it only had “profanity, violence, sexual content.” Seriously messed me up, had a massive panic attack and I was alone at the time so I was completely unsupported and alone. I’m quite livid, going to take a break from listening to the show for a while. [/end ID]

3. The episode description was edited to include verbal abuse among the CWs on the same day as release. The website was not updated: Someone on the patreon discord messaged Freddie directly on December 9th and pointed out that the CWs were still incomplete on the website. They did not receive a reply from him, but the website was eventually updated sometime on December 10th.

[ID: A screenshot of the dndads website showing Episode 48: Carry On My Wayward Son. The summary reads: The trial draws to a close as the jury reaches a verdict and Glenn learns his fate. This episode contains profanity, violence, and sexual content. /end ID] 4. Reddit posts. D later posted on the official dndads subreddit. Someone had asked “When I first heard Anthony as Willie yell “Shut Up” I was legitimately shocked and a bit frightened for a moment. Hearing yelling of any kind on a such a usually upbeat podcast was very surprising. How did you respond? Did you not notice, or did it have an affect?” D’s response:

[ID: A Reddit thread. D/First poster: As someone who was violently abused as a child, it was a massive trauma trigger. Hours later I was still shaking. The CW/TW Tag for verbal abuse was not there initially, so it completely blindsided me. I actually have not finished listening to this episode because that first "SHUT UP!" triggered a polyvagal shutdown state. My heart goes out to the childhood trauma survivors who shared in this experience. Second poster: As someone who was in a verbally and emotionally abusive relationship, I empathize completely. I had to fully take a break from the episode before I could continue listening a day later because it was so triggering. Unfortubately, Anthony is really good at acting. I had a similar experience listening to Ep. 29 "Big Willy Style" again, because of how scarily accurate some of his lines were. I hope you are doing okay and took time to practice some self care 💕 its so hard when triggers completely blindside you. Third poster: I dont know how true this is for you, because despite my father being a weird mixture of the three granddads, it didn't negatively hit me as much but, do you appreciate Anthony's depiction? I personally found it somewhat comforting, in a weird way, that despite a lot of us experiencing that as children, we're now all joining together to remind ourselves how terrible that was, and humanise, yet take down these Father figures and make fun of them, sharing and lightening our trauma for each other. The fact that Anthony doesn't mess around with Willy makes me appreciate his characterisation, because I really fuckin hate Willy. D/First poster: I think the objective fact that his performance triggered a Dorsal Vagal Shutdown state speaks volumes to his talent. His performance caused my nervous system to overload and perceive myself to be in a genuinely life-threatening situation. So yes, by definition, Anthony's performance was appreciated. However, nothing in the definition of appreciate says that appreciation is a good thing: (ap·pre·ci·ate/əˈprēSHēˌāt/ verb 1.recognize the full worth of. "she feels that he does not appreciate her" 2. understand (a situation) fully; recognize the full implications of. "they failed to appreciate the pressure he was under") I can also appreciate that for many other listeners, the format of the show provides a sense of community and togetherness. By taking such painful memories and dismantling their power through comedy and community, people are finding a sense of healing. I do not want to discount the value that this has for listeners. However, OP asked specifically: How did you respond? Did you not notice, or did it have an affect? The comment that you have responded to was my comment sharing my own personal experience with this episode. Now, tell me: if you discovered a fellow fan trembling and crying after a piece of media had triggered their PTSD, would the first thing you say to them be, "but you appreciate the art though, right? Like, you appreciate the artist and how talented they are?" The other piece is that the verbal abuse tag was not there when the episode was first posted. I read the tags, because I know that I need to. That tag was NOT there. So I requested it. No one responded to me, so I turned to discord. By the time the discord members responded to me, the tag had been edited in. Suddenly, I'm the asshole in everyone's eyes because they see someone who didn't do their due diligence. So to answer your question: yes, I can acknowledge and appreciate that Anthony Burch has performed the role of 'vicious abuser' to such a degree of realism that years of trauma came rushing to the forefront of my consciousness. With two words, he activated my amygdala and disconnected my prefrontal cortex, reducing me to a terrified animal. Very compelling performance indeed. You are technically correct. But I did not feel one single modicum of support from this community. I thought that since OP's question addressed the exact moment that made me cancel my sub that I would affirm for them that it was distressing for me too. I hope my contribution helped them feel seen and heard. I had hoped that if my contribution inspired a response, that I might feel seen or heard too. Maybe next time. [/end ID]

#cw panic attack #cw ptsd #cw anxiety #cw verbal abuse #dungeons and daddies #dndads #dndads negativity #there are distinctions between trigger warnings and content warnings of course but this is so long already

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wrathofmadelinekahn · 4 years

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February 2021 Music Wrap-Up

Despite February being the shortest month, it sure went out swinging music-wise- I had 4 new-to-me albums, including one that is most likely making it to the Best of 2021 (I know it’s a bit soon to call it, but the hyperfixation wants what it wants!) I feel like this month is closer to what my bonkers taste usually is, which I would describe as “No Taste, No Logic, Only Vibes!”

So, in rough order of how I listened to them:

1. The Apple Tree (Original Broadway Cast)

The way that Barbara Harris’ Wikipedia page is now a permanent tab on my phone... I’m sorry to my beloved MASH mutuals and to Mr. Alan “Only Valid Man” Alda, but this was Barbara Harris’ show from beginning to end (I know B&H wrote it for her, but it is... very obvious that it was a star vehicle). @oldbaton posted her Tony performance for Gorgeous and I watched it 5 times on loop, then went to YouTube and watched it for another 45 minutes, then listened to the whole album once before settling on the second half exclusively.

When I tell you that Ms. Harris Has The Range!!! She plays three different characters in this show and she manages to not only make them distinct characters but she makes them SOUND completely different???!!!! The fact that she was critically acclaimed every time she was on stage but as soon as she won her Tony she quit Broadway for good????!!! Every time I think of her I go bonkers in Yonkers I tell you!!! Is this what y’all feel for *insert theater dame here* bc I Get It Now

2. Tarzan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

I know I am neither the first nor the last to express this sentiment, but permit me to once again say: MR. COLLINS... PHIL, MY DUDE MY GUY, BUDDY, PAL- YOU DID NOT HAVE TO GO SO HARD ON THE MONKEY MOVIE!!! (Yes I know they’re apes, I would never mis-species Terk)

He did though, and I’m glad we’re all as a generation re-discovering this, the best Disney soundtrack (This Is Not Up For Debate.) Why?

1. It Slaps in its entirety with the exception of the *NSYNC cover of ‘Trashin’ The Camp’ which was muted after the first listen, however the reminder that this was made in the 90s was very funny

2. Glenn Close was in this and I just never noticed??

and most importantly, I am thrilled to introduce a new musical genre that will hopefully be making repeat appearances throughout the year:

3. Whoops, You Made A Trans Song!

Thrilled to announce that both ‘Son of Man’ and ‘Strangers Like Me’ are Trans Songs! Yes, I do have long, rambly explanations and lyric analyses as to why, but also? If You Know You Know. :)

3. Etazhi by Molchat Doma

I saw this shitpost on my dash ages ago and was haunted by it until it popped back up this month. According to Wikipedia, “their sound was influenced by 1980s Russian rock music and has been described as post-punk, new wave, synth-pop, and cold wave.” So I like all this, apparently? Cool-cool-cool.

The fact that I have no idea what they’re saying and have no real interest in finding out just adds to the chill vibes for me personally, definitely something I can listen to when I simultaneously need music but also can’t listen to anything or I’ll get overwhelmed and die in real life.

4. Helping Hands by Butcher Boy

Ok ok ok ok OK OKAAAAAAAYYYYY. THIS. This album. I caught @mrspider‘s art stream a few weeks back (Loved it btw, combination chill and bonkers energy in the most wholesome way possible, also he’s the funniest person on Tumblr hands-down AND another trans Will, so check him out!) and he randomly played “Whistle And I’ll Come To You”, which activated my hyperfixation sleeper agent bc I have literally Not Stopped Listening To This Album. Seriously. That was 11 days ago and I have barely listened to anything that is not this for more than a song or two until tonight because nothing else has been Hitting like this!

I’ve gone through the wringer through this one, lads- not a single skip, every song has been my favorite at one point; I’ve full-on It’s Always Sunny mentally dissected just about every word John Blaine Hunt has gently deposited in my brain.

I also may have my Queer Lens screwed on too tight bc I’m pretty sure it was not their intention, but some stuff on here Is Gay! Again, I can make the long, rambly argument or you can give it a listen for yourself and see what you think. ;)

#monthly music wrap-up #the apple tree #tarzan #molchat doma #butcher boy

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mercdoesfanfic · 3 years

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The Last of the American Girls (Chapter 1)

Hello! I’m not sure if I’m gonna keep posting fics on tumblr, but I figured I’d give it a try. I guess let me know if you like this fic and I’ll be more likely to keep going. Anyways, it’s going to be kind of a songfic using The Last of the American Girls by Green Day. The first chapter is set up and beyond that, they’ll be memories. WARNINGS: angst, vague references to doing the nasty.

xxx

“Well, she’s the last of the American Girls.”

xxx

In the grand scheme of things, there wasn’t much that Daryl Dixon needed to survive. While some of his companions in the apocalypse yearned for a warm bath or a movie to watch, Daryl was used to living rough and tumble. He knew how to hunt, how to turn animal meat into an edible meal, and how to fend for himself. After all, the world had only just decided it didn’t want the rest of humanity there, but it had despised him since the day he was born.

However, he had to admit he was thrilled when he found out that the Greene’s farmhouse had electricity. It gave him one last opportunity to use the last item he had held onto from the past, to experience the only thing that had mattered to him before the world went to hell.

It took some uncomfortable explaining to one of Hershel’s daughters- the older one who had taken a shine to Glenn- to get him in the door and into the guest room. She left him for a moment with a curious expression, quickly returning with the only item he had asked for.

Daryl took the iPod charger and thanked her quietly, refusing to make eye contact. It didn’t take long for the woman to take her leave.

The younger Dixon could almost hear his older brother’s mocking, despite their estrangement. It didn’t matter where in the world Merle Dixon was, he always got himself the last word when it came to his brother’s choices. And, as Daryl could imagine, he would be getting mocked endlessly for what he was about to do. However, with little else to do as the small black device charged, all he could do was listen to the disappointed guffaws of his elder brother.

“Christ Almighty, Darylina. Not even the end of the fucking world could force you to grow a pair. Sittin’ around in some saintly man’s house, waiting on a useless brick of metal. And for what? All over some bitch that’s dead and gone.”

Daryl almost winced at the imagined scrutiny, his brother’s words cutting worse than when he had thought the things himself. This was remarkably stupid, even by his standards. There was nothing left for him in this. Everything on the little device covered in various, cartoon stickers charging in front of him was based purely on memory, on emotion. Even on a good day, Daryl found the routine, the desire to look through the iPod ridiculous. And he couldn’t help but assume that there weren’t going to be many good days left.

The world seemed to halt when the screen came to life, the usual playlist displayed in dark mode taking over for the first time in months.

His mind, as it always did, clouded at the sight of his name at the top of the track list. Dixon. He could almost hear her voice, the lilt that snuck into her tone every time she greeted him from behind the bar. He thought he had moved past this, that the end of the world had washed away what had come before. That he would be done with the emotional strain that the world had placed on his shoulders from a young age. The good, the bad, and the ugly, all rinsed away for the simple chaos that the walkers left in their wake. But now, sat in front of this stupid fucking box like a teenager looking at a love note, he knew that would never be the case.

xxx

She had been on her tiptoes, cursing as she stretched over the counter to wipe down a spilled drink when he had entered the dimly lit dive bar. It was a chilly evening in Atlanta, but the woman still wore a simple black tank top and grey jean shorts that hardly came halfway down her thighs. Her long, dark brown hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, clearly for practicality as opposed to preference, keeping it off of her face and neck as she worked. This, however, only served to draw attention to the work of art that adorned her body, a tattoo consisting of barbed wire wrapped around her neck that slithered down over the rest of her body, ending somewhere below her ankles. She didn’t seem too imposing, but her presence seemed to demand respect from those around her. In shitholes like this, men could hardly keep their drunken mouths shut around women, saying filthy things and copping feels. But the place was in order. People kept themselves in check and a single glare from her created a silence far more imposing than anything Daryl had ever seen.

He had come in looking for an alibi, an excuse to keep himself out of Merle’s illicit activities for the evening and a dose of plausible deniability should the Atlanta PD come knocking. Instead, he had found something else. Usually, he couldn’t give two fucks about what someone thought about him. But her? He wanted her to notice him…

xxx

Doors opening and closing on the floor below him brought him back to the present, the memory’s clarity fading almost as quickly as it came. The first time he had been able to see her in his mind’s eye in a long time. It had been a year since he had seen her, since he had left the city with his brother like the idiot he was. She had offered him a place in the world, a life of his own, and he had turned it down for Merle fucking Dixon. There wasn’t a day that he wondered if the choice was worth it… But since Merle had fled that rooftop in Atlanta, he knew that he had thrown in with the wrong person.

Everyone he cared for always left him. But not her. She had asked him to stay.

And he had left her in return.

Fucking. Moron.

A parting gift, in the form of her treasured iPod containing a playlist for him, was all he had left of her. He had no doubt in his mind that she was long gone, either fleeing from the dead or part of the dead herself. After all, happy endings and good fortune were never in the cards for any of the Dixons, least of all Daryl.

With unsteady hands, Daryl plugged in the pair of earbuds she had sent along, pushing one into his ear in order to keep himself sharp enough to respond to any possible threats. It was second nature, it always had been. As he stared at the unmoving screen before him, he asked himself whether he deserved this. The memory of Gloria alone overwhelmed him with a sense of bliss, one he wasn’t sure he deserved. It all came back in short bursts. The good, the bad, and the ugly of one of the best people he’d met in his entire life.

xxx

“Oh, eat shit, Dixon!” she cried, laughing through her words as she curled up in the passenger seat of his pick-up truck. “I was NOT that drunk!”

“Ya tripped over the curb, then curled up on the sidewalk screamin’ ‘bout how ya were sure to die any minute. I had t’ carry ya home and put a frozen bag of blueberries on ya elbow.”

“I was just… very concerned about gettin’ a bruise.” she defended adamantly.

“You didn’t even hit that elbow, Glory.”

“Like I said, eat shit!” Her smile was practically contagious.

xxx

“You’re such a fuckin’ prick, Dixon!” she screamed, stalking up the stairs of the empty bar towards her apartment above. “I can’t fuckin’ believe it!”

“Glory, I’ve got no goddamn clue what you are talkin’ about!”

“So I’m just not good enough for a little fuckin’ honesty, that it?!” she demanded, stopping short at the door and turning to face him. Daryl could see the tears hidden behind the rage, but knew that they wouldn’t fall, not in front of him. “Am I jus’ not worth the fuckin’ time?! If you don’ wanna take this anywhere, that’s fuckin’ fine! But don’ lead me on like I’m some idiot.”

“I-... I don’t wanna…-”

“But you are, asshole! I have been jerked around enough damn times to know what it looks like. And to think I thought you gave a fuck.”

“I do! I jus’ ain’t ever done this before!!”

She quieted down almost immediately, her demeanor eerily timid in comparison to her typical fire.

“You-You’ve never… never what? Like… any of it…?”

“No! I haven’t!” Daryl was still pissed, but he couldn’t quite tell if it was at her or himself.

“Oh fuck…. I am… Jesus, I’m so sorry, I’m such a bitch.” she murmured, burying her face in her hands. “Christ, I’m sorry.” she turned around to unlock her door, fumbling with the keys as Daryl fumed. As she opened the door with a creak of rusty hinges, she turned to face him. “You deserve a better first, Dixon. Don’t waste it on me, okay?” the words were filled with kindness, with a sort of compassion he rarely saw from her.

As the door shut, he understood one fact more clearly than he had ever understood about the retreating woman. He was stupidly in love with her.

xxx

Her scars were so different from his. While his were big, ragged gashes, hers were small, smooth indentations in otherwise perfect skin. But, like his, they were everywhere.

He discovered each and every one, his calloused hands tracing ever so lightly over her skin. She leaned up to do the same with her lips, letting them ghost over his neck as he held back a satisfied groan at her efforts. It didn’t take long for him to reach his destination, his nimble fingers pulling melodies from her lips that he was so sure proved the existence of a god. Only the divine could create something so heavenly.

Once she had her fill, he took what he so desperately needed, murmuring praises the entire way. Her nails dug into his arms as she clung to him, begging for more, to be closer to him. To say that having this unwavering force of a woman beneath him crying out in ecstasy was anything short of magical would have been a goddamn crime.

For the first time in his entire life, Daryl Dixon found peace in baring himself to another person, falling soundly asleep with Gloria tangled in a gentle embrace.

xxx

Daryl Dixon refocused his gaze on the screen in front of him and pressed play.

#the walking dead #twd #twd fanfiction #the walking dead daryl #daryl fanfiction #daryl dixon/oc #daryl dixon x oc #oc #songfic #last of the american girls #green day #fanfiction #mercdoesfanfic

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harrysdimples · 4 years

Note

hello i hope this isn’t a weird ask or if you’ve seen a post like it and could direct me but i’ve been a casual fan of harry for forever but tbh only recently have become someone who like follows blogs Exclusively About Harry type beat and i was wondering if u could give me like a guide of who his friends r? like ik jeff and some others but i see lots of names and i get like “????” anyways, have a good day!!

of course bb! thank you for giving me something to do during quarantine lmao, long post under the cut:

jeff azoff - harry’s manager and one of his best friends, been friends since early 2013 and harry signed with jeff and full stop management in january 2016, jeff is the son of irving azoff who is widely considered to be the most powerful man in the music industry

glenne christiaansen - jeff’s long term girlfriend/partner, been together at least as long as harry and jeff have been friends, used to work for snapchat and now works at apple music, was included in the forbes 30 under 30 list (woohoo!)

tommy bruce - works at full stop management with jeff, is harry’s manager/representative when jeff isn’t there, good friends with harry

kid harpoon/tom hull - not sure exactly when they became friends but have been friends for a while, worked together on both albums harry has done, his wife jenny is the jenny referenced in canyon moon, he makes a cameo in the adore you music video lol

molly hawkins - harry’s creative director since 2017, has worked on most major shoots harry has done and is responsible for the visuals when it comes to harry’s album/singles artwork

harry lambert - harry’s stylist since at least 2015, we don’t know how they met/who they were introduced by but have been close since around late 2014 (I think)

kunichi normura - harry’s friend who he spent most of his time in japan with, a radio DJ and writer

nick grimshaw - BBC Radio 1 DJ, close friend of 8/9 years, have spent multiple xmas days together, harry debuted SOTT exclusively on his show, just check my gryles tag for more lol

mitch rowland - you probably already know but one of harry’s best friends, guitarist in harry’s band and collaborator on both albums, in a relationship with sarah (drummer) since 2017

xander ritz - lacrosse player, first became close in 2014/15 ish? xander went to lots of tour dates for the last tour 1D did together, you can see more in the xarry timeline here (this hasn’t been updated in a while though, xander goes to most things harry does lmao), still close with one another, most times if harry is doing something in NYC he will fly out to Philadelphia and stay with xander/his family beforehand

ben winston - executive producer on the LLS with james corden, directed multiple music videos for 1D like night changes and you & I, harry stayed with him and his wife meredith in their home for 18 months during 1d, harry is close with all his family, ben’s dad is a lord in the House of Lords in parliament, harry went to see a debate in parliament on brexit through ben’s dad etc, harry is the godfather of ben’s daughter ruby

helene panbrum - harry’s personal and tour photographer, close friend of all the band and crew including harry

cal aurand - 1d’s photographer and close friend of harry’s, introduced him to the green bay packers (lmao) and harry is the godfather of his son, jackson

adam prendergast/sarah jones - members of harry’s band, harry has known adam since 2011, is married to his wife emi with two children (silver and spike), sarah used to be in the band hot chip before joining harry’s band and is now in a relationship with mitch

ny oh (naomi)/charlotte clark - newest members of harry’s band this era, replacing clare uchima who was previously harry’s pianist before joining dua lipa’s band (let’s not talk about that rip)

johnny/alice/ben/chloe burcham - all childhood friends of harry’s, has stayed in more regular contact with johnny than the other two (has brought him on various 1D tours with him, johnny still tweets and posts about harry sometimes), ben was in harry’s band at school with him, alice grew up with harry, chloe burcham is a close family friend of everyone in harry’s family since her mum and anne are very close, gemma, harry and chloe all grew up together and spend most christmases together

rob stringer - head of sony music and close friend of harry’s

tom glynn carney/jack lowden/barry keoghan/fionn whitehead - all part of the dunkirk cast, harry has more publicly stayed friends with tom and barry in particular (tom went to harry’s arena tour and harry went to his play on broadway, barry went to the secret london show for fine line) but they have a group chat called funkirk lmao

roman kemp - capital fm presenter and close friend of harry’s for many years now

tomo campbell/sam campbell - tomo is a close friend of harry’s, harry has been to a few of his art exhibitions and has bought a few of his paintings, sam is also a close friend with their two kids and is the sister of 1d’s hair stylist, lou teasdale

matt irwin - photographer friend of harry’s who was one of his best friends, he sadly took his own life in 2016, harry dedicated his issue of another man to matt and has spoken since about how the grief of losing him impacted him, may he rest in peace.

alessandro michele - creative director of gucci, close friends since 2015 ish, lovely man :’) harry is learning to speak italian for him and has stayed with him in italy before, harry is alessandro’s muse

jack guinness/alexa chung/pixie geldof/waseem etc - all part of harry’s london crew of friends who he was mainly introduced to by nick, harry went to pixie’s wedding, and is still close with jack and alexa in particular etc

tyler johnson/sammy witte/jeff bhasker - all collaborators on both albums and close friends of harry

james corden/kendall jenner - you don’t need me to tell you who either of these people are lol, harry is the godfather of james’ youngest child charlotte

#that's all I can think of atm #then he has loads of other famous people friends that i'm sure you'll know who they are lol #Anonymous #lists

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mareclary · 4 years

Text

Felix and Dimitri brotherhood headcanon!! (azure moon SPOILERS)

Felix’s mom is never mentioned. I’ve headcanoned that likely Felix was supposed to have a little sister but both she and his mom were lost in childbirth because it’s the Middle Ages. So, much like Dimitri he never really knew his birth mother. They can relate to each other about this in their youth. It also sets them up to be good foils of each other later.

Felix grew up with really just his dad and Glenn. He has Asperger’s. Rodrigue means well but never learns how to communicate efffectively with Felix. Instead, Glenn is their middle man. Felix and Glenn are really close but Felix always feels like he’s living in his shadow. This doesn’t interfere with their relationship that much while Glenn is alive.

A lot of art portrays Glenn as much older than Felix. However, Glenn was engaged to Ingrid so if he was much older that would be really creepy. I’ve settled on Glenn being roughly two years older than the gang. He was canonically knighted super young at 15. I think he probably died not long after he was officially knighted. This is why Felix hates knighthood so much and that his father told him “Glenn died like a true knight.” Glenn shouldn’t have been a knight that young. He shouldn’t have died.

Rodrigue is like a father to Dimitri therefore Dimitri is like a brother to Felix. They get even closer after Glenn’s death. They can mourn together. But again, Rodrigue can communicate with Dimitri better than he can with Felix. There is no Glenn to play back and forth. Resentment grows. Felix turns to trying to be as much like Glenn as possible. Strong. Capable. Worthy.

He and Dimitri see battle for the first time two years later. They are 15 now. The same age Glenn died. Felix is horrified by Dimitri’s bloodlust and can’t get the image out of his head when he talks with Dimitri. He realizes he lost both brothers at Duscar. They grow apart. Felix continues to train harder to protect himself from the horrors that made him have to grow up so fast. He doesn’t want to be the cause of anyone else to snap. He doesn’t want to snap too.

At the Academy he is forced to spend more time with Dimitri. No one else can see what he sees. They all think he’s just being rude for no reason. That is until the Flame Emperor’s true identity is revealed. But, Felix doesn’t gloat. He’s sad and scared like everyone else. His worst suspicions were confirmed. The old Dimitri was gone just like the former sweet Felix.

Felix is heartbroken when he hears of Dimitri’s execution. But, he doesn’t quite believe he killed his uncle. He didn’t have a true motive. Rodrigue is convinced Dimitri is still alive. Felix isn’t so sure until he hears of brutal attacks around the old monastery. Then he starts to believe.

Still, Felix doesn’t understand Dimitri’s situation post the Reunion at Dawn. This is in big part due to his brain just not being super good at seeing things from someone else’s perspective. He can’t hear the voices in Dimitri’s head. To his eye, Dimitri just seems self-indulgent and reckless. It frustrates him that everyone seems to be letting him get away with it. To him, it just looks like coddling.

Rodrigue jumps in front of the knife for Dimitri. He dies like a knight. Dimitri gets to be there for Rodrigue’s last moments. He gets the last conversation. And it deeply hurts Felix. It isn’t until this moment that he realizes his resentment towards Dimitri, not his disgust. Dimitri got to say goodbye to both Glenn and Rodrigue. Felix didn’t.

So Felix has his final support conversation with Dimitri. He’s not sure if he’s a beast or a man. I think he is a little settled with Dimitri’s answer that he is both. However, Felix still calls out Dimitri. To him, Dimitri is selfish. He tells him not to waste those deaths. Dimitri rises to the occasion.

They never fully reconcile. But, overtime I think Felix understand Dimitri better and maybe even forgives him a little bit.

#fe3h felix #felix hugo fraldarius #dimitri blue lions #dimitri blaiddyd #azure moon #fire emblem #fe3h blue lions #glenn fraldarius #fe ingrid

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dustedmagazine · 4 years

Text

Listed: Nick Jonah Davis

Photo Credit: Andy Joskowski

Nick Jonah Davis lives in Derbyshire, England, which is a place where evidence of older editions of England is always easy to find. Successive eras likewise coincide in his music. Davis plays acoustic and electric guitars, drawing on both American and English folk and instrumental traditions. He has worked with like-minded folk, such as C. Joynes and Sharron Kraus, and is also an established guitar teacher and provider of therapeutic musical interventions. He’s been recording the occasional solo record since 2009, and in 2016, Dusted’s Bill Meyer had this to say about House of Dragons: “the Nottingham-based guitarist isn’t living in bifurcations of the past, and he isn’t asking us to either. Rather, he invites the listener into a world bounded by the resonance of his tunings and the vividness of his evolving melodies.” Thread Recordings is about to release a swell new LP, When the Sun Came, and Davis has compiled a list of sounds made by some of his favorite associates.

Even for solo guitarists, music is a collaborative, social thing. For this list I’ve picked some music by artists that I’ve collaborated, recorded or gigged with over the last decade or so. Members of the NJD home team.

Kogumaza — “Ursids”

WAAT048 Split 7" w/Hookworms by Kogumaza

When I lived in Nottingham, Kogumaza were my favorite band in town. They play deep, droning riff-based cosmic guitar music which draws on their backgrounds playing with local heroes like Lords, Rattle and Bob Tilton. They’ve also done their homework, having sat in with heavy hitters like Glenn Branca, Damo Suzuki and Boredoms. This tune was recorded in Nottingham, with Nathan Bell of Lungfish sitting in on bass. I was the assistant engineer on this session, and remember getting a pleasing headful of Katy Brown’s kick drum as we set up the mics. Mind-manifesting stuff.

Ex-Easter Island Head — “Large Electric Ensemble Third Movement”

Large Electric Ensemble by Ex-Easter Island Head

Liverpool’s Ex-Easter Island Head are a revelation. They repurpose electric guitars through a variety of extended techniques, with unprecedented, nourishing results. I was lucky enough to play a couple of shows as a member of their Large Electric Ensemble, a 12-guitar band powered by 1 drummer and multiple Arts Council pizzas. I learned a lot from them in terms of playing guitar with craftily-deployed allen keys and bolts. Living proof that people can and do make genuinely beautiful, ground-breaking music without being all precious and up themselves about it. Good lads.

C Joynes and the Furlong Bray — “Sang Kancil”

The Borametz Tree by C Joynes & The Furlong Bray

Joynes and I have been fellow travelers in the solo guitar realm for many years now. We’ve probably seen more of each other’s gigs than anyone else alive. I was really pleased to be invited into the making of the Borametz Tree album. Not exactly sure how you’d describe my role on that project, but it involved some bass playing, some refereeing and, in the case of this piece, heading into my cellar with Nathan Mann to process some sounds through my echo units. I really love this bizarre, swirling piece of music. It defies description and I really can’t see how it could have happened under any circumstances. Power to the Furlong Bray.

Jim Ghedi — “Bramley Moor”

A Hymn For Ancient Land by Jim Ghedi

Jim popped up a few years ago, around the same time as Toby Hay, and has been a sure source of decent sounds ever since. Jim’s initial, masterful solo guitar work has bloomed out into an exploration of both traditional folk and his own songwriting. Having sat right next to him when we played together in my village a couple of years ago, I can confirm that he has a huge, resonant chest voice. Luckily, he always commits to his guitar just as fully, as you can hear on this jaunty instrumental on which I played some weissenborn. Nathan Mann pops up again playing percussion on this one, small world…

Cath and Phil Tyler — “King Henry”

The Ox and the Ax by Cath and Phil Tyler

I first met Cath and Phil at the legendary Sin Eater festival, a 3-day weekend of fine underground music and excellent ale at an isolated pub in Shropshire. Almost everyone on this list played there actually. This is folk music as it should be played, plain and flinty with a complete focus on the song. Understatement goes a long way in this music and, I suspect because of this, Phil is one of the most criminally under-rated guitarists around. There’s a little part of me that lives for Cath’s jaw harp break at the end of this one.

Toby Hay — “Now in a Minute”

New Music For The 12 String Guitar by Toby Hay

Toby has a special place in my heart for lining me up an annual show in a cafe at the wonderful Green Man festival for the past several years, meaning my family could go for free. Here’s a near-perfect example of a miniature acoustic study from his album New Music for the 12 String Guitar. The guitar in question was custom-built for Toby by Roger Bucknall of Fylde guitars. Fylde put out the word that a label was looking for a young guitarist to make a record on a custom-built Fylde that they would commission, and I immediately suggested Toby. He rose to the occasion. Reckon he owes me a handmade guitar though; I’ll give him a nudge one of these days.

The Horse Loom — “Silver Ribbon”

The Horse Loom by The Horse Loom

Steve Malley played in post-punk bands back in the day, gigging alongside the likes of Fugazi. He later picked up a Fylde guitar and went down an acoustic rabbit hole where his love of British folk and flamenco come to the fore. The DIY-or-die roots of his playing flash an occasional fin. After we met I persuaded him to come down to Nottingham and let me record his first album in First Love studio. He did the whole thing in a day and it’s awesome. This is my favorite instrumental from that collection.

Sharron Kraus — “Sorrow’s Arrow”

Joy's Reflection is Sorrow by Sharron Kraus

I started playing shows with Sharron as we were both UK artists on the Tompkins Square label at the time, so it kind of made sense. She’s a bit of an institution in psych-folk circles and eventually I began playing on her records and at live shows, which has been a real joy. This tune features some heavy drones and an occasional splish of my lap steel. It’s classic Kraus — mournful, insightful, immersive. If you want to hear someone with a bigger brain than yours talking about the weirder side of life, check out her Preternatural Investigations podcast.

Haress — “Wind the Bobbin”

Haress by HARESS

Haress is centered around the twin electric guitar work of Liz Still and David Hand. Located in downright gorgeous rural Shropshire, they ran the Sin Eater Festival and still put out essential music on Lancashire and Somerset Records. I reckon they’ve helped me out more than anyone over the years, releasing House of Dragons on vinyl and always setting me up a show when I need one. This gorgeous piece features Nathan Bell again, this time on trumpet. Those Nathans do get around.

Burd Ellen — “Chi-Mi-Bhuam”

Chi Mi Bhuam by Burd Ellen

I first saw Debbie Armour singing with Alasdair Roberts, a good start. When I went up to play in Glasgow in 2018, I asked if she’d like to open up my show at the Glad Café, which she did, alone except for a borrowed harmonium. I was mesmerized, I think everyone was. Too good for a support slot. Here’s a Gaelic vocal piece which demonstrates exactly who we’re dealing with here, a profoundly talented and committed artist with a lifelong immersion in traditional music, using it as a springboard into something entirely her own.

#dusted magagzine #listed #nick jonah davis #kogumaza #ex-easter island head #c joynes #the furlong bray #jim ghedi #cath and phil tyler #toby hay #the horse loom #sharron kraus #haress #burd ellen

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syilcawrites · 4 years

Photo

a/n: hello earth and fe3h fandom, I wrote something for sylvgridbigbang (twitter) and had the pleasure to collab with artist Bringmemisery (twitter), so make sure to go check out their wonderful art!! It’s my first time writing this ship but I hope you enjoy it hoho!!

summary: Sylvain is reckless, and Ingrid isn’t okay with that

tags: hurt/comfort, post-timeskip, post war, angst with a happy ending

ao3

daffodils

Ingrid had never been outside by the pond at night. Despite the lack of presence at the Monastery for the past five years, she could still spot some fishes swimming about, gathering around her as if they were waiting for her to drop food.

She hummed as she eyed a dead daffodil floating across the surface of the pond water toward her, and as it grew closer, the little fishes tried to nip at it.

"Hm, did a bandit actually feed you this entire time or something?" she murmured curiously as she dropped bits and pieces of bread into the water. Her lips tilted up into a lopsided smile as she watched them greedily snap up at the surface to get the crumbs.

Ingrid chewed absentmindedly at the rest of her meal, as she let out a small sigh. It was the last night before they left the Monastery to march toward Enbarr, to end the war once and for all.

Once and for all…

She stared down at her plate of food, stopping mid-chew. It was one of her favorites—pheasant roast with berry sauce—and even though she had it several times over the past five years, she missed eating it here, at the Monastery.

Five years.

Her eyes fluttered shut as she inhaled and exhaled slowly—the crisp night air cooled down the panic that had sprung in her chest.

Five years since she died and was reborn anew—if she could meet herself from five years ago, what would she tell herself?

Her eyes flit over to the window, where she could see the shadows of her laughing friends inside the Mess Hall—she caught a glimpse of the Professor passing by the door, whispering to someone that Ingrid couldn't see.

Among the chaos and dissent in Faerghus, she had only seen her classmates in whispers: in glimpses of broken windows, in the imprint of footsteps against the soft snow, in the memories of flickering candlelights.

Her eyes misted over, but she blinked it away as she stared back down at the fishes.

"We'll be fine," she whispered to herself, grabbing a pheasant leg. She ripped a hefty piece out of it with her teeth. She needed to eat, she needed energy, if she was going to protect them. She'll make up for all those lost lives, and this time… this time no one else will die.

"If you eat that fast you're gonna choke, you know."

Ingrid jumped at his voice, almost dropping the leg into the pond water.

She glared at him.

"Sylvain," she grumbled, promptly dropping it back onto the plate as she reached for her napkin. "You know you shouldn't sneak up on me while I'm eating."

He laughed heartily as he took a seat next to her, his smile reaching from ear to ear. "I forgot how engrossed you get when you're eating."

She clicked her tongue in feigned annoyance as she wiped her hands. "Why are you out here?"

"Why arent you inside with everyone else?" He replied back without missing a beat. Typical—answering her question with another question. "The Professor has been shooting worried glances at you ever since the start of dinner." He pat his stomach in satisfaction with such a comfortable, content smile that Ingrid wanted to siphon some of his relaxed, carefree aura to herself too.

Because with each passing second the knot in her gut had been tightening, ever since this morning.

"I just needed some fresh air," Ingrid said simply. She leaned back on her hands and looked up at the stars. It would've been comfortable, if she didn't feel his undivided attention on her. He made no effort to hide that he was actively staring at her.

"What is it?" Ingrid glanced at him. He's been like this a lot, ever since they reunited. He just… stared at her for minutes without saying anything sometimes. And when she would point it out, he would blink and that weird, far-off gaze of his would disappear. She always wondered how the inner cogs in his head worked, and at some point, she thought she had figured it out. And then her effort went down the drain along with those five years apart.

"It's just nice that we can talk like this again," he said with a shrug.

Their last moments together were still fresh in her mind—being torn apart from one another by the onslaught of Imperial troops. She had never seen his brown eyes, usually filled with laughter, look so dark and desperate as his hand lost grip on her arm. She knew he had always held his grief in a locked box, but in that moment, it had spilled out for her to see in full view, and she could do nothing.

After the Battle of Garreg Mach, she came back to the Monastery at night, and cried in relief when she couldn't find his body—and none of her other classmate's bodies—amongst the corpses that lay rotting.

"If you look at me with such wistful eyes I might bite you."

Ingrid blinked, unfazed. "Are you really trying to practice your flirting techniques on me right now? Don't tell me you're going to try to flirt your way through Enbarr?" she scoffed, punching his arm. "You really have gotten weirder over the past five years."

"Hm," he said, tilting his head at her as if he was in deep thought. "Really?"

"I would've thought your flirting skills would've improved after all this time, but when you asked me about my make-up—"

"Okay, okay, I've heard enough!" Sylvain chanted as he placed a hand over her mouth. "It's been a long time since I last saw you!"

Ingrid laughed as she pulled his hand away. "That explains nothing—"

"I just wanted to know if the guy you liked deserved your—"

"You're deluding yourself if you think I'm wearing make-up for some man," Ingrid scoffed, looking at his hand. The closest thing she had to a romantic partner was her lance, which was dutifully by her side every day for as long as she could remember.

Since Glenn.

Ingrid tightened her hold on Sylvain's hand.

"Don't be careless tomorrow," Ingrid demanded quietly, her eyebrows knitting together as she brushed her thumbs over the callouses dotting his skin. There were a lot more than she remembered.

"You should worry about yourself."

"I appreciate the concern," she said, raising her eyes to meet his gaze. "But you and I both know that I'm more than capable of taking care of myself."

He frowned at her.

"I don't intend to drop dead tomorrow," she said with an easy smile, releasing a hand to reach for her cup of wine. When she raised it to offer some to him, he was still frowning. "I can protect myself, and I will protect you too." She thought her words would've reassured him, but instead, it seemed to… do the exact opposite. He looked away from her.

"You've always been like that Ingrid," he muttered with a twinge of annoyance. "Always thinking about others. Haven't you learned to take care of yourself these past five years?" His words were sharp—she knew him well enough that his words bore no ill intention toward her, but it bothered her all the same.

"Of course I have." Ingrid dropped his hand and pressed her palm against her chest. "I always have. Why do you think I've always trained relentlessly for?" She always put herself first so that… so that she could protect everyone. Protect him.

He didn't look at her, and simply glared at the fishes swimming around them as if it was their fault.

She didn't want to see another familiar face in the aftermath of destruction—no, she couldn't. She would never let that happen, never let that future ever come into the light.

"Then for my sake, stay where I can see you tomorrow." His hand hovered over her cheek, but instead, he placed it on her shoulder instead, squeezing. "When we reach Enbarr, stick by me. Please."

The light from the Mess Hall flickered against the side of his face as he stared at her.

"Okay," she whispered, nodding. "I will."

——————————————————————

The tip of the lance hissed passed her head, grazing her ear, as she ducked just mere seconds before it swiped the spot where she had just been. She swung the butt of her own lance toward the solider, causing him to rear back just enough for Sylvain to swoop in. He knocked the mounted soldier off his horse with the Lance of Ruin, the blade piercing through the cavalier as he fell. Sylvain's shoulders heaved up and down, with blood dripping down his armor, splattering the silver a dull red.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his breath coming out short and fast.

Ingrid gave a stiff nod, exhaling as she regained her position. "Thanks," she said breathily, shaking her head. She had to focus.

She knew it would be bad in Enbarr, especially breaking into the heart of it, but the amount of enemies spilling toward them seemed endless.

The Professor stood close by them, swinging her sword smoothly, as if it were an extension of her own arm. But despite her natural talent, Ingrid could spot beads of sweat rolling down her skin—a sight she had never witnessed before, not until now. The Imperial Army had begun slowly closing in on them, spilling from an entrance across the throne, advancing at a pace that was hard to keep up with.

"Everyone, stay close!" The Professor's strong voice cut clear through the cries and shouts of the battle. A surge of energy bloomed inside Ingrid—she would fight until the very end, alongside everyone.

"They keep coming from underground—someone needs to hold off the area or else well be pinned over here until they finally wipe us out," Dimitri grunted, sending another ten soldiers flying through the air with the might of his lance.

They needed to be quick, concise. Ingrid knew they wouldn't hold out for long, not like this.

"Watch my back!" Ingrid launched toward the opening on her wyvern without a moment's hesitation. It was a simple solution—she could get there quicker than the others, and could dodge the fastest among them.

"Ingrid!"

Before she could fly away though, a hand roughly grabbed her shoulder, whipping her back. The wyvern halted as Ingrid tightened her grip on the strap of the harness before she could fall off the sadle.

"You can't just charge in there!" Sylvain said, his voice hoarse and dry. "We stick together."

Ingrid tensed, guilt bloomed inside her like an ugly disease.

"There's too many in the path, you'll be—"

"If there's one thing I'm confident in, it's protecting you." Despite the blood running down his cheek, the fatigue that ran through his veins, he still offered her that familiar sweet, reassuring smile of his.

"Do not act rashly! Felix and I will take the rear—Dedue, lead the front. Sylvain and Ingrid, make sure you defend the blindsides!" the Professor shouted, slicing her way toward them. "The rest of you must try to take out the black mage to the right, and stay close to one another!"

The Blue Lions shouted in unison, a battle cry loud enough to shake the roots of Enbarr itself, as they spilled into position.

Ingrid had stopped keeping track of how many men and women had fallen from them—one thought surged her forward and kept the bloodlust boiling within her from running thin: to keep the ones dear to her safe. She would not let any one of their blood run dry, no matter what.

The one to break her from her fervent stupor were the cries from Edelgard—the closer they got to her, the more Ingrid could make out the anguished desperation of her large, mishappen figure. Pain tinged at her heart to see one of her former peers turn into something so grotesque.

Edelgard's black eyes pierced straight at them, cracking the courage that Ingrid had felt was indomitable mere seconds ago.

"Something is coming toward us!" Dedue bellowed, straining his shield up from the onslaught of enemies.

The Professor slew down the last enemy who had lingered behind them and flitted her head toward the direction Dedue was pointed at—her normally blank eyes steeled at the sight of Edelgard extending her elongated arm hurling forward.

Ingrid grit her teeth as she halted her wyvern—

Before any of them had time to register what Edelgard was doing, she had swung her dark arm forward—it sped toward them faster than they could blink.

Unable to track its path, Dedue braced himself, but it whizzed past the top of his head, in direct line of—

Ingrid's breath hitched in her throat as she leaned back instinctively, seeing the dark, condensed orb aimed directly at her.

The air around her sparked, as if electricity had filled the air, and the ends of her hair stood as a shout of despair bubbled from her throat. She lifted her hand to her face in a vain attempt to block it, biting down hard enough for her lips to bleed as her body tensed.

In a flash, the darkness was replaced by a fiery orange all too familiar, Sylvain—

The orb collided with him, flinging him off his horse. He barreled straight into Ingrid as she tumbled off her wyvern from the impact. She instinctively wrapped her arms around him, breaking his fall as they plummeted toward the ground.

Her breath knocked out of her as her back slammed against the marble floor, her mind swimming, unable to register what had just happened. Her blood rushed toward her ears—roaring, muting whatever the Professor was shouting about.

She gasped as she realized her arms were still tightly wrapped around Sylvain's' limp body, heavy against her own. She was half expecting him to suddenly sit up, to smile at her as he made some ludicrous joke about being on top of her, but he didn't.

Ingrid grunted as she rolled over, switching positions. Her hand was placed on either side of his face as she stared down at him, fear running through her veins as she helplessly watched the blood drip down his face.

Her mouth moved, but she couldn't hear her voice. Dark spots swam in her vision as she shook him again and again, screaming until her voice bled his name.

——————————————————————

Daffodils remind Ingrid of the sun—bright and hard to stare at for too long. It was perfect for Sylvain. She grabbed a handful that was scattered around the field, dutifully blowing away the dirt from the bright yellow petals.

"Need help?"

Ingrid turned around to see the Professor holding out her hand, staring at Ingrid with those bright green eyes. Ever since the Professor came back, she was different in various ways that Ingrid couldn't put into words, but her attentiveness to her student's well-being hadn't changed.

"Ah, Professor…" Ingrid shuffled nervously on her feet. "Um—" Before Ingrid could finish, she took the flowers out of her hand.

"You should be resting," she said, her voice almost chiding. She flicked away the specks of dirt with focused precision. "You're not fully healed yet either."

"This is nothing." Ingrid raised her cast up briefly, sighing as she glanced down at it. It was more bothersome than anything. A broken arm shouldn't be something she should take lightly, but... staying outside proved better for her mental state.

"Ingrid," the Professor said softly, catching her attention. Ingrid looked up at her, startled by how focused the Professor was on her. "You shouldn't hold it in."

"I'm not holding anything in," Ingrid said with a stiff smile, keeping her voice light. "I'm just… I think he'll like these flowers." Maybe it'll wake him up. He hates the color yellow, so he'll wake up and tell her how awful she was at choosing which flowers to give to him.

"Come on." The Professor handed the daffodils back to her. "He'll want to see you when he wakes up."

Ingrid cracked a smile.

As they trailed down the hill, she stared down at the face of the daffodils—they seemed to be smiling back at her, swaying softly in the light breeze. Ingrid lifted her gaze to the far-off castle. Even from the distance, it stood proud and tall. It was weird, setting foot in the same space where the four of them—Ingrid, Sylvain, Dimitri, Felix—once chased one another. She always wondered if those days would come back; carefree and content.

She tightened her grip on the stem of the daffodils, clutching on to it as if it were her own lifeline.

"Will you eat with us for dinner tonight?" the Professor asked hopefully as they neared the entrance to the castle.

Ingrid nodded, already heading for the direction to Sylvain's room. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" Ever since Sylvain had fallen into a coma, she spent most of her time next to him. "I'll come this time, after I give him the flowers." Ingrid cast one last smile over to her before she disappeared, taking long strides to the infirmary room.

She opened the door.

Dark and silent.

Quiet.

His soft breathing was almost inaudible, even when she stood still and tried to concentrate on it.

Before Ingrid sat on the chair next to his bed—which was practically her own bed at that point—she lit the candle on the table and grabbed the ribbon that she had left lying on the table next to her. She pursed her lips as she tried to wrap it around the stem of the daffodils—it wasn't the first time she'd done this, but for some reason, her fingers kept fumbling.

"Twist… one loop… flip…" Ingrid murmured to herself, recounting what Annette had told her. "Hm." She lifted the bundle of flowers up, frowning at how deformed the bow looked.

"It looks awful," a hoarse voice next to her whispered.

"As if you can do any better," Ingrid muttered back, glancing at the bed with a glare. She placed it back down on her lap and began undoing the ribbon.

"Give it to me." A hand weakly tapped on her arm, prompting her.

"I—" Ingrid paused, staring down at his hands.

She blinked once, twice, before locking eyes with him.

He looked terrible—as pale as snow, lips chapped, purple under his eyes—and his full concentration was trained on the daffodils in her hands.

"You're awake—" Ingrid swallowed, her voice shaking. "You're awake?" She stood up so fast the chair clattered to the ground, along with the daffodils.

"Hey—those are my favorite flowers!" He attempted to sit up, but groaned instead.

"Sylvain!" Ingrid scolded, helping him sit up. He smiled cheekily at her, and it was so full of fatigue that she almost burst into tears.

"I thought you hated yellow," Ingrid choked out, her hands trembling as she brushed his disheveled bangs from his eyes.

He hummed as he thought—he reached out to her, brushing the ends of her hair with the tip of his fingers. "No, it's been my favorite color for a while now."

#fe3h #fire emblem three houses #sylvgrid #sylvain x ingrid #my fanfics #wow i wrote something other than zelink ashoudsf #sylvgrid big bang #anyway not betad so :~)#i first wrote it back in like sept #so to say the least when i was editing i changed like 99% of what was going on cause my writing had changed so much uahefbfksd #i didn't know how to add to collection on ao3 so i reposted husafhui

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