davidrichardsfad

[laststandx3]

i'm skipping through 1x03 and it's very interesting how they refer to rats twice and you'd think the first one is billy, but it's tozer instead, explaining sir john they use rats for bait. THEN you have billy saying he's not a rat. like on one side they establish that everyone knows there are a lot of rats on the ship so when billy asks what copulates on a ship we already know it's rats. on the other side? billy saying he was looking for the cat while irving discovered him with hickey? sir john saying the marines are putting fagin (ship's cat) out of work because they caught all the mice? and the very next scene is irving going to talk with hickey instead of punishing him (aka not catching him)? billy saying he's not a rat? rats taken from the hold, caught and tied up in lines? (called out in front of all the men, whipped for it or worse) book!hickey being constantly describe as a rat?

[pomodoriyum]

in the same vein as that recent terror post. season 2 should have just been crew shenanigans. like yeah we all died and it was horrible but before things got crazy we did some wild shit to keep from being bored

also the episodes should absolutely have the same emotional depth and bandwidth and punch

major points:

-james fitzjames and dundy historically accurate pillowfight

-george hodgson practicing an instrument (woodwind?) and driving the rest of them bananas. maybe people start hiding his clarinet or w/e in increasingly weird hard to find places

- peddie and the ‘where the hell have all of our ointment and oils and lubricants gone’ adventure (spoiler: theyve been used for distinctly nonmedical purposes)

- billy gibson and the stewards versus endless laundry. maybe they have a minor revolt about it

- chefs diggle and chefs wall cookoff contest

- cornelius hickey tries to enjoy his day off and shirking his work only to be roped into stupid menial stuff and unable to escape (jopson et al know what they’re doing)

- irvings watercolors and singing classes keep going terribly wrong

- a day in the life of: Fagin the cat, Neptune the dog, Jacko the capuchin

- please feel free to reblog with your own ideas these are cute to think about

[dravenscroft]

I want to write a modern AU where Hickey makes a living just selling weird or obviously stolen shit on Facebook marketplace.

Tozer is the most painfully normal guy but somehow totally unbothered by this. He's like, a nightclub bouncer or security guard by night and by day he just kind of chills out gaming and streaming in that big stupid hoodie of his. Except the background of his streams is the living room of the tiny shitty flat he shares with Hickey and there's always some crazy shit in the background that Hickey is selling.

Someone asks 'why do you have a seemingly working set of traffic lights propped up on your sofa?'

'How did you get 20 brand new iphones still in their packaging?'

'Oh god why are there five fire-damaged mannequins standing around behind you?'

And Tozer is always just like 'oh yeah I think they're something for my boyfriend's work, I don’t really know, I don’t ask. Anyway---'

He starts to get a dedicated little following because people always want to see what new things his weird, unhinged boyfriend has in the background. What has he brought home like some kind of deranged pet cat bringing in a dead bird today? Nobody is actually sure this boyfriend exists because he’s never on camera (Hickey is NOT letting people see his face, for obvious legal reasons), so people start to think Tozer is just fucking with them for views or fun.

Meanwhile on the already Wild West that is Facebook Marketplace chaos is unfolding as people complain about a string of petty thefts and burglaries. Bridgens has his rare books stolen :( Irving has something truly odd taken from his garden just to, like, taunt him.

There's theories about who it is but the case really cracks wide open when Gibson is like 'I just saw all the shit my ex stole off me when we broke up for sale on Facebook Marketplace and Irving I think I saw your lawn ornament on there too, so...'

It all comes to a head when Hickey and Tozer's little flat is full on police raided during one of Tozer's streams. The first time his subscribers see Hickey he’s being pressed face first against the wall and handcuffed.

[siriusblack-the-third]

Things James Potter Has Said

Moony either you remove your damn shoes before you enter the dorm or I Vanish them. How the fuck are they covered so much dirt, you don't even go near the Quidditch pitch!

Sirius, you will sit down and let me put your hair up in a bun or so help me Gods i will shave it all off. (*smirk* you wouldn't. You love my hair more than I do.)

I swear if Gerard (gryffindor seeker) doesn't get his shit together before the Ravenclaw match I'm going to make him cry with the amount of training I pile on his head.

No, Evans! Irving's Law clearly states that *winds off into the accurate statement of said ridiculously complicated law* and you cannot use 7x² divide the integral of y, that doesn't work here! (He's arguing NEWT Arithmancy with her)

Sirius I'm boorreedddddddd! ... *doe eyes* can we kiss? (Fuck yeah, get over here)

*stares at Sirius* that is a terrible idea... Let's do it.

REMUS! GO THE FUCK TO SLEEP!

Peter, you have Charms homework. Play with Lady Charlotte (the dorm cat) after you finish that.

Sirius. No.

Remus. No.

Peter. No.

I am the only one that gives a shit about how clean the dorm is. Nobody else ever helps me. Ingrates, all of you!

Marlene I swear to fuck- just ask them out, shit's sake! (She's pining after Dorcas)

Do you think I can surf down the enchanted staircases without falling off the surfboard? (*Panicked Sirius noises*)

*scoffs* whatever the shit this is, it sure as fuck isn't tea. Fucking British people, don't even know how to make proper chai.

Gods dammit Sirius—

Remus if you don't eat everything on your plate I swear on my family's honour I will hold you down and force feed you like my mother used to do to me.

WHERE IS MY BOX SET OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS?! (Sirius hid it because James wasn't giving him attention. The trick backfired: James completely ignored him. Not for long tho; he wants kisses from Sirius.)

(Peter calls him a jock) James: *gasps in outrage* you take that back! Take that back right the fuck now, I am an out and proud nerd, how dare you—

*purrs like a cat and melts into a puddle of goo when Sirius rubs his hair and neck*

(marauders call him for a prank) nope. Not today, I'm studying. I have got to beat Lily in the Charms test tomorrow, or else I won't be able to show my face for the rest of the week out of sheer embarrassment.

Fuck's sake, Sirius! I look like I've been mauled! How am I supposed to hide the hickeys?!

Taglist:

@narcissa-black-supermacy @the-chaosbringer @in-flvx @padfootastic @gracelesslady23 @mycupofrum @fiendishfyre @prongsfoot-wolfstar @siriuslystarbucks @strwbi-laces @roalinda @manavi-meera

[dnickels]

imagine I entitled the post GOD SEES YOU in all caps but then chickened out because I am too afraid to fly. So: onto the kind of post one makes when one's special man has fifteen minutes of screentime:: meaningful stares and lack thereof

Anyways, on the subject of things that are basically, essentially, almost but not actually text, I am haunted forever by that one reddit post along the lines of "wait, people think Irving is gay?" and the handful of responses that amount to "I don't see it". I have to remind myself that "this is not the eye contact of a man secure and confident in his love for women" is not textual evidence, but I think its significant and enriching to note nonetheless! It's an intriguing performance. Take for example, confronting Mr. Hickey about Gibson's accusation. Mr. Raftery comes in really strong, lots of direct nonblinking accusation-- compare this to earlier, when he surprises them in the hold, and spends half the time glaring but turns and looks pointedly away when it gets to be too much. He's making direct, inescapable eye contact when bringing the hammer down-- hellfire, cat o' nines, the works-- and then when suggesting the remedy he looks away. It's not until Hickey points up the oddness of the suggestions (cold showers and vigorous exercise are the usual prescriptions) that he snaps back, speaking for a higher authority. God sees you, I see you. (all this after we learned that Hickey watches Irving, presumably as he watches everyone, taking careful notes). It's that moment of wavering that takes it out of the realm of plausible deniability (youth pastor naiveté, Christian forbearance, monkish self-discipline) to an accidental tacit admission. He goes off-script, shares something personal and reveals a little too much.

I was looking back through Irving's roughly fifteen minutes of screentime (my boy...) and we do see a little more of this-- in the meetings where he's staring out into the fourth dimension, or looking down at his sheet making the report. There's a really interesting moment when he's yelling at Manson (boy if you don't get in that got-damn dead room) when the camera takes a wide shot and he's looking straight down at his boots-- "I'm going to order you down that ladder now..."-- and when we cut back he's right back on him. He's clearly not intimidated by poor Manson, but its interesting that he can't look him in the face when he brings up the flogging. Embarrassed for him? Embarrassed in general? I always took that meaningful cut of Irving staring into the middle distance when Hickey is charged with 'dirtiness' as the directors confirming he told Crozier what he knows, but I guess its not literally text. Even so! He clearly feels deeply over it, and doesn't want it to happen again (selfishly, I imagine), even if what he suggests is more cruel psychologically. The whole scene is interesting, it really makes me wish we had at least one other season to flesh out these characters. Irving staggers in, clearly struggling with the off-kilter ship in the way no one else in the scene is. He almost seems drunk. The script suggests he's feeling the strain of their situation, but doesn't give much more insight other than the visual language. I do think its worth noting he comes rushing in when Manson starts refusing-- someone posted a clip earlier of the near-riot when HIckey et al (including, again, Manson) go out and capture Lady Silence, and he is freaking out. Presumably the order of events while Crozier is in his room having a sulk/flashback is that the hubbub kicks out and Irving runs out to get a look (with the other lieutenants, presumably, its hard for me to tell but I don't see Hodge or Little, I think Fitzjames is still standing there) and tries to calm things down but is totally unable to regain control-- is that him yelling "get the Captain"? I think it is, and he is freaaaaaaking out. That, presumably, is why he comes down so hard on Manson when it looks like he's going to buck an order, and why Irving makes that incredible face when Hickey oils in to save him before fleeing. Sorry Tom Hartnell, its up to you now! I'm scared and want to go home!

Which is getting away from my point, when is the direct eye contact-- very meaningful to me that as he dies, lungs deflating and unable to give voice to his rage, he stares up at Hickey as long as he can. I see you. I see you clearly at last.

(TL:DR we love actors who give thematic resonance in all their choices, especially whem one portrays Spyglass Guy. hats off Mr Raftery!)

[companion-showdown]

Showdown 2k24 Nominations!

alright, redoing this post now that I can give a concrete start date of Monday the 15th of January!

Nominations for the tournament are open up until the start date, and you can submit anyone who could reasonable be considered a companion, either by sending me an ask or by filling out

this form.

If you make your nomination via the form you can also submit some propaganda to go alongside the poll. Anyone who was considered a regular at any point in the last year will automatically be included, as well as anyone who was in the original tournament (+/- a couple I might miss or misremember as being a regular because I don't have old lists anywhere). The exception to this is last years winner, Rose Tyler, she will not be getting a place in the main tournament, however after the final I will run a poll to see if our new winner can beat her. (oh and also maybe I'll leave the TARDIS out but not fully decided yet)

The tournament is going to be run in the same way I did @adventure-showdown, meaning I'll keep companions from different periods of the show and different mediums segregated at first so the nicher ones don't immediately get knocked out, and slowly get mingled together. The exact details are going to depend on just how may characters get included.

Errm yeah, so go wild, nominate whoever you like (as long as they are a companion). If they are from teh TV show they have to be on this list to qualify, and for EU companions I'm going with them needing a TARDIS wiki page, and also I will give them a quick proof read to make sure they pass, the bar is low but it is there

if you want to submit an alternate version of the character sorry but main version only unless you can give a really good reason, eg regenerations of a time lord

also, if they are primarily from another franchise that'll be a no

The full list of contestents is under the cut and will be updated as nominations come in. Its sorted by medium and then to be alphabetical by first name. if an eu companion exists in multiple mediums i just sort of picked one or I put them under the other category, people who exist in real life are also sorted into their own category. There are some characters under Classic Who/NuWho who were not companions on TV but were in the EU. Companions who's names are in green have had propaganda submitted for them, if they're not in green then they don't, and just because someone has propaganda doesn't mean i wont accept more

Classic Who

Ace McShane

Adric

Barbara Wright

Ben Jackson

The Brigadier

Chang Lee

Dodo Chaplet

Grace Holloway

Harry Sullivan

Ian Chesterton

Jamie McCrimmon

Jo Grant

K9

Kamelion

Katarina

Leela

Liz Shaw

Mags

Mel Bush

Mike Yates

Nyssa

Peri Brown

Polly Wright

Romana I

Romana II

Sabalom Glitz

Sara Kingdom

Sarah-Jane Smith

Sergeant Benton

Steven Taylor

Susan Foreman

Tegan Jovanka

Turlough

Vicki Pallister

Victoria Waterfield

Zoe Heriot

NuWho

Adam Mitchell

Amy Pond

Bill Potts

Canton Everett Delaware III

Clara Oswald

Dan Lewis

Donna Noble

Graham O'Brien

Grant Gordon aka the Ghost

Handles

Inston-Vee Vindor

Jack Harkness

Karvanista

Kate Stewart

Martha Jones

Mickey Smith

Missy

Nardole

River Song

Rory Williams

Rose Noble

Ruby Sunday

Ryan Sinclair

Wilfred Mott

Yasmin Khan

Audio

Alex Campbell

Anya Kingdom

Bliss

C'rizz

Cass Fermazzi

Charley Pollard

Cousin Eliza: Christine Summerfield: Horus

Dalek Test Subject 2

Erimem

Evelyn Smythe

Helen Sinclair

Hex Schofield

Iris Wildthyme

Liv Chenka

Lucie Miller

Mark Seven

Molly O'Sullivan

Narvin

Oliver Harper

Sheena (The Starship of Theseus)

Tania Bell

Novels

Anji Kapoor

Anna (Good Companions)

Badger

Barusa

Bernice Summerfield

Business woman (Time on a Vine)

Catherine “Cat” Broome

Chris Cwej - have propaganda but in conjunction with another contestant

Cinder

Claudia Marwood

Compassion

Dorothy (The Wonderful Doctor of Oz)

Fitz Kreiner

Guinevere Winchester

Hector (All Flesh is Grass)

Homunculette

Ikalla

Irving Braxiatel

Jack McSpringheel

Larna

Marie (Alien Bodies)

Milena

Patience

Penelope Gate

Peter Summerfield

Rosie Taylor

Roz Forrester - have propaganda but in conjunction with another contestant

Ruth Leonidas

Sam Jones

Serena

Sibling Different aka Mae

The Mortimer Family (Ida, Alan, Helen, George)

Trix MacMillan

V.M.McCrimmion

Wolsey the Cat

Zeleekhà

Comics

Abslom Daak, Dalek Killer

Angus ‘Gus’ Goodman

ARC

Chantir

Child Master (The Then and the Now)

Cindy Wu

Dave Lester

Destrii

Duh

Flanx

Fey Truscott-Sade

Frobisher

Gabby Gonzalez

Gillian & John Who

Grayla

Hattie Munroe

Izzy Sinclair

Jayne Kadett

John Jones

Josie Day

Kroton

Ly Chee the Wise

Majenta Pryce

Maxwell Edison

Olla

Rose-the-cat

Shayde

Ssard

The Squire

Weeping Angel (Origins)

Real Life

Alan Turing

Claudia Winkleman

John Lennon

Jules Verne

Mary Shelley

Peter Cushing

Other

Alison Cheney

Andy Davidson

Antimony (Death Comes to Time)

Brian the Ood

Dormouse (The Red and the Blue)

Emma (curse of fatal death)

Koschie

Romana (Battle for the Universe)

Splinx

Susan Who

Tom Campbell

[favouritefi]

More catboy behavioral questions....

1. Do they groom each other for social bonding like cats? (I'm assuming they'd use their hands instead of their mouths, since they're people, but still.)

2. Again like housecats, do they tend to try and hide any symptoms of illness/injury or other weaknesses?

1. Yes but croziers catboys are a poor example of this due to their Issues, the marines groom each other pretty regularly tho (eg brushing each others tails and straightening coats etc). But I would say cuddling / sleeping together is more commonly utilized for social bonding than grooming since that’s smth cat/dogboys tend to only do with each other whereas humans can (or at least they are supposed to) groom their cat/dogboys. Crozier obviously does not do this so jopson has been taking care of himself for most of his life. Sometimes he will help little because little is a long haired ragdoll with depression but everyone else tends to just take care of themselves. Hickey likes to groom irving to stress him out and also hodgson to make him more bald which I guess is kinda like bonding but I think could be more accurately described as harassment.

2. Yes they try to hide it from humans, but amongst other cat/dogboys it’s harder because they can all smell sickness. This ability is acc a key point in the plot when they are hauling south cause like it’s hard to trust command and follow orders when you can smell them dying, and its hard to bury the dead when all you smell is meat rotting fast and going to waste. Long story short crozier’s miraculous lack of illness is likely what prevented dog/catboy mutiny and saved them all. long story long is too long for a text post, just know that there’s a reason crozier is now a semi-disgraced retired recluse living in a cottage with five catboys.

[charlesdesvoeux]

top five terror ships?

sorry it took me a while to answer! I wanted to offer some fic recs as well so it took me some time to put it together (MIND THE WARNINGS IN EACH FIC, SOME OF THEM DEAL WITH VERY HEAVY SUBJECT MATTER), but here it goes:

-> Stanvoeux: yeah. hmmm. only 1 canon interaction yadda yadda but the POTENTIAL. the 2 nastiest guys on the expedition. stanley the perfect sadist and des voeux the perfect masochist. to borrow a phrase @favouritefi applied to a whole different ship they're having the kind of sex that increases the defcon level.

favorite fics: Panic at the Fun-Plex (1980s AU, both hot and heartbreaking), Keyed Up and of course To Have and Have Not (aka the atticwife au)

-> Armitozer: i'm forever thankful to the people who first excavated the tozer/armitage love story out of the dephts of the show because it is REAL TO ME. idk man i think there's potential for "do i want him or do i want to be him?" what with tommy's whole yearning to be a marine, and just. the way he followed him into mutiny, into complete ruin, saw him become a shell of the man he once was- and yet he kept loving him... makes me crazy.

favorite fics: a gunner good (kinda monsterfuckery au which i love dearly), damn your wife i'd be your mistress... (armisolving, a lovely work) and my love is on the high seas.

-> Joplittle: i must admit i was not a joplittle girlie but i've read some incredible fics and now i'm a convert. i like it best when they're very tender. lots and lots of yearning and not knowing what the other is feeling until that climactic moment when it all comes spilling out. of course in canon they share in the burden of caring for Crozier and keeping his secrets as he's drying out. and little's smile when jopson is made lieutenant!!! and the angst potential as jopson is left behind and dies. amazing stuff.

favorite fics: the vinegar and pearl-ash series, the maternal instincts series, and the comforts of home

-> Hickeygibson: there is just. so much love there, the real genuine thing, even if it manifests as this weird game of cat and mouse (in which they alternate the roles), so much need. everyone is so easy to read and figure out, except for Billy. everyone is so boring and predictable, except for Cornelius. there's this lorde lyric that reminds me of them- "they'll talk about us and discover how we kissed then killed each other" which yeah. that's them.

favorite fics: Three-Time, Meditations Made While Standing Upon the Shale of King William's Land (a poem, and really heartbreaking), Kissing with Tongue

-> Irving x Malcolm: please bear with me. this is uhhh. verging on RPF but to be clear although William Elphinstone Malcolm isn't mentioned in any point of AMC The Terror I just choose to believe that he also exists in that universe and that he shares that very close friendship with John that their real life counterparts had (speaking of the real life guys go read their letters right now). the idea of John having fallen deeply in love with his best friend and just not allowing himself to dwell on these feelings, feeling both joy and shame whenever he gets a letter, maybe not even fully realizing that he's in love??? it makes me CRAZY. so yeah. (disclaimer: i make no claims as to the nature of irl!irving's attachment to malcolm, these people are long dead and this is probably impossible to ascertain, the version I ship is within the showverse).

favorite fics: there are only 12 :-( my favorites are Live for Yesterday; if not, in the next; and the soft animal of your body series (primarily hartnell/irving, but with some great irving/malcolm bits)

[salsedinepicta]

OC(s) Questionnaire

Tagged by @greypetrel - and her characters are just beautiful, so I'd highly recommend to hop on her blog and read her version :> 💜 Thanks for the tag!

Tagging: maybe @coloricioso could be interested? No pressure as usual ✨ +plus anyone who is interested!

Everything under "Read more" after the first one, of course.

NAME: Gwydion Hawke

NICKNAME: Hawke, of course - the firstborn can take dibs on the family surname. And then Gideon, since 1. that's how most people misspell his actual name and 2. Varric uses it in his stories (it's “more suited for the hero”). He doesn't mind.

GENDER: Male, although he takes it easy. In a modern AU he would be the Hakwe sibling most likely to experiment with gender presentation - and in every universe he just knows he'd look good in a dress/corset.

STAR SIGN: Libra

ORIENTATION: Gay

NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY: Literally a random human born on a ship – 100% conceived in Kirkwall though.

FAVORITE FRUIT: All the citruses

FAVORITE SEASON: Early Spring

FAVORITE FLOWER: Forget-me-not, snowdrops, zagare (orange blossoms).

FAVORITE SCENT: Crushed elfroot, rain, lyrium potions - and why must lyrium be toxic when it clearly smells like raspberries and tangerines? UH? Templars are gatekeeping it. He is literally the only one saying this. At some point he’ll think fondly of sewage.

COFFEE, TEA, OR HOT CHOCOLATE: Tea, preferably cold.

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP: Around 7, but not consecutive.

DOGS OR CATS: Dogs AND cats AND also every single animal willing to be pet - why would you deny a centipede some love? And did anyone actually tried to raise a baby dragon? Cowards.

DREAM TRIP: Antiva, or Rivain – it sounds fun, from Isabela’s stories, and he is intrigued by their religious customs (and generally different approach to magic). Not without 50+ SPF though, have you seen Anders' skintone?

NUMBER OF BLANKETS: Just a few, he doesn’t particularly suffer the cold – and he’s a cuddly sleeper.

RANDOM FACT: Extremely tactile, hands must be occupied (almost) all the time. He makes his own bows and then whittle silly little figurines with the scraps of wood - usually they all end up looking like chunky animals of debatable identification.

NAME: Maren Hawke

NICKNAME: Mari (used only by selected people – Bethany can, Carver may or may not find nettles in his bed the next day) and various epithets by Varric (he finds her difficult to pin down, to his extreme annoyance). When she’ll get into Kirkwall’s politics people will start to call her Lady Amell, to everyone amusement.

GENDER: Female

ORIENTATION: Official not-so-mean lesbian

STAR SIGN: Scorpio

NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY: Human, born in Ferelden, even if she doesn’t feel a strong national connection to it.

FAVORITE FRUIT: Pears, quince, pomegranates

FAVORITE SEASON: Autumn and Winter

FAVORITE FLOWER: Wild violets, daisies

FAVORITE SCENT: Parchment and ink, ambergris, wild roses’ oil, metal.

COFFEE, TEA, OR HOT CHOCOLATE: Black coffee in public, hot chocolate with lots of spices (and something sweet to eat on the side) in more private settings.

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP: Better not to ask. Around 5, to avoid dreaming – she will slowly get better during the years.

DOGS OR CATS: Birds, obviously.

DREAM TRIP: For political reasons, all the cities of the Free Marches. And Weisshaupt/the Anderfels to pester the Wardens about griffin’s eggs – because what Merrill wants, Merrill gets.

NUMBER OF BLANKETS: At least 4, because half of them will be stolen by Merrill during the night.

RANDOM FACT: Does she care about fashion? Not particularly, but she is highly aware of the power of appearences, and how to convey certain messages through clothes. She prefers small and significant jewelry over flashy one, but absolutely loves a nice statement headpiece, especially with some kind of drapery or veil – so she can literally put behind a curtain annoying people with a subtle turn of her head.

NAME: Malva Surana

NICKNAME: Irving’s pet, Surana, debatable variations on her name when Jowan wanted to be annoying – after the Circle, she is just Malva and then the Warden Commander.

GENDER: Do you have a gender if the circumstances of your birth make you less than a person in the eye of society? Ahaha, anyway, female.

ORIENTATION: Very queer - preference for women, but willing to experiment for the sake of it, if she fancies so. In another world, her and Gwydion would be the monsterfuckers, let’s be real.

STAR SIGN: Aquarius

NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY: Definitely a city elf (the tattoos are random lines, made by someone who wanted her to remember but had no idea how a vallaslin really looks like, or how and when they are done) – maybe from Denerim’s alienage? But as far as she knows, there is no past before Kinloch Hold.

FAVORITE FRUIT: Blackberries

FAVORITE SEASON: Spring

FAVORITE FLOWER: The kind of question that would trigger a half-an-hour-long aswer. For brevity sake: nightshade, hellebore, wisteria, ivy (not a flower, but impossible not to mention), and mallow.

FAVORITE SCENT: Burning wood, moss and damp earth, rosemary, wildberries.

COFFEE, TEA, OR HOT CHOCOLATE: Definitely tea. She is the mistress of the most absurd herbal infusions. They are great and they'll cure your cavities and other various ailments - but you don't want to know the ingredients. Don’t.

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP: Between 6-8, can wake up every day at the same time without any alarm of sort.

DOGS OR CATS: If really pressed she'd say dogs (“They are great traveling companions”) but immediately regrets it because of all the fond memories of Ser Pounce-a-lot.

DREAM TRIP: The Thirashan forest, Arbor Wilds, Arlathan Forest – pretty much an elven history roadtrip to try to reclaim that part of her identity.

NUMBER OF BLANKETS: Just one or two, wrapped all around her chrysalis-like because her subconscious still believes that the other apprentices will steal them.

RANDOM FACT: For a moment, she was Justice's first choice for a possible living host - she never knew it, though.

[uloelu]

Location: Windslar, Windenburg

(transcript under the cut)

Episode 2 | Previous | Next

So excited to be back with this series. Episodes 3-5 are going to be a bit shorter than usual, but only because I'm in the process of planning a huge slate of parties, plot-changing events, etc. for summer break. Can't wait to share what I've cooked up with you! No additional parts to this episode, so I'll be back with episode 4 as soon as I finish editing my screenshots.

Episode 3: Suddenly Summer

Scene 1 - 28 Windslar

Irving (narrating a montage of the Brookestone-Walker household enjoying the first few days of summer): I hate summer. Okay, maybe that’s a little strong.

I like that, instead of pacing around in the house because rainstorms have flooded her usual trails, Chloe can go for her morning runs. I like that everyone in the house seems to be happier than in the spring, when the six of us first moved in.

(Cut to a political protest in San Myshuno)

Miki Ojo: What do we want?

Yuki Kuma: A living wage!

Miki: When do we want it?

Josh: Now!

(Cut back to Wes and Morgan making out in her apartment building)

Irving: I like that Josh and Wes have found actual hobbies instead of fighting about who gets to use the household computer (it’s mine). Although I’m not sure you can call what Wes gets up to a “hobby”. (He sneaks into the house at 1AM smelling like weed and cat dander.)

But aside from the awful heat—who knew Germany could get as hot as Willow Creek?—and prom fever at school, summer means I can’t keep avoiding my biggest irritation: Dr. Crêpes.

Scene 2 - Willow Creek Library

Irving: I don’t even know why I have to be here. I’m doing fine in school. Principal Prescott says I’m a shoo-in for valedictorian next year.

Dr. Crêpes: That’s great, Lindsey!

Irving: Irving. Everyone calls me that.

Dr. Crêpes: Right. Irving. (coughs) Child services recommended that I talk to you weekly to make sure you’re settling in well at your foster home. Now that school’s about to let out, it’s important that you receive all the help you need to remain your best self in the summer.

Irving: What if I don’t need any help?

Dr. Crêpes: Well—

Irving: No, seriously. I was told after my diagnosis that nothing had to change. That I’m fine just the way I am. That I get to define what autism means to me.

Dr. Crêpes: That’s absolutely true, Irving. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not here to upend your life. Think of me as a listening ear for whenever life stresses you out.

Irving (unconvinced): …

Dr. Crêpes: Unless you’re one of the lucky people who never get stressed out, in which case I totally envy you.

Irving: I did not say that.

Dr. Crêpes: Well, then, I’d love to hear anything you’re willing to share.

Irving: You promise not to tell anyone? Not even Audreyanna or Evelyn?

Dr. Crêpes: Therapist’s promise.

Scene 3 - Magnolia Park, Willow Creek

[Invited guests: Mila and Wolfgang Metzinger (aka Munch), Rani Anglond, Marissa Collins, Joy Jentanon, Cassandra Gótico (aka Goth), Morgan Landings (aka Fyres), Gene and Matt Whitmore (latter is @aashwarr's original character and won't be shown on-screen/quoted in these screenshots.]

Irving: Fine. Therapy wasn’t all that bad. And neither was the picnic our foster moms threw to celebrate the beginning of summer. I was surprised to see how many friends the other foster kids invited. I sure didn’t have anyone to invite. Not that I minded.

Cassandra (introducing Matt to Irving and Josh): Hey, Irving, come say hi to Matt. He says you’re in the same computer club.

Irving (cloudgazing): No, thanks. I’m trying to find video game characters in the clouds.

Joy (walking up to them): Aren’t you that guy who wrote that political op-ed in the school paper last week?

Josh: Am I?

Joy: Of course you are. I’m never wrong about these things. Josh, right?

Josh: Maybe. And you are...?

Joy: Joy. Chloe invited me. Your foster moms seem cool.

Josh: I’ll pass along the compliment. Didn’t think anyone actually read the paper. You into politics?

Joy: Very. I like to keep on top of things.

Josh: Well, Joy, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

Joy (smirking): Spare me. I hated your take.

[stoportotouch]

hodgson? :)

first impression

so the first time i watched the terror last year i had forgotten... All Of That. from the first time i watched it. so my first impression of him was "A Blond Man", more or less. but THEN. i forgot about him in episode six. only to be reminded that he existed at a critical point of episode nine. which i think is as close to the intended Hodgson Experience as one can get.

impression now

my special boy. they should give me some sort of prize or award for liking hodgson the most. (and inflicting the most status conditions on him.) honestly i do really like him both as like. something to shake like a cat with a toy mousie and as a genuinely pretty interesting character who has a lot Going On that i can completely understand in spite of being (allegedly) from the 21st century. (interesting (?) fact: the terror was the last thing that i watched before i started a job as a verger in a cathedral. i actually read about half the book while i was physically in the cathedral. this job also had the effect of completely destroying any vestiges of a Positive Relationship that i had with religion so i assume that i forgot about hodgson for my own protection.)

favourite moment

i would say his monologue in episode nine but that isn't actually The Best Moment. i honestly quite like... everything that he is going through between episode seven and episode eight just as a way of showing a formerly... not necessarily reasonable man but no less not absolutely intolerable and fairly coherent person completely dissolving. if you keep a particular eye on hodgson from when blanky starts taking notice of hartnell to the end of episode eight there is. a very definite downward trend for him and it is pretty interesting (in a grim way) to watch. he absolutely gets less and less pleasant and friendly as it gets worse which culminates in him being sympathetically very unpleasant to little after irving dies. and also unpleasant to irving before irving dies -- i can't really read the Diet Etymology as anything but him sulking in a way that he can't be pulled up on because he's doing it to somebody who he ranks above. which is telling considering that it seems to be the break-down in rank at this point that is Getting To Him.

idea for a story

honestly just look at my scrivener docs literally everything in there is an idea for something to do with this thing.

unpopular opinion

i think most people are a bit surface-level with their interpretation of him, honestly. he isn't supposed to be somebody that you necessarily like and sympathise with (i have the Autism Buff/Debuff that allows me to like and sympathise with characters who are neither likeable nor sympathetic) but he also isn't as shallow as a lot of people seem to give him ...discredit(?) for.

favourite relationship

this should be obvious. (all three lieutenants together. yes this was the result of a random number generator and yes hodgson in particular was the one who was added via rng. i still love this idea.)

favourite headcanon

ONLY ONE?! honestly though i do like all my complicated ideas about his family all being as fucked up as him/each other. it does account for his lack of emotional maturity and it is also very... rich victorians/adjacent.

[marcholasmoth]

OSRR: 3650

today i slept until 4pm. it's becoming standard.

when i got up and showered and dressed, joel and i went over to the camera shop so they could clean something that didn't look quite right, and it was a quick fix so it was well worth the trip.

we got dinner while we were out, and we stopped at an irving station for gas, a CVS for excedrin, and the game store to look at new releases. i found a game called mlem space agency and it's about astronauts that are CATS and i got it bc it was for 2-5 players and we have 5 people at home. i'm v excited to play it.

after all of that, we returned to the house where i packed up my stuff and then i came home, where i deposited my bad by the laundry, grabbed my stuffed animal friends, my meds, water, and dessert from yesterday, along with two forks, and i made my way upstairs to see my momma and to watch some more of the flash.

it was nice.

i'm happy to be in my own bed with cooler and more direct air conditioner and a fan for white noise. hopefully my shoulders stop hurting soon. it's a problem.

[darkfire359]

Thoughts on e6-e7 of The Terror

Continuing my first watch of The Terror, I just have to say... holy shit, that carnival!

I could tell something was going to go horribly wrong with how generically spooky it was, and I'd heard some vague spoilers of Dr. Stanley being a bad guy with respect to it. But he just straight-up arsoned the whole place in the most horrifically premeditated way possible. Possibly the most terrifying thing I've seen so far in the show, because while the Tunbaaq isn't real, overcrowded events with poor escape routes definitely are.

Also shocking was the fact that the guy Hickey stabbed there was an accident! I saw a second of that scene in an AMV pre-watching and I assumed that it was Hickey murdering things up Hannibal style. But actually Hickey was frantically trying to save the lives of everyone there and actively warning people that he was cutting through the tent. I cannot believe how much context completely 180'ed the meaning of that shot.

TBH if I hadn't watched e7 immediately afterwards I'd have wondered if the whole "Hickey is the show's villain" thing was an elaborate trick the Internet had agreed upon to prank new watchers. Even with e7 (when Hickey kills Irving and Farr) it seems hard for him to surpass Stanley's villainy? Maybe I'll be surprised.

The fact that the writers chose to have Hickey be the one coincidentally outside the tent, trying to save people, is... interesting. It's not that Hickey did anything particularly impressive or selfless what with moving the crates out of the way and cutting the tent open. But it's definitely a choice to make him more sympathetic (it could have been anyone outside the tent, in theory). I feel like I actually believe Hickey when he said that he found the dog with a broken leg (if he were lying, would he have admitted to killing the dog at all?) Relatedly, I'm glad we haven't heard anything more about the ship's cat—the dead dog and monkey were sad enough that I'm glad to be able to pretend that (somehow) the cat is happy and safe.

Also someone called me a Jopzier truther after my response to e1, and I was like "IDK, I don't even know these guys," but yes I 100% do ship Jopzier now. Jopson was so sweet taking care of Crozier when he wasn't feeling well! Plus Jopson was like "🥺🥺🥺 You didn't let me shave you or help you put on your underwear? 🥺🥺🥺 Plz dom me, sir, I can't function otherwise." and Crozier literally responded by promoting him. I feel like that might not have been what Jopson was aiming for, but still, sweet! (I started searching for Jopson content and immediately found Jopson/Hickey art, which I apparently also ship now despite first liking Jopson for the Jopzier angle.)

Speaking of shipping, I'm increasingly appreciating Goodsir/Lady Silence. You go girl, be the big spoon to your scared little man! I'm sure you two aren't doomed by the narrative at all...

I'm also disappointed that for all the fan content I've seen about Fitzjames's gender feels, he apparently doesn't even WEAR the dress? He just holds it up in front of himself??? Tragic. It looked like there were people in dresses at the carnival too, so he totally could have gotten away with it though only metaphorically; he literally might not have been able to escape the fire otherwise.

[englishmagic]

I’m having Terror Thoughts but no gumption to follow through of any plot bunnies. I’m just going to throw this into the universe

Free ideas for Terror fic writers:

- Jopson is a pet groomer and Crozier takes Neptune to him regularly. Could work as Jopzier or as Jop playing matchmaker for Fitzier with JFJ bringing in Fagin. Do cats get groomed? Maybe vet is better. Anyway, there’s potential for cat vs dog shenanigans, silly rivalries, low stakes fun taken way too seriously by idiots.

- Everyone works at a museum of polar exploration and start having dreams and flashbacks to events in canon, before discovering that they all happen to share names with people on the Franklin expedition... Can be any group of characters, but I enjoy the image of Dundy and Ned going into Jopson’s office like “we feel like we should both apologise for…. leaving you?” Eliciting a reaction of “???? first off I never dated either of you second off i would be the one doing the leaving fuckyouverymuch” idk it’s a bad joke but I like it

- Hickey helping Irving sort out his internalised homophobia. There might be a million of these that just I haven’t stumbled across, but I like the image of a morally repugnant loser actually doing some good by seducing this dickhead out of his religious trauma. And however many there are there needs to be MORE

- Serial killer Hickey shivs his accomplice Billy in prison. Something creepy and heartachy from Billy’s POV ideally.

Anyway dm me if you want to hear all about my “Crozier adopts autistic teenager Tom Jopson” AU that is way too developed to offer up in a list, but which I’ll probably never actually fully write either 🤷

[irvingtwo]

you act like im stupid irving. i do act a little foolish i'll admit!

i know these things. i know im another "freak" out there. but it is beautiful, the solidarity! maybe think of why your deep-set hatred tries to paint it as the opposite.

im happy where i am. im happy with my friends, all "freaks" as you say. are you happy with your "freaks"? they fall under the same category we do. a girl from the real world? a batshit wizard almost too tall and blood hungry? a fucking cat prophet who's just as insane? these aren't normal people - are they not a hurting existence too? or are you just a highschool bully who doesn't understand that the net they swing includes the people they care about?

oh, and don't forget!

when i would've died my pictures would've lined the walls. i'd be looked upon with glory. as an idea, sure, but i'm still held as if a beautiful creation in the eyes of the scientists! they'd keep the damn things clean!

people avoided and defaced your picture in the hall. someone snorted some of your ashes once!

- ⌨️

I ain’t reading all that godbless

[docrotten]

JUST BEFORE DAWN (1981) – Episode 258 – Decades Of Horror 1980s

“You keep breeding in the same family long enough, something’s bound to snap.” Oh, snap! Join your faithful Grue Crew – Crystal Cleveland, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they go to Oregon for the little-known slasher Just Before Dawn (1981) from Jeff Lieberman.

Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 258 – Just Before Dawn (1981)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! Click the alert to get notified of new content! https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

Gruesome Magazine is partnering with the WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL (https://wickedhorrortv.com/) which now includes video episodes of Decades of Horror 1980s and is available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, and its online website across all OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.

Five young people venture into the backwoods of Oregon to claim a property, and find themselves being stalked by a hulking, machete-wielding psychopath.

  Directed by: Jeff Lieberman

Writing Credits: Mark Arywitz & Jeff Lieberman (credited as Gregg Irving); Jonas Middleton (story) (as Joseph Middleton)

Music by: Brad Fiedel

Cinematography: Dean King, Joel King

Special Effects Makeup: Matthew W. Mungle (as Matthew Mungle)

Selected Cast:

George Kennedy as Roy McLean

Mike Kellin as Ty

Chris Lemmon as Jonathan

Gregg Henry as Warren

Deborah Benson as Constance

Ralph Seymour as Daniel

Katie Powell as Merry Cat Logan (credited as Kati Powell)

John Hunsaker as Mountain Twins

Charles Bartlett as Vachel

Jamie Rose as Megan

Hap Oslund as Pa Logan

Barbara Spencer as Ma Logan

Just Before Dawn (1981) – directed by Jeff Lieberman (Squirm, 1977; Blue Sunshine, 1977; Satan’s Little Helper, 1995) and starring George Kennedy, Deborah Benson, Chris Lemmon, and Gregg Henry – features yet another hulking, machete-wielding psychopath jumping onto the big screen to slice and dice their way through a group of hikers in the wild woods of Oregon, USA. Is it an underappreciated gem or deserving of its status as a “lesser known” in the 80s slasher canon? The Grue Crew has something to say on that subject.

At the time of this writing, Just Before Dawn is available to stream from Wicked Horror TV.

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film, chosen by Bill, will be Santa Sangre (1989), by director Alejandro Jodorowsky and producer Claudio Argento. As the tagline proclaims, forget everything you have ever seen!

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans – so leave them a message or comment on the Gruesome Magazine Youtube channel, on the Gruesome Magazine website, or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com.

Check out this episode!