#truly the prime of my humour

[whumpitisthen]

What's a movie/tv show/book/etc. you watched that had unexpected good whump?

Also, what's your favorite vegetable? How do you like it prepared?

One that def comes to mind is the owl house! It wasn't completely unexpected, i literally started watching it after seeing some gifs of Hunter, but even knowing about it it still surprised me how in depth some of the scenes are in it! It is now one of my all time favourite shows, not only bc of whump but many other reasons too, like animation quality and the story itself. Especially bc its a disney cartoon! Theres blood in it! And panic attacks! And dead people! And abuse! And scars (i love scars)! And when someone gets hurt, they retain that scar for he rest of the show! And Hunter is Covered in them! And there's that one short scene of Raine tied up with tear track scars running down their face and being scared when they are being rescued bc they dont have their glasses on and cant see whos approaching them and its gorgeous!! They whimper!!!!!

That being said, a lot of it is minor whump, as it is made for kids and so the characters are in their teens, so i get why a lot of people wouldn't rly wanna associate the two together, but i dont really mind it. Just wanted to say this in case someone wanted to watch it because of me unaware of how old these characters are :3 its also still just a rly good show aside from the whump aspect

Another one is seraph of the end/owari no seraph, which is a vampire anime. That has some lovely whump too, but, again, lots of teens. Still very good tho, i hope they continue it at some point. Helluva boss has some good whump, esp in one of the most recent episodes (there was a torture scene 👀), that ones an adult cartoon. I watch a lot of cartoons can you tell hfjhfjn the only slight problem with that one is that it being mainly a comedy, it struggles to take itself seriously even during serious scenes sometimes

I cant rly think of anything else, but then again, i dont rly consume much traditional media, most of my time is spent on video games and yt vids

Oh and my favourite vegetable must be broccoli, i love it!! Its so good in anything you put it in, i never understood why kids shows always put broccoli in with the nasty vegetables, its so tasty!! And you can do so many things with if and eat it with so many meals!! I think fav way to eat it must be just steamed. I love it in cream stew too......Eat more broccoli whumpitisthen enjoyers, or Whumper will getcha

[thecrownnetflixuk]

Fond Farewells Mark the End of an Era for The Crown.

Pt 2 of Season 6 Accedes to the Next Generation – But Reigns Most Triumphant Saluting Its Sovereign.

Review & gifs by L.L @The Crown TV

I wasn't sure what to expect from the final 6 preview episodes of The Crown. Part 1 gifted us with a season-defining performance from Elizabeth Debicki, but such intense focus on the tragedy of Diana and Dodi's deaths was heavy-going. How to move forward?

Not many TV shows stick the landing, but I believe The Crown does, mostly by putting Queen Elizabeth front and centre. In four different ways! But Part 2 takes a while to forge ahead and reign triumphant.

Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy make shy William and swotty Kate believable as a young couple who meet at university – or earlier, as per a flashback with (not Ghost!) Diana. I still found it hard to invest in their will-they-won't-they relationship (we already know they do.) 

Instead, it’s sisters Elizabeth and Margaret who have long been the emotional heart of this show; at every stage of their lives.

Former Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville (alongside Queen Imelda Staunton) is truly magnificent in Ep 8 as Princess Margaret, though it's painful watching this vibrant lady struggle as her health worsens.

Memories of the 1940's are a delight. However, I wish we'd seen more of wide-eyed teen Lilibet let loose (Viola Prettejohn) and carefree Marg (Beau Gadsdon) before older Margaret says her final goodbye.

Staunton saves her best for last, bringing dry humour, vulnerability as well as leadership to Ep 10. The 70+ min epic finale 'Sleep, Dearie Sleep' has its shaky moments, but beautifully completes Queen Elizabeth's story when it counts, bringing near-perfect closure. That alone elevates Season 6 beyond Season 5.

Warning - MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. This is my final *EVER* review (might be extra long!)

S6 is NOW ON NETFLIX - WATCH THE EPISODES before reading.

Images: courtesy of Netflix

Starting with less good news; the first couple of episodes of Part 2 were my least favourite. Ep 5, 'Willsmania', feels transitional, and a little stuck in the past. Following his mother's death, Prince William (Ed McVey; taking over from younger actor Rufus Kampa) turns inward as he struggles to cope with public attention and grief.

It's an understandable reaction to losing a parent, but Part 1 already spent nearly half a season on Dodi and Diana. It felt like we grieved in real time. As a result, whenever the subject of Diana crops up again in Part 2, it tends to weigh down both pace and narrative.

Ep 6 brings a welcome change of topic. This being The Crown, I'm sure there are critics poised to be offended by Queen Elizabeth's nightmare about Prime Minister Tony Blair being crowned king, but to me, his 'coronation' was hilarious, as was the choir boy singing Blair's cheesy Labour pop anthem.

It felt like deliberate tongue-in-cheek humour, an absurd reminder why monarchy might still be better than populist elected leaders.

I really wanted this episode to work, but it didn't go anywhere, and themes like tradition-vs-modernity were covered more effectively in episodes such as 'Marionettes.' Bertie Carvel has Tony Blair's voice down but suffers from comparisons with Michael Sheen, who was uncanny as the Prime Minister in 3 earlier Peter Morgan projects.

^ PM Tony Blair. The Women's Institute weren't fans of his grandstanding.

The Crown: The Next Generation fully arrives during Ep's 7, 9 & 10. Some will love it. Those who prefer more historical episodes with broader scope may be disappointed, as the show follows William and Kate through University life in the early 2000's.

The newcomers do bring fresh energy to the show. It helps that they cast Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy, who make a sweet couple as Will and Kate, even if William sometimes comes across as petulant.

Unlike Ed McVey as William, Luther Ford doesn't bear much physical resemblance to Prince Harry, other than red hair. Ford does however put in a good performance as Harry becomes increasingly reckless.

The Crown doesn't hide either Harry or William's bad behaviour. The brothers seem to get on well at the start, but it later seems like they're more at odds. Underneath a lot – a LOT – of boozing, both boys appear quietly screwed-up over their mother's death. Neither of them seem to enjoy playing happy families with Charles, either.

The show mostly concentrates on William and Kate, but there aren't many episodes left to develop a genuine romance. They have potential, but it feels fairly surface level. Suddenly, they rush to move into a house share together when we've barely seen them kiss. They (and we) needed more screen time to really get to know each other.

There's a bigger issue here with Kate's mother, Carole Middleton (Eve Best.) Pushy parent Carole is keen to play matchmaker between her 'commoner' daughter and the young eligible Prince, keeping tabs on William. Carole isn't as conniving, but ... didn't we just watch a similar storyline with Mohamed Al-Fayed/Dodi/Diana in Part 1?

^ Kate 'n' Will. Her Mum would frame this picture.

Ep 8 'Ritz' plays like a standalone film. Margaret's final story is touching, but upsetting, at times; I was a fan of Diana, yet sobbed as much for Margaret as the credits rolled, even though her eventual death isn't shown. In fact, her final goodbye is sensitively done and stands as a fitting tribute to the princess, as well as to the Queen.

Lesley Manville makes Margaret's predicament so real as her health slowly breaks down. She bounces back from one stroke, then another hits. How awful too for Elizabeth to watch a much-loved sister deteriorate, though it was wonderful to see Lilibet read Margaret a bedtime story. It brought out the warmer side of Staunton's Queen.

The scene where Margaret scalds her feet in the bath is genuinely horrifying. I've suffered from ill health and loss of control myself and this was so much worse. I could feel her pain. That poor woman.

Human moments are where The Crown excels; through this episode, this working-class lass from a council house could somehow relate to a Princess in a palace. Peter Morgan has surely done more to humanise the royal family than any P.R team ever could.

^ Fans of Margaret (and Lesley Manville) prepare yourselves for her sad final journey.

Onto the big reveal: when I mentioned at the start there are FOUR ways Queen Elizabeth appears – this is what I meant:-

^ Newcomer Viola Prettejohn plays teenage Princess Elizabeth.

^ & there's Olivia Colman & Claire Foy alongside older Queen Imelda Staunton.

Satisfyingly, all 3 of The Crown's leading ladies return to close the show. Olivia Colman and Claire Foy each have an additional scene, too (I won't spoil the entire finale, as it covers a lot of ground in over 70 mins, but Olivia and Claire aren't back as 'ghosts.')

As we get older, the ghosts who speak loudest are our own; the former versions of us we berate ourselves with. Not everyone may warm to the Queen (sort of) talking to herself, but personally, I was thrilled to see these talented actors on screen together.

Foy's scene with Staunton is particularly effective, as the younger Queen gives her older self an old-fashioned dutiful talking to. It's somehow also credible that they're aspects of the same person.

It reminded me of Peter Morgan’s 2013 (extraordinary) play, ‘The Audience', which inspired this series, and included scenes where Helen Mirren shared the stage with young Elizabeth. That play is also why this theatre-fan started watching The Crown to begin with, and later went on to create this website.

When Ep 10 finished playing, my Netflix returned itself to Season 1. 60 episodes over 7 years! I will miss the grand scale of The Crown, but appreciate the legacy which remains. Now feels like the right time for this story to end. A full-circle moment in more ways than one.

**Majestic thanks for reading, and to every person who has liked, reblogged, messaged, supported The Crown TV for all these years.

💎♕You each deserve a Crown of your own!♕💎**

N.B: These are my humble opinions at this point in time. No offence is intended. Agreement = lovely; not compulsory. Disagreement = happens; kindly coexist. Ta!

[devils-servent]

I just read your rules so I'm reasking. Can you write Sam from seduce me comforting a reader who is recovering from anorexia? I don't have a POV preference, just X reader.

Hello Anon your initial ask was totally fine FYI. But, Sorry this took so long. I am a procrastinator and I’ve been super busy. I was super careful to not make this too triggering and to not romanticise anything. So I hope you enjoy it. I hope you are doing well! Remember that recovery is not a linear process! You are strong and any progress is still good progress!

approx 1k words

TW: Mentions of Eating disorders (Anorexia) and restriction. Unhealthy thought patterns mentioned. concept of good and bad foods mentioned.

Tags: Sam X reader, 2nd person, Damien mentioned. Cuddles, fluff, tears. 

It was hard for you to have such a busy household. It wasn’t like you disliked having the boys around to keep you company all the time. It was truly lovely to have a wonderful family. However, their constant presence made it a lot harder to keep to certain behaviours you had in the past and to keep them unnoticed ‘And that is a good thing’ you try to tell yourself. You were right of course, not that the unkind voice in the back of your head wanted you to acknowledge that. You want to recover, to commit. But it's hard alone. Having five nosey, caring incubi in your house meant that you had to eat three meals a day at least. Full meals. One of them was always cooking for you, convincing you to try something new, or to have a cheeky desert. And you both loved and hated it. They encouraged you to eat foods you would never even consider eating before. You can’t help but wonder if they knew what you were going through, do Demons even experience things such as this? Or is this a purely human phenomenon?

There was unfortunately no way Damien didn’t know what you were going through. First thing you thought about when you had pulled up to the house the day grandfather had died was that you didn’t have to recover anymore, as there was nobody to make you. Living alone was the prime opportunity for you to have what you wanted, and that was all you thought about. Thoughts of frustration plagued you when Damien had told you his brothers had cooked for you when you had first met, that is when he revealed he could read your mind. He had promised to keep your secret, but that didn’t stop the others noticing some weird habits you had compared to the other humans they had observed. 

Over the last few months you had gotten pretty close to Sam, his brash humour distracted you from the voice in the back of your mind. Not to mention he was very attractive to you. He taught you a lot; about him, his culture and why he left the demon world. His dietary habits had begun to rub off on you too. Considering he worked out very often he ate lots and lots. He would always encourage you to eat what he was making, even if it was only a few bites. 

“Oh come on doofus! Please just try it? I'm sure you will love it!” he teased. Waving a fork full of chicken alfredo in your face. You had sat with him as he made it, it smelled amazing filling the room and your lungs with its aroma. Sam explained that you should have some protein with every meal and lightly chastised you on how poor your daily protein intake is. You resisted at first, unwilling to eat yet. You were worried he wouldn’t ever like you if you didn’t look how you wanted for him. But… Sam’s persistence wore you down. 

“Okay, okay, just as long as we eat together.”

Sam smirked and served you a portion. It was larger than what you would usually eat - ‘I’m supposed to be recovering, it does not matter’ 

“Come on” he beckoned you, “let's eat upstairs in my room”. You nodded, following him as he carried both bowls and sat down on his bed. His room was pretty, filled with workout equipment, trinkets, his game console and the books he was learning to read. You played with your food for a while, talking Sam’s ear off as a way to distract him. It worked until he finished his food. You should have known better that he always wolves down his meals. He looked at you with a concerned look, he placed his hand on your knee. 

"Do you think I’m stupid doofus?”

You looked at him confused, planning to feign innocence. You opened your mouth to speak but he continued. 

“I don’t remember what humans call it, but I know what you are going through. I can tell, and have been able to for weeks. I understand that it's hard, but I want to support you (Y/N) In anyway I can. And I will, because I love you” You looked at him surprised as he cupped your face and kissed your cheek. “I’ll still love you no matter what you look like, because I love you not your body.” He smiled and rubbed your cheek. “I'll support you even if you don’t feel the same. My love is not conditional” 

You sat smiling like a wordless idiot, grinning at him red in the face. He twirled the pasta on to the fork and held it up to you. “Now come on, just a few more bites,” he smiled. “Everytime I eat from now on you should too! you should try everything, even if it's just a few bites.” you grimaced and looked away. 

“But what if I-” you held your tongue. What if you become undesirable, what if he doesn’t like you anymore, what if he's lying to you….but what if he isn’t. You looked up at him, he seemed so genuine. 

“Come on! I'm a good cook!” he exclaimed. Besides it will be good for us” he paused,”good for you”.

“You promise? You won’t get tired of it, will you?” 

He nodded, beaming up at you. “I swear on my name” he moved his other hand from your knee to his heart. “Now come on, let me feed you. I’ll feed you forever if you need me too”

Blushed and let him feed you. Maybe you aren't alone this time and maybe, just maybe, you won't be again. 

[ask-av-agents]

4 what do you honestly fully think about captain and 8?

woah, really digging direct and deep here, huh? ill humour you... 8 is... *she remember's something* 8... i wish i could ever apologise enough for what happened. 8's nice, she is really the forgiving type... makes her prime suspect to my pranks, and also joins me in them with a little coertion... she's good, though. would trust the gal with... my secrets, would trust her with my life but im not so sure she could keep it safe. i... also wish i could apologise to captain for what happened, but... nothing i ever say will be enough... captain is... their... i wish they would stop wearing so much makeup and perfume sometimes. i have literally never seen them my entire life without it... i-i've never even seen their HANDS before! but uh... captain's... i consider captain to be a friend of mine, one of my closest, and one of my only. captain is... i look at captain, and im reminded of the strife's they went through, the effort they went through to get to this point... and im inspired you know? i look at captain and i see strength, i look at captain and i see someone who really wants to help people, i look at captain and see someone willing to risk eye and life to protect other's... thats what i admire about them so much... they inspire me, they... i wish i could tell you what i truly think about captain rather then my thoughts looking at them, and... i wish i could. i honestly wish i could... but i dont know captain, they're always so closed off, so guarded. they dont tell anyone anything about themselves. they dont react to, practically anything strongly... ...i wish i could get to know captain, to some extent. even just their name, what they like to do, their favourite... well i know their favourite colour its orange, according to callie... but i wish i could know what they look like when they smile and laugh, i wish i could see them enjoying something because it just... ugh! I WANT TO KNOW, WHO THE HELL CAPTAIN IS! i dont mean that i want to know 'my leader', I WANT TO KNOW MY FRIEND. I... *her eyes close for a moment* ...8 has suspected something is up between me and 3, but... *she shrug's* i cant have something with someone i dont even know... sorry, you all didnt need to know all that, just... ...what do i think of 3? i think 3's a great leader, a pretty good 'friend' and i wish i could know more about them. they're an inspiration to us all...

[swearyshera]

Monday has come again, but so have some asks!

Aw, thank you, anon! I absolutely believe that some of the best comedy knows when to ease off the laughs and when to go full throttle to make those painful moments hit harder, and that's what I try to do here. Finding those little nuggets of humour amid serious emotions in ways that uplift rather than mock is my aim, and I'm always learning the best way to do that without losing sight of who we laugh at.

@ktecastellan I wish you a very safe and clean departure when the time comes. But yeah, that is exactly what Horde Prime sounds like here. He's deliberately misrepresenting the cause of Catra's depression to try and convince her that it's being gay that is the source.

Note also the word "perceived", added in very deliberately to show that Prime is telling her that it's 'made up', and she's 'not really gay'. He's the biggest kind of asshole, truly.

And it's only going to get worse!

[godsofhumanity]

May i humbly request some Sekhmet headcanons?

Ill add one of mine as a treat: i feel like she has some self esteem issues thanks to the blood beer incident thing so she really tries to overcompensate with her role in the solar barque yk just really trying to prove to herself that she deserves the "the eye of ra" title

hii aww that's cute, i mean that hc isn't "cute" per se, but i mean that i like the dimension ur giving to ur version of Sekhmet :)) here's my thoughts on her:

so, on Ra's barque, i think his main entourage consists of Hathor, Sekhmet, Bastet, Heka, Sia, & Hu, and later also Set.. but before Set, i consider Ra to be the "creator" of Hathor, Sekhmet, Bastet, Heka, Sia, & Hu... i think he created them by himself.

because of this, in many ways, Ra is considered by Sekhmet to be her father, though she doesn't actually call him "Father" directly. she'll call him "King" or usually simply "old man".

Sekhmet is a bit "playful"... even though Ra has her undying respect, she does also think he can be overdramatic and fanciful, and she likes to call by nicknames that "humble" him.

Ra, of course, loves Sekhmet to no end, and while he pretends to be dramatically hurt by her calling him "old", he isn't truly affected and knows that it's just Sekhmet's way.

i think Sekhmet is a bit of a grumpy gal... you brought up the blood-beer incident, and i think that's a prime example of her violent nature. she's not usually cheerful or easygoing.

i love the idea of Sekhmet being very uptight... she's always itching to go to war, but she stays her hand because she's unquestioningly loyal to Ra and will only fight when it pleases Ra for her to do so. and for the most part, Ra is a peaceful guy, so this doesn't happen often.

she takes offense very quickly, and her temper is long-lasting.

but when she's in a good mood, she can be witty at times, and her smile is a treat for those blessed enough to see it.

she also has terrible taste in humour.

now, in the texts, it has also been recorded that Sekhmet was sometimes Ra's consort. also, in Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet is sometimes considered an "aspect" of Hathor as opposed to her own individual person, but i think that's too complicated for literary purposes, so i do like the idea that Sekhmet is simply Hathor's sister and acts as such.

in terms of consorts; i do not consider Sekhmet to be Ra's wife. i think she's just his daughter, now and forever. but she is married to Ptah, who i consider to be another creation god at either a level just below Ra or at his equivalence.

i haven't figured out how Sekhmet and Ptah met, but i picture Ptah as being the total opposite of Sekhmet, which is what makes it funnier that they're a thing.

i DON'T think Ptah travels on Ra's barque, and this is important to me because that sort of segways to the common ground shared by Set and Sekhmet;

both of them are warriors at heart, have gruff exteriors but are soft on the inside, might be a little sadistic, are fiercely loyal, and also have spouses who they must leave behind in Egypt while they travel with Ra and fight Apep.

i love the idea of Sekhmet being super doubtful of whether Set deserves to join Ra, but she doesn't question her King, and overtime, she's the first (second, actually) one to see Set for who he really is; a noble and good god.

also, i hc that, after Ra, Sekhmet was the best fighter on the barque, until Set came along; i think he's the only one who can go head-to-head with her, and when they fight, it's like a dance.

anyhoo. Sekhmet mainly has a tolerance for those in Ra's entourage, and she doesn't really get along too well with anyone else. i think she especially has a distaste for Horus because she thinks him to be rude and immature ((read these hc's here for a more detailed explanation)) and he disrespects Ra >:((

so uhm yeah!! all in all, Sekhmet is a kick-ass goddess who likes to pick fights, and make bad unfunny jokes <3

[ninja-muse]

There is a sound at the edge of your hearing, a high-pitched whine you can't pinpoint. Sometimes it's loud and insistent, sometimes you can almost tune it out, but it never stops. It lurks. And you know it's the sound of something failing, something priming itself for catastrophe, that you could fix the problem if you could find it and avoid the fallout but you can't.

That's sort of how it felt to read The Hollow Places. Which was honestly kind of a relief because I like Kingfisher's fantasy so much, I was wondering why I kept finding her horror just "fine". Turns out, I was reading the wrong ones if I wanted to be creeped out and not just vaguely and occasionally unsettled. Several days after finishing The Hollow Places, I still have shivers.

So, first off, Kingfisher is fantastic at both finding and describing eerie and off-putting places and concepts and coming up with truly horrifying images. "What the heck is wrong with you?", "How do you sleep at night?" levels of horrifying. (I slept at night by not reading this after 7 pm. Seemed like the easiest way.) Every time I got to a point where I thought surely this was the worst it was going to get, that this museum and the liminal space behind its upstairs wall had shown their hand and now Kara just had to work out how to stop and/or survive everything, NOPE. Not until the last chapter did I feel truly safe and even then…

Kingfisher is also great at characters. Kara and Simon are perfect for this sort of book, because they're relatable and endearing but also their baseline levels of background weird and self-preservation are wildly off, but in believable ways. A creepy hallway has nothing on a childhood in Florida, for instance. You can't help wanting good things for them—such as not dying horribly—which means you can't look away. You have to keep reading.

But of course, this being Kingfisher, there's also a lot of warmth, a good dose of humour, and the occasional bit of whimsy, Southern oddness, or other gentle note. Every interaction Kara had with her ex was absolute perfection, for instance. It gives just enough breathing room to break up the awful and yes, that means this is a perfectly paced horror novel. It's never so much doom that you can't handle reading it, never so much cheer that you can't sense the horror welling up again, and you just keep going and going.

This is definitely on my list of great horror novels now. Kingfisher delivered! And while I am definitely going to be reading The Twisted Ones, it's not going to be for a good while, I don't think. Next year maybe. That seems like a good amount of time in which to repair my emotions.

[posletsvet]

Hi....If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

Hi to you too!! I'm so sorry it took so long for me to work up the courage to answer your question since it's the first ask I ever receive. I couldn't rank my favourite things from 1 to 10 (it was already enough of a struggle for me to pick 10 pieces of media,,), so the order doesn't really mean anything. I'm also incredibly bad at describing anything as I can't for the love of me stick to the essence, but I hope I'll at least manage to satisfy your curiosity!

Mushishi by Yuki Urushibara (anime & manga).

This story holds such a special place in my heart! I adore its quiet eeriness and wholesome horrors, wistful, slow-burning interactions, its soft-spoken enigmatic teachings and the equivocal wisdom of its tender story-telling so much! It soothes the ache of living for me, if it makes sense. It speaks of how it's alright to just let yourself breathe and exist quietly and be still for a moment. Might as well say that Mushishi cured my mental illness single-handedly, lmao. Its folklore-like feeling is something very precious to me as well!!

Trigun by Yasuhiro Nightow (manga).

I can't even begin to put into words everything I love about this story. A hint of a post-apocalyptic vibe clinging to the wide dusty expenses of its world, a civilization hurled violently down from the peak of existence and into a life of struggle and mindless bloodshed, an ambitious past of space travel left behind, religious imagery woven into its symbolism, problems of morality and the question of what it takes to be human it tackles... I'm a sucker for all that!! And the architecture of the characters' motivations and psychology has me in a death grip, honestly.

Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami (anime & manga).

JJK is the newest addition to this list, but I guess it's taken deep root in my brain. I've come into this story for a bit of urban fantasy in a modern Japanese setting, and though my opinion on it on the whole hasn't solidified, I find so many aspects of it truly fascinating. For one, Gege's meticulously crafted power system, or how persistently the molds are broken in his writing, or how societal structures of the sorcerers' world play into the conflict, presenting an antagonistic force in the narrative in and out of themselves as restrictive and harmful patterns of behaviour that cultivate individual antagonism... I love this!

Every single one of John R. R. Tolkien's books.

It won't be a stretch to say that Tolkien's works have become a part of me to this point, and they are the biggest, life-long inspiration of mine. I'm infatuated with the world he created with such love and in such thorough detail in his books, with history as ancient as time, and languages dynamic and alive, and entire cultures blooming into prime and crumbling away, and the deep-rooted sorrow I feel but can't quite place of magic coming of age and leaving the world. These books have my entire heart.

Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books.

Just like with Tolkien's works, I literally grew up reading these books and remember feeling them rewiring my brain on every re-read, and throughout the years they have influenced me greatly. I adore Pratchett's sparkling humour and witty satire, how the cacophony of absurdities and light-hearted laughter still allows for, or maybe enables in the first place, a profound meaning. These stories have some of the most thought-provoking messages I've ever encountered as what they really want you to do is think, no more and no less.

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater.

Hail to urban fantasy!! I adore the air of mysticism and eeriness enveloping each and every of these books. I love how this story treat magic like a wild animal, something elusive and breathtakingly beautiful and dangerous, snarling and threatening as you get close, something that won't belong to you even as you try to tame and understand it, something wonderful and ancient and inherent to the world, throbbing like pulse beneath the earth. Can you tell I love horror? The narrative follows a tightly-knit group of friends, and the relationship they share is so very dear to me!! Who wasn't just a little bit in love with their best friends, really?

Hadestown.

I love this musical with my whole heart!! Two of my all-time favourite myths (of Hades and Persephone and of Orpheus and Eurydice) are intertwined in the story it tells in such a clever and creative way that I really couldn't help but fall head over heels just for the premise of it. Even though this story is undoubtedly a tragedy, non-existent without the tale of loss it takes as its centerpiece, hope is at the heart of its entire meaning: to exist in the face of suffering and grief and somehow still keep singing.

Exandria Unlimited: Calamity, Critical Role.

This story is a masterpiece in how well it executes the trope of being doomed since the very beginning as it tells about the fate of a world lost to smoke and ruin for countless ages. Why bother creating a narrative bound to end in destruction and pain? Because some things can still remain unforgettable, even if no one will linger to remember them. The closing monologue of the DM (it's a dnd mini-series) will honestly haunt me forever.

Princess Mononoke.

For as long as I can remember since I watched this movie for the first time, I've always found it difficult, if not impossible, to tell which side of the conflict the story wants you to root for, but that is perhaps the point. Nature and life exist as something vast and overwhelming and vague, reaching far beyond the framework of our morals, of our petty ways of understanding existence in terms of 'good' or 'bad'. I love how this story conveys it in such a poignant, breathtakingly beautiful way.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.

I love this short film so dearly!! It's so gentle and quietly soothing and soft-spoken and wise as only a children's book (which it's based upon) can be, and although there's not much happening on the screen, not really, I still cried my heart out while watching it. It told me things I really needed to hear, and the reassurances it offered were such an unexpected discovery that I still haven't fully recovered from the unrelenting kindness of it. The artwork is stunning, too, with its vast watercolour skies and inky lines and gently flowing, fluid motion. I can't possibly put into words how much I adore it!!

[evilpenguinrika]

Hosie Fankids

i realized i never actually shared my hosie fankids stuff aside from the four fanarts and 1 wip I've posted (x) (x) (x) (x), and recently my hosie and hosie fankids ffxiv post

i also don't have art of Leo yet since I'm still figuring out his character design. but hopefully once i do, i'll draw up a picture of Lana, Hayley, Jay, and Leo together and maybe a family portrait with Hope and Josie too

So anyways, here's a rundown of my hosie fankids for anyone interested!

Edit Nov 22, 2023: had to fix the werewolf curse bit because I just found out that it doesn't work if you kill a vampire whoops

Edit Apr 26, 2024: I made a 2nd iteration of Hosie fankids you can check out here!

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(note: Lana and the twins were carried by Josie!)

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Lana Elizabeth Mikaelson (17) is the firstborn to Hope and Josie Mikaelson. She, like her mom Hope, is a Tribrid. Maybe even more powerful than Hope. Lana is very stubborn and as well as incredibly aloof. Because of her status as a Mikaelson and a Tribrid, she's always surrounded by people wanting to use her notoriety. Lana will mostly shun people away and would never bother with making friends, believing that creating relationships is a waste of time. She's incredibly studious and prides herself on her flawless school records and high GPA. Lana also has a bit of a superiority complex as well, and because of that, is the prime reason why Lana never really has any friends (not that she cared, to be honest). However that may be, Lana is fiercely protective and loyal to those she cares about. She will fight tooth and nail to ensure that her loved ones are safe–even if it means destroying the world to do so.

Before she was born, Josie (who had been the one carrying) had used an enormous amount of dark magic in a fight against Malivore that Lana somehow absorbed while in the womb. Since then, Lana has always been a powerful witch. So powerful that sometimes she's unable to control it, almost like a magic bomb. Magic has always come easy to her and has always used magic since it manifested when she was just two years old. There had been an enemy attack at her home and her magic manifested to protect her and her momma, Josie. Lana's magic often comes in the form of black-purple briars/brambles. 

Lana ends up unlocking her werewolf curse after her magic went out of control in an attempt to protect her, the twins, and–at this point–Lana’s friend when the four of them got abducted by some enemies (unsure regular humans or witches or werewolves) looking to hurt Hope. When Lana realizes she had killed someone, she locks herself away in a fit of rage and fear. Lana may be a Tribrid, but she never really wanted the complicated perks that came with it should she ever become a fully activated Tribrid. So when her curse is activated, she did her best to shove that side of herself away. It doesn’t really work and only causes her strife. It gets so bad that she refuses to shift during the full moon. Hope eventually drags Lana out to talk to her about being a werewolf and–since they are both Tribrids–to discuss further what it means to be a Tribrid. It helps Lana to process this new moment in her life, but it is actually a moment with Hayley that truly opens Lana’s eyes to accepting her werewolf side and ultimately her Tribrid nature. She and Hayley have been on the search for some enemies that rolled into town and discovered the enemies had captured Jay and Lana’s friend. In an attempt to save them, Lana unleashes her full werewolf potential as she fights alongside her werewolf sister. Lana feels so much better and so much lighter after embracing this side of her that when the next full moon comes around, she asks if she could join her mom and sister on a full moon run–which Hope and Hayley obviously agree to.

As of now, Lana has not activated her vampire side and chooses not to do so. She has so much of the world to see and wants to experience her life before she even humours the idea of dying and becoming a fully activated Tribrid.

[Physical description: 5'7.5", long copper red hair and brown eyes] 

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Hayley Nikole Mikaelson (15) is the second born to Hope and Josie Mikaelson. She is also the twin sister of Jay (she's older than him by 6 minutes and will always lord it over him). Hayley is a spunky and sassy teenager who has mastered the craft of sarcasm. She's also headstrong but is also the type of person to act before thinking. She will always stand up for those who can't do it themselves and isn't opposed to using violence to do so. Because she's trained with Hope, Hayley is an incredibly strong fighter her rough and aggressive fighting styles are all the talk amongst the werewolves at Salvatore. But regardless of her tough exterior, Hayley is also incredibly sensitive when it comes to herself. If she were to hear any mean gossip or critique about her or the things she's doing, Hayley will end up feeling broken down. She does hide her feelings well through frustration and anger, but her family and anyone who knows her best will know that Hayley is devastatingly upset.

She never inherited the magic genes, but instead, is a werewolf. She used to feel inferior and compare herself to Lana, Jay, and her mom and momma because they can all do magic except for her. Hayley always wished her magic would manifest, but it never did. When she unlocked her werewolf curse at the age of six after accidentally killing one of Klaus's and by extension, Hope's, enemies, she had been scared–very scared. But Hope helped Hayley overcome that fear and eventually, become a strong werewolf. She still sometimes feels jealous of the rest of her family for having magic, but through years of training and honing her skills, Hayley has come to love just being a werewolf. She, like her twin brother, has vampire blood running in her veins.

Hayley and Jay have been made aware of the Merge. Hope and Josie have been doing their best to figure out a way to stop it, or at the very least figure out if the Merge would even be possible since Hayley’s magic never manifested.

[Physical description: 5'6", medium curly dark brown hair and blue eyes]

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Josiah "Jay" Carson Mikaelson (15) is the second born (or technically third born) to Hope and Josie Mikaelson. He is also the twin brother to Hayley (he absolutely hates it when Hayley brags about being the older one). Jay is a sassy and sarcastic teenager who has a knack for getting into trouble. He can also be rather rambunctious and all over the place when he gets antsy or feels excited. Jay gets flustered way too easily, especially when it comes to himself. He turns red anytime anyone compliments or praises him for something–and when it comes to boys, Jay is hopelessly awkward. Jay, like his sisters, will always help those in need and does his best to ensure that the people he cares about are looked after.

Like his momma, Josie, Jay is a Siphoner. He loves using magic and loves being a Siphoner. Sure he would need to siphon magic from people or magical objects, but he likes the challenge. He likes that he can't always rely on magic to help him out of a pinch; this is also why he ended up asking Hope to train him in hand-to-hand combat like she did with Hayley. When Jay was younger, he did gymnastics and a few contemporary dance lessons, which gave him the idea to incorporate those movements into his fighting style. Whenever he fights close combat or melee, it's like the whole battlefield is his stage and he's the performer putting on a show. Josie is the one to teach Jay how to harness his magic, especially dark magic. She makes it a point to tell him to never put the residual darkness into a dark object. His magic tends to manifest as streaks of lightning and bright electricity. He, like his twin sister, has vampire blood running in his veins.

Jay and Hayley have been made aware of the Merge. Hope and Josie have been doing their best to figure out a way to stop it, or at the very least figure out if the Merge would even be possible since Hayley’s magic never manifested.

[Physical description: 5'5", short dirty-blonde hair and brown eyes]

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Leo Morgan Mikaelson (10) is the adopted son of Hope and Josie Mikaelson. He is also the youngest of the Mikaelson siblings: being seven years younger than Lana, and five years younger than the twins. Leo is a very sweet, earnest, and cheerful boy who is also very sensitive to things and the world around him. He’s an overthinker when he’s upset or anxious and will tend to choose his words carefully or just not speak entirely if he decides it’s not worth it. But when he’s excited or happy, he can talk forever. He pretty much wears his heart on his sleeves so it’s easy to know what he’s feeling and thinking–but it’s also very easy for him to get hurt. Leo is practically doted on by the rest of his siblings as he is the baby of the family. He doesn’t mind it, per se, but it does become stifling and embarrassing when he gets older. 

The couple had found a young five years old Leo in an alley around downtown Mystic Falls. He had been hiding behind some old cardboard boxes when a vampire and witch chased him and his parents down. They took the wrong turn and found themselves trapped. His parents ushered Leo to hide while the two assailants murdered his parents. Josie was determined to look after Leo, despite Hope's chagrin. Hope and Josie eventually become really taken with Leo and vowed to protect him as the culprits who killed his parents were still after him as Leo was a loose end. After Hope and Josie deal with the two culprits, they decide to fully adopt Leo, and the young boy was ecstatic but felt bittersweet about it. He still loves his parents even if his memories of them have been scarce the older he gets, but he appreciates and loves his new parents and family. He’s glad that Hope and Josie found him and saved him.

Being the only human in a family of supernaturals has made Leo feel inferior, especially whenever he sees his siblings performing magic or turning into wolves, or hearing about whatever adventure or battle they had. It gets to the point where whenever he wants to join them or hear more about what they have going on, his siblings would brush him aside because he’s just a human. Leo wants to desperately join the rest of his family in the supernatural world so he goes to both Hope and Josie, asking if they could teach him magic. Obviously, it doesn’t work as he has no magic, but what he is able to do is continue to educate himself and learn all he can. His specialty is potion making–specifically ones that don’t require him to have to say a spell to activate them. He does get some help from his moms and Lana and Jay though.

[Physical description: 4’5.7”, short dark brown/black hair and brown eyes]

[tmarshconnors]

When Being Online Was Pure Magic!

There was a time when logging onto the internet was an adventure, a digital frontier brimming with excitement and wonder. I remember those days vividly. The mere act of coming online felt like opening a treasure chest full of endless possibilities. Every click, every page load, and every notification held the promise of something new and exhilarating.

YouTube was once a gateway to a world of fascinating content. I used to spend hours watching videos, diving down rabbit holes of creativity, humour, and knowledge. It was a revolutionary platform where anyone could become a creator, and everyone had a chance to discover something unique and entertaining. The novelty of user-generated content was mesmerising.

But as time passed, that magic seemed to fade. YouTube became just another app on my phone, another website in my bookmarks. The excitement of finding a new, must-watch video was replaced by a sense of routine. The platform that once felt like a playground now feels like a familiar, sometimes monotonous, part of daily life.

Remember MSN Messenger? It was the hub of my teenage social life, where every "ding" of a new message brought a rush of anticipation. The art of crafting the perfect status message or selecting the right display picture was a serious endeavour. And then there was MySpace, the social network that let you  customise your profile with your favourite music, quirky backgrounds, and top friends list. It was a place where individuality thrived. 

Those platforms weren't just tools; they were experiences. They were a digital canvas where we could express ourselves, connect with friends, and explore the burgeoning online world. There's a pang of nostalgia when I think back to those simpler times. The digital landscape has changed so much since then, and sometimes it feels like we've lost something along the way.

Maybe it’s not the internet that’s changed; maybe it’s me. Growing up often means losing some of the wonder and excitement we once had for things. The thrill of discovery is replaced by familiarity, and the extraordinary becomes ordinary. I know I have normalised the incredible technology at my fingertips, taking for granted what would have once blown my mind.

The internet has become an integral part of our lives, but in doing so, it has also become mundane. Social media feeds are filled with the same recycled content, streaming services offer endless choices yet nothing truly captivates, Yes I am looking at you Amazon Prime and Netflix and even the novelty of new gadgets wears off quickly. The sense of wonder that used to accompany being online has faded, replaced by a habitual scrolling and clicking.

Oh I don’t know. I guess that’s why I started blogging in the first place somewhere to put all my collective thoughts, regardless what they may be. 

Never mind, I am off to bed it’s 2.45am here in the United Kingdom. 

Until next time! 

[dwestfieldblog]

VERIFYING YOU ARE HUMAN...

…this may take a few seconds…

I started this blog in 2004, with several pages entitled ‘God Save us From Religions’. Not much changed outside in twenty years, but it does seem worse, so my stupidity must be increasing. Realism? ‘The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun’. Buckminster Fuller. Palestine, now over 35,000 dead. Over thirty thousand of whom were civilians, Benny still appears to be going all out to avoid his and his wife’s corruption charges by proving what a patriotic hero he is. The Holy wasteland, crater land.

Blind faith tested under ‘laboratory’ conditions fails beneath the beautiful remorselessness of doubt and actual experience. Christ, the Dalai Lama, Ghandi et al, appear to lean to the left with ideas the ‘God-fearing’ right wing describe as liberal/socialist/Marxist. Love and respect each all others. The most unchristian Christians are the evil angelicals. Being good humoured, reasonable or intelligent seems ungodly weakness to them. The greatest fraud (out of an unholy host of them) perpetrated by the Church is that the devil exists. ‘Satan’ is the scapegoat for the genuine evil of the wrongly far righteous.

‘The forest was shrinking but the trees kept voting for the Axe, for the Axe was clever and convinced the trees that because his handle was made of wood, he was one of them’.

Which brings me onto The Heritage Foundation and their foul masterplan of Project 2025… a manifesto to be used as a bible for ‘the next Republican president’. This is a policy document for an eviscerating pogrom against the federal government, the judiciary and mass media, to replace all the left leaning Deep State shills with moral decent right wingers to reset education and laws. With an expected side effect of exporting total Nationalism globally. So, all in a democracy would be ultimately controlled by politicians returning favours to policy setting dark money donors who are the actual ‘deep state’. Brilliant.

Trying to avoid the overuse of ‘is’ and ‘are’, as I am aware (or seem to think so) that I am only a very amateur writer of op-ed pieces, but having spent several years researching, must say this; Anyone who believes in the right-wing idea of a ‘deep state IS a moron. There are business intrigues, bureaucracy to the ninth circle of Hell, pseudo religious groups, criminal organisations, greedy bankers, state secrets all seeking control…but no Deep State. This is a lie to focus attention as usual away from reality, to accumulate power in the hands of those propagating the lie. There is no invisible sky wizard either. Hallelujah!

Of course, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, (Steve Bannonites that they are) want identical things in the UK, replacing troublesome judges, police chiefs, parliament, civil service and the ‘biased’ BBC with political appointees. Anyway, another English rant coming…14 bloody years of Tories… ‘Ministers are to broaden the government’s definition of extremism as part of a clampdown on people and groups undermining Britain’s institutions and values.’

So, would that include various former and current cabinet members and prime ministers? Or is breaking the law, accepting large ‘donations’ (bribes) and then giving the donor an honour, sending dick pics, accepting cash for lobbyist’s questions to be asked, fast tracking friend’s dodgy business deals without checks on tendering, marginalising the poor to a truly inhuman standard and systematically ruining the NHS not counted as undermining in any way? Sunak the supercilious has asked useless ‘levelling up’ bug eyed disco dancer Gove to lead a crack team to thwart radicals at every turn. Including harder controls of extremism on campus.  Nice that MI5 have finally got round to hauling in bosses of 24 leading universities to warn them about ongoing enemy states infiltrating their seats of learning. So to speak.

Whereas most fine law-abiding citizens could see a benefit in having stricter dealings with idiots who stop trains, traffic (blocking those trying to get to work or in need of hospitals) and gaily throw paint and powder in galleries, sports events and flower shows, it is not too hard to see a time when quiet protesters holding a blank piece of paper are arrested, as in the far East. This green and septic isle where patriotic hedge fund managers linked to the government short the pound and Britannia waives the rules again. Politicians are the ones doing the undermining of this country’s’ values.

A recent (April) social media post by the Conservative Party trumpeted ‘BRITAIN IS THE SECOND MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.’  Which it promptly withdrew within 48 hours, as ridicule over its utter inaccuracy and the pictures used exposed it for the four flush turd it was. Turning a blind eye to government lies is not patriotic whichever country you were born in. Many here are having to perform do it yourself dentistry and fewer and fewer people other than the criminally rich can afford to live healthily or safely. Cuando merda tiva valer pobre nasce sem cu. Enjoy the translation.

Britain has screwed itself. We have so few genuine friends abroad these days that the country can only rely on ever dodgier characters and shadier deals just to get some money, which in turn only props up the wealthy. The rich do not bring money into the country, they bank it offshore or in Switzerland. But at least Russia and China like to buy lots of properties here, eh? ‘Levelling up’ is just as bigger sham of rancid bowels as was Reagan’s ‘Trickle down’ economy in the eighties where yuppies spunked it all. Scraps for the workers, threats to the passive middle classes. Cold hearted arrogance to the poor and any unlike us. This island chose to be more isolated…be careful what you wish for. Very simple to sabotage our underwater cables, the Net, electricity, gas…we are extremely dependant on subsea infrastructure for essential living.  Very little cost or risk to the enemy to cut us off. Everything we do politically (and a lot socially) has been playing into Putin’s hands for the last 14 years.

In all democratic counties, the main and minority wings of society are encouraged to flap on about National pride, fighting the other religion, the woke, the racist, the multi genders, the outsiders and it doesn’t matter one whit which side ‘wins’ because they don’t hold the actual power. But they do get very tied up wasting time and energy having their emotions manipulated against them, which is the point…weaken and undermine to the Rubicon of internal collapse. Europe, the UK and America all have politicians spouting bile and bilge about ‘the deep state’ as if they are rebels against the mainstream… and every one of these mouth breathing bottom feeding swine is only doing it to gain power for themselves. But ‘the people’ still believe it. They love venal leaders, especially those who mention restoring ‘order’ with faith, pride and a cleansing of subversive aliens. Meanwhile, the UK is still using security systems and nuclear companies with backdoors to Beijing. How clever of us.

Hope things are going well in Tiblisi, good luck with the Georgian Dream. Seems strange Bidzina would want the Kremlin’s ‘foreign agent’ law to pass after having spent a long time speaking in favour of joining NATO and the EU. Bread buttered on both sides. Goddess bless the Cz Republic for shutting down ‘Voice of Europe’, a Russian disinformation campaign via an online site and YT channel. Journalists with very western names who don’t exist writing fake news and others doing interviews with various anti-western politicians (several of whom are actually European, traitors within) propagating Russian pig manure to sew discord among the Union. The Voice of the Orcs lead by a president who could be Gollum’s bald ugly grandmother. The gremlin in the Kremlin. But let’s not stoop to childishly denigrate such a fine diminutively upstanding murderer, eh? Blue eyes are not enough, as Czechs say.

Funny how many far-right politicians in Europe describe the Russian invasion as ‘just’, because Ukraine is a country run by ‘Nazis’. Missing the point that Nazi countries don’t vote for a Jewish president and Prime Minister and that their own politics have a great deal of similarity with National Socialist ideas, behaviour and rhetoric. Also amuses me in midnight jet black humour that so many right wingers are willing to do the dirty work of a bald ex left wing communist. Greed for power for the otherwise impotent is a deeply alluring thing, eh? Masochists who would be sadists.

16 members of the European Parliament engaged with ‘Voice of Europe’ to spout Moscow’s propaganda. Any country with Russian inhabitants can (with prompting) request ‘help’ from Uncle Vlad who will be happy to step in and support his citizens from imaginary threats and spread his avowed anti-imperialist empire via force and colonisation. So, no hypocrisy there. Just reclaiming former territories who wanted independence. What if Britain decided to do this? Oh wait, we can’t because the Tories defunded our armed forces.

As I repeatedly write (for some kind of balance) the two-faced double standard West is maybe not the best, but at least we don’t mass slaughter our own citizens, forcibly transfer thousands of children from their homes to another country and indoctrinate them in the name of ‘protection’. Nor do we deliberately fire missiles at civilian blocks of flats or torture and rape noncombatants in the streets. Or pretend to ‘rehabilitate’ any who speak out by interning them in camps to be beaten to death or poison them in other countries. Or hold ‘elections’ where there are no viable alternative candidates for whom to vote. (If I said you had a corrupt election, would you hold it against me?) Arf.

Elon Musk the pyromaniac fireman welcoming Martin Sellner’s (far) right to free speech…how long before the twitter symbol morphs into a swastika? ‘The relentless pursuit of the truth’ is the stated goal of ‘X’. Saying your opinions and feelings out loud or writing them down does not imply Truth unless provable.

Speaking of liars, Trump the reptile continues to work as Moscow’s ultimate Useful Idiot. If convicted of his many (alleged, HA) crimes, he could still run and serve as President, should he win. THAT is how bollocks America is. Imagine having a criminal as a leader of a democratic country! He sits in court, glowering at the jury and the cameras like a mafia boss, a spoiled clinically deranged child who could once again be in charge of nuclear weapons. Majorie Taylor Greene, the Liz Truss of US politics (‘Jewish space lasers’?) wants to be his running mate. Just perfect. Swamping the drain. Trump’s lawyer says he ‘is cloaked in innocence.’ Drenched in excrement seems to be a better phrase.

Luckily, The Earth is intelligent…think about that for a few seconds with logic and instinct. She will certainly be aware from tuning in, how close we are to a third world war and the damage already done. Irreversible for humans but not her. Harm none and do what you Will, springtime is rising…so, Love😊

[brutalgf]

get to know me - 5/10 favourite animated movies

the spongebob squarepants movie (2004)

[shippingdragons]

Prisoner C33 review THE GUARDIAN – Trevor Nunn directs a wretched, wonderful Wilde

In this dark, poetic one-man play, Toby Stephens gives it his all as the wrecked writer – imprisoned for gay sex in 1895 – as he rues his misfortunes with his younger self

Watching plays on television does require a certain mindset. Appearing as part of BBC Four’s Sunday Night Performance strand, Prisoner C33 is a brand new one-man play about Oscar Wilde’s time in Reading Gaol. It’s written by Stuart Paterson, directed by Trevor Nunn, and stars a very good Toby Stephens as Wilde, playing two very different versions of the writer in conversation with each other. If you are in the mood for an hour of one man talking to himself about the great misfortunes of his life, in a dim, candlelit cell, while the perforated eardrum that would contribute to his death causes him great pain, then this is a poetic and well-crafted play that I imagine would be even more electric on stage.

That hour doesn’t stretch patience or outstay its welcome. It begins with an animalistic moan, deep in the bowels of the Victorian prison, its candles and iron gates lending this a gothic chill. The moan is not coming from Wilde, yet, but from a disturbed man a few cells down, whose mutterings earn him an off-screen beating from a guard. This is 1895, and Wilde is in prison for gross indecency after the details of his affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, his beloved Bosie, became public knowledge. He would emerge from his sentence having written De Profundis and with the material for The Ballad of Reading Gaol, but C33 is more concerned with what Wilde had to endure, and the ultimate cost of that.

Stephens plays him as a wretched, tortured soul brought to the depths of despair by his predicament. He’s cold, hungry, sick, dirty – and bored. “I can bear anything except losing my mind,” he says, as if the prospect is imminent. Perhaps it was. Most of the drama concentrates on this wretched version of Wilde, a man who can only refer to himself by his prisoner number, in conversation with his younger self – a witty, elegant man, dressed in immaculate velvet, with rouged cheeks, who is urging his counterpart to strive for survival. “I say, remember yourself for who you are. A great and exceptional man,” says the young Oscar to the prison Oscar, who refers to his surroundings as “this tomb for those who are not yet dead”.

Nunn directs with utter sparseness, as if for a stage production, and, clearly, this is about the dialogue and the performance (or should that be performances?). Wilde debates grand subjects with himself. He rails against England and “sound English common sense” and the English education system. He talks of morality and art and faith and God. Is art useless? Is he ashamed of the success of The Importance of Being Earnest, a play he wrote in haste for money, that the young Oscar says will be performed for the rest of time? Wilde’s ego and snobbery come and go. He is ashamed of his materialism, yet finds solace in imagining rich fabrics and good French soap.

There is much to say about love, too, from the betrayal of “sweet Bosie” to his adoration of his wife and children, though we know that he would never see them again. He wonders if his ability to see “all the beauty in the world”, in men and in women, makes him a superior man. It would truly be a crime if this famous wit were not allowed a glimmer of comedy in his musings, and among the trauma and the horrors, there are plenty of moments of sly humour. If his sexuality is superior, should he expect an honour from the Queen? “Well, certainly a tax rebate, at the very least,” he quips.

It is not an easy watch, and I mean that quite literally. The conditions of a prison in 1895 were grim, and the idea that his cell “lacks a woman’s touch” is laughable; no woman could improve on that filthy, freezing cesspit. It is dark and gloomy (if this were BBC One prime time, there would be issues raised by the viewers who complain about mumbling), its protagonists looking for light in the shadows, and there is a piercing, high-pitched noise every time Wilde repeats his refrain of “If it was not for my ear …”

But Stephens is remarkable, and gives it his all as both the wreck of a man who would live only for another four years, and as the suave, younger Wilde, exhorting his older, ruined counterpart to live. A man imprisoned for gay sex might be a relic of the past in this country, but it makes a pitch for contemporary relevance in other ways, too. “We cannot keep on living like this, governed by fools who think only of wealth and of war and the size of their estates,” Wilde rages, adding a touch of timelessness to this sorry, sad tale.

Source: THE GUARDIAN

[zombieheroine]

Pride Before a Fall

Pairing: Megatron/Optimus Rating: G Word count: 1178

* To have Orion Pax back was something Megatron could have never predicted nor prepared for. Of course he was nothing if not adaptable, but the situation made him feel like Primus Themselves was mocking him while also reminding him of how old he was. Still, he would have been a fool not to take advantage of one of Iacon’s famed archivists, especially when the code giving him trouble was Iaconian in origin.

But for all his confidence, Megatron still stood outside the cabin he had put Orion in to work on one of the computer modules. He had to admit that he was hesitating, two energon cubes in servo and unsure what to expect or how to go forward. He gritted his dentae and thought furiously. It wasn’t simply Orion who had changed over the eons of war, and not even just for the designation and the Matrix, but Megatron had changed too. Megatron had been just a simple miner turned gladiator back then, but now he was an accomplished warlord, a great warrior like no other, stronger and more ruthless than he could have even dreamed himself. It had been so long since he’d been scrambling for support, drafting his army and only dreaming of a revolution, that he didn’t even remember what it had been like. Standing alone in the dark hallway of his warship and hesitating, Megatron tried to remember the mech Orion was expecting to see. Of course Orion wouldn’t question much, he must have been confused and uncertain as well having had so much of his processor rearranged suddenly, but no matter how confused he would still see that the humble revolutionary Megatronus and the warlord Megatron were just as different as Orion Pax and Optimus Prime were. For now his story was holding up, but for how long he couldn’t tell. Still no matter the case, head on towards the challenge was his main tactic, so after a moment of bracing, Megatron simply opened the door and stepped inside. The air was slightly warmer inside with the computer module active, all its units humming and screens bright. Orion Pax stood with his back to Megatron, his digits flying over the keys, feeding in command after command, then switching to a new window to fix this or that line of code, browsing to the exact correct spot through thousands and thousands of lines. “Spare a moment for refueling, old friend,” Megatron suggested, pretending like he wasn’t impatient. “Surely your work can wait for you to regain your strength.” Orion looked over his shoulder and smiled at him. The glow of his blue optics was soft and kind in a way Megatron had forgotten. It was a startling sight. “Yes, of course,” Orion easily replied, his voice lighter than it had been in so very long. Only now Megatron realized that it wasn’t due to any physical alteration that Optimus sounded different, simply to grim exhaustion and jadedness, all things that Orion Pax lacked. Orion let his servos slide off the console and he turned. “Thank you for your consideration, Megatronus. You are very thoughtful.” “Some things don’t change,” Megatron replied, offering one cube to Orion when he approached and got a smile in return. It was curious to see Orion on Optimus’ face. It was disorienting to see all the marks of eons of travel and war on a face that also wore an unburdened, easy smile. Together they walked over to the side of the room and sat on a windowsill type of a niche in the wall, a window seat without a window, and drank the energon together. Megatron wasn’t used to company like this. It had been a good while since he had shared a meal with anyone, and he could count the times he had been friendly with anyone in his whole lifetime with the digits of one servo. Company like this wasn’t for him, nor for the life he was supposed to lead. Megatron felt a foreign kind of awkwardness while sitting there, sipping energon and keeping company to an old friend behind the face of his oldest enemy. Some part of him expected the illusion to collapse onto itself and its own absurdity, but by every passing moment it didn’t, his pride in himself grew. “You know, Lord Megatronus,” Orion said suddenly with the deep rumble of Optimus’ voice, barely suppressing a laugh at the title, “it still confuses me, how much has changed while I was in stasis.” Megatron elected to ignore the friendly humour, simply grunted as a sign that he was listening. Orion seemed relaxed, leaning back against the wall with his ankles crossed. “Many things are still too much for me, like… How such a dear friend

like… Well, you know, you filled me in, after all,” he said, momentarily saddened but once again cheerier when he continued: “But you are such a relief to have.” Megatron was in mid-sip, but turned to glance at Orion and nearly inhaled fuel down a wrong pipe. Orion’s softly glowing blue optics were focused on him in a piercing way that made his whole face light up in all of its true age and weariness. For a klik it was Optimus looking back at Megatron, and with a friendly, curious look in his optics. “Glad to be here,” Megatron managed to force out. Orion smiled. It was an expression Megatron had never seen before, not on this old, scarred face, and it did something concerning to his spark. “You know…” Orion started, “I was truly worried at first about how much you have changed. I am suddenly so far away from the home that is no more, all alone and without the first clue about what is happening or what I should so… You are the only thing that is familiar, and even you must be completely different from those times.” “Such is war, I suppose,” Megatron drily chuckled. Orion joined in on the laugh, but in a way that left Megatron feeling left out of the joke. “You know, ‘Lord’ Megatronus, when you were the terrifying Champion of Kaon, I was never afraid of you,” Orion suddenly confessed with a slight smile on his face. “And even now, looking at you as you are, lord and master and leader, I’m still not afraid. There’s nothing about you that intimidates me or makes me afraid.” He tilted his helm, and a youthful smile from the past lit up on his face. “It makes me glad, Megatronus.” It felt like a cloak had been shed, and Megatron didn’t know what to make of the feeling of sudden bareness he felt. He only stood his ground and kept his face as it was, still and emotionless, still confident in his façade. “What does?” he asked, giving in to curiosity even when at the same time he knew it was a move against himself. Orion simply smiled his ageless, beautiful smile, the soft blue of his optics glowing deep and unattainable. “You haven’t changed at all, my dear friend.”

[lov3nerdstuff]

Hi Kay!

I just wanted to take a moment and say how deeply moving (and overall comforting) I find your writing to be! I've gone through almost the entirety of your masterlist twice in the past month alone and have found myself returning more often to the pieces of literature/poems your reference sometimes. (Especially that one poem by Benedict Smith! I've read a few more by him because of you and they're just wonderfully lovely 💛 so I'm eternally thankful to you for including it.)

I may be wrong in assuming, but I believe you may have studied/are currently studying a degree involving literature. I hope this isn't too foreward of me but I was wandering if you have any other works of literature that you'd recommend? (I'd love to read anything you recommend from poems to plays 💛) I'm slightly embaressed to say but the works I've read are quite limited to a highschool level and since I'm currently studying Pharmacy, there are very few people who can recommend me such moving works. :)

I also feel like I should apologise for writing such a large ask, so please accept this apology as well hehe 💕🥺

Sincerely,

Bek 🌻

Hey there Bek 💚💕✨

First of all... I'm incredibly sorry for how long it took me to reply to this ask, I know you sent it weeks ago and I'm honestly just ashamed of myself for only replying now! I've been taking a bit of a Tumblr break again, or rather a break from literally everything, and I guess not having written anything in a while made me feel guilty whenever I opened Tumblr, so... All I can say for myself really is that I'm sorry you had to wait so long! Again, I never ever ignore anyone, I promise! It just sometimes takes a while for me to reply 😅🙈

Now, I'm so happy to hear that you've been enjoying my writing! 🥺🥰 Hearing that it's comforting and inspiring to you is honestly such a relief and indeed does make me happy more than I can say 💚 It's so cool that you're checking up on all the references I make aaahhh 🥺🥺🥺 I love it 😁 You're always more than welcome, love! I don't think I could stop including references to literature, culture, history and the science around it even if I tried 😅☺️

And yeah, I did study classics and newer literature as a minor for my undergrad degree 😄 But tbh I still work with literally a lot even now (I'm in grad school for media and cultural studies) even though it's technically not something I've been properly taught ☺️ I'm just a nerd who likes to learn on her own, and with media and culture you can pretty much delve into almost anything you want 😂😅🤷🏻‍♀️

Now, it's not forward at all to ask me for literature recommendations! 😁😃 I truly love recommending stuff!!! I have a few up my sleeve, even though you've probably heard of a few already, for obvious reasons: A lot of what I truly enjoyed reading was something Tom Hiddleston has worked on in one way or another! It's truly a magnificent guideline for picking new literature... Just look up the literary origins of his films/shows/plays and you will be in for quality literature most of the time! I don't think I've ever mentioned it on here, but me reading High-Rise (JG Ballard) because I heard Tom would be partaking in the film adaptation was actually what sparked my love and passion for literature!!! Yep, it's that good. Now on to the recommendations though 😁(This... got rather long):

Plays

Anything by Harold Pinter really, but for obvious reasons you'll find a lot of additionally fun stuff for Betrayal, which is lovely and truly funny if you're in on the kind of humour btw

Medea by Euripides (a classic, but I love it nonetheless... You can find translations in almost every language) ((and pls stay away from Seneca's Medea, because ugh... Euripides is far better AND the og story, as much as anyone can say that for Greek mythology)

La Bohème by Puccini (I know, this is technically an opera, but if you read the libretto it's honestly just like a play... And if you're up for it, the og story is in prose and written by Henri Murger... It's better than the opera, but oftentimes more difficult to find) ((this one is hilarious and basically explains an entire cultural subgroup in the 19th century)

Faust by Goethe (many people hate it, but I LOVE this one!!! It's also been translated into any and every language, and it's so interesting philosophically!!! It's also referenced SO freaking often literally everywhere, and the operas and ballets based on it are always my fave) ((there's technically Faust I and Faust II, but you're good to go just reading the first one)

Anything by Shakespeare, obviously... Though I do love me my Hamlet like every other literature enthusiast (Yes, I can do that one famous soliloquy in act 3 scene 1 by heart as well...)

Poetry

Again, anything Shakespeare for the win, but I LOVE the sonnets and keep a copy of them with me most of the time (Yes, I own multiple copies of the sonnets...) ((My faves are 116 and 91, but there's always so much truth to be found in there!!!))

A lot of the stuff William Blake wrote is amazing, though you have to pick carefully with him if certain religious motives aren't your thing... I love The Tyger, which is an individual poem, and the collection of works called Tyger, Tyger which does have many good ones and a few ones that are a little more on the mediocre side

Do not go gentle into that good night by Dylan Thomas (I know this one by heart as well... It's beautiful, and there's a version of Hiddleston reading it on YouTube, which gives you even more goosebumps than the poem does anyway)

Invictus by William Ernest Henley (same for this one, also read by the one and only) ((I love to read this when I'm feeling down or powerless))

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot (This is another wow piece with many quotable lines and truths... I love it a lot and keep coming back to it! It's also a great example of how literary modernism tried to condense the complexity and passing of time and history into a single frame that had to be intrinsically poetical in nature... As in, this poem could've been a short story in any other period, but modernists loved to make everything a poem so here you go)

Der Zauberlehrling by Goethe (This one sucks in all English translations I’ve found, poetically speaking, but in German it’s such a fun piece! If you’ve ever seen the Disney ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ with Mickey Mouse or listened to the orchestral piece by Paul Dukas, then this poem proves very useful in truly understanding either! But again, the English translation should only be taken for informational value... The German one is also worded hilariously)

Prose

Short edited by Alan Ziegler (This is a collection of short prose forms that honestly is a must for me... I love this book to pieces and have had it for years now! It’s an international anthology, so you’ll find more and less famous authors from all around the world represented with short stories, prose poems, short essays and just curious and interesting snippets of writing! I draw a lot of inspiration from this book)

High-Rise by JG Ballard (As mentioned above, I owe this book part of my personality... I don’t think I would be the same person without having read it. It’s not necessarily full of wisdom, but if you’re interested in a different kind of portrayal of the human condition, then this is the read you need to take a look at)

The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers (This is another piece that changed my perception of literature, even though this is a more ordinary and ‘fun’-value read... It’s one of my favourite books and it’s endlessly entertaining! So if the classics are a bit heavy for you, this one is perfect for casual readers as well! Its value really does lie more in the realisation of how fun literature can be, and the freedom you have as an author... So really, I could recommend everything by Moers, his style is amazing both in the German original and in the English translation. Yes, I’ve read both.)

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (This is comedic gold, stylistic gold and generally a bloody perfect book. Also a ‘fun’-value read, but it also does a magnificent job at showing you what you can do with literature, and how well-developed characters are supposed to be written)

The Penguin Book of the Undead (Penguin Classics) edited by Scott G. Bruce (This book is basically an education on fifteen hundred years of supernatural encounters and how culture wrote, used and perceived them. You get introductory texts for different periods and social groups, explaining how and why ghost stories were written and used, followed by passages of the prime source texts (eg. ancient necromancy shown on The Odyssey). Really, this book is just for cultural history nerds)

The Earthquake in Chile by Kleist (This isn’t necessarily one of my faves, but it has helped me understand what studying literature and culture can do for you. In case anyone remembers my insistence in Wicked Game that you gotta know what a pomegranate symbolises... this novella is such an instance where this knowledge would prove useful. Generally, it gives many opportunities to think about privilege and circumstance)

The Symposium by Plato (You’ll probably not want to read the entire collection of speeches tbh... But the concepts introduced mainly here and in some of Plato’s other work are well worth looking into! For example, the ‘double being’ introduces a concept that in modern fiction is called soulmates... Just sayin’)

[anon-e-miss]

Does Tarantulas come to collect Prowl?

It seemed like, once Chromedome and the worst of the goon got thrown in the clank, the hateful slur died away. Optimus personally sentenced the offenders that were identified to long detention sentences before they would inevitably be dishonourable discharged. Prowl's past and his future were redeemed. Trailbreaker was a hero to many for standing up for Prowl. An unflinching circle formed around Prowl as the old SIC rebuild is formidable psyche.

Prowl was not the same. Jazz knew he would not be but he was rediscovering his sense of self. His wry humour had returned. A little at a time, Prowl was allowed to return to his duties. Contrary to what he might have thought, he had not been held back out of doubt for his loyalty but out of concern for his recovery. Optimus stood with Prowl in the war room as he delivery his first strategy in over a vorn, servos clasped on the smaller mech's shoulders.

"You're worth more than your tactical systems," the Prime said. "You've been from the beginning a fair commander and a loyal soldier. You've been greatly missed, Old Friend."

"Thank you, Sir," Prowl replied. "It is good to be home."

Jazz watched all of Prowl's recovery from up close. He had made himself a shoulder for Prowl to lean on and he had been well rewarded by Prowl quirk of a smile and bemused little laughs. Prowl confessed his fears for his future, for his creation. There was no way he could truly hide the bitlet's heritage. His procreator's strain was going to follow him. Jazz leaned his helm against Prowl's helm and promised: so will his originator's strength.

There was no question that Prowl was strong, the strongest of any mech Jazz had ever met. As his carrying wore on his powered through exhaustion and pain. He rested, for the sake of his creation. The supplements Ratchet gave Prowl kept his carrying on track but the burden of a contributive carrying was meant to be shared and Prowl had borne ten stellar-cycles alone, with unflinching calm. He could have born twenty more, he would have because there was none stronger but he did not need to. Prowl leaned on Jazz and as he did they became closer, a real connection that made Jazz's spark flutter. He was cautious, patient and so was Prowl, until he was not.

"Make love to me?" He asked.

"Are ya sure, Prowl?" Jazz asked.

"Only if you want me," Prowl replied.

"I want ya,"Jazz replied. "Only if ya want me."

Prowl hugged Jazz's arm to his chassis as he recharged and Jazz smiled watching him rest. They had interfaced, slowly and tenderly, stopping and starting as Prowl needed moments to centre himself. He had looked so perfect when he had overloaded, optics pale, faceplates flush, servos squeezing his own full bosom. Everything about him had felt amazing. Jazz felt incredibly, unnaturally lucky.

Early in the light-cycle, Jazz got up. He liked to make Prowl pressed energon. It still felt like an indulgence to Prowl and Jazz found he indulged more easily when the fuel was given to him. It had only been ten stellar-cycles since Prowl had gotten away from Tarantulas it would take longer to break all of his conditioning, and some might never fully leave him. Jazz went to the pantry and took out Prowl's crystals.

Secure in Prowl's habsuite, Jazz was blindsided as the press was bashed against his helm. He fell in a strutless heap. When Jazz came to, he saw a monster towering over Prowl. Prowl was on his servos and knees with his servos outstretched in front of him, digits sunken into the carpet. His expression was stricken, he winced as he begged. From the angle of the monster's arms, his servo or digits were inside Prowl. He was hurting Prowl.

"You allowed his transfluids to taint my perfection creation," Tarantulas roared against Prowl's helm as his digits moved inside of him.

"I had to," Prowl begged. "Ostaros was weakening. I had to take what donations I could."

"Whore!"

"Aargh," Prowl cried as Tarantulas roughly abused him with his digits.

"I've been watching you," Tarantulas growled. "I watched you whore yourself to that gutter trash. You baked him a cake!"

"Please, please stop," Prowl begged. Afraid for Prowl, Jazz tried to distract the monster and groaned.

"Still alive," Tarantulas huffed. Prowl moaned hoarsely as his attacker's digits were pulled from his frame. "It's no matter, I'll finish the job and then you will apologize properly, won't you Prowl? You don't want me to disappoint me further."

"Do not kill him, please, please do not," Prowl begged. "If you spare him I will go with you, I will stay with you, I will be the perfect bride. But if you kill Jazz I will never bend for you. You will have to rape me every time you wish to frag me. I will not cook or bake. I will aways fight. Forever."

"I'm going to enjoy breaking your spirit again," Tarantulas said. "You fought so hard for those first twenty stellar-cycles. But you broke and rebuilt you for my pleasure. I'll do it again."

"No, Tarantulas," Prowl cried as the spiderbot stood and stepped towards Jazz. He grabbed Tarantulas' ankle and tried to hold him back. Tarantulas grabbed Prowl's chevron and yanked him up."

"You..."

Jazz leapt onto the monster's back and stabbed him over and over. He kept stabbing Tarantulas' back as the mech squealed and thrashed. As Tarantulas sank to his knees, Jazz yanked his helm back and slid his throat from audio to audio.