#WITH A WHOLE DOLPHIN ARMY BEHIND HIM

[mj-thrush-gxn]

your honor.

i love lark.

#i love how he’s just chilling with a bunch of dolphins now #like wth #he better make some dolphin friends #YO IT WOULD BE SO FUNNY IF THE WAY THEY DEFEATED WILLY WAS JUST #LARK RIDING A DOLPHIN THROUGH THE GATES OF HEAVEN #WITH A WHOLE DOLPHIN ARMY BEHIND HIM #I NEED TO DRAW RHIS OML #anyway #i love lark #dndads #dungeons and daddies #dndaddies #thrush rambles #thrush talks #dndads s2 #dndads quest #lark oak garcia

[blackjackkent]

Riverbed

------

What's that? Self-indulgent post-Act 2 weapons-grade Hector/Karlach fluff? CAN DO!

Shoutout for this idea goes to @writer86, who responded to reading about Hector's ordeal in the base of Moonrise by saying, "Get this man a hot bath, a good meal, and a bed. Not necessarily in that order."

-------

As near as Karlach can figure, it's only six in the evening, but of course everything around Last Light is still cloaked in shadow. Halsin says the curse will soon begin to fade, now that Thorm is dead. For now, though, it is still an endless night that only adds to the collective feeling of weariness among their little group. 

“Almost there, Soldier,” Karlach murmurs to Hector as they struggle through the shadows. “Almost done. And we can rest.”

In a way, it should feel difficult for them to rest now. All of them area acutely aware of the army now marching implacably on Baldur's Gate. Hector is still bewildered and overwhelmed by everything he experienced in the Shadowfell and the Tower. Karlach herself is still boiling with rage over seeing Gortash again. Behind her, Wyll is pensive and silent, his thoughts no doubt preoccupied by his missing father. And Shadowheart has barely spoken a word since she suffered through Shar's torment for her betrayal. 

But they are all so tired, so beaten and broken by the day's ordeal, that it all seems to hang slightly at a distance, like a bad dream not quite realized.

Hector tilts his head as they crest the last hill separating them from Last Light, and he points past the building to the slow-moving river on its northwest side. “I can't sleep covered in all this muck,” he mutters. “Bath first. Then rest.”

Karlach grins. “Sounds perfect.”

All of them really do look a complete mess. Not only are they covered in the blood and dirt that is commonplace in their adventures, but the whole group is encrusted in a thick coating of mucus from their slide down the tower into the flesh pit below.

Hector, clothed only in his monk robes, bare-armed, has had the worst of it. His short hair is sticking up at odd angles, stiff with the viscous stuff, and he glistens with it slightly in Isobel's conjured moonlight. 

He staggers a little ahead of the group down the hill, reaches the edge of the river, and without preamble lets himself collapse face-first into the water. 

Wyll laughs softly. “Gods be damned. He's got the right idea there.”

----

After how long they’ve all traveled together - and given how disgusting they all feel - there’s little in the way of shame between them in this moment. Before long, all of them have left their filthy armor on the bank of the river and are down to underclothes. The shadow-touched river is cold as ice, but it makes no difference; the revitalizing effect on all of them is instantaneous. The whole group visibly relaxes almost at once as they dive in.

Wyll begins doing laps back and forth to the far edge of the river, energized by the chill of the water. Karlach rolls and dives and surfaces again like a playing dolphin; the water churns with heat briefly wherever she moves through it, before returning to its usual chill. 

Even Shadowheart is smiling a little; she sits near the river’s edge, the water up to her neck. Occasionally she lets herself sag down so the river rolls over her and she floats down in the darkness, and then pushes herself up again to gasp for air in the moonlight.

After a while, she calls softly, “Karlach - look.”

Karlach blinks, surprised to hear a note of unexpected humor in the erstwhile Sharran’s voice. Following Shadowheart's gaze, she looks across the water, and then grins.

Hector is asleep. The river has pushed him to a stop against a small sandbar where he floats on his back, bobbing in the gentle current but otherwise completely still. Karlach feels the engine of her heart give a soft little whir as she watches him. After everything, to see him look so peaceful, cleansed of blood and bathed in moonlight, fills her with a warmth that has nothing to do with Avernus’s fire.

“If the shadows were gone, I’d be tempted not to wake him,” Wyll comments with a grin as he swims back towards the shore. “Gods know he’s earned an uninterrupted rest.” 

Shadowheart snorts softly. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I would very much prefer to sleep in a bedroll than a river.”

“At this point I’d take anything,” Wyll says dryly. "But you do have a point."

Hector really is out like a light though, completely surrendered to the day's exhaustion in this moment of relative safety. By the time they’ve begun to clamber out of the water and collect their armor, he has still barely stirred at all. Karlach can see his eyes twitching under his eyelids with some unknown dream.

“Go on up to camp,” she tells the others. “I’ll get him.”

As Wyll and Shadowheart begin the long trudge up to the inn, she slips back into the water and swims over to Hector’s side. “Hey, Soldier,” she calls softly. “C’mon. Time to wake up so you can go to bed.”

She comes to a halt next to where he is floating. Catching his hand in hers, she tugs it gently, pulls it to her lips and kisses his palm. He makes an inarticulate mumbling noise, squeezes his eyes tighter shut and rolls his head to the side, then splutters and starts awake as his mouth and nose slip briefly under the water.

She grins, catching her arm around his shoulders to lift him upright. “Hey, sleepyhead.”

“Mmph,” he says drowsily, looking around with bleary puzzlement. “Oh. Was I asleep?”

“Something like that.” She pulls him against her, sending the two of them into a lazy spin in the water, and gives him a soft kiss. “Would have rather not woken you, but I prefer you not drowned or turned into an icicle.”

“I think I prefer that too.” He lets his head sink to rest against her shoulder. “This is nice, though.”

With her free arm, she begins lifting handfuls of water, pouring it over him. Slowly, gently, she works her fingers through his damp hair and against his scalp, washing away the last of the sticky mucus still stuck in it. He lets out a low groan of contentment and rolls his head more firmly into her hand.

She grins, kisses his cheek, along his jaw. After a moment, he shifts to wrap both his arms and legs around her. Pressing his fingertips into her back, he begins to massage along her scarred, aching muscles in return. She draws a sharp breath in.

“That’s just mean, Soldier,” she mumbles. 

“Mean?” he says, mock-innocently. “How so?”

“Feels too good.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” He laughs softly. 

“Yeah-- mmph.” His fingertips work into a tightly knotted muscle at the small of her back and she grunts with pleasure. “See, now I want to take you right here, Hec. And we’re both way too tired to enjoy it properly.”

He smiles, working his fingers slowly up her back to her shoulders. “I hope I can ask for a rain check.”

“Count on it.” She grins; her eyes drift closed and she rests her forehead against his. In spite of the flirtatious banter, the exhaustion of the day is starting to creep up on her too; she’s been existing on a sort of rage-fueled adrenaline ever since she saw Gortash down in the mind flayer colony, and Hector’s touch is soothing the engine’s fire back down to a low growl. “Kinda wish we could just sleep for a week, you know.”

“When this is over,” he murmurs. “Somehow, it will be… and we’ll just rest. Just rest for always.”

“Together?”

He draws his head back, looks at her questioningly. “You doubted it?”

She shrugs slightly. “You’ve got your monastery to go back to…”

He’s silent for a little while, though his fingers never stop moving over her back, searching out the tension points. “I don’t think I can go back,” he finally says quietly. “Not after all of this. I’ve… changed too much.”

She nods slowly. It would be more surprising, knowing how much Hector’s Selunite upbringing meant to him, except that she had many similar thoughts while trapped in Avernus. Knowing that life would never be the same because she would never be the same, even if nothing else had changed. “Together, then,” she agrees.

“Always.” He lets out a heavy breath. “We have a lot to talk about. In the morning. Plans to make.”

“I know.” She kicks gently with one leg against the river bottom, sets them drifting slowly towards the shore. “We’ll figure it out.”

Another long silence. “I don’t know how to do what they want me to do,” he says softly. “How to… be what they think I am.”

“Like it or not, Soldier,” Karlach says gently, “you’ve led us this far.” Their tangled forms bump up against the rocks at the edge of the river. She runs her fingertips through his hair one more time before drawing back from the embrace reluctantly and hoisting herself out of the water. “And done better than you think.”

He follows her, trailing a gentle cascade of water from his damp clothes. “I hope you’re right.” He looks at her for a moment in silence, and then smiles. “Very glad I don’t have to do it alone.”

#bjk plays baldur's gate 3 #hector carlisle #drabble #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 fanfic #baldur's gate 3 fanfic #baldurs gate 3 fanfic #karlach x tav #tav x karlach #bg3 fic #baldur's gate 3 fic #baldurs gate 3 fic

[ineffablelunatic]

BBC Ghosts Mermaid AU

This is an AU for which I'm planning on making art of all the characters and possibly writing fanfiction (yay!)

Alison and Mike are two hapless sailors who inherited a houseboat from a distant relative. After modifying it a little so it can travel longer distances on the sea, they set out on an adventure, followed by an unlikely pod of mermaids. This is a fantasy universe which is fairly modern day, but things like mermaids and sirens exist and pirates are proper old fashioned pirates with cutlasses and treasure maps. You may have to suspend your disbelief in places.

Robin - an anglerfish (because the light looks like Moonah). He's travelled all over the ocean and nobody knows how old he is, but his light drew all of the mermaids into the pod. He's the group storyteller and he's incredibly wise.

Humphrey - exiled from the court after being blamed for a plot against the royals, he began to journey into the deep sea before seeing Robin's lamp and following it. He has deeper gills than most around his neck and large neck fins.

Mary - after spending most of her life living quietly in a kelp forest, she was captured by sailors to become a sideshow curiousity. Luckily she was saved by Robin and Humphrey at the last minute, but she's still wary about humans.

Kitty - a tropical fish. She adores human culture, and acts a lot like Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Instead of a feather on her head she has a large floppy fin, and she loves befriending other fish and exploring the ocean. She also likes spending time on the coral reef.

Thomas - a siren (although he's very bad at it). He is awful at singing and despite his best attempts to woo Alison, he has no luck. He turned to poetry as a last resort, and unfortunately he is equally inadequate at that, too. His cousin Francis, a much more adept siren, once stole a human girl he was in love with from him, and as such he spends a lot of the time sulking.

Fanny - her husband tried to kill her by forcing her into fisherman territory, and then told everyone that she was dead. She was therefore unable to return to her former life of luxury, and is furious about it. From a noble bloodline, she spends most of the time complaining and talking about how "mermaids were just better back in the day". None of the others mind.

Captain - after rising in rank during the mermaid war, his partner was stolen by pirates. He never forgave himself and instead left the army to join the Button House mermaid pod. He still wears his army uniform, more out of habit than anything else. He looks after Kitty as her excitement about humans, though sweet, could get her seriously hurt.

Pat - he was a community leader in his small village, and often helped out the fishermen on the land. As such he learned a lot of their customs and habits, making him very interesting to the other mermaids who know almost nothing about human life. One day a group of young boys accidentally clipped his fin with a fishhook, and though he doesn't blame them, it obviously hurts him sometimes.

Julian - he was a member of the parliament before flirting with the wrong mermaid, which resulted in his tail being partially skinned. He has the lower body of a shark, but gets comically outraged when someone thinks that he's an actual shark. This happens when Alison first sees him and assumes she's about to be eaten.

Other details: the pigeon is a dolphin who wakes up Alison and Mike every morning at sunrise.

Barclay is a cruise ship owner who enjoys tormenting Alison and Mike. His dogs are trained sharks (don't ask me how that works because I don't know).

When they're going on long journeys, Alison puts the mermaids in a tank on the boat so they don't have to swim the whole way. Sometimes she wishes that she had just left them behind because they complain so much.

The main antagonist in this AU would be pirates, probably with a subplot of trying to get Havers back / being generally nuisanced by Barclay. Maybe at some point his cruise ship would be captured by pirates and they would have to save him.

There are sea monsters and other mystical creatures in this universe, which results in a lot of shenanigans.

The art I did for captain is here. I'll probably make the others soon, and if I have time I'll write the fic as well.

#bbc ghosts #ghosts mermaid au

[sungminxxx]

◈ Stray kids reaction to feathers ◈

[requested by: @toomanygiggles]

Chan:

I wouldn't imagine him being very feather ticklish if I'm honest.

Although you can definitely get a giggle from it!

He'll feel the feather and immediately look at you with a smile.

You know chan is ticklish, but not as feather ticklish. Only in certain places.

His underarms and neck mostly.

If you get his underarms while he's resting, he'll let out a surprised yelp and put his arms down, giving you a playful glare.

For his neck, he'll become a turtle. It's so CUTE.

His giggles are honestly verrrry cute 🥰

Minho:

I can imagine him more feather ticklish than Chan, but not by a lot.

Yeah okay, hes very ticklish. But not THAT feather ticklish.

Feathers work on his shoulders, belly/button, neck, and feet.

He always tries to not show his smile, but honestly its kind of impossible for the oh so ticklish minho :)

He wouldn't move away immediately but after a little bit of time, he'd get too ticklish to take it and move away.

He would think it feels relaxing :)

His laugh >>>>>>>>>>>>

We all know little Binnie.

Ticklish. One word in itself to describe him.

Now, fEATHER TICKLISH- yes.

yes yes yes yes yes 100% yes

Binnie is very feather ticklish.

Mostly on everywhere but his arms. Not his underarms, just his arms.

on his back, he would find it ticklish, but also relaxing.

He'll break out into fits of giggles and squirm slightly while trying to hide his blushing face.

Teasing gets to him SOMETIMES. not all the time.

Hyunjin:

For him, I feel like he's 3rd most ticklish in stray kids.

Hes crazy when it just comes to tickling in general

He'd laugh immediately and let out his little dramatic scream when you get too close to a sensitive spot.

Hes a squirmer.

Also a kicker

His most sensitive spots are his sides, bellybutton and underarms, even more sensitive with feathers.

Let's just say you'll need a whole army to pin this one down when tickling him with feathers.

Jisung: a/n: NOT BIASED NOT BIASED I SWEAR

HIM.

Listen, don't question me but I have always seen him as most ticklish in stray kids.

His worst spots would probably be around his tummy area, underarms and bellybutton.

Feather tickling is something I feel like Jisung would dread. Not because he hates it.

But because it's almost impossible for him to take it

Within a small touch, you'll have him squealung, squirming, kicking, the whole shabang

HIS LAUGH OMG <333333

He would curl into a ball and try to take the feather from you, but if you tickle his sides with your hand while he tries, he'll have no chance :)

Poor kid hehe

Felix:

Probably like the 4th ticklish in the group, right behind Jeongin.

Very ticklish, but when it comes to feathers it depends.

Sometimes you might have to do it a certain way, and definitely in certain spots can get him more than others.

His bright smile would be impossible for him to show.

Him being so ticklish, his laugh would be just as great as his singing.

I feel like felix would love the feeling of the feathers on him, dispite it being so ticklish for him.

His name isn't Lee Felix for nothing~ :]

Seungmin:

Unfortunately I don't think he's THAT THAT ticklish but I know that he is pretty ticklish.

Dispite not being as ticklish as the others, he's still the cutest thing ugh

His little smile and laugh he gives when you tickle him is amazing.

I wouldn't seem him as feather ticklish if I'm honest.

The only place I can really see him being feather ticklish in is his neck.

Like chan, it's really easy for him to become a turtle.

He'll move his head from side to side, up to down too sometimes if he's in a lee mood.

puppy smile <3:(

Jeongin:

Mr. Dolphin, we all know him.

The most sensitive places I feel like he'd be feather ticklish is his neck, arms, and his whole torso.

a baby:(

literally

His giggles would fill up the room instantly, it's just so cute

Ticklish enough, he just HAS to be fesryet ticklish

It's a need, a must, and a given:)

Poor him, he might be too ticklish to even handle it at certain times.

Oh well~

+ tysm for the ask, love <3 - bri

#Stray kids #tickle #tickle community #lee #ler #ticklish #requested #kpop tickle #skz #Bangchan #Hang jisung #lee yongbok #Felix #hwang hyunjin #seo changbin #kim seungmin #Lee know #yang jeongin #feather ticklish #headcanons

[autisticcassandracain]

Reread The Brave and the Bold (2007) #32 again and god. It’s so fucking good. Like yeah yeah the bitch with the ‘aquaman is an eldritch horror’ blog title loves the aquaman is an eldritch horror comic what else is new but PLEASE it’s SO good!!!

TBatB #32 is a stand alone team-up between Aquaman and Etrigan the Demon, and it’s a lovecraftian horror story. Straight up. The narrator is a fisherman who was nearly drowned at sea, and proceeded to accompany Aquaman and Etrigan as they stop an eldritch horror from invading this dimension. And if that hasn’t sold you on this comic idk what to tell you please read it it’s very good.

The comic is an absolute banger that I consider to be easily one of the best Aquaman comics of all time, and I think one of the main reasons it works so well is that the real eldritch horror isn’t the monster Aquaman and Etrigan are trying to stop. “Superheroes stop Cthulu” isn’t necessarily a bad story premise, but it’s really easy to lose that eldritch horror aspect with it, since if Cthulu can be beat, it’s not really Cthulu, now is it? The horror in lovecraftian horror stories comes not from the fact that the monster is big and powerful; it comes from the fact that it is unknowable, operating on a level that is fundamentally incomprehensible, and when you are forced to comprehend it, you have no way to cope with it. And that’s really hard to do if Etrigan can just. Set it on fire.

No, the eldritch horror isn’t the big squid monster rising up from the depths. It’s Aquaman.

Sure, the monsters from another dimension are also eldritch horrors, and the narration describes them as such, using all the eldritch horror clichés; beings that do not belong in this world, twisted, distorted, etc. And don’t get me wrong, it works, the visuals of the Big Monster specifically are stunning. But that’s not really the scary part of the comic. Sure, a being from another dimension raising an army of the drowned, bringing another army of humans crossed with monsters, is scary. But you know what’s terrifying?

The thing that can beat it.

Ultimately, it is Etrigan who deals the killing blow, but he’s not the one the narration focuses on. It’s Aquaman.

The point of view of the story is a fisherman, who had already known to respect the sea, but who hadn’t truly understood what it meant to command it. And although he is terrified of the eldritch being from another dimension, horrified at his friend being resurrected to fight for it - he is just as, if not more, terrified of Aquaman.

[Image: text box with the text: “But when the master of the seas tells you a thing, you believe it. Because you don’t want him to have to tell you twice.” Twice is emphasized. End description.]

This is at the beginning of the story, before he even witnesses anything, and the fear grows as the story progresses and he gains knowledge. He witnesses Aquaman control one of the eldritch monsters, willfully start a fight with the entire army.

And that’s, arguably, the turning point of the whole comic, where the realization hits. As Aquaman summons all the ocean creatures from a mile wide, we get this internal monologue:

[Images: first image is a series of text boxes that, together, read: “Like I said, he could control every creature that lives in the sea. But I don’t think either of you get what that really means. Do you know, do you understand, do you have any idea how much life there is in just one single square mile of ocean? I don’t think you do. Because I didn’t either. And if you multiply that by lots of miles in every direction...”

Here the next image appears, a full-page spread showing Aquaman with his arms spread wide, wearing a confident grin, and every square millimeter behind him packed with ocean creatures, fish, whales, dolphin, all swimming towards him. The narration ends: “I’d never seen anything like it in my whole life... and God as my witness, I hope to never see it again.” End description.]

As the battle escalates and the narrator gets confronted with more horrors, ultimately culminating and Not Cthulu coming through the portal we get this scene:

[Images: two comic panels. The first shows our narrator fisherman looking at Aquaman in horror. The narration states: “And I could hear its [the eldritch horror’s] thoughts, could hear it talking to Aquaman.” The monster’s speech to Aquaman is shown, as he listens to it: “...You may have all you wish... Join us, and we may conquer all... I offer you every land, every nation, the whole of the world above.” For the second panel, there is a close-up of Aquaman’s disdainful expression, as he says: “The sea covers seventy percent of the Earth’s surface... the land, only thirty percent. Why would I ever wish to settle for less? It’s all yours, Demon.” End description.]

Which clearly establishes which of the two horrors we should truly be afraid of. Not Cthulu is left bargaining, begging for Aquaman to join it, but it cannot offer Aquaman anything. His power is already too great.

As the comic closes, there is one final scene with Aquaman, which is, in my opinion, the scariest scene in the comic:

[Image: three panels. The first shows Aquaman talking to Etrigan, his back turned to the viewer, saying: “If the rest of the world had any idea how close they come every year to destruction... if they knew that we were the only thing standing between them and the night gods, they’d -- what’re you looking at?” Etrigan is looking past Aquaman to the viewer. Aquaman turns, looks, and says: “Ah, yes. It seems I’ve forgotten someone.” There is a close-up of his face, with an intense expression, as he thinks, telepathically: “None of this happened. Do you understand? This was all just a very bad dream.” The narration says: “And then everything went black.” End description.]

When the narrator wakes up, he is surrounded by people who believe he’s crazy, and he’s left desperate, desperate to prove it happened, desperate to prove it didn’t, desperate enough to dig up his friend’s corpse. And Aquaman was the one that caused that, not our dearest Discount Cthulu. Yes, that was the catalyst; yes, that was horrifying. But Aquaman was the one who made the narrator doubt, who dropped him off on a beach, in an effort to make him believe all that he saw was a dream. That’s where the desperation comes from: in the not knowing, in the uncertainty.

In the end, the beast can almost be understood. It can at least be defeated; there will be two people who can drive it back, stop it from taking over everything.

But the story is very conscious that this will diminish the horror, so it replaces that with another one, one who can’t be beat, who has enough power that Cthulu’s whisperings of power are a downgrade, who looks at a traumatized man and sees a lose end in need of cutting, and it’s our favourite talks-to-fish man. And that’s a truly fantastic narrative choice.

#rip to etrigan but aquaman rlly does steal the show in this comic #infodumping #arthur curry #aquaman #etrigan the demon #my posts #i think about this comic a lot #idk what made someone say 'you know what me need? a lovecraftian etrigan/aquaman crossover' but boy am i glad they did!! #i think the prose in this story could be stronger and the art is better suited to supehero comics than lovecraftian horror #which does work against the comic a bit unfortunately #but still. it's so good #really bold choice to try and make aquaman look scary in his normal goofy looking bright orange outfit but you know what #i respect that. if you can't make aquaman scary in orange you don't deserve to make him scary in a different colour #also it's kinda weird calling arthur aquaman so consistently but that's what the story calls him so

[ikindamissbeingphysical]

5 Times Musa wore Riven’s clothes

Read here or on ao3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29376804

1.

The Alfea Games is a bullshit annual tradition. It's an exam masquerading as a tournament, just a way for the teachers and high rankers of the Kingdom to see who they want to pluck out of the Academy and take for their army, or task force, or some other random position Riven could really not care less about.

Still, he's competitive, and if there's one thing he likes doing, it's beating Sky.

He slashes, a dagger in each fist, at the Burned One projection and it falls to its knees shrieking.

The stands are full of students cheering, and Riven gets a rush at their applause.

"Show off." Sky pants from beside him, as Riven's tally flicks up to 7, and Sky's stays stubbornly at 4.

"Jealous, much?" Riven grins; relieved when the half-time bell chimes because his legs are sore, and the late afternoon sun still burns as it begins to dip out of the sky. He and the other Specialists head over to the shade and he rifles through his rucksack for some water as Sky goes to kiss Bloom, who's leaning over the rail; red tresses swaying in the breeze.

"You were amazing!" Bloom gushes, and Sky beams at her, and Riven mimes throwing up.

Someone laughs.

He turns to see Musa, headphones around her neck, hair in pigtails, and-and-

In his jacket.

She's wearing his jacket. His leather jacket. It's draped over her shoulders. Her bare shoulders, because she's wearing some strapless, form-fitting purple dress, and Riven's coat, she's wearing Riven's-

"You okay, man?" Sky asks, and Riven realises they're all looking at him, and he's still looking at Musa, and her big, brown eyes are lit up a sort of hazel in the red setting sun.

He nods, waving them off, and chugs more of his water, trying to temper his heartbeat.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Musa asks, more quietly, her irises flaring purple. Her eyebrows stitch together worriedly. "You're like- really anxious. It's just a game."

"Stay out of my head." He hisses furiously, petrified that she might be able to see, might be able to tell-

She leans away from him, scowling. "Fine. Whatever."

He's grateful when the bell rings again, but his winning streak is gone. As the flood-lights turn on and the sun disappears, he misses target after target. He keeps getting pinned by fucking rookies and everyone else's tally continues to jump up as his dies on a plateau.

He can see her, in his peripheral, wearing his jacket and she probably doesn't even know it's his. She probably doesn't know how she looks in that leather swamping her frame, the collar resting at her neck, where the skin looks so soft that-

"Fuck, dude," Sky curses, hauling Riven off his ass. "Pull yourself together."

"She's wearing my jacket." He snaps, and Sky looks at him blankly for a moment, before he groans.

"Dude, I know you're like, against sharing, but she was freezing and it was just lying there. I'd have given her mine, but Bloom had already-"

"It's fine, just-" Riven tries to shake it off, "I'm focused."

He can't help a final glance over his shoulder, to see Musa leaning sleepily against the railings, headphones now secured over her ears, resting her chin on her arms. On his jacket sleeves. She's lit by the silver floodlights, and her eyes are half-closed, and he wonders what she's listening to. He wonders-

The Burned One knocks him to the ground, and the buzzer blares.

2.

The next day, traces of her perfume linger on his jacket, swirling around him the way she does, always, in his thoughts.

It's sweet, like honey and vanilla, like home-spun sugar and toffee.

He'd found his jacket right on the bench where he'd left it after the game: the stands empty, the game over. It had been folded neatly and left just beside his things and he'd slid it on and tried not to replay their interaction in his head.

Today's a new day.

As part of Sky's new scheme to become the best boyfriend in the history of boyfriends, they've been sitting with the Winx Suite most lunch times. It's not exactly Riven's idea of a good time. He feels some horrid mix of guilt and irritation whenever he looks at Terra, and Aisha glowers at him like his very proximity will end in her getting a suspension. He spends most of the time arguing with Stella, and trying (failing) not to look at Musa while Sky and Bloom stray the line between PDA and go get a room.

When he gets to the cafeteria and heads for the table, he's surprised, and maybe a little thrilled, to see that it's just Musa at the table.

She stands up as soon as she seems him.

"Good, the others just left. They wanted to have lunch out by the lake. Bloom has apparently ‘found a place’. C'mon, we can catch up."

He has no option but to follow her, and sure enough, half-way across the field is the whole merry-fucking-gang. Riven doesn't know how to feel. Sky could've texted, if his brain was capable of fathoming anything other than Bloom when she was nearby. Were they even going to invite him? Was he going to get to the cafeteria to see an empty table? They probably wouldn't have missed him anyway, he thinks bitterly.

And yet- Musa was there. Waiting.

He looks at her thoughtfully, and her eyes flash purple when she catches him. She winces. "It wasn't like that." She says, "they were caught up in the idea of going there. They weren't purposely trying to leave you behind."

Jesus Christ, can't she just-

"I'm sorry," she barrels on, as they fall into the same steps, almost caught up to the others. "I'm trying to respect your privacy and everything, I'm working on it- my control isn't great at the moment."

"You should work on that." He mutters.

Her shoulders slump dejectedly. "I know."

Well, fuck, he didn't mean to- he swallows hard. "I'm tanking my field training." He says, trying to ignore her look of surprise at this freely-offered information. "Great at everything else, but camouflage? The element of surprise? I'm struggling. It's hard. I also fucking hate it, so there's that."

She huffs out a small laugh. "I bet you just like the thrill of attacking someone face to face. None of that 'sneaking up on you' bullshit."

He grins before he can check himself, and she catches it, and smiles too.

"There you are!" Bloom calls excitedly, "c'mon, we're gonna use Stella's ring."

Riven hates to give Bloom props for anything- and it isn't because he doesn't like her, or anything like that- he's just reluctant to acknowledge anybody's good traits since they all seem so loathe to see any in him- but the lake is nice.

Large and leafy green, surrounded by trees and over-hung by the clear blue sky. There's a sunbeaten deck strutting proudly into the middle, and Aisha strips out of her clothes to reveal a swim suit, and in three great strides, dives in like a dolphin.

The rest of them stare after her in awe.

"Are you always wearing that under your clothes?" Riven asks, toeing off his shoes, watching as Aisha tumble turns and glides through the water like a dolphin. She smiles at him from the water, and he's surprised by the look of it on her face. For the first time, she looks relaxed. Stress-free. Content.

Bloom and Stella change into their swim suits, as he and Sky just strip down to their boxers. Bloom wolf-whistles, and Sky blushes.

Riven puffs his chest out, winking at Stella who scoffs at him. He turns to find Musa. She's shrugged off her coat and shoes, and is rifling through her bag in confusion. She's too pre-occupied to notice his abs. Riven tries not to take offence.

"I can't find my- oh shit." Musa groans, thumping her head. "I left it back in the fire circle."

"Oh! Don't worry, Musa," Terra says brightly, as she sits, fully-dressed, on the mossy bank, with a stack of books beside her. "You can sit this one out with me!"

Musa turns to her with a smile (that to Riven, looks fucking forced) just as Bloom and Sky jump in. They scream, splashing Stella who cannon-balls in after them. Riven watches Musa's face, can see the hidden longing in her eyes.

A part of him wants to tease her, entice her in by saying how much he wouldn't mind if they decided to go skinny-dipping instead, but he knows it ultimately wouldn't work. Instead, he reaches for his discarded black tee, and tosses it to her.

"Should be long enough to preserve your modesty," he says, going for casual and heading for the dock. "Considering you're such a short-arse."

Musa sticks her tongue out at him, but she eagerly turns to get changed and Riven plunges into the lake to resist the urge to watch.

The water is warm and licks at his skin as the sun beats down onto his shoulders. It's deep and he can't quite graze the bottom, and he's suddenly, a little stupidly, grateful for knowing Sky. Grateful that he gets to be here. He floats on his back, staring up at the sky and letting himself just bask in the moment. As the water laps in his ears, he can hear the others laughing, Aisha swimming, Stella screaming, and the sun warms red spots onto his eye lids, marvellous colours in the dark- so he opens them.

Just in time to see Musa standing on the dock.

Suddenly, all his attention is on her. Her long, tan legs on display, his tee, his t-shirt, tickling down past her hips, and she jumps.

Okay. Turns out it's not a leather jacket thing. Anything that's his looks good on her. He could look good on her.

He watches for her when she re-surfaces, as she joins in splashing Stella, and he waits, waits, waits, until- victory.

She swims over to him. A little way away from the group, to where he's treading water alone. The t-shirt clings to her and he wants to touch her and-

"Hey," she says, with wet hair and water droplets on her eyelashes. "Thanks for the tee."

He shrugs. "I'd rather you'd jumped in without anything on."

She hits him, but finally, finally, he gets her eyes on him. They linger, as the water rivets roll down the breadth of his shoulders, his chest, down to- her eyes flicker away, cheeks red.

"Don't be shy," he purrs, "I'm hot. It's not a sin to look. You're hot too. Dancer’s body. Bet you're flexible."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She murmurs, before her eyes flash purple. He tries not to let it irritate him. He hates the violation of his privacy, but he knows she can't control it- but she turns away from him, and he follows her gaze to Terra, sitting balefully alone. "If I do what I'm gonna do," she whispers, and his heart trips up a little, at her whispering to him over the water, pulling him in closer. A secret just for the two of them. "Promise you won't tell anyone."

Riven grins. "I'm great with secrets."

Musa takes a breath, before she stares at Terra, face tense with concentration, eyes shimmering purple.

Riven turns to look at Terra expectantly. "You're mind-controlling her?"

"No." Musa mutters, still focused, "I'm just trying to increase her confidence, trying to-"

Terra looks up suddenly, and Musa hurriedly grabs Riven's arm to move behind him.

"The water does look good!" Terra calls, "is it warm?"

"Oh, it's lovely, Terra!" Musa hollers back, "you should come in!"

"Yes! Join us!" Bloom sings, from her position perched on Sky's shoulders.

Terra wavers. Riven can feel Musa's hand curled around his arm, her body against his back. "I don't have my costume!" She yells.

"You're wearing like five layers," Stella calls, "you can spare one."

Terra chews on her bottom lip, and Riven turns his head to whisper: "can't you boost it anymore?"

"I'm trying." Musa insists quietly, "I can't manufacture it. I can only enhance what's already there."

"Terra," Riven yells, startling her, "if you come in, I'll let you dunk me."

Sky bursts out laughing, and Terra giggles.

"Well, I can't resist that!" She says, getting to her feet. Riven turns away, looking down at Musa who's beaming up at him.

"Wow." She says, pressing her lips together to hide the glee in her tone. "That was very sweet."

"Fuck off." Riven mutters, but his eyes are on the collar of his wet tee as it clings to her skin. "I only did it because that was bloody painful to watch. By the way, is there anything else you can do with your powers that I should watch out for?"

Musa tips her head contemplatively. "Actually, yes." She lifts her hands and cups his face. He startles a little, at her fingertips against his jaw, before he sees her eyes purple and shimmer, and then suddenly, a weird emotion clouds into his head. It's familiar yet foreign, it's-

gratitude?

"It's meant to be gratitude." Musa says, when her eyes are back to normal and she's panting a little, "I'm not great at-"

"I got it." He reassures her, “I felt it."

She smiles, pleased, pushing away from him to swim further to the centre of the lake.

He watches her go, mind reeling. More powerful than he thought, though he's not sure why he's surprised. He can still feel her hands on his face. He wants to swim after her, but Terra and Sky corner him, eager to see him dunked.

3.

It marks a turning point for the group as a whole.

The afternoon at the lake has softened grudges, strengthened bonds, and Terra talks to him more over lunch. Aisha doesn't bore him so much, not now he can see her for more than a stuck-up rule-follower. He and Stella get along as well as they usually do, but their barbs seem less sharp than before. Bloom has always been pretty accepting, and Musa-

Well, she's Musa.

She's making him lose all sense of normalcy, of sanity, because that's the only reason he'd agree to this fucking slumber party.

"No, I think it was better over there." Sky says, changing his mind for the fourth time, as Riven struggles under the weight of the mattress. The entire floor is covered with pillows and cushions and Sky needs to make up his mind before Riven kills him. "No, no, you were right- put it back."

"Jesus," Riven groans, setting it down and spotting the stack of Disney Princess movies. "We're two guys about to sleep with five girls, and you're suggesting we watch Pocahontas?"

"They won the coin toss," Sky shrugs, "besides, I always liked the little hummingbird."

The girls arrive after Laurie, the RI for the floor, has done her final rounds. They shuffle into the room on tiptoes, and Riven closes it behind them, meeting Musa's eyes. Her hair's down and loose around her shoulders, and he's never seen it like that before. In her soft looking, cotton pyjamas, some rainbow sweater, she's more enticing than usual so he busies himself with the popcorn as Sky sets out the rest of the snacks.

"This is a nice set-up, guys," Bloom grins, getting comfy right in the middle. Sky joins her, and soon, the lights are off- bar Stella's glowing little ball- and everyone's shuffling into place.

Bloom and Sky are cosied up to one another, and Aisha and Terra are tucked neatly into one corner. Stella fancies herself above the ground, and lies on Sky's bed, half her attention on her phone.

Musa settles in the other corner, leaning against a mountain of cushions, and Riven debates for about half a second before he joins her.

"Hi," she whispers, sounding pleased, "wanna hear a sad story?"

Their thighs are touching. Her fleece pants are warm against his bare leg, and the cushions are ridiculously comfortable, and she looks so different with her hair down, her face almost obscured from him. "Sure," he whispers back.

She points are her bare feet. "I forgot my socks."

He snorts. "If that's your idea of a sad story-" he breaks off into a hiss when she cruelly presses her toes onto his shin. "Jesus, they're fucking ice." He complains, and she laughs, tossing a kernel of popcorn into the air and catching it perfectly between her teeth.

He reaches over her, feels her entire body stiffen and does his best to ignore it, opening one of his drawers and pulling out a pair of mis-matched socks.

She takes them gleefully, leaning down to pull them on. Her shirt rides up and he catches a glimpse of her lower back, and when she sits up- she catches him. Their eyes dart away from each other, and the first hour of Pocahontas is a stiff, awkward affair. The darkness seems to electrify the space between them and Riven's too afraid to move. Musa seems to be feeling the same way, but then Terra starts singing along with the song, and the the air relaxes a little.

Then, somehow, in Little Mermaid 2, Riven's oddly invested in Melody and her pull to the sea, when Musa sighs, sinking back further into the cushions, resting her body weight on Riven, looking completely content.

"You comfortable?" He teases, and she smiles lazily up at him, wiggling her toes in his socks.

"Very comfortable." She says, and he isn't thinking when he says:

"You're insufferably cute, you know that?"

He regrets it immediately, but it's slipped out, and Musa barely seems to notice his panic. She just yawns, and then she- she- rests her head on his shoulder, and her hair fans down over him, and tickles his arm.

He feels, suddenly, the rather vicious urge to protect her. He's on high-alert, for some reason, for any intruder, because she's here, half-asleep, resting against him. So trusting. So vulnerable, and-

The DVD menu chimes on repeat, and when Riven looks up he realises that everyone else is asleep, and Stella's orb of light has vanished into darkness, and that it's well past midnight.

Slowly, gently, he rests his cheek on Musa's head, feels the way they're tucked in together, and he closes his eyes.

4.

He's not sure how it happened.

How they can go one minute from a group of friends binging Disney movies, to out here, in the woods, watching Bloom's fucking fire wings and surrounded on all sides by Burned Ones. Real ones. Not projections.

The girls are all glowing, eyes burning, and there's splashes of water, tangling ivy, shooting flames, blinding light and Musa: shouting locations as she tracks them.

"Try to project lethargy!" Aisha screams, clutching one arm, as Sky slashes a Burned One along the chest.

Riven jams two sharp jabs into the torso of another, and growls over his shoulder. "She's already fucking tracking them, Aisha! Why don't you just water-board them some more?"

Musa doesn't mediate their bickering, just whirls and points and says "Another three over there, I can sense them. They want Bloom!"

Sky and Terra immediately run over to Bloom, who has fire burning along her shoulders, and it's so arresting a sight that Riven doesn't even notice when the Burned One crumbles into ash beneath him.

He doesn't notice when another hisses just to his left. He can't get his blade out in time, and it has one deformed hand around his throat, claws pricking into his skin when Musa's suddenly shoving him away, taking his place, and he just has time to notice, to scream- when she lunges forward, and stabs the monster in the chest. It howls, and she yells out in unison, her voice shaking with agony, a sound that'll haunt him.

The Burned One crumples, and Musa with it.

"Musa!" Stella cries, racing over, trying to get closer, but Riven blocks her, taking Musa's chin in his hands, tilting her face up. There are tears stained along her cheeks, and her eyes are still rimmed purple.

"I felt it," she gasps, clutching Riven's arms, still shaking, "I felt it die, I felt it-"

"It's okay." Stella insists, voice shaky, rubbing Musa's back. "You did amazing, you did so great."

Musa clenches her eyes shut. "I've gotta- I can feel more of them."

"Take a minute." Riven pleads, trying to catch his breath, feeling blood move sluggishly down his own neck. "Take a minute, you just fucking saved my life, you're allowed a goddamn minute."

His entire being seems to light up at the small, strained smile she gives him. Stella sees the smile too, so she shoots Riven a look that says keep going, moron.

He doesn't need her prompting. "And what a sexy knife move. Where'd you get that blade?"

This earns more of a laugh from her. Relieved and a little hysterical sounding, but a laugh nonetheless. She holds the blade up, and its blue handle glints in the moonlight. "Stole it from you." She says, and he wants to tell her it isn't the only thing she's stolen from him. She has everything he is in the palm of her hand, and she saved his life. She hands the dagger back to him, and he shakes his head.

"Keep it. You look hot with a knife in your hand."

Musa laughs again, still a little choked up, and the two of them help her to her feet. He doesn't want to let go for her, but she sniffles, nodding, so Riven just sticks close by the rest of the night.

They defeat the burned ones with minimal injuries. Aisha's leg is broken, and Terra's bandaged it as best she can, as they limp back to the school. Dowling and Silva meet them half way, overflowing with worry and gratitude, and at their insistence, Riven collapses into a bed in the infirmary as they tend to his neck.

They put Musa in the bed beside him, and he sees claw marks on her ribs, and it's a good thing the Burned Ones are dead, because it's the only thing stopping him from marching right out into that forest to have their heads.

5.

He's on his way back from the drinks table, two glasses in his hands, when he notices that Musa isn't there anymore.

Terra points to the back door. "She needed to step out. Mind fairy thing."

Riven nods, setting down the drinks and heading for the exit.

It's a warm summer night, and the air is humid, and Musa's standing out on the grass, gazing up at the stars.

She must feel his mental presence, because she turns and smiles.

He heads over to her, and she steps easily into the circle of his arms, and he holds her tightly.

Here they are. At the Alfea Ball, dating. Their three month anniversary is coming up soon, and Riven has something in mind. He's excited to see her reaction. But right now, he just basks in having her in his arms. She's a vision, in a lace-sleeved, indigo dress, her hair up the way he likes, and heels that mean she doesn't need to tiptoe to kiss him.

"Sorry," she murmurs, "got a little loud in there."

"I don't mind," he reassures, dropping a kiss onto her head. He feels her shiver, so he shrugs out of his tux jacket and drapes it over her shoulders. As pulls it around her, she looks up at him, soft and smiling, and his throat goes a little dry. "What?"

"Nothing," she shrugs, "you just look very dapper in your tux. I'm feeling it." Her hands slide up onto the plane of his chest, and he grins, nipping at her nose.

"Shall we get out of here, then?"

She hums in agreement, but tangles her fingers into his hair to pull him down for a kiss. As usual, the heat flares down to his stomach, and he pulls her tighter to his body.

"We should get out of here," he insists, kissing at her jaw, "or we'll definitely get suspended."

Musa laughs, and she leads the way back to the dorms.

Once there, he whispers, low and greedy into her ear, to take off everything but his jacket.

"Is this some sort of kink?" She asks delightedly, once his tux suit is the only thing on her gorgeous body, and she's straddling him, thighs spread over his, her fingers dragging through his hair.

"I don't know," he admits, even though he knows it's only a thing for him when she's involved. "I think I just look really good on you."

She bites his neck and scratches his down his back, and it hurts and he loves it, and she looks down at the marks like a satisfied kitten with tiger claws. "I look good on you too." She whispers, and he kisses her again.

And again.

And again.

#rivusa #riven x musa #fate: the winx saga #mutual pining #fic

[f0xwrite]

A snippet from Andaman...written circa 2018. (Rated T for alightly mature themes)

The sound of cool, clear waves lapping against the entrance of the cave in the moonlight mixed soothingly with the subdued gusts of the ocean’s tropic breeze, lulling Walter into a sleepy daze. Somewhere in the distance,dolphins still splashed in the frothy brine, their noise mixing strangely with the steady hum of insects, and the haunting call of the occasional bird. A small and dying fire crackled along the edge of his hidden cove, charring the remains of his barely-touched dinner.

He’d given up on trying to summon Morgana. Varied macabre attempts at trying to get her attention had proven futile. It didn’t matter which variety of star-lit ritual she performed, or how many times he said her name, there was never any answer save for the island breeze. He would have done better to stay in Myeik at the Hotel Grand Jade, drinking his weight in the jugs of palm wine he’d bummed off of one of the locals. The hotel was dated, but comfortable. He’d paid for his stay in cold cash--as untraceable as it was uncanny--and from the top floor he’d felt safe enough staking out until he could chart a course to North Sentinel Island. Not many would be willing to take the chance of drawing close enough to the island for him to easily swim ashore, especially at night.

The indigenous peoples of North Sentinel Island were known to be hostile, rejecting all contact with the outside world and killing anyone who stepped foot on their sands. Many had died in the pursuit of aiding or interfering with their lifestyle, or had been arrested by the Indian navy for coming too close. It would take a hefty sum to convince anyone to charter him across. Arriving in his own vessel was not an option—he’d have to sink the boat, and the risk of being spotted in unfamiliar waters was too high. Money wasn’t an object, of course, as long as he’d been around, but people often wanted something less traceable, in case the government came a-looking.

He’d purchased a motorcycle, one with a small enough engine to maneuver easily through the streets, but powerful enough to make a quick getaway if needed--Janus would be on his heels in moments if they caught wind, and he’d been in the hierarchy long enough to know that they were never very far behind. Thus outfitted, he’d traveled, often ferrying to Andaman island to search for the idea hire. To the people there, he looked relatively normal--a traveler, but one well versed in their ways and culture. Instead of his typical brown suit and jumper he wore a light tunic, sandals, and khakis. His hair had grown longer—partially induced by a spell—and the light traces of a beard cast shadows around his face. After years in clean-cut Arcadia, he’d barely recognized himself in the mirror. Barbara, even if she hadn’t been stripped of her memory, would struggle to find familiarity in this new visage.

Barbara.

For every memory Vendel’s incantation had taken from her, his seemed to have increased tenfold. Every impossibly blue wave reminded him of her eyes, every hungry fire of her flame-brushed hair, every tremulous star of her vibrant soul. Much like the water in her namesake, there was no shape he could find that she couldn’t fill, save for the gaping holes she’d left in him.

Every step of his journey, he’d been haunted.

He’d managed to track down a willing candidate to take him to the island. An younger fisherman man with a new family who was in desperate need of a new form of transportation. For the cost of a the motorcycle, he’d found himself sneaking off on a small fishing vessel in the middle of the night. There had only been one small scare with a navy boat, but they’d gotten lucky, and the journey was otherwise flawless. When he’d finally waded onto the perilous sands of North Sentinel’s shore, dry-sacks in hand, and waved his hired hand off, he was met with an eerie silence.

The bustle of the city and the boats had been some distraction, but this..he would never stop thinking about her.

And he hadn’t, not even two months later, no matter how many times he tried to summon Morgana back. Now, by his crackling fire, he thought of her again, and of her son, and of how he’d wronged them. He’d caught wind of Angor’s defeat and Jim’s disappearance into the Darklands in an internet cafe before he’d stranded himself. Oh course the boy had gone alone. Altruism at his finest. He wondered if Barbara even knew, and if she did, god help him.

To these thoughts, he drifted into a sleep-like trance, where the memories always flooded in:

He’s standing in the California breeze, two ice cream cones in hand, searching for her blue eyes in the sea of moving faces on the street.

“Walter!” he turns to see her making her way through a cluster of teenagers. School is out for the afternoon, and the world is buzzing with the excitement of Friday night. Her face is warm and bright as she strides up to him, and he spreads his arms wide to avoid dripping on her lab-coat as she slides her arms around him in a hug.

“Fresh from the parlor,” he pecks the top of her red head before pulling away to lower the cone in front of her. “Strawberry, as the lady requested.”

“I see you got the same thing.” She smiles as her hand wraps around the pointed cone.

“How could I resist?” His tongue flicks out to catch a drop of cream along his own cone, smiling when her pupils dilate.

The next few minutes are spent happily licking away as they walk through the warm spring air, making their way toward the local park.

It’s when they’re walking by the pond, that it catches his eye.

“Dr. Barbara V. Lake,” He reads aloud, pausing to stand in front of her. “I haven’t seen this coat before. What does the V stand for?”

“V for very, very, very happy to see you right now.” She jokes and then bites into the cone.

“Oh, come now.” They both wince as she gets brain-freeze. “Surely you’ll tell me.”

“Hmm, what do I get out of it?” Her smile grows coy.

“Dinner,” he clears his throat, brandishing his own sultry look as he finishes his cone. “Chinese. I’ll buy extra eggrolls.”

“You really know how to woo a woman.”

“I do,” he bites his lip.

“Viviane.”

Something jolted within him—a bit of memory, a quick blur—causing the foundations of his soul to settle, as though they’d been out-of-sorts his entire life.

“It’s beautiful.” He bent low to kiss the space above her ear. “And it suits you.”

He watches as his voice makes her spine shiver shiver, and she almost drops her cone. “Well, I hope so. It was my grandmothers name. I take after her in almost every regard. She was a nurse in the army, you know. Traveled the whole world. I used to listen to all of her incredible stories.”

“I should thank her for raising such an incredible spirit.”

“I wish you could. She’s gone now.” Barbara’s eyes grow heavy, “died right around the time that James left, actually. She would have <i>loved</i> you,” she smiled into his neckline.

“Oh really?” Humor bubbled from his throat.

“Well, you have an intoxicating sense of charm, and she had this massive thing for piano-hands.”

Stepping back, Walter moves to wrap his arms around her from behind as they gaze over the pond. “Couldn’t blame her. I’ve got some rousing sonatas up my sleeve.”

“Yeah, I don’t think it was just about the musical skill.” She chuckles. "Grammy was a fireball."

“In that case, I also have some ‘a’rousing sonatas,” he said in a beat.

They both laugh, melting into the syrupy sweetness of the moment, bodies swaying, pendulum-slow in a half-dance that leads them nowhere.

He woke.

“Viviane” He muttered to the silver-tipped waves, eyes blinking past the moonlight. “I’ve heard that name before. But where?” A scuttling crab distracted his gaze, and then his head fell back against the palm-fronds.

The next dreams weren’t rooted in his memory. They were silly, really, nothing of consequence--full of deep and ancient forests, bloodied horns against bovine fur, and the soft, bright bloom of a fragile flower.

#stricklake #walter strickler #barbara lake #andaman

[struck-by-the-moon]

The Worship of Taurian Artemis and Iphigeneia

      I wanted to write this post because I worship Iphigeneia and I think it is kinda neat. There is a connection between Artemis as she was worshipped in Tauris and Iphigeneia. Iphigeneia may have been syncretized with Artemis and the goddess who was worshipped in Tauris. Artemis has a few epithets that are related to Iphigeneia.

“O′RTHIA (Orthia, Orthias, or Orthôsia) a surname of the Artemis who is also called Iphigeneia or Lygodesma, and must be regarded as the goddess of the moon. Her worship was probably brought to Sparta from Lemnos. It was at the altar of Artemis Orthia that Spartan boys had to undergo the diamastigosis (Schol. ad Pind. Ol. iii. 54 ; Herod. iv. 87; Xenoph. de Rep. Lac. ii. 10). She also had temples at Brauron, in the Cerameicus at Athens, in Elis, and on the coast of Byzantium. The ancients derived her surname from mount Orthosium or Orthium in Arcadia.” (Theoi.com-Artemis Cult titles and epithets)

“TAU′RICA (DEA) (hê Taurikê), "the Taurian goddess," commonly called Artemis. Her image was believed to have been carried from Tauris by Orestes and Iphigenia, and to have been conveyed to Brauron, Sparta, or Aricia. The worship of this Taurian goddess, who was identified with Artemis and Iphigenia, was carried on with orgiastic rites and human sacrifices, and seems to have been very ancient in Greece. (Paus. iii. 16. § 6; Herod. iv. 103.) (Theoi.com-Artemis Cult titles and epithets)

“TAURIO′NE, TAURO, TAURO′POLOS, or TAURO′POS (Tauriônê, Taurô, Tauropolo, Taurôpos), originally a designation of the Taurian goddess, but also used as a surname of Artemis or even Athena, both of whom were identified with the Taurian goddess. (Hesych. s. v. tauropolai.) The name has been explained in different ways, some supposing that it means the goddess worshipped in Tauris, going around (i. e. protecting) the country of Tauris, or the goddess to whom bulls are sacrificed; while others explain it to mean the goddess riding on bulls, drawn by bulls, or killing bulls. Both explanations seem to have one thing in common, namely, that the bull was probably the ancient symbol of the bloody and savage worship of the Taurian divinity. (Schol. ad Soph. Ajac. 172 ; Eurip. Iphig. Taur. 1457 ; Müller, Orchom. p. 305, &c. 2d ed.)”(Theoi.com-Artemis Cult titles and epithets)

Iphigenia is also mentioned alongside Artemis and the Taurian goddess in Herodotus’ Histories and Pausanias’ description of Greece. This shows that Iphigeneia was worshipped but was also syncretized with Artemis which is interesting.

“Among these, the Tauri have the following customs: all ship-wrecked men, and any Greeks whom they capture in their sea-raids, they sacrifice to the Virgin goddess1 as I will describe: after the first rites of sacrifice, they strike the victim on the head with a club; [2] according to some, they then place the head on a pole and throw the body off the cliff on which their temple stands; others agree as to the head, but say that the body is buried, not thrown off the cliff. The Tauri themselves say that this deity to whom they sacrifice is Agamemnon's daughter Iphigenia. [3] As for enemies whom they defeat, each cuts his enemy's head off and carries it away to his house, where he places it on a tall pole and stands it high above the dwelling, above the smoke-vent for the most part. These heads, they say, are set up to guard the whole house. The Tauri live by plundering and war.” (Herodotus Book 4 chapter 103)

“Pausanias has left us two sources that identify Artemis with Iphigenia: in one of them he mentions a temple of Artemis at Hermione in Argolis where this goddess is called Iphigenia (Paus. II, 35, 1), i.e. testifies of a cult of Artemis-Iphigenia; in the other – a temple of Artemis with a statue of Iphigenia in Aigira, Achaea, which according to the explanation of the periegetes meant that in ancient times the temple had been dedicated to Iphigenia” (Paus. VII. 26. 5).” (The Cult of Artemis-Iphigenia,Ruja Popova 59) “[7.26.5] There is also a temple of Artemis, with an image of the modern style of workmanship. The priestess is a maiden, who holds office until she reaches the age to marry. There stands here too an ancient image, which the folk of Aegeira say is Iphigeneia, the daughter of Agamemnon. If they are correct, it is plain that the temple must have been built originally for Iphigeneia.” (Pausanias 7.26.5)

“Near the latter is a temple of Dionysus of the Black Goatskin. In his honor every year they hold a competition in music, and they offer prizes for swimming-races and boat-races. There is also a sanctuary of Artemis surnamed Iphigenia, and a bronze Poseidon with one foot upon a dolphin. Passing by this into the sanctuary of Hestia, we see no image, but only an altar, and they sacrifice to Hestia upon it.” (Pausanias 2.35.1)

“They say that there is also a shrine of the heroine Iphigenia; for she too according to them died in Megara. Now I have heard another account of Iphigenia that is given by Arcadians and I know that Hesiod, in his poem A Catalogue of Women, says that Iphigenia did not die, but by the will of Artemis is Hecate. With this agrees the account of Herodotus, that the Tauri near Scythia sacrifice castaways to a maiden who they say is Iphigenia, the daughter of Agamemnon. Adrastus also is honored among the Megarians, who say that he too died among them when he was leading back his army after taking Thebes, and that his death was caused by old age and the fate of Aegialeus. A sanctuary of Artemis was made by Agamemnon when he came to persuade Calchas, who dwelt in Megara, to accompany him to Troy.” (Pausanias 1.43.1) “Four ideas must be kept in mind when considering this conundrum. The first is that Herodotos did travel to the Crimea personally, and thus he was a first-hand observer of this aspect of Tauric religion. Second, the historian specifies that it is the Tauroi themselves who make this claim, not Greeks who attribute this identity to a foreign deity. Third, it is obvious that both the word “Parthenos” and the name Iphigeneia are Greek, meaning that the indigenous Tauroi were clearly sufficiently influenced by their Greek neighbors by the fifth century at the latest to have adopted a foreign identification for their own goddess. Fourth, we have virtually no indigenous evidence about Tauric religion, and thus we are unable to see the native divinity behind the Greek overlay.” (Gods and Heroes: Artemis, 123)

 I think that the author here raises a good question about the quotes in Herodotus’ Histories regarding Iphigeneia in Tauris, and we don’t really have an answer yet. But what is in Herodotus’ Histories combined with Iphigeneia being mentioned more than once in Pausanias’ description of Greece shows that she was worshipped even in Greece.

Bibliography

"Artemis Titles And Epithets". Theoi.Com, 2000, https://www.theoi.com/Cult/ArtemisTitles.html. Accessed 18 Jan 2021.

"Herodotus, The Histories,Book 4, Chapter 103". Perseus.Tufts.Edu, 2021, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0126:book=4:chapter=103. Accessed 18 Jan 2021.

"Pausanias, Description Of Greece,Achaia, Chapter 26, Section 5". Perseus.Tufts.Edu, 2021, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+7.26.5&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160. Accessed 18 Jan 2021.

"Pausanias, Description Of Greece,Attica, Chapter 43, Section 1". Perseus.Tufts.Edu, 2021, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+1.43.1. Accessed 18 Jan 2021.

"Pausanias, Description Of Greece,Corinth, Chapter 35, Section 1". Perseus.Tufts.Edu, 2021, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+2.35.1&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160. Accessed 18 Jan 2021.

Budin, Stephanie. Gods And Heroes-Artemis. Routledge, 2016, p. 123.

Popova, Ruja. "The Cult Of Artemis-Iphigenia In The Tauric Chersonesus: The Movement Of An Aition". Orpheus Journal Of Indo European And Thracian Studies, vol 18, 2011, p. 59., Accessed 18 Jan 2021.

#helpol #hellenism #artemis #artemis deity #iphigeneia

[rizlowwritessortof]

The Pool House

This was inspired by a VERY inspiring dream I had the other night, and also urged-on by my lovely bestie (and fellow degenerate) @jensensgotyoudean​ - Liz, this one’s for you! (And me. Not gonna lie.) Hope y’all enjoy!

Pairing: Dean x Original Female Character

Word Count: 2365

Warnings: None, oral sex, Dean having fun for a change

The scent of the sweet almond verbena and wild roses planted around the pool almost won the battle to overpower the smell of chlorine, a strangely pleasing combination. But then, everything was pleasing at the moment – warm water lapping against her skin, only the underwater lights from the pool to brighten the scene, the muscles of Dean’s back gleaming in the reflected glow as he dived beneath the surface.

It seemed like a dream, this whole night. The wealthy owner of the sprawling home across the enormous lawn from the pool had been incredibly grateful for their work of the past couple of days, ridding him of a particularly nasty poltergeist that had caused minor injuries and constant damage to the house. He had offered them the weekend use of the guest house/pool house, free use of the pool, and had stocked the guest house kitchen with food and drink enough for an army. Or Dean. They had made a flying trip to the mall for suits, then headed for the pool.

They swam together for a while, laughing and splashing like a couple of twelve-year-olds, but now she was lounging against the side, sipping at an icy margarita. Dean was having the time of his life, completely embracing the moment, and she couldn’t help but smile. He needed this, to drop the weight that he usually carried on those broad shoulders, and opportunities like this were rare. He occasionally stopped by her side, pulling her close, his body warm and slick against hers, his fingers dipping beneath her bikini top to tease a nipple as he kissed her senseless.

Watching him like this was almost more intoxicating than the margarita. And his teasing was driving her crazy. He came to a splashing stop behind her and kissed her neck, sending goosebumps over her body as he slipped his hand into her suit bottom, then deftly penetrated her with two fingers, his other arm pulling her tight against his chest. “Baby, I know you’re wet, but… you’re wet,”  he murmured into her ear, then continued nibbling at her as he stroked slowly inside her.

“You’re such a tease,” she whined, her head thrown back against his shoulder.

“Makes it so much more fun later,” he taunted, sucking a mark into the tender skin at the slope of her shoulder. He brought her so close to the edge that she began to tremble, then pulled his hand back slowly and whispered into her ear again. “So much more fun.” He took off with a wicked chuckle, diving again like the world’s naughtiest dolphin, and she hung on to the pool edge for dear life as she struggled to calm herself again.

“You are such a dick!”

“You love it!” Jerk. He wasn’t wrong.

“You two havin’ a good time?” Their host strolled into view, and they greeted him with a smile.

“This is amazing, you have no idea how long it’s been since we were able to do something like this,” she answered. “Thank you again!”

“No, thank you. If y’all hadn’t taken care of that thing, I mighta just sold the damn place. Hey, just wanted to let you know, I have to leave on a business trip...”

“Oh.” Dean’s broad smile had faded, but he was hiding his disappointment well. “Hey, we can get our stuff together and get out of your way,” Dean said, heading for the side of the pool.

“Nope.” The owner was shaking his head and holding up a hand as he continued. “Wouldn’t think of askin’ y’all to leave. I’ll just lock up the main house, and I’ll lay the keys to the pool house inside the shower room, just lock up when you two leave and stick the keys in the mail slot at the house. No reason you need to go. Just wanted to let you know I was leavin’. You two enjoy yourselves, now!”

A few minutes later, they heard a honk from the BMW’s horn as their host left the property. Dean’s eyes were sparkling with delight as he swam to her side again, a lecherous smirk on his face. “Skinny dip time!” She couldn’t smother her smile, shaking her head as he reached around to undo her top, then helped her shed the bottom half. He tossed her suit on the side of the pool, and then stripped his own off and added it to the pile. “Come on, baby, swim with me,” he coaxed, pulling at her hand, and she responded with a playful splash to his face before diving under the surface. “Ohhhh, that’s how it’s gonna be, huh?”

They played for a while, chasing each other and, even more fun, catching each other. Dean finally trapped her against the side, tickling her until she could barely breathe. “Dean… stop, I mean it!” she managed to force out, laughing, and he took mercy on her, resting his hands at her waist and kissing her.

“I love how slippery you are,” he grinned, moving his hands over her body, then cupping her breast and kissing her again, the playfulness shifting to heat in a matter of seconds. He was moving his hips, his very evident erection trapped between their bodies, and she reached for him, feeling him gasp into their kiss.

“Maybe it’s time to get out of the water,” she mumbled against his lips, and he nipped gently at hers before nodding.

“Yeah. Maybe.” He moved away reluctantly, giving her one last kiss before climbing out of the pool and holding a hand out to help her. Once she was standing beside him, he smiled, his eyes lit up with mischief again. “Naked race to the pool house!”

Holy shit, the man was fast. She shouted, “No fair!” as she took off after him, but there was no way she’d catch him. She was caught in his arms as she reached the shower room, and he laughed, an unrestrained, full-bodied laugh that made her heart sing. This was what she wished for him all the time - freedom from the ever-present responsibility and worry, allowing him to let this side of himself out to play. God, she loved him.  

A stack of fluffy white towels sat nearby on a counter top, and she grabbed one with determination in her eyes. Against the opposite wall sat a bright white Adirondack chair, and she began to push him in that direction. He stumbled a little, a bemused smile on his face, and let her guide him. After she covered the seat of the chair with a towel, she nodded towards it. “Have a seat, cowboy, it’s my turn to play.”

“Oooh, I like the sound of that,” he responded with a grin, sitting down and relaxing against the reclining back of the chair, his arms laid along its arms. He was sprawled in the perfect position, knees spread, his cock jutting up proud, and she couldn’t help but stare for a moment. He was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen, but it would embarrass the hell out of him if she said anything like that, so she’d just have to show him.

She lowered herself down between his knees, watching his chest rise and fall with the quickening breath of anticipation. She trailed her fingertips up the insides of his thighs, then let the tips of her nails drag lightly back towards her. His eyelids fluttered almost closed, his tongue gripped between his teeth for a moment, his skin beginning to flush a little with arousal. His cock gave an anxious twitch, and she smiled. “Hello, gorgeous,” she said softly as she moved closer, stroking up his length gently, then leaning in to kiss the tip.

“So fucking sexy,” he panted, almost whimpering when she kissed him again, sucking gently and playing her tongue over the soft, warm skin. He swore softly and finally let his head drop back against the back of the chair with a thud.

This was exactly what she wanted, for him to just surrender himself to the pleasure, and she gave him a predatory smile before licking her lips and taking him into the welcoming heat of her mouth. She encircled him with one hand, a gentle twist with each bob of her head, working more of his length between her lips. She sucked as she drew back, then plunged him back inside further, fighting her gag reflex to take him in as far as she was able. He jumped as he hit the back of her throat, almost shouting, the sound echoing in the empty tiled room.

“Holy fuck… FUCK...” he just kept swearing, an endless mantra, squirming in the chair, his arms flung out and his back arching as she continued to work him over. She cupped his sac with her free hand, massaging him and letting the nail of her middle finger trail whisper-soft over his perineum, almost coming undone herself at his desperate, whining moan in response. “I can’t… I can’t… I’m gonna...” he was incoherent now, fighting to keep from bucking up into her mouth, and she pulled off slowly, staring into his glazed-over eyes.

“Stop fighting it. Just let go. I want you to,” she said firmly. He stared back, an almost pleading look in his eyes, their green hue dark and intense with arousal. “Please, Dean. I need you to.” Finally he gave a barely perceptible little nod, and she bit her lip, then smiled softly before lowering her head again.

She took him in slowly, reveling in his long, low, gut-deep groan at the sensation. She worked him in as deep as she could and then braced her hands on his thighs and gave a little nod. He didn’t move for a moment, and she sucked, digging her nails in a little, and he let out a growl that resounded through the room as he let himself go.

She was whimpering, fighting to relax her throat as he fucked up into her mouth, growling and grunting like a wild thing. She was on the edge herself, quaking, unable to catch her breath with the speed of his thrusts. He let loose with a savage shout as he came, the sound reverberating in the room, and she struggled to swallow as much as she could as he flooded her mouth and throat. He dropped back into the chair, panting hard, and she suckled at him gently, coaxing out the last drops of his seed.

She pulled off of him carefully, bending to wipe her face on the towel dangling from the chair between his legs. She leaned forward to kiss his belly, then laid her head there, relishing the ache in her jaw and throat.

They sat like that for several minutes, both of them too spent to move. She smiled, sighing contentedly when his hand touched her hair, his fingers stroking through it. When he shifted, moving to sit up, she sat back on her knees and looked up at him. He stared down at her, soft wonder in his eyes, reaching to cup her face in his hands. “Hey, sunshine,” he said, his voice a little hoarse, then leaned in to kiss her, tender and thorough. “You okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

She shook her head with a smile. “I’m good. So good.” She met his gaze again and her smile slowly faded as she lost herself in his eyes.

He stroked over her cheek with a work-roughened thumb. “When you look at me like that… there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for you.” His voice wavered just a little, and she closed her eyes against the sting of happy tears, leaning up to place a lingering kiss on his lips.

~~~~~~~~~~

Late – very late – the next morning, she lay sprawled on a lounge chair near the pool, basking in the sun, feeling lazy and sated and positively decadent, her mind lingering pleasantly on the perfect day and night before.

They had both showered and then stuffed themselves from the amazing array of meat, cheese, and fruit trays in the fridge, along with a few cold beers. Then she had crawled into bed, mere minutes ahead of him, and promptly fell asleep, unaware of Dean smiling indulgently down at her with a shake of his head before pulling her into his arms and joining her. She had pleasantly drifted back to consciousness a few hours later with Dean’s head between her thighs, his hands kneading at them as he drove her to a shattering climax. This time it had been her turn to fill the room with rasping, desperate cries and blissful sighs until she was begging him to fuck her, and he had pinned her down and given her exactly what she’d asked for.

She opened her eyes with a gasp as a spray of water doused her from the pool, Dean’s laughter contagious as she sat up, trying and failing to glare at him. “You’re in trouble.”

He grinned up at her from the water, droplets coursing down his face and shoulders. “Why don’t you come in here and teach me a lesson?” He swam to the middle and turned back, shouting, “And leave your suit. I don’t know why you’re wearing it, anyway!”

“Because sunburned nipples would be very bad.”

He made a pained face. “Ooooh, yeah. Well, I guess you’ll just have to stay in the water with me. I know, just turn yourself into a mermaid.” She jumped into the water and he swam close, pulling her in for a wet kiss, letting out a pleased hum as her breasts slipped and slid against his chest. “Yeah, I think we should look into a spell for that.”

“Not sure you’d like it,” she retorted with a little smirk. “Mermaids are missing something that you’re kinda fond of.” She laughed as his eyebrows drew together, then raised again as he nodded.

“Yeah. I’m real fond of those parts. Damn.” He kissed her again with a little squeeze to her breast and swam a few strokes away before turning, pointing towards her with a grin. “I know! Naked water sprite!”

God, she loved him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tags for mah babes! As always, PLEASE let me know if you want off this train!

@saenalife​    @deanscarlett​    @jensensgotyoudean​    @jinkieswouldyoulookatthis​    @deansdirtylittlesecretsblog​    @geeklibrarian​    @leatherwhiskeycoffeeplaid​    @aprofoundbondwithdean​    @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan​    @mrswhozeewhatsis​    @littlegreenplasticsoldier​    @sleep-silent-angel​    @darcia22​    @winchesterprincessbride​    @cavillanche​ @ellen-reincarnated1967​    @eyes-of-a-disney-princess​      @deanslittleangel2y5​    @melanie451​    @lovin-ackles​    @spectaculacular-sammy​     @bookchic20​    @jodyri​    @selma-jean​           @savingapplepie-eatingthings​    @angelofwinchester17​    @kittenofdoomage​    @masked-maiden42​    @lean-mean-deanwinchester​    @ericuhlorain​    @undecided-garden​    @ceeceewinchester​    @typicalweirdbookworm​          @callmesweetheartifyoumeanit​    @youtoldalie​    @tanithlowisabamf​    @deandoesthingstome​    @jxackles​    @nerdwholikesword​    @soivebuiltupaworldofmagic​    @kreweofimp​  @gabavaldman​    @chaos-and-the-calm67-blog​    @darkx143​    @disassociativedogma​    @ioanashalala​    @jencharlan​    @deansthirstblog​     @dorky-and-i-know-it​    @mischief-maker1​    @hamartiamacguffin​    @winchestersandwordprocessors​    @percussiongirl2017​    @bringmesomepie56​   @akshi8278​    @spn-dean-and-sam-winchester​    @torn-and-frayed​    @sandlee44​  @kathaswings​  @wingedcatninja​  @evansrogerskitten​   @emoryhemsworth​  @peaceinourtime82​

#the pool house #dean fic #dean smut #dean x female oc #happy dean #no angst here folks #not today #here's hoping for more naked jensen dreams

[vienna-salvatori]

I’m going to take a moment to type out some random thoughts on the... many... episodes of Rusty Quill Gaming I’ve listened to recently.  Spoilers up to the end of episode 157. 

- Man, Rome is the worst. 

- I’d seen spoilers for this arc and knew that there was a) time travel, b) some kind of character death, and c) Sasha and Grizzop leaving the party permanently. In the run up to the Rome section I was very stressed about this concept… but once it happened I was actually a lot calmer? Yes, Grizzop’s death was tragic, and the end of that sidequest was intense. However, I’m actually more okay with Sasha being gone than I thought I would be? I loved her and I’ll miss her, but I do feel like most of her arc was done, and I’m excited to see what happened next.

  -On that note, I LOVE CEL SO MUCH HOW ARE THEY SO COOL - ahem. Getting ahead of myself there.

- the changes to the world are horrifying. Alex, I respect your craft.

- Einstein continues to be a fucking delight

- the concept that Curie and Eldarion had history delights me. If I ever get writing motivation ever again, I’m writing terrifyingly competent wizard girlfriends.

- Wilde… okay. Right. - Oscar Wilde is potentially my favourite character in this whole series. I loved him the moment I met him, by the time he created ridiculous illusions of tanks in Paris I would be willing to die for him, and words do not exist to describe the joy I felt by the time we got to the “Wilde’s Fine, Stop Asking” fireworks display. I stress out a lot worrying about him, and the really nasty sleep deprivation curse did not help. Basically: Wilde is exactly the right shade of absurdly flamboyant, barely controlled disaster of a human that I am emotionally invested in by default. - Seeing him like this hurts so much but I love it. I do want to know what happened, and I hope I get more details… I think Curie said something along the lines of “he got very good at spotting turned meritocratic agents” so I assume he was working undercover investigating his previous employers? And given the nasty scar (which is definitely going to cause some trauma to Oscar “Prestidigitates himself to look flawless even while sleep deprived” Wilde), I’m guessing that went badly.  - Yeah basically Alex took a character I already loved and set up the perfect set of circumstances for an espionage subplot, which happens to be an old special interest of mine. So I am automatically failing a will save to resist getting overly invested in this storyline

- I had worked out that Zolf was coming back, but I still started yelling when he showed up

-Harrison Campbell continues to be inexplicably relevant and I love it

- Alex in the behind-the-scenes stuff: the one thing I really don’t like about the early seasons is that I didn’t leave enough time for the party to get to know each other. - Alex now: every time anyone does anything, they’re going to have to spend 7 days locked in a room together, with nothing to do except talk to each other.

- This whole situation is a) awkward, with the whole visual inspection thing, and b) awkwardly relevant to recent world events

- Cel is so great. I love them. No thoughts in my brain except love.

- Cel turning into a dolphin was fun. Cel going through the whole “submarine but electronic wait no pedal powered wait no sailboat wait no-“ process was a delight and perfectly set the stage for how much I love them.

- I have so many thoughts about the whole Shoin Institute thing, but they can be summarised as follows: ridiculous puzzle rooms = fun; party’s response to ridiculous puzzle rooms = absolutely delightful; Hamid’s small army of kobolds = Oh Dear; Cel = new favourite character; kobolds = adorable; kobold nightmare cavern = ABSOLUTE HELL, I HATE THIS, WHY, ALEX NO.

- Skraak is good.

- the letter from Sasha almost made me cry, but actually, that episode was very cathartic and nice even if it was heartbreaking

- My thanks to Bryn for prepping his/Hamid’s conspiracy board and therefore reminding me of literally all the plot points relevant right now

- time in quarantine was very funny, very good for character development, and not very good at convincing me that Howard Carter is a productive member of this party.

- the interrogation of the brorb (brain orb) was fascinating, I love the level of worldbuilding that’s clearly gone into all of this. Cel is going to be a very useful character going forward, given the continued presence of weird tech, and the new team dynamics are going to be interesting!

 Overall: no matter what I say, I really do respect Alex’s craft, even if I hate it very much sometimes because it makes me feel things

#RQG #RQG spoilers

[rickthaniel]

Trial Slice-of-Life Avatar Fanfic

Tbh I’ve never written fanfiction before but wanted to try some in-universe stuff as a writing exercise. Had a lot of fun and will likely continue on my own, but am curious if there’s interest for this kind of thing here? If people would want to read it? My suspicion is it’s not really the kind of thing folks would be into, but maybe I’m wrong! So be gentle I guess but figured I’d put out a little trial piece. If you’d read more of this, I’d love to hear from you!

________________________________________________________________

The first morning, Kuyon awoke a full hour before dawn. It was the heat that did it, he thought – but then again, it could have just been the change in surroundings. Time off the water always took some getting used to. His first sea voyage as a child was fraught with sickness and insomnia, even though his mother had done everything she could to make him comfortable during the long journey south. The fear of the ocean itself was still present then – strong in him – and he worried that if he dozed off at the wrong moment, the ship would be swallowed up in his sleep. Years later, when he took his first post on a ship, it took him three months to finally get comfortable with the constant, quiet movement.

Now, it was the opposite. Being on land was what gave him restless nights. But it certainly didn’t help that the Fire Nation was also about as hot as the name suggested, even before summer had begun. It wasn’t just the heat either. It was the weight of the air, the dampness. So different from either of the homes Kuyon had known. As a child, it had baffled him how a city built on ice could be so very, very dry. And when he heard the stories of masters pulling water from the air itself, he’d been so excited to try – only to discover that in the heart of the Water Tribe, there was nothing in the air to bend. Maybe that was why the technique was only mentioned in distant rumors – something waterbenders did in foreign places.

Kuyon had unintentionally become that waterbender. Of course, this particular visit wasn’t his first to the Fire Nation, but every other time he’d only seen the ports, and he’d had the welcoming belly of the ship to fall asleep in. Besides, Ember Island didn’t feel like those places. For all the blackened, rocky shorelines and volcanic landscape that was the nation’s signature, he somehow expected the beach would not have sand. A rock beach would have been more fitting, but the stones on the island were smooth – nothing like the jagged rocks he’d seen elsewhere. And for all the explosions that had created the surrounding islands thousands of years ago, Ember Island felt serene. Despite the fact that it was a resort, Kuyon hadn’t actually expected it to feel peaceful. He didn’t think the Fire Nation could have peaceful places.

Unable to fall back to sleep, he got dressed in the dark and walk out to the beach. It was still black out, but there was enough starlight to see the way down to the water. The moon was barely there – just a sliver of a thing in the sky – and that too might have contributed to the restlessness he felt.

It wasn’t that he felt weak when it was waning. It was a latent thing – a scar of fear left over from when he was eight and saw the full moon in the sky go dark. From his window, he could see the warriors’ water fall, limp and useless, and he was sure at that moment that he was going to die. Even at such a young age, it had been instilled in him that men of the Northern Water Tribe did not run from a fight. But when the sky went red with the blood of the spirit – as the story would later be told – he saw the men if his tribe flee in panic. Every month since then, a part of him still feared that when that sliver vanished, it would not come back; that the sacrifice the chief’s daughter had made would wear out somehow.

At the water’s edge, Kuyon sat down in the sand and felt the edge of the tide wash over his toes. With his left hand, he gently pulled with its ebb and flow, barely bending it, just following the water’s lead. The breathing exercise had always calmed him, especially during his early days in the South Pole. At the time, his mother told him they were going to rebuild their sister tribe. Years later, he realized that most of the northerners who joined Master Pakku’s expedition were really looking to rebuild themselves. They had either lost someone in the siege, or were exhausted of hiding behind the city walls, waiting for the war to end. A whole generation had lived and died while the North was frightened to sail too far from home, and when reports started coming of what had been done to the benders in the Southern Tribe, an even greater fear set in.

In those early days in the south, his mother would take him down to where the ice became water and show him how to breathe into the tide. The same night he saw the moon go dark, Kuyon saw the great spirit rise from the waters of the city and wash the invaders out. It had taken weeks to sort through the wreckage left by the decimated navy, and though the spirit had saved them all, it had frightened him too. In the whole voyage south, he’d never spoken to the Avatar. Part of him had wanted to of course. At eight and twelve, the two weren’t so far apart in age. But despite his quiet demeanor on the ship, Kuyon was afraid of the airbender, for the same reason that for that whole journey he was afraid of the sea beneath him. That thing those two had become together – the boy with the tattoos and the spirit of the ocean – had both saved him and terrified him on the night the moon was killed. Pushing and pulling the tides with his mother, he remembered that the ocean could be peaceful too.

Even the water was different in the Fire nation though. The waves that splashed up on the sands of Ember Island were frothy and white; nothing like the perfect blue of the northern waters, or the icy stillness of the south. Once, after word had come that Ba Sing Se had fallen, he’d asked his mother why the Ocean Spirit didn’t simply appear on the shores of the Fire Nation as it had during the siege of the north. “It could wash away the whole army,’ he’d said, almost pleading with her, “like how it washed away the ships. Why doesn’t it?” Of course he knew vaguely that the spirits didn’t work that way, but his mother didn’t tell him that at the time. Instead she just sat beside him and put her arm around his shoulders, and said “I don’t know, Ku. I don’t know.”

Feeling the pulse of the Fire Nation’s ocean, Kuyon watched as the bottom of the sky began to bloom with pink, then orange, then yellow light. He focused his gaze on the water’s surface out by the horizon, in search of the thing that had brought him there, but with no luck. It would still be a few days before the migration passed by. Until then, he’d have to get used to sleeping in the heat.

Some members of the Water Tribes had developed a scorn for sunrise over the course of the war. Kuyon had never understood that. It was a beautiful thing, still.

The sky alight with early morning, he pushed himself up off the sand and began to walk down the beach, toward the town square that lay inland a ways further along the shore. There was no one else in sight as he went. Kuyon wondered if Ember Island’s stream of wealthy vacationing Fire Nation aristocrats had slowed in the past decade; if the shadow that had loomed over the country for the last fourteen years in the wake of its defeat extended even to the tourist industry. The families who owned homes here had taken major hits in reputation to be sure, but their fortunes likely suffered as well. He’d heard that the new Fire Lord had ousted most of Ozai’s true loyalists from the inner workings of government, but he doubted those expulsions meant any real severity for families with so much ancient wealth and power.

Strolling up the beach and through one of the town’s winding footpaths, Kuyon came eventually to a small plaza. Shops and restaurants lined the perimeter of the square, but almost all were still closed. Only one tea shop seemed to be awake at such an early hour. Inside, Kuyon found a tidy arrangement of wooden tables, and a small counter at the back. A woman, maybe ten years his senior, was wiping down one of the tabletops when she glanced up and saw him standing in the doorway. She squinted at him, straightened, and tucked the rag into the front of her apron.

“Would you like a table?”

“If you’re open.”

“Just the one of you?”

“Yes.”

She gestured from one wall to the other with an open hand.

“Wherever you like. What are you drinking?”

“What do people usually get?”

She walked behind the counter, pulled a set of spark rocks from a drawer he couldn’t see, and started a pot of water boiling.

“Our ginseng is the most popular.”

“I’ll have that then.”

She nodded and set to work. It was terribly quiet, despite the faint breeze that made its way off the water, through the plaza and into the room.

“Is this your shop?”

“Me? No. My uncle owns it. And I should warn you he only takes Fire Nation money.”

“I can pay.”

“I guess so if you’re staying around here. You a tourist?”

“I’m a fisherman.”

“Are you on vacation?” she asked, leaning over the counter toward him. Her hair was black like his, about as long, but worn up in the Fire Nation style. Her face was hard, but Kuyon couldn’t tell if it was because of his clothing or something else entirely.

“I guess,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to see the tiger dolphin migration. It only happens every four years, and they should be coming right by here in the next few days.”

“They got you in a shack down there?”

“It’s all I could afford. My ship’s in port at Hing Wa Island for the week, so I managed to get a little time away.”

“You should have stayed with them. Hing Wa is gorgeous this time of year. It’s ash banana season.”

“That’s why they’re there. My captain’s hoping to turn over our recent hauls for as much of the harvest as he can. They’re becoming something of a delicacy in the Earth Kingdom.”

She came out from behind the counter carrying a tray, the teapot and two small porcelain cups arranged on it, and set it down on the table in front of him. Steam rose from the neck of the pot. Without a word, she sat down in the chair across from him.

“Let it sit for another minute,” she said. “Do you mind if I join you?”

“Please.”

“It’s just that I’ve never met a member of the Water Tribe before.”

Kuyon feigned shock, glancing down at his blue tunic, the blue rings on his fingers, the blue armband with the Tribe’s sigil.

“How did you know I was Water Tribe?”

She laughed.

“Which Tribe?”

“Both. I was born in the north, but we moved south when I was eight.”

“When you were eight.”

“After,” he said. “After the siege.”

She nodded, her arms crossed on the table before her, staring straight at the teapot and the steam rising between them.

“My husband was a technician on the Ilah’s Pride. It was one of the first ship’s to make contact with the wall. At least, that’s they told me.”

Kuyon looked at her, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes. She picked up the teapot and poured them each a cup, but he hesitated to take his, suddenly tense and wary. Then she took a sip from her own and laughed again – a sharp, barking laughter.

“It’s not poisoned if that’s what you were thinking. I’m not a hateful person, really. And that whole naval crusade was an absurd vanity project to begin with.”

“Still,” he said, “I’m sorry. I saw what happened to those lead ships. It terrified me as a kid.”

“Yes, well, that’s what we get I suppose. Wei Ko should have known better than to join the navy. But that’s where all the advancement was in those days. He thought we needed the money. And why am I telling you all this?”

“I don’t know. You haven’t even told me your name.”

“Sung.”

“I’m Kuyon.”

“Well, I’d keep your head down while you wait for your dolphins, Kuyon. There’s a lot of naval heritage on Ember Island, and most folks won’t be as accepting of those Water Tribe colors as I am.”

#Avatar The Last Airbender #the legend of korra #atla fanfic #lok fanfic #aang #Zuko #fanfic

[ectoplasmicbutton]

Ghostly Mysteries- Chapter 1

The sun shines down upon the forest of a small town, the birds sing happily and peaceful silence ruffles through the air. Soft footsteps of creatures known and unknown press through the grass and undergrowth, happily hidden away from curious eyes.

A loud groan interrupts the peace of the forest, followed by stomping feet as a set of twins push their way through the shrubbery.

“Blenngggghhhh... Dipper! How much longer do we have to stay out here? It’s hot!” The girl, Mable, complained to her brother, her pink dolphin sweater drenched in sweat.

Her brother, known as Dipper, didn’t even look up from the journal he was holding, “Well, maybe if you didn’t wear three-inch thick sweaters everyday in the middle of summer, you wouldn’t be so hot.”

Mable glared at the back of his head, “They’re not three inches! They’re 2.67, thank you very much. Besides, these are my summer edition sweaters! My sumweaters, if you will.”

“Your sumweaters are going to give you heat stroke.”

“Well, if you keep that attitude up it might just happen!”

“It won’t be a karma thing, Mabel,” Dipper retorts, finally looking from the journal to his sister, “Besides, I know theres something out here. I saw it!”

Mabel rolls her eyes, “I’m not sayin’ you didn’t see anything, but we see something everyday! It’s probably just gnomes or somethin’.” Nevertheless, she takes off her sweater and ties it around her waist, knowing they’re not going to be leaving the heat anytime soon.

Dipper turns back to his journal and ducks under a fallen tree, “Yeah but... I know this is different. I can feel it.” He flips slowly through the old pages of the book as Mable opts to go over the log instead of following her brother’s steps of going underneath.

Dipper heads deeper into the forest, pushing away more branches and leaves as he does so. He’s so focused on his journal that he fails to process Mable’s sharp gasp and small tap. It’s only when she starts furiously poking his arm that he looks up and glares.

“Wha-?!” His mouth is covered and he notices the look on his sisters face, expression softening and following the line her finger made towards a lump of... something next to a tree. Mable removes her hand as the twins slowly approach.

The closer they get, the more they can see. A head of black hair, blue jeans, a white t-shirt, pale skin... but something isn’t right. Dipper strains his eyes until the figure shifts, visibly contorting in pain even as it seems asleep. That’s when Dipper and Mable get a proper look at him.

The figure is a human boy, probably a teenager, and he was covered in blood.

————————————

Needless to say, Danny Fenton was absolutely not having a good week so far.

Sure, it started fine; school was out and he was spending time with his friends at the mall before, naturally, his ghost sense went off. It turned out to just be the box ghost, so he told his friends to keep going, that he‘s going to be fine, that they should have fun and he’ll join them in a bit.

That was two days ago.

Now, he was helping his giant, on-the-run-from-the-ghost-police dog friend, Wulf, with being on the run from the ghost police. Wulf had met up with him after he had trapped the box ghost in his “cruel cylindrical container”, explaining (rather slowly so Danny could understand) that Walker had found them. Of course, what Wulf had failed to explain was that Walker and his endless army of guards were two minutes behind Wulf, and had appeared through the last portal that he had opened.

Without the time to tell his friends, Danny climbed onto Wulf’s back as he sliced a new portal to the Ghost Zone into existence. They leaped through, followed by the Warden and a handful of the guards. They’d been jumping in and out of portals to get away, but around the seventh one, a guard had gotten lucky and thrown a spear, which had landed its mark.

Into Danny’s side.

White, blinding pain hit Danny as the spear sunk into his skin. Ectoplasm, with a tint of blood, erupted from the wound and soaked through the rubbery material of his hazmat suit. Wulf, who had seen what happened, slashed a portal into existence and quickly dived through. Danny’s vision was gaining spots, but he fought to stay awake. Wulf was landing in a forest, speaking in fast Esperanto with only a few words that Danny had heard and understood. He blinked for what he thought was a moment, but when he opened his eyes again he was on the floor and surrounded by grass. Wulf was leaning over him, ghostly black fur blocking out the blinding sun. He looked concerned, speaking in the few English he knew, “Stay here, be back. Stay quiet.”

It took everything Danny had to not let out a scream when Wulf tried, and failed, to take the spear out carefully. The dog-like ghost had then set Danny against a nearby tree, telling him again to “stay here” before launching off into the sky and opening a portal to lure the guards away from Danny.

The last thing Danny saw was the portal closing.

The last thing Danny felt was dread.

—————————

Dipper didn’t know what to make of the bloodied teenager they had decided to drag back to their home. It was questionable, sure, and sketchy, no doubt, but he looked like he needed help! Besides, questioning him when he woke up probably wouldn’t hurt, right?

They had found that the blood came from a wound on his right side, which was deep and, judging from the clean edges, looked like it was cut by some sort of blade (all thanks to the hours Dipper spent reading mystery novels). Mabel didn’t see a problem with using her sweater as something to help stop the bleeding, so thats what they did. Dipper grabbed his left arm, Mabel on his right, and they started their trek back to the Mystery Shack carrying a stabbed stranger they found in the woods with a pink dolphin sweater tied on his waist.

When they finally arrived (Mabel kicking the door open and shouting “medic!”), Soos took one look at them before dropping his broom and making all three of the current tourists leave the building. Wendy, who was definitely NOT napping by the register, leapt into action, “What happened?!” She asked, alarmed by the sight of the body.

“We don’t know!”

“It wasn’t us, I swear!”

Wendy disappeared into the kitchen to get the first aid kit while the twins set the teen on the table Soos had cleared off. The movement must’ve finally jostled the teen into stirring awake, because thats exactly what happened. His eyes fluttered open, slowly and squinting at the light, but they were open nonetheless.

Suddenly, he shot up. No one in the room expected any movement from him in his current state, so they all leaped away. It appeared that he also regretted the movement, seeing as the teens whole body contorted and he let out a silent yell. He fell back to the table, glaring at everyone in the room.

“Where am I?” He questioned, a hand on his wound.

Dipper stepped up, “You’re in the Mystery Shack. We brought you back because you were hurt in the woods! Well, I mean you’re still hurt and not much has changed but you’re awake now so-“

He was interrupted by Wendy entering the room again with a large first aid kit. She saw that the boy was awake, so she tried to appear as calm as possible as to not startle him, “Hey, so like you’re hurt and we can try to answer all your questions while I clean you up. What’s your name?”

The teen glanced at everyone in the room,

“You tell me all of yours first.” His voice was raspy, but light.

The redhead nodded, “Fair enough. I’m Wendy, this is Soos-“ The janitor waved, looking slightly pale from the sight of blood but still trying to appear as friendly as possible. “-Mable-“ “Hi! You’re wearing my sumweater!” “-and Dipper.”

The younger boy tipped his hat with what he hoped was a friendly manner, but one could never be sure.

“If you see an old man around here demanding for money, thats Grunkle Stan,” Wendy explained, gathering things from the first aid kit, “I’m going to lift up your shirt a bit to clean out your wound, if thats alright?”

When the teen gave a small nod, Wendy immediately got to work. He sat calmly, wincing only once or twice even when Wendy put the rubbing alcohol on to clean it.

“Wow Wendy,” Mable exclaimed, “I didn’t know you were a doctor!”

“My mom taught me this kinda stuff when I was little. We were always active little kids, y’know?”

“Hey,” Dipper cut in, “you never gave us your name.”

The teen looked away from the ceiling and to the group he saw around the table, “Uh-Danny. My name is Danny Fenton. Do you mind telling me where I am again?”

“The Mystery Shack,” Dipper responded, “It’s in Gravity Falls, Oregon.

The boy-Danny-bit his lip. He seemed stressed.

“Where are you from, Danny?” Mable asked.

If there was one thing Danny could do, it was string up a lie on the spot, “I’m from Amity Park, Illinois. We decided to take a road trip, we must’ve passed through here.” Technically, it wasn’t ALL a lie. They (being Danny and Wulf) decide to go on a trip through multiple places, it just wasn’t by choice.

“Okay, and how did you get that?” Dipper asked, pointing to the wound that Wendy was now bandaging up.

Danny glanced at him, then to the bandages, “I fell. Hit a sharp rock, then hit my head on something... next thing I know, I’m here.”

Even as Mable, Soos, and Wendy continued making small conversation with the teenager on the table, Dipper could tell something wasn’t right. He was lying. He was hiding something, and Dipper was going to get to the bottom of it.————————

end chapt 1!

#gravity falls/danny phantom crossover #gravity falls #danny phantom #danny fenton #crossover #fanfiction #Ghostly Mysteries #ghostly mysteries chapter 1

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Z Movie 12: Fusion Reborn (6/6)

One of the criticisms I’ve seen about this movie (From Team Four Star, because they seem to be the only ones still sleeping on how cool Movie 12 is), is that the Veku vs. Janemba part takes up too much of the film.   I find this absurd for a couple of reasons.

First, it illustrates the immense risk involved with the Fusion Technique.  If you screw it up, you may end up worse off than when you started.   As far as I can tell, Veku has greater power and stamina than Fat Gotenks, and he lasted a lot longer against Janemba than Goku or Vegeta did individually, but he’s still in deep trouble, and things could have gone even worse depending on how badly our heroes botched the pose.   

I think the presumption here is that Goku and Vegeta should have pulled it off on their first try, allowing time for an epic fifteen-minute brawl with Janemba to close the movie.    But that’s not how Fusion works in this franchise.    It’s a high-risk/high-reward manuever.   If you get it wrong, it’s a disaster, but if it works, you can overwhelm an opponent in minutes, if not seconds. 

The second objection I have is that every gorram one of these movies wastes a bunch of time on goofy stuff.   Movies 3 blows like a third of its runtime on a camping trip that has nothing to do with Turles or anything else.   And then Movie 5 goes on another camping trip,because I guess they still had camping stuff they hadn’t used the first time around.   Movies 1 and 2 had friggin’ musical interludes.  

The only exception I can think of is “Mystical Adventure”, which has a frantic pace very similar to “Fusion Reborn”, but I feel like that whole part set in Penguin Village was kind of a weird diversion, even if it did function as the climactic battle of the movie.      The point is that even if Veku was a big waste of storytelling time, it’s well inside the bounds for these movies.  And it’s not a waste of time, because this is part of the effort to master fusion.  

Anyway, when we last left Veku, he had fled Janemba to hide in what’s left of the Needle Mountain in Hell.  But now Janemba’s tracked him down.    To attack him, Big J uses a spike from the mountain and somehow transforms it with his weird powers, making it extend towards Veku like a spear.

It’s kind of hard to get this across with just screencaps, but you can tell by the look on Veku’s face that he’s in deep trouble. 

But then at the last possible instant, Veku’s fusion expires, and he splits into Goku and Vegeta, avoiding the impact.   

Janemba is shocked.      Maybe he didn’t realize Veku was his previous two opponents fused together?   Before he can figure this out, Goku and Geets sucker punch him and fly away,

I don’t know how smart Janemba is supposed to be, but by now he’s probably figured out that Goku and Vegeta are trying to combine together to keep fighting him.

As they run away, Vegeta is livid.   He didn;t like the idea of fusing with Goku in the first place, and that was when he thought it might actually work.  Then he goes through with it, and it ends up making them weaker.

Then King Kai contacts Goku telepathically, and explains how Vegeta screwed up the last part of the pose by not extending his fingers.   Goku’s all smiles, because now that they know what went wrong, they just need to try it again and it’ll work perfectly.

But Vegeta’s outraged that he would even suggest doing all of that a second time.   Bad enough that he had to do it once, and it nearly got them killed.  Well, they’re already dead, but you know what I mean.  Don’t you?   Look, Janemba’s not trying to tickle these two, that’s all that matters.

But they have to do it again, because this is still their only hope of winning.   They just need to get the pose right this time, because now there’s no margin of error.   

Trouble is, Janemba’s onto them now, and they can’t do the fusion dance because he keeps shooting ki blasts at them.   WIthout the element of surprise, or a decent place to hide, they won’t have time to fuse, properly or otherwise.

But then...!

Fuck yeah, Pikkon’s here!   I guess he sensed all the trouble they were having, or maybe the Kais asked him to run interference for Goku and Vegeta.  Yeah, that must be it, since he already knows what Goku is trying to do.

So Goku’s all grateful to Pikkon, and he thanks him as they move to a safe distance.

And I love this dirty look Vegeta gives Pikkon before he leaves.  “Look, I don’t know who you are, but you stay away from my rival, thot.”

So now it’s Pikkon vs. Janemba, and you’d think he’s screwed, right?  I mean, he got clobbered by Janemba’s first form earlier in the movie, so what good can he do against this red version?

Ah, but Pikkon knows exactly how to keep this guy off-balance, because he’s been dealing with Janemba’s barrier all this time, and so...

I’m pretty sure “mental defective” isn’t quite what Pikkon called him in Japanese, but verbal abuse is verbal abuse, and it works!  Janemba’s skin cracks up just like that barrier did.

I’m not quite sure what to make of this image.   Is this just shadow, or is the idea that Janemba is hollow on the inside, like a Faberge Egg?   I like that idea, even if it’s not what they had in mind.  Janemba’s made of the spiritual waste of a buttload of wicked souls.  For all his power, he’s just a shell of a person.   Maybe that’s why he’s vulnerable to harsh words.  He can’t stand being called out for what he is.

Then Pikkon shoots ki blasts at him, and I don’t understand that at all, because that didn’t do anything to the barrier, so why even try it on Janemba himself?  The insults were working, buddy.    Just call him a tiny-handed idiot and tell him his red trucker hat makes him look like an even bigger jackass than that stupid combover on his scalp.  Tell him that he’ll go down in history as a total joke, and he’ll rank among world leaders somewhere between the Roman Emperor who married his horse and the other Roman Emperor who clubbed amputees to death while pretending to be a gladiator.   Sorry, I got distracted there for a minute.

But Pikkon doesn’t do any of that, and I guess his harsh words are only effective enough to surprise Janemba, and maybe only hurt him a little bit.   Like the barrier around Yemma, Janemba seems able to withstand it to some degree, so he does the disassemble-y relocation trick, reappears behind Pikkon...

And boxes his ears!  Owwwwwww!  

But meanwhile! 

OH YOU DIDN’T KNOW?

Janemba would probably finish Pikkon off right here, except he’s seen that blinding light before, which means....

.... This thing!   What is it?  What does it mean?   I dunno! 

But then we see this badass mofo right here.    Who be bad now, Janemba?   WHO BE BAD NOW?

Pikkon looks over and sees that the fusion worked, and he breathes a sigh of relief as he passes out.  

So they did it.    Vegeta didn’t want to do this, but it worked.   Now he can defeat Janemba, but as part of Gogeta, not as himself.   There’s something kind of bittersweet about this, because there were no options for Vegeta to retain himself in this.  In death, he was doomed to lose his identity as a disembodied soul.   Restored as he was by Janemba’s tampering, he was too weak to fight Janemba on his own, which was the only thing that would have given his temporary resurrection any meaning.   He could have run away, or even helped Janemba to preserve his own existence, but doing that would betray his principles, and that would erase his identity too. 

The Saiyans are extinct.   Goku and Vegeta were the only ones left, and they’re both dead in this movie.   They’ve been dead for a while now, as far as I can tell.  But what they stood for, their ferocious martial skill and their boundless courage, will live on.   That’s what this is about for Vegeta.  He’s already gone, but he can at least see to it that someone can rise up to defeat a monster like Janemba.   If that warrior doesn’t exist, then he can at least fuse with Goku and create him. 

And when this is over, that’ll be it for Vegeta.     He’ll go back to hell, and eventually be reincarnated as a dolphin or something.    Eventually, even the legacy of Vegeta will fade from living memory, and no one will remember who and what he once was.   This moment can stand as a coda to his fleeting time in the universe.    Z stands for the end.  

But not yet.    Not yet.

Somehow, Goten and Trunks can sense their dead father’s fusion and it inspires them to do their own fusion.  I’m not sure why they didn’t just do this in the first place.  Given the crisis on Earth, maybe they didn’t want to risk using fusion early, in case they might be too tired to do it later.  

I also don’t understand why the boys need to go to these lengths to beat Hitler and his army of zombie Nazis, but they did it anyway.  Well now you got Gotenks, dummy.   Shoulda just stayed in the bunker.

Gogeta only gets a few lines in this movie.  Really, he doesn’t get a whole lot to say anywhere, because he has so few appearances.   This is his debut, of course, and then Toei brought him back for the fuck-finish of Dragon Ball GT.   Then he came back in 2018′s Dragon Ball Super: Broly, where he got a lot more time to shine, but it was after a 21-year drought.

Anyway, Janemba seems to know this is serious business, because he takes one look at Gogeta and powers up.

So other than promising to avenge Pikkon, all Gogeta has to say in the original script is this: I am neither Goku nor Vegeta!  I am the one who will destroy you!”  That’s how it was worded in Budokai 3, anyway.  

In the dub, Gogeta’s lines are a little different.   First he says “I am not Goku or Vegeta! I am Gogeta!   It’s over, Janemba. I’ve come for you!”   Then he says in this shot: “Every force you create has an echo.   Your own bad energy will be your undoing.”

I dunno, the lines are memorable enough that I managed to quote them without looking, but I would have preferred they stuck to the Japanese script more, mostly because Schemmel and Sabat sounded so cool playing Gogeta in Budokai 3.  That was the problem I had with the later Funimation dubs.   By 2004 I was playing video games that covered movies and GT episodes I hadn’t seen yet, and when Funi! finally adapted those scenes, they never seemed to hold up to the video game performances.  

In any event, I feel like there was a push at Funi! to have Gogeta a) identify himself for the audience, and b) provide some sort of explanation for what was about to happen next.   I’m not sure this was necessary.    Does it really matter if Gogeta says his own name?  Lobot was never identified in Empire Strikes Back, but I still know who he is.   As for the rest...

Well, these streaks of light jump from Gogeta and hit Janemba in the chest, leaving craters in his body.   At the same time, Gogeta slides forward, moving behind Janemba.

Then he just turns around and drives his knee into the back of his neck, twice.  Janemba manages to turn around, but he just eats a kick to the face for his trouble.

Then he raises his hand, and turns around to stare at Janemba, who doesn’t get it until...

Gogeta makes a glowy, sparkly ball with his hand.   Actually, Janemba seemed to sense this before it happened, so I guess he has some idea what’s going on here.

Now maybe this is some variation of the Spirit Bomb, perhaps combined with some technique of Vegeta’s.    All I know is that this ki ball shrinks and disappears, and then Gogeta closes his empty fist.    But there’s light coming out of the fist, so yeah. 

Anyway, it scares the hell out of Janemba, so he knows something’s up.

So he charges Gogeta, who throws his attack, but it just looks like harmless sparkles, and Janemba doesn’t even slow down once it hits him.

But you can see how nettled Janemba is.   He’s clearly afraid of Gogeta, for one reason or another.

When he closes the distance, he throws a punch, and it looks like it connects.    Gogeta doesn’t block it, and he doesn’t flinch.   Dude doesn’t even move. 

And for a moment, it looks like Janemba’s doing okay, and then he suddenly looks shocked, and his whole body begins to sparkle.

Then his back explodes.   Ouch.

In the games, this movie is called the Stardust Breaker, which I never totally understood until now.    The glowing orb always distracted me from the fact that the attack itself looks like stardust, and stardust explodes out of Janemba’s wound, and Janemba himself seems to dissolve into stardust.   The breaker part speaks for itself, though.

This shot confuses me, because it makes it look like Janemba’s fist never actually made contact with Gogeta’s face, although the previous screencap suggests otherwise.  Maybe Big J took a step backward after the attack got to him.   In any case, Gogeta ain’t hurt, and Janemba’s body is disintigrating.

All he can do is scream as he fades away.  

And Gogeta just watched like he knows exactly what’s going on.  

And then the Tank Clerk reappears.   Did Gogeta plan all of this, or is it just a lucky break?

Anyway, the Tank Clerk takes one look at Gogeta and runs in terror.   We can see from the scenery that things are already returning to normal.   All those jellybean things are gone.

And Gogeta seems amused by the Tank Clerk’s panic. The kid has no idea what just happened, and maybe that’s for the best.   So it’s a weird fight, and very short, but I think that’s what makes it so captivating.   We didn’t need a long martial arts clinic to put Janemba away.  The whole idea of this movie is that Janemba is this anomaly in creation, and that it would take something more than just a powerful warrior to beat him.   If punching were enough, Goku could have handled this on his own. 

This is why I’ve never been a big fan of Gogeta vs. Broly as a scenario, because no matter how strong Broly is, he’s still one Saiyan, so having Goku and Vegeta combine into this otherworldly character to beat one Saiyan kind of cheapens the concept.    It should be reserved for villains like Janemba, Omega Shenron, and Majin Buu, who demonstrate bizarre powers that defy reality. 

This is also why I’m not crazy about the dub’s effort to explain the Gogeta/Janemba fight.   It sort of defies explanation.  What makes Gogeta look so awesome here is that he not only beat Janemba in a few seconds, but he seemed to know exactly what he was doing the entire time.  It’s like his fused mind could sense exactly where and how to strike.   Why did he bother kicking Janemba in the neck?   Was that somehow part of his offensive, or was he just getting his measure?   We’ll never know.    That’s what makes it so cool.  Gogeta’s a man of mystery.   In thirty minutes, he won’t even exist anymore.

I think a lot of Gogeta’s mystique was calculated as a response to Gotenks.  When Goku first spoke of Fusion in the main story, he seemed confident that if he could fuse with Gohan or Vegeta, they would beat Majin Buu easily.  But that would be a fusion of adult Super Saiyans.   Gotenks is a kid, and the results haven’t been as great.   So this movie sort of shows what Goku originally had in mind.   With greater experience, Gotenks could eventually reach the same heights...

But as a kid, he’s limited to bizarre techniques based on whatever he thinks is cool.    Which is why he’s doing the Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack again, only this time with 100 ghosts instead of one or ten.

And it works.  The ghosts blow up all the bad guys, but it’s only a hint of the incredible things Gogeta is capable of. 

Thirty minutes later, the fusion expires, and hell looks like it’s back to normal, right down to the bloody pond.   Vegeta smiles at Goku and tells him he never wants to do that again, but somehow you can tell he doesn’t quite mean that.   It reminds me of his farewell to Future Trunks in Dragon Ball Super, where he says he never wants to see him again.   It’s not that he hates the guy, it’s more that he wants Trunks to become strong enough to handle his own problems without having to use the time machine to get help.    Likewise, in this movie, the only way Vegeta could ever return to fuse with Goku is if another Janemba popped up, and he doesn’t want that to happen.

Goku says he’ll see Vegeta “later”.   I don’t know if that’s supposed to be ironic or if Goku’s just not thinking, or maybe he’s got some faint hope that Vegeta will return somehow and Goku will meet him again somehow, some way.

Anyway, Vegeta fades out, which is kind of sad, but the smile on his face is a nice consolation.

And all the dead people on Earth fade out the same way.    So that takes care of that.

King Yemma’s back in business, and all is right with the universe once again.

Videl and the boys head back after a long day of punching the undead.   They don’t know what happened or why, but at least it’s over.   But Goten and Trunks claim to know who saved the day.   I guess they figure their fathers fixed things in Otherworld, since they could sense them fusing.

But they won’t tell, I guess just to mess with Gohan and Videl.   So why couldn’t Gohan sense Gogeta’s ki if Goten and Trunks could?   Oh, right, he was making out with Videl the whole time.  

Anyway, Gohan chases the boys, anxious to learn their secret, and Videl gets flustered because they’re leaving her behind.   This background is gorgeous.  

Oh my gosh this is such a good movie.This scene doesn’t even matter and it’s still beautiful.

So that wraps things up, right?    Wrong.   There’s just one last piece of business...

No one made any wishes, so Shenron’s still waiting patiently in Bulma’s front yard.  D’oh!

And then the credits roll, including this shot of Goku from Movie 8, for some reason.

I posted caps from the credits earlier, but hot damn I like these.   And the ending theme is just magnificent.   This is such a good-ass movie.   No wasted motion, villain shows up in the first ten minutes, and there’s tons of stuff going on that’s all tied into the main plot, so the supporting characters can get their hero moments in without getting in the way of the main players.   There’s tons of action, plenty of comedy, and the visuals are gorgeous from start to finish.   

The only complaint I could possibly have is that it’s too short.  A story like this could have easily been expanded into a 90 minute film, or even longer.  You could have Goku and Vegeta botch a second fusion attempt, or just pad out the fights that are already in the story, or add some other characters running around dealing with the dead villains.    Piccolo and Krillin fight Dr. Gero or something.   Dabura and Broly try to gang up on Gohan and he gets some bloody satisfaction.  Shoot, have Videl beat up some Red Ribbon Army guys.   By now she’s probably strong enough to take most of them.    And of course, Tiencha vs. Perfect Cell.  

But you know, as a 50-minute affair, this thing rocks.   I’ve sat through movies three times as long that weren’t even a third as good.    It’s just so good.    Ahhh...

Bravo.

#dragon ball #2019dbliveblog #dbmovieliveblog #fusion reborn #movie 12 #the return of fusion!! goku and vegeta #janemba #goku #vegeta #gogeta #veku #pikkon #goten #trunks #gotenks #tank clerk #gohan #videl #king yemma

[liltimfrance]

LILY-ROSE DEPP

New interview with Lily for Vogue Spain (Will try to translate as much as I can, if anyone who is a spanish speaker and see something wrong, please be my guest to comment).

Some parts are old, but with new interview questions.

Playing a princess is the most natural thing in the world for Lily-Rose Depp, a member of Hollywood royalty as the daughter of Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp. "I think my first ten Halloweens were princesses," the actress tells us at the doors of the premiere of her new movie: The King, Shakespeare's new epic adaptation by David Michôd. Share cast, embedded in the skin of Catherine de Valois, a fifteenth-century princess, with Robert Pattinson, Joel Edgerton and the rumored to be her boyfriend, Timothée Chalamet, who plays King Henry V.

Despite her outstanding performances in French and English language productions (as A Faithful Man, of 2018, for which she was nominated for a César Award), The King marks her first adventure in a blockbuster. "Without a doubt, it is the largest project in which I have participated," she says. "Working on such a scale can be very stressful, but it also involves a lot of emotion and the urge to do the best you can’‘. If there is someone fit for the challenge, that is her.

Ahead of the movie's premiere, we talked to Lily-Rose Depp about how it has been to work with Timothée Chalamet, the memories she treasures with the late Karl Lagerfeld and her plans for 2020.

VOGUE: In 'The King’ you play Catherine of Valois, a princess forced to marry King Henry V when he conquers France. What attracted you to accept the role? 

Lily: “She was a fascinating woman! Before I started, I didn't know much about Catalina, but I had a great time researching her. In the filming there were even historians who answered us to the questions we had. Catherine has a powerful voice, she comes from a family of strong women.Her father Charles VI, had access to madness, so, sometimes, it was his mother who reigned, even if it was behind closed doors. Catherine also had sisters, like Isabel, who was married to King Richard II. They were powerful, especially if we consider the era it was; I think the script clearly shows how much respect Joel Edgerton and David Michôd had for her. In The King, women are the voices of reason, the only ones that get rid of greed and the desire for power that consume men’’.

Vogue: How was the atmosphere during shooting?

Lily: “I think the director and the protagonist are the ones that set the mood during filming, and David and Timothée are wonderful. David collaborates in everything, he knows exactly what he wants, but he also asks you how you want to focus’’.

Vogue: Was there something about your character that you wanted to change?

Lily: “From casting to filming, Catherine’s curiosity and interest  for Henry  increased. At the audition I was tougher. I think she wasn’t excited to meet him, but she is smart and knows how to see beyond what people say about the monarch. She is not flirtatious, but not hateful either. At the end of the scene, they understand each other and, for me, that relationship advances over time. It destabilizes Henry in a way that nobody had achieved. It is said that, in the end, the relationship of the monarchs was good and they loved each other quite a lot’’.

Vogue: That change is also seen in Chalamet's performance.

Lily: ‘’His performance is incredible. Timothée manages to give an air of emotional vulnerability to everything he does, it comes naturally. It is his gift. He has immense talent and I think nobody would have done it like him.’’

Vogue: Robert Pattinson's accent has raised many comments in the press. He plays the dolphin of France. Did you have occasion to give some advice?

Lily: I wish! I did not get to work with Robert, we did not shoot at the same time, although in the film we play brothers. One day I saw him and said: Let's see that accent, Rob! If we are brothers, we have to sound similar. And he didn't want to open his mouth. But frankly, I think he has done great, he is the best to frustrate the king, he takes it out of his mood. At some point in the movie, that humorous counterpoint is very much needed.’’

Vogue: In comparison, Catherine is quite serious, and that is reflected in her clothing. In what sense did the costumes help you get into the role?

Lily: Jane Petrie, the costume designer, did a beautiful job. My costumes are regal, but without being ostentatious.They reflect how the country was at the time. The French could not go dressing their princesses with diamonds in times of war.’’

Vogue: It's been a few months since you finished filming and now you're on promotions. Has Catherine influenced your wardrobe?

Lily: It depends, because sometimes you want to be inspired by things of your character and sometimes you want to get away from it. Without a doubt, I allow myself my moments as a contemporary princess’’.

Vogue: At the London premiere, you were the first to bring the Chanel spring-summer 2020 collection off the catwalks. How has your relationship with the brand evolved since you started being its image in 2015

Lily: ‘’For me Chanel is my family, something that does not happen to me in other labor relations. I know the whole team since I was little and being able to work with them now makes me very proud. It's a great job, but the people behind it are the ones that make it special, like Karl Lagerfeld, for example’’.

Vogue: Do you remember when was the first time you saw each other?

Lily:  “I was eight years old, I was with my mother. She had a costume test and took me to the atelier to accompany her. I remember that Karl was surrounded by fabrics and drawings. This year, when he passed away, it was very sad. When I was little, I dreamed of dedicating myself to what I do, and he made my dreams come true. The moments I could share with him, at work and outside of work, are memories that I will always treasure with love.’’

Vogue: Have you worked closely with Virginie Viard, her successor in Chanel?

Lily:  “I love Virginie. I've known her since I started working for the brand. She has a huge talent, I think nobody better than her to keep his memory alive. In every Chanel parade, I still see things about Karl. You can still see his influence, the genius in his work.’’

Vogue: What are your plans now?

Lily: My first science fiction movie! I just finished filming Voyagers in Romania.It has been directed by Neil Burger and I share with Colin Farrell, Tye Sheridan and Fionn Whitehead. I've also done Dreamland, with Armie Hammer, which is about the opioid crisis. They are two different roles, both between them and if I compare them with my previous characters, they will be released in 2020.

This is the whole interview ,I tried to translate the best I could, but if there is any mistake, please let me know.

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[ducktracy]

129. plane dippy (1936)

release date: april 30th, 1936

series: looney tunes

director: tex avery

starring: joe dougherty (porky), billy bletcher (sergeant, professor blotz), bernice hansen (kitty)

the first cartoon to proudly display “featuring porky”—a trend that would continue on for years and years (my favorites are cartoons that explicitly have daffy in the title, yet the title card still says something like the daffy doc featuring porky or tom turk and daffy featuring porky.) beans makes his last ever appearance for real this time, reduced to cameo, kitty also bids goodbye by possessing a small role, and a glasses wearing dog with an overbite makes an appearance and would reappear once more in shanghaied shipmates. ham and/or ex are the last to survive, making a small cameo in porky’s pet. porky’s time has finally arrived. our hero wishes to enlist in the air force, but quickly discovers he isn’t much good at it. instead, he’s sent to clean a voice operated airplane, and things quickly turn sour—and destructive.

we begin with our hero strolling down the street. he comes across a poster: JOIN THE ARMY — INFANTRY DIVISION. porky thinks it over with careful decision, yet decides it’s not for him. another: SEE THE WORLD — JOIN THE NAVY. the same thoughtful mulling, the same rejection. and finally: LEARN TO FLY — JOIN THE AIR CORPS. the perfect job. porky gives his affirmation with a dutiful salute, and marches inside to speak about the job.

right away, he approaches a burly (and surly) general, who is scribbling away at his desk. porky wordlessly salutes at attention, and is blown back from the impact as the sarge growls “WELL?” porkys says “i wanna learn to f-fl—i wanna learn to f-f-f—“ he can’t quite get it out, and instead resorts to making airplane noises while imitating a plane with his arms.

the sergeant grunts “what’s your name, bud?” and once more porky gets tripped up in his words. the sarge instead hands him a slate and some chalk and instructs him to write his name. a gag too good for words as porky physically writes out “P-P-P-P-P-“ as he continues to stutter his name. to get him to spit it out, the sarge whistles—a common dougherty era gag as i mentioned previously—and porky gives us his easy to remember, alliterative name that rolls so easily off the tongue: “porky cornelius washington otis lincoln abner aloysius casper jefferson filbert horatius narcissus pig.” a fantastic joke that hits really well with the timing. i wonder how many takes that took dougherty—he only stutters a few times. i don’t even have a stutter and i certainly couldn’t spit that out to save my life.

instead, the sarge drags porky by the arm and throws a uniform in his arms. he tosses porky into the changing room and waits patiently for a few seconds. out comes a giant lump of clothes, much to the sarge’s surprise. to assert he’s dealing with the same stuttering pig from before, the sergeant pokes his head inside the oversized collar, and a “hello!” responds from the abyss of fabric. porky’s “hello!” is hysterically out of place and sounds nothing like him, and was likely used for that reason. it’s incoherent, and slightly confusing at first, but it also enhances the gag. to remedy the situation, the sergeant picks up the mass of clothes and dunks it in a nearby barrel of water. the clothes gradually shrink, and we’re reunited with porky as he now dons a suitable uniform.

tex’s love of typography gags is prominently displayed as we get white text on a black background: DIZZINESS TEST. the words whirl around in a circle as we transition to the next scene, the sergeant winding porky up like a top with some duct tape. with a whip of the tape (or ribbon, up to interpretation), porky whirls around the room tasmanian devil style. the sarge stops him and picks him up, just in time for beans to make a cameo by drawing a straight line on the floor. the sarge places porky back down on the line, and he zips uncontrollably around the room.

bullets spell out our next test: TARGET PRACTICE. porky and the sarge are in a different room, both positioned behind a gun on a tripod. the sarge provides a demo by propelling a toy plane into the air and shooting the gun at the plane, hitting it in one go. he grins at his handiwork and offers porky the gun to do the same. the sarge tosses another toy plane in the air, and porky attempts to shoot it. instead, he has great difficulty controlling the gun, shooting everywhere BUT the plane and nearly taking out the sergeant himself. a cloud of smoke fills the scene. once the smoke clears, porky’s left standing on a wooden floor, now finding him outside as the entire building is reduced to debris and bricks around him. the gun and the plane survive the wreckage, and porky gives the gun a frustrated kick. to his befuddlement, the kick prompts the gun to shoot, and it hits the plane perfectly.

READY FOR DUTY. now, the sergeant tosses rifles into the hands of aspiring soldiers, the force of the throw so strong that they each stumble backwards (fittingly accompanied by a gunshot sound effect.) dutiful porky prepares to receive his honor... and a duster is thrust into his possession (still hilariously accompanied by the gunshot sound.) as porky ogles at the duster, the sarge thrusts a paper that merely reads “ORDERS” into his grip and points to a nearby shed. outside of the shed reads a sign: “ROBOT PLANE — KEEP OUT!” perfect for porky to wander into.

porky obeys captain’s orders, and meanders into the shed. he gives a few whistles to alert his presence, and he’s met with nothing. suddenly, a monkey whips a cloth off of a covered object, spinning porky around like a top from the impact. thusly uncovers said robotic plane as the monkey inquires “well?” porky hands him the orders with a loyal solute. “to professor blotz — this helper O.K. for your robot plane tests.”

professor blotz wastes no time interrogating porky, instead showing him his new invention. he drags over a radio and microphone, ordering “get ready!” into the microphone. a signal is sent directly to the robot plane, the propellor whirring to life. “take off!” porky runs out of the way as the plane zooms into the air. professor blotz shows off his fancy voice activated plane, much to the fascination of porky. loops, nosedives, ascensions... there’s nothing the plane can’t do.

now the professor offers the microphone to porky, coercing him with “try it!” porky struggles to get his command out, and the plane comically shudders and jitters in conjunction with porky’s stuttering. the plane does an uncertain l-l-lo-loop d-de l-lo-loo-lo-loop and hastily g-go-goes u-u-up. the plane inches closer and closer to a nearby hot air balloon, and porky manages to order it down just in time. professor blotz yanks the microphone out of porky’s grip as the plane parks itself outside, growling “ooooh, get to work!” and thrusting the feather duster in porky’s hands.

while porky starts his cleaning duties, the professor haughtily places his radio in the window of the shed. out come little kitty, a puppy, and the unnamed dog with an overbite from i haven’t got a hat. kitty giggles as the puppy licks her and asks the dog (a goofy and pluto situation going on it seems) “does he do tricks?” of course! the dog orders his pup to sit up. of course, the microphone picks up on his voice, and porky, who’s dutifully dusting the plane, now finds himself clinging onto the plane which is now sitting on its hind legs.

“wag your tail!” the plane shakes its rear wings to the befuddlement of porky. now kitty tries, armed with a balloon. “get the balloon!” she tosses her balloon and giggles as the puppy chases it. and, of course, porky is thrown into the seat of the plane as it takes off at frightening speeds and immediately pops the hot air balloon, the gag made even more amusing with the detail of two figures floating with parachutes after the accident.

porky is now stuck in a shanghaied plane. kitty orders the pup to chase his tail, and the plane spirals towards the ground in an attempt to chase its own tail. in the midst of the game gone horrible wrong, porky reduces a clock tower to debris as he rams into each “level”. he finds himself flying through a nearby circus. he pops out of the other side of the tent, acrobats performing their routine as they hang from the bottom of the plane.

now led towards the ocean, porky’s plane serves as a speedboat as the acrobats transition into water skiers. the timing of all of these scenes is very well done. just the right sense of urgency conveyed, yet executed so the gags have time to settle in as well. a swordfish leaps out of the waters and cuts the line connecting the acrobats to the plane, and they’re left behind as porky is sent underwater, desperately trying not to cut the fish into sushi. some nice camera angles as porky chases a fish in and out of the foreground.

the plane leaps in and out of the waves like a dolphin, chasing the hapless victim fish. eventually, porky resurfaces with an intimidatingly huge whale hot on his tail. elsewhere, the dog overbite orders his pup to chase a cat (“sick ‘im!”), and porky is sent hurtling straight towards an innocent victim flying in his own plane. the two planes tussle, the poor pilot clinging onto a lone propellor as he sinks towards the sea below. porky tears into a blimp. once advertising “SMOKE ROPO CIGARS”, the blimp is cleverly reduced to “SOS” thanks to porky cutting up half of said blimp.

even the clouds fear porky, taking form of an anthropomorphic human running away from the destructive blades of the plane’s propellor. the cloud man seeks refuge in his cloud house, slamming the door on porky. porky is then launched into a nosedive, shredding a farmer’s stack of hay into a shower of already made straw hats. a group of planes zip out of frame so as to avoid porky and zip right back up into their leisurely positions, the timing spot on and making a seemingly pointless gag much funnier.

a whole crowd of children have congregated around the pup causing so much trouble. all of the kids shout various conflicting commands, all picked up by the receiver. porky’s plane is all but in control, at one point doing back hand springs and zigzagging all throughout the screen. the little puppy has tired itself out, and his owner coos “you’ve had enough”, summoning him home.

good news for porky as the microphone picks up the “come on home” command. the plane skids to an uneasy halt, animation light, delicate, and floaty as the wings scrape the grass. the plane skids right through the shed, and porky is launched out as it crashes into the window. and, with amazing speeds, porky propels himself to the registration office. a sign on the outside advertises the army as porky declares “i wanna learn to march!”

finally, our happy little soldier gets the ending he’s always wanted. bob clampett animates an eager porky marching in the infantry, intermittently flashing hilariously ecstatic grins at the audience. perhaps even funnier is that he isn’t even in time with everyone else’s march, doing a much more hurried speed walk (speed waddle?) slightly out of time. a happy end as we iris out.

while this isn’t my favorite tex porky short, it’s undoubtedly entertaining. speed is a big factor to tex’s cartoons, and it certainly plays a big role in this one, conveying the urgency and out of control nature of porky’s shanghaied plane. the opening almost feels a little TOO fast, with porky getting registered right away and doing all his tests one after the other. it’s a minor complaint, and it isn’t even that noticeable. my ADHD would much rather prefer too fast than too slow. also amazing how, for lack of a better word, relevant this cartoon is today, where voice control becomes more and more popular. not in a durrr technology bad way, but just in a comical way that makes you draw comparisons. a highly amusing short that’s worth a watch, just because.

link!

#lt #plane dippy #reviews #long post #avery

[bennetts-war-blog]

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War is absolute hell, but the subject matter with all its patriotism stemming from dozens of stories over the years can make for some incredibly heroic, touching tales that make audiences reflect and cry, while dropping you right in the middle of the action. It’s also what attracted country superstar, Trace Adkins to star in the new film, Bennett’s War, alongside a string of other talented actors, including Michael Roark and Allison Paige.bennetts war full movie, download bennetts war movie, online watch bennetts war full movie

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"I play Marshall's dad [Cal Bennett]," Adkins told PopCulture.com exclusively at the movie premiere in Nashville, Tennessee. "Supportive but at the same time very cautious and not quite sure if I should be aiding him in this thing he's trying to do. You know, trying to get back into motocross racing ... but [I] end up giving in because I see he's gonna do it one way or another so I might as well help the kid out."

Marshall (Roark) is a young soldier who survives an IED explosion during combat for the Army overseas. He was a part of the Motorcycle Unit and ends up being medically discharged due to sustaining injuries — a broken back and leg. However, now he can't walk and is faced with new challenges for every day living. When he gets back home to his family's farm, he notices that his father Cal is struggling to make ends meet, so he does the unthinkable: he becomes a motocross racer in order to help his family out financially.

"Well, I just like the whole message of the movie," Adkins admitted when asked why he was intrigued to join the cast. "You know, the indomitable spirit. This guy being told that he would never ride again, and then you know, he's gonna prove everybody wrong and it's just one of those feel good stories, you know?" bennetts war full movie, download bennetts war movie, online watch bennetts war full movie

Roark — who's known for his roles in Magic Mike, Dolphin Tales and the Beauty and the Beast series, stars as the film's lead role. When hopping on board to work on this project, he described the moment he knew he wanted to portray this role was when he felt "the need for him [Marshall]."

"You get a visceral feeling when you read a script," Roark explained to PopCulture.com. "It's not always there, but sometimes. When I read this one ... just the need for him. I thought the idea with Marshall, he's a guy trying to get back home. Not so much physically, but spiritually. Also ... his body. It's something I just found, it just really really connected with me. I'm really hooked into it and I liked the opportunity to really try and represent military and motocross. There's just a lot of heart in this story."

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Blake and Trace, who joined forces on the 2009 No. 1 hit, “Hillbilly Bone,” will release a new single, “Hell Right,” on Aug. 16.

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