#and all of the legends that participate in White Rose Week

[wewerecore]

The Great Pro-Wrestling Adventure Hour - 013 08/10/23 Defy TV 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST Filmed at the Good Time Theatre at Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania

SEGMENT ONE (EIGHT MINUTES):

- The show opened with Sudu Upadhyay recapping CORE's Risky Raffle event over a series of still photographs. Sudu highlighted Titus Alexander's return to CORE and his eventual triumph, Brogan Finlay's attack on Shaw Mason, and Kerry Morton, Starboy Charlie, and Marcus Mathers punching their ticket for Trios Kingdom. Sudu then welcomed us to the broadcast booth where he was joined by Larry Zbyszko who had with him a Halliburton briefcase. While previewing today's broadcast, Sudu stated that Larry will be appearing in Jarek 1:20's Magic Shop. The Living Legend promised no illusions or prestidigitations, Zbyszko said there will be no cards up his sleeve as he will lay them all out on the table later today.

- An updated version of The Great Pro-Wrestling Adventure Hour opening aired set to "Black Swan Lake" by Janko Nilovic.

Titus Alexander vs. The Great Alexander (with Raychell Rose) Titus Alexander defeated The Great Alexander with the Chaos Theory. (2:27)

- As wrestling manager in training Raychell Rose tried to discuss strategy with her assigned client, we were shown Flamita, who teamed with Titus Alexander during the Risky Raffle, had been in the crowd watching the match. It was announced that Flamita will be in action next week.

- When Heidi Howitzer and Badger Briggs made their way to the ring we learned that in two weeks time they will be competing in a Trios Kingdom 2023 qualifying match with their partner Max The Impaler. Max led them out of the curtain by exited the ringside area due to the new Pennsylvania wrestling manager licensing requirements.

- Before break we were shown footage from earlier in the day when Kylie Paige was interviewed by new CORE backstage correspondent Erick Stevens. Erick asked Kylie what her grindset was like going into this match so she could smash this challenge like the total badass she is. Kylie Paige discussed how intimidating her opponents are, but how grateful she was to have an experienced, established women's wrestler like Dream Girl Ellie as her partner. Just then the interview was interrupted by a young woman who introduced herself as Kylie's partner. Kylie remarked that she wasn't Dream Girl Ellie, and the woman said that no, her name is Drea. Kylie apparently saw that on the white board and just assumed they ran out of room. Drea said that she's a student of the Rhodes Wrestling Academy and is really looking forward to having one of her very first matches today. A look of fear was obvious on Kylie Paige's face as we went to commercial.

SEGMENT TWO (EIGHT MINUTES):

Heidi Howitzer and Badger Briggs vs. Kylie Paige and Drea Heidi Howitzer and Badger Briggs defeated Kylie Paige and Drea with a curbstomp from Briggs on Drea. (3:04)

- Kylie was helping her partner to the back when Larry Zbyszko remarked loudly on commentary that as impressive as Heidi and Badger looked, it's a shame Max The Impaler didn't get a chance to warm up today heading into the qualifying match. With that Max The Impaler met Kylie Paige at the curtain and, brushing Drea to the floor, grabbed Kylie by the hair and tossed her into the ring. Max powerbombed Kylie in the middle of the ring before climbing to the top rope and crashing down with a big splash. Max was about to leave the ring, but the crowd (and Larry Zbyszko) cried out for more. Max The Impaler came off the top with another big splash before heaving Kylie out the ring and celebrating with Howitzer and Briggs.

- We next joined Daphne Oz at the CORE news desk for the Coal Region Roundup. Daphne's first news item was that after returning to win the Risky Raffle, Titus Alexander will be participating next week in a Trios Kingdom qualifying match. Titus, who won Trios Kingdom 2022 with Josh Alexander and Mr. Takeshita, is back this year with two new partners. We are sent to comments from Titus Alexander who discussed his time away from CORE following a crisis of confidence after his loss to Roderick Strong combined with the departure of Josh Alexander and Takeshita. Titus said that while back home in California he had time to think, and he kept coming back to a trio that had only teamed once but that he felt there was so much more they could do together. Titus brought in his new Trios Kingdom partners, Kevin Blackwood and Alan Angels. Daphne Oz followed by making it clear that this qualifying match will be no easy task as Alexander, Blackwood, and Angels will be against CMLL's own Atrapasuenos group of Dulce Gardenia, Espiritu Negro, and Rey Cometa. Daphne Oz then moved our attention to CORE's big event at the Pittston Tomato Festival on August 21st. In addition to the shot at Eddie Kingston's New Japan STRONG Openweight Championship that Titus Alexander earned by winning the Risky Raffle, fans in Pittston will see lucha libre action as Fuego Del Sol squares off with CMLL's Fugaz. In a hard hitting tag team match, Jake Something and Vincent Nothing will face Toru Sugiura and Tomoya Hirata from the FREEDOMS wrestling office. And in a special attraction we will see a reunion of the Junction Three faction from Dragon Gate as Dragon Kid and Rich Swann will team up again for one night only.

SEGMENT THREE (EIGHT MINUTES):

Trench Trial Series - Match 4 Trench vs. Yuya Uemura Yuya Uemura defeated Trench with the top rope crossbody press. (3:39)

- We are welcomed into The Magic Shop by our host Jarek 1:20. At first we can only hear Jarek's voice but from a puff of smoke he appears before bringing out his guest, Larry Zbyszko. Zbyszko placed his Halliburton briefcase on a white cloth covered round table and cut right to the chase. Larry said he knows Brogan Finlay is preparing for his Weapons Wild match and that Ricky Morton is by his side, but that he also knows Marcus Mathers is in the building today to keep the odds even with folkstyle, and Zbyszko called Mathers to the Magic Shop. Marcus Mathers cautiously made his way to the set while Jarek's 1:20 pulled the tablecloth out from beneath the briefcase which remained on the table undisturbed. Mathers said Larry was right, he's only here to watch Finlay’s back, and that Kerry Morton, Starboy Charlie, and he all will not be wrestling in CORE until Trios Kingdom. Larry said that they've taken his son, his knee, and a lot of his pride. Zbyszko said he doesn't have much left to offer, but he does have what is in the briefcase. Zbyszko said that Kerry already has the NWA World Junior Heavyweight title, but how would Starboy Charlie or Marcus Mathers feel about having an NWA title? Zbyszko opened the briefcase to reveal the NWA Western States Heritage Championship, a title that Larry won over 35 years ago and never lost. Mathers dismissively asked if he really thought this would work, that they'd accept a match and then Larry would bring out Haku or Alistair Overeem to injure them before Trios Kingdom. Zbyszko said that all they have to do is have Kerry Morton and either Starboy or Marcus accept a tag team match for August 21st in Pittston and the title is theirs to do with as they please. They don't have to win the match; they just have to show up in Pittston. Mathers still showed little interest and Zbyszko just asked that one of them be here next week and Larry will reveal the opponents they'd have to face.

SEGMENT FOUR (NINE MINUTES):

Weapons Wild Match Brogan Finlay vs. Shaw Mason

- As the Weapons Wild match spilled out into the crowd, Marcus Mathers and Ricky Morton struck, attacking Shaw Mason with kendo sticks. Thankfully Tim Bosby and Hunter Holdcraft were fast to make the save swinging metal trash cans at Morton and Mathers. Finlay and Mason made their way back to the ring as the others continued to brawl on the floor. But once inside the ring, Shaw Mason was smacked across the back of the head with a steel chair swung by Kenzie Paige making a surprise appearance. Shaw Mason's cut from the Risky Raffle had opened back up as Brogan Finlay climbed to the top rope and Kenzie laid the chair over Mason's bloody face. Brogan Finlay defeated Shaw Mason after a top rope elbow drop onto a steel chair. (7:20)

- Mathers, Finlay, Morton, and Kenzie all ran off as Bosby and Holdcraft tended to their fallen partner.

SEGMENT FIVE (EIGHT MINUTES):

Trios Kingdom 2023 Qualifying Match Los Magnificos (Adrenalina, Explosivo, and Fantastico) vs. The Air Show (Jah'Zel, Razerwyng, and Mach10) Los Magnificos defeated The Air Show after a rebound Spanish Fly into a crucifix pin from Adrenalina on Razerwyng. (6:55)

SEGMENT SIX (FOUR MINUTES):

- Promotional consideration paid for by the following: Ty-D-Bol - Only Ty-D-Bol has the freshness of lemon and the cleaning power of Borax. For over fifty years, Ty-D-Bowl toilet cleaners and deodorizers offer The Clean You Can See! Core Hydration - Perfectly pH balanced water to match your body's natural pH. And introducing new Core Hydration+, nutrient enhanced immunity supporting water featuring real fruit extracts and essences with zero calories or sweeteners. Thomas' English Muffins - What makes Thomas' English Muffins better than toast? Is it the nooks or the crannies? Decide for yourself! Making Breakfast Better For Over 100 Years.

- Before signing off, Sudu announced that a match had just been signed for next week as Brogan Finlay and Ricky Morton will face Tim Bosby and Hunter Holdcraft of folkstyle.

Next Week On The Great Pro-Wrestling Adventure Hour The Trench Trial Series continues. Flamita will be in action. TrustBusters Reserve's Hyan vs. Max The Impaler Trios Kingdom 2023 Qualifying Match: Titus Alexander, Kevin Blackwood, and Alan Angels vs. Atrapasuenos (Dulce Gardenia, Espiritu Negro, and Rey Cometa) AND JUST SIGNED… Brogan Finlay and Ricky Morton vs. folkstyle (Tim Bosby and Hunter Holdcraft)

Upcoming Shows:

The Great Pro-Wrestling Adventure Hour Every Thursday from 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM EST on Defy TV

CORE Pro #119 Burning The Tomato Worms 08/21/23 Pittston Tomato Festival - Pittston, Pennsylvania

01. Fuego Del Sol vs. Fugaz

02. Junction Three (Dragon Kid and Rich Swann) vs. ??? and ???

03. Something/Nothing (Jake Something and Vincent Nothing) with UltraMantis Black vs. Toru Sugiura and Tomoya Hirata

04. NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship Match: Eddie Kingston (Champion) vs. Titus Alexander

CORE Pro #120 Trios Kingdom 2023 - Night One 09/01/23 Penn's Peak - Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania Featuring: The Calling (AKIRA, Rickey Shane Page, and Delirious) with Raven The 37KAMIINA (MAO, Yuki Ueno, and Toi Kojima) Jake Something, Vincent Nothing, and Giant Baba Yaga with UltraMantis Black Team JTO (Ren Ayabe, Fire Katsumi, and Akira Juumonji) Black Generation International (Kaito Ishida, Flamita, and Yutani) The Production (Derek Dillinger, Magnum CK, and Ziggy Haim) Just 5 Guys (TAKA Michinoku, Taichi, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) Big Mouth LOUD (Katsuyori Shibata, Kazunari Murakami, and Manabu Hara) The Family Tree (Afa Jr., Sean Maluta, and Journey Fatu) Donna del Mondo (Giulia, Maika, and Thekla) Los Cancerberos del Infierno (Cancerbero, Luciferno, and Virus) folkstyle (Shaw Mason, Tim Bosby, and Hunter Holdcraft) Kerry Morton, Starboy Charlie, and Marcus Mathers Los Magnificos (Adrenalina, Explosivo, and Fantastico)

CORE Pro #121 Trios Kingdom 2023 - Night Two 09/02/23 Charles Chrin Community Center - Easton, Pennsylvania

CORE Pro #122 Trios Kingdom 2023 - Night Three 09/03/23 Martz Hall - Pottsville, Pennsylvania

CORE returns to the Good Time Theatre at Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania! 09/04/23 Television taping for The Great Pro-Wrestling Adventure Hour as seen on Defy TV.

[melodiaemfrp]

Hello, Attuned! Thank you for participating in Melodiae’s eleventh Activity Check! Listed here are characters that did not pass the check (Five (5) days of activity in-server) for the period from Wednesday, March 8th to Sunday, May 7th.

If you believe your muse(s) are listed here by mistake, you may reach out to the Masterlist on or before Thursday, May 11th. All characters that do not have activity accounted for by 11:59 PM EST on this date will be removed from the server by the next inbox run (Friday, May 12th.)

If you did not pass the check, you also have until Thursday, May 11th to reapp your muse(s) by sending an ask to the Masterlist indicating your intent to reapp the character. You DO NOT have to resubmit the whole application; simply provide your name, the character’s name & series, your OOC contact, and the date in an ask. Muses marked with an asterisk (*) have failed two consecutive checks, and are ineligible to be reapped this way unless they are an OC. These muses must wait one full week, and may resubmit their entire application on or after Friday, May 19th.

Muses that are not reapped by 11:59pm EST on Thursday, May 11th will be removed from the server by our inbox run on Friday, May 12th.

Thank you for your continued interest in Melodiae!

- The Melodiae Team

ARKNIGHTS

Gladiia (Emberlyn)

Ifrit (Spica) *

Ishar-mla (Skadi) (Freya)

Ling (Hika)

Skadi (Freya)

Specter (Owl)

BANG DREAM! GIRLS’ BAND PARTY

Hagumi Kitazawa (Isu)

BLEACH

Ichigo Kurosaki (Crow)

BOCCHI THE ROCK

Hitori Gotoh (Bliss)

BUNGOU STRAY DOGS

Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Flora)

Yukichi Fukuzawa (Rosel)

COUNTDOWN TO COUNTDOWN

Lillium White (Myco) *

CRITICAL ROLE

Mollymauk Tealeaf (Myco) *

DELTARUNE

Kris (Willow/Mae)

DEMON SLAYER

Kanroji Mitsuri (Bambie)

DETECTIVE CONAN / MAGIC KAITO 1412

Kaito Kuroba (Willow/Mae)

Shinichi Kudo (Gremlin)

DON'T STARVE

Wanda, the Timekeeper (Birb)

ELSWORD

Noah Ebalon (Nyx Pieta) (Xanthe)

ENSEMBLE STARS!

Eichi Tenshouin (Alice) *

Mayoi Ayase (Billie) *

Wataru Hibiki (Laur)

FATE

GRAND ORDER

Archer (Takasugi Shinsaku) (Satsujin)

Caster (Merlin Prototype) (Bliss)

Fujimaru Ritsuka (Skadi)

FINAL FANTASY

VII

Cloud Strife (Aria)

XIV

Breakfast Sandwich (Gil/Lapis/Emil)

Erichthonios (Gil/Emil/Lapis)

Hythlodaeus (Skadi)

Zero (Myco) *

XV

Ignis Scientia (Cyan) *

Noctis Lucis Caelum (Eris)

FIRE EMBLEM

SHADOW DRAGON

Michalis (Rose)

NEW MYSTERY OF THE EMBLEM

Marth Lowell (Lucien)

AWAKENING

Libra (Rose)

FATES

Camilla (Rose)

THREE HOUSES

Ashe Ubert (Satsujin) *

Bernadetta von Varley (Owl)

Dedue Molinaro (Rose)

Edelgard von Hresvelg (Rose)

Leonie Pinelli (Gozu)

ENGAGE

Alear (F) (Mikey)

Alear (M) (Gil/Lapis/Emil)

GENSHIN IMPACT

Diluc Ragnvindr (Satsujin)

GUILD WARS 2

Vindex Chaingrace (Charr Pact Commander) (Lavi)

HADES

Zagreus (Moshi)

HONKAI IMPACT 3RD

Elysia (Mikey)

I WAS A TEENAGE EXOCOLONIST

Solanaceae (Gozu)

JUJUTSU KAISEN

Mahito (Spica) *

JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE

PART 5

Bruno Buccellati (Cyan)

PART 6

Ermes Costello (Cyan)

Jolyne Cujoh (Eris)

KAMEN RIDER

BUILD

Banjou Ryuuga (Lottie)

GEATS

Ace Ukiyo (Liquid)

REVICE

Daiji Igarashi (Jun)

ZERO-ONE

Aruto Hiden (Isu)

Jin (Lottie)

LEGEND OF HEROES

Alfin Reise Arnor (Mikey)

LEGEND OF ZELDA

BREATH OF THE WILD

Prince Sidon (Lizard)

MEGAMIND

Megamind (Birb)

MY HERO ACADEMIA

Keigo Takami (Bambie)

ORIGINAL CHARACTERS

Erika Ishikawa (Rhia)

Gabriel VaRossa (Hikari)

Lancelot (Candle)

Marie/”Kamui” (Bambie)

Neri (Bambie)

Shimmer (Rhia)

PANDORA HEARTS

Elliot Nightray (Limbo)

Gilbert Nightray (Willow/Mae)

Leo (Rosel)

PERSONA

4

Naoto Shirogane (Lune)

5

Futaba Sakura (WIllow/Mae)

POKÉMON

SCARLET/VIOLET

Grusha (Lizard)

Julius (PC) (Julian)

PREY

Morgan Yu (Eris)

PROJECT MOON WORKS

LIBRARY OF RUINA

Angelica (Freya)

Binah (Keizh)

Eurydice (OC) (Fris)

LIMBUS COMPANY

Dante (Keizh)

LOBOTOMY CORPORATION

Ayin (Xanthe)

PROJECT SEKAI

MEIKO ( Vivid BAD SQUAD ) (Rhia)

PROMISE OF WIZARD

Bradley Bain (Blues)

Figaro Garcia (Lati)

RWBY

Ruby Rose (Candle)

Summer Rose (Bambie)

SK8 THE INFINITY

Reki Kyan (Lune)

TALES OF SERIES

BERSERIA

Velvet Crowe (Rhia)

TEAM FORTRESS 2

Tavish Finnigan DeGroot (Demoman) (Derrick)

THE ADVENTURE ZONE

Lup (Shae)

THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU

Daisukenojo Bito (Cecil2)

TOKYO GHOUL

Tsukiyama Shuu (Ike)

TOONTOWN

Flint Bonpyre (Rascal)

TOUKEN RANBU

Izuminokami Kanesada (Xing)

Kashuu Kiyomitsu (Tian)

Mikazuki Munechika (Laila)

Souza Samonji (Rose)

Yamanbagiri Kunihiro (Ike)

TWISTED WONDERLAND

Azul Ashengrotto (Aria)

YU-GI-OH

ZEXAL

Yuma Tsukumo (Isu)

#melodiae activity check

[thefinalcinderella]

Scary Monsters! Story Summary (Part 1)

I don’t think anyone’s translated this story yet so I’ll just summarize it

The more events we have, the more I’m convinced that they take place in an alternative timeline or something. I don’t know if this was confirmed in the guidebook though

Wow I still can’t summarize for shit

Episode 1-1 Everyone should have fun

- Another day of school ends for MC and Grim

- Grim randomly mentions that there’s too much distance between the Ramshackle Dorm and the school (isn’t it the opposite though?)

- When they get back to their dorm they are stunned to discover that the front yard has become a weird mix of Chinatown and Halloween

- Lilia shows up (and introduces himself again, hmm) and scares us, apparently everything there is made by the Diasomnia dorm students

- This is our first time seeing Diasomnia mobs, who are arranging the decorations in the yard

- Deadbeat Crowley strikes again! Apparently he told Diasomnia that MC and Grim agreed to let them set this stuff up

- MC asks why all the decorations, and Lilia explains that it’s for Halloween! Apparently Malleus insisted that they spend Halloween at the Ramshackle Dorm

- the ghosts are out and they’re impressed by how extravagant it all is and even encourage them to do more without minding us (thanks guys)

- Grim doesn’t know what Halloween is, shocking everyone

Episode 1-2 It’s our festival!!

- The ghosts explain that Halloween is an important event in Twisted Wonderland

- Lilia explains that it’s when all the ghosts return to this world from the other world; the decorations are to entertain them

- Everyone wears costumes like ghosts and monsters because many ghosts like to play tricks on people (since there’s not much opportunities to interact with the living); these ghosts can be dispersed by giving them candy

- Lilia mentions there are also evil ghosts that can’t be controlled (foreshadowing much?)

- Lilia implies that he knows about the ghosts we met in the mine???　Or something like that??? (”I think you two also have experience with ghosts who do bad things?”)

- Wearing costumes is for scaring those evil ghosts back and driving them away...but that’s just a story from a long time ago, and now it’s just for fun cosplay

- Ghosts say not to worry about anything, Halloween was always like this since they became ghosts

- the living can’t actually see ghosts since they’re not supposed to stay in this world unless they have strong attachments or goals, so the ghosts who do stay in this world are very unstable existences *cough* Eliza *cough*; they can’t be seen in places other than places like NRC where there’s strong magical energy, so yeah ghosts are actually rare

- Ghosts emphasize that it doesn’t matter whether or not you can see ghosts or not, Halloween is supposed to be fun and that’s all that matters

- MC says that Halloween is also pretty famous in their hometown

- Ghosts (in front of Lilia): Oh MC you have Halloween back in your world too? What a coincidence (How many people know MC is from another world??)

- Lilia doesn’t seem surprised so I assume he knew

- NRC has a special Halloween event too, which we will learn about soon

Episode 1-3 It’s quite photogenic

- The ghosts start snapping pictures with their phones (yeah that’s right)

- They bought them this year online 

- Grim is jealous because he has to share with MC

- They have a MagiCam account too, they only have 5 followers

- Grim is surprised they show up on camera since usually that can only happen with the ghost camera

- Lilia explains that since Halloween is the time of the year where this world and the other world are the closest, so this is when ghosts are the most powerful which is why they can show up in photos; it’s just in NRC tho

- They tell us to look forward to Halloween

Episode 1-4 The best Halloween

- The next day in class, Crewel says it’s one month to Halloween and everyone’s excited

- Ace and Deuce are also excited, talking about decorations and stuff; even the Ignihyde students come out of their rooms for Halloween

- Crewel: The week before Halloween is “Halloween Week”, which is when the students run a stamp rally event for outsiders

- Each dorm choose a place in the school as a spot for the stamp rally and decorate it; what’s important is that anyone can freely participate--in other words, guests from outside freely walk around the school

- The reason for this is to thank the people who live on this “Sage’s Island” (where NRC is located) for their understanding and cooperation, and it’s a chance to show them how much the students have grown and stuff

- In order for the event to move smoothly, each dorm sends out students as staff on the management committee

- Naturally, this is the first time we’re hearing of this (thanks Crowley)

- Deuce tells us not to worry and ask him if we have any questions since he’s part of the committee (it’s chosen by lottery)

- Also there’s a Halloween party on the 31st  which everyone can join, students and ghosts included

- Ace’s brother showed him pictures of the food

- It’s next to prom as a big event at NRC (yeah prom exists too)

Episode 1-5 Are you ready?

- A month later, 8 days before Halloween

- the committee gathers, it’s composed of Deuce, Cater, Jack, Azul, Jade, Kalim, Vil, Epel, Idia, Lilia, and Malleus

- Deuce was an hour early to the meeting lol

- Idia is there in person

- Vil is the head of the committee, he talks about the stamp rally and how guests who collect all seven stamps get candy at the entrance gates

- Cater: “Wow Headmaster you’re so generous!” Jade: “It’s a small bag of candy that isn’t even 100 madol” (I wonder about the finances of the school sometimes)

- The stamp rally is from 10 am to 10 pm, they have to be there at all times so they’re excused from classes, taking turns in each dorm

- It’s going to be a hectic time but everyone’s fired up

- They decide to go around and see all the different dorm setups and costumes, Diasomnia is first

- Malleus chose Ramshackle for the stamp rally place because it’s a dump basically (Deuce: Sorry MC)

Episode 1-6 They are crying with joy!!

- The committee’s at Ramshackle; Sebek is as Sebek as ever

- Malleus and Lilia change into their costumes which is eastern dragon ghosts

- Diasomnia was traditional ghosts last year but decided to change it up this year

- Sebek is simping so hard he’s crying lol

- Vil made the costumes for them; he complains that Malleus gave an 1 hour lecture about how “eastern dragons (ryuu) and dragons are completely different” after he said that it was meaningless for Malleus, who is a dragon, to dress up as a dragon

- Malleus goes at it again and is apparently talking very quickly like Idia, what a nerd lol

- Crowley says that when the rally first began, everyone just wore sheets over their heads, but some students started putting more effort into it and then everyone started doing it too and the dorms are basically competing against each other 

- Silver says that the Ramshackle decorations are inspired by a country Lilia travelled to before; Lilia says that some ryuu are even the guardian deity for a family

- All the decorations use up a lot of magic to maintain, as expected of Diasomnia

- Next they’re going to Heartslabyul’s spot, which is near the greenhouse

Episode 1-7 For a scary taste

- They’re in the Sub-Tropical Zone, where it’s decorated with the theme of graveyard, and the costumes are skeletons with white ribbons as the bones

- They had a hard time balancing authenticity and the fun of Halloween

- Deuce suggested they be “skeletons covered in mud” lol

- Cater was the one who came up with the idea of using ribbons and lace from looking through his MagiCam likes

- The heart you can see through the “ribcage” is made of roses

- the gravestones are made of styrofoam

- The Heartslabyul students are used to working hard for Unbirthday Parties and following rules so it wasn’t hard for Deuce to order his upperclassman around; it’s actually more relaxing since there aren’t so many weird rules

- Malleus: As expected of Rosehearts, you discipline your students well every day Riddle: That makes me sound like a tyrant! (Uh...)

- Next is the alchemy classroom where Octavinelle has their spot

Episode 1-8 The richest

- Everyone agrees that the classroom is too creepy and will probably make little kids cry

- Floyd: I know right??

- The Octavinelle costumes are mummies

- They decided on that because it’s the complete opposite of merpeople

- They combined the old-fashioned image of mummies with style

- The decoration theme is “Mad scientist’s lab”

- The culture tank looking thing lights up at night

- Everything was finished up by a contractor since they’re busy with making a Halloween menu for Mostro Lounge

- Kalim is confused since all the dorms get the same amount of money for decorations and costumes

- Apparently Jade is in charge of accounting and he’s supposed to make sure no one goes over budget or there’s no weird money transfers and stuff like that (Who assigned him this job?)

- Jade: Me? Do something suspicious? Why I never! 

- What they focused most on was cost optimisation

- It involves haggling and using old stuff; they used up all their budget

- The remaining money from the other dorms will be used for the halloween party

- TLDR Octavinelle is scary

- Next is Scarabia, near the shop

Episode 1-9 Isn’t it an awesome idea?

- They arrive at the shop which looks all messed up

- Jade: It’s just like MC’s Ramshackle Dorm 

- Scarabia’s costume is werewolf

- Jack says there’s a legend in his hometown about becoming a werewolf if you stay up late

- Kalim tries to act scary but fails bc he’s too cute

- Jade: It’s like a visiting a petting zoo

- Kalim says that the rugs and fabrics they used for the decorations are all made from plastic bottles and recycled plastics, and that they’re aiming for a society where humans and nature coexist happily--in other words “Sustainable Halloween”

- It’s all Jamil’s idea of course

- Next is Savanaclaw at the colisseum

Episode 1-10 We worked hard!

- there’s a ship 

- Savanaclaw’s costume is pirates

- Jack talks about reading a book about a pirate who fought against a giant crocodile in elementary school and how he pretended to be a pirate

- It’s a famous series apparently, called the Adventures of Captain Beard

- Wow Leona is acting like a dorm leader for once? This really is an alternate timeline

- You can go inside the ship and Ruggie made the gold coins

- Even Idia is impressed by how good the replica is

- Everyone is shocked when it’s revealed that the Savanaclaw students made everything by hand; they’re able to do it because of training everyday for magift

- Next is Ignihyde in the library

Episode 1-11 This much is just common knowledge

- Ignihyde does projections of jack o’lanterns and creepy looking trees

- Ignihyde’s costume is a pumpkin knight

- The pumpkin knight is from a horror movie called “Pumpkin Hollow” which no one except Idia has heard of

- The pumpkin knight is filled with the hatred of uneaten, undecorated and thrown away pumpkins and it returns to the village it was harvested in to attack people each night

- the decorations are recreated from the movie and Idia is supposed to show up as the pumpkin knight

- Idia can talk normally bc his face is covered

- Now for the last dorm, Pomefiore in the mirror chamber

Episode 1-12 The Dual Play of Terror and Beauty

- Idia can walk around in the armor easily because it’s made of light materials, and the sound effects come from a speaker (what a nerd)

- Usually, the mirror chamber is closed to outsiders, but Halloween Week is an exception

- Photography of the mirror of darkness is forbidden since it’s so important

- They get there and it’s...not decorated at all!!

- Rook explains that the mirror chamber is already beautiful so there’s no need for decorations

- Vil: Our existence is the greatest collaboration that will make the mirror chamber stand out; it’s important to dress to match the location

- Pomefiore’s costume is vampires

- Everyone’s speechless by the beauty lol

- They also focused a lot on the makeup so it will give the impression of captivating vampires or something like that

- the aim is “degenerating beauty”

- Vil and Rook are both sad that vampires can’t look in mirrors, so they can’t see their beauty lol; that is why they are so attracted to the mirror chamber (I think this is their backstory or something)

- They only put up signs banning photography

- Crowley: Look! The mirror’s happy too! Mirror: ...

- Halloween Week starts tomorrow

#twisted wonderland #scary monsters #screaming halloween show

[kellyvela]

THE WOLF THAT SLEW THE DRAGON

The other day I made this little post:

Here is Jon Snow killing his aunt to protect Sansa… Oh I’m sorry, this is Saint George killing the dragon to protect a redhead princess. In some versions of the tale Saint George marries the princess… [x]

I did it as a little funny post really, after reading some very bad takes about Targaryen dragons... But after just a small research the last couple of days the things I found are really amazing. Let’s see:  

I already knew about the Legend of Saint George - the Dragon Slayer, and even asked @sansaastark​ to photoshop GRRM’s head on Saint George’s body:

But who was this man, Saint George - the Dragon Slayer? Does he really influenced GRRM?

Saint George was a Roman soldier that was martyred and beheaded following the Emperor orders, after refusing to participate in the persecution of christians because he was a christian himself. 

This part of Saint George’s life reminds me of the Faith of the Seven versus the Old Gods in ASOIAF.  It also makes me think about Jon Snow refusing to abandon the Wildlings and allowing them to cross the Wall, against the ancient law of the Night’s Watch.

Saint George ascended quickly in the Roman Army and became a member of the Praetorian Guard, whose members served as personal bodyguards and intelligence for the Roman emperors, something like the Kingsguard.  

This reminds me of a very young Jon Snow becoming the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, you know: “the shield that guards the realms of men”. Also according Fire & Blood: “Visenya modeled their vows (Kingsguard’s vows) on those of the Night’s Watch; like the black-cloaked crows of the Wall, the White Swords served for life, surrendering all their lands, titles, and worldly goods to live a life of chastity and obedience, with no reward but honor.”

But the most famous part of Saint George’s story is the legend that says he slew a dragon:

In the well-known version from Jacobus da Varagine's Legenda aurea (The Golden Legend, 1260s), the narrative episode of Saint George and the Dragon took place somewhere he called "Silene", in Libya.

Silene in Libya was plagued by a venom-spewing dragon dwelling in a nearby pond, poisoning the countryside. To prevent it from affecting the city itself, the people offered it two sheep daily, then a man and a sheep, and finally their children and youths, chosen by lottery. One time the lot fell on the king's daughter. The king offered all his gold and silver to have his daughter spared; the people refused. The daughter was sent out to the lake, dressed as a bride, to be fed to the dragon.

Saint George by chance arrived at the spot. The princess tried to send him away, but he vowed to remain. The dragon emerged from the pond while they were conversing. Saint George made the Sign of the Cross and charged it on horseback, seriously wounding it with his lance. He then called to the princess to throw him her girdle (zona), and he put it around the dragon's neck. When she did so, the dragon followed the girl like a "meek beast" on a leash.

The princess and Saint George led the dragon back to the city of Silene, where it terrified the populace. Saint George offered to kill the dragon if they consented to become Christians and be baptized. Fifteen thousand men including the king of Silene converted to Christianity. George then killed the dragon, beheading it with his sword, and the body was carted out of the city on four ox-carts. The king built a church to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint George on the site where the dragon died and a spring flowed from its altar with water that cured all disease. Only the Latin version involves the saint striking the dragon with the spear, before killing it with the sword.

The Golden Legend narrative is the main source of the story of Saint George and the Dragon as received in Western Europe, and is therefore relevant for Saint George as patron saint of England. The princess remains unnamed in the Golden Legend version, and the name "Sabra" is supplied by Elizabethan era writer Richard Johnson in his Seven Champions of Christendom (1596). In the work, she is recast as a princess of Egypt. This work takes great liberties with the material, and makes St. George marry Sabra, and have English children, one of whom becomes Guy of Warwick. Alternative names given to the princess in Italian sources still of the 13th century are Cleolinda and Aia.

Source

You can read various versions of the Legend of Saint George and the Dragon here. 

It’s very interesting that between the names given to the princess of the legend are Sabra and Aia, names that sound pretty much like the names of the Stark sisters: Sansa and Arya.  

It’s also pretty interesting that the princess was ‘sent out to the lake, dressed as a bride, to be fed to the dragon’. This bit remains me very much of Sansa who is strongly linked with marriage in ASOIAF.   

Researching about the princess of the story, I found a very cute version of the legend in a web specialized in children’s audio-books. Here is the part about the princess: 

Then one day, the name of the princess was shaken out of the urn. According to the King’s own law, his daughter must be sacrificed. He called the people together and offered them gold and treasure if only they would agree to spare her from the dragon. The judges who oversaw the lottery said that it must be completely fair, or else the people would no longer accept it. And so, much saddened, the king said to the princess, “My dear, I shall never see your wedding day.”

A week went past, and the day arrived when she must meet her fate. The palace servants dressed her in her wedding gown and placed a crown of flowers on her head. They led her out of the city in a procession, and headed for the lake where the dragon lived.

Source

The King’s lament and the princess dressed her in her wedding gown with a crown of flowers on her head sounds as if the princess was about to marry the dragon. This bit sounds very much like Jenny of Oldstones, Lyanna and Sansa Stark... And take note that the first two actually had a romance with a Targaryen man, you know, a dragon...    

This description of the princess, wearing her wedding gown with a crown of flowers in her head, has been depicted by Edward Burne-Jones in the paintings of his Series “The Legend of St George and the Dragon”:

Princess Sabra Drawing the Lot:

The Princess Sabra Led to the Dragon: 

The Princess Tied to the Tree: 

Where do I see those long sleeves before? Oh yeah in Sansa’s costumes on the Show and also in the description of his wedding dress in the books: “The points of the long dagged sleeves almost touched the ground when she lowered her arms.” - A Storm of Swords - Sansa III

This addition to my little funny post tell us more about the relationship between Saint George and the princess: 

Source: The Union Jack: The Story of the British Flag by Nick Groom.

via @butterflies-dragons [x]

This bit: “Saint George is often described as ‘Our Lady’s Knight’ and was strongly associated with the Cult of the Virgin, which contributed to his role as a model of chivalry and courtly love”, reminds me more and more of Sansa, the character most associated with chivalry and courtly love in ASOIAF.  We also have a link to the Faith of the Seven and The Maiden, that reminds me of this ASOIAF passage: “The Maiden lay athwart the Warrior, her arms widespread as if to embrace him.” - A Clash of Kings - Davos I. Sansa would be the Maiden and Jon would be the Warrior.  

The secular version of the legend, the one where George marries Sabra, was also depicted in paintings, here’s an example:   

 The Wedding of St. George by Dante Gabriel Rossetti:

I love that Sabra is wearing a rose in her hair, I will come back to this detail later.

As if all of these findings weren’t enough, yesterday @tell-me-this-isnt-jonsa​ made this very interesting contribution:

Want to hear a fun fact?

While St. George is now most often associated with England and English iconography, his legend actually spans across Europe and parts of Asia. Relevant to our interests, in Slavic and Germanic folklore, St. George is also the patron saint of wolves, otherwise known as the “Master of Wolves” or a wolf herdsman, able to tame and/or command these wild beasts, as well as protect people and livestock from them.

@tell-me-this-isnt-jonsa [x]

You can read more about Saint George as the Master of Wolves here.

Saint George as the “Master of Wolves” or “Wolf Herdsman” reminds me of Jon Snow being crowned King in the North (I know this only happened in the Show, but there is a possibility that this happens in the Books as well).  Either way, Jon Snow is a character strongly linked to leadership, and that’s what being a master or a herdsman ultimately means.  And talking about masters, leaders and Kings, is worth to say that Saint George is also known as the “Prince of Martyrs”.  

After this very important addition, I talked with my friend @flibbertigiblet about all the symbology and similarities between the Legend of Saint George and ASOIAF.

First she told me this:

The country of Georgia, where devotions to the saint date back to the fourth century, is not technically named after the saint, but is a well-attested back-formation of the English name. However, a large number of towns and cities around the world are. Saint George is one of the patron saints of Georgia; the name Georgia (Sakartvelo in Georgian) is an anglicisation of Gurj, ultimately derived from the Persian word gurj/gurjān ("wolf").

Source

So yeah, ladies and gentlemen: GEORGE = WOLF

So Saint George is literally: THE WOLF THAT SLEW THE DRAGON

And my little funny post was right after all: Jon Snow killing his aunt to protect Sansa could be the televisual representation of Saint George killing the dragon to protect Princess Sabra... 

The story of Saint George and the Dragon symbolizes the good winning over the evil. The Christianity winning over paganism, where the dragon represents the evil, the paganism; the princess represents the Catholic Church/Virgin Mary; and Saint George is the Champion of the Catholic Faith.  

Jon Snow is not a Champion of the Faith of the Seven tho, he worships the Old Gods. A very classical GRRM twist, making the Old Gods the pagans and shaping the Faith of the Seven as the Catholic Church. Don’t worry tho, Sansa Stark professes both religions, but I would dare to say that, at this point of the story, she prefers the Old Gods.  

After finding all these gems, so many things make sense. Like the way GRRM talks about dragons, calling them nuclear weapons; and the way he expresses his love of wolves.   

About dragons:

Dragons are the nuclear deterrent, and only Dany has them, which in some ways makes her the most powerful person in the world. But is that sufficient? These are the kind of issues I’m trying to explore. The United States right now has the ability to destroy the world with our nuclear arsenal, but that doesn’t mean we can achieve specific geopolitical goals.

Power is more subtle than that. You can have the power to destroy, but it doesn’t give you the power to reform, or improve, or build.

—Vulture 2014

THEM: And the dragons?

GRRM: “Oh sure, dragons are cool too,” he chuckles. “But maybe not on our doorstep”

—The Guardian - 2018

What drives Dany? With Dany I’m particularly looking at the… what effect great power has upon a person. She’s the mother of dragons, and she controls what is in effect the only three nuclear weapons in the entire world that I’ve created. What does it do to you when you control the only three nuclear weapons in the world and you can destroy entire cities or cultures if you choose to? Should you choose to, should you not choose to?

—“Interview exclusive de George R R Martin, l'auteur de Game Of Thrones” de -Le Mouv’-

About wolves:  

Chris Long: What your favorite things about wolves are? What drew you to wolves? Because it seems like you have a passion for them.

GRRM: I like their ferocity. I like the fact that they’re social animals, that they have, they’re packs, they’re not lonely hunters. They have their own society, their own packs. They work together. You know I’ve tried to make that point in “Game of Thrones” and that will come back to it in later books, you know. When winter comes, the cold wins blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. And human beings need to keep that in mind too. We all need each other. We all need packs. That’s true on a football team as well. The individual star can’t succeed without great teammates around him.

—George RR Martin in The Fish Bowl with Chris Long

It’s not a surprise then, that GRRM has called the Starks “The Heroes of the Story”, and the Starks are wolves, and one of them could be destined to slay a dragon to protect a member of their pack, and become a legend: THE WOLF THAT SLEW THE DRAGON...  Just like happened in the Show...    

To be honest, as thorough as GRRM is, I’m very sure he knows a lot about his namesake Saint George “The Dragon Slayer”, and he seems proud to bear the name:

John Hodgman: That’s how I can’t sue you, If you steal from history and add a dragon. I can’t sue you.

GRRM: I’m working off my own, you know, karma here, because I’m George, and what’s he known for? He killed the dragon, you know, come on. Come on, I was almost abolished at one point when the Catholic Church was reviewing all the saints, I was terrified that George would be abolished, because they abolish a lot of fiction, I said George is only known for killing a dragon, how can they keep him in, but they did so, that was, that was good.

John Hodgman: I’m glad you stayed anointed.

GRRM: That’s right.

—In conversation: George R. R. Martin with John Hodgman

As far as I know, GRRM is an atheist, but he went to a catholic high school: 

Chris Long: You also grew up in Bayonne, right?

GRRM: Right, Bayonne, New Jersey, yeah.  

Chris Long: So you have, somebody that works on my crew said they’re from Bayonne. They said to ask you about the Bayonne Bees. Did you go to there, were you at the high school, the Bayonne Bees?    

GRRM: No, that was our archrival. I went to the Catholic high school, Marist, and the Royal Knights.  

—George RR Martin in The Fish Bowl with Chris Long

Marist is a catholic congregation named after Blessed Virgin Mary. And their Football Team is called the Royal Knights. Royal Knights huh... I wonder why?

Interestingly enough, Saint George is often described as ‘Our Lady’s Knight’ and was strongly associated with the Cult of the Virgin, which contributed to his role as a model of chivalry and courtly love.

And remember that according to the most known version of the legend, “The king built a church to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint George on the site where the dragon died”.

I really hope Sansa Stark finds her true knight someday, someone as brave and gentle and strong as Saint George - The Dragon Slayer... Someone we could call “Our Lady of Winterfell’s Knight” or maybe “The Queen in the North’s Knight”...

Anyway, continuing with the recount of my research, after that I told my friend about my favorite version of the Legend of Saint George and the Dragon, this one from Catalonia, Spain:

The Legend of Saint George

The legend explains that long ago, in Montblanc (Tarragona) a ferocious dragon, capable of poisoning the air and killing with his breath, had frightened the inhabitants of the city. The inhabitants, scared and tired of the dragon´s ravages and misdeeds, decided to calm him by feeding him one person a day that would be chosen randomly in a draw. After several days, the princess was the unlucky one.

When the princess left her home and headed towards the dragon, a gentleman named Saint George, dressed in shining armor, riding a white horse, suddenly appeared to rescue her. Saint George raised his sword and stabbed the dragon, at last releasing the princess and the citizens from this turmoil.

From the dragon's blood a rose-bush grew with the reddest roses that had ever been seen. Saint George, now a hero picked a rose and offered it to the princess.

Source

Montblanc, the town of this story, literally means “White Mountain”, very Winterfell-ish... 

So, remember that Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s painting where Sabra is wearing a rose in her hair during her wedding? That painting reminds me of this version of the legend.

A knight giving a rose to a princess is a trope GRRM used a lot in ASOIAF: Lyanna’s crown of winter roses, The Rose of Winterfell, Loras giving Sansa a red rose, Sansa wearing the rose Loras gave to her in her hair, Marillion’s song for Alayne: 'The Roadside Rose', etc.  Also, a rose is a very important element of certain story GRRM loves: Beauty and the Beast. 

Saint George’s day (April 23th) is a very important festivity in Catalonia, Spain. Saint George is their Patron Saint and this day is also known as the Catalan Valentine’s Day:

Saint George´s Roses

Sending roses is the most significant thing about this festival. Anyone can make this offering, although as tradition dictates it is the man who must give a rose to his beloved. According to the legend, Saint George saved his princess by killing the dragon from whose blood grew a rose. That is why some consider it the Catalan Valentine´s Day, because Saint George is said to be, par excellence, the patron saint of lovers in Catalonia.

Source

That’s why Saint George's Day is also known as The Day of the Rose in Catalonia.

Since we got romantic at this point, my friend told me about some potential Jonsa AUs based in the Legend of Saint George and the Dragon, and she also mentioned Saint George’s Cross, the one on the England flag.

To that detail, I mentioned the Saint Andrew’s Cross, the one on the Scotland flag, and how GRRM has made the Starks very Scot coded. I also mentioned how the Union Jack, the United Kingdom’s Flag was created by merging Saint George’s (Englad), Saint Andrew’s (Scotland) & Saint Patrick’s (Ireland) crosses.

And after that, my friend said to me this: 

“Following that logic - Jon's non-Stark half (I don't want to say Targ), as represented by St George's cross, which theoretically gives him the birthright to rule England/The southern kingdoms, plus his Stark side/Sansa, as represented by St Andrew/Scotland = The 7K/Westeros with Jonsa as King and Queen”. 

At that point I was screaming: ¡¡¡THIS IS THE HENRY TUDOR & ELIZABETH OF YORK -WAR OF THE ROSES- JONSA THEORY!!!

And then, after all this information, I decided to write this post.  My friend took the same decision, so expect more on the subject!

It was a long ride. I could be right about all of this or maybe just a little, or more probably, I’m all wrong, but it was a blast! 

As my friend, @shieldofrohan​​ likes to say: “GRRM’s own name is a fucking spoiler for the books”  

***The end***

#jonsa #saint george and the dragon #grrm

[dailydianakko]

Withered Flowers

Okay, I personally really hate this one. I feel like its not that cohesive. I wish I could write this a little better, but alas I have NO time to do anything anymore. Since I won’t be participating in Diakko week, please take this humble offering instead. Check out my AO3 here.

Chains scraped the rock with Akko’s every movement, however small. The shackles on her wrists pinched and tugged at her skin as she slowly etched another line into the stone. The overhang was littered with the numerous white gashes. Each one had been carefully carved with her claws. She pulled her hand back and blew the dust away, not even bothering to flinch at the grating sound of iron on stone. She had become all too used to the noise over the years. After all, today marked the hundredth year of her imprisonment. 

Akko turned away from the rock and listlessly looked out at the forest around her. Dead trees littered a barren landscape. Grey stone on rotting wood as far as her eyes could see. The only sign of life that could be seen was a single flower, peeking from the cracks in the rock by her feet. She leaned back and closed her eyes. Akko could remember when the forest had been full of life. Birds had filled the treetops with song during the day and the raucous calls of foxes had filled the night. Since her imprisonment, the forest had waned drastically.

Shifting slightly, Akko flexed her toes in a futile attempt to ward off the weariness  in her limbs. The unpleasant tingle was always present. A side effect from her years trapped in this rocky hollow. In an effort to stave off the numbness that was creeping up her legs, Akko turned her thoughts inward. It had been long enough. Had they written legends about her? Had stories of a sealed Oni of destruction begun to be woven beside the hearth fires at night? Did tales of a monster who lived by absorbing the life force of others creep into children’s nightmares? Would mothers warn their children not to come into the cursed forest, lest the meat fall from their bones, and they rot away?

She snorted to herself quietly. Akko only lived as others did, consuming life to nourish her own. The only difference is that her method was more direct. And more chaotic, a bitter voice in the back of her mind whispered. Bile rose in her throat as she remembered the day that she had been sealed here. Akko had been so small, so young. The red headed wandering hero Akok had admired did not hesitate to trick Akko into her manacles. Akko had been told it was for her own safety; that left unchecked she would destroy the world. Akko would have rather her hero killed her.

She had been told that “death was a part of living, and you have just as much right to life as the rest of us.” The words hadn’t been for Akko;that she knew now. It had been said merely to ease the conscience of her captor. Her hero had lied and betrayed her. Left Akko to rot for all time, while she enjoyed wandering the world. Akko let out a bitter laugh. Human lifespans were short, and Akko had obviously been forgotten. Left to gaze out at the ruined forest. There would be no hero to save her, the villain in this tale.

“Why are you laughing?” Akko froze at the sound of someone else speaking. She whipped around to identify the speaker and flinched, startled from the deafening clatter of the chains striking the ground. A human woman stood before her. Her blonde hair had green highlights; almost as if it were stained with chlorophyll, and her beautiful blue eyes sparkled with merriment. Her clothes were like nothing Akko had seen before, pale blue robes that folded over in on itself. She looked like she was wearing a flower. So caught up in her thoughts, Akko failed to respond to the stranger.

“Well? Can you speak?” The stranger cocked her head and placed her hands on her hips. A small tapping noise filled the hollow as she tapped her foot in impatience. “It is rude to keep someone waiting.”

“I can speak.” Akko’s voice sounded harsh with disuse. “Who are you?” She glared distrustfully at the woman. The last contact she had with a human ended in her bound in chains. If her luck ran the same way with this one, she would probably end up with a knife in her back. Death, while an escape from her prison, was something Akko would rather confront on her own terms. After all, she still wanted what had been denied to her all these years. To travel the world herself and see what it had to offer.

“I am a traveler, you may call me Diana.” Diana said with a curtsey. “May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?” Diana straightened up and smiled expectantly at Akko.

“I’m Akko, the Oni who was sealed here one hundred years ago.” Akko said while she scrubbed at her eyes with her hand. She couldn’t believe a human had wondered their way into this forest. Had she been forgotten after all these years?

“Oh I know,” Diana responded, rocking on her heels. “I came to bring you stories.”

“Stories?” Akko said with a huff. She’d rather have her freedom and learn of the world herself, firsthand. Besides, why would humanity offer her news now? It had been a hundred years since anyone last visited her prison. Akko felt her claws click against her chains absentmindedly. Perhaps this human could offer information, as well as a way to free Akko from her chains. “I would like to hear them.”

Diana let out a bright laugh. It was full of life and joy, and Akko was enchanted. “Very well. What would you like to hear first?”

“Tell me of the ocean” Akko demanded. News of the cities could wait, after all had never seen the ocean before. All she knew from tales told to her as a child was that it was water that stretched onwards without end. She felt a spark of excitement light in her chest. It had been ages since she felt like this. Caught up in the moment, Akko scooted forwards until her chains gently tugged her back in recoil. She quickly settled herself down and looked at Diana expectantly.

“Well,” Diana began, sitting gently down on the ground and crossing her legs. “The ocean stretches far beyond the horizon. The shore is awash in treasures, and the water tastes sweet. Every night it spits out the moon and swallows the sun.”

“Does it? Does it really?” Akko’s hand closed tight around her shackles, and her knuckles went white from the pressure. She felt a gnawing urge to see the ocean and to taste the sweet water. She only knew the taste of the bitter rainwater that collected into the pools around her prison, and a faded memory of the clear taste of the water from the village well.

“Yes. The ocean is gentle and is as placid as could be. The fish have scales of gold and silver. All I speak is the truth.” Diana said as she made grand sweeping gestures with her hand. She paused and met Akko’s eyes. The Oni couldn’t sense any deceit in her words. Akko felt her heart beat faster in desire. She too wanted to see the fish flicker in the calm water, and to pick up rare treasure off the shoreline. She listened to Diana speak more about the sea and what it had to offer. As Diana spoke, the shadows slowly grew longer. Night was falling.

When Diana slowly moved to get up, Akko let out a cry of despair. “Will you come again tomorrow?” The brunette’s eyes flickered anxiously. She couldn’t let Diana leave. She needed to know more. She hungered to know about the world she had been denied.

“Of course, I will be here awhile yet. When I visit again tomorrow, I shall tell you of life in the capitol.” Diana said with a small wave. Akko closed her eyes and heaved a sigh of relief. The human would come back. When she opened them, Diana had already left the area. With a sigh, the Oni settled down for a restless night, thoughts of the ocean and capitol flitting through her mind.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Akko woke up from her restless sleep, Diana was already there. Her clothes looked a little duller than they had the day before, but it was probably due to the weak morning sun peeking up over the horizon. Akko stretched and settled back down. Her legs trembled in impatience. “Tell me of the capitol, please.” She said with her eyes trained on Diana.

Akko stiffened with anticipation when Diana gave her an impish grin. “Well, the streets are paved with marble.” Diana began as she gestured low. Akko closed her eyes and tried to imagine it. “Fountains inlaid with gold line the square, and the water is clean and cool. Along the streets there are many vendors, each one with more beautiful wares than the last.”

“I can see it.” Akko murmured. In her mind’s eye she could practically hear the bustle of people and the smell of food carts. She saw golden trinkets and rolls of silk. She could feel the spray of marble fountains beveled with gold and see the reflection of the shining water on the street.

“The palace is made of carved gemstones, and the floors are polished pearl. At the front gate are statues of the grand witch Chariot. They stand tall and people offer sacrifices of wheat and wine to honor her, and pray to her spirit for protection.”

Akko held her tongue at the mention of her once-revered hero. Of course they would honour the hero who saved them from calamity. The brave traveler who chained her to this desolate rock. She clenched her teeth in rage. She had to know what the people were saying about her. If the stories told of Chariot’s true feat of chaining a mere child to a rock and leaving her to rot.

“Tell me, Diana. Do they tell stories about me?” Akko looked down at the stone. She had memorized the surface long ago. She had watched the wind wear the once sharp nicks in the stone smooth over time. One hundred years was enough to change the surface of rock. It surely was enough time for people to change a shameful story into one of glory.

“They do.”Diana said, her voice dropping low.  “The legends tell of a terrible monster. An ugly ogre who roamed the land and vowed to destroy all life. It is said that Chariot sealed it away out of pity instead of giving it the judgment it deserved.”

“Do you think I’m terrible?” Akko asked. Her eyes reluctantly met Diana’s. She was afraid of what she would see. Would there be dark and deep loathing that directed at Akko for being a frightening monster? Would watery pity be reflected back? What about shame, for the sin that a fellow human inflicted on Akko.

“No.” Diana spoke slowly. Her eyes looked into Akko’s. A calm blue gazing into a tumultuous red. “I think you’re quite strange.”

“Strange?” Akko’s head cocked to the side, her anger replaced with confusion.

“Would you say I’m beautiful?” Diana asked as she gently ran her finger through the dirt.

“...Yes.” Akko answered reluctantly. Her cheeks tinged with red. An uncomfortable warm feeling had risen in her chest, and she quickly shook her head in an effort to disperse the feeling.

“What makes you say that?”

Akko couldn’t answer. Obviously Diana was beautiful, she was bright and colorful. She was just like a flower in full bloom. But what makes a flower beautiful? Is it the color, the scent? Is it the silky feel of the petals? Akko’s mouth dropped open as the answer struck her.  A flower is only beautiful because others think it to be. Anything has the ability to be beautiful, since beauty was something assigned by others. Akko wondered if she too could be considered beautiful.

“Well,” Diana said looking up at the sky. “It appears you have your answer. I’ll be back tomorrow. I’ll tell you whatever you wish.” With that, Diana walked off into the morning mist. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day it was raining. The cold water poured from the sky and dripped through the cracks in the stone. The hollows in the rock had filled with water, almost to the point of overflowing.

Akko sat huddled in a corner completely drenched. She had curled in on herself in an attempt to keep warm. Unfortunately, the cold metal manacles on her wrists and ankles sapped away at the warmth in her body. At least she wouldn’t be thirsty for quite some time. She would be able to drink from the puddles for quite some time.

When Diana appeared before her out of the rainy mist, Akko gave a startled jump. The sound of the water must have disguised Diana’s footsteps. The weather must have been affecting Diana as well. She looked a little faded, and there were brown streaks along the hem of her clothes. A result of the mud, no doubt. Akko watched as Diana sat on the sodden earth without a care.

“What would you like to hear about today, Akko?” Diana asked, as if completely unbothered by the rain. 

“Aren’t you cold?” Akko said with a sniffle. Humans were much more delicate than Oni. Akko couldn’t believe Diana was even out in this weather. She wasn’t even shivering.

“I quite like the rain,” Diana said with a smile as she tilted her palms to the sky. “It makes the earth smell fresh.”

“I guess.” Akko grumbled. She tucked her arms around her waist a little tighter, staving off a shiver. She blinked as a drop of water fell onto her nose. Akko couldn’t fathom why Diana would rather sit completely unprotected outside of the overhang. She could only reach halfway across, so Diana couldn’t be scared of being attacked. “Why don’t you come inside at least? I don’t want you getting sick.”

Diana’s gentle smile turned a little strained at Akko’s question. “I would, but I have been forbidden from doing so. Shall I tell you about the great forest?”

Akko nodded. It obviously looked like it was something Diana didn’t want to do. The cold feeling that came with the thought of possibly losing Diana was unpleasant. Akko didn’t want to chase her one friend off by prying too deeply. There would be time. After all, Akko wasn’t going anywhere. Unless she was freed, she would be here for the rest of eternity. Akko gave a shiver and focused her attention once more on Diana. She wanted to hear about the Forest of Ancients.

With a small smile she listened as Diana wove a tale about trees as tall as giants. As she closed her eyes, images of a forest filled with flowers made of colored glass and clear streams began to fill her mind. The rain was slowly drowned out by the sound of trees whispering to her tales from before the days of mankind. She could smell the loamy soil and see strange woodland creatures. Deer made from living wood, tigers the size of elephants with sharpened tusks, and frogs that sang intricate melodies. As Diana finished her story, she paused for a moment. 

“Akko,” Diana said as Akko slowly fell out of the daydream. “If I were to die, would you be sad?” 

Akko didn’t quite know how to respond. “I’d miss your stories,” She said after a moment. “I’d miss learning about the world.” It was the truth. Diana was useful to Akko. She was a source of stories and a buffer against loneliness.

“But would you miss me?” Diana asked again insistently.

Akko said nothing, still deep in thought. She was thinking about Diana and the light that she had brought to her prison.

Diana looked up at the sky. “I’d like it if you were to miss me. But don’t forget me. Think about me sometimes, and the time we spent together. After all, I was born for this kind of purpose.”

“You won’t die.” Akko said, suddenly feeling anxiety claw at her heart. “You never stay long enough for my power to affect you. You’ll be here for a while yet.” She reached out desperately at Diana. Akko could taste the bile on her tongue and hear her heartbeat. She couldn’t lose Diana, or her stories.

“I wonder.” Diana said with a gentle smile. It didn’t quite reach her eyes, and looked more sad than happy. Akko watched as Diana sifted the wet dirt through her fingers for a brief moment. She had to bite her tongue when the rain stopped and Diana finally stood up to go. Without the rain interfering with her sight, Akko could see Diana fully.

The ends of her cloak looked frayed, and her eyes were tired. Diana still had that same smile on her face, but it looked more strained. “Will you be back?” Akko said. Her voice was barely a whisper, and she turned her eyes to the stone. She didn’t want to see Diana look like that. Like she was sickly and worn.

“Maybe.” Akko heard Diana say. When she looked up to gaze one last time at Diana, she was gone. Akko grit her teeth and held her chains tightly in her hands. Diana would be back. She had no reason to leave. She would be fine and she’d visit Akko again, and tell her more stories about the world around her.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When morning rose once more, Akko waited for Diana to come back. She sat straining her ears to hear footsteps or the brush of cloth on stone. She waited until the shadows grew long and covered the hollow she was imprisoned in. Finally wreathed in darkness, Akko sobbed. When the sun pierced the shadows in the morning, Akko looked about once more with tear stained eyes. Diana was nowhere in sight. There was no bright blue among the dead trees. No sight of her strange streaked hair among the gray stone.There was nothing in Akko’s hollow indicating Diana had been there. The only thing that remained in Akko’s prison were her chains and a small withered flower.

#lwa #little witch academia #akko kagari #diana cavendish #diakko #dianakko #lwa au #my writing #daily speaks #sorry for this hot shit

[romioneficfest]

Lose Yourself

Title: Lose Yourself name: Prompt: Day 4: Quidditch / Hogwarts Rated: K+ / PG Brief Summary: Rose Weasley Granger is about to step on the biggest pitch of her entire life, one that she has been training for almost her entire life: The Quidditch World Cup Final. Before she is off at the starting whistle, she needs validation from the one person whose approval she desperately needs. Warning: Oliver Wood’s guest commentary. Tagging @weasleyisourroyalfamily for the headcanon inspirations.

“Rose Weasley-Granger, the star seeker for the English National team is a bit of a prodigy. Her Dad put her on her first broom a year old, way she tells it. Uncle Harry Potter coached her early on. He was a bit of a star during his secondary years until life got in the way,” the play-by-play announcer nodded in full understanding as most of the English population 40 and up easily recalled, “and later coached by her Aunt Ginny Weasley-Potter, who was an enormous star for the Holyhead Harpies in the UK Quidditch League and taught her so much, even though she was a Chaser by profession in the Quidditch Leagues.”

“She also started as Second Chaser for the English National Team in 2002 and 2006 before retiring after the tournament.”

“That’s right Oliver,” Lee Jordan’s voice crackled over the airwaves to the delight of all the fans. “Rumor has it that Weasley-Granger was tutored in the summer months during her years at Hogwarts by the Hall of Fame Seeker and family friend Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian National team legend who caught the Snitch in the 1994 World Cup match played in the UK, and then again in the 2014 World Cup final in Patagonia, Argentina. Krum retired after that last International match, participating only in charity matches in England and on the Continent, raising funds for the Prewitt Trust, the post-war orphan trust for children whose parents were murdered by the Voldemort regime in 1997 through May 1998.”

Wood interrupted. “Speaking of, there is the Bulgarian Legend Krum, in the minister’s Box alongside the others. His wife Natalia is present and their oldest, Sergei, attends Hogwarts now as a Fifth-year Prefect, and their older daughter Mina as well. All we are waiting on now are the Ministers for the UK and Mexico to arrive.” 

“Back to Weasley-Granger, she made a name for herself starting while in secondary at Hogwarts, catching the snitch in every match she played starting in her second year. By the start of her fifth year, all the professional teams in the UK and a few abroad were recruiting her when she performed a Wronkski feint which turned at the last second into a sloth roll to catch the snitch that had flown under her opponent and sealed the win for her House team that year. At that match, the recruiting scout for the Chudley Cannons, of all the teams, was present at the match and not a week later they were sending owls to the Weasley-Granger residence trying to sign her - at 16. 

“Her Mum, Hermione Granger, who had assumed the role of Minister earlier that term, forbade her from signing any professional contracts until the end of her sixth year after she’d turned 17. The day after the end of term, recruiters were desperate to sign young Weasley-Granger. And each one she turned down, telling all of them, “I bleed orange and Black and am a Chudley Cannon through and through. Sorry fellas,” as she went back to work on their property, using a scythe to clear the back yard of overgrown grass as her daily workout. But the National team, having already watched her first season as a seeker for the Cannons, immediately invited her out for the team before the end of her first year. She beat out 16 other Seekers to become the starter, being the youngest since Krum started for Bulgaria at 18 back in 1994.”

“She’s been nothing short of legendary at the National competition level. I’ve watched her and her vision on the pitch is astounding.”

“And there is Minister Curazon of Mexico and British Minister Granger, along with the entire Weasley clan arriving, lead by Patriarch Ron Weasley-Granger, co-owner of Weasleys’ Wizarding Wheezes. Also present is Rose’s younger brother Hugo, who is already a renown Rune translator and spell researcher. Arriving with them are the Potters including Lily Luna, the starting third chaser for the Tutshill Tornadoes. Wood, you’ve been a part of a friendly with the Weasley Potter Granger clan. How much fun is it?”

“Lee, I have to say it’s much more fun refereeing them than trying to keep up. Between Rose and Lily Luna Potter, few stand a chance. I’m sore for three days facing Lily Luna, much less her Mum and Rose.”

The music shifted again, sounding like a celebration.

Oliver Wood stood, looking out at the fans. “Ladies, Gentlemen, Distinguished guests,” his voice boomed over the stadium, still strong years after retiring from Puddlemere United, "I give you the Mexican National team. At Keeper, Miguel Gonzales; Beaters Julio Sanchez and Juan Carrasco; Chasers Alejandro , Jorge Hernandez, and Rafael ‘Lobo’ Vasquez; and Seeker Teresa Blanco-Calderon !”

Seven red, green, and white rockets took off from the portal, racing around the Holyhead pitch at breakneck speeds, before taking their places at the centre of the pitch, with Calderon circling high above.

“There’s Ron Weasley, standing tall in the Minister’s Box, with Minister Granger by his side, wearing the customary Home White Lions uniform with blazing red of the St. George’s Cross. I spy underneath his jacket, a sprig of Orange. I‘m guessing, under his Weasley-Granger National jersey on the back, was his pride and joy - his daughter’s replica Chudley Cannons team jersey.”

Ron ignored the commentary from Lee Jordan, focusing at his wife at his side at his wife, the current Minister of Magic who was officially off duty tonight and letting Oliver Wood handle the festivities. Tears were streaming down her face, completely oblivious to anyone who might notice. Ron glanced right and saw his sister, brother in law, Viktor and his remaining family standing there, all beaming with pride, waiting for the English national team. Ron leaned down to give his wife a peck on the lips, ignoring the hoots and catcalls around them.

“That’s Weasley for you. He prefers his wife over propriety.” Guffaws broke out around the couple before Ron kissed her again before turning back to the player’s tunnel.

The Mexican team finished their racing circuits of the stadium and they settled in, waiting. 

A thrum started, like a heartbeat. Ever so slowly, a roar erupted, punctuated with chanting known all over the British Isles: 'Weasley is our Queen'

“And starting for the English National team, we have at Keeper Charles Wood; Beaters Marius Pucey and Aiden Flint; Chasers Zeb Smith, Khalil Reeves, and Mohammed Siddiq-Smythe, and last but certainly not least, Seeker Rose Weasley-Granger,” the announcer roared over the crowds watching the Ginger Wonder Woman, as the English Press referred to the Prime Minister’s daughter. Sure enough, panning the crowds to the Minister’s Box stood Minister of Magic for the UK Hermione Granger, along with 2002 English 2nd Chaser Ginny Weasley Potter, her husband Harry Potter, and the minister’s husband Ron Weasley-Granger.

All eyes turned to the lanky Seeker, wearing her home White uniform with blood-red boots and cape, and her name embossed in Red on the back. The smile on her face was as bright as the fireworks that announced the team, shining above everyone. Rose soared, feeling the brisk air as she rode the jetstream and raced down to the ground, pulling up from the ground a foot from the pitch to fly almost straight up above the stadium.

“Win or lose, Lee, this is her moment, the one she’s trained a lifetime for.”

Rose dared look down at the Minister’s Box and saw her family, including ‘Uncle’ Viktor. An entire sea of ginger-haired people was looking up at her, waving frantically, led by her Dad, her #1 fan. But she only had eyes for her Mum, beaming in pride up at her. Her breath hitched when she saw her Mum signing to her ‘Little Lion Queen, Fly Fast; love you' up at her. She signed back, 'Love you' before deciding to do one last reckless thing before the whistle blew. Rose took off for one sprint around the top of the stadium, weaving in and out of the portals, giving the blurry a faces a momentary glance of her before stopping at the Minister’s Box. Rose waved at everyone before racing to the top of the pitch, settling in next to the Mexican Seeker Calderon, meters above the lights. 

Quidditch chairwizard of the International Quidditch Association Faed Zozimar came walking out, his hair completely white with a moustache that reminded Hermione of a certain famous Singer from the 70s and 80s stood at the centre of the pitch with the official ball box. He kicked it open, letting the snitch escape into the sea of colours along with the two bludgers. He mounted his broom and awaited for Wood to make the official announcement.

“Players, on the whistle,” Wood boomed before an ear-splitting whistle broke the silence of the stadium. The quaffle went up and the match was on.

The crowd roared.

Rose raced off in a rush, feeling like the first time her Mum told her she was proud of her.

#Romione FicFest 2020 #Fic Post #Romione #Ron Weasley #Hermione Granger #Submission #Queue Up for the Dragon #Rated K+ #Ace Safe

[darlinrogue]

Matt Hardy

For me because I can’t write an actual analysis 

I-Con (ˈīˌkän) noun

1. One who is the object of great attention and devotion; an idol

2. A person or thing regarded as a representative symbol of something

3. An entity that will not die

4. A being or force that is stronger than death

5. MATT HARDY

The Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City was a scene set in Adam Page’s dreams. The stage had hosted acts like Brittney Spears, Avenged Sevenfold, David Bowie, Paramore, All Time Low, Guns N’ Roses, Korn, Iron Maiden, and two farm boys from the rural south who somehow sneaked in before the curtain fell. The wrestling fans in t-shirts, jeans, and bawdy signs, didn’t match the elegant balconies they crowded. The ring was a jagged piece of metallic architecture placed on an old warn, wood floor. Adam Page, twenty-two years old, settled in the far corner with his heart in his throat and his childhood idol adjacent to him. The microphone lifted to Matt Hardy’s lips like he intended to speak. At that moment as Matt Hardy looked over the crowd, it was like a fantasy. Something he spun-up while he bounced on the trampoline with his sister and begged her to let him try the Twist of Fate one more time.

In the 1970 census, a few years before his birth, Matt Hardy’s hometown of Cameron, North Carolina had a whopping population of 204 individuals. In 1990, when Matt and his brother Jeff were mimicking the moves they learned off TV on the trampoline, the population was an impressive 215. Cameron was a small town in the heart of tobacco country, Virginia and Carolina being one of the few places in the United States to grow the desired plant. Running down to the coast, once out of the foothills of the Appalachians and Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina was flat and balmy. Unlike the dense red clay of the Piedmont region, the soil was silty and perfect for farming. Matt probably never saw more than a few inches of snow a Winter. A few hours to the East and he’d stand at the edge of the Atlantic. Along the cat’s claw thin barrier Islands, he’d watch the waves wash over white sand. Hear the whispers of shipwrecks the vicious coast of North Carolina claimed.

A stupid kid like Adam Page, eyeballs glued to the TV screen as WWF played Monday Night Raw or later Smackdown, heard these stories of the Hardy Boyz and looked at his own life. Aaron's Creek, Virginia, made Cameron look like a metropolis. Adam’s hometown was so small it didn’t even deserve a Wikipedia page. His family had deep roots in Virginia because it was a state for lovers. His father also raised tobacco and Adam grew-up amongst the viridian fields, laid out for acres around the house he grew up in. There wasn’t a lot of money for Christmas most years and Adam knew more about the intricacies of cattle farming than he sometimes cared to admit to his classmates. Yet, while his best friends extolled the Hardys for their daredevil stunts, ladders, and chairs. Adam idolized them because they were a proof of concept. That it was possible for a hard-working, farm working, Virgin-lina boy, to grow-up and be hot shit.

In 2013, Adam was starting to warm-up, with a brand new Ring of Honor contract and some neon green trunks. At Final Battle, the crown jewel event of the promotion he just signed-to, Adam had no choice but to laugh as Matt Hardy was almost booed out of the arena the moment he got a mic in his hand. It made Adam feel like a hero. Of the two, the audience preferred Adam Page to Matt Hardy, just incredible. Of course, Matt Hardy, the iconic, was a manipulative and arrogant son of a bitch, who claimed more than was his to take. Never meet your heroes, they say, and when Adam met his, he was kind of a dick. Yet, when Matt Hardy clasped his hand and gave him a firm handshake, that felt like a small victory. An inner ten-year-old in Adam promised to never wash it again.

It was also a statement. A statement that even if Matt Hardy thought he was better than this everybody, he still had to treat Adam with some measure of respect. Never once did Adam allow the stars in his eyes to blind him. There was no point in fighting a legend if it was only half the legend— Adam was going to get all of Matt Hardy, or nothing. So, he slapped Matt Hardy across the cheek and dragged out the old champion.

A year later, when Adam worked under Hardy’s personal brand, OMEGA, Matt would talk up the youthful Adam Page. Call him the future of wrestling, with his impressive moonsaults, clever counters, fearless attitude, and ‘never say die’ mentality. It was a good showing that night. Adam showed a lot of heart. Surely, he impressed someone upstairs— but he didn’t win. And Adam didn’t know what the point of having ‘heart’ was if he couldn’t win with it. Having ‘heart’ is the wrestling equivalent of a participation trophy.

In the Hammerstein Ballroom though, in 2013, a Twist of Fate would plant Adam on his head and the match would end at seven minutes and twenty seconds. That same night, just a couple of months after their New Japan debut, the Young Bucks defeated ACH and TaDarius Thomas. In due course, the Jacksons would join the Bullet Club with one Kenny Omega. Next month, Jimmy Jacobs, Roderick Strong, and BJ Whitmer formed the Decade, then called Adam out in the same breath, all for daring to dream bigger than the East Coast that Ring of Honor frequented. That night, in New York City, in the heart of Manhattan, the Hammerstein ballroom became a pivoting point for Adam’s life. Matt Hardy was Adam’s first breakpoint.

Through the course of 2014, Adam followed Matt’s invitation into OMEGA and crisscrossed central Carolina in search of his next break. Alongside his then tag-partner, Corey Hollis, Adam wrestled one more match in the ring with Matt Hardy. With the addition of his equally strange brother: Jeff Hardy. An eight-man tag where for a  bizarre moment Adam was in the corner with the Hardy Boyz. Twenty years on from WWF ladder matches and the two men, closer to forty than thirty, could still go. Go with the speed and intensity of their youth. With the reckless abandon that defined their careers. These were the type of guys who looked at a wrestling ring and asked, “ you know what needs ?” Then answered: “More hardware.” Watching Matt Hardy, Adam learned when to slow, when to hasten, when to wait, when to press the advantage. Little tricks of the trade. He absorbed all of it like a sponge and held it tight to his chest. Treasure and gold to spend a little farther down the road.

Adam learned that Matt Hardy ran equal parts hot and cold. He was a little off, in a way that wasn’t healthy, but Adam blamed that on a history of concussions and injuries. Arrogant but in a way that was condescending and so he was always willing to groom a newbie to greatness. In fact, Matt Hardy took great pride in taking some young kid and making them a ‘star.’ In a way, every OMEGA recruit was some pet project of Matt or Jeff Hardy. No better way to pat yourself on the back than to make someone. It was never about the protege, though, it was about Matt Hardy. It was about his ego trip, to be able to say—

‘Look what I did for Adam Page.’

And he could cash in his ‘good person’ chip for the week.

Oh, and how Adam knows how it goes. Like, a favorite catchy tune.

BJ Whitmer ruffled his hair and a stupid twenty-four-year-old, hoping for approval, construed it as affectionate. Unaware that the gesture was more like the way a man polishes the rearview window of his new SUV. Yeah, he likes the vehicle, it’s expensive, he’s invested a lot, and he’d get really pissed if someone keyed the paint, but it was nothing but an object. A thing that he owns. A possession to be used and thrown away when it was no longer interesting. Adam was a good boy though and he’d do anything to be wanted, needed, useful. Even pick-up a chair and go against his better nature. The waves of frustration, internal conflict his own actions created, broke him until all that was left was a defensive, angry man biting at any hand that came too close. So, Adam no longer recognized who he was in the mirror. BJ Whitmer didn’t want to see ROH Champion Adam Page, he just wanted someone to carry his bags.

Falling in line with Cody was like falling into an old groove, well worn and well-trodden. When Cody handed that chair to Adam, he knew exactly what to do with it. How to hold Kenny fast and to twist his head so he’d see his incoming braining. Years ago Adam had been wounded and he had never healed. The blood festered and boiled, a slit through his throat hemorrhaging down his bruised chest. Cody stuck his finger in Adam’s festering resentment and anxiety, dug out his trachea. Weaponized Adam’s unspoken fear that Kenny Omega thought he was better than Adam Page and he was using Adam like BJ did two years ago. When Kenny ripped the US title from Adam’s hands and handed it back to Jay White —who he thought they all hated anyway— it was like a slap in the face. That was his moment, Cody declared, he ruined, he stole it. It took a couple of drop kicks from Kota Ibushi and a V-trigger he couldn’t technically remember, for Adam to realize he’d been played. Cody brought Adam no closer to his moment and Adam had ruined his closest friendships. All for a stupid belt.

Kenny never remarked on all of it, probably because he thought Adam too pitiful to deserve admonishment. Or, that his loyalty could be bartered for with games of Mario Tennis. So long as Adam stayed in line and kept his mouth shut, they were fine. Or, maybe Kenny was more forgiving than Adam gave him credit for. That was too much logic for his brain to handle these days, though.

His family once owned a gentle Paso Fino gelding. A sweet boy with soft brown flanks and soulful black eyes. While riding with his father Adam asked if he could cross a field with the horse, if the Paso Fino would canter. Could he persuade this gentle creature to do such a thing? His father chuckled and waxed, “of course you can, he aims to please.” And sure enough, Adam and the Paso Fino flew across the field, in the long smooth gait of the breed. It was beautiful and for a second it was like they shared a mind, but he wished his father never said those words to him. Because every so often, “he aims to please,” applies better to Adam than the horse.

FTR put a bit in Adam’s mouth and led him by the bridle for three months. Somehow their inevitable betrayal came as a shock. It had just been that drinking and joking with Kenny was nice, but the tension in the EVP room was like poison. While the Bucks sat easy, Adam was dying, and FTR, in their caring familiarity was like a breath of fresh air. He wished he could’ve been there for Kenny but he had been there for Kenny and didn’t he deserve a chance to unwind? Unwork the knife from his gut and enjoy an evening with old friends? Stupid, stupid, stupid, so stupid, so blind, so eager to please, that he’d trade real friends for fake friends. FTR played Adam’s fragile ego like a fiddle and left him in the aftermath of his own decisions. Alone and with just Kenny, who no longer wanted anything to do with him.

And after all those lessons, it was painful to realize that Adam Page was just another trinket for the Young Bucks to marvel over. A living, breathing camera stand to film BTE bits and then do the complex editing, giving a polish to the final product. That was the deal, he understood and agreed to it walking into the Bullet Club. He was to be the problem solver. The replacement big guy now that Gallows was gone. Adam beats up the enemies of the Bullet Club and he stays out of the title shot picture, good deal.  A jobber they can hand a trio belt to and smirk over because the Bucks are such good guys. Adam really thought they were his friends and Adam wished he could say he used the Bucks like he used BJ but he never loved BJ like he loved Matt and Nick. It was the first time he was ever happy being a prop but it still hurt, especially the outrage in their eyes when he started thinking for himself.

How dare he become a tag-team champion when that’s what they wanted?

That was the deal though with Matt and Nick, that he stayed out of the way. Adam violated the terms and their friendship crumbled around the broken covenant.

Kenny though, out of all of these betrayals and losses which had left Adam numb to the idea that he was better off alone—

Kenny fucking hurt.

Some of the ideas lacked foundation. Some floated in the bottoms of bottles of whiskey. Some were inklings from years of standing behind a man he was never going to beat. Most of them made Adam feel like an asshole. The ideas went along the tune of:

That Adam was a shitty replacement for Kota Ibushi, the golden lover trapped on the other side of the pacific. When he was in Japan and had unwedged his head from his ass, Adam liked Kota. Kota was brilliant, a true star, and he understood, totally, why Kenny loved him. There was nothing personal or even resentful in this uninspired realization. It wasn’t jealousy. It was the truth and it was a truth Adam had to bear when Kenny let him collapse in the middle of the ring at All Out. Kota Ibushi could win a G1. Become the intercontinental and IWGP heavyweight champion all in one night. Adam couldn’t even beat Chris Jericho. Kota Ibushi was the God of wrestling and Adam Page was the dirty sinner kicked down to the dust where he belonged.

That Adam was a useful tool for Kenny. Just good enough in the ring to carry a tag-team when Kenny was at the far end of a losing streak. A good bolt of confidence, standing on the shoulders of a younger guy. Before he launched off and took the world title belt he so rightfully deserved. The gleam in Don Callis’ eye when Adam shook his hand told him that this was all part of the plan. Adam was written into the script and hit every line he was supposed to. Adam wondered if he was chosen because he was volatile and insecure, and Callis knew that would just push Kenny away. Away and towards Don Callis, and his machinations. Don used Kenny and Kenny used Adam— maybe, it was just Don all along.

That Adam was a pretty thing Kenny could flirt with. Soft, yielding, supportive, loyal, and eager to put his energy towards someone willing to take it. Like a fucking dog, or something. Hope told him there was something to the way Kenny murmured ‘cowboy’ to him in their private moments. That Kenny’s interest went beyond physical and a desire to be topped by a handsome guy like Page. The bitter reality, the pessimist and realist in him, told him it was hollow, fake, that he was being played again. Damnit, though, if he wouldn’t take those crumbs. Because he couldn’t say ‘no’ to Kenny when he smiled. Because he loves Kenny and he can't stop loving Kenny.  

He truly was eager to please.

“Well, it’s okay. You can’t be number one forever anyway, right? Sometimes you gotta take a back seat, and I don’t mind taking a back seat, if it’s to you, buddy.” And Kenny had smiled and nudged his elbow, and Adam hadn’t thought about it as he fiddled with his silly little action figure. When Adam thought back on that interview and thought back on all his twisted thoughts about Kenny, he had almost broken down crying. Because he didn’t know what was true. Kenny was high-up there in his mind and Adam wasn’t sure he could ever shoot him down.

The second Adam Page snatched the title from Jay White’s hands he had known the truth. The light had shone in his eyes and he had flinched. He realized the cost of fame and fortune. The crossroads he stood at, paralyzed in fear and trembling to make a choice. Maybe, he was grateful when Jay defeated him and he could return to the darkness. However, the taste, the warmth of the light, the way his chest swelled and his heart rose, pure, innocent, like a child seeing his first snow, was addicting. Adam knew that he had to step out of the shadows. Out from behind Kenny, Cody, and the Bucks, or he would perish there in the dark. They were never going to turn around and dredge him out of the abyss.

Adam had never realized there was a choice, though: his friends or his soul. And he wonders how many times those friends had made it. How many times the Bucks chose some merch sales over him. How many times Kenny chose a title over him. He knows Cody had chosen his ego over him. Was there a balance? Someplace where you can stand in the light and have those you love with you? For flashes of moments, he sees it, in the Golden Elite, or when the Bucks flanked Kenny in the ring. The balance was called love and it could overcome all trials, or so he’s told. It could mediate the choice between yourself and others.

Yet, Adam knows he’s chosen wrong once or twice, already. So, he’s not sure that kinda love is for him.

John Silvers was on one knee, hand extended, with a goofy grin that Adam had come to appreciate. For the first time in a year, he had felt light and free. It had been nice to exist in a bubble of appreciation and warmth. Yet, there was no room to wiggle, and like a caged, fearful animal, Adam lashed-out. The wording got to him, on the following night when he was thinking about it. He said: ‘I can’t,’ and not ‘I won’t.’ Like, he was physically incapable of saying ‘yes,’ and yet the Dark Order seemed to think ‘no’ was an impossibility. How did they get so screwed-up?

Friendships come with obligations and Adam was aware he’d been shirking his. Not because he felt entitled but because he wasn’t sure he could bear the weight. That he wouldn’t take a stumbling step and collapse on his fractured bones. And that would just be a different kind of a disappointment for the Dark Order than just hearing ‘no’ right out the gate. It’d be his failure with the Bucks and Kenny all over again. Anna was right, Adam had to move on, so they could move on, and maybe it left him bitter that he couldn’t utter an apology, but that’s how things shake-out these days.

The Bucks didn’t want his apology either.

And now, that brought him back to Matt.

Matt Hardy reappeared like a literal ghost in the Summer and Adam still wasn’t sure if the whole Damascus thing was a bit or not. Just that while he sat in a warm bath, water up to his knees and bubbles floating around his elbows, he looked up Benjamin Franklin on his phone. “Franklin was a leading writer, printer, political philosopher, politician, Freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, humorist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat.” Given that Adam Page’s passion since childhood was professional wrestling and throwing his delicate body through tables, none of that resonated with him. And he wasn’t sure if Matt meant he really was the reincarnation of a founding father, or if it was just an apt comparison, but something about the phrase:

‘Join or Die.’

Felt like the story of his life.

Adam’s father kept records of all the songs he listened to when he was growing up. On a rare lazy Sunday, he’d put on the vinyl and let it spin so the music filled the house. Marty Robbins sang of quick finger rangers with big irons on their hips. Waylon Jennings and Lee Greenwood, dreamed of something lost, something mournful, as they rode alone. There was a cost to independence, and beneath the wide brim hat were tired, dark eyes, haunted by those the cowboy left behind. He rode into town looking for a lost love or a home, or just some water for his horse. He’d leave as soon as the plot finished and the town was saved but while the townsfolk rejoiced their salvation, the hero slipped from the jubilee. He was looking for a place he belonged and this was not it, and Adam wondered if he kept looking because there was no place he belonged.

After Dynamite, he took shots in his living room with his dogs laid over his legs and he thought about his wording. ‘I can’t,’ he told John, because, reasons he couldn’t justify in front of an audience of five thousand. So, it seemed fitting that this odd friendship he developed, with another group looking to use him and throw away, began with Matt Hardy. Began when he eliminated the iconic legend from the ring and ended with Matt Hardy, in the ring, begging Adam not to change in the hallway.

Adam didn’t believe a single word Matt said.

He didn’t believe he was a good person who deserved to be happy. He didn’t believe that the Dark Order was awkward — it was, and that’s why he wept with whiskey last week. He didn’t believe that there were no strings attached. He didn’t believe that Matt’s intentions were good or genuine, or even kind. Hell, he never believed John Silver when he called Adam handsome and amazing because that kinda flattery was useless.

He did believe that Matt was going to use him. He did believe that when Matt Hardy brought down the other shoe it was going to hurt like hell. He did believe that by this point, Adam was so calloused, scarred, and numb, that the pain wouldn’t even register. He did believe that he was so desperate, alone, and miserable, that he’ll take any bone thrown at him. He did believe that whatever plan Matt Hardy cooked-up for him was going to end up with him back in the dirt. He did believe that he no longer cared enough about himself to care. He did believe that all he wanted was a place to hang his hat and to lace his boots.

He did believe Tony Schiavone when he said, “you should take him up on that.”

Because, shit, who wants to change by catering?

#‘The Hangman’ || Adam: IC #‘Deals with God’ || Adam: Verse #this is rock bottom ya'll #this has gotta be it

[marunalu]

Disney Movies List

Ok first of all I want to make clear that english is not my first language. I therefore apologize in advance for any grammar or spelling mistakes. Please don't be too strict with me =D

I recently bought Disney+ and I plan now to watch and review every movie, Disney has ever produced or participated in it. And I tell you, this will be a hell of a trip, because my list now contains no fewer than 701 movies. That means if I watch at least one movie every day, it will take me about 2 years to see all of them. And since I will most likely not watch a movie every day, I will definitely need at least twice as long....

For the films on my list, which I marked with a cross at the end, it means that I have seen them already. However, since I last saw most of these movies in my childhood or teenage years (so at least 15 years ago), it will be interesting for me to rewatch them after such a long time. I have probably already forgotten most of the plots.

I also plan to watch them in chronological order and rank them. The movies that I don't find on Disney+ I will watch somewhere else.

Here is the list: (The films follow the chronological order in which they were published. However, it is quite possible that I accidentally swapped a few. But I think most of it is accurate).

1930:

Academy Award Review of Walt Disney Cartoons (X)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (X)

1940:

Pinocchio (X)

Fantasia (X)

The Reluctant Dragon ( )

Dumbo (X)

Bambi (X)

Saludos Amigos ( )

Victory Through Air Power ( )

The Three Caballores ( )

Make Mine Music ( )

Song of the South ( )

Fun and Fancy Free (X)

Melody Time ( )

Seal Island ( )

So Dear to my Heart ( )

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (X)

1950:

Cinderella (X)

Treasure Island ( )

In Beaver Valley ( )

Alice in Wonderland (X)

Nature's Half Acre ( )

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men ( )

The Olympic Elk ( )

Water Birds ( )

Peter Pan (X)

The Sword and the Rose ( )

The Living Desert (X)

Bear Country ( )

The Alaskan Eskimo ( )

Prowlers of the Everglades ( )

Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue ( )

The Vanishing Prairie ( )

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ( )

Siam ( )

Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier ( )

Lady and the Tramp (X)

The African Lion ( )

The Littlest Outlaw ( )

Men Against The Arctic ( )

The Great Locomotive Chase ( )

Davy Crockett and the River Pirates ( )

Secrets of Life ( )

Westward Ho the Wagons! ( )

Johnny Tremain ( )

Perri ( )

Old Yeller ( )

Navajo Adventure ( )

The Light in the Forest ( )

Tonka ( )

Grand Canyon ( )

Sleeping Beauty (X)

The Shaggy Dog ( )

Darby O'Gill and the Little People ( )

Zorro the Avenger ( )

Third Man on the Mountain ( )

Mysteries of the Deep ( )

1960:

Toby Tyler: Or, ten Weeks with a Circus ( )

Kidnapped ( )

Pollyanna ( )

The Sign of Zorro ( )

Jungle Cat ( )

Ten Who Dared ( )

Swiss Family Robinson ( )

Island of the Sea ( )

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (X)

The Absent-Minded Professsor ( )

Parent Trap ( )

Nikki, Wild Dog of the North ( )

Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog ( )

Babes in Toyland ( )

Wonders of the Water Worlds ( )

Moon Pilot ( )

Bon Voyage! ( )

Big Red ( )

Almost Angels ( )

The Legend of Lobo ( )

In Search of the Castaways ( )

The Prince and the Pauper ( )

Son of Flubber ( )

Miracle of the White Stallions ( )

Savage Sam ( )

Summer Magic ( )

The Incredible Journey ( )

The Sword in the Stone (X)

A Tiger Walks ( )

The Misadventures of Merlin Jones ( )

The Three Lives of Thomasina ( )

The Moon-Spinners ( )

Mary Poppins ( )

Emil and the Detectives ( )

Those Calloways ( )

The Monkey's Uncle ( )

That Darn Cat! ( )

The Ugly Dachshund ( )

Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. ( )

The Fighting Prince of Donegal ( )

Follow Me, Boys! ( )

Monkeys, Go Home! ( )

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin ( )

The Gnome-Mobile ( )

The Jungle Book (X)

Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar ( )

The Happiest Millionaire ( )

Blackbeard's Ghost ( )

The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band ( )

Never a Dull Moment ( )

The Horse in the Grey Flannel Suit ( )

Guns in the Heather ( )

The Love Bug ( )

Smith! ( )

Rascal ( )

The Computer Whore Tennis Shoes ( )

My Dog, the Thief ( )

Ride a Northbound Horse ( )

1970:

King of the Grizzlies ( )

The Boatniks ( )

The Wild Country ( )

Smoke ( )

The Aristocats (X)

The Barefoot Executive ( )

Scandalous John ( )

The Million-Dollar-Duck ( )

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (X)

The Biscuit Eater ( )

Now You See Him, Now You Don't ( )

Napoleon and Samantha ( )

Run, Cougar, run ( )

Snowball Express ( )

Chandar, the Black Leopard of Ceylon ( )

The World's Greatest Athlete ( )

Charley and the Angel ( )

One Little Indian ( )

Robin Hood (X)

Mustang! ( )

Superdad ( )

Herbie Rides Again ( )

The Bears and I ( )

The Castaway Cowboy ( )

The Island at the Top of the World ( )

The Strongest Man in the World ( )

Escape to Witch Mountain ( )

The Apple Dumpling Gang ( )

One Of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing ( )

The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures ( )

Ride a Wild Pony ( )

The Boy Who Talked to Badgers ( )

No Deposit, No Return ( )

Treasure of Matecumbe ( )

Gus ( )

The Shaggy D.A. ( )

Freaky Friyday ( )

The Littlest Horse Thieves ( )

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (X)

A Tale of Two Critters ( )

The Rescuers (X)

Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo ( )

Pete's Dragon ( )

Candleshoe ( )

Return form Witch Mountain ( )

The Cat from Outer Space ( )

Hot Lead and Cold Feet ( )

Child of Glass ( )

The North Avenue Irregulars ( )

The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again ( )

Unidentified Flying Oddball ( )

The Black Hole ( )

The Muppet Movie ( )

The London Connection ( )

1980:

Midnight Madness ( )

The Watcher in the Woods ( )

Herbie Goes Bananas ( )

The Last Flight of Noah's Ark ( )

Popeye ( )

The Devil and Max Devlin ( )

Amy ( )

Dragonslayer ( )

The Fox and the Hound (X)

Condorman ( )

The Great Muppet Caper ( )

Night Crossing ( )

Tron ( )

Tex ( )

Trenchcoat ( )

Something Wicked This Way Comes ( )

Tiger Town ( )

Never Cry Wolf ( )

Love Leads the Way (X)

Where the Toys Come From ( )

Return to Oz ( )

The Black Cauldron (X)

The Journey of Natty Gann ( )

One Magic Christmas ( )

Teen Academy ( )

The Great Mouse Detective (X)

Flight of the Navigator ( )

Disneys Fluppy Dogs ( )

The Parent Trap ( )

The Christmas Star ( )

Benji the Hunted ( )

Return of the Shaggy Dog ( )

Mr. Boogedy ( )

Return to Snowy River ( )

Oliver & Company (X)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit ( )

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (X)

Cheetah ( )

The Little Mermaid (X)

Bride of Boogedy ( )

1990:

DuckTales: The Movie – Treasure of the Lost Lamp ( )

The Rescuers Down Under (X)

White Fang (X)

Shipwrecked ( )

Wild Hearts Can't be Broken ( )

The Rocketeer ( )

Beauty and the Beast (X)

Newsies ( )

Honey, I Blew Up the Kid ( )

The Mighty Ducks ( )

Aladdin (X)

The Muppet Christmas Carol ( )

Day-O ( )

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (X)

A Far Off Place ( )

The Adventures of Huck Finn ( )

Hocus Pocus ( )

Cool Runnings ( )

The Nightmare Before Christmas ( )

The Three Musketeers ( )

Iron Will ( )

Blank Check ( )

D2: The Mighty Ducks ( )

White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf ( )

The Lion King (X)

Angels in the Outfield ( )

Squanto: A Warrior's Tale ( )

The Santa Clause (X)

The Jungle Book (X)

The Return of Jafar (X)

Heavyweights ( )

Man of the House ( )

Tall Tale ( )

A Goofy Movie ( )

Pocahontas (X)

Operation Dumbo Drop ( )

A Kid in King Arthur's Court ( )

The Big Green ( )

Frank and Ollie ( )

Toy Story (X)

Tom and Huck ( )

Gargoyles – The Movie ( )

Muppet Treasure Island ( )

Homeward Bound: Lost in San Francisco (X)

James and the Giant Peach ( )

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (X)

First Kid ( )

D3 The Mighty Ducks ( )

101 Dalmatians (X)

Aladdin and the King of Thieves (X)

Wish Upon a Star ( )

Susie Q ( )

The Darn Cat ( )

Jungle 2 Jungle (X)

George of the Jungle (X)

Air Bud (X)

RocketMan ( )

Flubber (X)

Mr. Magoo ( )

Tower of Terror ( )

Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas ( )

Under Wraps ( )

Northern Lights ( )

Angels in the Endzone ( )

Mighty Ducks the Movie: The First Faceoff ( )

Pooh's Great Adventure: The Search for Christoper Robin ( )

Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves ( )

The Love Bug ( )

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella ( )

Oliver Twist ( )

Meet the Deedles ( )

Mulan (X)

The Parent Trap (X)

Air Bud: Golden Receiver ( )

I'll Be Home for Christmas ( )

A Bug's Life (X)

Mighty Joe Young ( )

You Lucky Dog ( )

Halloweentown ( )

Brink! ( )

Whoopi – A Knight in Camelot (X)

The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit ( )

Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World ( )

The Lion King 2: Simbas Pride (X)

Belle's Magical World ( )

Armageddon ( )

Don't Look Under the Bed (X)

Genius ( )

The Thirteenth Year ( )

Johnny Tsunami ( )

Can of Worms ( )

Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century ( )

Horse Sense ( )

Smart House ( )

My Favorite Martian ( )

Doug – The 1. Movie ( )

Endurance ( )

Tarzan (X)

Inspector Gadget ( )

The Straight Story ( )

Toy Story 2 (X)

H.E. – Double Hockey Sticks ( )

Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas ( )

Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving ( )    

Annie ( )

2000:

Fantasia 2000 ( )

The Ultimative Christmas Present ( )

Phantom of the Megaplex ( )

Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire ( )

The Other Me ( )

Quints ( )

Ready to Run ( )

Stepsister from Planet Weird ( )

Miracle in Lane 2 ( )

Rip Girls ( )

Alley Cats Strike ( )

The Color of Friendship ( )

Up, Up and Away ( )

Angels in the Infield ( )

Air Bud 3 ( )

Mail to the Chief ( )

Geppetto ( )

The Tigger Movie ( )

Dinosaur (X)

Disney's The Kid ( )

Remember the Titans ( )

102 Dalmatians (X)

The Emperor's New Groove (X)

An Extremly Goofy Movie ( )

Whispers: An Elephant Tale ( )

The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea (X)

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command ( )

Life-Size ( )

The Miracle Worker ( )

Bounce ( )

Jett Jackson: The Movie ( )

The Other Side of Heaven ( )

`Twas the Night ( )

Halloweentown 2: Kalabar's Revenge ( )

The Poof Point ( )

Jumping Ship ( )

Jennie ( )

Hounded ( )

Luck of the Irish ( )

Zenon: The Zequel ( )

Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse ( )

Motocrossed ( )

Recess: School's Out ( )

Lady and the Tramp 2 – Scamp's Adventure (X)

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (X)

The Princess Diaries ( )

Max Keebles Big Move ( )

Monsters, Inc (X)

Princess of Thieves ( )

Air Bud 4 ( )

The Scream Team ( )

A Ring of Endless Light ( )

Gotta Kick It Up! ( )

Get a Clue ( )

Tru>> confessions ( )

Cadet Kelly ( )

Double Teamed ( )

Snow Dogs (X)

Return to Neverland (X)

The Rookie ( )

Cinderella 2: Dreams Come True (X)

Lilo & Stitch (X)

The Country Bears ( )

Tuck Everlasting ( )

The Santa Clause 2 ( )

Treasure Planet (X)

Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year ( )

The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2 ( )

Tarzan & Jane ( )

Mickey's House of Villains ( )

Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time ( )

Air Bud 5 ( )

Full Court Miracle ( )

The Cheetah Girls ( )

Eddies Million Dollar Cook-Off ( )

The Even Stevens Movie ( )

Right on Track ( )

You Wish! ( )

101 Dalmatians 2: Patch's London Adventure ( )

The Jungle Book 2 (X)

Inspector Gadget 2 ( )

Piglet's Big Movie ( )

Ghosts of the Abyss ( )

Holes ( )

Atlantis: Milo's Return (X)

The Lizzie McGuire Movie ( )

Finding Nemo (X)

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (X)

Freaky Friday ( )

Brother Bear (X)

George of the Jungle 2 ( )

The Haunted Mansion (X)

The Young Black Stallion ( )

Stitch! The Movie ( )

Recess ( )

Recess: All Growed Down ( )

Going to the Mat ( )

Pixel Perfect ( )

Zenon Z3 ( )

Halloweentown High ( )

Tiger Cruise ( )

Stuck in the Suburbs ( )

Teacher's Pet ( )

Miracle ( )

March of the Penguins ( )

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen ( )

Ghost in the Shell 2 – Innocence ( )

Home on the Range (X)

Sacred Planet ( )

Springtime with Roo ( )

Around the World in 80 Days (X)

America's Heart and Soul ( )

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement ( )

Mulan 2 (X)

The Incredibles (X)

Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas (X)

The Lion King 1½ (X)

National Treasure ( )

Mickey, Donald and Goofy: The Three Musketeers (X)

Aliens of the Deep ( )

The Three Musketeers ( )

Kronk's New Groove ( )

Once Upon a Mattress ( )

Kim Possible Movie – So the Drama ( )

Go Figure ( )

Life is Ruff ( )

The Proud Family Movie ( )

Twitches ( )

Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (X)

Pooh's Heffalump Movie ( )

The Pacifier ( )

Ice Princess ( )

Herbie: Fully Loaded ( )

Sky High ( )

Valiant ( )

The Greatest Game Ever Played ( )

Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie ( )

Now You See It ( )

Buffalo Dreams ( )

Chicken Little ( )

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (X)

Tarzan 2 (X)

The Muppet's Wizard of Oz ( )

Air Buddies ( )

Read It and Weep ( )

Wendy Wu – Homecoming Warrior ( )

Cow Belles ( )

The Cheetah Girls 2 ( )

Return to Halloweentown ( )

High School Musical ( )

Brother Bear 2 ( )

Glory Road ( )

Roving Mars ( )

Bambi 2 (X)

Eight Below (X)

The Shaggy Dog ( )

The Wild ( )

Cars ( )

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (X)

Leroy & Stitch ( )

Invincible ( )

The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause ( )

Bridge to Terabithia ( )

Johnny Kapahala – Back on Board ( )

Jump In! ( )

Meet the Robinsons ( )

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ( )

Ratatouille ( )

Underdog ( )

The Pixar Story ( )

The Game Plan ( )

Le Premier Cri ( )

Enchanted ( )

The Fox and the Hound 2 (X)

The Secret of the Magic Gourd ( )

Pooh's Super Sleuth Christmas Movie ( )

Twitches Too ( )

High School Musical 2 ( )

Cinderella 3: A Twist in Time (X)

National Treasure: Book of Secrets ( )

Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert ( )

Snow Buddies ( )

The Cheetah Girls 3: One World ( )

The Little Mermaid – Ariel's Beginning (X)

Tinkerbell (X)

Camp Rock ( )

Minutemen ( )

College Road Trip ( )

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian ( )

Dasavathaaram ( )

WALL-E ( )

Beverly Hills Chihuahu ( )

Morning Light ( )

High School Musical 3: Senior Year ( )

Bolt (X)

Bedtime Stories ( )

Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience ( )

Iron Man ( )

Race to Witch Mountain ( )

Hannah Montana: The Movie ( )

Earth ( )

The Incredible Hulk ( )

Trail of the Panda ( )

Up ( )

Lilly the Witch: The Dragon and the Magic Book ( )

G-Force ( )

Walt & El Grupo ( )

The Book of Masters ( )

Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie ( )

Santa Buddies Here Comes Santa Paws ( )

Disney's A Christmas Carol ( )

Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure (X)

Old Dogs ( )

Princess Protection Program ( )

The Princess and the Frog ( )

Tigger & Pooh and a Musical Too ( )

Hatching Pete ( )

Dadnapped ( )

Space Buddies ( )

2010:

Alice in Wonderland (X)

Waking Sleeping Beauty ( )

Oceans ( )

Santa Paws ( )

Avalon High ( )

Den Brother ( )

Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam ( )

Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue (X)

StarStruck ( )

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ( )

Toy Story 3 ( )

You Again ( )

The Sorcerer's Apprentice ( )

The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos ( )

Secretariat ( )

Do Dooni Chaar ( )

Tangled ( )

The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story ( )

Tron: Legacy ( )

Iron Man 2 ( )

Geek Charming ( )

Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! ( )

Phineas & Ferb – The Movie ( )

Spooky Buddies ( )

Anaganaga O Dheerudu ( )

The Suite Life Movie ( )

Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure ( )

Lemonade Mouth ( )

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 ( )

Thor ( )

Lilly the Witch: The Journey to Mandolan ( )

Mars Needs Moms ( )

Zokkomon ( )

African Cats ( )

Prom ( )

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ( )

Cars 2 ( )

Winnie the Pooh ( )

Pixie Hollow Games (X)

The Muppets ( )

Girl vs. Monster ( )

Santa Paws 2 ( )

Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess ( )

Radio Rebel ( )

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3 ( )

Treasure Buddies ( )

FRenemies ( )

John Carter ( )

Chimpanzee ( )

Arjun: The Warrior Prince ( )

Brave ( )

The Odd Life of Timothy Green ( )

Frankenweenie ( )

Let It Shine ( )

Secret of the Wings (X)

The Advengers ( )

Wreck-It Ralph ( )

Teen Beach Movie ( )

Super Buddies

Oz the Great and Powerful ( )

Wings of Life ( )

Monsters University ( )

The Lone Ranger ( )

Planes ( )

Frozen ( )

Saving Mr. Banks ( )

Iron Man 3 ( )

Thor: The Dark World ( )

How to Build a Better Boy ( )

Zapped ( )

Cloud 9 ( )

The Pirate Fairy (X)

Muppets Most Wanted ( )

Bears ( )

Million Dollar Arm ( )

Maleficent ( )

Planes: Fire & Rescue ( )

Khoobsurat ( )

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day ()

Captain America: The Winter Soldier ( )

Guardians of the Galaxy ( )

Big Hero 6 (X)

Into the Woods ( )

McFarland USA ( )

Cinderella ( )

Monkey Kingdom ( )

Tomorrowland ( )

Inside Out ( )

ABCD 2 ( )

Ant-Man ( )

The Good Dinosaur ( )

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (X)

Teen Beach 2 ( )

Tinkerbell and the Legend of the NeverBeast (X)

Bad Hair Day ( )

Descendants ( )

Avengers: Age of Ultron ( )

The Finest Hours ( )

Zootopia (X)

The Jungle Book ( )

Tini: The Movie ( )

Alice Through the Looking Glass ( )

Finding Dory ( )

BFG ( )

Pete's Dragon ( )

Queen of Katwe ( )

Moana (X)

Captain America: Civil War ( )

Doctor Strange ( )

Rogue One. A Star Wars Story (X)

Growing Up Wild ( )

Dangal ( )

 L'Empereur – March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step ( )

Beauty and the Beast ( )

Born in China ( )

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales ( )

Cars 3 ( )

Ghost of the Mountains ( )

Jagga Jasoos ( )

Coco ( )

Lillys Bewitched Christmas ( )

Descendants 2 ( )

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ( )

Spider Man: Homecoming ( )

Thor: Ragnarok ( )

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (X)

Expedition China ( )

A Wrinkle in Time ( )

The Incredibles 2 ( )

Christoper Robin ( )

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms ( )

Ralph Breaks the Internet ( )

Mary Poppins Returns ( )

Zombies ( )

Black Panther ( )

Avengers: Infinity War ( )

Solo: A Star Wars Story ( )

Ant-Man and the Wasp ( )

Dumbo ( )

Penguins ( )

Aladdin ( )

Toy Stor 4 ( )

The Lion King ( )

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil ( )

Lady and the Tramp ( )

Noelle ( )

Frozen 2 ( )

Descendants 3 ( )

Captain Marvel ( )

Avengers: End Game ( )

Spider-Man: Far From Home ( )

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ( )

One Day at Disney ( )

Togo ( )

2020:

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made ( )

Onward ( )

Stargirl ( )

Dolphin Reef ( )

Elephant ( )

Artemis Fowl ( )

Hamilton ( )

Mulan ( )

The One and Only Ivan ( )

The Beatles: Get Back ( )

Soul ( )

Secret Society of Second-Born Royals ( )

Magic Camp ( )

Howard ( )

Urgh! Wish me luck, that I survive this....

#disney #disney movies #reviewing disney movie #ranking disney movies #disney+ #list #hell of a trip #long post #english is not my first language

[httpjeon]

❝ book of beasts: the hunt ❞ pjm ― m.

― summary: every decade, your village holds a hunt to find a legendary white stag which live in the surrounding forest. in recent years, the hunt has become harder as the population of white stags have declined. this year is your first time participating.

white stag!jimin/reader | mythical shifter!au | fluff, smut, light angst | 8k ↬ content warnings: magic elements, loss of virginity, graphic cunnilingus, soft jimin, reader lowkey wants it rough but jimin wants 2 be soft

a/n: second installment of the book of beasts! this is white stag shifter!jimin! if you’re unaware, the first was hypothermia! you can find it on the series ml.

→ blog masterlist     → series masterlist

The bells chimed in the village, signifying noon ─ all citizens were to gather together in the village center. You wrapped your worn cloak around your shoulders and ventured out.

It wasn’t long ago that you were even allowed to attend the town meetings, only those of age being allowed to be there. Children were to stay home or to be playing off in the outskirts of the village in the fields.

The ground beneath your feet was dead and cold, a sign that winter was coming. You knew the village elders would be announcing the Hunt. Just as you had been too young for town meetings, you were to young to attend the last Hunt.

The air had a certain chill to it and you pulled your cloak tighter around your frame. You could already see the crowd of people, surrounding the water well that was in the center of the village ─ your source of water and also a sort of landmark.

“The meeting will now begin,” An elderly man by the name of Dowon, the appointed village head. You hadn’t had much extended with him, he was a very busy man but from what you knew of him, he was a cold and calculated person who only showed warmth for the village children.

There was a time before you were an adult that he had offered you candy and smiled at you. Now, you only received hard stares from him. It was saddening but, that was the life in your village.

“Now that we are all gathered,” He began, scanning over the small crowd of people. “As you all know...it is nearing time for the Hunt. With just a week to prepare, I am aware there are a few new additions to the Hunt. I would like to take a moment to address what will take place.”

You knew a little bit of the tradition but the adults were always rather quiet about the details.

“For generations,” Dowon began, clasping his hands behind his back as he spoke. “Every decade, we hunt for a creature whom has always blessed us with good fortune. The legendary white stags which take refuge in the Sol Forest that surrounds our village.”

The white stag.

Legend has it that the founder of your village, while the neighboring towns and cities were waging war, he came in contact with a beautiful young woman in the forest who promised eternal protection if he could find and hunt a white stag and present it to her.

Since then, the tradition was passed down and now the white stag was seen as a form of protection and prosperity. If you hunted the stag, you would live safely and happily for another decade.

There were times when people would leave the village, refusing to believe in the existence of such a creature that brought such good things. Sometimes people just couldn’t let themselves fall prey to something that could be a hoax.

You, however, had never once doubted the stag.

Recalling a time when you were young, you had been eavesdropping from outside an open window listening to your parents talk.

“The population of stags is depleting,” You mother had whispered, sounding almost nervous. “One day there will be no more,”

“Don’t say that, Isaura,” You father had hissed, making your mother sigh.

“You cannot ignore the facts,” She had argued. “What will happen when the stags no longer exist? ____ may never get the chance to see one for herself.”

Your young self felt heartbroken at her words.

You would never be able to witness the beautiful creature you grew up hearing tales about?

Before you could even hear the end of your parents’ conversation, you were taking off into the forest. It wasn’t anything new, every child had played in the forest some time or another. With both your parents working and no friends to speak of, you often played by yourself.

The sun had been high in the sky and with it raining the previous night, causing the leaves and grass to shimmer and sparkle.

You should have expected to get lost. While you had played in the forest, it was always in places near the village. This time, however, you have traveled much deeper and before you knew it, when you looked around it was nothing but tall trees with overgrown canopies; effectively blocking out the sunlight that once flitted through.

It was silent and still and fear began to settle into your heart, causing it to pound in your chest.

You spun in circles, desperately trying to make heads or tales of where you were, which way you came from, and where to go. The sound of a twig snapping had you shrieking, your voice echoing through the trees, scaring some birds out of their nests.

“Are you okay?” A small voice startled you even more but when you went to run, you found yourself face first in some dirt which finally made tears burst from you.

“Oh no!” The small voice was closer this time and when you looked up, you came face to face with a baby-faced boy with messy black hair about your age. You instantly stopped crying, simply sniffing when he grabbed your elbow and helped you sit up. “I didn’t mean to scare you,”

“Wh-Who are you?” You asked, standing up beside him, looking him up and down.

He was wearing all white, an oversized fleece sweater and nicely fitting pants but no shoes. His clothes were shockingly unstained despite obviously wandering through the woods.

“My name is Jimin,” He smiled, holding his hand out for you to shake. “I live around here with my parents,”

“Oh, I didn’t know people lived in the woods,” He furrowed his brows for a moment, looking confused but then it changed and shrugged with a smile on his face. “Do you know the way back to Sol Village?”

“Sol?” He parroted, looking around a few times, humming. “It’s that way! Come on, I’ll walk you there!”

“So what’s it like living in the forest? It’s scary further away from the village,” You spoke as you followed behind him, stepping over branches and puddles.

“Well, I was born here so it’s not scary to me!” He replied, holding a branch down for you to step over easily. “I get to play in the trees and stuff all day so it’s fun for me!”

“That sounds cool, I guess,” You responded, falling silent for a split second before speaking again. “We play in the fields and stuff, we’re not really allowed in the forest,”

“Then what were you doing in there?” Jimin asked, though he didn’t sound like he was scolding you at all ─ more curious.

You shrugged, sighing. “I heard Mama and Pa talking about how the white stags are almost gone a-and I wanted to see if I could find one myself. It’ll be years before I get to hunt and what if by then there’s no more!”

Jimin stopped short, making you bump into his back. You stared at him from behind, watching as his shoulder rose and fell with a long sigh before he turned to look at you.

“The stags are leaving,” He responded, making your heart hurt with the admission. “But not only from the Hunt but because they’re leaving...for their own safety. W-They don’t want to die,”

His last words struck you and that was when it fully hit you that the Hunt wasn’t just a tradition to bring fortune and health to the people ─ it was the killing of an animal and they were running so they could live. For as long as you could remember, the people of Sol never once used the term death for the Hunt.

“You should be able to make it back on your own now, I’m not allowed to go any further,” Jimin said, offering you an almost sad smile. “Just go straight ahead and as the trees thin, the village will come into view.”

“Thank you, Jimin,” You looked up at him and smiled genuinely. However, before you could take a step away, he grabbed your arm.

“I didn’t get your name,”

“_____,”

“_____,” He repeated, nodding and smiling once again but this time, it was sad. “Listen, I have a favor...consider it repayment for helping you get back to your home,”

“Okay,” You couldn’t argue with that. You technically did owe him now.

“When you’re able to hunt,” He swallowed thickly. “The night before...I’d like you to come back into the forest. If you head north of your village, following the treeline, you’ll come across a willow tree. You won’t be able to miss it. When you find it, head straight into the forest from that tree. If you continue straight on, you’ll be lead right to a clearing.”

“Why would I do that?” You asked, not understanding the point of going to so much trouble. Why would this repay him?

“I want to speak to you that night. When we’re both older ─ so I can show you something really special,” You stared right into his eyes, deep and dark but holding childlike innocence before nodding. “I hope that you’ll remember. It’s very important.”

“Okay Jimin,” You agreed softly, looking down at the forest floor before back up at him, this time with conviction. “North of the village following the treeline, there’s a willow tree, and if I go straight in...you’ll meet me at the clearing,”

“Exactly,” He beamed, and this time his smile caused his eyes to disappear. “I’ll be waiting. Just 10 years,”

“10 years,” You repeated.

10 years.

That night you told your parents of the boy who lived in the forest. You mother quickly squashed those ideas by telling you there were no people in the forest, that perhaps the spirit of the stag had led you home.

You went to sleep confused.

Until your Mother’s death, she had been convinced you had made the whole thing up, chalking it up to childlike imagination and wonder. You didn’t bother trying to convince her.

“The Hunt is set to take place in just 3 days,” You tuned back in to Dowon speaking, announcing that that full moon was coming ─ thus commencing the Hunt.

The walk home was chilly, with dead leaves cracking beneath your feet with every step. You smiled kindly at the children who began to rush back home at the sound of the evening bell.

Inside the comfort of your home, you sat at your kitchen table and sighed.

Tomorrow night, you could go to the willow and meet Jimin.

The day of the hunt caused the village to be more lively than it had been in years. Newly of-age men and women were celebrating with home-made feasts they’d been saving up for all year; using their finest meats and vegetables while also partaking in a glass or two of wine.

The children of the village were allowed to celebrate, though they would be confined to their houses to be watched over by elders ─ those too old to participate. Chances are, most of them would be restless as they awaited to the return of their parents and siblings.

You, however, remained in your home just waiting for night to fall. You watched out your window as happy families laughed and sang songs of celebration together.

As night descended upon the village, you slipped your cloak over your shoulders, pulling the hood up to hopefully disguise yourself. It’s not that you weren’t allowed out during the night, although there was a curfew, but you didn’t particularly want people in your business as you went.

You rounded your house, keeping to the shadows.

Your house was a little bit aways from the busy center of town, in fact you lived closer to the outskirts. It had always been your preference, much quieter and you enjoyed looking into the forest.

Sol Forest, ever since that time you met Jimin, had been a been a source of interest to you. Many times, when you passed by a window in the night, you could swear you saw him standing on the treeline. But when you took a second look, there was no one.

At first it scared you, but before long it became fun to see when you would spot him.

When you tried to tell you mom that the forest boy visited you, she was convinced you had an imaginary friend so you just dropped it.

You knew what you saw and that’s all that mattered.

You managed to sneak past all the houses, not arousing any suspicion from the families inside. The moon was high in the air, casting light as you followed the treeline, allowing sufficient light for you to see the willow tree. Truth be told you had never been this way in your life, and it was a little unsettling. However, young Jimin’s voice begging to see you the night before the Hunt festered in your mind, making you persevere.

Finally, you came to a stop.

It was there.

Among tall oak trees was an incredibly out of place willow tree that seemed to almost radiate heat from it. Gently, you placed your hand against it and gasped; the tree had energy. You ripped your hand away, holding it to your chest, feeling your nerves almost buzzing.

A twig snapped, causing you to jerk your head to the right. Your eyes widened as you saw it; a white stag.

It’s antlers were magnificent and it seemed to almost glow. It stopped, locking eyes with you, one of its delicate ears twitching in your direction. Then, right before your eyes, it began to walk straight from the tree, exactly where you were meant to go.

Hurrying off, you rounded the tree to head into the forest, following after the creature. There was a path, overgrown and clearly unused, but it was still there. You lifted the ends of your dress, stepping over twigs and the like. Although there was natural light from the sky, with the treetops causing gaps of darkness, you had to be extra careful not to trip.

When you finally stepped foot in the clearing, there was no sign of the stag at all. That, however, quickly disappeared from your mind as you looked around; the grass in the clearing was fresh, plush green grass ─ as if it were spring. You crouched down and gently touched it, making you realize how warm the ground was beneath you as well.

“This clearing is connected through magic to the willow tree,” A voice had you squeaking out of fright, throwing you off balance and making you land on your butt.

“Wha-” Looking up, you were face to face with a beautiful man. “Jimin,”

“Ah, you remember my name too,” He grinned, making his eyes disappear. “I was afraid you wouldn’t show up,”

“What did you mean by magic?” You asked, watching as he took a seat in front of you.

“Well,” He hummed, playing with a blade of grass. “The tree is...a source of life for the stags in this forest. We all gather here for energy,”

“...We?” You whispered, making him look up with a smile.

“We...the stags,” He explained, keeping his tone calm and gentle.

“You...How are you a stag?” You furrowed your brows, leveling him with a firm stare.

“I can show you,” He offered, standing up. “There’s a book my kind have kept for centuries, you can read it if you’d like.”

He held his hand out for you to take. You hesitated for a split second but ultimately decided to give it a shot. When you placed your hand in his, the same energy that zapped in your system at the willow tree. He smiled when you yanked your hand back in shock.

“Follow me,” He said softly, turning his back to you to begin walking into the dense trees that surrounded the clearing.

He almost seemed to glow as you followed behind him, a halo of golden light surrounding his body. He was graceful, holding his head high with his shoulders squared ─ looking absolutely regal.

Trailing behind him in silence, you held the hem of your dress up as you walked, not wanting to get snagged on anything. You had no idea how much time passed as you walked, simply following paths through dense trees, leaves crunching beneath your feet behind the only sound. It took you a moment to realize how gracefully Jimin was walking, making virtually no noise ─ not even the leaves or sticks crunched beneath his feet.

Finally, you came to another clearing; this one didn't hold the same energy as the other one, however, it did hold a small, quaint little cottage. In front of the windows were small flower boxes, filled with pink and purple flowers you didn't have the knowledge to identify. There was a gentle glow coming from one of the windows, the others dark. It deemed almost like a beacon in the otherwise dark forest.

"You live here?" You asked, finally breaking the reigning silence that had been hanging over the two of you.

"Yes," He chuckled, looking behind his shoulder as he opened the front door to his home. "Did you expect me to live among the wildlife?"

"Do you want a serious answer?" You teased, smiling easily as you accepted his invite inside.

It was warm and you undid the golden button on your cloak, letting it slide off to hang on a little hook beside the door.

"Come," The young man beckoned you deeper into his home.

In the living area, there was a bookcase. Scanning the various novels on the shelves, you were shocked to see such a variety of books; romance, mystery, even journals you could only assume he wrote himself. Books were a luxury that were rarely available in Sol or really anywhere, so you were quite curious as to how he had amounted such a trove of literature.

Before you could ask, though, he pulled out a book that was much thicker than any of the others. The veins in his hands bulged under the weight as he picked it up and with a nod of his head, he directed you to sit beside him on the couch.

"This is a book that holds the history of this forest," He said, carefully blowing off a layer of dust that had accumulated on the cover before opening to a page he seemed to easily find. “Long ago, Sol Forest was watched over by an entity Dibin. She protected all the creatures that inhabited until the die she died; when she did, her magic became infused with the forest. Thus, the creatures she once looked over had the ability to alter their appearance. White stags were some of the only magical creatures left living here from Dibin’s lifetime. There was many of us, thousands of us occupied this land,”

As he spoke, he flipped through the book, grazing his fingers over pictures and art. It didn’t take you long to realize that the words were in an entirely different language. You briefly wondered if he understood as his eyes drifted over the text, a small smile coming to his lips that could only be described as nostalgic.

“When the village of Sol was erected and the tradition of The Hunt began, we tried to stay and fight through it, persevere. We didn’t want to leave our home. But as the population began to fall and thousands turned into hundreds; many fled for self preservation. Only a few of us remained...a dozen or so,” Your heart ached as he finally looked up at you, dark eyes holding much sadness within them. “When we met...those years ago, I was living here in this cottage with my parents. A few years ago...my father passed away..”

“How did he die?” You asked, note breaking your eyes away from his so he could see the sincerity in your gaze.

Jimin shrugged before speaking, this time in a much desolate tone. "He got sick one day and just...didn't get better," He sighed, flipped a few more pages in the book. "After that, my mom wanted to leave the forest and follow where the others had gone."

"You didn't go?" You asked, glancing at a piece of art in the book which depicted a white stag in front of the willow tree.

"No," He responded quickly, looking back up at you. "I didn't want to leave Sol. This is my home, you know. So, she left without me."

"That's so sad, I can't imagine how that must feel. You miss her?"

"Yeah, I miss her every day," He confessed, his shoulders slumping as he said those words. "I'm the last stag in this forest now."

"The last?!" You cried. How had a forest that was once filled with white stags dwindled down to one; one with whom you were sitting beside right now.

"Yes and," He turned to look straight at you now, his eyes holding a fire that hadn't been there before. "That's why I need your help. You're the only human I can ask."

"Help? How can I help?"

"When The Hunt begins, you can lead them away from my home. I'll hide out here; if I can make it through this hunt then I can work on the population of Sol Forest until the next one." He explained, speaking almost desperately.

“I’ll do it,” You agreed easily. You had never wanted to participate in The Hunt as much as other villagers had; whenever it was brought up there was always a pit of anxiety in your stomach. Now, you knew this was what you were meant to do; protect the beautiful creatures that had been decimated by a years of tradition. Maybe one day, the forest would be flush with the white stags once again. The first step was to protect the last one. "But wait,"

"What is it?"

"How come you don't just...blend?" At the confused look on his face, you explained. "I mean, since you're human...right now...why don't you just wear a cloak and blend with the hunters?"

"Well," He hummed, flipping further into the book as you watched. He stopped on a page filled with unfamiliar characters of his language. "The village would probably easily notice an unfamiliar face among them. And also...I shift during the full moon."

"Full moon..." You sighed, realizing the plan you had wouldn't work. "Like werewolves?"

Jimin laughed at this, his shoulders shaking. "I suppose it's similar to werewolves except we don't crave blood and kill things in a blood-rage like they do. I'll be fully in my mind and self-aware but...unable to maintain a human form."

"Then I guess...your plan's the only way, huh?"

Nerves were alive and well in your chest as you stood with the men and women of your village. The sun was barely peeking above the horizon, painting the sky with splashes of warm reds and oranges; it was a contrast with the chill that was in the air.

"You all know what to do," Dowon said, voice booming and overpowering the soft murmur the crowd had been enveloped in. "Let's go."

You all set off, tightening your grip on your bow as you skulked into the forest the same as everyone else.

You had specifically joined the group that would be scouring the area around Jimin’s home. While you weren’t the leader, the group was small enough that you knew they would listen to you.

“I’ll search this way,” You offered, nodding your head to the left.

“There’s a stream out that way,” A man, Alan, claimed, adjusting his hunting knife in his grip. “There may be wild animals gathering there for water.”

“I can handle myself quite well,” You quipped, meeting his worried gaze. “Plus, it’d be a good place to try and track footprints, right?”

“I guess so,” Alan sighed, his shoulders sagging. “I’ll be nearby then, in case you have a run in.”

You plastered a false smile on your face while internally rolling your eyes. Turning your back, you stalked through the woods, putting on an air of attempting to be stealthy. The moonlight provided some visibility; you didn’t need it because you knew a bit of the way there.

“They’re nearby,” You whispered as quietly as you could as you caught sight of Jimin hiding out of sight. “I couldn’t keep them entirely away but they know I’m searching in this area alone.”

It was then that you realized this was your first time seeing him like this.

He was absolutely magnificent; coat as white and unblemished as freshly fallen snow. Antlers atop his head that seemed to sparkle in the moonlight. Hesitantly, you reached out and brushed your fingers against his fur; to your shock, he leaned into your touch, closing his round brown eyes at the feeling.

If you hadn’t believe him before when he told you he was a white stag, this certainly would have been enough to convince you. You could see the emotions and recognition in his face and eyes when he looked at you.

“Once the sun begins to rise, we’ll all return home,” You saw the way his eyes sparkles at your words, a small smile forming on your lips.

You knew you would probably sleep for a while 48 hours after this whole stressful affair was done. Never in your life had you been so terrified of being found by someone of your village; you didn’t even want to think of the consequences of trying to hide a White Stag.

“Maybe I should have made some paint and colored you brown, make you blend in with the trees,” You joked, holding in a laugh when he fixed you with what you could only imagine was meant to be glare.

He was knelt on the ground, making himself as small as possible as you sat beside him ─ the ground was quite cold beneath you. Both of you would flinch and your heart would accelerate at the sound of twigs snapping or leaves rustling.

Even if you wanted to relax, you couldn’t.

You stalked into the woods, feeling much calmer than you had previously. You lightly touched the willow tree, feeling the small tingle flow up your arm before you carried down a path you seemed to have already memorized. Since The Hunt, you had been visiting the stag relatively often; the two of you forming a close friendship.

Jimin's cabin came into view and you smiled; picking up the pace to reach his front porch. You knocked a few times and, to your surprise, he took only a second to answer; that adorable eye-smile lighting up his entire face.

"How are you doing?" You ask as you step into his warmly heated home, the smell of firewood burning filling your senses.

"I'm great," He shut the door once you were inside and took your cloak from you to hang it up; the bright red contrasting prettily next to his white cloak. "How are you?"

"I'm okay, pretty tired," You responded easily, following Jimin into the living room. There was a fire going, and you smiled at the cozy feeling it gave off.

"I'm making tea, would you like some?" At his question, you readily agreed, feeling your body and soul relaxing in such a calm atmosphere.

When he placed the mug in front of you on a little coaster, you smiled, patting the seat beside you. He held his mug in his hands, uncaring taking a sip of the steaming liquid without flinching. Then with a sigh, he place the cup down and looked at you.

"What is it?" You asked, cocking your head as you registered the complete seriousness in his gaze.

"I need to leave," He said, tone flat.

"Leave? The forest?" He nodded, heaving another sigh.

"Mating season is coming up," He explained, not noticing the way you blushed in response. "Since there are no females available this season here, I have to travel to the nearest cluster in order to mate. It will be the first step to repopulating this forest."

"Is it dangerous?" You asked. "The travel, I mean."

"Yes," He admitted. "I haven't done it before. This is the first season I decided it would be worth it to try. But there are many creatures which will want to have me for food. Also the hunters of various villages and towns along the way, I could very well perish."

"That's so scary..." Then something he said seemed to click in your mind. "But wait...if she lives in another forest...how will the child be here?"

"Well, my kind mate for life," He explained, shocking you. "We find a mate and...for the rest of our lives we are together."

"Wow, that sounds lovely," You whisper, not quite understanding the ache in your chest.

"Don't look so worried, I'll be fine!"

"Huh?" You looked up to see the shine in his eyes was brighter than ever.

"I'll come back safe and sound, I promise,"

Without knowing why, you forced a smile and nodded at his words.

Your bed felt oddly cold as you stared at the ceiling. Never before had you shared a bed with another person but you couldn't help but feel like someone was missing.

You forced yourself out of bed and pulled on your cloak, not even bothering to change out of your nightclothes or put on any shoes. You had one clear goal in mind and without a second of hesitation or taking a moment to think of the consequences of your actions, you rushed from your home.

The air was much chillier than you expected and you briefly regretted not putting on shoes.

However, when you stepped foot into the oh-so-familiar clearing, the ground allowed some heat into your frozen toes.

You were panting by the time you reached Jimin's front door ─ all the lights inside were turned off. However, you could see the smoke coming from the chimney, meaning he was in fact inside at least. Steeling yourself, you raised your fist to bang on the door. But before you could make contact, the door swung open to reveal the very man you were searching for.

"I knew you would come back," When he spoke, his voice was much deeper than you had expected. Every time you talked to him, he always had a bright, soft lilt in his tone that made you feel happy. Now, it was low and husky and had a heat settling in your body.

"W-What?" You whispered, your breath showing up in the air as a result of the cold temperature.

"You feel the same way, don't you?" He asked, although the way he looked at you showed it was more of a statement. You nodded in agreement anyway, which caused him to smile. It wasn't the bright eye-smile you loved, however, no it was more of a smirk. He reached out and gripped your wrist, pulling you inside his home.

"Jimin, I-"

"I know," He whispered, reaching up to undo the golden button on your cloak, that held it on. Once it was unbuttoned, he hung it up in the same spot you always hunt it in. "I saw that way you looked at me when I told you I had to leave. I could hear the way your heart ached at my words,"

You stepped closer to him, feeling almost desperate to be closer to him. He seemed to understand as he ever so gently placed his hands on your waist, letting you feel his warmth through the thin fabric of your nightdress.

"Do you want me the same way I want you?" He questioned, leaning closer to you so you could feel the tickle of his bangs brushing your skin. "You know if you do this...you'll be with me forever?"

"I...I want it, I want to be by your side until I die, Jimin," You whispered, inching onto your tiptoes to urge him to kiss you, bringing your lips closer together.

"Sweet girl," He cooed, finally touching his lips to yours.

The same feeling as when he first touched you zapped through your system. You whimpered, the electricity flowing through your body and causing you to tremble. However, you didn't pull away ─ couldn't pull away. You gripped the front of his shirt, soft cotton beneath your fingertips, pulling him even closer so your bodies were pressed together. One of his arms wrapped around your waist and the other wrapped around your shoulders to let his fingers tangle in your hair. You were so close, so warm against each other that you wouldn't stop the soft sighs of pleasure that escaped your lips even if you wanted to.

When Jimin finally pulled away, you immediately missed his lips on yours. He smiled, pushing a piece of hair behind your ear, looking absolutely smitten already.

"I'm so happy," He whispered, watching the way your eyes lit up at his words. "I feel so lucky to have found you. You went so far for me and I never thought a human would be someone I could take as my companion."

"But...how will the population come back if I'm just a human?"

"It will not matter," He responded, leaning down to press a chaste kiss against your forehead. "My magic will overtake in the child's system."

You blushed at the mention of a child, making Jimin chuckle. It wasn't abnormal for couples to marry and immediately have a child. Part of you wanted to voice to Jimin that you wished to just...be with him for a while.

"Don't worry," He suddenly cooed, seeming to understand your thoughts again. "We will have time to have a child, I promise."

"How do you do that?" You mumbled, fighting back a chuckle.

"You are mine," He responded quickly. "You have accepted me into your heart...I can tell what you're thinking...what you're feeling." At the last one, he licked his lips and chuckled, making you blush like mad.

"Would you like to wash up first?"

"Sure, that'd be nice," You agreed, letting him lead you through the cottage with a hand on your wrist.

"My room is just across the hall," He muttered, turning around and heading to the door across the hall. Ever so gently, you shut the door and let out a sigh once you were in solitude.

You stood in front of the mirror, taking in your flushed appearance. The run here had caused dirt to stick to your face and even your neck. You dipped your hands into the water basin to gather water, using it to wipe away the sweat and dirt that stained your skin.

When you looked back up, water dripping down, you let out a breath.

You looked presentable so you grabbed the towel off the rack and dried your face. With a pounding heart and trembling hands, you opened the bathroom door.

Jimin's bedroom door was open, a gentle glow coming from within along with the soft scent of apple pie wafting through the air. As you stepped into the doorway, you could see Jimin lighting a couple candles.

"Oh!" He jumped when he realized you were there, placing a now lit candle on the nightstand beside his bed. "I uh...hope you don't mind. My mother once said you should always make a woman feel special when she is to be your mate,"

You felt the heat of a blush take over your face at the mention of becoming his mate. Still, despite feeling shy, you bit your lip as a wave of excitement traveled over you ─ making you shiver in anticipation.

When Jimin slowly walked over to you to cup your cheeks to bring your eyes to his, you could see the way his sparkled. He leaned down, pressing the softest kiss to your nose before speaking.

"We don't have to do anything," He cooed, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear and dusting his thumb along your cheek.

It was then that you remembered he could tell what you were feeling. His care for you lightened your heart and you reached up and cupped the hand that rested on your cheek no.

"Don't worry, I really want to," You whispered, knowing he could sense the honesty in you. Just as you expected, he visibly relaxes and a serene smile passes over his face.

"I really want to kiss you,"

"Then kiss me," You replied, taking the lead and leaning forward until your lips barely touched. Then Jimin closed to distance, pulling you into a deep kiss that made your head fuzzy.

His hands grabbed your waist, pulling you so your bodies were pressed together; it made the fact that he was growing hard in his slacks difficult to ignore. Instead of feeling shy, however, it sent a wave of lust through you and Jimin groaned as you pressed against the hardness more.

"Do you─Can I take this off?" He asked, his voice trembling as he bunched the fabric in his hands.

"Y-Yeah," You consented, stepping away from him slightly so he could pull it up.

One of the buttons became tangled in your hair, making you whine as he tugged it. He let out a small laugh, leaning closer to carefully freeing you and then letting the fabric fall to the floor.

Instead of ogling your exposed body like you expected, he pressed a chaste kiss against your forehead before taking your hand and leading you to the bed. When you were seated comfortably on the mattress, he pulled the white shirt he always seemed to wear off his body.

You swallowed thickly, taking in his body; the flat plane of his tummy and the bulging veins in his arms.

However, what truly caught your eye was the beautiful, intricate tattoo that sat on his right peck, going in and traveling down his ribs. You reached up, dragging your fingertips along the art to feel the zap of electricity through your arm.

"When my kind turn 16, we are given this tattoo to show we have reached maturity," He explains, smiling as you continued to touch him.

Instead of answering, you pulled him down so you could kiss him again. He smiled against your lips, pushing you to lay flat on the bed, holding his weight above you by his elbows. Your hands became busy, brushing through his hair to feel the soft locks and wrapping your arms around him and trail your fingers up the bare expanse of his back, making him shudder.

Then, he pulled away to sit back on his heels. His dark eyes slowly trailed down your body, taking in the gentle curve of your breasts topped with pebbled buds, the smooth skin of your stomach, and finally your heat, which was covered by white cotton panties.

"White," He whispered, dragging his fingers over the fabric, smiling. "My favorite color."

"I should have guessed," You replied, teasing him, making his playfully glare at you.

He didn't say anything, however, instead he leaned down to press a kiss against your chest. You sighed at the feeling, watching through lidded eyes as he continued to kiss his way across your chest until he reached a pert nipple. Biting your lips, you kept your eyes on him even as he closed his own and enveloped your bud in his hot, wet mouth. You sighed at the feeling, unable to keep your eyes open once he added his fingers to the mix to cater to your other nipple.

One hand tangled in his hair, unable to resist touching him while the other was gripping his sheets tightly to ground yourself. It felt like you should be feeling shy or embarrassed but with him, you felt oddly comfortable; like you had nothing to hide or be ashamed of.

In this world, many people married for the sake of marriage and passing down the genes and having children. Not even your parents were married out of love.

And although you weren't sure if what you felt for Jimin was love, it certainly felt right.

While you were becoming dizzy with the feeling of him, his other hand brushed over your core through your panties, making you jump. When you glanced down at him, Jimin was gazing at you through his lashes.

"Jimin," You whispered, your voice making him break away from your breast to respond with a soft "yes". You didn't know what to say, making him giggle, leaning down to kiss the center of your chest.

"I'll take care of you," He whispered, sitting up completely again but this time he scooted further down the bed before he laid flat on his stomach between your thighs. "You're wet."

"Hey!" You cried, attempting to shut your legs, not used to such blunt language referring to your body.

"Don't hide," He chastised, but still holding a delicate smile on his lips.

He slipped his thumbs beneath the band of your panties, starting to pull them down. Biting your lips to fight the heat threatening to overcome your face, you lifted your hips to help him pull them all the way off.

You were completely bare before him and he grinned, pressing his lips against the skin of your calf, knee, and thigh all the way up your body until he met your lips once again.

Kissing him was definitely your favorite thing, his lips were so plush and soft and warm against yours. You couldn't stop the whimper escaping at the introduction of his tongue, deepening the kiss. He finally broke away, leaving you both panting.

He recovered first, dropping back down your body again, spreading your legs with more force than you expected. However, the feeling of him treating you rougher had your core clenching around nothing, making you gush.

"Do you like that?" He whispered, licking his lips as his mouth was level with your heat. When you nodded, he chuckled darkly. "We'll tackle that another time. Right now I just...want to make you feel loved."

Then, when you relaxed against the bed, he suddenly licked a stripe up your slit, gathering the creaming wetness there and moaning. Before you could control yourself, you fingers were tangling in his hair as you cried you. He chuckled, the vibrations making you keen before he licked up again, this time focusing on catching your clit.

"Jimin!" You whined, arching your back as he wrapped his lips around the bud.

it felt phenomenal; like nothing you ever felt before.

"You're...sensitive," He whispered before using his thumbs to spread your folds, exposing your twitching entrance and hard clit; licking the little bud as it peeked out from under its hood.

You couldn't respond, too overcome with the pleasure he was giving you. Part of you wondered if Jimin had done this or if regular sex without mating was even allowed; he was just so good.

He pulled away rather suddenly, closing his eyes and licking his lips free of your leftover juices.

You nearly cried in relief when he began to push his pants down, tossing the fabric on the floor.

His cock was hard, the head red with a bead of precum leaking at the tip. He wrapped his fist around it, giving a few good pumps as he knelt between your legs again.

All your life you expected to feel nerves at this stage, with his cock prodding your entrance, a centimeter away from spreading your virgin walls. However, as you find yourself in this position with Jimin, you only felt the need to make him go faster.

He leaned down, giving you a sweet kiss and making you smile at the softness. His eyes were sparkling as he gazed down at you, making you feel like the most special girl.

“Are you ready?” He asked, gripping his length in one hand as he prodded against your tight entrance.

At your nod of consent he began to push inside you, keeping an eye on your facial expressions. Your brows furrowed and your mouth opened in a silent moan as you felt your walls stretch around him. There was a slight burn but the second he brushed against a spot inside you, your back arched. Jimin chuckled a little at your reaction, bottoming out and reaching down to circle your clit; enjoying the feeling of your walls clamping down around him at the feeling.

Tossing your head back, your felt your eyes roll when he slowly pulled out, pushing back in the solid slap of skin meeting. He was slow and careful, aiming for the spot inside you that had your thighs trembling, all the while rolling your hard clit beneath his thumb.

You clawed at the sheets and pillows, nearly beside yourself over the pleasure that was flooding your system. Jimin panted above you, giving you a beautiful view with his bangs pushed back, making him look powerful. The hand not occupied beneath your legs traveled up your body to cup your breast, pinching the nipple between two fingers, groaning when you clenched around him hard.

Suddenly, you could feel pleasure mounting inside you; threatening to explode. It was white hot heat in your core, winding up and you couldn’t stop yourself from arching.

“Are you close?” Jimin whispered, smirking as you were too caught up in your head to even respond to him. He sped up, panting and groaning himself as he finally let himself go as well.

Pinning your thighs open, he fucked you much faster; sending you flying over the edge. Your mind blanked, the only thing your mouth could say was his name. He removed his thumb from your clit as you became too sensitive for the extra stimulation.

You relaxed, still trembling and coming down from your high when he pulled out, wrapping his hand around himself to pump himself to completion. Warm splatters of his cum painted your skin, your eyes opening to catch the tail end of his orgasm; his head possed back to expose his neck and his whined.

He relaxed, leaning down over you to meet your lips in a lazy, slow kiss.

“We should wash up,” You whispered, voice scratchy due to the moaning you did.

“We can head to the stream,” Jimin sat up, leaning off the side of the bed to collect his pants and shirt.

He offered the shirt to you, helping you slide it over your head; it was too big for you so when you stood up, it covered everything it needed to. Jimin simply slid on his pants, not bothering with a shirt before he lead you out of the home.

The walk to the stream was peaceful and quick, not even taking two minutes to get there. Jimin was quick to strip his pants off and hop in the water. As soon as he was submerged, you body was overcome with a shiver; it felt like you were just dunked into the water. JImin laughed from where he was wading, a shit-eating grin on his face.

"I was waiting for that," He laughed, his voice echoing through the trees.

"W-What?" You whined, still too stunned to strip yourself.

"Well," He giggled again, wading closer to the shoreline, reaching his hand out to you. "Now that we're mated, you can feel me just as I feel you." You fought a smile, pulling the shirt off and taking Jimin's hand to allow him to help you into the water.

You both washed yourselves free of the sweat and fluids that accumulated on your bodies. The water, though cold at first, seemed to grow warmer the longer you were in it; your body temperatures becoming accustomed. He wrapped his arms around your middle, resting his chin on your shoulder as you both stared at the sparkling night sky, feeling absolutely blissful in each others hold.

And as the sun began to peek over the horizon, casting delicate shadows along the ground and bathing the serene Sol Forest in washes of red, you turned in Jimin's arms and pressed the most gentle kiss upon his lips, making the beautiful man smile.

© httpjeon 2019. do not repost or modify.

#bts smut #jimin smut #bts scenarios #jimin scenarios #bts imagines #jimin imagines #bts preferences #jimin preferences #bts reactions #jimin reactions #bts fanfic #jimin fanfic #jimin/reader #jimin/you

[theonyxpath]

WOW! What a weekend!

And it started with our Legendlore Kickstarter funding on Friday! Now we’re moving into Stretch Goals – so please, if you haven’t already, check it out! The link is below in the Kickstarter section!

And and, to get you started, here’s a review of the free PDF of the complete text for the book linked on the KS site: https://thetabletopalmanac.wordpress.com/2020/06/15/rpg-reviews-legendlore-manuscript-preview/

Of course, this leaves the rest of the weekend, which just happened to consist of the first-ever Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention!

What a fun time!

We really didn’t know how folks would respond, but now that the three days of panels and gaming are done, I can say that our community was in turns hilarious, supportive, giving, excited, and energized. And that energy really flowed right back into all the events and energized all of us!

I mean, we’re still tired as all get out – who’d have thought that a con I could attend from my own house would do that? – but pretty sure we’re all still feeling the love, too.

Just to pull the giving part out for a second, we are absolutely thrilled that our charity goals were blasted through sometime mid-con, and we’ll be donating over a thousand dollars to each of our excellent causes: The Bodhana Group, and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund!

Now, back to the whooped by the con part, we are and I am, so today I’m just going to pull out some impressions of the events from a bunch of us who normally would have had our Monday Meeting today – we rescheduled it for later this week.

SCENES FROM A VIRTUAL CON:

Matthew: The Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention was the first con I helped organise, and while it had its share of stresses in the setup, it came to excellent fruition due to the fantastic teamwork of everyone working hard behind the scenes and amazing engagement from viewers, panelists, players, and those who donated to our charities and took advantage of our sales on onyxpathcon.com

RichT: I started us off on Friday night with the Opening Keynote speech, and then just sort of chatted with Matt McElroy, Dixie Cochran, Eddy Webb, and Matthew Dawkins about what was coming with the con.

For me, I then rolled into my first game, I played one per day, which was the first Actual Play of Exalted Essence. It really did run both fast and smoothly, and all of the various Exalted types we were playing had their times to shine. I was able to put a different, more easy-going, pie-eating, spin on my bear-totemed Lunar who still wound up grappling with the big bad and bear-hugging them in place for Danielle’s Solar to practically one-shot the sucker!

Ian: Convention was great, despite a few hiccups. I was on two streams early on: one Friday evening and one Saturday morning, and then the rest of the con was “free.” Travis and the GG crew were all-stars. Travis couldn’t get Nightbot working for a bit so I took over the random prize drawing for a few streams. I was often juggling two different streams in different monitors to help keep dialogue going in chat. Kudos to everyone, especially those of you who worked multiple panels and games in a single day.

RichT: In fact, the panel Ian refers to on Saturday morning was the “What’s Up With Onyx Path?” panel that started off the day at 9am. This is a panel where a bunch of developers and I talk about upcoming projects for their lines, and answer questions. Eddy and I started doing them about a decade ago when it was “What’s Up With White Wolf?”, but changed the name for obvious reasons after Onyx Path appeared.

During that panel, a couple of things came up: Matthew teased that we might very well do They Came From (the Old West!, or something more flavorful that fits the genre) as the third They Came From game, and Ian talked about Trinity Continuum: Aeon Mission Statements, a book all about the organizations in the setting that aren’t the Psi-Orders. We also noticed that some folks in the chat were new to Onyx Path and what we create, so that was unexpected but welcome news!

Then, I played my second game of the con, which was a sneak preview of Scion: Demigod! Neall took us through a voyage to the Grecian Afterlife, using the Ready Made Characters from Heroes of the World and I got to play a stern Horace Farrow ala Sam Elliott, while Steffie cut up many, many things with Yukiko’s Grass-Cutter Sword. Then, another panel on Community Content and why it rocks wrapped up my Saturday.

Matthew: I didn’t encounter one instance of bad behaviour in chat or anything dubious discussed on screen in games or on panels, and I attended most that I could as a viewer, if I wasn’t an active participant.

Viewership of panels and games peaked at around 250 to 300 people at one time for a couple of the shows, and bottomed out at around 50 people. Those are good figures. Our subscriptions and follows on Twitch rocketed, with many subscriptions being gifted by viewers and even more just being purchased or acquired via Amazon Prime.

My own highlight is impossible to choose between the games and panels I ran or appeared on, though the “Create Your Best Character” panel, which I suspected would be a sleeper, turned into an excellent talk on not playing harmful stereotypes and break out of dangerous tropes.

Eddy: The convention was great for me. My scheduling was a little odd, and I ran into one minor technical issue, but otherwise it went smoothly and it seemed like people in the chat were excited and appreciative. I felt like we got to dig into topics we aren’t able to do in normal convention settings, and attendance was definitely higher than usual for panels at other shows. I also heard that people had a good time watching the games or playing in ad-hoc games all weekend. I know there were some problems on the back-end of getting this all together, but I don’t think any of our attendees noticed anything but a nice, polished experience.

RichT: Sunday started out just like Saturday, with the second “What’s Up With Onyx Path?” panel, although with a different set of developers. The big news was when Eddy ratted out that he was working on Squeaks in the Dark, the mice/rats supplement for Realms of Pugmire!

I then had my second panel on Sunday, the “Art of Onyx Path” one, where Mirthful Mike Chaney joined three of our freelance artists and I in discussing just how illustrators work for us: how they submit their work, how they are contacted, how art notes work, how artists work, and what sort of music do we listen to while doing illustrations. Lots of great questions from the audience, and a wide range of experience within the panel, made it really interesting.

RichT: Then my Sunday game was the first public playtest of They Came From Beyond the Grave! run by Matthew, and featuring Dixie’s Rose Thorne, a driven vampire hunter with attitude, and 70s hair. She teamed up with B. Dave Walters’ smoooth street investigator to blast the ever-lovin’ hell out of evil cultists, while Ian Mueller’s exorcist (sorta) shot the big bad between the eyes with Rose’s derringer, and my slightly odd professor tried to save as much weird-science lab equipment as he could. Science! We left the haunted house as the superimposed fire effect began to devour it, fortunately for all involved (except the dead 70s prog-rock star sacrificed by the cultists).

I immediately had to log into my last event, but what a special event it was! Added late in the proceedings as we had to work within a lot of people’s schedules, I was thrilled to sit down with a bunch of my old co-workers at the original White Wolf in a “Memories of WW” panel with Bill Bridges, Rich Dansky, Ethan Skemp, Mike Tinney, and my old go-to designer for graphics, Matt Milberger.

Much reminiscing occurred, interposed with questions from the chat, that pretty much focused on our time from the early 90s to the early 2000s, although we did chat a bit about the late, lamented WoD MMO, as most of us worked on that in one capacity or another. Mike talked about how he cozened us an arcade version of Dark Stalkers for our little lunchroom, and we had fond memories of the WW Blood Bowl League.

(My Children of the Khorne chaos team won the cup two seasons in a row, just sayin’).

And although I didn’t want it to end, it did, and my time at the first-ever Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention was over. Which was actually pretty good because my brain was on autopilot at that point.

Ian: Everyone on both sides of the screen seemed to have a great time, and the only real complaints I heard were that there were too many good things happening at once and people had to make a choice on which stream to watch.

Matthew: While many games had a tendency to overrun, I’d say they each ran to optimal length and didn’t cause too much disruption farther up the schedule.

RichT: Which are all good things to happen, actually, with your first online convention, so we’re going to review all the metrics we can gather ourselves and from the super folks at Gehenna Gaming, and see what we can learn from all that.

Will we do another one? We just don’t know yet, but whether we do or not, this one sure did what we wanted to do – folks who attended had a whole lot of fun! If you missed out and want to watch the games and panels, they are currently on the Onyx Path and Gehenna Gaming Twitch channels for subscribers, but will soon migrate over to the Onyx Path YouTube page for all to watch!

So, from all of us to all of you, whether you attended or didn’t, thanks for making it a real joy to walk with you exploring:

Many Worlds, One Path!

Blurbs!

Kickstarter!

The Legendlore Kickstarter funded right before we started the Virtual Con last week! A really great way to start things off! Now we’re building towards Stretch Goals: the GM’s Screen, and starting the Legendlore Companion book PDF!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/339646881/legendlore-rpg-setting-for-5th-edition-fantasy-roleplaying-0

Grab your friends and escape to another world!

You’ve found an enchanted portal — a transition point — between worlds. The portal, called a Crossing, takes you to a world you thought only existed in novels and films: a magical land where dragons roam the skies, orcs and hobgoblins terrorize weary travelers, and unicorns prance through the forest. It is a world where humans join other peoples such as elves, trolls, dwarves, changelings, and the dreaded creatures who steal the night. It is a world of fantasy — of imagination.

It is the Realm.

It is Legendlore.

Onyx Path Media!

This week: the most exciting episode of the Onyx Pathcast ever, recorded live at the Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention!

As always, this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast will be on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

Hi all!

We’ll be back next week with our usual promotion of all the excellent games on our Twitch and YouTube channels, but for now, we encourage you to do what it seems a lot of people are doing right now, and hop over to our Twitch: twitch.tv/theonyxpath

While the convention has ended, but subscribing to our Twitch channel (which you can do for free if you have Amazon Prime), you get access to all the panels and games that ran on it over the convention weekend. So, if you missed a panel or game you really wanted to watch, head on to our Twitch, subscribe, and browse our back catalogue!

Other than our content, we would like to promote a couple more games for those without Twitch:

Occultists Anonymous continue their excellent Mage: The Awakening game here:

Episode 106: Friends & Minions The cabal combats the uninvited guest summoned by an Exarchal Supernal Being. The danger of the Exarchal attention prompts further investigations away from the Supernal. https://youtu.be/YSErlwnC7Nc

Episode 107: Making Promises Songbird reaches out to the Queen of the Vampires of New York about a divine blessing. Wyrd and Atratus hatch a plan to make a car… https://youtu.be/dueYYUl0FrY

And A Bunch of Gamers have just started up a two-part extravaganza of They Came from Beneath the Sea! right here:

The Crabby Lizard from the Murkey Depths

Episode 1: In the small east coast town of Chatham Massachusetts things are easy. The soda pop shop is ready for any of the locals. The city comes together for a bake sale to help their neighbors, and everyone knows each other. All that changes when a strange electrical storm and a booming voice can be heard over the jukebox. Tonight, the strange, the horrid, the damp creatures from beyond the stars and the depths of the sea rise up to meet the people of Chatham.https://youtu.be/UwxzdwVoYQE

The Tabletop Almanac has released a lovely review of Legendlore that you’ll want to see! https://thetabletopalmanac.wordpress.com/2020/06/15/rpg-reviews-legendlore-manuscript-preview/

Please check these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games! We’d love to feature you!

Electronic Gaming!

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)

On Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue from which you bought it. Reviews really, really help us get folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these latest fiction books:

Our Sales Partners!

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost Second Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Scion 2e books and other products are available now at Studio2: https://studio2publishing.com/blogs/new-releases/scion-second-edition-book-one-origin-now-available-at-your-local-retailer-or-online

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

And you can order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e at the same link! And now Scion Origin and Scion Hero and Trinity Continuum Core and Trinity Continuum: Aeon are available to order!

As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles at DriveThruRPG.com!

On Sale This Week!

Available this Wednesday, we are just a bit embarrassed to say that we’ll be releasing on DTRPG the PDF and PoD versions of Swine and Cheese Party, Et Al., excerpts from The Complete Duke Rollo, for Trinity Continuum: Aberrant!

Also available this Wednesday on DTRPG: the Advance PDF for Quantum Entanglement the Trinity Continuum: Aeon Jumpstart!

Conventions!

Though dates for physical conventions are subject to change due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, here’s what’s left of our current list of upcoming conventions (and really, we’re just waiting for this last one to be cancelled even though it’s Nov/Dec). Instead, keep an eye out here for more virtual conventions we’re going to be involved with:

PAX Unplugged: https://unplugged.paxsite.com/

And now, the new project status updates!

Development Status from Eddy Webb! (Projects in bold have changed status since last week.):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep.)

Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)

Adversaries of the Righteous (Exalted 3rd Edition)

The Clades Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)

The Devoted Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)

Saints and Monsters (Scion 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum: Anima

CtL 2e Novella Collection: Hollow Courts (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

M20 Technocracy Operative’s Dossier (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary)

Redlines

Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Hundred Devil’s Night Parade (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Novas Worldwide (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Exalted Essence Edition (Exalted 3rd Edition)

M20 Rich Bastard’s Guide To Magick (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary)

V5 Children of the Blood (was The Faithful Undead) (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

V5 Forbidden Religions (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Wild Hunt (Scion 2nd Edition)

Second Draft

Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Dearly Bleak – Novella (Deviant: The Renegades)

Mission Statements (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)

Under Alien Suns (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

V5 Trails of Ash and Bone (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)

Dead Man’s Rust (Scarred Lands)

Development

TC: Aberrant Reference Screen (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)

N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Assassins (Trinity Continuum Core)

Manuscript Approval

Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Post-Approval Development

Editing

Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)

TC: Aberrant Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum)

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)

LARP Rules (Scion 2nd Edition)

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

The Book of Lasting Death (Mummy: The Curse 2e)

They Came From Beyond the Grave! (They Came From!)

Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

Post-Editing Development

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

W20 Shattered Dreams Gift Cards (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)

Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

Pirates of Pugmire KS-Added Adventure (Realms of Pugmire)

Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)

Indexing

Art Direction from Mike Chaney!

In Art Direction

Scion Titanomachy – Art coming in.

Tales of Aquatic Terror

WoD Ghost Hunters (KS) – Prepping KS assets.

Aberrant – AD’d. First new comic in.

Hunter: The Vigil 2e

Mummy 2

Deviant – Dividing up among current artists.

Legendlore – KS running.

Technocracy Reloaded (KS)

Cults of the Blood God – Rolling along.

Scion: Dragon (KS) – Waiting on art notes.

Masks of the Mythos (KS) – Some tweaking to art notes and hiring artists.

Scion: Demigod (KS) – Tweaking art notes, hiring artists. Splats in progress.

They Came From Beyond the Grave! (KS) – Finals coming in.

TC: Adventure! (KS) – Cover art finishing.

In Layout

Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad

Vigil Watch

TC Aeon Terra Firma

V5 Let the Streets Run Red

Pugmire Adventure

Proofing

Trinity Aeon Jumpstart – New artist taking care of finishing missing art.

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate – Finishing Backer PDF errata.

Contagion Chronicle – Going to WW for approval this week.

Cavaliers of Mars: City of the Towered Tombs

Magic Item Decks (Scarred Lands)

Yugman’s Guide Support Decks (Scarred Lands)

Dark Eras 2 Screen and booklet

At Press

Scion Companion – Shutting down errata.

TCFBTS Heroic Land Dwellers – Prepping PoD files.

TCFBTS Screen and Booklet – Files at press.

They Came from Beneath the Sea! – Files at press.

Creature Collection 5e – PoD files uploaded. Traditional files sent to printer.

Pirates of Pugmire – Files at press. Prepping files for PoD.

Pirates of Pugmire Screen – Files at press.

Duke Rollo Aberrant Book: Swine & Cheese Party – PDf and PoD versions on sale Wednesday on DTRPG.

Pugmire Buried Bones – Gathering errata.

Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition Dark Eras Compilation – Gathering errata.

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Today is feet up and dozing after the busy, busy, Virtual Con and celebrating its success!

#Onyx Path Publishing

[dweemeister]

2018 Movie Odyssey

That is time on the 2018 Movie Odyssey. Though the number of total films I saw increased this year, that was mostly because of a stratospheric rise in short films I saw - thanks to my time at the 2018 Viet Film Fest and Turner Classic Movies’ (TCM) decision in March to begin airing one classic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) short and a Popeye short every Saturday morning except in August and select Saturdays. I saw two hundred and sixty-two films in their entirety that were completely new to me this year - 156 feature-length films (includes one serial) and 107 short films. The number of features was expected to go down this year because of the Winter Olympics in February and the FIFA World Cup in June/July. With only the Women’s World Cup in June/July 2019, maybe there’ll be an increase next year (we’ll see how employment impacts the number too)?

If there is anything that disappoints me about this list is that, again, there is only one African film (a short) featured this year and one from Latin America (Roma). There used to be a handful of classic African films on Netflix, but Netflix’s recent moves to emphasize television and its Netflix originals has blocked off that possibility. So here’s hoping in 2019 there will be much more representation from Africa and Latin America - not only among short films, but in features especially.

For all those who participated and supported the Movie Odyssey in any way - by reading, liking, commenting on, or reblogging a write-up; talking with me about movies we’ve seen; or even sitting down with me to watch something... none of this possible without you. So all of you have my thanks. The Movie Odyssey continues, as always. Onward to 2019.

As many of you know, all ratings are based on my imdb rating and half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here. A 6/10 is considered the borderline between “passing” and “failing”. Feature-length narrative films, serials, documentaries, and short films are rated within their respective spectrums. Here is the list... beginning with Disney and ending with Disney.

JANUARY

Pete’s Dragon (1977) – 6.5/10

The Post (2017) – 8/10

Salt of the Earth (1954) – 7/10

Girl Crazy (1943) – 7/10

The Greatest Showman (2017) – 6/10

Charade (1963) – 9.5/10

The Boy with Green Hair (1948) – 6/10

Stop! Look! And Hasten! (1954 short) – 7/10

Strangled Eggs (1961 short) – 6/10

Flirty Birdy (1945 short) – 6/10

Hollywood Hotel (1937) – 6/10

Darkest Hour (2017) – 7/10

Mary and the Witch’s Flower (2017, Japan) – 7/10

Pyaasa (1957, India) – 9.5/10

Call Me by Your Name (2017) – 8/10

Phantom Thread (2017) – 9/10

A Warm December (1973) – 6/10

A Corny Concerto (1943 short) – 9/10

FEBRUARY (2018′s 31 DAYS OF OSCAR)

All This, and Heaven Too (1940) – 8.5/10

A River Runs Through It (1992) – 7/10

The Heiress (1949) – 10/10

Stop, Look and Listen (1967 short) – 9/10

The Black Stallion (1979) – 7.5/10

DeKalb Elementary (2017 short) – 9/10

The Silent Child (2017 short) – 7/10

My Nephew Emmett (2017 short) – 7.5/10

The Eleven O’Clock (2017 short) – 9/10

Watu Wote: All of Us (2017, Germany/Kenya) – 8/10

Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955) – 6/10

Dear Basketball (2017 short) – 7.5/10

Negative Space (2017 short, France) – 7.5/10

Lou (2017 short) – 8/10

Revolting Rhymes Part One (2016 short) – 8/10

Garden Party (2016 short, France) – 7/10

Lost Property Office (2017 short) – 7/10

Weeds (2017 short) – 6/10

Achoo (2017 short, France) – 6/10

Heroin(e) (2017 short) – 6.5/10

Knife Skills (2017 short) – 8/10

Traffic Stop (2017 short) – 7/10

Edith+Eddie (2017 short) – 8/10

Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405 (2016 short) – 6.5/10

MARCH

A Man for All Seasons (1966) – 8/10

The Alamo (1960) – 6/10

A Wrinkle in Time (2018) – 5.5/10

Black Panther (2018) – 7/10

The Counterfeit Cat (1949 short) – 7/10

Popeye the Sailor (1933 short) – 8/10

Piccadilly (1929) – 6/10

Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) – 7/10

Droopy Leprechaun (1958 short) – 6/10

I Yam What I Yam (1933 short) – 6.5/10

The Whole Town’s Talking (1935) – 7.5/10

National Velvet (1944) – 6.5/10

The Early Bird Dood It! (1942 short) – 7/10

Blow Me Down! (1933 short) – 7/10

Splendor in the Grass (1961) – 8.5/10

Dangal (2016, India) – 7/10

Ready Player One (2018) – 7/10

The Golden Touch (1935 short) – 7/10

Grease (1978) – 6.5/10

The Bear That Couldn’t Sleep (1939 short) – 6/10

I Eats My Spinach (1933 short) – 7/10

Overboard (1987) – 7.5/10

APRIL

Quo Vadis (1951) – 7.5/10

In Search of the Castaways (1962) – 6/10

Cimarron (1931) – 5/10

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) – 6/10

Mr. Duck Steps Out (1940 short) – 7.5/10

The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968) – 6/10

A Quiet Place (2018) – 8/10

Little ‘Tinker (1948 short) – 7/10

Seasin’s Greetniks! (1933 short) – 6.5/10

Drag-A-Long Droopy (1954 short) – 7/10

Wild Elephinks (1933 short) – 6/10

The Cat Returns (2002, Japan) – 6/10

Spring Dreams (1960, Japan) – 6/10

The Journey of Natty Gann (1985) – 7.5/10

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) – 7/10

PK (2014, India) – 7/10

The Bear and the Bean (1948 short) – 6/10

Sock-a-Bye, Baby (1934 short) – 6/10

Crossfire (1947) – 7.5/10

The Sword and the Rose (1953) – 6/10

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years (2016) – 7/10

Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953) – 5/10

Animal House (1978) – 6.5/10

The Early Bird and the Worm (1936 short) – 5/10

Let’s You and Him Fight (1934 short) – 6/10

MAY

My Brother’s Wedding (1983) – 7.5/10

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) – 6.5/10

Chips Off the Old Block (1942 short) – 6/10

The Man on the Flying Trapeze (1934 short) – 8/10

The Woman in White (1948) – 6.5/10

Can You Take It (1934 short) – 7/10

Farewell to Spring (1959, Japan) – 6.5/10

Floral Japan (1937 short) – 5/10

The Wacky World of Mother Goose (1967) – 3/10

Dodge City (1939) – 7/10

Homesteader Droopy (1954 short) – 7/10

Shoein’ Hosses (1934 short) – 6/10

Wonder Man (1945) – 7/10

Hans Christian Andersen (1952) – 7.5/10

Solo (2018) – 6/10

JUNE

A Day at the Beach (1938 short) – 6/10

Strong to the Finich (1934 short) – 6.5/10

Blondie (1938) – 7/10

A Man Escaped (1956, France) – 10/10

Braveheart (1995) – 6.5/10

Hereditary (2018) – 9/10

Moose Hunters (1937 short) – 7/10

Bao (2018 short) – 6/10

Incredibles 2 (2018) – 8/10

Sleepy-Time Squirrel (1954 short) – 7/10

Shiver Me Timbers! (1934 short) – 8.5/10

Papa Gets the Bird (1940 short) – 6/10

Axe Me Another (1934 short) – 7/10

So You’re Going to Be a Father (1947 short) – 7/10

Gokurôsama (2017 short, France) – 6/10

Pom Poko (1994, Japan) – 8/10

Greyfriars Bobby (1961) – 7/10

Red Barry (1938 serial) – 5/10

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018) – 9/10

JULY

The Three Little Pups (1953 short) – 7.5/10

A Dream Walking (1934 short) – 7/10

Cellbound (1955 short) – 8/10

The Two-Alarm Fire (1934 short) – 6/10

The Blue Angel (1930, Germany) – 9.5/10

The Philadelphia Story (1940) – 10/10

Big Red (1962) – 6/10

Benji the Hunted (1987) – 6/10

The Dance Contest (1934 short) – 6/10

It (1927) – 7/10

The Legend of Lobo (1962) – 7/10

Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) – 6/10

Dances with Wolves (1990) – 8.5/10

The NeverEnding Story (1984) – 6/10

Son of Lassie (1945) – 6/10

A Generation (1955, Poland) – 6.5/10

Overture: Tannhäuser (1926 short) – 6/10

Stowaway (1936) – 7/10

A View to a Kill (1985) – 4.5/10

Warlock (1959) – 7.5/10

The Steamroller and the Violin (1961, Soviet Union) – 8.5/10

Old Smokey (1938 short) – 6.5/10

Beware of Barnacle Bill (1935) – 8/10

Stalker (1979, Soviet Union) – 10/10

Moon Over Miami (1941) – 7/10

Eighth Grade (2018) – 8.5/10

The Living Daylights (1987) – 6/10

Sorry to Bother You (2018) – 8/10

The Little Wise Quacker (1952 short) – 6/10

Be Kind to ‘Aminals’ (1935 short) – 5/10

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) – 8.5/10

AUGUST

Gojira (1954, Japan) – 9/10

Christopher Robin (2018) – 7/10

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) – 8/10

Licence to Kill (1989) – 7.5/10

Mare Nostrum (1926) – 6.5/10

Berkeley Square (1933) – 7/10

Crazy Rich Asians (2018) – 7/10

GoldenEye (1995) – 8/10

Hanh, Solo (2017) – 7/10 (2018 Viet Film Fest)

The Girl from Yesterday (2017, Vietnam) – 6/10 (2018 Viet Film Fest)

Actress Wanted (2018) – 7/10 (2018 Viet Film Fest)

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) – 6/10

Cheyenne Autumn (1964) – 6/10

The Fountainhead (1949) – 6.5/10

South Pacific (1958) – 6/10

Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1927) – 7/10

Naughty Marietta (1935) – 6/10

The World Is Not Enough (1999) – 5/10

The Way Station (2017, Vietnam) – 6/10 (2018 Viet Film Fest)

It Happened at the World’s Fair (1963) – 5/10

49th Parallel (1941) – 8.5/10

SEPTEMBER

The Rains Came (1939) – 6/10

8½ (1963, Italy) – 10/10

Die Another Day (2002) – 4.5/10

The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) – 5/10

Tron (1982) – 5/10

Perfect Blue (1997, Japan) – 8/10

RBG (2018) – 7.5/10

The Alley Cat (1941 short) – 7/10

The ‘Hyp-Nut-Tist’ (1935 short) – 6/10

My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999, Japan) – 8.5/10

Pick of the Litter (2018) – 7/10

The House of Tomorrow (1949 short) – 7.5/10

OCTOBER

Cry, the Beloved Country (1951) – 8/10

A Star Is Born (2018) - 8/10

The Story of Temple Drake (1933) – 8/10

The Spirit of the Beehive (1973, Spain) – 8/10

First Generation (2017 short) – 6/10 (2018 Viet Film Fest)

Nước (2016 short, Vietnam) – 7/10 (2018 Viet Film Fest)

Spring Leaves (2015 short, France) – 8/10 (2018 Viet Film Fest)

Every Grain of Rice (2017 short) – 6/10 (2018 Viet Film Fest; not on imdb)

Nguyening: The Lee Nguyen Story (2017 short) – 7/10 (2018 Viet Film Fest; not on imdb)

Summer in Closed Eyes (2018, Vietnam) – 7/10 (2018 Viet Film Fest)

Untold Secrets (2018 short) – student film, score withheld (2018 Viet Film Fest; not on imdb)

Altarlife (2018 short) – student film, score withheld (2018 Viet Film Fest; not on imdb)

The Broken Bond (2018 short) – student film, score withheld (2018 Viet Film Fest; not on imdb)

Crazy 8 (2018 short) – student film, score withheld (2018 Viet Film Fest; not on imdb)

100 Days of Sunshine (2018, Vietnam) – 6/10 (2018 Viet Film Fest)

The Purple Horizon (1971, Vietnam) – 7/10 (2018 Viet Film Fest)

The Walking Dead (1936) – 6.5/10

First Man (2018) – 8/10

The Seventh Victim (1943) – 7/10

The Tailor (2017, Vietnam) – 6.5/10

The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb (1964) – 4/10

NOVEMBER

The Old Man & the Gun (2018) – 7/10

Fallen Angel (1945) – 6/10

Imitation of Life (1934) – 8/10

Free Solo (2018) – 8/10

Mabel’s Blunder (1914 short) – 6/10

Caught in a Cabaret (1914 short) – 6/10

Floating Weeds (1959, Japan) – 9/10

The Hate U Give (2018) – 7/10

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) – 7.5/10

The D.I. (1957) – 7/10

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) – 7.5/10

Alexander Nevsky (1938, Soviet Union) – 8/10

Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) – 6/10

Cooley High (1975) – 7/10

Burning (2018, South Korea) – 9/10

Mirai (2018, Japan) – 6/10

DECEMBER

West Point (1927) – 7/10

Shoplifters (2018, Japan) – 10/10

Roma (2018, Mexico) – 10/10

Kiss & Spell (2017, Vietnam) – 5/10 (2018 Viet Film Fest)

Henpecked Hoboes (1946 short) – 6/10

For Better or Worser (1935 short) – 7/10

Dizzy Divers (1935 short) – 7/10

The Little Whirlwind (1941 short) – 6/10

The Captain’s Pup (1938 short) – 6/10

You Gotta Be a Football Hero (1935 short) – 6.5/10

King of the Mardi Gras (1935 short) – 7/10

Barney Bear’s Victory Garden (1942 short) – 6.5/10

Screwball Squirrel (1944 short) – 7.5/10

Adventures of Popeye (1935 short) – 5/10

The Spinach Overture (1935 short) – 7/10

One Droopy Knight (1957 short) – 7.5/10

Who Killed Who? (1943 short) – 8/10

Vim, Vigor and Vitaliky (1936 short) – 6/10

A Clean Shaven Man (1936 short) – 7/10

Jerky Turkey (1945 short) – 6/10

Brotherly Love (1936 short) – 8/10

I-Ski Love-Ski You-Ski (1936 short) – 7/10

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) – 9/10

Grin and Share It (1957 short) – 7.5/10

Alias St. Nick (1935 short) – 6/10

The Captain’s Christmas (1938 short) – 6/10

Bridge Ahoy! (1936 short) – 7/10

What – No Spinach? (1936 short) – 7/10

I Wanna Be a Life Guard (1936 short) – 6/10

Flight of the Navigator (1986) – 7.5/10

The Black Hole (1979) – 5.5/10

Pluto’s Sweater (1949 short) – 6/10

Double Dribble (1946 short) – 6/10

Aquaman (2018) – 6.5/10

The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) – 7/10

The Favourite (2018) – 8.5/10

The Cat from Outer Space (1978) – 5.5/10

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993) – 6/10

Son of Flubber (1963) – 6/10

All scores are subject to change (upgrades and downgrades) upon a rewatch.

#My Movie Odyssey

[signourneybooks]

Intro

You know sometimes I like to challenge myself.

How to Play

This reading challenge consists of 3 sections. Fantasy, Sci-Fi and General for a total of 52 prompts which comes down to about 1 book a week.

 You can do 1, 2 or all 3 sections.

With each section you are allowed 1 Double-Up. Double-Up means you can use 1 book for 2 prompts. Preferred is not to at all but if for some reason you are struggling with time or a prompt you can.

In the general sections you can use both fantasy and sci-fi books but not other genres.

Graphic novels, comics, audiobooks and novella’s are allowed. It is all reading in my book.

Rereads count.

You can move the books around throughout the year if things fit better elsewhere and all.

You can step into this reading challenge at any point. I’m starting it in January 2019 but in reality this is a reading challenge you can fit for yourself in anyway you like. If you want to start in May and end April the year after, that is totally fine.

Graphic

Sign-Up

I don’t know if people want to join me but I would love to interact with each other if you do. You can participate anyway you like, with goodreads, twitter, instagram or your blog. I don’t require a sign-up post but I would appreciate if you boosted this.

If there are a nice group of people we can see if we can do a twitter dm group or an fb group or something to chat with each other on how to fill the prompts. 🙂

The widget won’t go into the post because wp sucks so here is the direct link.

If You Need Inspiration: Find Some Fitting Books Per Prompt Here

I figured some of you might like to have a list of options for each prompt so here we are. I’ve read a portion of these, others are on my own TBR and others I just know fit with the prompt. These are in no way meant as real recommendations, just those that fit the prompt. No links because do you see how many books I mention haha.

Fantasy

Classic Fantasy The Dragon Bone Chair by Tad Williams / Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin / The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien / Narnia by C.S Lewis /

Magic School Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling / Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce / A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. le Guin / The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss / Carry On by Rainbow Rowell / Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones / The Magicians by Lev Grossman / The Novice by Taran Matharu

Necromancers Darkest Powers by Kelley Armstrong / Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride / Sabriel by Garth Nix / The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco / Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews / Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard / Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh / Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landry / Give the Dark My Love by Beth Revis

PTSD Witchmark C.L. Polk / The First Law by Joe Abercrombie /

Dragons The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli / Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb / The Copper Promise by Jen Williams / Talon by Julie Kagawa / Seraphina by Rachel Hartman / A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin / Eragon by Christopher Paolini / Eon by Alison Goodman / Temeraire by Naomi Novik / A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan / How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell / Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland / Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aron

Fairytale Retelling Uprooted by Naomi Novik / A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas / Ash by Melinda Lo / Forests of a Thousand Lanters by Julie C. Dao / The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh / The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden / Thorn by Intisar Khanani / To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Grimdark Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence / Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson / Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin / A Crown for Cold Silver by Alex Marshall / Skullsworn by Brian Stavely / Red Sister by Mark Lawrence / The Black Prism by Brent Weeks

Ghosts Lockwood & Co. by Jonathan Stroud / The Graveyard Queen by Amanda Stevens / City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab / The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman / The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater / Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Uncommon Fantasy Creatures So not the usual werewolf, dragons, vampires and the like Bones and Bourbon by Dorian Graves (Huldra) / The Golem and the Djinni by Helene Wecker (Golem) / Steel & Stone by Annette Marie (Incubus) / Troll Fell by Katherine Langrish (Trolls) / The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (Goblins)

Shapeshifters Moon Called by Patricia Briggs / Written in Red by Anne Bishop / Stray by Rachel Vincent / Soulless by Gail Carragher / The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong /

Gods Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan / Magnus Chase by Rick Riordan / Aru Shah at the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi / American Gods by Neil Gaiman / The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin / The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter / The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White / Furyborn by Claire LeGrand / Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor / Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman / Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova / The Gospel of Loki by Joanne Harris

Animal (or in Animal Form) Companion(s) Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb / The Dragon Bone Chair by Tad Williams / Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh / Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell / The Summoner by Taran Matharu

Matriarchy Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima / Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake / Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop / Dragonflight by Anne McAffrey / The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells / The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley

Set in Our World The Others by Anne Bishop / Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling / Shadowhunters by Cassandra Clare / American Gods by Neil Gaiman / Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning / Psy-Changeling by Nalini Singh / Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Witches Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt / The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco / A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness / Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett / The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy / Uprooted by Naomi Novik / Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Magical Law Enforcement Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling / Rivers of London by Ben Aaronvitch / The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher / The Golem’s Eye by Jonathan Stroud / Lockwood & Co. by Jonathan Stroud

Thief The Legend of Eli Monpress by Rachel Aaron / The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch / Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo / The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima / The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells

Pirates Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo / Magic of Blood and Sea by Cassandra Rose Clarke / Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch / The Nature of a Pirate by A.M. Dellamonica

Portal Fantasy Child of a Hidden Sea by A.M. Dellamonica / The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis / Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll / Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire / The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Warrior Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin / Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien / Night Angel by Brent Weeks / Half a King by Joe Abercrombie /

Sci-Fi

On a Different Planet A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers / Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray / The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin / The Martian by Andy Weir / Dune by Frank Herbert / Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Space Ship The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers / The Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers / An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon / Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Addams

Artificial Intelligence Point of View A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers / I, Robot by Isaac Asimov / 2001: A Space Odessey by Arthur C. Clarke / Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Kick

Proto Sci-Fi As Frankenstein is seen as the first sci-fi novel all books prior to that that seem to be sci-fi are called proto sci-fi but anything before H.G. Wells will count here as it seems to cause some discussions.  New Atlantis by Francis Bacon / Frankenstein by Mary Shelley / The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson / From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne /

Alien The Fifth Wave by Rick Riordan / The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Addams / The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells / Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Time Travel The Time Machine by H.G. Wells / Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier / Passenger by Alexandra Bracken / The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig / The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma / Invictus by Ryan Graudin

Utopia The Dispossed by Ursula K. le Guin / Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel / Andromeda by Ivan Efremov / The Giver by Lois Lowry

Games/Gaming/Virtual Reality Warcross by Marie Lu / Armada by Ernest Cline / Otherland by Tad Williams / In Real Life by Cory Doctorow / Unplugged by Donna Freitas

Hive (Mind) The Shadow over Innsmouth by H.P. Lovecraft / Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie / City of Broken Magic by Mirah Bolender

Steampunk Soulless by Gail Carrigher / Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve / Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld / Boneshaker by Cherie Priest / Lady of Devices by Shelley Adina

Super Powers The Reckoners by Brandon Sanderson / Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore / Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee / Nimona by Noelle Stevenson / The Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan

Science Better known as heavy sci-fi if you go searching for books Foundation by Isaac Asimov / World War Z by Max Brooks / The Color of Distance by Amy Thomson / Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds

Replicate/Replica Accelerando by Charles Stross / Replica by Lauren Oliver / Evolution by Stephen Baxter / The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson

Space Colonization The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs / Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie / The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradburry

Mecha Themis Files by Sylvain Neuvel / Gundam Wing by Haijme Hatate / Dreadnought by Cherie Priest

Space Creatures/Beasts Mistworld by Simon Green / Dune by Frank Herbert /  Alien by Alan Dean Foster /

Teleportation Jumper by Stephen Gould / Timeline by Michael Crighton / The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter / The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Space Western The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury / Six-Gun Planet by John Yakes / Trigun by Yasuhiro Nightow / Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon / Cowboy Bebop by Yutaka Nanten

The Moon The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer / Moonseed by Stephen Baxter / Artemis by Andy Weir / Red Rising by Pierce Brown / The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells

Invasion Alien or Human The Andromedia Strain by Michael Crighton / Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout / The Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore / The Alien Years by Robert Silverberg / Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card / First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells / Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein

General

For this you can use sci-fi and fantasy where you can make them fit.

Satire Discworld by Terry Pratchett / Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams / The Portable Door by Tom Holt / Red Shirts by John Scalzi /

Novella Binty by Nnedi Okorafor / Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire / The Ghost Line by Andrew Neil Gray / The Girl Who Rules Fairyland – For a Little While by Catheryne M. Valente

Finish a Series For this you can read the other books for other prompts throughout this challenge and read the last one here or finish a series you previously started. Or you could just read a whole series for this prompt alone. Whatever you want haha.

Mental Health Stormlight Archives by Branden Sanderson (depression) / The Magicians by Lev Grossman (depression) / Witchmark by C.L Polk (PTSD) / Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (PTSD)

Disability * On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis (autism) / October Daye by Seanan McGuire (weelchair) *Kristen from Metaphors and Moonlight created a masterlist.

Set in Africa Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor  / Zoo City by Lauren Beukes / The Famished Road by Ben Okri / Changa’s Safari by Milton J. Davis

Library Library is semi-important in the book Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor / Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine / The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman / The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins /

By a Woman of Color Nnedi Okorafor / N.K. Jemisin / Tomi Adeyemi / Julie Kagawa / Malinda Lo / Heidi Helig / to name only a few…

One Word Title / Under 500 Pages / Over 800 Pages / Published Before 1990 I don’t think I need to make a list for these, right?

If you have any recs for any of these categories (especially Disability, Mental Health, Set in Africa and PTSD) than please leave them down below.

Printables

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Dancing with Fantasy and Sci-Fi – A (2019) Reading Challenge + Bingo Cards Intro You know sometimes I like to challenge myself. How to Play This reading challenge consists of 3 sections.

#2019 reading challenge #Dancing with Fantasy and Sci-Fi #fantasy reading challenge #reading challenge #Sci-Fi reading challenge

[galacticnewsnetwork]

How a worldwide Star Wars fan group grew out of Columbia, South Carolina

Albin Johnson (helmet off) of Columbia stands next to Star Wars creator George Lucas before the 2007 Tournament of Roses Parade with members of Johnson's costuming group, the 501st Legion. Provided

COLUMBIA — During Albin Johnson’s darkest moments in life, Star Wars has been a source of light.

He lost a leg in a wreck. That led him to create a Star Wars stormtrooper costuming group that now has 12,000 members worldwide.

He lost a young daughter to cancer. That led to the construction of a pink droid that solidified his fan group’s mission in aiding children’s charities.

Johnson has turned his love for Star Wars into a powerful force.

Stormtroopers from his massive fan group created 20 years ago in Columbia have raised nearly $3 million over the past five years. They have marched in the Tournament of Roses Parade with Star Wars mastermind George Lucas, appeared at the MTV Movie Awards and, just last week, shared a red carpet with Britain’s Princes William and Harry at the London premiere of "Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi."

They have a seal of approval from filmmakers as Lucasfilms' "preferred Imperial costuming group."

"It’s so liberating to get to play out all your bad-guy fantasies," Johnson said. “Stormtroopers are your average guy. He can be anyone."

'My own world'

Johnson’s route to becoming Stormtrooper TK 210 started in 1977 with his father, a former World War II pilot, being intrigued by a movie poster featuring battling spaceships. His father thought it was a war movie and took the family, then living in Charlotte, to see "Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope."

Johnson liked the movie because of the white-clad soldiers from the Galactic Empire that served with the movie’s villain, Darth Vader. Stormtroopers are among the first characters seen in the film.

“What were they? Were they men? Were they robots?” Johnson, 48, recalled. “I was trying to work the morality of why they did the things they did."

Johnson’s parents were very religious — they worked for the PTL Club, a Christian television program — and would occasionally throw away his Star Wars toys. A youth minister once told Johnson that Lucas was trying to lure kids into a cult.

He hid some of his Star War memorabilia and tried to read everything he could about the movie.

“I was in my own world,” Johnson said.

Albin Johnson (left) and his wife Kathy pose with R2-D2 and C-3PO during a 2005 Star Wars convention in Indianapolis.

His life changed after losing his left leg following a 1994 auto accident. Johnson was depressed, so a co-worker (and fellow Star Wars fan) at a Columbia Circuit City store encouraged him to buy a $2,000 Stormtrooper costume to wear to a showing for the re-release of "Star Wars: Episode V —The Empire Strikes Back."

"His eyes came alive when we talked about the movie," said Tom Crews, who worked with Johnson at the electronics store.

Few people dressed up in movie costumes to go to a movie in the '90s, especially in Columbia. It was a hit. Johnson bought a Stormtrooper suit for Crews, and they started posting photos of themselves in costumes on online bulletin boards.

They began to make friends with other fans dressing as Stormtroopers. Some were in other states, but they were joined by fans from other countries.

In 1997, Johnson, with Crews' help, created a fictional unit for the Stormtroopers, calling it the 501st Legion because “it rolled off the tongue.”

“We wanted to find people who are really into the movie and people who were really into the costumes,” said Crews, who is known as TK 512 in the legion. “We wanted to create something people wanted to belong to and wanted to grow.”

Since members were so far apart, Johnson adopted military lingo for local groups, known as garrisons, squads and outposts, so members were invested in growing the 501st in their state or country.

He had rules to make sure members dressed — and acted — properly, but he didn’t charge dues or try to make money selling costumes like similar Star Wars fan groups.

“It was not about perfection,” Johnson said. “It was about the relationships.”

The big break

That’s not to say the 501st didn’t struggle. The group’s first attempt at a gathering during a comic convention in 1998 in Atlanta included members who were not interested in dressing up or who preferred partying over marching.

But four years later, the 501st had its breakthrough.

During a Star Wars event in Indianapolis, Johnson was able to assemble 200 troopers to march to the arena. It was impressive and drew applause from fans waiting in line to get in. One problem: they walked across a street where a marathon was taking place. Peripheral vision in the masks is almost nonexistent. They stopped runners during their march.

Inside the arena, the crowds overwhelmed security. Johnson said he assembled his troopers and asked they each stand behind a security person to help usher fans through the event. That got the attention of Lucasfilm, the maker of Star Wars, which thanked the 501st and began a relationship that has helped legitimize the South Carolina-created legion.

Film company officials also recognized how Johnson led his group.

“His order of the day was, ‘Let’s have some fun,’ ’’ said Steve Sansweet, a former fan relations head for Lucasfilm. “He’s a personable guy who had an idea and threw it out there.”

Crews said he and Johnson wondered if Lucasfilm would come after them over copyright issues. Sansweet said filmmakers were leery at first, fearing that one of these rabid fans would rob a convenience store dressed as a Star Wars character.

But Lucasfilm took the 501st and other costume fan groups as a compliment.

“These can be our best emissaries out there," Sansweet said. "People love seeing them in the wild.”

Legion members take pride in making their own costumes or tweaking ones they buy to make them more authentic.

"We're showcasing our art," said Dan Rodriguez, the current 501st leader who lives in Maryland. "We want to look like we came right off the screen."  

The pink droid

Just two years after the 501st’s big break, Johnson’s 6-year-old daughter Katie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Katie saw in “Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones” how the droid R2-D2 watched over Padmé Amidala while she was sleeping and wanted her own nighttime protector.

Johnson worked with friends to have a full-size pink version of R2-D2 at her bedside until her death in 2005. The droid was named R2-KT in her honor and now tours the country for charity events, visits sick children in hospitals and participates in Make-A-Wish events.

“This became a defining aspect of the 501st: We will be as charitable as we can for children,” Crews said.

R2-KT has become the Columbia-created 501st Legion's mascot, joining parades and visiting sick children in hospitals. The pink droid is named after 501st founder Albin Johnson's daughter, Katie, who died from brain cancer in 2005.

Johnson’s strong religious beliefs carried him through his daughter’s illness, said Crews, who now works with Johnson at the state's information technology agency.

Johnson refers to himself as a father of five, which includes Katie.

“He knows death is not death. It’s part of our existence,” Crews said. “You take some heart from that. Al has always found a way to see the brighter side of things no matter the low.”

R2-KT now has its own backstory in the Star Wars legend and the pink droid has appeared in animated Star Wars shows. Filmmakers borrowed the droid for more than a year so R2-KT could appear in the background of some scenes in 2015's “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens.” (The pink droid does not have a cameo in “The Last Jedi.”)

'Power of the internet'

Members of the 501st have become a staples at Star Wars events.

Lucas wanted a group of Stormtroopers when he was grand marshal of the 2007 Rose Parade. Sansweet knew where to find them and recruited the 501st, which got a pep talk from the Star Wars creator ahead of a four-hour march.

“You’re all cannon fodder, none of you will probably make it,” Lucas joked, seeing how Stormtroopers' main role in the films is getting shot and dying. “We will remember you.”

Actor John Boyega, who plays Finn, former Stormtrooper FN 2187, poses with members of the Columbia-created 501st Legion at the premiere of "Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi" in London on Dec. 12. Joel C. Ryan/Invision/AP

In the past week, 501st members took part in the premieres of “The Last Jedi” in Los Angeles and London. Their reward: They got to see the movie — and some British royalty.

Johnson stayed home. He is not involved in the legion day-to-day so he can spend more time with his family.

But he still chats with filmmakers, dresses up as TK 210 a few times a year and sends messages to members, who have reached into China and Russia — far from the Columbia electronics store where it all began.

“Even I’m surprised that it started here,” Johnson said. “But that’s the power of the internet.”

By:  Andy Shain

Source: The Post & Courier

#star wars #501st #legion #albin johnson

[zaritarazi]

sara insisting the legends go to adult summer camp, a situation none of them knew they needed and that undoubtedly goes poorly

- first of all kendra shows up without carter and is like “i tried to sign him up but apparently he’s somehow registered as a felon??? weird.” //flashback to sara late one night with gideon just eating ice cream and drinking champagne laying on the kitchen table while gideon reads off mick’s felonies and sara goes “PUT IT ON CARTER” //flashforward to current sara: haha yeah that is so weird ANYWAY

lily shows up with a note from stein safety pinned to her chest that reads NO THANKS and everyone is like well that’s fair

zari: wow i didn’t know you guys did cool fun things like this! i’m excited for a recreational week mick: wait

ray and lily are sleepaway camp veterans though. by the time this week is over we will have enough braided lanyard to REACH THE SUN

ray also does stuff like help with wakeup and cleaning the dining hall and serving food because well. what did you expect

so there’s, at this point, about 500 legends i think approximately, so they get 2 separate cabins and sara is like no no, we are shoving all the bunkbeds in here we’ll all fit so help me

as they’re doing this some of the “””counselors””” show up and are like uh- that’s against the rules and sara is like oh shit but then is like wait a second. i’m an adult, and you’re adults- there’s no camp hierarchy. i can be a god here counselors: what sara: this is my camp now

incidentally rip did try to keep her from assuming control of this adult summer camp, but he is also already sunburnt and it’s been 14 minutes so this isn’t going to be good for him

likewise nate never got to go to camp as a kid so is really excited but uh- hates nature

sara lets mick light the bonfire for the first night and that goes about as expected

force ghost len roasting marshmallows: you idiots are gonna die here mick: shut your dead gay mouth earth 3 len: what is going on. why are there 2 of me

the only 2 people that can play a musical instrument are ray and kendra and since someone (sara) locked them in the “shame cabin” with rations and condoms and then they just broke out and left, so now it’s up to the legends to do all of the camp activities

i hope you like 80s power ballads on the ukulele because that’s what we’re working with

sara and mick screaming “every rose has it’s thorn” while zari sits on a log in abject horror: my god force ghost len: well we did warn you

kendra probably manages to at least do a closing song on the ukulele that calms everyone down so that’s nice

you’re all probably wondering where amaya is and that’s all well and good- she found a very nice deer family in the woods and she likes them more now. she can see the GIANT campfire from her nice spot on the hill and hear the horrible music and one doe is particularly concerned and amaya is like shh. it’s okay. just ignore it. just ignore it.

likewise jax has been hanging with “regular” campers this entire time and every time the legends try to get him to participate he’s like uh i don’t know you white people and kendra and zari and amaya in the woods

nate: i’m gonna go try to make friends with amaya’s deer family nate returning not 5 minutes later: i was accosted by a mole and nature is garbage

honestly this has been 1 longform joke about how 2 days into adult summer camp there’s a news report ala camp krusty about how there’s a hostage situation at whatever this camp is called, camp walla walla jcc, and laurel is watching the tv like dont be sara dont be sara dont be sara god damn it sara 

at some point carter does manage to show up and sara is like UGH WHATEVER CAMP IS OVER EVERYONE GO HOME random camper: do we get our money back sara, sighing, running him through with a spare javelin: anyone else have any questions force ghost len: yes i do when do we get to use the water slide

#lot headcanon #lot crack #legends of tomorrow #and in a way they did die