#for once these actually feel like Gibson stories

[hamletthedane]

I’m a big Hamlet fan and I am curious as to what your favorite movie/for screen rendition is? I’ve been working my way through a lot of them, gone through about 7, so far Hamlet at Elsinore with Christopher Plummer is my favorite. I was just curious what yours is !

What a great question!!

Hamlet at Elsinore is definitely my favorite filmed version of the play. I feel that Christopher Plummer does a fantastic - and frankly critically underappreciated - job of portraying the more nuanced and complicated aspects of Hamlet's character while still giving a straightforward performance that's highly accessible to any audience. Notably, he doesn't treat the performance as his ~*~epic, defining role of a lifetime~*~ or ~high artistic theater~ (*cough* Branagh and Jacobi), but instead focuses on telling a deeply compelling, very moving story about the complex nature of grief and revenge. I also like that this version embraces the more "postmodern" elements that exist in the written text of Hamlet: the complicity of the audience, the inevitability of the outcome, Hamlet's genre-awareness and genre-defiance, etc.

[Not to keep hating on Branagh, but in contrast: Branagh's Hamlet in particular seems to go out of its way to avoid including the more interesting proto-postmodern thematic elements of the play - at times not seeming to recognize that they're even there. He instead focuses his time and energy on inserting new cinematography-based visual themes that go nowhere and at times stand in OPPOSITION to the actual tone and themes of the original text. Because apparently Hamlet the play is too boring and instead of lame elements like "themes" and "compelling characterization," we need a swinging chandelier sword fight scenes and Freudian weirdness. Truly the Joel Schumacher Phantom of the Opera adaptation of Shakespeare films. But I DIGRESS-)

Plus it doesn't hurt that everybody aside from Plummer in Hamlet at Elsinore is also fabulous. Obviously, Michael Caine's Horatio is the single best and most definitive version of the character in film, but I also love Robert Shaw's Claudius and Muller's Ophelia.

If we're talking favorite filmed versions of the STORY of Hamlet though, that's Asta Nielsen's silent film from 1921. It's so beautifully filmed and wonderfully told. She's what I picture when I picture Hamlet.

Other than that....I like Tennant and Stewarts' RSC filmed version well enough. It has a number of very strange choices and I don't love the re-ordering of the scenes, but Tennant does a great job with the character and I think it's a very approachable performance. A few other filmed stage versions are also excellent, though with a few similarly weird elements - I'd put Maxine Peake's version on the same tier as the RSC version. I do NOT like Branagh's version at all (if you couldn't already tell...). Jacobi's and Gibson's are slightly better, but they're still too focused on the prestige of the performance rather than the actual story being told imo. I think they fall under the same criticism as Holden Caulfield's scathing review of Laurence Olivier: "more like a general than a sad, screwed-up type guy." (Yes I know this line is an in-text authorial critique of Holden himself but also: he's right and he should say it.)

If you haven't already, I do highly recommend listening to the BBC Radio 4 audiodrama version of Hamlet, starring Jamie Parker. Despite being a audio version of a stage play, it somehow blows every filmed version of Hamlet (except maybe HAE) out of the water. I listen to it at least once a year.

Finally, my actual favorite versions of Hamlet have ALWAYS been those I've seen live (or seen bootleg filmed stage performances of lmao). If it's ever playing live near you, definitely go and see it. The play was meant to be seen on a live stage in front of you, and many of the jokes and themes only make sense in that context. In my opinion, the medium of live theater elevates the play so far beyond what a movie could ever achieve.

...sorry this answer is so long 😅 Really, it doesn't matter what my opinions on Hamlet films are. If any version of the play really speaks to you - even if it's the accursed Branagh version - that is so awesome and makes me really happy people are engaging with the play in that way! (But since you're saying that HAE is your favorite so far, I will add that you have excellent, discerning taste ;))

#hamlet #willy shakes #'not to keep hating on Branagh-' I say like it's not been the leitmotif of my blog for over a decade #I cannot help myself. any opportunity I am throwing down. #shut up e #shakespeare after dark #should we bring that tag back? I feel like we should bring that tag back

[billpottsismygf]

Just rewatched Space Babies and it's even better the second time around. I liked it before, but I appreciate its campness a lot more now and I've got sort of used to the CGI mouths on the babies. I actually found the babies quite adorable this time, as well as Ruby and the Doctor's reactions to them.

It even got me to cry not once, but twice! First at the "no one grows up wrong" conversation and then at the climax with the Doctor rescuing the Bogeyman and Ruby hugging Jocelyn. There's a really strong emotional core to the story, despite its silly exterior, which is something I've always loved RTD for.

Ncuti Gatwa is just electric as the Doctor. I've loved him from the moment he stepped out the side of David Tennant, but the more I see him the more I think he's going to be a legendary Doctor. He has such a very particular energy. It's all his own, but it's also so completely the Doctor. At certain moments, his off the wall bonkersness will remind me of Tom Baker or David Tennant, but most of the time it's just pure Ncuti Gatwa and I absolutely love it.

His mischievous moments, like when Ruby gets gunk in her hair or when he frightens the space babies, are especially enjoyable. I love when the Doctor is mischievous! I can't think of any modern Doctors who have really embodied that so well. It's giving me William Hartnell giggling at every single thing that happens, but in completely his own way. I just love him very much. What truly brilliant casting. I can already tell he's going to be rocketing up my list of favourite Doctors. He's already my favourite since Twelve (who is my number 1), and I suspect he might eclipse, or at least level with, Ten as well.

His dynamic with Ruby is also so good. He and Millie Gibson have great chemistry and I love when the Doctor/Companion relationship is so clearly best friends energy. It's a different kind of best friend energy than, say, Ten/Fourteen and Donna. These two are much more like naughty schoolchildren who the teacher keeps having to tell off, which is definitely in part due to their age, but also just the way they're playing it.

Anyway, despite some issues here and there, I am now feeling very optimistic about this new era of the show!

#doctor who #space babies #ncuti gatwa #millie gibson #fifteen #the fifteenth doctor #ruby sunday #dw #mine #dwmine #reactions

[nigesakis]

one of your patented the Terror listicles but about them running a Summer Camp. (Except Hickey: he failed the background check because he once beat a nun with a collection plate) also i definitely feel like JFJ would be the swim instructor and and lead campfire sing a longs (badly) and Sir Jon is contemplating selling the camp to a mining company.

i feel honored. i dont know shit about camps though

The Terror if it played in a Summer Camp (1980's-2000's)

Francis: staff, camp manager (in his cabin office doing papework most of the time, so when he comes out the kids go OOOOOOH🫨🤙🤙 like in regular show; they like him tho, its in good fun)

Franklin: staff, camp owner (he doesnt have to be here, but decides to check it out once because he's thinking of selling. kids like him 'cause he lets them do what they want; he doesn't know theyre supposed to do tasks (Francis has to do double the paperwork now))

Fitzjames: staff, boys head counselor and program manager (he's everywhere... whys this guy suddenly at the swim instruction and does the swim instructors job? too motivated and the kids know hes trying to get them to like him; works)

Sophia: staff, girls head counselor and photographer/videographer (everyone who hates getting their picture taken doesn't mind if its her. only counselor the kids respect)

Collins: staff, swim instructor/lake guard (lets Fitzjames do the classes so he doesnt have to talk so much)

Blanky: staff, counselor and woods master (i made that up), leads the forest expeditions (suddenly all the kids like walking?? (he has a better prosthetic now))

Bridgens: staff, horsemanship instructor (popular with the kids)

Peglar: staff, overnight counselor (tells good stories when you cant sleep, lets the older ones smoke weed behind the cabins, whys the horsemanship instructor here?)

Hodgons: staff, counselor (easiest to pull pranks on; he thinks theyre doing it because they like him)

Irving: staff, counselor and worship leader (i didnt know this existed but well)

Dundy: staff, archery instructor (i think hed look cool doing it)

Jopson: staff, assistant, nobody knows what hes actually doing here

Little: staff, runs the inventory and snack bar, lets them steal

Wall & Diggle: staff, kitchen staff. you can hear them arguing from the outside

Silna: kid, sneaked in her fucking dog ("You think Neptune is gonna protect us from the killer?" watched Friday 13th before coming)

Tozer: kid, acts like hes a counselor

Goodsir: kid, the others rather come to him than the actual camps nurse (Stanley)

Manson & Hartnell: kids, got lost in the woods tying to smoke weed

Armitage: kid, got lost in the woods because he wanted to go home

Gibson: kid, only came cause Hickey told him he'd be a staff volunteer and let them break rules but now Hickey isnt there?

Des Voeux: missed the bus

#francis crozier #sir john franklin #james fitzjames #sophia cracroft #john bridgens #henry peglar #henry collins #tom hartnell #magnus manson #william gibson #thomas blanky #henry goodsir #silna #Solomon tozer #thomas armitage #edward little #thomas jopson #john irving #george hodgson #dundy #the terror amc #the terror #terrorposting #list #au #alternate universe #nickftxt

[caroliimeh]

[Long post]

Being trans is so cool and fun and rewarding and I wouldn’t live my life any other way. There’s something inherently beautiful about crafting your own identity; about rejecting societal norms and prejudices and blazing your own path forward through this fucked up world we live in. I was raised religious; my dad is a pastor. I was always told that God makes no mistakes and that I should be content with the way I was created. But if there is a God, I like to think that they gave us free will for a reason - so that we as humans can share in the act of creation.

I’ve known I was a girl as long as I can remember. Up until a few years ago, I was too terrified to tell anyone. I’m so glad that I did. It was never a decision about whether or not I was a girl. It was a decision I made to accept what I knew about myself and begin to participate in the divine act of creation.

I’m happier now than I have ever been in my life. It’s not easy being trans, especially in the current social and political climate. Trans people are constantly being demonized, stigmatized, and bullied by so many in positions of authority. Every day the news shows a new story about how trans women are either biologically advantaged or confused men; or how the worst thing an AFAB person can do is cut off their boobs and “pretend “ to be a man. Not a day goes by where I don’t feel targeted or threatened; either by awful people on the internet, by people’s nasty looks at me just for existing around them, or from the government trying to make me illegal. That being said, it’s still infinitely better to endure all of that than to try and live as a man.

Being trans is awesome. Every morning I wake up and I feel lucky that I get to live this life. If I could go back and tell five-year-old me anything, I’d tell that frightened little girl that life does get better. That it’s okay to be scared, but it’s better to speak out and make her voice heard. That trying on Mom’s high heels and makeup in the bathroom with the door locked wasn’t a thing that most boys did. That, yes, being a girl is actually an option. It would have saved me so much trouble later on.

Being trans saved my life. It has saved many other lives throughout the span of history and it will continue to do so for as long as we as humans exist. To any trans people reading this: You are beautiful. You are validated. Your existence is not a burden on anyone who truly matters. Your story is not over. It is of the utmost importance that we do not lose hope in the face of prejudice and malice; instead, we must all support each other through times like these.

The poet Andrea Gibson once said, “I suppose I love this life, in spite of my clenched fist.” My hope for anyone who sees this post is that you will love your own life; and that you also will not be afraid, like I once was, to clench your fist in spite of the world. Exist unapologetically. Spread love. Everything will get better, I promise you. You are not alone in this.

#transgender #trans #transisbeautiful #trans joy

[shelbbswrites]

how do you think the writers are going to start off zoy'as arc in s3 since the last ep of s2 hinted at alina possibly being the main character in the future?

how do u think they are going to ease into zoyalai in the next season?

What a perfectly timed ask! I was discussing this with some friends earlier because we all have Shadow and Bone on our minds.

I see — a hopeful — Season 3 (Keep streaming Season 2!!!!) focusing on the King of Scars duology and featuring Alina's battle with the darker side of her abilities. The scene with Nikolai seeing himself as a nichevo'ya confirms as much to me. Plus, if the Crows get their Six of Crows spin-off (Keep streaming Season 2!!!!), there will be a lot more real estate for Alina, Nikolai, and Zoya.

So, I imagine Season 3 will see Zoya training the Grisha, like Alina said, which is a position that will keep her close to the palace – and Nikolai. Like in the books, their roles will encourage them to interact more — way more. And once that happens, there will probably be a moment when it all clicks for Nikolai that what he thought he felt for Alina, he actually feels in abundance for Zoya.

Selfishly, I cannot wait to see Patrick Gibson play that recognition and the psychological effects of the merzost. He's such a strong performer, and Season 2 sees him work with some really subtle stuff. He's going to handle it all well. And I can't wait to see what Sujaya Dasgupta does with more meaty stories as Zoya.

Basically, I'm confident that Zoya's "Well, that one's a mess. But I could fix him" is only the beginning for Zoyalai. I have high hopes! (Keep streaming Season 2!!!!)

#shadow and bone #shadow & bone #zoya nazyanelsky #nikolai lantsov #zoyalai #shelbbsanswers

[moon-swag-tourney]

please tell me about your blorbos/myshows i have questions

these are all the series/characters i want to hear more about,,, don't fret if your blorbo isn't on here, some of them i just don't want spoilers for, and others are from things I'm already a fan of!

this is. kind of long bc im curious about a lot of things. but if you spot your guy in here feel free to send me an ask or respond to this!! also this is just in alphabetical order lmao

The main things I'm looking for are:

About the character

The premise of the series theyre in

Please assume this has spoilers, btw!

Aruru Otsuki - Revue Starlight

tbh I don't understand what kind of franchise revue starlight is so that's my first question. But I also see that a lot of people love her and i wanna know what's up with that!! i heard a lot about her experiencing potential found family trauma and that's always interesting to see

Bayonetta

this is kind of a weird one bc tbh bayonetta is rlly popular as is, and it's something i've been wanting to get into for awhile, so my main question is: is it inappropriate for minors or could i watch it and if so what's the best order/sequence to watch the games in??

Cure Moonlight / Yuri Tsukikaga - Heartcatch Precure

tbh im just gay on this one. but I saw a lot of love for her even when she had zero propaganda so i wanna know what makes her so beloved by the precure fans?? and tbh if the precure she's in isn't too long i'll probably watch it

Hisoka Mikage - A3!

I'm gonna let you guys on a secret. this dude is the reason I wanted to make this. he only had one submission but on top of being a long one the amnesia storyline just appeals so deeply to me please tell me how I can absorb info about him and/or watch canon events of him oh my god

Judith - Tales of Vesperia

i think i mentioned it in the ask about her but she's seem interesting!! and im always down for some sapphic storylines!! a lot of it is just that ive heard the tales of vesperia name but never really knew what it was, but off of the descriptions i do have i could enjoy it and wanna hear what exactly it's about?

Moonlight Cookie - Cookie Run

i've. tried to get into cookie run before. but i just couldn't bring myself to care. so i guess my question is can you guys please tell me about how she's a lesbian, as someone who has zero bias whatsoever (lying i am a lesbian) and also just what appeals to you about the story so i can maybe give it a second shot?

Sigma Klim - Zero Escape

listen im all for mastermind plots, even if I know the plottwist going into it. ive seen fanart of 999 from an artist i've admired for awhile and it looks like it could be interesting but i don't know what the series is about so please tell me if you don't mind,,

Sirius Gibson - Witch's Heart

im a sucker for games with different endings, and also a sucker for small indie games that have a lot of passion put into them. i'm not actually sure if that's what this, but that's what i assume it is, and it looks interesting enough to give a chance either way? but i don't

Ursula Callistis / Shining Chariot - Little Witch Academia

so uh. fun fact. one of my siblings actually tried to get me into little witch academia once! and then we never continued bc i guessed the plot twist of the teacher being shining chariot, but that was very early on before i'd really gotten attached to anyone. what im trying to say is if you can pitch the writing and/or characters of this that would be epic sldkjf

Vanitas of the Blue Moon - Vanitas no Carte

i honestly can't remember what appealed to me about em off the top of my head, but it mightve been that one post with the gifs going a bit more into the lore of the story? as of now im just a sucker for the aesthetic but i wanna hear more about the premise to see if its my kind of story sdljf

Yue / Yukito Tsukishiro - Card Captor Sakura

i actually have friends who are fans of ccs! well. friends of friends im not super close to but it still counts! i wanna hear more about them bc tbh i both think he could be interesting and im sure said friends would appreciate it :'D i also just don't know a lot about ccs premise though, if you'd like to offer that instead!

#mods questions #i don't. want or know how to tag this :'D

[ritzcrackee]

may tbr post yayy

rereads are marked by a ☆, new reads are marked by a ♡, and new acquisitions are bolded

physical tbr: 15

more letters from a nut - ted l. nancy ♡

fahrenheit 451 - ray bradbury ♡

little (grrl) lost - charles de lint ♡

dracula - bram stoker ♡

dune - frank herbert ♡

dune messiah - frank herbert ♡

frankenstein - mary shelley ♡

juilet takes a breath - gabby rivera ♡

sense and sensibility - jane austen ♡

stories of people and civilization, greek ancient

origins - lindsay powell, j. k. jackson ♡

the silent stars go by - dan abbet ♡

touched by an angel - johnathan morris ♡

the handmaids tale - margaret atwood ✩

the testaments - margaret atwood ♡

aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the

universe - benjamin alire sáenz ✩

digital tbr: 4

pandora's jar: women in the greek myths - natalie haynes ♡

providence girls - morgan dante ♡

cemetery boys - aiden thomas ♡

if you could see the sun - ann liang ♡

read: 11

an education in malice - s. t. gibson - 3.5/5

i have,,, conflicted feelings on this book. it was good, the action was interesting, the characters were complex, the vibes were impeccable, but,,,,, idkkk.... i can't even verbalize it but there was something about this that just made it a slog to get through.

i can't help myself from comparing it to a dowry of blood, which i feel had a much cleaner execution of very similar themes. dracula felt charasmatic, he felt gravitational, he felt like a person you would give up humanity for. de lafontaine felt,,,, like a mean professor. carmilla and laura constantly wax on about how brilliant and intoxicating she is, but i never felt that. s.t. gibson can write an obsessive, imbalanced, interesting relationship! they can write it very well! so i don't understand why this fell flat for me.

overall, i think this book was disjointed. it felt like a collection of vibey scenes and quotes to put on your instagram. (which, to be fair, the quotes are banger. and the vibes are so so vibes.) i liked it, but i don't know how long it'll stay on my shelf.

maneater - emily antoinette - 2.5/5

tbh i don't have much to say abt this 👍 it was an ok book 👍

hot button issue - catrina bell - 2.5/5

i liked seeing more of this world! the couple wasn't really my thing but thats more of a me issue (get it? no? ok) i do wish there was a little more roller derbying but overall this was cool.

wild is the witch - rachel griffin - dnf

cool concept but the writing style was too repetitive for my taste 👍

luxuria - colette rhodes - dnf

i didn't like this book whoopsies. i wanted to actually try fantasy romance instead dismissing the entire genre but ummm. yeah no i don't like fantasy romance. not my thing. paranormal besties please take me back ill never stray again 🙏

garron park - nordika night - 1/5

ok so. well. where do i even start with this book. extremely silly to, at 25 years of age, call someone your enemy. are you five? are you five years old? everyone certainly swears like a five year old. tiny baby writing tip: maybe keep the word fuck to, like, once a paragraph.

additionally, you can create tension without violence sometimes! if your main characters have confessed their undying love to each other, probably they can talk to eachother for four seconds! probably they don't need to punch eachother as much! probably, a change in their actions and words would show the audience how much their relationship has grown.

i also wasn't super into how many times the main characters brothers brought up how sexy they were? kind of a weird move. certainly not something i would choose to say about my own brother, nor my best friends brother! maybe thats just me though who knows

it was genuinely just edgy k-pop wattpad poverty-porn yaoi but? i did read 300 pages in one sitting so? points for that? you get 1 point for that.

rebel girls - elizabeth keenan - 2.5/5

second pro-choice book i've read this month so thats cool! guess we have a theme going. tbh i don't have much to say about this. the characters were interesting, if lacking in depth. the plot was fine, if lacking in depth. the messaging was good, if lacking in depth. i guess this book was overall, lacking in depth. i'm sure my local free little library will appreciate it. 👍

undergrounders - j. e. glass - 2.5/5

this is just the month of the perfectly average books huh? everybody's getting 2.5 stars skdisjdj.

anyways, i wanted to see if my issue with luxuria was actually its genre, or if it was the overwhelming hetero of it all. so i read a queer fantasy romance! with all of the tropes i like! and i still didn't enjoy it :(. i am glad that i tried this, but i can say with absolute certainty now that fantasy romance is not for me.

the main couple was sooooo cutes though and the side characters were sooooo cutes and the worldbuilding was v v v cool! if you like sapphic fantasy romance? absolutely reccomend this book!

the ballad of songbirds and snakes - suzanne collins - 3/5

girl this is why u reread books bcus i used to tell people that this was my favorite book ever. it is not. idk why i thought that.

ANYWAYS this was alright. i liked how easy the themes were to pick up on, the ambiguous ending, and listening to coriolanus justify his weird evil behavior. that was cool. i didn't like um lucy gray. not because she was bad, but because she felt like a non-character yk? i thought she had some pretty cool characterization in the beginning, especially surrounding her being a performer (being a parallel to coriolanus) but then she kind of fell off and just became a stock Trusting Girlfriend. which was meh. i'm excited to watch the movie, snow lands on top or whatever 👍

cultish: the language of fanaticism - amanda montell - 4/5

this was very cool to learn about and easy to digest 👍. not a full 5/5 because it was nonfiction so i wasn't obsessed with it, but definitely more engaging than most other nonfiction books I've read.

fox court - nora sakavic - 1/5

started reading this because i heard that it was like,,, bad but addictive? like full wattpad nonesense but u look up and you've finished the whole series in one sitting yk? it was,,, not that way for me. i thought it was boring, confusing, and the characters were sooo unlikable. ik this has a pretty big fandom on here please don't come for me sowwyy um. yeah

last months goal: finish a reread

WOO HOO i did it this time! gold star for me, best reader in the whole world. this was really easy, because i genuinely couldn't remember a single thing about a ballad of songbirds and snakes, so it felt like i was reading a brand new book. i also said that i wanted to carve away a more sizable chunk of my tbr this month, which i kind of did? i only read 3 physical books, but i got rid of almost an entire shelfs worth because my family was having a yard sale! so yk. vibes.

this months goal: ... finish dune

LOOK LOOOK STOP THROWING TOMATOES AT ME LOOK ok. last time this was a lofty goal filled with folly and big dreams and it was stupid. THIS TIME i literally only have 257 pages left. which is actually so reasonable. if i read 50 pages a night before bed that's only 5 days of reading. i can straight up do this one this time I PROMISE.

#monthly tbr #books #WOO HOO #i read a lot this month woagj..... #eurgh

[a-dumbass-jester]

Ok so this is what I have in the wh imortal au so far

story part

Og thread

“Witch’s heart au centered around the human side where you take the fact that wilardo is immortal and the other four(4) are mortal and flip it!(and kinda exaggerate it)”

- Wilardo Adler -

mortal human A 22 year old florist looking for flowers in a cave and then next thing they know they’ve been transported to another realm full of monsters and inhuman beings.

- Sirius Gibson -

a star(the Sirius star specifically) who lives in the sky, but can leave and visit other places if he wants. It’s also worth noting when he’s in the sky he can see everything. He can also distort gravity a little bit by making him and/or small/light objects float. Because of this he often likes wears very flowy loose light clothing. Edit: Sirius has constellations on his skin

- Claire Elford -

Bird like creature. Claire is a very friendly half bird half humanoid creature who shows Wilardo around after night falls and Sirius has to go back to the sky. Unlike most the creatures there Claire can die however it takes much more to kill her. She also lives much longer than humans to. Her arms and legs are that of a birds. She uses her arms to fly.

- Ashe Bradley -

a shapeshifting water creature (Inspo) he lives in oceans and comes up often to visit the others. He is made of water and the more water he has the bigger he can be. That’s why he’s essentially a giant when he’s in large bodies of water. His form is stable enough to be able to travel on land without consequences. When he’s on land he likes having a much smaller/ more human sided form. If he feels a lot of emotion (Especially negative ones) he can start to melt. He also likes to wear much looser clothing so he can shape-shift more comfortably.(I’m imagining something like a robe) he can also control and manipulate water that he is touching. His hair length constantly changes, most the time it is around floor length.

- Noel Levine -

Biblically accurate angel (reference 1) (reference 2)He lives in the sky and visits often. He wasn’t always like this, he was once human but died a few decades ago and became an angel. He is covered in eyes and wings. He has wings attached to the back of his head and back. He doesn’t actually have any facial features but it’s obscured by the wings, floating eyes, the eye loop things and hair that cover his face.

- Rouge -

a Medusa like creature (Inspo) I like to think she’d be a lot like that. She looks very similar but now her hair has been replaced with snakes. Also her whole turning people to stone think works with eye contact and best on humans. She’s often found in bars and places of the sort wearing a fancy red dress.

- Zizel -

a fairy/pixie. Imagine she as a tiny pixie that’s small enough to fit of peoples hands. She sips from tiny teacups and lives is big teapot. She also speaks with bell like sounds that everyone (except wilardo(and other humans)) can understand. Her and Sirius drink tea together sometimes:))

- Dorothy Elford -

Witch she look almost exactly like a human except for her point ears and ability to use magic

- Sheila -

siren/mermaid. she also looks more fish like there with visible gills, fish ears webbed fingers and various fins across her back and the backs of her forarms.

- Lime -

a catgirl or smth idk EDIT: NO IM CHANGING TJIS SHES AN OCTOPUS shes basically the same except her legs have been replaced with octopus tentacles(don’t be weird). She messes with Ashe a lot.

i migjt add more of the characters later

“Wilardo is a mortal who stumbled into a different realm of immortal and inhuman beings. The others are some of those immortal beings he comes across!”

The plot is basically wilardo and the rest of the human side try and figure out how they got here and how to get home

Wilardo got there by picking the dark lily

As a multishiper who ships wilardo with all of the human side I’m having so much fun with this

Put so much time into this I hope you like it!!

ALOS If anyone has any ideas feel free to tell me I would love to see them

#the dumbass speaks #witch’s heart #witch’s heart immortal au #witch’s heart au #whnoc #wilardo adler #sirius gibson #claire elford #ashe bradley #noel levine #rouge wh #zizel wh #dorothy elford #Sheila wh #sheila #lime wh #genderless wilardo my beloved<3 #genderfluid Sirius my beloved #I was going at add drawings and references to this but that’s going to take to long #so I’ll add them later

[saints-who-never-existed]

Episode Nine: Random Rewatch Observations

1. Took me a few rewatches to realise that the ships boy Fitzjames is talking about in the beginning, who ran out into the fog and returned, is Golding. Sneaky bit of foreshadowing there!

2. Fitzjames is already clutching at his bad arm in the scene where they’re preparing to burn the dead.

3. Is it just me or does Hickey’s accent get noticeably stronger once they’ve split from the main group? You can really hear it, I think, in his first line here – “Lieutenant, worra miracle!”

4. That little call-back to the Chinese sniper story just guts me every time. It so perfectly exemplifies how far they’ve come individually as well as how their relationship has developed. Crozier has enough tact and emotional intelligence to poke fun in a positive and companiable way, and Fitzjames has enough humility to take the ribbing on the chin.

5. Few little interesting shots of Tozer interspersed there while Hickey and Hodgson are talking. Never really thought about it before it seems now to me an indication that Tozer already has an inkling that he and Hickey aren’t as on the same page as he thought they were.

6. That’s such a weird and enigmatic expression Hickey has on his face while he’s stabbing poor Gibson. Like, I honestly couldn’t tell you what I think he’s feeling in that moment. There’s not really anger there, I don’t think, despite the furrowed brows but I don’t see any great remorse or sadness either which one might expect for him murdering a former lover. I just see incredible concentration, like he’s just totally lost in ‘the practicals’ of survival.

7. I live for the Crozier/Blanky exchange:

“Are you mad?!”

*Enthusiastic nodding and laughing!*

That’s exactly the conversation I often have with my own friends when I’m on my bullshit or doing something daft just for a laugh, and anything that makes me feel akin to a king like Blanky is always good.

8. There’s just a split-second pause after Bridgens lifts Peglar up in his arms that breaks my heart every time. It’s like he’s realising that this is it, that Peglar really is dying now, like he’s taking a moment to himself to try to reconcile both that terrible thought and the idea that he’s powerless to do anything about it.

9. Speaking of power, it’s always impressive to me that an old dude like Bridgens has the strength to just heave Peglar up into the boat like he does. But then again, that might speak to how malnourished and light Peglar is now as much as Bridgens’ strength.

10. There’s someone on the ground behind Hickey right after they’re talking about making camp (with another bit of foreshadowing about a ‘friendly face’ �� i.e. Golding). Hard to tell who the person on the ground is though and whether they’re just resting after hauling or have actually collapsed.

11. I’ve posted a bit about it before but it’s so interesting to me that Hickey should choose Hodgson specifically when he’s threatening Goodsir.

The relationship between Hickey and Hodgson is interesting to me in general. Despite working so hard to manipulate him and bring him into the fold, it always seems to me like Hickey doesn’t actually want Hodgson to be a part of the group that much and for his part, Hodgson really doesn’t want to be either. It’s a mutual feeling and is part of what makes it so hard to tell whether it’s the group that isolates him at mealtimes or whether he does it to himself.

I wonder if it’s that general disconnect that makes Hodgson the choice to be used as part of the blackmail, or whether Hickey assumes, however wrongly, that Goodsir will care more about the well-being of an officer, a man of similar class and social standing to himself? Or whether it’s something else entirely?

12. Also! Interesting that it’s De Voeux’s voice we hear right afterwards, that he should be the one threatening a fellow officer.

13. Finally, I’ve come full-circle back to Bridgens and Peglar, the relationship that inspired the video that featured the quote that first inspired this blog.

Another very simple but very heart-breaking layer to things that strikes me now is based around that refrain – “I love the sea, I love the sea”. I very much read it to be a veiled declaration of love for Bridgens himself, of course – what Peglar is really saying is “I love you, I love you” but the simple fact also remains that these guys really would have just loved the sea itself.

I’m sure for many it would’ve just been a job, a way to make a living, but for many others, if not the majority, they would’ve been in that line of work in the first place because they enjoyed, even loved being at sea. That line then speaks to that love and to the boyish enthusiasm they’d all have felt at the start of the voyage, the eagerness for adventure. It also contrasts sharply with their current gut-wrenching reality - that the sea itself, something so many of them would’ve actively loved, has betrayed them so terribly and doomed them.

14. Nooo Little! Don’t waste your patented Awkward Shoulder Pat of Comfort on that wee worm – he doesn’t deserve it!

#The Terror #The Terror AMC #S01E09 #The C The C The Open C #Francis Crozier #James Fitzjames #Robert Golding #Thomas Blanky #Solomon Tozer #George Hodgson #Cornelius Hickey #William Gibson #John Bridgens #Henry Peglar #Charles Frederick Des Voeux #random observations

[isfjmel-phleg]

February 2023 Books

Death by Disguise by E. L. Bates

It was a pleasure to spend time with Maia and Len again! I enjoyed the Cambridge setting. The magical elements of the mystery were intriguing. And I'm curious to see where the new developments of the ending lead the characters, who are about to experience significant changes.

Freddy Goes to Florida, Freddy Goes to the North Pole, and Freddy the Detective by Walter R. Brooks

Frequently humorous, but I don't think I would read this series three at a time again (which is not the books' fault).

A Box of Bones, The Inn Between, and The Doll's Eye by Marina Cohen

A Box of Bones was my favorite of these (dare I say I liked it a little better than the also very good Small Spaces?)--readable blend of characterization and atmospheric creepiness. Also major points for the Lake Champlain setting and the mentions of the small town where I was born! It plays a small but significant role in the story.

The Inn Between was effectively creepy. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, which leaves the protagonist in a place where ideally she shouldn't be, but yet the wording subtly implies this could change?

The Doll's Eye had an absolutely horrifying ending. Yikes. It was well-written but yikes.

She, the Adventuress by Dorothy Crayder (reread)

I acquired a copy of this one a while back and wanted to revisit it.

The Princess Aline by Richard Harding Davis

This one has an interesting history. The fictional Princess Aline was inspired by Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt (the future Tsarina Alexandra of Russia), whom Davis was apparently infatuated with after having seen her once from a distance. Reportedly Alix's grandmother Queen Victoria and her daughters read and enjoyed Davis's book. Charles Dana Gibson's illustrations of Aline bear a resemblance to Alix too.

I liked the concept of this one better than the execution. An artist with rather shallow views on women becomes infatuated with a princess and follows her across Europe, only to gradually come to terms with the fact that she is unattainable and that he has actually fallen in love with a young woman he has been traveling with. I didn't care much for the protagonist, so it was difficult for me to get invested in anything he was doing, and the clarity at the end came maybe a bit too late to convince me.

The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo (reread)

Goodreads tells me I read this in 2011. I have no memory of it from then but liked it this time.

The Finches' Fabulous Furnace by Roger Wolcott Drury

A family moves into a house with a very small but potentially dangerous volcano in the basement. I was initially frustrated with Mr. Finch's approach to the situation; at first only he, his son, and the man who sold them the house know about the volcano, and Mr. Finch chooses to conceal this information from his wife and daughter on the grounds that it might worry them. The volcano affects significant things like the temperature of the house, and Mrs. Finch is naturally concerned, but her husband makes no effort to set straight her assumption that they have an unusual furnace. He and his son tie themselves in knots trying to conceal the problem rather than putting the problem out in the open and dealing with it. When Mrs. Finch and her daughter do find out, they have very realistic concerns, which the guys dismiss, and the daughter in particular wants to let the entire town know what potential danger they're in. By then, some important (male) figures in the town know too, and they also insist that the volcano be kept secret for the sake of appearances (heaven forbid a major town festival be compromised!). And it goes about as well as you would expect.

It seems to be a commentary on the importance of openly addressing problems with the people they concern rather than leaving people deceived/in the dark "for their own good." And that's a truth worth expressing.

Meet the Austins, The Moon by Night, and A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle (reread)

I didn't love A Ring of Endless Light as much this time as I did when I originally read (at what was just the right time--dealing with death was not so close to me this time around), but I do still like them, mostly for Vicky, who is very real and relatable in her struggles to figure out life. But I am begging this girl to, if she absolutely must date, date a boy who is a) her age and not a legal adult and b) not a condescending jerk. She repeatedly ends up with guys who are varying degrees of this.

If L'Engle absolutely had to keep bringing Zachary Gray back, I wish she would have just given him an effective, lasting redemption arc instead of handing character growth to him over and over on a silver platter and letting him reject it every. single. time. and keep on being The Worst.

The Boy in the Box by Cary Fagan

This was my Blind Date with a Book selection! I actually enjoyed it. The characters were engaging, and the world had that middle-grade-characteristic tone of being in reality (probably not magical) but just a little to the left in terms of bizarreness.

The Story That Cannot Be Told by J. Kasper Kramer

Middle-grade historical fiction set in Romania in 1989. I learned a lot about this aspect of history and enjoyed the narrative and its fascinating themes of the roles that stories take in a world full of surveillance and suppression and betrayals. Kramer weaves the young protagonist's retelling of a Romanian fairy tale in with the larger story to good effect.

And it had a happy ending! Stories in that sort of setting so frequently don't.

The Light Princess by George MacDonald

Enjoyable, in a Victorian fairy tale way.

The Faerie Door by B. E. Maxwell

Beautiful cover, and there was potential in the concept of a Victorian girl and a 1960s American boy having fantastical adventures together. Operative word being together, though. They got arbitrarily split up and the chapters alternated between each's seemingly unrelated adventure. Any chance for them to genuinely bond and affect each other's character development was gone, and the result seemed excessively long, derivative, and rather a slog to read, unfortunately.

The Little Princess of Tower Hill by L. T. Meade

What a difference over a century can make in how a story appears. I liked the protagonist, who wasn't really such a bad girl as the narrative seemed to think, and her male cousin, who is presented as a role model for her, comes across as condescending and obnoxious. There's a disabled girl from a poor family whom the narrative treats as only having worth when she can be of help/use/support to people with perfect health and/or more means. An interesting look at the rhetoric of children's stories of the time, but I can understand why this one hasn't been remembered.

Once on a Time by A. A. Milne

Very witty, as can be expected from Milne. The characters aren't always easy to like, but Milne does go out of his way to make them more than stock roles.

Along the Shore: Tales of the Sea by L. M. Montgomery

It was interesting to see some forerunners of characters and subplots from the Anne series (Montgomery was apparently straight up plagiarizing her own short stories sometimes).

Grounded: The Adventures of Rapunzel by Megan Morrison

Some of the action of this book dragged for me, but by the end it became a really interesting exploration of Rapunzel's relationship with the witch who exploited her. It's extremely difficult for this Rapunzel to accept the truth that she has been exploited by someone whom she considers a loving mother figure, and she spends a lot of the narrative making herself unpleasant and clinging to her delusions--they're all she has. Slowly, she has to accept the truth and figure out how to navigate the complicated feelings she has toward the witch. There's a surprising amount of nuance for a book on this age level, and I was intrigued enough by how this was handled to want to seek out the rest of the series.

The House of a Thousand Candles by Meredith Nicholson

There were some brilliant one-liners in this one. The Gothic-ish concept had potential. But the pacing didn't work for me, I couldn't warm up to the protagonist (what is it with the male leads from this era?), and it turned out to be much less of a page turner than I was expecting.

The Valley of Lost Secrets by Lesley Parr

Middle-grade historical fiction about evacuees in Wales during World War II--how two brother adjust to their new life and host family while getting caught up in some local mysteries, such as the identity of the human skull the elder brother finds hidden in a tree. (There are some similarities to the real-life unsolved case of "Bella in the wych elm," which I found fascinating.) Both readable and believable in its portrayal of the historical setting (which is of major importance to me in historical fiction). This author has a couple of other books, and I think I'll seek them out.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Well, that was utterly devastating, but what else can one expect from Sepetys? I learned a lot about an event I had never heard of and am quite impressed by the amount of research that went into this writing. Sepetys's author's note provides additional background and even a bibliography.

Miss Buncle's Book by D. E. Stevenson

Loved the premise of this one. It seemed to drag or get redundant as it progressed, and I don't think I'll look for the other books, but some of the characters were delightful. I was reminded a bit of the Mapp and Lucia stories, if they had had a much less cynical worldview.

No significant comics this month, just bits of things here and there.

#random personal stuff #all caught up finally!

[sasaofastora]

Tag Game for Historical Simblrs!

Thank you @antiquatedplumbobs for the tag!

1. What has been your favorite time period to play in or which one are you most excited for?

So far the 1900s and the 1930s have been my favourites. For the 1900s I just loved Evie so much, and the whole period just felt really peaceful. Then for the 30s, Harry and Maisie were just too cute and it was so nice to have a story the was a little more wholesome after the chaos I put the poor Finch’s through in the 20s. I’m very excited for the 40s! Spoiler alert, I’m already there in gameplay, and I’m so happy. I mainly studied ww2 history at university so it’s fun to be in a period I’m very familiar with. Also just aesthetically I’m excited for the 80s and 90s because that’s my jam. 

2. Do you have a favorite piece of historical cc? (CAS or BB)

I think the last time I did these questions I said the Edwardian dress from @gilded-ghosts’s Stately Set and honestly I think that’s still true. I just love it a lot. However I also want to shout out the Langtree Updo by @twentiethcenturysims because it is just perfect for those Gibson Girl looks. 

3. Who is your favorite sim currently?

It’s my boy John Finch. I’m really worried for him since obviously soon he’ll have to go to war, but I just love that dorky little mechanic. I do also really love Ruth though, who we will be seeing more of for sure. She’s just too cute to deal with. 

4. What is your favorite world?

San Myshuno forever. Definitely going to need to find a reason for the Finch’s to move there one day- maybe in the 70s? Feels like it could fit that vibe really well. 

5. Are you more gameplay or story focused?

Bit of both! I have a general idea of what sort of things I want to deal with in each decade as it comes, so I’ll sort of steer the gameplay into those directions, but then often the gameplay will in turn steer the story. This is sort of why I prefer to do smaller story posts- it just matches more with the way I play. 

6. Do you like to play with pets in your historical saves?

Yes! The Finch family has had several dogs by now, I’m certain they’ll get a cat at some point. Pets to me always just make the house feel cozier 

7. What’s your biggest immersion breaking pet peeve with the game?

Well I was going to say when sims from other worlds appear in places it wouldn’t make sense for them to be in, but luckily just today @aheathen-conceivably brought this mod to my attention which I installed almost immediately. 

8. What’s your favorite in-game historical item? (CAS or BB)

Again I think I’m repeating myself from last time, but the radiator from the Vampires GP. It’s a little thing but I love it and just makes historical builds look better. 

9. What would you like to see as a new pack or asset to the game?

Bands please!!! The music career annoys me to no end- it’s so limited in it’s scope! Actually honestly just more careers in general I would really like. 

10. What pack do you think is invaluable as a historical simmer?

I’m jumping on the bandwagon and saying Cottage Living because I mean, just look at it. But also Get Together for Windenburg and Vampires for some very good items. 

11. Do you have a favorite mod to enhance historical gameplay?

I do now, and it’s that Home Regions mod! I also have one called “no more phone stuff” that I’ve had installed forever not sure where from, and it’s very handy. It doesn’t stop sims pulling out their phones all together, but at least no one is playing Blicblock in the middle of the Great Depression. 

12. What’s your ideal family size for playing?

Any where from 2-4. More than that and I start to get overwhelmed.

13. Do you use poses?

Yuuuuuuup, tons of them. Kind of want to learn how to make my own but haven’t had the time. 

14. Do you use any overrides in your game?

No I had one glitch really badly once and now I’m kind of scared of them lol.

15. Do you, or did you, play off-the-grid during your game?

I tried briefly at the start of the 1890s and it was just really frustrating. They really should be able to do more things even if they don’t have power. 

16. What lifespan do you play on?

Normal!  Finally settled on a setting. 

17. What inspired you to start playing a historically?

As I said I was a history student and I have always been a huge sims fan, so when I found out about the Decades Challenge I felt like I had to try it. I was hooked pretty much instantly.

Thanks again for tagging me, this was fun! I’m going to tag @alainas-sims, @applesaucesims, @jenplayssims, @sims-half-crazy, @sims-through-the-decades, and @simadelics. 

#ask game #finch legacy extras

[callme6olet]

The Neon Glow

The struggle with cyberpunk is that it's supposed to be punk, but it's also all too real. The days of Neuromancer and Johnny Mnemonic are behind us. The idea of the sci-fi corporate supercity, this neon-limned sprawl of concrete, vice, and pollution no longer seems like a frighteningly possible dystopia, but like an exaggerated reality. At its inception, cyberpunk existed in a liminal state between the primary and secondary worlds. These stories were ostensibly set on a futuristic Earth, but there was a sense that it was an alternate future, that these worlds were a warning about something that only had the slimmest possibility of really happening. They read like secondary worlds in the same way that Middle Earth reads as a secondary world: familiar in its bones, in its soul, but not in its details. The fact that that gap is closing, that we're watching those prophecies unfold, is at the heart of the current generation of post-cyberpunk fiction. Gibson's Agency, Stephenson's Termination Shock. Matrix: Resurrections. These stories deal not only with the dread of capitalism's brutal advance, but also (in my opinion) with the writers' mixed feelings over having predicted it, over creating a vision and aesthetic so powerful that our world is actually changing--purposefully--to match it. Just look at the MetaVerse. A Stephenson invention, now marketed as a reality, like that's supposed to be exciting.

This is a problem for me, because I love writing cyberpunk. I stumbled onto The Matrix in middle school, but it didn't sink its teeth in until I came across Shadowrun 4th Edition at Borders. Here was a world that felt lived in, in much the same way that the original Star Wars must've wowed people in the 70's. Arguably, Star Wars and cyberpunk both fit into the classic definition of the latter: high tech, low life. Luke is a farmer; Han's a drug trafficker. And while Star Wars is and will remain my all-time favorite, the cyberpunk genre brought an edge with it, something that grabbed hold of me, hit the dopamine button in my brain: the neon glow. Holograms and flickering advertisements in a rainy night. Smog dyeing the sunset crimson and purple. LEDs glowing from every nook and cranny.

And now, your average gamer's battlestation looks like something out of Bladerunner. And part of me rebels against that: do we not realize that we're losing? We're a couple short steps away from corporate citizenship, for god's sake.

That sense of doubt, that itch, pokes at me when I'm writing and find myself describing more of the same. It made me feel sick watching Edgerunners. The idea of losing your family to random violence because you don't make enough for health insurance isn't fiction--so why is this show dressing it up like it is? Like that's just as outlandish as a thousand-foot holo ad, a street tough with mantis blades in her arms? Did the showrunners not know what they were doing, somehow? Were they just jumping into this genre because they read Neuromancer once, thought it was such a wacky idea?

But then--oh-so-late to the party--I started playing 2077. I rebelled against it at first, felt the same itch, the same existential dread. But then the story revved into overdrive, and all at once, I realized: this here, it's the classic example of tropes done right. The world might be forty years old, but it's flawlessly realized. And, more than that, it is aware of the genre it exists in, of the evolution. There's something about the game that makes me want to be V, to live in a world where you have to carry an SMG to leave the apartment. To live loud. Even a month ago, I would've said it's the feeling of agency, the idea that, in a world of violent conflict, each person is more able to make a large-scale impact. But I don't think that's it, not really. Night City crushes you, makes even the most outrageous victories seem short-lived, insignificant blips against the weight of the world.

The moments that shine out aren't the big ones, they're the small ones. Seeing Mama Welles at the wake. A visit from a stray cat. Going to the ripperdoc and seeing the option to change appearance, because in that world, it's just that easy, and all of a sudden, I can be seeing a face I like in the mirror.

And here's the crazy thing: part of this reality we've stumbled into, this pseudo-cyberpunk corporatocracy, is the fact that's it's almost that easy to switch bodies here, too. We're getting there. There is beauty in all things, even the dark ones. There is beauty, too, in the impetuous, borderline-nihilism of an edgerunner, in the willigness to engage in hopeless rebellion. And there is a beauty in neon lights.

The meaning of the word punk hasn't changed, never will, but its expression has. In the 80's, it meant drinking and smoking because Mom and Dad said not to. Now, what gives me hope is going to punk shows in underground venues and seeing drug-free youth graffitied across the PA. It's realizing that rebellion changes as society changes. That, even though we might live in a dystopia, that dystopia will never choke out the beauty of our reality. So, I'm keeping the mirrored shades; I'm switching the LED strips back on; and I'm going to keep writing about cities bathed in the neon glow.

#cyberpunk #cyberpunk 2077 #termination shock #neal stephenson #william gibson #writing #sci fi

[i-left-my-room-tidy]

favorite thing to do in each of your drs?

[thanks for this ask!]

- - -

HP DR

splurging 😭😭😭 I've always had a bad habit of hoarding things in my CR, and the fact that i scripted (technically) unlimited money for myself doesn't help that. i have the backing of two great families (grindelwald and martell; black, crouch, and malfoy don't count; the gaunt vaults have nothing to add, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯), and while those major houses took hits during the two blood wars, ultimately, it didn't detract from their wealth.

so, yes, I'm just grabbing as much as i need. as someone who's financially struggling in my CR, it's so fucking cathartic to not worry about a serious restriction in money. i do have a limit set for each shopping session, though—my uncle became stricter with my spending when i came back from leeds with several bags of clothes (rich or not, he said, i can't be careless with how i spend—which, alright, point).

i usually just buy clothes and trinkets—i rarely buy books unless i feel i can actually finish them. I'm still unused to not using a phone to search for articles or stories online. some of the things I'm ecstatic at having spent money on include: an original 59 gibson standard (y'all i actually cried over this), several issues of the antique doll collector magazine, and an honest-to-god ballgown (i can try drawing a replica of it when i have the time). if I'm lucky, i can also find some good vintage thingamajigs at garage sales [i once bought a pair of wooden hairsticks with dangling pearls, which actually resemble the ones i wear in my naruto DR—lmao it made me kinda freak out when i saw them].

- - -

Naruto DR

experimenting with my sharingan, or elemental bending in general. i don't think i can ever get bored with doing either of those things. they're frustrating, sometimes, when i feel as if I'm not making progress with a certain aspect or process (like controlling multiple elements at once, or working on my stamina)—but overall, they're activities i could never stay idle with, and i enjoy that.

I've only recently started practicing with my mangekyō abilities (I'll make a post about the eyes themselves in the future). it's fun, and just the slightest bit morbid, but genuinely exciting. I've used my mangekyō on rats (and afterwards, feeding their remains to my snake), and smaller variants of its power on shady individuals. the actual abilities of my mangekyō sharingan are a bit, erm, psychologically violent, so take it with a small grain of salt when i do talk about it.

elemental bending, on another note, is so fucking convenient. i keep telling my clanmates to be more creative with their jutsu (looking at you, you fucking elders), because any job's easier when you approach situations from a different angle—but everyone mostly leaves me alone to my, and i quote, "freak of nature shenanigans". i actually laughed when madara told me that—shifting really makes you OP, huh. anyways, i use elemental bending not just for combat-related activities, but also mundane ones. even just a gradeschool level of understanding on how science works might suffice. basic house skills: cooking, washing clothes, ironing, scrubbing floors; alright, chores, but they're actually fun when i apply elemental bending on them.

although, the radicality of some ideas i borrowed from history are really seen as strange. and no, nobody's accusing me of witchcraft or foul play, it's honestly just weird to them to see me use the science we're familiar with.

#also. no. me using elemental bending isn't to encourage fast industrial uplifts #a friend just told me about that #like bestie—what?? where are we finding the resources for that- #not to mention the pollution it entails omf #shifting #shifting realities #reality shifting #desired reality #shift #shifting shenanigans #shifting to hogwarts #hogwarts #shifting to harry potter #harry potter #shifting to naruto #naruto #naruto shippuden

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Hii! If it’s not too invasive to ask, what was your past religion? 👀 love ur blog btw ^^

Originally, loosely Catholic. We went to church most Sundays, Thursday School (Sunday School on Thursday), the kids did their confirmation.

But we didn't do any of it outside these rituals. We didn't pray, didn't say grace at dinner, didn't even think about it. I don't even recall us owning a bible.

I remember being bored with it and never believing any of it. I preferred the stories of the cyclops and the gorgons and such. I once got in trouble at Thursday School for drawing a picture of Jesus on the cross with lots of blood spurting out of him. Apparently nailing people to planks is a dignified affair. I feel like Mel Gibson's movie plagiarized my work, but ultimately vindicated my artistic vision as a nine year-old.

The deal was that at sixteen we would be able to choose for ourselves. We all opted out. Indeed, my parents themselves gave up before all the kids had turned 16, which caused some annoyance among the older ones.

My parents have admitted that it was born of social expectation rather than actual religious belief.

#ask #religion #religion is a mental illness

[andro-dino]

I DIDNT SEE THE OC ASK POST ORZ

for ezekial and luther 1,2,28 .... and ykw fuck it 11

Do they have any motifs?

Luther has 2 kinda. One was a little intentional the other just kinda came as a bonus. His main one is like, angelic imagery. That’s mostly from one of the first scenes of the story I came up with, where Ezekial is first brought to see Luther, who’s standing above him with light shining from behind him, and that with his hair kind of creates a halo kind of look and Ezekial remarks to himself that he looks like an angel. And yk, that whole like, white/light blue being angelic/pure idea with his color palette also kinda reflects that, which is both reflective and subversive to his character. Reflective in that it shows how he likes to be extremely clean and put together, but subverts how he’s involved with very dark things. His other motif only just occurred to me, that being space/moons. His planet and moon earrings weren’t really meant to be anything more than a cool design choice, but I realized that a lot of scenes I’ve pictured where he’s more vulnerable and open are at night and/or under the moonlight, so that motif has become a bit important to his character. You could also definitely draw some sun and moon imagery with him and Ezekial from that.

Ezekial doesn’t really have concrete motifs in the same way Luther does. There’s a couple reoccurring ideas that surround him, like scarring, loneliness, and loyalty, but I haven’t really given him strong specific motifs. I guess the main one that you could argue for that I’ve been thinking about lately is kind of like, wearing over time. That applies to the story and their dynamic at large, but specifically with Ezekial, there’s a lot of focus with him having to accept that things are not the same as they once were, as well as visually, his design changes and wears with time, both with him getting more and more scars and with his clothes gradually becoming more scuffed and dirty with the more experience he has. This also juxtaposes Luther, whose design is very clean and sharp and put together.

Describe their voice. Do they have a voice claim?

I always struggle finding voice claims for my characters bc I have such a specific vision in my head that nothing feels completely right for them, but I’ll try to get as close as I can.

For Ezekial, my first thought was Aoba from the beastars dub (I think. I was specifically thinking of the “hey, legoshi already knows her name!” line and I’m pretty sure that’s aoba but idk). Looking up a couple voices, I think also a bit of Ash from fantastic mr fox, though very slightly lower for both of those. Also also a smiiiidge of mk from lmk. Just a bit. The idea for him is to have a voice that’s very smooth and nice, pretty average tbh, and usually very bright but occasionally able to slip into a darker tone. Idk though, I feel like he’s really hard to place and I don’t even know if I really like any of these all that much for him, but it’s the best I got 😭

Luther’s voice I imagine closer to the lower end but also not particularly deep, very soft and level, kind of that back of the throat kind of sound. It’s really dumb but specifically I thought of that one clip that’s like “SHUT UP. SHUT UP. IM GONNA KILL THE NEXT PERSON I SEE I SWEAR TO GOD” but JUST for him yelling. The line I was imagining him saying in that tone was “Don’t you get it!?” and it works oddly well. Otherwise, it’s kinda like a mix between lilac cookie’s eng voice and sal fisher. Another one I found specifically looking at voice claim compilations that’s random as fuck is Wesley Gibson from wanted??? no idea who that is or what that’s about but I think his voice fits really really well for Luther.

Are they a dog or a cat person?

Ezekial likes both and he wouldn’t be able to choose, though probably leans a little more to dogs.

Luther you’d think would be more of a cat person, given his everything, but he actually prefers dogs because they’re easier to train and more obedient. He doesn’t dislike cats though.

Have they ever fallen in love and with whom?

I mean, there is a LOT of longing between these two, especially on Ezekial’s end. He’s been in love Luther since they were really young but I think he didn’t really realize that for a long time. At some point it kinda registered for him but even then I don’t think he ever really said it out loud to himself. It was never really some big revelation or anything, just kind of putting a word to a feeling that’s always been there.

And I’m not gonna lie and say the feeling isn’t reciprocated, but that’s something Luther hasn’t thought about in years and still hasn’t yet to really understand himself. The mix of emotional suppression and catholic guilt made a cocktail of self denial and inability to really accept that thought when he was younger, and in the present it’s far worse and far more repressed, and he has a long way to go before anything begins to change with that.

It’s actually interesting because this is also a scene I thought of pretty recently. After their reunion, once the tension has settled past the initial Luther-being-willing-to-kick-Ezekial-across-the-floor-without-a-second-glance phase, one of the conversations they end up having is Ezekial asking Luther if he’s dated anyone since he last saw him, to which Luther respond “I don’t think you could really call it that.” He asks the same question back at Ezekial and Ezekial responds “Yeah, I don’t think those really count either.” And that surprises Luther and he give a little “Huh.” And Ezekial asks what that’s about but Luther just says it’s none of his concern (really he’s surprised because Ezekial’s always kinda been a romantic, and he’s dated a couple people before when they were younger. “And I mean, Ezekial’s an attractive guy, and he would probably be a good partner, how has he not had any good relationships since high school?” (<- clueless))

#oc #they are so stupid #falls on the floor and dies #yeah man seeing ur old best friend for the first time in years and your first thought being how angelic he looks is totally norm n not gay #ezekial and luther

[umbralglade]

My mid year reading update

Tagged by: @jushiro-ukitake

Amount of books you’ve read so far: 19

Best book you’ve read so far in 2022:

I really have loved pretty much all the books I’ve read this year, but my most favorites have been these!

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

Helpmeet by Naben Ruthnum

The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2022:

I haven’t read a lot of sequels this year, so I just listed them all lol (and I loved them all so!)

Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert (definitely could have gone in general faves)

Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell

The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin (part of the Hainish Cycle, which is technically a series)

New release you haven’t read yet but want to:

SO many

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

My Evil Mother: A Short Story by Margaret Atwood

Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro

Book of Night by Holly Black

The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings

Thrust by Lidia Yuknavitch

A Half Built Garden by Ruthanna Emrys

Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence... by R.F. Kuang

All the Seas of the World by Guy Gavriel Kay

To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year:  

I only find out about new books once they’re already out idk! With that in mind:

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Biggest surprise favorite new author (debut or new to you):

S.T. Gibson

Naben Ruthnum

Newest fictional crush: 

I ggguess these would be fictional crushes??? Characters I imagined as........probably hot lol

The Golem AND the Jinni from The Golem and the Ginni by Helene Wecker

Breq and Seivarden from the Imperial Radch trilogy

This is not a crush but I just thought Baek Isak from Pachinko was so sweet and kind I was so sad about him and I think I was in love with him. uh

Book that made you cry:  

I love to cry at fictional things so honestly most of these books probably had me misty eyed at some point, but the books that made me actually cry were:

Pachinko, and

Crying in H Mart, read back to back, literal nonstop crying

Lonely Castle in the Sky had a little publisher’s note at the end about Japanese children’s low reported mental health/happiness, which really got me given the context of the story 

Book that made you happy: 

Lonely Castle in the Sky, in a surprise turnabout from the last question lol. Happy in the cathartic, inner-child-feels-seen kind of way!

Ancillary Justice and its two sequels - I was really excited to get into a trilogy that hooked me so much!

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received): 

Focusing on beautiful like design-wise, and on received rather than bought:

Golem and the Jinni (got for bday)

Lonely Castle in the Sky (got for Christmas)

Favorite rereads this year: 

I only re-read one book, which was:

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell - which I really love, I KNOW

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?:

Need to finish (hard to find/read for misc reasons):

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg

Almanac of the Dead of Leslie Marmon Silko

Prioritized to-reads:

The Night Watch by Holly Black

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters (have to read one insane historical lesbian drama by this author a year)

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

The Fisherman by John Langan!! Been looking for this everywhere!!

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield!! Also this one!

Unknown Language by Huw Lemmey and uh um Hildegard von Bingen lol

Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold (book my stepdad told me to read like 15 years ago)

I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us... by Ed Yong

Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake 

Phew! Tagging anyone who wants to do it lol

#long post #so long