#// in short: it's fashion show time featuring hana

[alj4890]

All Through The Night

A Choices: The Royal Romance Dark AU fanfiction. 

A/N Other than my few Bloodbound shorts, I’ve never written anything with supernatural overtones before. After receiving requests to see Liam and Riley’s story if he was a vampire, this storyline was born. Since it is set in one of my favorite books from Pixelberry, I had to include as many of the main and supporting characters as I could. The following chapters will explain more where they and what our main characters are. Not going to lie, I am very anxious to step out of my comfort zone for this, but I’m also super excited to see how it goes. Along with The Royal Romance, I will be referencing and altering both The Crown and The Flame and The Royal Masquerade.

@gkittylove99​​ @krsnlove​ @kingliam2019​ @texaskitten30​ @yourmajesty09​ @mom2000aggie​ @ofpixelsandscribbles​ @twinkleallnight​ @lodberg​ @twinkleallnight​ @amandablink​ @neotericthemis​  @mm2305​ @sfb123​ @iufilms​​ ​ ​

Masterlist

Prologue

Once upon a time...

"Father!" Zenobia rushed down the stairwell. "Kenna is at the gates!"

King Luthor's frown deepened as he studied the places his troops had been destroyed. His hope to unite the five kingdoms and wipe off the abomination was for naught.

Kenna would not stop until he and his surviving offspring's heads were on pikes.

...until their blood filled the crystal goblets of the Dark Queen.

"What do we do?" His son, Diavolos, asked.

Luthor knew it was only himself Kenna wanted. After he had killed her mother, hoping to stop the monsters once and for all, Kenna would have her revenge.

If only he had known that she was a vampire...just like her mother.

"Listen carefully." His voice trembled at this possibly being the last time he was able to speak to his son and daughter. "A Nevarkis must always be ready to fight the creatures that prey on the weak and vulnerable."

"But..." Zenobia sniffed. "How? How can we possibly kill the unkillable?"

"She can be killed just like her mother before her." Luthor snapped. "Sunlight. A dagger to the heart. Cutting the head off." His features hardened with resolve. "Know that those are our true allies. Continue your training with daggers. Never stop being vigilant. Educate your children. And remember: where there's one vampire, many more lie in wait in the shadows."

Diavolos stepped forward and gripped his father's shoulder. "We will fight for you."

"No." Luthor corrected. "Fight for our people. The innocent. Fight for a chance to live without fear of monsters."

He cleared his throat. "If I should die--"

"Don't say that!" Zenobia screeched. "We'll be--"

"Kenna is coming for me." Luthor interrupted. "I know I must face the consequences of my actions."

"But--" Divalos lowered his head. "What are we to do?"

"Kill her." Luthor ordered. "Let your emotion be your strength." He took their hands. "And remember that a vampire is nature's evil incarnate. They will do whatever they want and kill anyone who they think is in their way." His voice turned to pleading. "Kill Kenna before she has a chance to kill you."

Zenobia nodded in a jerky manner. Diavolos swallowed with tears in his eyes.

"Good. Now prepare yourselves." Luthor pulled his sword from its sheath. "The devil herself is here."

*****************

Two years later...

Kenna cuddled her infant son, humming a lullaby.

Dom came in, a soft smile gracing his lips at the sight of his family.

"How are we this evening?" He asked, placing a kiss first on her lips then one on his son's forehead.

"A little fussy." Kenna explained. "But otherwise perfect."

"Good." Dom stretched then went to stoke the fire. "I will be going out later tonight."

Kenna's head jerked up. "Why? Are there more rumors?"

He nodded, a determined frown formed on his lips. "The Nevarkis brats refuse to let us live in peace." He moved to stand before the window that looked out toward the kingdom he had once lived in.

High in the mountains, the couple and those like them had found sanctuary. They built a kingdom, one of darkness and shadow that allowed them to live freely. He and Kenna were crowned the rulers, chosen by their people...those that were cursed as monsters.

"Si and I will be standing guard." He explained. "I will not risk you or our child."

"Dom..." Kenna pulled him close, capturing his lips in a long tender kiss. "This must end. I was foolish to let my need for revenge take over." Tears sparkled in her eyes. "Luthor might have left us alone if I had given him a chance."

Dom's face contorted into furious hatred. "A Nevarkis can never be trusted!" He gripped her waist, hands heating as he lost his temper. "He would have plunged a dagger into your heart the first chance he had."

"Dom." She said softly when he singed her clothes.

He wrenched his hands from her with a grimace. "I didn't burn you, did I?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine." She tried to lighten the mood. "Just a little overheated."

He took deep breaths to get himself under control. "Stay here where it is safe." His eyes searched hers. "Have you fed recently?"

"No, but I should be fine until you return." Kenna lifted a bottle with blood for their son. "I can call on one of the servants to help me if I need to."

"Promise me you won't go outside." He pleaded.

"Only if you promise to come back to me." She responded.

His lips quirked in that cocky smile she has always adored.

"Always, my queen." He kissed her once more, then slipped out the door to search out their enemies.

******************

Present Day New York...

"Cordonia...land of both beauty and mystery." Riley wrinkled her nose. "Boring."

"No, it isn't." Hana argued. "I think that is the perfect beginning."

"Look at the comments from our last video." Riley swiveled her laptop so her friend could see. "People love our walkthroughs and all but hate my narration."

"Well..." Hana's brow furrowed. "Maybe we should try to add more to it than just narration." She pulled out some sketches. "We could add some animation of the history before showing our footage of the country."

"That might work." Riley mumbled, tapping her pen against her notebook.

The two set to work planning their next project.

After years of trying, they had finally achieved their dream of traveling for a living. The two college friends had taken every class they could on how to make their hopes into a reality. With Riley's love of history and business and Hana's talent with art and fashion, the pair had created a successful travel channel that showcased rarely visited countries and cities around the world.

Hana took care of all the shopping and dining found at their chosen destinations. Her "day trips" were hailed as must see for anyone planning a vacation. Riley took over for what could be found at night. Myths and legends blended in with what could be discovered once the sun set. A place's nightlife was thoroughly researched and reached a wide variety of their audience, causing many to plan a vacation just on her recommendations alone.

"Did your mom suggest where we should go first?" Riley asked, after skimming the same few articles about the elusive country.

"Not really." Hana hedged.

Riley glanced up. "Is she giving you a hard time again?"

"Yes." Hana slumped in her chair. "She told me to call when I was done playing tour guide."

"Geez." Riley grumbled. "Does she not realize that we have created a legit business?"

"Ladies shouldn't be involved in anything that does not pertain to their husband and family." Hana quoted. "I was supposed to have my debut to Cordonian society last year." Angry tears filled her eyes. "She still hasn't forgiven me for missing out on the Masquerade Ball."

Riley wrapped her in a comforting hug. "I'm sorry."

Hana patted her back. "Don't be. I finally feel like I can accomplish anything."

"That's because you can." Riley sat back with a grin. "Especially with planning out what we should focus on first."

Hana giggled as she went to search out some of her old books she had inherited from her grandparents. "These might help you with your part."

Riley's eyebrows lifted over the titles. "The Crown, the Flame, and The Night Queen."

"That is the earliest recorded story of vampires and monsters in Cordonia." Hana explained. "Queen Kenna Rhys and King Luthor Nevarkis both fought over uniting the kingdoms that make up Cordonia." She shook her head in disbelief. "There is a legend that Queen Kenna was a vampire that married a man who could transform into a dragon."

"For real?" Riley eagerly opened the book. "What happened?"

"Luthor died." Hana reached for another history book. "Some say it was a sword fight while others say she ripped his throat out with her fangs."

"Whoa. Either way, she sounds pretty epic."

"His son got revenge though." Hana flipped to another chapter. "He sneaked in one day and supposedly dragged Kenna into the sunlight. Before her husband could save her, she burned to ash."

"Brutal." Riley shivered. "What did the dragon do?"

Hana shrugged. "Supposedly he left with their child to protect him." She pointed at some drawings rendered from the Dark Ages. "Kenna's son came back to extract revenge. He eliminated one entire side of the Nevarkis family tree."

"And let me guess," Riley picked up another book. "The remaining Nevarkis's struck back?"

"It's supposedly been a feud for centuries between the Nevarkis and the Rhys' families." Hana pulled up an image on her phone. "Though one is currently ruling Cordonia."

Riley studied the image. "Queen Olivia Nevarkis. Looks like the Rhys lost the throne."

Hana shrugged. "There's a myth that they still rule Cordonia from the shadows."

"Mythical royal vampires, huh?" Riley laughed at the thought. "I hope I bump into one just so I can figure out who's really in charge."

Hana giggled at the thought. "You would be the only person to ask a logical, government question instead of the usual, whoa you're a real live vampire!"

Riley threw a pillow at her. "Hey! I can be calm and collected when faced with the unknown."

Hana threw the pillow back. "Tell that to the supposed haunted house we visited on our last trip." She broke out into laughter with Riley's defense that squeaking doors were the true villains. "On that note, I'm going to start packing. Our flight leaves first thing in the morning."

"I'll be ready." Riley promised.

Once alone, she flipped to a more current timeline of the supposed Dark Kingdom.

King Constantine Rhys the Third rules over what is his rightful kingdom. Rumors swirl that he is simply biding his time until he can eliminate the usurper, Queen Olivia Nevarkis, First of Her Name. The people know that one day, a Rhys will sit upon the throne, uniting the Dark Kingdom and Cordonia once and for all.

****************

Cordonia's Royal Palace, 2 a.m.

"Heeeerah! Olivia threw her daggers as hard as she could while doing a roundhouse kick.

The blades struck into the chest, head, and groin of the makeshift dummy.

She brushed the few strands of red hair that had escaped her hair clip out of her eyes. With a great deal of scrutiny, she studied her dagger placement.

"The one to the head needs to go deeper."

She spun around with a start at that all too familiar voice.

"You're late." She folded her arms and tapped her foot.

Liam rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry. Had to stop off for a quick bite."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "That's not funny."

"Not that kind of bite." He teased, holding up a styrofoam box.

"Oh." She blinked in surprise. "I forget that you enjoy normal food too."

He chuckled at that. "There are certain foods that I don't think any man could ever give up."

Olivia decided to ignore that as she wiped the sweat from her face and neck. "Now that you're here, let's get the formalities over with."

"Very well." Liam gestured toward her. "You may go first."

She sat down on a bench lining one side of the palace gym. She motioned for him to join her.

"Not you!" She hissed when she saw his all too familiar guard.

Drake Walker bristled at her tone. His brown eyes clashed with her green.

"Give us a moment, please." Liam asked him.

"Don't let your guard down." Drake warned. "Remember, she's a Nevarkis."

Olivia tensed. "Perhaps you should remember what happened the last time you said something like that."

She quirked one eyebrow at the man and felt a sense of glee when he winced in memory.

His hand automatically drifted to his side where one of her daggers had once struck true.

With a quick bow to Liam, Drake stepped back out into the hallway.

Liam shook his head. "Are you two ever going to get along?"

"Stop talking stupid." Olivia snapped. "Now then, as you know...I must have my revenge."

"I know." Liam folded his arms and leaned casually against a column.

She eyed him for any sign of hatred.

It drove her crazy how unvampiric he could be.

He seemed almost human.

He seemed...kind.

A vampire is nature's evil incarnate. You can never trust a Rhys.

Those words had been drummed into her skull by her parents and then her aunt after their deaths by Constantine's hand.

And yet...Liam had done the unthinkable.

He had actually been a friend to Olivia.

*************

The night after her parents' funeral, five year old Olivia had been sitting alone before the fireplace, weeping over them.

Her aunt had left her to deal with her own grief and to plan the next attack upon Constantine.

As she searched for a tissue, Olivia jumped back with a shriek at the little blonde haired boy that held the Kleenex box.

His eyes were filled with unshed tears as he handed her a tissue.

"Who are you?" She asked, remembering that a Nevarkis must always be brave.

"I'm Liam." He explained. "I wanted to...I wanted to tell you I'm sorry about your parents." He sniffed and took a tissue for himself. "My mom died too."

Olivia blinked and took a cautious step forward. "Are you...are you a vampire?!"

He nodded.

She whipped out the dagger her mother had given her and rushed at him.

Liam moved faster than she could comprehend, gently keeping her hand above her head.

"Let go of me, monster!" She ordered. "You're why I'm all alone!"

"I didn't do anything." He told her, anguish taking over his handsome features. "I don't want to hurt you or anyone."

"Liar!" She snapped. "That's what you do. Lie and kill." Her tears ran faster down her cheeks. "And now you'll kill me."

"I won't." He promised. "I swear I won't hurt you." He ignored his own tears trickling down his cheeks. His blue eyes burned with resolve. "My mother made me promise never to hurt a human."

Olivia shook her head. It had to be lies. Isn't that what vampires and monsters do? Lull you into letting your guard down so that they could have an easy kill.

"Your father will pay for what he did." She said, hoping to see his true, evil nature. "He must die!"

"I know." Liam slowly released her and took a step back.

Olivia watched in surprise as he sat down before her fireplace and pulled out a silk blue ribbon from his pocket.

He motioned for her to join him.

She slowly lowered herself down, dagger poised in her little fist in case he made a move.

"May I have your hand, please?" He asked.

He patiently waited on her to decide whether or not to give it to him.

She tentatively placed her hand in his.

His lips turned up into a relieved smile as he wrapped the ribbon over their joined hands.

"What are you doing?" She asked, lowering her dagger.

"Making a bond." He explained. "I, Liam Rhys, Crown Prince of the Dark Kingdom, promise to never seek out revenge and to end all vendettas against the Nevarkis family." His blue eyes held her green. "Just as my mother, Queen Eleanor wanted me to."

Oliva's lips parted. "You mean it?"

"I do." Liam's voice held a great deal of sincerity. "I would rather walk into the sun than not do as she asked."

"Oh." Olivia sniffed. She could understand that kind of devotion.

"Do you," Liam's cheeks colored. "Do you think we can be allies?"

"A Nevarkis will never be friends with a monster." She repeated the rhetoric that she knew by heart.

"But," Liam's shoulders slumped. "We're not all bad."

"All monsters are bad at heart."

"I'm not." He pouted. "I don't want to be."

"You're so weird." She muttered.

"Am not." Liam grumbled. "I hope I'm not."

Olivia looked down at their hands still bound together. "I guess since you promised something, I should too."

He didn't bother to hide his surprise.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "I, Olivia Nevarkis, The Crown Princess of Cordonia, swear that after I kill Constantine Rhys, I will lay down my weapons." Her brow furrowed. "I'll pick them back up though if you or any other monster tries anything."

Liam's smile grew. Before she could react, he tugged her into a quick hug.

"Now we can be friends!" He cheered.

"Friends?" She shook her head. "I'm a Nevarkis and you're a Rhys. We can't be friends."

"We will be." He vowed, jumping to his feet. "I have to go before Father finds out I've sneaked out. I'll try to come back in a few nights."

Olivia didn't have a chance to tell him whether or not she wanted him to. In the blink of an eye, he had jumped from her balcony and was already out the palace gates.

*****************

That had been the beginning of Liam's visits. Through the years, he had remained true to his promise. He did all he could to befriend her and never tried to sway her from seeking vengeance.

Olivia had once asked him how he could take her threat against his father so easily.

He had merely shrugged, explaining that he knew it was the way of things. His father had killed both her parents, while he had only lost one. He hoped she didn't since he did not wish to see his father or her dead.

Olivia had then told him again how weird he was, bringing another smile to his lips.

And now here he was again, calmly taking her promised vengeance well.

"So what business brings you here tonight?" She asked.

"Father thinks it is time I chose a wife." Liam responded. "I thought you should know that I will be spending more time in your kingdom to find one."

Olivia shot up off the bench. "What? But you promised to never hurt a human!"

"And I will keep true to that." He explained.

"But..." Olivia's brow furrowed. "You'll turn her into a vampire."

"Only if she wishes it." Liam explained. "I won't force her to make such a decision."

"I see." She began to pace while thinking. "You'll have vampire children."

"Only if she's a vampire." He reminded her. "Remember my brother."

Olivia paused. She had forgotten about Leo Rhys, The Great Disappointment of the Dark Kingdom. His mother had begged Constantine not to turn her. It had never been asked before, and in his mercy he had agreed. That was when they all discovered that a monster and a human could only produce a human child. In order for the heir to the Dark Kingdom to be a vampire, both parents had to be the same being.

"And you'll be fine having human children?" She asked. "If you're chosen bride refuses the Vampire's Kiss?"

"Of course." He responded.

"Lord, you're so weird." She muttered.

His smirk flashed. "Let's hope the woman I choose doesn't think so."

"Are there no women in your kingdom you can choose from?" She asked.

"I've looked." He shook his head. "It's hard to explain, but if one doesn't have an arranged marriage, then we must search until we see the one meant for us."

"And you somehow got weirder." She brushed her hands down her pants and held one out to him. "Good luck, I suppose."

"Thank you." He grasped her hand and lifted it to his lips. "I'll keep you updated on my progress."

"There's no need."

"Of course there is." He winked at her on his way out. "We're friends."

Her lips parted to once again remind him that they couldn't be. For some reason, she decided not to say it.

Liam had somehow wormed his way into her life and had become the closest friend she had ever had.

********************

The Lee Residence, Shanghai, China...

Lorelei paled as she reread the report. 

It can’t be. Not Now!

Of all the times for this to happen, it would be when her stubborn, foolish daughter decided to visit. 

Given the nature of her relationship with Hana, she knew that there was no way she could convince her to postpone her trip to Cordonia. 

There was only one course of action left to take. She would have to call the one man who was capable of protecting her daughter. She would promise hiim anything as long as he kept Hana out of Liam’s clutches. As much as wanted her to give up this ridiculous hobby she called a job and settled down with the right sort of man, she would never put her in the path of becoming the next vampire queen. 

Setting down the packet of information from one of her informants, she checked to make certain no servant was out in the hallway and then searched for the needed phone number.

Taking a deep breath, she placed the call.

Her trepidation grew when he didn’t immediately answer.

"Hello."

"Lord Beaumont?" 

"Yes." She could hear a door closing in the background. "Who is this?"

"Lorelei Lee." She replied.

"Lady Lorelei." He responded with a recognition. "How can I help you?"

"My daughter and her friend have got it in their heads to come visit Cordonia." She began. "I'm not certain how long they intend to stay, but I was hoping that I could retain your services."

"For what exactly?" Lord Beaumont asked.

"Protection." She replied. "I have heard through certain channels that the dark prince is beginning to search for a bride." She took a deep breath. "We do NOT want our daughter anywhere near that vile creature."

"I understand." He replied. "I usually don't do personal security. With my brother, Bertrand, retired," he hesitated, "it is left up to me to help protect Cordonia's borders."

"My husband and I would be in your debt if you could watch over her in the evenings." Lorelei cajoled. "I've heard that your brother is planning on extending his vineyards. We would be more than happy to invest in the production and distribution of his sparkling wine. Perhaps even let it be the only sparkling wine we serve in our hotels."

"Send me her information and picture. Call her and tell her that since our family is an old friend of yours, that I've volunteered to show them around. Find out where she's staying and when she plans on arriving."

"Oh thank you, my lord. We--"

"I'll also need a contract prepared and signed for all that you offered." He added.

"Yes of course. I'll get everything to you at once." She promised.

Once he ended the call, she sank back down onto her chair. 

She bowed her head and began to pray that her daughter came to no harm these next few weeks. To lose Hana to one of the many creatures that roamed the night in Cordonia was too horrible to even contemplate.

If anyone could keep her daughter safe then it was none other than Lord Maxwell Beaumont.

[aion-rsa]

The Cinematic Legacy of Lupin: Arsène Lupin’s Live-Action Filmography

https://ift.tt/2ToNPSY

When Netflix premiered the first season of Lupin last January, 70 million sheltered-in-place households ravenously binged it, making the series the most-watched non-English show for its premiere month on the streamer so far. Lupin steals a page from French literature. The hero of Lupin, Assane Diop (Omar Sy) is inspired by France’s iconic ‘Gentleman Thief’ Arsène Lupin, a fictional figure created by French writer Maurice Leblanc in 1905. 

Lupin was the subject of some two dozen books by Leblanc, who continued adding into his literary franchise until well into the 1930s. Akin to Robin Hood, Lupin stole from the rich, and often did good deeds despite his thieving capers. He was a master of deception and disguise, a lady killer who always operated with a classy panache. With a legacy spanning more than a century, there have been plenty of live-action depictions in film and TV.

The First Lupin Films are Over a Hundred Years Old

The earliest cinematic portrayals of Lupin were in black and white, and many have been lost. One of the very first was a U.S. production, a short film titled The Gentleman Burglar in 1908. William Ranows, a veteran of over sixty films, played Lupin. It was directed by one of the first film directors ever, Edwin Porter, who worked for Edison. 

Leblanc was a contemporary of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Consequently, Holmes appears in a few Lupin stories. Doyle took legal action against Leblanc, forcing the name change in Lupin stories to the thinly disguised ‘Herlock Sholmes.’ As Holmes is loved by the British, Lupin is cherished by the French, and both characters became global icons. Consequently, among the many film and TV adaptations, several that depicted their rivalry regardless of copyright issues. In 1910, a German film serial titled Arsène Lupin contra Sherlock Holmes starred Paul Otto as Lupin and Viggo Larsen as Holmes (Larsen also served as director.) There were allegedly five installments in the series, but they’ve all been lost. 

France produced Arsène Lupin contre Ganimard in 1914 with Georges Tréville as Lupin (Inspector Ganimard was constantly on Lupin’s trail). The silent film Arsène Lupin came out of Britain in 1916 with Gerald Ames in the titular role, followed by more U.S. productions: Arsène Lupin (1917) starring Earle Williams, The Teeth of the Tiger (1919) with David Powell, which is also lost, and 813 starring Wedgwood Nowell. 813 was the title of Leblanc’s fourth Lupin book. 

Lupin and the Barrymore Clan of Actors

The legendary thespian John Barrymore played Lupin in 1932’s Arsène Lupin. He took on the role under one of Lupin’s aliases, the Duke of Charmerace. His brother, Lionel Barrymore, played another Lupin nemesis, Detective Guerchard. Given the illustrious cast, this is a standout Lupin film, although there isn’t a shred of Frenchness in Barrymore’s interpretation. Coincidentally, John Barrymore also played Holmes in Sherlock Holmes a decade earlier. He is also the grandfather of Drew Barrymore. 

Barrymore’s Arsène Lupin revolved around the theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre. Historically, the Da Vinci masterpiece was stolen in 1911 and recovered in 1913. This inspired a Lupin short story, a parody akin to early fanfiction that was not written by Leblanc. In 1912, mystery writer Carolyn Wells published The Adventure Of The Mona Lisa which imagined Holmes and Lupin to be part of the International Society of Infallible Detectives alongside A. J. Raffles, Monsieur Lecoq, and other crime-solving luminaries. Barrymore’s Arsène Lupin does not retell this tale, but the theft of the Mona Lisa comes up again in other Lupin films because it’s France so robbing the Louvre is a common plot point. Netflix’s Lupin begins with Diop’s heist of the Queen’s necklace from the Louvre, an Easter egg referring to Leblanc’s original Lupin short story, ‘The Queen’s Necklace’ published in 1906.

The ‘30s delivered two more Lupin films. The French-made Arsène Lupin detective (1937) starred Jules Berry as Lupin and the American-made Arsène Lupin Returns (1938) with Melvyn Douglas who was credited under another Lupin alias Rene Farrand (Lupin has a lot of aliases). Despite being a completely different production, Douglas’ film was an attempt to capitalize on the success of Barrymore’s film as both films were from MGM. Universal Studios entered the fray soon after with their version Enter Arsène Lupin (1944) starring Charles Korvin. The following year, the Mexican-made Arsenio Lupin (1945) featured Ramón Pereda as the French thief. That film also starred José Baviera as Sherlock. 

The Early Japanese Lupin Adaptations

Lupin captured the hearts of the Japanese. Ironically, Japanese speakers have a difficult time pronouncing ‘L’s so Lupin is usually renamed as ‘Rupan’ or ‘Wolf’ (Lupine means wolf-like – remember Remus Lupin from Harry Potter). As early as 1923, Japan also delivered a silent version of 813, retitled Hachi Ichi San, starring Komei Minami as the renamed Lupin character of Akira Naruse. 

In the ‘50s, Japan produced 3 films that credit Leblanc: Nanatsu-no Houseki (1950) with Keiji Sada, Tora no-Kiba (1951) with Ken Uehara, and Kao-no Nai Otoko (1955) with Eiji Okada. However, post-WWII Japan has obscured most of the details on these films. Like Hachi Ichi San, these Japanese versions laid the foundations for the Lupin III, which debuted as a manga in 1967 and spawned a major manga and anime franchise. In karmic retribution for Leblanc poaching Sherlock, Japan stole Lupin. Lupin III was Arsène Lupin’s grandson. 

Notably, the second Lupin III feature film, The Castle of Cagliostro, marked the directorial debut of famed animator Hayao Miyazaki and is considered a groundbreaking classic that inspired Pixar and Disney (Disney’s The Great Mouse Detective (1986) pilfered the finale clockwork fight from The Castle of Cagliostro). In the wake of the anime Lupin III Part I (1971), Japan produced some anime films that were more loyal to Leblanc, notably Kaitō Lupin: 813 no Nazo (1979) and Lupin tai Holmes (1981). However, this article is focused upon live-action adaptations. Lupin III is another topic entirely. 

In the late ‘50s and into the ‘70s, France reclaimed her celebrated son. Robert Lamoureux became Lupin for two films, Les aventures d’Arsène Lupin (1957) and Signé Arsène Lupin (1959). A comedy version pitted rival sons of Lupin against each other in Arsène Lupin contre Arsène Lupin (1962). Playing the Lupin brothers were Jean-Pierre Cassel and Jean-Claude Brialy. 

Lupin on the Small Screen

Read more

TV

From Lupin III to Inspector Gadget: Examining the Heirs of Arsène Lupin

By Natalie Zutter

France also delivered several TV series. Arsène Lupin ran from 1971 to 1974 and starred Georges Descrières. It encompassed 26 60-minute episodes. L’Île aux trente cercueils (1979) is often included in Lupin filmographies because it is based on a Leblanc novel published in 1919 in which Lupin makes a guest appearance. However, he was omitted from this six-episode miniseries, so it doesn’t quite count. Arsène Lupin joue et perd (1980) was another six-episode miniseries loosely based on ‘813’ with Jean-Claude Brialy from the 1962 comedy. 

One more French TV show, Le Retour d’Arsène Lupin, was televised in two seasons, 1989-1990 and 1995-1996. These were 90-minute episodes with 12 in season 1 and eight in season 2. François Dunoyer starred as Lupin.

And in 2007, the largest Lupin TV show ran for a whopping 96 episodes plus one special. Lupin was made in the Philippines no less, starring Richard Gutierrez as André Lupin

Lupin in the Last Decade 

In 2011, Japan delivered one more live-action film Lupin no Kiganjo starring Kōichi Yamadera. Based on Leblanc’s 3rd Lupin book, L’aiguille Creuse, the film is reset in modern Japan.

In the strangest permutation of Japanese Lupins, Daughter of Lupin was a TV series that is an odd hybrid of Lupin III and Leblanc’s work. A campy sitcom in the tradition of Romeo and Juliet, Hana (Kyoko Fukada) comes from a family of thieves known as the L clan who are inspired by Lupin. Her lover, Kazuma (Koji Seto), is from a family of cops. When in thief mode, Hana wears a carnival mask and a velvet catsuit. It’s goofy, sort of a live action version of anime. It ran for two seasons in 2019 and 2020.

The Lupin Adaptation You Should See 

The strongest modern adaptation of Leblanc’s iconic burglar is the period film Arsène Lupin (2004). It’s an actioner, a creation story for Lupin, starting from his childhood and moving rapidly to him becoming a master gentleman thief. Romain Duris plays the titular role, and the film is in French. Backing Duris are veteran actresses Kristin Scott Thomas as Comtesse de Cagliostro and Eva Green as Clarisse de Dreux-Soubise. The story is absurd, like a mash-up between a superhero film and the DaVinci code, and it gets a bit muddled in the telling. However, it’s shot on location (including the Louvre) and encapsulates the spirit of Leblanc’s character in an updated fashion. It’s a perfect primer for Lupin Season 2.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Lupin seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Netflix now.

The post The Cinematic Legacy of Lupin: Arsène Lupin’s Live-Action Filmography appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2U0px1N

[arazolasecrets]

Confessionals in Marriage

[ The following  is a log of a scene between Estefania, and her husband Leviticus. ]

@seawitchtales​

It had started as a normal day. Leviticus was at work at his forge*, she had gone over to say hello as she did every day, and then, her past suddenly popped out of no where, smacking her right in the face.  Certain things were revealed (and kept) during Estefania's conversation with former ruler Hana Yasmin Udell, only for it to be cut short when urgent news came. It was definitely news that changed things on the Sargenis and Adair side, as well as Hana Yasmin, whom to Estefania's displeasure, had been involved with Slania's older brother, who had caused enough mess in Wexford. By the time Estefania was freed up again, the sky was dark and the crescent moon was in the sky. As Stef walked back to the little home she and Levi shared, she felt her knots in her stomach. She had been very vague about her past, for reasons, but now, there was no choice but to finally tell him everything. He knew about her tempestuous relationship with her brother, and how that eventually led her to Wexford, but she hadn't told him every detail. Each time she planned to tell him, she pushed the date back, and pushed, and pushed. But now, it was clearly time. When she got to the door, she let out a long sigh, looking up towards the sky as she tried to calm her nerves. Eventually, she opened the door, and stepped inside. "Levi? Are you home?" She asked as she closed the door. A part of her hope he wasn't yet. [d]

A bare leg was thrown over the back of the couch that he had fashioned out of leather and wood, the rest of his body draped in his finest silk robe, and upside down. Black eyes were peering into the dancing flames of the hearth, but Estefania’s voice pulled Leviticus back into reality. One arm lifted to place a nice little joint between his lips as the other one raised. “...now what kind of question is that, Little Dove, where else am I supposed ta’ be..” A Latin-Irish accent must of been quite comical to hear, at least it used to be. Pretty sure his Wife was used to it. Slowly he spun himself around so that he could stand, joint still in tow, and made his way around the couch. “...I could’ve drown, I mean really, had to bathe myself. Feed myself. I thought I was goin’ ta’ be sleepin’ all by myself too..” Both hands moved to his hips while a pained look crossed his face. He peeked the corner of his eye to look down towards his Wife, a thick cloud of smoke billowing from his nostrils. “...at least I didn’t have to kill anyone this time. Are you okay?” It was kind of late, and she was a grown ass woman and everything..but..uh. (D)

Well, there he was. No, life had decided that the time was now. She took off her cloak, because it was obviously colder since summer had ended, and hung it up by the door. "Sometimes you come home late from the forge and -- wait, is that my robe, or yours?" Estefania could never tell anymore. Sure, they more had a love for silk, and both got robes separately, but sometimes he borrowed hers, and she borrowed his. "...I can never tell anymore. But, you do somehow look better in silk than I do... " His words made her frown, and she walked over to him, her frown turning to a pout. She stood on her tiptoes and touched the sides of his faces, well, with the tips of her fingers. "I'm sorry. You know I would have never left you in the bath by yourself unless it was absolutely necessary." Then, she let out a short sigh, "And it was. I have to talk to you about something, and yes, it has something to do with the woman who came up to us today. I don't think I'm okay, to be honest." Estefania sadly smiled, or at least attempted to, and made her way to the couch. She sat, and patted the seat cushion next to her. Oh boy. [d]

A manicured brow arched rather slowly as he watched Stef move in the way she did. Hands remained on his hips as he gaze tore away from her to look at his robe. “...well, I wouldn’t push it that far. I look like a walking peep-show, and this is definitely mine..” He almost hissed. He had an affair with nice fabric since he was a child. Hmpf! Levi finally broke his stance so that he could go across the room to fetch a cup. After a little of this and a little of that was added to a sachet, he’d made his way back to the fire. “...I feel like I should stand for this, so continue on..” Oh, his eyebrow was still perked, no doubt. But! He’d pour some water from the kettle over the tea, before reaching out to place it in front of his Wife. “...maybe this will help with your nerves..” (d)

Estefania's nervousness broke for a moment, and she thought for a moment how Hana Yasmin, in shock, asked, "That's your husband?"  She wondered how the woman would react seeing that the big, scary, wild looking blacksmith was also a silk aficionado, more so than her. She covered her mouth, almost laughing out at the thought, but soon she lowered her hand, smiling at him. "I could have sworn that was mine. Hm, that probably means the dark blue one is mine." Her stomach lurched, as if to say back to the subject! and she took in a deep breath, clasping her hands together."Yes, so the woman -- thank you, my love --" She quickly said as he prepared tea for her, and took it, holding the cup between her cold hands, " -- Is a woman from my past. I think I've told you that I was born in a Kingdom called Paraiso, but I was living in another kingdom called Etihad. Well, that woman is Hana Yasmin Udell. She was the former queen of those kingdoms. I served her for a long time. To my surprise, she abdicated." That was nothing to be nervous about, right? Well, by the look on Stef's face, there was more. "...Ah, so... I have not  told you what I did in these kingdoms. I served the queen as uh...as her right hand. My family was pretty important..." She grimaced for a moment, realizing she was, yet again, dancing around the actual fact, "...In fact, my family, House Arazola, was the richest and most powerful family after the crown. I was the head of the family." [d]

“....yes, Dove, the flowers are mine..” He said almost matter-of-factually, before his feature lost all sign of laughter. He stood for a long while just looking around at random objects and puffing on his smoke. “..uh..huh..” Finally his gaze fell upon his precious Little Dove. “....so why, or rather how did I stumble upon such a thing in this town...almost drowned, no doubt? And what do you mean that you were if you sit before me here and now..” You could obviously tell Levi was getting antsy, that joint was gone! (D)

Stef took a sip of the tea she had, burning the tip of her tongue in the process a bit, but she did take a good gulp of it, hoping it would, in fact, calm her nerves. Oh, Levi's questions began to trigger an intense anxiety that came whenever she thought of the events that eventually brought her to Wexford. She put down the tea cup, and hugged herself, rubbing her arms in an attempt to calm herself. "Uhm... That's the complicated part. I... It's hard for me to even say it out loud, and you're the first person I'm going to tell..." And she was hoping he'd be the only person. "...So, in the Kingdom of Paraiso, my father served this queen. Rumor is, she was raped by a demon and she gave birth to two sons, Vergil and Uriel. Vergil, in trying to kill his brother to take the throne, killed his mother the queen. Our family tried to have him held accountable, but then my father died and Vergil managed to throw us out on the street. We lived in poverty until Hana Yasmin took over and put us back into power." Stef began to grip her arms hard. "Things happened that led us to leave Paraiso and begin a new kingdom, Etihad. One day, while going through old family things, I found something that... uh... apparently, was evidence that made us the true heirs of Paraiso's throne-- starting with me, because my father named me his heir. I ... hid it, didn't tell my brother Ulises, but he found out. He wanted us to take the throne to 'set things right', but I told him I refused to take any throne, and that our place was in the new kingdom. He..." Stef suddenly began to cry, and she covered her face, mostly out of shame. "He attacked me with a knife, saying he had to do what was necessary for the family. I fought back. He began to choke me and in panic, I grabbed the knife and I...I was aiming for his shoulder but got his neck instead!" Her voice broke in the last part, and by that point, she was crying hard, trembling all over as a result of retelling the trauma. [d]

Leviticus’s features were stoic, but you could clearly see that he was taking his time lulling over Stef’s story as she wove it. He moved to stand before her with his hands moving from off his hips. “..what are you doing?” His question seemed strange, but he was deadass. “....so you defended yourself from your dumbass Brother, and you feel what..guilt?” There was a bit of anger twisted in his words, but it wasn’t because of her. “...fuck that guy..” And he’d spit on the ground next to him. “...he fucking better be dead is all I’m saying. I mean, I could find out for you..” Now a brow rose almost as if in question. For a moment he was silent, but that was broken with a sigh. “...I could come out with what I am, show you.” (D)

Stef looked up, her eyes and cheeks glistening with tears. “I didn’t think I’d ever stab my brother’s neck, Levi. His blood was all over my hands and clothes… the sounds he made.” Her chest heaved, and she leaned back against the couch, looking up at him, afraid that he was going to explode once she told him. “I think he’s alive. I… I can just feel it. I can’t explain it. Also, when I mentioned it to Hana Yasmin, she didn’t deny it,” Stef said quietly, “I’m pretty sure he’s going after the crown now since everyone thinks I’m dead. He was after my heirdom, after all.” Now, she just look damn sad, but what he said made her glance at him again, tilting her head. “Show me? [d]

A sigh was uttered while both hands lifted to rub through his hair. “...you were defending yourself from a Brother that was trying to kill you. A person that held no regard for your life based off of greed and spitefulness. There is no reason to cry about this any longer, my Little Dove..” Levi was terrible at trying to have the right words to say, but he was fuckin’ trying. Well what a night this turned out to be. Moving slowly he perched on the table in front of his Wife, moving his face close to her own. After a moment both eyes would completely turn black, even the whites. “...when I was born I was marked as punishment for my Parents’ love. But I wouldn’t really call it a curse...what do you know of the Greek God, Hades.” The sound of bones breaking and snapping would echo through their home as flesh peeled from Levi’s changing body, being replaced by smooth black fur. After a few moments a large canine sat in front of Stef. A Doberman, with fire burning in his eyes. (D)

Estefania knew he was right. After all, attempted murder was a line that once crossed, there was no going back. "It's hard not to cry. It just... hurts." She replied sadly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. That was probably the best way to put it. "There's more to it, you know. My mother played a big part -- I think she resented my existence. The only person in my corner was my father, but... he just died." Speaking of parents! Stef's brows furrowed as Levi changed his eyes and then, she looked a bit freaked out when she realized his eyes had gone completely dark. "Hades? Uh... I do remember from the tales that he was the Greek god of the underworld, and he... he..." She trailed off, eyes widened big as Levitcus began his transformation. She looked absolutely horrified by the sounds of his breaking and snapping bones, cringing noticeably and covering her ears. She didn't even realize that she had actually began to curl up on the couch, probably because of the fear and discomfort she suddenly was feeling. Then, she  stared at the creature that was in the place of her husband. She didn't say anything, unable to even form a coherent thought. So... her husband was a dog. [d]

“...well I am He and He is me...” Leviticus’s voice wrapped itself around Estefania as she curled up on the couch. For a moment the dog sat still watching her. There were really no words that he could utter to make this any less of a shock. So he decided to jump up onto the couch to lie next to her, his body warm just like the fire. “...it’s a strange thing to have the memories and abilities of someone like this. But I’ve learned to deal with it. My Father hears the constant suffering of all those on this plane, and I hear the constant suffering of the dead.” (D)

Somewhere in the house, the black cat that had, in all honesty, adopted them, was staring at Doberman Leviticus probably just as confused and wide-eyed as Stef. She continued to stare at Doberman Levi when he was on the couch with her. While she looked completely dumfounded, she began to uncurl herself, and eventually, she was somewhat sitting again, still unsure of what exactly happened. "... Does it... hurt?" She finally asked, because man, the transformation was painful just to watch. [d]

“...not anymore. I can pretty much turn into any black animal. This just happens to be one of the ones that guards the Underworld. After a few more moments the canine would depart her side to stand back near the hearth. This time a stale wind wrapped itself around his form engulfing him in a black haze. Naked, he’d peer back towards his Wife with his normal blue eyes. “...look, we both have a shitty past. But we have a wonderful future to look towards, but it’s going to be a long road. I want to be able to make my name into one that is respected, one that our children would be proud to have.” A hand rose sheepishly to rub the back of his head as an embarrassed laugh found him. “... I mean after my display I’m not even sure you’d want a child with me, but after this war is over..” Who knew? (D)

Once he was back in human form, she looked a lot more relaxed (sort of, because once she realized he was naked? Brows went up for a moment, but then looked right at his face, determined to keep her gaze there because she couldn't be distracted during serious talk.) Then talk of children made her smile, and look down. "You know, when I was busy being the right hand of a Queen ... I didn't even have time to think about children. My past life feels so far away." She commented before she let out a light laugh. "Levi... " She got up, walked up and stood before him. "It'd be a crime if two people who looked as great as us didn't have a child. Please." She weakly joked, but she meant that! "But... it is a bit frightening to see you transform -- the sounds... ah." She got the shivers and shook her shoulders. But then she took both of his hands. "As long as you're still the man that I married on the inside, I... I think I can deal with it.  You can become a black dog, and I have an angel somewhere inside. God, we're so fucking weird." Odd couple, they were. [d]

“...I’m a God, not a dog.” He sort of eye-rolled while he watched her, moving his hands so that he could wrap her up in his arms and pick her up. Both of her legs were wrapped around his waist as he peered into her eyes. “..I’ll always be me, Estefania.” A gentle kiss was placed against her lips with a smile. “... but now I need to meet this Hana, hm?” (D)

There was something about being picked up that Levi that made her feel super good andsafe. If anyone else did it, well, she'd feel insulted somehow.  "I'm sorry, but it's... it's what I saw" She said with a laugh. She kissed him back, and let out a sigh, finally starting to look more relaxed rather than anxiety ridden or horrified like before. "Oh, you do. I told her you're my husband and I don't think she believes me yet. I think she always expected me to marry some clean cut nobleman, despite how bored I told her I'd get." An eyeroll ensued. "But.. she's a good person, so I'm sure she'll see why I'm with you. And I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I'm so used to being a politician and keeping secrets, I suppose I need to remember to focus on being a good, unsecretive wife instead." There was a pause, but then she cleared her throat. "So, are you going to stay naked like this or ... hear me out --" She rose an index finger, "... We go upstairs." She was a negotiating councilwoman back in the day, so clearly,  negotiation was still a forte. [d]

Leviticus had moved his hands to cup her pert little ass while still holding her close to him. “... yes, secrets aren’t the best between a Husband and Wife. Doubt can grow there..” A brow rose slowly as she questioned his nakedness. “... noble men are fuckin’ chodes..” And with a turn her back would be slammed against the wall. With his nose he’d press against the side of her face so the he could expose the flesh of her neck. A tender, but longing kiss was offered to the nape before he bit her just enough to feel the sharpness of his canines. “...you won’t make it upstairs, Little Dove..” He’d almost growl into her mouth as his lips found hers again, a more passionate kiss offered. (D)

And they never made it upstairs.

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on TRH Book 1, Chapter 3

• I'm hoping that if I have this chapter out early enough (doubtful, because compiling and organizing my screenshots takes time, and my drafts often don't save which means there are times I will have to replicate whole paragraphs from scratch. But fingers crossed!), I might try and do revisits of the first book. I did four of those chapters last year, and I think now - when we're looking at some of the stories told to us in Book 1 from a new lens - is a good time to explore that first book again.

• I hope the read more issue is resolved by now. It made posting quite hard the last time. In the meantime these are the tags you can block: #long post, #trh quick thoughts, #trh qts, #trh qt reblogs.

• Thanks a lot to @pixieferry for her Hana playthrough, @thefirstcourtesan for her Drake playthrough screenshots and the Abhirio YouTube channel for the Maxwell playthrough screenshots. Not much of those are up, because of lack of space to put up the pictures and the fact that this particular chapter wasn't specifically LI centric.

• Title: Your Kingdom Awaits.

Alternative Title: Tell Me What's Gestating in My Womb Today, Cordonia! A Cordonian Ruby? An Autumn Glory? A Granny Smith?

• Three chapters in and I'm getting more and more baffled by this story by the day. There's stuff I like. Some of the characters I still love. I have fun looking at the little hints, the bits of symbolism, the callbacks. I love theorizing what we'll be doing next! But all of this needs to be glued together by a coherent storyline and this just isn't it.

• Even if we push aside the gross inequalities in balance (re: character development), there's still so much that just doesn't make sense. Why is there so much rush. Why is everyone in this country (and outside) so invasive and entitled over this one noble's child? Why are we doing such insane scales of prep over a process that is in itself is so unpredictable? Why am I learning about Cordonia's allies/potential enemies in such a vague and shoddy fashion? And most of all what kind of bullshit Royal Council is this???

• But I'll elaborate on all those questions later. For now let's move on to the chapter!

• If you didn't buy the corgi in Book 2, they ask you if you'd like to buy it now at the beginning of the chapter. Possibly that may affect the entry of the second corgi in some way? Idk. 

• Esther, the Queen of Cordonia is also still the queen of winging it. You'd think they'd have planned a look for her (esp given the amount of time they could spend on the train) and gotten her ready by the time they reached there, not scrambled around for an outfit the minute they reached Valtoria.

• The LI tells the MC that they're fixed an appointment with the best obstetrician they could find, and we will be going there to ask our preliminary questions plus get a check up. I was wondering if in Hana's case they would be going to a fertility specialist instead.

• In any case, Bertrand volunteers to help us with an outfit for the last time in a short while, because he's traveling to Texas to prepare for their wedding. (we're going there too, but later. I'm not looking forward to another round of Savannah-worship - possibly with an added side of Bianca-worship - no thank you).

• Bianca's ranch is called the Walker Ranch, after Jackson's last name. Why Jackson's?

• Our OOTD!

Electric blue with a gold belt and a black and white border on the neckline, accessorized with a necklace (I think it's pearls set in gold?) and a brooch pin in the shape of a crown.

I kinda like this one and knowing the way this team operates when it comes to outfits most of the time, I'm pretty sure the colour scheme was chosen on purpose. With this outfit, the MC is presenting herself in the national colours, with a tiny signifier of what her future role might be. Either as Queen or as mother of the future heir to the Crown. This is an outfit that would send a message during Liam's announcement, whether she is (symbolically) wearing that crown or not.

• I'm obviously not very comfortable with the implications that would go with that outfit (esp if she is not the Queen), but I can't deny it does its job.

• The MC can opt to go for either being poised, acting like a diva or being very casual in her approach. Whatever she does the crowd pretty much worships her.

•

So everyone except Liam has someone (media, a fan, common people) approaching them as a way of showing how famous and revered the entire group has become in Cordonia. Liam doesn't need one coz he's anyway getting his moment with his big speech in front of the Valtoria manor.

Drake - Donnie Brine from the CBC speaks to Drake, positioning him as a man of the masses, the person that the Cordonian people see as their representative. Drake is woefully unprepared and freezes, blurting out that "things are great" which probably might end up becoming a meme on Cordonian internet later. Random Cordonian Woman from Applewood saves him by confirming this statement even though her trees have yet to grow and the tax problems are pretty much making her life "not great".

Maxwell - Where are Jiro and Camellia from Applewood? I like little Marco and Valerie but I hope they're not the only kids PB is going to be showing every time they need to show children. Marco approaches Maxwell and the MC both to sign his copy of Maxwell's book, and Maxwell takes care to do a dramatic signature that will not "obscure the picture of his face". I'm giggling at that image.

Hana - Valerie approaches Hana with a handmade flower necklace, presumably with a pattern made from "the Lee family crest". Now either Lorelai's family in Cordonia have the same surname as Xinghai, or Xinghai got himself a house crest for some reason. Either way, to toss out a detail like that so casually (a family crest is something that passes down through generations, esp in noble families) without even thinking of the logistics of it...(when an entire book of yours has been dedicated to sigils and crests) is pretty lazy.

BUT. In good news this means that my longtime speculation that Hana's mother's house had flowers as part of their court of arms is correct! (I was also right about a couple other things, like Maxwell's ancestors and Liam's mother being alive when Olivia was brought to the palace. YAY! 😁)

• We now move on to Liam's public announcement. Which sounds kinda weird whichever way you look at it. A married Liam announces that he and his wife are on a mission to enjoy babymaking and a single Liam announces this:

(Screenshots from a Hana playthrough by @pixieferry)

I will translate what both Liams are saying into Cordonian:

Married Liam: We don't have an apple cinnamon bun in the oven yet, but we're definitely having fun kneading that dough nudge nudge wink wink.

Single Liam: I'm neither making apple buns nor kneading dough. I'll leave that to my friends the bun-making experts here. I'm just gonna park my butt outside the oven door along with the rest of Cordonia.

Sounds weird? You're welcome. It was meant to sound weird.

• Esther finally reunites with her corgi Joy! I wonder if at some point she'll meet up with her horse Celestia and red pandas Hansel and Gretel too xD

• Mara tells me safety checks have been done, but...it's Mara saying that, so I'm not sure I'm quite convinced. The alternative is Bastien, so...we're kinda screwed I guess.

• The group then discusses the future foetus, and Liam takes this opportunity to hint at their childhood history. You know what that means? DIAMOND SCENE!!

•

(Screenshots for Asian Liam from my playthrough, Black Liam from @pixieferry and White Liam from @thefirstcourtesan)

LOOK AT THE WEE LITTLE KIDDIES AND LIAM'S MOM OMG AAAAAA.

As far as I can tell, among the kids the sprites for all three Liams and Drake are very much new, and the rest come from variations and changes to different faces. Maxwell's face is a copy of Simon from THoBM (only the mouth is slightly different), Hana's has a lot of similarities to young Kenna in TCaTF, but with pigtails instead of tiny buns. Olivia's is a little harder to place but I think there are plenty similarities between hers and RoE Camellia's face. For Queen Eleanor they used Young Mary's (MC's mother) sprite from D&D in accordance to whichever Liam you chose. Perhaps the only Mary sprite not used here would be the brown/Indian one, because Liam's ethnicities mainly feature White, Black and Asian. She even wears Mary's opera outfit (that incidentally Mary also ended up wearing to her wedding lol).

• Somehow they forgot that Maxwell was supposed to be a cute chubby little hippo who was loved by his mother.

• I'd like for Black Liam to grow more hair on his head because the curls on his younger self are lovely 😍

• Since most of the childhood tales revolve around the experience of growing up in the palace, this build up to the diamond scene begins with the MC asking questions about each of the boys (Liam, Drake, Maxwell).

- Little Liam and His Crown: Liam claims he only wore those during state occasions, but Maxwell (who admittedly didn't see Liam as much as Drake did but saw him often nonetheless) saw him practically sleep in the thing, and Drake has pictures to prove it lol.

- Grumpy Drake: Maxwell and Liam agree on Drake becoming grumpier as he grew older, but disagree on what metaphors to use to describe it. Maxwell favours "scratchy bark on a secretly loveable tree", and Liam claims he is "whiskey maturing in its barrell". ("oh", I want to ask Drake, "so that's what they call 'old grain mash' these days?" 🤣 This is my revenge for him referring to wine as old grape juice back in Book 2). No prizes for guessing which metaphor Drake liked better.

- Banning Maxwell from Palace Rooms: Maxwell's lucky he has a king for a friend because apparently before Liam jokingly and unwisely decided to give the man a royal pardon Maxwell was banned from all the good rooms 😅

• Hana clearly hasn't lost her touch when it comes to epic savagery. "I imagined you guys like the Three Musketeers, only...less French". 😅😅

• This diamond scene is split into three parts. You have the fun 'adventures' of the little boys (and later Olivia) at the palace, split in between by a slightly more sombre tale of little Hana's loneliness. The narrative voice in all three is very much that of a child, and focuses on Liam's and Hana's imaginations, so as to make their childhood stories more real to us while still providing us background information about the country's recent history (the "recent history" bit doesn't apply to Hana, though, since she is in China at the time).

- Pirate Adventures at The Palace Courtyard: Liam, Drake and Maxwell pretend to be pirate kings, battling rivals on the palace courtyard. After rescuing Maxwell from being stuck on the branches of a tree, the trio decide to continue their adventures on the gardens that are his mother's brainchild, but are stopped by a palace guard. Liam is briefly saddened by this, but is comforted by Drake and Maxwell. The boys then decide to continue playing in the palace kitchens. This scene begins by focusing on the antics of the little ones, but is really about the changed atmosphere in the palace that the boys themselves were too young to notice at the time.

(We also find out which place in TCaTF the Beaumonts originated from, since young Maxwell refers to himself as a pirate from Panrion in both scenes that he is in *cue Lizzy looking very very smug because I've been saying the Beaumonts were from Panrion/someplace in Ebrimel since way back in Book 2*)

The MC has options to respond to this tale (either about whether they were always this naughty, or about the increased security in the palace). In response to her question about the three of them, the boys tell us that Liam was known for being a free spirit and would skip many diplomacy meetings before he even met the other two (again, Constantine, Liam was A CHILD). If you ask the question they want you to be asking, however, about the increased security in the palace, Drake and Maxwell will tell you the security wasn't as strict earlier, and Liam will explain that the royal family had recently received threats at the time, and his parents were a lot more tense and on-edge than usual. Either way, you either get to know a bit about the political atmosphere at the time, or realize that little Liam wasn't the heavily burdened one we met on that first night in New York.

- Pretend-Teatime with a Young Hana: Hana continues on this thread of conversation by focusing on the bond between the boys, commenting on how she never grew up with that kind of experience. To which Drake and Maxwell have these reactions:

@Drake, pls fall on a cactus.

@Maxwell. Honey. She said this to you yesterday. She's probably said this more than once. You've seen her parents!! Wtf kind of friend are you if you can't even take what she said seriously the first time?

@Hana pls get yourself better friends 😭

Like @callmetippytumbles said in her response to this scene, I have no patience for this kind of selective stupidity.

So Hana's scene is technically a call-back to something she once told the MC back in Book 1 Chapter 6, when they were on their way to the post-Derby tea party with Queen Regina. At the time, Hana spoke of her parents not allowing her toys because they thought them frivolous, and how she had to make do with whatever was lying around instead. We actually see this happen in reality here. We see her PoV of what her inanimate objects do, we see her practicing court etiquette on these objects with her tea set, and we see her leave space for her asshole mother even though Lorelai doesn't deserve that much respect or consideration. There is a lot to unpack in this scene and I want to do that in my General Thoughts section later on...but for now I'll just say that it broke my heart, and not just in an "oh poor Hana" way.

- The Attack from Lythikos: I love this sequence too, not only because it shows us Olivia, a younger Constantine and Liam's mother Eleanor, but because the narrative framing in itself alludes to what happened between Lythikos and the Capitol earlier through the pirate story. Liam and Olivia still speak in the language of their story, but the sequence actually plays out what happens in their real lives. Olivia attacks the pirates, but is left desolate, sword broken, at the end of it (just like her parents tried to, and died in the process - leaving an innocent Olivia alone without support). Liam offers her terms that would give her safety and protection, and in return, she asks to be Pirate Queen and for Drake's sword - which he reluctantly gives.

Constantine mistrusts Olivia and attempts to limit her natural abilities and instincts, but it is Liam's empathy, support and validation of her pain, that eventually makes her the steadfast ally that she becomes as an adult - not Constantine's paranoia. Had Liam followed Constantine's lead, the chances of Olivia falling into the trap of subscribing to her aunt's beliefs would have been much much higher, and Constantine would have found himself at the receiving end of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The narrative may also be implying how deep Eleanor's own impact on her son must be, long after her death, since the narrative frames him as adopting her way of dealing with situations often.

In any case the narrative allows us to see the children as they were before their individual tragedies changed them (except in Olivia's and Hana's cases - where they were still struggling to survive the situations they were in), and allows us to see what shaped them into the adults they are today.

The MC then gets to ask one of two questions: either why Constantine treated Olivia so badly, or about the arguments his parents were having. We learn from these that this incident was shortly after Liam became friends with her and his parents brought her to the palace (this references both Liam's conversation about Olivia to the MC in Book 1 Chapter 7, and Lucretia's complaints about Constantine "keeping Olivia hostage" in her diamond scene in Book 3).

• Possibly this may not be the only scene of its kind we will see. Possibly the next few may be Drake-centric, since we may actually meet Bianca in a few chapters. But these scenes may definitely have an impact on dialogue later, just like how learning of the assassination attempt in Drake's Italian Restaurant Scene and Eleanor's death in Liam's Fydelia Balcony Scene in Book 2 are referred to later (if bought) in the hospital scene with Constantine.

• In any case, we leave the past in the past (for now), and move towards Valtoria's throne room. Where we meet Penelope, just back from her first canine fashion show, Kiara who tells us she has everything kept under control (you always do boo 😍) and Madeleine who is all up our uterus.

• She mentions King Bradshaw from Auvernal and his "impossible to control" wife, then mentions a Queen Amalas immediately after without bothering to tell us where this person is from. WTF? At least tell me the name of her goddamn country if she's another person!! You'd just have to say Queen Amalas of ChickenFeetonia and I would understand.

• ...you're telling me the Queen of this country (in my playthrough) has barely looked at a map of the place she's ruling or checked out who rules what?? You're telling me that the Royal Communications Director is STILL going to give her a gazillion flash cards to read something that she could sum up in five minutes, at the very last minute? Bitch what have you been doing this entire time? Touching up your manicure??

•

@Penelope: No you're not.

@Kiara: STOP ENABLING HER, KIKI, AND GET YOURSELF BETTER FRIENDS.

@Madeleine: Pls fall on a cactus.

• Madeleine hasn't been here for even five minutes and already I've had enough of her entitled ass. "Little apple gestating in your womb"...just...I can't. Ugh. Get your nosy nose out of my oven!!

• Remember how I told you guys about how apple analogies may be used to denote fertility? (mostly because RoE spoke of this apple cutting ceremony and it was a very obvious indicator towards apple metaphors being used to describe pregnancy and childbirth).

• I facepalmed when Kiara agreed with her but she's also probably thinking "well see this is why they call me the smart courtier. I don't have to deal with this shit anymore and now you do" (she isn't wrong).

• WELL HELLO OLIVIA.

• She informs us that we're expected at the solarium. I have a solarium?

• Apparently it was Mara's honeymoon gift to us. More like her "sorry Bastien and I screwed up last book" gift, I'd say.

• So wait where was this roster Liam was speaking about in the last book's epilogue? I see one Cordonian noble and one Englishman who until my wedding wanted to have nothing to do with Cordonia, and who's now bleating "our country, our kingdom, we're under attack" like a panicking patriotic nanny goat.

• Why can I not see Emmeline here, who is clearly the expert on her duchy? (I mean like. Landon is nice, but I'd really like to see more women in this Council too). Also does Kiara's inclusion into the Council cancel out the presence of her father Hakim, who is a seasoned diplomat and might possibly have some really good suggestions for dealing with these foreign powers (and seriously he'd be a better option than Godfrey anyway).

• Now Esther has a suggestion! Let's see what it is...

• A royal ball, apparently. Which...given the company, I'm sure it probably would be appropriate but I'm pretty sure we'll need to have more than that in place. I'm pretty sure the people in this council should either be finding out whether the person making these suggestions knows anything about these issues or whether she is simply talking out of her ass. This was a problem last book as well. The MC rarely feels the need on her own to explore these situations more, is okay with just learning things last minute and rolling with it and has the same solution to everything. It's either tours or balls but very little actual exploration of the situation. (I mean there is even a point where she barely shows any empathy at Portavira - even though they're still reeling from a bunch of natural calamities - and thinks it's appropriate to tell them to come for her wedding anyway. No wonder Liam panicked and started giving her diplomacy lessons, stat!) I'd actually take the MC seriously if she were doing her research and her suggestions weren't so shallow and one-note.

• Hana is grinning and giving justifications like this suggestion makes sense. STOP. ENABLING. HER. HANA.

• I especially want to know what Liam's experiences with these dignitaries have been. Both last chapter and this one, I'm seeing him in a position where he is defiant and digging his heels into whatever ideas he is having, but I don't know the context yet and would like to make sense of that. From whatever I've read so far...Liam took the year following Leo's abdication to familiarize himself with taking the front seat in negotiations, and probably may have been familiar with this kind of situation and the kind of people involved even before he became Crown Prince. It makes me wonder how difficult negotiating with them has been, and I want to see why Liam is so done with these people, so fed up. We're missing some context here and I think learning at least a little more than these scraps would have been better for everyone.

• I like that they remember Kiara as the only one outside of the charmed six to get a seat in this council (Kiki deserves the best). I also liked how succintly she summed up Drake and Hana's points about what the heightened taxes are doing to the people as "a reminder that we're not just here for ourselves".

• I find the entire idea of Drake Walker being the sole commoner representative in the Council laughable, especially in a narrative where every other commoner barely has a face, hardly has a name, and almost never has a voice. A man who has spent a huge chunk of his life in a palace, and who I've hardly seen even interacting with a commoner in the story...I'm expected to believe he will have great insights on commoner issues?? Even in this meeting, it's Hana who does a better job explaining this situation (she's the one highlighting the tax issues) than he does. Then again this Council also somehow gave a seat to Duke Karlington - a man who literally never had Cordonia's best interests in mind last book, and who only ended up attending our wedding because we had to be brought in as family counselors to settle HIS family disputes (I mean lol Godfrey how can you call this wedding a disaster when it caused you to magically become so "patriotic"!)

For God's sake, I want to see other commoners on this council. I want people who are actually living these experiences highlighting their issues. This is an issue I have with the MC too. She started out a commoner herself a waitress who wouldn't even flinch at the sight of rats in a dumpster. For someone of that background and who has possibly lived under the worse circumstances than some Cordinians themselves, you'd think that she'd have questions and show interest in how the people who aren't owning lands and are regular individuals on the street live their lives, and whether things are okay for them. But she's so immersed in the world of nobility that she rarely ever even tries to come out.

• Before Liam takes into account everyone's points and comes to a conclusion, the MC has the opportunity to give them her opinion. She can either say that we can't trust anyone, which Godfrey agrees with, or that an alliance would be good for Cordonia, which Godfrey views as naive, OR (and I didn't expect to like this response but I actually do) that she's a waitress from the States, and wouldn't know all that much about this situation. To which there isn't much of a reaction as such, but that's kind of what seems different about this book compared to the others.

• Once the meeting is wrapped up, our LI and Maxwell/Hana whisper in a corner about a surprise they have in store, and take us upstairs to show us what it is. If you're marrying any of the other three, Maxwell is the one who has arranged and picked out themes and colour schemes for the nursery. If you're married to Maxwell, Hana takes over this role.

• Ooooh. New (I think!) baby music! Nice. Very lullaby-like.

• Every design has these basic components:

a crib with a pillow (which I think will be updated later)

a couch nearby, likely for comfort when the mother wants to breastfeed (the updated versions seem to have a footrest)

a table with a lamp

three empty frames (also to be updated. I'm guessing for one of those "my first hand/foot impression" kind of thing and maybe even photoshoots etc)

a ceiling lamp/chandelier

a hook, also on the ceiling.

The two updated versions have footrests, updated lamps and ceiling decorations, additional carpet and customized designs (except for the crib and the pictures and the hook, which I think will be updated later). The Royal Glam theme is all reds and golds, very luxurious and very Valtoria. The Fairytale Forest theme has more whimsy, with bears, foxes, leaves, flowers and apples on the wallpaper, wood paneling, a beautiful golden lamp. Very pretty. Both seem to reference the MC's journey in TRR: her being either a Royal and the closest thing to one, and her journey being very fairytale-like (remember, the same logic was used for Hana's "something blue" gift for the MC's - where she views her as Cinderella).

• Only problem is...who exactly buys a nursery before they have a baby! Especially considering how unpredictable pregnancy and childbirth can be.

• We now meet Dr Ramirez for an appointment. I'm not sure about her suggestion that prenatal vitamins etc they will deal with after she has conceived. I know a number of people who did pre-pregnancy appointments and vitamins and folic acid were on the top of the list of things they'd start a routine with.

• As expected, all the appointments go roughly the same, with the usual answers to the usual questions (one about sushi, another about morning sickness and a last one about potential complications). The MC and LI are in the clear, and can start preparing - but apparently shouldn't stress. LMAO. Thank you doctor, I'm sure that will be easy to do in this country 😂

• Hana's goes differently, and it's clear this doctor's visit was primarily written to address her situation with the MC. The tests go differently, the suggestions given to them are different, the questions the MC asks (one about choosing donors, when they should start, and who should carry the child). The bombshell that immediately follows this is:

Wow. Seriously. Wow. You couldn't find a more temporary reason for why the MC has to be the one conceiving? It has to be something that would make her overall ability to conceive almost impossible?? (and this we find after one test? No follow ups?) I recall someone putting up/reblogging these screenshots with a caption about how the narrative pretty much took Hana's entire ability to conceive from her, and it's so true - and so disturbing when you place it in the context of how they've dealt with her issues so far (more on this later).

• In Hana's playthrough, she struggles with implications of this news, but constantly tries to veer the focus back to "well at least one of us can is able to have this baby". Twice, she is shown moving away from her pain to ask about the other possibilities for the MC.

• Anyway...we now move to the next morning, when the couple wake up to bad news - and it's concerning the pictures taken during their honeymoon. Given that Maxwell/Hana is holding a magazine when they tell the MC they found out who was responsible...I wonder if it's one of our news outlets. Or whether it's a foreign media rep.

• So I guess this complicates things at our Ball, since we're already on thin ice and this news would have spread to those other dignitaries as well. So we're going to have to deal with whatever implications come with those pictures (perhaps a spin on the royal gang having fun while Cordonia is in a national crisis? Who knows. It would be hypocritical of Cordonians and people from other neighbouring countries to judge the couple over the babymaking that they themselves were enforcing on these two!)

• In any case...royal ball this week. And in the universe of PB's stories that usually means some shit will go down.

General Thoughts and Observations:

• The funny thing about the MC's responses now is that her heightened position now seems to allow her to get away with a lot more than she used to. Now if she gives a joke response, the media and people laugh with her rather than at her. If she is a diva, the crowd will lap it up. I'm guessing what the book is trying to imply is that these are the people she has won over and doesn't exactly need to worry about, and now the ones she will have to convince are from other, more powerful countries - ready to back Cordonia into a corner anytime.

• As you can tell by now, I absolutely loved the childhood sequences. They sounded like children, most of the narrative lines up with what was already said in the previous series, and there were some interesting narrative devices used here.

• I think the third sequence especially drives home the point about what Liam did right, even as a young boy, and what Constantine refusing to look past Olivia's lineage to see her as an individual could have cost him. Constantine's ruthlessness and lack of genuine care for his bonds/friendships (eg. Hakim) had him in a position where he was unable to relate to anyone beyond his own tiny bubble (even his own wife Regina was taking countermeasures to make the best of his horrid plan), and had him make decisions that did more harm than good. For instance, take what he did to the MC, for no fault of her own other than that he didn't think she'd be a good Queen. Not only was what he did utterly disgusting, but it also would have made his own family a subject of shame in the country (which is why Constantine practically begs her never to expose him, because then Liam would be paying the price). Imagine what would have happened if Constantine didn't agree with Liam and perhaps Eleanor, never brought Olivia to the palace, and Liam had never shown her his constant support. Liam's genuine empathy in this case pretty much ensured the safety of his own line.

• I also love the implications of that sequence. Constantine is so wrapped up in his fear that he tries to break what Olivia considers most precious (Zenobia the sword in this case, but this could allude to her parents' deaths and later, her possible marriage to Liam at his Coronation). Liam attempts to fill that gap by taking her in, caring for her, and giving her the tools to continue being the Lythikos fighter she has always been.

• There are a few TCaTF references in the palace scenes: Maxwell mentions Panrion twice, and Olivia calls her sword "Zenobia" in honour of her historical hero (she still speaks of Zenobia with something akin to worship during the Winter Festival in Lythikos).

• Olivia's dress is also modelled on Zenobia's, with the same colour and bodice embroidery. In fact most of the clothes are very similar to their adult garments: Drake still wears denim, Maxwell favours dark colours (still should have been chubby though), Liam's clothes are similar to his casual wear minus the ascot, and Hana wears pink, with flower designs on the skirt.

• What I like most are the narrative voices for both Liam and Hana, who are the ones narrating these stories, and how rooted in their imaginations the scenes themselves sound. But there are significant, heartbreaking differences in how we see their imaginations play out:

Here are a few samples of narration I've managed to save from Liam's PoV. Notice how Liam and his friends are so into their little game that they find adventure in everything? Notice the language they use to describe themselves and what they are doing? Once-defiant topiaries shaking in fear at their antics. "Liberating" chocolate tarts. "Conquering" the upper floors. These boys are playing out their dreams and showing us the kind of men they would want to be. The heroes. The victors. The ones everyone looks at with awe and reverence.

This is also not a story Liam is creating alone. Drake and Maxwell happily join in, sink into their characters and display their heroics alongside him. Olivia also joins in and holds her own, and when Liam's father tries to break her spirit, Olivia shows Liam her trust and faith in him by using the language of the game.

On the other hand, here is what the narration technique in Hana's tea scene looks like:

There is a lot to unpack here. A lot. There is perhaps more in this one scene of Hana's than there is in all of Book 3, where she was pretty much pushed to the sidelines.

We were told in Book 1 that Hana had to get creative because she wasn't allowed toys. This was told to us in a rather matter-of-fact way, by a person who was normalized in this way of life and who hadn't yet realized just wrong her upbringing was or how damaged her self of self was. It's perhaps easy to forget this bit of dialogue if you were reading it for the first time because at the end of the day it's spoken of without much gravity.

It's when you see it play out in front of you, in little Hana's voice, from an adult Hana who will now view this entire sequence very, very differently, that the tragedy of it all really hits you. At such a young age she is forced to make do with the little she has: the little she has in terms of things to play with, the little she has in terms of relationships. What the MC says after that sequence is half-right, it's sweet how Hana used her imagination in spite of her parents' rules and strict lifestyle. But what that misses is the burden experiences like that would place on a child in her earliest, more formative years. What stand out to me the most in this sequence are these:

- The most obvious: the use of a 'tea party' to teach herself etiquette and diplomacy. In the present, Hana tells the group that "a lot of what I learned about courtly negotiations, I learned from the tea table". This is the level Hana chooses to focus on after telling her tale, to soften the blow of the story itself.

- The fact that despite her mother's treatment of her, Hana still leaves space for Lorelai. Still wants to believe the best of her, still wants her involved in her life. Lorelai denies her her support and comfort, which is the initial layer to her injustices against Hana. In a lot of ways, even now - Hana is still leaving space for Lorelai, giving her chances to improve, trying to educate her on respecting her boundaries better. It's a long, exhausting process, and Lorelai doesn't deserve the many chances Hana keeps giving her, but Hana is also a person who struggles to completely cut off from the people in her life, controlling and emotionally abusive though they may be.

- At the end of the day, the objects she is giving a life and a personality to, are inanimate objects used for other purposes. Not toys, not real friends. Every last one of them. Miss Doily is kind and caring, Princess Sinckerdoodle is jealous and gives a damn about etiquette (I like how you can see allusions there to Olivia and the MC in the Bakery Ball dialogue!). But they're essentially all objects that cannot move the way her narration describes them as moving. Even dolls and toys, inanimate though they are, are made for the express purpose of allowing a child to participate in pretend play. They can be given a voice, their limbs can be moved, the child can easily turn such a space into an active space with the use of her toys. The doily, the napkin, the sock...these are things Hana will have very little actual control over. They will not be able to move the way she wants them to, do the things she wants them to. Everything has to be happening in her head and there is very little outlet for her other than the few things she has at hand (a similar example of of Hana using scraps we will also find in Book 2, where she draws whiskers on a rock to replicate a toy mouse).

Look again, at the differences in the way Liam narrates his tale and how Hana narrates hers. Liam's is also a fantasy, also uses inanimate objects. But supporting him in building this imaginary universe are his friends, and the parents who both don't stop him from immersing himself in this imaginary world, and have a safe normal (for now) life to return to when those "adventures" are over. On the other hand, Hana has to do the heavy work...in every way. She has to imagine not only the background of what is happening, but also what the objects in front of her are like, what they will do, how they will interact with her, how they will interact with each other.

If I had to replicate such a scene into film, the loneliness of this sequence would perhaps hit harder. A large, empty room. A tiny girl. A tea set and several strange items - and none of them actually move. She is sitting alone, in the dim light, in the silence, talking to these objects that will never respond so she pretends they do, just to chase away that yawning, aching feeling of not having a single friend. All she gets in return is silence. All she finds in front of her is space, and more space. The kind of space that could swallow a child in its emptiness.

And in the center, is a seat left empty. For a mother who doesn't believe her daughter is worth the time.

I think there will be very few who will appreciate the strength it takes to survive a lifetime of that, and that's sad.

• The little Hana sequence reminds me of the animated film Cinderella, particularly in how the main character uses dreams and imagination as an escape from her life of drudgery and the abuse she faces daily. Particularly the song "Sing Sweet Nightingale", where Cinderella's dull world bursts into vivid colour through the soap bubbles that emerge from the washing bucket.

It's a beautiful, soft, almost surreal little sequence...but when you strip it all down to its basics, what you're essentially seeing is a woman so abused by her family and so trapped in this life she does not deserve, that she has to grasp at straws to find joy. Or in this case, soap bubbles.

What Hana faces in her home is perhaps a little more similar to Rapunzel's situation in Tangled than Cinderella's, but there are definite similarities in the way both characters use their imaginations to soothe and comfort themselves. She is forced into a situation where her imagination - and these things that can't respond to her - are all she has, and the only ways she can keep herself safe and happy. That's way too big a burden for a child so young to bear.

• I wonder if there will be more than the memories. Perhaps documents, news clippings, research material that the MC can use to dig further into what's going on in this country. It's possible, but it's also possible that memories will entirely be how we unravel this mess. I was speaking to @thefirstcourtesan the other day and she mentioned that Bianca and Bastien would both be pretty good sources for finding out more - Bastien, after all, had a lot of respect for the second queen and was close to Jackson, and Bianca would have heard certain things from her husband or witnessed something at the very least (and if they were friends, that angle too). I probably would add Lucretia and maybe Anton (if we see them and if they cooperate), Bertrand or someone new who knew Bartamely (if we can find out more about the Beaumont house that would be lovely!), the Lees, and...Francesco? (I still haven't forgotten that Bertrand mentioned him as being a friend of Liam's mother). I also want to see what new information Olivia got from the last time she did her research on any hidden deals or laws that could endanger the kingdom. There are quite a few possibilities in terms of what we could find and how it can be presented, so I'm looking forward to that. This scene was a good start.

• Having said that, this was something they should have been addressing the previous book. If they hadn't spent so much of their focus on all the wrong things, we wouldn't have as much ground to cover as we do now. And I'm not sure they've learned their lesson enough that we will not see the same mistakes repeated this time.

• Why is the system in place to inform and update the MC on what's happening so poor this time. At least earlier, we'd have a fairly good idea of what would be happening next, even if some important stuff was done last minute. Now the explanations themselves are poorly formed and done without proper thought on whether the MC/readers might understand what's going on or not. It doesn't look good on the story, nor does it look good on those characters esp the MC. This is stuff she could have maybe gotten away with as a suitor. But now she is Duchess/Queen, and an influential figure. What looked good in her days as a suitor won't look so good on her now.

• The Royal Council could be a way forward - for the nobility and royalty-heavy narrative to something that shows us more perspectives from the people who really form the backbone of this country - the commoners who actually populate Cordonia's lands and duchies, whose hard work likely keeps the economy running. Just one Drake isn't adequate for that kind of representation - not when he very rarely addresses their issues in the first place. Please tell me there will be more in that Council because the Council as it stands is in no way an improvement on the status quo.

• I've said more than enough about how bizarre and downright OOC Liam sounds, but I do think we should not ignore the context - the fact that every single individual involved is making these demands of the MC and expecting her to save their country through her child without really checking if she has basic knowledge or other resources in place (such as information about the rulers she is meeting). That includes the LIs. It's very easy to make just a character or two a convenient scapegoat, but let's not forget that there isn't a single person in this entire narrative that is bothering to examine the implications. Not a single.

• What really got me angry...was the Hana doctor sequence. Maybe two books ago it would have just hurt - but more on the level of "it hurts to see Hana like this but I have hope for her". Hope that she would have the space to grieve something she had lost before she could ever even have it, hope that the narrative would validate her pain and encourage her healing. But I can't even hope for that anymore.

This is a very very painful, complicated situation to put a person in. And yes, sometimes those are things you want to talk about and finding out you can't have children when you've always wanted to have them is a very real, very difficult situation - and there is a lot you can explore in terms of how a person with these conditions would feel. But the thing is...Hana has already been on the receiving end of multiple tragic storylines. I have already seen enough and more of her in pain. What I'm not seeing is a good - or even adequate - payoff that validates her painful journey and allows for a release of those emotions. I'm constantly seeing more tragedy, less triumph. I'm not seeing enough satisfactory resolution to those many many issues, and I've spent three books just watching her hurt be brushed aside both by the people who bully her AND the people who are supposed to be her friends (let's be real, they're doing it even now). And now is supposed to be a good time to pile up another difficult situation on her???

• Whenever Hana has been forced into situations that hurt her, her emotions and thoughts have always been pushed to the sidelines - unless and until it was to elevate the MC to a pedestal in Hana's eyes. Hana has rarely - if ever - been given the space to speak out against injustices done to her, has rarely been allowed to have an opinion on people who have harmed her.

When the narrative should have been validating what Madeleine put Hana through, they opted to create sympathy for Madeleine instead...and had her completely minimize what she did to Hana ("I'm sure Hana will be willing to let bygones be bygones").

When the narrative should have been allowing her to discover what her sexuality was, they opted not to talk about it at all. They opted to make her MC-sexual instead. Even with the "alternative LI" they planned for her (*pukes*), they focused more on Madeleine's feelings than Hana's.

When the narrative should have allowed her the space to explore what her parents did wrong and arm her against their faulty arguments about her being the "delicate flower" who cannot survive without them, the writers opted to push her into a 'solution' that was still centered around her usefulness, not her emotional state. Her 'happy ending' with her parents involves constantly educating them on how to treat her with respect, a suffocating, draining process for a child with her background.

When the narrative should have - at least - given her a good wedding, after showing us what dreams she had for it, a wedding where she was treated like a bride, not a bridesmaid, her writers did exactly the opposite. She is more skilled than the MC yet it is the MC that gets the duchy. She is the creative one who comes up with the polo moves yet it is the MC that gets the credit. She is the one that didn't have a chance to fully plan her own wedding the way she wanted earlier, yet the same MC still treats her like her wedding planner rather than a bride. In not one of these situations is she ever allowed to vent about or even speak of what this is doing to her.

Maybe they will give her a chance to explore this difficult journey, maybe they won't. But how dare they push another tragic, difficult (to her) truth such as this, when they have barely allowed her to voice discontent or pain on a host of other issues!

Piling more pain on top of the pain a character already has, isn't going to make your character better developed. Allowing them the space to feel and show those feelings to others will. Thinking of worthy resolutions to those issues, will. If you want to be fair to Hana, center her in her story. Expand on her origins. Focus on story not skills. And validate her pain goddammit!!

• Sigh. Until next time, folks.

[ayellowbirds]

42 Webcomics Keshet Reads

I was recently reminded that I currently read a lot of webcomics, or have done so in the past. Here’s an incomplete list, linking to the first page where i can (which will usually mean the worst art). Organized thus:  Title, Author. Genre. Format (long-format stories, short-format & single-page stories, or mixed). Description.

The Adventures of Dr. McNinja, by Christopher Hastings. Comedy, Parody, Action. A man from a long line of Irish ninjas has devoted his own life to saving lives as a doctor, disappointing his family. His staff includes a sentient but non-speaking gorilla receptionist, and eventually a boy sidekick who grew a fabulous mustache out of sheer determination. Recurring threats include fast food mascots, ghosts, wizards, ghost wizards, and a disease that turns people into giant lumberjacks. Completed.

BACK, by Anthony Clark and KC Green. Comedy, Adventure, Absurdity, Weird West. Long-Format. A cowgirl comes back from the dead with no memory of who she was or how she died, and is told by a trio of “Cool Witches” that she has to bring about the end of the world—though what exactly that means remains a mystery. Consistently excellent visual storytelling from masters of sequential art; at least one WLW pairing among the characters. 

Bite Me!, by Dylan Meconis. Comedy, Horror, Historic Fiction. Long-Format. A young woman becomes a vampire amidst the chaos of the French Revolution. Featuring immortal angst, a Jewish werewolf, and sacré bleu, the chickens. Completed (website can be slow to load).

Broodhollow, by Kris Straub. Horror, Weird Fiction. Long-Format. By the creator of the original creepypasta that inspired Channel Zero. A young man abounding with neuroses and compulsions comes to a strange little town in order to settle a late relative’s estate. Themes of unreliable memories and differences of perception.

Chainsawsuit, by Kris Straub. Comedy. Short-Format. Three-panel gag comic.

ChaosLife, by A. Stiffler & K. Copeland. Slice of Life, Autobiographical. Mixed-Format. The life of a queer couple and their pets: humor, lgbt issues, mental illness (K. experiences paranoid schizophrenia), cats, and occasional puppets.

Crunchy Bunches, by Scott Warren. Comedy. Mixed-Format. Cereal mascot parody focused on snaggle-toothed feline mascot Munchy and his friends. 

Dead Winter, by Allison Shabet. Action, Horror, Comedy. Long-Format. Zombie apocalypse story with occasional partially-animated scenes, and a relatively low focus on the actual zombies. Infrequent updates, but has a Patreon with weekly content.

DRIVE, by Dave Kellet. Sci-Fi, Comedy. Long-Format. Humanity has taken to the stars, led by a second Spanish Empire that controls the secrets of FTL travel. When the crew of the Machito recover their science advisor and accidentally pick up a mysterious amnesiac alien at the same time, they become embroiled in intrigue that affects the whole of human space and beyond, caught between secret police, mind-controlling invaders, and a species dedicated to invention who have a grudge against humans.

El Goonish Shive, by Dan Shive. Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Superheroics, Slice of Life, Mad Science. Long Format. Difficult to pin down, once described as “the most squeaky-clean fetish comic online”—lots of characters undergoing fantastic transformations of their bodies. Starts out weak but gradually grew into one of the most progressive webcomics out there as the creator started to really think about the meaning of someone wanting to transform from a nerdy boy into a busty girl. I’ve said more about it, here. Significant LGBT content, including canon gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, genderfluid, and asexual characters.

Family Man, by Dylan Meconis. Historic Fiction, Horror, Romance, Libraries. Long-Format. A learned man of Jewish ancestry takes a position as a lecturer at a small Christian university in the middle of nowhere in the Germanies of the 18th century, and falls in love with the daughter of the head of the university—who has some secrets relating to her mother’s family  On hiatus as of July 2017.

Freefall, by Mark Stanley. Comedy, Sci-Fi, Furry. Long-Format. A larcenous alien and his naive robot pal living on a human colony world acquire the services of an uplifted humanoid wolf as their ship’s engineer under less-than-legal circumstances. As time goes on, the crew becomes caught up in the struggles and politics of the artificial intelligences of the colony. Binge-reading page here, colored strips here.

Girl Genius, by Phil & Kaja Foglio. Gaslamp Fantasy (Not-Steampunk), Action, Comedy, Mad Science, Alternate History. Long-format. A young woman discovers that she is the latest in a line of mad scientists including the vanished heroes of Europa as well as some of its most terrible villains.

Goblins, by Ellipsis Hana Stephens. Fantasy, RPGs, Action, Body Horror. Long-format. A tribe of goblins go from being mere MOBs to taking levels as adventurers themselves, facing ambiguity about alignment, morality, and the place of "monsters” in a world that seems to favor humanoids. Can get very gory at times. Light LGBT content including a prominent gay male character; transgender creator.

Goodbye to Halos, by Valerie Halla. Fantasy, Adventure. Long Format. Forced through a gateway to another world for her own safety, Fenic finds herself in the “run-down queer district” of a city of animal people—and spends a few years coming into own identity as a trans lesbian, forging a new life. But the reasons she was forced into this world are catching up to her, and she’ll need to turn her protective streak towards defending herself. Heavy LGBT themes; often not safe for work. The only work i can think of where a trans girl’s underwear bulge is treated as a completely nonsexual and innocent thing.

Grrl Power, by Dave Barrack. Superheroes, Sci-Fi. Long Format. Probably Not Safe For Work. Comics nerd Sydney Scoville winds up becoming a superhero herself after circumstances force her to reveal her powers and join up with an agency providing training and oversight. While consistently funny and clever with the use of powers, it can be very centered on the male gaze; the art starts out being pretty . I actually first started reading it because I recognized one of the characters from years prior when the artist was posting softcore smut to furry websites.

Guilded Age, by T. Campbell & Phil Kahn, art by John & Jason Waltrip and Erica Henderson. Fantasy, RPGs, Action, MMOs. Long-Format. A group of adventurers face off against threats to their world—such as the CEO of the company that programmed their world in the first place. Strong themes of intrigue, the nature of violence, and the concept of good and evil in fantasy settings. Completed, now running extras & side stories, including annotated repeats of the original pages.

Gunnerkrigg Court, by Tom Siddell. Fantasy, Sci-Fi. Long-Format. A young girl attends a strange boarding school specializing in matters of the supernatural and obscure, making friends with classmates, a ghost, robots, psychopomps, living shadows, fairies, and eldritch horrors in the form of silly woodland creatures while exploring the mysteries of the school and her own ancestry. Shows remarkable art progression; the style of the first storyline is unrecognizable from the present. Especially rewarding if you’re into alchemy. LGBT content, including prominent WLW characters. Warnings: unreality is a recurring theme, and there is a bit of “suicidal” fairies desperate to be reincarnated as humans. Boxbot is rubbish.

Johnny Wander, by Yuko Ota & Ananth Hirsh. Autobiographical, Fantasy, Humor, Mixed-Format. A mix of slice-of-life autobiographical pages, and short stories, including the longer format “Barbarous” and “Lucky Penny”.

Kevin & Kell, by Bill Holbrook. Comedy, Slice-of-Life, Furry. Mixed-Format. Extremely long-running strip (daily updates since September of 1995). In a world of anthropomorphic animals where predatory species can legally & without repercussions hunt & consume other species, a businesswoman wolf (Kell) and her uncommonly large rabbit husband (Kevin) make their blended family work in spite of social stigma against predator/prey relationships. Far more light-hearted than it sounds, though it often touches on social issues and drama. Light LGBT content from some minor recurring characters.

Kill Six Billion Demons, by Abbadon. Fantasy, Metaphysical, Martial Arts. Long Format. A college student’s attempt at heterosexuality is interrupted by the arrival of a legendary king of all reality. Thrust into a battle over the greatest power of all worlds, Allison faces devils, angels, and the city at the center of the 777,777 universes. It’s a lot to take in. Occasionally not safe for work. Frequent LGBT content, including WLW.

Love Me Nice, by Amanda Lafrenais. Comedy, Hollywood. Long Format. Set in a world shared by cartoon characters and ‘real’ people (think Roger Rabbit), where TV star Mac T. Monkey Jr. struggles between his irresponsible instincts and his attempts to build a life as an adult and a relationship with fellow protagonist (and manager) Claire. Some LGBT content; infrequent updates. Occasionally Not Safe For Work. 

Manly Guys Doing Manly Things, by Coelasquid. Comedy, Videogames, Parody. Mixed-Format. The staff of a temp agency for “ludicrously macho guys” tries to help the protagonists of video games, TV, and movies deal with their testosterone-addled brains in a constructive fashion. Occasional LGBT content—mostly MLM, naturally. Keep an eye out for the fluffy little velociraptors, and Mr. Fish the Gyarados. On indefinite hiatus since June of 2018.

Narbonic, by Shaenon K. Garrity. Comedy, Sci-Fi, Mad Science, Gerbils. Mixed-Format. Comp Sci. grad Dave needs a job. Helen B. Narbon, cute blonde mad scientist with a gerbil fixation, is hiring. Story arcs feature action-packed forensic linguistics, a worldwide conspiracy of guys with the same name, rodents uplifted to sentience, time travel. Some awkwardness around gender transformations, light LGBT content. Completed, with author annotations.

Nedroid Picture Diary, by Anthony Clark. Comedy, Absurdity. Short Format. Short comics that very quickly come to focus on the antics of the anomalous ursine orb Beartato and his friend/roommate Reginald, a bird who is just terrible. 

Not Drunk Enough, by Tess Stone. Supernatural, Action, Horror. Long Format. A survival horror styled webcomic by a creator with a history of exceptionally dynamic page composition and lettering. Expect lots of magnificently weird body horror.

O Human Star, by Blue Delliquanti. Roboticist Al Sterling died. Al Sterling woke up an android body mimicking his own. As he reconnects with his former partner-in-several-senses, he explores a world that remembers him as one of its greatest innovators. Major themes of identity, the definition of humanity, and gender and sexuality. LGBT themes including MLM and transgender characters. Warning for some discussion of self-harm.

Outsider, by Jim Francis. Sci-Fi. Long Format. Beautifully-illustrated science fiction story that is painfully slow to update. If you watched a lot of 80s and 90s sci-fi anime, you’ll get the vibe that this has—including its arguable weak point of being centered on a man who finds himself among an alien race dominated by warrior women. 

Patrik the Vampire, by Bree Paulsen. Supernatural, Slice-of-Life. Long Format. The unlife and history of an exceptionally awkward vampire and the mortals around him—book club, knitting, coffee shops, violent murder. Some LGBT content.

Poppy O’Possum, by I. Everett. Fantasy, Furries. Long Format. A single mother in a world of animal people where only opossums lack magic, Poppy just wants to settle down in quiet and safety with her daughter Lily. The world has other ideas—but fortunately, Poppy is mind-blowingly strong. On hiatus. Some LGBT content.

Questionable Content, by Jeph Jacques. Slice-of-Life, Comedy, Sci-Fi. Mixed-Format. Starts out focusing on indie rock fan Marten and his robotic “anthroPC” Pintsize. As the art evolves, so does the subject matter, focusing more and more on the rest of the cast and topics like the nature of personhood and identity for artificial intelligence. Eventually comes to feature significant LGBT content, including bisexual and transgender characters in the main cast.

Rae the Doe, by Olive Brinker. Comedy, Slice-of-Life. (Mostly) Short Format. If Garfield was a transgender doe and wore clothes and also there weren’t any jokes about Mondays or lasagna and the comic was constantly assumed to be autobiographical in spite of its creator frequently asserting otherwise and the comic was still genuinely funny. But otherwise just like Garfield, really.

Selkie, by Dave Warren. Sci-Fi, Slice-of-Life, Comedy, Drama. Long-Format. Former adoptee Todd becomes a father himself to a strange young girl who turns out to be a refugee from a secret underwater civilization. While the public gradually becomes aware that humans are not alone, family forms and is redefined as secrets from both Todd and Selkie’s past are revealed and dealt with, and kids confront issues of inclusion and exclusion. Also, for some reason two of the kids from Evangelion are Todd’s neighbors.

Skin Deep, by Kory Bing. Fantasy, Coming-of-Age, Monster Girls (and Boys). Michelle discovers the secret world of mythical monster people after a small medallion unlocks her own heritage as a sphinx—supposedly long-extinct, according to the other monsters. Michelle must explore who she is and her family history while also trying to avoid completely upending nonhuman society and maintaining secrets within a culture already used to the use of magical illusions and transformations. Light LGBT content.

Skin Horse, by Shaenon Garrity.  Comedy, Sci-Fi, Mad Science, Zombies, Canadians. Mixed-Format. Set in the same universe as Narbonic (see above), “Skin Horse” follows an organization of  the same name dedicated to providing social services to beings only recognized by the secret shadow government—staffed by a patchwork zombie bioweapon, a talking sled dog, a cross-dressing pansexual psychologist, and a receptionist in the form of an immobile Victorian robotic weapon of mass destruction, all overseen by a sentient swarm of bees. Frequent LGBT content.

Something*Positive, by RK Milholland. Comedy, Slice-of-Live, Parody. Mixed-Format. Very long-running comic that gradually grows from a dark and misanthropic sense of humor into a dark and misanthropic sense of humor with a warm and gooey center. Earlier comics can be pretty weak and handle many subjects very poorly (the first strip, linked above, features an abortion “joke”); gradually improves.in terms of LGBT representation to the point that it’s one of the better webcomics in that regard. I might recommend skipping ahead in the archives to the current decade (the “1937″ and “1938″ are strips flashing back to the previous generations).

Spacetrawler, by Christopher Baldwin. Sci-Fi, Comedy. Long-Format. The naive but brilliant alien race known as the Eebs are enslaved by interplanetary society at large, depending on their servile nature to maintain the high standard of technology and transportation across the void of space. A group of utterly incompetent aliens come to Earth to seek help in freeing the Eebs... and generally fuck everything up for the best with their terrible choices of sample humans. Currently in the midst of a sequel series focusing on new intrigue and antics, including a talking, murderous kangaroo.

Spinnerette, by Krakow Studios. Superheroes, Comedy, Sci-Fi. Mixed-Format. A grad student develops spider-themed superpowers—including extra arms—and attempts to navigate both concealing her transformation, and becoming a superhero in a world where super-powered vigilantes and criminals are a fact of life. Not Work-Safe due to suggestive artwork including improbably form-fitting costumes over improbably large bosoms. Recurring LGBT content.

Val & Isaac, by @tredlocity​. Sci-Fi, Fantasy,  Comedy. Mixed-Format. A space mercenary, her wizard buddy, and the cyborg fish girl who keeps all their technology functional, occasionally featuring their shapeshifting assassin friend Space Dread. Major LGBT content, including WLW and MLM, and a prominent transgender character.

Vattu, by Evan Dahm. Fantasy, Worldbuilding. Long-Format. Born to the Fluters of the grasslands, Vattu finds her traditional subsistence lifestyle torn away as a multi-species empire asserts a claim over her people’s lands. A fantasy epic with several major arcs; see also the creator’s earlier completed works Rice Boy and Order of Tales.

XKCD, by Randall Munroe. Science, Parody, Comedy. Short Format. Stick figures and scientific silliness. Make a point of checking the alt-text of each comic by moving your cursor over the strip. Early pages are much more along the lines of experimental sketches; link above directs to a random comic in the archives. Some comics are more along the lines of interactive games!

Yet Another Fantasy Gamer Comic (YAFGC), by Rich Morris. Fantasy, Comedy, Parody. Mixed-Format. Not Work-Safe. The inhabitants of a world heavily based in Dungeons & Dragons go about their lives as monsters, humanoids, and soul-searching mixes of the two. Begins with a romance between a beholder and a goblin, gradually builds up to battles between nations and the gods themselves, while also finding time to explore family, loss and love, and whether kobolds count as sapient. Moderate LGBT content including recurring gay & bisexual characters (it’s a very large cast); new readers guide here.

[katurrade]

Secrets and Sins 2

This is not your normal TRR story. This is a complete AU. A mobster AU. Hopefully you enjoy this, it’s dark and twisted, but should be a fun ride. It’s also written in a reader format, not a MC format. (Y/N = Your Name) Enjoy!

Description: You flee from an abusive situation and find yourself on the other side of the country, creating new friends and possibly finding new love. But will you be able to escape your past? To truly move on with your life? Or will everything come crashing down around you in the blink of an eye. Catch up HERE.

Word Count: 3,350 ish.

Pairing: Mobster!Liam x Reader.

Rating: 18+

Warnings: Violence. Drinking. Curse words. Possible NSFW content in later chapters. Flashbacks of abusive behaviour, and moments of abuse. Possible triggering thoughts and feelings. Probably more warnings to come.

A/N: *throws canon out the damn window* YEEET.

You woke up and instantly sat up straight, heart racing, covered in sweat. Your eyes searching around the room before finally realizing you were in your apartment. Alone. On the other side of the country. He wasn’t here.

The nightmares refused to leave you be, refused to allow you to forget. Every night they plagued your mind, taunted you. Reminded you of what was behind you, following you like a ball and chain. You could never really, truly, escape him. At least not fully. Not in your mind.

You grabbed your new phone off the floor beside you to check the time ‘9:13 am’. You sighed and laid back in the bed, trying to allow your heart to slow down and return to a normal rhythm. You forced yourself to focus on the noises outside. Listening to the sounds of the city helped calm you. Reminded you where you were. The sounds of New York were so different from any other city you had lived in. Yet, also the same.

The sounds of cars driving by, the occasional honk of a horn, or holler for a cab. The murmurs of voices and laughs among friends. It made you feel less alone. Less isolated. Helping to remember you were on the other side of the country, behind his enemies lines.

There were no messages on your phone, but that was to be expected, no one you knew had your new number. You had ditched your old phone before even leaving Washington, knowing he could track it and upon entering New York you had stopped and purchased a new phone outright under a fake name, refusing a plan and opting to just purchase minutes instead. Harder to track. Easier to ditch.

Though, you wished you had woken up to a few messages, at least ones pertaining to your car, or the sale of it, to be exact. But nothing, you may just have to junk the car soon. You couldn’t risk holding onto it much longer. He’d find it.

Finally, once all calmed down, you pulled yourself out of bed and headed for the bathroom, needing a hot shower to help clear your mind. Clear your thoughts.

You spent the day hanging around your apartment until it was time to head to work. Dressing in black skinny jeans, a black T-shirt and black chucks. You pulled on your leather bomber jacket and headed out the door, checking the peep hole before leaving and locking the door behind you. You stepped onto the street and pulled the hood over your head once again before making your way down the sidewalk. Once again listening to the sounds of the city around you.

You arrived at The Gilded Apple and checked the time on your phone ‘3:40’. A little early but it’s better to be early instead of late. You pushed open the big mahogany doors and entered the establishment. Something you were thankful you’d get to do many more times in the future. Stability was what you needed. Structure and repetition would help you settle.

The shift went smoothly, Hana taking you under her wing and showing you the ropes. Your experience working in the pub back in Seattle all came flooding back, which was extremely helpful. You learned that the red heads name was Olivia, her bark was worse then her bite, though, even with that said, her bite was still pretty bad. You stayed out of her way and on her good side the whole shift, not wanting to make any more enemies. Especially not new ones. You had enough enemies as it was.

Max was the manager, and co-owner, you learned his name was actually Maxwell, but he preferred Max. Something about being named after some ‘old timey ancestor’, his words not yours, and hating the ‘old fashioned’ name. He suited the name Max, he was goofy and made silly jokes but he was sweet and kind. And that was more then you could have ever asked for, in all honesty. His brother, Bertrand, whom you hadn’t had the chance to meet, was the owner of the pub. You gathered that he wasn’t around often, minus at the end of the months to go over the books and check that everything was in order. Or as Max put it, to check that his younger brother hadn’t ‘burned the place down’ or ‘screwed anything up’. Turns out Bertrand also owned another pub on the other side of town and that’s where he spent most of his days.

Hana and you became fast friends. Exchanging numbers part way through the shift so you could chat after work. She vowed to be your tour guide and help get you fully settled in. She also informed you of the other two woman who worked there, Penelope and Kiara, who you would meet eventually. Whenever your shifts lined up.

Over the next two weeks you settled in well. Hana and you became inseparable. You met Kiara, who was smart but reserved. And Penelope who was ditzy but friendly. You continued to give Olivia a wide birth, only bothering her when it was urgent. Usually receiving an eye roll or a wicked smirk in response.

You met the regulars, all seemed nice and relatively harmless. A few got a little to handsy for your liking but a quick smack on the hand and a stern glare usually set them straight. All and all you enjoyed working there. Enjoyed your coworkers and boss, and were just happy you had found this job so quickly.

Nearing the end of your current shift, you were just cleaning up a recently vacated table when Hana came bouncing over, a wide grin on her lips and a sparkle in her eyes.

“Hey you!” She said excitedly.

You laughed at her excitement “Hey Han’s, what’s up?”

“So I was talking to Kiara, turns out her brother is a bouncer over at this new club called Kizmat, he told her that he could get us in tonight!!” She bounced with excitement before abruptly freezing in place “That is, if we wanted” she shrugged nonchalantly, but you could damn near feel the excitement still pouring off her.

“Oh, I have heard of that place, some of the customers mentioned it, it just opened up, yeah?”

She nodded quickly “Mhmm....So you in?!?”

She was like a child on a sugar high at all times. Much like Max. They were hilarious when together, both feeding off each other and making there personalities even more ridiculous and loud. Many times you had to walk away because your ribs hurt from laughing.

“Ah, I don’t really have anything to wear to a fancy club—“

She cut you off before you could even finish “I’ll lend you an outfit, we can get ready and pre-drink at my place, all the girls are coming with!!”

“You’re not going to take no for an answer are you?” You smirked with a raised brow.

Hana shook her head adamantly and said “Nope” popping the P for effect.

“Okay, then I guess I have no choice” you laughed.

Later that evening you found yourself at Hana’s. Olivia, Kiara and Penelope were there as well. Hana had a few dresses picked out for you to try, settling on a dark green off the shoulder dress. It had a high low bottom and accented your skin tone perfectly.

Hana’s jaw dropped when you came out of the room wearing it and her reaction made you feel fantastic. The other girls chimed in their approvals as well. Then you all took at few shots and headed for the club, which was a few blocks from Hana’s place.

You met Kiara’s brother Ezekiel, he seemed nice, quiet. He got you all in ahead of the line, which brought back a few dark memories. You shook your head, you weren’t going to allow anything to ruin this night. You entered the massive club and froze, there were so many people and the music was pounding. You could feel it buzzing through your bones.

Hana grabbed your hand and pulled you over to the first bar she could find, turns out the club had 5 bars in total, 3 dance floors and was spaced out over two levels. To say it was a huge club was an understatement. It was by far the biggest you had ever stepped foot into.

You all took shots at the bar before deciding it was time to dance. You found a booth, Olivia opting to stay at the table while you all danced. Something about her not being the ‘floozy dancing type’, and would rather watch us all make fools of ourselves, to which Hana laughed and shrugged then dragged you to the floor.

The four of you danced for a while before you realized you needed another drink. Excusing yourself you wandered over to one of the bars, it was surrounded by people and you knew it was going to be a long wait. You pushed up to the front as much as you could, but the bartender barely noticed you. Figures.

You decided to look around a bit, looking up at the second floor balconies, clearly the VIP section. A few short weeks ago, that’s the section you would have found yourself in. Miserable and alone, as no one was allowed to speak to you, especially men. And dancing was out of the question, entirely.

You started to feel like someone was watching you, granted you were in the middle of a club, but it still felt like eyes were on you. You searched around, trying to see if anyone stood out to you, more then others. Your eyes landed on a figure on the second level, leaning on the railing, staring directly at you. You could tell. You couldn’t make out his features, but he looked massive, tall, built, well dressed. Possibly blonde hair, maybe? Whoever he was he was you could feel his eyes on you. Yours locked with his and you could almost make out a smirk on his lips.

Shit. You quickly turned around, feeling slightly embarrassed but maybe more so you were just used to ignoring any attention from men, pretending they didn’t exist as your life actually depended on you not acknowledging them. He didn’t appreciate you talking to other men. Let alone them flirting with you.

After what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes you finally got the bar tenders attention, ordering a couple shots and two drinks to take with you. Knowing waiting for more drinks would fucking suck. Better to stock up while your here. You took the shots right then and there before turning around, double fisting and heading back towards the booth Olivia was guarding. Probably with her life. You pitied any fool who crossed her, she would probably knock them out then flip a damn table on them or something. You cringed. Poor sucker.

But before you could reach the table someone bumped you, fucking hard at that and sent you barrelling straight towards the floor. You let go of your drinks in an attempt to brace yourself before impact. However, before you could hit the floor two muscular arms caught you, and stood you back up. You turned around to thank whoever saved you only to come face to face with the most piercing blue eyes you had ever seen.

You stood there, awkwardly lost in the sea blue eyes staring down at you. You abruptly shook your head “Ah...Thank you” you breathed out in a whisper. Clearly forgetting just how loud the music was, like he would even have been able to hear you. Idiot.

You watched as a smirk formed on his lips, one you knew could only mean trouble. Then he leaned down and whispered “You’re welcome” in your ear. The heat of his breath on your neck sent a chill down your spine as goose bumps broke out on your skin. Then he stood back up, staring at you once again. You watched as his eyes moved down your face to look at your lips before flicking back up to meet yours again. The small action made your heart take off at a gallop, knocking the wind right out of you, instantly. You opened your mouth to speak, but nothing came out so you snapped it shut again and instead just nodded. Unsure if your voice would even work you decided to just flee the situation entirely, you promptly moved around him to head back to the bar. As you did he turned on his heel with your movement and kept his eyes locked on yours. You took a few shaky steps back then awkwardly waved, seeing him laugh at that, before turning around and hastily retreating away. Cursing yourself under your breath for how unbelievably embarrassing that was, from start to finish. And how awkward you truly were. Fuck.

You reached the bar, and once again stood around waiting for the bar tender to notice you. Deja vu. This night was not turning out like you hoped, you were spending more time waiting on a drink then actually enjoying said drinks.

To your astonishment the bar tender looked in your direction, his eyes widened and he damn near ran over to you, but once he reached you, you realized he wasn’t actually looking at you, but instead at someone behind you. You slowly turned around to see the same blue eyes standing behind you now. Still with that damn smirk on his face.

You gulped. This was just all so damn awkward. You really should just go home. Be done with this night. With these blue eyes that made you weak in the knees. He looked down at you before stepping up beside you, and placing a hand on your lower back. You looked passed him and noticed the people next to him stepping back to give him a wide birth. Which was odd, no one had done that when you were last standing at this bar. The opposite of that actually, they all piled into you. Feeling him leaning forward you refocused on him, watching as he whispered something to the bar tender who nodded his response then quickly turned away to start making a couple drinks.

Even though you were watching this all unfold, all you could focus on was his warm hand on your back. It sent heat all through your body and your heart was, again, pounding in your chest. You closed your eyes for a second, praying he couldn’t feel the insane beating of it through his contact with you. Exhaling a deep breath you slowly opened your eyes just as the bar tender placed three drinks in front of you both. One was golden amber colour, clearly some sort of scotch or bourbon. The other two were the exact same as the two drinks you had just dropped on the floor a few moments ago. What the hell? How did he— You turned to face him and found he was already looking down at you. A blush took over your face but you ignored it and finally forced out a few words. “So, what do I owe you?” You asked as you pointed to the two drinks.

“A date” he responded smoothly.

You laughed and shook your head, thinking it was a joke. Quickly realizing it wasn’t, he wasn’t kidding, you stopped then gapped at him for a moment. Eyes wide. “Oh, you’re serious?” You exclaimed.

He leaned in again “I don’t normally joke about those sorts of things” his voice was firm, deep but also had a hint of amusement to it.

“Ah, well, I um, I” you were flustered, to say the least and you just wanted to run in the opposite direction. How this man could still be standing here, talking to you, was unfathomable. You had to be the most awkward person he had even met and the fact he just asked you on a date was fucking weird. His hand still resting on your back was not fucking helping. You stepped out of his touch in the hopes it would help you regain some control. “Ah, what I mean is, thank you for the offer but I’ll have to respectfully decline. I can pay you for the drinks though ...if you’d like.” He raised his hand and shook his head “In that case, thank you for these” you lifted up the two drinks as if he would have no idea what you were referring to. “Enjoy your night!” You turned to leave but before you could a gentle, yet firm hand gripped your forearm and urged you to turn back around.

Once you had he leaned in again, and you could swear he knew it was flustering you, and he was getting some sort of sick twisted kick out of that “One question,” you nodded. His hand still on your forearm and his face still right beside yours, the scent of his delicious cologne was all you could smell “Why have I never seen you before?”

You pulled back to look up at him and before you could stop yourself you responded ”Oh, so you know every person in this city, huh?” Raising a questioning eyebrow at him.

He smirked and nodded “You could say that”

His response made you a little more ballsy. Happy that you had managed to overcome your nerves, even just a little “Well, clearly not..” you joked. “Or you’d know who I was”

“What’s your name, love?” He abruptly asked, getting right to the point, eyes still locked on you. The pet name making your heart flutter and all of a sudden it felt like you had just swallowed a handfull of poprocks. But something in his eyea both made you weak and scared, you were not looking to jump into another relationship, not only would it be extremely dangerous for you, but also for the man in said ‘relationship’ and you refused to risk another persons life. Not this soon after running. Maybe in a few years when this whole mess dies down and you could be a little more sure of your safety, and someone else’s. No, dating was not an option and if you stood here any longer you weren’t sure you’d be able to actually walk away from him. So you opted to not give him your name and instead fucking run in the complete opposite direct from those piercing blue eyes. Would you regret that choice? Oh, most definitively. Would it be the safest choice to make at this time? Fuck yes.

You shrugged “That’s for me to know and you to think about, blue eyes” you winked then turned away and quickly, damn near a running pace, made your way through the crowd of people and back to your table. You threw yourself into the seat, and chugged one of the drinks in your hand, receiving a raised brow from Olivia. “Don’t ask” was all you said before chugging one of the drinks. You groaned and slumped down into the seat. Why did he have to be so damn attractive. Fuck.

Hana and the other girls appeared at the table a few minutes later. She sat down beside you “Where did you run off to?! I almost thought you had left?”

“Oh, you know, just making an ass of myself. No big deal” you shrugged and over exaggeratedly pouted. She laughed at you.

The rest of the night was fun, you refused to leave the booth, for fear you’d run into blue eyes again. And though you still felt eyes on you the whole night, you ignored it. Luck was on your side as you managed to make it all the way home without another run in. You stripped off your clothes and star fished into your makeshift bed. Exhausted from not only the long day but also from the awkward and intense run in with ...whoever he was.

This would be the first night in a very long time that the nightmares left you alone. Instead being replaced by a piercing set of blue eyes and a smirk you just knew would only mean trouble.

Chapter 3 HERE.

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

Tagging: using my CBM list, if you want to be added or removed I can make that happen! @blackcatkita @captain-kingliamsqueen @mrsdrakewalkerblog @umccall71 @hopefulmoonobject @speedyoperarascalparty @melodiouskeys @theroyalweisme @alicars @bobasheebaby @annekebbphotography @writtenbycandy @queencatherynerhys @ranishajay @blznbaby @jared2612 @bella-ca @mitalijoshi @lodberg @scarlettedragon @romanticatheart-posts @queenof1000days @lostinthe-pines @kennaxval @leelee10898 @jayjay879 @lizk77 @nazariobae @sstee1 @tornbetween2loves @elegantcowboyflappie @carabeth @ao719 @sarwin85 @cocomaxley @sazanes @mynameiskaylabella @riseandshinelittleblossom @cordoniansqueen @choiceslife @alexpottrechoices @nekkidmolerat @brightpinkpeppercorn @akrenich

[awkwardanime]

Awkward Anime Episode 6.2 : Wolf Children - The fading innocence of Ame

Mamoru Hosoda’s 2012 creation has perfected something many modern directors try and fail at: Character Development. Engaging an audience to the point where they feel like they are in the mind of a character; frustration is felt when a mistake is made, satisfaction once the desired direction is taken. In Wolf Children, two of the characters have defined traits, following the path that they paved for themselves as children, yet on the outside, a young child watches and doesn’t speak. The audience is silent when he is. What is he thinking? Why is he doing this? Who do you want to be? That character always stands out to my mind with intrigue, frustration and acceptance filling my head throughout the film. Ame, the child who took it upon himself to grow up without letting anyone know.

Ame the child is easy to define, just like the rest of us, a shy, curious boy afraid of what is out there. Hosoda throughout his major works enjoys producing characters with defined personalities, where the start point creates a straight line to the end point. Before 2012 though, he had never focused on siblings before. The animator turned director decided upon the start of production that a brother and sister would be used. Yuki, the scrappy child turned mature strong teenage girl… And Ame, the erm… Interesting one.

Frustration is the first word that comes to mind when I think of Ame, is that fair of me though? I think the reason so many of us feel frustrated when he creates worrisome times for his Mother is due to one simple fact: We grow with Hana as time passes.

The movie is featured on the strength and persistence of young Hana, setting an image for her kids where they can be wild and free but also at the same time live diligently as humans. Now this raises the question, was Hana right in doing this? Giving the children a small amount of freedom every now and again, where the first view that both Yuki and Ame’s eyes lay on as they walk out the house could plant that seed of freedom in their minds?

Hana from the first moment she gave birth to her children, wanted to give a life of freedom where they can let their wild sides out without judgment and as time passes she would understand whatever path they would take. But as we all know, motherly love is nothing short of unbelievably hard to let go and we see that bond between Ame and his parent become more and more difficult to keep glued together.

“the strongest bond on earth is that between a mother and children”

Ame’s transformation from a shy, attentive young boy to a curious silent wolf happened rather quickly in my opinion, but as I rewatch the movie it’s clear to me that his maturity is justified. It all came down to that one scene. The 10-15 minutes where the whole family finally felt what true freedom feels like. “I wasn’t scared. I felt like I could do anything”

“After that moment, Ame seemed like a totally different person”

Snow covers the vast fields and mountains surrounding their home. The door slides open to the family of three gawking in amazement. Here is the first time I see Ame, the Ame that he never showed us. Hosoda wanted to create a character who isn’t defined which is something that is difficult to perfect. Yuki, as she sees the white canvas, her character shines. She jumps out and just frolics in the snow to her delight.

Ame on the other hand… We see a young boy trudging along trying his utmost best to not trip and fall. The young boy is still yet to show his wild side, the freedom that we all as viewers know he craves, shown from the curiosity he has with the prejudice against wolves. He falls. Then something truly remarkable happened. His mother jumped in and hugged both of her children, and then we hear laughter. Ame, the shy little boy is laughing his heart out. What changed in those few seconds from trudging to laughing uncontrollably? I cannot look past Hana. It’s almost as if the mother gave him her approval, as if to say “It’s okay, it’ll be okay” the same words that we hear countless times up to this point. He needed his mum’s guarantee that it is safe to come out and play.

1. The wolves come out to play. Ame and Yuki are let loose, and for the first time in this movie, we see the timid Ame wild and free.

2. Ame and Yuki run down the snow covered fields in parallel fashion, as Hana tumbles down with a smile in her face. This right here, is my favourite scene in the entire film. Ame and Yuki, taking different paths but ultimately ending up in the same place, crossing each other, meeting in the middle. Hana chasing after Ame and Yuki, tumbles, rolls down…but with smiles and laughter. The biggest grins I have seen on her face. Ame is free. Yuki is free. She is grateful and proud that her children are able to let go of the world and be themselves.

3. Ame’s eyes cross a kingfisher bird, and then and there we see a quick movement. Leaping and catching the prey in his mouth, witnessing this weak timid toddler be so vicious in movement, biting down looking for the kill. Though, just as in the snow, he trips and falls. He calls for his mother as he is taken down the stream by the water in what seems like his final moments.

Ame: “Rain” born on a rainy day, and leaves his mother on a rainy day at the conclusion of the animated feature. Crying constantly as child who would always be cradling his mum asking for care. Silent, viewing life from a distance as a young teen where he stands and listens. The sounds of the forest. The wild life. No smile. Just a touch of acceptance is felt by Ame, the Wolf. Hana, is proud and realises his Son’s place in the world is where he wants it to be, not hers. She gave them the taste of freedom while trying her best to direct her children to a peaceful, human life. There is no right and wrong here. There is only life. Complications arise, and when they cannot be repaired, he has to leave. The howl at the end, we all know what he meant by that. Howling for his mother. The howl that reiterated the same words he heard his entire childhood:“It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay”

Check out previous Eps:

Ep6.1 - Wolf Children Poster

Ep5 - My Neighbor Totoro

Ep4 - Summer Wars

Ep 3 - Spirited Away

Ep2 - Koe no Katachi

[marvelandponder]

I’m a Little Upset They Made Me Excited for Something Called Hascon

But, they did, and over the past two days (and counting! expect an IDW comic panel on Sunday!), they’ve released some spoilers and news that’s pretty damn cool.

No real movie news aside from Hype! It’s coming in 4 weeks! because they didn’t want to reveal too many spoilers for that (although I’m still waiting for Hasbro to step up its marketing game with this one), but aside from that, let’s see what news we got for MLP this weekend [if you want Movie insight, I actually recommend picking up the art book. I just got mine in the mail and WOW is the concept art ever pretty]! This is your spoiler warning if you don’t like that sort of thing.

UPDATED: TONS OF STUFF! Movie Screenshots, more season 8 news, IDW comics, and more!

MLP: The Movie!

Not much in the way of spoilers (you can read the novelization or the art book for those, I guess was their thinking), but have three stills!

Equestria Girls

New outfits, designed by an actual red carpet stylist, Carol Lam, for both the new doll line and the characters in canon

New Youtube series officially announced, and it’s Choose Your Own Adventure style! Expected in November

Shorts to continue, and one has even been teased

Another one was a “2 minute short about Sunset Shimmer drawing a comic and them animating it... based around [the] girls catching a jewel thief.”

School play is a concept that’s coming up. Whether in short form, 22 minute special form, or perhaps even movie (although please note there has been no explicit mention of an EG5, so lovers of the movies will have to be patient)

“When asked if there is a Sunset Shimmer doppleganger rolling around, one of the panelists noted that her pet theory is that it was always Sunset's fate to travel to humanland, and there isn't an original Sunset in the world. They are leaving this open in canon though.”

No plans for Discord in EQG at the moment, but who knows?

Find EQD’s report on that here.

Okay, so first off? Loving the new outfits. With any other teenager characters, it would be ridiculous that they’re so well dressed and styled (I noticed Sunset’s hair is juuust slightly different, can’t see the others well enough to tell), but for these girls, it makes sense, since they’re all friends with Rarity.

So, yes, Hasbro. I’ll buy your crazy marketing tactics for now, because cute outfits.

As to the Choose Your Own Adventure series, I think that’ll be interesting, but not quite as cool to me as stuff like the shorts, specials, and movies. Just a matter of personal taste, but the world-building going on in the Overpowered short, for instance, is only really cool if it has a lasting effect on the characters and their world (the report said something about a coal miners daughter wanting to disco, and while that sounds possibly cute, it’s not exactly my cup of tea).

But it’ll be fun to try, no doubt! And definitely cool for younger fans!

The post wasn’t super clear on whether the Choose Your Own Adventure stuff was the only EQG content coming to Youtube (we have been teased about a series, similar to the Hana Zuki show Hasbro has on there already), but until we hear otherwise, assume it’s just the CYOA series.

And a school play theme really does sound like it could be used for a movie or a special, if they wanted to keep doing long-form stories, so that’s what I’m hoping for, personally.

Oh and we still don’t know what these are from/for:

A currently unreleased summertime short, most likely a music video.

A Netflix listing we found out about back in August. This might be the place they feature the specials and shorts, but who knows?

Season 7 News

Clips were shown for next week’s episode, It Isn’t the Mane Thing About You (which might end up being a Pinkie and Rarity episode) and Marks and Recreation 

It Isn’t the Mane Thing About (better clip than the first that was released)

Marks and Recreation (featuring the last song of the season)

Find EQD’s report on that here.

In addition, have some stills from a promo yet to be released on the rest of the season!

Likely from Secrets and Pies

Likely from A Health of Information

Likely from A Health of Information

(Not shown: Applejack falling into the party cave) Likely from Secrets and Pies

From It Isn’t the Mane Thing About You

From Once Upon a Zepplin

Likely from A Health of Information

Likely from A Health of Information (mask modelled after Mage Meadowbrook, so this will undoubtedly feature her story in a similar fashion to Daring Done, possibly told by Twilight, from the earlier screenshot)

From Once Upon a Zepplin

From It Isn’t the Mane Thing About You

Additionally, I’ll point out what we know for the season 7 finale: that there’s a tie into the Legends of Magic comics, and it’s called Shadow Play parts 1&2. Whether “shadow” refers to the character Shadowlock from the main comic series or King Sombra or something else entirely, we’ll have to wait and see!

Okay, so the most exciting thing for me is that Vincent Tong, voice of Flash Sentry and Feather Bangs, gets to sing again! As a villain this time! I could make a joke about him embracing the role the fandom has given him this season (Feather Bangs, the waifu stealer, and now Rumble, the antagonist).

Oh and for those who don’t remember, Rumble is Thunderlane’s little brother, who appears in Hurricane Fluttershy. It’s been a while, but he looked cute there.

I wonder if Starlight will have any role in this episode...

The addition of the Cake twins is to Mane Thing also adds hype for me. I’m still on the fence with the episode concept, mostly because I need to see how they’re going to run with it (could be uncomfortable to watch Rares lose her mane if done wrong), but the Cake twins were extremely endearing in Baby Cakes, and it would be nice to see more interaction between them and Pinkie Pie.

This season has been spectacular so far, so I’m glad not too much was spoiled (or you know, leaked...) so we get to enjoy it in full!

Season 8 News

Seaponies confirmed for season 8, the Movie will tie into the show

An animatic was released as well:

Find EQD’s report here.

SHE RETURNS! 

I find it super interesting that Chrysalis is outright ignoring Starlight Glimmer while gathering DNA, given that she swore revenge against her. A large number of fans are speculating that this will be some sort of voodoo plot, where Chrysalis literally turns Starlight’s friends against her, like Starlight did to her.

Not only that, but if you look in the background of that animatic, you’ll find the mane 7 are in a suspiciously new building...

Some have speculated it’s Twilight’s new castle (meaning the crystal castle will get destroyed at the end of season 7, which is alarming because it’s connected to the Tree of Harmony). I feel like it might be more of an addition to her castle, either a school of Twilight’s own (hence, calling the rest of the girls Twilight’s “teachers”) or a house of diplomacy of some kind, like a U.N. building for the different nations that Twilight and company have been befriending (dragons, changelings, griffons, yaks---heck, even Sunset Shimmer could be considered a diplomat from Equestria to the humans).

It’s still a mystery...

Also, sea ponies! And they’re adorable! They translate to show style really well, actually! And it only makes you wonder just how many other things will carry over from the movie....

New info!

Look for a Cheese Sandwhich cameo

G. M. Berrow wrote a Season 8 episode she is super passionate about and her favorite episode overall. Maybe more book tie-ins like in "Daring Done".

Josh Haber's favorite pony is The Great and Probably Going To Be In Season 8 Trixie!

Derpy won't get a featured episode like Episode 100, but she will be around, likely more than season 7.

There will be two-parters, and that's plural, so it sounds like we return to the opening and closing episodes being epic two-parters. So expect You-Know-You that we saw in that animatic to be in one of these!

Things we already know about season 8 that you may have forgotten:

26 episodes confirmed

Orchestra music from the movie to be used in some of the season’s songs, which are all finalized by now

As well, there will be twice as many songs are there are in season 7, since Daniel Ingram’s time won’t be split up between the show and the movie

Discord confirmed

Josh Haber returning as story-editor

Mike Vogel returning finally after working on the movie

IDW Comics

This year’s holiday special!

For those of you who have listened to the Christmas album, that’ll look somewhat familiar...

MLP:FIM #60 Sara Richard cover!

MLP: FIM #61 Cover revealed! A collection of foreign dignitaries, from dragons, to deers, to cats/abyssnians, to gryphons! 

“The story is going to be a "united nations" type gathering where all the various creatures throughout the planet convene to discuss the future of the planet. So think a Meeting of the United Nations but with Dragons, Buffalo, Hippogriffs, Anthro Cats, and a pony who controls the sun with a mere thought. Oh but there is a discovery made at the conference that could lead to trouble for our little ponies! A problem that might end up costing Equestria ownership of Canterlot!”

Legends of Magic #9! Seems to be a continuation of Flash Magnus’s previous issue, if the cover is to be believed.

Aaaand a page from Legends of Magic #6! Yes, that’s right, zombie ponies drawn by Andy Price. If 28 Pranks Later wasn’t grim enough for you, surely the master of expressions will deliver!

Find EQD’s report right here!

Year of the Pony

[newyorktheater]

Ephraim Sykes as David Ruffin

Daveed DIggs in White Noise

Choreographer Raja Feather Kelly

Nataki Garrett

Corbin Bleu in Kiss Me Kate

Playwright Dominique Morisseau made her Broadway debut as the writer of the book for “Ain’t Too Proud”

Jordan E. Cooper, playwright and actor in forthcoming “Ain’t No Mo'”

Ephraim Sykes in Ain’t Too Proud, Corbin Bleu in Kiss Me Kate, Daveed Diggs in White Noise: These are some of the black breakout stars in shows that opened last week on Broadway or Off Broadway. But there are also African-American stars behind the scenes – Raja Feather Kelly, whom I profiled as the busiest choreographer Off-Broadway and has been appointed the artistic director of New Brooklyn Theater,  Dominique Morisseau, whom I interviewed as an acclaimed playwright making her Broadway debut;  and Nataki Garrett, a long-time stage director and theater administrator, who was appointed the sixth artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Bill Rauch, the current director, who is leaving for The Perelman Center, praises the “historic appointment” of a black woman as artistic director of a big-budget regional theater. She is just the latest in what some see as a shift to a more diverse leadership nationwide.

Robert Barry Fleming, artistic director Actors Theatre of Louisville

Maria Manuela Goyanes, artistic director, Wooly Mammoth Theater, Washington D.C.

Stephanie Ybarra, artistic director, Baltimore Center Stage

Jacob G. Padrón, Long Wharf Theater in New Haven

Hana Sharif, artistic director, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

  The Week in New York Theater Reviews

Ain’t Too Proud

In the six decades since The Temptations began, as we’re told near the end of the latest Broadway jukebox musical “Ain’t Too Proud,”  24 men have performed at one time or another as members of this R & B quintet…The Temptations, in other words, is less a band than a brand….”Ain’t Too Proud is an extension of that brand. It’s subtitled “The Life and Times of The Temptations,”  but it would be more accurate to label it The Song and Dance of the Temptations. Those are the reasons people will want to see this show, and these are the aspects of the show that will most reward them….

Kiss Me Kate

The most exciting moment in this fourth Broadway production of Cole Porter’s backstage musical riffing on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew comes at the top of Act II, when the cast at first languidly sings “Too Darn Hot” but then quickly throws themselves into Warren Carlyle’s warp-speed choreography – simultaneously old-fashioned and eye-catching, gymnastic, aerial – featuring a tap-dancing Corbin Bleu demonstrating why he is one of the great song-and-dance men of his generation.

I was thrilled. I was impressed. But I also couldn’t help thinking:  If it’s so hot, why are they moving around so much?

It was a silly question, but it offered a clue to why, even in its most entertaining moments, I had trouble fully embracing this Kiss Me Kate….

White Noise

Leo (Daveed Diggs) makes an outrageous request of his best friend Ralph (Thomas Sadoski) in Suzan-Lori Parks’ bizarre, disturbing and in some ways brilliant new play, White Noise, at the Public Theater. Leo wants to become Ralph’s slave…His friends are skeptical, but go along with him. Most audience members will surely require a suspension of disbelief longer than the George Washington Bridge to buy into this premise…If Parks’ conceit is fanciful, the play is predominantly neither farcical nor fierce. It’s illuminating.  White Noise dips deep into the racial divide in America. The playwright weaves in her sharp social and cultural observations in various ways….

Nantucket Sleigh Ride

Nantucket Sleigh Ride is an old whaling term, as one of the characters explains in John Guare’s crafty new play. “Sailors would harpoon a whale. The whale would drag the sailors on a frantic race across the ocean – for hours – for days – until the whale died or the whale drowned the sailors.” That’s more or less the ride  that poor  Edmund Gowery winds up taking in “Nantucket Sleigh Ride.”…It’s a mostly comic tale of ambition, neglect, corruption and deception that has far too many twists and teases and tumult to hazard even a brief outline…

FOSSE VERDON — Pictured: (l-r) Michelle Williams as Gwen Verdon, Sam Rockwell as Bob Fosse. photo by Pari Dukovic/FX

FOSSE VERDON — Pictured: Bianca Marroquin as Chita Rivera. CR: Pari Dukovic/FX

FOSSE VERDON — Pictured: Kelli Barrett as Liza Minelli. CR: Pari Dukovic/FX

FOSSE VERDON “Life is a Cabaret” Episode 1 (Airs Tuesday, April 9, 10:00 pm/ep) — Pictured: (l-r) Kelli Barrett as Liza Minelli, Michelle Williams as Gwen Verdon, Sam Rockwell as Bob Fosse. CR: Michael Parmelee/FX

Fosse Verdon preview:

In “Fosse Verdon,” an eight-part series that begins on April 9th on FX, current Broadway royalty and a cast of Broadway regulars (see below) tell the story of a king and queen of Broadway who for three decades reigned (sort of) on stage, on film and in life, Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon.

  The Week in New York Theater News

After a six-year absence from the Broadway stage, Sutton Foster will star as Marian Paroo opposite Hugh Jackman

James Corden, will be host of the 73rd annual the Tony Awards, presented at Radio City Music Hall, and broadcast live on CBS, on Sunday, June 9, 2019

As a performer, I’m more comfortable when a cast is diverse. But I have no power to make it happen – Bebe Neuwirth, Broadwaycon panel on diversity

Brandon Dixon and  Bebe Neuwirth will announce 2019 the Tony nominations live at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, live streamed and broadcast at 8:30 a.m. on April 30th

The opening of Gary, the play that marks Taylor Mac’s Broadway playwriting debut, has been moved ten days, to April 21st Broadway openings:

For the third consecutive year, the Trump administration’s budget has proposed the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts,” said Actors Equity president Kate Shindlein a statement. “Given that the arts drive a larger share of America’s economy than transportation, tourism, agriculture and construction, this proposed elimination is short-sighted at best.

Harvey Fierstein today

Harvey Fierstein will star as Bella Abzug in his new solo play Bella Bella, set in 1976, on the eve of her bid to become New York State’s first female Senator. Opening at MTC October 22, 2019

Lauren Yee

Lauren Yee and Michael R. Jackson were the two playwrights among the ten writers to receive 2019 Whiting Awards, Jackson for his musical A Strange Loop, which will soon receive a production at Playwrights Horizons and Yee  for her play Cambodian Rock Band (which you’ll be hearing more about.)

Heidi Schreck

Heidi Schreck and Amy Herzog win the Horton Foote Playwriting Award and $12,500 apiece. The award recognizes playwrights “whose work seeks to plumb the ineffable nature of being human.”

Brian D’Arcy James and Corey Stoll join the cast of Steven Spielberg’s remake of the film West Side Story, as police officers.

James is currently leading the replacement cast of The Ferryman.

  Ryann Redmond is the new Olaf in Frozen.

John Doyle will direct the Sondheim/Weidman musical ‘Assassins’ at Classic Stage Company, part of CSC’s 2019-2020 season.  It will make the third and final John Weidman-Stephen Sondheim collaboration Doyle has directed, following Pacific Overture at CSC and Road Show at the Public.

Doyle is apparently expecting 2020 to be a horror-filled year, because the CSC season will include new productions of “Dracula” and “Frankenstein”  (not the ones pictured) in repertory.

Brenda Pressley replaces Suzzanne Douglas in Chisa Hutchinson’s Proof of Love, a monologue about a woman whose happy life is derailed by an accident. It opens May 14 at Minetta Lane.

  Rest in Peace

Antonia Rey, 92, eight-time Broadway veteran, “with scores of small parts on the stage (including in “A Streetcar Named Desire”), in movies (“Klute”) and on television (“Who’s the Boss?”). But with few leading roles available for Hispanic actresses in the New York theater world of her era, she would not regain the stature she had achieved in Havana. Still, she did not regret leaving.”

Black Breakthroughs on Stage and Behind the Scenes. Sutton Foster Joins Hugh Jackman. #Stageworthy News of the Week Ephraim Sykes in Ain’t Too Proud, Corbin Bleu in Kiss Me Kate, Daveed Diggs in White Noise: These are some of the black breakout stars in shows that opened last week on Broadway or Off Broadway.

[qatarmirror-blog]

Doha Film Institute selects 29 film projects from 16 countries for Spring Grants 2017.

The Doha Film Institute today announced that 29 film projects from 16 countries have been chosen for its Spring Grants 2017, which supports regional and international first- and second-time filmmakers, as well as established Arab directors for short and feature-length films.

 In addition to two films from Qatari filmmakers, the grantees include 24 projects from the MENA region, and have been chosen from Angola to Indonesia, bringing powerful new cinematic voices from across the world. With the 2017 Spring Grants cycle, the total number of projects supported by Doha Film Institute’s Grants programme now stands at over 340.

 The line-up includes 14 feature-length narrative films, 8 feature documentaries, 2 feature experimental or essay films and 5 short films – that will receive funding for development, production or post-production. The Spring 2017 cycle marks the 14th session of the DFI grants programme, dedicated to supporting new cinematic voices from the MENA region and around the world.

 Announcing the projects at Cannes Film Festival, Fatma Al Remaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, said: “Our grantees represent the core of the Doha Film Institute’s mandate to support emerging filmmakers and contribute to the development of the regional and international film industry.  The new grantees cover a broad range of subjects and represent some powerful new voices in cinema from the Arab region and beyond, highlighting the remarkable leaps in creativity by our emerging filmmakers, and their innovative and bold approach to story-telling.”

She added: “Stories of hope, self-discovery, women empowerment, tales of family life and of life in conflict zones are highlighted in the selections this Spring. This year’s Grants projects are even more special for the large representation of women directors as well as themes that focus on coming-of-age stories of central female characters. We are honoured to be a part of the creative journey of talented filmmakers from across the world, and in enabling them to accomplish their dream projects.”

 There are four projects each from Algeria and Egypt, three from Tunisia and two each from Lebanon, Iran, Morocco, and Palestine. One project each comes from Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Portugal, Somalia, Syria, France and Indonesia. Of the 29 projects, 19 are helmed by women directors, including Nothingwood (France, Germany, Qatar) by Sonia Kronlund that has been selected for screening in the 2017 Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes.

 Four films are from the GCC region including two shorts by Qatari directors – Last Day at Home by Noor Al-Nasr and The Black Veil by A.J. Al Thani. Two projects have been nurtured by Doha Film Institute-led initiatives; A Man on Fire (Lebanon, Qatar) by Ibrahim Harb, and Days of Grace (Bahrain, Lebanon, Qatar) by Saleh Nass, were both part of the 2016 DFI Producers Lab, with the latter also mentored at the 2017 Hezayah Screenwriting Lab, organised in partnership with TorinoFilmLab. The GCC projects, apart from films by Qatari directors, are Days of Grace and Soaring Over Mayhem (Kuwait, Qatar) by Abdullah Al-Wazzan.

 The animation projects selected for this cycle include Inside Me (Egypt, Germany, Qatar) by Halla Tarek, and Night (Palestine, Jordan, Germany, Qatar) by Ahmed Saleh.

 Films that portray powerful female character leads include: Ava (Iran, Canada, Qatar) by Sadaf Foroughi; Sofia (Morocco, France, Qatar) by Meryem Benm’Barek; Disappearance (Iran, Qatar) by Ali Asgari; Inside Me (Egypt, Germany, Qatar) by Halla Tarek; Papicha (Algeria, France, Morocco, Qatar) by Mounia Meddour; and The Seen and Unseen (Indonesia, Netherlands, Australia, Qatar) by Kamila Andini – all six of them feature narratives – and Amal (Egypt, Lebanon, France, Germany, Denmark, Qatar) by Mohamed Siam; and Tiny Souls (Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar) by Dina Naser - both compelling documentaries.

 The two established directors from MENA who will receive post-production funding are Annemarie Jacir for Wajib (Palestine, UAE, France, Switzerland, Norway, Colombia, Qatar) and Amal Ramsis for You Come from Far Away (Egypt, Lebanon, Qatar).

 Submissions for the next funding round open July 18 and close July 31, 2017. Funding is available to projects by first and second-time filmmakers from around the world, with an emphasis on support for filmmakers from the MENA region. Certain categories of funding are reserved for MENA and Qatari filmmakers. Post-production funding is available to established filmmakers from the MENA region.

 The recipients of the Spring Grants 2017 are:

 Feature Documentary/Development

A Man on Fire (Lebanon,     Qatar) by Ibrahim Harb about a man on the pursuit for self-fulfillment     within the civil defence department, placing savings lives in Lebanon’s     geo-political context.  

 Feature Documentary/Production  

Immolations (Algeria, Canada,     Qatar) by Meriem Achour Bouakkaz, an intimate encounter with people who     have attempted to set themselves on fire as a cry of distress against the     infinite difficulties of simply finding their place in the sun.

Nation’s Hope (Somalia,     UAE, UK, USA, Sweden, Republic of the Congo, Qatar) by Hana Mire, covering     a season in the lives of Somalia’s National Women’s basketball squad, as     veteran coach Suad Galow leads the team of fearless young women against     both rival teams and Al-Shabaab.

On the Crossbar (Tunisia,     France, Qatar) by Sami Tlili about the Tunisian football team, whose     improbable journey in 1978 intertwined with the worst crisis the country     had known since its independence.

Mnemosyne (Egypt, Qatar) by Shaza     Moharam, a feature experimental/essay that depicts Shaza returning to her     hometown of Alexandria, with a quest to recover from her childhood     amnesia, only to find that the city itself is losing its memory

   Feature Documentary/Post-Production  

Amal (Egypt, Lebanon, France, Germany, Denmark,     Qatar) by Mohamed Siam, about an angry Egyptian teenager, who seeks her     place and identity in a male-dominated society

Nothingwood (France,     Germany, Qatar) by Sonia Kronlund about Salim Shaheen, the most prolific     and popular actor-director-producer in Afghanistan. Passionate about     cinema, he tirelessly makes Z-grade movies in a country that has been at     war for over 30 years.

The Normal Way (Tunisia,     France, Qatar) by Erige Sehiri, in which five train drivers are torn     between their loyalty to the old Tunisian railway company and the fresh     personal aspirations they can finally express in the wake of the     revolution, while on a road trip.

Tiny Souls (Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar)     by Dina Naser, which portrays the changes in Marwa’s life, as she goes     from childhood to adolescence within the walls of the Al Zaatari refugee camp     in Jordan, reflecting its effect on her reality and future.

You Come from Far Away (Egypt,     Lebanon, Qatar) by Amal Ramsis, an experimental/essay; Imagine your father     is a Palestinian who fought against Franco in the Spanish Civil War.     Imagine you have a family, but were raised without parents.

 Feature Narrative/Development

Days of Grace (Bahrain,     Lebanon, Qatar) by Saleh Nass, about a young Syrian man, who has only a     few days left in Beirut to find a way to avoid a dangerous journey back to     a war zone.

Don’t Tell a Soul (Lebanon,     UK, Qatar) by Nour Wazzi, in which Faris must uncover the truth, when a     dead body turns up and his relatives go missing

 Feature Narrative/Production

Abou Leila (Algeria, France, Qatar)     by Amin Sidi-Boumédiène about two childhood friends who travel through the     Algerian desert looking for Abou Leila, a dangerous terrorist on the run.

Papicha (Algeria, France,     Morocco, Qatar) by Mounia Meddour about Nedjma, who refuses to submit to     fear during the Algerian Civil War by fulfilling her dream of putting on a     fashion show.

Sofia (Morocco, France,     Qatar) by Meryem Benm’Barek, which is set in Casablanca and charts the     life of 22-year-old Sofia, the only daughter in a rather traditional     family. While having dinner with her siblings, she discovers she is about     to give birth.

The Translator (Syria,     Jordan, France, Qatar) by Rana Kazkaz and Anas Khalaf in which a political     refugee returns illegally to Syria and risks everything to free his     brother from the regime, as the Syrian Revolution begins.

Weldi (Tunisia, France,     Belgium, Qatar) by Mohamed Ben Attia, about a father who is confronted by     his own reality and has to question himself and his choices.

 Feature Narrative/Post-Production

Ava (Iran, Canada, Qatar) by Sadaf Foroughi about     an Iranian seventeen-year-old girl who challenges the strict rules of her     traditional upbringing and learns that her mother broke the rules as a     young woman as well.

Disappearance (Iran,     Qatar) by Ali Asgari about a young couple with just a few hours left to     solve a severe problem, while their relationship is heading for a crisis.

Joint Possession (Morocco,     France, Qatar) by Leila Kilani, in which Pharaonic real estate projects     surround the Mansouria, a land-locked family estate that is up for sale     and coveted by Amina and her heirs.

Our Madness (Portugal, Angola,     France, Mozambique, Qatar) by João Viana in which a child helps a woman     who seeks her husband all over Mozambique. When they finally find him, the     child is killed.

The Blessed (Algeria,     France, Belgium, Qatar) by Sofia Djama; set in Algiers, a few years after     the civil war, it follows Amal and Samir, who have decided to celebrate     their 20th wedding anniversary at a restaurant, but the mood turns dark     and becomes more volatile as the night wears on.

The Seen and Unseen (Indonesia,     Netherlands, Australia, Qatar) by Kamila Andini about Tantra, who becomes     very sick and falls into a deep sleep, forcing his twin Tantri to go     beyond words to communicate with him.

Wajib (Palestine, UAE,     France, Switzerland, Norway, Colombia, Qatar) by Annemarie Jacir about     Shadi, who returns to his hometown to help his father hand-deliver his     sister’s wedding invitations. As the estranged pair go house to house, the     details of their fragile relationship come to a head.

 Short Narrative/Production

Inside Me (Egypt, Germany,     Qatar) by Halla Tarek, about a young Egyptian girl, silenced by society,     who goes on an adventure to discover her own voice fighting an evil     monster.

Last Day at Home (Qatar) by     Noor Al-Nasr, in which his last day at home becomes a boy’s first day of     an adventure.

Night (Palestine, Jordan,     Germany, Qatar) by Ahmad Saleh, in which a mother, who has been unable to     sleep since the disappearance of her son, meets a storyteller whose tales     can heal sleepless souls.

Soaring over Mayhem (Kuwait,     Qatar) by Abdullah Al-Wazzan about two brothers, who struggle to survive     as they arrive at manhood in the brutal terrain of war-torn Syria.

The Black Veil (Qatar) by     A.J. Al Thani, where a woman attempts to finally escape, in order to gain     freedom from the oppression she has been living under.

 The Doha Film Institute Grants Programme supports the development, production and post-production of projects by first- and second-time directors from the MENA region for feature-length projects. Short films receive only production funding. Established MENA directors can also apply for post-production funding for feature projects. The Grants supports first- and second-time non-MENA directors with post-production funding. The next cycle of funding opens on July 18, 2017.

 For more information about eligibility and submissions, please visit

http://www.dohafilminstitute.com/financing/grants/guidelines  

  The full directory of past grant recipients is available at:

http://www.dohafilminstitute.com/financing/projects/grants