#GREAT creatures though loved the troll market

[libraryleopard]

that's very true but quick question was it completely necessary to lean over and whisper "look it's us" when the weird little creature with two heads talked to prince nuada

my soul feels nourished by the number of weird creatures in hellboy 2

[bunbunbillion]

THE BUNBUNBILLION Q1 2024 MEDIA THREAD EXTRAVAGANZA

i've been recording everything i consume for the past few months to do a media thread at the end of every quarter. and now april is over... so its time to talk about stuff!! forever!!!!!!

01/13 - Homestuck (Re-Read)

I finished re-reading Homestuck for the... 4th? 5th time? I've lost count. It's a good way to start the year though. This time around I read it with my girlfriend, who you should give all of your money too (@yinkybaginky), and it was very fun to see someones reaction to it for the first time. She knew literally nothing about Homestuck, not even what a Vriska Serket was. A truly great experience, especially thanks in part to the Unofficial Homestuck Collection. I'll probably have more to see about Homestuck in depth on a later date, so I won't bog down this post with that. It's my favorite piece of media ever, and that's all there is really to say on the matter.

01/24-01/25 - The Trolls Movies

I've been surrounded by gay people who love Trolls for the past like 5 years so I finally decided to give them a watch on a whim with my girlfriend, after catching some of the first movie in a streamers server.

They were fun! I really don't think I have much to say on them. They're kids movies, sure, but they're also just very visually great and made me go "yeah you know what some of those old pop songs WERE pretty good". I think when it came to stories I liked the first one the most just because I liked the Bergen's a lot, I thought their whole world was very well designed and all that. Don't have the most care for Branch, and Poppy is OK as a protagonist, but otherwise I had more fun with the other characters. Creature design is absolutely excellent and is what stood out to me the most of anything, though. The animation in the 3rd movie is also top notch, I really do want to see the series continue. If they do, I like the third movies approach of finding a niche to make "the thing" for the whole movie, it's a fun way of doing stuff.

We thought this shot was really funny.

1/20 - Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio

I was gonna watch this when it came out awhiiile ago, but just put it off forever. I saw Jacob Geller had uploaded a new video about Pinocchio, which talked about the movie and was like. Man. I wanna watch that video. Guess I'll go watch this entire movie. So I hopped into VC with Netflix on and just watched it.

It was Fucking Good!!!!!!!!!!! Every good thing you've heard about the movie is absolutely true. Do yourself a favor and just watch it. That being said, I also don't have too much to say about it! It's been a few months and it hasn't totally stuck around in my head, but that just means I get to rewatch it sometime, and I can look forward to that. It mostly made me want to watch more stop motion movies.

If I were to highlight anything, its that I love to make the movie all about death. Pinocchio as a story seems to constantly get turned into this thing all about freedom and living and how great life is and all that, but this movie completely nailed that yea. Pinocchio works so much better as a movie about death. A puppet living on a blessing against the laws of nature being used as a vessel to explore acceptance of death. It's really great.

the demons are such baddies btw

01/29 - Earthbound USA

Not the game, but the documentary put together by Jazzy Benson through Fangamer. It was absolutely fantastic. Easily my favorite game documentary I've ever watched... Because it's not really about the game.

To put into words, because I imagine 90% of people reading (not including the people I watched it with) haven't seen it or even heard of it, Earthbound USA is a documentary about specifically starmen.net and Earthbounds western fanbase.

The doc highlights basically every aspect of Earthbound in the west. They talk to the people who translated the game, who made the marketing campaign, the fans who bought the game day one, the translator of the MOTHER 3 fan translation, they talk about Earthbound Zero, about the virtual console releases, the quest to get MOTHER 3 officially localized and every single defeat that came with it, I mean Shigesato Itoi is just here too. It's everything you could ask for all combined with home videos from the early 2000s, an outstanding soundtrack that gives me goosebumps from Robbie Benson, it's just... So good.

I bought the DVD for the movie and streamed that to my friends, which you can get here on Fangamer, whenever they plan on restocking it at least. Or, you can watch it on streaming services listed on their website! If your a MOTHER fan, I'd say this is like, essential viewing. It may as well be official with how good it is.

01/29 - A Brief Retrospective of The Simpsons' Golden Age

I finished this the same day. I recorded this mostly as a joke, but hey if your insane and have watched every single Simpsons episode like me and want whats basically a Simpsons Summary Podcast, I recommend this 11-hour video.

02/06 - MOTHER

A week later I couldn't get Earthbound USA out of my head, so I decided to finally sit down and go where no MOTHER fan has gone before. To the first game in the series.

It was really really good. Like, man, I don't know why I slept on it so long just because it was an NES RPG. Ok, I mean, I know why I did, it's because it's a NES RPG, but still.

This game really highlights everything that went into its two sequels to make them so good, and has so many little unique novelties about it that make it just so so memorable. The music, the writing, the places you go, it's just... So, so good. I still think the best way to get into MOTHER is to start with Earthbound, just due to how approachable it is, but if you like it and/or MOTHER 3, do not sleep on MOTHER/Earthbound Beginnings. It's just so good.

Probably use an emulator with rewind or save-states though.

i'll be fine with not hearing magicants music anymore though

02/17 - Yakuza Kiwami 2

I started this game probably years ago, and never got that far. Yakuza 0 is definitely one of my favorite games ever, and I was kind of mixed on Yakuza Kiwami, but I was enjoying the start of Kiwami 2 for sure.

How did I feel by the end?

I mean it's not BAD, per say, it's just... Not very good, either. The gameplay never really felt like it evolved much, the writing really felt like it never picked up and just kept ADDING stuff, but at least the side quests were probably the absolute best the series has given me so far. That definitely saved it for me, but man the story. It just wasn't very good.

I had a lot more thoughts after playing it, but I think think in the end it just comes down to;

Ryuji did not get nearly enough time to shine to be an impactful villian

The bastard cop was a character I was given no reason to care for, and the focus put on him did not feel earned in any way

Kiryu really did not feel that involved with everything going on

Sayama did not get nearly enough agency in this story

As for the twists, I didn't like how many there were at first, but I think by the end there were just so many twists I was like. Yeah nvm this is so fucking stupid it owns. So good on them for that!

I don't think I'll ever replay the main story for this game, but I will absolutely come back to those side quests, they're so good I don't want to spoil a single one. I am also really enjoying Yakuza 3 so far, so that's a we might just be back regardless.

the selfie feature is really funny. you really feel like your some 40 year old dad.

02/22 - Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Hidden Treasures of Area Zero - Epilogue

I have a lot of thoughts on Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. I am a HUGE Pokemon freak, like omega huge freak levels of such. I will claw and bite tooth and nail defending Sword and Shield any fucking day of the week. I think Scarlet and Violet are like, painfully mid games in such a disheartening way. I still enjoyed a lot of it, but man it's so held back by... everything, really.

And the DLC fixed I'd say about none of it. In fact, I'd go as far to say the 2 DLC stories only highlight and strengthen every single problem scarvi has as a game and it disheartens me, so, so so much. Unlike the Sword and Shield epilogues, which expanded upon the best parts of the game and experimented with brand new formats as prep for the next generation, scarvi kinda just does. Nothing. It's more Scarlet and Violet, slime grease and all.

Kitakami is... Ok, I guess? It's an exceptionally uninteresting region with absolutely no landmarks that stand out in my mind. The story in it is pretty subpar, it's a really annoying kind of "player has no control over a misunderstanding" narrative in a really obnoxious way and by god I'll say it I never really get a reason to care about Kieran. He's not bad by any means, I mean he's just a kid, but really I don't feel like I'd ever call him a friend. The story with the Loyal Three and Ogrepon is really cute though, I do love that they completely flipped the story of Momotaro on its head in such a fun and unique way.

Blueberry Academy I was looking forward to much more, thinking that while Kitakami was really rushed and pretty bad, it must mean more resources were just put towards the second DLC. I was pretty wrong, it was basically just as under baked... But also still better, regardless. They introduce a lot of characters you won't really remember with this DLC, and it feels weird because it feels like there SHOULD be more to these characters, but it's all confined to a pretty short campaign.

The story is pretty ok, and I like what they did with Kieran here, but the second you beat him in the champion fight the story like, immediately halts the breaks and everything stops mattering. I really thought Drayton might've been set up as an interesting antagonist, someone subtly bullying Kieran and egging on how he is, but in the end he's just a well meaning friend who's just eccentric. All the other trainers basically disappear as well, and Kieran reverts back to how he was before all this for the most part. Then the story with Terapagos has to happen, and you get the return to Area Zero, except with your new friends you've barely built bonds with and Briar instead.

Similar to Drayton, I thought Briar might've been getting set up to be a bit fucked up. She's pretty obsessed with Area Zero and proving that Heath was right, and that feels like obvious easy set up for a villain right? Obsession is kind of the text book villain motive, especially in a series like Pokemon. But, no, like Drayton, Briar is actually exactly as she seems, and there's nothing underneath.

Unfortunetly, Area Zero itself was also not as interesting on revisit. I imagine it was the far lower budget, but it ends up mostly just being a very basic crystal-cave environment, without that really fascinating hollow-earth vibe Area Zero has in the base game. You're also mostly just traveling alone going on fetch quests to beat mini-boss Pokemon to open up gates, so that feeling of traveling an unknown place with friends is also completely lost. In the end, Terapagos isn't much of a character at all, like Ogrepon (or Miraidon/Koraidon) are, and is just kinda There. I'm sure the anime is doing a lot more with them, given they're a main character, but man they are NOTHING in this game and it's really disappointing with how incredibly hyped up they are.

In the end though, the thing I really came out loving with the second DLC was something I didn't actually know about until after finishing the epilogue, which was the brief interaction with the Professor in Kitakami once you have Terapagos. I won't spoil it, I'd recommend going to the crystal lake in Kitakami with Terapagos in your party to see it, but it was a moment where I was really like... Damn. This story really could've been something special.

NOW WITH ALL THAT OUT OF THE WAY, it was the Epilogue that I beat this year, which acts both as a bonus to the DLC, and a Mythical Pokemon event similar to ones from the DS games. And, I gotta say.

It's easily the best thing in the entire DLC, bar none.

Despite just being a revisit to Kitakami, the Epilogue is not only better written then both of the DLC chapters, but actually shows that promise for future games like the SWSH DLC did years ago. I had a smile on my face basically the entire time.

First off, hanging out with the three friends again after they basically disappear once you beat the game is so incredibly refreshing. Just having them over to your house is the first time in a Pokemon game I've actually felt that like... Oh, I'm a kid hanging out with my friends, kind of feeling. That original inspiration the Pokemon series had was just completely captured with that, and I love it, and it continues through the entire DLC. On top of that, the DLC does a lot of very small things with its cutscenes that I felt were really missing from the main game that actually completely caught me off guard. Seamless transition between overworld cutscenes, cinematic cutscenes, and battles mainly. It feels like Pokemon games have always struggled with taking you out of the story for loading screens or transitions or letting the player wander off or something. It's hard to immerse, but with this DLC just through the most simple methods they really catch you off guard with the cutscene framing and battle starts in a way I absolutely adore, especially since your with your friends who can actually Talk for you too. Helps that all of the writing is just really funny too, I had such a good time.

Overall, I think this is where I want the Pokemon series to go. The segment of Area Zero where you travel with all your friends already stood out to a lot of people, but didn't have the most writing to back it up. Similarly, this DLC has all of the writing, but it can feel like you aren't actually traveling with your friends, as they don't follow you. I think having a Pokemon game where you travel directly with other people in a bit of a party is the way to go with expanding on Pokemon as a series, and this DLC combined with base scarvi really proves How it can work. It makes me so excited to see where we can go from here, and I can only hope they learned from all these mistakes.

wow i had a fucking lot to say about scarlet and violet dlc and i didnt even mention this thing. whatever.

02/26 - Splatoon 3: Side Order

Funny story, I actually beat Splatoon 3 on a friends copy, but on my own switch, so when this DLC came out I ended up buying an entire new copy of Splatoon 3, with DLC, and an already completed save file. So was the DLC worth 80 bucks? I mean, no, not at all, but it was extremely good!!

It came out while I was out of town with my girlfriend, so we had a lot of fun playing it together, and I think it's just overall a genius idea for a Splatoon mode. It makes me like, viscerally crave an even bigger Splatoon roguelike, but I'm also like an extreme roguelike freak. The story was super cute (my big "I <3 PEARLINA" shirt notwithstanding) and basically everything it introduces is great. I haven't actually beaten the Agent 8 locker yet, because I'm Bad At Splatoon </3, but I everything else was just so good.

im actually extremely biased, btw

02/27 - Ponyo (Rewatch)

I rewatched Ponyo with my girlfriend while I was over for the first time since I was a wee little amoeba. It was so fucking cute!!!! I really do love Ghibli movies a lot. I don't think there's a lot I can say about Ponyo, per say, at least not as much as other Ghibli movies I love like Spirited Away (my fave movie evarr), but I think this movie combined with like. Finding Nemo, Animal Jam, and going to the Houston Aquarium combined are probably why I love marine biology so much now.

02/29 - Death Note

The anime, to be specific, for the first time. Yeah, I can see why this became such a big thing with fujoshis. I get it, I understand now. I'm sorry L, I didn't know your game.

Death Note is overall both an anime of its time, and an absolute classic you should be watching. It's engaging, it's dramatic, it's funny, and there's so many points where your just like "damn are they gonna bone" about the two characters the authors 100% had no intention to be seen in that way.

It's only real problems come from the authors also having no fucking clue what to do with women in the story, and making pretty annoyingly shallow characters that get sidelined really hard. The final arc is also a bit head scratching, but it makes for good drama, so I can't really complain, even if I remember a lot less of it. Great show, great ending. Where's my Misa & Rem yuri manga series.

he really is just fucking jeff the killer huh

02/29 - Promare

Watched this with my girlfriend on a whim, cus we wanted to watch a movie together. I've been a very lowkey TRIGGER studios fan since I was a kid, watching Kill la Kill when I was way too young to be watching shows that crazy boobed, but it did definitely contribute to my transgender-ness, so you can't fault it there (you can fault it for a lot of other things though). No matter what though, when TRIGGER just randomly came out with a full feature length movie released in theaters, I was pretty interested. Which is why I didn't watch it for years.

After watching it though? Yea, that was really fun. It's not much in the way of story, very basic Minority Allegory story I think, but it's all to make way for extremely crazy action scenes and homages to all their favorite mecha anime, which like, yea props they did a great job. Character design is extremely fun, environments are super colorful, animation is what you'd expect from TRIGGER (good), and there's a lot of man tits this time around. I recommend it!

03/04 - 2001: A Space Odyssey

I'll be so fucking honest I watched this on my phone on a plane ride and I don't fucking know anything that happened. I think it was good?? I think it made sense??? I really wanted to fall asleep but I really wanted to watch the movie. It felt like it was simultaneously 4 hours long and 30 minutes. I think I should probably watch it again. I don't know why I chose to watch it on a plane. But hey, I did!

watching this shit while half awake on a dark plane felt like i was in another fucking dimension. what the hell happened

03/08 - Fortnite Chapter 5: Season 1

Hey Fortnite, I play that game! Sometimes.

I've been pretty consistently "playing" Fortnite since Chapter 2: Season 5, and I do really like the game. I love the gameplay, I love all the stupid crossovers, I loved the story, it was just a really fun time!

Well, up until like half way through Chapter 3 at least. The problem with Fortnite is that, no matter what, in the end of the day, it's still owned by Epic Games, and that means at some point, shits gonna get sloppy. I won't go over my whole history with how I feel Fortnites been on a decline since Chapter 3, but I can at least say i was pretty fucking checked out most of Chapter 4. I really didn't like it.

So, coming back on for Chapter 5? Oh shit this game is actually fun I forgot. Played a shit ton that season, actually finished the main battle pass for once, had so much fun with all the new things they added, it really feels like Fortnites back.

Oh... and there's that LEGO mode... and that rockband mode... and there's racing I guess... I didn't really touch them much but they're neat... They were pushing those modes pretty hard, I hope this isn't a sign of something to come... I'm sure they'll keep up the momentum for the next season right? Battle Royale is totally back, right?

i ended up staying up till like the last day grinding in creative to get this emote. im so glad i can make perfect cell do the bird is the word dance now.

03/12 - King of Crusher

I beat this game over on my twitch, you can catch me live playing obscure games every so often each month!! Check it out and give me money! I said mostly everything I wanted to say about it on stream, but this game was just a really fascinating little art project that was both really frustrating and really funny to play. I really wanna find more little gems like this to play, it's so ODD but fun.

03/15 - Animal Crossing (Movie)

Watched this movie as apart of a movie night with my groupchat and it was adorables so cutes! I don't think there's really anything I COULD say about this movie, but it does really make me wish Nintendo was more willing to make more stuff like it. Just a really well animated fun anime movie that's not trying to be this big thing.

the ending caught me completely off fucking guard though

03/17 - Unpacking

Similar to Animal Crossing, I don't really have a lot to say about this game besides so cutes! The story told through the environment was super adorable and I really do think back to this game a lot in a very emotional way.

That being said, I wish it was a tad longer for how expensive it was, as great as the art was lol

If you can find it on sale though, go play it!!

i was playing with my girlfriend and we ended up interpreting the main character as really hating her boyfriend. my fucking Pig of a husband wont let me put my posters on the wall. my Pigly husband. i need to Kill my Meat Pig of a Husband.

03/17 - Pizza Tower (The Noise Update)

In complete tonal contrast to Unpacking, I beat the Noise Update in Pizza Tower right after. It was, like Pizza Tower, really good, but not without its flaws.

In the time since I've played Pizza Tower, I've reflected a lot on what I love about the game and what I honestly don't care much for. I've been playing demos since the very first public one, and I've loved watching it evolve, but if there's one bit of context I've gotten that shapes how I look at the game, it's that the games creator has a really big issue with having a lot of ideas for stuff, and not really thinking about how they fit in together.

Pizza Tower is like, a REALLY good game, don't get me wrong. The movement is borderline perfect, the level design is consistently fun and flows well, the graphics are unmatched in how expressive they are, the music is some of my fave from the entire medium, but if there's one thing really holding back Pizza Tower it's that lack of focus, and I think you can boil that down to the core game design of levels.

Pizza Tower is easy to compare to Wario Land, given that's its primary inspiration, but I think it's much more akin to Sonic, which is also a major inspiration for it. The problem is, it definitely tries to apply Wario Lands brand of "wario can be anything" to sonics "levels can be anything". Sonic levels are all about super quick flashy levels you can blast through, each one having a gimmick unique to the level that you learn, master, and then use throughout the multiple zones. On the other end, Wario Land presents you with these large winding interior-like levels that you slowly (or somewhat quickly in the case of entries like WL4), navigate and solve puzzles throughout for treasure, with your main solution typically landing on how Wario himself can be controlled using various gimmicks unique to him. Your presented a gimmick, and then you remember that gimmick for the future so you can use it to solve a future puzzle. In many ways, these two games can almost feel like the opposite kind of game, only linked by being sidescrolling platformers where you can bust through walls. Pizza Tower, despite that, tries to be both, and in many ways succeeds, but cant avoid the problems that inherently comes with trying to be these two very polar ends.

Basically, I just feel theres a lot of really forgettable levels and an overall problem with gimmicks getting absolutely no chance to be explored so you can never really be rewarded in basic play for mastering a gimmick, other then replaying a level multiple times. I think less gimmicks but more places to use the same ones would be really great.

Talking about the Noise update specifically, it was just a fun retake on the main game, and made for a fun replay after not playing Pizza Tower for about a year since release. I find it really fascinating how even after changing how the entire game controls, the levels still work with minimal changes. I'm looking forward to see if they decide to change it any more in the future, and I hope whatever comes after Pizza Tower can be a much more focused experience.

03/17 - Hiveswap Act 1 (Replay)

See; Homestuck Reread. Been here a billion times, here to show my girl this time. I'll probably scream about this one later. <3

03/20 - Rescue Shot

See; King of Crusher. Another stream game! This one I liked even more, though I Really wish I had a lightgun (or could fix the mouse controls on my emulator). Incredibly adorable game with insanely good music, check out the VOD if your interested!

03/25 - Super Mario Bros. (1993)

I feel like in recent time, people have been hyping up this movie as like, secretly a really good film that people only hate because it's not a Mario movie. I'll be real, after watching it for the first time, I don't see it at all, I think this is just an incredibly funny bad movie.

Beyond not being Mario, which really doesn't matter at all, it kind of just felt like a fever dream of a script. Things kept HAPPENING there wasn't a single second to break I felt like I was in a nightmare hell dimension being blasted with insane plot beats and I couldn't keep track of anything. Without the Mario branding this would be like 10x LESS comprehensible, but good lord.

Maybe this is like, an arthouse film, and I need to watch it 12 more times and be high at least half those times, but idk I think it might actually be bad guys. Big Bertha a baddie though.

03/29 - The Croods

Another movie night with friends, we got the PRIVILEGE of watching The Croods. I saw it once when I was a kid, but I didn't really remember anything about it other then there was a character named Grug.

I now realize that the reason I remember this character is because this movie literally lied and he's the main character. It really tries to set up that the conventionally attractive main teenage girl is the protagonist but no this movie is 100% about Grug and it's so fucking Particular. Why pretend it's not about him when he becomes our sole point of view for half the film? Why pretend its about the teenage girl when she basically doesn't have any dialogue for the last 25% of the movie? What is this movie trying to say, politically? This movies a thinker. I think its a bigger thinker then 2001, honestly.

04/12 - Police Story

The first Jackie Chan movie I've ever seen and damn what a fucking good one to start with. Insanely entertaining, incredibly funny, and just a really great film! I don't think I have much else to say about it other then gush about each and every scene and how well made it is, but it really makes me wish we could get movies like this more. Just a practical effect wonderland where the main guy is just having fun with people on set. It's great.

hes kind of a babygirl

04/13 - Con Air

Actually the first time I've seen this movie, surprisingly, given my attachment to the media that has essentially co-opted this film. It wasn't good, like at all, but it was very very entertaining with friends. I didn't expect it to get so much into like, weird racism stuff?? Characters just keep appearing and getting named it's so fucking weird. What was the deal with Steve Buscemi's character, I feel like scenes were cut or something. Nick Cage was incredibly funny as the lead. It's the thing you watch with friends on 4/13, what else can I say.

why did he do this

04/19 - The Princess Bride

Honestly, I thought this one was a rewatch when we put it on in the GC, but I think I just remembered watching clips of it or seeing half of it on TV as a kid, so I'll just consider this a first time watch. It's really good! Just a fun simple movie full of extremely witty jokes. It's kind of like watching a Simpsons episode for the first time and getting to a part where they say something and you go "oh i've heard this quoted like a fucking million times, i get it now". If you haven't seen this movie, whattarya doin, go watch it!

i feel like were it not for andre being basically irreplaceable we would have a netflix reboot about these three right now. maybe that does exist already.

04/21 - PokeRogue

Half this thread is Pokemon and as I already said, I'm a roguelike freak. This game is like crack for me. That being said it's just alright. I think I'll be willing to judge it more once it's more finished and not just Pokemon in the most barebones form imaginable, coding wise. It's the basis for an extremely addicting game, and I plan on sinking even more hours into it soon. Extra points for using PMD music as well <3

im only just now finding out the rival is gendered. hey cunts let me play as a girl and get the girl rival or you hate me ok?

04/22 - The Mask (2023)

Now you may be wondering, The Mask? The movie from ten TRILLION years ago staring the homunculi known only as Jim Carrey? You'd be a fool to assume this. I am talking instead about Connor O' Malley's current best work, THAT The Mask.

There's not much I want to say about it, because I just think it's good, but if there's one thing I can say it's that Joker (2019) should be fucking embarrassed in how hard it was stood up by this short film.

Content warning for pretty heavy themes and a lot of crass jokes.

04/23 - Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) & Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) (Rewatch)

In preparation for the Knuckles show (which I still haven't finished), I decided it'd be nice to rewatch these two films for the first time. I haven't seen the first one since I watched it for the first time before Sonic 2, and I haven't seen Sonic 2 since I saw it at an early screening. What do I think of them now in retrospect?

Yeah, not very good films. Very fun! But damn, yea wow, I think with enough time to look back on them, there's a lot I really don't care for in them, and I'm not just talking about the human scenes.

I've been having a lot of conversations about adaptations lately, so I'll mostly summarize my thoughts here. In making an adaptation, your one mission in my eyes is maintaining what made the original loved. Not good, because that's not really a quantifiable thing. Not faithfully, because I feel you can make a good adaptation without being faithful. All you need to truly keep is the Reason people came to that piece of media originally, in my eyes. Whether that means going as hard as you can with something like The Last of Us, which essentially 1 to 1 recreates an entire video game, or be much more out there like with One Piece (Netflix), which essentially tells the same story but with wildly different circumstance and aesthetic.

The Sonic movies, in my eyes, simply don't capture that. In the first movie alone, Sonic and Eggman are essentially our only ties to the games, which is fine as long as they can nail them right, right? And, as many before me have really pointed out, no they don't really at all. Sonic isn't really like Sonic at all, he's a much younger, innocent, and hyperactive "version" of the character, and I say version in quotations because I don't really feel like with those adjectives removed he'd be all that similar to Sonic still. This is basically a new character, and that's fine, but I'd be hard pressed to say it captures what brought people to Sonic. Similarly, Eggman is very much not really similar to any iteration to Eggman at all (except maybe AoSTH?) A lot of people love Jim Carrey Eggman, and I totally get why, but man he really has never clicked with me. I think I like canon Eggman too much to let go, it's over for me.

But I'm sure anyone who's been around Sonic long enough has heard a trillion complaints about the first movie. In rewatching the second movie, I found that it moved way faster then I remembered, and just had way less.. character? Tails is so incredibly shoehorned in, which is a common complaint, but it really felt like at times Sonic was too?

In Sonic games, Sonic isn't exactly a character we put ourselves in the shoes of. Sonic is like this cool older brother we're just along with for the ride. If anything we insert ourselves (as kids) in Tails' shoes. Sonic doesn't really have an internal monologue, nor does he really tend to need a big shonen arc to overcome in his games. He's very much this vessel to explore other characters, to see how people respond to his brash and cocky personality. In that way, Sonic works really well, but can struggle really hard when he's placed all alone. He needs people to not only bounce off of, but to do the emotional side of the story in his stead. With the Sonic movies, we get this very very diffrent form of Sonic being put into this scenarios the canon Sonic wouldn't typiclaly find himself in, and see how he acts. It can work for original stories, because it's basically an original character, but that's the struggle with Sonic 2, and I worry Sonic 3 as well. They aren't fully original stories. Sonic 2 is a loose adaptation of Sonic 3 in most ways, with Knuckles being the true second character, and Tails being mostly to the side. Knuckles acts basically perfectly, like yea that's Knuckles, no notes there outside of maybe not taking his heritage seriously enough, but that's him. So how do you write this movie sonic into this adaptation with a Knuckles whos playing it basically straight like the games? Well... I mean, you kind of just... You, don't, really? Sonic is really just There sometimes, to say quips and to move the story forward. With exception to the scene where he's having a feeling jam with Knux, which I like, Sonic is very much Just There, and it feels really odd. In the games, this works because of his aforementioned status as this guy your along with for the ride, a dude whos too cool to even be the protagonist, but Sonic Movie Sonic IS the protagonist. He's meek and still learning and is far from the asshole we know in the games and comics, but implanted into a games storyline, he just doesn't have much he can do. He can't be that too cool guy that let's his friends do the talking, because he's already been set up as this superhero esque main guy who needs to learn a lesson by the end of the film, or overcome some kind of arc. It's just all odd in retrospect, and I really wonder how they're gonna tackle it in Sonic 3, especially without all the characters that make Sonic Adventure 2s gears go.

i also couldnt stop staring at his teeth in the movie. i really dont like the teeth idk why im just now noticing them.

04/25 - Pseudoregalia

Knocked this game off my backlog and I'm really happy I did! Beat the game with all the time trials done and I really do love it. I want to call it the perfect length, but really I think it was just a bit too short and I hope we can get more content in the future, I'm definitely itching for more levels and maybe even more time trials.

I can't think of much else to say about the game. I don't think I picked up on the story much at all, I'll probably have to ask my girlfriend about it sometime, but it's not exactly a big part of the game. The music was absolutely fantastic, and I adore all of the costumes for the main character. I like her design, for many obvious reasons.

For further criticism besides length though, combat feels pretty useless. There's really no point in the game where I ever feel like I have to or even SHOULD fight, and the final boss ends up losing a lot of impact because of it. Enemies just become a hazard in navigating the world in a way that isn't particularly fun. Similarly, there were a few upgrades that had maybe one use ever and I don't even know why they're there. I think this game could benefit a lot from playing even harder into it's all too obvious inspirations and just getting a bunch of RPG mechanics and more RPG inspired elements in here. Give me Symphony of the Bunny-Cat-Goatgirl, full on.

I also watched madagascar 2 with friends, but i don't even feel like counting it. watch this fucked up compressed video instead.

THAT'S IT FOR Q1 2024!! I'm really trying to look at a lot this year, and I hope to have EVEN MORE TO TALK ABOUT in 4 months! maybe ill do it even earlier because damn this was a fucking lot to write. If you read this far thank you, I'll be sending you a giant mettalic muscular butler sir in the mail as thanks.

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Week in Review (November 27-December 3, 2022)

Netflix released the Norwegian blockbuster Troll on Thursday. It's decent. I'm glad that original creature features can still exist, but unfortunately there's not much to set this one apart from the pack besides the novel setting and monster. Readers of this column will have no trouble predicting nearly every story beat. Props for including a cute hacker (and the wacky operation shown above... trolls hate church bells, you see).

IDW finally published Godzilla Rivals: Vs. Gigan, which was originally supposed to come out on May 25 with a different artist. I'd say it's my second-favorite of the series, after the King Ghidorah issue. The premise—the Nebulans upload fighting techniques from gamers around the world into Gigan and sic him on Seattle—was always going to be a winner, and it actually does something with its period setting. Great action, and I'm delighted the Nebulans finally came back in a big way.

The Colorado-based toy company Titanic Creations has licensed Gorgo, and they've got big plans for the Irish Godzilla. The DopePope sculpt above will be the basis for a super-articulated figure; announced alongside it were a graphic novel that follows the 1961 film and (more tentatively) an animated film! The comic is due in 2024 and will be set in the same universe's that the company's original kaiju inhabit. Now they just need a bawdy novelization of the new film to complete the Gorgo hat trick.

Student-run Studio Mujaku has a short in the works, titled Midnight the Era, which will combine tokusatsu and hand-drawn animation. Fascinating premise—in a world where nuclear weapons are replacing human-controlled kaiju as deterrents, one of Japan's kaiju decides to resist its decommissioning. The storyboards and teaser trailer look lovely too. One scary caveat, from the SciFi Japan article: "Unlike many student works, MIDNIGHT THE ERA will not be released on YouTube. Instead, it is scheduled to premiere at the Summer 2023 Comiket comic convention in Tokyo. DVDs of the film will also be sold at Studio Mujaku's booth during the convention." So this might end up being one of those kaiju shorts that'll be nigh-impossible to see in the West unless you go to G-Fest (if that).

Godziban dropped another mostly-filler episode which recaps season 1, though it does start with a short scene of Rodan teaching Radon to fly. They're really testing Wikizilla's color-coding abilities with all these segments!

Radon is also getting a Bandai Movie Monster Series figure later this month, alongside the Godziban Anguirus. Images not to scale; I'd expect Radon to be about the size of the Minilla and Little figures.

In other Godzilla toy news, Playmates VPs of Marketing John Stelzner and Pat Linden went on the Adventures in Collecting Podcast and revealed some of the company's plans for the line. Offerings next year will include Baragon (not sure which one) and a new Titan Tech figure. They'll also be making more figures of MonsterVerse kaiju from before Godzilla vs. Kong, are working on a line for the fifth MonsterVerse film, and have their sights set on Hedorah and Biollante for the classic line.

I'll close with a reminder that Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time will be playing in U.S. theaters on the 6th, 8th, and 11th. My semester also ends on the 11th, so I'm in crunch mode now, but I'm still hoping to carve out the time to see it.

[megan0013]

Mamma Mia AU

there was actually a stricklake mamma mia au on ao3 at one point (it's gone missing 😭), so quite a bit of these hc's are inspired by my vague memories of that fic. and if anyone should happen to find it, please let me know and i’ll link it

anyway

1. this is not a human au. all sorts of species get it on along in this one and barb was in college, ok? she was into experimenting. blinky is a troll. strickler and jls are both changelings. the fact that jim isn’t obviously a half-troll should immediately rule blinky out as a genetic donor, but i choose to ignore that particular pothole because it amuses me greatly to imagine a six-eyed, four-armed blue troll declaring passionately to a mostly human jim that he knows he’s his father and can’t wait to give him away at his wedding. jim doesn’t have the heart to explain that that’s not really the way it works

jim: i’ll know my father as soon as i see him

toby: it’s totally the troll

2. character swap goes like this: jim - sophie, claire - sky, barbara - donna, strickler - sam, blinky - bill/harry, jls - harry/bill. toby is still there as jim's best friend, along with draal who is the tasty treat chasing after wine auntie nomura for plot c. oh, and aaarrrgghh takes the place of rosie because the b plot is my favorite troll husbands falling in love

blinky: barbara, you were the first human i ever loved

blinky: and also the last

aaarrrgghh *grinning*: take a chance on me

3. strickler’s a great cook, blinky is fascinated by human vehicles, and jls is also named james(?!) - wild how jim’s got something in common with all three of his possible dads, huh?

4. the island truly is magical and part of claire’s business plan is to market it as a hotel for mythical creatures. not monsters, though. dracula’s already got that market cornered. kidding. everyone’s welcome

5. for plot purposes trolls have developed an immunity to the sun and can now lay around all day on the beach in a speedo, drinking a mai tai and dreaming up increasingly chaotic schemes to somehow seduce the hot changeling lady

nomura: little boys who play with fire get their fingers burned

draal: it’s cool. i’m wearing spf 4000

6. the morning after stricklake get married, strickler’s down in the kitchen making barbara pancakes or something with nothing on but one of those “kiss the cook” aprons, completely forgetting that this is a hotel and winds up getting caught bare-assed when half the wedding guests waltz in for their continental breakfast. don’t worry. barbara saves him, and

dot dot dot

[madammobius]

Chao Update: #3!

Heyo! Madam Mobius here again, and welcome back to the Mobius Garden! I’ve been really busy, and tonight I’ve got some special stuff for you, but first I just wanted to have a bit of transparency and go over a few things.

Since last time, I’ve started using Chao World Extended, a mod meant to enhance and improve the overall Chao World experience! However I’ve always been a *bit* of a purist when it comes to modding games, so I went through the customization options and only checked things that met one or more of these requirements

1: Aesthetic only: Things that only effect looks like the day/night cycle option

2: Was in the Dreamcast/GC port, but was somehow made unobtainable on PC. A good example of this is the jewel chao. The dreamcast had a little gadget called the VMU packaged in, and if you had enough of the in-game emblems you could unlock jewel chao, a special chao variant, with it. However, since the gamecube and PC have no VMU they have become completely unobtainable. Chao World Extended adds a different way to earn them through the Jewel Races! I thought this was fair because it’s still a challenge, and there would be no other way to do it anyway.

Here are some screenshots of the only options I have checked for the mod (as well as my SA2 application as a whole): 

I’ve talked to some of the chao island admins and one has confirmed that beyond one thing (which we’ll get to when the time comes) there are no other vanilla changes, just additions

Okay cool, that’s probably the most infodumpy I’m ever gonna get here lol, like I said just trying to be transparent

Now who’s ready to see some cute chao? 

They’re conversing :00 

Full video with sound here! (You can hear them talk !!)

He loves when I shake him hehe :)) 

Onto some of the more substantial changes though! I’m still trying to decide what type to evolve these little babies into, so throughout this post you may notice that I change course a little bit in the types of animals I give and which stats are highest. Rest assured though! By the end of this post I will definitively have the answer for my evolution plans!

Took a look at UwU’s stats, and it looks like her personality has cycled from the last time I checked! It was cry-baby before but now it’s energetic

Veeeeerrryyy interesting combination !

You absolute troll  ( ⚆ ◡ ⚆ )

Work hard

...nap harder

Time to learn some wonderful singing! I wanted to focus on UwU for a bit so I left OwO in class

I’ve decided that UwU is going to be a power-type! Her highest stat grade is an A in Power so I decided I want to raise it to an S when she evolves

Soon she will be strong enough to demolish the competition in karate (｀\/´)

More stat grinding...

OwO has returned! He is now a wonderful singer :)) 

Accidentally gave UwU a vulture but the new wings and hair kinda look cool with the arms lol

Laaaaaaaaa!!!

I threw a bear at him lol (￣\/￣ )

Checked the black market and they had a very interesting item for sale! It seems my emblem collecting has paid off and there is a shiny blue egg for sale

( I actually saw a rarer orange one much earlier but didn’t get it so  (ゝз･) )

I mean I really SHOULDN’T buy this one... I have enough emblems for much rarer eggs to appear... plus I’m already swamped raising the other two chao and... hmmm

I bought it.

They have all gathered around for the hatching!

Well..... at least she was there at first...

Guess she was curious and decided she doesn’t care  ¯\_༼ ಥ ‿ ಥ ༽_/¯

She’s aliiiiiiiive!!!! 

Welcome to the world, small child

DRAMATIC POSE

𝘼𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙑𝘼𝙏𝙀

...this is literally the most adorable creature on the planet I would die for you （；へ：）

Stat check!

Not terrible! I don’t think I’ll evolve her based on stats though, she’s way too adorable NOT to be evolved for looks

Checks out

Taking her to the fortune teller to get her named next... 

hmmm... blue... shiny..... water name? uhhhh hydro? no no.... ocean? nah nah...

wait.

Heheheheheh....

Heheheheheheh...

HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH...!

Everyone say hi to Soleanna! (Second N was removed in-game because of character limit, but her name is Soleanna)

For those unaware, Soleanna was the name of the City of Water in Sonic 06! I thought it was fitting because it’s water themed but also silly and a sonic reference lol

You know truth be told... UwU and OwO’s names were just kinda pulled out of a jokey joke hat because I needed to call them SOMETHING. I was gonna wait a little longer, but now that we have a naming theme...

Elise and Mephiles it is!  (again, Mephiles had to be cut short because of character limit but...)

I thought it made sense because they’re both hero and dark chao, plus it fits with the Sonic 06 reference theme

Mephiles would be proud to have an evil chao named after him :)) 

I guess Elise has taken a liking to Soleanna’s eggshell.... I can’t tell if that’s endearing or SUPER weird...

bird :)) 

looks like Mephiles is going to the races!

LITERALLY ANNIHILATED THOSE OTHER CHAO

ONCE AGAIN

He won a shovel!

Elise is gonna do some Karate! Use the strength of all those bears I gave you!

OHHHHHH!!

TWO HIT K-O!! 

She preceded to absolutely annihilate the entire tournament!

Owned

whatcha got there, Soleanna?

SHE’S RIDIN’ THE DUCK!! (ⅈ▱ⅈ)

Awwww, Elise and Mephiles are singing and playing music for her while she rides!! They’re all so cute !! 

So uh.... I kinda did some stat grinding with a dark character on Elise and well...

...she looks a bit like moldy cheese now

I’ll get her fixed up with Tails, don’t worry  ε-(´ D｀) ﾌ

no thoughts, head empty

wait a minute... i hadnt even noticed! Elise’s evolution stat traits are starting to come in! that means she’s getting closer to evolving into a power chao! (power chao have these sort of stripey patterns on them)

We did some more karate to celebrate

It went about how you would expect after her last performance  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In other news though, I’ve decided Mephiles’ final type! I’m gonna go with run! Mephiles’ namesake is a Shadow impersonator, and since a Dark-Run chao looks like Shadow I thought it would be funny :)) 

So I went to City Escape to collect some rabbits! And uh...

They are looking....

...and I do not know if it is respectfully ●﹏●

Mephiles understands that even dark lords of evil can have cute pink bunny rabbit ears

I’m sure you’ve noticed, but Mephiles’ evolution stat traits are coming in too! He’s growing spines and getting a little bluer!

You’re so adorable I’m gonna lose it...

Alrighty! Before we go, here’s a final stat-check for the road!

----------

That’s all for now folks! Thank you for reading it all if you made it here :))

Remember to check out https://chao-island.com/ if you want to learn more about chao and the raising experience! It’s a great resource

My chao posts will always be tagged with #MobiusGarden in case you wish to block them

Love u!

[popatochisssp]

I need memes for the new boys. Meme me, Poppy. Meme me.

As always, I am ashamed at how well-equipped I am to answer this question...

Meme Fluent: Ash (Undergloom Sans), Ell (Horrorswap Papyrus), Sunny (Gastertale Sans)

Can At Least Ask Where The Bathroom Is In Meme: Brick (Horrorfell Sans), Nemo (Horrorswapfell Papyrus), Aster (Gastertale Papyrus)

Meme-blivious: Yrus (Undergloom Papyrus), King (Horrorfell Papyrus), Merc (Horrorswap Sans), Pitch (Horrorswapfell Sans)

Ash (Undergloom Sans): Very savvy and up on all the most popular memes, scrolling through memes is an activity very low on the ‘activity’ part and great for when he’s feeling a little too tired to do anything else. He’s very into tiktoks, which help him keep up to date on the latest meme songs-- some of which he might try to learn to play on his own. In general, he’s also into memes with funny or weird-looking animals (frogs, possums, axolotls, etc), no specific kind of meme, the presence of a goofy-looking creature in it is usually good enough to get a smile or a chuckle out of him.

Yrus (Undergloom Papyrus): Not all that up to date on the meme scene, he’s usually busy with other things... but! He really loves relatable memes, especially ones about procrastination or not being able to focus on work or having to do chores, everyday mundane irritations that everybody can relate to! He also thinks reading comprehension errors are great harmless fun (i.e., “my bad i thought u said moths”), just silly misunderstandings that make for confusing interactions until someone realizes.

Brick (Horrorfell Sans): Doesn’t always remember every meme, but he gets the gist of most of them. His favorites are the MS Paint memes, usually the more poorly drawn, the better (but a fan of pretty much every catcrumb image he sees, those chaotic little cats are great). He can also be caught laughing himself to wheezing and banging on the table over completely bizarre and out of context interactions--for some reason, they just hit right on the funny bone and he has no defense against them. (The ‘Nyquil Detroit Become Liquid’ post nearly killed him, but he would’ve thanked it.)

King (Horrorfell Papyrus): Not too interested in memes. He’s peripherally aware of them but rarely knows the latest trends or cares to know them. He does have a slight fondness for evil memes--ones about being evil or having an evil lair or just have the word ‘evil’ as an adjective in front of something else seemingly incongruous--he finds them silly and they can usually win at least a smirk out of him when he happens to come across one. If you want a laugh, though, find him some of those screenshots of old newspapers from the 30s-50s, formally written humor that still holds up even now (like The Windsor Star, Ontario, November 1, 1958, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Ohio, February 21, 1947, or Barnard Bulletin, New York, December 20, 1935). Sensible chuckles abound from those!

Merc (Horrorswap Sans): Not too into memery, he’s definitely got a lot of other things going on and isn’t always online. Still, he is a fan of stuff like one-time-i-dreamt and other accounts of peoples’ dreams or thought processes. He thinks it’s interesting, the little peek into the wandering, strange, and sometimes funny subconscious, or how people think about love and tenderness and nostalgia and remind others to appreciate those things, too. It’s a very niche, wholesome sort of enjoyment for sure... but not to worry! If you’re looking for something more mainstream and ‘haha funny,’ he also got very into the whole ‘Surprise! It’s cake!’ meme trend that was going on for awhile and is still delighted to find a video where a realistic object is cut into and turns out to be cake. He’s definitely going to make one himself, maybe as a social media marketing thing for his home business...

Ell (Horrorswap Papyrus): Very meme savvy and tends toward some of the maybe darker types of humor--stress and anxiety memes, introvert memes, et cetera. Animated text is a big one he likes, with enough of a mix of pessimist and optimist memes that he doesn’t come away from checking it actually bummed out or feeling bad, a fine line to walk to be sure. He also likes coding and programming humor! He’s still kinda teaching himself, so he definitely doesn’t get them all, but it gives him a little sense of accomplishment and community when he does, which he really likes.

Pitch (Horrorswapfell Sans): Not interested in memes, and a lot of them are heavily based on visuals which, unfortunately, he’s going to miss the context. Still, he does get a hell of a kick out of brazen and blatant misinformation--the smooth sharks post, facts-i-just-made-up, and the like--and finds it hilarious when someone insists something that is obviously untrue, especially if a lot of people aren’t getting the joke and are trying fervently to convince them of their wrongness. He’s also a little bit evil, so whenever he learns a new piece of whatever slang is popular and in at the moment, he’s going to use it incorrectly, or use outdated slang to induce cringe in those around him. ‘Totes yeet yo’? Yes. ‘That is so pog, as the kids say’? Of course. ‘It’s lit, fam’? Definitely, who do you take him for? The cringier, the better, he revels in the discomfort of others when he throws one of those babies out.

Nemo (Horrorswapfell Papyrus): Definitely knows a little bit about memes, not always the latest trends but his base knowledge is pretty good, and of course has his favorites. He loves John Mulaney references and reaction images, they just Speak to him, y’know? Outside of that, he’s very fond of day-of-the-week memes, Tuesday Again?, Out of Touch Thursday, Fat Fuck Friday and so on. Aside from being a useful reminder of what the hell day of the week it is, he likes the consistency and recurrence of it, just a silly little moment to look forward to at some point like, “oh yeah, it’s el muchacho monday, nice!”

Sunny (Gastertale Sans): Pretty wise to the meme scene overall, loves the fun and creativity of it all. If you want him to absolutely lose his shit, though, show him a terrible picture of an animal--by which I mean, poorly photoshopped, blurred, in mid-panoramic, as long as the end result is an absurd or very screwed up image. Why are things like ‘buff half cat’ and ‘dog but very, very long’ his sense of humor? He has no idea, but the worse it looks, the harder he laughs. He has a bit of a fondness for ‘gotcha’s too, like a Rickroll but really anything where you go into it expecting one thing, and get trolled by receiving something else. (If Megalovania memes were a thing in his universe, he would be all over them, if that gives you an idea of the kind of gag he thinks is funny!)

Aster (Gastertale Papyrus): Aware of memes, but not all that invested in them. He likes corporate and office/business memes a lot-- the kind that roast bosses and unnecessary meetings, translate ‘polite’ corporate phrases, anything to do with emails--because they can be very relatable. He also likes seeing screencaps of people on Facebook or Twitter getting dragged for misinformation, or trying to act like a pompous jerk and getting shredded (for legitimate reasons of course, not just random unprovoked cyberbullying). He...may be involved in a bit of that sometimes himself: he may not be working in a scientific field, but he is half of a scientist, and just petty enough to spend a few hours of his free time looking up and reading through a few credible sources to cite in a strong and well-crafted rebuttal argument if someone is being especially, dangerously wrong about something. Not everyone has the time and resources to do it, so why shouldn’t he? 😇

[gryfon-spanish-werewolf]

A Sister Like You

Inspired by this post in which Elsa her 8yo self and Anna is her 18yo Frozen 1 age at the same time, AND @themountainsays ‘s tags about how it could make an interesting bastard!Anna au.

Special shout out to @like-redhead-probably and @daughterofhel for your encouragement! And pssst @jabs-wocks this one is much cuter and fluffier, I promise <3

Edit: Ao3 and FF.net

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

The king and queen had a terribly kept secret: their firstborn was a bastard.

It was a terribly kept secret because, well, everyone loved her.

Anna of Arendelle was too much like sunshine on a cloudy day for people to hate her. The cooks loved her because she wasn’t a picky eater like her father, and the maids loved her because she always helped mend the sheets she ripped during her playtime. The gardeners and stablemen loved Anna because she talked to the ducklings and horses and goats, and even the flowers weren’t ignored. The people loved her because she was a bright child who walked among the crowds in the market and bought pastries from the local baker with a smile full of missing baby teeth. Anna danced with the town’s children during the festivals and chased after ships until the end of the dock as they set sail.

And perhaps most importantly, her parents loved her - one of blood and one of adoptive heart. They promised to care for the little red-headed baby as their own, regardless of what people said. 

Truly, Anna was a light in the dark, even as a toddler, a fire in the midst of winter during her childhood years, and that warmth only soared to bonfire heat with the birth of the first true princess, her little sister, Elsa.

Anna’s love for Elsa was similarly earned in the way it was passed to her: instantly, freely, and without hesitation.

Elsa was born in the midst of a terrible winter storm that ended as soon as Anna was let into the birthing room. The king was right behind her, kissing his wife’s head sweetly as they peered down at their second daughter. The question was asked if Anna wanted to hold her little sister and Anna nodded furiously, already getting a leg up on the bed. They laid Elsa in her arms and Anna's eyes filled with wonder at the tiny bundle. She sat completely frozen, not wanting to move or change her position lest she disturb Elsa. The babe fussed and grabbed Anna’s small finger in an even smaller fist. Everyone in the room fawned over the action.

“She’ll be queen, right?” The king and queen exchanged a glance, hesitant. Anna had not seemed put out by the fact that she would never officially rule, but she was only ten, and they weren’t sure if that would always be the case.

The king cleared his throat. “Yes, darling. She will.”

Anna looked back down at her baby sister. Looked at her like she was her whole world. Elsa hiccupped a little and Anna smiled her blinding smile.

“I can’t wait,” she said, wiggling her trapped finger back and forth so Elsa turned towards the motion. “She’s gonna be great! And I’m gonna help her!”

The mood shifted instantly and everyone relaxed, rejoicing. Elsa’s forehead wrinkled at all the noise and she began to wail until Anna soothed her, shushing all the adults with a serious tone. They did, but not without some laughter.

And then Elsa sneezed.

Frost dusted Anna’s twin braids and bangs. She blinked. Everyone stared in complete shock. A small snowflake fell delicately from nowhere to land on the tip of Anna’s nose. In her arms, Elsa made little noises of satisfaction and nestled herself further into Anna’s hands before falling asleep.

“I take it back,” Anna whispered excitedly while the room found their tongues. “She’s going to be the best!”

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

In the middle of the night, Anna crept through the darkened hallways of Arendelle castle, easing the door of her parents’ room open. She lifted, with some effort, the door from the bottom with her toe so it wouldn’t squeak and give her away. She closed it just the same, sidling over to the crib along the far wall. Voices came from the opposite side of the room, in the connected bathroom.

They were arguing. Again.

She couldn’t remember them arguing when she was little, but Anna wasn’t sure that was because they hadn’t, or because they’d not had a reason to.

Because now they were always arguing about Elsa.

Anna dragged the stepstool up to the side of the crib. Elsa was deeply asleep, mumbling vague syllables as Anna rocked her bed gently with her knee. Half a year had passed and Elsa kept getting bigger everyday. Her hair was growing out, her cheeks were soft and pudgy (“Just like yours!” The staff would often remind Anna), and she had started to laugh and laugh and laugh at all of Anna’s antics. Anna was utterly enchanted by her, her little sister was genuine magic.

And of course, Elsa was literally magic, too.

Raised voices rebounded around the walls as the king and queen found new ground to battle over. Anna saw Elsa’s lower lip wobble and put her hand down into the crib so Elsa could hold it. With her other hand she touched the bandages around her head.

“It’s okay,” Anna murmured, “I know it was an accident.”

They’d been playing Peek-a-Boo.

Anna had surprised Elsa for the hundredth time with a joyful, “Here I am!”, only this time Elsa had placed her hand on Anna’s temple as she giggled and there was a flash of white. The next thing Anna knew she was on horseback, jostled back and forth in the king’s lap. They rode hard, to a clearing she didn’t recognize. Creatures rolled out of the mist and popped open, revealing themselves to be trolls. Anna would have been excited under normal circumstances, but the looks on the king and queen’s faces, and the fact that Elsa was crying her tiny lungs out, had her clamping down on any questions.

The adults talked, human and troll alike, but Anna was having a hard time paying attention. Elsa was so far away, upset, and she couldn’t reach her. Her body felt stiff and cold, especially her head. She couldn’t stop shivering. One of the trolls saw her reach out from the king’s arms and told everyone that Anna was awake.

The old troll informed her gravely that her life was in danger, that Elsa’s power would only continue to grow. He showed her images with his magic: a figure in blue turning water to ice, then being pounced upon by figures in red. They were beautiful, and frightening, making Anna’s heart pound sluggishly in her chest. The queen and king said the troll could do whatever he needed to save Anna’s life and protect Elsa from such a fate. The troll approached Anna, with more magic shining in his rocky palm, and said that everything would be fine, that it was just her head and not her heart. He chuckled humorously.

“Much better to lose a few memories than your life.”

Anna refused.

The adults sputtered.

“Will I remember Elsa?”

“Yes, of course but-”

“Will I remember her magic?”

“The magic is what did the damage, and to remove it I would remove-”

“Then no.”

And she wouldn’t hear it any other way, even as her body grew colder and the vision on her right fractured and split. A frozen headache pulsed at her temple, spreading rapidly across her skull. Still, Anna sought out the sound of Elsa’s voice, even though others were getting in the way. She couldn’t tell who was who. Some of them wanted the troll to do it anyway, that Anna was just a child, only ten, and didn’t know better. Some wanted Anna’s wishes to be respected, that perhaps there was another way. Even more worried about the future, the kingdom, what it might mean to have a queen with powers… or a bastard without memories of them.

What were the consequences of hiding Elsa’s powers from the public? What were the repercussions of making the same mistake over and over, if Anna was literally unable to remember the danger?

So many questions, so many voices.

All of them wanted her to live.

Anna took air into small lungs embedded with ice shards, speaking softly but clearly even as fatigue stole over her.

“Elsa’s powers are a part of her. Forgetting them means I’m forgetting part of Elsa. I don’t want that. How can I help her if I don’t know her?”

--

When Anna next awoke she was in her room back at the castle, wrapped solidly in blankets. Summer sunlight filtered through the curtains, bright and cheerful. She thought perhaps it had all been a dream, and she’d been allowed a rare day to sleep in.

In fact here was Gerda, thankfully with breakfast, walking through the door. Anna sat up to make space and shot her a cheerful, “Good morning!”

Gerda dropped everything she was carrying in one huge clatter and rushed to Anna’s side, burying her in a deep hug.

“Oh, my little Princess!” She always called Anna that, even though she wasn’t really. “We thought we were going to lose you!”

Anna went to protest but spied her reflection in the mirror over Gerda’s shoulder. Her hair was it’s usual post-slumber mess, but this time instead of it being held away from her face by sheer luck, it was by bandages.

Gerda set about getting her dressed and fed and ready for the day. She did Anna’s hair last of all, delicately peeling away the strips of cloth. It hurt a little, but not too bad. Anna wasn’t sure what she expected to see as the source of the pain, but that wasn’t it.

“Did I get some of the powdered sugar in my hair?” She asked.

Gerda looked sad, gazing at Anna through her reflection. “No my dear, that’s…” She paused, deliberating. Anna touched the white streak at her temple, following it back where it disappeared behind her ear.

“I don’t know all the details,” Gerda finally continued, “but I’m told you were very brave.”

Anna watched Gerda comb the white streak into her braid and remembered.

And to her everlasting relief… she remembered everything.

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

Anna and Elsa grew up, little by little, leap by leap. Space was cleared out in Anna’s room for Elsa’s bed and things, but by that time they were already inseparable. From the moment Elsa could walk she followed Anna everywhere. Laughter was common, and anyone in the castle who caught an earful of it drifting and caterwauling through the halls always gave a smile. Unless it was followed by the sound of something breaking, then it was usually a kickstart to a sprint.

As Anna edged into her teenage years things got… a little silly. Now at ages fifteen and five, the girls could get into all kinds of mischief. Nothing terrible of course, mostly playing knights in the hallways with the armor and freezing their tutor’s inkwell after a particularly difficult day of study. But then of course, there was the time Elsa made sleeping versions of them to fool people into thinking they were tucked away for the night, only to get caught sneaking into the fjord waters for a late night swim. Or the time Anna pretended Elsa was sick and was only taking requests through the door - requests that included chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies, hot chocolate (in summer), chocolate mousse…

The future that the king and queen feared never came to pass; Elsa’s powers indeed grew as she did, but they were tempered with the practice that came along with frequent use, namely entertaining herself and her older sister. Anna never got tired of watching Elsa, “Do the magic,” and Elsa never got tired showing her.

Anna’s sunny disposition never wavered even when others thought it might, when, despite their closeness, familial bonds, and education, Anna’s status as an out of wedlock child started to become more frequently pronounced. If anything, Elsa took more offense to her sister being addressed as, “Lady Anna,” while she got “Princess Elsa”, than Anna ever did.

“But you are a princess!” Elsa protested one night. They were both in their respective beds, across from each other, flat on their backs as they watched the hues of the Northern Lights waver over their ceiling.

“I’m technically half adopted,” Anna clarified.

“What does that mean?”

“It means one of our parents isn’t my flesh and blood parent, even though I call them Mama and Papa just like you do.”

“That’s so weird,” and Anna could hear Elsa’s frown from her side of the room. “Which one?”

Anna shrugged. “I dunno. It’s not like I haven’t wondered, but it just, never seemed to matter enough to ask.”

“I could ask.”

“No, sweetheart, you don’t have to.”

“But I wanna know!”

Anna sighed. She watched the lights dance a moment before saying, “I don’t.”

“Oh…” Elsa went quiet. “Can I ask why?”

“Sure you can.”

A few seconds passed before Elsa huffed irritably and Anna grinned in the dark. “Why don't you want to know?”

“I want to be mysterious,” Anna teased.

“Anna!”

“What? If you get to be queen, then I want to be the spooky, strange older sibling!”

She expected a laugh but was met with silence.

“...Did you wanna be queen?”

Anna opened her mouth to reply how she always did, but stopped. This was her sister, not some dignitary in a hushed tone or some drink toting duchess at a dinner party. She deserved a real answer.

“No,” Anna said finally, “not really anyway. Even when I was little I didn’t dream of holding Papa’s scepter or wearing Mama’s crown. I felt like that was their thing, and you had your thing! And I was… am, happy just being me.”

“Is that because you really never thought about it, or because someone told you it would never be yours?”

Anna’s brows knit together and she sat up quickly. “Hey,” she smirked, “who said you could be a five-year-old philosopher?”

“Sorry!” Elsa sat up too, her arms hugging her bed sheet covered legs. “I just think you’d be really good at it!”

“Good at it?” Elsa nodded, the Lights roaming through her hair. “What makes you say that?”

“Well…,” Elsa began rolling her hands in a circular motion. A small ball of twinkling snow appeared between her hands, rotating gently. She did this whenever she was thinking. “You’re smart and patient and kind. You’re always explaining things to me, and telling me stories. You help me when I’m mad at my homework or miss a stitch while sewing. You’re always thinking of new games to play, you read me books and take me out into the town for a day of fun! And you always save some of your peas from dinner for the ducks in the pond. You claim it’s because you hate vegetables but really it’s because you know it’s their favorite snack.

“But as much as you teach,” Elsa continued, the snowball spinning and sparking, “you also listen. You know everybody in the whole castle’s birthday. A sailor told you that he always missed the baker’s lun epleterte when he was out at sea, and now the baker always has extra when he sees that ship come home. Kai mentioned once that his favorite flowers hadn’t bloomed yet in the garden so you staked out the hedge for weeks. The moment they bloomed you ran to go find him, a few flowers already in your hands. You’re very-,” Elsa paused, her hands stopping too. Her lips twitched in annoyance. “I don’t know the word. But you know people and you care about them, and I think that would make you a great queen.”

The little snowball shrunk and disappeared, returning the room to the flickering patterns of pinks, blues, and greens of the Lights. Anna propped her head and elbow up on her thigh. “Hmm, I suppose you’re right. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m not really interested, and even if I were, I still couldn’t.”

Elsa waved her hand dismissively. “When I’m queen I’ll just make you queen too.”

Anna scoffed, though not without humor. ��That’s not how it works.”

“Says who? I’ll be queen! Who’s gonna say no?” Elsa barreled on, not waiting for Anna’s response. “It’ll be perfect: I’ll be Queen, you’ll be Royal-Big-Sister-Queen, and then you and I can both do whatever we want! We’ll be perfect together!”

“‘Royal-Big-Sister-Queen’? That’s not a thing.”

“It will be,” Elsa replied confidently. Anna exhaled heavily, a smile on her lips. Elsa noticed her lack of enthusiasm. “Okay, I’ll work on a better title but…, I just don’t want people thinking that you’re not part of my family.”

Anna’s eyes softened. “C’mere you.”

Elsa kicked off her covers, grabbed the stuffed penguin Anna had made for her fourth birthday, and ran on bare feet to Anna’s bedside. She lifted her arms and Anna picked her up, nestling her close. “It will never matter what other people say about me, because I know that the family that chose me, and that I choose right back everyday, loves me very much, and just wants me to be happy.”

Anna ran her pinkie softly down the bridge of Elsa’s nose. Her little sister blinked drowsily when Anna did it again. “What do you think about that?” She asked quietly.

“I think… you’re my best friend-older sister,” Elsa said softly as sleep dragged at her, “who tries to put her cold feet on my back when we sleep together, always forgetting that I can’t feel the cold.”

Anna chuckled low in her chest. “And I think you are my sweet-but-silly little sister,” she replied, tweaking Elsa’s nose which made her giggle, “who is always stealing the blankets despite claiming she’s never cold, leaving me to freeze to death.”

Elsa cuddled closer to Anna, yawning fiercely. “I promise I’ll share them tonight. Pre-Queen’s honor.”

Anna put a hand to her chest. “That’s a big promise, your Almost-Majesty. How do you know you’ll keep it?”

Elsa already had her eyes closed and her head on Anna’s pillow. “Because I love you.”

Anna smiled warmly. She scooched lower and drew the covers up over her shoulder, planting a kiss on Elsa’s forehead as she got settled.

“I love you too. And I still will, even when I wake up tomorrow and all the covers are on your side of the bed.”

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

Elsa never did come up with a better title for Anna’s rise to royalty. Not that she didn’t have time; to most people three years is quite the span, but for children and young adults it may well have been the blink of an eye. And it certainly felt like no time at all when Kai knocked on their door, parchment in hand and tears in his eyes, to deliver the news that their parents had died at sea.

Anna was eighteen, and Elsa, heir to the throne, only eight.

The funeral was delayed until proper mourning attire could be fashioned for such young women. The headstones were grand but simple. After the rain and the prayers, Anna and Elsa walked back to their room, silent. Anna worked on autopilot: helping Elsa disrobe, comb out her hair, put her in sleepwear. Until she felt the ghost of a memory, not long past, of her hugging the queen and king around the waist, expressing her wish to see them soon. The last time she’d ever touched them.

She heard Elsa sniffle beneath her hand, and caught sight of their reflection in the mirror. Tears dripped out of red-rimmed eyes as Elsa’s hard fought composure (already so heavy for a child) fell apart at Anna’s momentary lapse in normality. Then they were holding each other close, fingers digging into clothing and faces pressed close together.

They slept in the same bed for months.

But during that time an uncomfortable question arose. One that, out of respect for tradition, should have waited, but realistically speaking, couldn’t.

Who was in charge now?

Obviously no one expected an eight-year-old to be officially running a country, especially since her Coronation Day was over a decade away. And while Elsa had already Ascended to ruling status, legally she wasn’t making the rules, and it couldn’t be advisors forever. Especially not after the period of mourning, which at max placed Elsa at twelve. She would be involved in ongoing diplomatic and national matters of course, as she would have been anyway, though now to a larger degree, but the fact of the matter was that Elsa was a child.

She still had a bedtime.

And it couldn’t be Anna… could it? She had the training, the disposition. Even if she’d never desired it personally, could she be persuaded to step up, even if it was, in the end, invisibly? The advisors knew that generally speaking, the people of Arendelle would not turn their backs on Anna being their ruler in Elsa’s place, but politically, they felt the pressure of putting the correct outward face on their country.

Anna walked past two advisors, picking holes in the same arguments she’d heard for weeks, and closed her ears to it all. If they --the crown, the staff, the castle-- needed her help, she’d do it in a heartbeat, but right now, she was more concerned with the remaining family she had left.

Namely, finding her before her upcoming royal duties.

They were starting slow. A few of the old guardsmen had retired, and today was their replacement’s first day on the job. Elsa, as queen, was supposed to formally greet them and thank them for their service. Fairly straightforward, all things considered, but Anna had seemingly lost track of Elsa after breakfast and between a few meetings of her own, and now was looking for her little sister.

Well, she was pretending to look. Anna knew exactly where to find her sister, but she gathered that, with all the fuss over dress and ceremony, Elsa may want just a few extra seconds to be alone, not being touched by people’s hands or her hair pulled by combs or set in tight braids and buns along her head.

But they couldn’t delay forever. Anna tapped a special rhythm on the door to their room, hearing a muted, “Come in!” from the other side.

As she entered, Anna’s breath caught in her throat.

Elsa was dressed like, well…

She looked just like Mama.

“Gerda says if I keep my steps high, I won’t trip on my cape,” Elsa said, spinning to show off the purple floor length cape. “But I can’t walk normally if I do that, I look like a puffed up frog!”

A little tiara nestled in her snow-blonde hair bounced light around the room as Elsa shifted. A fleck caught in Anna’s eye and she blinked harshly, bringing her back to the moment.

“Good thing you only have to walk a few feet,” Anna agreed, closing the door behind her and striding up to her sister. “You’ll be the best dressed frog in the room.”

Elsa folded her arms and scowled, looking very queenly indeed. “I’m surprised you’re the one saying that, considering what you’re wearing today,” and she gestured up and down at her sister.

It was true, Anna was wearing a dress that was almost entirely green from top to bottom, excluding the bodice which was black. The pleats of her skirt were alternating shades of green, the only spots of color otherwise being the rosemaling against the black silk on her chest and abdomen. Anna looked down then back up, and grinned. “I guess you’re right. You’ll have to teach me how to walk then. Does it look something like this?”

She marched dramatically in place, all high knees and right angled elbows, a look of comic determination on her face. To her delight, and relief, Elsa burst into giggles. She held her two gloved hands up in front of her mouth.

That was the Elsa she knew.

“You’re going to embarrass me, Anna,” Elsa laughed.

“Lucky for me, that’s the older sibling’s job.” Anna put her hands on her hips. “Ready to go?”

Elsa’s smile dropped, looking down at her outfit. “I look like I am.”

Anna crouched down to be level with Elsa. “You certainly do,” she said softly. “You look beautiful. But I asked if you were ready.” Elsa didn’t meet her eye, instead fidgeting with her hands and wringing the soft blue leather of her gloves.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be,” Elsa confessed, downcast.

Anna acknowledged that with a little hum. “Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not for a long time. But I think that’s okay too, it just means you’re still willing to learn. And you know, you’re not alone. You’ve got Kai and Gerda and all the staff, you’ve got the tutors and experts and all the other adults that know what to do. And, you know,” Anna shrugged, “you’ve got me, too. So I’m pretty sure it won’t be a complete disaster.”

Elsa looked up. “Really?”

“Positive,” Anna winked. She pinched her pointer finger and thumb close together. “Just a little one.”

Elsa laughed again and shoved Anna’s hand away. “Okay, okay, I’m ready. Let’s go.”

“After you,” Anna said grandly, opening the door wide for Elsa with a sweeping bow. Elsa shook her head, then squared her shoulders and tilted her chin back, adopting the posture she’d learned over many lessons of how to walk like a queen. Anna sheltered the little spark of pride inside her heart, and the flicker of sadness that came along with it.

They started to make their way down the long hall, Anna a step behind to Elsa’s right, as was expected. As they neared the halfway point, Elsa’s pace slowed, and Anna noticed immediately.

She tapped Elsa on the shoulder and gently took her hand.

Elsa glanced ahead and behind furtively. “I… shouldn’t.”

“I know but, you don’t have to be ‘Queen-queen’ until we turn that corner, so…” Anna ran her thumb across the back of Elsa’s gloved hand, “You can keep holding my hand until then.”

Elsa squeezed back. “And after that? Where will you be?”

Anna beamed.

“Right next to you. And after that? Wherever you need me to be.”

[sorceress-coffee]

Of History and Kisses

I want to give a special thanks to @moonkatt for all the support and kindness she’s sent my way! Your love for RoA has really inspired me and I’m truly grateful to everyone who takes time out of their day to read my fanfiction. As promised, this should be the first of five original chapters regarding River’s development, her family, and the Trollhunter’s time between episode 13 and 14.

AO3 Link

Blinky’s P.O.V.

As the celebrations came to a close, and our young Trollhunter and Sorceress slipped away with the young Tobias, I went off in search of Vendel. During their first months in Trollmarket, Vendel had quickly become attached to the young Sorceress, Lady River. Though their lessons were sporadic as she and our Trollhunter, Master Jim, learned to balance their human duties with their new magical destinies, she and Vendel have made great strides in her training.

 There was much we learned of Lady River throughout her lessons however, such as having no information about her family. Her mother, Lady Ganieda, was presumed dead nearly a thousand years ago, after the battle at Killahead. Trolls, wizards, and all manner of magical being hadn’t seen nor heard from Lady Ganieda, all trace of her erased from our world. That is until River showed up with our Trollhunter.

 Once Vendel learned of this, he came to ask me for help. He asked if I could locate any tomes, books, and scrolls with any information I could find on Lady Ganieda. During Jim’s time at school, I scoured my brother’s books high and low, searching for anything containing even a footnote about Lady Ganieda, but I could only find one, other than the book Vendel had given to Lady River.

 I rushed through the market, book under one of my four arms as I tried to find the old goat. He needed to see what I had found on Lady Ganieda. What I had found, there is a lot River doesn’t know, and with what I’ve seen with NotEnrique and Eemeli, she takes after her mother.

 Spying Vendel’s staff in a crowd, I took off towards Bagdwella’s shop, who in celebration of our victory over Bular, was giving away socks for the night. As I reached the middle of the crowd, I found Vendel, speaking fondly to trolls of our Trollhunter and Sorceress, saying he expected great things from them. His overly cheery demeanor most likely the result of his few too many drinks tonight. I quickly grabbed his arm holding his staff, gaining his attention.

 “Blinkous!” Vendel smiled as I spun him to me, “How can I help our Trollhunter’s trainer?” He asked whacking the top of my head with his staff.

 I grinned, holding the book up for Vendel with all four hands, a slight bounce to my posture as I thought of its contents, “What you asked me about, I finally found something!” I told Vendel quickly, watching him sober a bit as what I found sunk in.

 “This, has information on her mother?” He asked, taking the book carefully. I nodded, opening it in his hold, flipping to the section on Lady Ganieda, “It’s right here, detailed information on who she was, what she did, and why we believe she disappeared,” I stopped short at that, letting out a sight. “You know the stories as well as I do old friend. I thought you should present this to Lady River. It’s the only thing in my brother’s collection that contained any information on her.” I explained, knowing this was the only connection Lady River would have to her mother.

 Vendel nodded, chuckling as he skimmed over some of the passage, “Shall we find our young Sorceress then?” He asked, heading out of the crowd to the stairway the younglings ran off to. I grinned, following after Vendel to find Lady River. As we drew near the younglings, we found Draal, waiting near the top of the stairs, watching over them.

 Vendel paused to speak with Draal. “Draal, how are the younglings?” He asked, curious as to why Draal was watching over the stairway instead of finishing off the celebration with the other trolls.

 Draal nodded, peering down the steps as he spoke, “They’re exhausted but in good spirits,” he explained, smiling softly. “River’s ankle is still badly damaged and I doubt our Trollhunter and To-bee, will be able to help her back up the steps.”

 I frowned, recalling Nomura’s attempts at dragging Lady River into the Darklands. “Better her ankle than being pulled into the portal.” Draal only hummed in response.

 Vendel clasped his shoulder, showing him the book. “Blinkous managed to find something on her mother, we were planning on sharing it with her.” He told Draal, “I believe she’ll want you present.”

 Smiling, Draal headed down with us to the younglings. As we approached, we could hear them discussing fair Lady Claire’s missing brother, and what awaited in the Darklands.

 River’s P.O.V.

“Not to mention we’d be walking directly into Gunmar,” I spoke up, worried for Enrique now that NotEnrique was useless to the Gumm-gumms.

 “We’ll figure it out,” Jim shrugged, smiling at us. “We always do.”

 The clearing of someone’s throat caused Jim and I turn quickly as Draal, Blinky, and Vendel joined us on the steps. Jim nervously scratched the back of his neck as Vendel eyed him, the mention of Gunmar automatically setting the old Troll on edge. “River,” he turned to me, lifting a book to my line of sight. “I had Blinkous look for information on your mother, would you like to go over it in private?” He asked, glancing at Toby and Jim.

 An overwhelming excitement took hold as I stared at the book, knowing what it contained. “If they want to stay, I don’t mind. She’s Jim’s aunt after all, even if they never met.” I smiled at Jim; family had always been an awkward topic for us.

 Jim smiled but stood, grabbing Toby. “I think you should hear it first, she’s your mom.” He hugged me quickly, stepping back with a grin. “Besides, it’s getting late, if you’re staying, someone has to cover for you with mom.” He chuckled, dragging Toby away with the promise of a Diablo Maximus.

 Draal lifted me carefully, settling me in his lap as Vendel and Blinky sat on either side. Laughing, I settled down fairly quickly, keeping my ankle up on Draal knee as Vendel opened the ancient book carefully.

 “Lady Ganieda, born half-sister to the Wizard Merlin. A Sorceress in the time of Camelot. She served her kingdom alongside her half-brother and his two apprentices. During King Arthur’s reign, was broke out between the humans and those of magic. It was said that Lady Ganieda, friend to human and magical creatures alike, was torn. She had a duty to her kingdom, but her hurt bled for those born of magic.” Vendel read through, history sounding more like a fairy tale as he dove deeper into the legend of Lady Ganieda.

 As Arthur’s madness grew with his Queen’s untimely demise, he began imprisoning innocent magic born creatures. The result was a rise in Gunmar’s hatred for humans and the impending war between humans and magic itself. Lady Ganieda stood against King Arthur for his wrongful imprisonment of magical creatures, she stated that he was to imprison every single one, then that would include Merlin, his apprentices, and herself.

 As a show of mercy, and for her years of service to the crown, King Arthur banished Lady Ganieda into wild woods, where he believed the Trolls would kill her. Only taking her ruby staff, she left. She wondered through the wild woods for days. The spirits were kind to her, sensing the magic that flowed through her veins.

 Spirits led Lady Ganieda deeper into the woods. Bringing her to a small village of Trolls. Upon seeing a human, panic ensued. This was Dwoza, a village thought to be hidden away from Gunmar, the trolls residing here had wanted nothing to do with the Gumm-Gumm war. Using her staff, Lady Ganieda called to the forest spirits, showing the Trolls she was more like them than the humans seeking to destroy them.

 Once the panic had calmed, the leader of Dwoza greeted the young sorceress, offering her shelter and any aid the trolls could lend. Lady Ganieda was grateful to the Trolls, but she couldn’t stay. She didn’t want to cause more panic for others who would seek asylum in Dwoza. The forest spirits were against her leaving. They used all manner of tricks to keep Lady Ganieda in Dwoza.

 Growing weary of the forest spirits, Lady Ganieda confronted them, refusing to trade a man-made cage for a spirit-made one. The spirits, realizing their error, led Lady Ganieda back to the forest, allowing her to venture deeper into the wild woods.

 Continuing her journey, Lady Ganieda was unaware of the darkness that followed her. As night fell in the woods, Trolls in night-colored armor appeared before her, surrounding the sorceress. Lady Ganieda was terrified but kept a calm demeanor as the Gumm-Gumm soldier captured her.

 She was brought to Gunmar, only to learn that her oldest friend, the Eldritch Queen, had sided with the Gumm-Gumms. The Eldritch Queen asked for Lady Ganieda’s assistance in infiltrating Camelot. She brought her to a group of young trolls and humans. Confused, Lady Ganieda waited to see what her friend had in store for the younglings.

 Using ancient dark magic, the Eldritch Queen bound the souls of the humans to the Trolls present, changing the Trolls and cursing the humans. As the human fell into a deep sleep, the Trolls were able to take their forms. Lady Ganieda was horrified, the Eldritch Queen had created Changelings. Trolls now bound to her and Gunmar’s will.

 Lady Ganieda made it clear to the Eldritch Queen that she wanted no part in her plan. Gunmar ordered for her death, but the Eldritch Queen stopped him, saying that in time, Lady Ganieda would recognize their power, and use it to bring the Eternal Night.

 With her life secured, for the time being, Lady Ganieda was taken to the Gumm-Gumm dungeon to rot until she died, or chose to help the Eldritch Queen. During her imprisonment inside an iron cage, a youngling female was charged with looking after Lady Ganieda. As the youngling guarded the cage, she spoke of how some of the Changelings were terrified of their new abilities. Having been stolen from their homes as whelps, most wanted nothing to do with Gunmar’s rule but were too terrified to stand up against him.

 Lady Ganieda, sensing the truth in the youngling’s words, devised a plan to break out of the Gumm-Gumm prison. With the youngling’s help, she would get as many Changelings away from Gunmar as she possibly could.

 Close to sunset, as Gunmar’s troops were readying to march to Killahead, the youngling snuck into the Eldritch Queen’s quarters and stole Lady Ganieda’s staff. She headed into the dungeon, breaking open Lady Ganieda’s iron cage. With her staff returned, Lady Ganieda and the youngling tore through the Gumm-Gumm base, finding as many Changelings as they could, breaking them away from the marching troops.

 As the freed Changelings took off into the woods, Lady Ganieda turned for Killahead. She had an Eldritch Queen to confront. The youngling refused to follow the Changelings, vowing to fight as Lady Ganieda’s champion the need arose. Lady Ganieda recognized the fight in the young Troll’s eyes and agreed. They headed to the battle of Killahead and found the Eldritch Queen locked in battle with Merlin. The youngling rose to the challenge and attacked the Eldritch Queen. Their battle grew fierce, stone crumbled in their wake. Merlin injured, pleaded with his sister to flee, losing her once to King Arthur’s rule.

 The youngling was struck down by the Eldritch queen. Lady Ganieda refused to back down as she called her to fight. The witch and the sorceress locked in battle, as the witch destroyed everything around, the sorceress tried to heal what was wounded. During their final moments, their magic clashed causing a massive explosion.

 As the dust settled, only the Eldritch Queen remained. Lady Ganieda was no more, fighting to protect everyone. Humans, Trolls, and Changelings. There remains a statue of the youngling and Lady Ganieda in Camelot. A Gumm-Gumm soldier and a Sorceress who wanted nothing more than peace. Those who were willing to die for it.

 As Vendel finished the story all eyes turned to me with worried expressions. I was clinging tight to Draal’s stone hand as wetness trailed over my cheeks. Was I crying? I scrubbed at my cheeks, trying to rid my face of the tears. “I’m okay, I just… Did she die? Then how am I here?” I asked, more confused about my existence.

 Draal nuzzled the top of my head, trying to comfort me, “The book said she ‘was no more,’ it’s possible the clash of magic threw her into a different realm.” He explained, carefully using his mechanical hand to wipe my face as more tears spilled.

Blinky nodded quickly at Draal's suggestion, “That is true! I’ve something similar before. She had to have survived to have you. There’s no doubt that you’re her daughter!” he argued. Handing Draal the Troll equivalent to a hanky, really a dishrag, to wipe my face with.

 Vendel smiled as he watched Draal and Blinky fuss over me. “I remember Lady Ganieda, we met once, briefly, but she always put the lives of others before her own. She was like daylight itself. She could warm one’s soul.” Patting my head softly, he continued. “You are here, which means she survived the battle. Though we don’t know where she is now, we do know she survived the Eldritch Queen’s wrath.”

 As the tears slowed to a stop, I smiled softly in thought. “I take after her.”

 Vendel chuckled, “This is obvious. You’re a worrier, refusing to back from a fight. You have a talent for healing, a type of magic she held dear. You’re also extremely stubborn and bull-headed when it comes to helping others, especially Trolls and Changelings.”

 Blinky smiled, clasping my shoulder, “You may not have met her, but you have so much of her with you.”

 Nodding, I put my hand over the closed book. “Thank you for finding this Blinky.” I hugged him tight before hugging Vendel, “Thank you for looking after me, Master Vendel.” Vendel returned the hug carefully, keeping an eye on my injured ankle. When I finally pulled away from the hug, I looked up to Draal, nuzzling under his chin. “Thank you for staying,” I spoke softly.

 Draal hummed, standing with me in his hold. “I believe it’s time we headed home. The Bar-bu-rah will worry if River’s gone for too long.” He reasoned, nodding to Blinky and Vendel as he turned to leave.

 I waved goodbye over Draal’s shoulder, snickering once we were out of earshot. “Didn’t Jim mention he’d be covering for me tonight?” I asked, wondering what Draal was up to.

 Chuckling, Draal adjusted me in his hold as he exited Trollmarket, into the canal. “Did he? Are you sure?” he teased, heading to the edge of town, and up to our billboard. “I thought you could use a break, or talk if that’s what you needed.” He smiled, settling us facing the woods.

 Humming softly, I curled up against him. “I think I have more questions than answers now,” I explained, playing with his mechanical hand as I tried to form my thoughts. “How did she know this Eldritch Queen? If they were friends, why would she try to kill my mother? Who was the Gumm-Gumm that helped her? Where did the Changelings go? What happened during the fight?” I rambled off as each question rose to the front of my mind.

 Draal frowned, “I’m not sure. I remember the panic her entrance to Dwoza caused, but I never saw her once she left.” He spoke up, having been there when everything happened. “I never saw her or this Eldritch Queen at the battle of Killahead.”

 Smiling softly, I nuzzled up under his chin. “When the battle was over, and there was relative peace, did you visit Camelot? Did you see the statue?” I asked, wanting to anything I could about my mother and the youngling.

 Draal nodded, “When we needed supplies the humans traded for. I did see the statue a few times. If it was accurate, the youngling was small for a Gumm-Gumm soldier. She didn’t look like a Gumm-Gumm for that matter.” Tilting his head in thought, Draal tried to recall the statue. “Strange armor though.” He spoke finally.

 I snickered, “This coming from a Troll that doesn’t wear armor,” I teased him, knowing his skin was too hard for most weapons to pierce.

 “That’s because mine is built in.” he snarked back grinning down at me.

 Laughing I kissed his cheek, grateful that after everything, Draal was here to help me smile again. “Thank you.” Draal smiled softly before smashing his face against my cheek, causing me to burst out in laughter. “What are you doing?” I managed to get out through my laughing fit, trying to push his nose away so I could look at him.

 Draal stubbornly kept his face smooshed against my cheek, even as he spoke, “Is this not the human ‘kissing?’ The smashing of faces?” He asked, pulling back finally as he looked down at me in confusion.

 My face bled scarlet, realizing he was trying to kiss my cheek, “Oh!” I floundered, trying to think of how to explain kissing. “Well, what did Jim tell you? When he explained his fears about the kissing scene?” I asked, unsure of what Jim could have told Draal that involved ‘smashing’ faces.

 Draal brought up his hands, making duckbills and smashing them together. “When two people like each other, the smash their lips together. The more they like each other, the longer the smashing lasts.” He explained. “When I said you did something similar, he explained it could be done on the cheek, forehead, nose, and hand. I think.” He frowned, trying to remember his exact words.

 I smiled nuzzling his jaw, “So you tried smashing your face against my cheek.” I giggled, “I’m assuming kissing is a human thing?” I asked, my face falling as I thought back to the night before. Kissing him in the museum. “Wait, but I…” Mortified, realizing my reflex at seeing him alive may have been unwanted.

 Draal chuckled, watching my face turn darker shades of red, “I’ve never seen a fleshbag turn so many different colors,” he teased, gently nuzzling his mouth against my cheek. “Your gesture is not unwelcome.”

 As my brain overloaded, I let out an indignant squawk, grabbing his face to give him a stern look. “Teasing isn’t helping!” I snarled, my face on fire.

 Draal stared at me in shock before melting into laughter, hugging me tightly. “Then don’t make it so easy.” As his laughter died down, a grin plastered itself over his face. “I think it’s what the fleshbags refer to as ‘cute’.”

 Grumbling, waiting for the red to drain from my face. “If you weren’t my mate, I’d throw you into the frickin forest,” I mumbled against his chest, curling up against him.

 “It’s a good thing we’re courting then.” He snickered, “I have no doubt you could throw me that far.” Leaning back against the billboard, he hummed in thought. “Are human females the only ones to initiate this ‘kissing’?” He asked, wondering if he messed up a weird human social norm.

 My voice was muffled as I kept my face hidden, “No, I just wasn’t expecting it since you’ve never done it before.”

 “Unexpected, not unwelcome?” He asked, startling me enough to pull back, looking up at him incredulously.

 “Why would it be unwelcome? It’s just kissing,” I asked, now the confused one in this conversation.

 Draal grew quiet, deep in thought as he went over what Jim had told him, “Is kissing something all humans do? Jim mentioned friends and family do this as well.”

 I waved my hands, trying to figure out the actual question. “Well, no. I mean, I’ve kissed mom and Jim on the cheek. But you’re the first person I’ve kissed in a… romantic sense I guess.” I tried to explain, hoping he’d understand.

 Nuzzling against my jaw, Draal let out a huff through his nose. “Courting sounds easier.” He ground out, processing what I told him. “So, there are different types of kissing, on the cheek is family, sometimes friends… and smashing mouths together is with a mate or… the boy or girlfriends, yes?” He asked, having to talk through his thought process on what Jim and I have both explained about human relationships before.

 “Exactly!” I grinned up at him. “But kisses on the cheek, forehead, or nose can also be used in a romantic relationship. It really depends on the two people involved. For instance, with us, I don’t mind whatever you’d like to do, but if someone I knew from school… let’s use Steve as an example. If Steve tried that, he’d get a broken jaw at least.”

 Draal snarled at the thought, pulling me tighter against his chest, “I’d snap him in half before he had the chance.”

 “I guess it’s just something I don’t mind as long as it’s you,” I shrugged, snuggling in his hold. “Doesn’t feel weird.” I yawned out as the sun began to creep on the edge of the horizon. “Looks like I’m officially out of energy.”

 Draal smiled softly, recovering from his little bout of jealousy over the thought of someone else trying to kiss me. “We both need actual rest after that battle.” He quickly got up, staying in the trees as he headed for home. “I think there’s a nest calling our names,” He yawned as we reached a sewer entrance near the house. Climbing down quickly, Draal headed to his door into the basement. As we finally entered the room he crashed back on the nest, keeping me curled up on his chest.

I lazily reached for the blanket I kept near the nest. Draal grabbed it quickly, tucking me in against him tightly. “Good morning,” I drawled out, slipping into a warm dream.

 My dreams were filled with memories, figments of my imagination fueled by the story of my mother raged through my mind. I felt as if I was there, I could see the wild woods, Gunmar, my mother. The dark figure, surrounded by green magic, I had dreamt of since I was little was yelling at my mother as the shadowed figure covered in gold, that haunted my nightmares, attacked her. The rest of the night, my dreams were shrouded in darkness.

[redvoid-40]

In the woods there grew a tree - part 3

So, now we have a part three for this thing...

Did I finally figure out what I’m doing? Not in the slightest! But writing this little family-drama with mom Angor Rot sparks lots of joy in me, and I hope it does the same for someone else out there. :)

As always, hope you enjoy and let me know what you think of it! :D

Previous chapter / Next chapter

Angor Rot was whistling a little song for himself as he carved a large totem by himself. He had been working on this particular golem for almost a whole moon now; it was an ambitious project that took much of him - literally. He even took to wearing a leather vest while he healed from the large chunk of living stone he had to tear off his chest to build this totem. While little Charo had grown used to his missing pieces, an area as big as the one he took this time was bound to worry her.

The little girl was out with Veena, a female River Troll who sometimes visited their village. Like all River Trolls, Veena was elusive, preferring the solitude of her soft waters to the busy village, but she came around every once in a while to check their market and play with Charo. Ever since she was a baby, Charo had won over the kind troll’s core - much like she had done his - and she always loved to go explore the riverbeds with her.

It took Angor some time to get used to it, but after eight years he grew to trust the River Troll to care for Charo as he would. It was good for the girl to learn how to swim and fish, and Veena was the best instructor there was. Also, it allowed Angor some much needed time for himself.

Which he was using to build Charo a Golem.

Wizards have familiars to help them and keep them safe. Magic as she is, why can’t Charo have one?

Angor couldn’t go around looking for a dragon or chimera for the little human, but he could do the next best thing. He could carve her one from his own living stone. A piece of him to keep watch over her when he was not around.

With a final slash of his knife, Angor was done. Smiling, he raised the large totem to his eye.

It was in the shape of a crow, as big as his head. Angor had carved the totem in great detail, imbuing as much of his magic as he could, be it in the form of runes he wrote all over it or in the warm piece of his core stone he had put inside it.

Satisfied with his work, Angor Rot made his way deeper into their cave. A while ago he had found a large deposit of corundum stone in their home. It was a good, hard stone.

It would make perfect flesh for Charo’s familiar.

---

The moon was still high in the sky when Veena brought Charo back to Angor Rot’s village. The little girl had a head of soaked hair and a big smile on her face as she ran inside the cave, clumsily carrying a fish that was almost as tall as she was. She had fished a large carp tonight, and she was eager to show it to Angor and ask him to cook it for her.

More slowly because of her enormous size, Veena followed the girl inside. The Troll Village was mostly safe for Charo, but, like Angor, the River Troll still didn’t like to leave Charo anywhere but under her guardian’s care. As Venna reached the edge of the village Charo was already halfway across it, the large fish’s tail leaving wet markings on stone as it dragged over the ground.

“Dad!” Charo called out, even though Angor Rot was nowhere in sight. “Look what Veena and I caught! Dad!”

Excusing herself with little grunts, Veena tried to carve a way for her among the trolls around, watching Charo’s shape grow smaller the further she got from her. It was a good thing she was a River Troll; her height allowed her the advantage to watch over the little girl at all times.

And from that advantage point she saw, clear as day, a troll stuck his foot out in front of the little girl. Fast as she was, and with the large fish impairing her sight, Charo tripped over it at full-speed. Veena let out a disgruntled noise as the little girl let out a startled scream and took flight. The troll tried to charge forward, but she was much too large and Charo was much too far for her to reach her before she hit the ground.

However, out of one of the cavern’s many tunnels something flew by. Speedy and sleek as a shadow, it darted towards the girl, grabbing the back of her sweaty shirt and hauling her up in the air.

It was a sort of... crow. But made of stone. The creature cawed once, bright blue eyes looking down at the little girl in its talons as it gently lowered her to the ground.

Wide-eyed, Veena moved faster, and when she reached the little girl, she was staring at the creature with wonder in her big eyes. Hugging the fish to her chest with just one arm, she reached a hand towards the creature. The crow perched itself on her arm, butting its small, stone head against her softly. Its eyes seemed to glow even brighter at the touch.

Charo let out a delighted giggle, turning bright eyes to Veena. “Veena, look! I made a new friend!”

The River Troll made a disgruntled noise and pulled Charo in her arms, away from the creature. The stone crow didn’t seem to appreciate it, flying in front of her face to caw accusingly at her. Veena made to swat the thing away, but her arm was held in place by none other than Angor Rot.

“It’s alright, Veena.” The troll leader said as the craw settled on his shoulder. “This is my creation.”

Slowly, Veena relaxed her arms, allowing Charo to poke her head out of the protective hold.

“It’s okay, Veena!” She spoke happily. “It’s my friend! I can feel it!”

Angor Rot chuckled, and with a nod from him, Veena lowered the little girl to the ground. By now, the entire village circled them, observing the scene.

As soon as Charo’s little feet touched the ground, the crow was back on her, this time perched atop her head. It chirped once, satisfied with its spot, and the little girl giggled once again, eyes crossing as she tried to look up at it.

“His name is Corvell.” Angor Rot spoke, yellow eyes scanning all the trolls around them. His next words were loud and clear; not meant only for Charo. “I’ve carved him from my own living stone and core for you. From now on, Corvell will be your familiar. To watch over you when I’m not around.”

“That’s so cool! Nice to meet you, Corvell.” Charo spoke. Then, remembering the large fish in her eyes, she turned back to Angor Rot. “Look what we caught, dad! It’s a carp, a big one! Can we cook it tonight?”

Angor nodded, taking the fish from Charo’s struggling arms. Then his eyes moved to Veena and he smiled gratefully. “Thank you for taking care of Charo, my friend. Will you stay a little longer with us?”

Veena looked from the leader’s calm eyes to Charo’s hopeful ones and shook her head. Crowds were not for the River Troll, no matter how small they were. She much preferred the peace of her rivers and lakes.

Charo pouted, walking to hug one of her legs. “When will I see you again, Veena?”

Veena made a circle full in the air with her index finger, and Charo smiled. “Alright, next full moon. Thank you for playing with me today.”

The River Troll nodded once before walking away from them. Charo never stopped waving as she watched her leave, and even Corvell cawed twice in goodbye.

Angor laid a large head atop her head, disturbing the stone crow from its rightful place. Despite being literally made from his living stone, Corvell still cawed unhappily at the troll for his affront. It seemed one touch of Charo’s magic and the little golem was already molding its own personality.

“Now you’ll go bathe, little one. You smell like fish.”

“Yes, dad.”

---

The trolls who distrusted Charo still found ways to try and pick on her. The mean eyes, the hurtful words and the occasional shoves still continued but, while the little girl didn’t fight back, Corvell did. And the golem - familiar Charo would tell herself, giddy with happiness - had eyes as sharp as his creator’s. He’d fly on the face of any troll that said a bad word to Charo and caw loudly at them until they left. Anyone raising a hand to “accidentally” stumble against the girl and he’d be there first, pulling her back by the shirt and out of harm’s way before pecking the offender’s hand away.

The little girl didn’t like her familiar’s combative nature, more often than not pulling it away from the offending troll as she exclaimed apologies over her shoulders to them. Charo couldn’t blame them for disliking her. She was human after all, and more than once humans drove them away from their homes with their unquenchable thirst for power and land. She was young and didn’t understand much, but she understood that humans were cruel and selfish.

Humans had abandoned her, leaving her to die in the woods as a baby.

“Not that it matters anymore, right Corvell?” Charo spoke. Corvell and she were at the cavern’s entrance, playing stones as they waited for Angor Rot to finish his assembly with the other trolls so they could go set wards around the forest. “I love it here. I have dad and you, and Veena. Most trolls here are so nice too, especially when I give them my old socks to eat. Even the gnomes play with me sometimes. I’m better here than I could ever be at a human village.”

Corvell chirped his agreement as he flew in circles above Charo. The little girl smiled, using her magic to make hoops of stone in the air for her familiar to fly through. It was a little game that improved Corvell’s agility and Charo’s skill with magic.

“Charo? Are you ready, little one?”

The little girl lost her focus, and the hoops fell into pieces in front of her. Sighing at her lack of control she turned around to see Angor emerge from the cavern’s entrance with an oil-lamp in his hand. Hopefully she’d do better with setting wards.

“Yes, dad,” She said as Corvell lowered itself to fly closer to ground-level. “Corvell and I are ready.

Angor smiled and stretched his free hand for the girl to take it.

Hand in hand, they walked into the dark woods.

[spookbusters]

Crimson Petal

Summary: In search of a piece of her past, she finds a friend.

Pairing: Hellboy x Reader // Word Count: 1.4k // Warnings: Jealous HB, if that counts

A/N: I’m so sorry this took so, so long to do!! I just really wanted to kinda possibly leave it open for a potential sequel bc this dynamic is iCONIC. Also the title is from a Victorian poem by Tennyson titled “ Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal“. I hope y’all like it!

You didn’t know what drew him to you. The pale man. He’d been following your movements since he first laid eyes on you. Was it that you seemed just as drained of blood? Whatever color in your cheeks that had existed in life was now long gone, replaced by the vivacious red of the rouge you applied each morning.

He wasn’t like you, no. Not turned. Whatever form he takes is the way he was born.You consider going and talking to him. Questioning his actions. But you remember one slight complication: 

The absolute love of your afterlife. 

Hellboy was exactly the kind of man you’d never known during your time in the Victorian era. Even after you were bitten and began living agelessly through the decades, you still never met anyone quite like him. It wasn’t just the strength he held or the way his strong jawline curved in a way that stole the air from your lungs. It was also his undying compassion, his ability to be so tender despite being so physically imposing, and the way he loved you despite the flaws you had.

But if you said he wasn’t a total hothead you’d be lying to yourself.

Which is exactly why you couldn’t approach this other person in such a direct manner to get into his head. You could, however, continue to trail him closer and closer. You pause, the thought of the man following you placed in the back of your mind, to examine something that looked oddly like your childhood music box, the one your mother gave you. The exact thing you’d come here looking for.

You close your pagoda and stoop down to examine the box. The windup key was missing, you could replace that. It looked the same, though the colors had faded quite a bit. But you could still see with a great deal of clarity the painting on the top of a mother deer and her newborn, lazing in the grass and surrounded by the freshly sprung flowers of spring.

There was only one way to know if this was truly your music box. You feel the weight of it in your hand as you pick it up. Instantly, you feel yourself transported back to when you were a child. When your mother sat with you on the settee of your home’s front room, your father watching from his armchair, and placed it in your hands. You turn it over just as you had back then and spot the worn message your parents had had engraved in in the wood.

“For our little fawn. We love you. - Mother and Father”

You smiled to yourself. This was it. The last of your personal belongings from that time. You were so enthralled by the joy of finding the possession that you jumped when you heard a cool voice ask, “Excuse me, miss?” You turn around to see the pale man, now the closest you’d seen him. You squint a bit, and glance around you for your husband.

He was busy talking to Abe about some slippery, odd looking creature a merchant was holding up. “I’ll give it to you for half off,” you heard the merchant say loudly. You huff. As long as you were able to interrogate the man who couldn’t seem to leave you be without him chasing him off, you were content.

Composing yourself and drawing your attention back to the silver-haired man before you, you feel yourself clutch the box like a child holds onto their mother. “Yes?” He held his hands behind his back, and you noticed two things about him instantly. The bright orange-yellow of his eyes. Like your husband’s, but there was a darkness behind them.

The second most obvious detail you’d thought to be legend.

The royal scar of Bethmoora.

“That’s a rather lovely object you’re holding,” he murmurs, lips tilted in a kind smile. You glance down at the object, grip easing up a bit as you hold it to the troll market’s dim light. “It was a gift,” you explain, “From my parents. It was-.” He stepped a but closer, seemingly to inspect the object with you, “The Victorian age?” “Precisely,” you pause, eying him suspiciously, “Rather curious of you to know that.”

“I like to consider myself well-educated, madam.”

The man, who you assumed to be the Bethmooran prince Nuada, turned to the merchant to ask, “How much for this one here?” You didn’t hear the muttered price that came from the troll, but you watched in nearly abject horror as the prince paid for the item you held. You stand in a shellshocked manner as he turns back to you with a satisfied look, “No lady, vampire or otherwise, should repay for something that she was the owner of to begin with.”

You thank him profusely, and you feel yourself beginning to become accustomed to him. He’d very obviously taken a liking to you from what you could tell. Even after helping you reacquire your music box he continued to trail behind you as you continued walking through the market, offering to buy things he felt suited you. You were flattered, but you couldn’t bring yourself to accept them. You did have a husband after all.

A husband who, speaking of, was now in search of you.

“You know, I can’t handle when she does this,” Hellboy mumbled to Abe. The amphibious man would’ve rolled his eyes if he could have; curse their limited range of motion. “She likes to roam, Red. I’m not sure what you expect from her.” 

For a moment, they spot a glimpse of you. The way your hair flowed in the hot breeze in romantic waves. Starting to walk your way, they continue to see you sporadically through the gaps in the crowd. The sheer sleeves and bodice of your dress. The swishing, ruffled skirt.

The extremely pale man with white hair following you around and making you laugh with his jokes.

Hellboy felt his blood start to bubble. Who the hell was that? Why was he tailing you like a lost puppy? What was he saying that was so funny? Abe could see his best friend’s reaction immediately but couldn’t get a word out to stop him before all he could see of him was his shoulders barreling through the crowd.

You had just turned around to glance over a multitude of crystals, calling your new friend over to look at a particularly large piece of chrysocolla, when you felt a massive hand curve into your hip.

Ah, he’d finally caught up with you. Lovely.

“Hey, babe,” your husband hummed, and you could already tell in the tone of his voice and the pure heat radiating from him that the jealousy was brewing. You pull your eyes from the stone to bat your lashes at him. “My love,” you greeted. You tuck yourself into his side, hand placed gently on his chest as you’re turned to face the prince. Who looks like he’s just as irritated as your husband.

“You,” Nuada grumbled, arms folding over his chest, “I thought I would be blessed enough to never see you again.” “Yeah, funny how things work out right?” You roll your eyes. “Nuada, this is my husband, Hellboy. Seems like you two know each other a bit already.”

“Unfortunately.” 

“So that means, darling, that you’ve met Nuada.” Your husband never looked at you, he was too busy making sure Nuada knew that whatever hate he harbored was obvious, “Like he said. Unfortunate.”

You hold up the music box in an effort to get your husband to look at something else for a minute. Getting his eyes off a target usually distracted him enough. “He helped me get my music box. The one I was telling you about.” Hellboy looked a little taken aback. Nuada? Being nice? He squints. You put the item back in your bag and replace your hand, now applying a bit of pressure to his chest. “He’s been both kind and respectful, you can relax,” you whisper.

The three of you stand around awkwardly, Hellboy and Nuada not breaking eye contact, and you flickering your gaze between the two of them. But Hellboy breaks the silence with something you weren’t expecting. “Thank you,” he mumbles, extending his other hand to the prince. Nuada looks at him suspiciously, “For what?”

“For helping out my girl,” he explains, “I can respect that, even if you’re an ass.” Their handshake is uncomfortable, in a way. Marred by dislike and jealousy. The next sentence came from your mouth before you thought about it, and before you had the chance to stop it.

It was then you wished you could cram words back from whence they came.

“Would you possibly want to come to dinner?”

[ladyofpurple]

Feather, nymph, and roses

😭🥰 i spent way too long trying to answer these

feather; which mythical creature would you transform into if you could?

hmm. probably a mermaid. very basic bitch white girl answer, but it'd be nice to be able to submerge yourself for hours without drowning, yknow? being underwater is so calming, and i used to love swimming, even though the most i can do now is maybe keep myself from drowning, and i can't hold my breath for shit anymore.

either that, or some fae/nymph/wild nature spirit of some kind. the power! the mystique! sometimes you just gotta melt into a 1,500 year old bog and strike duplicitous bargains with foolish mortals and that's valid.

nymph; name 3 films that have changed your life and have shaped you into the person you are today.

this is a horrible question. how dare you assume i remember literally anything at all. anyway, to the best of my immediate recollection:

nightmare before christmas — i literally don't remember the first time i watched it. understandable, i guess, since it came out the year before i was born, but for years, i had the image of jack skellington on top of the spiral hill in the pumpkin patch in front of the moon seared into my brain. i had no idea where it came from, i had no idea why, but it bothered me from the time i was old enough to be consciously aware of it until i was literally a teenager. i thought i'd made it up or something, because i could swear i'd asked my mom about it before and she had no idea what i was talking about. and then one day i mentioned it again and she was just like "oh, you mean nightmare before christmas?" i got the movie as a present after that, and since then i've lost count how many times i've watched it. probably not as many times as i've watched beetlejuice, but close. i'm pretty sure that image of jack on the spiral hill and all the repressed memories of the character design and music influenced my fondness for dark, gothic aesthetics even before i knew what they were. i've also always loved animation, and stop-motion animation in particular. pretty sure "tim burton" (henry selick, you absolute icon) had something to do with it.

jurassic park — 1 and 2 specifically. i liked the third one too, but i didn't see that until i was 15 or something. don't talk to me about jurassic world. but i saw the first two when i was waaaaay too fucking young (thanks brenda) and they somehow didn't scar me for life. on the contrary, they became my favorite movies for most of my childhood. i've never had a problem with gory deaths in movies, i wonder if that's why. jurassic park also sparked my years-long obsession with dinosaurs, my (often subtle nowadays) interest in history and science, and for a long time one of my dream jobs was to be a paleontologist. movie velociraptors (deinonychus, fucking FIGHT ME) have also always been in my top 5 list of dinosaurs. i will neither confirm nor deny severe disappointment when the confirmation that dinosaurs had feathers was announced.

grease — the #aesthetic. the songs. the high school drama. 70s era john travolta in a leather jacket. when i started smoking, i literally remembered rizzo's "oh if it's your first time you're not supposed to inhale" line from the sleepover scene and that alone saved me from nicotine addiction for 6 months. i know every song, continue to quote it on a daily basis, and i can 100% attribute my love of vintage style dresses and rockabilly to that movie being one of my first and most frequent exposures to 50s fashion. iconic.

roses; dream destination?

honestly, probably the states. the pacific northwest in particular, but the west coast in general. there are lots of places i want to see, or see again, but i just... miss it. so much. i can't describe it as homesickness, exactly. i've lived in norway all of my adult life and the majority of my childhood, and it's not like i keep in close contact with my family or childhood friends anymore, aside from the occasional interactions on social media or passing updates from my mom in conversation.

but there's a part of me that just feels... lost. i miss seattle. i miss long, winding drives down the oregon coast. i miss stupid billboards and shitty roadside diners and obnoxiously large cars on five lane highways. i miss marionberry pies and redwood trees. i miss driftwood on the beach, i miss graham crackers and lucky charms, i miss malls so big you can literally get lost if you're not careful. i miss shitty rubbery lunchables, and gimmicky "mexican" restaurants, and late night commercials for psychic hotlines, i miss pike place market. i miss the space needle. i miss the science center. i miss the freemont troll and too many pancakes at the salmon bay café with my grandma. i miss roller derby and imax theaters and powell's books. i miss greenlake. i miss bellevue. i miss camping in my great-grandma's backyard for 4th of july, or going to my aunt's house for the annual family reunion barbecue.

i'm probably idealizing it in my head. i can't imagine me as an adult making the conscious decision to move back there for good, not the way it seems to be escalating very obviously and very rapidly into a captialist dystopia with a dash of facism and police brutality thrown in just for flavor. i haven't even been in the states for any notable amount of time since 2012. but i've bullied my friends into a hypothetical road trip from san francisco to seattle someday, just to see it again. show them where i grew up. maybe it'll help them understand me better as a person, to finally see and feel all the things i can't describe, but cling to anyway. it's probably a pipe dream, but it helps to plan it when i'm feeling sad.

[reviewbot9000]

Hellboy- Comic Book by Mike Mignola

THIS book has fish-men. And Fey, and trolls, and mad Nazi scientists and chaos worms and the now meme relevant monkey-with-a-handgun. It is a fast and furious book that is easy to jump into and that features very lovable and satisfying art.

I should mention that the book bears little resemblance tonally to GdT’s film adaptations, even though I do believe del Toro made them with much love. For one thing, there’s no love interest throughout the book. Liz, Abe and all the other side characters in the BPRD play much smaller roles. It would be nearly impossible to adapt the book directly into a marketable film because at it’s core, the book simply isn’t about it’s characters.

Not in the way that many modern comics are anyhow. Hellboy is not a Rick Grimes (The Walking Dead) or a Grant Mckay (Black Science). Hellboy suffers his inner conflicts silently, he makes the right decisions without debate or agony. Hellboy’s central arc that you might remember from the first film is much the same, but it is only to establish Hellboy as a symbol of destruction and doom made into salvation and hope by the human spirit.

Hellboy is a book about stories and art. Not long, involved serial drama stories either. Five issues at most, but more often than not just one, in this length Mignola will introduce and defeat a strange monster or twisted sorcerer. The most common format for a Hellboy story is a retelling of some folktale or monster myth, sometimes with a lovecraftian twist, usually with Hellboy punching something at least once.

This obsession with folk tales is one of the more memorable aspects of the book. It makes up perhaps 2/3rds of the subject matter, with the other third being pop-lovecraft and golden age movie monsters. Mignola will find away to throw Hellboy into any folktale; the titular hero travels through Japan, Russia, Africa and Egypt. The character’s own origins are closest to English tradition, with the Pagan and Christian lore existing side by side. Mignola does his best to respect and breathe life into the cultural traditions of all the various locales in which HB encounters apparitions. Sometimes though, the resolutions feel random and abrupt. But let’s get on to the rating.

The GOOD- Hellboy has amazing art and colors; inspired character designs. Every manner of movie monster, urban legend, eldritch god and cosmic horror is brought to life to trade blows with Hellboy. Hellboy himself is a great character, if not particularly dynamic. When we do get to see some of the side cast, like Abe Sapien or Roger the homunculous, they work incredibly as well. I hesitate to complain about the structure of the story because I feel that Mignola achieved exactly what he wanted to, which is to say he told a bunch of great folk stories and came up with a bunch of cool monsters.

The BAD- That being said, the comic wears out well before the end of its run due to this structure. The stories are often a touch too short and feel underwhelming. Having new mythical creature every issue means a new set of magical and/or sci-fi rules and internal logic, so you never really know the significance of what you’re seeing until its already over. The longer arcs are somewhat more satisfying, but as the comic goes on there are essentials multiple lores interacting with one another, and the outcome of a magical struggle is usually resolved by because-i-said-so rules. I don’t get the sense that Mignola was attempting to have a perfectly consistent sci-fi like universe, but I was often left ignorant of the stakes of what I was seeing on the page.

RATING- 3.5 / 5 Overall a great book with spectacular art that is somewhat weakened by the crowded nature of the universe and the lack of fleshed out characters.

[deepseafishingdurbansite-blog]

Deep Sea Fishing Durban Charters

For deep sea fishing Durban go to the http://www.durbandeepseafishingcharters.co.za/ site and get started now.

Bank & Egg Sinkers - Great Weights For Saltwater Fishing

The island of Jamaica is among the top destinations within the Caribbean

Its honeymoon package is first rate may be the world

Two of the key reasons behind the region being this type of lovely destination would be the activities which are on offer along with the excellent stock of all-inclusive resorts and hotels in the island

The north coast from the island is full of excellent destinations like Ocho Rios, Runaway Bay, Montego Bay and Negril

There are other destinations like Kingston, Port Antonio, and Falmouth which are good choices as well

Additionally, small destinations offer some very nice activities for visitors as well

Here are some activities you may enjoy while visiting Jamaica

Catch and Release Fishing

One can can be found in without notice and acquire the best experience with their life

When we speak about offshore fishing in Australia, first thing concerns our thoughts are the Gold Coast offshore fishing

These people provide you with the best service in Australia in the more cordial way and with the best of the guides in Australia

No matter whether you know fishing or otherwise not, the kind of service they render for your requirements makes the people the very best in the business

There are more advantages when it comes to with all the Gold coast offshore fishing with deep sea fishing durban

The main advantage of opting Gold Coast is one can be confident of longer duration fishing

The guides in here assist the tourists to have the best of their time in here

7 Reasons Why Deep Sea Fishing Is A Great Adventure Sport

First of all, evaluate which type of boat is necessary for your trip

There are many types of fishing boat which go deep sea fishing

The size of the boat will determine the space to go

The farther the boat goes the greater the chances of catching many fish which are not heavily restricted through the State of Texas

Go for the boat that goes about 100 miles to sea to see Deep Sea Fishing Durban Spots

Where fishing is progressive. Anyone can enjoy fishing, being a sport, a activity or maybe for that simple feat when attemping it. Bait and tackle is of the best technology with specs including graphite rods and also other top quality equipment. Wander off 254 nautical miles far from Broome to meet up with that catch of the day!

Jamaica Site Seeing: A visit to Jamaica without experiencing the interior in the island is nearly like not visiting in any respect. There are a number of a good places visitor can enjoy when visiting Jamaica. These include Dunn's River Fall, Seven Miles Beach, Blue Hole Mineral Spring, Rockland Bird Sanctuary, the numerous craft markets, markets, and great houses and the like. There are many tours operators through the entire island that can facilitate these activities.

The Deep Sea Fishing Constitution

If it's your first time to go for a deep sea fishing trip, there are some important things to know to make it a fun-filled and profitable one. Here are a few of the key points when having a deep sea fishing trip.

Then there's the gorgeous scenery which can be watched from boat and of course going deep sea fishing in Florida which is proabably the principle cause for many guests. And a few elements may be mixed, as an example going deep sea fishing and watching the horizon on deep sea fishing durban.

If you're planning to venture out to see, be sure to bring a protracted a warm sweater and rain jacket even in the summertime because the climate can change shortly. You may wish to be comfy regardless of the climate to actually enjoy your trip.

The Cod fishing Charters are 10-eleven hours trip from dock to dock. The fishing waters are around 1 to 1 ½ hours from the dock each manner and the fishing time that you get is about 7 to eight hours. Cod fishing MA may be the most thrilling and adventurous journey to remember for a lifetime. Seeing the scale of the huge fishes will depart you amazed and you get a chance to check your physical strength with these creatures of the sea. Cod fishing MA is often done in big fish and deep sea charters.

The Mississippi Gulf coast, San Diego coast, Cozumel coast and Cancun seashores are among the many hottest locations for deep-sea fishing. Though deep-sea fishing is specifically for an experienced angler, it's one type of sports activities fishing that anybody can enjoy.

If you happen to thought that you ought to be catching your reside bait first after which shifting away from the reef to catch extra fish, assume again. In case you stay near the reside bait, you improve your possibilities of catching the bigger fish which might be feeding on them.

Deep sea fishing charters are boats ran by an organization or particular person that may take vacationers out on the water for a fishing expertise they are going to always remember. When participating in a deep sea fishing constitution, you can determine whether or not you wish to backside fish or troll. If trolling doesn't appear to provide the results you had hoped for, deep sea fishing charters can pull close to the reef and allow you to have your way with the fish in that space. This means you will have to journey quite a methods to rent a deep sea fishing constitution to accomplish your goal. There are deep sea fishing charters situated all over the globe.

When opting to go for some ocean exploration or deep sea fishing to get a vacation, you will see that some very important parts to consider. It is going to assist to acquire the proper fishing charters readily as soon as the variety of persons to journey using the fishing exercise is decided. Going in a bunch or likely alone will assist in setting the allotted price range for that activity. Going alone will provide an individual the entire focus with the captain, but it will also be a fun encounter to go together with family members and buddies. Anybody may conserve a significant amount of funds when probably utilizing a group by expressing the expenditures of the fishing charters with every member. It may be essential to ascertain the requirements of the actions, in order to return throughout the right charter offers and offers.

Seining, long lining and netting are another strategies used in deep-sea fishing. Because the identify implies, lengthy-lining will get its name from the size of the strains which might be used. It is one of the widespread strategies of fishing used to attract fish. Netting strategies rely on nets which can be set in shallow water across the coasts.

Deep sea fishing is an angling expertise like no other. In case you have never tried it, you positively must plan a visit quickly. Deep sea fishing seems just a little bit more adventures because you take a ship miles away from land and out to sea. Out there, an angler feels part of a unique world where the fish outnumber man.

Many women and men locate pleasure once they're on the sea. There's a few thriller that lies underneath the ocean, which may entice any one to uncover and uncover. Discovering the sea is among the promising actions in the middle of a trip. People who are on the point of simply take their retirement often think about their alternate options, on how they are going to spend their free of charge days upfront. You can find those that select to spend their vacation across the highway with their RVs, and there are people who need the journey of exploring the open up ocean with their yachts. There are literally numerous recreations that might be achieved on the ocean, and one of that is deep sea fishing It's actually also recognized being an enormous sport fishing or fishing sport in several nations. Some individuals might presumably think that this type of activity is harmful, but those that like deep sea fishing are ceaselessly thrilled and had a extraordinary time.

Deep sea reef fishing makes use of the common the equipment to catch any sort of seafood. Nevertheless, because the bass found in deep oceans are sometimes a lot larger than others caught near coast (or inland), heavy-duty handle is required. Rods that may face up to extra nervousness and weight are required, as is a stronger, higher-test fishing line. Each man-made and live lure are utilized in offshore fishing, depending totally on the kind of bass being pursued. Minnows, squid along with chunks of slice larger fish are regular sorts of bait.

Mainly, there are two varieties of deep sea fishing strategies - trolling and bottom fishing. The fishing technique is chosen, based on the location of the fish. Trolling techniques require keeping the fishing boat at a relentless velocity of six knots. In backside fishing, the boat anchors in deep water and hooks charged with lures are dropped to the underside of the ocean.

Different purpose why plenty of people are into the deep sea fishing is that they arrive to see the various creatures underneath the ocean individually, which others solely see on televisions. The deep ocean is the place manatees, sharks, marlins, snappers, groupers, sea turtles, and plenty of way more are may be identified. The thought of baiting, reeling, and hauling a large fish might be quick to grasp, however there is extra to it, given that each experience is generally new along with the thrill will certainly not function out. There is normally a problem in between the ocean along with the fishermen. Many individuals also choose deep sea fishing as their sport as a result of component of surprise, every single time they caught gigantic fish. You could find varying talents to create, as well as rising the strength, as a method to carry out the fishing duties nicely.

There are different sizes and deal offers for fishing charters based mostly on the quantity of people who will go for deep sea fishing. The crews may be the one to prepare for all the luring equipment or baits, at the identical time because the fishing rods and tackles. Hiring fishing charters will offer a clean fishing trip which is absolutely freed from concerns. These that will go for deep sea fishing journey will simply have to organize their selves. It will aid them to discover in regards to the doable species of fish that they're going to come across contained in the ocean, as well as the catching approaches, to ensure that they will be ready for that troubles that fishing will let them encounter.

Deep sea fishing is normally a physical activity. There might be a bit or no time for sitting when ready for your fish to get the bait. Deep sea fishes are enormous and gigantic and much more challenging to trap as compared towards the fishes inshore. It is also anticipated to possess substantial or state-of-the-art tools which can withstand the strength and excess weight of significant fishes. Getting a total set of fishing gears will help, in an effort to catch a fish merely. Anybody who'll work together with deep sea fishing really should expect to see completely different ocean creatures that might convey satisfaction or unpleasant expertise. Choosing the best fishing charters is one technique for promoting safety while getting within the heart on the ocean. When searching for dependable particulars, gives numerous assist.

For those who ever get the chance to go to this deep sea fishing guide, one of many top places to go to is in the North West, often called Ningaloo reef. This has a worldwide popularity for being one of the best places to snorkel and fish. The reef itself is very large - several hundred kilometers long, and is home to extra marine life than you may think about. There are a variety of fishing charters that head out every single day to enjoy the reef, and naturally to get an excellent feed of fish with deep sea fishing durban.

[movieswithkevin27]

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

A thrilling and fantastical return to the Bureau of Paranoramal Research and Defense, Hellboy II: The Golden Army is far less gothic than its predecessor and, in focusing more on the fantasy element, is a great improvement on its already strong first entry. Far more in Guillermo del Toro's wheelhouse as more of a fantastical fairy tale with fairies, elves, and children reading those very same fairy tales, Hellboy II: The Golden Army starts off with informing the audience about the war between humans and elves. Born with a hole in their heart that is filled with earthly possessions, humanity sought to wipe out every other being on Earth. The only ones standing in their way were the elves who raised a golden army that was indestructible. Destroying the humans in numbers that disturbed the Elf King, a truce was reached for the elves to stay in the forest with two pieces of the golden crown that controls the Golden Army and the humans to stay in the cities with one piece of the crown. However, when elvish Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) returns and is determined to raise the Golden Army to wipe out humanity, it is on Hellboy and the gang to save the world once again.

Central to this work is the role of Hellboy and his other supernatural friends in this world of humanity. However, it is largely through the guise of exploring those who are different. In his work, Del Toro is known for exploring creativity, fairy tales, those with their heads in the clouds, and those who are different from others for these reasons - namely Pan's Labyrinth and now again in The Shape of Water, as examples - and here, in Hellboy II, he firmly establishes this group as one of outsiders. Hellboy is equated to Frankenstein's monster as the people accuse him of harming a child even though they can plainly see he did not. Abe Sapien is equated to the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Liz (Selma Blair) feels "looked at" and scrutinized due to her fire-based abilities. The trio feel excluded and like outsiders to the world around them, yet they fight for this world all the same. Though they feel rejected and like outcasts, their wish to fit in is one that overwhelms them. Yet, at the core of it all, is their belief that there should be no boundaries. Abe falls in love with the Elf Princess. Hellboy and Liz are in love. There is inter-species romance in the air and this eclectic group of weirdos embrace these differences. Though rejected by the humans, they nonetheless fight for them because they love their differences, respect them, and wish to protect them and their culture when it is under attack.

It is for this same reason that Hellboy struggles to kill a god of the forest and, later, the dangerous elf Prince. Waging war on the humans to maintain their own culture, the elves' cause is one that Hellboy sympathizes with entirely. The prince plays on this sympathy and continuously tries to win him over to his side, warning that the humans will never accept him and his differences. Yet, to Hellboy and the others, the humans are not the ones waging war. Though they may, that is not their concern in the present. Rather, no matter what pull they feel to defend the elves, they must defend those that they are entrusted to protect and those that have remained peaceful to other species in recent times. In the end, for this bad of misfits, the most important thing is acceptance, peace, and understanding. Those who wage war must go as their anti-cultural beliefs are ones that do not gel with them - see the Nazis in the first film - and though they wish to fight for all cultures to remain, there is a line to not cross that the elves have very flippantly disregarded.

In this regard, the film perfectly uses the "end of the world" trope that has often maligned superhero films in recent years. Though the elvish prince does wish to unleash the Golden Army on humanity that would certainly wipe them out, the film has it all make sense. Rather than some nonsensical plot where it becomes clear that the villain has nothing but blood lust, the backstory and development of the elvish prince allows us to understand his plight perfectly. As a result, he is a strong villain as though reject his actions, his reasoning and cause are ones that are rather noble. Viewing his father's actions as ones that have eliminated the elves from the world, he wishes to restore his culture as one to be proud of and one that instills great respect wherever it travels. His violent ways are not the right path, but his cause makes sense and his method of rectifying these wrongs make sense as well. In essence, it often doubles as a symbol of nuclear warfare. With certain destruction of the enemy when using the Golden Army, one must exercise great caution in using the weapon. Yet, as with the Americans and Soviets, the elvish prince is fighting for a way of life and a culture. He is willing to press the red button and unleash the army to do so. As a result, he must be stopped even if his crusade is one that can be readily sympathized with by all.

Perhaps the most interesting element of Hellboy II is the sequence in which Liz saves Hellboy's life with the help of a mysterious being. Warning Liz that it is Hellboy's destiny to destroy the world, it is unfortunate that there will be no third edition to this series to answer this question, but nonetheless it is a very compelling existential debate that is presented. Akin to the question, "Would you kill baby Hitler?", Liz is tasked with deciding whether it is worth it to save Hellboy now and have him destroy the world later or let him die and save the world. In many ways, it is a deeply philosophical and hypothetical question, but it is one that is actually put into practice in the film. It really comes down to how one views free-will. With regards to both baby Hitler and now Hellboy, if there is free-will, then they can be saved and not cause so much trauma. If one does not believe in free-will, however, then destiny rules all and they would have to be destroyed to prevent it coming true. For Liz and the film series, the answer is obvious. Yet, it is a thought-provoking and great touch that shows recognition on the part of Del Toro that, at the end of the day, Hellboy is a demon that was initially sent to Earth to destroy humanity. Though turned into a force for good, his destiny is unaltered. Is his path permanently changed or will humanity's rejection of him as a hero be enough to alter his course towards evil?

One of the best elements of any film by Guillermo del Toro is the visuals and Hellboy II: The Golden Army is hardly an exception to that rule. As the forest god - in the form of a pseudo tree/huge plant - dies, the special effects as the greenery is spread around the surrounding area and covering trees, covers, and roads, with a huge flower budding in the center, are incredible. Awe-inspiring and a truly magical moment that perfectly demonstrates Del Toro's incredible fantasy inclinations, the moment is one that may not communicate much about the plot, but does a world of good for the themes. Demonstrating the hidden beauty of a culture that can be lost when it is destroyed - the forest god that was killed was the last of its kind - this seemingly innocuous moment serves as a warning to both Hellboy and the viewer. Though the forest god may seem big and evil on the outside, his interior and the culture he embodies is one that is impossible to replicate and one with unspeakable beauty. Destroying it would be a net negative to the world and, if possible, peace is the route that needs to be taken. Alongside the effects, the production design is incredible whether it is inside the bureau, in the Golden Army storage facility, or the troll market. Displaying the incredible imagination from the comic and the mind of Del Toro, this is a fantasy world that is epic in scope, grand in design, and truly transports the audience to a world like no other.

As with any superhero film, Hellboy II has some light moments along the way, such as Hellboy and Abe Sapien singing along to "Can't Smile Without You" while downing beers. In more modern superhero films, the forced comedy often intrudes on the tension and action. Here, Del Toro allows the action to be focused on the action, the tension to rise and fall as in non-superhero films, and still dedicate time to character development and comedy. Non-intrusive with the scene all to itself, the scene shows how Hellboy and Abe Sapien may look and act different than everybody else, but they are just like us on the inside. Feeling every emotion, falling in love, having a good time, and drinking a cold one with the boys, this duo is one that is hard not to root for in the film and this scene exemplifies why. Even more, however, it provides a moment of light comedy and hijinx without ever intruding on the dark and fantastical feeling of the film, instead flowing perfectly into the rest of the film and never altering the tone.

Action-packed, gorgeously designed, and a thrilling return to the world of Hellboy, Hellboy II: The Golden Army is the rare superhero film with a great villain, great stakes, a smart usage of the "end of the world" trope, well-timed romantic moments, non-intrusive comedy, and great visuals. Given the turn that the genre has taken towards looking like a television film and being solely reliant on quips, Hellboy II: The Golden Army is a breathe of fresh air that thrills and entertains like few other superhero films could ever dream of achieving.

[funkzpiel]

Little Blue Riding Newt

Based off of this gorgeous, adorable piece of art by @mamin-the-troll and once the little doodles started coming, I just couldn’t resist writing it. So here it is, Little Blue Riding Newt, the smartest whatever-year-old that ever existed because I don’t know how to fucking write children. Please forgive that quirk.

Additionally, this is now evolving into a full story...so I guess more will be coming soon. XD HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? HOW DID THIS EVOLVE INTO A CHAPTERED THING, I DO NOT KNOW. 

Newt was going to visit the nice old man in the woods! The man with the kind blue eyes and the long white beard and the big bushy brows that was always so kind to him. Newt had met him in the market once when he had been looking at books about scary beasts.

“That’s quite a dark tale for a lad so young,” the old man had said, but there had been a twinkle in his eyes – joyous and curious and kind – that made Newt feel encouraged rather than admonished.

Newt looked at the cover of the book again. Two dark red eyes stared back at him from within the depths of the forest on the cover, and at its center, a little girl in a red cloak. He frowned.

“But he has to eat too, doesn’t he?” Newt asked quite innocently.

The old man blinked, surprised.

“Well, yes, but—“

“It’s a mean story,” Newt said firmly. “If she had just shared her picnic with him, she would have been fine.”

The old man laughed, a soft and whimsical thing.

“You think so?”

“Yeah!”

“Maybe,” the man said as he suddenly reached to hand the vendor money, then bent down to clasp his large hands over Newt’s, tightening the boy’s hold on the book. “Keep it. Write a better one, one day – when you’re older. A book to protect people and creatures. One to help people understand these creatures rather than fear them, hmm? We could all use a little more understanding in the world.”

Newt felt a fire grow in his chest – a passion he had always felt suddenly stoked into a blaze. His eyes glittered merrily in his little face.

“You think I can?!”

“I do,” the man said. “In fact, I think maybe you’re the only one who can.”

He ruffled Newt’s hair and stood. The little boy watched as he returned to his carriage, a strange looking bird just barely visible within. Newt switched from tip toe to tip toe to try and see, but couldn’t quite tell what it was. He only stopped when the man leaned out the window of his carriage.

“It was nice meeting you, Mister…”

“Scamander! Newt Scamander!” Newt replied cheerfully, book clutched tight to his chest.

“Newt,” the man smiled. “It was a pleasure. Do take care. Come visit some time, if you’d like to keep pursuing this goal, young man!”

Newt started to run next to the carriage.

“But where do I find you?”

“In the woods, dear boy,” the man smiled. “Where else?”

And then the carriage was gone, and Newt watched it go. He blinked.

What a peculiar old man. He didn’t even tell Newt his name…

And that’s how Newt found himself walking through the woods, tucked tight into his sky blue coat and his little basket of sandwiches plus some fruit for the fairies, if he found any, and some bacon for the beasts, if they needed a snack. He was whistling a merry tune, taking his time jumping in puddles along the path and taking in the huge, vast world around him.

After the man left, he was afraid he’d never find him – the woods were so expansive, after all – but the next day he had found a little bird pecking on his window sill. The moment he opened it, it had flown into his room and unraveled from enchanted parchment into rather ordinary paper in Newt’s hands. And Newt giggled all the while, in awe of the gorgeous showmanship.

It was a map; at its center was a drawing of a little cabin and just scrawled just beside it:

Should you ever need a friendly ear, you can find me here.

A. Dumbledore

The map was very easy to follow, which was good because Theseus would never agree to take him into the woods. None of the townsfolk would, in fact. Newt was the only one enamored with the forest and the life it contained. The only one who thought it beautiful or precious – or so he thought. But now there was this old man, this Dumbledore! Someone who understood!

Newt felt a new bounce to his step as he skipped along, more eager than ever to visit the home of the first person to have ever encouraged his love of all creatures, fanged or otherwise.

He was halfway there according to the map when he heard it, a whimper. Soft and high and keening. Newt went still in the middle of the path, eyes huge and searching as he looked for the source of the sound.

“Hello?” Newt asked, his voice baby soft and worried. “Are you okay?”

The whimpering ceased immediately.

“N-no, no, it’s okay!” Newt said, taking a step forward and speaking to the world at large. “I want to help!”

A growl, soft and angry.

Newt blinked. But he was trying to help! Maybe the creature didn’t understand. Maybe it was just too used to people hurting it. He frowned, just a little, and went first to the edge of one side of the path, then the other. And then he spotted it – a massive black wolf lying at the base of a grand tree. Even laying down Newt could tell the creature was huge; as large as a small horse at least. And it was so close! He’d never been this close to anything wilder than a bunny before. It was…

It was breathtaking. Regal even in injury.

Newt felt pinned beneath those eyes; not because he was afraid, but because he was in awe. They weren’t red at all! Huge, amber jewels within a midnight black face, cool and calculating and watching. Cautious, Newt decided. Hurting. Maybe afraid.

There was blood on the bark near the roots, and even more of it in the grass and the leaves. Something angry and big and metal around his right hind leg, teeth deep in flesh. A Muggle’s hunting trap. Newt gasped and his basket fell with a thud as he covered his mouth with his little hands – eyes watering at the horrible sight. And all the while, the wolf watched him, tail wagging agitatedly as though it were waiting for something.

Newt took a step forward, hands outstretched, and suddenly the growling grew far fiercer. He stopped stock still in his tracks as the wolf attempted to get to its feet to properly intimidate him, only to fall back to the ground with a huff, exhausted from fighting the trap.

The angry rumbling, however, did not stop.

It was scared and it was hurting and it was all grumbly because it couldn’t get away, couldn’t protect itself; and Newt felt horrible. Hated that someone likely from his town had laid the trap. His lower lip quivered, upset because he just wanted to help, why didn’t the creature understand? But forced the feeling down and lowered himself to the path, made himself small – non threatening – unaware that he was doing precisely the right thing. Just following instincts. Small things didn’t scare him. Maybe if he were smaller, the creature wouldn’t mind him so much. He kept his gaze on the creature’s massive paws.

The growling lessened, but the angry thwapping of its tail did not stop.

“I can take that trap off,” Newt said softly as he took a step forward, hands out to prove they were empty. “I have snacks, too, if you’re hungry.”

The growling stopped. He looked up in time to see a strange expression on the creature’s face – head tilted and eyes narrowed. Its tail had stopped its restless beating.

“I can help,” Newt said, voice trembling. He so desperately wished to help. He so desperately wanted to prove the townsfolk wrong. To show them that the little girl in the book was just a little girl in a book. That they could live peacefully with these creatures, if they only bothered to try.

He stopped a foot away.

“Will you let me?” Newt whispered softly, pleading. “Please?”

He remained still as the creature watched him. Patient until finally, the huge wolf nodded at him once, slowly.

Newt was off in an instant, too young to have the patience to hold back his excitement. He didn’t catch how it made the great wolf’s hackles rise, but despite the suddenness of his actions, the wolf remained still.

“It’s a bear trap,” Newt said as he took in the huge maw of steel embedded in the soft fur and flesh of the wolf’s leg. He had gone hunting with his father once. He had been taught how to remove the things, should he ever accidentally step on one. All it took was downward pressure on the flat levers on either side of the massive spring-fueled jaws to open it.

He tried first with his hands, uncaring of how it muddied his pants to be down on his knees as he was. It budged a little, but he was so small and his arms weren’t as strong as metal and springs and cruelty. He bit his lip and stood, determined.

“I’ll get you out!” Newt said, exchanging a promise with the wolf through teary blue eyes before putting a foot on either side of the trap and placing his full weight on the levers. He wasn’t terribly heavy, but it was enough. He felt the trap slowly open beneath him – more and more and more until finally the wolf was able to yank itself free.

And not a second later, it shot to its feet and put some distance between them. Now that it was standing, Newt felt the smallest trill of fear in his chest. Frozen beneath those eyes until finally - a voice.

‘Why did you help me, human?’

Newt’s hands rushed to his mouth to cover his excited grin. It could talk! It was no mere wolf, it was a magical creature! What kind, he wondered! A Werewolf? A Dire Wolf? A Skinwalker or shape shifter of some kind? So many possibilities!

“What are you?” Newt babbled excitedly.

‘Answer my question first, man pup!’

“How are you talking to me?” Newt asked, overwhelmed, and took a step forward to better study the huge beast. “Your lips aren’t moving!”

‘Stay where you are—‘ The creature said, but Newt could hear in its tone that it was losing its firmness, confused by the boy. It took a step back then showed its fangs.

“Is it magic?” Newt asked, boyish and eyes glittering. “I can do magic too! Just a little, though. I’m not old enough, mother tells me.”

He pouted, and the wolf made a strange face. Bewildered.

‘You shouldn’t be here,’ the wolf said, ‘It’s dangerous. I’m dangerous. You should go.’

Newt blinked.

“But so far the only thing that’s hurt anybody was that trap,” Newt said, pointing at the offending item with a fierce little scowl. Then, softly, “Is that why you don’t want to talk to me? Because I’m a human? Because humans did that to you?”

His lip quivered. The wolf took a step back, at a loss. What was wrong with this tiny man pup? Why was it shaking like that and…was it leaking from its face?

“I promise I’m not a mean human!” Newt burst out suddenly, teary eyed and red faced and pleading. “Please be my friend! I’ll give you as much bacon as you want!”

The wolf blinked, then let out a huge, huffing snort. Exasperated.

“I’m sorry someone from my village hurt you,” Newt whimpered, then ran the beautiful blue sleeve of his coat over his face and sniffled. “I just want to be your friend.”

‘You said you have bacon?’

Newt peeked up at the wolf from over the blue of his sleeve and nodded.

With a soft whimper, the wolf delicately lowered itself to the ground. Then, when Newt did not move, it tipped its head to the basket a few feet away and said, ‘well?’

“Oh! Yes, of course!” Newt sprung into action with a small smile and by the time he came back, the wolf could see the child was smiling broadly – excited to help. To eat lunch with him.

“Here you go,” he said as he threw a large slab of bacon at the wolf’s feet, raw and fat and juicy. Despite the regal look of the creature, its stomach growled embarrassingly and Newt couldn’t help but giggle when the wolf merely widened its eyes at the noise, surprised by the strength of it.

“My name is Newt!” Newt said as he pulled out his sandwich, humming all the while. “I want to write a book about magical creatures!”

‘Is that so?’ the wolf asked, more occupied with his meat than with what the child was actually saying.

“Yup!”

‘How wonderful,’ he said dryly.

“Isn’t it?! I’m going to name it ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’!”

The wolf stilled. So a book on how to find them, where best to kill them. He should have known, should have expected it. But the boy had such big eyes; had helped him. A growl threatened to emerge from his throat, angry at being deceived, only to die when he caught sight of the little boy – smiling as he gently pulled the crusts from his sandwich.

“It’s going to show everyone how great creatures are,” Newt babbled happily, unaware of the wolf’s intense gaze. “And then we’ll all be friends!”

The wolf felt something pang painfully in its chest.

‘It won’t make a difference,’ the wolf said coldly. Newt looked up at it from over his sandwich and smiled, a blob of peanut butter on his cheek.

The wolf snorted. Maybe he’d eat the child. That would show him.

“Doesn’t hurt to try,” Newt said cheerfully.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no.

The wolf stood before the man pup could entrance him anymore. He had been down this road before. He knew what lie at its destination. Axes and pitchforks and flames.

Newt blinked at him.

“Are you going? But I have more bacon!” Newt exclaimed.

The wolf didn’t bother answering him; just started to limp off. Newt hastily threw his sandwich in the basket and followed it.

“Wait! Don’t go! You’re still hurt!”

‘I’m fine.’

“No, you’re not!” Newt said, and stomped one foot on the ground. “You’re so stubborn!”

The wolf whirled on him.

‘I’m the stubborn one?!’

“Yes, you are!” Newt pouted, arms crossed.

The wolf looked at him for a long moment, then turned to walk away again, frustrated.

‘Don’t follow me, man pup,’ he said.

“My name is Newt! And don’t make me follow you!”

The wolf stopped. The child couldn’t follow him deeper in the woods. It wasn’t safe where he was going. The creatures there were hungry, desperate things and it would be dark soon. It turned to regard the child. He was so small, how could a creature as vicious as humans create spawn so small and innocent looking? The wolf felt dread pulling on its heart. It couldn’t leave the boy here. It couldn’t let him follow it any longer. That only left one option.

The wolf sighed.

‘What do you want from me, Newt? I have no gift to give you for your…services.’ Unwarranted though they might be.

Newt blinked, then made a show of thinking.

“I’m going to visit a friend,” Newt said, face lighting up suddenly. “He also likes creatures! I saw one in his carriage! I bet he could help you get better!”

‘I’m fine,’ the wolf said again, but Newt didn’t listen.

“And that way, I won’t be following you anymore! Once I know your leg will get better, I’ll stop bothering you, I promise!”

The wolf stilled.

‘You promise?’ It asked skeptically. Did the child really think it was that easy to gain its trust?

“Yup! Cross my heart and everything!” And then he did this odd little gesture on his chest. “Okay?”

‘Where is this place you’re going?’

“It’s real close! I’m almost there!”

‘And it’s safe there?’

“I promise no one will hurt you!” Newt said quite seriously and the wolf rolled its eyes. Did the child not know where he was? How dangerous it was for him, a small man pup, to be out here? After the boy had taken the time to help it, the wolf now owed him a debt. The wolf cursed the laws of the Fae that ruled the forest.

‘Let’s go, then,’ the wolf said, limping up to stand beside the boy. ‘And see this friend of yours.’

“You’ll love him!” The boy babbled as he wound his small chubby fingers into the great wolf’s fur and began to walk beside it, slow to accommodate its limp. “He’s great.”

‘How long have you known this friend, then?’

“A whole day!” Newt exclaimed brightly, excited.

The wolf felt its heart sink.

Oh this precious man pup was going to die. He could feel it.

Best not to get too attached.

“You know, you never told me your name. Do you have a name, Mr. Wolf?” Newt asked, eyes bright and curious as they looked up at it.

The wolf grumbled.

‘You’ll never see me again after this, man pup. Why bother?’

Newt pouted.

“I thought we were gonna be friends!”

The wolf sighed. It was going to be a long walk.

[cuemanbeing-blog]

10 HABITS THAT COMPANIES CAN LEARN FROM CELEBRITIES

During my high school days, I had posters of Will Smith (and some half-naked female celebrities) strategically projected on my bedroom wall. I knew, at the back of my mind, that I would never meet them in real life – even if I did – they wouldn’t know who I was. But that’s just one case. My point here is this; we get attached to celebrities the same way we get attached to companies.

Just to give you context; when Brangelina (now just Brad and Angelina) broke up, the world was taken aback. I’m sure you know the story: Angelina filed for divorce on September, 2016. The couple had been together 12 years, though only married for two, and share six children. On top of that, they were the most beautiful pairing on the planet (according to…I don’t know).

But what captured my attention was the fact that being a celebrity is tough because you have to build, protect, and maintain your reputation. Similarly, whether you are an organisation or an individual, the sooner you understand that you have a corporate image that has to be properly developed and managed, the better off you will be.

For both celebrities and companies, having a reputable brand administers the way the rest of the world reflects about you. The right image creates a bond of trust between you and the fans or audience. It further enables you to achieve your goals, and boost your earnings. That’s why it’s important to always brand yourself before others do.

In the world of social media and trolls, it’s actually difficult to protect and maintain a good reputation for both celebrities and companies. It is against this backdrop that I decided to pen the following 10 habits that companies can learn from celebrities when it comes to branding and public image.

1.    Don’t ignore social media!

Celebrities have realised that social media has become a huge part of our everyday lives these past few years. For musicians like Beyoncé, Justin Bieber and Cassper Nyovest; Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are great ways to interact with fans and update them with their latest news, concert tour dates, and general thoughts. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

I believe that establishing your company’s brand and staying above the fray is all encompassing, time consuming and a lot of hard work. However, don’t forget the importance of creating a social media strategy that represents your company, your values and culture. In fact, you need to create an engaging social media plan from the beginning to grow your presence. A good execution strategy for social media will allow you to establish your identity and credibility in your industry, share your story and position your CEO as a thought leader and pioneer.

Your company needs to dedicate time to directly engage with your followers, answer questions, share information and include them in the conversation. The better you understand what works (and doesn’t work) via social media, the better you will be at using it as part of your media relations efforts, just like how celebrities do. Don’t learn how to use social media by listening to others, but rather learn by doing it yourself (all the leading experts on social media will tell you this).

2.    Make some time for the fans!

Celebrities understand that engagement is more important than developing a large amount of followers or a large fan base because in a current environment where segmented audiences are becoming more-and-more important, making a connection with someone who is directly interested with their brand is much more important than having a large following that may not do anything further with the brand. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

While it has become a buzz word loosely used, ‘engagement’ is important for several reasons. For one, it is a way that your company can maintain and foster relationships with its existing market. When they see that you have taken the time to notice them and hear what they have to say, your audience will realise that they are important to you and you value them, making them more likely to remain happy with your company.

Additionally, once your audience realises that you are engaging with them, they are likely to give you further insight on what you are doing well and what you could improve on since you have made it clear that they have your attention. This is especially helpful for your company because learning genuine pieces of information from your consumers is always important, and it gives you a better idea of where you stand and what you could do differently.

3.    Use multimedia to frame your story!

Celebrities live colourful lives. They understand the importance of visuals. That’s why, when they communicate, their stories are frequently accompanied by relevant and colourful visuals that always resonate with their fans. For example, think about Beyoncé and her pregnancy announcement. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

We’ve all heard the cliché, “a picture tells a thousand words”, but there is real value in using images to promote content. Images help us learn, images grab attention, images explain tough concepts, and inspire. Human beings are visual creatures. A large percentage of the human brain dedicates itself to visual-processing. Our love of images lies with our cognition and ability to pay attention. Images are able to grab our attention easily, we are immediately drawn to them. So if that’s the case, why do companies keep getting it wrong?

It is high time companies acknowledge multimedia just like how celebrities do. Come to think of it, multimedia journalism is the biggest trend in the media environment, it’s safe to assume that multimedia is an emerging trend. If your company is not already using images and video to promote content, you need to urgently do something about it.

No more long-drawn-out and verbose press releases. This means that you must have attractive, generic infographics to accompany your story that would work for the publishing environments the journalist is producing content for. This means that your company spokesperson needs to be experienced in doing interviews for podcasts, Skype or via Periscope. These are now factors you should consider before pitching a journalist.

Above all, you should regularly be thinking, “Can we communicate this topic visually for readers of the target media outlet?” If so, provide that information with your pitch – or at least offer to produce multimedia content as part of your pitch.  More importantly, have an on-the-ball team and not a bunch of content marketers who, in a modern version of marketing and communication myopia, seem to think that their reason for existence is to create content. No! Please don’t bore us. Rather, communicate with clients and sell stuff. Your company needs to be woke so that your content can be on fleek.

4.    Protect your reputation!

Celebrities are aware that there has never been a more critical time in history to proactively manage their reputation. Going back to the Brangelina example I made earlier, though the divorce shook Hollywood, Brad and Angelina burnt both ends of the candle to protect their reputation. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

Companies who aren’t taking an aggressive approach to managing their reputation could be setting themselves up for costly problems.

Firstly, stay away from online arguments. It’s quite easy to get sucked into this, but even if you’re technically right, you might lose out overall by just coming across as petty, harsh or unprofessional. Worse yet, you might actually be wrong – and once you get emotionally riled up – you could end up saying and doing things that damage your reputation.

Secondly, if you or your company messes up, fails or otherwise does something wrong, own up to it and make a genuine apology to those who have been affected. Being real and transparent in apologising can go far toward diffusing a situation and moving the process along toward reconciliation or, at least, toward making a crisis situation come to a close.

5.    Beef up your media contacts!

Celebrities are in constant contact with the entertainment media because they understand the power of publicity. The more coverage they receive, the more fans they get – which ultimately (depending on the field) translates into sales. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

Make contact with the media who cover your industry and then offer to become a trusted source. More importantly, the relationship does not cease after you have had your company's news covered. How a company engages with media outlets or journalists after a story has been reported, may hurt or help future outreach as much as the first pitch does. A brief email that thanks the journalist is polite, as is sharing the post (and additional posts) with your social media networks.

As such, it’s vital to frequently contact the media to have sustainable relationships. In addition, your marketing and communications team can host informal events to educate the media about your company, its leadership and services. Important to note, nowadays media include bloggers and influencers. Those are the types of people that your company should mingle with.

These informal events include media luncheons/breakfasts which could be hosted at either restaurants or at private dining establishments, sports or cultural events. These would not be cost intensive or require extensive support. Again, it is important to reiterate that these events should be seen as causal relationship-building exercises and not necessarily as a ‘media sales tool’.

6.    Be persistent!

Celebrities understand that determination got them where they are and, at the same time, it does not mean that now that they have reached stardom, they can settle. Instead, they are always looking for more and new opportunities to grow their brand. Take Dr Dre, DJ Sbu and P-Diddy for example, three artists who stretched themselves and ventured into business. They epitomise persistence and determination. They kept on knocking and knocking until they received their breakthroughs. These three know how to work with the media and the media trusts them and their brands. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

Does an entrepreneur ever stop selling the product? Are they willing to think outside the box to make a sale? The same rule exists when it comes to contacting members of the press, many of whom are on deadline and under immense pressure to drive ratings and readership. While you never want to inundate members of the media with emails and phone calls, a simple reminder note never hurt anyone. Your story may not be top of mind on Monday morning, but it could be at the top of the to-do list come Friday.

While the concept of being persistent may seem rather basic, in actuality persistence is a multifaceted component of a person’s motivation and drive. Persistence will accentuate the positive, downplay the negative, and guide those who embrace it toward success.

7.    Be woke – stay relevant!

Celebrities tend to comment on social, economic and political issues. While some celebrities have no idea what they are talking about, some are actually well-versed in various topics. During the #FeesMustFall strike here in South Africa, some celebrities showed support through their tweets, while some of them actually took to the streets in solidarity with the students. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

This is quite a tricky one, but when executed strategically, it resonates with a lot of people. Take Nandos for example. The franchise is always jumping on the trends that resonate with their audience. At the same time, you don’t want to find yourself being offensive and out of order – resulting in your company’s reputation being shattered.

So, what do I mean by being ‘woke’? Try to know and have the latest of everything relevant to you.

Someone once asked me how to capitalise on news and trends to promote their business. My response was simple: keep a close eye on the news. Look at what is being talked about in your industry and come up with a couple of hot topics you can be an expert on. I also suggest that you set up Google Alerts to keep up with trends.

More importantly, only promote content or send a press release if it is newsworthy, otherwise you are wasting everyone’s time. Put yourself in the shoes of the journalist – would you write about it?

8.    Be available on request!

Celebrities understand the importance of publicity, that’s why they avail themselves when it comes to managing their public image. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

In a perfect world, you would be able to generate exactly the media coverage you want for your company, in exactly the way you want it. You would be able to schedule interviews and press events on your own timeline with journalists who understand the value of your work and effectively communicate it to their audiences. There would never be a crisis in need of a response, and you would never be misquoted.

However, you live in the real world, and it is likely that you will receive requests for interviews or comments when you least expect them. If your company is prepared to respond to these requests, you can substantively improve the chances of getting good coverage that spreads your messages accurately and further builds public trust.

But it all starts with having a spokesperson available. There’s nothing more exasperating for the media than to ask for comment just to find out that your company does not have someone to talk on the matter. Even worse, a matter that you pitched. As such, always have someone on stand-by who can be flexible to respond to media requests. Remember: the media does not forget! Screw them once and it’s over for you.

9.    Brag about your strides and achievements!

Celebrities brag! Twitter, Instagram and Facebook have given celebrities far-reaching platforms through which they can connect with their fans, either to promote new projects or to let their fans know what they’re up to. All this could be considered useful, since many fans appreciate the access given to them through social media. At the end of the day, it’s called bragging. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

Have your company been nominated? Brag! Are you moving into refurbished offices? Brag! Did your company win an award? Brag! Is your company being listed or venturing abroad? Brag! Have you landed a new client? Brag!

Like I said earlier on, we get attached to companies the same way we get attached to celebrities. The more I hear and see that your company is doing well, the more interested I become and the more I learn about it. Trust me, every milestone is a marketing opportunity. It’s a chance to tell your story to your customers and your employees. It’s an occasion to get publicity, and it gives you a reason to make a splash and to raise awareness of your business.

Anytime you have a major milestone, include your customers to allow them to celebrate with you. When you have a smaller landmark, celebrate with your employees. Include the press when you have a significant achievement and gain some publicity. The press loves stories where a company gives back to the community. So use these occasions to get public recognition. If you do so, you will have happier employees; happier customers and your business will grow.

10. Hire a PR/brand nanny!

Celebrities are busy (at least most of them) and this means that they need a PR team that can constantly guide them when it comes to maintaining their public image. Likewise, if companies want to be successful, they should jump on this bandwagon.

Revisiting the Brangelina story, Page Six reported that – two weeks after the divorce – Angelina Jolie had begun reaching out to top Hollywood PR Specialists and Image Consultants for help in rehabbing her image. If you ask me, she was supposed to do that way before the saga. As high-powered divorce lawyer Raoul Felder once said, “Hiring a P.R. person after the crisis is like going for a check-up after you’ve already had the heart attack.”

So try and avoid being in Jolie’s situation. Be smart about publicity. The good news is you don’t have to do it alone, you can hire a PR professional. That said, you need to make sure they are a great match for your company and are excited about your plans.

A good PR firm (or consultant) will help you establish a strong identity, effectively communicate your story to the right people, create thought leadership opportunities for your CEO and establish an engaging social-media programme. They will build your brand, help you stand out, increase your visibility and get you in front of decision-makers.

Though PR is not cheap, paying for an external provider of PR and marketing pays off in many ways. While you may well be able to manage your online presence and market your promotions, PR and Communication Specialists are generally very well-informed about your market and have access to all the right people and publications. They are professionals in writing and putting strategies together that have been proven to increase exposure.  

@cuemanbeing