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ghostmoon1 · 4 days ago

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Dusted Rivalries - Chapter Six

Chapter Five | Master List | Chapter Seven

Call of Duty Fic - Task Force 141 - Cowboy AU

Summary: You trained hard to get to the dog show with Dolly, and now it is time to show how hard you trained at the dog show.

Paring: You'll find out soon :3

Words: 2,482

Warnings: Slight descriptions of anxiety

A/N: We're back!! My account got terminated due to Tumblr's spam filter, that's why this chapter isn't posted on the regular time. But I've been very busy, so I'll try and finish Comfy-Vember then more of my attention will be on this fic again, and I may post some extra things!

You could feel your heartbeat rapidly thumping, matching your quick and short breaths. You tried to wipe the sweat off your palms onto your jacket even if it was useless. Your fingers tapped on the leash in your hands, the fabric rough and used between your fingers. The arena was crowded, with whines, barks, panting, echoing, and hitting your ears. The chatter of other contestants and the judges wiped out any peacefulness and silence the arena would have once held.

Dolly stood at your heel, her tail wagging as she barked at the other dogs that walked by and tried to pull towards them. Even for an old dog, new places excited her.

Your eyes caught onto the judges as they took their seats with clipboards and pens, an intimidating aura surrounding them for a first-time contestant. You tried to swallow your nerves, but they kept clawing at your throat and threatening to drag you down with them.

“Nervous lass?”

Johnny.

You were so glad you brought them along with you. If you didn't you might be breaking into a cold sweat and dying from the nerves. Johnny was always a comforting presence, even if you hadn’t known them for too long. He was the rock you could hold onto while rapids gushed around you.

“Yeah… very,” you mumble in response, holding onto the leash tighter until your knuckles turn white. Your breath gets caught in your throat as you watch more of the contestants walk in. Their well-groomed and well-trained dogs walked at their heels, heads held high and their tails propped up. Your mind races.

What if you didn't train Dolly enough? What if she gets too scared and tries to run off? What if you mess up? What if you forget the course? What if you can't help save the farm…?

“You and Dolly will do great lass. Don’t get yer knickers in a twist over it,” Johnny’s voice brings you back down to earth with a reassuring hand on your shoulder, squeezing it softly.

“Yeah. Still can’t help the nerves. I’m sure Dolly will still do well,” you mutter, watching Dolly’s fluffy tail wag. You hope.

“You’ll make us proud,” he says, giving your shoulder one last squeeze before letting go and looking over at Kyle and John who were speaking to one of the other contestants. Simon, is nowhere to be seen. You didn't even know if he came.

You sigh and drop the jacket off your shoulders, sitting it down on the seat and leaning down to rub Dolly’s ear, who happily accepts the attention. “Alright… ready girl?” you murmur to her and earn a happy bark in response. Although, you were asking yourself if you were ready more.

The walk down to the waiting area took an eternity, you could hear your own heartbeat over the echoing voices and dogs. Dolly’s ears perk up as music starts to softly play in the background, and the voice over the microphones starts to echo throughout the stadium.

“Hello everyone, welcome to this year's dog show! Today, the events will be as follows; We will have the agility championships until noon, which will take up the greater part of the day…”

You start to zone out the more they speak, calling in a former champion and interviewing them as the staff makes sure everything is properly set up.

Your heart jumps to your throat as the first contestant gets called up. “To start the show-off today, we have Charlie the Shetland Sheepdog, with handler Anthony Clarke from Norfolk, Virginia!”

You watch as the man and his smaller dog run up onto the course, standing on a platform before jumping off and heading towards the start. You hold your breath as the small dog yelps at him, then settles between his legs, its small body vibrating with excitement and adrenaline. He yells to start, and the small dog's legs move faster than you would’ve thought they could. Its tail is high in the air, approaching the first jump and leaping over it with ease. The tiny dog moved with ease and grace, leaping over each jump and running over the ramp. It sped through the tunnel and weaved through the weave poles with ease.

You feel your heart beat faster as you watch, the anxiety clawing at the back of your throat and sending it dry. You try to swallow the nerves down again, but nothing can stop the thumping of your heart.

The show continues, and you watch with your anxiety building as each dog flawlessly finishes the course in record times. Watching just made you wish you spent longer training. You hope she was ready for this. You jump as they take to the microphone again, and then the dreaded words come.

“Next up, we have Dolly the Border Collie with her handler Y/N! Now, Dolly here is an old girl, but we’ll see how she holds up!”

With a deep breath, you jog out onto the course leading Dolly up onto the platform to stand for a moment for the judges to see her.

“Good girl… you're gonna do great,” you whisper as you pat her side, even if she couldn't fully understand you, giving her reassurance seemed to help you as well and calm your nerves.

Now, it was Dolly’s and your time to shine. Time to show the crowd what you’ve been training so hard for, putting in the hard work and hours to get here. To show them that you deserve to be here.

To save the farm.

You swiftly lead her down to the fake grass of the course, each obstacle set out precisely. The grass crunched beneath your shoes, Dolly’s paws tapping against it in excitement as she whined and begged for her leash to be taken off. You kneel next to her, slipping it over her head. “Alright girl… let's do this.”

You look up to see Johnny, Kyle and John in the crowd, each of them looking excited and hopeful. Johnny was shouting and jumping up and down, throwing a fist in the air while Kyle tried to calm him down, yelling stuff at him you couldn't quite understand. John gave you a warm smile and a nod, silently wishing you good luck.

Here was your time to shine. Dolly’s time to shine. Show them what you’ve worked for.

With a sharp whistle, Dolly places herself between your legs, kneeling down and ready to leap forward. Your eyes dart around the course, taking mental notes on the course and how you are going to approach this.

You take a step forward, and so does Dolly. She shoots past, her paws hitting the ground with newfound determination. You run after her, every step you take sending a small shockwave of adrenaline and anxiety coursing through your body. You ran alongside Dolly, who seemed to be enjoying this much more than you were. She leapt over the first jump, landing effortlessly on the other side and sprinting towards the next jump.

“That's it! Good, next one!” you call out each command, rewarding her with words for now until you can spoil her with love and affection afterwards. Her tail was high in the air, her body agile and graceful as she leapt over the next jump.

Her paws reached forward as she leapt over the next jump, hitting the ground on the other side and her pack paws pushing herself forward once again. Your eyes follow her with pride, maybe all that training was paying off. Maybe you could do this, maybe she could.

Maybe the farm had hope.

You point her towards the next obstacle, and she flies towards the ramp. Her muscles and pure determination push her up the ramp, slowing down as the ramp drops to let her run off the other side. After another jump, she sprints into the tunnel and out the other side.

You continue to praise her and lead her through the course, your heart pounding as you near the end of the course. Dolly leaps over the next few jumps with ease, her tail bouncing as she lands and her ears perked forward. Finally, you point her towards the weaving poles where she quickly bounds between each one, her body curving around them like she was made to be doing this.

You let out a cry in victory, kneeling down and immediately catching Dolly in your arms as she licks and pants in your face after she finishes the course. You adore her with pats and rubs, hugging her as her tail wags and wacks you in the side but you couldn't care less.

“You did it!” you cry, laughing as she licks your face, covering it in her slobber.

The sound of the crowd cheering and clapping finally hits your ears, and the adrenaline begins to wear off. Your eyes locked with one of the judges, and you couldn't help but smile at him in pride. “We did it…” you whisper again as if you were trying to convince yourself that you really did just complete your part of the dog show, and the world didn't collapse beneath you.

You look over at the boys, who are standing and cheering, Johnny throwing his fists into the air with a massive grin plastered on his face. Kyle was having to drag him back from jumping over the fencing and sprinting towards you. Price stood up for you, clapping as he wore a proud smile on his face.

The pride swells in your chest, seeing the people who you only met not long ago but now felt close, clapping for you and your hard work, how you and Dolly had worked hard to get to this point. You sit on your heels for a moment, catching your breath from running around the course with her.

You hope you’ve done them proud.

After leading Dolly off the course and to some seating, which you are forever grateful for after that workout, it didn't take long before you saw the boys running towards you. Well, Johnny was running, Kyle and John were trailing behind, struggling to keep up.

“That was bloody brilliant lass!” he calls, closing in on you and throwing his arms around you, squeezing whatever air you had left in your lungs out. “Yer did us so proud!”

You laugh, wrapping your arms back around him as he rocks you side to side in his excitement, letting your hands dig into the combination of fat and muscle on his back. His warmth radiated around you, making you feel even hotter and sweatier than you did before.

“You and Dolly are an amazing team, the best we’ve seen today,” Kyle pitches in, stealing your attention away from Johnny’s bear hug for a moment. He finally releases you, letting you step back and breathe again.

“You’re just saying that,” you reply, brushing your now rumpled shirt to try and keep yourself looking semi-presentable. His deep brown eyes crinkle around the edges as he laughs in disbelief.

“No love! You were amazing, considering you only trained for maybe a week, compared to everyone else who probably works on stuff like this for a living!”

Price chuckles and agrees, letting his arms sit over his chest, slowly rising and falling with each breath. “Now, let’s see if you’ve won eh? If you save this farm, we’ll forever be in your debt.”

Johnny and Kyle nod in agreement, their eyes sparkling with excitement and pride. Kyle leans down to slip Dolly’s leash and collar back on, her paws padding across the soft ground as she trots along to the waiting area, where everyone else is sitting and waiting nervously for the winners to be announced. Dogs sat at their owner's heels, waiting and yapping as they waited. Tension hung heavy in the air, it was thick enough that you felt you could cut through the air with a knife.

As you take a seat, you can’t help but let the nerves creep back in. Your hands feel moist with sweat once again, a bead of sweat forming along your browline. You bounced your leg in anticipation, watching as the judges across the arena spoke in hushed voices to one another, tapping their pens and every so often letting their eyes flicker over to the contestants, studying them.

Judging them.

Judging you.

Their pens touch their clipboards, writing down the unknown. Unknown to you right now, but soon enough they’ll call out the winner, the one who gets to bring home the prize.

The whole arena goes silent as one of the judges taps their microphone, the eerie sound echoing. It was too quiet. You could hear the tick-tocking of the old clock on the wall behind you, the heavy and anxiety-riddled breaths of yourself and everyone else around you, the quiet shuffling of feet, the panting and small whines of the dogs.

“Alright everyone, we will be announcing the winners of this year's agility championships!” the voice over the microphone echoes. You gripped your seat, your knuckles turning white as sweat pools under your thighs, sticking you to the chair. Telling you your fate. You won’t be moving from that place to pick up a trophy… you won’t win this. You weren't good enough.

You couldn't think like that. You can’t let those thoughts overwhelm you.

But what if you can’t save the farm…? What if all the hard work you put into this was for nothing? Maybe Simon was right…

John’s hand on your knee snaps you out of the thoughts that threaten to pull you under and drown you. His calloused hand was warm and rough, providing a comforting presence. He gently squeezed as his eyes remained out the front of the judges, studying them as the judges spoke.

They began to name the winners.

“We would like to start with honourable mentions, who will be taking home our dog care baskets brought to us by our sponsors! For these, we have Jessica Mulberg with her Dalmation, Molly!”

You feel your heart clench as names begin to get called out. The crowd claps as you watch the woman and her dog head over to receive their prize, giving thanks and bowing to the crowd with a smile on her face.

“For the second honourable mention, we have Shane Newman with his Weimaraner, Lucky!”

He collects his prize as well, a proud smile on his face as he does so. He adores his dog with pats and praises, who soak up the attention like a sponge with a wagging tail.

Now for the podium.

“Now… the winners for the agility championships, we have…” the pause drags on, making you hold your breath and grip the chair tighter as you wait. Fuck them for pausing. “In third place… we have Y/N, with her Border Collie, Dolly!”

Fuck.

[ Tag List: @sleep101 , @jooba , @daydreamsareallineed ]

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onetimetwotimesthreetimess · 26 days ago

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Alright Cuties, Story Time

So, as you’ve seen, I’ve been pretty absent from Tumblr this year. I’ve been distant from my writing, and it’s been genuinely heartbreaking. A huge reason is my incredibly toxic work environment.

I've been working in the sustainability and public health since my master’s, landing a high-paying job, which is rare in India’s social sector. I’m on the management team, leading social impact, and it felt fantastic at first. But my manage is one of the worst people I’ve ever dealt with. She’s misogynistic, classist, casteist, and hateful towards women and marginalized groups. Surprisingly, not homophobic (I even told her I’m bisexual before realizing she’s a nightmare). I have never met a woman who hates other women so much. She is so hateful and malicious and vengeful.

This year’s been a true struggle, and I’ve felt powerless, especially as someone who values standing up for what’s right.

I have a team of my own and genuinely allow them to do whatever the fuck they want and don’t micromanage. I approve all their leaves/late-in, xyz. This is also not something that she’s okay with and repeatedly asks me to be difficult with them, which I’ve refused to.

I thought helping people through my work would be enough it’s not anymore. And I won’t pretend to be a sane, I’ve stayed this long because the pay was great tbh. It just doesn’t hit the same anymore lol. Even the work does not bring me any kind of satisfaction. I cannot help anyone unless I help myself first.

I’ve taken seven days off this year overall. Even weekends don’t feel like breaks cause I’m just so anxious thinking of mondays. I just had a short Diwali break, but I'm back to work tomorrow, and I’m planning to resign soon. I’ll start job hunting or maybe take a break, since I do have a lot of savings now or even tap into that family wealth I better hope my parents are hiding from me

While she’s never been directly rude to me, shes mostly acted like a friend to me which has been worse. But she’s targeted others—like pressuring me to spy on someone; taking legal action against a pregnant ex-employee, and creating such a hostile environment that one person even tried to jump off the office roof. I have proof against her, and when I resign, I plan to use it. She needs to be held accountable for all of this.

I was also a kid back when I joined, fresh out of school and didn’t know better. I do now. And no one’s allowed me exploit me anymore. Like she’s just a person. A miserable, despicable version of a person but just a person nonetheless. And I have receipts now.

This is why I’ve been so absent. Not being able to write or even breathe has worsened my mental health. My personality’s changed, and I haven’t seen most of my friends in a year. Fortunately, I live with my childhood best friend, which has been a lifeline.

I’m resuming work tomorrow and will need to have a very difficult conversation with her about something and it will not be easy. It’s going to end badly, I know that. But I’m gonna rip apart this cunt if she tries to fuck with me now. I have had it.

Thought I’d just share this with yall.

Wish me luck.

Love,

Eeshu 🌻

#the day I leave this job it’s over for everyone #I knew adulthood was difficult just not how much #fuck I miss writing and malec and you all #lord I just want a softer life for myself #toxic workplace #eeshu feels

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f1-disaster-bi · 4 months ago

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Fluffy Dando (possibly Single Dad AU?)

Kiss prompt : …to wake up.

I had this whole big cute prompt written and tumblr ate it so here's take two 😭

Lando was fast asleep against his chest. He had a leg over Daniel's, face smushed against his shoulder and a hand knotted in his shirt.

Daniel's hand rested against warm skin under the shirt that Lando had stolen from him years ago now. He rubbed soft, soothing circles into his ribs with his thumb, listening to the soft duo of snores assaulting him as he scrolled on his phone.

Flynn was finally fast asleep in the crib beside their bed. Their little baby had been suffering wickedly with teething and all he wanted was Lando. He refused to settle unless Lando was holding him, meaning that both of his boys were exhausted.

This wasn't exactly how he had planned their break to go. He had expected more relaxing and time spent playing together with their children, but Daniel wouldn't change a thing about this as Eloise text him again.

Their little girl was not so little anymore at almost eleven years old. Sometimes Daniel couldn't believe how much she had grown, missing the cheeky little three year old he had met colouring in the MTC, but it was a privlage to get to watch her grow.

She was currently out with friends under the supervision of two of her friends mothers, and texting Daniel pictures of things she wanted to get Flynn dor Christmas.

Eloise had taken to being a big sister like a duck to water.

Lando had been a little worried that a new baby would upset her after almost ten years of being an only child, but Eloise had taken one look at Flynn and that was it. She loved being a big sister, and still proudly told everyone about her baby brother in a way that made Daniel's chest fill with warmth.

Every single day with his family was something he cherished more than any past win he had ever had.

They might not always be perfect, but they were his and Daniel wouldn't change a damn thing.

He used to think that this would never happen for him. He had always been told he was too loud, too unserious, too needy, for long term relationships. Everyone had seen him as a fun for the moment guy, and never wanted anything more but then Lando had come into his life and turned it upside down from the moment they had met, changing everything. There was never a moment in the last seven years where he had ever regretted this, and he never would.

A soft sound pulled his attention from his thoughts back to his family as Lando let out a long sigh.

The other was shifting in his sleep. A little crease appeared between his brows as he seemed to try and pull his knees towards his chest but couldn't because of how he was curled into Daniel. His fingers tightened a little against his shoulder, and Daniel couldn't help but laugh.

He wasn't laughing at Lando, no. He was laughing at the fact that he knew he could look at Flynn and somehow see the same expression on their son despite him being biologically Daniel's. The two of them were like little peas in a pod and Daniel loved it as Lando let out another little huff.

Daniel rubbed his hand along the others side, trying to ease whatever ever was happening in his dream, but he knew Lando would wake up soon. That whine was his "I'm waking up but don't want to whine" that Daniel was all too familiar with.

"It's okay, baby", Daniel whispered and leaned down to pepper soft kisses all over Lando's face, "I've got you"

Lando's face relaxed as Daniel continued to rain kisses down on his cheeks and forehead before his eyes were fluttering open and a soft smile tugged at his lips.

"Sorry, was I sleep?", Lando mumbled, tilting his head up for a quick, soft kiss that Daniel happily gave him.

"Yeah sweetheart, but that's okay. You can go back to sleep. I've got you both"

Lando stretched a little, craning his neck to see Flynn before he curled back up against Daniel with a happy sigh.

"Wake me in an hour?" was mumbled against the skin of his neck as Lando tucked his face against his shoulder, "Love you"

"Of course, sweetheart", Daniel kissed his curls, "Love you more"

#dando #single dad au #single parent lando au #daniel/lando #lando/daniel #prompt

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davidmariottecomics · 11 months ago

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Goodbye IDW! Hello Something New!

Hi there!

After seven years and some change, today, 12/22/2023, is my last day at IDW Publishing. It's for good reasons. Things just timed out that my last day could be the last work day of the year for IDW and in the new year, I'll be starting a new job elsewhere. I'll still be in comics and once I can talk about the new gig, I'm really stoked to be letting you all know. So, today, I want to say my goodbye to IDW.

But first, before I get to that, I did have something else notable happen this week. I sent my last tweet! I'm officially shutting down my Twitter at the end of the year and if you see a Twitter account claiming to be me after January 1st, it's an imposter. If you'd like to keep up with me, however, I've got good news! There are lots of other ways to find me still. Here are a few!

Check out and bookmark my website! Get access to my blog, plus lots of behind the scenes stuff and new projects at my Patreon! Subscribe to a newsletter version of my blog for free at Buttondown! Follow my blog on Tumblr! Keep up with my main socials: Bluesky and Instagram (I'm @davidmariotte at both)!

Okay, with that out of the way, let's talk about it. This is not my first time saying goodbye. In fact, almost exactly a year ago, I said my farewells to Transformers, one of the hallmarks of my IDW run. I don't want to revisit that too much, so if you want to read about my early days at IDW or that part of my career or a big list of thank yous to my collaborators, you can! And while I've had significant runs with other books, most notably Sonic the Hedgehog which with January's Sonic: Fang the Hunter #1 will mark 100 issues of Sonic at IDW under my editorial eye, or my personally exciting, if shorter runs on stuff like Godzilla, Samurai Jack, the Hasbro Action books, Canto, Scarenthood, The Kill Lock, The October Faction, Wynonna Earp, Brynmore, Atomic Robo, or literally so many other books, I don't want this to just be a retrospective on the work. In fact, I'm largely not interested in talking about the past when I say goodbye this time.

IDW has afforded me a lot. They've helped me find my place in the industry. They let me do some writing. They let me do a lot of editing. I learned various other skills both through directly on the course of the job and through my own interest because of what I was doing and seeing there. I have made true lifelong friendships. And I have made comics. So leaving feels weird. I'm very bummed to be leaving a place that really has been my home (and for the past couple of years, has quite literally been mostly at my home) for so long. But I am even more excited about what's to come. On my side, I can't announce it just yet, but watch this space for some big news soon (after a couple weeks of much needed vacation).

Talking about the future I actually can say a little more about, I wanna tell you how excited I am for IDW. Yes, I'm leaving, but IDW remains home to so many people--both at the company and our freelance creators--and so many projects that are close to my heart. Next year is their 25th anniversary. That is an impressive feat in not just the world of comics, but any industry. For the milestone, they've got a lot of cool stuff planned.

I'm not going to blow up IDW's spot and say anything about what's coming up too early. Just to talk about the things that are already public knowledge, you've got things like the new TMNT: The Last Ronin sequel! The TMNT ongoing on it's road to issue #150! There are cool new originals like Golgotha Motor Mountain! There's the launch of the aforementioned Fang the Hunter which is IDW's first Classic Sonic mini-series and sees 100 unique issues of Sonic at IDW and is just laugh-out-loud funny and full of such good action! And I'll tease this, when the Sonic ongoing is back with issue #69 in May, you'll be in for an absolute treat as that series runs up to #75!

I know some readers of this blog don't read a ton of American direct market comics. You aren't "Wednesday Warriors" who go to the comic shop every week. You like the comics you like and I've been graced to be a person working on those comics. If you aren't as familiar with how these comics work, let me assure you of a couple things. The books I was editing and many unannounced projects that I set up will still be happening. Because of the timelines of comic production, you'll still see my name in IDW books for a few more months and, at the same time, you'll see new credits creeping in. And if we've done everything right, that'll be about the only thing you'll notice is different, at least at first. As the editors really take the reins and take over, we'll both be in for the treat of the unknown! I'll be reading them with a good sense of professional jealousy.

Now, there's one other book that has been announced for next year and I wanted to do a special call out for. Godzilla: Valentine's Day Special went to press this week. It's the last IDW book I saw all the way from inception to completion. And, in many ways, it's kind of a really good analogy of a comics editorial career. I think, genuinely, this may be the book that went from conception to reality the fastest in my career. I think it took... less than a week from a half-joking suggestion of doing a Godzilla Valentine's Day book to getting Zoe Tunnell's pitch in and approved by Toho and getting it on the publishing schedule. Usually these things take a bit--people are working on other projects, licensors need time to review things, whatever other bumps happen along the way--but this was like lightning. Everyone just got it instantly. And then Zoe turned in the script and it was great! Things continued, as they do, and then... we got a curveball or two. I won't go into too much detail, but major thanks to Sebastian Piriz and Rebecca Nalty for getting it done and having a book that we were all so proud of that I could send to press this week. And it struck me on that final press day that despite the curveballs we had been thrown, when it came to actually getting it approved, everything was so easy, straightforward, and smooth. When you read it in February, if I've done my job right, maybe you'll remember seeing somewhere that there were some curveballs. But mostly, you'll just have a really good book in your hands. (BTW, you did JUST MISS the final order cutoff on that, so do check in with your shop about still trying to get you a copy!)

Most of the time, after a book like that goes to press, an editor gets ready to do it again--maybe in a few minutes or days or the next week. For the first time in a long time, I won't be getting ready to do it again at IDW. That's a complicated feeling, but I'm so excited for the future.

The best metaphor I've been able to come up with for what is happening is it's like I've been working in a one room office constantly for the past seven years. It's got that dull office lighting, you know the kind. Each day, projects come and go across my desk, and as they otherwise disappear into the world, I put up one of those glow-in-the-dark stars as a memory of it. And each day, I work with so many people--my coworkers at IDW who've helped foster my growth, my collaborators as both a writer and editor who have made so many stories with me, all the folks where things never quite lined up but we kept trying, and the readers who are an inherent part of the ecosystem, the reason we make what we do. And so, for each of those people, I put up a little glow in the dark toy.

Now, for the first time, I'm going to get up and leave the office. As I flick the switch behind me, everything in there that has been soaking up light for years now glows. Some of the glows are slight. Some are so fantastically bright, it feels like they're drawing attention through the walls of the room. Together, they make the room brighter than it was when I left. Now, sometimes, I might sneak in to borrow a toy--make a copy of it for the new office I'm doing the same thing in. Other people will certainly do the same and make they've got their Evan Stanley figure on their shelf. If I ever return for a longer time, I'll be so glad to flick the light back on and let them all absorb even more light to glow an even longer time. If I don't, I rest happy that the glow goes on and forever people will be able to come back and discover some part of it. And I'll start working on a new office soon.

If I keep going, I'm a little afraid that I won't be able to stop. So, for now, I'll just say again, thank you. The future is about to be very exciting. Next year is for the creators you love or don't know you love yet, the books that are going to light you up that you've come to expect and the ones that will catch you by total surprise. While there are a lot of things I'm going to miss deeply and books that I'm going to wish I had gotten to do more on, I also have the really exciting experience of getting to see this stuff as a fan of IDW, just like you. And, hey, I hope you'll be a fan of the stuff I do next too!

As for next steps, like I've said, I'm not going far. I'll still be in comics. I'll share the news when I can.

Before that, I'm getting a little break. Not too long, just a few weeks, and obviously the holidays are part of those, but in my time between my jobs, I'm going to be working on some personal projects. I put together a little tracking list recently and I have something like 40 projects in various stages of gestation right now. Obviously, I'm not going to be working on all of those at once, and chances are, some of them will never see the light of day, but I'm going to be working on trying to bring a couple of them to you in the new year (and beyond). If you're an artist that I've had the pleasure of working with in the past and you think you might be interested in peeping the list and seeing what we could do together, let me know. You can reach me on my website contact page, through my email, or through Discord (feel free to ask if you don't have it!).

And if you read this blog, you'll see me hyping my last IDW projects up until we run out of what I left behind. Simultaneously, once I've got stuff to start hyping up for my personal projects and for the new gig, you'll see those start to pop up here too! I'll also keep talking about making comics and my thoughts on the state of the world and whatever else it is I blog about here on a regular basis!

Thanks for reading. Bye-DW! Next week, I'll be doing a little Best of 2023. But for now, onto our regular features.

What I enjoyed this week: Dungeons & Daddies (Podcast), Reverse 1999 (Video Game), Nancy (Comic), Lego Masters (TV show), Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror (Short story collection), Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Links (Video Game), Cunk on Earth (TV show), I'm a Virgo (TV show), The Boy and the Heron (Movie), an easy last week at IDW, all the well-wishes that've already poured in, leaving today to celebrate Christmas with my family and then have some downtime to work on my stuff, signing the paperwork for the new job, not being on Twitter anymore, getting all of our mail out in a timely fashion for the holidays, Chainsaw Man (Manga), I picked up Superman and Hawkgirl, so excited to get caught up on those, and knowing that in leaving this job, there are certain folks I just get to deepen my relationships with as friends, instead of co-workers.

New Releases this week (12/20/2023): Godzilla: The War for Humanity #3 (Editor) Godzilla Rivals: Jet Jaguar vs. Megalon (Editor)

Announcements: The Cartoonist Cooperative is still doing E-Sim cards for Gaza. You can donate a digital sim card so that residents can get access to the internet and have more functional phones and, in exchange, get some comics or a drawing or whatever else is available from the many participating artists. Additionally, the CC is hosting their mini-comic awards! It's a cool way to maybe get your mini-comic recognized and make some scratch!

You can also give more directly. If you don't have money, and I get it, you can call or fax or email or show up at the offices of your representatives. Keep your eyes open for actions too, whether they're another general strike or demonstrations and marches in your area. Given the nature of the things, they often come together fairly quickly, so do exercise your due diligence. Also, of course, being informed and just giving your time to Palestinian journalists and writers is incredibly valuable.

While Becca has got some things brewing for next year (and now on a schedule), you should reach out if you'd like to work on comics with them! You can find their gallery on their website and also, y'know, maybe pick up a few things for belated gifts while you're there!

Finally, I called out my Patreon earlier. You can support me (and boy, that would be cool during the time between paychecks because vacation is nice, but living is still expensive) and get not just this blog, but a lot of cool special features like extra posts, comics, infographics, and more! At the $10+ levels, you can also access stuff like a holiday gift guide I made, a podcast pilot for a spicy show with Becca, and a ton more!

Pic of the Week: Happy holidays from Becca and me! If you wanna full card in your inbox, lemme know!

#comics #godzilla idw #sonic idw #transformers idw #goodbye idw #comics news #david mariotte

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thefreelanceangel · 5 months ago

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(Count)Down to Dawntrail: FREE DAY

July of 2019, I downloaded the trial for FFXIV.

Up until then, I'd been in GW2 for over seven years. It'd given me a roommate (ilu Rory) and helped me reconnect with the man who I ended up marrying (ilu honeybun). It'd also become a game I couldn't even look at without sighing heavily.

(That fucking map currency grind... UGH.)

I wanted to try something else, see if I could find a game that'd be fun to play. And as both my "screamy baby brother" (ilu Chaos) and one of the people I'd admired most in GW2 (ilu @mirugaidoesthings) were in FFXIV, well...

I made a catgirl, named her after an old tabletop NPC (RIP the OG Callie...) and started poking around.

I very quickly slid over to Mateus (because up until FFXIV, I was an RPer first, content later... maybe sort of person) and ... well, I fell in love. With C'allie, with Eorzea, with the gameplay and mechanics, and definitely with GPose. (July 10, 2019 is when Chaos told me about the GPose feature and... well I never quite stopped.) And as I dragged my then-boyfriend into playing, he fell in love with Eorzea, too.

It's hard to really explain just how much time, energy, fun, frustration, and enjoyment we've gotten from FFXIV in the years since. Or how much the story of Eorzea came to mean to us. (The Ceremony of Eternal Bonding music was playing at our RL wedding.) We've met some amazing people--the players of Thravnar, Zale, and Targur for instance--and it's given me the chance to reconnect with old friends. (@mirugaidoesthings & @rylen-ooc <3)

Shadowbringers might as well have just been written specifically for me. Monstrous angels, a complex villain, a story with such resonating themes... I'd enjoyed A Realm Reborn and I'd cried over Heavensward (yes, over Haurchefant... who I ended up naming my cat after) but Shadowbringers might as well have been marketed with my name on it.

And then in late November-early December of 2021, Endwalker's release coincided with my soon-became-husband's cancer diagnosis. I played through the first section of the MSQ while he slept off his first round of chemo. I was scared and emotional and trying my best to deal with the stress of keeping our finances together while visiting him during his hospitalizations and juggling everything that such things require.

Endwalker hugged me. It told me that life is scary, that life is a struggle, but we do it because we have each other. And I desperately needed that. Endwalker was the story I needed right then and right there. Facing down the Endsinger felt so cathartic, as if I was able to beat my husband's cancer and my own stress and fear with my WHM staff.

And Endwalker is the expansion where I had to make a Warrior of Light, I couldn't separate myself from the story long enough to just experience it anymore. I needed to create a character who changed in relation to the story, who lived it, who could have the same emotions I did about it.

I've met lovely people through FFXIV--a lot of them here on Tumblr--and I've found a creative outlet I'd never imagined possible. (Thank you *coughcrimetoolscough*) I've created characters, written stories, built friendships, and found deep, personal comfort in Eorzea. I cry when I hear "Answers" now and I can list the Scions off without pausing. I've baked Norvrandt's cookie biscuits, hung FFXIV art in my house, and can recognize more of the music than I've EVER listened to for ANY other game.

Dawntrail is the next step in a journey I'm eager to continue with all of you. May we ever walk in the light of the Crystal.

#(Count)Down to Dawntrail #FFXIV #OOC #Screenshots #Meli Iliakos

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teejaystumbles · 10 months ago

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Talk to me about BtOM and/or its sequel? I've seen some of the webcomic and would love to know more

Hooo boy! Thank you so much for your interest! This is going to be a long post! BtoM is my original webcomic, set in the Aztec empire in the 15th century, before the arrival of the Spaniards. It's not trying to be historically accurate but I did quite a lot of research at the time to get cultural stuff and place settings right. It features, as main characters, Metztlitototl, a boy who fell from the sky; Mictlantecuhtli, god of death; Tezcatlipoca, god of, heh, a shitload of things LOL, and his highpriest Itztli, a human. They try to navigate their feelings for each other while finding out where Metz came from. It's a gay love fantasy drama. (while I and the characters often refer to Metz as a "boy", he is not underage) I came up with the basic story idea over twenty years ago and developed it over the years (with the help of a writer who is not part of it any more) into a fully fleshed out story. At the moment it spans six full chapters with about 30-40 pages each; the seventh and last chapter is still unfinished. I have taken huge breaks over the years, coming back to it again and again. I have always promised that I will one day finish it and I still intend to keep that promise. The shutdown of smackjeeves had me loose my main platform for hosting the comic and while I have plans to make my own website, at the moment it's hard to direct people to where to read it easily. That's why I set up a new tumblr for it, but editing all the pages and making the posts is also a huge effort I struggle with. (So sorry!!! I will try and be better!)

It's hard to share stuff because it's a comic script, not a novel, but I'd like to share something from chapter seven, Mic and Itztli trying to figure out who or what Metz actually is-

Itztli is sleepless, he roams the temple grounds restlessly, deep circles under his eyes. He coughs violently and spits but doesn't see the blood mixed with his spit. At dawn he comes upon a secluded area where a fire must have been burning not long ago, a qualming brazier and lots of footprints make him curious. He inspects the scene and finds almost but not completely erased drawings in the earth, depicting... Metztlitototl? What is the meaning of this? Is that... the boy? "It is as I thought." Itztli whirls around at the voice, and Mic stands before him (not the skeleton, but the "nice" Mic). Itztli squats down immediately, heart pounding. "Lord of Mictlan." Mic ignores him. He looks around, sees traces of burnt incense, and even a feather of a bird, hinting at a blood sacrifice. Without looking at Itztli, still studying the area, he says: "Tell me about the night you found him."

The sequel is a very indulgent PWP that has them figuring out their feelings even more and basically all four of them end up in a polyamorous relationship haha. It was my pleasure project to write when the mood struck and has reached the same length as the main story document (oops LOL)

My favourite is not the main character Metz but Itztli, my precious poor boy who'd do anything for his capricious master. He's probably the reason the sequel exists because they needed more space to flourish <3

The main characters, Metz and Mic, are soft and lovely and I love them to bits but they are also, well, easy. Also, Mic is obviously inspired by Dream. My teenage self had a type (and still has). xD

Feel free to ask me more detailed questions! I will endeavour to post more comic pages soon!

#teejaystumbles #btom #wip ask game #original character

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hindisoup · 7 months ago

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Hiii, I've been following your blog since some time. And I've been very fascinated and impressed by your journey. I'm sure at this point you know hindi better than me (I'm not proud of this, I'll focus better on Hindi from now). And I've always had this question, I'm not sure if I asked you or if you have already answered it or not. But how did you start learning Hindi? Are you Indian or indian origin? And how has your journey been? Did you find difficulties? What was easy for you and what did you like/dislike about the culture as you continued learning the language? I'm very curious.

Hi and thank you so much for such a nice ask!

Here's my previous answer to how I got into Hindi in the first place.

In short, I am just a Finnish linguaphile with no connection to India or South Asia whatsoever. I have loved learning about different languages since childhood but Hindi (and Urdu on the side) has been my passion for the past six to seven years now.

I got into the language very typically through Hindi cinema but more than just the aesthetics I'm fascinated by the history, art, socio-political fabric, nature and just all of it. I love learning new things in general and there's always something new about Indian people or culture that draws my interest. Looking at things - whether political, religious or whatever - from a distance, I try to observe and form an understanding more than form opinions - it's not my place and all I have is endless respect for Indian people. I've never been to India but believe me I have long to-do and to-see lists when I eventually one day get to go there.

My language journey has been very enjoyable. I've done some online courses, had iTalki tutors, done some videos to practice pronunciation, made a huge Anki deck and done lots of reading, podcast listening and film watching. I was making great progress but my learning has been on somewhat hiatus since last autumn when I got a new job that took all my energy. Since January I've been writing a PhD thesis proposal that has taken all my spare time and my Hindi learning has diminished to scrolling Tumblr poems and listening to film songs while commuting. The passion is still there and I intend to return to my routines as soon as possible.

What I love most about Hindi as a language is the logic of it. It's - for me at least - very easy to 'get' Hindi, as in understanding the grammar rules - why things are the way they are. Hindi is a very learner-friendly language that way. A bigger issue is the immense vocabulary and understanding of the historical and cultural roots around borrowing sounds and words from Sanskrit, Persian and other languages - how they play together and how they do not etc. When learning Hindi you are never just learning Hindi!

I had some trouble learning Devanagari at first and learning to differentiate all the sounds (and produce them from my mouth). It took time, but one day they clicked. I'm not perfect and there's a lot of room for improvement but seeing the progress I've made is very encouraging and helps me keep on learning. Learning Nastaliq and Naskh is another story - and another journey altogether!

#ask #hindi #urdu #languange learning

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quasiquack666 · 7 months ago

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I haven't used Tumblr in years so I keep forgetting that it's a great place to share the shitstorms in my head. And I have many shitstorms

Anyways, I've been working on thoughts for a Beautiful Monsters (Jex Lane) x Eleceed (Webcomic) crossover. Although it's pretty much Eleceed characters in the BeMo lore

Side tangent, but wow if Eleceed had even half the worldbuilding of BeMo, it would be such a phenomenal webcomic

Note for Eleceed fans who read this: Do not pick up BeMo unless you're willing to wait for the series continuation LMAO. Blood Prince has been pending for six years (since 2018), this is your warning in case this post gets you interested in the books

Kayden: Vampire Lord — Kayden would definitely be a vampire lord for this crossover. Probably has like three blood pouches. As for his age, I'm thinking at least around Prescott's age, 3000+ years — For his vampire lord ability, I think wings suits him. On the other hand, I could take an argument for him having an ability similar to Karlene (Hound Mistress) where he turns into a bunch of shadow cats. In this case, the cats would be these massive creepy things with long fangs and are basically intangible unless Kayden makes them tangible (for example, during the moment he strikes). Extremely hard to deal with and kill — Kayden is well-known as a particularly brutal lord who is constantly looking for fights. Incubi/Hunters do not want to cross paths with him, but even other Vampires and allied Shifters likely stay away — He lived a solitary lifestyle in an underground cavern before finding Jiwoo — Kayden's sire is long dead, likely killed during the Sanguine Dominar attacks, or during the last Demon Incursion — He and Kartein are ex-lovers separated by the vampire-incubus war. They're both old enough to have caught the tail end of the peace between the two species, when neither species fought. But soon after the Sanguine Dominar came along, then the war started, and the rest is history. They secretly still find each other hot but it's been hard to reconnect with the war still going on

Jiwoo: Vampire — In this crossover, Jiwoo was born a human. Yujeong remains human, but after some incident, Jiwoo nearly dies and Kayden saves his 'life' by turning him into a vampire. Jiwoo took care of injured Kayden, so this is Kayden's repayment — As Kayden's sired child, Jiwoo is fairly powerful for his age even with one blood pouch. Once he turns into a lord, maybe he can become one with the shadows and sneak around. Or perhaps he gains wings and is the fastest flier — Kayden is extremely protective of his sired child, as any sire is. Jiwoo is sweet and bright for a vampire, and still longs to see the sunrises. Kayden wishes to get him a dayring so he can walk in the sun again, but due to their rarity it's not going to be easy

Kartein: Incubus — Kartein's species was the first I thought of! He's definitely incubus, an old one past his third transformation. Kartein is around Kayden's age at 3000+ — He has the ability to scan and is able to push his soavik power into other incubi to feed them (as a reference to his healing in Eleceed) — Kartein is also a warrior incubus, in reference to his combat abilities in Eleceed. He's a pretty average size there, about seven feet tall. His horns and wings are white at the roots and yellow at the ends, with the slightest hint of light blue at the very tips — Also I hate that all descriptions of Malarath fit Kartein as well. I considered making them related in this crossover, but that's so evil to Kartein (but maybe I should just for laughs). If I did though, I'd make him a cousin or something. Because making him Malarath's son/grandson is way too evil — "He was tall and thin with high, arrogant cheekbones. He had smooth, golden hair that fell long past his shoulders. His eyes were the palest blue [he] had ever seen". Do you see what I mean? That could literally be describing Kartein or Malarath and you would never know the difference

Pluton: Wolf Shifter — Of course, Pluton has to be the wolf shifter. Which, in fact, is different from a werewolf in BeMo lore — Pluton is also quite old for a shifter and managed to survive into modern day despite the shifter wipeout — Not that much is revealed on shifters in the BeMo lore yet, so I can't say a lot here

Wooin: Witch — He's the apprentice witch to Delein (who is also a witch). He has a lot of control over his magic despite his young age

Iseul: Wolf Shifter — A wolf like Pluton. Very cute, for a wolf

Jisuk: Vampire — Jiwoo's first vampire friend. Jisuk is a fair bit older than Jiwoo though, closer to 100 years old — He challenges Jiwoo and helps make him strong enough to defend himself in this new world

Jiyoung: Vampire Lord — Jisuk's older sired sister (they share a sire). She's a relatively young but powerful lord, maybe 400-500 years old or so — She's a typical lord with wings as her lord ability — Perhaps she is an ex-Hunter, which makes her particularly effective against the incubi-hunter side

Subin: ??? — Frankly, I am unsure for Subin. The lore for BeMo is somewhat lacking on the vampire side, so it's hard to think of other species that the vampires get along with (so she could be friends with Jiwoo). It's pretty much just other vamps, shifters, witches, and gargoyles. And she ain't no gargoyle for sure LOL. Then who knows when Blood Prince is coming out, so I might just leave her undetermined for now — Then again, I could make her a succubus so their group could represent some peace between different species. In this case, she would be about Jisuk's age. Her horns and wings would be black at the root, grey in the middle, and ice blue at the tips

Gestella: Vampire Lord — A lord older than Kayden and super powerful (maybe 3500+). Her lord ability is the ability to turn into smoke and choke out her enemies, poison the smoke, or generally harm with that

Inhyuk: Human — A human who serves Jiyoung's household willingly. He's old for a human and had his life extended by Jiyoung's sire, and now Jiyoung herself. He's maybe about 800+ years old

Jurion: Incubus — Heir to the Patrick household, also a warrior incubus, between seven and eight feet tall. His horns and wings are deep blue at the roots and fade to bright green at the tips — He's very much a simp for Jiyoung even though he knows it's wrong due to the war. Even so, he's yearned for her for at least a century (he's a little older than Jiyoung, maybe 600-700 years old)

#eleceed #beautiful monsters #bemo #eleceed kayden #eleceed kartein #eleceed pluton #eleceed jiwoo #eleceed wooin #eleceed iseul #eleceed jiyoung #eleceed gestella #eleceed subin #eleceed inhyuk #eleceed jurion #eleceed jisuk #kayden x kartein #jiyoung x jurion #quasi random rants

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doggernaut · 11 months ago

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INJURY FIC INJURY FIC

Oh hello, you've found the fic most likely to be published sometime soon, if only because when I was looking at it I realized it's really just a short little Jack character study and only needs a little bit of work to make it publishable.

I have posted about this more on my main Tumblr account, but I'm a runner and in the past year and a half have been struggling with what seems like endless post-Covid lung issues and injuries. I went from running a PR marathon in April of 2022 to barely being able to run three miles at a pace five minutes slower than my PR pace. For somebody who has never really had to contend with injuries over almost 30 years of running (I took several months off when I strained my calf in 2016, but got into barre classes during that time), it has been humbling. And frustrating. I spend like an hour a day doing my stupid PT exercises and it feels like I've accomplished nothing. And I figured I could take all my feelings about being an aging athlete and give them to Jack. Because you know who would be pissed off about being forced to slow down due to a minor injury? Jack Zimmermann.

(Projecting all of my feelings onto Jack, by the way, has not really helped. But maybe other readers will see themselves in this fic and feel not-so-alone?)

“Can you explain it to me?” Bitty asks. “Euh … I’ll try.” Jack isn’t sure if he can explain what he’s feeling to Bitty because he’s not sure he understands it himself. Bitty gives Jack’s shoulder a little squeeze, a nonverbal cue that he’s ready to listen whenever Jack’s ready. It takes Jack a minute to gather his thoughts. “I know I need to rest,” Jack begins. “I know I need to slow down and let things run their course, and I know it’s good for my body. Healing. But my mind just …” Bitty presses a kiss to the back of Jack’s neck. “I know.” “Sometimes my thoughts get a little out of control,” Jack admits. “Not in a bad way. Not like before. But I’ve been wondering if this is it. Maybe this time I won’t heal. Or I’ll fall so far out of shape that I’ll never get back to where I was. And I’ll just keep falling behind until they tell me I’m done. I’m not as young as I used to be. There are new guys who are faster, hungrier. Whenever I face off against some young kid I think about how I was at eighteen, how I thought guys my age had one foot out the door.” “Well, first of all,” Bitty murmurs soothingly, “nobody is gonna tell the Jack Zimmermann that he’s done.” Jack manages a smile in spite of himself. “I know it’s not rational.” Bitty presses another kiss, feather-light, to the back of Jack’s neck. “Honey, I know how you feel about slowing down, but maybe you should try to change the narrative,” he says gently. “What do you mean?” “Well, instead of telling yourself you’re lazy, try thinking of it as recovering. Right now the best thing you can do for yourself is rest a little so you can start the new season healthy and strong. When’s the last time you gave yourself permission to slow down?

Permission? That’s a new concept. Jack can’t recall ever giving himself permission to slow down. His overdose forced him to slow down, but that wasn’t a choice. This doesn’t feel like a choice either, but Bitty is right. Jack’s been in therapy long enough to know that there’s a difference between then and now, that slowing down now is something he has to do if he wants to keep moving forward. “Just remember,” Bitty adds, “every rest day, every easy PT session, is an investment in a stronger, more resilient you. And it’s all gonna pay off big time next season.” “You’re good at this. You sure you don’t want to get into coaching?” “Oh, it’s hardly me at all! I’ve just been spending a lot of time on the inspirational, body positive side of Instagram.” “You have?” Seven years together, and Bitty’s still surprising Jack. Bitty shrugs. “I know it was a million years ago, but I used to be an athlete, too. Long enough ago that my body definitely isn’t the same.” There’s a hint of resignation in Bitty’s tone. “I know that’s not a bad thing, but it’s still hard to accept sometimes. Especially living with you, looking like you do.” “Bits, you’ve never said anything,” Jack says, feeling a little guilty for not picking up on the fact that Bitty’s been going through this too. “And I wasn’t gonna,” Bitty says, “because most days I don’t think about it. My life is a lot different now, and that’s a good thing! But I can’t lift as much as I used to at the gym, and you know I can’t always keep up with you on our morning runs. And it’s my choice, I know. I’m happy with my yoga class and running most mornings and doing the Turkey Trot once a year, but sometimes it’s still—” Bitty shrugs. “Honey, you’re a professional athlete. It’s hard not to compare myself to you. Or who I was just a few years ago, for that matter. So I follow a few accounts that help keep things in perspective. There’s this whole community of former athletes, and people who are recovering from illness or injury, and people who are just starting on their fitness journey, and they remind me I’m not alone. Your pace isn’t my pace, and that’s okay.” Jack laughs in spite of himself. “Okay, now you sound like an influencer.” “And you honey—” Bitty places a gentle hand on Jack’s chest—“your pace today doesn’t have to be your pace yesterday, or last year. We’re all works in progress.”

#wip ask game #sweatersinthesummer

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angel-of-hunky-doryness · 1 year ago

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The Conflicts of Disney's Hercules (Part 1): Meg vs Hades

Long post y'all.

I promised my diva of a sponsor to get to this and since my last post gained steam, I thought I'd finally talk about one of my favorite Villain vs Heroine conflicts in Disney's canon. This will be a bit of a mini series as I break down and explore the conflicts in the movie, think Hades vs Zeus vs Hercules, Hercules/Hades vs the Fates, etc. As I continue the series if you have a suggestion for one you want me to deep dive I would love to hear it!

That's the fun part about Tumblr, the opportunity to hear voices and begin discussion about little things no one mentions in a 20+ old film. Also, bare in mind I will be exploring other Disney films eventually, but I've just spent too long digging in the Hercules trenches i can't help but gush about it even if it is far from my favorite Disney film.

Also fair warning ahead of time but there is a CW in one section of this post that can be easily circumvented if you so wish. There will be a space and *** symbols to indicate when it starts and when it ends as we discuss some dark themes and symbolism.

Now on to the evening's entertainment!

The history of Disney hero(ine) vs villain goes all the way back to Disney's very first animated film: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In this film, we are treated to a classic clash between good vs evil with well-established background that fully explains the animosity the Queen has towards Snow White and to a lesser known extent of myself when I was 3. However, keep in mind, the Queen interacts with Snow White through indirect sources like the Huntsman and when the Queen disguises herself as a hag.

To summarize in case you haven't seen the movie, Snow White finally gets to the ripe old age where a person can finally be considered fair, which I suppose is 14 years old. The queen gets so frazzled her hair falls out and turns white and ages about seventy years or something.

Anxiety, hits at every age y'all. Even for the wickedly beautiful.

And so ensues the assassination plot of an abused princess who manages to escape and finally gets the love and life she dreamed about for so, so long.

The reason I'm using Snow White as a jumping off point is because we have the very first example in Disney's canon of a deal being offered to an otherwise naïve young girl.

And that naïve young girl accepts out of her own volition, no forcing, no pressuring, at the end of the day, taking a bite of a poisoned apple or in Meg's case taking Hades' hand sealing both Heroine's fate.

Now, while Disney's Hercules touches on how Meg got ensnared in Hades' plans, let's review what we do know:

Meg was at the end of her rope when her ex died. So much so that she was willing to do anything to get him back, and she meant it. While we do not know exactly how healthy Meg and her ex's relationship was before his untimely demise, the fact that her Ex ran off with another girl soon after tells me a lot on what the relationship was really like. It wasn't as steadfast or true as Meg had previously believed.

Oh yeah, weird side note, but we're completely ignoring Twisted tales: Go the Distance. Yeah, way to go. You took away Meg's chance to shine and connect with an unspoken minority in the audience. Do you know how many friends of mine found so much connection with Meg because she had been in a prior abusive relationship and still found love despite all the trauma she went through? Meg's iconic. Having Hades be the reason her ex took off is such a dumb move. I don't think he was that invested in her personal life to ruin it even further just to mess with her. He could care less, he's focused on taking over Olympus rn.

Anyway, tangent over.

So Meg's whole life revolved around her ex, and she was willing to put in the sacrifice and effort to be with him, but he snubbed her. The movie is very clear that the reason Meg is so cynical when we meet her is b/c she used to be a very openly sweet and loving person back when everything was beautiful and nothing hurt. And in that period, when she was so enamored with this Joe Schmo, she was probably starry eyed and saw everything in rose-colored glasses and thus didn't see the red flags of this chump. But she grew up and learned from her mistakes, but in a path that stopped her from ever trusting or loving someone else.

It's interesting, but Meg's ex comes up again at least referenced in I won't Say(I'm in Love), in the line:

"I thought my heart had learned its lesson..."

But when Meg sings that line, do you know what part of the garden she's in?

***CONTENT WARNING: R*pe. We will be discussing the setting of where I won't say (I'm in Love) takes place and picking apart at the various statues littered about in the Greek courtyard.

Now the garden is filled with statues of lovers and other symbols of love, but some that are not examples of love, specifically ones that revolve around scenes of r*pe.

The reference to her ex by the aforementioned lyric is when Meg's surrounded by scenes of r*pe: We have a centaur carrying off a lady and a satyr chasing after a girl. A common theme in greek myths, and I can't help but feel this was intentional on the writer's part. They are shouting and screaming at us that Meg's ex was a bad dude. Why would the only reference to her past dating life be when she's surrounded by the only sexually perverse imagery in this entire scene? Of males taking advantage of women? Carrying them off when they are not at all interested based on their body language?

***

I think that's why when Meg and Hades talk after her fake dating AU with Hercules their whole conversation is filled with so much substance. The song pushes so much character development for Meg that it enables her to face her trauma head-on and accept the past and still have the courage to move forward and try again with this budding new relationship now that the Muses helped support her- as her back-up chorus and her conscience lol.

But there's still one problem. One overhanging problem that's give or take 7 feet tall of abandonment and anger issues, permeating with the stench of sulfur and brimstone.

When the song ends, Hades almost immediately appears in the most on the nose way. By ripping apart a pair of young lovers as he emerges from the Underworld like the extra edgelord he is.

Thus begins my favorite scene of the movie. Songs don't count.

Now we've seen Meg and Hades interacting before and I will touch upon the scene after Zero to Hero later, but its poignant to get to the only time they really have a true clash first. The garden scene is the first time Meg is facing Hades as a heroine and not a reluctant minion.

Gosh, I love it when a girl goes feral, and Meg goes all out here. The interchange between Meg and Hades is written so tightly and neatly, everyone is dripping with so much character I just adore it.

But the most ironic part that isn't given much thought is why Hades says his most iconic and memeable line:

You bet this line is hilarious, but look at Hades' expression in the gif before. The exaggerated eyeroll, the sagging shoulders of disbelief as Meg is full of so much love and hope she almost forgets who's she's saying all this to.

The irony of Meg gushing about Hercules to Hades is this: Meg and Hades have had this exact conversation before. But now the guy in questions isn't her ex, it's Hercules.

And this time around, Hades is done beating around the bush and pretending everything is hunky-dory. Last time, he was fine with her going on about her ex and gushing about how "great" of a guy he was b/c he just wanted to take her soul. Hades probably had to fish her Ex out and knew what kinda guy he was once he read his record. In fact, I'm willing to wager, Hades has had multiple women similar to Meg who had done the same as her for some deadbeat.

And that's why Hades comes across as so annoyed by her being back in the same position.

Didn't she learn her lesson? Hell, even Hades knows guys can be pigs. And a small part of me has always wondered if his annoyance is also springing up b/c he knows that Hercules is a son of Zeus. While I don't think Hades ever had a soft spot for Meg- went lenient with her, etc, I can't help but wonder if Hades saw Hercules as someone who got around like Zeus and had a reputation like Zeus' other sons, ie, Apollo, Hephaestus, and even Hermes(yes Hermes had a lot of kids with tons of women). So Hades might legitimately be trying to warn her. I mean he's about to set her free, he's trying to pass on some good advice here before he disappears from her life

Btw, Ares is the only son of Zeus and the only god in Greek mythology who ever had a 100% confirmation rating of consensual relationships.

Be like Ares.

As the scene continues to play out, we start to see that as Meg continues to resist Hades' attempts for her to spill about Hercules' weakness, we see Hades for the first time lose it at Meg instead of his imps.

What little control Meg thought she had in her servitude comes crashing down and I think it's at that moment she realizes how much Hades had been holding back or really how good he was at pretending. He had been manipulating her into thinking she had a platform/control in her life. When Hades takes off his mask and Meg realizes when he had "convinced" her to seduce Hercules in a classic Samson and Delilah situation, it was never her choice. And now she's second guessing if Hades really intended to free her for the information she was undercover for.

He has all the leverage in the world after all.

That's why despite the threat Hades made on her life, she doesn't budge one bit. B/c she loves Hercules more than her own safety. And Meg triumphantly declares to Hades that he lost b/c Hercules can't be beaten b/c of his lack of weaknesses.

Only to realize too late that Hades possesses far more emotional intelligence to understand what's going on. Villains who understand that love is a motivator for people and don't dismiss it as a stupid chemical imbalance are some of my favorite. Not only does Hades understand that if someone like Meg had fallen so quickly then the other party had to have been a genuine person who sought her in the same way she wanted to seek him. Sure, he's taking advantage of it, but he's been around enough to know how much love can be used against people.

And I think that's why when Hades finally meets Hercules, old flame head decides to spill the beans to Hercules about Meg and her role in Hercules' downfall.

Yes, he wanted to hurt Hercules and taunt him and torment him with thoughts on how deep Hades and Meg's relationship went, but he did so to hurt Meg too.

Her show of loyalty to Herc was the last straw and Hades wanted to make sure she could never salvage a relationship with him for her slight against him. But also doing it in a way that broke her spirit and put her in a terribly guilty position that she would feel so undeserving of being with Hercules right as she is freed by him. And ensuring that she never faces Hercules again- maybe split town so she could avoid being harmed, idk.

And that makes Hades revealing Meg's complicity all the more personal. Bc Hades knows how much Meg wants to love and be loved again.

So when a powerless Hercules crumbles beneath Pain and Panic's taunting we see the first time this stubborn, hard-hearted girl cries. Not for her sake, but his.

We have seen throughout this movie that Meg and Hades have the most conflict, the most interactions, and the most character heavy scenes in the movie. They are very similar characters. Both are awfully cynical and sarcastic, both want to be free from some higher power's hold on them, and they're both bitter, bitter people who hate how their lives fell apart at the hands of someone who didn't care for them: Zeus and Joe Schmo.

Now, I'm going to backtrack and move to the Hades scene right after Zero to Hero.

Here, we get another facet of their relationship.

Hades finally realizes that he'd been sending so many beasts after Hercules, so to not be labeled insane, this time around he decides to send in a beauty. *Insert Susan Egan played Belle on Broadway joke here*

Which let's be real, should've been his first approach based on who Herc's daddy is.

But Hades doesn't try to convince Meg with yelling and screaming like he does with the boys, instead, he levels with her. Homeboy puts all his cards on the table, but does so by first empathizing with her and reminding her who helped put her in this situation.

For one second of this film, Hades shows some degree of humanity. And that is super scary. Out of the disney villains, Hades displays a huge, huge depth of emotional intelligence. I don't think any other villains compare and that's what makes him such a compelling villain. Most villains don't have that, and his ability to read the room and know how ppl work that really explains how he's able to manipulate ppl so easily. Even someone like Meg who's been putting up with him for quite a while was persuaded by him. And he does it by turning off the used car salesman persona and acting like an empathetic human being, albeit a flamed hair one.

Maybe that's why he doesn't bark orders to her, he has to appeal to her to let her be more agreeable for a better success rate. Or maybe Hades really is one of the few gods who uses consent.

When I first watched this movie as a kid I never saw the implications of Meg and Hades' relationship until I got older and watched the movie Casino (1995). James Woods, the voice actor for Hades, plays a pimp and that had a kind of whiplash for me when I realized why his role in Casino felt eerily familiar. In Meg's first scene, Hades had sent her out to recruit a centaur knowing full-well that centaur's really dig chicks. We all remember a certain statue in Meg's iconic song, I'm pretty sure the writers knew what was going on.

And that has some super dark implications right there about what Hades expected the scenario to come to and why he sent HER of all people to recruit Nessus without some kind of backup. Whether you agree on my analysis about this is something I really won't argue about. I don't personally see Hades as a pimp, but he does take on characteristics of one mostly b/c of his conman persona since they are rather similar in their manipulation tactics.

Just thought I'd put it here to give some food for thought and since I don't want to make a post on it.

In the end, after reviewing the most important scenes between Meg and Hades you can start to understand my perspective of why the conflict, the clash, and the antagonism feels the most vivid when its centered on Meg vs Hades. Far, far more so than Hercules and Hades ever had. And dare I say it? Even more than Zeus and Hades.

We only get the implications of Hades and Zeus, we don't see them at the forefront.

Everything boils down to Meg. In fact, b/c Hades drags her in, b/c she saves Hercules when he was powerless that Hades ever had the slightest chance of winning, but on the flipside, so did Hercules. If Hercules had remained a deity, he would've been lounging about too along with his parents and unprepared for the oncoming attack.

Throughout this film, Meg grows from being an unwilling participant to someone who's willing to risk it all, overcoming her fear and trauma to get the band back together to save Hercules and ends up helping him get his powers back. So it wasn't so much Hercules' actions that save the day, but Meg's.

At the end of the day, the conflict between Meg and Hades has always felt like the central conflict in Hercules more than what Hades vs Hercules was ever like. Every scene, every biting interchange, its quite obvious the two had a heated past and I can see why some ppl have shipped them even if I personally never did.

It's why I really don't see Hercules as the main character. After zero to hero, we start to lose focus on him since he has no bearing on the overall plot of stopping Hades. To me, Meg has the most growth, the most courage, and the best development in the film and that is because of how well she works as a foil to Hades, the film's antagonist.

If you made it this far, thanks for sticking around.

It's been a real slice.

#disney #disney hades #disney megara #disney hercules #hercules #hades #my rambles #greek myth #greek mythology #kinda

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lynnettys-world · 8 months ago

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Hey everyone, it's Lynnetty here, but you can call me Lee! I'm diving into the world of Tumblr for the first time, and I couldn't be more excited to connect with all of you and share stories.

Let me give you a little peek into who I am. I come all the way from Africa and I'm a few years old (let's keep that a mystery for now, shall we? 😂). I have a deep passion for reading and writing stories. I'm always eager to explore new talents, whether it's art, dance, sports, you name it. Oh, and one more thing, I'm pretty open to questions, but just a gentle reminder to be mindful of sensitive topics. I want to create a safe space here, not just a typical blog but a place where we can uplift each other and make everyone feel welcome.

Now, let's talk about my love for Kpop. I stan multiple groups, but my heart will always belong to BTS. Some may wonder why BTS holds a special place in my heart. Well, there's this misconception that if you're a BTS fan, you're either new to Kpop or just trying to impress others. But for me, BTS has been more than just a music group. Their songs have touched me in ways I can't fully explain right now. Thanks to the seven incredible members, I've learned to love myself more and see the world from a different perspective.

Despite my deep love for BTS, I'm actually quite diverse when it comes to music. I appreciate good music across all genres. As long as the vibe is right, I'm all in!

When it comes to storytelling, that's where my heart truly lies. I love crafting both fiction and fanfiction. If you want to explore my writing, you can find me on Wattpad and Quotev. However, I'd recommend checking out my Wattpad account for the latest stories, as my Quotev account needs a bit of updating and reorganizing.

I'll be sharing my stories on Tumblr soon (once I figure out how this whole app works, haha!). I can't wait for you all to read what I have in store. If you decide to follow and dive into any of my books on Wattpad, I appreciate you stumbling upon my Tumblr account and joining me on this creative journey. Thanks for stopping by! 🌟

RULES:

1. Let's keep it positive and respectful - no room for hate speech, racism, prejudice, or any other form of negativity. We're all here to uplift and support each other, so let's spread kindness and love!

2. Treat others how you want to be treated - let's create a safe and welcoming space for everyone. Encourage each other, share your thoughts and ideas, and let's build each other up!

3. Sharing is caring - if you want to repost or any of my content on your account, just shoot me a message and get my permission first. And when you do share, don't forget to give credit where credit is due!

4. Respect the hustle - I pour my heart and soul into everything I create, so please don't take that away from me by stealing my work. Let's all be original and support each other's creativity!

5. Most importantly, have fun! This space is all about sharing and enjoying each other's company. So kick back, relax, and let's make some beautiful memories together ❤️

Thanks for understanding and following these rules! Let's make this space a place filled with positivity, creativity, and good vibes. Enjoy your time here, beautiful human! 🌺

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red-riding-wood · 2 years ago

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Back from Hiatus

Trigger warning? I think? Brief mentions of medical stuff, nothing graphic. Oh, and death (but none occurred).

TLDR if you don't want to read seven paragraphs: Physical health bad, mental health bad, now hospitalised, fucked up when transferring my story files, hospital bad, home soon?, regardless you will be seeing me back in your feed probably more than you'd like

Rambling below cut

So, about a month ago I had to take a step back from Tumblr... and then an even bigger step back from Tumblr, because I had taken a step back from writing and I found that I just pressured myself too much to write and post when I did use the app. (I did my best to save your guys' stories in my drafts to read later but... I may have missed some and I definitely have some catching up to do.)

Why did I take a hiatus from writing? Well, that was due to my physical health declining in a real bad way. I won't get into it too much here, because I would end up telling a dramatic yet probably honestly boring story of the last four years of my life, but I'm willing to answer any questions if anyone's curious.

Anyway, that sent my head into a state of just utter... fear, I suppose. It's very difficult to care or focus on anything else when death is literally on your mind, and I was also in this weird state of limbo because I wasn't sure if I would be going to hospital or dying or what... so I didn't write, or really do anything except try to take care of myself the best I could. And I pretty much just isolated.

I've been in hospital a couple days now. The fear of death has lessened, and I think I'm gonna be okay, though I'm straight up not having a good time. I had this idea that what would get me through it was writing, so I sent myself all of my docs for my WIPs. Thing is, I keep shortcuts to them on my desktop, and apparently they don't save changes to the root file?? A lesson I learned after I showed up and found that massive chunks of my writing, notes, and storyboards were missing. Yeah, I fucked up.

But now there is talk of outpatient care as soon as this Friday which means I can maybe go home with my TPN (feeding through a vein tube which is the best way I can describe it since I am not a medical professional; it's basically a hardcore IV and I assure you it's badass and exactly like Cyberpunk 2077 -- that was sarcasm but seriously, props to anyone who lives with these because these are terrifying). If that's the case, I'll be able to carry on with White Ribbon and the fics I had started for Darjeeling and Budapest, and it will probably be a lot easier for me to write in general. I haven't tried writing yet, but hospital is a really uncomfortable environment for me (I mean, I'm sure it is for most people but I have a lovely lifetime dose of trauma on top of the usual) and I'm not managing as well as I thought I would so I have my doubts on how well I will be able to focus. (Don't worry about requests, guys... I haven't forgotten about any of them and I still fully intend to fulfill them, even if it means writing your smutty fantasies in hospital.)

If that's not the case, and I'm stuck here until surgery, well, I am willing it into the damn universe that I'm gonna write again regardless. So if you don't see me post something in the next week you have my blessing to send copious amounts of hate mail.

Thank you for reading my long-winded explanation. Oh, and, don't hesitate to message/reach out or tag me in anything! I'm feeling more social again now that I'm not, you know, dying and stuff.

#updates #i think i should be diagnosed with a rambling disorder this was meant to be like two paragraphs

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