#Lisa Hull

[overthinkingbelle]

ALL I ASK OF YOU

Michael Ball Collection (solo and duets)

Please don't kill me on the final clip. Subject to delete. 😁

[synderesis08]

Caitlin Clark - Fun Fotos

[meilas]

Socks' Ultimate Phantoms list, part two

PART ONE

Phantoms, continued:

David Thaxton - Had this moment in Final Lair where it looked like he’d had a heart attack, and then Christine put her hands over his on his heart and just—🥺 David Arnsperger - Had a wild self-caress right before MOTN where he rocked backward. That's it, that's all I remember. John Cudia - I remember actively not liking his Phantom the first time I saw him, but I changed my mind at his Final Lair because it was so good. Jonathan Roxmouth - Has a slightly nasally tone and a slightly deeper voice than a lot of Phantoms. He did not have good pants. Actually the worst pants I’ve ever seen. Looks like a cinnamon roll, is not afraid to burn you if you’ve wronged him. I also don’t like how his wig looks like thinning hair at the very front. Tim Martin Gleason - Don't ask me why, I just like him okay. James Romick - Really like his voice. Does an excellent sad. Derrick Davis - Fantastic voice. Brought a touch of humanity to that awful restaged show and made it worth watching. Wish we could have seen him in Real POTO. Great ass. Brent Barrett - I remember liking him. Thomas James O’Leary - Good acting, good voice. Jon Robyns - Makes excellent noises during the Final Lair. Good voice. James Gant - Works best with Eva Shanu-Wilson. Okay acting, but nothing else really going on. Occasional good moments. Thomas Borchert - Unfairly pretty, beautiful voice, excellent choices during Final Lair, MOTN was mesmerizing. Bit of a slut. Top ten for sure.

Christines: Lisa Vroman - An "older" Christine. Great chemistry with Franc D'Ambrosio. Initiated a gentle hand-holding during the ring return with him which was an excellent choice that I don’t often see. Made some other excellent choices throughout the show in reacting to what was happening around her. Looks like she could kill you, is a cinnamon roll except when she’s going to kill you. Elizabeth Southard - Another "older" Christine. Love her. The best chemistry with Gary Mauer, her irl husband. Also had great chemistry with Jim Weitzer, who was her Raoul. Very, very good actor. Looks like a cinnamon roll, is a cinnamon roll but only for her husband, otherwise she can and will kill. Luzia Nistler - Love her voice. Austrian. (Like German, but elegant.) Emilie Kouatchou - I wanted to like her. But she has a ton of vibrato and she sounds like a child. I also don't care for her acting. She looked like she was only doing what she was told, rather than reacting to things happening around her. Meghan Picerno - I don't remember anything about her. I saw her live right after the reopening. Celinde Schoenmaker - I've only heard audio of her but I remember liking her. Kanisha Feliciano - Good Wishing. Looks fabulous in the blue dress. I love her wigs more than any other Christine. Hers doesn’t look like a frizzy mess. Lucy St Louis - She played a very sympathetic Christine, and has such a beautiful voice. Lily Kerhoas - fierce. Loved the anger she had in Final Lair. Holly Anne-Hull - too much vibrato Paige Blankson - too much vibrato

Raouls: Christopher Carl - Didn't get to see much of him owing to the fact that the boots he's in are Phantom-centered highlights. The little I have seen of him has been excellent though. I've heard an audio boot of him as the Phantom and it was excellent. Has a more "American" pronunciation than most Phantoms. ("ay" vs "ah") Ciaran Sheehan - I like him better as Raoul than as the Phantom. He was ready to throw hands. Has a very stilted way of singing that reminds me of the few clips of Colm Wilkinson, but sounds better than Colm. Willing to troll his associates irl. Bronson Norris Murphy - A. Dorable. The best. Looks like a cinnamon roll, is a cinnamon roll. Could probably do a murder if pushed far enough. Have heard audio and now seen a boot and he’s a protective Raoul. Hands down my favourite Raoul. John Riddle - Saw him live right after the reopening. I don't remember anything specific about him. Paul Schaefer - Nice chest. Matt Blaker - meh

[wally-b-feed]

Lisa Walsall Hull, 2024

[marybeatriceofmodena]

❤️ Christine Daaé

Honestly I would have added more but I had to stop at some point lmao

Rebecca Caine: She has a voice that can actually rival Carlotta's, and her Christine was every inch the romanesque, passionate heroine and you could totally see why the Phantom and Raoul were both in love with her. And she is PISSED in the Final Lair, and it's glorious.

Patti Cohenour: AN ACTUAL ANGEL. Graceful, kind, compassionate, airy, without ever coming off as a deer in the headlights, and with a golden voice to boot and a Think of Me cadenza of her own.

Julie Hanson: Look, I don't like Susan Kay's take on Christine for a variety of reasons. Julie Hanson took one look, removed everything about Kay!Christine that was annoying, gave her a nice little spine of her own while keeping the childlike quality which all culminates in a haunting finale where you can tell she'll be traumatized for life, and it takes the tragedy to another level.

Rachel Barrell: She felt very Victorian to me? Could be the looks since she has a very "Victorian" face, if that makes any sense. And if anything, I know people will disagree with me but I remember my first impression of Christine reading the Leroux novel was pretty much like how she portrayed her in the musical - yeah, Leroux!Christine was scared shitless, both at the situation and what she could end up doing or being forced to do, but she also had a backbone of steel, she had anger about the whole situation and wasn't afraid to show it, and she didn't take any shit from anyone. Rachel embodied that perfectly.

Kristi Holden: A dreamy but nervous Christine, who's still able to overcome her fear of the Phantom to give him the scrap of love he needed so badly in order for the good to overcome the bad, and who was somehow even better in the World Tour than in Las Vegas (and she was already quite good there).

Anna O'Byrne: Her voice can be a little all over the place, but she basically took the tormented side of Christine and upped it to eleven. And she's absolutely gorgeous to boot.

Samantha Hill: Not the strongest vocal-wise, but she basically thought every single gesture up to the last without ever over-acting, all the while being an adorable little ball of charm.

Elizabeth Welch: If I had to sum up her Christine, all the odds are against her, and she decides to be even kinder as a result. I wouldn't say her Christine is in love with the Phantom (granted, I haven't seen her with Jeremy Stolle yet and Hugh Panaro doesn't really lend to a more romantic take on the story), but it makes her kindness for Panaro's little asshole of a Phantom (affectionate) all the more poignant.

Valerie Link: Her Christine is an adorable puppy person who likes everyone and can be genuinely shocked and hurt when people are, say, mean to her (which makes Nicky Wuchinger pushing around people who are rude to her all the more satisfying, because, really, HOW DARE YOU)

Lauri Brons: Imagine if Anne Shirley was in Phantom of the Opera. That's it, that's Lauri Brons's Christine.

Lisa-Anne Wood: Another nervous Christine, who gets frightened pretty easily, is the shy side, but push her around, and she will let you know how much she DOES NOT LIKE IT, which gives for a nice little character arc.

Mary Michael Patterson: Subdued but with lovely facial expressions, she plays a Christine that seems humble, calm and shy at first but who has a backbone of steel if you poke her too much.

Tamara Kotova: Gorgeous voice, lovely facial expressions - she's basically the Russian Rebecca Caine in some regards, because you could totally see why the Phantom and Raoul would be as besotted as they are with her.

Emmi Christensson: She improved SO MUCH from the West End to Stockholm, intelligent and mature but with a nice arc of her own.

Meghan Picerno: I personally liked her better on Broadway than in the World Tour, where I was kind of meh about her, but her take-no-shit Christine worked pretty well with Ben Crawford's crazy ball Phantom (who I'll admit can be a bit of an acquired taste) and John Riddle's serious but loving Raoul. Plus, opera voice!

Sybille Glosted: I made no secret of how great the Copenhagen revival cast was, and she was no exception. Beautiful voice, detailed, thought-out performance that just tells a narrative with gestures, responded to her fellow actors instead of just going through the motions.

Holly-Anne Hull: So many interesting details I've never seen with Christine before, plus, she's adorable.

Kanisha Marie Feliciano: Beautiful, beautiful voice, and such lovely facial expressions that give her a bit of a cinematic quality - I could easily see her transfer well from stage to screen.

Send me ❤️ and a role in a musical and I’ll give you my favorite performers in the role.

[redgoldsparks]

Hi, I just read your book gender queer and wanted to tell you that i have never felt more seen by a book in my life (or any media for that matter). Im also genderqueer and somewhere on the aro/ace spectrum and your book put into words alot of things I’ve never known how to express. Thank you for putting yourself out there!

(also do you have any other comic book recommendations?)

Hello anon! Thank you for this kind message! I very much do have comic book recs. In no particular order, here are some favorites. Not all of these are books are queer, but many are. If you want queer specific recs, here are some other asks I've previously answered- books about nonbinary identities, nonbinary mostly fiction

Memoir/Nonfiction 

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley 

March Trilogy by Senator John Lewis, Nate Powell and Andrew Aydin

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

Fetch: How a Bad Dog Brought Me Home by Nicole Georges 

You & a Bike & a Road by Eleanor Davis 

Tetris: The Games People Play by Box Brown

The Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott and Harmony Becker

Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls 

Hey Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka 

Almost American Girl by Robin Ha 

Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang 

Dancing at the Pity Party: A Dead Mom Graphic Memoir by Tyler Feder 

Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook, Ryan Estrada and Ko Hyung-Ju 

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton 

Homebody by Theo Parrish 

The High Desert by James Spooner 

Fiction

Prince of Cats by Ronald Wimberly 

This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki

Skim by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki

Seconds by Bryan Lee O’Malley 

Nimona by ND Stevenson 

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang 

The Hard Tomorrow by Eleanor Davis

On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews

Grease Bats by Archie Bongiovanni

The Chromatic Fantasy by H.A. 

Salt Magic by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock

Beetle and the Hollowbones by Aliza Layne

Kiss Number 8 by Colleen F Venable and Ellen Crenshaw 

Finder Library Vols 1 & 2 by Carla Speed McNeil

Castle Waiting: The Lucky Road by Linda Medley

The Deep and Dark Blue by Niki Smith

Across a Field of Starlight by Blue Delliquanti 

O Human Star by Blue Delliquanti 

Snapdragon by Kay Leyh

Cyclopedia Exotica by Aminder Dhaliwal 

Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen 

A Frog in Fall by Lisa Sterte 

Thieves by Lucie Bryon 

The Great Beyond by Lea Murawiec

Short Stories

The Amazing Screw-On Head and Other Curious Objects by Mike Mignola 

Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales by Melanie Gillman

[ukrfeminism]

Non-contact sex offences must be punished more harshly because flashers and voyeurs can turn into rapists, the mother of murdered student Libby Squire has said.

Libby, 21, was abducted, raped and murdered while walking home from a club in Hull in 2019.

Her killer, Pawel Relowicz, had committed other sexual crimes in the city's student area, watching young women through windows and breaking into their homes to steal intimate items.

Libby's mother, Lisa, told Sky News' The UK Tonight With Sarah-Jane Mee there was "quite clearly an escalation from the lower sort of crimes, right up until the weekend before he killed her, where he had escalated quite significantly".

Relowicz exposed himself to Libby just weeks before killing her, Mrs Squire believes.

She is now urging women to report non-contact offences, because that is the "only way we can spot them".

"Reporting is a massive part of it," she said. "And actually then taking action - the police taking action."

'Normal men don't do these things'

Mrs Squire added: "You're not making something out of nothing. It's not normal behaviour. Normal men don't do these things.

"It really is a big deal - the term lower-level sex offences diminishes it. They are sex offences. We need to completely change the way we look at these things and our attitudes towards them."

Speaking to MPs, Mrs Squire said sentencing needs to be harsher.

"It's a slap on the wrist for the majority of people if they're caught," she said. "It needs to be taken as the really serious offence it is.

"A short sharp slap is not going to work."

'I don't think he should ever get out of prison'

Mrs Squire told Sky News her daughter's killer, who was given a minimum term of 27 years, should never get out of prison.

"Originally, I wasn't really bothered about the sentence," she said. "That's definitely changed now. I don't think he should ever get out of prison.

"When he comes out, he'll be in his early fifties. He'll have the chance to travel, to maybe marry again, to have children, to have a job.

"He can do all those things that Libby never had the chance to do.

"Everybody knows you don't kill. You don't do that. So if you do that to me, you should then forfeit your life by spending the rest of it in prison."

Mrs Squire also believes that Relowicz may offend again, if and when he is released - after being incarcerated with other sex offenders.

"His life will be all about sex offences and I can't see any reason why he wouldn't come out and re-offend," she said.

[midwestbramble]

Walnut Folklore

Juglan nigra

Ruled by ☉

⸙༄𓆤𓆩𓆪❁𓇢𓆸🏵

Contents:

Overview

Folklore

Uses in Witchcraft

Safety Notes

Conclusion

⸙༄𓆤𓆩𓆪❁𓇢𓆸🏵

Overview

The Black Walnut tree stands anywhere from 80-150 ft. tall with the trunks reaching 2-3 feet in diameter. You can find these magnificent trees in full sun, on the edge of forests. The bark is deeply furrowed and gray-black in color. The leaves are compound with 23 stemless oval and smooth leaflets. It flowers in spring, giving way to globular fruit that fully ripens in late summer (the nut).

The Black Walnut uses a process called allelopathy, which is a way in which a plant may protect itself. It releases sesquiterpenes to keep other plants away so it has none to compete with for growing space and resources.

You can gather the green unripe hulls and allow them to ripen in a bucket. Sometimes you will see maggots between the hull and the hard shell of the nut, these do not affect the nut meat. Once the hulls have blackened, they are easier to hull. Use a hammer to smash it open and a stiff brush to scrub away any extra. Wait for it to completely dry. Then smash open the shell with a hammer, and pick out the meat.

Europe has a different species of walnut to North America.

⸙༄𓆤𓆩𓆪❁𓇢𓆸🏵

Folklore

-The Witches of Benevento-

In Benevento, Italy, it is thought that witches from all over Europe celebrate their sabbats (getting there through spirit flight) under a walnut tree that was on the Sabato River bank. It is speculated that these legends stem from the Longobards who were said to hang goat or snake skins from the tree and then eat them to gain their powers.

-Appalachia-

According to Jake Richards' books, the walnut's "leaves are scattered about the house at sunset and left until morning, when they're swept out, to get rid of troublesome spirits" (Richards, pg. 170). He mentions that the hulls are also used to dye clothes, as I have found out on accident they work very well for.

⸙༄𓆤𓆩𓆪❁𓇢𓆸🏵

Uses in Witchcraft

Harvest some leaves or bark to use as a focus when hedge riding (another term for spirit flight) to the witches' meeting and asking for it to watch over you, or ask your local walnut tree for it's protection while you perform your own rites. If you have a spirit that just won't leave, gather some leaves and make them get out with a floor wash or carpet powder. The brave might use it in a smoke cleanse, however I do worry about nasal irritation.

If you're handy with clothing, you could use the hulls to dye your ritual clothes, or any other clothing you may have, for protection from wayward spirits. This is a wonderful book on natural dying.

If you're inclined to kitchen witchery, the nut meat itself is incredibly fragrant and I suggest making Nocino, walnut bread, or a walnut cake for protective purposes or an honorary food.

⸙༄𓆤𓆩𓆪❁𓇢𓆸🏵

Safety Notes

Not indicated for long-term use. The compound juglone, found in the juice of fresh walnut hulls, is considered a strong skin irritant and may cause itching or burning sensations (don't be like me, and wear gloves).

⸙༄𓆤𓆩𓆪❁𓇢𓆸🏵

Conclusion

The walnut is an overlooked tree, I swear it’s everywhere. It is marvelous and awe-inspiring when allowed to reach it's full potential. You can find my blog about talking with my local walnut guardian here. It works protection against spirits, chasing them, while also protecting your own spirit while out roaming the otherworld.

References:

Midwest Medicinal Plants by Lisa M Rose

The Herbal Academy's Intermediate Herbal Course Monograph

The Witches of Benevento, World Heritage Journeys

Backwoods Witchcraft by Jake Richards

Images:

Title image made on Canva with black walnut image provided by the Boston Public Library via Unsplash

The Walnut of Benevento, by Giuseppe Pietro Bagetti (1764-1831)

Perfect Appalachian Sunset, by Sean Foster on Unsplash

[eridanidreams]

Snippet Sunday

Tagging: @bearlytolerant, @silurisanguine, @aro-pancake, @fangbangerghoul, @atonalginger, @aislingdmdt, @fshenkoescape, @ninjaofnaps, @lisa-and-shadow, @a-cosmic-elf, @thatsgoodsquishy0, @hockeydemon42, @fomagranfalloon@violenceandviolets, and @artemis-crimson

from stars through my fingers like grains of sand

Sam was already at the Rock when Cait got there; he was deep in conversation with the dark-haired senior Ranger she'd passed a few times. She didn't interrupt, just headed up the stairs to the Marshal's office. He wasn't one to waste words or time. "Welcome back. Any luck finding out who stole the ship from HopeTech?"

Blake's crisp efficiency cut through any lingering haze from the morning, and Cait could almost feel her spine straighten a bit more in reaction. "With Ranger Pryce's help, we tracked it back to a known ship-jacker name of Grace Early. From what she said, I still think it was an inside job, but I've asked Ranger Kalu for assistance with that aspect. She's better positioned to follow up in HopeTech itself. She had some physical evidence—an encrypted slate—which I've handed over to Ranger Hadid. He's asked me to keep an eye out for more of them."

"Good," he said. "I'm glad to see you know how to work as part of a team. And, it sounds like you're making real progress."

"Not as much as I'd like," she said grimly. "I have a couple names, but shutting down the First won't help unless we can get a tie to whoever hired them." Blake nodded, and she sensed agreement and approval in his tightly-controlled emotions. "Since you have personal knowledge of the First, sir, I was hoping you could give me some intel on these names: Maya Cruz and Marco… something. Marco's a money man. Cruz was the go-between."

Blake grunted. "I served with Maya Cruz. Technical genius and expert hacker. Arrogant. Not a people person. Marco… about the time he got out of jail, we started hearing his name in connection with a smuggling racket. Based on what you've learned, I'd presume he's funneling his ill-gotten gains to the First. Autumn MacMillan's looking into that operation out at the Red Mile, but…" He frowned. "He runs a tight ship, but one of his suppliers isn't quite as careful. Sonny di Falco. He's got a little estate on Maheo I. If you want my advice, I'd follow up there first before jogging Autumn's elbow."

Cait nodded. "As for Cruz, she was suffering from some kind of serious illness; I thought I'd start looking at the Clinic."

"Best medical services money can buy," Blake nodded again. "Good call. With their privacy guarantees, it's ideal for someone trying to keep a low profile. Ranger Ben Armistead is posted there; I'll send him an update on the situation. He'll be expecting you."

"Thank you, sir," she said.

"You're welcome. Just remember, your priority is to gather more intel on the First. What are they planning? Who are they working for? Where are they headquartered?" Blake fired out the questions like bullets.

"Whatever they're planning," she replied, "it's going to be something meant to hurt the Collective. They believe that the Collective betrayed them."

"That's right," he agreed. "Your targets were locked up because they were loyal to their unit and Major Hull. They won't take kindly to you sticking your nose in, so watch your back." He gave her a stiff nod of dismissal. "Good hunting, Deputy."

Cait echoed his nod and made her way back downstairs, thinking hard. All in all, she was inclined to take the Marshal's advice, start with the easiest nut to crack. Sam was sipping a Boom!Pop while chatting with Helga; he gave Cait a casual little wave of acknowledgment when she entered the bar. Despite her best efforts to keep his feelings at bay, she couldn't help but pick up fragments of his good mood. Cora's visit must have gone well, then. She paused a moment at the jobs console, giving Sam time to wrap up his conversation.

He caught up with her just outside the Rock. "Mornin'," he said cheerfully, handing her a Boom!Pop Cherry. "Sleep well?"

The question made her damn near fall on her face—How could he know?!—before she realized how impossible it was that he'd be referring to—that. "Fine," she said hurriedly, trying to fight down the flush she felt creeping up her neck. "Just fine, thanks." She took a deep, determined breath. "Um. You?"

"Oh," he chuckled, "I slept juuuuuuuuust fine." Cait didn't have to see Sam's grin to know it was there, an air of lazy satisfaction that thrummed down that weird little connection she had to him, sent a tingle down her spine and made her insides tighten. With an effort, she shoved it down, but she couldn't help but be hyper-aware of his presence next to her, warm and solid, and all she had to do was turn around and bring her lips to his—

Dammit! What the hell was wrong with her? She shivered, running her hands up and down her arms. Sam—of course—noticed, but fortunately he chalked it up to the cool of the morning. "You know," he said affectionately, "you wouldn't be so cold if you grabbed a jacket. Why don't you take mine until we reach the ship?"

He was already starting to shrug out of it when she blurted, "No—!" That no was the hardest thing she'd ever had to say; she desperately wanted to say yes, to surround herself in his warmth and his scent… and she was terrified of what might happen if she did. Had to remind herself that they were just friends. That he loved someone else. "No," she managed to repeat more normally, even smiling a little to soften it. "I appreciate the offer, but a little cool won't kill me."

"A'right," Sam said, settling it back on his shoulders. "So what's the plan?" He seemed different today—his emotions seemed more—muted—than usual, like he was holding something in. Cait should have been happy about that, given the trouble she'd been having tuning him out—but instead she felt bereft. Again—what the hell was wrong with her? "Cait—?" He sounded concerned, and she shook herself out of her thoughts.

"Sorry." She gave him an apologetic smile. "Um, Maheo I. Marco's got a smuggling contact by the name of Sonny di Falco; he's got an estate there. Marshal thinks we're more likely to be able to squeeze something out of him." Sam's emotions flared cold hatred, and when Cait chanced a look at him, his face was set in stone.

"I know him," he said, and his voice was as flat and hard as his expression. "He's a slimy bastard. Big shot on Neon, 'til he did something to cross Ben Bayu. Couldn't have been too bad—he got out with his skin in one piece—and he's still got his fingers in a lot of pies. If he's working with Marco, that's bad news all around." He looked at her, a strange, almost desperate intensity in his gaze. "You watch yourself with him. He has a lot of charm, he knows how to use it, and he's good at getting his hooks into the innocent and naive and—twisting them all up."

"And which am I?" she asked sarcastically.

He exhaled harshly. "That first one. Cait—" he held up a hand to forestall her protests "—when it comes to dealing with people like him… you are. He likes to think of himself as a collector of people, and you? You're—you're unique. He's gonna take one look at you and—" He shook his head, and something dark and savage surfaced for a moment in his eyes. "Just trust me on this one, okay? Do not agree to anything. Do not take anything he offers. 'Specially not Aurora. He'll get you hooked on that shit faster than a grav jump to nowhere." He was holding in his feelings so hard it had to hurt—all she got was a vague sense of mingled anger, hatred, and fear that burned like acid.

"I trust you," she told him softly. "If you say he's bad news, I will be extra careful." She hesitated. "Are you going to be okay going in there with me?"

"Don't even think of going in with someone else," Sam growled, shifting his rifle a little on his back.

"Okay." Cait didn't hesitate to give him her agreement. "I'll make sure you're carrying a couple extra junk flushes, then. I… don't react well to Aurora, so if he does manage to slip me some, you might need it."

"If he does, he's dead." Sam's voice cracked like a gunshot. Mood he was in, she wasn't going to argue.

[unculturedmamoswine]

My fic for Forduary week 1: Childhood and school years!

This one is an HDM AU-- Ford's daemon settles and he's not that happy about it. Takes place in the same verse as this ficlet I posted a good while ago. (Short version of an HDM au: people's souls live outside their bodies in the shapes of animals. Kids' daemons can shapeshift but they settle into a permanent form during puberty.)

Ford settles first, not so long after his and Stanley’s Bar Mitzvah. He’s almost relieved. He kind of didn’t want Stan to be first, but he wouldn’t admit it to Stanley. It’s just that people expect Ford to be the more responsible one, and if his daemon’s settled, it’ll get people to take him more seriously. Stan wouldn’t understand that; his feelings would be hurt if he thought that Ford thought he was better than Stan. Not that he thinks that! Stan is the best. The best brother and friend and the bravest and toughest and most fun and lots of other stuff, besides. But he’s not very responsible, and Ford can’t even quite admit it to himself that he loves being seen as responsible when compared to Stan.

So Ford should be really glad that Elisheba’s settled. They’re the perfect age for it, right smack dab in the middle of the bell curve– they’re normal about something for once. It’s just that he can’t understand her form. They used to fantasize about what she’d become, like all kids probably do. Ellie loved to be an arctic tern– a bird that’s always migrating! And they can sleep while they’re flying! That would have been so cool! And she was a green iguana a lot, and even a Tasmanian tiger! Almost nobody had an extinct animal for a daemon– that would have been really impressive. And if it set them apart, made them even more different than their peers, who cared? Ford could take it. He’d had everyone making fun of him for his hands his whole life, he could stand it if people thought his daemon was too different or strange. But Ellie’s form, the thing she’s going to be forever, well. He’s just not sure about it.

Castor canadensis, North American beaver, isn’t really… him. Right? She isn’t anything particularly interesting or special. Nobody brilliant or noteworthy ever had a beaver for a daemon. No inventors or explorers or anything. In movies, do hard-boiled detectives or chiseled leading men have beavers for daemons? No, they don’t. The only beaver daemons in movies and on TV are laundresses or scolding mothers.

The only person Ford’s ever seen in real life with a beaver daemon is a mechanic. A Catholic mechanic with a beaver daemon and arthritis.

“I don’t really get it, Ellie,” says Elisabeth, Stan’s daemon. She’s on the floor of their room next to Elisheba, a red fox at the moment, sniffing at her. “Is being a beaver really that great?” She becomes a perfect copy of Elisheba and loudly smacks her tail against the living room floor. “Oh, that’s pretty fun!” They both laugh and slap the floor until they hear a distant shout from Dad.

“Okay, I guess the tail-slapping is alright,” Stan tells him skeptically, “but not that great. You could just drop one of your books on the floor and get the same effect.” Lisa pops into the air as a hornet and buzzes teasingly around Ford’s head.

“You’re just jealous,” he laughs as he bats Lisa away, wishing that he didn’t agree with Stanley.

-

Ford kicks his feet against the hull of the Stan o’ War. He’s holding a schoolbook, but staring out at the ocean. He should be doing his homework while he waits for Stan to get out of detention, but instead he’s brooding. Elisheba sighs behind him, and Ford frowns. He doesn’t want to turn around and see her squat little form, her dopey face, her long orange teeth. It’s been two days since she settled, and he still doesn’t know how to feel about it.

“You’re just going to have to deal with it,” she says resentfully, breaking their hours-long silence.

“I don’t have to deal with anything. I’m fine. I’m happy! It’s good that we’ve settled,” Ford tells her, feeling his jaw settle into a mulish expression. He can hear her clawed forepaws dig into the planks of the deck. He rounds on her, ready to scold her for clawing up their dilapidated wreck, but he looks straight into her eyes and finds he can’t get a word out.

Elisheba stares back at him, burning with the resentment and disappointment that feels too big for Ford’s chest to hold. Of course she feels the same, how could she not? She’s him, the biggest, truest, most important part of himself. That's the problem.

“I just didn’t think that we’d… be like this.” He feels ashamed to say it to her, even if they both think it. It feels like some kind of betrayal.

“We are who we are!” Ellie slaps her tail on the deck for emphasis. “This form just feels right, what does it matter exactly what I am if we’re still ourself?”

“Hey, break it up!” Lisa flaps up over the side of the Stan o’ War in her largest avian form, a brown pelican. She alights heavily on the deck next to Ellie, reaching a wing out over her as if to shelter her from harsh sunlight. “Man, this is why you need me around, Sixer,” she says lightly. “You get yourself into trouble when you think too much.”

Stan struggles up onto the deck, flopping down with an oof. He sits up, taking in Ford, standing facing his daemon and Stan’s, fists clenched. Ford knows he must be bright red, and hopes Stan thinks it’s all anger.

Stan, who is sometimes so able to be cool under pressure, shrugs off his heavy backpack and his jacket, leaving them behind him in a heap on the deck. The wind flutters through his and Ford’s hair, and ruffles Elisabeth’s feathers.

“Hi, Stanley. How was detention?” Ford mumbles, hoping to change the subject before Stan can even start it.

“Fired six spitballs onto Miss Lackson’s dress without her noticing even once!” Stan says proudly. Lisa preens. “And I even got some homework done, so you don’t have to do it all,” he adds impressively.

Ellie laughs. “My hero,” she teases, and nudges Lisa so hard she has to open her wings so as not to fall over. Ford snickers.

“You should be grateful!” Stan insists, all overblown indignation. Ford knows it’s just to make him laugh, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. “Here I am slaving away, learning crap outta books that I’m never gonna use just so you don’t have to do my homework, and you’re here talking to yourself like a crazy kid!”

“I’m not crazy, you’re craz– hey!” Ford grabs for Elisheba as Lisa opens her beak wide, trying to fit Ford’s daemon into her cavernous mouth. Before Ford can grab Ellie, she hisses viciously, flashing her long orange teeth at her brother. With a whoop of delight, Lisa turns into one of her favorite forms, a caiman, and snaps her jaws right back at Ellie.

“Hah!” Stan flings himself at Ford, grabbing him in a headlock while he’s distracted by Lisa’s many sharp teeth trying to take a bite out of Elisheba’s new, permanent tail.

“Hey, I’m planning on keeping that tail, Lisa!” Elisheba yelps, naturally echoing Ford’s thought. “Ow! Stanley!” Stan’s knuckles dig into Ford’s scalp. Ford flails his hands blindly in the direction of Stan’s body, completely forgetting anything he might have learned in boxing.

“Say uncle, Poindexter!” Stan demands gleefully. Ford raises his foot to kick Stan in the shin– it’s a dirty move, which Stan should approve of–but Stan gasps and lets him go before Ford goes for it.

As he straightens up, Ford has a brief impression of Elisheba between Lisa’s shoulders, claws gripping crocodilian hide and incisors digging into her head, perilously close to Lisa’s eye. Lisa turns into a dingo and shakes Ellie off her back with a slight yelp. She bounds over to Stan.

“Wow, jeez, ease up, Fangs,” Lisa complains, as Stan cradles her head in his hands, inspecting it for damage.

“Eh, don’t be such a baby, Ellie ain’t gonna blind us,” he tells her. Still, he strokes her ears gently.

“Yeah, I had everything under control,” Ellie says, panting. “When have we ever blinded you before? The trend would suggest that we will continue not to gouge out any of your body parts.”

Ford, grinning, leans down to pick Ellie up. She’s heavy– must be almost forty pounds. They haven't weighed her yet, which they should. And they need to find out how fast she can run– can she even run? He doesn’t know, but he’ll find out.

“That was pretty good, Ellie!” Stan, satisfied that his soul will survive, reaches out and ruffles the fur on the back of Ellie’s neck.

“Stan!” Ford tugs her away from his reach, embarrassed. They’re getting too old to touch each other’s daemons like they did when they were small. That kind of thing is only for babies and really little kids, which they definitely aren’t. “You shouldn’t do that!”

Stan goes on like Ford hasn’t spoken. “You can fight pretty good in that form, but what else can I expect from a guy with metal teeth?”

“What?” Ford laughs.

“Yeah! Stan opens his own mouth and points inside as if that explains anything. “Beavers got iron in their teeth, that’s how come they’re orange! It’s like rust!”

“How do you know that?” Ford asks suspiciously. 

“I know stuff! I know everything! Specially everything about you,” Stan insists, as Lisa wags her tail charmingly.

“Come on!” Ford punches Stan in the shoulder, grinning at his brother. “You don’t just know that magically! Unless…” Ford scratches his chin, wincing as he scrapes a pimple with his nail.

“Don’t bring up aliens,” Lisa groans.

“It’s a known fact that the protective anti-alien-scanning machinery the government uses to protect national secrets interferes with human brainwaves!” Ford crosses his arms, eyeing Stan suspiciously. “Have you been having headaches? Dreaming about nuclear launch codes?”

Stan groans. “God, Ford, you’re the biggest nerd! I read it in a book, okay?” Stan slumps over to his backpack, Ford following curiously. He pulls two thick books from it, turning and offering them to Stanford. “Here. I figured, you know, you’re a huge geek, you’d wanna read up on Ellie’s form and stuff.”

Ford sets Ellie down, then kneels so she can look at the covers with him. Rodents of North America says one, and Beaver: America’s Engineer says the other.

It’s so strange to feel so many ways at once. It’s surprising, and not, that Stan would do this; Stan would do anything for him, and Ford knows that. But that Stan would do this, specifically, go to the library– the city library! Those are city library stickers on the spines, they aren’t even from the school! All just for him, because Stan is his brother and the only person in Ford’s corner. He grateful, really. It's a nice thing for Stan to do, but there’s a little part of him that’s annoyed that Stan could read him so well. Shouldn’t he get to have some feelings that are private? Oh well. Ford shoves that down, and tries to just be grateful.

Made nervous by Ford’s silence, Lisa says “We didn’t look that close at ‘em but there’s some cool stuff in there. About your fur and your teeth and all the stuff beavers can build. And you’re gonna be a real good swimmer! That’ll be handy if we’re ever lost at sea!” She wags her tail vigorously and nuzzles Ellie, who presses herself close in response.

“Yeah, yeah,” Stan nudges the daemons apart with his foot, as uncomfortable as Ford is with all the mushy stuff. “Look, point is… uh.” He scratches at the back of his head.

Ford jumps in to save them both from the awkwardness. “I get it, Stan, really.” He hugs the books to his chest. He’ll say it, partly because he means it, and partly because he should probably mean it more than he does.

“Thank you.”

[fangbangerghoul]

It's WIP Wednesday!

Tagging: @atonalginger, @eridanidreams, @silurisanguine, @therealgchu, @staticpallour, @a-cosmic-elf, @lisa-and-shadow @bearlytolerant (no obligation and feel free to still tag me!)

I am still working on chapter 9 of Fleeting Pleasures but I did release some chapters for Ghoul Files to hold you over as you wait!

Below is a wip that might be a part of Ghoul Files at some point!

The ship had flown into orbit of Volii Alpha and Ghoul was still awaiting the all clear to land in Neon. The ship’s ID markings were not legal ones but as long as Jazz pulled through on her end the planet’s security system wouldn't be none the wiser to it. Ghoul’s fingers impatiently tapped on the side of the captain’s chair and she was trying everything in her might to think of anything other than the reoccurring name that repeated in the back of her mind. Masako Imada. The one person she always hoped to avoid the attention of whenever she revisited Neon City. Her wanted bounty was technically paid for thanks to the once wonderful Constellation members but Ghoul was not quick to forget her 'mother’s' true nature. 

“You’re cleared for landing.” A voice came through on the comms allowing Ghoul to finally initiate the landing sequence. She was starting to regret her lack of thought when it came to her wardrobe this morning. The green sweater and cargo pants fit her well and comfortably. Those were important considering she acknowledged how often she found herself in impromptu combat, but she knew very well that if it was raining, she would soon be soaked to the bone. The ship used it’s autopiloting features to land itself into the designated landing pad the security team had sent to her ship. It was convenient as fuck and it made Ghoul’s life that much easier, which she enjoyed. Just like she enjoyed the face Delgado gave her right before she got into her ship to leave. Stern on the exterior but his eyes spoke a different language that only she could decipher. 

Ghoul got up from the chair in the cockpit and untied her hair to fix it for the moment. It was very disheveled and it was hard to decide how she wanted it. The final decision ended with half of her hair and bangs tied out of her face while she let the rest of the green curls rest on the back of her neck. She was well aware she still looked like she had just gotten out of bed but appearances were the least of her worries. This had to go well, for Del’s sake. He was stressed enough as it was and having a face the whole Settled System’s could recognize in a heartbeat had to be frustrating. There was a part of her that was worried how recognizable she still was on this planet but she pushed the thought to the side thinking perhaps it had been long enough. Her knives were in the captain's locker and she equipped the blades throughout places on her body. They were of various sizes for their appropriate places and each had etchings of different symbols that mattered to her. It was one of the few gifts she ever accepted from Del and it was one of the first gifts that represented their unspoken union.  

At the entrance of the ship she hopped onto the ladder then exited from the main hull and her boots clanked loudly against the metal. It was the only sound she heard till the landing bay hatch opened to dark gray skies and suddenly there were overwhelming sounds of crashing waves in the distance, thunder, and ships that flew in and out of the space port of Neon City. She was hesitant at first but after a deep breath Ghoul let herself exit the ship fully. The wind and rain caused a bit of a distraction at first but she quickly adjusted herself and ignored the pelts she felt on her from the raindrops falling so viciously.

[roskirambles]

Horror Movie of the day: Werewolf of London (1935)

In the mountains of Tibet, botanist Wilfred Glendon is on an expedition. His objective? Find a rare flower called Mariphasa lumina lupina, who apparently only blooms under the moonlight. Just as he finds one, he's attacked by a strange, humanoid creature and ends up being bitten in the arm.

Back at London, Glendon has become quite the hermit to the dismay of his stranged wife Lisa. Just in time for her childhood sweetheart Paul to try and win her back, too. But the botanist has little time to worry about this rather unsubtle suitor, having met another botanist from abroad in Dr. Yogami. He seems a little too interested and knowledgeable in the Mariphasa, as it's the only cure for the werewolf condition. One contracted when bitten by another. And each night of moonlight, the creature must kill should it want to turn back to a human. With Scottland Yard on his tail after the murder of a woman he found on the streets, Glendon is in a race against time... as he yearns for the blood of Lisa.

Directed by Stuart Walker, this movie set the template of cinematic werewolf stories to come. Not unlike Nosferatu started the tradition of sunlight killing vampires, this movie started the idea of the full moon being the trigger to Lycanthropy once infected, and the themes of loss of self-control and human vs animal that have been synonym with the monster (No silver bullet yet, though). Henry Hull's performance as the tormented Glendon does paint the image of a conflicted if not always well meaning man; the creature makeup certianly heping to create this inbetween of man and animal, in spite of being rather subdued compared to other werewolf designs.

Being a movie this old it's representation of Asian cultures is... less than stellar with Yogami being portrayed by Warner Oland (a Swedish man). And you might see the tragedy coming a mile away, but it doesn't make the journey any less entertaining.

[apileofpans]

Birthday audio/video gifts!

It is my hecking birthday this month, y’all! To celebrate I am giving away videos and audios from Phantom of the Opera that positively ruined me (AKA some of my faves) !

NOTE: the links will work until November 6th, 10 AM CEST! After that they won’t work anymore :) If any of the masters want me to remove their master, let me know and I will!

Everything, including cast info, is under the cut!

Video

US Tour - Dallas, April 6, 2006 Evening Gary Mauer, Elizabeth Southard, Jim Weitzer, Kim Stengel, John Jellison, DC Anderson, Patti Davidson-Gorbea, John Whitney, Kate Wray https://ln5.sync.com/dl/b833dd740/gvnusjtv-a7wywsjy-98mvkiid-nsa6ksqp

Las Vegas Spectacular - August 8, 2008 (SunsetBlvd79) Anthony Crivello, Kristi Holden, Andrew Ragone, Geena Jeffries Mattox, John Leslie Wolfe, Lawson Skala, Tina Walsh, Larry Wayne Morbitt, Brianne Kelly Morgan https://ln5.sync.com/dl/f4b151790/79fc7xe8-emk99ug5-va2ndite-vrapb47x

Broadway - May 12, 2014 (inallyorufantasies, turnofthescorpion) Norm Lewis, Sierra Boggess, Jeremy Hays, Michele McConnell, Tim Jerome, Laird Mackintosh, Ellen Harvey, Christian Šebek https://ln5.sync.com/dl/9dbe75640/89h6694u-db6i4y53-ker76kab-xtm9qbj3

Boadway - May 20, 2003 Hugh Panaro, Lisa Vroman, John Cudia, Julie Schmidt (u/s), Jeff Keller, George Lee Andrews , Marilyn Caskey, Larry Wayne Morbitt, Joelle Gates https://ln5.sync.com/dl/04cef73f0/watx9j5t-s2amh9zy-hmxqchav-2h2sf3ra

West End - August, 2018 Ben Lewis, Amy Manford, Jeremy Taylor https://ln5.sync.com/dl/8a1ae4700/ys5mbar9-yas2ewaq-rrnk4sye-wt5pgdtb

Trieste, Italy - July 15, 2023 (Filthybonnet) Ramin Karimloo, Amelia Milo, Bradley Jaden, Earl Carpenter, Ian Mowat, Anna Corvino, Gian Luca Pasolini, Alice Mistroni, Zoe Nochi https://ln5.sync.com/dl/f916fe200/6dw52cqj-usu7pimm-zbgk2gdg-9qixj3d4

Audios

Broadway - September 26, 1990 Steve Barton, Rebecca Luker, Gary Lindemenn (u/s), Marilyn Caskey, Jeff Keller, George Lee Andrews, Leila Martin https://ln5.sync.com/dl/21e8e2db0/wsqmti8i-4d4vukku-xs8fvh3y-85kjak3h

Broadway - May 10, 2003 Hugh Panaro, Lisa Vroman, John Cudia, Patricia Phillips, Jeff Keller, George Lee Andrews (u/s), Marilyn Caskey, Joelle Gates, Larry Wayne Morbitt https://ln5.sync.com/dl/5640398d0/3d5axeix-ie6cpr3t-4j7fbew7-5q8mjcqq

Broadway - August 19, 2014 (Oogie Boogie) Norm Lewis, Sierra Boggess, Jeremy Hays https://ln5.sync.com/dl/59b8c8720/hzpmzgq7-5hx5xqx9-4e6h4qt2-ynn5dmw6

Broadway - April 6, 2023 (phantomygoodness) Jeremy Stolle (u/s), Julia Udine (alt.), John Riddle, Nehal Joshi, Craig Bennett, Raquel Suarez Groen, Maree Johnson, Carlton Moe, Sara Etsy https://ln5.sync.com/dl/dfa420090/i2m495z9-zwdgyka9-r2k9njdn-tu9hwt9m

Las Vegas Spectacular - September 2, 2012 Anthony Crivello, Kristi Holden, Andrew Ragone, Joan Sobel, Lawson Skala, John Leslie Wolfe, Tina Walsh, Larry Wayne Morbitt, Brianne Kelly Morgan https://ln5.sync.com/dl/882621a90/2kz2ajn8-nkre4uhw-5y7vesm6-gmk3pv7v

West End- October 27, 2017 Ben Lewis, Amy Manford (alt), Jeremy Taylor, Una Reynolds (u/s), Siôn Lloyd, Mark Oxtoby, Jacinta Mulcahy, Paul Ettore Tabone, Lily Howes (u/s) https://ln5.sync.com/dl/d6fa41cb0/axfwkn8z-66dpfim8-7uekxefw-aahsqs8x

West End - September 1, 2018 Evening (Winschi) Ben Lewis, Kelly Mathieson, Jeremy Taylor, Lara Martins, Siôn Lloyd, Mark Oxtoby, Jacinta Mulcahy, Paul Ettore Tabone, Georgia Ware https://ln5.sync.com/dl/99b982430/9dpb2hez-rex5y3nn-z9e963m3-wm57qfu2

West End - November 13, 2021 Evening (starprincess) Killian Donnelly, Lucy St Louis, Rhys Whitfield, Saori Oda, Tim Morgan, Adam Linstead, Francesca Ellis, Greg Castiglioni, Ellie Young https://ln5.sync.com/dl/fcffc67e0/7362xu65-tefiqt8x-9z3njksk-353iuqjk

West End -March 4, 2023 (verytheatricaltrades) Earl Carpenter (t/r), Holly-Anne Hull, Matt Blaker, Matt Harrop, Adam Linstead, Kelly Glyptis, Greg Castiglioni, Francesca Ellis, Ellie Young https://ln5.sync.com/dl/f142d9230/5ngjfdrx-fhjmc9wf-x2yhme8h-z4exy8cf

[deanwinchesterswitch]

Thanks for the tag @princessmisery666 to pick a song for every letter of my username. I've been working on some fairly angsty pieces lately so it's not a very upbeat list this time.😬😅

D ~ Don’t Forget About Me - Emphatic E ~ Echoes - Eliza Hull A ~ Afterglow – INXS N ~ No Air - Jordan Spark, Chris Brown

W ~ Work Song - Hozier I ~ I Need You - Billy Squier N ~ Now What - Lisa Marie Presley C ~ Can’t Get You Off My Mind - Lenny Kravitz H ~ Hate Me - Eurielle E ~ Everything Changes - Staind S ~ Stay Awhile - Journey T ~ The Beauty of Falling Down - Alpha Rev E ~ Every Word Was A Piece Of My Heart – Bon Jovi R ~ Rolling Stone - Niykee Heaton S ~ Storm - Lifehouse

W ~ Watch Over You - Alter Bridge I ~ If You Keep Leaving Me - Anderson East T ~ Take Me Home - Jess Glynne C ~ Can’t Go Back - Rosi Golan H ~ Hurts Like Hell - Fleurie, Tommee Profitt

Who would like to play along?

@wayward-and-worn @avanatural @kickingitwithkirk @coffee-obsessed-writer @deaneverafter

[behindthemirrorofmusic]

Dave Willets and Lisa Hull

[queersrus]

requesting ntps related to miles tails prower from sonic the hedgehog media. please and thank you

TAILS!!! /vpos

(nick)names:

ai, alaire, archie, axa, axis, axe, aghves, alepou bolt, bradawl, bench clear, crash, concou, carter, clamp, chisel drill, drive, driver, devi, devic, device

energi/energy, energa, energe, energeti, energetica, ellis, evan fox/foxe, foxi/foxie/foxy, foxet/foxette, foxelle, foxine, foxer, foks/focks/faks, fuchs, felix gear, genesis, gidget, gadget

huli, hack, hull, hatchet jet invi, inve, inven, inventi, invente, inventa, inventer, inventio, inventia, ian

kilo, kettu, kitsu, kit, kits, kindred, knick, knack lisica, liska, lysytsya, lisa, lis, liska, lisica miles/myles, manny, marcos, meter/metre, max, maximum, maximillion, maya, mason, mallet

nail power, prower, prowler, plier, paw, plane red, renard/renarde, raposa, raev, ruboh, rav, rev, revi, rubah, rebane sunakh, socket, set, saw, scrap, scrapper, scout

tinker, tale/tail(s), tyler, tony/toni/tonie, tonic, tool, teri, tea, thaelab, tilki, toby/tobi, tape unit vos, vulpe(s), volpe

wrench, warren, wire, whisker yard, yeou zorro, zero

1st p prns: i/me/my/mine/myself

ti/te/ty/tailine/tailself tai/taile/taily/taine/tailself mi/me/my/miline/mileself mi/mile/mily/mine/mileself pri/prowe/prowy/prowine/prowerself pi/pawe/pawy/pawine/pawself fi/foxe/foxy/foxine/foxself fi/fure/furry/furine/furself ti/toole/tooly/tooline/toolself

2nd p prns: you/your/yours/yourself

to/tailer/tailers/tailerself mo/miler/milers/milerself pro/prower/prowers/prowerself po/pawer/pawers/pawersef fo/foxer/foxers/foxersef fo/fur/furs/furself to/tooler/toolers/toolerself

3rd p prns: they/them/theirs/themself

ta/tail, tail/tails, tai/ail, twin/tail, two/tail, the/fox mi/le, mile/miles, mi/mile pro/prower, pro/wer, prow/le, prow/er, prower/prowers, prowle/prowler, pa/paw, paw/paws, pa/aw, paw/pad fo/x, fo/fox, fo/ox, f/ox, fox/foxes, fox/foxy, foxy/foxys, fu/r, f/ur, fu/fur, fu/ur, fur/furs, fur/furry to/ol, to/ool, to/tool, t/ool, tool/tools, tool/box

titles:

the inventor, the fixer, the brains, the brainiac, the nerd, the tech savvy fox, the fox, the fox-like hacker, the tech expert, the mechanic

*one who enjoys tinkering, one who likes building, one who fixes machines, one who invents gadgets, one who owns many tools

*one can be replaced with any prns