#Ralph Falcon

[atomic-chronoscaph]

Return of the Jedi - Production paintings by Ralph McQuarrie (1983)

[retroscifiart]

Millennium Falcons by Ralph McQuarrie

[gameraboy2]

“Giant worm” by Ralph McQuarrie, July 20–21, 1978

[iguanastew]

Simpsons Smash Bros Vol. 3

Lenni with an I, Wiggumlypuff, Captain Duffman and Lucarimoe

[theladyheroine]

Kingdom Hearts x Star Wars! 🪐

So recently I’ve been getting really into a Kingdom Hearts mood and this is a bit less of a crossover headcanon and more of an idea? I’ve heard that Star Wars is a possible world for KH4 so I figured why not try my own take! This is basically what I think might happen if we were to get a Star Wars World in KH4! Thank you for tuning in!

✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ Characters ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚

Now for starters, we gotta talk about Luke Skywalker as a party member! He’s the ultimate Star Wars character (please don’t be upset 😅🙏)! I have a feeling Sora might see him as a kinda mentor type figure, seeing as Luke is older than him & he does get a bit more serious by the time of Return of the Jedi. Although he still has that kind, but reckless farm boy attitude so I think he’ll get along with Sora pretty well or even Kairi! While Kairi is a bit more soft spoken, I feel like she’ll connect pretty well with Luke due to his ways with the force & wisdom he’s received from Master Yoda.

Another trilogy character I feel would make it into KH4 is Han Solo! The greatest pilot in the galaxy and his Millenium Falcon would definitely make an appearance. I feel Sora might like him because he's cool but I also feel Han might but heads with Riku just a bit. It's mostly because Riku himself is a bit impulsive in a way, despite being calm and collected he’s also willing to do things his way first. Maybe they both bicker about where to head next or who does what in the ship.

Another thing that might be cool is if Chewbacca were a character you could summon as an ally. Maybe he could launch the characters into the air for some kind of light blast attack or maybe he just goes around smashing obstacles and stuff for you? Kinda like Wreck-It-Ralph but hairier.

Okay next one! This is a bit less tied to KH4 actually, but I thought it would be a good idea for maybe a Birth by Sleep AU! Although real quick, I unfortunately barely started watching the Clone Wars a few weeks ago, but I really liked this idea. 😅 But dw, I know at least the major parts & about Rex & Cody so hopefully this is okay. 😅🙏

Okay anywho, the Clone Wars and/or The Bad Batch is next on my list! Since this period of Star Wars mostly takes place before the empire, or at least right when the Empire takes over, this might tie into Birth by Sleep a bit more since BBS is a KH prequel. Or at least maybe this can be a cool alternate world for KH4 since the Clone Wars series is so popular. Anyways though, I feel Aqua might fit a bit more into the Star Wars universe simply because I feel her calm and noble demeanor resembles that of a Jedi knight. After all, she is a Keyblade master, people might mistake her for a Jedi or at least force-sensitive.

Plus, it might be a interesting balance for the Clone Troopers, since I know that the Clones take their brotherhood very seriously. Aqua and the rest of the Keyblade wielders might compare that to their friendships.

A few other characters I’d like to include is Ahsoka, Master Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, although maybe the old man version of him too lol. But these are just a few ideas for the worlds as party members, but I can see the Keyblade weilders helping these guys along in their own personal stories maybe?

✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ New Areas & Places ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚

Tatooine - This planet I can see as a starting point for the gang, as Tatooine is like a main setting for most Star Wars content even though it's a pretty shady place. I can imagine quests such as helping villagers with their daily tasks, fixing ships, and keeping thugs off the peoples' backs as you navigate. Although, one fight I've heard people talk about is having either Jabba or Sarlacc as a boss fight. Plus, its where Luke Skywalker lives so it might work!

Endor - This one I feel might play a bigger role than Tatooine simply due to its role during the trilogy too. Plus, forest-y planets are also seen alot in Star Wars, which is I think to add mystery I guess? But maybe the gang ends up taking shelter on Endor and happen to run into, say, Princess Leia? And they have to help her and the rebels fight off the Empire!

Coruscant - This one also adds into the whole Clone Wars-BirthBySleep AU, but this might be an option in KH4. Since Coruscant is the capital of the galaxy, I can see maybe it being mentioned at least? Plus, since most of the gang doesn't live in a world with alot of technology other than the datascape, it would be intersting to see them marvel at all the technology there. Plus, maybe they mistake Coruscant for the city Sora's in? Since they don't really know about Shibuya yet.

Okay I think that's everything but thank you for listening! I hope this was fun! I really hope we get a Star Wars world in Kingdom Hearts but I'm thinking about making a few most posts like these for KH4, but anyways thank you!

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 6.6

Beer Birthdays

Ernest G.W. Woerz (1834)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Bjorn Borg; tennis player (1956)

Thomas Mann; German writer (1875)

John Trumbull; artist (1756)

Colin Quinn; comedian (1959)

Diego Velazquez; Spanish artist (1599)

Famous Birthdays

Monty Alexander; jazz pianist (1944)

Torsten Andersson; Swedish artist (1926)

V.C. Andrews; writer (1923)

Ruth Benedict; anthropologist (1887)

Sandra Bernhard; comedian, actor (1955)

Gary U.S. Bonds; pop singer (1939)

Max Casella; actor (1967)

Pierre Corneille; French writer (1606)

Sarah Dessen; writer (1970)

Ninette de Valois; Irish dancer (1898)

Bill Dickey; New York Yankees C (1907)

David Dukes; actor (1945)

Robert Englund; actor (1947)

Harvey Fierstein; actor (1952)

Edgar Froese; German artist, electronic musician (1944)

Paul Giamatti; actor (1967)

Nathan Hale; American patriot (1755)

William Ralph Inge; English writer (1860)

Aram Khachaturian; composer (1903)

Uncle Kracker; rock musician (1974)

Edwin G. Krebs; biochemist (1918)

Josie Lawrence; British comedian (1959)

Ted Lewis; jazz bandleader (1890)

Tony Levin; rock bassist (1948)

Jimmie Lunceford; jazz bandleader (1902)

Gianna Michaels; porn actor (1983)

Holly Near; folk singer (1949)

Cam Neely; Boston Bruins RW (1965)

Amanda Pays; actor (1959)

Alexander Pushkin; Russian poet (1799)

Tom Ryan; cartoonist (1926)

David Scott; astronaut (1932)

Robert Falcon Scott "of the Antarctic;" British explorer (1868)

Robert Cedric Sherriff; English writer (1896)

Richard Sinclair; rock musician (1948)

Richard Smalley; chemist (1943)

Yukihiro Takahashi; Japanese rock musician (1952)

Dwight Twilley; country singer (1951)

Steve Vai; rock guitarist (1960)

Danny Webb; actor (1958)

Max August Zorn; mathematician (1906)

[lovelybishop]

Character/Fandom List

(Updated February 5th, 2023)

*I DO NOT WRITE FOR CELEBRITIES.

*Strikethrough means currently not accepting requests for said character/fandom

*If you see a character that is not listed, please ask! I’m sure I write for that character, I just forgot to put it on this very long list!

*If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!

—

DC Extended Universe

Suicide Squad (2016) / The Suicide Squad (2021)

Abner Krill/Polka-Dot Man, Christopher Smith/Peacemaker, Cleo Cazo/Ratcatcher 2, Floyd Lawton/Deadshot, Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn, Rick Flag, Robert Dubois/Bloodsport

Birds Of Prey

Dinah Lance/Black Canary, Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn, Helena Bertinelli/The Huntress, Roman Sionis/Black Mask

Fear Street Trilogy

Cindy Berman, Deena Johnson, Heather Watkins. Christine “Ziggy” Berman*,Kate Schmidt, Nick Goode*, Ruby Lane, Samantha Fraser, Simon, Tommy Slater

*Please specify which actor

The Last of Us (HBO)

Joel Miller, Tess Servopoulos

The Good Place

Chidi Anagonye, Eleanor Shellstrop, Janet, Jason Mendoza, Michael, Tahani Al-Jamil

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Movies

Ajak, Alexei/The Red Gurdian, America Chavez, Bruce Banner/The Hulk, Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Christine Palmer, Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Darcy Lewis, Doctor Stange Variants, Drax the Destroyer, Druig, Gamora, Gilgamesh, Hela, Hope van Dyne/The Wasp, Ikaris, James “Bucky” Barnes/The Winter Soldier, James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine, Jane Foster, Jimmy Woo, Katy, Kingo, Lady Sif, Loki, Makkari, Mantis, Maria Hill, May Parker, Melina, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Nebula, Nick Fury, Peggy Carter, Peter Parker Variants, Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Phastos, Phil Coulson, Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, Sam Wilson/The Falcon/Captain America, Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Sersi, Shang-Chi, Sharon Carter, Sprite, Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange, Steve Rogers/Captain America, Thena, Thor, Tony Stark/Iron Man, T’Challa/Black Panther, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Valkyrie, Virginia “Pepper” Potts, Vision, Wanda Maximoff Variants, Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Wong, Xialing, Yelena Belova

Disney+ Series

*This list is for characters who have not appeared in any movie (with the exception of Captain Carter.)

Agatha Harkness, Bruno Carrelli, Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, Joaquin Torres, Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop/Hawkeye, Layla El-Faouly/Scarlet Scarab, Madisynn King, Mallory Book, Marc Spector, Mary MacPherran/Titania, Matt Murdock/Daredevil, Maya Lopez, Mobius, Monica Rambeau, Nikki Ramos, Peggy Carter/Captain Carter, Ralph Bogner/”Pietro” Maximoff, Star-Lord T’Challa, Steve Grant, Strange Supreme, Sylvie, Taweret

Agents Of Sheild Series

Melinda May, Grant Ward, Daisy “Skye” Johnson/Quake, Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons, Lance Hunter, Bobbi Morse, Alphonso “Mack” Mackenzie, Lincoln Campbell, Elena “Yo-Yo” Rodriguez, Deke Shaw

Netflix Series

*I plan on watching all Marvel Netflix Series. Though Because Matt Murdok was in No Way Home and She-Hulk, I still will write for him.

Spider-Verses

The Amazing Spider-Man

Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker/Spider-Man

Into the Spider-Verse

Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman, Miles Morales/Spider-Man, Olivia Octavius/Doctor Octopus, Peter B. Parker/Spider-Man

X-Men

Alex Summers/Havok, Bobby Drake/Iceman, Charles Xavier/Professor X*,Ellie Phimister/Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Erik Legnsherr/Magneto*,Hank McCoy/Beast*,James “Logan” Howlett/Wolverine, Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix*,Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler*,Marie D’Ancanto/Rogue, Nathan Sumers/Cable, Neena Thurman/Domino, Ororo Monroe/Storm*,Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver, Psylocke*,Raven Darkholme/Mystique*,Scott Summers/Cyclops*,Wade Wilson/Deadpool, Warren Worthington III/Angel*

*Please specify which actor.

Free Guy

Guy, Millie Ruck, Walter “Keys” McKey

The Office

Jim Halpert, Pam Beesly

Wednesday

Ajax Petropolus, Biance Barclay, Enid Sinclair, Gomez Addams*,Larissa Weems, Marilyn Thornhill/Laurel Gates. Morticia Addams*,Tyler Galpin, Wednesday Addams, Xavier Thorpe, Yoko Tanaka

*Please specify which actor.

Star Wars

Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren, Bix Caleen, Bo-Katan Kryze, Boba Fett, Captain Phasma, Cassian Andor, Cobb Wanth, Din Djarin/The Mandalorian, Fennec Shand, Finn, General Hux, Han Solo, Jyn Erso, Lando Calrissian, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padme Amidala, Poe Dameron, Princess/General Leia Organa, Qi’ra, Reva Sevander/Third Sister, Rey, Rose Tico, Zorii Bliss

Stranger Things

Dustin Henderson, Eddie Munson, Eleven Hopper, Jim Hopper, Jonathan Byers, Joyce Byers, Lucas Sinclair, Max Mayfield, Michael Wheeler, Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley, Steve Harrington, Will Byers

*I do not write for Billy Hargrove

[catzy88]

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

✨ ACTORS ✨

★ Actors (general actor/actress tag) ★ Cillian Murphy ★ Daniel Brühl ★ Joey Batey ★ Ralph Macchio ★ William Zabka

🏮 ANIME & MANGA 🏮

★ Naruto     - Hatake Kakashi     - Uchiha Obito     - Uchiha Sasuke     - Uzumaki Naruto

🎭 CHARACTERS 🎭

★ Antonio Salieri ★ Baron Helmut Zemo ★ Geralt of Rivia ★ Girolamo Riario ★ Homelander ★ Jaskier ★ Johnny Lawrence

🏒 ICE HOCKEY 🏒

★ Ice Hockey (general hockey tag) ★ NHL (general league tag) TEAMS ★ Colorado Avalanche ★ Florida Panthers ★ Leijonat (Team Finland) ★ Philadelphia Flyers PLAYERS ★ Artturi Lehkonen ★ Brad Marchand ★ Claude Giroux ★ Connor McDavid ★ Leon Draisaitl ★ Matthew Tkachuk ★ Sidney Crosby ★ Travis Konecny

🎀 MISC. 🎀

★ Aesthetic ★ Funny Posts ★ Memes/Tests/Quizzes ★ Photography

🎬 MOVIES & THEATER 🎬

★ Amadeus ★ Harry Potter ★ Horror (general horror movie tag) ★ The Karate Kid ★ The Lord of the Rings ★ Marvel Cinematic Universe ★ Movies (general movie tag) ★ Mozart l'Opéra Rock ★ Saw franchise

🎧 MUSIC 🎧

★ The Beatles ★ Jimmy Page ★ Led Zeppelin ★ Music (general music tag) ★ Oasis ★ Paul McCartney ★ Queen

🖋️ MY WRITING 🖋️

★ Fics & imagines & headcanons & etc.

💞 SHIPS 💞

★ Billy Butcher/Homelander (The Boys) ★ Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence (The Karate Kid, Cobra Kai) ★ Eddie Munson/Jason Carver (Stranger Things) ★ Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier (The Witcher) ★ Jack Eichel/Connor McDavid (Hockey RPF) ★ James “Bucky” Barnes/Helmut Zemo (MCU) ★ John Lennon/Paul McCartney (The Beatles RPF) ★ Lawrence Gordon/Adam Faulkner-Stanheight (Saw franchise) ★ Leon Draisaitl/Matthew Tkachuck (Hockey RPF) ★ Leonardo da Vinci/Girolamo Riario (Da Vinci's Demons) ★ Liam Gallagher/Noel Gallagher (Oasis RPF) ★ Malcolm Tucker/Ollie Reeder (The Thick of It) ★ Nathan MacKinnon/Artturi Lehkonen (Hockey RPF) ★ Peter Strahm/Mark Hoffman (Saw franchise) ★ Sherlock Holmes/John Watson (BBC Sherlock etc.) ★ Sidney Crosby/Claude Giroux (Hockey RPF) ★ Uchiha Obito/Hatake Kakashi (Naruto) ★ Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto (Naruto) ★ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart/Antonio Salieri (Amadeus 1984, Mozart l'Opéra Rock 2009)

📺 TV SHOWS 📺

★ BBC Sherlock ★ The Boys ★ Cobra Kai ★ Da Vinci's Demons ★ Doctor Who ★ The Falcon And The Winter Soldier ★ Midnight Mass ★ The Thick Of It ★ TV Shows (general tv show tag) ★ The Witcher

[mrlenords]

#TheMusicThatMadeMe

Ralph Falcon

Every now and then

1992

[anonsally]

Day 11 of Australia vacation: Wilderness and Waterfalls tour

The second (and final) day of our wildlife tour started off well: we stopped just outside of town and looked in a little dammed-up river pond. We could hear banjo frogs (the sound made me giggle), and then after a few minutes the guide pointed out a thin stream of bubbles. A moment later, a platypus surfaced!

I think it was a little smaller than I had imagined, but admittedly size is hard to estimate, especially when the creature keeps diving underwater. Even Brother-in-law was excited about this sighting, because he'd never seen a platypus outside the zoo before. I think they are endangered in mainland Australia but are actually doing okay in Tasmania? Or at least not as badly.

At most 15 minutes later, we pulled over because our guide had spotted an echidna by the side of the road! It was super cute, but slightly larger than I had imagined. It looked like a large hedgehog with a very long snoot. We were amazed to have seen both of Tasmania's monotremes in an interval of about 10 minutes!

While we were admiring it, I heard some unfamiliar bird sounds and asked the guide about them. He said they were coming from a yellow-tailed black-cockatoo, which is a bird I hadn't seen before. We managed to find it and I got a pretty good look. On the drive that day we also saw a few brown falcons (another new bird for me).

The next stop was in Mount Victoria Forest Reserve, where we took a short walk to the Ralph Falls Overlook. We heard some birds and spotted a gray shrikethrush high up in a tree. The forest was beautiful--lots of exciting moss--and the view of the waterfall was dramatic.

On the way back to the car, the guide did something I don't approve of: he played a recording of the pink robin's song. While I would never have done this myself, I understand that he did it because I had expressed a wish, when we booked the tour, to see a pink robin, and he wanted to fulfill that request. And it did work! After a couple minutes, the guide heard an answering song and turned off the recording. A pink robin had come to investigate and, if necessary, chase off the interloper making the sound in his territory. It was super cute! And even though it stayed on a high branch, I could tell even before getting the binoculars to my face that it was PINK. Such a brightly colored bird, very cute and small and round, and we had a decent look at it in the binoculars before it flew off. I was really pleased to have seen it, even though it was cheating to get it to show itself that way.

The next stop was for a short walk to St. Columba Falls, through a lush, primeval forest with a lot of moss, fungi, and centuries-old tree ferns. This trail was very heavily trafficked, and for good reason.

After that, we went to Pyengana Dairy (again) for lunch, and then did the brief Weldborough Pass Rainforest Walk, which included myrtles and an interesting set of interpretive signs written for children.

The final stop was at the decommissioned Mount Paris Dam, which had some pretty scenery and trees; then the guide took us back to the B&B, dropping us off around 4:30pm.

The rest of the afternoon was very relaxing--the first downtime I'd had in days! I finally had a chance to catch up on Tumblr (I hadn't even looked at it in a week, and I'm a dashboard completist so it took a while to read everything that people had posted in the meantime!) and write emails to my cousin (I normally write to her every day; there was a period of several days around New Year's when I didn't even have time to read my emails).

We also drank some sparkling wine and looked at photos together. Dinner was served at the B&B and included delicious potatoes from their garden, lots of vegetables, quiche, and chicken, plus a tasty dessert of a little pear cake with whipped cream. Afterwards we played a game.

[newtoarlen]

Tell me which ship that includes my Rebecca Simpson OC, you want to see my best art of.

1. Sideshow Bob X Rebecca

2. Krusty X Rebecca

3. Milhouse X Rebecca

4. Moe X Rebecca

5. Mr. Burns X Rebecca

6. Principal Skinner X Rebecca

7. Sean Bont X Rebecca

8. Apu X Rebecca

9. Barney X Rebecca

10. Blake Black X Rebecca

11. Bode Wright X Rebecca

12. Chief Wiggum X Rebecca

13. Colin X Rebecca

14. Jack DeForest X Rebecca

15. Frank Grimes X Rebecca

16. Superintendent Chalmers X Rebecca

17. Ol' Gil X Rebecca

18. Hank Scorpio X Rebecca

19. Hubert Wong X Rebecca

20. Ralph X Rebecca

21. Jacques Brunswick X Rebecca

22. Jimbo X Rebecca

23. Professor Frink X Rebecca

24. Julio Franco X Rebecca

25. Karl (Simpson and Delilah) X Rebecca

26. Lenny X Rebecca

27. Luke Stetson X Rebecca

28. Sideshow Mel X Rebecca

29. Ned Flanders X Rebecca

30. Nelson X Rebecca

31. Brenden Biederbecke X Rebecca

32. Nick (the Daughter Also Rises) X Rebecca

33. Stonecutter Number One X Rebecca

34. Otto X Rebecca

35. Grady X Rebecca

36. Lucas Porter X Rebecca

37. Snake Jailbird X Rebecca

38. Thelonious (Trilogy of Error) X Rebecca

39. Troy McClure X Rebecca

40. Freddie Scorpio X Rebecca

41. Lionel Hutz X Rebecca

42. Hugh Parkfield X Rebecca

43. Dr. Nick X Rebecca

44. Cecil Terwilliger X Rebecca

45. Fat Tony X Rebecca

46. Edmund (Tweenlight) X Rebecca

47. Reverend Lovejoy X Rebecca

48. Todd Flanders X Rebecca

49. Walt Warren (the Bob Next Door) X Rebecca

50. Willie X Rebecca

51. Bart X Rebecca

52. Herbert Powell X Rebecca

53. Homer X Rebecca

54. Jack Lassen X Rebecca

55. Artie Ziff X Rebecca

56. Jack Crowley X Rebecca

57. Dwight Diddlehopper X Rebecca

58. Mr. Bergstrom X Rebecca

59. Freddy Quimby X Rebecca

60. Comic Book Guy X Rebecca

61. Bleeding Gums Murphy X Rebecca

62. Cletus Spuckler X Rebecca

63. Disco Stu X Rebecca

64. Larry Burns X Rebecca

65. Officer Eddie X Rebecca

66. Hans Moleman X Rebecca

67. Mayor Quimby X Rebecca

68. Michael D'Amico X Rebecca

69. Bartigula the Jerk (I, Carambus) X Rebecca

70. Dr. Marvin Monroe X Rebecca

71. Wayne Slater (The Falcon and the D'ohman) X Rebecca

72. Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) (The Simpsons Movie) X Rebecca

73. Kent Brockman X Rebecca

74. Carl Carlson X Rebecca

75. Langdon Alger (Simpsons Comics) X Rebecca

76. Charlie (Oh Brother, Where Bart Thou?) X Rebecca

77. Portuguese Boy (A Totally Fun Thing Bart Will Never Do Again) X Rebecca

78. Peta (Dry Hard) X Rebecca

79. Pita (Dry Hard) X Rebecca

80. Martin Prince X Rebecca

81. Kirk Van Houten X Rebecca

82. Blake (Three Dreams Denied) X Rebecca

83. Corey Masterson X Rebecca

84. Dolph X Rebecca

85. Donny (The deBarted) X Rebecca

86. Digby Diggs (Diggs) X Rebecca

87. Kevin (Stealing First Base) X Rebecca

88. Zachary Vaughn (Bart Gets a Z) X Rebecca

89. The Rich Texan/Richard Texan X Rebecca

90. Rainier Wolfcastle X Rebecca

91. Marv Szyslak X Rebecca

92. Michael De Graaf X Rebecca

93. August Steffan X Rebecca

94. Homer Simpson (Not It) X Rebecca

95. Erik X Rebecca

96. Moe Szyslak (Not It) X Rebecca

97. David (Treehouse of Horror XVI: Bartificial Intelligence) X Rebecca

98. Roger (Treehouse of Horror XXI: Master and Cadaver) X Rebecca

99. Hugo (Treehouse of Horror VII: The Thing and I) X Rebecca

100. Vampire Burns (Treehouse of Horror IV: Bart Simpson's Dracula) X Rebecca

101. John (Homer's Phobia) X Rebecca

102. Mike Wegman (Go Big or Go Homer) X Rebecca

103. Lyle Lanley (Marge vs. the Monorail) X Rebecca

104. Roger (Every Man's Dream) X Rebecca

105. Devil Flanders (Treehouse of Horror IV: The Devil and Homer Simpson) X Rebecca

106. Harry Potter (Treehouse of Horror XII: Wiz Kids) X Rebecca

107. The Fat in the Hat (Treehouse of Horror XXIV: The Fat in the Hat) X Rebecca

108. Reaper Homer (Treehouse of Horror XIV: Reaper Madness) X Rebecca

109. John Frink Sr. Robot (Treehouse of Horror XIV: Frinkenstein) X Rebecca

110. Mutant Burns (Treehouse of Horror VIII: Homega Man) X Rebecca

111. Hansel Bart (Treehouse of Horror XI: Scary Tales Can Come True) X Rebecca

112. Noir Homer (Treehouse of Horror XXXI: Into the Homerverse) X Rebecca

113. Dracula (Treehouse of Horror XX opening & Treehouse of Horror XXI: Tweenlight) X Rebecca

114. Stephen King (Treehouse of Horror XXIV opening) X Rebecca

115. Vampire Bart (Treehouse of Horror IV: Bart Simpson's Dracula) X Rebecca

116. Dr. Bartley (Treehouse of Horror XV: Four Beheadings and a Funeral) X Rebecca

[thathartleykid]

I yanked on the strings of my hoodie as the cool autumn wind whipped through my orange fur and made my ears shiver. My hood tightened around my head, and I relaxed into the warmth it provided. The colored leaves flew in every direction possible, popping a wheelie and skidding to a stop in front of the snack falcon. I tucked my skateboard under my arm and pushed the door open. "Hey Gregg." I called. "AAAAGG!" Gregg yelled, waving his arms above his head. "What are you doing here?!" He exclaimed. "Wondering if you got any gum in this place." I explained. "Yeah, yeah, yeah." Gregg said with an explanatory wave of his paw. A lazy half smile rested on my face. Being alone with Gregg always felt so easy, so comfortable, so much better than home.

Gregg slid the pack of gum across the counter to me, and I laid all of my 25€ that was burning a hole in my pocket out on the counter. Smiling as Gregg deliberately ignored any and all forms of payment, "Ralph! What did I tell you about gambling?!" Gregg bared his teeth in fake accusation. "Oh, hush up, Martha, at least playing cards don't empty every booze shelf in town!" I groaned in my best old man voice. "I want a divorce!" Gregg yelled, turning his back to me and throwing his arms in the air and his head back. I snickered and dropped the 25€ in the change tray.

"Dr. Hank, tell you anything different this week?" Gregg asked, leaning his elbows on the countertop. I shook my head, "Nah, same as last time." I sighed. "Shit, dude." Gregg ran his paw over his face roughly. "I mean, how does that guy even qualify as a doctor?!" He snapped. "Duno." I murmured. "Can't you just tell your parents he's not helping you?" Gregg questioned. "Tried that, didn't work the last twenty times, don't see why it would work this time." I explained. "That's it!" Gregg shouted, banging his fist on the counter. "You're moving in with me and Angus!" He ordered. "Heh, I wish." I sighed, crossing my arms, laying the side of my head on the counter and closing my eyes.

I felt a gentle paw start to rub the back of my head, I sighed and adjusted my arms, relaxing into the sensation. Gregg chuckled a little and shook his head, I could tell by the russelling sound his leather jacket made.

Wish I could stay like this forever.

But nothing good lasts in opossum springs.

- Casey 🎸

[itsalwayswellattheworldsend]

Chapter 11 - Now Must Ralph Ride For It 

Text Audio

Synopsis:

Ralph meets a new friend and actually continues on his journey finally. They encounter some trouble and are forced to hurry to the Burg.

Summary:

"This is my tale, and thine, I say, I ask not; but I deem that thou shalt do ill if thou go not to the Burg either with me or by thyself alone; either as a guest, or as a good knight to take service in their host."

When he awoke again the sun was shining through the hazel leaves, though it was still early. He got up and looked after his horse, then led him out of the hazels and stood, looking around. Then he saw a man coming slowly through the woods on the right, seemingly coming to the crossroads. He saw Ralph and stopped, drawing a bow he was carrying, and came forward carefully, an arrow ready. But Ralph went to meet him with his sword still sheathed, and leading Falcon by the rein, and the man stopped and took the arrow off the string: he had no armor, but there was a small axe and a wood-knife in his belt; he was dressed in quaint, simple clothes and looked like a man from the country-side. Now he greeted Ralph and Ralph greeted him abc, and saw that the new-comer was both tall and strong, dark of skin and black-haired, but with a cheerful face. Spoke frankly with Ralph and said, “Which way are you going, lord, out of your woodland hall and into the dwelling of deer and thieves? I wish that the deer would pick a captain for themselves and come together to get rid of the thieves—and some other people with them, too.”

Said Ralph: “I can’t tell you until I know, myself. Earlier I was planning to go to the Burg of the Four Friths, but now I think I’m going to Hampton under Scaur.”

“Really?” said the man. “Well, when the Devil has the reins, you’ve got to go to hell.”

“What do you mean by that, good fellow?” said Ralph, “is Hampton really such a bad place?” And indeed he thought that the situation of the captive lady had some evil to it.

Said the man: “If you were from around here, I wouldn’t have to answer that question; but I’ll answer it shortly, though not until we’ve eaten. I’m hungry, and I have some bread and cheese and you’re welcome to have some of it, if you are hungry, too. And I think that’s likely, given your youth.

“It is,” said Ralph, laughing, “and I can also provide some food for this wilderness picnic, since I still have some crumbs in my pack. Let’s sit and eat at once.”

“I think, Sir Gentleman, that we should go a little further on where there is a brook which we can drink from when my bottle runs out.”

“I can do better than that,” said Ralph, “since I’ve come prepared.”

“Nevertheless,” said the man, “let’s go a little further; it’s too open here for a group as small as ours, since this crossroads has a bad reputation. I’ll lead us where we’ll be out of sight of any murders that come along. So let’s go, if you trust me.”

Ralph agreed and they went a ways away from the crossroads, into a low place through which a stream ran between two alder trees. The man led Ralph to the edge of the water so that the bushes hid them. There they sat down and took out what food they had and started eating, as as they did the man said:

“Fair Knight—I guess you’re a knight—what reason do you have for going to Hampton?”

Said Ralph: “The reason is avoiding the Burg of the Four Friths, since I hear that those people are robbers and murderers.”

“You’d find out better if you went there, lord, but I will tell you that though the people there might kill and steal now and then, compared to Hampton under Scaur it is heaven, and the people there are angels. And I should know, I spent a long time living in Hell—that is, Hampton—and now I have escaped and am going to the Burg, if they think I’m worthy to join their group, so that I can get revenge on those who have hurt me: some of whom I think must have put those thoughts in your head against the Burg. Am I right?”

“Maybe,” said Ralph, “for you seem to be an honest man.” He said nothing else, but part of him wanted to tell the man all of what had happened, but something held him back when he thought of that lady and her beauty. And then again his heart feared what might happen to that other maiden at Hampton, and he was restless, thinking that it would be good to follow her there. The man looked at him curiously and somewhat anxiously, for Ralph’s eyes were looking at something that was not there, or maybe he had looked closely at the man as he spoke of revenge and thought that he did not seem sincere, since there was little anger in his voice.

Then the man said: “You have a story that you don’t want to tell me, and that’s fine. Well, you speak or don’t speak, whichever you want, but you’re a fair young knight and so nice to me that I think going with you would be beneficial. And I’ll tell you something true: first that the Burg is a good town ruled by a good lord who isn’t a tyrant or oppressor of peaceful people, and that one can live there as peacefully as the others who live there, who are good folk. Although, they are not cowards ot be let themselves be frightened by killers. And second, I will tell you that the folk of Hampton are really harmless and innocent as sheep, but that they are ruled by evil lords who are not their rightful leaders, who torment them and work them to the point of death. And lastly, I will tell you that I was one of those poor people, though not as sheepish as most of them. Because of that, the tyrants have robbed me of my land and put another man in my house, and they would have killed me if I had not run and hidden in the woods. And I’m lucky that I had neither a wife, nor chick, nor child, or else they would have killed them like they did when my brother. His wife was too pretty for him since he dwelt at Hampton; so they took her away to give her over to the men of the Dry Tree, who live in the Castle of the Scaur, and who will be your lords if you go there. That’s my story, but I won’t ask yours. But I think that it would go poorly if you were to not go to the Burg, either with me or by yourself, either to be their guest or be a knight and join their group.”

Ralph looked at the man warily and felt that he spoke very calmly for one with so much anger in his heart—and so Ralph doubted what he said. He also thought of what the lady he had rescued said, and how lovely she was, and the kisses she had given him, and he was hesitant to think she was a liar, and he did not like to think that the maiden of Bourton had gone to such an evil place. So he said:

“Friend, I do not think that I have to join in this feud between Hampton and the Burg, or go to either of these places. Is there no other way out of the wood? Or another place nearby where I could rest for a while and then get on with my errands?”

The man said: “There is a village that lies a little west of the Burg, called Apthorp, but it is open and unwalled, and its ownership is debated. Sometimes it is under the control of the Burg, sometimes the Dry Tree, and if you were to stay there and the men of the Dry Tree were to take you, that would be it for your errands. And if the men of the Burg were to take you, then you would go there in worse circumstances than if you were to go by your own free will. So what do you say? Who in the Burg—a good town with good, strong laws—would hurt you, if you’re a good person as you seem to be. And if you’re seeking adventure, which may be the case, you will soon find them there. I advise you to come with me to the Burg, and honestly I think it would be easier for me to get in if I were in your company, you being a knight and a lord.”

Ralph thought about it and decided that there really was not much danger in it if he went to the Burg, since the two men he had fought were not going to be telling anybody what happened. And no one else knew except for the lady, who seemed to be more endangered by the Burg than he was. He also thought that if something bad were to happen, he could rely on old Oliver. But on the other hand, he desired to go Hampton under Scaur, where in truth he thought he’d see the lady again.

Between one thing and another, he was taking a while to respond when suddenly the man said: “Hey, you left your horse outside the bushes and he’s whinnying. We’ve got to go; there are people nearby and they’re probably our enemies.”

Then they both got up and went to where Falcon stood outside the bushes and Ralph leapt into the saddle, and the man jumped up behind him without being told, and he pointed to a clearing that led back to the highway and cried out: “Ride, young lord! That way! The men of the Dry Tree are out this morning!”

Ralph shook the rein and Falcon leapt into motion without more urging, while the man looked over his shoulder and said “They’re coming from over there! There are three of them, and they always ride good horses. Wait, there are four of them,” he said as shouts rose up behind them. “Faster! Your horse is good, we can outrun them!”

Then Ralph heard the sound of horses galloping on the road and he heeled Falcon faster.

“Ah, watch out! THey know they can’t outride you and one of them is readying a composite bow—they like to shoot from horseback. Turn to the side!”

Ralph bent down and made Falcon Swerve, and he heard the twang of a bow and an arrow flew past his head. Falcon galloped on and the man cried out: “There’s the road to the Burg! Watch out again!”

A second arrow was fired from the bow and the sound of their pursuers was loud behind them. Another came, but this one fell short and the man turned back to look at them and shook his fist at them, crying out over the sound of galloping horses: “Hah, you thieves! I am Roger the ropemaker, and I’m going to make a noose for you!”

Then he said to Ralph: “They are turning back; we’ve beaten them and they don’t like the open road, but don’t let up, young knight, unless you love your horse more than your own life; they’ll be following alongside the road to see if we were born stupid and never learned anything afterwards.”

“Yeah,” said Ralph, “and now I guess you’re going to tell me that we’ve got to go to the Burg.”

“Yes, truly,” said the man, “nor will it take long, going as fast as we are going.”

“Or slower,” Ralph said, pulling back on the reins a little, “for I think the chase is done and I don’t want to ride Falcon to death. He is my friend, just as you might become.”

Then they went on at a canter until the woods thinned and there were farmlands on either side of the road. Roger said: “You can let your horse rest now—and ride single—we’re among friends now. Not even twenty of the Dry Tree would come this close to the Burg except under the cover of darkness.

So Ralph halted and he and Roger got down, and Ralph looked around and saw a stone tower built on a little hill in a wheat field, and below it some simple houses with straw roofs. There were people working, coming and going in the fields, who took little notice of the two of them standing quietly beside a horse. But all of these folk—at least that they could see—was carrying a weapon.

Then Ralph said: “My man, is this the Burg of the Four Friths?”

Roger laughed and said: “That’s an easy question, Sir Knight. That is a watchtower of the Burg, which farmers can live by because there are armed men inside. There are twenty seven towers like this all around the Burg. They say that that’s how old the Fair Lady who started building the Burg was when she married the Forest Lord, whose family had lived for generations in thatched houses made in clearings in the wood. But now, knight, we can go slowly to the Gate of the Burg, and if you want I will walk beside you, for as I said our companionship will be beneficial to me.

Ralph Said: “Please do come with me, good fellow, and show me what way is easiest to get in.” So, when Falcon was rested they went on, passing through acres of farmland and wide meadows, here and there dotted with houses. Then they came to a small gathering of houses on a low hill, from the other side of which they could see the walls and towers of the Burg. From there all the way to the walls there were no more houses or cornfields, only open ground with sheep and cows and little stream winding through.

Notes:

And here we meet Roger! I like him because he immediately makes a joke about wishing the deer would rise up and kill the thieves that share their lands (and some non-thieves, too). Also he’s just a dude. I like when there’s a character who’s just a guy. The text repeatedly refers to Roger as “the carle,” a term I explained in a previous note.

Roger says “when the Devil drives, to hell must we,” which I tried to translate in a non-confusing way, but may have failed. “Driving” here almost certainly refers to the guiding of animals to a place (like with a “cattle drive,” also driving horses that pull a cart/wagon). Basically, he’s saying that if the Devil’s in control (i.e. circumstances are bad), you don’t have much of a choice about where you’re going. It seems also that he assumes there’s something bad happening to Ralph, forcing him to go to Hampton.

Another local who’s set against Hampton! Just what’s going on there? Oh also I should have mentioned this before, but “scaur” is a term for a steep slope or cliff. So a modern translation would be “Hampton under [the] Cliff” (I believe “the” is sometimes included in the name, but not always).

Ralph and Roger go a furlong away from the crossroads to eat. A furlong is 1/8th of a mile, which has no convenient term in modern English.

The man of the Dry Tree is specified to have a “Turk bow” (a Turkish bow). This is an old term  for a composite bow, which the Turks popularized (at least, they brought them to the west). This is an important detail because English longbows are too large and unwieldy to fire from horseback, but composite bows provide much more power in a more compact form, making them perfect for mounted combat. The Japanese dealt with the issue of horseback archery by designing asymmetrical longbows, which were held low on the bow and had more length up above (giving the power of a longbow but keeping it out of the way of the horse). I like archery.

Roger calls himself “Roger of the Rope-walk”, which is a long path where the materials for rope are hung up before being twisted together. I don’t know if that title is intended to serve as his surname (which would make him Roger Roper, unfortunately), or even if rope-making was his profession; he may have just been taunting them. Also: someone said their own name! Following my established tradition of just saying whatever something reminds me of, this makes me think of The Divine Comedy, in which Dante’s name is only ever said once (his narrative refers to it being uncouth to talk about oneself like that, but he’s quoting Beatrice, who is addressing him).

It’s been alluded to a couple of times now, but horses really aren’t well-suited for going super fast. Galloping for any real length of time is hazardous and can overstrain them.

Technically after they slow down, they’re going at a hand gallop, which is slightly faster than a canter.

“Fair Lady” and “Forest Lord” are both capitalized in the original text. I mention this so that it won’t be mistaken as an explicit reference to the Lady. And of course, it couldn’t refer to the Lady because if she were around when they started building the Burg of the Four Friths, she’d be super old by now… right?

I’ve been translating “thorp” as “village” because I don’t think the word is well-known nowadays. Actually, though, a thorp is a gathering of houses, so I guess it’d be smaller than a village. Here I just described it because the text says it’s a really small thorp and I didn’t feel like dealing with trying to describe a village that small. Netherton and Bourton Abbas were both thorps.

Map:

[omniversalobservations]

Spider-Man: The Gathering of the Sinister Six (1999)

The Machiavelli Club, mentioned on pages 34-35 of Gathering of the Sinister Six, as well as pages 162-163 of Revenge of the Sinister Six, was founded by Professor James Moriarty, from the Sherlock Holmes stories "The Final Problem," "The Adventure of the Empty House," and the novel The Valley of Fear.  Its members include various rogues from comic books, movies, prose fiction, and so forth:

* The waiter at the Macchiavelli Club is Henry from Asimov's BLACK WIDOWER stories. * Wilson Fisk (The Kingpin) * Obadiah Stane (The Iron Monger) from Iron Man. * Gruber brothers: Anton Gruber first appeared in the prose novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp (a sequel to his homosexual murder mystery The Detective).  Anton Gruber was basically a Baader-Meinof/Red Army Faction-style terrorist.  He was renamed Franz Gruber for the film Die Hard, while his brother Simon appeared in Die Hard With a Vengeance. * Doctor Fu Manchu is obviously "the long-lived oriental gentleman" that the Gentleman refers to.  (Although later on it is said that the Gentleman harbors prejudice against the Chinese, he makes no snide remarks about Doctor Fu Manchu.)  The Gentleman believes that Doctor Fu Manchu is dead due to the events of Master of Kung Fu #118, though he showed up alive and well in Marvel Knights I #4.  Marvel currently refers to him as the Ghost, due to licensing issues. * Auric is Auric Goldfinger, from the Ian Fleming novel.  Auric is derived from the Latin word for gold, from which its elemental symbol, Au, is derived. * Lex is Lex Luthor. * Justin Hammer is an Iron Man villain. * "The German Herr Taubman."  An alias used by a recurring villain called "The Deaf Man" in "The 87th Precinct" novels by Ed McBain.  Great novels BTW.  (Taubman is German for deaf man as I recall.)  Here's a clip from a fan site. * The Wrightsville Diedrich Van Horn is from the Ellery Queen novel Ten Day's Wonder, written by Ellery Queen.  (Ellery Queen was a sleuth created by two cousins who adopted his name as their pen name.  He went to a town called Wrightsville for vacations.  In the movies, Ralph Bellamy played Ellery Queen-Bellamy also appeared in two Eddie Murphy movies as one of the Duke brothers.) * Ras is Ra's Al Ghul, from the Distinguished Competition. * Soze is from the film The Usual Suspects. * Hannibal is Hannibal Lecter, from the novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, and later Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. * Carmen is Carmen San Diego from the computer game and cartoon show. * Mr. Glass is from the film Unbreakable, as played by Samuel Jackson. * Napier refers to the Jack Napier, the Joker, from the 1989 Batman film. * Ernst is Ernst Blofeld from the Ian Fleming novel Thunderball. * Randolph and Mortimer Duke are from two Eddie Murphy films, Trading Places and Coming to America.  While in both these films Randolph and Mortimer Duke, insider traders, were played by the same actors (Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy), Eddie Murphy was not playing the same person in these films, which were otherwise unrelated.

Although not mentioned as a member of the Machiavelli Club, Caspar Gutman worked with the Gentleman in the past, per page 166 of Secret of the Sinister Six. Casper Gutman comes from the Dashiell Hammett novel The Maltese Falcon, published in 1929.

Source: Marvel Universe Appendix

Carmen Sandiego is part of the Machiavelli Club, along with Jack Napier, Hannibal Lecter and Mr. Glass. Among others. Moriarty was a founding member, and the Gruber Brothers and a villain from an Ellery Queen novel have been members. The Gentleman briefly converses with two brothers, Randolph and Mortimer, who made their money on the futures exchange, and wonders how they earned a place at the club as they are no more 'evil' than standard stockbrokers.

Though not mentioned by name, Clint Eastwood, Robert Downey Jr. and Sylvester Stallone are all heavily implied to be attending Brick Johnson's funeral.

The cast from Scooby-Doo shows up at the end of the final book.

The 27th Precinct's Detective Briscoe takes statements.

Dr. Christian Szell is an old associate of The Gentleman.

Quentin Beck passes Cassady and Jesse.

In the third book, the Gentleman credits the inspiration for his overall Evil Plan to be a late associate of his named Auric.

One of the police officers in the third book is implied to be the son of Marge Gunderson.

Source: TV Tropes

(image via Amazon)

[marvelman901]

Captain America vol 1 443 (1995) . Twilight's Last Gleaming . Written by Mark Gruenwald Penciled by Dave Hoover Inked by Danny Bulanadi Colors by George Roussos Lettered by Michael Higgins Edited by Ralph Macchio . Captain America was trying to cope with the fact that he only had 24 hours left to live... . See more relevant content here: #marvelman901captainamerica #marvelman901avengers #marvelman901falcon #marvelman901blackwidow #marvelman901crossbones #marvelman901pym #marvelman901quicksilver #marvelman901crystal #marvelman901freespirit #marvelman901jackflag . #captainamerica #avengers #blackwidow #crossbones #90s #batroc #pym #blackcrow #falcon #quicksilver #crystal #jackflag #freespirit #superia #diamondback (på/i New York City, N.Y.) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cky_jIpsUnL/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[ao3feed-sambucky]

my mind has changed my body’s frame (but, god, I like it)

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/42433428

by Writer_Lethogica

Sam Wilson finds his soulmate in a hole-in-the-wall bar. Things escalate from there.

EXCERPT:

That was when Sam felt it.

The sudden kick of his instincts flooding him like a wave.

A change in the atmosphere. A shift in temperature. Sam zeroed in on one scent; pepper, bergamot, and amberwood engulfed Sam.

He knew.

He just knew where to look.

And there, at the far end of the room, Sam found a man with the most intense eyes.

Sam had heard about it. Knew that there would be a physical lurch in his heart as his and that of the man he locked eyes with became synced. Hearts beating as one.

Sam had loved people.

He loved Leila for a time. Riley. He loved Misty for a hot second too, as well as Ralph. Sam didn’t understand why it was never them. Why what he was feeling hadn’t triggered it, truly triggered Sam’s awakening.

But now he understood the difference.

The universe changed before him as he felt it.

How had Sam lived before this?

Words: 9141, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 3 of SamBucky Halloween Bingo 2022

Fandoms: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America (Movies)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Sam Wilson (Marvel), James "Bucky" Barnes, Misty Knight, James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Sarah Wilson (Marvel), Gideon Wilson, Carlos (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Tommy (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Joaquín Torres, Jennifer Walters, Matt Murdock

Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson

Additional Tags: full beta we survive like final girls, POV Sam Wilson, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Soulmates, Werewolf Sam Wilson, Werewolf Bucky Barnes, Getting Together, Strangers to Lovers, Mating Bites, Porn with Feelings, more like, feelings with porn, Anal Sex, Frottage, Top Bucky Barnes, Bottom Sam Wilson, Knotting, Sam Wilson getting his needs met, and his needs are werewolf sex lol, Getting to Know Each Other, Minor Matt Murdock/Jennifer Walters, Minor James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/42433428