#Wounded Lion

[bandcampsnoop]

5/7/24.

Vaguess (Los Angeles, California) is the vehicle for the work of Vinny Earley. To be honest, I fully expected this band to be Australian rather than from Los Angeles. And this is really entirely my fault. I've come to associate Los Angeles with Uni Boys and Billy Tibbals - power pop/punk. Not that either band wouldn't like Vaguess, but this release sounds more post-punk than power pop. And as much as I've come to associate Los Angeles with power pop, this brand of angular post-punk makes me think of Australia (Ausmuteants).

Erste Theke Tontraeger (ETT) is releasing this LP - and this makes me think of a cross between Germ House and Wounded Lion (neither of which, oddly, are Australian).

The Bandcamp write-up brings to attention the title of the last song "Profit or Punk?". Great title, great song, and great attitude. The write up ends, "In summation: Save Vinny Earley, may his reign last a thousand years."

[penspagesandpulses]

Book Review: A Silent Hope by Madisyn Carlin

The past few weeks have been pretty rough. When I signed up to ARC read A Silent Hope, I didn’t expect to be accepted into the ARC team, but Madi graciously let me into the team. Words cannot express how much I needed to read this book. Hope Ever After, it’s an apt name; I needed the glimmers of hope I got from reading this book. I LOVE fairy tale retellings, but I love retellings of…

[kingshook1]

[azurem]

Inkmare would involve Nightmare trying to get Ink to show him their drawings. Not only out of genuine interest but because Ink just keeps getting so defensive every time😭😭😭😭 if nm ever catches them with their sketchbook™ ink just immediately drops over it to make sure he Doesn't See. Nightmare finds it so funny every time trust

[joenateuser]

LEVI MILLER as Young Sergei Kraven the Hunter (2024)

[neunhofferart]

Yasammy and Ben

[spinnysocks]

you ever wonder

if the writers planned that?

[tigerleopardlion]

Southern Lion | AJ Whitlock

[bonefall]

So, your Clear Sky post is absolutely horrifying, but it was very needed, so thank you. What are your general thoughts on tackling his abuse for the AU? Like you've said, pretending he's a good guy is not the way to go, but are you planning on toning down *some* of the situations, just to give some of the cats a break? Clear Sky is a very realistic depiction of abusers, but that seems to come across even without victim number 25, yknow? I'm very curious about how you'd like to go about this.

My most recent big change was bringing Slash back into the fold, because I realized that it was actually a disservice to not address where DOTC's themes dip into Colonialism. It's a hard topic, and I'm still trying to work out the details, but I realized it was important.

With how BB!DOTC is such a MASSIVE overhaul, to properly address abuse and the ways it impacts you, ableism and its violence, and xenophobia broadly, a huge reworking of Slash belonged here too. He's one of the greatest examples of how badly WC demonizes non-Clanborn cats. I shouldn't dance around it.

That's what I need to do with Skystar.

MANY of his victims have happier endings than canon, though. Bumble is one of the most famous, bumped up into a major character and directly responsible for the formation of ThunderClan. Bright Storm is taking most of Gray Wing's roles. Birch and Alder are getting examined, with either a father who wants his kids back or Milkweed as the mate of Misty.

A lot of people will die because of him, even more will be hurt, but I see BB!DOTC as a story about victims and survivors.

Others might grab POVs here and there, but as a response to canon which I feel is Clear Sky's story told in many parts, I center this rewrite around Thunder Storm. The path of kindness he marches down, with love and with anger, and the people he helps.

So BB!Star Flower...

Previously I was playing her as ENTIRELY just manipulating Clear Sky. She was loyal to One Eye and trying to get at Skystar to bleed him dry for 8 lives to sacrifice; but connected to Thunderstar over recognizing him as a victim who deserves her idea of justice. So, she offers Thunderstar the final kill, so her father will be grateful to him and he'll get power AND the death of his abuser.

(When Thunderstar looks upon Skystar, pathetic and neutralized down to one life, he thinks about the collateral damage that will descend upon the forest if he accepts the deal. He decides that he has found the line between Justice and Justification. Of course he wants the power to make his enemies cower, protect his people, and eliminate Clear Sky so he never threatens them again; that's not the problem.

He can still do these things. He wouldn't NEED the power of a war god to do so.

But if One Eye returns, he will be endlessly hungry, ruthlessly dedicated to revenge, and set out to devour the whole forest. Everything would get worse, and even more people he loves would die. It's where his desire to destroy a monster would lead to him BECOMING one.)

Even on its face, it was previously missing an element. There's a step between "Starf decides to bring One Eye back" and "Starf offers Thunderstar the final kill" that was bare. This is the piece that was missing-- That she, herself, is trying to reach out to the only person who's ever really understood her.

But more importantly... I do feel this topic belongs here, in BB!DOTC. Abuse is a MAJOR theme. SKYSTAR is a monster already. He's harmed two wives in BB (Bright Storm and Falling Cry) and played toxic games with all three kits (Thunder Storm, Pale Sky, Tiger Sky).

And I'd avoid Star Flower being abused... why? Because it's uncomfortable to confront the pattern that Clear Sky displays? That in-canon, he tries to cut all his victims into the same ideal shape, from Storm to Thunder to Star Flower? ...it should be uncomfortable. Everything that I described in Clear Sky Is A Monster is rooted in the same desire for control, power, and punishment most abusive people share, he just happens to be a severe example.

Yes. That includes how he treats his child and romantic partners. The parallels that are drawn between Starf and Thunder are there because he wants power in the form of obedience. Starf replaces the son as a narrative award for his "growth" of not killing random people anymore for a while.

A cookie cutter is an effective tool because IT ONLY MAKES ONE SHAPE.

You know what's more uncomfortable? Reading canon!DOTC and seeing someone who hurt you reflected almost perfectly in the character the writers think did nothing wrong. Because of "good intentions" that were not there.

I will say though, just to be clear; I don't see a purpose in being more than PG-13 about serious topics for this project. I promise none of my intentions have changed. Nothing will be more graphic or gorey than canon WC-- just more intentional.

I'm keeping the sacrifice because it's dope. No one is taking this from me. Girl Moment: Killed her awful husband 8 times to count as 8 sacrifices and offered the last life to her buddy as a show of good will. How else do you make friends outside of high school

But I know now that Star Flower NEEDS to keep the canon fact she has very little agency, UNTIL that moment she snaps.

She's sacrificing one abuser to try and bring back a bigger, badder one, because in spite of everything, her father One Eye always made her feel safe. Even though he promised her off to Skystar, and expected her to be willing to die for him. She's followed every command, every order, past the death of his mortal vessel.

The first, and only, selfish choice she's ever made was in reaching out to Thunderstar to offer him the power of her father.

Thunderstar's Justice is a story about a Thunder Storm at the pinnacle of his arc, how the survivors of his Clan are settling into the new normal after the carnage of The First Battle, how Skystar's arrogance brings a violent god to the Forest... and the connection Thunderstar makes with the daughter of a monster.

[tkachuktkaching]

Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers is seen during warm-ups before Game Four of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on June 15, 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta.

(Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)

[rabbit-exe]

rewatched exu calamity and brennan really rocked up to the critical role studio and said "I'm gonna hurt that paladin So Bad"

[bandcampsnoop]

2/5/23.

I learn about a lot of new music by checking out what other Bandcampers buy. Allan McNaughton (Oakland - member of Neutrals and Giant Haystack) is a new follow for me and led me to the following band.

Rubber Blanket (Los Angeles, California) is made up of members from Wounded Lion and The Intelligence. The music leans more to The Intelligence. Really, this sounds like 1980s post punk. It's a cross between The Fall, Orange Juice and lo-fi industrial. And really, that doesn't do this any justice.

It's released on Spacecase Records. They released the excellent Narrow Adventure LP, and have a lot of new and old releases from the LA scene.

[penspagesandpulses]

Cover Reveal: A Silent Hope by Madisyn Carlin

Madisyn Carlin is publishing a new book, and it’s part of a multi-author series I am BEYOND excited for!!!!! The series is called Hope Ever After, and the proceeds from the series will all go to support Operation Underground Railroad! This post contains affiliate links. If you use one of my links, I will receive a percentage of the sale, at no extra cost to you! Essentially, you can buy a book,…

[fluffyhummel]

i have. a Vision: All-hands-on-deck batmeeting without imminent crisis, everyone's in civvies, the only one not there is Bruce (this started out as 'what can they do to control him/stop him from controlling them' thoughts but im not that depressed rn so idk lets say they're planning a surprise party or something)

Anyways everybody's there and someone (Tim) either comes out or has recently come out as genderfluid, which leads to everybody wearing name- and pronountags, like the handwritten on that painter's tape stuff sort of thing, which leads to Shenanigans TM

they're trying to tag more and more ridiculous nicknames onto each other. some like this. some pretend not to. The meeting goes on, they take a break to eat snacks in the den together. The movie theatre in my mind has been showing the following scene on repeat for a Week: Jason in a soft white t-shirt, tagged neatly with Jason, he/him in his own handwriting and Jay, Jace, Jaybird, Hoodie (someone was trying to be funny), and a barely legible Little Wing in various others, the tags but the first in stages from scrunched up to straight up ripped from his (pretend) resisting; but now he's with his back on the floor and laughing, while Duke, also grinning, covered head to toe in nametags that just say "the", sticks three lines of tape diagonally across Jason whole chest to write in bold red letters "PIPSQUEAK"

[mediavol-o]

shitty drawings from this weekend always trying something new SIGH

[theserpens]

Drarry Fic Rec: Part Ten

Arguably the pinnacle of vulnerable angst: Draco and Harry colliding, in sixth year. This is a Set of stories taking place during school, with the boys on opposite sites of a brewing war.

Love Spells by FeelsForBreakfast 1,763 words, E

It doesn’t start with a kiss. Or a punch. Neither of those. It begins with a look, lingered, held.

Obsessive (Compulsive) by @xylodemon 6,643 words, M

Harry dreams in red and white.

On open wounds by asofthaven 16,592 words, M

In which Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy end a war. No, not that one.

_

Denude by Faith Wood 4,172 words, E

What if the Sectumsempra scene had a greater impact on Harry and Draco?

Hurt for the Right Reasons by @lqtraintracks 4,571 words, E

Everything was so cocked up. He just wanted this one thing. He wanted to hurt for the right reasons for once.

'Love Spells', 'Obsessive (Compulsive)' and 'On open wounds' all include a not-quite-love affair between Harry and Draco during the events of the sixth book, with all the mistrust and antagonism such a relationship encapsulates. 'Denude' and 'Hurt for The Right Reasons' are deliciously intimate, hard and smutty one-shots, that are enriched by the canon dilemma.

'Love Spells‘ is just pure poetry. Every sentence is a punch to the gut, which you’ll take with gratitude. The phrase "love is a closed fist" still haunts me. 'Obsessive (Compulsive)’ is also beautiful, but cruel and perfectly encapsulates Harry’s fixation on Draco. His struggle between righteousness and surrender to carnal desire is visceral here. ’On open wounds‘ deals with their mutual inability to leave it (the other) alone. They just keep clawing at each other until it becomes a caress.

'Denude’ has some wonderful bargaining with intimacy. I love how Harry basically considers "having" Draco a struggle between himself and Voldemort, even though their hold on him couldn’t be more different. With 'Hurt for the Right Reasons‘ this Set also includes a story from Draco’s POV. It has lovely abandon, taunts and rough sex, but it leaves you with a hopeful feeling.