#Young Taran

[julie-su]

Young Taran

In the Med bay of Haven, young Taran sat politely as the man introduced to him as Tobor had begun to tend to his wounds. Spectre didn't seem to like Tobor. Spectre had rescued Young Taran, and had brought him here; he liked Spectre. In turn, Young Taran had decided that he, too, did not like Tobor. Gauze was wrapped around young Taran's knee, as Tobor inspected him. “Who has done this, boy?” Tobor asked, inspecting a rather large bruise on Young Taran's leg. Young Taran didn't want to answer. Spectre, who had been uneasily watching from the corner spoke up in a small, vindictive voice. “His father.” He spoke slow, in a way which seemed deliberate in a way which Young Taran couldn't quite parse.

Tobor chuckled, which Young Taran didn't understand; there was nothing to chuckle at. It sounded mischievous. He did not like it. He glanced desperately for Spectre; he didn't have the words to explain, but he knew that this wasn't right. Tobor simply kept bandaging his wounds, tutting. “Well, that's just how fathers are.” Tobor said in a dry tone, which Young Taran did not like one bit. Spectre did not seem to like it one bit, either, for he seemed to darken in his demeanour. Spectre's brows furrowed, “Don't you tell that to the boy.” He said in a quiet voice, as if he wished that he hadn't been speaking at all. It had seemed to be the wrong thing to say, Young Taran thought, as the room felt as if it had gotten a few degrees colder. For a moment, it was as if time itself had stopped, waiting on Tobor to start it again. “Sons ought to listen to their fathers. You know that better than anybody, boy.” Tobor finally spoke, after an incredibly long silence. Young Taran hated the toneless way that it was spoken, as if it were delivered as a just truth, a reminder of the norm.

Young Taran glanced up nervously, almost afraid to speak up. He had watched how Tobor talked to Spectre, and he knew that it was not correct. He fiddled with his hands as he finally glanced up. “Are sons always supposed to do what fathers say?” Young Taran asked in a voice which was rather a touch too small. After all, he was still working out how this world worked, and it seemed all a bit much. Tobor seemed to suck on his teeth for a moment as he rolled it around in his head, whilst Spectre looked as if he were experiencing vertigo. Young Taran couldn't quite parse if he, too, had said something that he wasn't supposed to - but, then, he never could comprehend why some things seemed to be wrong.

Tobor simply went back to securing the bandage, nodding. “Fathers only want what is best for their Sons, after all.“ He spoke nonchalantly, lifting the boy up off of the table. Young Taran hated being held by him, even for a second. He stared at his feet; he knew that this was wrong, but he couldn't fathom why an adult would lie. He was sure it would make sense to him, eventually. Young Taran muttered a small thank you, quickly shuffling back to Spectre's side. Spectre took him under his cape as if to shield him, silently walking him out of the room. They silently walked down the dark corridors, all the way into one of the many recreational garden spaces of Haven. Young Taran liked the garden spaces. They were full of interesting smelling flowers, and streams which made such nice sounds. He felt that this was why they had named it Haven at all. ”It's not true.“ Spectre finally spoke, glancing out at the garden. ”Sons do not have to listen to their fathers. Fathers make sons listen to them, but child, if you can - do not listen.“ He spoke comforting words with such a gentle rage in his voice. Young Taran felt that this was true, but he had become more interested in a butterfly that had started fluttering by, following it along intently with his eyes, his muzzle upturned as it arced over his head. ”Suppose I don't have a father anymore?“ Young Taran said distractedly, his nose delicately sniffing the clear air. ”Suppose I never go back home“ he continued, letting his legs follow the path of the butterfly. He barely had remembered that Spectre was there at all; how silly, for just back there in the Med bay, every inch of his being had yearned to be hiding behind him.

Spectre watched him follow the butterfly in circles around him. ”Sadly, the nature of this tethered existence, is that you will always have a father. You may choose not to visit him; you may not even know where, how, or who, he is. But he will exist; that is important to acknowledge. Not out of any love or care of the man - no, it is for the scars he will continue to leave behind that you must acknowledge it.“ His eyes followed the boy with a sense of remorse. Young Taran glanced back up at him, curious once more. “Even if he is not present? Even if he can't touch me anymore?” He pondered it over; how could something hurt by not being present? It seemed paradoxical. Spectre nodded; ”You will yearn. You will ache. You may even feel such horrid feelings, to see somebody with their father, whom loves them very much. It will make you angry. It will make your stomach turn. These are the scars which a terrible father may leave on us.“ he found himself speaking gently, kneeling down to the boy. ”You must know this. You must acknowledge it in your heart. You must understand that this hatred, as pure as you are, will not taint your soft being, young Taran. It is alright to feel such burning hatred, so long as we do not let it influence our actions. Do not give him the satisfaction.“ He held the boys impossibly tiny hand in his; how very small he was, for a boy of reasoning age. ”You may even find somebody who will fill this void. It will not quench the anger, the fear - but it will keep it at bay. You may find somebody to call your father; not of biology, but of kinship. A chosen bond.“

Young Taran felt that yearning in his every being. It was here in which he realised what an awfully long journey he had set ahead for himself. His eyes shone brightly with an understanding; usually, such speeches from adults had meant nothing to him. This, however, had wrapped itself around his heart; he knew what every word meant, and where it was supposed to go. He leant on Spectre, finding that he had nothing more to say. Spectre wrapped an arm around the boy comfortingly. He felt at peace, for once.

[vulpinesaint]

❤️‍🔥 book pls

HIIII MY LOVE MY DARLING MY EVERYTHING!!!!! pushing the wolf among the wild hunt at you again i will give you my copy for real. i'm not saying it was the best book on the planet but the imagery was good and the characters were easy to love and sometimes i think that queerplatonic love is the most important thing in the world. also fae! again i loved the imagery of this book yessss give us a faery king with antlers...

[jordanrosenburg]

After watching the “Quiet On Set” documentary, I can’t help but feel like there are literally no good people in the entertainment industry. Even the “good” ones aren’t good. It solidifies that we don’t actually know anything about them. We only know who they present as to the media. 

I think like most people around my age, we grew up watching Nickelodeon during its golden age. I always looked forward to watching “All That” not only because it was funny, but because it was something I could watch with my older siblings. It was something the four of us could laugh together about. My sister and I still laugh over the bit from “Keenan and Kel” where Kel admits to dropping the screw in the tuna. So many iconic characters and television shows were created at the hands of Dan Schneider. 

What else was created at the hands of Dan Schneider were countless acts of abuse, harassment, manipulation, and much more. His sets were homes to child sexual abusers. Adults who are around children each and every day, taking advantage of their trust and innocence, grooming them and harming them physically and mentally. 

It’s not easy for victims of abuse to speak up. Many aren’t believed. Reliving trauma is a horrific experience, so I commend each and every person who shared their story for this docuseries. There were previous cast members who aren’t as well known who got to share their truths, there were crew members sharing stories about Dan’s harassment and sexism on set. There were many crew members that felt uncomfortable about the scenes they were shooting, but no one spoke up. Dan had so much power at Nickelodeon because he kept churning out hit after hit after hit. The parents weren’t much better, but I’ll come back to that. 

The docuseries revealed three adult men who were caught for child pornography, and for sexually abusing children. One man’s name is Brian Peck. He groomed Drake Bell for years. Joe Bell, Drake’s father, did everything he could to keep Brian away from Drake because he knew something just wasn’t right with how Brian acted around his son. Brian eventually convinced Drake to fire his father as his manager, and let his mother take over. This gave Brian the room to drive Drake to and from auditions, take him to Disneyland with him and his friends, and more. Drake Bell revealed in the documentary that Brian Peck sexually assaulted and abused him for years. Since Drake was a minor when it started, his identity was kept secret.

During the trial, many people wrote letters for Brian Peck, attesting to his character: James Marden, Taran Killam, Alan Thicke, Thomas DeSano, Ron Melendez, Rider Strong, and Will Friedle. Some of these names are extremely surprising, and others aren't at all.

Joanna Kerns saying, "there must have been some extreme situation or temptation exerted on him to influence is actions" at the time, and is now saying "I have now learned that my letter of support was based on complete misinformation.

Knowing what I know now, I never would have written the letter". For me, it's not even about her writing the letter, it's about her blaming Drake Bell, the victim, and child in the situation, as if Brian Peck wasn't a grown man who should have known better.

Kimmy Robertson also wrote victim blaming language in her letter of support for Brian Peck.

Rich Correll wrote, "it would be my pleasure to work with him again". And then he did! Brian was allowed to work on The Suite Life! Correll later said, they had no input or involvement in the casting". He also went on to say that, "Mr. Peck simply replied that 'the problem had been solved'".

The series went on from there, explaining how Dan’s behaviors just got worse and worse, and he “flew too close to the sun”. The inappropriate sexual innuendo bits on his shows happened more and more frequently. This included constant closeups on actors’ feet, many of the young female actresses being forced to be squirted in the face with various liquids to represent “money shots”. Ariana Grande probably had it the worst in that she had to film videos that went directly to YouTube, many of which included her biting her own toenails, squeezing a potato until juice squirted out of it, etc. Just absolutely disgusting things that do not make sense for a CHILDREN’S television show. These weren’t jokes for kids. This was Dan Schneider abusing his power, and seeing how much he could get away with. 

It wasn’t until Jeanette McCurdy’s mother died that Nickelodeon finally launched an investigation into Dan Schneider. Jeanette talks about this in her book, “I’m Glad My Mom Died”, which was a heart wrenching read, but well worth it. Jeanette returned to work a WEEK after her mother died from a long battle with cancer. Because of the backlash she got for that, Nickelodeon realized that it was the culture Dan created that probably made Jeanette feel like she had to come back, that she couldn’t take more time off. 

All Nickelodeon did was remove Dan from his sets, and made it so he could only watch from his office and give notes from there. Even though he wasn’t physically on set, the toxic and hostile environment was still alive and well because he was still watching everyone’s every move. 

Thanks to #MeToo, more and more women started speaking up about their experiences on set with Dan Schneider. And then in 2018 Nickelodeon finally kicked Dan Schneider to the curb after launching another investigation based off the new claims. The investigation didn't reveal proof of sexual abuse, but it revealed more cases of harassment of his actors and his crews.

Child stars are often made fun of and exploited by the media as they transition into adulthood. We watch their mental health decline until they’re caught having a breakdown. People point and laugh, and say it’s just another child star who couldn’t handle life as a grown up. But what I think a lot of people don’t understand is that many child stars are forced into the entertainment business. Parents put their financial burdens on their children, tell them they need to work to support the family. That’s a lot of pressure to put on a child. So, if something bad is happening on a set, a kid is going to be too afraid to speak up because they could be fired, and if they’re fired, then they’re not making money for their families. The parents are supposed to be on set and with the kids at all times. But so many turn the other cheek and don’t speak up because they don’t want to risk their kids getting fired. 

It just feels like no adults, not even the ones you’re meant to trust, are safe to be around. In some way, shape, or form these kids get abused. Whether it’s sexual abuse, racism, inflicted eating disorders, or other types of mental abuse, they’re not safe. No one is looking out for them. Everyone is more concerned with making money. 

The entertainment industry squeezes the youth dry and tosses them aside when they can’t legally control them anymore. And we wonder why so many of them have a tough time later on in life. The lucky ones are helped through therapy, and the not so lucky ones either turn up dead, broke, abused, or end up abusing others as they were abused. 

I am feeling very sad and heartbroken. And I’m not sure where to go from here. So many of these shows have brought me comfort and laughs over the years. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to enjoy them again. Is it okay to sit and watch reruns or should we be boycotting everything? I want to help in the ways that I can, but I also know that the world will stop caring about this in a week or so when the next big truth bomb about something else is dropped. 

People who have no moral conscious, people who are okay letting children be hurt for the sake of their own wallets shouldn’t have any power. And I hope everyone involved in hurting these kids, past and present, is forced to answer for what they did. I hope they’re shamed and cancelled and doxxed and everything else bad that can happen to people like them. I hope they go broke and become ruined. And at this point, I hope Nickelodeon just crashes and burns. They don’t deserve any salvation. 

[book--brackets]

Summaries under the cut

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

Taran wanted to be a hero, and looking after a pig wasn't exactly heroic, even though Hen Wen was an oracular pig. But the day that Hen Wen vanished, Taran was led into an enchanting and perilous world. With his band of followers, he confronted the Horned King and his terrible Cauldron-Born. These were the forces of evil, and only Hen Wen knew the secret of keeping the kingdom of Prydain safe from them. But who would find her first?

The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White

Louie is very popular. Who wouldn't love a swan who can read, write, and play the trumpet? When Louie goes to camp, he meets a boy named A.G. who doesn't like birds, and since Louie is a bird, that means he doesn't like Louie. When A.G. pulls a dangerous stunt out on the lake, he realizes that Louie is a hero, after all.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

Every kid thinks about running away at one point or another; few get farther than the end of the block. Young Sam Gribley gets to the end of the block and keeps going--all the way to the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. There he sets up house in a huge hollowed-out tree, with a falcon and a weasel for companions and his wits as his tool for survival. In a spellbinding, touching, funny account, Sam learns to live off the land, and grows up a little in the process. Blizzards, hunters, loneliness, and fear all battle to drive Sam back to city life. But his desire for freedom, independence, and adventure is stronger. No reader will be immune to the compulsion to go right out and start whittling fishhooks and befriending raccoons.

The Black Stallion by Walter Farley

Alec Ramsay is the sole human survivor of a devastating shipwreck. Trapped on a deserted island, Alec finds his only companion is a horse, beautiful, unbroken, and savage . . . a horse whose beauty matches his wild spirit.

The Magisterium by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. To succeed at the Iron Trial and be admitted into the vaunted Magisterium school would bring bad things. But he fails at failing. Only hard work, loyal friends, danger, and a puppy await.

The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine

Twelve-year-old Addie admires her older sister Meryl, who aspires to rid the kingdom of Bamarre of gryphons, specters, and ogres. Addie, on the other hand, is fearful even of spiders and depends on Meryl for courage and protection. Waving her sword Bloodbiter, the older girl declaims in the garden from the heroic epic of Drualt to a thrilled audience of Addie, their governess, and the young sorcerer Rhys.

But when Meryl falls ill with the dreaded Gray Death, Addie must gather her courage and set off alone on a quest to find the cure and save her beloved sister. Addie takes the seven-league boots and magic spyglass left to her by her mother and the enchanted tablecloth and cloak given to her by Rhys - along with a shy declaration of his love. She prevails in encounters with tricky specters (spiders too) and outwits a wickedly personable dragon in adventures touched with romance and a bittersweet ending.

Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe

Before it's too late, Harold the dog and Chester the cat must find out the truth about the newest pet in the Monroe household -- a suspicious-looking bunny with unusual habits... and fangs!

Beka Cooper by Tamora Pierce

Beka Cooper is a rookie with the law-enforcing Provost's Guard, commonly known as "the Provost's Dogs," in Corus, the capital city of Tortall. To the surprise of both the veteran "Dogs" and her fellow "puppies," Beka requests duty in the Lower City. The Lower City is a tough beat. But it's also where Beka was born, and she's comfortable there.

Beka gets her wish. She's assigned to work with Mattes and Clary, famed veterans among the Provost's Dogs. They're tough, they're capable, and they're none too happy about the indignity of being saddled with a puppy for the first time in years. What they don't know is that Beka has something unique to offer. Never much of a talker, Beka is a good listener. So good, in fact, that she hears things that Mattes and Clary never could - information that is passed in murmurs when flocks of pigeons gather ... murmurs that are the words of the dead.

In this way, Beka learns of someone in the Lower City who has overturned the power structure of the underworld and is terrorizing its citizens into submission and silence. Beka's magical listening talent is the only way for the Provost's Dogs to find out the identity of this brutal new underlord, for the dead are beyond fear. And the ranks of the dead will be growing if the Dogs can't stop a crime wave the likes of which has never been seen. Luckily for the people of the Lower City, the new puppy is a true terrier!

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

In the kingdom of Ayortha, who is the fairest of them all? Certainly not Aza. She is thoroughly convinced that she is ugly. What she may lack in looks, though, she makes up for with a kind heart, and with something no one else has-a magical voice. Her vocal talents captivate all who hear them, and in Ontio Castle they attract the attention of a handsome prince - and a dangerous new queen.

Trickster's Duology by Tamora Pierce

Alianne is the teenage daughter of the famed Alanna, the first lady knight in Tortall. Young Aly follows in the quieter footsteps of her father, however, delighting in the art of spying. When she is captured and sold as a slave to an exiled royal family in the faraway Copper Islands, it is this skill that makes a difference in a world filled with political intrigue, murderous conspiracy, and warring gods.

[mixedup-sideblog]

41 letters…what the fuck.

The charges listed against Peck:

- SA of a person under 16.

- SA by foreign object.

- SA oral.

- SA with use of anaesthesia or controlled substance.

- Using a minor for SA.

- Sending harmful matter.

Drake Bell was sexually tortured by this man when he was only 15 years old and 41 pieces of shit wrote this kind of crap in support of his abuser….

James Marsden:

“I do intend to shed light on the fact that he has learnt his lesson…the earth would fall from the sky before Brian would think about doing something like this again.”

- ahh don’t worry everyone, James is pretty sure he would never drug and r*pe a child again so let’s just let him off on this one!

Taran Killam:

“Brian is fully aware of his misjudgement and takes full responsibility.”

- poor old Brian making that minor misjudgement when he decided to prey on a child, turn him against his father, against his family, isolate him and groom him then repeatedly SA him. Don’t worry he’s stepping up and taking full responsibility!

Joanna Kerns:

“There must have been some extreme situation or temptation exerted upon him.” and “ I would hire him today to work with children.” And "a good man that made a mistake, not a bad man who got caught."

- see that’s all it was poor Brian could not resist the extreme temptation, of course blame the 15 year old victim not the fucking adult, it’s always the same bullshit from these people I swear.

Ron Melendez:

“I also know the young man…I have met his family, seen his behaviour…I saw him pursue a friendship with Brian, maintain their close ties…Brian made a large mistake but it was not his alone.”

- surprise, more victim blaming, more trivialising. A mistake is forgetting to lock your door or putting salt in your tea instead of sugar…repeatedly r*ping a child is not a fucking mistake - it’s a fucking crime!

Tom DeSanto:

“Brian is ashamed and remorseful about his lapse in judgment.” and “ I met Drake…he seemed very fearful of his father and unable to communicate with him whatever sexual issues he was going through”

- again - broken record here but r*ping a child is not a bloody lapse in judgment! And again - victim blaming and suggesting his family were at fault!

Will Freddie:

“I can only reiterate how devastated Brian is and how these past events have forever changed him.”

- well thank god Brian is so devastated that he got caught - poor thing. The threat of prison probably has ‘forever changed him’ but I’m sure his inability to stop himself from SAing kids has done far more significant damage to his victims (and yes I believe he has more than Drake).

Kimmy Robertson:

“An outrageous, overtly gay, over-sexed person…he totally took advantage of Brian’s willingness to help.”

- the amount of victim blaming in these letters, particularly this one, is just astounding. The 15 year old boy took advantage of the 40 something year old man? Do you really truly believe that Kimmy? I’ll say it again for the billionth time - What. The. Fuck.

And this is just the snippet, there are 34 more letters - all I’m sure are variations of the above examples. The fact that we live in a world where these people not only do and get away with this shit all the time but also are supported so wholeheartedly when they’re exposed for doing it, is quite frankly terrifying.

I do not accept - we did not know the extent of what we were defending as an excuse here. You knew the charges it’s even clear in the letters themselves - you know it’s about the SA of a child (a child some of you even knew personally), you decided to disregard them, defend them or downplay them. You are only coming out now with weak-ass apologies because you have to - in reality you never thought those letters would see the light of day outside the court room.

I’m sorry but the amount of victim blaming, trivialising and excusing here is just more proof to be added to the huge pile of evidence that Hollywood is a cesspit, it does not care about victims, it does not care about children.

If anyone is still in doubt about the amount of systemic CSA in Hollywood please go and watch An Open Secret (whole thing is on YouTube)- a movie that they desperately tried to bury but is just as hard hitting as ‘Quiet on Set.’

[whistlecat]

The Book of Three

To me, the Horned King was more creature than man. A being that instilled fear in the people. In the first book, Taran as a young boy, freezes in fear in the shadow of the Horned King. "It is not the trappings that make the prince," he said gently, "nor, indeed, the sword that makes the warrior." - Gwydion Mar. 1st. HAPPY NATIONAL PIG DAY!! To: Hen Wen, my favorite oracle pig. I freckled her little back with stars ✨

bsky // twitter

[yohohonabottle]

The nephilyms and Lavi's family

Just compilation of art and head cannons. Let me know if there's any errors + your thoughts on this! @windmaedchen

The twins meeting Lavi's kiddo!

After the incident of his wife getting ambushed, cornered -forced into fighting- dragged away and almost killed a la Salem witch trial + His twins would've likely died too if they didn't hide under tree roots nearby)...

Yeah Valen decided Holistone & Ryeham ain't safe for his fam so he took em, their two horses, and left to settle into the Wilders territory. Around the Vaduso mountains, very deep into the forested area at the mountains feet. At some point moved to live up on the summit (Similar to how his wife's family did long ago. The Eclipse dynasty families preferred to inhabit densely forested terrain and mostly on mountain summits. Some even lived in the mountain as well.) (The vampires of this bloodline had incredible tolerance to freezing cold climate, low oxygen levels and really high altitudes/latitudes. Think plane-ride high. They lived 'in the clouds'. And were known to be eagle-eyed ontop of their already keen sensitivity and senses as a species.)

Valen isn't bothered by the summit's trials, having adapted to them. Plus wears an outfit an Eclipse night nymph would--Something between the attired of Thai Hill people and Eskimos/Inuit. And his blood makes more cells.. he's got more blood than the average person.

Only trusted people are allowed. And Val joined the Thorned guards as both a swordsman, plus enrolled his twins in the Jadelake academy.

So Athe also became a Thornguard after graduating and Mari a Windwhisperer who often doubles as fellow thornguard. Pirin is in that squad too. So people of the Taran village & Lunadorf affectionately jokingly call them the Thorn family. Or the Guardians family.

(Excuse the doodle quality! ;-;) Uncle Athelric pretending not to care but watching over his human nephew. You know if anyone so much as TRIES to lay a finger and take a sigle, tiny hair off that little head--They'll be mauled. Lets the lil boye play with his tail, wings maybe a tiny bit his ear, but doesn't let him tug on them.

Or Athe patrolling and maybe Lavi's kid as a wee youngin ran off (like how young kids do mostly) and trips... in trouble, and suddenly there's a blur of light auburn and white, a bat mega bat standing over him and growling lowly in warning to the threat -could be hypofiends-. Then huffs when the two are face to face, his huff ruffling the boy's hair. Picks him up by the scruff like how a mam/dad/older sibling does with cubs/pups/kittens and darts in a graceful move toward Lavi. Has his stern look on as he approaches and places her son before her. Then leaves. Alt - Lavi and her kid running from something, and Athe jumps to protect them in his true form.

Bonus points if Mari is also around at the time and dives down/over to join the fray. Her brother remaining standing over the mam & kid to protect while she acts as the offence/attack-- wiping the floor with the foes.

------ Iliya meeting/interacting with Lavi & her kid

And then there's Iliya who playfully claps the kid on the shoulder, hugs him in a side-hug and ruffles his hair. "C'mere!"

-"Ah! And is that Mam I see?" -Cue Lavi getting drawn into the hug as well then lets them go. (No, she's not dodging that hug.) "What brings you to this corner of the desert?" (Smiling and cheery as he leads them to his home/clan.) Lets the family stay over as guests.

And bonus points for Soren who's a chill "grandpa"/Uncle(?). who likely has already grown very old and died... But is back to his young looks. Every time his body ages to elderly and he dies, Soren's body is the only thing that reverts to teenage again. His mind, heart, spirit and everything else is perma-lodged into 25-40 years old adult. Same as Alsa. (Or really every playable character. See "Wicked Sun & Orderly Moon.) Just one big family get together if Soren's clan is also visiting 'Liya's.

-------------------- The Cryptids from project "Harbringer" --

And I find it funnily adorable given the Mather of the Merlinverse and in general (Pirin) "adopted" Lavi/took her under his wing. And we all know what that happens, it's a permanent thing. So he'd the guardian of her and her fam til their final breaths, possibly the next ones after. Essentially Pirin and his nephylims are the guardians/protectors of families/lines of those they adopt(ed). It mainly starts with Mather and the nephylims follow suit (genes are saying their word fr). Pirin is guardian/protector of the family & home in general to begin with. (So count Iliya, Ame (don't underestimate the lil 10-ish y/o ghost girl), Mari and Athe plus their bloodlines as guardians to Cel & Ael's family along with Lavi's.)

"I'm guessing to count the cryptids in this lot as well since he's their core component. Which is even stronger than genes passed on i think." -Finch. I had this convo w @meepinmeat.

"Hell yeah!" -Meepin. So I then noted that there'll be one certain "Harbringer" to also be in the Guardian cryptids lot.

"You know the Knave's in this too-Og Berial fused with Pirin-?

Bet Lavi would be conflicted if he (Arlecchino) acts as her and her fam's protector/guardian ...angel? Hell angel???" -Finch. And here's Arlecchino's ask blog! You'll find everything related to him there- Art, lore, trivia & him answering your questions! (The main purpose of the blog is to ask Arle questions and he'll respond.)

Now. From here, major chunk if not 100% Finch's speculations ahead! I'm most likely wrong, please I strongly encourage feedback & corrections on these interaction parts! I tried to do justice by filling the blanks with keeping Val&Lavi's personalities in mind!

I imagine her son to get curious and excited, run up to him after he strikes Lavi!Og Berial/drives him away. And when the boy catches his tail/wing, Arle pauses and looks down over his shoulder at him.... Then smiles ever so slightly in fond, reminiscing affection before telling him "Go return to your mother." Then leaves.

Or the times Arle would look after her kid like a nanny-Guardian. Letting him play with his hat, tail, wings, watching him with that look.

And then disappears as Lavi's kid grows up... Only for him to call his name. Not "Berial" like how I imagine Lavi & her Val + everyone else do. But "Arlecchino"/"Arle". Like how he did back as a wee kid. And the Knave appears.

"You're a fool for seeking me." (No malice.)

"I know what you're made of. I know you're in there Berial, like the one you fought off. But I also know Mather's in there too, and fused into one with you." (I know you won't hurt me or my family.)

"Don't get too comfortable." (Maybe has that small smile, placing his hat on Lavi's son's head.)

------- As for the Balladeer, boy you'll see this mummer often. Likely has his happy mask on as he dances cheerily or his cattle bells make joyful, sort of friendly sound as 'Hello! :D' to both Lavi and her family. Possibly play with her son, keep him busy/entertained when she and her Val are too busy/need a moment to themselves.

But doesn't take off his mask, and doesn't let Lavi's kiddo take it off either- Touch it? Yes. Take it off/lift it? No. Gently tell him 'no.' by placing a fur-hidden hand over his and lower it away. Then when it's time for goodbye, The Kuker walks away. You can still hear him and his bells + tapping of staff on ground with each step. (The Balladeer's ask blog here!) Mostly communicates through dance, his mask changing and the bells on his belt + sign language that's not specific as he has made it up himself. (Only he knows/understands it.) But he can speak. Also the Kuker may be aware of how much he "resembles" the child's father and that's another reason he keeps his mask strictly on when around him. Doesn't want to confuse the kid, and sadden him with his fate. Otherwise he'd rarely sometimes lift his mask to reveal his face for a brief moment like in his "origin story". (His themes are at the top of his lore post + above the "index page". But here they are as well, clipped from the documentary film about Kukers done by New Yorker. The first track is the Balladeer's main theme. The second ost his other theme.

The Damoiseau - Songs and lullabies, the innocent and wholesome kind. Also helps the family sleep well/better by driving off their bad dreams, mostly through his songs. And watches over them with everyone else like a guardian angel. (He also has an ask blog!)

[llyfrenfys]

Y Hen Llinge and all that: Welsh in The Witcher Series (glossary)

This post is largely my GDrive notes on this subject, but I am a Welsh speaker and have noticed Welsh cropping up a lot in the Witcher series. I'm going to go into a few examples in this post- a word of warning though, there may be spoilers, which I'll mark with a SPOILER WARNING.

The Wiki List:

The wiki contains a glossary of Hen Llinge words alongside their real-world inspirations. Hen Llinge isn't based on Welsh alone, but also Irish, German, English and Latin (among others). The list on the wiki has the following terms marked down as being inspired by Welsh (which I have compiled):

abb (rivermouth), w. Aber

aevon (river) w. Afon

aep (son of) w. Ap

ar (of/on/by) w. Ar

ban (peak/summit) w. Ban (sometimes Fan)

bleidd (wolf) w. Blaidd

breoga (frog) w. Broga

caed (woods) w. Coed

caer/kaer (fortress) w. Caer

col (mountainpass) w. Dol

conyn (plantstalk) w. Coesyn

craag (rocks) w. Crag

darganfod (discovery) w. Darganfod

darl’len (read) w. Darllen

dhu (black) w. Du

dol (valley/dale) w. Dôl

gláeddyv (sword) w. Cleddyf

glean (bottom) w. Glan

gwyn (white) w. Gwyn

gwynbleidd (white wolf) w. Blaidd Gwyn

gwent (wind) w. Gwynt

hen (old) w. Hen

holl (all) w. Holl

marw (to die) w. Marw

ninnau (ourselves) w. Ninnau

pont (bridge) w. Pont

stráede (road) w. Stryd

tir (land) w. Tir

tor (tower) w. Twr

uniade (a joining (n.) w. Uniad

wen (white) w. -wen

ymladda (fight) w. Ymlad

The terms in the wiki are terms created for the TV series- the terms created for the books and games are similar, but the TV lexicon is much more expanded than the book and game corpuses.

Words on the Wiki not labelled as Welsh:

These terms are on the wiki but have no origin listed. I believe they likely have Welsh inspiration (especially the last one):

ghar (word) w. Gair 

inis (island) w. Ynys (see also: Irish)

ysgarthiad (shit, excreted waste) w. Ysgarthiad

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

These terms are terms I have heard in the dialogue or seen in-game in Wild Hunt. They are not included in the wiki as they are game terms. They are also only possibly inspired by Welsh as I am not a dev, so I cannot be certain, however, I have chosen the ones I feel are likely inspired by Welsh in at least some capacity.

(SPOILER WARNING: references to Witcher 3 Characters and actions central to plot ahead!)

mor (very/how/as) w. Mor (from location Caer Morhen)

aval (apple) w. Afal (from personal name Aval’lach) 

caniatad (permission) w. Caniatâd (from the spell that transforms Aval’lach back to elf, 14:27)

nevid (change) w. Newid (from the spell that transforms Aval’lach back to elf, 14:27)

cyvir (correct) w. Cywir (from the spell that transforms Aval’lach back to elf, 14:27)

taron (thunder) w. Taran (from the spell that transforms Aval’lach back to elf, 14:27)

caeffyl (horse) w. Ceffyl (from the spell by Kiera Metz to transform white mice into white horses, 3:40)

mab (young man/son) w. Mab (from “Aen N'og Mab Taedh'morc”)

cor (choir) w. Côr (potentially a match, from “Aen N'og Mab Taedh'morc”)

me (me/ I) w. Mi (potentially a match, from “Aen N'og Mab Taedh'morc”)

y (the) w. Y (from location Aevon y Pont ar Gwennelen)

carraigh (rock) w. Carreg (from location Ard Carraigh) 

llygad (eye) w. Llygad (from location Seidhe Llygad) 

ess'tedd (meeting/to sit and meet) w. Eistedd (from “Darl'len, Aen Seidhe!”)

dol (valley) w. dol (from location name “Dol Niev’de”

niev (nine) w. nief (heaven) (from location name “Dol Niev’de”

This is just a glossary of terms for now- I plan to write a proper post about in-game texts at some point (though I am very busy right now with undergrad). I hope you enjoy this first segment at least! Let me know what you think about Welsh in games/media.

Tagging a few folks who might enjoy this post because some of the Welsh is straight up not changed. I found it quite funny in the magic spell cutscenes because I understood every word. Looking at you Keira Metz saying 'tair caeffyl gwyn' to summon 3 white horses!!!

@duine-aiteach @dragonleighs @crynwr-drwg @convolution @margridarnauds

[its-callum-everybody]

I CANNOT DRAW. You see chat, I can’t draw, so I need to think of ways to share my TWST oc with the world. So instead of learning how to draw, I’ll be doing it the best way I know how: In Depth Character Analysis!

Part 1 — Basic Character Information / Relationships

Part 2 — Everything to do with her Unique Magic

Part 3 — Lore

Part 4 — Appearance

Part 3 ➤

LORE.

I love it, you probably love it. (At least I would hope so if you’re still reading this.) Lore is what makes up any good storyline. And makes up even better character because all characters have a backstory! Even if it’s something completely rudimentary. Not every backstory has to be completely tragic. But I am inclined to make my OC (Cyrielle) go through the wringer. So that’s what we’re doing!

Lets start off with some explanation about the movie she is inspired from though, shall we?

The Black Cauldron~!

Now, The Black Cauldron is framed around a young boy who dreams of being a hero. But is in charge of taking care of a pig instead. As it turns out, the pig can create visions and The Horned King (the main antagonist) wants that pig so he can find The Black Cauldron.

The Black Cauldron was the prison/death sentence type deal used to rule over the mystical land of Prydain. He was so good at being evil that everyone was scared of him, even the gods. So when they put him in this cauldron it made the cauldron evil. So now whoever finds it can grant themselves a bunch of power by summoning an undead army. The problem is The Cauldron takes up a lot of power and ends up actually consuming The Horned King at the end because it truly can’t be controlled.

So let’s straighten out one thing, which character is Cyrielle based off of???

Taran, the pig keeper and protagonist? No.

Princess Eilonwy? No.

Dallben? No.

The Creeper or Gurgi? Definitely not.

The Horned King? Surprisingly no.

The Black Cauldron and The Emperor Inside of it whom we barely know any past lore of because the movie doesn’t really tell you anything besides how evil he was? DING DING DING! WE HAVE A WINNER!

Now, while the Cauldron played great inspiration in her Unique Magic (check out Part 2 for that grand explanation) Her character isn’t precisely based ON the emperor. No. She plays OFF of him.

Cyrielle, as explained by her upcoming lore, acts as a sort of explanation as to how The Emperor (Teivel, as I named him.) ties into the world of TWST and sort of just how his legacy played out. Granted. She is still connected to him, a fact I will elaborate on later.

But now that we have that explained lets move onto phase one—

World-building!

World building is important here because I somehow have to manage to literally input the entirety of Prydain somewhere in the TWST-verse.

Now we don’t have names of continents per se, we just have the names of Nations which are on those continents and then places in those kingdoms like- you have The Queendom of Roses but inside the Queendom of roses are villages and cities like Clocktown.

Or in the Shaftlands you have characters from Harveston or Fleur City IN THE SHAFTLANDS. So most of characters are only identified by the nations/kingdoms they hails from instead of the villages. No clue how those Nations/Kingdoms are positioned geographically or how they link up.

But from what I can tell from the Wiki and a now inactive blog (thank you @twstarchives, you are my saving grace.)

They do take up entire if not certain sections of a land mass, except for The Coral Sea obviously because that going to be part of a larger ocean instead of land. Like how the North Atlantic Ocean connects to the Caribbean sea.

[ For those wondering the difference between a Sea and Ocean, here’s the summary of a googled answer:

Oceans — Larger, Deeper, more open divisions of earths salt water, typically higher salinity levels.

Seas — Smaller parts of the ocean, located where land & ocean meet, usually partially enclosed by land, shallower, lower levels of Salt.]

So I’m basically throwing darts at a board here. Except I have no idea where anything else is located. So what better idea than to just have it to not exist!

Prydain simply just won’t exist. Also. Another good reason for just not having it exist will be because at the beginning, as she and Crowley are searching for Prydain. It will make it harder to find information and throw them off the trail, red herring style, even though Prydain will still, at one point have existed in TWST wonderland.

And what better a place to put in than the Shaftlands.

“ A large country with a diverse population. Because it's comprised of several different biomes, it's home to a variety of cultures. ”

In the Black Cauldron we see a grand shot between different area. There is a drastic change between the farm at the start, The Forbidden Forest, and the land where The Horned King resides which is sort of like an Alpine Tundra. So given the difference between all there places and the fact the Shaftlands is described as large. I’m gonna say that it’s sort of towards the Northwest as pure North is very snowy according to Jack’s Wish/Birthday card but we don’t see a lot of snow. So Northwest it shall be!

That leaves me with explaining how Prydain became a lost Kingdom. And just as The Black Cauldron was never really a popular Disney film in its time, I’m going to say it worked the same for Prydain. Prydain. may have been well-known, but as time progressed it grew smaller and many of its people branched off to go to different lands or just generally lost itself. So as these people naturally went away from Prydain, along with a bit of land change from the elements over the years. There isn’t much to be noted about the lost kingdom as there wasn’t much left behind from it besides a few legends, records, and buildings. And most documents and writings left behind probably would be unable to be translated. As many of them would many be in a lost common tongue.

So thats taken care of! Onto phase two,

The Legends and Lore!

Now of course, all the villains and hero’s featured in Twisted wonderland some long, long time ago. So that’s the same for all the characters featured in The Black Cauldron. So obviously The tale of Taran, The Horned King, and The Cauldron is well known. And is probably one of the legends that was best kept alive because of how directly it impacted Prydain as a nation.

Still lesser known, but not entirely forgotten!

Which brings us to how The Cauldron, or Teivel, and Cyrielle are related. I mentioned earlier there wasn’t a direct inspiration from the cauldron in her personality. More so in her ability. Now why is that?

Because she’s meant to both reflect and go against him.

I’m adding a legend to Prydain’s catalog:

~ The Princess and The Thief

“ Long ago, in the faraway land of Prydain there was rumored to be a King so cruel, so evil that even the gods feared him. As no prison would hold him, he was thrown alive into a crucible of molten iron. There, his demonic spirit was captured in the form of a great Black Cauldron.

The King had no wives, though his mistresses were many. And with one he had a child. A princess who at the time was but just a babe. But, just in case she had inherited his evil heart, she was cast away into a manor deep within The Forbidden Forest. Through trees so thick and under the canopy so dark not even the bravest soul would dare venture in.

However, no one dared to consider that even a brave soul would not enter, a foolish one certainly would. A young lady, who laid claim to the keep of gold of an ex-nobles by trickery was the first and last of the fools. She took her goods as the good-men chased her down. Ducking into the forest on the whim no one would dare follow. Her whim was correct though it cost her much.

Loosing her gold to the vicious forest she had no chance but to re-treat. The forest forbade it, growing and churning to keep her inside as she ran in endless circles. Until, instead of the end, she came upon a grody manor to which she let herself inside with no hesitance. Wonder her delight when she found that the inside had been far kinder. Orante walls and Avant-Grade Roofs. Imagine her surprise when at the top of the stairs, peering down at her, was the most beautiful girl she had ever seen— ”

I’ll cut the story off there for everyone’s sanity but to summarize the rest The Theif (Named Verity) and The Princess (Named Enora) begrudgingly start to form a friendship to which Verity promises to help Enora escape her fate [to reside in the manor for the rest of her life] because she doesn’t want to live forever in punishment for her fathers crimes. But the son of the Nobleman whom imprisoned Enora in the manor gets word of it and sends one of his best hunters after them.

The girls attempt to navigate the seemingly endless manor through multiple magic rooms but end up having to lock themselves in the clock tower. In one last culmination, they both decide they know what they have to do. Locking themselves in a kiss as the Hunter breaks through the door. Though what he finds on the other side is two girls, clasped in each other’s arms, a sword through both their hearts as their bodies slowly eroded into nothing but blood. Which then began to form a different woman from both their forms, she removes the sword from her chest, kills the hunter. Then leaves. Disappearing nameless into legend.

As you could guess, the woman formed is Cyrielle. Though she had no recollection of these memories herself and memories she does have of her past actually fake (though no one knows that yet).

It’s a generational process of cycle-breaking.

Teival is the one who does the crimes. He does not feel sorry for anyone, and even trapped inside the Cauldron he will remain wicked.

Enora has to pay for them just as he does despite being innocent, having others fear her and her power simply because she was the daughter of a cruel man. All she wants is a life her own. Undecided by fate and fear.

Cyrielle is the one meant to break it. She is the creation of love between Enora and Verity even during their fates, having but one purpose but to do what they couldn’t, break free from fate. Still. Cyrielle is cursed just like Enora was.

She has Teival’s blood running through her veins just as Enora did. Only now it is less, only now is it covered by the spite that came from love. She can bleed out however much she likes but she will always be the granddaughter of Teival until the world decides she is not that, but just Cyrielle.

Teival’s Lamb. It was once the unique Magic Enora had. Now it is Cyrielle’s. The haunting reminder of their own power drags them back to their Father/Grand-father. Anytime they bleed, they can make it into something else, even something used for good. But will always feel evil because they have bled for it. Bled for it because it is his.

So that brings me to phase three;

Why and how is she at NRC?

Cyrielle would appear similar to how MC/Yuu does. Dragged to school by the dark mirror because she is filled with power magical abilities. In fact, given the fact the mirror may be even older than the school itself; my whole basis is that it immediately sensed someone equal to Teival’s power had appeared and immediately sent a carriage to retrieve them.

The problem is, Cyrielle doesn’t remember anything and what she does remember is [unknowingly] fake. Why is that you may ask?

Because The Manor is magic, I mentioned that earlier. Even if Enora had managed to escape there certainly would have been more precautions in place in case she did. One being a spell that made her drowsy, possibly making her forget everything that occurred so it was easier to transport her to somewhere back to the manor or somewhere with higher security.

Then Why is she so young then if this happened such a long time ago? I head you ask

She’s young because of the forest and because she, on some level, was literally created via magic. She wasn’t born, she was crafted. Meaning that she had more control over how she appears because just as the appearance of clay can be morphed so can she. She doesn’t realize this though as she would spend most time after the manor ordeal trying to find a way out of the forest. So long, that it would be modern day by the time she exited. Only to be subdued by magic that made her forget all that struggle.

And now that I’ve answered your questions let’s move into more of Why she’s there, shall we?

Now. The simple reason to the mirror would be ‘Hey. There was just a weird spike in really powerful magic energy. We should probably get that person an invite.’ And it did.

The more lore-complex, my reason, is because it’s a school of villains. The people here embody on some level what Cyrielle is trying to escape from. (Not that she knows that, *cough* amnesia *cough*).

So what better way to have her do that then to have her also make everyone go on a journey of self-exploration with her by pointing out their cruddy flaws and giving them some accidental therapy. Even though it’s hard because ninety-eight percent of the student population all suck.

But she’s going to try her best and, hopefully, by the time its over with she can be recognized not by her grandfather but as her own person, get her memories back, not have an identity crisis, get a really awesome boyfriend (Silver), and save some people from their toxic and dangerous qualities!

[joshuasumter]

My latest, epic poster for 'Joshua Sumter: The Movie!', starring ME and featuring the worlds of Disney.

SYNOPSIS: From minding his own business in our universe to journeying across iconic Disney movies in another, "Joshua Sumter: The Movie!" follows autistic young adult Joshua Sumter (That's me) as he sets off on a magical and multiversal adventure across beloved Disney classics. Joshua, who finds a strange shard piece in our world, finds himself thrust into a whole, new universe based on the magic of Disney where he is forced to find and gather all the pieces of the legendary Wishing Star that's been making the dreams of Disney characters come true for more than 100 years. While pursuing the fragmented pieces through the worlds of Disney, Joshua's journey is a story of action, comedy, romance, and adventure as he travels from the worlds of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Hercules to the worlds of The Emperor's New Groove, The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Moana, Frozen II, and (of course) Wish while tangling with an all-star ensemble of beloved Disney Animation characters from the most beloved and famous stories. And if that wasn't crazy enough, powerful, dark forces of Disney Villains are on his tail as they are after the magic of the Wishing Star's pieces. Like moths to a flame, the Disney villains will be drawn to its unleashed power and magic of the star, gaining them new and frightening powers. Soon, the very fabric of the Disney universe could come undone and be hanging in the balance. Can Joshua find all of the pieces before they do and restore the Wishing Star in time? In the tradition of 100 years of Disney and featuring the worlds of your favorite Disney stories and its iconic moments, be prepared to be blown away by an epic multiversal adventure like no other inspired by 'Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (2012-2021)', 'SpongeBob SquarePants: Cosmic Shake', 'The Pagemaster (1994)', 'Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (2010)', 'Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order (2019)', the 'Fantasmic!' show and much more! Inspired by:

The Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (2012) interactive game from Walt Disney World Resort (2/22/2012-1/7/2021)

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (2010)

SpongeBob SquarePants: Cosmic Shake (2023)

My Little Pony: The Manga - A Day in the Life of Equestria Vol. 3 that revolves around racing through space and time on a super-exciting cosmic scavenger hunt through the Ponyverse.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

Dragon Ball Xenoverse - in the trope of Fish out of Temporal Water, In the Past, Everyone Will Be Famous, etc., etc.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order (2019)

The Marvel "Heroes Unite" show on Marvel Day at Sea aboard the Disney Dream Cruise that revolves around the Ultimate Multiverser to experience infinite multiverses.

The upcoming Avengers Campus' Multiverse attraction based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Multiverse Saga

Disney 100 -- 100 years of stories, 100 years of magic, 100 years of Disney

Adaptation Amalgamation, Crossover Alternate Universe, etc., etc.

The Fantasmic! show from Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios.

The Pagemaster (1994)

Spider-Verse: Spider-Zero (Collects Spider-Verse (2019) Issues 1-6) by Jed MacKay, Ryan North, Taran Killam, and Christos Gage, where Miles Morales finds himself at the center of a multiversal adventure.

[theagentsofdisney]

Welcome to the official blog of my gigantic Disney crossover fanfic!!

What is it, you may ask? Well, to put it simply, it's a crossover of every single Disney movie (and most shows) designed to answer the question of how would they all work as one story, and what would that story be?

Well, here's my (very long) attempt!

Starting off with Book 1: When You Wish Upon a Star, we focus on 4 main stories:

1. The Black Cauldron (re-write): Taran of Caer Dallben learns of the beauty and ugly nature of humanity in a war that holds the fate of magic.

2. Frozen Moon (Sequel crossover of Tangled and Frozen): Set after Frozen II and Tangled the Series, Cassandra goes on a journey of redemption when a secret force threatens the spirits of magic and the seasons.

3. Marcus and The Agents of D.I.S.N.E.Y in The Atlantis Complex (OC): In the 1960's, a young man named Marcus joins a secret organisation designed to protect magic. Alongside Jane Darling, he must solve a dispute between Atlantis and Atlantica.

4. Big Hero 7 (sequel): set after Big Hero 6: The Series, Hiro Hamada tries to fix the eternal loop of super heroism, but he has no idea what he's done...

Updates once a week when possible, but art and writing take time, so there will be plenty hiatuses.

I truly hope you enjoy, it's a labor of love I've worked on for years! I accept any asks and engagement (it really helps motivation too)!

This blog will mainly be used to: promote the story and notify of new chapters, show the art my sister makes for it, answer questions, reblog any and all art or posts about it (I know that's unlikely but let an author dream) and just serve as a hub for my passion project!

Thank you and enjoy the ride!

[princess-ibri]

Would Dallben's backstory in the Disney verse be the same as the book, just with some slight changes?

Hey! Sorry this took forever. I actually had a picture of young Dallben done but when I went to add it to this ask I couldn't find it. Looked for a while but finally just had to redraw him and honestly he looks better now xD

But yes he'd basically have a similar backstory.

I don't think I'd have him be quite so old as he is in the books, or as powerful an enchanter as he didn't really give off that sense to me from the movie. But mostly its the same yeah.

He's found as a small child by witches and intead of eating him or turning him into a toad (to eat later) they make him their servant

One day he accidentally burns his finger while being told to stir a cauldron for one of their spells. He puts his finger in his mouth to sooth the burn and so accidentally gets the first taste of the spell, which grants him wisdom and understanding beyond his years

With this new found knowledge he's able to learn enough magic to escape from the witches, taking along with him their Book of Three (look these ladies are a lot badder then the book ones and not ones to give gifts)

Reading the magical book ages him more each time he reads from it so he tries to keep it to a minimum, (though it does seem to increase his over all life span as well, though he isnt 300 like in the books) which becomes easier when he eventually meets Hen Wen on his travels and can use her ocular knowledge

He still finds Taran as an orphan but takes him in just out of the goodness of his heart, not because of being aware of Taran's role in bringing down the Horned King in the future

(I like to think he still met some version of Coll when they were both younger and had a thing which is how he ended up with the house and Hen Wen)

[stardustandrockets]

Here are some recs to read in lieu of the Boy Wizard series.

I asked my followers for recommendations on what to read instead of That Series™ and y'all definitely delivered. I included my own recs with little descriptions and most of the others are either on my tbr or completely new to me. I made sure to list whether it was a middle grade or young adult read.

I only put two of my favorite Diana Wynne Jones books on here, but anything she's written has magic in some form or fashion.

Books listed:

My personal favorites:

Slide 2: The Chronicles of Chrestomanci by Diana Wynne Jones (middle grade); A 7 book middle grade series that follows the world of the Chrestomanci—a nine-lived enchanter who oversees the use of magic. The 7 books follow different characters that all intersect with one another. Did I mention there are parallel worlds?

Slide 3: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (middle grade); Seen the movie? The book is just like that but far more chaotic. It's still whimsical, but there's more depth and development. It's nostalgic even if you haven't read it before. It's also book 1 of a trilogy.

Slide 4: The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. LeGuin (young adult); A series of 6 books that follows the wizard Ged. Very reminiscent of Lord of the Rings to me, but in a more approachable way. (Idk, I haven't read LotR. I've just seen the movies.)

Slide 5: The Redwall Series by Brian Jacques (middle grade); A 22 book series featuring talking animals as protagonists, this series set mainly around Redwall Abbey has something for everyone. The books don't have to be read in order, but publication order is suggested.

Slide 6: Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan (middle grade); A retelling of Greek myths. Neurodivergent rep, badass kids, humorous, and so full of heart! This series (and the others) aren't just for kids. I got into them late in the game (maybe early high school?) and revisited them as an adult and they're so good! Perfect for anyone wanting to dive into mythology.

Slide 7: TBR/Follower Recs (MG): Witchlings by Claribel Ortega, Nevermoore by Jessica Townsend, The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Slide 8: TBR/Follower Recs (MG): The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton, Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, Septimus Heap by Angie Sage

Slide 9: TBR/Follower Recs (YA): Alanna the First Adventure by Tamora Pierce, Little Black Bird by Anna Kirchner, Young Wizards Series by Diane Duane (falls between MG & YA)

Slide 10: TBR/Follower Recs (YA): Summoner Series by Taran Matharu, Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (trilogy), The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

SH during his panel at The Land Con 6 in Paris on Saturday 13th of April, opened up about the last season and end of the series. They have been three weeks shooting Season 8 and part of his co-stars at Landcon are back in Scotland to continue filming 🎬 but his feelings surrounding the end of the series show a certain impact on him.

It seems that the conclusion of the series has affected him emotionally. The show is lasting almost eleven years, and during that time he went from being an unknown actor in TV soap operas, with some experience in films, commercials and theatre, to becoming a fan favourite. He even created an alcoholic brand inspired by his character in Outlander.

It will take him months or years to finally realise this. Like probably most people. The ending of the series is supposed an ambiguous future, for him as He clings to the character who gave him everything he has. As an Executive producer, He will create nothing new that endures up to the viewer to interpret for themselves. Finally, his fans will realise one day that they must say goodbye to Jamie, they have no choice in the matter.

Along with the final season of the series, a prequel spinoff titled Blood of My Blood will be released alongside the final season of the Outlander series. The prequel is based on a different book by the same author and is also being filmed in Scotland. The show will feature a mix of veteran actors and young actors with more experience in television and film, unlike SH when he started the show. In Outlander some veteran actors only appeared for a brief period or were invited for shorter appearances. Maybe the idea was not to overshadow SH the main actor.

Who doesn't remember this acting:

Douglas Henshall as Taran MacQuarrie in Season 1 of Outlander (2014) this actor 'stole the show ’.

The prequel's intention appears to be different: hire experienced actors to attract Outlander fans to the new show, adding the Outlander name to the original title. This would not be necessary, the new actors in the prequel are confident in their abilities and do not need to be compared to the original Outlander title. The new show will always be known by the original title Blood of My Blood – BOMB.

The approach of the show’s return season 7 part 2 arriving this November so there are only two years of Outlander on the horizon.

#DouglasHenshall #BOMB💥#TheLandCon6

Posted 16th April 2024

[jadelover69]

WHAT DISNEY MOVIE DO YOU THINK I COULD MAKE A CHERRYCARD AU FOR?

LEMME THINK

THE BLACK CAULDRON!!

plot: In the land of Prydain, lowly pig herder Taran (Grant Bardsley) dreams of becoming a gallant knight. Young Taran receives his heroic calling when the evil Horned King (John Hurt) kidnaps Hen-Wren, a prophesying pig that had been entrusted to Taran. Now, with help from his furry sidekick Gurgi and Princess Eilonwy, Taran must locate the magical black cauldron before the Horned King is able to use its mystical powers to summon an army of the undead.

THE SWORD IN THE STONE!!

plot: This Disney adaptation of the classic fable chronicles King Arthur's humble beginnings. As an orphaned child, Arthur, who was then known as Wart, wants to help his foster brother, Kay, succeed in becoming a knight. While helping Kay train, Wart stumbles upon a cabin belonging to Merlin, a bumbling but talented wizard. Merlin does his best to convince the boy that he is bound for greatness, and when Wart and Kay travel to London to attend a jousting contest, they learn that Merlin was right.

ALADDIN!!

plot: Aladdin is a lovable street urchin who meets Princess Jasmine, the beautiful daughter of the sultan of Agrabah. While visiting her exotic palace, Aladdin stumbles upon a magic oil lamp that unleashes a powerful, wisecracking, larger-than-life genie. As Aladdin and the genie start to become friends, they must soon embark on a dangerous mission to stop the evil sorcerer Jafar from overthrowing young Jasmine's kingdom.

[crudely-drawn-ben]

"Dalben," said Taran, "taught me that when the black waters flooded Prydain, ages ago, Nevvid Nav Neivion built a ship and carried with him two of every living creature. The waters drained away, the ship came to rest - no man knows where. But the animals who came safe into the world again remembered, and their young have never forgotten. And here," Taran said, pointing towards the hillside, "I see a ship far from water."