#also both irish icons

[henrrietta]

Hozier lyrics that remind me of Ronan’s second secret

[nightnightsleeptight]

Twins - my silly thoughts on the colour coding!

So, I've been seeing lots about colour coding in Twins - blue, red and yellow for the twins and other lead respectively. I've been seeing a few theories today here about shows I am watching or have seen that are fascinating and I have so much respect for all the thought that goes into such posts! You guys are awesome!

I've had my own less impressive and highly silly thoughts on those colours too though!

The team colours are yellow and blue right?

I am so sorry but all I can think of are the old Dublin buses which are a beautiful yellow and blue! My family both sides of the Irish sea prefer the red buses of London but I think those pale in comparison to the glorious yellow and blue of a Dublin bus!

Although, I have beef with Transport For Ireland (TFI) for switching the blue out for green in newer buses. Ew. I fear the next visit to Dublin there'll be no more pretty blue and yellow buses.

ALSO ALSO ALSO!

A funny little coincidence I remembered before posting is that Ryan (First's actor) is half Irish!

Look - a beautiful Dublin bus on Samuel Beckett bridge! Such a pretty bridge - I adore it! I dream of taking a night walk here with a loved one, whether that's my mum, other family, friends or a future lover!

[woompfy]

The Bunch in traditional clothing (au? Maybe?)

(from cultures I think they‘d fit into? I just wanted to draw ehm in traditional clothes cuz I‘m a fan of multicultered stuff! (+Kong and other characters)

Marlon and Leon

With old Germanic attire, since they seem pretty much german so I think this ones kinda obvious. I also gave ehm some fisher tribe vibes since Grünwald is next to a river, I think.

Raban and Deniz

For Raban I was obligated to do Celtic wear because obviously he‘s a redhead and I bet there is some Irish blood in him. And without a doubt, Deniz is of course in some rich turkish attire^^

Vanessa and Jojo

Both of them based on the northern cultures. Vanessa has the iconic slavic attire, originally wanted to give her those patterned dresses but tbh it‘s too much detail and she looks hot in men wear. Jojo is in finnish folk clothing cuz I do feel like he‘s pretty resistant to cold ( I mean he spent some time in the forest at night) so I think finnish culture might fit him well.

Kong and Markus

First off Markus, I kinda thought maybe japanese culture might fit but from the glimpses of his mother made me kinda think he might be of taiwanese ethnicity? So I just went with that one and I think it looks neat! Now for Kong I would‘ve naturally done Chinese attire, but thinking back on his looks and nature he definitely fits better in a Mongolian worrior attire.

For Natasha…

I mean, duh, traditional Russian attire (or slavik clothes like Vanessa), but I didn‘t have enough time to draw her so if anyone wants to- go ahead

Willi

Probably Italian attire, and for Hadschi, for some reason, I like the idea for Spanish attire

[stangeranfanficion]

@seahdalune THE GIRL!!!!!

Idk if this is like okie dokie for art request or if your still asking but

Tc2 × tf2 crossover? Funny block people and funny menn people together at last in their natural habitats-

Trooper and soldier’s big difference is one knows what they’re doing and one is lead poisoned

[artfulacrostic]

had my second high definition viewing of atsv in the theater today and here are my favorite details that i missed due to being overwhelmed on my first viewing:

LONG AF POST:

-gwen is literally wearing a rainbow shaped trans pride pin on her jacket with her prom outfit. she's soooo so canon trans <3

-captain stacy HAS A TRANS FLAG PATCH ON HIS POLICE UNIFORM JACKET?????? when i'm telling u my eyes popped out of my head 😳 SHES SO CANON TRANS!!!

-poster outside miles's guidance counselor's office reads: "visions sciences: telling you your story".

-parallel of miles's and gwen's dad kicking things out of general exasperation towards the beginning and end of the movie respectively

-when miles as spidey is talking to his dad and giving him advice (for himself) there's a reference to miles possibly reading vonnegut? (maybe in class??) "if this isn't nice what is" is a collection of kurt vonnegut's commencement speeches. (literally subtitled "advice to the young". the writers were extremely clever for this reference. if not reading it in class, miles has been searching up life advice on his own)

-i barely caught this but i'm PRETTY sure that in miles' room near his door there's a MICHELLE OBAMA presidential race sticker??? was president obama in the earth-1610 dimension michelle obama?? iconic if so

-fedex on earth-1610 is REDEX

-gayatri seems like they took elements of both gwen (police dad) and mj (young model) for her background as i believe i caught her visible on a "zomato" ad billboard (which appears to be the earth-50101 version of ubereats)

-i spent all of hobie's scenes trying to pick up the details of his many pins; but the only one that i could really make out with the quick shot changes besides the union jack pin was the one right above it, which is a three-leaf clover. i wondered if maybe it had some kind of significance to maybe irish independence or smth but i couldn't find anything online that backed that up so not sure what it means. if u know pls drop it in the replies.

-hobie's boots are definitely NOT ladder laced. i KNOW there is concept art and poster art of him with ladder laces but in the actual movie they are 100% crossed. also unlike the poster art, both boots have blue laces, not one blue, one yellow/orange. i wanted to be all on board the ladder lace code train but i'm pretty sure they just made his laces blue so that they could contrast against the red boots and be spidey colors. they probably abandoned the ladder lace part of the visual when someone realized what blue ladder laces meant in lace code. "HAS hobie killed a cop," you ask? given his comic backstory i'd say the odds are HIGH. but i would bet they didn't want people to think that since he's gone through canon event asm-90 ("a police captain close to spider-man is killed by falling rubble during a battle with a nemesis") that there's any possibility THAT was the cop he killed and he's proud of it (since it's supposed to be all abt character development from the ✨trauma✨ of the event)

-during the whole "intervention" scene, while all the other spider-people are facing directly in towards miles and miguel from wherever they are standing in the circle, hobie is the only one whose back is turned. he watches most of the scene over his shoulder. also, during a couple shots facing miles before the entire society of spiders show up, hobie is separated in the shot from all the other main spiders (Peter B, Gwen, Jess, etc) BY MILES. he is visible over one shoulder and everybody else is visible over the other. these two details are great signals of hobie having already MORALLY turned his back on miguel's authoritarianism, as well as giving a nice inverted "devil/angel on the shoulders" nod.

-peter b asks miguel to take a picture of him and mayday since it's her first chase; miguel brushes him off but mayday understands and uses her webshooter to click the camera button on peter b's phone and take a selfie without him noticing 😂😂😂 shes everything to me

-when miguel is pinning miles to the train, after gwen and peter b have caught up, there is a very fast moment when miles calls for help ("PETER!!") and peter doesn't reply to him, but calls out to miguel to calm down (smth like that) instead 🥲 peter for the love of god step up your mentor game and look out for this kid i can't handle it anymore

-when gwen takes the watch hobie made her out of the box, the screen is briefly visible and reads "project botleg". bootleg -> bot -> "botleg"; I SEE YOU HOBIE. people think he's so cool (and he is!!) but he's also just as much of a dork as all the other spiders. what a goofball

-in miles-42's room, a speed bag/speed ball/maize ball is attached to his wall near the door. there are other substantial differences to their rooms, but i think this is clearly a reference to uncle aaron-42's large presence in miles-42's life, given the association from both movies of aaron with the punching bag and miles getting guidance from him/looking to him for support.

-in addition to all the miles-1610 vs miles-42 prowler vs spidey reflection imagery in the end credits, guess who else has several moments of flashing from spider-man colors (red and black at least) to prowler colors (purple and green)?? miguel, that's who. miguel and miles-42/uncle aaron-42 team-up in beyond the spiderverse? or just an extra parallel for the antagonists sharing goals/possibly methods?

OKAY ANYWAY if ppl want i can try and dig up images of some of these but i figured that would make this post long af so that's all for now folks!! go see across the spider verse again and marvel at how much more fine detail you find like me 🕸🕸🕸

[thepastisalreadywritten]

12 June 2024

Wreck hunters have found the ship on which the famous polar explorer Ernest Shackleton made his final voyage.

The vessel, called "Quest," has been located on the seafloor off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

Shackleton suffered a fatal heart attack on board on 5 January 1922 while trying to reach the Antarctic.

And although Quest continued in service until it sank in 1962, the earlier link with the explorer gives it great historic significance.

The British-Irish adventurer is celebrated for his exploits in Antarctica at a time when very few people had visited the frozen wilderness.

"His final voyage kind of ended that Heroic Age of Exploration, of polar exploration, certainly in the south," said renowned shipwreck hunter David Mearns, who directed the successful search operation.

"Afterwards, it was what you would call the scientific age. In the pantheon of polar ships, Quest is definitely an icon," he told BBC News.

The remains of the ship, a 38m-long schooner-rigged steamship, were discovered at the bottom of the Labrador Sea on Sunday by a team led by The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS).

Sonar equipment found it in 390m (1,280ft) of water. The wreck is sitting almost upright on a seafloor that has been scoured at some point in the past by the passing of icebergs.

The main mast is broken and hanging over the port side, but otherwise, the ship appears to be broadly intact.

Quest was being used by Norwegian sealers in its last days. Its sinking was caused by thick sea-ice, which pierced the hull and sent it to the deep.

The irony, of course, is this was the exact same damage inflicted on Shackleton's Endurance - the ship he used on his ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1917.

Fortunately, the crews of both Endurance, in 1915, and Quest, in 1962, survived.

Indeed, many of the men who escaped the Endurance sinking signed up for Shackleton's last polar mission in 1921-1922, using Quest.

His original plan had been to explore the Arctic, north of Alaska, but when the Canadian government withdrew financial support, the expedition headed south in Quest to the Antarctic.

The new goal was to map Antarctic islands, collect specimens and look for places to install infrastructure, such as weather stations.

Shackleton never made it, however, struck down by heart failure in the Port of Grytviken on the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia, the last stop before reaching the White Continent. He was just 47 years old.

After his death, Quest was involved in other important expeditions, including the 1930-31 British Arctic Air Route Expedition led by British explorer Gino Watkins, who himself tragically died aged 25 while exploring Greenland.

Quest was also employed in Arctic rescues and served in the Royal Canadian Navy during WWII, before being turned over to the sealers.

The RCGS team members carried out extensive research to find Quest's last resting place.

Information was gathered from ship's logs, navigation records, photographs, and documents from the inquiry into her loss.

The calculated sinking location in the Labrador Sea was pretty much spot on, although the exact co-ordinates are being held back for the time being.

A second visit to the wreck, possibly later this year, will do a more complete investigation.

"Right now, we don't intend to touch the wreck. It actually lies in an already protected area for wildlife, so nobody should be touching it," associate search director Antoine Normandin said.

"But we do hope to go back and photograph it with a remotely operated vehicle, to really understand its state."

Alexandra Shackleton is the explorer's granddaughter and was patron to the RCGS survey.

"I was thrilled, really excited to hear the news; I have relief and happiness and a huge admiration for the members of the team," she told BBC News.

"For me, this represents the last discovery in the Shackleton story. It completes the circle."

The explorer continues to spark interest more than a century after his death.

Hundreds of people visit his grave on South Georgia every year to pay their respects to the man known by his crews simply as "The Boss."

"Shackleton will live forever as one of the greatest explorers of all time, not just because of what he achieved in exploration but for the way he did it, and the way he looked after his men," said David Mearns.

"His story is timeless and will be told again and again; and I'm just one of many disciples who'll keep telling it for as long as I can."

—

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton CVO OBE FRGS FRSGS (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic.

He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

[worldofreds]

8 Legendary Old Hollywood Redhead Actresses

I love Old Hollywood movies and television shows. There is a class, elegance, a distinct type of storytelling that is usually not seen in today’s movies. While most of the iconic actresses from the era were blonde or brunette, there were a few redheads who stood out

Maureen O’Hara

The late Maureen O’Hara was the physical embodiment of the redhead. Irish, feisty, intelligent and with a very sharp tongue, she was one of the few actresses of the era to successfully break into the boys club action/adventure genre. She held her own on and off the screen with co-stars John Wayne, Tyrone Powers and Anthony Quinn in several movies. She also helped future generations of female performers by stretching the boundaries of what an actress can do on screen.

2. Deborah Kerr

At first glance, one might think that Scottish born Deborah Kerr was the proper British lady. But underneath that mask was a capable actress who played a variety of roles. Her most famous roles are An Affair To Remember (opposite co-star Cary Grant) and From Here To Eternity (opposite Burt Lancaster, where she chopped her hair off, went blonde and spoke with an American accent).

3. Ann-Margret Olsson

To the red-blooded American male in the 1960’s, Ann-Margret was the embodiment of the era. The Swedish born performer is mostly remembered for playing opposite Elvis Presley in several films and the average teenage girl who meets the ultimate teen idol in Bye Bye Birdie. She also has the distinction of being named as the 10 th sexist stars in film history in 1995.

4. Myrna Loy

Montana born and raised, Myrna started her career just as Hollywood was transitioning from silent films to talkies. While her initial roles were those of the femme fatale, in the 1930’s she became famous for playing opposite William Powell in the Thin Man movie series as Nora Charles. During the mid-1930s, Loy was so popular that she was named Queen Of The Movies in 1936.

5. Carol Burnett

For many female performers and comedians, Carol Burnett is an icon. Her major breakout role was the in 1959 in Once Upon A Mattress. Between 1967 and 1978, her comedy show, The Carol Burnett Show was one of the most popular shows on the air. In an era when female performers were relegated to supporting roles in other comedy/variety programs, Carol Burnett not only had her name on the title of the show, but she showed how funny women could be.

6. Rita Hayworth

This well-known redhead started off as a dancer and later was noticed in a 1941 film starring James Cagney, The Strawberry Blonde. She soon became the ‘pin-up girl’ for servicemen during the war and became extremely popular after the 1946 film, Gilda. Her character, opposite Glenn Fora, was seductive and glamorous.

7. Susan Hayward

Born in Brooklyn, this iconic redhead scored the first of five Academy Award nominations for Best Actress in Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman, in 1947. She finally won an Academy Award for Best Actress in I Want to Live i n 1958, portraying a death row inmate, Barbara Graham.

8. Lucille Ball aka Lucy Ball

Lucille Ball is the definition of a classic redhead. While she may not be a natural born redhead (she was naturally blonde!), she had the fiery personality and wit to rock her red hair — and I am proud to call her a redhead. I Love Lucy paved the way for many women comedians, both on and off the screen. She proved women were just as capable behind the camera (as she was responsible for creating the show), as they were in front of the camera.

=============== As per special request by @ironmikie2002

[gawrkin]

out of curiosity, which mythic/pagan origins of the Arthurian cast (and other Welsh or Galfiridian characters) do you take seriously?

Out of the myriad speculations, I think the one I would stick my leg out for is "Guinevere = Findabair". Similarly, "Excalibur = Caladbolg".

In my mind, during the era of Irish migrations into Britain, both Guinevere and Excalibur were "loaned" from Irish Myth (Ulster Cycle), and intermingled with the indigenous Arthur folk stories that existed Pre-Geoffrey of Monmouth that ultimately became too iconic and got spun off into their own unique portrayals, Irish origins forgotten.

Other than that, I also lean a little bit towards "Morgan = Mari-Morgen" theory as parallel to the idea that character Sebile arose from the cultural memories of the Greek Oracles.

[aloevhello]

Is LYLA’s Design Based On Xina?

If you read Miguel’s 90’s comics, the answer is an obvious yes. However, a lot is left unknown about what aspects of Miguel’s comics will be adapted, causing SV LYLA’s origins to be up to speculation. However, I think LYLA’s design in the SV films provides evidence that she is based on Xina, Miguel’s ex-girlfriend and childhood best friend.

Starting off are LYLA’s heart-shaped sunglasses, while a quirky detail, could also hint at Miguel’s lingering feelings for Xina, as hearts usually have a romantic connotation to them. Sunglasses also play a prominent role in Miguel’s comics, where he would frequently wear them to both protect his eyes from light and conceal his Spider identity, since their redness indicates his powers. In a way, Miguel’s sunglasses symbolize him shielding his true self (the combination of his Spider and personal identities) from the world, considering how the eyes are often referred as windows to the soul. However, when it comes to LYLA’s sunglasses, the opposite effect is created because with them being heart-shaped, they serve as a projection of Miguel’s inner desires to be with Xina again. There’s also how the ATSV art book states that Miguel is the one who programmed Lyla, which could indicate that on a subconscious level, Miguel knows he can’t escape his romantic feelings for Xina or the presence she had on his life.

In the 90’s comics, LYLA was programmed by Xina and her design is based on Marilyn Monroe (shown left), Xina’s favorite 20th century actress who she believes she resembles as they’re both “gorgeous and brainy.” While a lot of this original design is lost, likely due to how out of place a Marilyn Monroe look-alike would be without that context (the SV films aren’t Clone High), Marilyn’s influence remains. This is indicated by LYLA’s fur coat, since furs were used as a fashion staple for many Old Hollywood icons like Marilyn Monroe. Though with LYLA’s coat being oversized, making her toe the line between goofy and glamorous, it extenuates her playfulness and eccentricity, a staple of Xina’s personality. Plus, the brainy aspect remains intact as LYLA is described to have the intelligence of a super computer who’s advanced enough to create her own personality and Marilyn herself used her own intellect to curate her public image and become an enigma in pop culture. In that respect, if SV LYLA were to be based on Xina then her absence in these films and mainstream knowledge on Spider-Man 2099 makes Xina an enigma as well.

LYLA’s design change for the SV films will likely be the design used for her future iterations as seen in her design for sm2099’s 2019 comics (shown left), which were released a year after ITSV. Granted, there is speculation that SV LYLA’s design could based on Dana D’Angelo because of how Lyla has a similar hairstyle to her and how Dana is Miguel’s love interest for the 2019 comics. While Xina and Dana are important women in Miguel’s life, especially in the 90’s comics, Xina is more likely to be the main inspiration based on what SV LYLA is programmed for. The ATSV art book states that LYLA acts as Miguel’s “only friend in the world” and is meant to keep Miguel in check when he oversteps his boundaries. Even though Dana was Miguel’s fiancée, she never seemed to really connect or keep him in check the same way Xina did. After all, Xina was Miguel’s only friend growing up, along with consistently challenging Miguel to do the right thing even when he believed it wasn’t possible. There’s also how SV LYLA is designed after her VA, Greta Lee, who is of East Asian descent like Xina, whereas Dana is white. While Xina and Greta’s specific ethnicities differ, the former is Chinese and the latter is Korean, it’s mostly a moot point as Miguel is Mexican-Irish, but his VA is Óscar Issac who is Guatemalan-Cuban. Plus, with the character designs for ATSV emphasizing their racial and ethnic backgrounds, poignantly so for Miguel, there’s a chance that LYLA intentionally looks East Asian to allude to both Greta and Xina’s ancestry. While LYLA was programmed by Xina in the 90’s comics, the ATSV art book reveals that Miguel programmed her in this iteration. This change is particularly interesting because if LYLA is based on Xina then LYLA is shaped by Miguel’s perception of his past flame, essentially making Xina his muse. There’s also how this changes LYLA’s role as the connector between Xina and Miguel, even when they’re separated. While Xina creating LYLA serves as her way of looking after Miguel and shows how much she wants to be in his life, Miguel creating LYLA serves as his way of preserving his memory of Xina and demonstrates how much he wants her in his life. Admittedly, there isn’t much in text evidence from the films that confirms this theory and SV LYLA doesn’t even resemble Xina’s look from the comics, other than them both being East Asian. However, LYLA’s original Marilyn Monroe design does not resemble Xina either, but she still represents Xina’s presence. In the end, this theory relies on the premise that Miguel is projecting his lingering feelings towards Xina onto LYLA and it’s reflected in her design, along with how LYLA reminds Miguel of the various roles Xina played in his life. Whether it’d be an equal. A mystery. A regret. A lover. A friend. It all becomes more tragic if Miguel’s story in the SV films acts as a continuation of his 90’s comics. At the end of this run, Xina who is overwhelmed by guilt and grief over Dana’s death, leaves Nueva York and Miguel, potentially for good. Thusly, it leads to Miguel’s current position in the SV films where he believes that she will never come back and that LYLA is the only form of connection he has left with Xina.

[wanderingmausoleum]

My latest Shadow of the Erdtree theory:

Could Messmer the Impaler have been partially inspired by Cú Chulainn and his spear, the Gáe Bulg, from Irish mythology?

This will be a long post with a lot of heavy speculation so buckle up!

According to the Táin Bó Cúailnge via Wikipedia (which I apologize for using as a source; I don't know much about this topic and other results seemed untrustworthy or were behind paywalls), the spear Gáe Bulg was made from a sea monster's bone, and it "entered a man's body with a single wound, like a javelin, then opened into thirty barbs. Only by cutting away the flesh could it be taken from that man's body."

Which brings me to this iconic moment in the trailer:

Although the thing impaling this person doesn't look like Messmer's spear, it looks like it may have impaled them similarly to how the Gáe Bulg is described: spear-style, with extra barbs erupting out of it afterwards. I'm not sure how the living corpse in the trailer would have kept their head and body somewhat intact unless the barbs extended from the central spike after the impaling happened. Although it doesn't look like this was done with Messmer's spear, this gruesome injury's similarity to what the Gáe Bulg was said to do makes me think it's worth mentioning.

In some versions of the legend, the Gáe Bulg had seven heads with seven barbs each. Thus it may be worth noting that Messmer's spear has 6-7 metal barbs (depending on the angle and whether you count the spear point as one) formed by its fire design:

And, right after the trailer's scene of the impaled corpse, Messmer is shown to have an attack where he stabs the floor with his spear and a bunch of identical spears erupt from the ground around it, which is another slight similarity to the Gáe Bulg's multiplicity.

Now onto the even more speculative part of this theory...

Messmer and Shadows

We know Empyreans in Elden Ring are given guard dog-like Shadows to be their guardians: Ranni has Blaidd, and Marika has Maliketh. However, Malenia and Miquella are both Empyreans, and we are given no information about their Shadow(s), a significant absence in the lore and a topic which has been given much discussion in Elden Ring spaces I've participated in.

There has also been extensive theorizing about Messmer's place in the lore, with his red hair and M initial leading many to believe he may be another of Marika and Radagon's children, alongside Malenia and Miquella.

While learning about the Gáe Bulg spear, I learned its owner, the mythical warrior hero Cú Chulainn, "gained his better-known name as a child, after killing Culann's fierce guard dog in self defence and offering to take its place until a replacement could be reared," after which he obtained his well-known spear (Wikipedia).

With this and my prior speculation about Messmer's spear and lineage in mind, this makes me wonder: did Messmer kill Malenia and Miquella's Shadow(s), and possibly become their replacement himself (whether he later defected from that position or not)?

It may be notable to mention again here that the DLC's title is "Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree" and Messmer features prominently on its cover. Considering Shadow characters are an important part of Elden Ring's lore, with Blaidd being crucial to the game's most popular ending and Maliketh being necessary to defeat to complete the game, I wouldn't put it past the Elden Ring team to give the word a double meaning here: shadows meaning literal darkness as shown in the trailer, and Shadow meaning an Empyrean's guardian.

On the other hand, of course, Messmer with all his various heretical symbolism (fire, snakes, etc.) seems to exist in opposition to the Erdtree, so if the DLC title is referring to him, him being called the Shadow of the Erdtree doesn't make much sense lore-wise.

In conclusion:

There are no conclusions yet, really! Everything I'm theorizing here is based on a lot of speculation and vague connections. There are contradictions in the Gáe Bulg's lore itself, too (such as how it "had to be made ready for use on a stream and cast from the fork of the toes" [Wikipedia], something Messmer is definitely not doing in the trailer—although, since Fromsoft decided to give so many of their character models toe articulation and Messmer's toes are out, this could be a very funny way to make use of that). On the other hand, since Fromsoft very rarely takes inspiration 1:1 from existing mythology, I still think it's possible Messmer was influenced by it even if it doesn't fit his known lore with 100% accuracy.

I welcome thoughts/theories expanding on or contradicting this, especially from anyone who knows more about Irish mythology than me! I do not know too much about Cú Chulainn's story or this mythos in general, so I'm sure there's a lot of notable information I missed.

[thatndginger]

I've had this in the works for a while, but I finally finished it! A comic sans presentation for Into the Storm! I know I've talked about ItS a lot, but it's always fun to rehash it ^.^

Shapeshifter taglist: @sunset-a-story @touloser-lautrec @ceph-the-ghost-writer

Full transcript below the cut.

Image ID: A powerpoint presentation comprised of ten slides. Each slide has a white background and black text.

[SLIDE ONE]

Image ID: two cartoon-style rainclouds hang over the outline of a city drawn with closely-set lines.

thatndginger presents: a comic sans intro of

Into the Storm a Shapeshifter story

[SLIDE TWO]

The Characters aka the idiots

Kerr McKay he/him

Image ID: a pale man with short, curly brown hair and brown eyes stands in front of a black-and-white lined mugshot background. He has an open-mouthed grin and an expression like he's about to say something. Barely visible in his hands is a large card that reads 'police department'.

21 years old

rottweiler shapeshifter

excessively Irish

captain of the “thinking is for squares” club

says it’s not his problem, makes it his problem anyway

Jay de Lange she/her

Image ID: a pale woman with chin-length, straight blonde hair and grey eyes stands in front of a black-and-white lined mugshot background. She has an angry frown on her face and is turned partly away from the viewer. Barely visible in her hands is a large card that reads 'police department'.

23 years old

werewolf

short and angry

the ‘responsible one’

the moral compass of the group (not always a good thing)

can’t help but make it her problem

Warrick Salehrad he/him

Image ID: a brown-skinned man with long, wavy black hair and brown eyes stands in front of a black-and-white lined mugshot background. He has a smirk and defiant expression on his face. Barely visible in his hands is a large card that reads 'police department'.

21 years old

puma shifter

fashion icon disaster

the chaotic trans rep we all deserve

firm believer that “laws are more like suggestions”

if he ignores the problem, it’ll go away

[SLIDE THREE]

Kerr, Jay, and Warrick have known each other since they were teenagers and at this point consider each other family

imagine the most unhinged sibling relationships and you’re probably close to whatever they’ve got going on

Kerr was born and raised in Ireland until ~*events*~ brought him to the US of A. don’t bother asking what brought him across the pond unless you want a series of increasingly ridiculous stories, each of which contradicts the others

Warrick and Jay are born and raised Moressites

Warrick is a first-generation Iranian-American

for all of you clamoring for queer rep: Kerr is gay, Jay is a lesbian, and in addition to being trans Warrick is also aromantic. the queers. they flock together

i’m not even going to try to start listing all the lgbtq+ side characters. there’s too many

Jay and Kerr are mechanics specializing in motorcycles, but they can both manage basic repairs for cars in a pinch

Warrick is a Tortured Artist who’s preferred medium is spraypaint and specializes in painting murals where he’s not supposed to (also dicks on cop cars/property)

literally none of these idiots make good choices

Image ID: a picture of Kerr, Warrick, and Jay posing together as if having their picture taken. Warrick is in the center with his arms around Kerr on the left and Jay on the right. All three of their faces are pressed close together as they smile at the viewer and hold up peace signs with both hands. Warrick's hands are partially overlapping Kerr and Jay's heads.

[SLIDE FOUR]

The Characters Part 2 aka the extras

Image ID: a handful of simple, cartoon-style illustrations appear in the background. A hanging sign that reads 'Alibi'. A shelf full of liquor bottles. A stack of books. A first aid kit. A dog wearing a floppy hat. A cargo ship. A motorcycle. A planner notebook.

Mags

owner of the Alibi bar

too old for your shit

she’s not scared of you, and her shotgun can prove it

Carlisle Morrish

founder of ‘the Pack’

a charming bastard

thickest Scottish accent you’ve ever heard

Reese Tucker

Carlisle’s right hand

the reluctant voice of reason

part of the “if I don’t see it then it won’t piss me off” committee

Lex Causey

Carlisle’s left hand

unofficial medic for the Pack

she WILL fix your wounds. resistance is futile.

Jaime Sheridan

Mags’s nephew/cousin and part-time bartender

nerdy and mysterious

immune to shenanigans

Gabriel Beckham

Portia’s older brother

would really, REALLY like it if people stopped causing problems

a great listener

Portia Beckham

Jay’s roommate

cops are her mortal enemies

knows she’s better than you but won’t rub it in

[SLIDE FIVE]

The Setting

The World At Large

low magic urban fantasy setting

supernatural creatures like werewolves, vampires, and witches exist out in the open - with all the benefits and consequences that come with being known

the human-to-supernatural ratio globally is about 20 to 1, but obviously there are places that have higher or lower ratios than the global average

Most countries have entire subbranches of government related to magical governance and regulation. it’s a messy business, regulating a force of nature

seriously, can you imagine all the laws in place to deal with inheritance when a vampire can easily live for centuries? or FDA regulations for magic-enhanced substances?? SO many new things to worry about

magic is far less powerful than modern technology. why bother spending all that time and energy doing something with magic when you can just use a match to light a candle, or use actual antibiotics oh my god don’t fight me on that one

magic is still extremely useful though, just limited

most magic is used defensively or to augment: nothing beats a good warding spell to protect the home and a lot of medical advancements have been made with the help of magic

magical novelty is also super big. Coffee shops where you can get a glamour spell with your mocha, street performers who dazzle with melodies woven with emotional magic, that kind of thing

[SLIDE SIX]

The Setting Part 2

look, I made a whole fictional city and drew a map for it and I’m really proud of it, so it gets its own slide

Moressau, Washington, USA

has multiple professional sports teams

Their NBA team is absolute ass, but the NHL is very good

there are supernatural-only leagues too. Were-only soccer is wild

has thriving biomedical and magic research sectors - if you want to discover new medicine techniques or magical theory Moressau is the place to be

in neighborhoods with predominantly supernatural residents, the streetlights have red bulbs to preserve night vision. gives a whole new meaning to ‘redlight district’ doesn’t it?

around 15% of the population are supernaturals of some kind

booming tourism industry thanks to all the magic and supernaturals. everyone wants to say they visited ‘the most magical place in america’ and rubbed elbows with a vampire lord (there are a lot of vampire lords of questionable authenticity)

seriously, there are SO many fake vampire royalty

Image ID: A simplistic map showing the outlines of a city in shades of grey and blue. It is labelled "Moressau. Population: 750,000. Area: 69.17sq. mi."

[SLIDE SEVEN]

OK, But What Is It?

Image ID: a handful of simple, cartoon-style illustrations appear in the background. A knife and pair of brass knuckles. A sign that reads "House Rules: 1. No Cops 2. No Fights NO EXCEPTIONS". A line of tape that reads "CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS".

Kerr, Jay, and Warrick are part of ‘the Pack’, a group of mostly-unregistered shifters and weres just trying to make a living in the big city

how? smuggling and money laundering, mostly

they do try to stick to some kind of moral code, namely: they don’t do weapons, drugs, or people

most of the money the Pack brings in goes back into the community, meaning most regular folk who live in their territory have a vested interest in keeping police off their backs

when they’re not busy running a minor crime ring Kerr, Jay, and Warrick do what any other friend group in their early 20's do: hang out at bars, get themselves in trouble, and pull each other out of said trouble

of course, these three aren’t just any friend group - they’re a trio of shifters living on the wrong side of the law. their kind of trouble is a bit more dangerous

one of the trio’s favorite places to avoid trouble is a bar called Alibi - a bar catering to the criminal element of Moressau. it’s considered neutral ground for any gang with enough brains to realize that if Mags, the owner of Alibi, goes down then she’s taking everyone with her

no one crosses Mags

[SLIDE EIGHT]

recently Mags has acquired a new bartender - a guy named Jaime from the east coast who claims to be some kind of cousin or nephew

all Kerr cares about is that Jaime is hot and funny and charmingly mysterious

there’s not much time for romance, though

someone is targeting the Pack’s operations and attacking their people. someone that’s got Carlisle, unofficial leader of the Pack, spooked. too bad he won’t tell anyone why

which means it’s Kerr, Jay, and Warrick’s jobs to figure out what’s going on and put a stop to it

if only it were really that easy

questions keep piling up, and it won’t be long before bodies are too if the savagery of the attacks are anything to go onquestions like: what does a mysterious brand on the attackers mean? why is Jaime so interested in the attacks? what does Carlisle know that he isn’t telling anyone? why does Kerr have such a bad feeling about it all?

and what will the trio do once they’ve dug to the bottom and found the answers they seek?

Content Warnings

Lots of swearing

graphic descriptions of gore

graphic descriptions of violence

mild sexual situations

Prevalent Themes

found family

fighting for what you think is right

going against societal expectations

ACAB

Extra Goodies

messy relationships

imperfect queer characters

disability representation

mental disorder representation

[SLIDE NINE]

Quotes!

Kerr cackles. Warrick gasps, but he’s grinning when he does it. Jay eyes them. “I’ve tried shaking them, but they keep coming back.” “Like mold,” Warrick says with a nod. “Or an STD,” Kerr offers. Jay laughs then, a true laugh that stretches her mouth flashes her teeth - the canines sharper, longer, wolfier than a mundane’s. Then, like it’s realized what it’s doing, her mouth snaps shut into a frown.

Memes!

Image ID: in the meme format of "Domino Effect" meme. The smallest domino is labelled "kiss a bartender". The tallest domino is labelled "irrevocably change yourself and the city you call home."

In-World Media!

Image ID: the front cover of a small zine named "The Idiot's Guide to Moressau". Most of the cover is taken up by a ground-level photo of wet asphalt reflecting out-of-focus city lights.

Art!

Image ID: an illustration of Kerr, Jay, and Warrick exploring an abandoned supermarket. Kerr stands behind Jay with his hands on her shoulders, holding a cigarette in his mouth. He has his eyes closed and a small smile on his face. Jay looks up at Warrick disapprovingly, holding her hand palm-up towards him as if asking him to give her something. Warrick leans back against a shelf, a box in one hand. He has a mischievous smirk on his face and is looking sideways at Kerr.

You can find it all right here on this blog!

[SLIDE TEN]

Rave Reviews!

I have to toot my own horn sometimes, don’t I? and what better way than through the words of my delightful friends and mutuals?

"#OH BOY THEY'RE DISASTERS I LOVE THEM"

"#as always shapeshifter is [heart-eyes emoji]"

"#If you haven't given this story a read yet: what are you doing just standing there! go read it! #it's good stuff!"

"#wait this is so good!! #i want to read more"

"I really do love the sea themes for all the teams, haha. and HOLY SHIT K, THIS IS SO DETAILED IT'S INCREDIBLE. It's very cool to see where the story is happening. I'd risk all the magical and practical dangers for 300+ overcast days and summers no hotter than 70ish F."

"#YESSS MORE Into The Storm IS SUCH A GIFT #Go read it. Clicky the link. #it's so good! #This story deserves a bigger following so I can be the president of the inevitably large Warrick fan club that will eventually exist"

"#EVERYONE STOP WHAT YOURE DOING AND LOOK AT THIS #such incredible work! #other people's work"

"#K!!!! #This was SO MUCH FUN to read #I loved being a passenger in Kerr's head #and all his smart-ass thoughts #I love Warrick's nicknames for him #and the constant threat of Jay kicking both their asses"

[luimnigh]

So, Day Two of New York! Well, actually, I crashed when I got back to the hotel again (is this that Jet Lag stuff?), so I'm writing this on Day Three, but here's the recap:

So my Aunt accidentally booked the Statue of Liberty ferry for 9am instead of 2pm. At 7.30am. We ended up having to rush to Battery Park to catch the boat, using the Subway. No pics of that, too many people's faces everywhere.

What I did get a picture of was this:

Apparently, a Church.

Anyway, while we were waiting for the ferry I saw more helicopters than I usually do in a year (my helicopter diet is mostly made of Search and Rescue ones), and the Disney Cruise Ship Treasure passed and played "When You Wish Upon A Star" on the horn.

But yes, Lady Liberty:

Managed to finally have some breakfast, of mediocre lukewarm pizza.

What can I say? It's a fun and interesting experience to see this literal icon of America up close. It's a little bittersweet, given that America has never fully lived up to her promises, both the original idea of her creator (Liberty and Justice for all) and the reinterpretation by Emma Lazarus ("Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free"). But she was always supposed to be ideal to strive towards.

Also I got to see the bolts that hold her to the pedestal!

It was like 30 cents and another security screening to go up the Pedestal, would recommend. Great view of Manhattan from there:

Also, the original (though heavily modified over the years) torch is found in the nearby museum.

After that, we went to Ellis Island, because it's on the same ticket. Actually, that ticket's great value for money, €25.30 for Liberty and Ellis.

I didn't take many pictures, but it was a very interesting experience. Irish emmigration to America has never really stopped, but I am of a generation where it slowed to it's lowest levels. If I had been born in any other generation, it's likely I would have had to leave myself for America.

Case in point, my Aunt who's with me on this trip did emigrate to America. She spent a decade in California, before being able to come back to Ireland in the 90s.

So after we got back on dry land, we made our way through the Subway to the Oculus, the big fancy Mall:

Grabbed some lunch in a nearby deli my Aunt likes.

And then we went into the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

...so. I have a complaint. And it feels shitty to be complaining about a memorial, but I swear it's a fairly serious complaint.

We were ushered into a theatre, where we were told we were going to be shown a 26 minute movie before experiencing the exhibit. We assumed it was going to be a film about the events of 9/11.

We were wrong.

It was a very detailed film about hunting and killing Bin Laden. Like, animated diagrams of troop movements during the raid.

It felt celebratory and congratulatory and the CIA director was grinning and saying people were chanting "CIA! CIA!" in public when the news broke.

It was a propaganda film and incredibly clashing with the tone of a fucking memorial.

The rest of the museum is well-done and appropriately sombre except for the section where it goes back to the topic of fighting Al-Qaeda with ever mentioning the millions of Afghanis and Iraqis that died-

Sorry. Yeah. Mostly well done except for those two sections and the random brick from the Abbotabad compound. Just sitting across from the exhibit on the long-term effects of the dust clouds.

Yeah, that kinda threw me and my Aunt. That felt inappropriate and not in keeping with the intended tone.

And after that we went back to the hotel.

Yeah. Bit of an awkward one.

[grendel-menz]

wait ur scottish? I thought u were dutch... looking over your profile now I think I temporarily got u mixed up with that other really iconic european lesbian with the little white fluffy cat. u both just have such beautiful personalities. I hope u have a good night /day

Thank you for the compliment!

And yeah! My father’s side is Scottish/Irish, but also nationality wise I am American in case that’s unclear!

[irelandseyeonmythology]

DIAS Black Friday Sale

Once a year, the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS), offers a sale for Black Friday -- DIAS is one of the major publishers for Celtic Studies, many of the best studies of medieval Irish material have come through there.

Some books that I recommend, personally:

Fergus Kelly, A Guide to Early Irish Law (26.25 Euro, normally 35) (THE introduction to law in medieval Ireland)

"", Early Irish Farming (26.25 Euro, normally 35) (Everything you wanted to know about day to day life in medieval Ireland but were afraid to ask. Literally. Everything.)

Medieval Irish Prose

Fergus Kelly, Audacht Morainn (18.75 Euro, normally 25)

Are you planning on becoming a medieval Irish king? Do you want to know what you should do to involve the total destruction of the natural order? Then this is the text for you! Now with English translation!

In all seriousness, this text is used a LOT with regards to studies of ideal kingship in medieval Ireland.

Cecile O'Rahilly, The Táin from the Book of Leinster (26.25 Euro, usually 35)

I'll be real with you, lads: I hate Cú Chulainn. I hate him. I hate his smug, misogynistic face. His creepy multi-pupiled eyes. The shitty way he treats Emer. The way that his presence is like this black hole in the study of medieval Irish literature that means that the Ulster Cycle can get a prestigious yearly conference held in its honor while the other cycles are left with either crumbs or outright dismissal. I think the Táin is boring and episodic as a piece of lit and I've never found anything overly redeeming about it over any other piece of medieval Irish literature, especially since imo other pieces of literature do women (and homoeroticism) much better and get much less praise for it.

...that being said. It's important. It IS iconic, both as a piece of medieval Irish literature and, in general, to Irish literature. Its status as The Irish Iliad means that, if you want to study medieval Irish stuff...you have to read the Táin. And this is a version of the Táin that you might not have gotten, translated and edited by a master of Old Irish, with commentary.

"", Táin Bó Cúailnge: recension I (10 Euro, normally 35)

See above.

Early Irish History and Genealogy

T.F. O'Rahilly, Early Irish History and Genealogy (30 Euro, normally 40)

So. On the record, a lot of what he says here is absolutely not currently believed in the field. Just. No. BUT. There's a reason why I always recommend him anyway, and it's because if you're serious about doing a study of Irish Mythology, whatever we take that to mean...you will not be able to avoid this man. His ideas were very popular for decades and still often are to people who don't really focus on mythology. It's better to know where these ideas come from and to identify them than not, and O'Rahilly, in his defense, had an *excellent* knowledge of his sources. It's dense, it's difficult (rather like the author himself, from the accounts I've heard), but it's necessary if you really want to attack this.

Joan Radner, Fragmentary Annals of Ireland (22.50, normally 30)

There is so much weird shit in the Fragmentary Annals. So much.

Welsh

Patrick Sims Williams, Buchedd Beuno: The Middle Welsh Life of St Beuno (22.50 Euro, normally 30)

I know what you're thinking: "Why the FUCK are they recommending this book about a random Welsh saint? Answer: Because this is how I learned Middle Welsh. The introduction to Welsh at the front of the book + the VERY good index at the back is still one of the best ways to learn Middle Welsh. Also if anyone was watching the Green Knight film and going "Why is there a lady with her head chopped off?" this answers that question.

 R. L. Thomson, Pwyll Pendeuic Dyuet: the first of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, edited from the White Book of Rhydderch, with variants from the Red Book of Hergest (15 Euro, normally 20)

Once you've gotten enough of a hang of Middle Welsh to know the basics, it's time to dive into the classics, and what better way to do it than with the Mabinogi, starting at the very beginning, with the First Branch? Personally, I dislike a lot of Thomson's orthographic decisions, but, hey, it's the First Branch, and that's Middle Welsh orthography for you.

Ian Hughes, Math uab Mathonwy (22.50 Euro, normally 30)

The Fourth Branch, my beloved. Incest, rape, bestiality (well...pseudo bestiality, really), creating a new life while not being willing to deal with the consequences of it...it truly has it all. Not for the faint of heart, but absolutely worth the read if you can stomach it because imo it handles its themes very well and it's incredibly haunting.

And a lot more -- go in, shop around, see what's available. Even with the older books, they're often things that we're still referencing in some way into the present.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Day 11 - Pyro Jack / Jack-o'-lantern

Race: Fairy

Alignment: Neutral

April 3rd, 2024

On the streets at night in the cold, deep darkness, a candle flickers. You know this means only one thing. Hallow's eve is right around the corner. Introducing the second of the Jack Bros, Pyro Jack!

In Ireland since the 1700's, it's been a tradition to put up Jack-o'-lanterns as the month errs towards Halloween, inspired by the legend of a man known as 'Stingy Jack.' According to the story, there was a tricky drunk in an Irish town with the name Jack, a man who would sell a soul for six silver coins or break into a bank in order to fuel his ever-growing reliance on booze. He was hated, by even the heavens itself, yet soon he found himself at death's door. That is when the Devil came to him, to see if he was truly as terrible as the stories painted him out to be.

One night, Jack wandered the cobblestone roads before coming to a dreadful sight- a body, laying smack-dab in the center of the road. However, it had a face not of death, but rather, devilish envy, as the Devil himself made his presence known. Jack had one last request, one typical of a drunkard- to get one last drink in before the end. The Devil obliged, likely finding it foolish, and took him to a pub, where they both drank the night away. Jack, then, asked the Devil to cover his tab. His idea? To turn the beast into a silver coin. Impressed by his trickiness, the Devil did as asked... only to be slipped into a pocket with a crucifix, held captive by slippery Jack, who had now fucked with the devil himself. Baffled and trapped, the two made a deal- Jack would be given 10 more years on the earth.

Unsurprisingly, when the time came, Jack yet again tricked the Devil, and was granted eternal recompense, as the Devil was forced to make him never go to hell. Ever. When Jack's time came, however, his life of deceit and fraud only gave him a ticket out of Heaven's pearly gates, and the Devil wasn't one to give up on a deal either, so he was eventually forced back to earth, forever to roam as a lost spirit held alive by the flickering light of a lantern within a turnip. Ever since, Jack-o'-lanterns have been a popular tradition of Halloween, originally starting as incredibly freaky looking rutabagas before eventually changing to the far more iconic autumn fruit of a pumpkin.

The idea behind the lighting of the Jack-o'-lanterns is scarcely known, but it's mostly thought to be a tradition to help guide Stringy Jack along the roads and to help his soul find peace in his eternal roaming of the plains of earth.

Pyro Jack, unsurprisingly, is based on Jack-o'-lanterns, though mostly in his pumpkin head. The lantern he carries is likely an allusion to Stringy Jack, lighting the way for his soul to wander aimlessly in the megaten world. Being the second Jack Brother, Pyro Jack is also his counterpart, representing the flame to Jack Frost's ice. Pyro Jack is also based on the phenomenon of Will-o'-wisps, flickering lights that appear in the dead of night with no real explanation, typically around swampland and forests.

He typically appears in every SMT game, mostly as an early game demon, as well as a component to his big brother, Black Frost. Overall, Pyro Jack has a fun and festive Halloween design, some really fun folklore, and, while simple, works as a perfectly effective little spooky spirit in the smt series.

[pvffinsdaisies]

Some DenIre headcanons

Bc I love them

Compared to some of my other ships, DenIre are a very recent pairing. They’ve both known one another since they were really young, but there was never any feelings there until more recently.

They kinda fit the she fell first, he fell harder trope. Also friends to lovers. Becoming better friends and allies in the modern day, Saoirse was the first to feel something, but it was slow developing. Whereas, Mathias took a bit longer, but once he felt it, he fell so hard.

They’re not a romantic couple, not at all. High romance isn’t for them, most of their dates consist of going to an Irish bar and getting cheap kebab street food afterwards. Sure, it’s not some people’s idea of a good date, but they both leave laughing, with huge grins on their faces because they’ve had so much fun.

During the summer, they’ll go on more outdoorsy dates, probably not hiking, but they might have a picnic by a nice lake, go out cycling together around the Irish fields, or beach dates in Denmark.

Whilst they’re not low-commitment or casual, they’re also definitely not planning towards their future. They both have end goals that align, but that’s years away. Right now they just wanna have some fun.

They’re a low-jealousy, and definitely not obsessive couple. Mathias might jokingly flirt with his friends, and Saoirse doesn’t pay any mind. It’s nothing serious. That being said, if need be, they both can get protective of one another.

Mathias can and does fuck up and Saoirse isn’t afraid to put him in his place sometimes. He loves a strong woman who can put her foot down.

Saoirse is insecure about her hair and Mathias’ type exactly is ginger women 😍😍

If they’re attempting to learn one another’s languages, it’s not going great. Saoirse’s fine with reading and writing in Danish, but listening and speaking she cannot wrap her head around. Meanwhile, the only good thing about Mathias’ Irish is how committed he is to it. But nothing he says or writes makes any sense, unfortunately.

Saoirse doesn’t care much for physical affection, but she doesn’t mind it with Mathias, who’s a bit of a hugger when they’re at home. In public, they’re both fine to hold hands and he might wrap an arm around her in a bar or something, but they’re never going to make anyone uncomfortable with PDA.

Mathias has become big on planning and organisation to help manage his ADHD. He has his schedules, and he hangs them up everywhere in his house in case he winds up getting distracted or forgetting. Meanwhile, Saoirse is a very laid back woman, who might often put off doing something she really needs to do. On a bad day, they might clash. Or, Mathias might be a good influence on Saoirse in this aspect.

Mathias loves a cosy night in at the end of the week, and Saoirse will force him to watch Father Ted- an iconic Irish sitcom from the 90s- with her. It’s almost part of their routine at this point.