#and Tom gifting us with this amazing character

[marabout2772]

TW : slight body horror

I think im in love 😔✊🏽

What can i say, i just cant resist weird -and a bit fucked up- entities who are as old as Time itself

(I headcanon that he can twist and stretched his body at will, as seen in this first image)

Just look at this freak!! /affectionate

His whole concept is so freaking cool, and I'm having so much fun trying to get his design right hehe

And a lil illustration, with Clarissa herself ! (Poor girl, she did not deserve ANY of that, at least she's free and happy now )

Anyway, i have 2 more WIPs of the conductor to work on (i really love him alright), so ill see ya !

Likes are cool, reblogs are cooler btw, they keep tumblr alive!

[emojellyace08]

Lookism Men x Singer/Musician! Reader 🖤🥀 🤟 🎶

A/N: I'm making the reader in the subculture of pop-punk smth like that for the most part but feel free to pick your own music genre. Genre: fluff ☁️, and slight angst 🥀 pairing: character/s x reader (romantic ; reader is gender neutral) Warnings: slight mentions of personal problems Picture/character name: Nana Osaki

Daniel Park/Jay Hong/Duke Pyeon/Eli Jang/Jake Kim/Jerry Kwon/Lineman/Sinu Han/Young Jinyoung Park/Jace Park/Kwak Jihan/(add in: Mary Kim! because why not she slays)

They really loves your voice. You're not only kind and helpful, you're also very talented and he feels very gifted to have someone like you :).

They also finds it a new interesting thing about you. If you're shy about your singing/music skills please don't! They're willing to listen to your beautiful voice and amazing talent. So there's need to gatekeep on what you can do (but they wouldn't pressure you too much they know boundaries).

They also wouldn't mind if you collaborate with them! They thinks it's a good bonding time in your relationship. Whether it's singing to other musicians' songs or composing your own they find it really enjoyable.

They would also be you personal manager or your bandmate if you asked me. I'm pretty sure that they at least know something about music or they're just also really good at it but they're also shy about it (whether if they're a good vocalist, knows how to play musical instruments or a composer they will do a good job with it and he'll appreciate it if you help them gather more ideas for new projects). You just gotta keep your relationship in private if both of you ever got famous because of some fans (y'know what I mean).

If you play musical instruments, they would blush when you insist to teach them the basics. Or, if you want to learn how to play and they know how to (please I want someone to teach me how to play the guitar it's so hard lol), they will spend their free time teaching you. Nonetheless if both of you are patient with each other, it can form a strong bond and connection.

They are willing to protect you especially when excited fans tries to touch you when they get a bit too thrilled to finally meet both of you. You even got to scold them while patching them up for being careless about themselves since they get hurt trying to shield you a bunch of times. But don't blame them, they want to make sure you and your privacy is safe (and they'll get flushed and a bit concerned when you also do the same for them).

They will be willing to listen and know about the meaning of your songs/covers. They will find a bit upsetting if you're ashamed of what you can do or if you are using your talent to vent out your negative emotions and personal problems as a coping mechanism. Nonetheless, they will be willing to reach out and talk to you about it. Besides they know that spending your time doing your hobbies/talent can be really healthy to release your stress. But next time don't hesitate to talk about your personal issues because they're your partner and they want to see you better, despite being a bit embarrassing on your part.

If you suffer from stage fright, don't worry if you don't mind they will sing with you! They find it a bit stressful for you to feel like this because they really believe on what you can do and also you as a person. So, they will cheer you up and give the best and genuine compliments.

1000/10 power couple vibes.

Zack Lee/Vasco (Lee Eun Tae)/Goo Kim/Jiho Park/Warren Chae/Tom Lee/Olly Wang/Kuroda Ryuhei/Vin Jin/Yuseong/Kwak Jibeom/Gongseob Ji

Do I even need to start? He will be your number one fan.

Not really good in terms of singing/music? (sorry Vin I do like you but Duke is just better lol). They're probably out of tune most of the times but he will practice almost every hour just to impress you lmao. But with practice and hard work (along with your help), he can keep up with you!

He is willing to give up his training just to stay beside you. They might be a little bit obsessed over you, but they do know boundaries. He'll respect it if you want your free time, but he will still cry inside because he really wants to spend his extra time with you.

He will not admit it, but he thinks that he enjoys spending his time with you teaching him your interests? It's not necessarily that he's super passionate with music (except for Vin). But he finds it a good hobby when he's bored. He would also find it enjoyable if he teaches you his body training techniques (but he may unconsciously push you to your limits so you gotta tell him what you like and what you're not comfortable with). He would also force you almost every night (especially Yuseong, Goo, and Ryuhei) to hum him a lullaby before he sleeps, bastard. But like I said, he would stop if you're not comfortable with it. But if he has puppy ears it would surely droop down the moment you turned off his offer.

He thinks that playing musical instruments is so damn hard. Like how the hell can you play *your instrument of choice* so smooth? Almost perfectly if you asked me. Now he wanna learns how to play too! Be patient with him because he may accidentally break it (for example strumming the guitar so hard lmao).

He will also whoop someone's ass if they ever tried to touch you. But he may misunderstand the situation with someone who's just excited to ask for an autograph 🗿. Now don't blame him, he's really cautious with any potential danger (especially when you became famous). Now you gotta scold his ass off telling him to be nicer to your fans and he'll be crying and sniffing pleading for your forgiveness. But still, his preservative demeanor will still be active especially when you're out for tours. He's also a great body guard even when he's super a blockheaded person at times.

He's the type to look really tough but cries at hearing emotional songs? You can see the tears that threatened to fall on his now red-glossy eyes as he doesn't know why he feels like this every time you sing a meaningful song with your beautiful song. You're like a goddess given life, his princess if you asked me.

He will scream like the biggest fanboy he's ever been when you're feeling nervous for a stage performance. The only thing missing at this point is him holding up a board with your pictures plastered with colorful/*color of choice* on it to cheer you up lmao.

He' a chaotic crackhead and also pretty dumb at times. He wants to guard and almost babysit you on rehearsals.

Gun Park/Johan Seong/Jiho Park (villain arc/James Lee/Daniel Park (post-gun training/Jay Hong/Jake Kim/Samuel Seo/Taesoo Ma/Kwak Jichang/Hudson Ahn/Yoojin/Mandeok/Cheon Taejin/Xiaoleoung/Jason Yoon/Brad Lee

He doesn't really care if you can sing or make music? But he does find it an interesting fact about you though.

He would be honestly feel a bit blessed if he have a partner who's not only strong willed, helpful and emotionally intelligent/logical but also talented (his type might be a too unrealistic but I guess as long as you're a positive or a good person he might catch feelings for you especially Daniel).

Doesn't really care about one's physical appearance in some aspects (some men in this list have preferences but he's not too picky either except for Samuel and Jiho lmao). But he would find it hot and appealing if you wear your own preference in clothing that matches your music style. He thinks that it can also catch your audiences' attention to be presentable not only talent/skill wise but also in your fashion sense.

He might not admit it but he loves your voice. He finds it calming since he's either having troubles with his sleep schedule and he's really tired. Anything you sing is okay for him, hearing your voice is enough as you ruffle his hair to help him take a nap. But his cold-stone heart will slowly melt if you sing his favorite song/s for him in a soft and calm manner.

He's not really a singer but he does hum at times either when if he's bored or in private all alone because he's too focused on his work or either he's embarrassed by it (Daniel has a very exceptional singing skills we all that). He might reject or skip your offer of him helping you out for your project since he's either busy dealing with his enemies, him getting a bit shy and unsure, or him just not being in the mood for it. But after some forcing persuading, he might accept your offer but he still have doubts about it lol. He might prefer doing some back-up vocals though. He will find it annoying if you keep forcing him to sing with you. But he can't resist to you as his partner. So you might hear a low (yet beautiful tone) voice of his singing along with you especially on karaoke bars.

Though I headcannon that he prefers being your bodyguard/manager (something along of the lines like that). Since he's super strong, cunning, fast and a very outstanding fighter he wouldn't hesitate to kick your stalker's ass the moment he catches up on them. He wants to make sure that your privacy and personal life is secured and safe as much as possible. And he will get his job done.

Not the best in comfort because he's mostly serious at times (especially Gun and Samuel), but he will still try his best to cheer you up before your performance. You're precious to him.

He will not admit it but he does find it enjoyable to spend time with you on what you like to do/hobbies especially when he's free. He might be interested to play your instrument of choice or practice his vocal skills more with you as his coach and lover. Who knows?

Bonus! DG (Kang Dag Yeom)/Daniel Park/Duke Pyeon (sorry I might come out as a bit of a biased person lmao)

He's a singer/musician as well! So no need to be embarrassed by your music skills.

Though he can't help to admire your beauty, he's most likely act professional in times of work. You got lots of projects to do that must be done on time, so he'll most likely put his feelings aside first.

He's very attentive about your ideas for your new projects. If you don't mind he might even recommend some tips and his thoughts for that additional flair on the music. Not only him working with you is organized, it's also very enjoyable while still being focused.

He might know how to play a musical instrument (DG for sure), but for Daniel and Duke they're more of a vocalist and composer. So teaching him how to play or you studying together to play your musical instrument of choice is also very entertaining. DG will be willing to teach you the basics first if you asked him for help when he's free. So you don't need to feel shy about it.

He also cares for the meaning of the songs you're composing/making a cover for. He really believes that music is not only something catchy on our hearing, but also it needs to be a beautiful and meaningful masterpiece. He might get concerned if your song of choice might be a bit personal on your side, but he'll make sure that he'll talk about it with you (in a good way ofc). Nonetheless as long as you're happy with the song, he'll be fine with it too.

He'll also try his best to protect you. Daniel and DG can kick some perverted people if needed. As for Duke, I'm not really confident that he can fight back but I'm sure he'll still try his best to take care of you in his own ways :).

They feel stage fright at times but he'll get a bit more anxious when you're the one that experiences it. He wants you to know that you can get through it. So if you don't mind he will sing with you too.

1000/10 couple vibes (again lol).

[zablife]

Peaky Blinders Rec List

I've been thinking of doing this for some time to show my appreciation to those who have given me hours of entertainment with their stories, moodboards and GIFs. Recently I've seen a few posts asking if there are any writers left in the Peaky fandom. The short answer is YES!! The longer answer of just how many incredibly talented writers there are and their amazing work is listed below the cut. Go follow them, read their work and please comment and reblog! Happy reading and thank you to all these lovely people who share their work with us!

Updated 5/6/24

@peakyscillian Masterlist Incredible Tommy smut!

@inkwolvesandcoffee Masterlist The most creative Alfie content I've read with gorgeous moodboards.

@dandelionprints Masterlist Amazing new writer with fresh Tommy fics!

@buttercupsandboys Masterlist One of my new fave Alfie series!

@moral-terpitude Masterlist So much amazing Tommy content from one shots to series!!

@raincoffeeandfandoms Masterlist Lovely, creative fics for Alfie, Tommy and Luca. As well as the most inspiring moodboards.

@dreamlandcreations Masterlist Amazing Alfie writer and incredible moodboard creator.

@cillmequick Masterlist Amazing series for both Cillian and Tommy that will make you laugh and cry in equal measure.

@notyour-valentine Masterlist Thoughtfully crafted stories that will touch you deeply.

@pherelesytsia Masterlist Tommy fics written in the language of pure poetry. Soft, romantic and utterly beautiful.

@little-diable Masterlist One of the best Tommy Shelby smut writers I've read! Inventive and smart, not to mention devilishly clever!

@xxblackballoonxx Masterlist My fave John Shelby writer!!

@evita-shelby Masterlist Series writer with a strong heroine OC I adore.

@peakyswritings Masterlist A gold mine of Peaky content! One of my fave writers.

@flysafepapi Masterlist Creative genius, horror, vampire AU, so many incredible ideas here.

@shelbydelrey Masterlist Tommy fics with an edge. Mysterious, intriguiging, never dull and always accompanied by amazing moodboards.

@look-at-the-soul Masterlist Cillian and Tommy fics that are so heartfelt and emotional.

@noforkingclue Masterlist Writes the best dark!Tommy ever!

@garrison-girl-08 Masterlist Cillian and Tommy series that are so so addictive!!

@runnning-outof-time Masterlist Consistently amazing Tommy content! No one works harder, but makes it look so easy!

@murderousginger Masterlist One of the most creative writers who never runs out of good ideas. Truly awe inspiring.

@amysteryspot Masterlist Delicious, descriptive writing for Tommy and Alfie one shots and series.

@madame-wilsonn Masterlist A lady of impeccable taste who writes beautifully. Check out her Tommy, Alfie and Arthur fics!

@solomons-finest-rum Masterlist My fave Alfie writer of all time!! Captures his voice like no other.

@theshelbyclan Masterlist A wonderfully gifted writer who provides heartwarming Shelby family fics and the most amazing OC of all time Teddy Shelby!

@pacifymebby Masterlist Writes incredibly detailed headcanons and preferences for the Peaky men that are perfectly in character.

@red-riding-wood Masterlist Specializing in Luca Changretta fics with rich descriptions and compelling narratives.

@thesoldiersminute Gorgeous GIFs I can't stop staring at!

@midnightmagpiemama Masterlist Lovely combination of fluffy, smutty Tommy fics.

@peakyblinded Amazing GIFs and all around lovely person to chat with

@toms-cherry-trees Masterlist Some of the most gorgeous prose I've ever read for Tommy as well as a few other Peaky characters.

@sneakyblinders Masterlist Creator of two separate Tommy AUs that are so creative and immersive.

@anonymooseforever007 Masterlist Writes for many Peaky characters, specializing in humorous, witty dialogue.

@brummiereader Masterlist Amazing series writer for Tommy!

@call-sign-shark Masterlist Mainly writes an incredible series for Arthur, but also one shots for Tommy.

@peakyltd Masterlist Lovely one shots for Tommy, Arthur and John along with the most gorgeous moodboards.

@everythingelseisextra masterlist Formerly @priceofasapphire. Writing under a new blog now with loads of wonderful content.

@darklydeliciousdesires Masterlist Series and one shots for Alfie and John. Incredible smut and fluff!

@rysko Masterlist New writer with amazing Luca content!

I am certain I have missed writers I admire so I will add to this list as I remember people. If I have missed you, I apologize!

[aethon-recs]

(Themed Rec List) 9 Omega Tom Riddle | Voldemort Fics

I recently damn near lost my mind after reading @cannibalinc's new Omega Tom Riddle fic, so it made me wonder how prevalent Omega Tom (or Voldemort) is in Tomarrymort... Pretty rare as it turns out! On AO3, the Alpha Tom Riddle (Alpha Voldemort) tag outpaces the Omega Tom Riddle (Omega Voldemort) tag by a factor of 7 to 1 for Tomarrymort fics 👀

Luckily, there’s been an amazing slate of Tomarrymort authors who’ve dipped their toes into this dynamic, so I was inspired to throw together an Omega Tom | Voldemort themed rec list.

The most interesting theme underlying many of these Omega Tom fics is how Tom manages to find ways to wield power in a world that denies him power, similar to how he overcomes his meagre circumstances in canon. Seeing Tom upend the typical power structures that we see in A/B/O dynamics and break the mould of "weak" Omega expectations results in a very authentic depiction of the manipulative and ruthless Tom (Voldemort) that we know and love 😊

Please mind all the tags and warnings on AO3 before reading — some of these fics contain quite dark subject matter, and this blog abides by the age-old fandom principle of don’t like; don’t read. As always, recs are in alphabetical order by title.

*

Tomarrymort Recs (Omega Tom Riddle | Voldemort)

A Matter of Perspective by lemonchase (E, 3k, WIP)

A PWP featuring a very practical Minister Riddle wanting to spend his heat with Auror Potter who is blessed with quite the generously-sized package. They have a very fun chemistry and banter, and seeing Harry sheepish about his god-given gifts is always a treat.

As It Begins by @duplicitywrites (T, 15k, WIP)

I never knew I needed an omegaverse Bridgerton AU in my life, but after reading this, I realized that I 1000% need an omegaverse Bridgerton AU in my life. It was fascinating to follow along as Tom so meticulously thinks through all the machinations and second-order effects of every ball and courting gift and social interaction — the Regency-era courtship-focused setting maps really well onto Tom's social climbing ambitions. Also, the side characters are such a delight as well, especially the handsome and charming Prince Cedric, who emerges as a viable candidate for Tom’s hand as he proposes a courtship with Tom (I’m now kind of obsessed with Prince Cedric after reading this), and there’s plenty of romantic tension, UST, and juicy gossip/drama to keep Tom and Harry occupied and us readers at the edge of our seats.

complete by @cindle-writes (E, 9k, complete)

I thought this was a clever play on the widespread trope of “Voldemort is definitely an Alpha / the assumed top in every circumstance” within the Tomarry ship. In this fic, Harry also (mistakenly) assumes Voldemort must be an Alpha — after all, that's what everyone had always said his whole life. As a result, he doesn’t bother to confirm before adopting Tom, which results in a loss of control that could prove disastrous for both of them.

Enamoured by @itsevanffs (E, 5k, WIP)

Newly presented Omega Tom takes babytrapping schemes to a whole new level in this fic. He is determined to have Harry as his Alpha, and there’s both a layer of Tom wanting to be with Harry to use him to his advantage, as well as a layer of Tom genuinely wanting Harry and craving his scent, his touch, his attentions — and oh, the pining in this fic was so very captivating, especially the last part where Tom comes undone surrounded by Harry’s scent.

Honeyguide by @cannibalinc (E, 7k, complete)

This was such a wild ride, and Tom’s inner voice is both so coldly rational and absolutely hilarious at the same time. Tom is hellbent on seducing Harry, regardless of anything that stands in the way. The rut scene was so intense — probably one of the most intense things I’ve read in all of fanfic — with Harry losing control and Tom facing the consequences of his actions and manipulations (in other words, of being a little shit). The rut was absolutely glorious in how it was depicted, with the snatches of action filtering in and out giving it a very dreamlike, unhinged quality. For Tom to be happy with the outcome of the rut and still want to be with Harry afterwards shows how resolute and strong his will is, which I thought was a very nice depiction of Tom that will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

pearl by @being-luminous (E, 3k, complete)

A lovely depiction of a Harry and Tom dynamic where they’re not quite together but have known each other for a long time, and it’s very sweet how they have an implicit trust in each other, for Tom to want to spend his heat with Harry. They both clearly care about each other, more than what they reveal in words, and it comes out in their comfortable familiarity with each other’s bodies and how they take care of each other’s needs, and I’m left with a smile on my face and a hopeful feeling about their future.

Prison Blues by @metalomagnetic (E, 48k, WIP)

My reaction to each chapter of Prison Blues published has been incoherent screaming—there is a LOT of knotting, there is a LOT of slick, and there is a LOT of Voldemort being an absolute menace and Harry having the biggest heart of gold in the world. Voldemort definitely wields his power as an Omega in this fic — he’s absolutely dripping in the power he holds over others — strutting about and driving all the Alphas around him crazy — it is QUITE the magnificent depiction of Voldemort at his sexiest. I literally have no words to describe how jaw-droppingly knock-out sexy these chapters were, but after each update, I was left in a stunned daze where I didn’t know what to do with myself for the next few hours aside from read and reread each chapter a few more times. And we even get a whole chapter dedicated to Voldemort’s backstory from the time he was at Hogwarts as a newly-presented omega! (Also, did we know there's only 1 fic on AO3 that uses the Omega Voldemort tag, and it’s this one!?? 👀 Omega Voldemort has so much untapped potential!)

Tantrums by @crowcrowcrowthing (E, 5k, complete)

Tom is a straight-up brat in this fic, and his chaotic, destructive tendencies are too funny to read about. Harry happens to be the only one that has a hope of reining Tom in, but Harry’s no perfect role model either, as an impulsive teenager that doesn’t have full control over his instincts. This is a rare example of a fic with beta/omega dynamics, and I thought it was an interesting take on how betas without any special A/B/O biology or instincts can, just as much, succumb to their instincts when confronted with alpha or (in this case) omega biology.

The Ethics of Want by @exarite (E, 10k, complete)

This was the first omegaverse I read in Tomarry, and it's pretty much the perfect beginner omegaverse fic, so if you're just dipping your toes into A/B/O — highly, highly recommend starting here. Tom is SO MANIPULATIVE and SO SCHEMING in this fic, and when he sets his sights on Harry, he is absolutely relentless until he gets his way, including some questionable (and hilarious) scent-marking tactics. There's just something Exarite’s prose that feels like drinking from a bubbly well of champagne — their fics are always so engaging and delightful to read, and the smut is so unbelievably hot, top top tier. Each time I reread this piece, it always feels fresh and just as much of a wild ride as the first time I read it.

*

[callsign-phoenix]

I wrote this for my 1.5k follower celebration, I hope you like it!

It is a Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky x gn!reader blurb, requested by @gigisimsonmars.

The prompt requested is: your s/o remembering small things you’ve said.

Warnings: this is only proofread by me

Tom was an amazing boyfriend, even though he had a demanding job.

You had met because your best friend was also in the Navy, and from the very first moment he had set eyes on you he hadn’t been able to look away.

Your friend knew Tom and saw his interest in you before anyone else really did, but they also saw that Tom was far more reluctant, maybe even a hint insecure, than when he usually asked others out.

He only managed to come up to you shortly before you wanted to leave, and he actually seemed kind and caring, not like the man of bravado everyone else had gotten to know.

To you he seemed sweet so you agreed to meet him the following night after making some small talk, deciding to meet at that same bar again.

When you arrived he had already ordered you your favorite drink and he was so charming yet always a hint nervous, you couldn’t get enough of him.

From that first date onwards he always remembered things you said, and you developed the most amazing relationship either of you had ever had.

You loved spending time with him and he always seemed to find things that you loved to gift to you, even if it was just your favorite type of tea or that he immediately remembered how you like your coffee, he seemed to guess or always remember what you loved.

Tom had asked you if he could take you on a date he planned on his own, without you knowing what he was up to, and while you were nervous you had faith in him.

He came up to your home one afternoon and escorted you to his car, an album of your favorite band already playing when you entered it and the temperature was perfectly to your liking.

You had spent one night laying on a picnic blanket in his garden stargazing, and you had mentioned that you had always wanted to visit the Griffith Observatory, because it wasn’t only a beautiful building but the views and exhibitions were incredible.

You arrived shortly before the observatory closed, which was strange to you, but Tom just sent you one of his disarming smiles.

He took you by the hand and lead you to the entrance, where the woman at the reception already smiled at you.

It turned out that Tom had once again listened to you far more than you would have thought, and that he had remembered something you had said after reading a romance novel by one of your favorite authors.

The main characters had been on a date in an observatory that had been closed over night, and you hadn’t been able to stop gushing about the romance of it all.

As a pilot Tom could tell you about the constellations and stars as well as any guide could have, and he lead you through the darkened observatory, showing you around and explaining everything to you while holding your hand.

It was the epitome of a perfect date and it was just one of oh so many things you had casually mentioned that he decided to pursue, building a fairy tale life for the two of you.

tagging: @starkleila @mayhem24-7forever @green-socks @letsfvckingdance @shadeds-library @yespolkadotkitty @whateverbagman @neptunes-curse @sweetheartlizzie07 @top-gun-rooster @iloveprettyboysblog @ateliefloresdaprimavera @imjess-themess @littlebadariell @angstyjellybean @marchingicenotes7 @midget713 @supernaturaldawning @gspenc @adorephina @bespinnn @malindacath @aerangi @kassieesworld @kwanimations @18crazybutcutealsopsycho @marvelandotherfandomimagines @mavericksicybabe @kendra-rose @desert-fern @mavrellover91 @allivingstone01 @rhettabbotts @withakindheartx @trikigirl271 @cherrycola27 @bonitanightmxres @ratcatcher2world @glowingtree @wingmanvenus

(please tell me if you want to be added to the taglist, or use this link)

[padfootdaredmetoo]

Hi Dear !

I love your work, like, it's so good !

Could you do one with a curvy reader x Thomas Shelby ? (And with short hair, like a Peaky cut, but longer at the top)

Like she is naturally nice and kind to everyone. But she would do anything to protect the family while always being nice (I mean, she don't use bad terms (sorry if it don't mean anything, English isn't my first language 😅)). Thomas love her for being so amazing

Thank you !

Love you ❤️

Hey Anon, Thank you for waiting so long! Hope you enjoy this one. It's a bit on the darker side which I hope is alright.

Warnings: Reader is assaulted (not descriptive just unwanted touching) Violent murder of problematic peaky characters because I'm bitter.

You kept the sides of your curly hair as short as possible leaving a very unfeminine angle to your facial features or at least that's what people told you. It was unsettling and created too much of a contrast with your very feminine curves. You rolled your eyes and looked at yourself in the mirror and thought about the last time your hair was shoulder-length...

You would have been about 13. Just barely a woman and no matter how hard you tried to stay away from them you would always find yourself back with the Shelby boys. That cold day down by the cut, one of the girls from school wanted to prank you and cut off a massive piece of your hair. Tommy being 4 years older and infinitely cooler, decided there was only one way to fix it. People never gave you a hard time over it knowing whose hand was responsible for the cut. 

Your initial reaction was burning hate,  but seeing that he liked it was enough to make you forget it. Soon enough the hair came with a very safe place amongst the boys and endless troublemaking. 

Fast forward what felt like a million years you sat on the edge of the bathtub in your fancy bathroom and lit a cigarette. 

Looking out the window the sun was almost down and it was just about time to get ready. You looked over the soft red fabric of the dress hanging on the back of the door. You tried to think of a way to escape the evening, but you wouldn’t leave Thomas or the family in such a state. 

After a few more drags of your cigarette, you finally put it out and got to work. It didn't take you too long to get ready looking in the mirror you were very happy with the way the shimmery fabric clung to your curves. Adding a large diamond necklace Tommy had gifted you it was time to get downstairs. 

You looked over everything satisfied with the arrangements. You gave a sigh as you looked over the room, for once the type of people it was built for would be in your home. You clenched your fists struggling with the task before you. Normally your role in the blinders was to do what you did best of all. Talk to people. You had a way of making people tell you all their secrets and fears. You’d been able to reason and care for people ultimately saving them from destruction. It annoyed Thomas more than anything and yet it was a skill that benefitted his efforts most of all.

A strong arm wrapped around your waist pulling you from your thoughts. 

“It’s just a room, love.” He whispered in your ear and you relaxed against his frame. 

“I don’t want to do this Tom.” 

“I’ll let you renovate it then, eh? Soon as this is over you can fix it -” 

“You know that’s not -” You whispered shaking your head. 

“I know.” He whispered in your ear placing a kiss on your temple. This was not the time to talk about the things weighing on your heart. He held you there for a moment letting you breathe. 

Then the chaos started. John and Arthur showed up looking grim and mildly annoyed. They were to be on the property but not at the actual dinner. 

“You look nice,” John said giving you a weak smile. Arthur’s eyes told you all you needed to know. They were as miserable and angry about this as you were. 

“We’ll make sure nothing bad breaks out,” Arthur said in a low voice and you gave him a nod of thanks. They went to wherever they were to be stationed for the evening. 

You took a deep breath, every body was human at the end of the day. You could save these people. Bring them to the light. Like everyone they just need a little kindness. 

They were a half hour late and you bit back your bitterness at the way his hands lingered on your skin. 

“What a lovely wife you have here Thomas.” His dark eyes studied you and there was nothing soft about his words. “Heard lots about you over the years.” Oswald then introduced his new wife. Diana looked too much like all of Grace’s worst qualities. Acid burned in your veins and you pushed it down to introduce yourself. 

They went right into business wasting no time on pleasantries. Something you were initially grateful for, hoping that it would speed up the meeting. 

Your initial plan of all anyone needs is some kindness and good words were thrown out the window when things moved to the sitting room. Oswald insisted on sitting next to you on the sofa, and you watched as Diana’s eyes devoured your husband. 

You would do anything for your family. You repeated the thought over and over hoping it would push the obvious sight from your mind. 

Listening politely and trying to find a way to get a word into the conversation your hand found a very lucky prize tucked into the couch cushions. 

Your fingers brushed the cold metal and you remembered Polly opening letters the morning before. It being there gave you the slightest bit of comfort. 

Then the obvious but also unthinkable happened. His hands were running up your leg towards your hip. In all your life, in all these situations this was one thing that was never a possibility. A man touching you in your husband's presence. 

The realization of the power these two had over him felt like a punch. Goosebumps covered your skin and you watched as Diana made her move on Tommy. 

“Your eyes look so surprised, surly you've done this before?” his mustache tickled your ear and something broke inside you. 

Thomas had led you through some dark things, but nothing so dark that your light couldn't shine through and remedy the situation. People in need always won the battles you and he staged. 

Did Thomas know this was the plan? You were hesitant enough about dinner, so why bother telling you this was where things were headed? 

Maybe he wanted to sleep with her?

All the horrid words that were spoken over dinner hit you in full force as his mustache tickled your neck. Wet lips slobbering on you. Without care if the world ended your fingers clutched the letter opener, and the next thing you knew it was firmly embedded in his neck. 

He made a terrible sound and you were covered in blood. A gun shot rang out and you abruptly stood up. 

“OH GOSH oh my - gosh - Mother of gosh - sweet freaking gosh. I - I Oh my gosh.” Arms were wrapped around you and you realized it was Arthur. He picked you up like you weighed nothing and carried you out of the room. 

“She almost cussed that time,” John said as if impressed. 

“FUCK SAKE - EVERYTHING IS F- FUCKED.” The sound of a lamp smashing was quickly silenced by the heavy wood of the kitchen door. 

“Stay here, love.” Arthur gave you a pat on the back and placed a bottle of whiskey in front of you. He made a phone call in the hallway before returning to your shouting husband. 

An unknown amount of time passed before you felt Polly’s weathered hands grabbing your shoulders. 

“Let's get you cleaned off.” All you could do was nod. 

Polly took you up to the room she claimed as hers when she stayed over and got you into the bath. She scrubbed all the blood off of you as you shook. Eventually, she rinsed you one last time before filling the tub up with clean water. 

“What happened?” She asked as she pushed the curls from your forehead. 

“Polly I-I-I can do it. You know. I’ve always been able to fix things and wow people. Try to bring them to the light, and change their minds about their horrible choices. In my head, we are always the good guys.” You took a few deep breaths. “But they were just. Really awful. I’d do anything for the family Pol I would and I have. I just - gosh -  his hands were all over me and she just kissed him.” You were still in disbelief that your husband would put you in such a situation. 

“That wasn't supposed to be the plan.” She whispered running her thumb across your cheek. Her eyes held a pain in them that you immediately wanted to take away.  

“then my fingers sunk into the space between the armrest and the cushion, and your letter opener had fallen through. I grabbed it and just snapped-” 

“You did what Tommy couldn’t. Don’t feel anything about it. He’d been after them for months, all of this was to set up some big event to take him out. Either way, he was going to die at the hands of a Shelby.” She shrugged. “Might as well have been my letter opener.” 

Tears started to prickle in the corners of your eyes. This wasn't who you were. You didn't kill people or deviate from plans - 

“Sometimes death is a kindness.” She kissed your forehead and you let the words sink in. Somehow you doubted that Brittian would miss him or Diana. 

Getting dressed you had a moment of realization. There was one other man that you knew relatively well… the man that dragged Thoams into this mess in the first place. 

You dialed the phone number and did what you did best. Chatted. 

When you came downstairs you saw everyone in the kitchen looking positively worn from the night's events. Thomas looked at you and immediately motioned for you to come sit on his lap. You stood at the head of the table. 

“Alright, once I was thinking clearly again.” You cleared your throat. “ I had the realization that a friend owed me a favor for something ages ago. Everything here is sorted.” 

“What kind of favor?”  - “Who?”  Tommy and Arthur asked at the same time. 

“Well doesn't matter what happened, but a while back I helped clear something up for Mr.Churchhill so I thought I’d ring him and see what he thought about all this-” 

“At this hour-” “You don’t call in favours-” John and Arthur started talking over each other while Tommy gave you a hard stare. 

“What kind of favor is that big?” Tommy asked in a low voice. 

“Like I said I can’t really say. All you need to know is everything is fine. People will be by in the morning for the bodies.” 

The thought of not having to dig holes in the middle of winter seemed to win John and Arthur over. Tommy looked put out over the situation and for once you enjoyed holding all the cards close to your chest. For once everyone else can drown in the mystery and do what they're told. 

You came over and sat on his lap. His fingers curl tightly into your skin. He had a lot of explaining to do before you would forgive him, but his grip on you let you know he wasn't happy with the situation. 

After drinks and everyone seemed sure you were alright the boys headed home and Polly went upstairs to bed. You expected his mood to turn sour and for him to cuss you out. Instead, he just rested his head on your chest. Without thought, your hand went to brush along the side of his head. 

His grip didn’t loosen and he gave out a shaky breath. Suddenly you realized that this had most certainly not been the plan, you got hurt, had to do awful things, and then go off and fix the situation. His plan failed and put you in danger. He was ashamed. 

Not something you’d ever noticed before. Part of you wanted to hear him say it, and apologize. Then you realized his embrace was enough. Knowing he was afraid and seeking comfort in you was enough. 

“I-” 

“Don’t I don't mind. It’s handled that’s the main thing.” You said firmly wanting more than anything to put this mess behind you. You expected that to be the end but he only nodded and went back to holding you. No other sound other than the fire crackling. 

You thought back over all the things the two of you had been through over the years. You knew that this would simply fade into the tapestry along with all the other hard stuff.

[rabbitcruiser]

Spider-Man Day

How  will you celebrate Spider-Man Day on August 1? It’s important to remember one thing: with great power comes great responsibility. Now, you, a Spider-Man fanatic, have all the power in the world to celebrate one of the most iconic comic-book superheroes of all time whichever way  you want to, so don’t take this responsibility lightly. This is your gift and your curse!

Created by Steve Dikto and Stan Lee, Spider-Man is Marvel Comics most iconic character for the past 59 years. For all true fans of the web-slinger, August 1, 2023 is the day on  which you can appreciate what Spider-Man has brought to your lives.

However, you chose to celebrate Spider-Man Day 2023 don’t forget to share your thoughts with us.

When is Spider-Man Day 2023?

“Spider-Man! Spider-Man! Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!” is celebrated on Spider-Man Day on August 1, 2023.

History of Spider-Man Day

Everyone  loves Spider-Man. And how can we not? Spider-Man entered the comic-book  universe in issue 15 of Marvel Comics’ “Amazing Fantasy” in August 1962  and has been a major player ever since. The groundbreaking story caught  the attention of readers when it featured an awkward, antisocial teenager as its superhero — a description typically associated with sidekicks. But this bold move turned out to be a boon for creator Stan Lee, who touched the hearts of a generation of kids who felt lonely, rejected, or had difficulty making friends. Spider-Man proved that anyone can be a superhero and, even after being around for about 60  years, he’s still as popular as ever.

Spider-Man got his own comic series, “The Amazing Spider-Man,” in March 1963. The titular character rose to popularity and quickly became integral in the ever-expanding  Marvel Universe, engaging with regularly featured characters like the  Human Torch, the Incredible Hulk, and Daredevil. The supporting  characters in the Spider-Man world were equally interactive and  colorful, enthralling readers who developed soft spots for them. This includes J. Jonah Jameson, the anti-Spider-Man editor-in-chief for the “Daily Bugle” newspaper, Spider-Man’s love interests Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson, and costumed villains like Doctor Octopus, the Green Goblin, and Venom.

Spider-Man became a fast-expanding franchise, his heroics no longer able to be contained in single monthly issues. Spidey’s frequent crossover storylines with other Marvel characters led to the creation of the bimonthly series “Marvel Team-Up” in March 1972,  which ran for 150 issues. Spider-Man teamed up with nearly every  high-profile superhero in the Marvel Universe in this ongoing series.

“Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man” was the fourth installment comic series of Spider-Man’s continuing adventures. It debuted in December 1976 and ended after 263 issues. One of the most memorable events of  this era was Peter’s marriage to Mary Jane Watson.

We all know  Spider-Man is fast, but his momentum in the comic world was soon noticed  by Hollywood as well. Sony Entertainment purchased the rights to Spider-Man, and brought him to the big screen in May 2002 with the movie “Spider-Man.” With Tobey Maguire playing the friendly neighborhood superhero, the Spider-Man movies paved the way for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the superhero movie genre. “Spider-Man 2” was released in 2004 and broke box-office records, followed by “Spider-Man 3” in 2007,  which ended Director Sam Raimi’s trilogy. The franchise was rebooted  five years later, with “The Amazing Spider-Man” in 2012, starring Andrew Garfield.

Next, Spider-Man made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the third act of “Captain America: Civil War” (2016). Young actor Tom Holland breathed life into the web-slinger, who had been neglected due to the ongoing legal issues and character rights between Sony Entertainment and Marvel Studios. The latest Marvel movies featuring Spider-Man are worldwide blockbusters “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) and “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (2019).

Spider-Man Day timeline

1962 A Hero is Born

Stan Lee comes up with the idea for Spider-Man and the character first appears in a comic as a supporting character.

1963 First Independent Comic

Spider-Man gets his own comic, "The Amazing Spider-Man".

2002 Spider-Man Goes to Hollywood

Spider-Man gets his own movie franchise ("Spider-Man") starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and James Franco.

2010 Broadway Special

"Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" debuts on Broadway in NYC.

2012 Meet the New Spidey!

"The Amazing Spider-Man" starring Andrew Garfield premieres, followed by a sequel ("The Amazing Spider-Man 2") in 2014.

2017 Third Time’s the Charm

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" premieres, starring the new Spider-Man, Tom Holland.

Traditions

Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is celebrated with exciting events, movie marathons, and trading of collectible comic book issues featuring the superhero. Spider-Man gets the approval of both kids and adults,  which makes him so likable and relatable. Kids don their Spider-Man costumes and toy web slingers, whereas grown-up enthusiasts wear more elaborate costumes to celebrate events and parties.

Spider-Man comic books that are rare and collectible are traded and sold. Special issues are also available at some comic book stores. With the release of  the latest Spider-Man video game, gamers and online streamers host playthrough sessions of the latest and older Spider-Man games. Today is  also the day where traditionally we see many masked marauders make news  headlines around the world as they attempt to climb walls and buildings —  but don’t try this at home (or anywhere for that matter), kids!

Spider-Man Day By The Numbers

10 tons – the weight that Spider-Man can bench press.

200 mph – the top speed at which Spider-Man can run.

#15 – the issue number of the “Amazing Fantasy” comic book that Spider-Man first appeared in.

2002 – the year in which the Spider-Man movie franchise was released.

#290 – the comic issue of “The Amazing Spider-Man” in which the superhero married Mary Jane.

1963 – the year when Spider-Man’s first solo title “The Amazing Spider-man (Vol. 1)” appeared on shelves.

700th – the issue number at which Volume 1 of “The Amazing Spider-Man” ended in December 2012.

8 – the total number of Spider-Man cartoon series.

1 hour – the time it takes for Spider-Man’s web to dissolve.

250 – the IQ level of Peter Parker.

Spider-Man Day Activities

Have a Spider-Man movie marathon

Throw a Spider-Man party

Parkour!

Depending  how far back in time you want to go and which producers/directors you  prefer, you could easily spend an entire day watching movie adaptations  of Spider-Man comics. Perhaps you and your friends could watch and compare the latest releases, both Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man  and discuss which version is better.

Invite  your friends over, decorate the house and get the silly string  web-slinging devices ready 'cause it’s party time! To really make your  party stand out, try some Spidey-themed food like deviled eggs with paprika shaken into the shape of a spider. To keep the adults happy, try making the Spider-Man cocktail mixed with cherry and raspberry  liqueurs, tequila and a sprinkling of pop rocks.

Ever  wanted to leap and fly like Spider-Man? While swinging through New York City with a series of webs isn’t quite realistic, the growing trend of parkour can be done, right here and now. A mix of gymnastics and  dancing, building up your parkour skills means flipping, sliding and  jumping through the city just like Spidey.

5 Super Facts About Spider-Man

Spider-Man was originally Fly-Man

The only spider people like

It’s in the name

Venom was born from fanfiction

Changing times

Initially, Stan Lee wanted to create a superhero based on a fly or insect.

Head of Marvel Comics, Martin Goodman disapproved of the concept of Spider-Man due to the fact that most people hate spiders.

Stan  Lee specifically placed a hyphen in Spider-Man’s name to avoid  confusion between ‘Spiderman’ and ‘Superman’ as the latter was rather  popular at the time.

Spider-Man’s nemesis Venom was created as fan fiction, and purchased by Marvel for $220.

Spider-Man is the first independent teenage superhero who was not a sidekick to an adult superhero.

Source

[mnjohn]

Animorphs was the series that got me into reading as a kid. I wanted to read it again as an adult because I was never able to finish it when I was a kid (too hard to find all the volumes!) I have been slowly making my way through the series and recently finished "#18 The Decision". Read below for my opinions on what I have read so far but beware of spoilers.

"#1 The Invasion" - A good introduction to the series. Jake is a little bland, but I enjoy the drama of his relationship with his brother Tom.

"#2 The Visitor" - I absolutely love Rachel. She was my hero as a kid. Despite that, I also found this one to be a bit bland but I do admit that the shrew morph was pretty freaky.

"#3 The Encounter" - Explores some surprisingly dark themes. I always thought that it was a shame that Tobias and Ax have the least books, because their perspective is the most interesting. I mean, the boy IS A BIRD!

"#4 The Message" - I think that I found Cassie to be a bit boring as a child, but as an adult, I absolutely love her! She just cares about everyone and everything and is just so lovely! This book also introduces Ax, another one of my favourites!

"#5 The Predator" - I don't remember this too well, but I know that I enjoyed reading Marco's perspective. His character has some real depth. The twist was juicy. And I loved Ax's stupid silly interactions with Marco's dad.

"#6 The Capture" - Darkest book so far. Probably the best in the series. Jake's experience with the yerk is absolutely horrifying.

"#7 The Stranger" - While I enjoyed Rachel's family dynamics and her struggles, I really hate time travel plots in fiction. I suppose that it could have been worse. And at least Rachel is amazing.

"Megamorphs #1 The Andalite's Gift" - This was not very good, but it was very fun! Rachel gets amnesia, a plot straight out of a soap opera. And Marco drives a pick up truck! I enjoyed the multi-perspective book, but I thought that some of the action scenes went on too long.

"#8 The Alien" - AX! This one is my absolute favourite! This book has the perfect balance of silly humor and weightier plot. Ax's loneliness and identity struggles really resonated with me.

"#9 The Secret" - I do not remember this one too well, but I do remember that I liked the focus on ecological issues. This is the sort of book that made me really love the series as a child, because I was obsessed with animals.

"#10 The Android" - This was weird, but in a good way. Nice to meet new alien allies. The action scene towards the end was really intense!

"#11 The Forgotten" - This is the worst. My absolute least favourite. As I mentioned before, that time travel in fiction is a really bad idea. And this book this is a great example of why. The ending just made me feel like, what was the point? Why did I spend time reading this?

"#12 The Reaction" - Hilarious! There was much good humour in this one! I particulary enjoyed when Rachel accidentally morphed into an elephant and destroyed her own house! It also explored some darker aspects of humanity, with the selfishness of the teen idol. Good stuff.

"#13 The Change" - I know that some important plot things happen with Tobias, but I do not really remember this book too well. I think that I was vaguely disappointed with how the kids treated the Hork Bajir. I have the impression that they thought that the Hork Bajir were lesser creatures, which seemed very unfair to me.

"The Andalite Chronicles" - I enjoyed the first two parts, but the third got a bit too weird. Learning about Andalite culture was great, and I enjoyed Elfangor's fascination with the car and the image of an Andalite driving.

"#14 The Unknown" - This was the funniest book so far! I mean, the yerks in the horses using sticks to dial a payphone, was possibly the most beautiful imagery that this series has ever put into my brain. And the fact that the US government was guarding an old model of Andalite toilet, was the perfect cherry on top! This was probably my second favourite book so far.

"#15 The Escape" - It seems that Marco books just have the best action scenes. I don't if it is because he gets lucky with having more exciting plots, or if his narration style just suits action scenes better than the other characters do, but for some reason I found all the action in this book to be really engaging.

"#16 The Warning" - The best part about this one was the 90s computer technology. Ax was laughing at their internet speed. So was I. Also, I do not think that chat rooms ever worked like that? It seemed like the text was being shared before the person had finished typing it? But I was very small back then and never used a chatroom, so what would I know?

"#17 The Underground" - I was really surprised by the attitudes towards mental health displayed in this book. Like, I knew that things were not very good for the mentally ill when I was a kid, but I was surprised by how brutally critical these kids were! Thankfully things have changed for the better.

"#18 The Decision" - This one was pretty crazy. From the begining where Ax is terrorizing a food court, to the part where the kids get sucked into Z-space and join the Andalites fighting in Leera. A very exciting book! Ax's emotions are so complicated and this book just solidified that he is my current favourite!

So there you go. These are my opinions on the books so far. It seems that while I started reading this series because of the way it explores complex issues and the effect of war on children, the scenes that I enjoy the most are the silliest. I think that is kind of unfair on my part because the series really does a good job of exploring serious topics, but I am having heaps of fun! I hope that you enjoyed reading my opinions and I plan on sharing more as I read more books.

[k-s-morgan]

Your writing leaves me speechless every time. It is utterly gorgeous. The writing is so emotional, and I feel like the characterizations in ATLWETD are flawless, on a whole different level. I love the shades of posessiveness/obsessiveness we're getting to see of Tom, it makes me weak on the knees. And the fact that Harry isn't just some pushover, that he's got vibrant, brilliant character that's reckless, bold, a little idiotic, and just the thing a snake like Riddle would be facinated by. I admit I was a bit skeptical last chapter on Tom breaking someone's arm just to get Harry on the Quidditch team, because I was like how is he going to get away with that, but good lord, this chapter has enlightened me. He really does have the whole school wrapped around his finger. I love the scenes in this chapter, it might be my favorite so far...

Harry projecting his love of Quidditch to Tom. Their talk about cruelty. The conversation about family, which made my heart melt. The way Harry keeps bringing up Greengrass when he wants Tom to be disgusted will never fail to amuse me... The mood gift from Alphard, which I'm betting my soul will be used in later chapters... The moral greyness of Dumbledore... The last scene. Ugh, you do such cruel and beautiful things to my heart, giving me the happiness of reading another one of your chapters while also making me crave more... I swear, you must be magic yourself; your writing is that good.

I have a few questions though. I think it's mainly just me not having all the brain cells necessary to process this story, after losing my complete mind after this chapter... but still.

My first is about how Harry is choosing to stay with Tom at Wool's. In the pseudo alternate universe, Harry stayed with him at the orphanage too, so he "knows" the outcome of staying. Couldn't Harry then dissuade Tom's fears of dying, by saying they survived in the alternate universe?

My second is how Tom's referring to Harry in his mind. We all know Harry loves to think of Tom as "Riddle" - rather fitting lol. But is Tom opting for "Potter" or "Harry"? I cannot wait to read his perspective by the way, the way you write Tom in WHGTB is amazing. His elusiveness so far is killing me!

Third is about how genuine their fight about the Potters was. Was it a ruse to get Harry pissed enough to summon fire, or did Tom actually consciously or subconsciously think that?

Fourth. You mentioned for WHGTB, another masterpiece of course, that Tom wouldn't have been obsessed with Harry if it wasn't mutual. That he's an all-or-nothing kind of person. Is this Tom similar? I know he is much crueler, colder, etc., but this basic principle is similar, right?

Sorry for the lengthy ask and the fangirling. It's just that I've been obsessing over chapter 4 for over 24 hours, and I've been thinking about it constantly. I can't even describe how much your fics mean to me. When things are going wrong in real life, I always find solace and comfort in them. I'm even going to watch Black Butler soon, just because I want to read your fic.

I'm sorry for the pain the war has brought to you and your country. I hope you stay safe through it all, and know that I'm always thinking about you, hoping you are okay.

Ah, thank you so much for your brilliant comment, it made me so happy! I'm really glad you enjoyed this chapter. Harry and Tom refused to let me finish it when I planned to, so it went on and on))

I'm glad you're enjoying both Tom and Harry. They have such different personalities, but they really click. I think Tom said more words to Harry in these months they know each other than he ever said to his followers. 

How cults work never ceases to amaze me. I read so much about different religious cults where the leader was doing absolutely horrible things, from rape to torture to mutilations and murders, and yet the majority remained devoted him. Hell, I have a very sick neighbour called Russia where millions support one genocide after another while hundreds of thousands actively kill, destroy, and torture innocent people. These beings have no goal, no reason, they just do what their so-called leader orders even though it means becoming a monster and risking their own life and safety for nothing. 

Tom Riddle makes for a much more charismatic and inspiring leader, so I think it's realistic that he managed to wrap the other Slytherins around his finger so completely. Apart from being an actual fighter, he has much to offer in terms of power, influence, and recognition. 

I think Harry is a little jealous of Greengrass without fully understanding why and in what way. There is no doubt that Tom favors him much more, but Greengrass is his right hand, a person he'd trust in a battle, the one he'd immediately rely on, and Harry is already feeling the first stirrings of irritation and possessiveness. 

Yeah, Alphard's mood artifact is going to come in handy! Needless to say, Tom is going to be very confused by the frantic change of emotions Harry gets around him :D 

About your questions, sure!

For question 1: in Harry's story, he and fake!Tom just about finished their fifth year when Tom went insane, started sowing chaos, and they got hunted down by Dumbledore and his people. That's when Harry made his journey through 'universes.' So he has no idea what happens after their sixth year and if Tom survives it because it never took place. Naturally, in reality, Harry knows that Tom makes it, but he cannot say he's from the future, so he has to stay silent. Besides, he knows that his presence is changing things, so after they arrive to the Wool's, he himself will be unsure if everything is going to be fine.

Question 2: I think Tom is conflicted about how to refer to Harry, so he settled on "Him." His mind instantly knows who he's talking about because Harry has taken a permanent place in his mind. So it's, "I wonder what he is doing, "How powerful can he get with the right initiative," and so on. 

I hope you enjoy his POV when it comes :D We'll be stuck in Tom's head for the entire second half of the story.

Question 3: the fight was entirely genuine. Tom saw an opportunity when he saw how enraged Harry got, so he had him conjure fire, but before this, it never crossed his mind, he was too jealous and angry. 

Question 4: You know, it's a really good question! I think this Tom is different from WHGTB Tom in this regard. In WHGTB, Tom began to respond to the fact that Harry loves him. In ATLWETD, Tom is responding to the idea that in some other world, he himself loved Harry. He finds it fascinating because he cannot imagine loving anyone; at the same time, he takes it for granted that people like him and want to do things for him. So mutuality is not as important as long as he has feelings. When he learns that Harry lied to him, and if, for example, Harry didn't end up loving him at all, he wouldn't stop. He'd find a way to bind them together anyway, even if it meant enslaving Harry's mind, altering his memories, etc. It's very likely that Tom would have done anything to mold Harry into the person he was pretending to be, someone who loved him, shared a past with him, and cared nothing about the timeline. 

Ooh, if you end up watching Black Butler, I hope you enjoy it! I'm so addicted to this universe, I think it is forever. 

Thank you for your words, for your review and questions. I hope you'll enjoy the next chapter, although it won't come for a while! 

[kiwibirdlafayette]

hello my sillies!! since there was a bit of interest in more ab the nonsense that is my take on godswap mianite AU i went and dug up some of the brainrot I wrote last year but never shared outside of a private discord server + new stuff that I've recently came up with :D Enjoy! ❤️

- Jordan was born to parents who are priests of Mianite and raised in the temple- and ultimately was meant to be Mia's champion, and was trained as such for the majority of his life. However, being around mianite for most of his life made him cynical of the god and his principles, and went he got older, he left to seek out the god's brother, pledging himself to Dianite and wanting to bring about chaos. Amused and flattered by the man's near blind loyalty, Dia makes Jordan his champion

- His primary weapon is a firework crossbow gifted to him by Dianite himself (has piercing 8, mending, quick charge and unbreaking V (and flame on it, for use with arrows)) Plays off the sparkly and the fact that this man is a goddamn amazing sharpshooter no matter what universe he's in

- Mianite instead finds his champion in Tom Syndicate, the formerly deceased son of lighthouse keepers in the realm- and is brought back to life by the god (Mia never explains why specifically Tom was chosen, is described to people as just a "godly omnipotence" kinda thing)

- Shortly after Jordan, Tom, and the priests (aka FyreUK, with Wag and Matt under Dia, K.Tom under Mia) arrive and start making a mess of the realm with their shenanigans, a pirate ship captained by a 4th priest named BruteAlmighty "Phil" and two people- a parrot shapeshifter by the name of Sonja OmgitsVoidparrot and Tucker Jeriicho (normal human... allegedly)

- Sonja and Tucker both grew up in Ianarea, and with Phil's arrival from the End, have been searching across the realm for their missing goddess, and their messages led them to the Spawn Island (which I wish was canonically named istg) where supposedly a ruins containing information is hiding (Jordan and Tom both claim they know where this is. they dont)

- When Sonja was younger she was named Ianite's champion at a ceremony in Ianarea and was gifted her shapeshifting abilities as a way to hide from forces of evil and get into places more secretly

- Idk how canonically Nadeshot/The Modesteps enter the realm in character but basically at some point a flying ship appears and from it drops Captain Engine Failure and Skipper Coppereyes, more Dianitees (probably there to mess with Jordan) because Dianite having the most members is hilarious to me

(I got an ask about EF so I'll elaborate on her dynamic with everyone in a separate post >:] But bottom line put two chaos makers and an explosives enthusiast (Copper) in the same room it never ends well xD)

- I'm still thinking on this but with FyreUK, their priestlyness was given to them as a group due to the presence of the shadows from the get-go. When the Darkness began encroaching, the gods all sought out their respective priests and gifted them with powers to protect their respective domains (Dianite took in two- one to look over his temple in the nether, one to keep in the overworld because. chaos agenda- that one's Wag) and guide their champions when they found them

- Wag takes Dec's place by this logic i guess, he lives by the nether portal and will be anyone's personal tour guide because he likes doin it. and yes he absolutely uses any excuse to mess with people to mess with people he can be a menace a lot if he wants to

- Also Dec is a Wizard, I haven't developed him yet (he also has no design dont worry about it) but yes. Mans took on Athar himself he's just built different

- Syndisparklez and Foxxsize agenda always love me a good enemies to friends to lovers kinda shit. most of it is Capsize/EF flirting horribly with Sonja (and her not sure how to reciprocate but wants to) and Tom and Jordan with their usual "i fucking hate you i wish you were dead (read: i want to kiss you so bad)"

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

I was slightly disappointed to get to the August 2017 episodes of the Elis and John radio show, and find that they took a couple of weeks off at that point, so we only got two episodes with John broadcasting from Edinburgh. Which is entirely understandable and he was very busy doing an award-winning hour full of jokes and the cynical inclusion of emotional heft, but still, I wanted to know what it was like. I enjoyed the little audio diary he gave us every week during the 2015 Edinburgh Festival, and enjoyed the two weeks we got from 2017 even though we didn't hear from the end. I enjoy it when a radio show becomes an audio diary from the Edinburgh Festival. Howard and Richardson in 2007. Lee and Herring in 1994. Bit of history.

My interest in that particular type of history is why I very much need to thank @oxymoronish for alerting me to the fact that the internet still has archives of something that could not be more perfectly tailored to my interests. Edinburgh history. Specifically, Chocolate Milk Gang-era Edinburgh history. Festival diaries. John Robins being young and pointlessly intense and a bit annoying but also full of youthful earnest wonder that's borderline sweet. Apparently during the 2007 Edinburgh Festival, John Robins wrote a blog for Chortle. I have been told that this blog once included video clips, including video of the knife he kept next to his bed, and I am of course furious that I have been denied video footage of 25-year-old John Robins showing us the knife he kept next to his bed to ward off Scottish intruders, but it's all right because there are so many textual diary entries to be getting on with. I have of course saved the PDFs.

Opens with a story about losing So You Think You're Funny in 2005, getting drunk with the other competitors and getting glared at by Dara O'Brien for quoting Father Ted too loudly, tells this story as though it's one of when he was an obnoxious kid and he's glad he's now more mature and not like that, even though this is only two years later and he then goes on to describe himself being similarly annoying throughout the 2007 festival as well. Goes into a story about how he'd planned to not drink all month but that lasted 13 hours. Then how he came up two days early to save nine pounds but the extra two days ended up costing him a lot more than that, and then a story about buying a human skeleton on eBay as a gift for his girlfriend. Classic Robins.

Two references to fantasy novels (a mention of listening to the Lord of the Rings audiobooks, and comparing hanging out with older comedians in Edinburgh to getting sorted into Gryffindor). Several instances of that thing John Robins like doing on the radio, slipping quickly into character when he complains about something and then right back out of it, which it turns out works less well in text where we can't hear the voice change. A running thread of obsession with the TV show 24. Complaining that Brook's Bar, which he misspelled, is overrated and the only redeeming part of it is you can stare at Simon Amstell. Quite a lot of spelling mistakes, on this blog that he published on Chortle, coming from a guy who, on his radio show, occasionally makes fun of Steve Bennett's inability to spell. Which I enjoy, because I am also amazed that Steve Bennett gets away with running a professional website while not knowing how to write, but it does make it more hypocritical when it turns out that John Robins has contributed spelling errors to Chortle (I am not a hypocrite because no one pays me for my Tumblr blog so it's fine to spell things wrong on that).

One account of how he got to chat to Tom Binns and was very excited about that, so I'm just going to pretend that's not there, like I do every time on the radio show that John and Elis plug Russell Brand's radio work (that one's objectively worse, as no one knew about Tom Bins in 2007 but I think people knew about Russell Brand in 2017, though obviously John and Elis were just told by Radio X that they had to cross-promote). Anyway, the Binns story does lead to John saying: "I never saw stand up as an option until I was 21, but new I had to be involved in comedy, and that was because of Bottom, Lee and Herring and Armando Iannucci et al." Which I found interesting - I mean I knew he was a huge Partridge fan, but it's interesting to hear him specifically mention Stewart Lee as a person he liked, back in 2007.

Selected my walk on music etc today, which is all very minor yet exciting. I'm increasingly aware that my preparation for Edinburgh this year has been more financial than artistic. Unfortunately due to the nature of gigs in July it was easier to make nice money than play nice gigs. June/July is a hard time if you're A. unsigned and B. not doing a solo show, as there are no uni gigs, a lot of places just do previews for hour shows and you've no lovely agent to sort you out weekends at nice clubs. But such is life. At least i can eat like a king if i perform like a cockend.

I don't know why I'm so fascinated by the logistics of Edinburgh performing, but I am and I like how many little bits like this are in there to let us know how that works. Older and wiser John Robins does sometimes tell stories about his early comedy years, and said stories make it sound like it involved a lot of picking music and being bitter about not having an agent, so this tracks.

There's one part where he gets somehow locked into his bedroom while drunk, can't get out when hungover the next morning, pees in a bin due to not having bathroom access, goes on a brief and entirely unnecessary tangent about whether the Scottish accent is sexually appealing, and then it escalates very quickly to sleeping with a knife beside his bed in case whatever intruder locked him in his bedroom comes back to murder him. Classic Robins.

There are multiple parts where he mentions that he's going to slow down on the drinking because the festival is too long to be doing too much drinking, always immediately followed by more stories about drinking a lot. Classic Robins.

A whole lot of complaining about places being too loud and too crowded and too busy. Used the word "schmoozing" to describe a thing he does not like to do. Classic Robins.

Oh, at one point, during the first week of the festival, he suddenly tells an absolutely insane story of a fellow comic (whom he goes out of his way to not name) got much too drunk, made an idiot of himself at the bar, went outside, yelled some anti-Scottish abuse at some locals, and then story escalates very quickly to where the locals start beating him up and John and some friends intervene and pull him out of there covered in blood. What the fuck? How have I not heard John tell that story before?

It’s the kind of thing you only imagine doing when you’re brain won’t sit still at night; “God, imagine if I shouted ‘Fuck you all’ at a funeral, or went to a Millwall game and called them all fags”. It’s not just social suicide, but increasingly physical suicide that I am watching. As the punches and kicks are thrown we wade in to stop the trouble, in the slightly awkward position of being totally sympathetic with the people who are kicking the shit out of him. One minute they were buying chips, the next being called “foreign cunts” and being told to “speak English” in their own country. He didn’t mean these things, but says them to achieve the desired effect: self destruction. As Burgess said, and never truer than now, “destruction’s our ode to joy”. As we break it up, and shelter our colleague away from the gathering crowd, tears fall from his battered face, and now I properly see myself in his little boy lost eyes. I know that burning need to feel something, anything, other than what you’re feeling inside. In a former life I’d have put my fist through a door, or smashed a bottle or jumped through a shop window, something more controlled than letting half a dozen drunk Scots administer the punishment. “We need to get on top of this”, I say to him, and beating in my head is that statement, like a fucking beacon; “the law of love says ‘you are enough’” to be honest this guy is more than enough. But somehow I need to show him that like Phil suggests, he himself, is all he needs to do whatever he wants. That release, the blessed release that comes from being half killed by an angry mob can be found inside you, the law of love says so.

I was about to post the "What are you two fucking talking about?" reaction image here, but that would be disingenuous, as I fully understand what he's talking about here, I understand it extremely well (though I'd like to be clear, I have never yelled "foreign cunts" at people just for eating chips). The difference is that I wouldn't admit that (not on a blog with my real name attached, anyway), while dramatically quoting poetic language used by Anthony Burgess and Phil Kay. What the fuck, John?

Phil Kay was on his mind due to a story from earlier in the post of how he'd been to see Phil Kay's show that night, which is absolutely classic Robins:

It does begin, however, with some of the most beautiful prose I’ve heard in a comedy show. So much so that I have to take out my notebook to write down the statement “the law of love says ‘you are enough’”. Unfortunately Phil sees me do this and takes me for a reviewer. “He might be a journalist” I look up “bang, you’ve missed a bit of the show” he says. I’m wearing headphones round my neck and he riffs on that for a while then moves on. But by now my face is burning and I become his point of focus after delivering set pieces. I feel terrible for the pressure he now seems to think he’s under when there is no need, “I’m not a reviewer Phil! I’m a fan! I’m a worshipper!” but I stay quiet, sit back, and enjoy his remarkable talent.

Older and wiser John Robins is still awkwardly pretentious at times, but I don't think he could ever reach the heights of the earnest absolute mess of pretension that was younger John Robins. Pulled out his notebook to copy down a particularly deep quote during a comedy show, then repeated it back in dramatic fashion while rescuing a guy who was getting beaten up for abhorrent behaviour. Good God.

There's a lot of gushing about how great Pappy's is, mentioning Matthew Crosby in particular, and quite a bit about how great Jon Richardson is. Including relaying a comment from Daniel Kitson about Jon making good comedy, which is odd because I realized as I read that that I'd assumed Daniel Kitson did not like Jon Richardson's comedy, though I have absolutely no idea where that assumption came from and it is probably incorrect so I'll get rid of it. He might have made some comment or other on some old radio show and the sentiment stuck in my mind even if the quote didn't, but it is probably not representative.

There's one part where he gets upset because he lost an "Alan Partridge rap-off" to Matt Forde. He does not explain what a rap-off is, but from context, I think it's a trivia contest of some sort. Or possibly a battle of impressions. Though I don't see why he'd expect to beat Matt Forde at the latter.

And so to the Dome for a drink with Jon Richardson, Sinha, Alex Horne and Rob Deering. If you can name four nicer people to spend your time with then I want to know.

Aww.

The blog posts follow a basic, expected trajectory of starting out exited, getting tired and worn down as it goes along, ending up slightly sick and bitter, then at the very end, rallying back to positivity and getting a bit sappy and sentimental about how great it was and how he's sad he'll never get to perform with those same Comedy Zone partners (Joe Wilkinson, Carl Donnelly, Barry Dodds) again. Ends on:

Here are my top five fringe things: 1. Being told that Matt Crosby had described the ‘Lost Vagueness’ launch party as “a total cunt museum” 2. Doing ‘On Heat’ with Russell, Mark and Jon. Just like old times. 3. Dan Atkinson ending his show by saying “ladies and gentlemen, outside there is someone collecting for an AIDS charity, so PLEASE… don’t give him any money” 4. Pappy’s 5. Richardson getting nominated. 6. Oh yes, and telling a drunk woman heckler who tried to chat me up that "I'd rather fuck a window"

At one point he gets absolutely furious at some people who did an improv performance art piece.

How can you be so vomitously earnest in the face of overwhelming evidence that 'contact improvisation' is, in fact, merely a misspelling of 'look at us, our personalities are made of toilets'? Twelve hours!? TWELVE FUCKING HOURS. You should get the if.commedies panel prize for having the gall not to take your own lives.

The above quote is about 20% of the full rant.

In terms of Classic Robins pointless intensity, nothing is going to beat quoting a poetic Phil Kay line to a man who's just behaved abhorrently and then been beaten up. But I'd like to enter in the "pointless intensity" collection the way he described the time he had a good gig, got too excited about it while drunk after the gig, and then felt bad the next morning for getting too excited:

I didn’t go round telling everyone I was awesome, I was just far too confident in banter to people I don’t know well enough. What a tool. What’s annoying is I like to think I have quite a wise comedy head, in terms of the theory and dealing with the ups and downs, but alcohol, adrenaline and relief are a dangerous combination. It’s just hard to expect people to see that any cockiness only exists in my words, not in my eyes.

What a line. I'm going to start going around telling people that cockiness only exists in my words, not in my eyes.

There are lots of little stories about hanging out with other comedians and watching other people's shows and performing with other people, and I did notice, at some point, that not a single female comedian is referenced in any of the blogs. I'm not saying that as a mark against John Robins or anything, I don't think he was intentionally avoiding them. Just an interesting sign of how much the comedy industry has changed, because I don't think you could write a story about comedy at the Edinburgh Festival today without mentioning any female comedians (not unless you were intentionally avoiding them, anyway). There weren't nearly as many of them back then. Though there were definitely some. You'd think at least once John might have watched Josie Long or something. I think the only women he mentions are his stage manager and some agents at one point.

To be fair, I guess we don't know the makeup of whatever group was doing the performance art piece that made John Robins say "I know deep down there is a nagging feeling you can't quite put your finger on, it's been bugging you for years but you can't get to the bottom of it. Well it took me exactly four seconds to recognise that feeling as being one of total and utter self loathing for carrying on with the charade that you are not a total and utter quim-rag-mouthed charlatan." (I have now quoted more of the rant, but that's still not all of it.) It's possible that there could have been women in that performance art group, so it's not fair to assume he didn't mention any female performers.

John does also mention getting angry and doing rude hand gestures at some comedians for doing rape jokes, so that's nice.

There are a bunch of interesting stories about the comedy itself, performing on/compering a mixed-bill gig instead of doing his own show (Comedy Zone), the ups and downs and figuring out the right rhythms on different nights. The wild fluctuations in crowd numbers and how that affects things. How to know if an environment is better for crowd work or material. One interesting bit, I thought, where he tries some more structured stuff that he thought he could turn into a full hour for the next year, and then realized that you can't do that at a club-style gig where no one wants it.

The whole thing is just so very very relevant to my interests, thank you again for sending it to me, @oxymoronish. Thank God for the internet archive.

[ya-world-challenge]

2023 Wrap-up

I fulfilled 31 countries for the World Challenge this year, bringing my total up to 57 out of 208.

I also read about 14 other books that were repeats of countries, additional books in series, and ones I just randomly picked up, so something like 44 in total.

I also finished up all the backlog of countries I had rolled with the randomizer, so in the new year I will get to roll some new ones - yay, exciting.

So here are my top favorites from the year!

Top 5 reads in 2023

The Orphan Sky by Ella Leya

A really beautiful novel of a prodigy pianist coming of age in Soviet Azerbaijan. Musical prose and just breathtaking story.

2. The Exiles of Crocodile Island by Henye Meyer

This was an unexpectedly really good book that I was lucky to find for the tiny islands of São Tomé & Príncipe. Following a group of Jewish children forced to a Portuguese settlement. Really insightful characterization and lovely writing.

3. The Man Who Spoke Snakish by Andrus Kivirähk

Such a unique folklore-esque story by an Estonian author. A clash of modernity with ancient ways, and what gets forgotten.

4. The Key by Sara Elfgren & Mats Strandberg

Book 3 and finale of the Engelsfors series set in Sweden really brought the series to an amazing climax and gave us great character development. Also I think, the longest book I read this year.

5. The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa

Super fun queer pirate adventure! This was just so refreshing and comforting at the same time.

Honorable mentions:

All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O'Donoghue; Travelers Along the Way by Aminah Mae Safi; I Am Kavi by Thushanthi Ponweera; On the Edge of Gone by Corrine Duyvis; When a Bulbul Sings by Hawaa Ayoub

See my book review tag for all my reviews!

Full list of countries read this year

Here's all the countries I fulfilled this year and the books I read for them.

🇦🇺 Australia - Ghost Bird, Lisa Fuller

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan - The Orphan Sky, Ella Leya

🇨🇺 Cuba - A Tall Dark Trouble - Vanessa Montalban

🇩🇰 Denmark - The Shamer's Daughter, Lene Kaaberbøl

🇪🇪 Estonia - The Man Who Spoke Snakish, Andrus Kivirähk

🇫🇯 Fiji - The Wild Ones, Nafiza Azad

🇮🇷 Iran - Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi

🇮🇶 Iraq - Yazidi!, Aurélien Ducoudray & Mini Ludvin

🇮🇪 Ireland - All Our Hidden Gifts, Caroline O'Donoghue

🇱🇹 Lithuania - Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepatys

🇱🇺 Luxembourg - The Elf of Luxembourg, Tom Weston

🇲🇹 Malta - The Maltese Dreamer, Catherine Veritas

🇲🇽 Mexico - Secret of the Moon Conch, David Bowles; Guadalupe García McCall

🇳🇵 Nepal - What Elephants Know - Eric Dinerstein

🇳🇱 Netherlands - On the Edge of Gone, Corrine Duyvis

🇵🇸 Palestine - Travellers Along the Way, Aminah Mae Safi

🇵🇹 Portugal - Mariana, Katherine Vaz

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico - The Wicked Bargain, Gabe Cole Novoa

🇷🇴 Romania - And I Darken, Kiersten White

🇱🇨 St. Lucia - 'Til I Find You Greta Bondieumaitre

🇸🇲 San Marino - The Gladiator, Harry Turtledove

🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe - The Exiles of Crocodile Island, Henye Meyer

🇸🇳 Senegal - No Heaven for Good Boys, Keisha Bush

🇸🇬 Singapore - Sofia and the Utopia Machine, Judith Huang

🇸🇰 Slovakia - Impossible Escape, Steve Sheinkin

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka - I Am Kavi, Thushanthi Ponweera

🇸🇪 Sweden - The Circle, Sara Elfgren & Mats Strandberg

🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago - When the Vibe is Right, Sarah Dass

🇹🇳 Tunisia - Other Names, Other Places, Ola Mustapha

🇻🇪 Venezuela - The Sun and the Void, Gabriel Romero Lacruz

🇾🇪 Yemen - When a Bulbul Sings, Hawaa Ayoub

And here's the moods that Storygraph says I read which turned out to be pretty varied.

------------------

Overall not bad progress, and I look forward to continuing to read in 2024!

Have you read any of the books I picked or have them on your TBR? Feel free to comment!

[azure-wolf-227]

Hamefura x Pokémon AU: Other Teams Part 2

Part 2 of what Pokémon some others characters have, this time covering the people not mentioned in Part 1.

Thank you @dulcito-on-ao3, @logo-comics, and @thecagedsong for your suggestions.

Sienna Nelson

Starly/Staravia/Staraptor - First Pokémon - @dulcito-on-ao3 suggested Normal/Flying types and I agree they fit. Especially that Flying-Types match with her Wind Magic.

Jigglypuff - according to @logo-comics, Sienna deserves this cute Pokémon.

Kai Gerran

Honehege - because he is a sword fighting teacher

Absol - @thecagedsong suggested this based on @dulcito-on-ao3‘s idea of him having really bad luck of accidentally drawing the jealous attention of powerful men.

Escavalier - because he was part of a knight order. @dulcito-on-ao3‘s suggestion. Any other knight-themed Pokémon could also work.

Fray Randall

Hatterene - First Pokémon - a cute and elegant-looking Psychic-Type fits her so well. @logo-comics suggestion

Roselia - because it feels right to associate her with flowers like that. @logo-comics suggestion

Pidgeotto - a Flying-Type to fit her Wind Magic, also it represents her admiration of Larna Smith, who has a Pidgeot.

Ginger Tucker

Eevee/Jolteon - First Pokémon - because a Lightning-Type is perfect for a tsundere. Her father gave her an Eevee as a sign of favoritism after her Magic awakened, giving her siblings another reason to dislike her. @logo-comics suggestion.

Taillow - A Flying-Type to match her Wind Magic.

Marsha Catley

Marrill - First Pokémon - I headcanon Marsha as a Water Mage so a cute Water-Type fits her.

Beedrill - according to @logo-comics it fits her

Tom Wisley

Maractus -  to suit his seemingly imposing nature and general kindness. @logo-comics suggestion

Joanna

Indeedee ♀ - like most maids

Gothitelle - this Pokémon is described as detached which I guess fits with Joanna’s initial intimidating attitude. @logo-comics suggestion.

Cyrus Lancaster

Raticate - First Pokémon - he caught it when he was younger, since he grew up on a farm without much to his family's name and Rattata is a very common Pokemon. @logo-comics suggestion.

Boring farm Pokémon like Flaaffy or Wooloo. @thecagedsong suggestion.

Jirachi - everyone gives him credit and acclaim for the Jirachi, (kinda of like how, amazing, he's so strong and talented in magic) but really Jirachi just likes his Raticate and lets Cyrus be his trainer to stay close to his crush. It good for reflecting how Cyrus really doesn't fit in with noble society, despite holding high prominence in it. @thecagedsong suggestion.

Dewey Percy

Lopunny -  it matches his nature as a Tsundere and would be funny to see in general. @logo-comics suggestion.

Guy “Laura” Handerson

Bellossom - it’s what they deserve. @logo-comics suggestion.

Nathan Hart

Abra -  "it will be able to teleport him back town after he gets lost" they thought. Except he got the one Abra who gets as lost as he does. Occasionally his Abra comes out of his pokeball and will teleport Nathan. There is nothing anyone can do. The bonds of pokemon are sacred. Nathan never talks about where his Abra takes him. @thecagedsong suggestion.

Nix Cornish

Quaquaval - I feel that this Pokémon fits his flamboyant attitude.

Dartrix - this Pokémon is described as narcissistic which also describes Nix.

Lisa Norman

Zigzagoon - a reference to her racoon puppet which is now a Zigzagoon puppet. She does the ventriloquist thing with both the Pokémon and the puppet.

Caesar Dahl

Ursaring - His only Pokémon - Caught as a Teddiursa during his days as a mercenary with the one pokeball he got as a gift from the royal side of his family. Something powerful and wild, not something he can show easily to a crowd, just like he feels like his true self needs to be muted in order to help his half brother as a noble. The golden ring on Ursaring fits his golden eyes. @thecagedsong suggestion

Marquis Edmund Randall

Hypno - I can just see him using this Pokémon to try to brainwash his children into obedience. It does not work because their own Psychic-Types protect them.

Lord Coleman (Keith’s biological father)

Some Ground and Rock-Types. He only sees Pokémon as useful for his status. He does not mistreat them but doesn’t see them as friends.

Thomas Coleman

Tried showing off by buying rare Pokémon; he doesn’t bother to train them, always relying on items; he abuses his Pokémon, meaning theya re not loyal to him.

Mary’s sisters

A mix of cute and pretty Pokémon, mostly grass-types but any adorable, not-always fully evolved Pokémon works. They are more interested in contests and showcases than battles. I suddenly have this idea of these three putting on shows like Misty’s sisters.

Mothim, Beautifly, and Vivilillion - less powerful but matching and beautiful butterfly Pokémon. Strong against Mary's grass-types and purposefully excluding her. @thecagedsong suggestion.

[beatrice-otter]

Vid Recs!

An incredible animatic was made for the 2023 Murderbot Diaries New Year Gift Exchange: They Don't Care About Us [ANIMATIC] (0 words) by avg Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: "Human One" Refugee (Murderbot Diaries), Murderbot (Murderbot Diaries), Various other refugees Additional Tags: Fanvids, Multimedia, Book 6: Fugitive Telemetry, Spoilers for Book 6: Fugitive Telemetry Summary:

The story of a refugee.

In addition, festivids is live! There are some really amazing vids, so go check them out! Here are my favorites: Choir Fandom: Sister Act (Movies) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Additional Tags: Fanvids Summary: Singing together in harmony. [Vid] Dance Into The Sun Fandom: Pride (2014) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Additional Tags: Subtitles Available Summary: Rise and share your power. Fun, Fun, Fun Fandom: Star Trek: Lower Decks (Cartoon) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Carol Freeman & Beckett Mariner, Beckett Mariner & Starfleet Characters: Beckett Mariner Additional Tags: Fanvids, Physical Triggers, Subtitles Available Summary: Beckett Mariner VS Responsibility Tom Paine's Bones [vid] Fandom: The Talk of the Town (1942) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Leopold Dilg/Michael Lightcap/Nora Shelley Characters: Leopold Dilg, Michael Lightcap, Nora Shelley Additional Tags: Fanvids, Subtitles Available Summary: Dilg, Nora, and the Professor talk about freedom and justice for everyone [vid] 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) Fandom: Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls (TV), Unspecified Fandom, Pop Music RPF, Lizzo (Musician) RPF Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Lizzo (Musician), Jayla Sullivan, Arianna Davis, Asia Banks, Ashley Williams (Dancer), Sydney Bell, Charity Holloway, Moesha Perez, Isabel Jones, Jasmine Morrison, Crystal Williams, Kiara Mooring Additional Tags: Fanvids, Video Format: Streaming, Video, Embedded Video, Physical Triggers, strobe lights, bright lights, Subtitles Available, Stuttery cuts Summary: Lizzo's big grrrls are ready. Vid: Tightrope Fandom: 1995 - 1996 Women's USA Basketball Team, Women's Basketball RPF Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Jennifer Azzi, Ruthie Bolton, Teresa Edwards, Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Katrina McClain, Nikki McCray, Carla McGhee, Dawn Staley, Katy Steding, Sheryl Swoopes, Venus Lacey, Tara VanDerveer Additional Tags: women's basketball, Teamwork, social pressure, Sucking Up Bullshit To Make Things Happen, Physical Triggers, (1990s TV or VHS Footage), (Camera Flashes), (White Text on Black Backgrounds), Misogyny, Racism, Homophobia, details in end notes, contains brief shots of David Letterman and Bill Clinton Summary: you gotta tip on the tightrope (tip, tip on it) Beverly Hills Fandom: Columbo Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Lieutenant Columbo (Columbo), Dog the Dog (Columbo), Columbo's Car Additional Tags: Los Angeles, Wealth, Murder, Fanvids, Gift Work, Festivids 2022, Song: Beverly Hills (Weezer), Quote: Just one more thing... (Columbo) Summary: Beverly Hills: that's where I want to be. [Vid] Carol Of The Bells Fandom: Die Hard (Movies) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: John McClane, Hans Gruber (Die Hard), Holly Gennaro, Ensemble Additional Tags: vid, Fanvids, Action, Blood and Injury, Blood, Police, Physical Triggers, Christmas Summary:

Christmas is here bringing good cheer

~ [Die Hard (1988)] Weapon of Choice Fandom: Busby Berkeley Movies [UMBRELLA], Unspecified Fandom Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Additional Tags: Fanvids, Embedded Video, Busby Berkeley, Weapon of Choice Summary: Just Busby Berkeley Vibes My Power (33 words) by Anonymous Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dora Milaje Appearances (Non-Live Action Media), Black Panther (BET 2010), Black Panther (Comics), War for Wakanda, Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2, Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Avengers Assemble (Cartoon), Marvel's What If ...?, World of Wakanda Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Aneka/Ayo (Marvel) Characters: Aneka of the Dora Milaje (Marvel), Ayo (Marvel), Okoye (Marvel), Queen Divine Justice Additional Tags: Dora Milaje - Freeform, Revolution, Wakanda forever, Depictions of Police (Minimal and Queen Divine Justice punches them), Mention of Rape (Happens Offscreen), Imprisonment, Subtitles Available Summary: they'll never take my power, my power, my power Evolution Fandom: Dirty Computer - Janelle Monáe (Music Video) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Jane/Zen (Dirty Computer), Ché/Jane (Dirty Computer), Ché/Jane/Zen (Dirty Computer) Characters: Jane (Dirty Computer), Zen (Dirty Computer), Ché (Dirty Computer) Additional Tags: Dystopia, memory manipulation, anti-queer totalitarian regime, Police Violence, nonconsensual medical treatment, nonconsensual institutionalization, Resistance, queer joy, Black Girl Magic Summary: I'm just the shadow behind the girl with the fire in her eyes. Higher Love Fandom: Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Evelyn Wang/Waymond Wang, Becky Sregor/Joy Wang | Jobu Tupaki, Evelyn Wang & Joy Wang | Jobu Tupaki & Waymond Wang, Evelyn Wang & Gong Gong, Deirdre Beaubeirdre/Evelyn Wang Characters: Evelyn Wang, Waymond Wang, Joy Wang | Jobu Tupaki, Gong Gong (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Deirdre Beaubeirdre, Becky Sregor Additional Tags: physical triggers: fast cutting, Physical triggers: flickering lights, Captions Available, Subtitles Available, Fanvids, Possible NSFW imagery, Depictions of Police Summary: If there are infinite parallel universes, then every universe that can exist does exist. VID: Ramalama (Bang Bang) Fandom: Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Evelyn Wang/Waymond Wang, Evelyn Wang & Joy Wang | Jobu Tupaki Characters: Evelyn Wang Additional Tags: Fanvids, Physical Triggers, flashing lights, quick cuts Summary: "Please, Be Kind." Her Ex-Lover is Dead Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types, Andor (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Mon Mothma Additional Tags: Fanvids, Embedded Video, Rebellion, Explosions, Fire, Sacrifice, Galactic Senate (Star Wars), Galactic Empire (Star Wars), Planet Coruscant (Star Wars), Complicated Relationships Summary: When there's nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire. Life During Wartime Fandom: Andor (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Cinta Kaz/Vel Sartha Characters: Cassian Andor, Mon Mothma, Luthen Rael, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz Additional Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, Fanvids, Embedded Video Summary: I might not ever get home Black Tie Fandom: A League of Their Own (TV 2022) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Maxine "Max" Chapman, Carson Shaw Additional Tags: Fanvids, queer community Summary: You will find the clothes that fit. Grrrls (1 words) by Anonymous Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: A League of Their Own (TV 2022) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Maxine "Max" Chapman & Clance Morgan Characters: Clance Morgan, Maxine "Max" Chapman Additional Tags: Friendship, Fanvids, Captions Available, Subtitles Available, Swearing in Song Lyrics, Female Friendship Summary:

A lighthearted vid about Clance and Max's friendship. I believe this vid does not have any physical or emotional triggers. Captions available. A downloadable version will be available after reveals. Song: Grrrls by Lizzo (edited) length: 01:24

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[9087miles]

The holiday you wouldn’t read about… after Dante’s Divine Comedy

I know it has been almost five years since we last blogged. In fact, I never even finished the series that I was writing. It’s not even that there has nothing blogworthy. It seems the pandemic just threw a crown-shaped spanner in the works of everyday life, and broke a five-year habit.

To recap:

1. We got back from France in mid-March 2020 and a couple of days later went into lockdown.

2. In the summer of 2020, we did a two day fell pony trek through the Lake District, camping overnight in a high field overlooking Lake Windermere. Also, I grew a regrettable lockdown moustache / soul patch combo.

3. Throughout 2020 and 2021 we saw a load more of the UK once we were allowed to - Cornwall, Devon, the south coast, the Midlands, more of Wales, Manchester.

4. In 2022, Tom’s sister Donna visited. We visited all of the usual sites and then Paris for the first time. Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away while we were in Paris. Donna and Tom attended the Queen’s lying in state, queued for hours and ended up sleeping at London Paddington station after missing the last train.

5. In May 2023, we woke to find that our lovely Judy had passed away after a gradual decline into senility. We were all distraught.

6. In September 2023, my parents, aunty and uncle came. We did all the usual sites and we went to Edinburgh. We stayed in an epic apartment with a view of the castle from the bedroom, then a panoramic view of the entire city from the dining room. We saw the decommissioned royal yacht, the amazing Kelpies and even visited Perth.

7. Edie never really recovered from losing Jude and, following a few bouts of illness and fits, by April this year we made the tough call to put her down.

8. In amongst losing Edie, Tom has been back forth to the USA for the installation of a sculpture he’s been project managing over the last five years.

It has been the hardest time adjusting to life without our girls… after all, they were on this 9087 mile journey too. It has given a little bit more freedom to holiday, because we don’t need to find a dog-sitter or look for dog-friendly accommodation.

Which brings us back to the present - just over ten years since this journey began. Speaking of presents, as a birthday gift in June, Tom got tickets for us to go to Il Giardino die Tarocchi, a sculpture park by the renowned French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle. It is at the bottom of Tuscany, so he also booked EasyJet tickets to the closest airport (Pisa).

It took us forever to plan out an itinerary, but it ended up quite simple:

Friday: Fly into Pisa mid-morning. See the sights and stay the night.

Saturday: Pick up a hire car and drive down to Capalbio (where the Giardino is). Drive to Siena, drop off the hire car and stay the night.

Sunday: Catch the train to Florence. Stay two nights.

Tuesday: Train back to Pisa Airport and home again.

That was the plan anyway… of course, it wouldn’t be a 9087 Miles adventure without a few hiccups. I’ve named this blog series after one of Dante Alighieri’s well-known epics, because he is a notable Tuscan export. In his Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy), the main character travels through hell, purgatory and finally heaven. That should give a taste of what is to come, and sets up the three posts to follow; Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso.

I leave you at the end of this introduction with a quote from the first of three parts in Divina Commedia, written on the gates of Hell (Inferno):

“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here”.

[bored-of-fiction]

I wrote this Today, as many people don’t know I create and write poems or well whatever that’s comes to my mind. Today I decided to write something that is important to me, <3 I decided to post on here because well, nobody really knows me on here

I’ll write another post for context <3 thank you for reading

This song has also been blasting in my ear while I wrote this 🩷

Oh, god, how time has passed.

The leaves are finally changing their color.

The wind has blown heavier.

The air has finally gotten colder.

But our souls have gone farther away.

Our hands aren't as close anymore.

Our hearts are staggering away.

We've finally gotten rid of each other, like you said.

I've always found it astonishing how our souls become one.

And now they have become two

Every time I stare at the pink Minso lunch bag you've gifted me, I know you existed.

Every time I view black, I'm reminded of our existence.

Every time I see one-piece characters, my brain starts to remember

I'm now trying to forget your existence.

You were never good for my mental wellbeing, nor for each other.

The co-dependency of us, or being our own person

We have always pulled each other closer.

Gaining jealousy of each other if one decides to step into someone else's circle

Always by each other's side

Never on our own

But now I don't know how to be my own person.

You have shattered me; this isn't your fault, as I am also at fault.

Ive put you so high on my penastool.

I've excused and viewed an image of you for my own sake.

I was blinded by the version of you I've prayed for.

You were never gentle; you were rough.

You were never sweet; you were sour.

You were never mine; you were theirs.

Today I write stories of you, and tomorrow you'll be a person I grief.

Today I've decided to start a path of healing.

I'll be done missing you, and I'll be done loving you too.

But you're also a person I deeply cherish.

As you always amazed me

You always fought to be my friend.

You've taught me to stand up for myself.

For leaving an abusive man

For fighting for me

For protecting me

For saving me from death

I'll never forget those words you've once said to me.

As I cried on your full-size bed

As you held me into your arms

As I told you the truth of what that man did to me

I felt numb.

Wanting to die, but then you whispered

An oh so heartbreaking yet gentle whisper

“Please don't. What would I do without? I love you.”

Those words kept me alive, wanting to live another day.

I wish to not forget your existence.

hearing your voice

Viewing your name

Seeing your photos

It hurt me.

One day I'll get over this pain.

But for now I'll heal.

It'll be better for me.

I hope someday you'll heal too.

But for now, I'll pray for you.

I'll be done missing you, I promise.

But please let me mourn you a little longer.

Because I loved you so deeply.

And now I have to learn to be okay.

Without you by my side