#and perry's story is also relatively likely

[numericalbridge]

These are super rough, but i just wanted to share some tidbits from the fics i've plotted but not sure whether i would write in full. All are from different stories:

A.

"Darius?! Darius! Please, please, wake up!"

The voice is sending pinpricks of pain right through his brain. Darius opens his eyes. Everything is swaying. It feels like all the energy has been drained out of him. What happened? He blinks groggily and attempts to sit up.

"You're alive!" Eda's human ward - Luz - lets go of his shoulder and mutters something in a language Darius doesn't understand. "Is Eda all right? Everyone else?"

"Where are we?" He doesn't recognize the place. There are lines of strange glyphs around the two of them. "And what are you doing here?" he demands. He doesn't like this. Where are the other kids? His head is still foggy. The Ceremony. The fight. The translocation. "Yes, Eda and the rest should be safe. Are you here alone?"

Luz twists her mouth into a forced smile, "Well, you see... But first ugh..." Her eyes shift. "Please don't freak out..." she mutters.

Is she looking at his arm? He follows her gaze to his sigil...

B.

Raine knew that look. Imperious and somewhat disgusted, as if he had just seen something so beneath him that it fascinated and repulsed him in equal measures yet wasn't worth a verbal reaction. That look was enough to shut up even the oldest Coven Heads. Only... Raine couldn't recall it ever being directed at them.

Then the boy's lower lip wobbled, and the illusion was shattered.

C.

"I assume the Great Demon King has not heard the blood-curdling tale of Brie the Blimp?"

"Brie the Blimp?" Ha! The name was catchy. But King had his mission.

"Oh, yes," the witch said. The abomination on his head shifted. "The mysterious and frightening witch-eating flying apparatus." He raised an eyebrow and then nodded towards the window. "They say she prowls the skies on nights just like this."

"And?" King asked - just in case. He had to find Eda, but this was something new. He needed the intel!

"Oh, I don't know," the witch leaned his head on his hand. "Perhaps this story is too much..."

"No!" King objected. "The King of Demons is not afraid of some old nursery story. I demand to hear the blood-calling... blood-curling tale of the evil Blimp!"

"Hmm, all right," the man smiled, "if you insist."

King grabbed one of the abomination toys closer to himself - also just in case - and plopped down to listen.

"It all started one bright and peaceful morning..."

D.

"Oh my Titan! Are you Perry Porter?!" one of the scouts squealed. "From the Crystal Ball? For real?!"

"Yes, yes," Perry forced himself to say. Normally he would be embarrassed, but this time was different. "Glad to meet a fan..."

"Do you even know who this is?" the scout pestered their colleague who shrugged non-comittally.

"I love seeing you on the Crystal Ball!" the first scout addressed Perry again.

"Thank you. But can I help you?" Perry knew his voice sounded polite, but his heart was pounding. Here we go.

"We are looking for dangerous rebels, potentially wild witches," the less enthusiastic scout announced. "They were seen in the vicinity of your house. Have you noticed any suspicious activity?"

"I don't think so," Perry answered. "But there is a forest behind these houses, it would be easy to hide there."

"Are you sure you didn't see anyone?"

"Come on," the chatty scout interrupted them. "It's Perry Porter! He would've noticed if the rebels were here. Thank you for your time!"

No, thank you.

"No problem."

E.

"Oh, wow, this Construction Coven's book is surely a brick," Luz waved the book in front of herself. Judging by the blank stares, the joke didn't land.

"The most prominent figures of the Construction Craft, tome 2," Skara read the title from below.

"Sounds fun," Luz started - she had a really good one...

"Hey!"

Eberwolf grabbed the book right out of her hands, and she nearly fell down the ladder. Eber hurried to the other side of the room, put the book on the desk and began hastily turning over the pages as if looking for something specific. Then they seemed to find that something. He read the page, chirping almost silently to themselves and tugging on his mane from time to time.

"Eber?" Darius had stopped mending the abominations and came up to stand by them.

Eber shook their head, jumped down the chair and silently trotted out of the room, leaving the book on the table.

Darius sighed.

"What happened?" Skara asked.

Luz leaned to look in the book. There was a portrait.

"Galatea Vault," Darius said. "She was the Construction Coven Head before Mason."

[malusokay]

5 Classics for girly girls 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

Emily of New Moon

The bittersweet process of growing up and finding where you truly belong... The perfect read for the start of a new school year. After her father’s death, Emily Starr is sent to live with her snobbish relatives at New Moon farm. Thrust into an unfamiliar and often cold environment, Emily faces numerous challenges. However, as time passes, she begins to adapt and discovers the beauty in her surroundings. With the support of her new friends—Teddy, Perry, and Ilse—Emily not only finds solace but also discovers her own creative talents, helping her carve out a place for herself in this new chapter of her life.

“If it's IN you to climb you must -- there are those who MUST lift their eyes to the hills -- they can't breathe properly in the valleys.”

Jane Eyre

A true classic for all my fellow gothic-lit enthusiasts, Jane Eyre, reminds us that everyone deserves a love that consumes, challenges, and transforms the very core of your being, offering both profound joy and deep heartache (we love a good situationsship). Following Jane Eyre, an orphaned and mistreated girl who endures a harsh upbringing but grows into a strong, independent woman. As she takes a position as a governess at Thornfield Hall, she encounters the enigmatic Mr. Rochester, sparking a profound and tumultuous romance. Their intense connection is marred by secrets and personal demons, revealing the complexities of their relationship.

“Jane, be still; don't struggle so like a wild, frantic bird, that is rending its own plumage in its desperation." "I am no bird, and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being, with an independent will; which I now exert to leave you.”

The Secret Garden

Mary Lennox, a spoiled and neglected girl, is sent to live with her uncle after the death of her parents. Initially ill-tempered and withdrawn, Mary’s curiosity is sparked by rumours of a hidden, abandoned garden on the estate. As she explores and begins to restore this secret garden, she experiences a beautiful shift (glow-up era). The once gloomy and sickly Mary starts to bloom alongside the garden, rediscovering happiness, vibrancy, and a sense of belonging, making the story a heartwarming tale of growth and recovery.

“At first, people refuse to believe that a strange new thing can be done, then they begin to hope it can be done, then they see it can be done--then it is done, and all the world wonders why it was not done centuries ago.”

Pride and Prejudice

Truly a classic that has shaped my romantic expectations hahah... Elizabeth Bennet battles societal expectations and her own misjudgments in 19th-century England. When the aloof Mr Darcy (he'd totally be a ghoster in the 21st century just saying...) first crosses her path, their initial encounters are fraught with tension and misunderstanding. However, as Elizabeth delves deeper, she uncovers the complexities of Darcy’s character and her own heart.

“I could no longer help saying that I loved him. I loved him not only for his sake but for his own sake. I loved him because he was the only person who had ever really loved me for myself. I loved him because he had made me feel that I was worthy of being loved.”

The Little Prince

A young, otherworldly prince from a tiny planet travels across the universe, meeting various inhabitants and learning profound life lessons. His journey brings him to Earth, where he encounters a stranded pilot and shares his reflections on love, loss, and the essence of human connections. Through whimsical adventures and encounters, The Little Prince explores the importance of seeing with the heart rather than the eyes and reminds us of the value of friendship and innocence.

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched; they are felt with the heart.”

you guys asked for more academia/book stuff so I thought this might be a nice start, especially since I know that many of you are just getting into classics; these are all very much suitable for beginners!! <3

love ya ･:*₊‧✩

[deepestdelulu]

5 classics for my girlies

Emily of New Moon

The bittersweet process of growing up and finding where you truly belong... The perfect read for the start of a new school year. After her father’s death, Emily Starr is sent to live with her snobbish relatives at New Moon farm. Thrust into an unfamiliar and often cold environment, Emily faces numerous challenges. However, as time passes, she begins to adapt and discovers the beauty in her surroundings. With the support of her new friends—Teddy, Perry, and Ilse—Emily not only finds solace but also discovers her own creative talents, helping her carve out a place for herself in this new chapter of her life.

“If it's IN you to climb you must -- there are those who MUST lift their eyes to the hills -- they can't breathe properly in the valleys.”

Jane Eyre

A true classic for all my fellow gothic-lit enthusiasts, Jane Eyre, reminds us that everyone deserves a love that consumes, challenges, and transforms the very core of your being, offering both profound joy and deep heartache (we love a good situationsship). Following Jane Eyre, an orphaned and mistreated girl who endures a harsh upbringing but grows into a strong, independent woman. As she takes a position as a governess at Thornfield Hall, she encounters the enigmatic Mr. Rochester, sparking a profound and tumultuous romance. Their intense connection is marred by secrets and personal demons, revealing the complexities of their relationship.

“Jane, be still; don't struggle so like a wild, frantic bird, that is rending its own plumage in its desperation." "I am no bird, and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being, with an independent will; which I now exert to leave you.”

The Secret Garden

Mary Lennox, a spoiled and neglected girl, is sent to live with her uncle after the death of her parents. Initially ill-tempered and withdrawn, Mary’s curiosity is sparked by rumours of a hidden, abandoned garden on the estate. As she explores and begins to restore this secret garden, she experiences a beautiful shift (glow-up era). The once gloomy and sickly Mary starts to bloom alongside the garden, rediscovering happiness, vibrancy, and a sense of belonging, making the story a heartwarming tale of growth and recovery.

“At first, people refuse to believe that a strange new thing can be done, then they begin to hope it can be done, then they see it can be done--then it is done, and all the world wonders why it was not done centuries ago.”

Pride and Prejudice

Truly a classic that has shaped my romantic expectations hahah... Elizabeth Bennet battles societal expectations and her own misjudgments in 19th-century England. When the aloof Mr Darcy (he'd totally be a ghoster in the 21st century just saying...) first crosses her path, their initial encounters are fraught with tension and misunderstanding. However, as Elizabeth delves deeper, she uncovers the complexities of Darcy’s character and her own heart.

“I could no longer help saying that I loved him. I loved him not only for his sake but for his own sake. I loved him because he was the only person who had ever really loved me for myself. I loved him because he had made me feel that I was worthy of being loved.”

The Little Prince

A young, otherworldly prince from a tiny planet travels across the universe, meeting various inhabitants and learning profound life lessons. His journey brings him to Earth, where he encounters a stranded pilot and shares his reflections on love, loss, and the essence of human connections. Through whimsical adventures and encounters, The Little Prince explores the importance of seeing with the heart rather than the eyes and reminds us of the value of friendship and innocence.

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched; they are felt with the heart.”

You guys asked for more academia/book stuff so I thought this might be a nice start, especially since I know that many of you are just getting into classics; these are all very much suitable for beginners!! <3

Love yaa

[cringearenachamp]

Running out of sand: Traces, Twin Peaks, Aging, Grief, and The Self: Part 1

"We are like the dreamer who dreams and then lives inside the dream. But who is the dreamer?"

David Lynch is my favorite film director (so far). His work is often surreal and symbolic, metaphorical, steeped in dream-logic, yet at its core EMOTIONAL, sometimes even sentimental. He's rarely edgy for edge's sake (unless it's for a gag/joke), and despite violence against women being a common part of his work (and despite clearly being very attracted to women's bodies) it's clear that he respects women and feels compassion for them. They're often at the narrative and emotional core of his stories, and those stories are so often about trauma, grief, the denial of that trauma and grief (and the often-magical lengths his characters will go to deny these things), and the fragmentation of the self and even of entire communities that trauma, grief, and the denial of these things can cause. Twin Peaks features all of these things and centers around the mystery and tragedy of Laura Palmer, a 17 year old high school girl, homecoming queen, and meals-on-wheels volunteer with many dark secrets that only begin to be revealed after her murder (the least of which being that she uses cocaine to stay on top of everything-- but long story short, she essentially lives a double-life without telling anyone about it).

Twin Peaks was a television series that lasted two seasons in its original run, and ended dramatically but in a way that still left quite a few questions behind: including the fate of one of its most beloved main characters, FBI Agent Dale Cooper. In 2017, David Lynch and Mark Frost (Lynch's co-collaborator for Twin Peaks) released Twin Peaks: The Return, a new entire full season of Twin Peaks. Things still don't wrap up neatly. Traces (heh) of the old series remain, but rarely in ways that the audience would expect or hope for. Questions are raised as often as they're answered, and the questions that are answered are often not answered in comfortable ways. Among other things, The Return is an exploration of aging and death, grief-- Lynch was getting older at this point and his friends were beginning to die around him, including Catherine Coulson, an actor in both Twin Peaks Series, who was dying of lung cancer during the filming of The Return-- and the desperation, arrogance, and futility of trying to return to the past in order to "fix" it, especially for other people.

While Steve is inspired by much of the 60s music David Lynch loved and incorporated into his films, and while Perry and Lynch both incorporate sincerity and sentimentality into their work in ways that audiences can sometimes find jarring, his work is far less surreal than Lynch's: it's musically very straightforward, and often lyrically as well. Lynch's work also isn't nearly as afraid of the dark as Perry's is, either: while being trapped or stuck in the dark is a common lyrical motif in Perry's music (including on Traces), he rarely if ever makes purposefully-ugly art, or tries to synthesize beauty-in-ugliness/ugliness-in-beauty, or sing about the details of any kind of serious darkness. Lynch's work forces the viewer to look into the darkness, dive into it, and come out of it on the other side changed in some way. In Perry's work the darkness is a place to be trapped in AND a place that holds deep personal truths, but it's never a place he invites the audience to. Thus, his work still often avoids what Lynch forces us to see and reckon with.

In other words, the purpose of this analysis isn't to compare Perry to Lynch in terms of artistic output: instead, it's to situate Perry, his work, and the themes haunting it, within a Lynchian context.

Traces is Steve Perry's first solo album in 25 years. A comfortable number. Nice even quarter. The album was inspired by an impulsively entered, relatively brief (1.5 years), intense relationship with a psychologist with terminal breast cancer, his grief, and a promise he wanted to keep for her: to not go back into isolation. Musical isolation? So he says.

The music and the album cover and all that are discussions for another time: this is more an introduction to everything, and a (relatively) brief discussion of the narrative and public relations surrounding it all. The most immediate oddity here is temporal. Time is a shifty thing in many Lynch films: narrators are often unreliable, split into various fragments of themselves, and thus the narrative itself becomes unreliable in a way, various fragments of itself, things that make sense in an emotional or metaphorical way or by using dream logic (common in Lynch!) but don't always make sense in a "normal", realistically logical way.

In the case of Steve and Traces, some of the year math is off. It was in fact just about 25 years since he released a solo album (For the Love of Strange Medicine was released in '94, Traces in '18, so 24 years, but close enough), but it definitely hadn't been 31 years since he left the band, and that was another number he frequently threw out during interviews in this press circuit: 31 years before 2018 would be 1987, the FIRST time he left, and the only time he left of his own volition. Why doesn't 1998 (20 years before 2018, itself a nice round number) count? Legal red tape is one obvious answer, but is that red tape truly so restrictive that Steve (or the other members of Journey) can't even mention the year he was fired from the band? Or is that one fact-- that he was fired, he didn't leave-- something that's still too painful and shameful to invite discussion about?

(from Lost Highway-- and the character saying this is not a nice or happy guy)

Neat narratives are appealing when you're trying to sell something, of course, and they're especially nice when you have preexisting control issues, you're uncomfortable facing your own complications and messes, and you're used to having to present a "face" to the world that isn't your own. They're also easier to create when you have the money and resources to make reality conform to your preferences. In the past, Perry was also often forced to create his own narratives through the whims and preferences of Journey's manager: being able to craft something yourself to your own tastes-- not just the music this time but the story behind it, the image you want to project-- would be even more attractive with this in mind.

Like a fractured Lynch character, then, Perry created a fracture within the narrative of his professional life (you could argue that Professional Steve Perry is something of a character that Steve puts on) and decided on a truth that "worked" the most for him. Jack Cole, the director Steve chose to help create the music videos for his 1984 album Street Talk, astutely pointed out in an interview (alongside Perry) that famous musicians are "life-long actors" and "dual people".

(the face journey Steve goes on while Jack discusses this is amazing by the way he's just like "fuuuUUUUUuuuck. i mean. its fine :)")

If all famous musicians are inherently lifelong actors and dual people, Steve took that to another level, and was extremely intentional in creating a stark divide between his professional and private lives. If you listen to enough interviews, you start to notice that he even has fractures within his professional life: he was whoever he thought would "work"; he was whoever he thought would get him out of an interview "winning" it; he was whatever he thought someone he respected wanted him to be. In a quasi-recent interview Neal Schon even said that he didn't know if he was Steve's friend anymore, because he didn't even know who Steve was anymore.

Duality is an extremely common feature within Lynch's work, and fractures within the self are EXTREMELY prevalent within Twin Peaks: The Return. One character in particular, Dale Cooper, is arguably actually FOUR separate characters. In one instance, you see him create one of those characters-- tulpas-- himself. Each of these tulpas represents something different: Mr. C. is his "doppelganger" and shadow-self-- a darkness he avoids for so long it becomes its own entity through magical means-- while Dougie Jones is a no-thoughts-head-empty innocent sweetie-pie that everyone loves. Other characters create tulpas in order to exorcise their own traumas. Fucking with time and the self, of course, is never without consequence, and these divisions begin to fuck up the very world the characters are situated in: a TV world, a soap opera world, one that thrives on narrative.

Fractures and duality are things that come up within the cover of Traces, as well: the most surreal and metaphorical piece within Perry's entire project, albeit one still washed in bright and vibrant hues, a smorgasbord of signs and symbols that's almost (intentionally?) overwhelming. When you take the initial cover and the alternate cover together, though, they create a whole comprised of stark dualities, and that's what makes it truly interesting. That, then, is what we'll examine next.

[joanjournal]

Dingoes - an origin story in the making

Fraser Island Dingo (Newretreads CC BY-SA 4.0)

One of the most charismatic of Australia's placental mammals is the dingo, and their presence on the continent has always retained an air of mystery in the scientific community. The earliest European colonists noted the relationship between these dogs and First Nations peoples, where it was recognized as a "domestic animal" (Tench, 1789).

Subsequent ethnographic and field records show a more complicated picture. Dingoes occurred in both wild and human-centered conditions, and could freely move between these two states, sometimes leaving to roam the countryside while their human companions were away. People treated dingoes as lapdogs and cuddle-buddies, relied on them to ward off enemies on the physical and spiritual planes, and valued them as companions during hunting and gathering work; as well traditional Aboriginal knowledge includes multiple references to dingoes (Shipman, 2021).

That said, when it comes to the question of origins - how the dingo got to Australia - more questions have been raised than answers.

To start with, let's look at the zooarchaeological record. The oldest remains of a dingo come from Madura Cave on the Nullarbor Plain in southwestern Australia, which have recently been re-dated to between 3,348-3,081 years ago (Balme, et al. 2018).

Human beings have been on the continent for far longer than this, with conflicting results from archaeology and ancient DNA studies hinting at potentially multiple expansions between 65,000 and ~40,000 years ago (Sümer, et al. 2024; Clarkson, etal. 2017). There is no evidence to suggest that the ancestors of First Nations Australians brought dogs with them to the continent, and the sheer lack of dingo remains between this period and the site at Madura Cave would imply then that these animals arrived at a far later date.

Turning now to genetics, evolutionary biologists have been able to shed far more light onto this matter.

Put it simply, most zoologists agree that the dingo belongs to the same species as the domestic dog, Canis lupus familiaris. The ancestors of our furry friends belong to a now-extinct population of gray wolves that seem to have inhabited central Eurasia and was domesticated by Ancient North Eurasians by 23,000 years ago (Perri, et al. 2021, Bergström, et al. 2020).

A paper by Matt A. Field and colleagues in 2022 demonstrated that most modern domestic dogs contain an increased number of copies of a gene called AMY2B, which creates copious amounts of the enzyme amylase in the pancreas to aid in the digestion of starches. It seems clear in this that the transition to agriculture across the world in the starting millennia of the Holocene Epoch was followed closely by domestic dogs. However, the dingo was found to lack this genetic change, indicating that its lineage branched off before the radiation of ancestral breeds by 11,000 years ago (Bergström, et al. 2020).

New Guinea Singing Dog (Patti McNeal, CC BY 2.0)

The closest living relative of the dingo is the New Guinea singing-dog which, like its Australian relative, exists along a spectrum of wild and domestic populations. These animals are near identical in appearance, and the most recent studies have revealed that their relationship is far more complex than being sister species: it appears that the dingo may be a subgroup of the New Guinea varieties, more closely related to the domestic forms than the wild ones (Surbakti, et al. 2020). These and similar findings also show evidence of admixture between New Guinea dogs and the separate later-diverging lineage of Oceanian dogs which accompanied the Austronesian-speaking Lapita peoples that populated Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. This is reflected in one paper which found that the New Guinea singing dog samples derived 58% of their genome from ancient East Eurasian breeds (Bergström, et al. 2020). In contrast, it appears that dingoes have never interbred with other domestic dogs during their tenure in Australia as has long been believed (Weeks, et al. 2024).

So, it is clear that a source of answers to the origin of dingoes lay with their New Guinea cousins. At some point, a population was separated and settled in Australia without prior admixture from other dog lineages. When did this happen?

One comprehensive genetic study has suggested that the introduction of the dingo occurred further back in time than the earliest archaeological sites would suggest. Between 8,300 and 7,800 years ago - and at least on two occasions according to one proposed hypothesis - dingoes diverged from the New Guinea dogs and found their way onto Australia (Cairns & Wilton. 2016). Subsequent work on historic dingo remains adds support to this model, showing a gradient in dingo diversity that had already been established by 2,000 years ago (Souilmi, et al. 2024, Koungoulos, et al. 2024).

This creates somewhat of a disconnect between the genetic data and the archaeology, as no older dingo remains have been found beyond 3,300 years ago. In her 2021 book Our Oldest Companions, Pat Shipman drew two possible conclusions from this research: if these findings were valid, then dingoes simply did not interact with people when they first reached the continent until thousands of years later, or if these findings were not valid, it's because the proposed dates are over-estimates of mutation rates, which could have varied in their speed and so give the impression of phylogenetic antiquity.

It must also be considered that this early split from New Guinea dogs does not necessarily mean that introduction to Australia happened immediately afterward. For all we know, these new populations remained on the island for thousands of years before they were properly introduced. Shipman recounted the remarkable speeds at which dogs spread into new regions when introduced by people in historic times, and it's likely that it only took a few hundred years for dingoes to arrive and spread across the continent before 3,300 YA (Shipman, 2021).

These questions all tie into perhaps the biggest mystery in dingo origins: who brought them to Australia?

One immediate candidate would be the Austronesian-speaking peoples, who have a fairly clear archaeological record of moving through Southeast Asia and into New Guinea and onto the outer western Pacific islands. It would be a matter of picking up the ancestral dingoes and landing them on Australian shores. In his landmark 1994 book The Future Eaters, Tim Flannery felt it "personally... quite likely" that the Lapita people would have become rather familiar with northeast Australia, citing evidence as disparate as Maori oral traditions and the genetics of parasitic lice. He even credits them with introducing the dingo. There is some very recent evidence further adding support to an idea of contact and familiarity: comparisons of pottery shards on offshore Jiigurru island on the Great Barrier Reef point to contact between Lapita people and First Nations Australians around 2,950 and 1,815 years ago (Ulm, et al. 2024).

Another proposed candidate are the Toaleans of south Sulawesi. Evidence of their society ranges far beyond the Austronesians, having lived on the island for around 9,000 years. They share genetic ancestry with the Indigenous Peoples of Australia, New Guinea, and greater island Melanesia. The Toaleans were also sea-fairing people, and evidence of similar tool technologies between them and Borneo point to extensive marine trade networks (Fillios & Taçon, 2016).

At the moment, the issues with these and other candidates are a lack of evidence and an inconsistency with dates. We must recall there is a minimum date of 3,300 YA for the presence of dingoes in Australia, plus a few hundred years perhaps. While the Lapita were certainly present in and around New Guinea by that point, there is a lack of evidence to show that their presence near Australia extended beyond influencing coastal pottery use by the First Nations in the Great Barrier Reef. And besides, while they had domestic dogs, these belonged to a different lineage than the dingo (which shows no evidence of admixture with other dogs). Fillios & Taçon, 2016 argued strongly for the Toaleans as the right candidate, as they were a foraging society and so would have conceivably owned dogs that lacked the AMY2B gene copies seen in agricultural breeds. To date, however, there has been no evidence they had domestic dogs or that they reached Australia.

The last remaining evidence we can look at are First Nations oral traditions and history. As Pat Shipman recounts: "Traditional knowledge, expressed in dances (corroborees) and myths, ... asserts that dingoes were transported to Australia — accidentally or purposefully — by coastal boat-using peoples..." (Shipman, 2021).

Indigenous Australians retained memories of their first encounter with dingoes as animals with some familiarity to humans. Shipman has argued that the fluidity of these dogs between "wild" and "domestic" states is evidence that from the beginning the dingo and its New Guinea ancestors were behaviorally unique from all other dog breeds by having lived in a sort of intermediate-state: they were not as wild as gray wolves, nor were they as tamed and reared as hounds and terriers. That they seemed to stick around with people anyway and benefit reminds me somewhat of domestic cats, who have never been as fully-domesticated as most of our other pets and livestock.

Clearly, we know more about the origins of dingoes than we did a few decades ago, but there are still missing puzzle pieces. A currently undocumented people from Southeast Asia or the Western Pacific introduced dingoes (perhaps more than once) onto the Australian continent prior to 3,300 years ago, descended from dogs in New Guinea many thousands of years earlier (who, themselves, are descended from an ancient pre-agricultural lineage of dogs).

Given the recent advances in ancient DNA research and an increasing sample size of Southeast Asian sites prior to the spread of farming Austronesian-speaking peoples, I have little doubt that these gaps will be filled in the coming years. Pre-colonial Australia was clearly not as isolated from the rest of humanity as is typically portrayed in pop-history texts, even ignoring dingoes, but by finding out more about the curious origin of these sandy-colored companions and wanderers, we will continue to break that stereotype and further align Australia to the rest of the ancient world.

Book Citations:

Tim Flannery, The Future Eaters (Grove Press, 1994)

Pat Shipman, Our Oldest Companions (Harvard University Press, 2021)

Watkin Tench, A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay (London, 1789)

Paper Citations:

Jane Balme, et al. 2018, New dates on dingo bones from Madura Cave provide oldest firm evidence for arrival of the species in Australia (Nature Scientific Reports)

Anders Bergström, et al. 2022, Grey wolf genomic history reveals duel ancestry of dogs (Nature)

Anders Bergström, et al. 2020, Origin and genetic legacy of prehistoric dogs (Science)

Chris Clarkson, et al. 2017, Human occupation of northern Australia by 65,000 years ago (Nature)

Matt A. Field, et al. 2022, The Australian dingo is an early offshoot of modern breed dogs (Science Advances)

Loukas G. Koungoulos, et al. 2024, Phenotypic diversity in early Australian dingoes revealed by traditional and 3D genomic morphometric analysis (Nature Scientific Reports)

Anna-Sapfo Malaspinas, et al. 2016, A genomic history of Aboriginal Australia (Nature)

Angela R. Perri, et al. 2021, Dog domestication and the duel dispersal of people and dogs in the Americas (PNAS)

Yassine Souilmi, et al. 2024, Ancient genomes reveal over two thousand years of dingo population structure (PNAS)

Arev P. Sümer, et al. 2024, Earliest modern human genomes constrain timing of Neanderthal admixture (Nature)

Suriani Surbakti, et al. 2020, New Guinea highland wild dogs are the original New Guinea singing dogs (PNAS)

Melanie A. Fillios & Paul S.C. Taçon. 2016, Who let the dogs in? A review of the recent genetic evidence for the introduction of the dingo to Australia and implications for the movement of people (Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports)

Sean Ulm, et al. 2024, Early Aboriginal pottery production and offshore island occupation on Jiijurru (Lizard Island group), Great Barrier Reef, Australia (Quaternary Science Reviews)

Andrew R. Weeks, et al. 2024, Genetic structure and common ancestry expose the dingo-dog hybrid myth (Evolution Letters)

Kylie M. Cairns & Alan N. Wilton, 2016, New insights on the history of canids in Oceania based on mitochondrial and nuclear data (Genetica)

[mrfandomwars]

Jumping on the Human O.W.C.A train with a Pinky

Things to know about my version of Human Pinky/O.W.C.A. Agents:

They have two uniforms, a "casual" one and a full bodysuit with bits of reinforced lightweight armour. You can see both in the drawing, with the casual one in The Favourites (that consists in pants; a jumper with a lower face mask included - though it can be removed; a vest with suspender-like belts that are full of pockets and in turn full of gadgets. and maybe a snack or two. and like. 3 small tiny medical kits; and finally a gun and knife and their holster) and the bodysuit in the Super Agent Mode one. Both use fedoras (sorta O.W.C.A. symbol lbh) and have differing colours per division - Admiral Wanda Acronym uses pink, Major Francis Monogram uses green and the Seattle division uses black - plus different cuts for the vests (AA's is a v neck, Seattle a round cut but slightly lower while MM's is round but closer to the neck).

more under the cut + screenshotted closeups

I forgot that Pinky was supposed to be a chihuahua for a hot second and made him tall so. Have a Tall Pinky that towers is relatively the same height as Poofenplotz (with her high heels), is a few centimetres taller than Doofenshmirtz when our favourite evil villain slouches but shorter than him when he Doesn't slouch.

Pinky is a nickname that Isabella gave him that, via an accident or two, ended up in his O.W.C.A file and at this point he has accepted his fate

Pinky's cover story is that he is a model that does shootings at odd hours and is also a freelance programmer, hence why he disappears at times and also knows computer stuff

Also him being tall is in part because of height requirement for male models so he is like. 6 feet (1.83 m) to be comfortably in the limits

Not to worry though, you can still have short king Perry that is barely 150cm (4'9 feet) and an even shorter Queen that is Agent Rat from the Seattle Division that is a certified Dwarf™

Also btw Perry in my au is an ASL/BSL/Auslan interpreter (first thing that came to his mind and he got stuck with it) that regularly has to disappear to interpret people, even in the middle of the night due to some situations (see: a deaf tourist ending up in a hospital). Agent Rat - Rachel cover is that she works for the IRS and keeps busting people for tax evasion

Anyways continuing back to the drawing: Pinky is Isabella's cousin and lives with her and her parents because they moved in with him since he had the old family home that was in a great neighbourhood and close to schools and that way they wouldn't have to find a new place to stay when Mr Garcia-Shapiro got transferred to Danville.

(Pinky get's the basement as a room and he Likes It bc Hacker Vibes. And also easier to get to his lair or in general do his job)

Pinky has the same hair problems as Isabella, his don't cover his face anymore because O.W.C.A. helped him manage to get AT LEAST half of his face uncovered in case he was attacked in his sleep.

Regarding The Favourites: The Favourites is a reference to who I think were Evil Doofenshmirtz family in the Second Dimension: Perry is Heinz because gestures show; Agent Rat is Charlene's because of her makeup skills as well as her ability to pass unnoticed and thus take out threats faster; and finally Pinky is Vanessa's bodyguard that DOES take out threats to her from time to time but most of what he does is literally just control Vanessa's internet usage/what she sees

2D Pinky is a drawing of him post Tales from the Resistance: back to the 2D dimension. He had his hair cut short while working for Doof and is now growing it out. Also Monogram is possibly the only one from the previous, as in Pre-Doof, O.W.C.A. leadership that survived so when Pinky went back to being a secret agent, he got assigned to Monogram's division

Yes in his civilian he has a choker that is a reference to his dog collar in the show

Not seen but he has his hair long but tied in the bottom, making something that looks like a chihuahua tail. If you know Helia during season 2 and 3 of Winx but a bit longer with the ponytail MUCH shorter

Also not seen beyond his 2D drawing but he has a scar on his cheek

Notice in the Sleepy Morning ft Isabella the "Dog Days Are Over" t-shirt

The Super Agent Mode was drawn using a base by @/mellon-soup

super proud of the civilian one ngl

[oddi-verse]

Story 1: The Backstory for The Mighty System Part 1

They were born Sparked. Their cells act like those of an octopus. Being able to change their texture and color and all sorts of things about it, the only limitation being that they have to stay human shaped. But this power came with the fact that human brains are not designed to have that much power over their form. So they looked eerie and never human enough, until they got older. At an early age, they were cast out from their home and forced to live in the foster care system. Because of the abuse they had to endure, this child developed DID at a young age.

Their body used its original power, automatically, to look like how the personality saw itself. The host of the system was Andrew, A smart kid who exceled at school, but really only at school. Causing him to not only be hurt at whatever foster home he was in at the moment, but be bullied relentlessly at school as well. The system had a form of escape, of course. They Idolized the Authorized. Reading comics and watching shows depicting them.

They latched onto the Authorized vigilante Adamantine, who somehow seemed to be able to survive any attack thrown at them. And the child wanted to feel that safety. Their mind created the part “Turtle Master” and with this new part, their Spark ignited again. Giving just Turtle Master the ability to endure any physical strike. Though the abusers still used their words to hurt them, the children in their school still seeing them as an outcast, using any words they could to hurt The System. Not even safe at the foster home they go to, receiving the same abuse not only from other kids but also the adults. eventually the words they used hurt more than any physical violence they could face.

Eventually this abuse gave way to a new Resparking for a Piece of their mind named Lionson, who was born from Andrew's adoration of the Authorized Vigilante Hope Beast, who always seemed defeat her opponents in just a few powerful punches or kicks. This Spark gave Lionson the strength to fight anybody who needed to be fought away. This worked well enough for a while, until Lionson hurt a few too many bullies, catching the attention of authorities.

The got sent to a facility for taking care of and educating potentially dangerous Sparked children. The facility's tests specializing in finding the limits of Powerful Sparked abilities, like those of Turtle Master and Lionson. When they weren't being tested on by the facility they were in the highest security room because of the unstable history of their Spark (the constant Resparking and the power of each one)

While there, Andrew, and the rest of the system made friends with a few of the other Sparked kids who were there with them. importantly, Yuuki and Gikai. Both relatively weak

The constant fear and worry, and need to escape their confinement caused another Respark, this time for Perry, the piece of their mind created by Turtle Master's and Lionson' adoration of the Authorized Rescuer Exbolt, who specialized in freeing people from disasters, always seeming just fast enough to save everyone he needed to. The Spark gave Perry the speed to escape. And the speed to help the other children escape.

For a long while, the children that escaped the facility acted as a gang. pickpocketing tourists and stealing from local shops. Using each of their Sparks to allow them to get away with it. After a few years of this gang being entrenched in the city taking in more needy kids and only taking what they need, The Mayor's office had gotten so many complaints from shop owners and tourists that they put out a request to any and all Authorized Vigilantes to come and solve the problem of the Unsanctioned children running rampant in the city.

Then a team of Authorized Vigilantes showed up. The quickly came up with a plan to corner the gang and take them all down at once. and they did. They captured and sent most of the Unsanctioned children back to the facility that the system had helped them escape from. Every one of them but the system.

after that, the normal kids all went their separate ways. leaving the system to fend for themselves once again. They went years living off the street and barely making it by, until Dexter heard through the grapevine that there were three Sparked children who never got sent back to the facility. He went to investigate the city for anyone who might match the description. What he found was a sorry sight.

An emaciated teenager. wandering the street with fight in his eyes. looking for the first mark he could find. Dexter allowed himself to get pickpocketed by the child, so he could track the child to where he was hidden. He equipped his combat gear on and left to track the thief down. what he found was a group of three teens, living under an old mostly unused foot bridge, none of them were the kid that stole from him. There was a purple haired girl (yuuki), a very sick looking boy (Gikai), and a slightly older boy taking care of the sick one (Andrew) all three very clearly running on their last legs. He couldn't fight them. he couldn't bring himself to need bring them in.

He entered their abode and they spoke: "you are the kids that Facility Echo never got back, are you not?" Dexter tries to be as gentle in his tone as he can, as he knows the dangers the children have gone through "who's asking?" the fear in Yuuki's voice and body language doesn't suggest her to run or hide. Dexter takes his mask off and sets it next to him. "I am Dexter. I would like you to please be honest with me" "You come in here dressed like that and expect us not to be.. nervous of you?" Yuuki says, idly picking up a rock. Andrew whispers to correct her "the- the word you're looking for is wary" she shushes him "leave now so I don't have to make you" Yuuki glares, gripping the stone tighter in her hands. Dexter thinks for a moment. It might be wise to leave them. But then the sick boy might not make it. He made a decision. "I will not leave. I can help you. I can help your sick friend" it was then that Andrew began to shift in his seat. "You think that" Andrew started to speak, in a more commanding tone than before, his body contorting and becoming bigger, more muscular "that's the first time someone's said that to us?!" the second half of the sentence was completed by Lionson, glaring daggers at Dexter. Dexter's face lights up in understanding Yuuki looks at him worriedly and speaks under her breath "you sure about this? You know what happened last time you tried to fight a vigilante.. and I can't really help you." "oh I'm sure. I'll go easy this time." Lionson assured Yuuki before charging Dexter, who simply slips outside of his swing and quickly hits Lionson in the side, making him double over in pain Yuuki yells Lionson's name and throws the rock at Dexter then runs to Lionson, the rock now glowing a bring green, as he tries to dodge the projectile, it finds its mark right on his forehead. it leaves a mark but Dexter doesn't fall. "I told you I did not want to fight you. But if that is what you need in order to get you to listen I will." Dexter sighs as he walks over to Gikai laying on a makeshift bed made of stolen scarves and gloves. He reaches into one of his pockets and pulls out a vial of one of his potions and holds it out to Gikai "take this. Drink it. it should help you feel better. At least for now until I can get you into an office." "What are you giving him!! What're you gonna do to him?!" Yuuki cries while helping Lionson back to his feet. "You've gotta lotta nerve pulling a cheap trick like that!!" Lionson snaps. "How'd you even do that?" he sounds more impressed than angry Dexter answers Lionson and Yuuki while keeping an eye on Gikai. "I know pressure points and a lot of martial arts. also, it is a potion I developed to help people work and improve themselves. Though this is a more pure version so it should help your friend here get better faster than most medicine. it won't be permanent though. We will need a more permanent solution" Yuuki sighs "you're really trying to help us..?" Lionson looks at her, wide eyed "ah you have come around. Yes. I cannot on good conscience leave a group of needy children when I have the means to help them." He smiles warmly at her. Gikai looks to his friends and Lionson straightens his stance, and nods to Gikai. Gikai drinks the potion and sits up "thank you Dexter." Lionson blinks and starts to change. Taking a deep breath as the emaciated boy who stole from Dexter comes to the front. "I'm sorry. I sold your phone already... we needed cash to grab some nicer food for Gikai..." Dexter stands and pats the boy's head "do not worry. I am not upset. I slipped a tracker onto you when you took it so I could find this place. now let's get you out of here." Gikai jumps up and dashes over to Dexter. "holy crap you gotta show me how those potions work! And that Tech in your belt it's crazy! how does it all work!!" Confusion flashes across Dexter's face then he smiles "I'll explain everything when we reach my car. one at a time. this way"

then they left the city. Dexter made room in his home for the group of misfit teens. He did everything he could to make them comfortable. He hid well until he could find papers for them to allow him to help them get Sanctioned. allowing them to live their lives relatively uninhibited.

TO BE CONTINUED

[camlannpod]

Hi!

Finished catching up with the episodes this week and first of all congratulations it was fantastic every bit of them, this has become one of my favorite podcasts I’ve ever listened to!

Second of all I was talking with my boyfriend this afternoon about people we know that have story names and would have powers in the Camlannverse and we were wondering, only one person of each story name survived the Cataclysm, or every one with the same name is alive and kicking? As in, for example if there were another Arthur in the same area at the time of the Cataclysm could he possibly go and compete against the one we know for the knights?

Also, are you planning on releasing the music of the show? I really enjoyed the different songs that play at the beginning of the episodes!

Thank you for sharing your art with the world, hope you all have a great weekend! <3

Hello hello!! Thank you so much for the incredibly kind words, this is wonderful to hear!!

Many more than one person with each name survived! At first, the reason the group only know one person of each name is just that they've encountered so few survivors. Like, there are 67 million people in the UK, and by the start of series one, Dai, Morgan and Perry have seen about 300 people in nine months. By the end of the series, Arthur and his Knights have only seen about 1,000. So with those numbers, every name is relatively unique.

But (spoilers) - as confirmed by the end of the series, there are many more survivors than the gang previously believed. And this means many more duplicates! In Arthur's case, he is actively hunting any rival Arthurs and getting rid of them, because he recognises them as a threat to his power. For the others - it's a mixture of luck and fate. A Gwaine by himself wouldn't last as long as one who'd found an Arthur, or other Knights, and could be killed by a different story (as we see nearly happen with Perry and the dogs). So it's kind of a lottery as to who's survived, even if they have magical names.

Also, we are planning on releasing the music! @tincanaudio will be releasing a soundtrack album on bandcamp later this year, the exact date is TBA. We'll be using proceeds to help fund s2!

Though it's worth noting we won't be able to release the vocal tracks for two reasons. One is that each song is a folk song and we'd need to come up with our own new original arrangement for each one, which is a buttload of new unpaid work for both Amber and our singers, and second is that we'd need to arrange recording all that, which again just isn't practical from a financial POV.

However! All the instrumental original scoring that Amber has done throughout the series will be on there, and there's a Spotify Playlist of the folk songs if you ever want to listen to them.

Thank you so much for the lovely ask, and for sharing your art with the world!

[ausetkmt]

Eighty-three-year-old Corine Woodson is poised to suffer a devastating blow: the loss of the home she shared with her late husband—who died in 2022—for over 60 years.

Her land, 40 acres set amid rolling pines outside of Auburn, Ala., was purchased in 1911 and passed down through generations, a rare example of Black land ownership in the Deep South. But in recent years, this once rural property, now parsed out among various family members in a form of ownership known as “tenants in common,” has caught the attention of investors who hope to purchase and develop properties they consider prime real estate.

Cleveland Brothers Incorporated bought out Woodson’s relatives, accumulating 49% ownership of the previously Black-owned property. Now, the case is making news as it heads toward the Alabama Supreme Court, with the company declaring that it will suffer “financial harm” if Woodson delays the sale of her share. (A representative of Cleveland Brothers told WTVM that Woodson could stay on the property for a year even if the sale goes through.)

Soon, Cleveland Brothers will probably purchase the remaining property, displacing Woodson. “It’s happening right before our eyes,” Melissa Woodson, Corine’s daughter and a licensed realtor said, “and the sad thing is that there is very little we can do about it.”

Stories like Woodson’s have been common for Black residents of the rural South for more than a century. The continuation of patterns of Black land dispossession exposes how—for all of the civil rights gains made over the last 60 years—there is still much to be done to secure racial equality in the U.S.

At the turn of the 20th century, Black landowners owned and operated 890,000 farms. Around midcentury, however, that number began to decline sharply. Beginning in 1950, they lost more than half a million farms; by 1970, only 45,000 remained. During the 1960s alone, the Black farm count in 10 southern states dropped by 88%.

Read More: The Forgotten School Integration Story that Challenges What We Think We Know

This drop off reflected how, for decades, wealthy white people utilized the power they held in their communities as government officials and business owners to push local Black people off land that their families had lived on for generations. Local white people also exploited new laws and subsidies to remove landowners or renters, deploying what an Emergency Land Fund report in 1974 described as, “a great deal of chicanery.” New capital-intensive farming practices also favored the wealthy, while industrial development led to corporate interest in rural tracts, driving up prices.

Rural Black women were particularly vulnerable to these threats of dispossession. Take Susie Young, for instance. Within two weeks of the death of her husband in 1955, Young received notice from the Allison Lumber Company that she had to vacate the land her family rented from them and had tended for over 20 years in Choctaw County, Ala. They considered her now incapable of maintaining the property. 

One Black Perry County, Ala., woman had a similar experience. After the death of her mother in the 1950s, a nearby white landowner returned to claim the 60 acres her parents had bought decades prior claiming he “didn’t sell [her] that land.” Though the family retained counsel and provided proof of purchase, they were nevertheless pushed off their land. Black landowners often lacked formal deeds, and white judges frequently ruled against their claims.

Even as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 afforded Black Americans new opportunities and greater equality in many areas of life, these laws didn’t address land loss. In fact, the 1960s introduced a massive contradiction: at the same moment Black Americans achieved political gains, they were also experiencing a quiet economic catastrophe, the result of what historian Pete Daniel calls “intended consequences.” 

Of course, civil rights organizations recognized the impact of Black land loss, not only for landowners but also for sharecroppers and tenant farmers. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), Federation of Southern Cooperatives (FSC), and regional groups, such as the Southwest Alabama Farmers Cooperative Association (SWAFCA), pushed back against white structural control and assisted Black people facing displacement.

They understood that resistance to economic exploitation was inextricably intertwined with the civil rights movement’s racial justice initiatives. In 1968, for instance, the United States Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) conducted an investigation of land dispossession in Alabama’s Black Belt. The Commission found that rural Black men and women were pushed off land at higher rates than whites, denied protections and grants by local Farmers Home Administration (FHmA) and Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) officials, and intimidated by hostile neighbors. 

Civil rights organizations and the USCCR advised stronger enforcement of federal protections against discrimination and fair access to federal programs and grants. But it was state and local offices, often run by racist whites, that controlled implementation of these programs. This structure meant that racial equality and programs to assist the poor were nothing more than “empty promises and a cruel hoax.” 

Decades later, the federal government agreed. In 1997, a group of Black farmers filed a massive class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, arguing that between 1981 and 1996, the department had discriminated against them on the basis of race. The USDA denied Black farmers loans and delayed assistance, which resulted in land loss. The plaintiffs won. The decision in Pigford v Glickman and a subsequent settlement inspired a second round of filings in 2010, known as Pigford II. In his landmark opinion, District Judge Paul Friedman acknowledged that, despite the settlement, “historical discrimination cannot be undone for the broken promise to African Americans and their descendants.”

Read More: How Civil Rights Were Made—and Remade—By Black Communities In the Jim Crow South

But these struggles have gone unnoticed by most Americans. Traditional civil rights narratives have typically centered urban spaces like Atlanta, Birmingham, or Memphis. Yet even as the civil rights revolution brought significant gains to Black residents of those cities, the story was very different in rural places like Lee County, Ga., or Lowndes County, Ala. As activist Wendell Paris put it, “the civil rights movement passed over Sumter County, Alabama, altogether.” In rural spaces, the same old local white power structures continued to dominate county boards and courts, while wielding new tools to exclude and limit Black Americans. Land loss was one of these.

Rural stories of dispossession like Woodson’s—and the sobering reality that they continue to happen—challenge popular civil rights narratives. These hopeful, progress oriented arcs, reveal an American propensity for national congratulation and, as Jeanne Theoharis has contended, “place the struggle against racial inequality firmly in the past.”

And yet, white supremacist power has not disappeared. While some of its iterations remain overt, others have shapeshifted since the 1960s, adopting new rhetoric and tactics even as they wreak familiar devastation on Black lives and Black communities. Redlining, gerrymandering, harsh sentencing, and predatory lending have proliferated just as talk of colorblindness has become mainstream. Indeed, as professions of racial parity have increased so have discrepancies in outcomes, hidden and compounded by the invisible hands of racial capitalism. 

In 1968, C.H. Erskine Smith, then Chairman of the USCCR’s Alabama State Advisory Committee implored: “the people of rural Alabama and the rural South must not be forgotten.” To understand the long Black freedom struggle and to seek racial justice today means that we must heed his call.

Ansley Quiros is an associate professor of history at the University of North Alabama and author of God With Us: Lived Theology and the Freedom Struggle in Americus, 1942-1976. She and Dr. Matthew Schoenbachler are currently working on a memoir with Dr. Wendell Gunn. Allie R. Lopez is Ph.D candidate in history at Baylor University, writing a dissertation on the freedom struggle in rural Alabama. Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. Learn more about Made by History at TIME here.

[alwayschasingrainbows]

What do you think about Anne and Gilbert arriving at their house of dreams after the train ride right after their wedding, having dinner with Gilbert's great uncle, his wife, and Captain Jim, and chatting until nightfall?

I saw in some comments that people didn't like it and found it ridiculous and unrealistic. Do you think so? I'm just curious about your opinion.

0 not

Thank you so much for this question, dear @pinkenamelheart! I feel "tickled as a dog with two tails" (to quote Perry Miller) each time I get to talk about my favourite writer and her books! And Anne-related questions are such a treat since I am rereading the series right now!

Now, about the question. I think that some readers tend to project their own feelings and emotions onto their beloved characters (well, at least that's what I used to do). And so, before I'll give you my own opinion, I'd like to look at the situation from such a reader's perspective.

Maybe I am wrong, but I assume that most newlyweds would prefer to spend the first hours after the wedding party together, just the two of them, basking in the glow of their new happiness and love. Objectively, Anne and Gilbert had experienced a day full of elation, delight, joy, but also nerves. Their wedding reception had just ended: wonderful, longed for moment, filled with stress and excitement. Moreover, their union brought further changes, including the need to leave Avonlea, say goodbye to beloved family members and start a life together in a new place. In short: they had every right to be tired. They had every right to want to spend some time together, learning and teaching each other the secrets of married life.

Readers very often identify with their beloved characters and think: "I wouldn't be satisfied", "I would feel so tired after my wedding", "I would certainly have a headache after such nerves", "I would rather cuddle up with my husband/wife" . In other words, they convey their own emotions, thoughts, dreams and desires to the book characters and since this solution would not suit them and they would like to experience the first moments after marriage in a different way, they assume that it definitely applies to the book characters.

Now the question is, if I were Anne, would I be happy if my husband's relatives came to my new house immediately after the wedding reception and stayed for the next few hours? Well, since I don't have a husband, it is completely hypothetical answer, but I'm afraid I wouldn't. I am a completely different type of person - an introvert who would need to "recharge her social batteries". Naturally, I would appreciate an extremely kind gesture from the people who prepared a meal for me and welcomed me to my new place. But deep inside I would probably feel a bit overstimulated and very tired.

However, I am me and Anne is Anne. Despite her dreamy and slightly pensive nature, she is an extremely sociable girl who thrives in the company of other people. Gilbert is a warm and family-oriented person, always appreciating the kindness of others. They were both touched and pleased by the visit. For them it was a beautiful, new experience that they could share together. First memory of a dinner as husband and wife. They had their whole lives ahead of them: many days and nights together, full of kisses, whispers, tender hugs and caresses. I guess the fact that their longed for "alone time" took place a few hours later didn't make it any less romantic. In my opinion, this dinner was lovely for both of them; they made their first friend in Four Winds, listened to fascinating stories, received support and sympathy.

Moreover, this scene was much more interesting from the reader's point of view. Personally, I really enjoyed it. I also believe that Maud, for obvious reasons, could not have written scenes that are now a popular part of fanfiction. Anne and Gilbert's marriage is described in a very subtle way, yet none of us readers ever doubted that these two shared a deep, passionate love. I think that Montgomery approached the matter very skillfully, describing a scene that was interesting for the reader and (between the lines) she wove a lot of romantic feelings and warmth that the couple had for each other. In my opinion, this is a move that perfectly illustrates Maud's artistic talent and her firm belief that literature would lose its charm if it told the world everything.

That's partly why I really like this scene; it shows how warm, family-oriented and friendly people Anne and Gilbert were. Perhaps other characters, such as Valancy and Barney, would need only each other to be happy. They could have existed in a magical circle created only by the two of them. But... Anne and Gilbert needed something more. They wanted to share their happiness with the world and make the lives of others around them better.

I think that every scene should be assessed not only from reader's own perspective. We always have to take into account the characters' personalities, hopes and dreams. Anne and Gilbert were happy and thriving in this situation and that's more than enough for me.

Thank you very much again for this great and interesting question. I'm sorry that the answer is so long, I hope I won't scare you away :) I will be happy to answer any question about Montgomery's books, which I love!

[its-haughty]

made a new story and cast of characters because i’m insane…

Welcome to Full-Body Attack!! A parody of the action hero/super genre where instead of this super charismatic hero who needs to save his city from evil bad guys, it’s just this tired guy who’s armed with a shovel and infinite revives… …The only thing that Shane shares with a true hero is the unbridled determination and selflessness which he sometimes takes to the extreme.

World building and info on shane under the cut

WORLD BUILDING

Parasites live in this world like animals do, however they’re quite rare and were only recently discovered only a few decades ago… There’s still up incoming science related to their existence because of this

Parasites can talk and can only hold powers if they fed off a human/host, using them as a power source - parasites choose humans in particular as they’re one of the most long lived organisms while also being entertaining

When someone has a parasite attached to them: they require more food, sleep, and are just abit more tired than the average person

Mentally handicapped people are the ones most prone to being attached to a parasite as they’re more vulnerable and can stick around unnoticed by their host much easier (the symptoms of having a parasite in some cases don’t feel very noticeable as the person may already suffer from lack of sleep for example)

Usually Parasites don’t make themselves known to their host right away… To ensure they can live their life relatively conflict free!!

BUT when parasites do become noticed by their host whether the host has caught on or the parasite accidentally poked their head out of smt- they almost always strike a deal: To grant the host a power that matches the host’s personality (eg: vigilance = supernaturally strong senses or hearing) in exchange the host must let the parasite live inside them to keep their power

So because of this, parasites and humans try/normally have a symbiotic relationship where both parties are happy

In the city that Shane lives in, Mako is the ceo of two companies: a public and well known pharmaceutical company and a private crime fighting organisation called Symbiosis. Hiring hosts and training them to become heroes in order to take down villains who cause havoc to cities all over different states

———

SHANE AND PERRY

Tired, reserved and very chill guy who wants a good nap and enough money to pay for himself and his family. Complete opposite to Perry who’s mischievous and has a thrill of action. The two bicker a lot but they’ve grown fond of eachother and have a good friendship!

While Shane doesn’t care about himself, he cares a whole ton about his family and his sister, Nadia. He’ll care for himself if it’s for someone he loves. However, Perry does care a lot about Shane, at first it was for the sake of his own survival but it started to devolve into genuine endearment to the man!

Had Perry for awhile since childhood but was unaware he did until adulthood during a freak accident. While driving to his parent’s house to visit his sister, he’d accidentally ram into a deer which would’ve killed him if it wasn’t for his absolute determination and desperation to stay alive for Nadia… It’s then he’d strike a deal with Perry to grant him the ability to come back after death. Not all heroes come from badass origins stories.

But nevertheless is a pretty sick power, Mako thought so too, offering him a job to be an action hero! Shane would take the offer and now it’d kickstart his new life of zany Villain of the Week adventures

Shane is a huuuge nerd deep down and a part of him also likes to pretend he’s this sick ass hero…. Perry indulges this

Does want to do good if he can, his moral backbone is flawed if money is on the line but if he realises the villains aren’t all bad either then it feels kinda bad to beat them up, right? wait maverick what are you doing here

[good--merits-accumulated]

OK, SEVERELY rambly post incoming but - Anderperry Stardust (2007)/ The Little White Horse AU, anyone?

Rundown: I think many of us are familiar with Stardust, originally a Neil Gaiman book but also a great film, starring Claire Danes as a falling star and That Guy Who Plays Daredevil as the lad who promises to bring her to the girl he's infatuated with. The Little White Horse is, to the best of my knowledge, more unknown, but equally very good (for sentimental reasons, I think of it much more highly than Stardust). Published in 1946 by Elizabeth Goudge, it tells the story of thirteen-year-old orphan Maria Merryweather, who moves to her cousin Sir Benjamin's Moonacre Manor in the West Country, where she finds a) a thriving cosy community and a long family history, b) the little white horse of the title, c) a longstanding family feud cutting off Moonacre from the sea, d) her imaginary best friend Robin, real and in the flesh, and e) some of the most deliciously-described food that has ever been or will be. It's a great book even past the rose-tinted glasses of my childhood. Go read it. (The one (1) marring is that you can't find a bloody edition that doesn't have a JK Terfling quote pasted onto the cover, because apparently it was one of her favourite books, but fuck OFF, I'm reclaiming it now. Thou shalt not keep the cosy low fantasy from me.)

Anyway even though I mention Stardust this isn't really part of the AU I have in my mind, except for the bit with the Star, because Todd as a main character who thinks he's a very forgettable bland boy-in-the-corner until he finds out he's a star is a great thought to me. Particulars on /how/ he's a star to be fleshed out later! (I only thought of this AU about two hours ago, lol.)

In my mind this is how it goes - nebulously Olden Times setting (TLWH is set in 1842, so perhaps then). Todd is around seventeen/eighteen and Geoff has just graduated from university, and gone off around Europe, accompanied by their parents. Months go by. Something happens - he's never given the liberty of knowing, but Geoff and their parents stay in Europe, and the townhouse in London is sold, and Todd is packed off to stay at a distant relative's - Keating, as it turns out. It's a blessing in disguise, because Todd is finally away from his family for the first time in his life and around people that appreciate him. He begins to bloom under this new care - but there are strange family secrets only now being revealed to him, and dark forces beyond the valley which threaten to disrupt the haven he's found...

The rest is very cosy fantasy, featuring Mr Perry as the local uptight vicar locking horns with Keating at every opportunity, Neil as his withdrawn but friendly son just longing for a rebellion, and more! (Read: Charlie is here and he is Outrageous as usual. Read also: Pitts as a sailor because I think he'd like it.) Right now I'm thinking of adding an equivalent of Monsieur Cocq de Noir for a villain (Mr Perry is NOT the villain), and Cameron can play a part there so I can give him a good redeeming! Here are a couple of extracts from TLWH to show the kind of mood/tone we're working with:

Thematically, I REALLY like the idea of Todd as a star because it allows me to work in a very fun trope, of "not of the rose but near the rose" - when a character perhaps is shy and a little quiet and reclusive, but inspires other people around them to brilliance and greatness. (Honestly I do think this kind of goes in with the film, where it's not just Keating's teaching but Todd's reaction to it and his presence that galvanise Neil to continue.) This ties in really well if Todd's a star and adds to the overall self-confidence journey - plus I was really thinking about the sun/moon motifs! They're very prominent in TLWH (Maria is a "moon" Merryweather and Robin is a very sunny boy), and I really want to implement them here with slight twists. I think of Todd as a sunny moon; yes he's warm and caring and cheerful but once you go a little closer it's more of a luminosity rather than a blaze, there's a coolness and quietness to him I like. You know, a quiet character doesn't always have to be quiet because there's something "wrong" with them, sometimes they're just like that. For Neil it's the opposite, he's a moony sun; under the thumb of his father he's polite and decorous and demure but somewhere under all of that there's a very loud and booming laugh and a healthy sort of ruddiness. I don't know, I just like sun/moon motifs!!!!!!!!!!

(On a more personal note: this AU, which I already love very much despite not having known very long, would be above all a careful love letter to the West Country. It's been lovely living around here almost all my life and by this time in September I'll be hopefully up very far north at uni, so I'm pre-emptively kind of :') about it. Mutuals who are at uni/college how on earth did you cope?)

[gayleviticus]

i dont necessarily want to go around slandering this specific person, more just unpack the dynamic happening here, but there's a certain public (like an actual writer not just a social media influencer or w/e) Side B gay christian advocate who seems like a decent enough person, but I feel like spends an awful lot of time criticizing Side A people more than Christian homophobia.

it's not like, huge. this person doesn't feel like a sellout more interested in defending traditional sexual ethics against queers than anything else like jackie hill perry or sam allberry. but idk, compared to other side B people like eve tushnet or grant hartley or wesley hill, even if they do obviously express disagreement w side A, I feel like they have a more fundamental position of solidarity w queer christians regardless of side (I could be wrong here, but that's my impression)

whereas this person i feel doesn't really. it's nothing huge, it just feels like they're more interested in pushing back against Side A than cishet homophobia. and i think it kind of makes sense in this person's context, given they're an adult convert to Christianity from fully gay-affirming agnosticism.

but i also feel like this puts this person in a position that is a lot more privileged than a lot of queer people who were raised in the church (whether still christian or not).

i dont want to suggest adult converts don't face homophobia at all (and in fact, in some ways, a married gay couple converting as adults might get it worst of all given attempts by the church to break up their family). but i feel like the way in which being raised in a homophobic faith tradition gets so deeply internalised by queer people as vulnerable children with less ability to deconstruct what they're being taught is something an adult convert is less likely to grasp.

and especially if that adult convert is Side B - i don't know. i think it would be tempting for someone in that position to not realise that their ability to freely choose Side B as an adult - with pressure, to be sure, but still with a choice - is very different from people who were raised to feel they never had any choice in the matter.

there are other adult converts - like eve tushnet - who i feel (again in my not-exhaustive knowledge of them) do acknowledge their relative privilege in avoiding that ambient air of homophobia as a kid. i think tushnet even appreciates the fact she was able to enter christianity with an already well-formed sense of identity as a lesbian and so could choose the burden of submitting to the catholic church's Side B teaching. her life as an atheist lesbian was preparation for being a side B catholic.

whereas this person i'm talking about i think, seems to view their irreligious gay activist past as something to be repudiated, and seems to hold a kind of resentment against their side A christian friends who told them they could be practising gay and christian, because they felt deceived. Where tushnet perceives a continuity of moving towards better things, this person perceives a radical 180 degree turn and repudiation.

and so i think im not surprised that this person doesnt really feel invested in side A/B solidarity - bc as someone not really exposed to christian homophobia, and who understands their conversion story very much in terms of a road to damascus-style 180 repentance, it makes sense this person would be more concerned about side A than cishet homophobia.

[dem0nguy]

MEOWWWW!!!! PLEASEE!!! ON MY KNEES… tell me about your ocs mootie… or send me some refs please plea please alsjslsbsmsknsn. Esp bonesss… please plea se. (Is so normal right now)

Send it to me Rachel,,, send it to me pleaseeee /ref

JSHFHSJDJFJJS OFC MOOTIE‼️‼️

Okokok so first I wanna give some background, bc I’ve had these babies for ~5 years and I recently overhauled their designs/lore and now im obsessed.

They used to be my old gacha ocs (back in the good ol days 😔) but they had a very uh… fucked up story, to say the least. (Rider used to be some sort of mary sue 0-0) The story was so all over the place that I’m not sure I can properly explain it. But that’s exactly why I rewrote it :3

So the story revolves around two main characters, Rider and Cody.

Rider is a (secret) agent at the Bureau of Magical Containment and Research, aka the BMCR. He’s technically not supposed to be working there. Because yk, child labor laws. But the BMCR has a tendency to skirt around laws and get away with it.

Rider was only able to join the BMCR because of Bones, who became his guardian after both his parents died. (Ik thats the most typical tragic oc lore, but like, bare with me ;-;)

He was indoctrinated into the BMCR when he was 10, and because of Bones’ assistance, he earned the codename, “Free-Rider.” (Most people just call him Rider, but other BMCR operatives he isn’t personally connected to use his full codename)

He has a real name, but he doesn’t use it anymore. It reminds him too much of his parents and how much he misses them. He goes by the alias “Rider Youngson,” and picked “Rider” as his first name as a reference to his codename. To him, it symbolizes a new era in his life.

Rider wears a mask to hide the tattoo on his cheek. (There’s a lot of lore behind tattoos/markings but it would take forever to explain, so long story short, it’s related to class and is typically changed based on occupation.) Kids under 18 aren’t supposed to have full time jobs, and especially aren’t supposed to work at a highly sensitive government organization. So yk, he’s gotta hide it.

(Sometimes he uses makeup, but he’s lazy 90% of the time and just throws on a mask. (It’s also pretty normal for people to wear masks, bc he lives in a big city and disease is RAMPANT))

His current goal is to graduate high school, and then go to legally work at the BMCR full time. But that kinda changes once he meets Cody >:3

He actually has a mission called “Operation Deadpride” and for as cool as it sounds, it’s really simple. All he’s supposed to do is be on the lookout for magical anomalies, report them to the BMCR, then go with a team to capture it.

He has a cool ass motorcycle, bc silly :3

Also his favorite artist would be Rhianna (he would also listen to Katy Perry, Kesha, Chase Atlantic, and The Chainsmokers (I have a whole playlist for this guy and it’s all I listen to now…))

Okay now Bones. Bones’ full codename is “Bone-Crusher,” because he’s trained in a fighting style that allows him to easily break the opponent’s bones. (No one knows where tf he learned it, and he refuses to teach it to anyone except Rider)

(Unrelated but he uses he/him pronouns and he’s aroace :] )

He was good friends with Rider’s parents, which is why he volunteered to take Rider in. He trains Rider incredibly hard, both mentally and physically. He says it’s to “catch him up” and “get him on everyone else’s level” But Rider thinks he just likes making him suffer.

Bones welds an electrically charged halberd. It kind of acts like a taser, but he can adjust the intensity to instantly kill someone/something. (He doesn’t like doing that though, and refrains from it.)

He’s a very secretive guy, and only has one or two other friends. To most, he comes off as a hard-headed workaholic. He’s been loyal to the BMCR long before he joined it, or, has he..? >:3

Finally, I’ll go over Cody (this is getting too long 0-0)

Cody is the second main character, and he’s relatively normal. He’s got a younger stepbrother, a dad and a stepdad, and a happy little life :3

One problem, she’s got magic in a world that fears magic.

Cody has the ability to create portals, really strong ones too. But she’s got to be really careful when using her powers or else the BMCR will find her and kill her.

Their biological mom died during childbirth, so they never got to meet her. (Casey’s mom left to get the milk, so they never met her either lol)

Cody’s very strong academically, and is working to get into a good college to get a degree in biology or something else science related. (She’s not entirely sure yet.) He gets straight A’s, takes too many AP classes for his own good, and is beloved by all the teachers.

Then he meets Rider.

They share science class together, and get partnered up for a project. After that, they become “hey I don’t hate you as much as everyone else how about we bullshit these assignments together” acquaintances

Rider is relatively popular in comparison to Cody. People like talking to him, and invite him to parties (that he never goes to.) Cody is more of a recluse, she has a few friends here and there, but spends most of her time focusing on schoolwork.

She dyes her hair black, their natural hair color is a dark red :3

Eventually, Cody accidentally reveals their powers to Rider. So Rider makes it his new mission to capture Cody and turn them in to the BMCR.

Rider doesn’t actually tell the other agents about Cody, because he wants to handle something by himself for once. And when he finally gets around to telling them, they don’t believe him.

Bones thinks he just has a crush on Cody and he’s just making up excuses to hang out with him. (He’s not wrong tbh)

There’s SO much more, but I don’t wanna make you read an essay pookie. I hope you enjoy this little blurb tho :D

[thecagedbard]

Does your Tav have any scars or tattoos? What are their origins?

"Oh I have a few scars," she touches her forehead over her left brow. "Where did they come from? Well, this one," she motions to the one on her lip, "is from a man when I refused to kiss him. Then his wife heard a different story from him and did this," she motions to her forehead. "Yeah, she also stabbed me here," rubs her hand just above her right breast. "The others...well, Issac never cared if I got hurt, just that his friends and debtors were happy."

What does your Tav believe in? Do they have some weird superstitions?

"So you think you're being followed by one of the honest folk? Look, just take a bit of milk and sugar, mix it together and leave it and a little something sweet, they'll take their offering and leave. The fey don't want to feel like they owe you. At least that's what Mother always told us to do..."

How does Tav want to die?

"Die?! I don't want to die...or is this like Astarion's weird questioning? Fine. Uhm, poison is fine. The right combination of herbs and the hope to go to sleep before it takes ahold. Seems peaceful and not painful. I don't like pain."

What is your Tav's class and why? Did Tav choose it themselves?

Curtsies, "I'm a bard. Or that's what everyone keeps saying. I really have no idea. Making music and entertainment for others has always been a way of life for us, me and my siblings I mean."

What are your Tav's prejudices about races, cultures, genders, and places?

"Do I hate people based on their race?" She laughs and shakes her head, "Of course not! I'm a drow for crying out loud, people hate my kind on principle alone. Don't look at me like that, I am a dark-okay maybe not so dark-elf. I can admit other drow make me nervous but they do have a nasty reputation, especially those who worship that giant spider goddess.

Does Tav want to have children?

There's a sad smile on her face, it's stressed. "I have had three children, they either didn't survive or they hate me. I'm not certain I could put myself through it again and risk the same results."

Does your Tav have a family? Siblings? Living relatives?

"Gods the amount of siblings I have would make you think my mother was touched by Sune. There's fifteen of us, ready? Don't worry you won't have to remember half of these names: Yasmine, Tavius, Ari, Nelly, Rosie, Marcel, Vale, Perris, Opal, then there's the triplets: Hadrien, Arnaud, and Kyli. There's also Lothaire and Azelie. None of that's in any particular order." "Parents? Oh well, Mother was alive the last I saw her. Father passed when I was around ten...and then was... never mind. That's a story best left alone."

What can make your Tav cry?

"What can't!? Every time people are nice to me I get a bit misty-eyed. A beautiful song can bring me to tears. Mostly cry when people yell at me though...but when I'm scared I don't cry. That's when I vomit."

What are your Tav's political opinions?

"Politics are for people with enough money to care. Never had enough money and I never cared."

What language does Tav speak? Why?

"Common...Sylvan....oh I know a couple of swearwords in-what was it-draconic! Why? Well, Nelly is really good at making friends. Better than Vale even and she met a dragonborn...some whirlwind romance and he taught her a bunch of dirty words. That she dutifully taught to her younger siblings. OH! Why Sylvan? I'm not sure really, Ariane was just always insistent that we all know it and it honestly came super easy."

What is Tav's favorite genre of stories?

She sways from side to side with a nervous smile. She can't read.

Heavy or light sleeper?

Before the nautiloid, and after Ffion's abduction, she was a very light sleeper. Even for a while traveling she's slept lightly. "Yes, sleep. I'm just getting used to meditating again..."

What is Tav afraid of?

"Issac. The other Palroy bunch. Uhm, spiders and just the idea of krakens alone."

Is your Tav neurodivergent?

"What's that?" Yes, she may not know what the word means but she probably does qualify.

What stupid things does Tav believe in?

That sweets will deter the fey.

What is your Tav's comfort food?

"Azelie's candies...she used to bring Perris and me some when things would get rough at home. Something about those candies always takes me back to hiding in the closets and being safe."

How does Tav prefer to sleep?

"Oh, I'm fine on my side, my tummy, however." If the others wake up before she does they often find her in the fetal position with her arms tucked under her. Seems to fall asleep quickest when she's warm and often hides her head under the blanket if she's alone. When sleeping with Astarion or Halsin (or both, ahem) she prefers being as close as possible. Whether that means she's wrapped around them or Astarion's head is against her chest it doesn't matter. She enjoys the closeness.

What coping mechanisms does Tav have?

Be Good. Be Obedient. Be Compliant. The first two she learned from Octavius and Yasmine, the third came from Issac. She tries her best to smile through any hardship or embarrassment because others are being entertained by it or a hardship for her could be easement for another. If pain is being inflicted on her she drifts into her own mind to a boat that floats on the familiar waters of Moonshae Isles. Nothing can reach her if she's in the middle of the water, and she can't see the danger coming if she lays on the bottom and stares at the endless sky.

[xxdoubledaisyxx]

Disney, I am not sure if you saw my Bath Deliberation video recently, which is I am writing now: I need to utilize your child harvesting system to make TV cute and stuff... yes. That one. We need to find a girl like the one Miley Cyrus. She will star in the scariest movie of all time, Godbird. We are making it right now. Thank you for your cooperation. I will take a nap now in order to gather strength for another nightmare painting tonight and also adjust my circadian rhythm to the appropriate chronilutions relative to the Dollyrots concert day after tomorrow so I can party for breakfast. Feel free to dream chat me if you have any pressing concerns about the making of this movie and need me to dispense judgement upon your sins of failure. It is black magic most vile and evil yes, but it is Disney magic, and that's pretty much an excuse. Last time, God was revealed to be Caesar. Really. That's who God was the entire time. He was the one who made the covenants and that's why the evil Sanhedrin plan didn't work then and won't work now. They got it wrong. Caesar truly is the God of that relationship. There is no way to change that fact, and it is truly comically absurd to consider the prospect. A jolly good philosopher laugh. However, I will reveal the new secret about the Devil's mysteries. Brace yourselves: (sorry Jesus; I gotta unmask you for world peace for a sec) Jesus Christ is Mickey Mouse. If you did not know that. Now you know. Mickey Mouse is the only cartoon Jesus Christ in disguise or only Jesus Christ in disguise. Mickey Mouse. That is the only one. Makes sense no? This is true Story in the cannon Story of God's Heavenly watchings. The magic goes like this "Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the cutest maiden of them all?" Then we find them, and someone else says (Trump this time) "No I am the cutest maiden! Kill all the maidens who say otherwise." The problem with the magic now is not that. The problem is that the Disney people, some of them, let some very very bad people get inside and use the Disney magic for bad things. Now the irl Prince of Darkness has to come check the thing out himself, because I am like the world's best brain heart surgeon for evil machines, and we will get it working the way it is supposed to again. Mickey will live. He is probably like that guy in Lord of the Rings the Two Towers under the spell of Wormtongue. Here I am, old Sauramon, saying "Yo' Wormy. I know what you are doing. I do. Good job. However, I'm bigger and stronger and have more fun plans for the king than you, so... mind stepping over here for a minute? I'm not actually Saurumon or whatever." I haven't checked on King Mickey recently, probably to his relief, but I will be paying him a visit at Tokyo Disneyland in a few weeks just to make sure he is in top health as usual. Well... when I go place... it's like partying naked. If things down at Disneyland, and it turns into a Katy Perry dirty free-for-all, I expect King Mickey to come out on top if we are on his turf when it does. How can I sleep when you are so eager to learn my little dovelings and lovelings! What more do you wish to know? What happens at Disney behind the scenes? I don't know myself, but I know that in my operation, the kids and families are not allowed to tour the inner workings of the... ritual rooms. Not unless... it is a special kind of tour and they signed waivers to release liability in case something happens. It gets both bloody and boring in those dark unwanted places... It was good that they hid these things from you before... is it not? But is good to know now because if you don't find a way to take that for yourself... all movie magic will disappear into dumb people who break the world with bombs and stupid ideas.