#anyway read triceratops summer

[lettheladylead]

i finally got myself a physical copy of Solving Mysteries and Rewriting History! and its a lot smaller than i expected. i dont know why i thought itd be big but i just did

anyway i also finally read the whole thing instead of just the parts about Goldie, so here’s some stuff i wanted to make note of

- Scrooge sees a doctor named Dr. Quackenbush

- According to Webby, Scrooge regularly breaks into museums

- Scrooge about Webby: “Not sure where she came from”

- Scrooge invested in both the Titanic and the Hidenberg

- Scrooge says “I’ve spent long enough trying to make things right!” about his relationship with Donald lol

- Scrooge spent a summer “among the mermen of Bermuda” (not to be like sounds gay but. well)

- Duckburg origins: Fort Drake Borough in the 16th century when owned by the British. Renamed Fort Duckburg during the Revolutionary War.

- Scrooge used to store his money behind Mona Lisa paintings to the point where his office has 30 different Mona Lisa paintings

- Originally the Money Bin was gonna be surrounded by a moat filled with crocodiles but animal rights people protested him lolol

- Mallard Lake is a lake in Duckburg that Scrooge privately owns

- Scrooge specifically says he conned Granpappy Beagle out of the stolen deed to Duckburg

- Scrooge thinks he’s good-looking

- Scrooge about Webby “Not a member of the family, but sometimes I wish she were!”

- Scrooge listed a bunch of ways to enjoy dining out and one of them is two-for-one deals heheh

- Scrooge talks about Mount Neverest and once again says 75 years ago but it still doesn’t make sense chronologically. I mean he also lies CONSTANTLY in this book so. Yknow how it be.

- Scrooge had a very...interesting relationship with the Abominable Snowman. Named Archibald. They met in 1952 in the Arctic Circle and I think they’re fwbs

- Scrooge once ran a Northern Lights Tour business

- When Scrooge made his first million he bought himself a new tie.

- When Scrooge made his first billion he bought himself another hat.

- When Scrooge made his first trillion he took a 2 hour lunch break (and then took no lunch break the next day)

- When Scrooge made his first quadrillion he tried to get the government to make a quadrillion-dollar bill. They did not

- When Scrooge made his first “incredibillion” he rebuilt the Money Bin.

- To be clear I think all of these are blatant lies based on how he writes them

- Scrooge “Things I’m better at than Zeus” one of the options is “killing unkillable creatures”

- Scrooge claimed to be involved in the creation of this race: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Carlo_Rally

- Scrooge was apparently rejected by this race: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Yacht_Club so he started his own race called Scrooge’s Cup and no one else entered

- Scrooge lost this race: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_Mail_Trans-Atlantic_Air_Race

- Scrooge accidentally entered the first Tour de France on July 1, 1903. He wasn’t in the race, he was on a bicycle-built-for-two date and then racers sped past him and he joined in. His date did NOT like this and they had no second date

- Scrooge says Ronguay’s (which he misspells as Wronguay lol) Fountain of Youth is easy and cheap to get to. Which means he’s used it before!

- Scrooge talks about actively stealing from Demogorgana and Pandemonium but it’s fine, Goldie’s the thief

- Scrooge has won a bet against Old Man Time??

- Scrooge and Beakley met in 1968 (I thought it was earlier in the 60s lol)

- Scrooge helped finance the Wright Brothers

- List of some things in Scrooge’s garage: Triceratops skeleton Caveduck skeleton Chupacabra skeleton Stone Scrooge statue Gong of Pixiu Medua Gauntlet Cursed Chest of Captain Peghook, the Scourge of the River Styx The Deux Excalibur Saddle of the Headless Man-horse Jewel of Atlantis Druid Cup Khopesh of Toth-Ra

- Scrooge ancestors: 946: Eider McDuck 1057: Quackly McDuck 1066: Murdoch McDuck 1189: Stuft McDuck 1205: Roast McDuck 1220: Swamphole McDuck 1440: Black Donald McDuck (invented golf) 1500: Simon McDuck (stole Knight's Templar treasure 1675: McDucks lost their castle 1727: Seaform McDuck 1800s: Silas McDuck 1800s: Dirty Dungus McDuck 1800s: Fergus and Downey McDuck

- "If you aren't Clan McDuck, you can't wear Clan McDuck tartan. Period." i can’t believe scrooge adopted drake immediately before letting him wear his tartan

OK that’s everything I’m done now. Here’s some pics

[thinkingaboutyoungroyals]

Could you please do another Kid!Tyrus fic like Bright. Kid!Tyrus makes me so soft uwu uwu uwu Thanks!!!

Thank you for this! I’ve decided to use this opportunity to write a prequel to “Renewal Of Vows”. So, if you want to know what happens after this one, go ahead and read that one right after!

(A/N: I’m not taking any prompt requests at the moment as I am putting all my energy and inspiration to finishing the remaining ones in my inbox. Thank you for your understanding!)

……..

The sand was warm under his crossed legs and stuck to his skin like they were made of glue. Six-year-old Cyrus liked the feel of it, giggling to himself as he made his Velociraptor toy chase his triceratops.

“Rawrrr, I’m gonna eat you, Mr. Triceratops!” he squealed before deepening his voice, “Noooo, you can’t! I have a daughter!” He made his voice high again, “Then, I’ll eat her too!”

He made the two dinosaurs chase each other until Mr. Triceratops fell into quicksand but was saved by Mrs. Apatosaurus who scared off the mean Mr. Velociraptor.

“Thank you, Mrs. Apatosaurus! Anytime, Mr. Triceratops! Do you and your family want to have dinner with my family? We’re having maple leaves! We’d love to join you!”

“Cy! Cy! Cy!”

Cyrus looked up to see his best friend in the world Tyler running towards him, lunch box in his hand.

The little boy lit up. “Tyler! Where were you?! You missed Mr. Velociraptor almost eat Mr. Triceratops!”

The blonde-haired boy clambered up on the sandbox and sat next to him. “Did he eat him?”

“Of course not! Mrs. Apatosaurus saved him and now they’re having dinner together.” He gestured to the little set up he made of a nice family dinner of the two dinosaurs’ families. “Do you want to be Mrs. Apatosaurus?”

“Sure!”

Tyler moved closer to the Apatosaurus family.

For the next few minutes, with the other kids around them paying them no mind, the two boys played with the dinosaurs. They let them eat dinner, make small talk, and even have a food fight before Mr. Triceratops’ family decided they wanted to go home.

Then, side-by-side, they opened their lunchboxes to get their snacks before they had to go back inside to do more kindergarten stuff. Cyrus shared his Tupperware of blueberries with Tyler and Tyler split his chocolate-chocolate muffin with Cyrus.

“Oh, cool, mom gave me a ring pop!” Tyler took out the wrapped candy. It was blueberry flavored.

Cyrus felt a little jealous. He wasn’t allowed to eat much candy (his mom said it would give him cavities). He tried not to show his envy as Tyler opened the package and taking out the ring pop. It glistened in the sun, looking so sweet and yummy.

Then, to his surprise, Tyler handed him the candy. “Do you want to get married?” he asked.

Cyrus blinked. “Huh?”

Tyler lowered his eyes to look at the sand, almost shyly. 

“I saw it on T.V. last night. It looked fun. And I asked my dad why people get married and he said it’s because they love each other and want to be together forever. That’s why he married mom. So, I want to be together forever with you, Cy!”

That must be why his mom and dad got married too. Even though they always fought (they didn’t know that Cyrus knew, it was a secret), but they’ll always be together forever.

Happily, Cyrus nodded. “Sure! That sounds like fun!”

He wanted to be together with Tyler forever and ever, too! He was his best friend!

He took the ring pop and slid it on his pointer finger. It was a little loose so he curled his finger over it so it wouldn’t fall off.

Beside him, Tyler looked so happy. “I’m gonna go ask someone to be the priest! Oh, maybe Timmy can do it!”

Without another word, Tyler got up and started running. Cyrus let him go, knowing that he was going to come back with the kid whose dad was a pastor or something.

Feeling a little daring, Cyrus lifted the candy up to his lips and licked, tasting the sweet flavor followed by the sourness. He felt a little guilty because he technically wasn’t allowed to have it, but Tyler gave it to him. It would be rude not too.

Soon, Tyler came back, another blonde boy with him, who looked confused.

“Here’s Timmy! Come on! Let’s get married!”

“Okay!”

They took a moment to arrange the dinosaur toys properly, as they were witnesses to this momentous occasion. 

A few of the girls heard about their plans to get married and came by, holding flowers they plucked from the playground. They gave some to Cyrus and Tyler too, telling them that all brides hold flowers but since they were both boys, they both got to have some.

Facing each other, Timmy began. “Um… I’m not really sure what to say,” he said, confused.

Tyler frowned. “Well, what does your dad say when people get married?”

Timmy took a moment to think before nodding. “Okay. I now pronounce you husband and wife!”

“But, we’re both boys,” Cyrus interrupted, glad that he remembered a husband was usually a boy and a wife was a girl.

“Fine.” Timmy cleared his throat. “I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss the bride.”

A moment of silence. A beat or two. No one else talked.

Finally, Tyler broke the silence with, “That’s it?”

Timmy shrugged. “Yeah. Can I go now? No one’s on the swing and it’s my turn.”

Without waiting for an answer, he left.

The girls watching left, too.

“Huh, I thought it was going to be longer,” said Tyler, confused before shrugging. “Oh, well. Can I kiss you now?”

Cyrus scrunched his eyebrows. “We have to kiss?”

“Yeah, that’s what I saw on T.V.”

“Oh. Okay!”

Smiling happily, Tyler leaned forward and kissed his nose. Cyrus giggled, his nose twitching. It was his favorite kind of kiss, his parents did it to him all the time.  

Now that the wedding was over, the two boys sat back down in the sandbox with the dinosaurs. Cyrus put the ring back in its wrapper and put it in his lunchbox for later (so he could ask his mom for permission to eat it.)

They still had some time before recess ended and they had to go back in so they started building some houses for the dinosaurs.

“Hey, can I marry you for real when we grow up?” Tyler randomly asked, as he decorated Mrs. Apatosaurus’ house.

“Really? You want to?” Cyrus asked.

“Yeah! We’ll have a big house and a giant swimming pool!”

A giant swimming pool?! That sounded awesome!

“Can we have a pet dolphin, too?” he asked, eagerly. “He can live in the pool!”

“Yeah! What should we name him?”

Cyrus paused to think for a moment. “Flipper!”

“Awesome name! I like it!”

“Me too!”

They continued to play, making plans for their future house. They were going to have a game room and room just for Cyrus’ dinosaur collection and the kitchen will have nothing but cookies, muffins, and candy.

When recess was over, the teacher called out to everyone and they all went back inside to do some art. They were making houses out of glue and popsicle sticks. Tyler made their future house, pointing out where the swimming pool with Flipper would be, the game room, Cyrus’ dinosaur room, and their kitchen full of snacks.

It was better than the house Cyrus made but Tyler told him that could be their summer home.

Before they knew it, school was done for the day.

Hand-in-hand, the two boys made their way out of the school to wait for their parents, their hands swinging between them. Cyrus hummed a little song under his breath.

Today was a lot of fun!

“Hey… um… I have something to tell you,” Tyler suddenly spoke.

Cyrus gave him a questioning look. “What is it?” he asked.

Tyler looked sad all of a sudden. Cyrus didn’t like it when his best friend was sad.

“Tyler!”

They both turned their heads to see Tyler’s mom waving as she walked up to them.

Quickly, Tyler turned to him, looking panicked. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had,” he said, quickly. “And the best husband. Okay?”

Confused, Cyrus nodded, anyway. “And you’re the best friend and best husband I’ve ever had, too!” He pulled at the other boy’s hand. “Are you okay, Tyler?”

The blonde boy smiled, but it didn’t look real. “Yeah.” Then, he let go of Cyrus’ hand and gave him a tight bear hug. “I’ll miss you.”

Cyrus hugged back just as tight. “I’ll miss you, too! I’ll see you on Monday!”

Tyler let go just as his mom reached them.

She greeted Cyrus before taking Tyler’s hand and leading him away. Tyler turned his head back to look at him.

Cyrus waved at him and the other boy waved back.

They continued waving at each other until Tyler was in his mom’s car and they drove away.

………..

That Monday, Cyrus arrived at kindergarten with a box of cookies and a watermelon-flavored ring pop for Tyler. 

He hoped that his best friend and husband was feeling better, but if he wasn’t, Cyrus had these treats for him! And he would even play whatever game Tyler wanted that day!

But, class started and Tyler didn’t come. Cyrus figured he might be sick.

He brought the box of cookies and ring pop everyday for a week.

But… Tyler never came back to school.

Everyday, Cyrus waited and waited and waited…

He finally asked his teacher about it, one day, and she told him the truth.

Tyler had moved. He didn’t even say goodbye.

And Cyrus cried, not understanding the hurt in his chest that wouldn’t go away for a long time.

Eventually, he learned to go through the rest of kindergarten and first grade without his best friend. Then, he met Buffy and Andi in the second grade and found his new best friends. 

Soon, the blonde boy who shared his snacks with him, played dinosaurs with him, and married him on the playground became but a distant yet fond memory.

Who would have thought he would meet him again, years later, on the playground, going by the name of T.J.?

[backstage-bucknell]

Put This Book On Your List...

by Jess Mount ’21

Link to performance videos!

http://www.danezsmithpoet.com/video

I could not be more grateful for and energized by the classes I am taking and professors I am learning with this semester. One of those courses is WMST 225 Modernisms on the Margins (shout out to Erica Delsandro!). If you are looking for something new to read just check out the syllabus for this course.

Don’t Call Us Dead by Danez Smith. If you are looking for your next book, this award-winning book is certainly a worthwhile read. Through a collection of poetry, they explore blackness in America in an innovative, inspiring, hopeful and heartrending form.

After watching a couple live videos in class of Smith performing their work, I immediately shared with my and had to share with my theatre community. There are two pieces in particular that have stuck with me since reading this book, “dear white America” and “Dinosaurs in the Hood.” For me, watching these readings was a full sensory, visceral experience; the way Smith embodies the passion and desire behind every word is breathtaking.

Check out the link above to watch readings of these pieces. Hope you enjoy and maybe look further into Danez Smith’s phenomenal work!

dear white america

BY DANEZ SMITH

   i’ve left Earth in search of darker planets, a solar system revolving too near a black hole. i’ve left in search of a new God. i do not trust the God you have given us. my grandmother’s hallelujah is only outdone by the fear she nurses every time the blood-fat summer swallows another child who used to sing in the choir. take your God back. though his songs are beautiful, his miracles are inconsistent. i want the fate of Lazarus for Renisha, want Chucky, Bo, Meech, Trayvon, Sean & Jonylah risen three days after their entombing, their ghost re-gifted flesh & blood, their flesh & blood re-gifted their children. i’ve left Earth, i am equal parts sick of your go back to Africa & i just don’t see race. neither did the poplar tree. we did not build your boats (though we did leave a trail of kin to guide us home). we did not build your prisons (though we did & we fill them too). we did not ask to be part of your America (though are we not America? her joints brittle & dragging a ripped gown through Oakland?). i can’t stand your ground. i’m sick of calling your recklessness the law. each night, i count my brothers. & in the morning, when some do not survive to be counted, i count the holes they leave. i reach for black folks & touch only air. your master magic trick, America. now he’s breathing, now he don’t. abra-cadaver. white bread voodoo. sorcery you claim not to practice, hand my cousin a pistol to do your work. i tried, white people. i tried to love you, but you spent my brother’s funeral making plans for brunch, talking too loud next to his bones. you took one look at the river, plump with the body of boy after girl after sweet boi & ask why does it always have to be about race? because you made it that way! because you put an asterisk on my sister’s gorgeous face! call her pretty (for a black girl)! because black girls go missing without so much as a whisper of where?! because there are no amber alerts for amber-skinned girls! because Jordan boomed. because Emmett whistled. because Huey P. spoke. because Martin preached. because black boys can always be too loud to live. because it’s taken my papa’s & my grandma’s time, my father’s time, my mother’s time, my aunt’s time, my uncle’s time, my brother’s & my sister’s time . . . how much time do you want for your progress? i’ve left Earth to find a place where my kin can be safe, where black people ain’t but people the same color as the good, wet earth, until that means something, until then i bid you well, i bid you war, i bid you our lives to gamble with no more. i’ve left Earth & i am touching everything you beg your telescopes to show you. i’m giving the stars their right names. & this life, this new story & history you cannot steal or sell or cast overboard or hang or beat or drown or own or redline or shackle or silence or cheat or choke or cover up or jail or shoot or jail or shoot or jail or shoot or ruin

                                                                                 this, if only this one, is ours.

Dinosaurs in the Hood

BY DANEZ SMITH

Let’s make a movie called Dinosaurs in the Hood.

Jurassic Park meets Friday meets The Pursuit of Happyness.

There should be a scene where a little black boy is playing

with a toy dinosaur on the bus, then looks out the window

& sees the T. Rex, because there has to be a T. Rex.

Don’t let Tarantino direct this. In his version, the boy plays

with a gun, the metaphor: black boys toy with their own lives,

the foreshadow to his end, the spitting image of his father.

Fuck that, the kid has a plastic Brontosaurus or Triceratops

& this is his proof of magic or God or Santa. I want a scene

where a cop car gets pooped on by a pterodactyl, a scene

where the corner store turns into a battle ground. Don’t let

the Wayans brothers in this movie. I don’t want any racist shit

about Asian people or overused Latino stereotypes.

This movie is about a neighborhood of royal folks —

children of slaves & immigrants & addicts & exiles — saving their town

from real-ass dinosaurs. I don’t want some cheesy yet progressive

Hmong sexy hot dude hero with a funny yet strong commanding

black girl buddy-cop film. This is not a vehicle for Will Smith

& Sofia Vergara. I want grandmas on the front porch taking out raptors

with guns they hid in walls & under mattresses. I want those little spitty,

screamy dinosaurs. I want Cicely Tyson to make a speech, maybe two.

I want Viola Davis to save the city in the last scene with a black fist afro pick

through the last dinosaur’s long, cold-blood neck. But this can’t be

a black movie. This can’t be a black movie. This movie can’t be dismissed

because of its cast or its audience. This movie can’t be a metaphor

for black people & extinction. This movie can’t be about race.

This movie can’t be about black pain or cause black people pain.

This movie can’t be about a long history of having a long history with hurt.

This movie can’t be about race. Nobody can say nigga in this movie

who can’t say it to my face in public. No chicken jokes in this movie.

No bullets in the heroes. & no one kills the black boy. & no one kills

the black boy. & no one kills the black boy. Besides, the only reason

I want to make this is for that first scene anyway: the little black boy

on the bus with a toy dinosaur, his eyes wide & endless

his dreams possible, pulsing, & right there.