#atlanta fantasy fair

[terebifunhouse]

every so often I cover another piece of Atlanta fandom history at my Atlanta Fantasy Fair blog, detailing a long-departed Atlanta convention. This time it’s the 1976 Atlanta Comics & Fantasy Fair! https://atlantafantasyfair.blogspot.com/2023/01/feels-so-good-to-see-you-here-its.html

[godzylla]

I'm heading to SDCC this year, and fondly recalling one of my first conventions, an Atlanta Fantasy Fair in '83 or '84 (I went both years). Shout out to all the fun people at the Tom Baker appreciation room party and the rousing "Don't Pay the Ferryman" sing-along! 🍷

[pivziksixdude]

The photos I took at the Friday of Anime Weekend Atlanta 2022.

[undead-supernova]

HIGH TOLERANCE

Live Resin / Masterlist

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

warnings: gay disasters, Steve (derogatory), a bit of angst but that's a given for pining best friend!eddie so enter at your own risk, weed consumption (but what's new in a series about weed consumption)

pairings: modern!bestfriend!Eddie x fem!reader (both bisexual bitches)

plot: let's go sing some karaoke and feel like we're dying, shall we?

wc: 6k

p.s. I listened to "Watch" by Maisie Peters the entire time I wrote this and I just cannot for the life of me let The Good Witch go. Anyone else in a chokehold from that album? Anyways, here you go!

“For you, my good sir!” you exclaimed, feigning a British accent as you got down on one knee and presented Eddie with a joint like it was a sword. And it was an immediate scrape to your knee, your black crop top and miniskirt riding up. You tried to save yourself by planting your maroon Converse on the ground, but it was met with instant failure. Eddie chuckled, grabbing your arm to try and stabilize you before he continued the bit. 

(Leave it to Eddie Munson to commit to a bit.)

“For me?” he asked, feigning a gasp as he threw his hand over his chest, his rings clinking together. “You shouldn’t have.”

You exaggerated a wink as you stood back up. 

“Sure, I did.”

“Wha’da we got, Weirdo?”

You repeated what the guy at Jailbait Hemp told you. It was a THC-A pre-roll that was covered in live resin (which technically has a higher concentration level than just the THC-A alone). It burned differently than other joints, a glaze lining the paper to burn like honey. 

Let it in slow and watch it go.

“She sure is a pretty one,” Eddie said, lightly running the pad of his pointer finger along the resin. It didn’t flake off or leave any residue on his finger. Incredible.

You smirked. “I know, right?”

“Kinda like you.”

You swallowed immediately, nearly choking as the spit went down wherever the wrong pipe was located.

Panic, panic, panic. 

“Oh, whatever,” you said, waving him away. You distracted yourself with wiping the gravel off of the scrape on your knee that showed promise of blood but stayed put. The most embarrassing thing you could think of was having to ask someone for a Band-aid because you were too busy doing a bit with a joint to remember that you weren’t wearing pants. Eddie would love that a little too much and you weren’t about to give him the satisfaction.

“You’re right,” Eddie said with a nod, causing you to look back up. “Doesn’t come close to you, m’lady.” Without another word or time for you to even remotely process, he held out his hand and made obnoxious grabbing gestures. “Alright. Gimme, gimme. Wanna light her up.”

With shaky fingers, you handed it over. Eddie took his black Bic lighter and ran the flame back and forth against the twisted end of the paper. It took him two or three tries to keep it lit, but he finally got it, moving it around in circles to let it burn as evenly as it could. The air instantly thickened with the smell. But to be fair, you smelled weed wherever you went in Atlanta. Even on the highway somehow.

You could hear the music from Go Ask Mary from two blocks away, the bass of Madonna’s “Vogue” booming through the walls. It was almost time for karaoke to start and, to be honest, you were excited. Eddie had picked up some extra shifts at the car dealership and your shitty retail jobs at the Lenox Square mall had been draining. Especially when you were surrounded by stores like Chanel and Tiffany & Co. It was always your dream to work at a Sephora where all the pretentious rich people complained about needing a new Balenciaga bag before arguing with you when their sheer Tom Ford lipstick was out of stock. 

This was the first time you’d seen Eddie in a week, despite him practically begging to come over at 2am to watch the first Lord of the Rings movie on a Monday. The extended edition to be exact, all three hours of Elijah Wood and Sean Astin being the most iconic couple of the fantasy realm. It was embarrassing to admit, but you nearly considered calling out just so you could.

Tonight, you couldn’t wait to let off some steam, especially with the person who made every day worth it. Eddie looked as he usually did with all his chains and rings and pretty face and attitude. It was disgustingly unfair that he could wear variations of the same outfit every time you saw him and somehow looked better and better every time.

“There you guys are,” Steve sighed as he and Robin walked over from the bar. 

Steve was still in his suit, just without his tie and blazer. A few buttons of his white button down were popped with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Robin wore an oversized cotton button down, white with navy stripes and a loose navy tie. She looked like she was going to the beach for the day, even going so far as to wear jean shorts and checkerboard Vans.

“We should’ve known you were smoking,” Robin said, nose wrinkling before she pulled out her flask from her back pocket and took a few sips. “Did you know that one joint is, like, the equivalent of five cigarettes? I heard it on a podcast the other day and, believe me, that sounds bad. Like, really bad.”

“What else is new?” you joked, taking the joint from Eddie and filling your lungs with a few hearty drags. “At least we’re not vaping. That’s, what, the equivalent of a hundred cigarettes?”

Robin shook her head. “Actually, I read that a thousand-puff vape is the equivalent of five to six packs.” She paused, moving her fingers through the air as she solved the problem in her head. “So…about one-twenty?”

Eddie hummed, nodding. “Aren’t you glad I stopped smoking cigs six months ago?”

“Well, yes.”

“So smoking weed should be the least of your worries, Buckley.”

“You have a point. But honestly—"  

“Rob!” Steve interrupted. “Rob, listen. I have exciting news.”

“What is it?” you asked.

“I’m getting the first round,” he said proudly. “I got a bonus at work.”

“Thanks, Steve,” you said, genuinely touched by the offer. “That’s awesome, though. You’re literally moving up in the world.”

“Bringing in the big bucks, this one,” Eddie teased with a big smile as he took the joint from you. “Always a generous giver.”

Steve glared at Robin. “She thinks I should quit.”

“No, I do not!” Robin argued. “I just think you’re in a weird environment with weird men—" 

The high was already making its way through you, causing you to not-so-subtly stare at Eddie again. His eyes were trained on yours as Steve and Robin rattled on, entering some bickering fest that you were positive he wasn’t listening to. And the way he was looking at you… Well, it didn’t seem that platonic, did it? 

His eyes were doing that thing again, that slow gaze down your body before reaching back up to your eyes. Your fingers inched just a little bit closer to his and you almost swore you could hear his rings again as they fluttered towards yours. 

Robin cleared her throat, causing you to look back at her. She was eyeing you specifically, not even bothering to look at Eddie. 

Could she see it? What did she know? Was there anything to know?

“Well, we’ll be inside,” she said, grabbing Steve’s arm. “Have fun with the extra cancer!”

Eddie chuckled. “Thanks, Buckley.”

You watched them walk away, right back in their little fight. It was nice to be around them again. Truly, it was. You didn’t have too many friends outside of Eddie, always working during the week and never truly finding time to go out unless Eddie dragged you along. You could engage in small talk with strangers at Go Ask Mary on the weekends, but it was different when you got home and found your phone void of anyone to tell those stories to. Zero messages, not even from your parents or your sister. No Instagram DMs of cute animals or Tumblr messages of photography and memes. Just a phone that looked more like a coffin full of wires than access to the whole world.

Except for Eddie.

As he turned back to you, he lifted the joint and let it hover just above your lips. 

“Want some more?” he asked.

You looked up at him, nearly startled by how close he was to you. God, what was it about him? Maybe it was the dark color of his eyes, still illuminated in the warm sunset, nearly glazed over with a golden sheen. Maybe it was the way his hair was doing that thing after a fresh wash where the ends were slightly curlier than the rest. Or maybe it was the way his tips of his sneakers were meeting yours and the smell of tobacco and car air freshener was wafting off of him.

“Come on, you can’t deny you want it.”

“Um,” you stumbled. “Yeah. Yeah, I want it.”

“Yeah?”

Nodding, you felt his fingers grazing your mouth as he placed it in between your lips. You took a long, slow drag while your eyes never left his. You wanted to look away. Really, you did. If anything, the sparks settling in your stomach were starting to pop and sizzle unlike ever before. 

You just couldn’t help yourself.

And if anything, he didn’t seem like he could either.

Tonight was going to be interesting.

The bar wasn’t very crowded, but that’s why you liked to go as a group during the week. Even if there weren’t many people looking to do karaoke on a Tuesday, it didn’t matter. There were four of you ready to tear up the fucking stage.

You went in rotation for solo performances, Robin singing “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac followed by you singing “Love Is a Stranger" by Eurythmics (despite it technically not being from the Eighties) followed by Eddie doing “The Stroke” by Billy Squire and finishing with Steve’s off-key rendition “Africa” by Toto.

When Steve returned from his noteworthy performance, the three of you congratulated him. He did a little bow before wiping the sweat off his forehead. 

Eddie patted the table and said, “Alright, I’ll go get the next round.” As he was about to leave, he looked at you. “Still want a vodka Redbull?”

“Of course,” you said with a smile. 

He gave you a quick wink. “Just checking, Weirdo.”

“Thanks.”

You turned back to Steve and Robin, watching Steve dab his face with a napkin. He was mostly definitely inching towards being drunk, always starting to turn red and sweaty whenever he was getting close. That, and he started to run his mouth.

“God, he’s dreamy,” Steve said, leaning his head in one hand. You followed his line of sight, all three of you watching Eddie walk to the bar. “It’s almost annoying how hot he is.”

Robin snorted. “Yeah, okay. Keep dreaming.”

Maybe it shouldn’t have stung the way it did. Anyone was allowed to find him hot. It didn’t mean anything. Just a bit of flattery, that’s all. But then it was like you couldn’t stop yourself and suddenly you were unable to keep yourself from asking the one thing you never ever should have.

“Do you have a crush on Eddie?”

You watched Steve laugh pitifully. “I mean, maybe?”

“Maybe? What does ‘maybe’ mean, Steve?” Robin asked.

“I mean, he’s hot, right? But I don’t know if he’d even go for me.” As he talked, he popped open another button of his shirt, showing off a bit of his wife beater and chest hair. “Like, okay, he’s just so pretty and he fixes cars and plays in a band? It’s cool as hell. But I don’t think we even have that much in common, so I don’t know. He likes metal, I like pop. He likes D&D and I like, uh, I don’t know? Poker? Anyways, I don’t even know what kind of guys he’s into. Do you know, Rob?”

Robin shrugged, meeting your eyes before saying, “I don’t know, Steve. Ever thought about asking him what his type is?”

And you shouldn’t have asked. Really, you shouldn’t. Because now you were here, sitting at a table while Steve moaned and groaned about his chances with Eddie, like it was some statistics problem. And then someone was doing an awful cover of “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper, the shrill sound mixing with Steve’s whining. And you? You were sulking. 

You looked over and watched Eddie wait for your drinks at the bar, wondering if Steve had any chance and whether you were more likely to get the guy in the end. Surely there was a silver lining in there somewhere. You enjoyed metal music and even convinced Eddie to listen to other genres. You enjoyed listening to Eddie talk about Dungeons and Dragons and showed him board games you liked, like Catan. Relationships weren’t built off of just similarities and differences. Steve was wrong.

Right?

As if Eddie heard your thoughts, he caught your stare, his lips pulling back into a large grin as he waved and moved his hips a little bit along to the grating karaoke. You couldn’t help but laugh at how awkward he looked, in turn doing the worst arm wave in history. He immediately started laughing.

Eddie was looking at you, wasn’t he? Steve wasn’t even bothering to look at the object of his desire. He merely talked about the guy, putting his head in his hands and panicking as if Eddie wasn’t in the same room. But you were looking at Eddie and now you were in a makeshift dance battle, embarrassing yourself by doing an awful robot while he did that shopping cart move.

Could Steve have this kind of relationship with Eddie?

And what were the odds of you winning?

What were the odds of you losing?

After a good bit of chatter, Steve and Robin headed towards the other end of the bar to set up a game of darts. Eddie went along, but you decided to stay behind. He found it odd, asking if you were sure and you’d nodded, telling him that you wanted a moment to yourself. 

But Eddie didn’t believe you. Not one bit. You’d started acting weird merely seconds after he came back with drinks. It was strange. One moment you were dancing with him across the room and the next your shoulders were slumped, falling out of any and all conversation. Even when he nudged you and tried to be playful, you seemed to pretend you didn’t notice. Instead, you focused on your straw and nodding along as if you were paying attention. 

He knew you hadn’t. He knew there was something wrong and, of course, he wanted to respect your privacy but there had to be something else there. Had Robin let anything slip? Did Steve act like an asshole? Were you upset with him? 

Robin and Steve were in the heat of a tie when Eddie finally decided to walk back over to you. He didn’t like seeing you so sad, so vulnerable. And with the addition of the high, he knew how scary that could feel. If something didn’t feel right, it could get extremely uncomfortable. And you couldn’t just be alone in that hole.

“Hey,” he said as he approached you. “Are you feeling okay?”

You put on one of the fakest smiles he’d ever seen before replying, “Yeah, I guess I’m just tired from work.”

Lie.

“Is the high getting you down?”

You shrugged. “A bit, yeah.”

“Um,” he said, gulping as he held out his palm. “Do you need to hold my hand?”

You looked down at his hand before looking back up. 

“No, I think I’ll be okay. Thank you, though.”

“Yeah, sure. Sure,” he replied, placing his hand on top of the other. 

He squeezed it to elicit something resembling comfort for the rejection he felt. It was like your hand was some kind of phantom feeling that made his chest ache with want. And that want was slowly but surely starting to burn.

“Well, uh.” He gulped. “I’m gonna get myself another beer. Want anything?”

You shook your head. “No, I’m okay.”

Eddie nodded before turning away.

“Hey, Eddie?”

He didn’t think he’d ever spun back around that quickly before.

“Yeah?”

You smiled weakly. “If you need me to drive your van back tonight, let me know. I don’t mind if you want to get a little drunk with Steve and Robin.”

And just like that, he died a little inside. Again.

“Will do, Weirdo.”

Steve was back on his bullshit.

“Oh my god, do you guys think I should try to sing with him? Get the sparks flying, you know?” He moved his head from side to side. “‘Do a little dance? Make a little love’?”

Robin smacked Steve’s arm. “You did not just do that.”

You let out a tiny sigh, looking away from his hopeful expression. Steve genuinely thought he’d cracked the code to Eddie’s heart. And you couldn’t blame him. Who wouldn’t want someone like Eddie? 

But really, you wanted to put your head on the table and bang it over and over.

Over. And. Over.

Eddie had gone to get a third beer and Steve had wasted no time before bringing this shit back up. You were seriously starting to dislike him for the first time in three years. Three. Years. He was obnoxious when he was drunk, sure, but it was never like this.

Or maybe you just hadn’t paid attention until tonight.

You shook your head, desperately trying to get the feelings out of your body. The blunt was starting to get the best of you, fogging your brain while your limbs felt like they were vibrating. This was killing your high. No, it was more than that. It was magnifying all the feelings you once swore to be dormant. 

You looked over to find Robin staring at you, her eyebrow quirked up. Noticeably, you might add. You and Robin weren’t that close—you were one of Eddie’s best friends to the rest of them. You had fun whenever the group would hang out, whether that be at Eddie’s shows or unwinding at Go Ask Mary, but you never truly hung out alone. 

Steve, Robin, and Eddie had moved to Atlanta three years ago, after they wanted out of their small town in Indiana. Steve’s dad had gotten him a job at a big boy law firm in the heart of Downtown. It wasn’t the best way to get into the business, but it was the best way to get all of them out. To start over somewhere bigger, somewhere with more opportunities. Steve convinced them to save up for the summer before driving eight hours to their shitty new apartment. He swung Robin a waitressing gig at a nice restaurant he had a business lunch at—charmed the owner and everything. Eddie had worked at a local gay bar in Decatur and played there sometimes on metal or punk themed nights.

And here Robin was now, staring at you like she was trying to figure out how you were feeling, as if you’d ever be phased by Steve’s confession. Confessions. And she was making eye contact, all bold and unashamed. Like she was some freakishly keen hawk, two steps away from letting out a ca-caw. And if Steve paid just a fraction, just a millimeter of attention, he’d notice. 

It was all quite unnerving.

“Don’t you think sparks would already be flying after years of knowing each other?” Robin asked, eyes flickering from Steve’s to yours and then back again. “I mean, I think you would know by now. If there was something between you.” She gestured over to you. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

What was her deal?

“Pfffft.” 

A bit of Steve’s spit flew out and hit your cheek. You would’ve laughed three hours ago. Now? Now, you were seriously considering bashing his head against the table.

(It was a big night for head bashing.)

“Last call for karaoke!” one of the bartenders announced.

“Wish me luck!” Steve said to you and Robin before raising his hand. “I’ll do it!” he exclaimed loudly, pointing to Eddie who had just finished closing out his tab. “I’ll do it with that handsome man over there!”

Eddie looked surprised but shrugged, a pleasant smile reaching his lips. “Yeah, sure, Harrington. Show me what you got.”

As they moved towards the stage, you swallowed the words resting on your tongue.

I wanted to sing with Eddie tonight.

“I hope he doesn’t embarrass himself.”

You couldn’t look at Robin. You just couldn’t.

“What song did he pick?” you asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

“‘Under Pressure’.”

Oh, fuck. You’d sung that in the car with Eddie plenty of times, always with a silent acknowledgement that whatever conversation you were having would cease and the volume was to be turned all the way up. You went for Freddie Mercury's part while Eddie took the lower octaves in David Bowie’s verses. Eddie sounded amazing when he sang it, confident with his range and feeding emotion into the song. And you melted. You just melted.

And when the song started and Eddie’s eyes drifted away from Steve and landed on you, well, you couldn’t help but feel seen. He thought about those times, too, didn't he? It was something you both held special. Right?

But Steve took Eddie’s hand and started trying to dance with him. Eddie laughed, trying to follow his complicated rhythm. Steve was stumbling and nearly fell of the stage, but Eddie caught him, stabilizing him. Just like he’d done with you in the parking lot.

Things were going downhill for you. And they were going down fast.

Eddie cleared his throat dramatically before starting the first verse. “Pressure, pushing down on me, pressing down on you. No man ask for.”

You let out a sigh at the sound of Eddie’s voice, all gravely and husky and soft all the same. It felt even better tonight with whatever was in this joint. You could feel it inside, like it was somehow spreading through you. There was a part of you that was sure you’d never get over it for as long as you lived.

Steve pulled Eddie closer, grabbing at his waist and slowly moving it down.

Oh my fucking god. Eddie knows what he’s doing, right? you asked yourself. Can he tell? Does he like this?

Eddie cleared his throat before belting, “It’s the terror of knowing what this world is about. Watching some good friends screaming—”

“Let me out!” Steve shouted.

They stumbled through a laugh at the ridiculousness, and you began to feel like you were slowly dying. Again.

“I’m…going to go to the bathroom,” Robin announced before scurrying off.

And you tried to keep your eyes off of them. Really, you did. You made yourself look around the room, scanning the face of a drag queen who was currently walking around and engaging in animated conversations with the few other people here. Her eyes were coated in pink glitter and tall eyelashes; nude lips perfectly lined and wrapped around the straw of a cocktail. She was absolutely gorgeous, as most Atlanta queens were. Plus, how could you ever look away from a drag queen? They were angels, truly. Archangels.

But it was Eddie’s singing that brought your attention back, as effortless as Bowie himself. Like there was nothing to it. Like he was always on the track to begin with.

You found yourself thinking about the night you met Eddie, right here in Go Ask Mary. It was the five-month anniversary of their official move to Atlanta, the three of them wanting to go out and celebrate not completely fucking up. They’d gotten out and they were doing pretty okay for themselves by the look of it.

And you? Well, you were a native to the south. Grew up in Tennessee, moved here when you saw the opportunity for college somewhere that wasn’t Tennessee. Found your way through college and realizing you were bisexual and, well, found Go Ask Mary. At the time, you came here with friends, but there was a period time after losing some of those friends where you preferred coming by yourself. It was an accepting atmosphere, one where everyone seemed friendly. You could have a six-minute conversation with a queer stranger and never speak again. But it would be fond and unforgettable. It would be transcendent. 

You’d gone up and done a dramatic cover of “I Miss You” by Blink 182, mimicking the singer’s voice rather than being serious about it. A few people laughed—and Eddie was one of them. He’d even let out a few whoo!s and yeah!s. When you’d gotten off the stage, he approached you immediately and asked you if you could be best friends. You laughed at that, thinking then that neither of you were serious. 

But then you’d spent the whole night talking and watching Robin and Steve perform.

And then they tapped out and decided to head home.

However, Eddie wanted to stay. 

And you told him you could call him an Uber. 

And then you stayed until closing, just talking. Nonstop. Like you were seeing an old friend for the first time in decades.

(Is there a joke in there somewhere about three disaster bisexuals and one tragic lesbian walking into a bar?)

“Is that your man?”

You looked behind you, noticing the queen from earlier standing with her hand on her hip as she tapped her acrylic nails along to the beat.

“Which one?” you asked.

“The crazy haired one over there with the wallet chain.”

You could feel your chest start to ache. “No, no. We’re best friends, but we’re not dating.” She let out a hum. You looked at her again, feeling hot all of a sudden. “Um, why? Why do you ask?”

A smirk formed on her lips as she touched your shoulder, leaning down to speak softly into your ear. “Baby, that man’s only looking at you.”

“He is?”

“Mhm.”

“Are you sure?”

The queen looked at you again, her eyebrow raising. “Oh, so you’re jealous of the other one?” She laughed as you gave a defeated shrug. “You ain’t been lookin’ hard, have you?”

“I’m not sure—"

“Honey,” she started, tapping your jaw. You looked back at her. “I know that look. But you ain’t gotta look hard to see what he feels for you.”

“Really?”

She patted the top of your head and stood up straight. “Girl, look harder. Oh, and don’t forget to invite me to the wedding.”

And then she was waving you a goodbye and walking away.

You looked back to the stage to watch Eddie. You didn’t know how to believe her. Couldn’t. He was right there, leaning in and sharing a microphone with Steve, their faces practically touching. Lopsided grins coming from the two as Eddie hit a high note perfectly and Steve butchered the harmony. Eddie’s voice was dark and angelic. Steve’s eyes were red and perhaps they were sparkling in the purple and blue neon lights. They were having fun. 

They’d be a cute couple, a voice in your head said bitterly. And you can sit and watch and be okay with it. Swallow all your emotions like you always do. Let yourself fade into background noise as you watch someone take the spot you want the most. It’s normal at this point, isn’t it? You’re going to be that pathetic and weak, aren’t you?

You looked down at your drink, riddled with those incessant voices in your head telling you that you weren’t good enough. Because you weren’t as forward as Steve, or as brave as Eddie. You couldn’t just say the words or say anything at all. Eddie said everything he thought and made it clear how he felt. It was so simple for him. 

Besides…where would the friendship go if Eddie rejected you? Would it remain firm, the foundation solidified enough to keep you where you were before? Or would it start moving away, returning less and less frequently before the inevitable crash? 

And how could you ever fathom surviving the implosion?

Eddie began to belt the final chorus, leaving Steve in the dust while secretly trying to get your attention. Maybe he was trying to impress you with his strengthened vocals and (pathetically) wanted you to notice.

But you continued to look down at your drink, scowling and swirling your straw around. He wanted to know what the hell was going on, why you were acting so strange tonight. It’d started out so well when he picked you up, letting the music be the only thing moving you forward. Even in the parking lot, with the jokes and a longing look that felt like it lasted for hours. And now you were…well. Whatever you were. 

And the song ended, alongside the minimal applause and stage lights being turned off. 

Steve patted Eddie’s shoulder as they got off. Eddie nodded at him before turning towards your table. 

But Steve pulled at his forearm. 

“Munson, wait.”

Eddie looked back. “Yeah, dude. What’s up?”

Steve smiled and Eddie could tell that he was utterly drunk. It was one of Steve’s goofy smiles, always seeming cartoonish with the way his lips curved into a wave. Eddie always thought it was kinda weird how he did that. Even a little creepy.

“Listen, I’m just gonna come out and ask you a question.”

“Okay…” Eddie trailed, now facing Steve completely. 

“Would you ever want to go on a date?”

Eddie’s eyes widened, scanning Steve’s face to try and see if any of this was a joke. 

But there was no punchline. He was serious.

“Like, together?” he asked slowly.

Steve laughed, having to lean on a nearby table to stable himself. “Yeah! I don’t know, I just kinda thought we had some chemistry or something. I’m drunk so I can’t articulate it very well, but I’ve wanted to ask for a while.”

Eddie raised a hand to scratch along his stubble and thought about it. Had he really not noticed that Steve was into him? He thought he’d made it clear to Robin his affections for you. He’d just assumed she would tell Steve but, clearly, she hadn’t. 

It was all Eddie ever talked about when him and Robin were alone, holed up in Eddie’s bedroom with a couple of beers and When Harry Met Sally playing on his TV. She told him over and over how he should just say something to you or even drop hints here and there. And to be fair, he thought he had. Even tonight with the joint in your mouth and the comment about it not being as pretty as you. And you’d just waved it off. Acted like it was nothing. Moved on so quickly and so suddenly.

But. 

Well. 

Was there such harm in saying yes to Steve? You certainly hadn’t said anything and maybe it would be good for him to explore something with someone who he knew for sure wanted him. It could be simple with him. Steve was fun to be around. He could be happy with him if it went anywhere. Because it could go somewhere…

Right?

He stared at Steve for some time before he responded.

You tried to leave with Robin and Steve, but Eddie pulled you towards his van instead. That meant two blocks of walking together and he didn’t waste any time before he started talking.

“Where are you going, Weirdo?” he asked, throwing an arm around your shoulders and pulling you into a side-hug. “You know you live closer to me.”

He was right. After Eddie had snagged his current job as a mechanic at a nice dealership, he’d gotten his own place so that he could have a space for himself. He really liked his alone time as much as he liked being around you or any of his other friends. One of the main reasons was because he needed complete silence when planning his campaigns and, well, Robin and Steve weren’t necessarily quiet people.

You chuckled, but it sounded forced. “Yeah, sorry. I guess I’m crossed or something,” you replied. “You’ve always had a higher tolerance than me.”

Eddie gave you a concerned look. “You okay?”

You nodded and tried to keep walking. 

But he didn’t.

“You’re not holding my hand right now.”

His voice was soft, hardly above a whisper.

“Oh, I guess I just wasn’t thinking about it tonight.”

Or you’re not actually cross-faded, Eddie thought to himself. But he didn’t say anything, just bumped your shoulder with his and tried to bring the energy back. You hadn’t smiled since you’d all left and there was no way you’d leave tonight without one. So, he turned around and started walking backwards, shimmying his shoulders. He cracked the code, watching as you began to snort. Thank God.

“So, did you like my killer vocals?” he asked, his playful tone raising the energy back to its rightful place. 

Until your smile faltered.

“Ohhhhhh, yeah,” you said, hardly sounding sarcastic or playful. And it certainly didn’t meet your eyes. “You and Steve looked like you were having fun.”

Eddie hesitated, wanting to tell you about Steve’s…proposition. Should he casually drop it into the conversation? Would tonight be the night that he admitted how he felt? Or would he continue to rely on you doing it?

“He asked me out,” Eddie said before he could think further, heart racing.

“What?”

“Yeah, right after we got offstage. Crazy, right?” 

“What did you say?” you asked, stopping in your tracks. You were only across the street from his van now. Only twenty steps. 

But you’d stopped. 

So, Eddie did too.

“I told him I’d think about it,” he replied.

“And have you? Thought about it?”

He tried to read your expression, but he couldn’t. He just couldn’t.

So, he pushed. 

“I don’t know. Hadn’t thought of it before he said anything. I mean, it’s kinda out of nowhere…”

“Do you like him?” you whispered. 

Eddie thought about lying, to try and elicit some form of jealousy from you so he could start the conversation. Gamble and see what happens. But he couldn’t lie to you like that. It wouldn’t be right. It’d just be shitty. 

“Not really. Like, Steve’s pretty and all and he’s a really good friend or whatever. But I just haven’t really thought much about it and then suddenly there he was, poof, asking me out. And, I don’t know, I just thought it was a bit weird.”

You nodded along, looking away. “Yeah, that’s weird.”

Eddie couldn’t help himself. “Do you think I should say yes?”

“You’re asking me?” you asked, your eyebrows pinching together. 

You looked…upset. Why did you look so upset at the question?

“Absolutely,” he said, nodding.

“Why do you want my opinion? I mean, you’ve known him longer.”

Eddie shrugged. “Well, I don’t know. I value your opinion or whatever.”

You scoffed. “I don’t think I should be the determining factor on who you should date.”

You have no fucking clue.

“And if I wanted you to be?” 

The words left his lips before he could save himself and, God, his heart was banging on his flesh, like it was trying to escape. Like it wasn’t able to handle it any more in his wired brain.

You hesitated again. 

“Well, I don’t know.” Before Eddie could ask again, you sighed. “Do what you want, Eddie. Just…be careful.”

He shut his mouth again and nodded. 

“Yeah, alright. Sure.”

Eddie spent that night analyzing your hesitation. Maybe it was a sign. Maybe you were thinking about how stupid he was or, even worse, maybe you were just too scared to say anything. Like him. 

Your lips had quivered slightly. You were holding back those words again, the ones that felt like they’d already been shared and were waved off by the time you spoke again. And it drove him absolutely crazy.

And instead of asking you, he texted Steve.

About that date… When and where?

[solmarillion]

are there ANY silmarillion fandom people in the northeast US?? every time i go into a silm server it seems like everyone's either on the other side of the US or in europe.

i'll be going to magfest and otakon next year. if you're going to either of those cons i'd love to meet up with other silmarillion fans!

i'm also going to dragon con, but it's in atlanta, so i'll be driving a fair distance there. i'm super excited to be going with @daegred-winsterhand, @jee-eun and @moodrose! but i'd like to be able to meet other silm fans without having to travel such long distances.

idk i just feel a bit isolated. i always get so jealous seeing all of the conventions in europe like magiccon, tolkien tage and elfia. we don't really have anything like that in my area except the ren faire, but it's not really a high fantasy event.

anyone else feeling this?

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 8.25

Holidays

American Oil Discovery Day (Pennsylvania)

Apocynum Day (French Republic)

Aromatic Visibility Day

Australian South Sea Islander Recognition Day (Australia)

Battle Of Blair Mountain Anniversary Day

Clio Asteroid Day

English Channel Swim Day

Gene Simmons Day

Great American Duck Day

The Great Moon Hoax Day

Healthy Lifestyle Day

Honorable Artillery Company Day (UK)

International Day of the Hairstylist

International Redhead Day

Kiss and Make Up Day

Lake Sevan Day (Armenia)

Liberation of Paris Day (Paris, France)

National Don't Utter a Word Day

National Park Service Founders Day

National Poetry Day (New Zealand)

National Second-Hand Wardrobe Day

National Tech-Voc Day (Philippines)

Nils Lofgren Day

Pops Staples Day (Chicago, Illinois)

Private Eye Day

Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day

Second-Hand Wardrobe Day

Soldier's Day (Brazil)

Songun (North Korea)

South Sea Islander Recognition Day (Australia)

Tim Burton Day

Wizard of Oz Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Feast of the Green Corn

Instant Ramen Day (Japan)

National Banana Split Day

National Lamington Day

National Whiskey Sour Day

Independence & Related Days

Belarus (from USSR, 1991)

Constitution Day (Paraguay)

Iloilo City Charter Day (Philippines)

New Orleans (Founded; 1718)

Parva Domus Magna Quies (Declared; 1878) [unrecognized]

Uruguay (from Brazil, 1825)

4th & Last Sunday in August

Burning Man begins (Nevada) [8.27 thru 9.4]

Family Day (Tennessee) [Last Sunday]

Go Topless Day [ website ] [Sunday nearest 26th] (Also 8.24)

International Bereaved Father’s Day [Last Sunday]

Miner’s Day (USSR) [Last Sunday]

National Faith HIV/AIDS Awareness Day [Last Sunday]

National Fantasy Football Draft Day [Last Sunday]

Notting Hill Carnival begins (UK) [Sunday before Last Monday]

Plague Sunday (Gloucestershire, UK) [Last Sunday]

Pony Express Day [Last Sunday]

Sacrifice Our Wants For Other’s Needs Sunday [Sunday of Be Kind to Humankind Week]

Seven For Sunday [Every Sunday]

Social Justice Sunday [Last Sunday]

Soothing Sunday [4th Sunday of Each Month]

Spud Sunday [4th Sunday of Each Month]

Souper Sunday [Last Sunday of Each Month]

Sultry Sunday [Last Sunday of Each Month]

Sundae Sunday [Every Sunday]

Sunday Funday [Every Sunday]

World Kitchen Garden Day [4th Sunday]

Weekly Holidays beginning August 25 (4th Full Week of August)

Be Kind to Humankind Week (thru 8.31)

Brake Safety Week (thru 8.31)

Contact Lens Health Week [4th Week]

National Composites Week [Last Week]

World Water Week (thru 8.29)

Festivals Beginning August 25, 2024

Bloemencorso Blankenberge (Blankenberge, Belgium)

Burning Man (Black Rock City, Nevada) [thru 9.2]

California Restaurant Show (Los Angeles, California) [thru 8.27]

Coffee Fest Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California) [thru 8.27]

Detroit Bourbon & Blues Festival (Detroit, Michigan)

Georgia VegFest (Atlanta, Georgia)

Notting Hill Carnival (London, United Kingdom) [thru 8.26]

Nutty Pie Contest, at the Alaska State Fair (Palmer, Alaska)

Peach Festival (Grafton, Illinois)

Sharq Taronalari International Music Festival (Samarkand, Uzbekistan) [thru 8.30]

Taste of Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, California)

Terptown Throwdown (Boston, Massachusetts)

Feast Days

Æbbe of Coldingham (Christian; Saint)

Aredius (Christian; Saint)

Bret Harte (Writerism)

Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo (Artology)

Conté (Positivist; Saint)

Daniel Hulet (Artology)

Discovery of the Runes (Norse)

Dorothea Tanning (Artology)

Duke (Price Charming’s Horse; Muppetism)

Ebba (a.k.a. Tabbs; Christian; Saint)

Frederick Forsyth (Writerism)

Ganesh Chaturthi (a.k.a. Vinayaka Chaturthi; India)

Genesius of Arles (Christian; Saint)

Genesius of Rome (Christian; Saint)

Ginés de la Jara (a.k.a. Genesius of Cartagena; Christian; Saint)

George Stubbs (Artology)

Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato (Artology)

Gregory of Utrecht (Christian; Saint)

Heliogabalus Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Horus Nativity (Ancient Egypt)

Ian Falconer (Artology)

Jacob Maris (Artology)

Joan Antide-Thouret (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Joseph of Calasanz (Christian; Saint)

Leonard Bernstein (Humanism)

Louis IX of France (Christian; Saint)

Ludovicus Baba (Christian; Blessed)

Ludovicus Sasada (Christian; Blessed)

Luis Sotelo (Christian; Blessed)

Maelrubha (Celtic Book of Days)

Martin Amis (Writerism)

Mary Michaela Desmaisieres (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Menas of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

Michael Kaluta (Artology)

Miguel de Carvalho (Christian; Blessed)

Opiconsivia (Roman festival to Ops, goddess of fertility & abundance)

Patricia of Naples (Christian; Saint)

Pedro Vásquez, Blessed (Christian; Saint)

Rumpleskunkskin’s Bride Escapes to Heerwigoland (Fairy Celebration; Shamanism)

Thomas de Cantilupe (a.k.a. of Hereford; Christian; Saint)

Walt Kelly (Artology)

Whiskey Sour Day (Pastafarian)

Hindu Calendar Holidays [Begins at Sundown Day Before]

Krishna Janmashtami (a.k.a. Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [34 of 53]

Premieres

Advance and Be Mechanized (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1967)

And Justice For All, by Metallica (Album; 1988)

Barnacle Bill (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1930)

Beerfest (Film; 2006)

Bertie the Brain (Video Game; 1950)

Born to Run, by Bruce Springsteen (Album; 1975)

Boston, by Boston (Album; 1976)

Bring It On (Film; 2000)

Carrotblanca (WB LT Cartoon; 1995)

Cheese Chasers (WB MM Cartoon; 1951)

Desperado (Film; 1995)

Electric Ladyland Studio (Recording Studio; 1970)

The Golden West (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1939)

Graceland, by Paul Simon (Album; 1986)

Grand Uproar (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1933)

Humboldt's Gift, by Saul Bellow (Novel; 1975)

Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers (WB TV Cartoon; 1992)

Laughable Loves, by Milan Kundera (Short Stories; 1969)

Leap!, a.k.a. Ballerina (Animated Film; 2017)

Madame Bovary (Film; 1949)

Miracle on 34th Street, by Valentine Davies (Novel; 1947)

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, by Lauryn Hill (Album; 1998)

Mutt ’n’ Bones (Phantasies Cartoon; 1944)

My So-Called Life (TV Series; 1994)

The Pink Tail Fly (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1965)

The Pique Poquette of Paris (The Inspector Cartoon; 1966)

Raw! Raw! Rooster! (WB LT Cartoon; 1956)

Samurai!, by Saburo Sakai (Autobiography; 1957)

Solid Ivory (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1947)

Swing Shift Cinderella (Tex Avery MGM Cartoon; 1945)

The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo (Children’s Book; 2003)

The Thief and the Cobbler (Animated Film; 1995)

The Wizard of Oz (Film; 1939)

Wrecking Ball, by Miley Cyrus (Song; 2013)

Today’s Name Days

Elvira, Josef, Ludwig, Patricia (Austria)

Grgur, Josip, Ljudevit (Croatia)

Radim (Czech Republic)

Ludvig (Denmark)

Tauno, Tunne (Estonia)

Loviisa (Finland)

Louis (France)

Ebba, Elvira, Ludwig (Germany)

Bartholomeos, Titos (Greece)

Lajos, Patrícia (Hungary)

Ludovico, Luigi (Italy)

Ivonna, Ludis, Ludvigs (Latvia)

Liucija, Liudas, Liudvikas, Mangailas, Mangailė (Lithuania)

Louise, Lovise, Ludvig (Norway)

Gaudencjusz, Gaudenty, Grzegorz, Ludwik, Luiza, Michał, Sieciesław (Poland)

Ľudovít (Slovakia)

Ginés, José, Luis, Patricia (Spain)

Louise, Lovisa (Sweden)

Dorcas, Lanard, Lennie, Lenny, Leonard, Leonardo, Tabatha, Tabitha (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 238 of 2024; 128 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of Week 34 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 23 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Ren-Shen), Day 22 (Xin-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 21 Av 5784

Islamic: 19 Safar 1446

J Cal: 28 Purple; Sevenday [28 of 30]

Julian: 12 August 2024

Moon: 58%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 13 Gutenberg (9th Month) [Conté]

Runic Half Month: Rad (Motion) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 67 of 94)

Week: 4th Full Week of August

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 4 of 32)

[wearethekat]

June Book Reviews: Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews

This is Ilona Andrews' second novella in a post-series spinoff. Kate Daniels is trying very hard to stay low-profile after she moved states with her husband and kid. Unfortunately, she's also been a magnet for trouble-- and trouble has come for her, in the form of a town asking her for help defeating a mysterious primordial evil that's demanding human sacrifices from them.

The new series has always occupied an interesting genre space. Kate and co. are, metaphorically speaking, leveled up to 500 and slumming it in a level 10 area. The authors* do a pretty good job establishing an interesting and plausible threat, but it's certainly more competence porn than a real nail-biter. They've always written the cream of the crop when it comes to urban fantasy, and this novella isn't an exception. It's obvious they've done significant research, on everything from Pleistocene wildlife to the layout of Atlanta.

I liked this book a lot, but I think this would not be a good point to enter the series, given the (checks notes) eleven books prior to it. They do a decent job making it approachable with the new setting and characters, but I think you'd miss a fair bit of nuance starting here.

*It's a husband and wife team

[violettemeier]

I'll be signing books at the "Black Speculative Fiction & Fantasy Book Fair" Date: Sat, Nov 5 • 10:00 AM EDT Location: 504 Fair Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30313 Get your free tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-speculative-fiction-fantasy-book-fair-tickets-443978069357?aff=eand #violettemeier #atlanta #Book #books #event #booksighning #bookfair #scifi #horror #fantasy #paranormal (at Atlanta, Georgia) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj5lqo0rOvu/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[brookston]

Holidays 8.25

Holidays

American Oil Discovery Day (Pennsylvania)

Apocynum Day (French Republic)

Aromatic Visibility Day

Australian South Sea Islander Recognition Day (Australia)

Battle Of Blair Mountain Anniversary Day

Clio Asteroid Day

English Channel Swim Day

Gene Simmons Day

Great American Duck Day

The Great Moon Hoax Day

Healthy Lifestyle Day

Honorable Artillery Company Day (UK)

International Day of the Hairstylist

International Redhead Day

Kiss and Make Up Day

Lake Sevan Day (Armenia)

Liberation of Paris Day (Paris, France)

National Don't Utter a Word Day

National Park Service Founders Day

National Poetry Day (New Zealand)

National Second-Hand Wardrobe Day

National Tech-Voc Day (Philippines)

Nils Lofgren Day

Pops Staples Day (Chicago, Illinois)

Private Eye Day

Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day

Second-Hand Wardrobe Day

Soldier's Day (Brazil)

Songun (North Korea)

South Sea Islander Recognition Day (Australia)

Tim Burton Day

Wizard of Oz Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Feast of the Green Corn

Instant Ramen Day (Japan)

National Banana Split Day

National Lamington Day

National Whiskey Sour Day

Independence & Related Days

Belarus (from USSR, 1991)

Constitution Day (Paraguay)

Iloilo City Charter Day (Philippines)

New Orleans (Founded; 1718)

Parva Domus Magna Quies (Declared; 1878) [unrecognized]

Uruguay (from Brazil, 1825)

4th & Last Sunday in August

Burning Man begins (Nevada) [8.27 thru 9.4]

Family Day (Tennessee) [Last Sunday]

Go Topless Day [ website ] [Sunday nearest 26th] (Also 8.24)

International Bereaved Father’s Day [Last Sunday]

Miner’s Day (USSR) [Last Sunday]

National Faith HIV/AIDS Awareness Day [Last Sunday]

National Fantasy Football Draft Day [Last Sunday]

Notting Hill Carnival begins (UK) [Sunday before Last Monday]

Plague Sunday (Gloucestershire, UK) [Last Sunday]

Pony Express Day [Last Sunday]

Sacrifice Our Wants For Other’s Needs Sunday [Sunday of Be Kind to Humankind Week]

Seven For Sunday [Every Sunday]

Social Justice Sunday [Last Sunday]

Soothing Sunday [4th Sunday of Each Month]

Spud Sunday [4th Sunday of Each Month]

Souper Sunday [Last Sunday of Each Month]

Sultry Sunday [Last Sunday of Each Month]

Sundae Sunday [Every Sunday]

Sunday Funday [Every Sunday]

World Kitchen Garden Day [4th Sunday]

Weekly Holidays beginning August 25 (4th Full Week of August)

Be Kind to Humankind Week (thru 8.31)

Brake Safety Week (thru 8.31)

Contact Lens Health Week [4th Week]

National Composites Week [Last Week]

World Water Week (thru 8.29)

Festivals Beginning August 25, 2024

Bloemencorso Blankenberge (Blankenberge, Belgium)

Burning Man (Black Rock City, Nevada) [thru 9.2]

California Restaurant Show (Los Angeles, California) [thru 8.27]

Coffee Fest Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California) [thru 8.27]

Detroit Bourbon & Blues Festival (Detroit, Michigan)

Georgia VegFest (Atlanta, Georgia)

Notting Hill Carnival (London, United Kingdom) [thru 8.26]

Nutty Pie Contest, at the Alaska State Fair (Palmer, Alaska)

Peach Festival (Grafton, Illinois)

Sharq Taronalari International Music Festival (Samarkand, Uzbekistan) [thru 8.30]

Taste of Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, California)

Terptown Throwdown (Boston, Massachusetts)

Feast Days

Æbbe of Coldingham (Christian; Saint)

Aredius (Christian; Saint)

Bret Harte (Writerism)

Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo (Artology)

Conté (Positivist; Saint)

Daniel Hulet (Artology)

Discovery of the Runes (Norse)

Dorothea Tanning (Artology)

Duke (Price Charming’s Horse; Muppetism)

Ebba (a.k.a. Tabbs; Christian; Saint)

Frederick Forsyth (Writerism)

Ganesh Chaturthi (a.k.a. Vinayaka Chaturthi; India)

Genesius of Arles (Christian; Saint)

Genesius of Rome (Christian; Saint)

Ginés de la Jara (a.k.a. Genesius of Cartagena; Christian; Saint)

George Stubbs (Artology)

Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato (Artology)

Gregory of Utrecht (Christian; Saint)

Heliogabalus Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Horus Nativity (Ancient Egypt)

Ian Falconer (Artology)

Jacob Maris (Artology)

Joan Antide-Thouret (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Joseph of Calasanz (Christian; Saint)

Leonard Bernstein (Humanism)

Louis IX of France (Christian; Saint)

Ludovicus Baba (Christian; Blessed)

Ludovicus Sasada (Christian; Blessed)

Luis Sotelo (Christian; Blessed)

Maelrubha (Celtic Book of Days)

Martin Amis (Writerism)

Mary Michaela Desmaisieres (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Menas of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

Michael Kaluta (Artology)

Miguel de Carvalho (Christian; Blessed)

Opiconsivia (Roman festival to Ops, goddess of fertility & abundance)

Patricia of Naples (Christian; Saint)

Pedro Vásquez, Blessed (Christian; Saint)

Rumpleskunkskin’s Bride Escapes to Heerwigoland (Fairy Celebration; Shamanism)

Thomas de Cantilupe (a.k.a. of Hereford; Christian; Saint)

Walt Kelly (Artology)

Whiskey Sour Day (Pastafarian)

Hindu Calendar Holidays [Begins at Sundown Day Before]

Krishna Janmashtami (a.k.a. Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [34 of 53]

Premieres

Advance and Be Mechanized (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1967)

And Justice For All, by Metallica (Album; 1988)

Barnacle Bill (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1930)

Beerfest (Film; 2006)

Bertie the Brain (Video Game; 1950)

Born to Run, by Bruce Springsteen (Album; 1975)

Boston, by Boston (Album; 1976)

Bring It On (Film; 2000)

Carrotblanca (WB LT Cartoon; 1995)

Cheese Chasers (WB MM Cartoon; 1951)

Desperado (Film; 1995)

Electric Ladyland Studio (Recording Studio; 1970)

The Golden West (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1939)

Graceland, by Paul Simon (Album; 1986)

Grand Uproar (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1933)

Humboldt's Gift, by Saul Bellow (Novel; 1975)

Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers (WB TV Cartoon; 1992)

Laughable Loves, by Milan Kundera (Short Stories; 1969)

Leap!, a.k.a. Ballerina (Animated Film; 2017)

Madame Bovary (Film; 1949)

Miracle on 34th Street, by Valentine Davies (Novel; 1947)

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, by Lauryn Hill (Album; 1998)

Mutt ’n’ Bones (Phantasies Cartoon; 1944)

My So-Called Life (TV Series; 1994)

The Pink Tail Fly (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1965)

The Pique Poquette of Paris (The Inspector Cartoon; 1966)

Raw! Raw! Rooster! (WB LT Cartoon; 1956)

Samurai!, by Saburo Sakai (Autobiography; 1957)

Solid Ivory (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1947)

Swing Shift Cinderella (Tex Avery MGM Cartoon; 1945)

The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo (Children’s Book; 2003)

The Thief and the Cobbler (Animated Film; 1995)

The Wizard of Oz (Film; 1939)

Wrecking Ball, by Miley Cyrus (Song; 2013)

Today’s Name Days

Elvira, Josef, Ludwig, Patricia (Austria)

Grgur, Josip, Ljudevit (Croatia)

Radim (Czech Republic)

Ludvig (Denmark)

Tauno, Tunne (Estonia)

Loviisa (Finland)

Louis (France)

Ebba, Elvira, Ludwig (Germany)

Bartholomeos, Titos (Greece)

Lajos, Patrícia (Hungary)

Ludovico, Luigi (Italy)

Ivonna, Ludis, Ludvigs (Latvia)

Liucija, Liudas, Liudvikas, Mangailas, Mangailė (Lithuania)

Louise, Lovise, Ludvig (Norway)

Gaudencjusz, Gaudenty, Grzegorz, Ludwik, Luiza, Michał, Sieciesław (Poland)

Ľudovít (Slovakia)

Ginés, José, Luis, Patricia (Spain)

Louise, Lovisa (Sweden)

Dorcas, Lanard, Lennie, Lenny, Leonard, Leonardo, Tabatha, Tabitha (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 238 of 2024; 128 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of Week 34 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 23 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Ren-Shen), Day 22 (Xin-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 21 Av 5784

Islamic: 19 Safar 1446

J Cal: 28 Purple; Sevenday [28 of 30]

Julian: 12 August 2024

Moon: 58%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 13 Gutenberg (9th Month) [Conté]

Runic Half Month: Rad (Motion) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 67 of 94)

Week: 4th Full Week of August

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 4 of 32)

[feylixs-stuff]

Creeksona: Feylix Rightworth

Name: Feylix Deana Rightworth

Age: 22

Gender: Female, sometimes feels Nonbinary (Genderfluid?)

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers, or They/Theirs/Them

Role: Creek Elder

Occupation: Library Associate

Personality Traits: Quiet, Shy & reserved on the outside. At work, she can seem very professional, kind, and caring. She especially enjoys helping kids find new books that strike their fancy. On the inside, she can be spontaneous, often speaking before thinking or doing before thinking, and often doesn't understand a fair amount of social cues but does try. She gets along well with Barry of the Creek Elders most and enjoys when him and the crew come in for their games outside the creek.

Description of Looks:

-Feylix has hair that falls just below her ears and is dark brown. Her eyebrows fall into a natural arch and are darker in tone, being black in color. Her eyelashes are naturally long, and she has grey colored eyes that tend to pop more during the cloudy season. She is fairly scrawny and doesn't have a specified body type. She is about 5'1" in height.

Personal Aesthetic: Big Hoodies and shorts/sweatpants, slip on shoes.

Hobbies: Reading & writing, Ren Faire, studying birds and insects, learning new things, and discovering haunted locations.

Likes/Dislikes (likes most-likes least): Meat-Based foods (never food from pre-adulthood animals, nor food from unethical factories. She often sources her meat from local farms. This is due to her inability to digest a variety of fruits and veggies that are protein supplements in a vegetarian or vegan diet), Trying foods from new cultures, watching anime and making cosplay, writing fanfiction online, doing homework, eating foods that aren't from any known ethical sources (both fruit, veg, and meat), People who force beliefs upon others, and people who bully/harass her friends, especially Mark and David, who she defends with her whole being.

Extra Side Hobbies: She volunteers at the library and throws an Annual Ren Faire for kids and adults to put on fantasy themed outfits and eat good food, and be overall a good group party of sorts.

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

Current Residence: Herkleton, Maryland

Backstory:

Growing up, Feylix was often uncared for and neglected. She talks to no one, even family, from her hometown and state. She never talks about her childhood other than it didn't go over very well.

Since 18, she has lived on her own crafting her own life for herself. She cares more for the friends she met in Herkleton than anyone she grew up with ever. She is a loving, caring individual who tries to share her ideals with the world in the most positive way she can.

[reviewsthatburn]

I like this more mature version of Kate, I’m not quite sure how old she is here, but it’s been at least a decade since MAGIC BITES. She’s at least in her late thirties, possibly in her early forties, and she makes a few references to what she would’ve done before and how she’s changed. She’s consistent with the threads of that earlier self, but she’s older, wiser, and has a very different set of resources and connections than she had by the time the main series ended. I hope this can be a good starting point for new fans, and I’m excited to see where it goes.

Full Review at Link.

[godzylla]

Hello hello hello, Godzylla's Head is back with a newbie perspective on ComiCon International: San Diego. Things I already knew: it's monstrously huge, a small city's population descending on one convention center for five insanely geeky days. Knowing that and living it? No anxiety triggers so far!

Okay, I've been to conventions in hotels, which is nice to have your room right there (I really appreciate the old Omni Hotel in Atlanta, home of the Atlanta Fantasy Fair in the '80s, and a source for Howard Chaykin's American Flagg home.)

For this, I'm staying at a VRBO with friends, and frankly, it's a bit of a trek to get to the convention center via foot, buses, and more footwork. Of course this massive indoor island of adventure requires more walking, so one has to be prepared for it!

This year, of course, there is somewhat of a lack of entertainment media presence from TV & film writers and actors due to the strikes. I'm primarily here for the comics, but naturally many are disappointed. I'm just glad no one is striking at the Con because - well, as a union member in good standing in a totally unrelated field, I'm just glad I'm not blocked by picket lines.

Today's just a trial run, really, an introduction to the scene, so we checked it out, and headed home without visiting any of the booths. (Sorry, folks.) Tomorrow things start happening with panels!

Here's a quick view of the convention center and some of the sights nearby.

A happy coincidence! As I was exiting the convention center with a friend, who should I run into but an old Kubert School classmate from the 1984-85 school year! We knew we were both going to attend, and wanted to meet up, but running into him and his family out of all the thousands of people there, well, that was a terrific cap to the first day.

(He has no right looking as good as he does after all these years. It was nice to meet his family in the flesh, too!)

Tomorrow I'll start taking about proper Con events. Join me, won't you?

[terebifunhouse]

hey gang the ANIME WEEKEND ATLANTA ONLINE EXPERIENCE is happening THIS WEEKEND, Dec. 18-20! Tune in for exciting VIRTUAL CONTENT that might slightly fill the hole in your life left by this year’s vanished conventions. I’ve prepared three thrilling online panels JUST FOR YOU - Anime Hell, A History Of Fandom Conventions In Atlanta, and Anime: 1980! And if you’re late, don’t worry, you can scroll back in the stream and watch them whenever!  It’s all happening at https://www.twitch.tv/animeweekendatlanta !!

[anazen333]

My Favorite Movies of my Favorite Genres / My Favorite TV Shows of my Favorite Genres

Because when I was trying to describe what level and types of entertainment I enjoy, I wasn’t able to make myself clear to my bestie’s boyfriend who has way more ‘sophisticated’ taste than me lol

But I think if I were to summarize what I like in a nutshell, it’d be: a fun romp (nothing heavy), with just enough angst/intrigue to make it meaty, and a visual treat to watch.

Part 1 - Films

Action:

Espionage - 007, Mission Impossible, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Adventure - The Mummy, Indiana Jones, The Princess Bride, National Treasure, Bumblebee, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Pirates of the Caribbean, Assassins’ Creed, The Legend of Tarzan, The Legend of Zorro, the Mask of Zorro, Sahara

Superhero - Wonder Woman, Captain America: The First Avenger, Black Panther, Ant-Man, Black Widow, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, The Avengers, The Incredibles, Justice League: Gods and Monsters, Batman: Under the Red Hood, Guardians of the Galaxy, Big Hero 6, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, Venom

Animation:

Action/Adventure - Princess Mononoke, Mulan, Aladdin, The Rescuers Down Under, Moana,, How to Train Your Dragon, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Tangled, Spies in Disguise

Comedy - Inside Out, The Emperor’s New Groove, The Mitchells vs the Machines, The Willoughbys, Kung Fu Panda, Meet the Robinsons, Sherk 2, Megamind

Drama - The Prince of Egypt, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Coco, The Lion King, Lilo and Stitch, Brave, Balto, Kiki’s Delivery Service

Fantasy - Castle in the Sky, Fantasia 2000, Kubo and the Two Strings, The Secret of Kells, Spirited Away, Mary and the Witch’s Flower, Sleeping Beauty, Rise of the Guardians, Wolfwalkers

Romance - Beauty and the Beast, Corpse Bride, Anastasia, Strange Magic, The Swan Princess

Science fiction - Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Wall-E, Howl’s Moving Castle, Atlantas: The Lost Empire, Origin: Spirits of the Past, Treasure Planet,  Neppû Kairiku Bushi Road

Comedy:

Action-comedy - Charlie’s Angels, Arsenic and Old Lace, Knight and Day, Mr. and Mrs. Smith RED, Men in Black, George of the Jungle, 101 Dalmatians, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Jumamji: Welcome to the Jungle, Miss Congeniality

Romantic comedy - Much Ado About Nothing, Some Like it Hot, Austinland, Letters to Juliet, Not Another Happy Ending, The Taming of the Shrew, I.Q., Sweet Home Alabama, My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Crime:

Ocean’s 11,  Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, Lupin III: The First, Entrapment

Fantasy:

Peter Pan (2003), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Pan’s Labyrinth, Labyrinth, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Dracula Untold, Casper, Hellboy Animated, Maleficent, Snow White and the Huntsman

Romance:

Romance drama - Sabrina, The Mirror Has Two Faces, Casablanca, Cinderella (2015), Shakespeare Re-Told, Penelope, This Beautiful Fantastic, Everything Everything, Chocolat, Meet Joe Black, Roman Holiday

Period romance - Pride and Prejudice, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Young Victoria, Miss Potter, Sense and Sensibility, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Ever After: a Cinderella Story

Thriller:

The Da Vinci Code, Red Eye, The Bourne Legacy, The One, Hitman: Agent 47, The Tourist, The Count of Monte Cristo (1975)

Science fiction:

Tech noir - I, Robot, Ready Player One, Minority Report, Tomorrow Land, Contact, Arrival, TRON: Legacy, The Last Mimzy

Steampunk - Sherlock Holmes (2009), A Series of Unfortunate Events, Metropolis, The Golden Compass

Space opera - Star Wars, Rogue One, Star Trek Into Darkness, Titan A. E.

Musical:

Phantom of the Opera, My Fair Lady, Cats (1998), Cinderella (1997), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Into the Woods, Chicago

Part 2 - TV Shows

Action:

Adventure - Ducktales (2017), Carmen Sandiego (2019), Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012), Kim Possible, The Musketeers, Yona of the Dawn

Superhero - Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes, Batman: the Animated Series, Teen Titans, Sailor Moon, WandaVision, Justice League, Static Shock, The Batman, Smallville, Lolirock, Green Lantern: the Animated Series, Justice League Action

Comedy:

My Roommate is a Cat, Gugure! Kokkuri-san, Wander over Yonder, The Goes Wrong Show, The Addams Family, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Wallflower

Crime:

NCIS, Castle, The Mentalist, Endgame, White Collar, Leverage, Sherlock (2010), Forever,  Moriarty the Patriot, Peaky Blinders, Num3ers, Gangsta, Body of Proof

Documentary:

Mythbusters, Anything on Ancient Egypt, The Crocodile Hunter, Dancing with the Birds

Fantasy:

Shadow and Bone, Once Upon a Time, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yuyu Hakusho, Inuyasha, Gargoyles, Jackie Chan Adventures, Princess Tutu, The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Castlevania, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Good Omens, Arcane: League of Legends, Danny Phantom, Basilisk: the Kouga Ninja Scrolls, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Trollhunters, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Amphibia, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Romance:

Princess Jellyfish, The Ghosts & Mrs. Muir, Kamisama Hajimemashte, Blend S, Inu x Boku SS, Engaged to the Unidentified, Beauty and the Beast (1987), Ouran Host Club, My Love Story!!

Thriller:

Gravity Falls, Bonekickers

Science fiction:

Transformers Prime, Astro Boy (2003), Star Wars: the Clone Wars, Clone Wars, Samurai Jack, Unlimited Psychic Squad, Infinity Train, Star Wars: Visions, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, The Mandalorian, Star Wars: Rebels, Bee and Puppycat, My Life as a Teenage Robot, Steven Universe, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command

[argentvive]

Philip Pullman: Where Does His Alchemy Come From?

It was obvious to me, years ago, reading the first trilogy, that Pullman was writing literary alchemy.  But as far as I could tell, he had never acknowledged this.  Recently, @ssmhhh sent me a link to this fascinating Pullman interview with art historian Dr. Janina Ramirez from a couple years back.

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/philip-pullman/id1182937767?i=1000392970306

It’s quite revealing about many things, including one I’ve wondered about for a long time:  When and how did he find out about literary alchemy?  And why did he decide to use it for the basic framework of HDM and TBOD?

As I posted a couple of years ago, ( https://argentvive.tumblr.com/search/worm+ouroboros ) there are three main ways authors in the West have been exposed to alchemy.

1.  Alchemy was part of the common knowledge of the time.  This was true for Chaucer, Shakespeare, Jonson, Milton, etc.  (Here’s the “recognition scene” in Shakespeare’s Pericles.)

After 1700, alchemy went into decline, as scientific explanations for the world and the cosmos replaced it. 

2.  After 1700, alchemy found refuge in a variety of secret organizations, that emphasized the spiritual aspect of alchemy--Hermeticism, or Hermetic philosophy.  In the 1700s Freemasonry emerges (Goethe, Mozart).  This is a scene from the Taymor production of the Magic Flute, which incorporates  Michael Maier’s alchemical diagram from Atalanta fugiens.  

In the 1800s many esoteric/Hermetic movements crop up, including Theosophy, which includes the writers Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Secret Garden) and, later, Frank Baum (Wizard of Oz).

3.  In the 20th century some novelists, especially British and especially fantasy authors--decided to study alchemy to use in their work.  J K Rowling was quite forthcoming about it:  “To invent this wizard world, I've learned a ridiculous amount about alchemy.” George R R Martin has not spoken about alchemy as an inspiration at all, as best I can tell.  Pullman had not done so either, but in this interview he provides a massive clue. 

Ramirez asks him which books he enjoyed as a student of English literature at Oxford.  He said he “always loved” Milton and Blake.  This is well known; he’s included epigraphs from both authors in his books.  Both authors draw on alchemy in their works.  Pullman also cited the Welsh novelist John Cooper Powys--I’d never heard of him before, so that was no help.  But then he added that “Frances Yates’ Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition [1964] had a huge effect on me....I absorbed it immediately and passionately.” That sealed it. Pullman had learned alchemy by studying it.  

Yates single-handedly launched the alchemical reading of literature of the English Renaissance, and Giordano Bruno is the work that started it all.  I think it’s fair to say that without Frances Yates, there is no Lyndy Abraham, or Stanton Linden, or Charles Nicholl, or any other of the scholars of literary alchemy that I cite on my blog.  Other important works of Yates include The Rosicrucian Enlightenment and Shakespeare’s Last Plays: A New Approach, although Pullman does not mention those.  

Annoyingly, Ramirez seems to equate the Hermetic tradition with the occult.  She uses the term occult three times, but Pullman is careful to stick to Hermeticism, the correct term.  He doesn’t use the word alchemy, but Hermeticism IS spiritual alchemy, so he doesn’t need to.  

Next they talk briefly about Renaissance symbolism, and Pullman indicates that he drew on the symbolism from Renaissance emblem books to create the alethiometer.  Among the most famous emblem books are the alchemical treatises of Michael Maier, including Atlanta fugiens.  Here’s Emblem 26, of Wisdom (Sapientia).  Wisdom is female in alchemy, of course.  

@torrefaction-of-silver​ just sent me a link to a close up photo of the alethiometer, where you can see that many (not all) of the symbols are standard alchemical iconography.  

So that tells us how Pullman learned alchemy--and also why he uses it--he “passionately absorbed” it as a university student.  

[cartboss]

An idea for lovers of black culture, erotica and cartoons

Before we get into this idea, who else is excited for the proud family reboot ? Proud family was one of my favorite cartoons and it also is a portion of what encouraged me to post this idea, along with it being black history month.

My idea is a a story/ comic telling the erotic sexual adventures of the black folks that lives in one city . That city is called SOUL CITY.

Soul city is the name of the both the city and the story, to describe the city, let's take snippets of Chicago, Atlanta, Hollywood, new York city , Miami, and las Vegas and put them into one ultimate city , that city is soul city . This city is a paradise , despite having a large population of wealthy and successful people, there is no corruption, the jobs are high paying and the prices are always fair ( hey , the fantasy doesn't have to be limited to sex) . It's very technology advanced , similar to fictional cities like wakanda, capsule corps city and san fransokyo .

The plot is is different stories going in in one city , mostly revolving around the characters and how they mix with each other. One big part of the plot depends one the occupations, when it comes to occupations I want to avoid strip clubs and brothels , I always felt it was so contradicting and redundant to include jobs tied to sexual entertainment in a fictional story where all the girls are beautiful and slutty . Now there might be a few certain exceptions but strip clubs and brothels are pretty much non existent in this story. But the other jobs equal all kinds of interesting storylines. Here are occupations I thought of for soul city : fashion, store workers , musical industry , scientists, chefs , office workers , assistants, barber's, sport players , construction workers, repair crew, firefighters, doctors, cops , lawyers , judges , journalism , and superheroes ( yes , superheroes, it's a fictional story, use your imagination guys)

The characters are where things get interesting. This story technically falls into a crossover category, featuring black characters from different animated shows and movies , whether it be from Disney, marvel ,DC , warner bros , ect. And if you guys are fanartists or into fan art, we can also include OCs ( original characters ) in this story, but it doemst have to stop there

What you see here are real sexy black celebrities from the 1990s to the late 2000s. My idea is to make cartoon versions of them and put them in the soul city comic. That's a fun concept in of itself , to combine celebrities from different eras . Now I should address how some of the women in these pics don't exactly fall into a " natural beauty " type , well to be fair those kind of women who got their sexiness form plastic surgery would translate much better in cartoon form. To put into summary one portion of celebrities are the professional actors and actresses that do some modeling , the ones you often see on B.E.T. The other portion are rappers, singers and reality show stars who model themselves after folks like meek mill and Nicki Minaj . So like those characters you be seeing in shows like " love and hip" hop " or " real housewives ". Now in case you don't know , this concept of making cartoon version of celebrities and having them interact with actual cartoon characters has been done before let me give you some examples .

From left to right is fan art of singer Nicki Minaj, sitcom " the fresh Prince of bel air " , film " Friday " , and the sitcom " Martin " this really helps explains this part of my vision, taking real celebrities and making cartoon versions of them having erotic fun with each other. It also strengthens my statement about mixing celebrities and characters from different eras . Now some of you might say this is kind of creepy, well these celebrities do modeling and are well aware of how thirsty their fans out are, and they have much bigger fish to fry then a cartoonist making porn of their images . And I know for a fact that a lot of these celebrities honestly wouldn't even care about cartoon porn being made of them . If you are still uncomfortable , I got another suggestion , have the artist draw the celebrity and pass them as your OC , so that pic of Nicki Minaj could easily be a slutty fashion designer OC who just happens to look like a cartoon version of Nicki Minaj. Now to the art style , you might notice how most of the fan art has a proud family kind of art style , now using the proud family art style as inspiration isn't a bad thing , but just remember that the art style doesnt have to be limited to the proud family , the pic of Nicki Minaj ( or slutty fashion designer OC) was drawn taking inspiration from the art style of Bruce timm ( the artist of the DCAU) . Also the fan art of fresh Prince of bel air, Friday and Martin were drawn by nurri durr and the pic of Nicki Minaj was drawn by Terry Alex a.k.a T-rad. Going back to the proud family , it had episodes where real celebrities would guest star and meet the characters , two examples being Alicia keys and Mariah Carey ( both were very sexualized in their designs to). In fact , Oscar and Trudy proud's designs were based in the look of Martin and Gina from the sitcom " martin". There were also celebrities in the animted series static shock. That series was about a black teen superhero who used his powers to protect his city from superpowered thugs , it had a few celebs like Shaq and Romeo. So this one concept has limitless possibilities . We can have Trudy proud have a hot sex scene with actress nia long and rapper Megan the stallion for example .

This picture of a sexy black couple making love is a beautiful example of my vision and a damn good reason why this idea should be a comic . I tried to find the artist but they have gone off the grid, but they left behind a really good and sexy picture . The pic isn't even raunchy and yet it gets me so excited. Now my vision of soul city is a light hearted comedy parody type , the only thing that be drawn seriously is the sex scenes , and I wouldn't want it any other way . Even if I was able to commission any of this ( which I'm not unfortunately) I'm not even sure how this could be made into a comic , but the designs for the city alone could be a very fun group project. Maybe there will at least be a soul city fanfiction with a few visual aids . Honestly this idea is not limited to a porn parody story , I can totally visualize a sfw version of soul city or a full mature and compelling story of soul city .

This pic is my prime example of my vision, taking already canon cartoon black characters and mixing them with OCs and or celebrities . They may not be from the same media and are not in the same art style but that is part of the charm , regardless of their different designs they are all sexy black folk living in one city ....SOUL CITY.