#cult of the heron?

[balmora-citizen]

More Sasha in newtopia thoughts: the newt moms

How would Sasha and Yunan get along?Would Sasha be automatically be annoyed by the general, because they are too similar? Yunan definitely would have a problem with someone stealing her thunder. Manipulation wise Sasha could play her like a fiddle.

Although I like to think they would get along like a house on fire (well actually several houses but no one could prove anything...)

All of newtopia is like:

Sasha might even have her own "Mrs. Croaker moment" (she is everything I want to be)

and she would be so nosy about yulivia. you can't tell me you're friends with Marcy and Anne and don't contract "shippingbrain", she is a suspicon island fan after all.

As for Olivia it might get of to a rocky start. A strict, kind of stuck up adult, who values appearances and rules and has a "juice" problem? That sounds a lot like I imagine Mr. and Mrs. Waybrigth. Sasha probably detest her at first but changes her mind over time since, unlike her human parents, Olivia is genuine. Sasha also very likely gets to see Olivia maul a would be assassin with her heels and some hidden dagger at some point and gains a lot of respect for Olivia (Yay. bonding with your mom over shared interests. hidden blades and excessive violence...)

Since Andrias could fool Olivia, I assume Sasha is also able to keep up a facade around her. Olivia would probably be pretty impressed with Sashas diplomatic skills (motherly validation? completely new emotions that Sasha REFUSES to analyse) what Olivia wouldn't like is all the political upheaval her prodigy causes. lots of juice sessions probably...

Seeing an older lesbian couple would very likely lead to Sasha having to deal with some Realisations of her own(I assume she didn't know she was bi pre amphibia) . good for her.

and then Sashas coup...

She leaves Yulivia in the dark. They are too loyal and supposed to be kept out of harms way. This is Sashas one single plan she fails with every time (reunion, true colors) "I know best and they will have to understand"

lots of betrayal, heartbrake and anger. True colors light.

After Sasha went underground we have Olivia cougth between two loyaltys, reluctantly playing informant for Sashas cult/criminal network, despite feeling let down and betrayed but still wanting to protect her daughter. Yunan sees things much simpler and is on the hunt for the traitor. she is not very good at it but there are some dramatic figth scenes in the sewers that reenforce Sashas view on needing to keep people that are close to her under control at all times to prevent situations like with Yunan in the future.

[gorjee-art]

Some journal art I made that I really like

[trevlad-sounds]

Invisible Club 31

18.09.2024

Intro 00:00 Misha Panfilov–Formosa 01:24 Oberu–Green Kitty 05:56 µ-Ziq–Hastings 09:49 The Lighthouse–Dionysus 12:32 Beefus B–From Light into Darkness 16:24 Mike Dickinson–Torus 21:09 Apifera–Iris Is Neil 26:09 Ghost Power–Vertical Section 30:53 Black Moth Super Rainbow–Folks with Magik Toes 33:04 Lone Bison–Origin Story 33:32 Dark Fidelity Hi Fi–Soft Light for Re-entry 36:32 HEBA–T5 (Kommissar Keller’s Mountain Panorama Remix) 40:37 Time Is a Mountain–Alicetti 48:06 Moray Newlands–Hoist the load to your left shoulder 53:34 Vulfmon, Evangeline–Got To Be Mine 55:34 Heron & Crane–Crownbeard 58:36 Outro 1:02:20

[garessta8]

Disco Elysium fun facts, Part 1

0. There's an entire lore atlas (endless love to the author), although while it has at least some of those facts I list below, it mostly focuses on geography.

And yeah, SPOILER WARNING.

Jean Vicquemare's full name is Jean-Heron Vicquemare. It's literally only mentioned in one line of dialogue below. Esprit de Corps - With an agitated gait Satellite-Officer Jean-Heron Vicquemare paces the jetty, 22 kilometres East -- in Martinaise: "What could he *possibly* be doing there for so long," he says.

Jean was (is) an equestrian cop, as in, horse-mounted. However, I found no confirmation that he particularly liked horses as a hobby-thing. I think "we" in this line meant for "the pair of us", as police partners. Because there are lines in the game referring to other MCs in Precinct 41. But I have no space in this post to quote them. Jean Vicquemare - "For the record, you pressured us into getting it. 'It'll be cool Jean, we'll have wheels, rapid response...' I was fine being an equestrian cop. I hope you're fine driving a *bicycle*."

The actual name of Kim's dead partner, who was nicknamed "Eyes", was probably Dom or something that starts with Dom. At least this is name put on two cases in Kim's paperwork, which you can peek into if you come to Kim's room after the Tribunal without Kim. I assume that meant to happen if Kim was shot, but I theoretize that you could do that by going to sleep and then just going into the room, since Kim magically disappears after you dismiss him for the night and won't be in his room unless you knock on the outside door. Half-Finished Paperwork - This year, you can see references to: THE CHILD, DOM'S UNFINISHED; DOM'S UNFINISHED 2, MOTORCYCLE EMPTINESS, and THE MAN WITH THE HOLE IN HIS HEAD. UPD: "Dom" doesn't seem to be initials, because see Cuno (but then again, what does Cuno know about this? Maybe he SHOULD have read it as initials!): Cuno - The boy picks up the notes and shuffles through some of the case names: "'The Child', 'Dom's Unfinished', 'Dom's Unfinished 2', 'The Man With the Hole in His Head'... Boring ass shit," he concludes.

Homosexuality was legalized by communards in '04, which is 8 years before Kim was born. But we all known that society needs much longer to adapt to the thought. The exact details are hard to say. Encyclopedia at least says that there's no actual cults involved. The Deserter - "Lax sexual morals are a bourgeois ploy," he gargles a spit ball. "As to pederasty, the Party legalized it in '04. My Party, not your liberal masters." He spits it out on the dying coals. Encyclopedia - Just pointing it out, we're not talking about some kind of a cult with *members* here, you made it up.

Murder in Martinaise happened at March 4th, '51. Give or take a day. This, so far, is the least important piece of trivia I decided to add. You - "8. Date of death:" Kim Kitsuragi - "We're still going with March 4th, '51."

Motor carriages are controlled by two steering levers, not by a steering wheel. Not only you can see that if you close-up on Kim's Kineema, there are direct quotes about it. Abandoned Lorry - The glass on the side windows is tinted and covered with dust. You can barely make out the shape of a seat and two steering levers. Coupris Kineema - In the cabin you see a set of steering levers, a radio on a hook, a pull-out toolbox and the soft glow of the fuel pre-heater gauge.

I found where from people took "Volta do Mar" as Kim's personal skill. It's something printed on Kim's jacket you can buy as official DE merch.

At some point in his career, for unknown reasons, Kim worked in Processing for a year. They are as bad as he describes them. Kim Kitsuragi - He shakes his head. "I worked as one of these *Processing guys* for a year. They are butchers and clowns. I once saw twenty CODs go misidentified in one week. Chances are slim to none that they'll find anything useful in processing."

The mystery of Kim's glasses. There's one line that says they are "diamond-shaped" despite his portrait. I've seen a comment suggesting it refers to "diamat", as in, dialectic materialism. I think this feels more like a typo, but why would anyone think Kim's glasses are diamond-shaped when they were round from his earliest (and only) concept art? Kim Kitsuragi - The lieutenant says nothing. You see the machine's glowing frame reflected back from his diamond-shaped glasses. You're free to proceed. Truly a mystery. The case of DIAMOND-ROUND-SHAPED GLASSES will stay unsolved forever.

Kim *isn't* a moralist. Present tense. He *was* a moralist once, but since then, he changed his mind. Now he believes in RCM. He embodies the political stance of "all ideologies suck in their own ways, let's just live our lives here and try do to a good job" (which I *heartily* approve). Although some will say that *this* is moralist by itself. Kim Kitsuragi - "Yes. I *did* -- when I was younger. In my twenties I considered myself a moralist. *A blue forget-me-not, a piece of the sky*," he quotes. "They're not all that bad." Kim Kitsuragi - "But the years have changed that. I don't know *what* I believe in now...." He thinks, then changes his mind. "No. I believe in the RCM. That's enough for me."

Harry always wakes up at 7:30. He made a vow. Volition - You got up from this floor because of a holy vow you made sixteen years ago. With *me*. To wake up exactly 07:30 every morning until the day you die. Notably, the morning right after the memory loss is an exception, where Harry only wakes up because of the Kineema. I have a suspicion that if Kim didn't drive to the Whrling-in-Rags, Harry could've never woke up. Never-ever-ever.

The standard role-playing dice in Elysium is a 24-side die. There's a side for each skill! You - "What's a *standard* role-playing die?" Novelty Dicemaker - "It's an *icositetrahedron* -- a 24-sided die that can produce results for a 2-sided, 3-sided, 4-sided, 6-sided, and 12-sided die with a single roll. Technically you can also use it for many other sizes, but you may need to re-roll results."

Trant was formerly addicted to pyrholidon. I think it's implied that his practice of stick fighting, which he does for 4 hours daily for 20 years straight, is a replacement for said addiction. Trant Heidelstam - "Lo Manthang stick fighting is a little like a pyrholidon addiction," he explains with a little smile. "I've been practising it for nearly 20 years now, so you could say that my doses have grown a little… peculiar." Electrochemistry - Wait. What does this man know about pyrholidon addiction? You - "Hold on. Pyrholidon addiction? What an interesting metaphor…" (Study his face.) "Or perhaps not a metaphor at all?" Trant Heidelstam - "You got me, detective." He chuckles, before a shadow takes hold of his face. "But my history should hardly come as a surprise." Authority - Here's a former junkie. I can recognize one when I see it. Mikael Heidelstam - Suddenly little Mikael opens up his mouth: "Dad's fighting with sticks every night after dinner for four hours. He has a special room for that -- and a special costume!"

Trant is divorced and shares custody of his son with his mother. As usual, there's only one line that points at it. But at least it's clear enough. (I give their due to Jean/Trant shippers) Trant Heidelstam - "I sent him home," he responds calmly. "Mikael is with his mother. We share custody."

Judit has been in Harry's task force for only 2 months, imagine that. It probably explains why she's so nice to him. Judit Minot - "Lieutenant," she says with a heavy sigh. "My name is not 'Horse-Faced Woman'. It's Judit Minot. I was assigned to your unit two months ago. I thought we were friends..."

All facts are proven with quotes taken from the game dialogues on FAYDE. No quote - no fact.

Disco Elysium is a huge game, with lots of lore not just about its world, but about its characters... And this lore is split under a bazillion of different conversations which are hard to navigate and easy to miss.

As a result, there are a lot of small facts that many people just unaware of and make up their own stuff instead. The inconsistency irks me a little (actually, it irks me a lot). Love, peace <3 More facts in part 2 whenever I feel like adding them, because of symbol count restriction.

[infamous-if]

For a music IF you don't get a lot of music questions! What songs have you been listening to on this rewrite? For a friend who is to make some theories based on them 👀

I actually get a lot of music related questions i just havent really answered them haha idk!

Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs Glimpse of Us - Joji Tonight, I love you - The Latency never heal myself - cults you know what I mean - cults the night we met - lord heron heartbreak feels so good - fall out boy so much for stardust - fall out boy pain - three days grace

yeah Ik "who hurt you" these storylines did 🤕

[bovinaeblogs]

lil' cult of the lamb oc ive been thinking about

his name is professor feli, he's based off a black heron. he is a nervous little know it all who travels the land of the old faith in order to learn more about the old gods.

[reinekes-fox]

Interactive WIPs w Demo

FAQ

Grey Swan I - Birds of a Rose

The Divine Flock. Some call them crazy, some even dangerous. Some even say the cult is hiding dark secrets. But, in all your life you have yet to find one. After all you should know should there be any dark secrets: you are a member after all! A member, not only of the Divine Flock, but also of the Avis Academy, the best school the cult has. Your life is quiet and follows a strict routine, at least until two Strays from the outside, the normal, world are allowed in the normally so closed off grounds and as a newly appointed Wing it is your job to keep an eye on one of them. With their arrival some of those dark secrets may finally come to light…

You ARE not playing as a BIRD!!!

New demo https://dashingdon.com/play/wolv/grey-swan---birds-of-a-rose/mygame/

Old demo https://dashingdon.com/go/13119

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Dark Academia.

Moniker for MC: Wing MC.

Genderselectable MC: cis male or female, trans male or female. However due to growing up in a cult, MC wont know that trans is a thing/what it means, this is something MC can learn about. The same goes for sexual orientation: play as gay, bi, straight, aroace or ace, but be prepared for consequences.

Pick your level of devotion: be a devout follower of the teachings of the Divine Flock, reject it partly or wholly, or simply not care. All of it will have consequences.

Choose one of various school clubs, your volery, and get an unique storyline. Ranging from dance to school security, to managing your social media page.

Important people: Your flock, a group of younger pupils you were responsible for before the Strays arrived. You may not be their Wing on paper anymore, but you still hold a special place in their heart! They do miss you and are looking forward giving you a present on your birthday!

Your volery: whichever volery you joined, you are going to met pupils that are just as enthusiastic about your chosen interest as you are! Some more than others.

Your parents. It’s another question if the relationship between you is good, but important it surely is!

ROs: Fuchsia King

Chase Watson

Wing Droznik Juschka

Astor Rapace

-only for Owls: Wing Astoria Rapace

-only for Peacocks: Marter

-only for Swans: Elrond/Estelle Falkenflug

-Vampire route: Sebastian Voss

-AMAB Raven RO: Marcel Rabenschlag

-Heron RO: Amelia Fern

Grey Swan II - Hawks and Doves

Unless otherwise stated you are playing as a normal human! Two legs, two arms, internal organs, hopefully a brain too. We will see how much of this organ stays intact after state propaganda, will we?

Someone once said that you were the most happiest youth in the world after the Great Heartbeat, that had shattered the old world. Earlier you would have agreed in a heartbeat, wearing the light green uniform of your state youth organisation. But now? When war has come to Avistrions shores and news reels show only destruction ?

Choose your gender, way of thinking and stance while growing up in a religious dictatorship on the giant island Avistrion. Be a devout follower of the Divine Flock, the only thing that survived the earthquake that devastated the earth. Or be the Vulture, trying to rip it to shreds, while wearing the badge of youth leadership… where will you be when war strikes your so closed off country? Which side will you be on when it ends? Will you even survive long enough to see the outcome?

Moniker for MC: Fugol MC.

ROs

Agon Falkenflug Adler/Weihe Habichtklau

Johanna/Nikola Arra

Grey Swan III - Wisteria Birds

Wisteria Birds (fantasy, drama, angst)! Currently on pause.

You are beautiful, trained in art and music. You are deadly, trained in the unique weapons that no one except you can use. You are dying. Kept alive by the very same thing that keeps you save from others abusing their power over you… You have no rights. But you can do whatever you want, even kill, without having to fear any consequences. You are the most pleasant death that anyone can wish for. You are an artwork. And all you are supposed to be is look pretty, show of your owners wealth. But oh, you could become so much more…

You play as a highly specialised trained entertainer… an Artwork, expensive companion to the rich and noble ones in Aklant, a country with rigid rules and unspoken laws, strict class divide and obsessed with anything that shows how rich they are… or at least let them appear rich. Artworks themselves are outside of this all, freed from all those social chains, but not seen as human… maybe its time to change that? Or leave the status quo as it is, up to you!

Moniker for MC: Artwork MC.

ROs:

Fauconniers, your potential buyers:

Chevalier Armand Sanson Alexandre Desrosier Others, you may work together with one or more of them? “Mouette” Sanglant du Verdier

You have been a Hound, the human companion of a vampire, for years.

Until you find yourself among the undead and masterless after a night where everything went wrong… leaving you with no other choice but to move back in with your parents.

ROs (will expand)

Theo Grimm

Agent Rosa Caleb

Marian Viorel

Citadel of dancing birds

Ghibli inspired! Mainly Howls moving castle.

You play someone from our world who ends up in another world! Since this is an aspect I greatly enjoyed in the book and was really sad they didnt include in the movie, there will be chances of jumping between the worlds (and of course becoming a magician too!).

ROs, some are locked into specific magic combinations:

Opera Job and changing into Animals: Santu Cajarin

Changing into Animals: Rosalind Eagledancer

Want to support me? Here is my Patreon! Or buy me a Kofi!

[sweetsmalldog]

Something something p!Scott is the wild sibling in almost every sense. He’s unbridled curiosity for everything he finds worth looking into, he’s brave, he’s perhaps a bit unhinged. Scott looks at the world with a desire to see and know and more often then not if it’s not something he’s already learned the dangers of he won’t bother to be careful. Aimsey is there and she needs help because why else would she have never come back, the hooded cult dude’s boat sank into the whirlpool and Scott was going to check out that mountain anyways. He knows what he’s doing of course he’ll be fine. He carries books and maps and looks upon the world with a wonder for the things he has yet to understand and a determination to learn and use it to his advantage.

Something something Acho is the cautious sibling. Acho is the one who knows how easy it is to lose what you love. Acho believes it’s better to not get attached if you can help it and if you can’t don’t let anyone know how much you care. Stars holds onto everyone of value in stars life as tightly as stars can and don’t let go because you may never be able to get it back. Always be careful and don’t let yourself get burned. Don’t trust the people around you unless they’ve proven they can be trusted and even then not fully, be wary of people you don’t know. Hide what you love as it is the most valuable secret.

Scott excitedly telling Gabriel and Christian that his brother has returned to the isle. Acho telling the stars about how they’re scared to let people know they care. Scott not thinking twice about telling Cleo, Owen, and Martyn he and Acho are siblings. Acho having not told a single soul. Scott telling Acho he loves him with no hesitation. Acho not saying it back until Scott is out of earshot. Scott being the one to confront Acho about stars return because “it had to happen at some point”. Acho avoiding it for as long as possible.

Something about them both seeing how the other has changed. Something about Scott writing about how he will do whatever it takes to not lose his brother again. Something about how when Acho said “No Herons” that didn’t include Scott. Something about them both missing the other. Something about how somethings change and shift and some things remain constant. Something about love.

[fir-fireweed]

How?!?!? I always fall for characters like Ferret and Heron so tell me how you have me out here willing to sell my soul for Lion!

Mwahaha! Yasss another convert to the cult of Lion. We meet every Tuesday. BYOB.

No, but really, I’m delighted to hear that! Especially given the fact that you usually gravitate to other ROs. Lion was the protagonist’s love interest in the original novella, and no matter how much I love the other 3 (which I do!), Lion will always be my boo.

Thank you for reading and for the comment!

[defira85]

A Heart As Cold As Ice

A Gale/Tav chapter fic

With everyone assembled, Carmela put her hands on her hips. "Alright," she said, "so everyone just simultaneously had a strange dream. Did you all meet a figure of some importance to you who begged you to trust them?" A round of affirmation went around the group. "I saw my mother," Wyll said, somewhat mournfully. "I also saw my mother," he offered, matching Wyll's relieved smile when he spoke up. "No shit, I saw my mum too," Karlach said, from where she was perched on a log by the fire-pit. "It was so weird, one second I was wide awake for my watch, and then the next second I woke up in some glittery space place with my mum kneeling over me." Heron started to sign something, and Kassara seated next to him snorted in amusement. "Heron says he also saw Karlach's mum," she said, which drew a hearty cackle of laughter from the tiefling woman as she punched Heron on the arm in camaraderie.

Read Chapter Three here! We've got a bloodthirsty drow fight to the death (possibly the best fight scene I've ever written, if I'm being very humble), treachery upon treachery, secret drow cults, our first glimpse of tadpole induced romance, and even... a fated 'oh no' moment involving feelings...

[honeybyte]

heyheyhello!

could you give a little updated rundown of your ocs? i know you've done one back in '17 but that was aaaages ago :3

your ocs are so cool hhhrrrrghhhhh i wanna hear you infodump about them

OUGH OOOHHHH im glad you think they're cool! my little guys,,,,, hmmm lets see 👏 this is gonna get Super long

2024 OC Rundown: GO

Axe + Cleaver

Goliath Abernathy > local hunter, former clergy member of the Harlach Parish

Elle Sinclaire > butcher in the Ros District of Kencree, currently possessed by several ghosts

Agnes Laroche > a scholar of the humanities with a focus on religious studies. she came to Kencree looking to learn about Boarstooth and the Harlach Parish and got more than she bargained for

Euan Harlach > a runaway from the Harlach Parish, the twin of the Parish's head priestess who resents what the church has become under her guidance. Angus' fiance

Angus Reid > blacksmith in the Ros District, head of the militia that keeps the District out from under the Parish's control. Euan's fiance

Odelia Harlach > head priestess of Harlach Parish and foyunder of the Boarstooth religion. a cannibalistic vampire with a taste for power and adoration

tag: rhodes butchery

Coffinmakers

Yule Jones > the local coffinmaker. a workaholic who's main hobby is visiting the oldest graves in town to leave flowers, including a mausoleum with the name Joan Haakon

Joan Haakon > an ancient vampire who doesn't get out much. she got caught returning flowers to Yule's doorstep and now she's living her worst fear (falling in love)

Donatello Jenkins > Joan's wingman, who is ever exasperated with her and finally understanding the phrase "dumb lesbians"

tag: coffinmaker

Flock

Kazmir > grew up alone traveling thru a country hit by a technological apocalypse, looking for her mother. met Mozzwood at a young age and now they're partners thru thick and thin

Mozzwood > a very anxious young gryffin. Kaz protects him more than he has the heart to protect her, but he does his best to look out for her

Valentine > a former cult child and the leading mind on agriculture in the apocalypse. sells their knowledge on agriculture for their needs. rescued Gabriel from their old church

Gabriel > Valentine's little sister and a former cult child. has lived a very sheltered life, so you can imagine what a 9 year old who suddenly doesnt have any rules is like

Neera > an older gryffin that occasionally checks in on the group. taught a younger Valentine how to care for themself

tag: flock

The Hunt

Julia > one of the Malady twins and head of the Malady clan. reacts explosively and violently towards parties outside of his clan, but is loving and silly with the rest of his group. the group's brawler, weapon of choice is his "bear paw" gloves

Angelo > one of the Malady twins and second in command of the Malady clan. much more levelheaded than his sibling, more emotional and very well behaved in social settings. skilled in forgery and lock picking. weapon of choice is a crowbar

Jack > the 3rd addition to the clan. their tech and historical expert in heists/raids. can joke around off the job but takes his work very seriously. Mitchell's mentor. doesn't fight due to an old knee injury

Mitchell > the newest addition to the clan, added after a serious brawl in which he and Julia hit stalemate, earning the clan's respect in one shot. skilled in antique restoration. weapon of choice is knives

Mama > the matriarch of the Malady clan, raised the twins and Jack. very sweet with everyone she meets. doesn't partake in the raids or the spoils, but first order of business after a raid is still to offer her pieces that were acquired on the job. doesn't fight-- has never had so much as a scratch because the rest of the clan protects her

Scottie > local lounge singer, Julia's girlfriend. knows about the clan but unaware what their "job" is. Julia makes sure her every need is met. Scottie is very bubbly and sweet with everyone, and loves hanging off Julia's shoulder

tag: the hunt

Red Heron

Alec > one of the archivists for the Red Heron Project. unable to leave the site due to physical complications regarding their body modification. guardian of the Librarian (in love with the Librarian)

The Librarian > the main archivist of the Red Heron Project. considered a failed model of heavy body modification, they're also unable to leave the site. lives with Alec in the Project's archives

Eliza > considered a successful body mod, and currently works as an assistant within the Project. caretaker for Yuma and Lovelace, and currently working on a plan to get them out

Yuma > also known as Y-034. one of the two youngest subjects in the Project. a successful attempt at creating a programmable android out of a human. best friends with Lovelace

Lovelace > failed attempt at creating a programmable android out of a human. she refuses 98% of commands given to her-- an attempt to fix this leaves her wires fried, reactions violent, and movements unpredictable. does her best to help take gentle care of Yuma

Johann > one of the leading engineers within the project, but was unaware his designs were being carried out-- burdened with intense guilt after learning of Alec and Lovelace's existence, but unable to leave the site. designs and builds for Kairos' mods

Kairos > bodyguard for Johann, and a little obsessed with his own modifications. always looking for bigger and better mods, and loves when they come off intimidating. loves Johann dearly, but will get in daily fights with Alec

tag: red heron

Kor

Adriana > traveling mercenary on her "last job". she's morose, weighed down by the death of a childhood friend. she's convinced it was her fault, and so punishes herself for it constantly. finds her place in the circus after meeting Frogmouth

Frogmouth > a masked jester within a traveling circus. he's looking for revenge for a past hurt, which he refuses to share with others until he meets Adriana. Adriana's complete opposite, he's bubbly to a point of being annoying for most

Grace > duchess of the town the circus and Adriana have landed in. Adriana could swear she was familiar...

Andrew > Grace's devoted guard dog. he's over reactive when it comes to her safety and public perception. hates Frogmouth with a passion

tag: kor

With Love From Denver

The Harbinger/Denver Maldonado > a dullahan in the southwest. the loss of her head created a violent rage within her, and now that her head has been stolen, she hunts down anyone who's come in contact with it

Flora Hernandez > a mail carrier who's secretly hunting for the dullahan's head. she does find it. she also finds the dullahan

tag: wlfd

Pearl River

Dallas Whickam > an alligator hybrid living in the swamps of Louisiana. he's pretty sheltered, considering, but he has a kind personality and can't stop talking when he meets Pearl for the first time

Pearl Jones > a student interested in the swamp wildlife. he stumbles upon Dallas' shack on accident, gets the scare of his life meeting Dallas, and then begins socializing him when he finds he has nothing to fear

tag: dallas, pearl

Temperance

Magdalene > an alcoholic fisherman on the Maine coast. years of scraping by has beaten her down but she feels trapped within her industry. goes to bars and clubs to cope, during which she meets Sadie

Sadie/Temperance > Magdalene's new first mate. Sadie is the human vessel for the goddess Temperance, who's in love with Magdalene (god's favorite fisherman > Bad). Temperance has loved Magdalene thru several lifetimes and will continue to love her for many more

tag: temperance

[lunar1an]

so the thing that Gets Me about late pale abyss is like

we get hints of a truer-to-pact abyss in the form of cagerattler's story and one glimpse when the trio were in the snowy forest and got a denizen pointing a gun at them (killwagon also conforms to normal abyss expectations)

but the primary way it's seen in action is though maricica's cult and the red heron students.

and it's a fucking drugs metaphor.

you put abyss juice in you and feel great and strong and you do a bunch of harmful things while "under the influence". abyss power tempts you with an Ideal Cool Self you can be so you want to put abyss juice in you to get there apparently. and if you do too much of it then it breaks your mind and turns you into a violent monster who only cares about your next killing fix (kira-lynn). maricica's the dealer giving abyss juice and KL peer pressures the others into putting abyss juice in themselves with spirit surgery and it's like.

where's the abyss as trauma. where's the abyss as societal misery that grinds you down and only leaves the sharp edges. where's the abyss as the representation of the idea that Life Sucks sometimes and there's no quick fix or escape.

it's like a watered down version of that one dream blake had in the drains except so watered down it lacks the context of what material circumstances actually push people to take the abyss's offers in-setting and turns it into "they're stupid and/or evil kids"

it's not like an addiction metaphor is Unrealistic for the abyss. that can go to really dark places. but given the context of everything the abyss was in pact and the wider context of how drug use is portrayed in all of WB's works it's. a disappointing show i suppose.

[jaywings]

The way I read the audience post was less 'don't create without any intent to make something meaningful to people, only yourself', and more 'don't cut away or change things that matter to the piece just because it might make the audience larger/because some people might not like it- what moves you at the core of it is more likely to move others through that connected humanity'. It's better to have an audience of ten or a hundred that really get it and are moved by it in the same way you were creating it, than an audience of a thousand or ten thousand who see it as something mildly entertaining but has lost its passion through trying to chase the middle ground and it doesn't stick with them because of that. Creating through what matters to you will find its audience.

Oh, I am absolutely there for the small but dedicated audience. Most of the things I love would probably be considered cult classics. I think that most of the time, when creative works drift too far toward trying to please everyone, it's usually execs coming in and forcing changes based on focus groups or algorithms rather than the artists themselves making these decisions.

I think what got to me about that post was the remark that seemingly related thinking about the audience at all to "pushing a product" rather than "making art." I think you can absolutely make amazing art while keeping the audience in mind, just finding a balance for it- especially when dealing with sensitive material. (Of course, the origin of that quote was Pete Docter, who I had enormous respect for before he made some questionable comments about Pixar's future direction which... oof, talk about making art purely for the audience)

Something like the Star Wars prequels followed George Lucas' vision a bit too much and left audiences... unsatisfied. Meanwhile the sequels went too hard in the other direction and tried to cater too much to audiences (thanks, Disney). Or "The Boy and the Heron" from last year- from what I know it was a deeply personal movie for Miyazaki and it was gorgeous, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I think I could have because it was so surreal (I do need to give it another watch).

Anyway idk what my point is except that I think when creating art to share, thinking about the audience isn't necessarily a bad thing as long as you're not making changes to try to please others rather than for the sake of the art itself.

[shiftingpath]

i've seen a couple friends put up deathknight+deathlord art in excitement for the 3E Abyssals release and!!! i'm excited too.

1) Ashes Offered on the Altar, Midnight cult leader devoted to the Void above all things, Serpent-Twined Graveflower, Moonshadow courtesan-assassin who murders entire courts by driving them into strife with envy and calculated murders, and Black Wings to Blot the Sky, runaway Dusk trying to figure out if it's possible to live again, and if so, who they might be underneath everyone's prior expectations

2) Grave Goods Gardener, Daybreak farmer providing sustenance to the dead

3) Severed Second Hand, Daybreak emissary of the Mask and his adopted son, Manus through the pear wiggler

4) the Black Heron for Jax's birthday ages ago

i'm so hyped to get to write some of these up and see what new ideas the text inspires. #monthinblack

[nightguide]

Trouble in Lumpy Space: infinite possibility

a dog (best friend) gets bitten by you in real time (residents of the Candy Kingdom being scientists) so you know who they are according to the manner of PB that Jake already takes it as if he was never hurt (like a scientist would) so you know exactly where the intuitive explorer would go and it would hurt deeper if you knew the land of your physics deeper that i know how so;

intuition with time is knowing your passion for astronomy has a purpose, so i know they are there (answer the questions you never heard why, 'so where?') that is the most arrogant question you'll ever hear, so make your examiner look like a dumbass and forget why but show them, make them think hard enough to lose you (no thinktank philosophy but make them wander why by losing yourself in feeling not fact)

that's how. i know there is life on exoplanets

okay, so this is fictional but what purpose does that resignate your wonder?

free land?

physics being so out of age for the human eye to see

space travel?

or just mandalorian physics being so heartbreaking for us to actually believe in love again like this

so i'll take credit for land ownership without proofing my works to the ministry of science (or whatever magi incorporation they use to profit off shitty schemes for a man to use cuz feminism rejects how but will use a body (team of women) to ensure a mans legacy as his own cuz he is so blind minded/sighted to hear anything his forefathers (family of his own ability) to heed himself proven to be a scientist, so here is my award for adversity for being that guy🖕

so the land of OOO is underneath my protection now that cartoons is what inhibits humanity by force of thinking cuz my rhetorics back it up cuz i know your intuition is eyeing me.

stop using women for worldly profit

i know you bitches

wifi in Lumpy Space means the world is so out of angle that even historians are thinking like you rn, so everything is edge cult to what Lumpy Space is in human eye occult (conspiracy regalia: you think celebrities are your best friends, don't you?) meaning you define what means to you if you're talking 'on the phone' but really to LSP, you're talking to your ancestors who made you, so you're the one to judge if you know celebrities are talking to you is how your ancestors would make the funny with you like that like you and they're like 'in the future, you're sooooooooooooooooooooo famous an u kick everybody's ass like that and you're like 'wow, ur so famous' and i'm like 'yea, cuz i made you an i luv u sm besti, ur lyk my bff itww' an u kno exactli wat th las lettrs rlli mean' *like meeting Regina George meeting Cady Heron in a 2000's setup for her to setup for her life luck pot 4eva-h* an u kno exactli the whole convusashun tekin plec cuz u kno ur fandom is like u in the end.... an ur like.. a badoss

*u know ur besties with the Queen that way*

islam is too purity for pure living an ur happy u were made that way cuz now u got lore

like how did you get here if you knew me that well, like what did i do to you, omg😊

men died as women, that's the class of smug (LSP's ancestor of the same universe)

Finn flies to Earth which cancels out the flat earth theory completely (expands the idea of so other scientists are looking for a cartoon dimension to see where i got that idea from) so how is this remotely God's idea of a dream looking like an 80's movie

enchiridion talks about God's eye. there is your expansion pack

also humans have boundaries which surprisingly celebrities don't have (they are adjacent to bugs) like nobody gives a sh*t (wealth elsewhere than providing attention to useless catalogues of human bullshit) they can live in lalaland for free

heres my first video out to the aliens, you bastards

Lumpy Space is what OOO thinks of humans, so they're actually humans on OOO who were living in lalaland (good celebrities) so you knew wealth from a TV show you liked and... that happened, they learn to be cute (not even a TV set anymore is how out of space they feel to true society like living among broken hearts so they can have a better life with them as equals) money don't do you no good

rotation. so after the bee is the butterfly and the rotation is how you make that butterfly attach to your personal security is how your childhood game is set up by SEGA to make you appear too good for your own world (videogames) so i got you working with Japan to make do with your notes about electronic devices that deserve a better life

[the-pop-culture-review]

The Art of Cultural Icons: Why Mean Girls (2024) failed the test

Iconic. A word which in pop culture means highly influential and is used to express great approval. There are many arguments that could be had about the 2004 Mean Girls movie, but it would be hard to argue that it is not deserving of the icon status that has been placed upon it. From the extreme quotability, to the incredible cast, to the deeply 2000s ambiance the film is a cult classic masterpiece. However, from the moment the movie version of the broadway adaptation was announced it seemed destined to fail. The trailers did not mention that the movie was a musical, something the internet was quick to pick up on, and the release was buried in January, a well known “dump month” for movies. So, beyond the obvious, what actually caused the new Mean Girls movie to fail, and why was it doomed from the start? 

Warning: the following analysis contains spoilers of both the original Mean Girls (2004) movie as well as the new Mean Girls (2024) movie, hereafter referred to as Mean Girls and Mean Girls the Musical the Movie (MGTMTM) respectively. 

Mean Girls (2004) a Recipe for Success

To understand why MGTMTM failed, we must first understand why the original Mean Girls movie succeeded.

Mean Girls exaggerates and satirizes the high school experience. The movie follows Cady Heron, a homeschooled girl who grew up in Africa moving to the states and experiencing public school for the first time. Cady is introduced to the social hierarchy and spends much of the movie comparing it to the hierarchy of the animal kingdom, a world she is more familiar with. When the school's queen bee, Regina George takes Cady under her wing, Cady is presented with the opportunity to bring down Regina and her lackeys, but in the process finds life at the top of the pyramid intoxicating.

Cady gives viewers a unique perspective into the classic popularity trope as she finds herself caught between the popular plastics and her artsy friends. It’s a tale as old as time, a protagonist caught between two worlds, but the exaggerated high school setting makes the story both relatable and compelling. 

A key element in the success of any art is timing. Trends and art are so intertwined that creating or releasing something at the wrong time can fate it to be forgotten. Mean Girls manages to completely avoid this trap by leaning into the trends of the 2000s to the point where it preserves a piece of the culture in that moment. The 2000s was a decade of the “it” girl, specifically ones who were loud, messy, and unafraid of scandal. Mean Girls took the idea of the “it girl” and merged her with the “Queen Bee” to create Regina George and the plastics. A group of popular, fake girls who were more literally than figuratively celebrities within the social structure of their school who everyone wanted to either be or be with. 

The movie embraced the rather awkward fashion of the 2000s without trying to stay so hard on top of the trends that the clothing feels quickly outdated. There are looks so iconic that they could be culturally relevant, easily understood halloween costumes 20 years later. Not to mention that in a time where good vs. evil and revenge were common movie themes, Mean Girls managed to set itself apart by creating morally gray characters. From Cady Heron’s plastic transformation to Regina George’s redemption arc, the mean girls demonstrate that high school students are not inherently good or bad, just trying to fit in however they can. 

More than anything else, what made Mean Girls a success is that no one was trying to make a movie that would have a twenty-plus year impact. Not to say that was not a goal or a hope, but this was the first screenplay written by Tina Fey. She wrote the script because the story was one that resonated with her. Tina Fey and everyone who worked on Mean Girls were simply making art for the sake of art, not for profits or recognition. This seems to be in stark contrast to the 2024 musical adaptation. 

Mean Girls (2024) Destined for Disaster

While the 2024 version of Mean Girls does work to update the story for a 2020s audience, it also desperately clings to the nostalgia of the original Mean Girls. Remaking a well received movie is nothing new, but MGTMTM desperately tries to avoid the trap of a shot for shot remake by instead adapting the broadway version for the big screen. There are three things the production team would have had to consider while creating the script.

Adapting a broadway play into a movie. Taking a 2 hour and 30 minute play and distilling it down into a 1 hour 50 minute movie while trying to lose as little content as possible. 

Modernizing a story written for a 2004 audience. Scripts must be updated to fit a more modern context while avoiding potential plot holes created by removing outdated pieces of script. 

Keeping enough nostalgia to draw in viewers. Cutting and reworking cannot remove too much of the heart of the original movie or the audience will lose interest. 

A major problem with MGTMTM is that considerations 2 and 3 conflict, which can be felt by the audience. The updated script feels like the production team were trying desperately hard to drag the story forward in time while refusing to let go of the nostalgia of the original movie. The result is a script which feels like if you took the original Mean Girls and boiled it down into its most quotable lines, then swapped out anything even vaguely “problematic” and added some songs, losing most of the original story’s soul. 

Instead of taking the opportunity to address out of date jokes from the original movie, tackling difficult social issues or calling out problematic behaviour (“Oh my God, Karen, you can't just ask people why they're white”) MGTMTM chooses to avoid bringing most of them up all together. This would be an acceptable choice if it was not for the fact that many of the social issues and outdated language encountered by the original mean girls are problems that are still present in high schools around the world. With each new iteration of the story the creators are trying hard to pull the script forward in time, but they do not seem to stop to consider how the story might play out differently in the new social landscape. They opt instead to keep most of the original story line, “trimming the fat” from the story where current social expectations might ruin the nostalgic feeling and haphazardly adding in new technology and references. 

Incorporating social media into movies and television has become commonplace over the past few years. However, it is almost always done by production teams made up primarily of people who did not grow up in the age of social media. From the way socials are used in MGTMTM it seems the production team does not have a good understanding of social media fame or virality. A popular high school girl is not going to be famous online just for being popular at school. Not to mention people care very little about messy drama that is not playing out in front of their eyes. Why would millions of people care about high school drama? While it is possible that a clip of someone like Regina George falling could go viral online, the social media montage that follows is an unrealistic response to the clip. 

Social media montages are gaining in popularity in traditional media but it feels like a lazy way to incorporate it. Maybe this is what social media feels like for older generations, a blur of videos and emojis focused on frivolous topics, but this is not how it feels to those who are more familiar with it. Montages like these make social media feel isolated from the world instead of an integrated, daily part of it. A more grounded approach of having characters scroll social media and come across a viral video would have made the integration more seamless. The point of the TikTok or Reels depiction is to inflate the audience's sense of Regina’s popularity even further, but a more realistic approach would have been to see her as an aspiring influencer or someone the whole school followed online.

By far the greatest sin committed by MGTMTM is that it tries too hard. This movie tries too hard to replicate the success of the original Mean Girls and it tries too hard to appeal to the masses. It is clear that Tina Fey and the rest of the production cast believed that with the perfect formulaic combination of nostalgia and 2020s trends they could create an “iconic” movie. However, what they failed to understand is that iconic movies cannot be created in that way. By the very definition presented at the start of this analysis, “iconic” art is not something that can be created. In trying to create something iconic the artist removes any originality from the work by tapping into trends. The result is something that follows iconization rather than influencing it. The problem with this is that the audience can feel that they are being pandered to, even if they do not fully understand why. Art created through this process feels unoriginal and uninspired because it is formulaic and lacks the heart that a truly good piece of art contains. Good art is always created by an artist for themselves because it is something they want to make. 

Conclusion

The main problem with Mean Girls (2024) is that it is a messy modernization clinging to the past, desperately trying to recreate the success of the original movie. The issue lies with the fact that it was created at all. Why do movie studios insist on continually remaking successful movies? Realistically, the answer is that it brings in money. People pay to watch these movies even if they are terrible because they want to try to re-capture the nostalgia of their favourite movies. However, these recreations almost never perform as well as the originals and are at best forgotten soon after their release and at worst so terrible that they dilute the legacy of their classic counterparts.