#fantastic beasts dating would include

[acetypeface]

The New Mutants Play DnD

They're still in my brain soup.

DANI: Is the DM. A fantastic storyteller, although she can be a bit of a stickler for the rules. Loves to prep days in advance, and includes as many elaborate schemes and puzzles as she can. Prefers to run a game that's evenly 50% roleplay and 50% combat. Brings lots of drinks and snacks so people (Roberto) won't leave the table mid-session with the munchies.

SAM: Plays a Human Fighter (Champion). Played the most basic character because he didn't want to challenge himself too much at first; has become the party's most talented member. Wants to be the leader of the party (no one listens to him). Somehow got knighted in their first session. The best at accents when roleplaying, but gets increasingly more southern when he gets frustrated during a session. Accidentally married a dwarven princess and can't figure out how to divorce her.

XUAN: Plays a Half-Drow Warlock (Great Old One). Has no idea what a drow is, just thought they sounded cool. Came up with an elaborate and tragic backstory for her character, which has fucked her over multiple times. Prefers deception and trickery to direct combat; has soothed over multiple of Roberto's accidental fights that way. Is really good at remembering all of the tiny things about each player's character. Is the resident healer of the party (the only one who remembers to grab important items, like food and healing supplies).

ROBERTO: Plays a Fire Genasi Bard (College of Eloquence). LOVES the roleplay aspect. Wants to be the face of the party, but tends to start fights. Talks a little too much; Dani has to remind him to give others a turn. Has successfully seduced the dragon. In charge of the party's money. Tends to power up when he gets too excited. Has "accidentally" led Doug into a trap more than once.

ILLYANA: Plays a Tiefling Paladin (Oath of Vengeance). Doesn't like to roleplay, but drops absolute bangers when she deigns to join in. An absolute beast in battle; has killed the most enemies to date. Was banned from being the party's face after starting an interdimensional war. Isn't afraid to engage in a bit of friendly fire. Has almost broken her oath several times. Gets really worked up and competitive during the tiny side quests.

AMARA: Plays an Earth Genasi Monk (Way of the Sun Soul). Loves elaborate descriptions of her character. Has already commissioned drawings of her character several times. One of the more cautious players; has saved Roberto alone upward of five times. Loves to dress up for each session, artful body paint included. Has mastered the eloquent speech of the fantasy realm.

DOUG: Plays a Human Wizard/Artificer (Order of Scribes/Alchemist). Takes too long choosing his spells and has to be reminded he would not be allowed to pause and contemplate mid-battle. Gets really excited by the terminology and world-building. Tends to have a panic attack when his character is about to die. Is known to "accidentally" cast area spells around Roberto. Loves solving all of the puzzles and riddles. Takes notes during the session, to the bewilderment of all.

WARLOCK: Is Doug's construct. Gets confused when they can't solve battles by talking things out. Is prone to running off to save Doug if his character is in danger. Incredibly distractable mid-game, but will always have his friends' backs. Gear hoarder who picks up absolutely everything, in case the party needs it later.

RAHNE: Plays a Human Druid (Circle of the Moon). Spends most of her time in Wildshape. Refuses to kill any animalistic enemies. Gets squirrelly whenever clerics or gods are mentioned; has been known to pray for forgiveness after a session. Gets genuinely frightened by some of Dani's descriptions. Strangely enough, is one of the party's best faces. Usually has a wolf following her at all times, and she cries if it dies.

[1donoow]

MIX FANDOM FANFIC REC PT.2

[Fanfics i've read]

Edited

......

♡ - smut

Mostly fluff

......

Fantastic beast [newt scamander]

harry potter [wolfstar][remus lupin][regulus black][james potter]

the black phone [vance hooper]

enola holmes [sherlock holmes]

the walking dead [glenn rhee]

outa [peter pan][felix]

maze runnner [newt][gally]

dune [duke leto atreides]

rise of the guardians [jack frost][bunnymund]

big hero 6 [tadashi hamada][hiro hamada]

·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·

———FANTASTIC BEAST————

newt scamander

@moonlit-imagines - your husband coming home to find a baby niffler hanging from your neck

@spideyharrington - one and the same

————HARRY POTTER————

wolfstar

@wolfstardaughter-jj - like fathers,like daughter

@masivechaos - you remind me of him

·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·

remus lupin

@ddejavvu - grumpy remus x sunshine reader

- ___

- y/n loving when remus ramble

- sleepy cuddles with remus

·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·

regulus black

@ddejavvu - the reader intentionally mistook sirius as snape

·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·

james potter

@reysdriver - lucky charm

———THE BLACK PHONE———

vance hopper

@angelofthenight - are we about to kiss?

@mirrorballshiningjustforyou - vance with a opposite reader

- vance x cheerleader reader

————ENOLA HOLMES————

sherlock holmes

@marvelousmando - the game is afoot indeed

@love-strawberry - we'll be alright

@st-juliet - pulse point ♡

———THE WALKING DEAD———

glenn rhee

@the-daily-multi-fandom-post - gleens lover girl

@refiwrites - tepidity

@captain-tch - trinkets

——————OUAT————————

@thepiratequeenofneverland - A Poly introduction

·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·

peter pan

@heliads - dating peter pan would include

@evangeline-perry - peter pan relationship

@bad268 - peter pan fluff alphabet

@justpan - Kindness and Cruelty 

@mysadcorner - peter with a quiet!reader

·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·

felix

@goldenxshine - dating felix and wearing glasses would include

————MAZE RUNNER—————

@toxicbubblegum212 - snow in the glade

@virginia-peters - ___

@givemearock - tmr boys if you gave them a rock

·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·

newt

@heliads - men and tea

@witchthewriter - jealous newt with a medjack girlfriend would include

·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·

gally

@cantstoptheimagines - rbf

@writingandimagines - gally teaching you how to defend yourself

@5sospenguinqueen - dating gally would include

@gladerscake - territorial

@witchthewriter - being gally's s/o would include

——————DUNE————————

duke leto atreides

@nonpoppin - beard

@dailyreverie - you are what’s important right now

- your touch

- hugging them from behind, laying their head on the other’s shoulder

@starryeyedstories - like real people do

@catlordewrites - in the water

- a little less lonely

@lightsinthedistancee - how it feel to be free

@geo-winchester - like we used to be

@supernovafeather - new home ♡

@letstalkaboutshtufff - opposites attract

@pumpkin-stars - stalwart

@ophelialoveshandsomemen - you're handsome with snowflakes in your beard

——RISE OF THE GUARDIAN——

jack frost

@imagines-dreams - ___ (cupid!reader)

·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·

bunnymund

@razzlerdazzler - bunnymund with a halloween spirit s/o who likes spring and easter

@daydreaming-away-reality - the sweetest thank you (mother nature!reader)

—————BIG HERO 6—————

tadashi hamada

@multi-fandom-imagine - pop rock kiss

- ___

@subtly-a-selkie - tadashi is here pt1

·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·—·

hiro hamada

@thequeenrains - a night to a decade

@bigherosix2 - quarantining with hiro

@maycat-19-142 - ___ (poison!reader)

[curioushabitforarivergod]

Harry Potter and the Case of Scotland, An Essay

Or; Scotland is independant, Hogwarts is a completely fucked up and the witches are dying by the dozen. 2700+ words.

Anyone who knows an inkling of British politics or history understands the tension between Scotland and England, an underlying issue that dates back to at least the Roman Conquest. Scotland is more progressive than England, with a strong focus on transgender issues, much to JKs fury. More than that, every council in Scotland saw "remain" majorities with Brexit, as compared to England and Wales. An independent Scotland is not far from the realms of possibility, although in Harry Potter, it seems Scotland has always been independent.

It's odd to imagine this. From what we've come to understand of the Wizarding World, magical boundaries and borders follow muggle ones. We see references to individual countries, including Bulgaria, France, and of course Albania. Ireland also features prominently, although it's not clear how seperate the country is — the Troubles is certainly a prominent part of Harry Potter, inspiring Voldemort's actions and also characterising Seamus, the only prominent canonical Irish character as a pyromaniac. Yet, conversely the clues about Scotland and the truth are hard to find.

When looking at Fantastic Beasts — the fake, graffitied textbook, not the movie — I found something odd. Scotland seems to be a seperate entity from the rest of the Ministry of Magic, or at least what counts as a 'country' within the sense of the Wizarding World. It's not explicit by any means, rather it's more implicit, but it piqued my interest and inspired this essay.

The International Confederation of Wizards has had to fine certain nations repeatedly for contravening Clause 73. Tibet and Scotland are two of the most persistent offenders. (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, 2001. pg. xvii.)

I highlight here "nation" and "Scotland".

Note: I'm ignoring Tibet as the book is meta and supposedly written in the 1920s-30s by Newt Scamander. Tibet existed as a country during this time.

Scotland is not a nation. It has not really been a nation since 1603 when James the VI of Scotland became James the I of England, although this wasn't really premeditated. Also, the two crowns, although united in the Stuart family, weren't really the same country. At least not in the way we understand it today. It wasn't until 1707 when Scotland and England were legally unified beyond just sharing a king.

The Statue of Secrecy, however, was signed in 1689, during this odd time where Scotland was joined by crowns but not by law. I wonder then, how possible it would be for Scottish wizards to have expressed the same disdain for the English and refused to join with England.

As I will discuss later, it makes sense with Scotland's population and history. Additionally, we know that schools in the Wizarding World transcend our own borders — Beuaxbaton seems to take French, Swiss, Belgium students, and I imagine (based on the bad world building) would take most of Western Europe. Similarly, Durmstrung takes students from most of Eastern Europe. This does make sense in some ways — WWI and WWII dramatically altered the borders of Europe. Scotland could easily take students from the rest of Britain, even if it itself is not a nation within the UK and is its own seperate entity.

Further, time and time again, we see that the Ministry has little no influence over what actually occurs within Hogwarts, with the exception of Umbridge. There is no set curriculum by teachers — each teacher is very different and teaches what they want, which we see both with Hagrid and the multitude of DADA professors. This makes little sense; within a state school, or a school that has government involvement, you would expect some centralisation of what should be taught in schools. Even private schools have some sort of organisation along this basis, though I will be discussing more of this later.

Additionally, the Ministry have no role in appointing people for jobs or firing people within Hogwarts — Dumbledore is not removed from power until after he has broken a law against the ministry, which makes him appear to be the result of long-armed jurisdiction. Umbridge's power then, comes not just from the ministry, but from being an international agent, likely granted under something similar to an extradition treaty by the Scottish government.

Researching online showed nothing else, but I think from conjecture we can say that Scotland is independent, based too on its real life history (which is something I'll explore momentarily). This being the case, and its close proximity to England plus (largely) shared history, I imagine Scotland has a system similar to the rest of the UK, if more feudal.

It's likely Scotland's government is an oligarchy, run by barons and old families. There is only one name within the Sacred 28 which has Scottish origins, which could suggest the Macmillan's had a monopoly over this, but also could be simply Cantankerous Nott's bias or the Macmillians being the only 'pure' family from Scotland to marry into Sacred 28.

We do know that the Ross's (McGonagall's maternal family) were pureblood and McGonagall's mother eloped with a muggle. I think they would've been a fairly important family in Scotland's oligarchy as Ross is an area of Scotland. Following this logic, there should be other old families which take their name from the land (or vice verse) — Fife, Moray, Kinross, Selkirk, etc. — though none of these are characters last names canonically.

The Buchanan's are also a Pureblood family, and quite Purist. They're mentioned on Pottermore and one of the sons, Angus Buchanan was a squib who, after being kicked out, became a Scottish rugby player, inspired by the real Angus Buchanan and wrote a book about being a squib. Apparently he's the reason every wizard canonically supports the Scottish rugby team.

Finally, I'll suggest the Dale family as Pureblood and potentially part of this oligarchy. They're from Hogwarts Legacy and one of their members cursed the family tomb (located near Hogwarts) around 1300, but their family continues until the late 19th century at least. A family that has the money to build a tomb, the means to curse it and the ability/need to maintain their family name for so long is likely Pureblood.

There are other Scottish families, or ones that could be attributed to Scotland, but these had the strongest bases within known material and fell into at least three of the following categories.

Pureblood

Old families/family names

Monetary means

Obsessed with blood purity

More than a paragraph about them on the Harry Potter Wiki

Of course none of this is definite and delves into the realm of headcanons and OCs, but I'd recommend these as a starting point if someone were to ever write something based on this. I'd also recommend looking at Macbeth for character names.

The Tragedie of Macbeth was written in 1606 for King James I and VI of England and Scotland. It's one of Shakespeare's most famous plays (and my favourite), and is so ingrained within Western culture today — rules about not saying its name in the theatre, a self-fulfilled prophecy, double double toil and trouble, and of course the three witches — and these things all inspire the Wizarding World too, with the last three manifesting throughout the books and movies.

James was obsessed with witches — that's why Shakespeare wrote Macbeth for him (and also as a way to comment about the tyranny James was imposing on England; good stories are cultural critiques as well as being entertaining). In 1597, King James had written Daemonologie, a philosophical dissertation on witches, necromancy, black magic and demons. He advocated strongly for witch trials. Of course, Malleus Maleficarum, written in Germany, 1486, had also advocated for the same things.

Scotland is heavily associated with witchcraft — buidseachd in the original Scots Gaelic — for these things. It was also a place of comparatively high witch trials in comparison to England, with an estimated 4000-6000 people tried and more than 1500 executed (roughly 75% of them were women). These numbers were also 4 times the European average. While the more reported trials occurred during the period between the crowns inheritance and legal unification of Scotland and England, they were established widely before this too. Additionally, there was a entire entity of the Scottish Kirk which set up kirk sessions (elected officials of churches in charge of determining whether a person was guilty) as early as 1560 in some places, with legal introductions in 1597 — England did not have these sorts of things.

With the intense conditions of the period, it is likely wixen in Scotland were driven into hiding before their English counterparts, thus allowing for the distancing between the muggle and the wizarding world perhaps even before the two crowns united in 1603, as discussed in the previous section. This being the case, I would determine that Scotland, as a result of the rising tensions between the witchcraft and the muggle world enforced their own statue of secrecy and divided from the government between 1597 and 1603.

However, I think the majority of these issues stem too from the establishment of Hogwarts and the problems it faces in regards to world building. Canonically Hogwarts does exist with Scotland, which makes perfect sense when it comes to isolation, but the model is historically flawed in more ways than one.

According to Pottermore, Hogwarts was founded "at some point in the tenth century… concealed with numerous charms and spells to make it impossible for Muggles to trespass," the most notable being "any passing Muggle would only see ruins." Historically, this is impossible.

Castles as we understand them were only just beginning to make their appearances in mainland Europe in the late 10th century. Previously, they had been wooden structures, but even these 10th century stone structures are nowhere near the fairytale castles that pop-culture depicts. They were motte-and-bailey designs that were continued in some places until the 13th century, and were more concerned with fortification and intimidation than beauty. They looked a lot like this:

The motte was a huge pile of earth, incredibly steep and offered protection as guardhouses were built on top. The bailey was where people lived, worked and stored food. They were surrounded, often by high wooden posts and earthworks, whose ditches could sometimes act as moats when it flooded, although were just as difficult to invade when dry. They were easy to defend as they only had one entrance and most of the buildings inside would've been wooden, though stone buildings on the motte were not uncommon. There are many surviving examples and ruins around France and England. Herein lies several problems.

Firstly, these motte-and-bailey's originated in France during the early medieval period and were introduced to England following the Norman invasion in 1066. Any construction of these buildings in England would've been limited to the 11th and 12th centuries largely, as prior to the Norman invasion, the Anglo-Saxons followed more German and Norse traditions of large thatched halls.

You may have noted that I fail to mention Scotland in this discussion of early castles. This is because castles were nonexistent in Scotland until King David I brought them back from England and adopted them and feudalism in the 12th century. The earliest known castle in Scotland is Castle Sween built in 1100, about two centuries after Hogwarts was supposedly built. Only the ruins and earthworks remain, and it's believed the towers were later additions.

What might be noticeable is how little it looks like Hogwarts. Early medieval castles — in actuality most medieval castles — were stone walls which housed interior wooden buildings which have since been destroyed by any number of things. They were not the fairytale structures that come to mind in association with the word "castle". Those were a later constructions of the Georgian and Victorian periods from the 18th century onwards. Instead of being fortresses like medieval castles, they were homes of luxury.

Put simply, Hogwarts does not make historical sense in its construction or portrayal. Unless it was adapted and improved upon as time went on (which is unlikely and infeasible) Hogwarts should be nothing more than rotted huts. There's more to say on the poor grasp of history (I could go on about Merlin or the founders), but Hogwarts continues to bother me in the modern world too.

We return again to government and our question of whether Hogwarts is a government school or a private one. Although the wizarding world is deeply capitalist, with the common assumption being that students pay a yearly fee to attend within fics, I doubt this. There is never any mention of this within the books, and logistically it doesn't make sense. How do muggleborns pay? How do wizarding families like the Weasley's pay? If there had been some kind of transaction, we would've seen it in the books given they're told from Harry's experience. Alternatively, acting on the assumption that Scotland is it's own nation within the wizarding world brings up similar issues regarding the standardisation of schooling as I discussed earlier — there is little to none. For these reasons, I don't think Hogwarts is a government school either.

Returning once more to history, I think Hogwarts takes its education system from the charity schools which populated the UK for a large portion of its history until national-run schools opened in the 19th century. Their goal was to provide some education to the small towns where they were established but there was no standardisation of them across the UK. With the historical context in regards to the split from the muggle world in the 16th/17th century and the stagnation of wizarding government since then, it makes perfect sense for Hogwarts to act as a charity school, especially as according to Pottermore it was originally constructed to hide wizards who were "being persecuted by muggles."

This also makes sense if we take into account O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts, which act as standardised tests for an unstandardised system. I think these were developed sometime in the 20th century to act as a qualification, particularly as the muggle world was becoming more bureaucratic and the wizarding one was failing to match up. It's likely it was an effort by the ICW rather than an individual nation, although other countries call them different things.

O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts in themselves suggest other schools similar to Hogwarts or homeschooling. This isn't completely out of line with what appears in canon either. Although the Gaunts are largely squibs by the mid-20th century, they still do possess some magic. For all his faults Marvolo would have taught both Merope and Morfin. Using this, we can ascertain that school-aged students are not required to go to Hogwarts. We can also deduce this from the fact that the trace is added onto wands after the first year at Hogwarts, as Hermione mentions all the spells have worked for her when trying them at home before Hogwarts. As such, it's a safety measure implemented by Hogwarts, fulfilling its original purpose as a place of protection, acting as a charity school for those who have no other options or for those who simply want to attend.

Hogwarts as a charity school acts simply. It is funded by a board, ideally a board that is not elected but instead based off inheritance and nepotism, with families like the Malfoys having funded it for generations (which would explain Lucius' attendance of school quidditch games). While examiners do enter Hogwarts for O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts, this is only done as it's the biggest school in the region. Students at Hogwarts, at other wizarding schools, or through home-schooling and their parents education can also complete self-study (including of subjects not offered at Hogwarts) and complete their O.W.Ls or N.E.W.Ts at any ICW approved governing body, which includes Scotland's ministry, however that might manifest.

I don't think I can offer any conclusion to this, and for now my ideas are exhausted. I think I'm more poking at holes with a stick and making them bigger, but I wanted some way to record everything and work through issues and interesting things. Much of this developed and grew as I was writing — this began as only a discussion of whether Scotland was a nation within HP. If I've forgotten anything or piqued any interests my asks are open.

[theriverbeyond]

salut!!! do you have any fave griddlehark au fics?? your taste is immaculate so i would appreciate the recs

omg thank u!! and YES i have tons of recs. I have started a couple of bookmark collections on ao3 for my personal favorite fics, THREE of which are about griddlehark!! As a heads up I only made them somewhat recently, and am therefore trying to catch up on my bookmarks backlog, so they aren't complete but I recommend everything in them :D

Griddlehark Modern AU bookmark collection (what it says on the tin, all fics >10k words) Griddlehark Canon Divergence AU bookmark collection (Basically any AU ft. griddlehark with canon divergence from any period in the timeline, including regular canon divergence & more drastic alternate paths such as Nova AU, BOE!Gideon, Her Divine Highness AU, etc) Griddlehark Misc AU bookmark collection (Any non-canon, non-mundane AU)

for specific fic recs, just off the top of my head:

Waiting and Better Days by badgerjaw (Griddlehark modern AU sickfic & hurt/comfort, made me cry (positive), really beautifully written)

I am one of the young women who was rescued from the Locked Tomb cult, AMA. by mintpearlvoice (formatted like a reddit AMA, funny but also angsty in the best way. what can i say but them <3)

literally anything written by @valancietrinit/valancytrinit, especially if you like your alternative universes with an angsty modern flavor they have some utterly FANTASTIC oneshots here, literally no words u just have to read them and experience it for yourself

hold you like a weapon by @gideonisms/GingerAlchemy (ballet fake dating AU with pitch perfect griddlehark dialogue and banter. holding them in my arms)

The Heart Is Hard To Translate by JustBeCos (BOE!Gideon AU, Harrow is captured by BOE and Gideon ends up guarding her. One of the most scrunchable Harrows ever, with SUCH a well written Gideon as well, tears my heart out with each update!!!)

Mors Vicit Omnia by @four-for-fidelity/WalkingDisaster (forensic anthropology AU that has me by the THROAT!!! in suspense, truly one of the Fics Of All Time, to me)

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by @neornithes/pipistrelle (MOBY DICK AU where the scions of the Houses are called by God to go on a Ressurection Beast hunt. Once again, truly one of the fics of ALL time, the way this fic re-interprets Resurrection Beasts, Lyctorhood, the River, and necromancy in general is just beyond fantastic)

[blakeswritingimagines]

Dating Yandere Alfie Solomons:

Well, as a yandere, he would constantly be watching his beloved. He'd be extremely possessive, and when you interacted with other people, he would act irrationally and make his intentions clear. He would keep tabs on you 24/7 and make sure that you were always with him. If you showed any interest in anyone else, he would act violently and eliminate the new competition by any means necessary. But most importantly, he'd do anything for his love and would go to any lengths to make you his and his alone.

He'd be very territorial of his prey. He'll be very clingy and obsessive, constantly wanting your attention. He'll also be very possessive, going out of his way to ensure that none of your other suitors ever get a chance to be alone with you. Whenever he sees another person even coming close to you, he becomes jealous and angry, doing everything in his power to ward off his competition and keep his prey all to himself.

He'd be obsessed with you, to the point where he'd be jealous of anyone he perceived to be a threat to your relationship. He'd probably go to extreme lengths to "protect" you, including killing any potential rivals. He might even try to isolate you from your friends and family in order to have you all to himself with no more interruptions.

As you would become the centre of his existence, he'd be willing to do anything for you: take your side in any situation, put your needs before his own, stand by your side through thick and thin, protect you from harm, and even die for you. He would want to be your first thought in the morning and your last thought at night and to always be in your thoughts and mind.

If he knew that you were meeting friends or spending time with family, he would get incredibly anxious. He would constantly check the time, praying that you would come back to him soon. He would worry that you would fall in love with someone else, or that they would steal you from him. He would obsess over trying to call you or having one of his men watch you and get jealous of anyone you were speaking to. If you were late coming back, he would call and call, desperate to hear your voice, and leaving you with someone else was out of the question.

His strength, dedication, and determination are what make him a fantastic lover. He is a powerful and fierce beast in the bedroom, yet he also has a sensitive and passionate side. When he is with you, he wants to dominate you, control you, and take you to heights of pleasure that you've never felt before. Yet, he also wants to please you, to explore your body and touch your soul. He is a force of nature, a warrior, and a lover.

If anyone gets too close to you, they may find themselves in a world of pain. He may be sweet and caring towards his darling, but that all flies out the window if you become interested in someone else. He will be jealous, angry, and unforgiving as he will do anything to ensure you stay with him.

He's not shy at showing his love and affection for you, but he doesn't want you to get bored either. He likes to spice things up every once in a while to keep things exciting and unpredictable. This could include surprise date nights, romantic gestures, and even breaking into your house just to show how much he cherishes you. No matter what he does, though, he always wants you to know how much he loves and cares for you.

He's also protective and sweet to his darling. He'll pamper you, spoil you, and show you how much you mean to him. When it comes to your happiness and wellbeing, he'd move heaven and earth. As much as he may seem overly obsessive, he truly loves and cares about you and shows it in his own special way.

While he may seem like a twisted individual, the one thing he can't help but feel is love for you. Although his means may be questionable, every action, every choice he makes is made with your safety, happiness, and love in mind. He may be a yandere, but that doesn't take away his ability to care and love even if it comes down to smothering you.

He also has a side that is more vulnerable, sensitive, and deeply affectionate. His sweet and kind side isn't seen by many, but when it comes to you, he doesn't ever want to hide himself away. He wants you to see the full extent of his love and affection, and he wants to ensure you know how much he cares.

He is also loyal, dedicated, and extremely attentive to you. He wants to be the greatest lover and partner you've ever had and will work hard to be that person. While he's quick to act on and express his possessiveness and protectiveness of you, he's also capable of restraint and showing you how much he cares through more subtle and thoughtful gestures. When it comes to you, he wants to be the best and is willing to put in the effort to ensure he is.

Aside from being very protective and obsessive over you, as a yandere, he can also be quite jealous, possessive, and territorial. He doesn't share his darling with anyone else and will go to extreme lengths to ensure you remain his and his alone. This can include threatening anyone who gets too close to you, monitoring your activities and messages, and becoming controlling in the pursuit of total control.

He may come across as cold and distant toward everyone else, but he's really just hyper-focused on you. Everyone else is pretty much irrelevant to him. Their thoughts and feelings mean nothing to him when compared to you. Anyone that stands in the way of his love will be destroyed, and he won't think twice about it.

He's also willing to adapt his behavior and approach depending on his darling's needs. If you prefer a more subtle and restrained approach, he'll try to reign it in and keep his affection more subdued. However, if you prefer a more active and vocal expression of love, he'll happily oblige and show his love in a more overt way. The most important part of being a yandere is making sure he is true to himself and his feelings, but also ensuring he listens to your needs and wants.

He'll also go out of his way to learn more about what you love and how to make you happy. He'll do everything in his power to find out what makes you tick and how you like to spend your time so he can surprise you and make you feel special. He'll also do his best to support and encourage you, to help you reach your full potential, and see your goals and aspirations come to life.

He's also prone to experiencing extreme emotions, both positive and negative, toward my darling. This can lead to frequent mood swings, from the euphoria of being with you to the depths of desperation and distress if he believes you are in danger or are being unfaithful. His mood depends on how he believes the situation is progressing, but it's not uncommon for him to switch back and forth between these two extremes multiple times throughout the day.

He's also loyal, compassionate, and understanding towards his darling's feelings. He's aware that being overly obsessive or controlling can lead to feelings of resentment or apprehension, so he tries to balance his love and affection with consideration for your thoughts and feelings. He also makes sure that he's doing all this for your own good, not his own, and makes sure that you are the priority in your relationship.

He may seem unpredictable, even chaotic at times. However, when it comes to his love for you, nothing will stand in his way. He may seem possessive and obsessed, but he would do anything for you and the "love " you share. He may not always show his love in "normal" ways, but that only adds to the unique and special love you share together. And while he may occasionally be seen as unhinged, the truth is that he is just a deeply passionate and caring person who craves affection.

"You're mine, darling, and you always will be. You are my world, without you I am nothing. I'm obsessed with you and I worship the ground you walk on. From the moment I discovered you, I knew you were the one for me. And you will be. Forever and always."

[positivelybeastly]

A Completely Unbiased and Totally Comprehensive Beast Reading List, Pt. 1

As a member of the first class of X-Men, the intelligently gifted Dr. Hank McCoy has been fighting for the peaceful coexistence between mutants and humans for most of his life, under the tutelage of Professor Xavier. Born with an enhanced physique, strength, and muscular structure, he has adopted the name Beast.

Well, hello there, friends! Welcome to a completely unbiased, totally comprehensive, not at all too long reading list that aims to show you the story of everyone's favourite Beast, from start to finish!

Origins

As one of the original X-Men, Beast features in almost every issue of the very first iteration of the team - but to put it bluntly, 60s X-Men sucks, and I want you to enjoy this character, so we're going to start with some aggressive curation.

X-Men Origins: Beast, by Mike Carey - a solo story that retells Hank's origins, including his pre-X-Men life, and an insight into his mindset, his relationship with humanity, and his first meeting with the X-Men. It also happens to have some rather lovely art, and a fantastic last page spread that expresses a lot of what makes Hank a brilliant character. X-Men: First Class, by Jeff Parker - a collection of mini-series that fill in the gaps between stories in the original run of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's X-Men, this run is extremely readable, and does a very good job of forming a cohesive characterisation of both Hank, the X-Men, and, particularly, Professor Xavier. You do not need to have any former knowledge of anything X-Men to read this run. Issues of Particular Note: (2006) #8; the meeting of Hank and Gorilla Man, who have a cute dynamic, and if you like Gorilla Man, you should read Agents of Atlas by Parker as well. (2007) #4; the foundation of Hank's friendship with Bobby Drake, aka Iceman. These two were thick as thieves all the way up until the late 00s. Giant-Sized Special; a collection of short fun little stories with varying art styles, featuring Hank on small solo adventures or in duos with the other X-Men. Finals #2; Hank deciding to leave the X-Men, and become his own man.

X-Men: Season One by Dennis Hopeless is a standalone graphic novel that aims to retell the early days of the X-Men from the perspective of Jean Grey, and features Hank fairly prominently. If you want to be more up to code on early X-Men history without dealing with issues of the 60s run, this would be a good place to do it.

And of course, Uncanny X-Men vol. 1. While I would not advise reading this run in its entirety, dipping your toe in to get some appreciation for what 60s comics were like and how far we've come isn't an awful idea. Issues of Particular Note: #7 Hank is momentarily abducted by a beatnik foot cult. No notes, this is just a funny situation that Hank ends up in. #8; one of the first instances of anti-mutant hysteria in an X-Men book, the first time Hank left the X-Men, and also the origin of his short career as a professional wrestler. #47; Hank and Bobby go on a double date with their girlfriends and get interrupted by superhero shenanigans.

Grey

With Hank having now left the X-Men, he has a rendezvous with destiny, and while this is going to be a very short period on our reading list, it's a very formative one for young Hank.

Amazing Adventures #11-17, by Gerry Conway, Steve Englehart, and Arnold Drake. Honestly, just read this entire run - you basically get a very well contained story that delves into Hank at a very young age, and while this may be a series from the 1970s, it's actually surprisingly modern in its approach to Hank as a character. It's also interesting to see the introduction of a more horror/wolfman aspect to Hank's character, which is largely due to the contemporary popularity of Werewolf-by-Night. It all caps off with issue #17, which collects a number of back-up stories that originally came from Uncanny X-Men, that tell Hank's origin in its uncondensed form. If you started with Carey's Origins book, these story beats will be very familiar, but it's interesting to see what parts were cut and which were preserved.

A companion story that goes back and revisits this very interesting period of Hank's life can be found in X-Men Unlimited vol. 2 #10, as one of the two stories contained there. Sliding somewhere in between issues of Amazing Adventures, it provides a modern emotional context for Hank's transformation, and I feel obliged to warn you that this is a very heavy story. If stories about depression, radiation sickness, or familial death are triggering for you, approach with caution.

Avengers

As you may have noticed, Hank has now changed from grey to his more familiar blue! This is due to printing limitations of the time, where attempts to render black or grey often ended up producing a shade that looked closer to blue. But enough of that malarkey, let's talk about everyone's favourite Bouncing Baby Blue Beast!

Avengers vol. 1, by . . . so many writers, but the most significant include Jim Shooter, Gerry Conway, Steve Englehart, David Michelinie, Bill Mantlo, etc. As the first X-Man to cross teams, Hank made history, and he quickly settled in nicely to the bitchy, high octane, absolutely bonkers world of 70s Marvel. Among other things, this is where he forms lifelong friendships with Carol Danvers, Steve Rogers, and, perhaps most importantly, Simon Williams. Honestly, this entire run has its ups and downs, but I'd recommend reading it from start to finish, just because it's fun, and Hank is so much fun in it. If you're more used to buzzkill Beast from the modern era, you'll be shocked at just how much of a kind-hearted goof he is here. Although, maybe skip the Korvac Saga. Issues of Particular Note: #137, which features Hank's initial tryout for the Avengers, with some story beats that will have particular resonance if you read Amazing Adventures or X-Men Unlimited, recommended above. #141, which sees the beginning of the origins of Patsy Walker, who you might know better as Hellcat, and who will become an important part of our story later. #148, which sees Hank embrace his disguise gimmick - while pretty much abandoned from this point on, it was arguably never going to get better than the trick he pulls here. Avengers Annual #6, which sees the origins of Hank and Simon's wonder-ful relationship. Whether you read them as friends or more, it really is a ton of fun to see just how quickly they glom onto each other as partners. #160 digs a little deeper into Hank's dynamic on the Avengers, and, if you aren't doing a full readthrough, this provides an interesting perspective on what Hank brings to the team, which is paid off in #163 and #164. Can you guess what it is? Yep . . . sex symbol. This is the origin of Hank McCoy, original mutant fuck machine, baybeeee. #171 sees Hank speaking Latin, being kind of a shit to Ms. Marvel, and being called a slut by Thor, which is kind of amazing, tbh. But Hank then proceeds to disappear for a bit, dodging the really rather awful Korvac Saga, so if you want to read more about our boy, you can jump right ahead to #178, where they make up for his brief absence by psychologically torturing him! Yeah! Love it! Next big issue of note is #188, where the Avengers get political, Hank gets to hold Ms. Marvel's laser gatling gun backpack, and press his nose against a plane window like a small child (it's better than I'm making it sound)! #194 has Hank at his best, to be quite honest, and is an all around nice little slice of life, quiet issue for the Avengers, for those of you who miss such things in comics. #206 features Hank speaking every language he knows for an entire issue, on . . . well, honestly, not even a dare, he just does it. #209, meanwhile is . . . heavy. Trigger warnings for the Shoah, the Holocaust, concentration camps, and a lot of dark subject matter, but it does showcase Hank at arguably his most heroic and his most tender. And then, finally, we reach the end of Hank's tenure with the Avengers, at #211, where . . . well, honestly? He leaves because his boyfriend is leaving. There's no other way to interpret it, that's just the text. He'll of course join the Avengers again, and is always active as a reservist, but for now, he's to move on to greener, more defensive pastures. In between these appearances, it's also worth checking out the absolutely iconic Dark Phoenix Saga. If you think you know this story from the adaptations in X-Men 3 or Dark Phoenix, trust me, you don't - this is the real story, as it should always have been. Hank only joins in on the story in the last third, but if you ever doubted his commitment to the X-Men, his friends, or the ideals of justice, look no further. And guess what, it's just a damned good story, starting at Uncanny X-Men #129 and going on to #138.

Hank also makes guest appearances in Uncanny X-Men #111 to #114, where he first properly meets the second generation of X-Men, though as you'll see, it's far from the most orderly or normal of introductions. For those of you who don't know about Chris Claremont and his predilections, you will learn - great writer, absolutely fundamental to the X-Men, but . . . hoo boy.

That's what I've got for you for the moment! I will be adding the next sections as separate posts, so that this doesn't get too long - feel free to check back here, or just keep your eyes peeled in the Hank McCoy tag, so that you don't miss the next section, as we move into the 80s proper! Also, I may be adding new issues here and there, as I remember things, so check back if you want to hear more about Beast's early years!

First || Next || Last

[lizzybeth1986]

Headcanon: Sloane's Kids - Hamza, Artemis, Orion and Zohreh

(FC: Sloane Washington (center) - Nelly Muse)

Everyone who has read my fics kinda knows I have three separate universes for PM, with some commonalities. One in which my MC dates only Hayden, and two in which they date all the LIs. Hayden and Sloane in two of these universes also actively date other people. So in all universes, Khaan is someone Sloane has a relationship with, as well as Alana. I do plan to develop a "childhood sweetheart"-like character for her sometime in the future as well. So Hamza definitely is like a firstborn child to her, even though Khaan and Sloane don't exactly marry.

Sloane has three other children, twins from a fertility treatment as well as one daughter with Khaan many years later.

I see Sloane starting out trying to emulate Kim because she's such a fantastic role model, but she eventually gets her own groove and realizes she will be a different kind of parent and that's okay. Where Kim was more intuitive, Sloane is a consummate planner and she does bring that kind of energy into her parenting.

Tagging @sloanewashingtonappreciationweek and @sazanes for SWAW Day 2: Written in the Stars (since all Sloane's kids are named after certain celestial bodies).

Hamza Mousavi

(FC: Anthony Cyrus Keyvan)

• Born to an Iranian father and a Filipino mother, Hamza spent his first five years constantly moving house because his father Khaan constantly feared that Hamza would be targeted by Eros. Most of those early years feel like a bit of a blur in later life, because once the group entered their lives, things became far more settled for them.

• Hamza took an instant liking to Sloane the moment he saw her. She was shy and smart, was always sweet to him and tried to make healthy treats he would like, and clearly adored his dad. He definitely encouraged Khaan a bit to ask her out (in all universes).

• Hamza obviously is the oldest of the kids that came from the group, and revels in that fact. He is quite fond of bossing the kids around a little 😄

• His dinosaur-love eventually becomes a fascination for mythical beasts in general in later years. Unsurprisingly, his favourite genre for books is fantasy.

• At some point, Sloane revives her writing hobby, and starts writing books for children. Largely with Nadia's encouragement (she promises to do illustrations if Sloane completes a manuscript). Hamza very enthusiastically becomes the test audience for her first book before she sends it to publishers!

• Hamza got his love for healthy treats and a balanced diet from his father Khaan. It's an interest he grows up with. As an adult, he becomes a very sought-after nutritionist (to the initial chagrin of his siblings and cousins 😂)

Artemis Washington

(FC - Arsema Thomas)

• Artemis and her twin brother Orion were born around 3 and a half years after the events of the second book. Like her mother Kim, Sloane did want to have kids at that point, but wasn't ready to have a kid with the people she was dating. She did talk it over with them tho and instantly had everyone's support before she took the plunge.

• The names were of course a suggestion from all the Hayden's in all my universes 😄 Mostly coz Sloane had always loved that story, even before they came along.

• Arty loved to mix and match different pieces in her outfits from the time she was a kid, including a phase where she wanted to wear colourful underwear over her onesies at home coz it made her look like Superman. She was also known for layering different clothes over each other - there was a point at age 4 where she wore a onesie, wore a T-shirt over that, wore bright rainbow leggings over THAT, and completed that look with unicorn-printed shorts. In summer.

• She gets into haircare and makeup as an adult. Loves testing out different products and inventing new looks. I think she builds a brand of her own much later in her late 20s, when she is more confident of her expertise in the business.

• Her favourite film is the animated beauty "Hair Love".

Orion Washington

(FC - Kelvin Harrison Jr)

• Sloane always feels that Ori took after his Nana Kim in a lot of ways

• He loves cooking, and when he gets older loves experimenting with teas!

• Like Sloane, his favourite meal is also a DC Smoke.

• He loved being in the kitchen, loved mixing and matching things there. Sloane, Khaan and Alana would often find grapes in their cups of tea/coffee, an innovation 4 year old Ori would take pride in 😂

• Cooking is really this guy's love language. He does grow up to become a chef later on, joining culinary school early on.

• At some point both he and Hamza teamed up for a "Hello Fresh"-like initiative, where Orion would devise affordable and healthy meal kits, while Hamza assisted with consulting for meal plans!

Zohreh Washington-Mousavi

(FC- Yara Shahidi)

• Zo is five years younger than Artemis and Orion, and fourteen years Hamza's junior. The three of them did spoil their baby sister quite a bit in the early years 😂 She could bat her eyelashes and get away with practically anything - that was also a perk of being the youngest among the entire group of kids!

• Like her twin siblings, Zo's name was also astronomy-based. Artemis is a Greek name for the moon goddess, Orion is a constellation and Zohreh is the Persian name for Venus.

• The kids of the group (Hayden x MC's kids, Nadia and Steve's kids and Sloane and Khaan's kids) do have their own stargazing parties! All of them love looking out for rare astronomical finds, and have their fave constellations. Zo, tho, has a more scientific interest and cultivates it from an early age.

• Zohreh has her mother's interest in Astrophysics and both her parents' interest in tech, so she does actually enroll into NASA as an adult. She takes on a paid internship through the Pathways program after graduating, and that transitions into a full job there.

• Her favourite planetarium is the Hayden Planetarium in NY.

• Arty did plenty of hairstyling experiments on her baby sister as she reached her teens. That still doesn't change when they're adults and Zo has had a number of her friends vie and pay anything for her older sister's services after seeing her amazing hairstyles.

• Zo's fave dish that Orion has made is a Persian fusion dish - saffron chicken wings.

Family HCs:

• Sloane never actually marries, but she's pretty happy with the life she gets to live with the MC (in my poly universes), Khaan and regular visits from Alana.

• All my Haydens, and Sloane, are still close, and they're in fact is Orion's godmother/father in every universe. The MC is the same for Artemis. Nadia and Alana become Zo's godma's years later.

• As a kid Sloane always kept a stress corner for herself with things that would both calm her down and help her with stimming. She does keep one in the house for her kids and it really works for them.

• Hayden(s) kids, MC's kids, Sloane's kids and Nadia's kids all love to form their own group in every universe. Initially inspired by Hamza's stories about their parents, they also band together and envision scenarios where they can save the world 😁 Hamza is undoubtedly the leader haha, he keeps things from getting too out of hand.

• Sloane already looks up to Kim, but she does so even more after becoming a mother. She definitely does come to her for advice and suggestions from time to time.

--

Other HCs on the PM kids:

The Park-Young Kids (Hazel x Iris)

The Park-Tennyson Kids (Nadia x Steve)

[kingbryancroidragon]

Darkness Rising Part 1 Commentary

I felt like I'd be using the account to comment on things, so why not? Now, I will be sharing my own little head canons, so if that's not your thing just a heads up.

Right off the bat we are introduced to our first Cybertronian and it is Cliffjumper. Now, I once considered writing up my own story to send to Hasbro, something that is doomed from the start because why would they ever accept it, but with all the spotlight Bumblebee has been getting, I'd switch things around and have Cliffjumper as a member of the main cast. Red is my favourite colour after all. As for Dwayne Johnson, I personally find him an average at best actor and I haven't seen a ton of his stuff, but I have seen a fair number of portrayals of Hercules and he isn't one of my favourites, but I don't hate him either. For the record, my favourite actors are Nigel Green ("Jason and the Argonauts") and Lawrence Bayne ("Mythic Warriors"). As for Cliffjumper, I don't know, you just can't beat Casey Kasem, but on the subject of Shaggy Rogers, another Kasem role, I find Matthew Lillard to be a superior Shaggy, something that is no doubt going to get me a lot of hate, and in general I consider him a superior actor to Johnson, so maybe I think he would have been a better Cliffjumper, but at the same time I think it would have been a disservice to have such a great actor be brought in only to die in the pilot episode.

Then we get introduced to our second Cybertronian and of course, it is Arcee. I say "of course" because I love the characters who were introduced in the 1986 film. She, Hot Rod/Rodimus, Springer and Ultra Magnus would so have been included in the story I would have submitted to Hasbro. As for her altmode, it has typically been either a car or a motorcycle, but with the Transmetal 2 Maximal version of her having been a spider, I kind of feel like there was another direction to go, especially since at that point her screen appearances had two points for a car and this series brought it to three for a motorcycle and it could have been a good mirror for Airachnid, but I don't know, that's just me.

The energon on earth is a nice return to "Beast Wars", my introduction to Transformers. I really like that. I also really like seeing the Vehicons return in some form since I loved "Beast Machines."

Peter Cullen returning as Optimus is a real treat. I know we had gotten him back in the live-action films, but seeing him return to Optimus on television is just fantastic. He was actually at FanExpo last year alongside Frank Welker and I wanted to get both of their autographs, but I was not regularly working yet, I was only a call-in for a rare bookstore, and I did not know you could bring something in to get autographed, so instead of paying one hundred dollars to get an autographed picture of Megatron from Frank I could have brought in the Ultimate Guide to Transformers and gotten them both to autograph it. Maybe one day I'll have Peter's too.

Now we are introduced to Starscream voiced by the great Steve Blum. If you haven't seen the English dub for "A Cat in Paris", I highly recommend it. Blum is just fantastic in it. As for Starscream's design, I remember watching this and have no idea what I was expecting. Until the Michael Bay films, Starscream had always been recognizably Starscream. He might not have always had the same altmode (Yes, he was always a jet, but never the same kind, especially strange in my mind since I've looked it up and the F-15 Eagle is still in service, meaning unlike some characters, his altmode isn't exactly dated), then the 2007 film came and he has this head which is just not Starscream and it is the same here. I don't have the same problem with characters like Megatron because he hasn't always had a consistent design. Thankfully, Starscream's character is in tact with some variation.

Four minutes in and we have our first named casualty. Oh, God, I love it. I remember watching the 1986 film during lunch in high school with some friends and me being the only one who could actually identify them because I was such a big fan I watched the G1 episodes, I was on Unicron.com quite often. There were questions of how I knew all their names and an exclamation of "The medic?!" when I went "No! Ratchet!!" To me it hit more because I knew the names of these characters, but to someone who didn't they were just nameless casualties.

I kind of feel the same way in regards to Soundwave's design here as I do with Starscream's. It takes someone referring to him by name to know its him. I know he hasn't had many screen appearances, but his design is still recognizably him while this isn't, but on the other hand it looks so alien that I actually kind of like it.

The establishment of there being only five Autobots on earth now really makes you wonder how many others were lost. Its a nice touch.

And we are introduced to one of our human protagonists: Jack Darby. For obvious reasons, I head canon him as having gone dressed as Spider-Man one Halloween when he was younger, but for another head canon, just because, I have it that he eats shrimp with the tails. It drives both his mom and Miko crazy, Raf is indifferent and Fowler also eats the tails, thinking it adds a nice crunch.

I wonder if Arcee is the only who named their hologram driver.

While I do ship Jack and Miko, I had this head canon since before I started shipping them. June was asking if Jack was going to the dance because she'd heard someone was hosting a foreign exchange student, a girl, and thought Jack would go, meet her and hit it off. Miko was actually briefly at the dance, only to realize she felt like she didn't belong there without any friends and left soon after.

In regards to the "This is Jasper" line when Jack is told to be careful, I have the head canon that Jasper's most notorious crime was when its bank was being held up by a man wielding a taxidermy stork in the 1950's. For people who have lived there all their lives like Jack, June and Raf it is just a funny little story, but for someone like Miko she just has "WTF" flying through her head in big red letters. Sure, it sounds weird, but when your most notorious crime is some lunatic wielding a stuffed bird trying to rob a bank, what do you think is the worst that could happen?

Jack is so a motorcycle afficionado.

Ah, yes, Sierra (No Last Name) and... What was her name again?

And now we get into the action. A nice motorcycle chase, Bumblee gets into the action (my dad loved Bumbleebee) we are introduced to Raf (I have a soft spot for the glasses-wearing characters as I require them myself), it is a really good climax.

I would say robots that turn into cars is more accurate.

I actually don't have a problem with Bumblebee's more Bay film-inspired design. That is probably because due to a lack of screen appearances, unlike some characters, he didn't really have a set look. With this and "Animated" making it two for two, I'd say he has two looks.

Bumblebee accidentally stepping on Raf's toy car never fails to make me laugh.

Love how the Vehicons just call it them moment Bulkheard shows up.

And Optimus creates the Autobot Witness Protection Program.

Jack doesn't know what is going on. For all he knows, he and Raf are getting kidnapped by robots disguised as vehicles.

And now we are properly introduced to Miko, admiring the same motorcycle Jack was the day before. Fellow motorcycle aficionado?

And then Miko volunteered for the Autobot Witness Protection Program.

I love how indignant Ratchet sounds at the concept of someone having made the Autobots.

Having Megatron return is just the perfect way to end the pilot, especially since it heralds the return of Frank Welker as the character to television.

And that is the episode, great start. Thank you for reading this if you did.

[harrypotterfesthub]

The Dark Festivus Gift Exchange is open for sign-ups! This is a Harry Potter gift exchange for all things angsty and dark. Give us all your Death Eater goodness, and get something delicious in return.

Important Dates

October 6, 2023 Sign-Ups & Matching 12:00AM Eastern Time November 3, 2023 Sign-Ups End 11:59PM Eastern Time November 4, 2023 Writing Continues December 18, 2023 Fics Due 11:59PM Eastern Time December 19, 2023 Reveals 12:00AM Eastern Time

How it Works

Sign up here. To stay up to date on any and all Dark Festivus announcements, join Harry Potter Fest Hub on Discord.

Fest mods will match you with a giftee. We'll tell you all you need to know about what your giftee likes and doesn't like in fanfiction and/or fan art.

You'll create a work for your giftee and submit it to the fest collection.

Wait for reveals! Your job is to keep your gift secret. When it's time for gift reveals, you, your giftee, and other fest participants will see what's been created for you all.

Rules & Information

Do not create a work featuring your giftee's dislikes/triggers, and try to stick with ships/characters your giftee suggests.

All works must be kept anonymous until reveals. This means you may not tell people which work is yours, nor hint at it, until your name is revealed.

You may have one alpha or beta. Your alpha or beta may NOT be your giftee.

All Wizarding World characters are allowed, including characters from the Fantastic Beasts series, Hogwarts Legacy, and Hogwarts Mystery.

Visual arts (art and comics) may NOT feature characters under 18 in sexually explicit scenarios, even if reference models are of age. This is for legal purposes.

You may not receive any extensions. We recommend starting early.

Art Requirements - Minimum: 1 character, B&W, Undetailed; Maximum: 5 characters, Color, Detailed

Fanfiction Requirements - Minimum: 1000 words; Maximum: 12,000 words

FAQs

Help! I love angst but I can't go too dark. Be clear about this when you sign up, so the person gifting you a work can work within your likes and dislikes. This fest is for people that love angst or dark works. The only content we can't accept is tooth-rotting fluff. How dark does my work have to be? All themes must be angsty, grey, or dark. The level of darkness will be dependent on your giftee's dislikes and your own comfort level. Not all works need to be Dead Dove here; in fact, most probably won't be. When you sign up, be sure to tell us what you like to write and what you absolutely will not write. This will help us match you with someone appropriate.

What if I can't finish my gift work in time? If you cannot finish your gift work in time, you will need to inform fest moderators via Discord or email as soon as you know you won't be able to finish. Please do NOT wait until the last 48 hours to tell us. To ensure everyone gets a gift, we will have pinch-hitters trying to fulfill outstanding gifts, but they need time to create.

Can I create multiple works? If you would like to create multiple works, sign up for pinch-hitting. You may be able to save the day for someone who wouldn't be receiving a gift.

How do I contact fest mods? You may ask generic questions in the #dark-festivus channel on Discord. For private questions concerning your giftee, please reach out to LadyVoldy or Kate Thorne via Discord. This is the easiest way to reach us.

[jules-has-notes]

Beauty & the Bieber (Unexpected Musical) — PattyCake Productions music video

Continuing their signature style of combining childhood classics with modern music, the PattyCake guys decided to tackle a tale as old as time for their next project. In addition to Justin Bieber's melodies and the musical motifs from the 1991 animated film, they also included elements from the forthcoming 2017 live action remake.

Details:

title: Unexpected Musicals — Beauty and the Bieber

performers: Jamie Fritz (Belle); Earl Elkins, Jr. (Beast); E. Michael Evans (Gaston); Joey D'Angelo-LaJoie (LaFou); Alexander Browne (Lumiere); Brad Pettitt (Prince Adam); Leah Lowman (village girls); Anita Wakim (Enchantress)

original songs / performers: [0:15] "I'll Show You" by Justin Bieber; [0:53] "Baby" by Justin Bieber, feat. Ludacris; [1:09] "Love Yourself" by Justin Bieber; [1:21] "Never Say Never" by Justin Bieber, feat. Jaden; [2:12] "Boyfriend" by Justin Bieber; [2:36] "Company" by Justin Bieber; [3:30] "Beauty and a Beat" by Justin Bieber, feat. Nicki Minaj; [4:10] "Sorry" by Justin Bieber; [4:22] "Let Me Love You" by DJ Snake, feat. Justin Bieber; [4:44] "Cold Water" by Major Lazer, feat. Justin Bieber & MØ

written by: "I'll Show You" by Justin Bieber, Michael "BloodPop" Tucker, Sonny "Skrillex" Moore, Theron "Neff-U" Feemster, & Joshua Gudwin; "Baby" by Justin Bieber, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges, & Christina Milian; "Love Yourself" by Justin Bieber, Benjamin "Benny Blanco" Levin, & Ed Sheeran; "Never Say Never" by Adam "Messy" Messinger, Nasri Atweh, Thaddis "Kuk" Harrell, Jaden Smith, Omarr Rambert, & Justin Bieber; "Boyfriend" by Mike Posner, Mason Levy, Matthew "Blackbear" Musto, & Justin Bieber; "Company" by Justin Bieber, Andreas Schuller, James Wong, Leroy Clampitt, Jason "Poo Bear" Boyd, James "JHart" Abrahart, & Thomas Troelsen; "Beauty and a Beat" by Max Martin, Anton "Zedd" Zaslavski, Savan Kotecha, & Nicki Minaj; "Sorry" by Justin Bieber, Michael "BloodPop" Tucker, Sonny "Skrillex" Moore, Justin Tranter, & Julia Michaels; "Let Me Love You" by William "DJ Snake" Grigahcine, Justin Bieber, Andrew "Watt" Wotman, Ali Tamposi, Brian Lee, & Louis Bell; "Cold Water" by Thomas "Diplo" Pentz, Justin Bieber, Karen Marie "MØ" Ørsted, Benjamin "Benny Blanco" Levin, "King Henry" Allen, Philip "Jr Blender" Meckseper, Ed Sheeran, & Jamie Scott

arranged by: Layne Stein & Tony Wakim

release date: 17 March 2017

My favorite bits:

combining the rhythmic strings and the villagers' greetings from "Belle" with the melody for "I'll Show You"

Belle explicitly giving Gaston the brush-off

the tinkling minor motif from the animated movie as Belle enters the castle

Earl's fantastic growl at the end of "Never Say Never"

LaFou's gleeful fawning over Gaston and dancing on the tables

the sneaky ♫ "May-be" ♫ from "Company" overlapping with the tavern scene and leading into the "Be Our Guest" instrumentation

the Beast's lovely vulnerability during the dinner and dancing

using the crunchy horn motif from "Battle on the Tower" to create menace in this version of "Let Me Love You"

Earl's voice being layered over the final lyrics after the transformation

Trivia:

○ The obvious starting point for this project was Jusin Beiber's "Beauty and a Beat", which Tony and Layne had performed as part of VoicePlay's "Wow! Vol. 1" medley during the 2015 Sing-Off tour, but one song does not a full plot make. The guys delved into his extended catalogue to find songs that fit certain story beats and would blend well with the animated movie's score.

○ This was an incredibly ambtious undertaking. According to the PattyCake guys, preparations took five months, and filming spanned "six long days" (and nights, clearly).

○ All that hard work paid off, though, since they were able to time their YouTube release for the same day that the Emma Watson movie hit theaters.

○ VoicePlay recorded a Beauty and the Beast medley for "Once Upon an Ever After" (2012), their first album with Tony as a member of the group. Excerpts from that arrangement later appeared in their music videos "Be Our Guest", "Aca Top 10 – Disney Sidekicks", and "Aca Top 10 – Disney Villains". They also included "Belle" in their "Aca Top 10 – Broadway" countdown.

○ "Love Yourself" was the first song in VoicePlay's PartWork series, which they started as preparation for Tony leaving the group.

○ Layne occasionally used "Baby" as his interruption at the end of VoicePlay's "Road Trip" medley / comedy sketch.

○ On top of their usual studio work, this production required multiple location shoots:

The outdoor village scenes were filmed at the Casa Feliz museum.

Beast's castle interior was the Ballroom at Church Street, which closed in 2019, and was demolished 2023.

The tavern was an actual bar, the Tap Room at Dubsdread.

○ Between the main cast and dozens of background folks, they needed so many costumes that Tony enlisted his mom Anita to help wrangle them all.

○ There are several of Tony's fellow "Beetlejuice Revue" alumni among the main cast:

Michael (Gaston) played Dracula and Frankenstein's monster.

Joey (LaFou) played Wolfman and Dracula.

Brad (Prince Adam) was a dancer in the final "Mashup" iteration of the show.

○ There are also many friends and family among the background cast and crew, including several cast members from previous Unexpected Musicals. Olivia Adkins and Leah Lowman are among the village crowd as Snow White and Cinderella. Rachel Copeland and Matthew Buckner are in the tavern crowd, but not as their previous characters. Many of the other villagers were clubgoers in "Hocus Heathens".

○ This video got a nice write-up on Huffington Post.

[eddydreaming]

Books I Must Read On 2024

Us readers have infinite TBRs... and that will always be like that because everytime we finish one book we add 2 or 3 more to our list. However, there are some that have been on my TBR for a long time that I would like to finally read. I have chosen 5 of them and I hope I am able to read them all.

Note: they are all books that have been on my TBR for a long time, so they will not be recent or future releases.

1) Throne of Glass

406 pages

Publishing date: August 7, 2012

Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Young Adult

"In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, Celaena, an assassin, is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world."

(Source: Goodreads)

Sarah J. Maas is one of the authors I enjoy reading the most. So far I have read ACOTAR and I'm currently reading Midnight City as it releases. Throne of Glass is another book series of her, and it looks so good, so I would love to read it as soon as possible.

2) Circe

393 pages

Publishing date: April 10, 2018

Fantasy, Fiction, Mythology, Retelling

"In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child--neither powerful like her father nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power: the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from or with the mortals she has come to love."

(Source: Goodreads)

I actually purchased this book a couple of weeks ago, so now I have no excuse not to read it. This book along with The song of Achiles are very well-known books by Madeline Miller, and as this is the one I found in the store, it is the one I am going to start with.

3) Gilded

Pages 502

Publishing date: November 2, 2021

Fantasy, Romance, Retelling, Fairy Tale

"Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller's daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue.

Or so everyone believes.

When one of Serilda's outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her... for a price.

Soon Serilda realizes that there is more than one secret hidden in the castle walls, including an ancient curse that must be broken if she hopes to end the tyranny of the king and his wild hunt forever."

(Source: Goodreads)

I have read The Lunar Chronicles and Heartless by Marissa Meyer, so I would like to read this one as it is a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin.

4) The Way of Kings

Pages: 1007

Publishing date: August 31, 2010

Epic Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, High Fantasy

"Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.

It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them.

One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.

Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.

Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar's niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan's motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war."

(Source: Goodreads)

I've been putting this off because it's 1007 pages long... But I loved the Mistborn series by Branden Sanderson, they are one of the most mind-blowing books I've read, so I'd like to read some more from him. This one is very famous, so Idecided I could go with it.

5) Divine Rivals

Pages: 357

Publishing date: April 4, 2023

Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Historical Fiction

"After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish—into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love."

(Source: Goodreads)

This is the most recent book, but I've been wanting to read it for a while now so I decided it would be a good idea to add it to this list.

[princesscatalina99]

Golden Trio Era (years 3-7) discord rp

18+

Themes may include: Snogging, Some Sexual Themes, Death, Animal/Creature Abuse, Torture, Strong Language, Smoking and Drug Use, Alcohol Consumption, Force, etc.

Small Introduction~

Hi there! I’m back with another group! This time I’m going to try using Discord. I’m using discord since it’s easier to be in more than one place. I hope you read through everything fully and completely.

Plot~

This follows the basic plot of the movies and books Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (both movies). This follows Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger’s years throughout Hogwarts and defeating Lord Voldemort (or He Who Shall Not Be Named).

Though this also follows the story of a girl named Catalina Thorne and how much trauma she goes through. She is carrying a lot of weight by keeping a secret of information. She is possibly dating the worst person that she could by choosing Draco Malfoy. Though she loves him dearly and feels happy around him, she has to lie to him and his family every day. She doesn’t always feel comfortable around her father since he’s a death eater and may have heard of her brother. Will she ever tell Draco the truth? Find out.

Rules~

1. You must have seen all 8 Harry Potter movies and/or read all 7 Harry Potter books. I will not be including anything from Cursed Child or Fantastic Beasts or Hogwarts Mystery or Hogwarts Legacy.

2. You MUST have Discord. If you don’t and are new to it, feel free to message me. I am using discord instead of Messenger because discord allows me to be in more places in a single group than messenger can do.

3. Please stick the canon characters to what happens. If your character dies, then they must die. If they end up together with someone, you must do that. If you’re a canon that doesn’t specifically end up with anyone in particular, you may ship them with someone who wouldn’t be with those ships.

4. You may be as many characters as you would like to do as long as you can control them.

5. Please do not badger me on being an admin. I only add people as admins if I trust them and I know that they understand the whole source material.

6. Please make sure that you know how to make bots. If you need help, please feel free to message me or an admin.

7. Please make sure you are literate. Please be able to do at least 3 lines of text. I would prefer you to not use *…* to rp but I won’t scold you if you do it.

8. Ocs are allowed but I’d like to have both ocs and canons.

9. Lgbtqia+ characters are allowed along with ships.

10. Sexual themes are allowed as long as you take it to personal chats and as long as the other person consents to it.

11. If you’re going to do anything triggering, please inform before typing. Using the any of the three Unforgivable Curses may trigger any young witch or wizard’s mind and we wouldn’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable.

12. No bullying, trolling, homophobic or mean remarks out of character towards anyone!

13. If you break any rules there will be a three strike system. Strike 1: you are restricted from roleplay for one whole day. Strike 2: you are banned from roleplay for one whole week. Strike 3: you are henceforth banned from the group, never to set foot ever again.

14. Note: if anyone is being a Malfoy or Blaise Zabini, please message me so I may tell you about the important relationships our characters share.

15. Have fun!

Open Roles (in alphabetical order)~

Aberforth Dumbledore:

Alastor Moody:

Albert Runcorn:

Albus Dumbledore:

Alecto Carrow:

Alicia Spinnet:

Amos Diggory:

Amycus Carrow:

Angelina Johnson:

Anthony Goldstein:

Antonin Dolohov:

Arabella Figg:

Aragog:

Argus Filch:

Arthur Weasley:

Aurora Sinistra:

Bane:

Barty Crouch Sr:

Barty Crouch Jr:

Bellatrix Lestrange:

Blaise Zabini:

Bloody Baron:

Bogrod:

Cedric Diggory:

Charity Burbage:

Charles Weasley:

Cho Chang:

Colin Creevey:

Corban Yaxley:

Cormac McLaggen:

Cornelius Fudge:

Cuthbert Binns:

Dean Thomas:

Dennis Creevey:

Dobby:

Dolores Umbridge:

Dudley Dursley:

Eloise Midgen:

Ernie Macmillan:

The Fat Friar:

Fenrir Greyback:

Filius Flitwick:

Firenze:

Fred Weasley:

Gabrielle Delacour:

Garrick Ollivander:

George Weasley:

Gilderoy Lockhart:

Ginny Weasley:

Grawp:

Gregory Goyle:

Griphook:

Hannah Abbott:

Harry Potter:

Helena Ravenclaw/The Grey Lady:

Hokey:

Horace Slughorn:

Igor Karkaroff:

Irma Pince:

Justin Finch-Fletchley:

Katie Bell:

Kingsley Shacklebolt:

Kreacher:

Lavender Brown:

Lee Jordan:

Lucius Malfoy:

Ludo Bagman:

Luna Lovegood:

Madam Rosmerta:

Mafalda Hopkirk:

Magorian:

Marge Dursley:

Millicent Bulstrode:

Minerva McGonagall:

Moaning Myrtle:

Mundungus Fletcher:

Narcissa Malfoy:

Nearly Headless Nick:

Nymphadora Tonks:

Oliver Wood:

Olympe Maxime:

Padma Patil:

Pansy Parkinson:

Parvati Patil:

Peeves:

Penelope Clearwater:

Percy Weasley:

Peter Pettigrew:

Petunia Dursley:

Pius Thicknesse:

Pomona Sprout:

Poppy Pomfrey:

Reginald Cattermole:

Remus Lupin:

Rita Skeeter:

Rolanda Hooch:

Romilda Vane:

Ronald Weasley:

Ronan:

Rubeus Hagrid:

Rufus Scrimgeour:

Seamus Finnigan:

Septima Vector:

Severus Snape:

Sir Cadogan:

Sirius Black:

Sorting Hat:

Stan Shunpike:

Susan Bones:

Sybill Trelawney:

Theodore Nott:

Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort:

Vernon Dursley:

Viktor Krum:

Vincent Crabbe:

Xenophilius Lovegood:

Walden Macnair:

Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank:

Wilkie Twycross

William Weasley:

Winky:

Zacharias Smith:

Set Ships~

Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley (years 6-7)

Harry Potter and Cho Chang (just a fling in year 5)

Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley

Ronald Weasley and Lavender Brown (just a fling in year 6)

Catalina Thorne and Draco Malfoy

Catalina Thorne and Blaise Zabini (they have a small fling when Draco is pushing Catalina away when he becomes a death eater)

Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin

William Weasley and Fleur Delacour

Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Malfoy

Arthur Weasley and Molly Weasley

Ginny Weasley and Dean Thomas (just a fling in year 6)

Tom Riddle/Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange

If you want to join, please message me or comment below who you would like to play. Thanks for taking the time to read this all through.

[rosewendybros]

Disney Signature Collection And Movie Club Rant

Since the 1980's, the Walt Disney company has released their animated classics on whatever home media was popular at time, starting with the Classics line in 1984, then the Masterpiece line in 1994, followed by the Gold Classics editions, Platinum, Diamond, and now the Signature editions which kicked off in 2016. Each of these different lines represents only the best animated films of Disney's catalogue. Some titles started out being released in these lines such as "Robin Hood" and "The Sword In The Stone" but nowadays are considered regular release films. Others have joined the roster of films that go through the Disney Vault process to be released on home media every seven or so years such as the early Renaissance films like "Beauty And The Beast" and "The Lion King". But, overall, the focus of these lines is to preserve the best of Disney animation for multiple generations, which I can say that all of these lines have done a fantastic job at. However, this most recent line, the Walt Disney Signature Collection, is starting to become the most flawed. Let's explain why.

Just recently, "Lady And The Tramp" was announced as the sixth title in this line and is scheduled for release on February 27th of 2018 (an ironic release date considering that's the date the sequel, "Lady And The Tramp 2: Scamp's Adventure", was released back in 2001). From what is being stated about this particular release, there are apparently a load of cool features attached to it such as an early song that was cut from the film, some behind the scenes material including one that goes inside story meetings from Walt's office regarding the film, and some of the original trailers for the film like the 1986 theatrical rerelease which came a year before the film's original Classic release which was in October of 1987. This is all pretty cool stuff, especially the fact that they decided to add three vintage theatrical trailers of the film into the special bonus features. And there will probably be a collectible piece that comes with this package, sort of like what they did with the "Bambi" and "Lion King" releases that included the lithograph and the limited edition film frame, respectively. So, that adds to the whole "collector" appeal to this package. But, one funny thing is... they are announcing all of this only less than a couple of months away from the release date. That's very strange.

Of course, if you're familiar with the former lines of the Disney animated films, you'd figure that "Lady And The Tramp" would be the next film to premiere in this new line considering back in the Diamond Edition days, "Lady And The Tramp" was released after "The Lion King", which followed "Bambi". in that line. I'm very certain that "The Lion King" and other releases at the time such as the second release of "Bambi 2" featured a trailer for the Diamond reissue of "Lady And The Tramp" in the trailers section on the menu. Back in the 1990's, several Disney films had trailers on the videocassettes MONTHS before they were officially released, so people back then knew that these films were coming out again. Particularly "The Aristocats" in the Masterpiece line, which was teased on the original "Lion King" VHS from 1995, and didn't get released until April 1996. That's slightly over a year away! From what I recall, that release was pushed back, but at least we knew it was being prepped up to premiere on home video. "Bambi" was previewed on the original 1996 VHS for "Toy Story", which was released in October of that year, and "Bambi" premiered in the Masterpiece line in February of 1997. Nowadays, if you look in the trailer sections on current Disney DVDs and Blu-Rays, you'll get only two trailers and that's it. An outdated Disney Rewards ad that ironically shows the "Bambi" Diamond Edition release and a trailer for an upcoming movie, sometimes two. The new release of "Bambi" shows a trailer for "Cars 3", and "The Lion King" only has a preview for "Coco". Nothing informing us that "Lady And The Tramp" or any other titles are coming to the Signature collection. Then, in early January, we finally get information and cover artwork and a release date confirming its placement in the line.

I guess this isn't really a flaw that SOLELY applies to the Signature Collection, as it could be going on with other films like current releases, but, this is very troubling. Things are much different than they were in "the good ole days". In the VHS days, there was a lot more excitement and appeal to the contents of the package. The trailers before the movie felt more like an actual short film in itself, which was especially true in the late 90's when Disney started using the company intro that had Beau Weaver's voiceover literally stating that there was always something "new and exciting". And then, you'd go to the previews, which Beau Weaver would introduce (for example, when the trailers for upcoming theatrical releases were coming up, you'd see a shot of a theater while Beau Weaver excitedly prepares to roll out the previews with animation of Tinker Bell helping out). Even when they weren't utilizing this intro and instead the flash-bang or early 2000's scheme bumpers were being utilized, there still seemed to be a real pull to want to watch the trailers instead of just reusing the same overused ad for seven years straight, followed by one measly movie trailer that you can probably watch on YouTube easily. They advertised all sorts of things, from movies, to TV shows, to parks and resorts, to computer/video games, and even music releases. They even kept this method of doing trailers throughout the 2000's and early 2010's when VHS was phasing out and optical media like DVDs and Blu-Rays were taking over. I don't know what happened, but, I really wish that Disney was teasing more releases than they do now. Not everything needs to be unveiled at the last minute. And DVDs don't need to have only one trailer. If the Blu-Rays feature more trailers, please inform me since I do not own a Blu-Ray player; I just collect the Blu-Rays of the films just to have them in my collection, and they often times come with DVDs. However, I really want to see more of an effort to advertise new titles such as the Signature Collection releases in the future. And please, STOP with that Disney Movie Rewards ad that has been playing on DVD releases for seven years straight! Or at least scrap that trailer and make a new one featuring RECENT titles. Not 2010/2011 titles that are probably not being sold anymore.

Now, onto the whole Disney Movie Club Exclusives thing. Again, if you have kept up with Disney, you'll know that whenever a movie like "Lady And The Tramp" or "Bambi" would be rereleased on home media again, the direct-to-video sequel, or sequels, would follow very close behind. Sometimes, they'd be released on the same day or be released in a two-movie package. I realize that the Disney sequels get flak for supposedly being "cash-ins", and there are cases where that's true, but that's not what I'm talking about. I bring this up because when "Bambi" was released in the Signature Collection in June of 2017, its sequel did not get released in stores to accommodate its predecessor. In order to get this edition of "Bambi 2", you have to sign up with this Disney Movie Club thing, or you have to wait for copies to show up on eBay and painstakingly wait for days in order to get it in the mail. Well, according to some sources, "Lady And The Tramp 2: Scamp's Adventure" is going down this sad trajectory as well. Yes, this and the first movie will be released on the same day, but instead of finding the sequel at a store, you need to be a Disney Movie Club member or be willing to shell out dough and potentially lose multiple auctions on eBay before finally getting a copy.

I wouldn't be so mad about this if they were doing this with every sequel that came out. I mean, yeah, the whole Movie Club thing sucks to begin with, but at least Disney would actually be treating EVERY movie in a specific line the exact same, good or bad. But no. To make matters worse, and to propel my fuel for thinking that "The Lion King" was overrated to new heights of intensity, they did not do this with "The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride" and "The Lion King 1 1/2". All three of the movies in that franchise made it on store shelves. So, what Disney is basically saying is this: "Both of "The Lion King" sequels are good enough to be on store shelves, because we have "The Lion Guard" airing on TV now and we're making a remake of the original film. And every fucking Disney fan seems to think either of the two sequels are the best out of the Disney sequel canon. So, you will be seeing those on a Best Buy shelf! But movies like "Lady And The Tramp 2" and "Bambi 2", both of which seem to not get as good of recognition? Screw those films! Let's make it harder to get those films on a physical copy. If you're not a Disney Movie Club member or a sheep person who only watches movies digitally, than fuck off!" And yes, both "Bambi 2" and "LATT2" were and will be released digitally a week earlier. Oh no, not on physical media like the original films (which I don't have a problem with in the slightest since "Bambi" and "Lady And The Tramp" are NOT overrated films; they're just as phenomenal in my opinion). Just digitally. Or if you're a member of the club. No outsiders!

Here is how I feel both of these things need to change. First off, for the trailers section on future releases, add about 5-10 trailers to the mix. One or two upcoming theatrical releases, then a few films coming to any physical/digital media in the future, then one or two shows that are on any of the channels that Disney owns like the Disney Channel or ABC, then an advertisement for a game that's coming out from Disney, then an ad for one of Disney's parks and resorts, and finally, you can have the option to advertise a soundtrack/new album from an artist on Hollywood Records or Walt Disney Records. You don't necessarily need to follow this routine every single time you put together a lineup of trailers, and you can mix the order up a little bit to add some variety, but this is still the recommended way to go. This could even be done in a similar fashion to the 1990's, where you announce before a set of previews which ones are coming to theaters or releasing on store shelves or digital retailers. But please stop the routine where it's just one theatrical trailer and the same advertisement you've been beating the horse's bloody pulp of for a long period of time. People of this generation need some more variety and interest in what's going on. They don't need to go online for every piece of information on an upcoming title in the Signature line. You don't need to drop that information suddenly on consumers not even a full two months before release date. So, that's that. I'd also like to see more booklets and promotional papers and coupons in DVD and Blu-Ray cases, but, that's just me.

Secondly, all of the films in the Disney canon, INCLUDING the sequels, should be released ON STORE SHELVES. Every single movie, from "Snow White" to any current Disney film. That's probably going to irritate and infuriate all of the Disney purists who think that the Disney sequels should be forgotten in a pile of rotten dust in the desert, but all of them have an audience, like it or not. Even critically panned sequels like "Belle's Magical World", "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame 2", and "The Fox And The Hound 2" have fans. While I may agree with most people and say that I don't have much interest in watching much of the Disney sequel library, kids and other people have every right to be exposed to these movies, even if most of them are inferior to their predecessors. And I'm not just focusing on the Disney sequels in this as well, but also the other films that aren't one of the titles that get rereleased in a specific line like "Robin Hood", "The Black Cauldron", "Oliver And Company", and the package features from the 1940's. All of these movies need to be available. I understand if a store can't fit too much content in their inventory, but, for crying out loud, they should AT LEAST be noticed by someone! Movie collectors don't need to be given the finger as eloquently as they are right now, especially in the scheme of Disney movie collecting. The Movie Club Exclusive should ONLY be for bonus exclusive items and merchandise that comes along with the actual movie. Not the actual movies themselves that are seemingly being looked at as "inferior" by Disney.

That's all for now. Sorry if I seemed a bit agitated and irate during this rant, but the reason is because I'm sick and tired of Disney making fatal flaws like this, and I want Disney to keep on being the great company that it is. It introduced us to a lot of good memories, and we should keep these memories alive, even if the memory doesn't age too well within someone's mind. Let's end on a positive note and not bask in agony for too long. Here is a question for all of you reading. What is your favorite line of Disney classics? It can be the Classics line, the Masterpiece line, or any of the subsequent lines that they have done. Leave your responses in the comments below. Other than that, I think I'm going to chill out for now. Take care, everyone.

[themovieblogonline]

Harry Potter to Return With New Audiobook Release

Despite over a decade since the Harry Potter franchise wrapped up, The Wizarding World is far from gone. In the latest magical news, a new Harry Potter audiobook series is coming, and it’s set to be something huge. The production will see Audible and Pottermore Publishing team up to create exclusive audiobooks of all seven J.K. Rowling novels. Let’s talk about what we know so far. A New Harry Potter Audiobook Series Is Coming The goal of the new Harry Potter audiobook series is to bring the “iconic stories to life as never heard before.” It will do this by providing immersive audio entertainment with a score, new character voices and other real-world sound capture. They will tell the original Harry Potter stories and will not be involved with the new Wizarding World series from Warner Bros. The audiobooks will feature over 100 voice actors, which is quite an impressive feat. It would be incredible to see some original actors return to voice their iconic roles, but no casting news has been made yet. This isn’t the first Harry Potter tale to come to Audible. Their current collection is already worth a listen and includes the following: The Tales of Beedle the Bard, performed by Jude Law Harry Potter: A History of Magic, performed by Natalie Dormer Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, performed by Eddie Redmayne Quidditch Through the Ages, Performed by Andrew Lincoln Why We’ll Be Listening The series was initially released as audiobooks performed by Stephen Fry and Jim Dale, beginning in 1999. They were a staple in homes worldwide and have earned even more listens since launching on Audible in 2015. These audiobooks had quite the charm, and I still associate the books with Fry’s narration occasionally. However, an innovative release with dozens of voice actors is something that I won’t want to miss. The emphasis on the score also indicates that this will have tip-top production value, which isn’t a surprise given how much attention is still given to the franchise. I try to reread the Harry Potter books at least once every few years, and given the exciting news, I can say with certainty that my next read-through might be a listen-through instead. There is no official release date for the new Harry Potter audiobook series, but it is set to premiere sometime in late 2025. So, watch for more news from Audible and Pottermore Publishing.    Read the full article

[i-wear-the-cheese]

yeah so I think it's a timeline issue. JKR would not have had the success she has if she acted the way she does when the books came out. the release dates were 1997-2007 right? aside from the implications of critical thinking skills and access to information, the political activism that Rowling was partaking in openly at the time was almost entirely child literacy (she literally founded a charity for it).

2013 a college student in the USA called Rachel Rostad performs her slam poem "To J.K. Rowling, from Cho Chang" which highlights the lack of care given to marginalised characters and races in the books. For a number of older or more engaged fans, this was the catalyst for engaging critically with race and diversity in their reading, but generally people still saw the books as favourable despite some flaws.

but it wasn't until the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum that anyone really got to see her spend her wealth on something potentially unethical. the final film came out in 2011, so barely 3 years after falling out of the limelight she, and English millionaire living in Scotland, drops a huge amount of money on the campaign to stay in the Union. and this was the year that one of her books (writing as Galbraith) contained a negative portrayal of a trans woman character but the majority of her original fan base wasn't reading those books and it went largely under the radar.

fantastic beasts came out in 2016, and whilst it wasn't critically great, it didn't actively contradict any of the generally progressive themes of HP it just made her more money and more celebrity friends.

it wasn't until 2017 - fully a decade after the final book came out - that Rowling was noticed so much as liking a tweet which was overtly transphobic. by this time the fandom and the queer community start to get pretty suspicious and in the next few years (encompassing the 2019 black Hermione debate) the question of Rowling'a public image verses her genuine political agenda develop into eventual lines in the sand being drawn, people begin to drop out of the fandom and openly denounce Rowling's actions and words. the worse she got, the more fans withdrew both publicly and privately. it took a while for the scales to tip and the lines to deepen

the author in the public eye today is a different character to the one that was publishing a bestselling children's series. for many of us who grew up with the series- me included - that 2013 slam poem came out whilst we also were in college or university. literally the years we were learning critical thinking and social context and all that was the moment someone said "hey that book series you loved was flawed" and only after that moment were we given any evidence outside the books of the author's own clusterfuck of a belief system. a system which seems to have developed over time through indoctrination into right wing groups both on and offline.

you could say the books are a product of their time, but you also have to admit the fans and their relationship to the author and her success were too and nobody could have had "the author who used nazis as a template for her bad guys now heart emojis neo nazis online" on their bingo cards in 2011

There are people who actually worshipped JKR and there are people who gushed about her because she wrote Harry Potter and they loved Harry Potter who literally knew nothing about her that wasn't in the author bio on the dust jacket. I think fandom oriented people tend to forget how big a population the latter was! But Harry Potter was so huge at its peak that it had a lot of casual fans who deeply, deeply loved the series, maybe even knew the trivia of the actual books inside and out, but never engaged with the fandom side of things or dove deep into meta information. There were normies attending midnight release parties, the series was that big.

[jackiestarsister]

OUAT Rewatch: Overall Thoughts

~ The difference between binge-watching and watching it week by week, season by season is huge. I was more patient with the drawn-out storylines and filler episodes.

~ I don’t think a series like this would have been made after the Trump presidency, covid pandemic, and other events since the mid/late 2010s. Its themes of hope and redemption already seem old-fashioned and idealistic, but I think they may be needed now even more than when it first came out.

~ There are great themes throughout the show: seizing the present moment, being open to love, giving people second chances, looking to the future with hope rather than fear.

~ This time around, I was more aware of the music score and how different characters have their own leitmotifs. I love it!

~ For many shows, the pilot/premiere episode is not great, and it takes a while for the story to find its footing. But the first episode of OUAT is absolutely perfect and one of the best in the series.

~ The first few seasons and last couple seasons were great. I much prefer the seasons when the characters are in Storybrooke dealing with a variety of problems and antagonists, rather than introducing a particular world and/or character and focusing entirely on them for half a season. The writing suffered most in Seasons 4-5, to the point that it felt like the writers were creating drama purely for the sake of drama, even at the cost of consistency in themes, plotlines, worldbuilding and characterization. But even in their worst parts, there are still great moments here and there.

~ Although I don’t always like the costuming choices, some of them are great! The Camelot styles are probably the closest to the European medieval fairy tale style one would expect.

~ It’s great to see a show with so much emphasis on parenthood and family, including the breaking of intergenerational cycles of trauma.

~ It’s great to have a female-centric show (Emma, Regina, and Snow White are the main characters for most of it), but it sometimes feels as though they would have benefited from more women in the writers’ room and wardrobe department. This is most painfully felt through the duos and trios of sisters during the “Frozen” arc; it sounds like men trying to write about the bond of sisterhood with no actual understanding of that dynamic.

~ The most compelling thing about the first few seasons is Emma’s effort to connect first with her son and then with her parents. The later seasons explore other aspects of her identity, particularly her fear of losing the people she loves.

~ Cora Mills is the best villain. All the others are just trying to live up to the standard she set, and they all start to sound repetitive after a while.

~ As someone who was obsessed with “Peter Pan” as a kid, I wouldn’t have expected to enjoy a story that depicts Captain Hook as a hero and Peter Pan as a villain, but it works so well! Colin O’Donoghue’s Hook is fantastic, and Robbie Kay’s Pan is truly sinister.

~ Rebecca Mader was great in “Samantha: An American Girl Holiday,” but I hate her as the Wicked Witch. She’s so sickly sweet and poorly written in her first few seasons, only becoming tolerable later on.

~ As a lover of “Beauty and the Beast,” I loved Belle and her relationship with Rumplestiltskin in the first few seasons, and was saddened to see both the characters and the relationship decline later on. They try to make Belle a strong, active character, but she is still too often swept off the chessboard, and their relationship devolves into toxicity and abuse before finally being resolved in the end. It feels a bit demeaning, like it’s living up to modern, literal interpretations of B&B rather than leaning into the symbolism and psychology of the story.

~ Emma and Hook’s relationship strikes a beautiful balance between epic love story worthy of legend and ordinary couple navigating the day-to-day difficulties of dating. I think Emma’s struggles with trust, vulnerability, and commitment are very relatable to young adults today.

~ Rumplestiltskin did not need that many love interests. Seriously. I lost count of how many women Robert Carlyle got to kiss in this show. He’s supposed to be a physically and morally repulsive villain, the Beast that only Belle can truly love. Making him an object of so many women’s desire undermines that.

~ The script throws around a lot of religious/spiritual words—like hope, faith, grace, redemption—without really digging into what they mean.

~ The worldbuilding is inconsistent and illogical, particularly with the Dark One, the Author, the rules of magic, and the existence of different realms.

~ I don’t like that they treat the Disney versions of so many stories like they are the official canon, rather than retellings of much older stories. The incorporation of characters from more recent movies like “Brave” and “Frozen” is kind of hit or miss. I will say, though, that the casting for Anna, Elsa, and Merida was spot-on!

~ The writers and characters go back on their own word a lot. The biggest example: the first few seasons emphasize that “magic comes with a price,” but the later seasons use magic as a cheap plot device and shortcut.

~ It’s great to see redemption arcs for many villains, but many of them involve character regression just for the sake of stretching out the drama. And because sometimes they simply kill of characters

~ The writers seem unable to decide whether they want the show to be idealistic or realistic.

~ I don’t like how the show leans into negative stereotypes and misconceptions of foster care. I remember watching the show back when my own family was hosting foster kids; it was extremely awkward hearing the characters such awful things about foster homes.

~ It seems like the writers struggled to decide which characters should be leads, supports, recurring, or limited to a certain period. They kill off characters that might have been better off staying alive, and resurrect characters that might have been better off staying dead. It makes me wonder if they looked at Grimm’s fairy tales and thought “Hey, these are full of people dying and coming back to life, we could use that!”

~ The show sometimes seems to reinforce the very labels it tries to transcend, particularly the concepts of “hero” and “villain.” It tries to be deep and nuanced but sometimes ends up sounding shallow and dissonant instead.

~ I was prepared to thoroughly dislike the seventh season, but I found myself enjoying it a lot! It managed to capture at least some of the sense of intrigue and suspense that characterized the first season. My main critique is that it should have been a separate spin-off, not tacked on to the rest of the show. It doesn’t really build on the previous seasons’ storylines; it just puts the action in a new setting and mixes old protagonists with new ones.