#flynn/shaw naturally

[skymagpie]

Anyway, please tell me your favourite WoW ships, I am curious what people enjoy

[boilingheart]

shadows rising — • — shaw insight

    Shaw got a lot of ‘screentime’ in Shadows Rising, and hidden away in some text we get to learn some tiny details about him, which I will now skim through the book and compile everything from insignificant to flavor text.

(Yes yes, I KNOW the book came out almost 3 years ago now. I don’t care. I love thinking about Mathias Shaw and I didn’t spend all this time hyperfixating on him and collecting very damn detail about him possible for nothing (well, i did, but))

SHAW:

isn’t at all winded after vigorously riding a horse to chase after anduin (prologue, page 4)

doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to telling anduin whatever it is he needs to. he’s very straightforward, to the point (prologue, page 4)

grows distant at the mention of a horse groom in westfall no older than anduin named marvin. considering shaw had ties in westfall to begin with, this connection he lies about could be anything. (prologue, page 5)

“(...) the poor lad was hardly older than I was. Marvin was his name, I think.”

Shaw was still in the saddle, his expression suddenly distant. “I didn’t know him.”

But Anduin knew better, knew Shaw was holding something back.

“ “[Varian] wasn’t an easy king to serve, but there was satisfaction in the challenge. The same can’t be said for all rulers.” ” (prologue, page 6)

shaw’s shin has been broken before, and causes him pain during the storm on the bold arva (chapter 12, page 113)

Shaw tumbled to the railing, an old break in his shin screwing up tight enough to squeal. They were in for one hell of a storm.

shaw DESPISES sailing. he’d rather be in an office behind a false bookcase with plenty of desk space, it’s all the comfort he requires (chapter 12, page 113)

one way shaw receives covert messages from his spies is through a wind-up mechanical shark, made with gnome technology (chapter 12, page 117)

“ Mathias skimmed the messages quickly. They were written in a code illegible to anyone not trained in his specific style of short-hand. Efficient and cautious. ” (chapter 12, page 118)

shaw pays one agent, krazzet the bishop, in parrots to get intel from him. krazzet was a gambler in freehold, a fact shaw is begrudgingly aware of. i think we as a people, however, need to talk about the fact that he paid the goblin in parrots. (chapter 12, page 120)

shaw is very curious about the “strange and fascinating Flynn Fairwind”, and is unsure he will ever truly understand him thoroughly. he believes he probably doesn’t need to, but the desire is a constant — mostly in part of shaw’s nature to scrape away facades and see what lies beneath. (chapter 17, page 156)

shaw finds flynn’s scent of salt and soap and whiskey “intoxicating” ok i’m not gonna stop thinking about it?? (chapter 17, page 158)

says “blast” in place of “damn”, a headcanon i wrote that’s stuffed in my drafts but now that i’ve reread his dialogue i’m reminded that’s canon. nice. (chapter 17, page 161)

shaw has a knife concealed on a false bottom of his boot (chapter 17, page 163 & chapter 22, page 202)

shaw knows zandali. presumably enough to get him by, but not enough to catch words spoken too quickly (chapter 22, page 203)

“ He had once talked his way out of a headlock during a bar brawl in Dalara. That time it was a gnoll latched around his neck, and if he could reason with a gnoll, he could reason with anyone. ” (chapter 22, page 204)

shaw usually whittles bird statues to keep his hands busy (chapter 22, page 204)

shaw’s idea of a vacation included going to his small cabin in the highlands, sit in the grass, whittle, and work on his birdcalls. he describes his birdcalls as being “pretty good”, but could always be better. (chapter 22, page 204)

“ “You’re right, I shouldn’t go alone, I’m good at that, being alone. Comes natural to me. I was never all that personable— liked watching people, sure, observing, but too many and I just felt... swallowed up, like everyone could see me just fine but I couldn’t see them. I like to be above it all, perched. But I should find a friend.” ” (chapter 22, page 204)

shaw seems to be described as needing to fidget with something to keep his mind focused a couple of times (chapter 22, page 205)

• Usually, he whittled bird statues to keep his hands busy [...] • Just keep your hands and mind busy. • Then, Mathias would snap off a piece of grass and play with it, not nervously, but give himself a focus.

“Pathonia Shaw, the Silver Cutpurse”. caught three times for stealing, given the choice by the guard of stormwind to work for them or hang. she made assassinations look like accidents or robberies gone wrong, etc. taught both his mother and him. (chapter 22, page 206)

pathonia wore a grotesque amount of rings, jewels glittering on every knuckle, but on her right ring finger, only wore a tied red string. when he asked what it meant as a kid, she slapped him, so he never asked again. (chapter 22, page 206)

shaw contemplates what his life would be like if he had HIS choice. he felt a true taste of freedom aboard the Bold Arva and with flynn. (chapter 22, page 206)

shaw thinks about flynn’s scent a total of THREE. TIMES.

shaw never accepts anything at face value. when being delivered back to stormwind, he checked the ship for any traps, tricks, explosives, etc. in the four days he sailed, he was also constantly checking to make sure the prize the horde gave them was still there, as if it would somehow disappear at sea. (chapter 30, page 265)

[mysticfairymoonlight]

Jesslynn during her retirement era between Shadowlands and the end of Dragonflight.

It took a long time for her to move forward after everything that happened, both physically and mentally. It took months for her to recover from her injuries sustained while fighting Anduin and the Jailer, and years for her to fully come to terms with the fact that her relationship with Anduin would never be the same again.

She spent nearly a year scouring Azeroth for any sign of Anduin after his departure from the Shadowlands, while simultaneously helping to reestablish interfaction relationships and rebuild after the destruction and bloodshed of the Fourth War. Eventually though, she hit a breaking point and was forced to finally confront the ways that she was living in denial and trying to maintain a version of her life that no longer existed.

It took her quite some time, but with the help of Shaw, Flynn and Jaina, Jess realized that maybe the best thing that she could do was to disappear for a while herself. So, she took out a chunk of her savings and bought herself a ranch in southeastern Elwynn. It took some effort, but she was able to create a real home for herself, with this being the first place she could ever truly call hers and hers alone. Over the next few years, she quit smoking, taught herself how to play guitar, and established an identity for herself that was completely detached from politics and the Wrynns for the first time since crossing paths with Varian over a decade ago. For a while, the only things that mattered to her were her horse Serendipity, the sounds of music and the laughter of her friends, and the feeling of the sun on her skin and the wind at her back.

When she responded to Wrathion's summons to the Dragon Isles, she was much more reserved in comparison to her previously extreme self sacrificing nature, and far less willing to risk her life despite her continued dedication to her duty to protect Azeroth and aid her friends. She was more strategic in her approach to efforts on the Isles, and often found herself retreating back to her stead to decompress and rest. For the first time in her life, her greatest priority was simply to live. Not for the next battle or war, not for someone else, but purely for herself. Jesslynn's newfound self love and appreciation for life is near unwavering, but her world will be shaken once more when she receives an unexpected knock at the door from the last person that she ever expected to see again...

[michanpc]

Guys listen here

Why Mathias Shaw is so Latino coded

-The name "Mathias Shaw" contains Hispanic influences, with the name Mathias having Spanish origins. This suggests he could have Cuban or Latino heritage.

- Characteristics and abilities of Mathias Shaw may include characteristics influenced by Latino culture. His espionage abilities, for example might be connected to the background of secret societies or Latin American rebels, demonstrating a kinship with his ancestry.

- Characteristics that are frequently linked to Latinos, including high cheekbones or expressive eyes.

- We like to think Mathias Shaw speaks English with an accent or occasionally incorporates Spanish words or phrases into his talks ( SPANISH ACCENT YA’ll 😻‼️)

- Since Mathias and Flynn are canonically together, we love to think that Mathias embodies the nurturing and caring nature, however, despite his smaller height, he can literally beat your ass.

- He brings cut up fruit randomly when you are in you room studying or doing something else 🍊

HERE I CLOSE THIS BLOG WITH REASONS WHY WE HEADCANON MATHIAS AS LATINO THANKS FOR LISTENING TO OUR TED TALK

Me and my friend were discussing like 'if Shaw was real where would he be from' and both of us fr looked at each other and were like 'cuba'. BUT LIKE OMG HE IS SO LATIN CODED‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

I can't explain it he just is ok

@michanpc

[kirsten-ann-writes-stuff]

My Favorite Poets, Authors & Writers

Emily Brontë

“The night is darkening round me, The wild winds coldly blow; But a tyrant spell has bound me, And I cannot, cannot go.” - The Night is Darkening Round Me

Ann Brontë

“On all her breezes borne, Earth yields no scents like those; But he that dares not grasp the thorn Should never crave the rose.” - The Narrow Way

Edgar Allan Poe

“I was a child and she was a child, In this kingdom by the sea, But we loved with a love that was more than love— I and my Annabel Lee— With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven Coveted her and me.” - Annabel Lee

Henry David Thoreau

“Pray to what earth does this sweet cold belong, Which asks no duties and no conscience? The moon goes up by leaps, her cheerful path In some far summer stratum of the sky, While stars with their cold shine bedot her way. ” - Pray To What Earth Does This Sweet Cold Belong

Charles Baudelaire

“While the squalid throng of mortals feels the sting of heartless pleasure swinging its barbed knout and finds remorse in slavish partying, take my hand, Sorrow. I will lead you out,” - Meditation

Robert Frost

“O hushed October morning mild, Thy leaves have ripened to the fall; Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild, Should waste them all.” - October

John Muir

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” - John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John Muir

William Shakespeare

“Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.” - Macbeth

Friedrich Nietzsche

“He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby becomes a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee.” - Beyond Good and Evil

Gillian Flynn

“There was nothing I wanted to do more than be unconscious again, wrapped in black, gone away. I was raw. I felt swollen with potential tears, like a water balloon filled to burst. Begging for a pin prick.” - Sharp Objects

Dan Wells

“Fear is a ... it's a weird thing, when you think about it. People are only afraid of other things, they're never afraid of themselves.” - I Am Not a Serial Killer

Michelle Hodkin

“As I was saying. He could never use you. You own him. You should’ve seen the way he was looking at you while you were out.” I smiled a little. “How?” “Like you’re the ocean and he’s desperate to drown.” - The Retribution of Mara Dyer

More Favorite Poems...

Solitude | Ella Wheeler Wilcox “Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone; For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth, But has trouble enough of its own.”

Dream Land | Christina Rossetti “Where sunless rivers weep Their waves into the deep, She sleeps a charmed sleep: Awake her not. Led by a single star, She came from very far To seek where shadows are Her pleasant lot.” Song | Aphra Behn “O Love! that stronger art than wine, Pleasing delusion, witchery divine, Wont to be prized above all wealth, Disease that has more joys than health; Though we blaspheme thee in our pain, And of thy tyranny complain, We are all bettered by they reign.”

She Walks in Beauty | Lord Byron “She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that’s best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes; Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.”

I See Thee Better In the Dark | Emily Dickinson “I see thee better — in the Dark — I do not need a Light — The Love of Thee — a Prism be — Excelling Violet”

This is mostly for myself to have a neat and tidy collection but maybe someone who sees this can find some new reading material or inspiration.

[cuthian]

So the best things I've learned after reading Whatever Happens in one go between twelve and one AM:

- the studio was, in fact, rented, and did not belong to any of their families

- Bobby and Luke have been friends since they were kids, they met Alex and Reggie much later on

- Luke had to give Bobby pointers on playing the guitar, because it didn't come as naturally to him as it did to Luke, although they started playing at the same time

- Bobby did indeed feel like he was the fourth wheel, like they didn't really need him in the band, but he was willing to stick it out for their long friendship and to ride their coattails to fame

- Luke is absolutely not Alex's type (he preferred Luke Perry in 90210)

- Alex has an older sister (that doesn't get named)

- Reggie has a younger brother named Steve

- Alex's parents were weird about the boys spending the night there after Alex came out to them

- The Rush shirt that Luke wears to the Orpheum and like all of episode one is actually Alex's shirt and he ripped the sleeves off because he ripped the sleeve climbing out of Alex's window

- BOBBY HAS A LAST NAME AND IT IS SHAW

- FLYNN'S LAST NAME IS TAYLOR

- bisexual Reggie (implied)

- Julie's mom stopped performing (unclear, but implied after the boys died) and became a music tutor

- Julie's mom was insanely talented and was able to figure out almost all instruments

- Carrie's parents got a divorce when she was fourteen, right around the time she started pulling away from Julie and hanging out with Nick when she knew Julie liked him

- Julie's dad is an awful cook, but Rose was teaching him and they had a weekly date night

- The Orpheum dress (I think that's the one they're trying to describe anyway) was a dress Julie got from Flynn and her mom for her quincenera There's probably more but OMG

[azureflight]

1920s/Prohibition AU

So, @RGSpanner on twitter posted that ONE drawing of Tess/Anduin 1920s AU and it has consumed me. I have a whole premise that I don't know what to do with. Putting it out there in case someone wants to take it up and run with it.

Link to the OG fanart here:

https://twitter.com/RGSpanner/status/1432760945730785284/photo/1

Anduin is a young veteran of the Great War. He was either a med student or was planning to study medicine before the USA entered the war and he enlisted out of a patriotic sense of duty. He came back with shell shock and an overall diminished faith in humanity.

Tess is daughter of an old wealthy family, whose tolerance for her ambitions and freedoms ended with her college education. Now trapped with her parents, unable to work, being a flapper is her way of lashing out.

Genn, is the househead of old money, though the money part is largely diminished, due to his failures. Now in the early days of prohibition, he is being tempted to consider new “business” ventures.

Genn is an old friend of Anduin’s father and brings him home after hearing that the young lad is back from the war and isn’t doing all too great. In truth, he is projecting a lot of his own regrets and hopes about his own son, who had died in a fight outside of some night club almost a decade ago (This will become an important plot point later). He appoints Anduin to chaperon Tess, mostly because he is worried about his daughter, but also partially because he wants to give Anduin something to do, other than waste away.

Needless to say, neither of them are thrilled with this arrangement. Tess feels suffocated by what she considers to be overbearing of her parents. She is also offended by the assumption that she needs “protection” from this young miser.

Anduin for his part, can’t stand the people, the music, the noise, the lights, the dance or the conversation. But he does drink copious amounts of the illegal booze that flows through those parties. 

Naturally, things will escalate to a turning point when he drunkenly starts a fight and gets saved by Tess, and her previously unknown knife skills.

Sylvanas, is a former vaudeville girl who came to inherit the estate and the wealth of one of her old admirers through completely legal means, just trust me bro. (No, it’s not Liam. But Liam was a fan of Sylvanas back in the way. Nathanos for his part, was not a fan of Liam). Now, she is seeing what every other crook does, an opportunity to make bank through illegal liquor trade, and nothing will stop her and her former Texas Ranger bodyguard, who is totally not her lover.

Down in Tampa, the matriarch of the Proudmoore family is waking up everyday asking herself “why am I still alive?” Her husband is dead, her youngest son is missing during a sea voyage and her daughter is, well, dead to her, and her oldest had passed away some years ago fighting in some war somewhere down in Latin America. With all of her family dead, missing or estranged, Katherine is merely going through the motions, ignoring her so-called friend’s shady dealings at her own peril. All of that gets upended when her murderess daughter returns from her unofficial exile in England, with her missing son in tow.

Up in Washington, D.C. Shaw is sitting through a briefing on how to assist the Bureau of Internal Revenue in enforcing the Volstead Act. Having switched to the BOI from a military career, before this he had worked to infiltrate socialist/communist/anarchist movements to bring down those dangerous agitators, but now he is being told to infiltrate criminal gangs and apprehend drunkards. 

It will go smoothly and diligently, no controversy, no dangerous romance. It’s not like there is a charming little devil of a smuggler called Flynn Fairwind who will be working on a whole operation to bring rum from Cuba to Tampa, ha ha ha.(/s) 

Jaina is a suffragette who managed to get herself arrested. Her family pulled a lot of ropes to get her out and bring her home. Which wasn’t all that difficult with Daelin being a former governor of Florida. It was a whole drama and caused a lot of tensions at home. However, things took a horribly ugly turn when daddy realized his baby girl wasn’t just a suffragette but also was working together and even being friends with a negro. Needless to say, the head of a family that was plantation owners and Confederate officers just a generation ago, does not take kindly to miscegenation. 

He physically attacks her and she defends herself, the ensuing struggle ends with the accidental death of Daelin. The event breaks the whole family, basically permanently. Katherine resolves to hide it all and they pull some heavy favors with an old family friend (it’s Cyrus Crestfall) and pay a ton of money for a fake coroner’s report, to make it look like Daelin died of a heart attack. But it is done between the mother and daughter, and Jaina is not so kindly shipped off to England. She stays there, gets work as a teacher for a few years thanks to her education and when the war starts, she volunteers as a nurse. 

Really, I want to see at least one scene where Shaw mows down some gangsters with a Colt Monitor and one where Nathanos pulls a masterful ambush on cocky rivals and makes the Chicago Typewriter work in all its glory.

[warcraft-lore-archives]

Shadows Rising Lore Facts

Character Histories

Saurfang’s late wife’s name was Remda [pg. 79].

The name of Thrall’s young daughter is Rehze [pg. 130].

Flynn Fairwind won a boat known as The Prowse in a dice game and renamed it to The Bold Arva after one of his old first mates who died tragically in a harpooning accident [pg. 112, 118].

Flynn also once had a parrot named Bong-bong, although he lost the pet in a card game to a goblin known as Krazzet the Bishop [pg. 120].

Flynn’s mother, Lyra Fairwind, was a thief. When he was but a child, she was caught and hanged [pg. 156-157]. Before Shaw, Flynn had never told anyone about his mother [pg. 166].

Mathias Shaw’s grandmother, Pathonia Shaw – infamously known as the “Silver Cutpurse” –, was also a thief. She was caught three times and eventually given the ultimatum of either joining the Stormwind Guard or hanging for her crimes. Valuing her life, Pathonia agreed to work for the crown. She would eventually pass her trade skills down to her daughter – Shaw’s mother – and Shaw after her when his mother died [pg. 205-206]. Pathonia was known to wear an inordinate number of rings, although for some reason, she bore only a tied red string on her right ring finger [pg. 206].  

Shaw likes to spend his free time whittling bird statues [pg. 204].

Shaw once had a small private cabin in the Arathi Highlands [pg. 204].

The Zandalari

Noble houses with connections to the crown’s former spymistress, Yazma, were punished for their ties to the traitorous priestess. That said, families who could prove that they had not been involved in Yazma’s schemes were absolved of any wrongdoing [pg. 63].

Apari, the leader of the rebellious Widow’s Bite organization, is Yazma’s daughter. She was once one of Talanji’s closest childhood friends and was held to be more desirable than the princess herself [pg. 99, 189]. Despite her familial ties, Apari sided with Talanji when news of Yazma’s treason came to light, only to regret her decision when the princess inadvertently left her trapped under a pillar that had fallen on her during the Battle of Dazar’alor [pg. 191, 227]. The injury she sustained from the pillar wounded her grievously, preventing her from bearing children [pg. 188].

Neither Talanji nor Apari ever wanted to have children [pg. 189].

Loa draw their power from worship [pg. 145, Quest: House of the King]. Destroying the shrines and idols of a loa can weaken them severely [pg. 145].

Because of the bond her father made with Bwonsamdi, as the loa weakens, so too does Talanji [pg. 145].

Although the Necropolis may appear somewhat small on the surface, many tunnels run below the great mausoleum [pg. 150].

New Zandalari mothers traditionally bring their infants to the Great Seal to sit among the waters there, which are said to be formed from Rezan’s own tears and capable of blessing one with health and longevity [pg. 188].

The prison in Dazar’alor is made of gold, much like the rest of the city [pg. 202].

While many of the details surrounding blood magic are still vague, Apari and her followers were able to power and command a magical storm using the blood of a lone Zandalari troll they ritually sacrificed as fuel [pg. 100, 190].

Miscellaneous Lore

The Void naturally seeks out and reveals deception in others [pg. 87].

With the power of the Void at her disposal, Alleria can sift through another person’s memories and thoughts, although the process proves to be quite painful for the person having their memories plumbed [pg. 92-93].

The Old Gods are said to be able to use the smallest thought to drive any person mad. They can also wrench any information they want from anyone, no matter how willing the subject [pg. 92].

Shaw despises sailing [pg. 113].

When the armistice was signed between the Horde and the Alliance, the Alliance ceded control of their encampments on Zandalar and abandoned them [pg. 161].

The Proudmoores have a gallery in their keep that hosts a grand collection of maps, charts, sea-faring gizmos, nautical artifacts, and even oil paintings depicting members of the Proudmoore family and beloved friends, including King Anduin Wrynn [pg. 168].

The Pandaren from Wu-Song Village have a saying – “the oldest ginger is the most pungent” [pg. 177].

Thrall can understand Thalassian [pg. 172, 183].

Shaw knows some Zandali but is not fluent in it [pg. 203].

It takes approximately four days to sail from Zandalar to Stormwind on a Zandalari vessel [pg. 264-265].

Although all souls now head directly for the Maw, Bwonsamdi has the power to seize and save the spirits of his followers, which he did with King Rastakhan [pg. 217, 259, 279-280].

[shxwmaster]

The thing about Shaw, is that he is, inherently, gentle.

It's a tragedy, really. You take one look at Shaw and he's all blades, no emotion, no time for himself, simply the will of Stormwind, the blade of Stormwind, this keeper of intel, this lord of spies, this Spymaster who was bred to serve and kill -- he is less a man and more a weapon. He doesn't know a life beyond his work. He doesn't know a time in his life where he wasn't expected to draw a blade, to draw blood. This is the face of a child soldier, who has had all sense of optimism and hope wrung out of him and drained to carve forth the sculpt of a man destined to give his life for the throne.

But the glimpses we see of Shaw when he is not being the Spymaster are all gentle. He is not instinctively violent, not is he rude or uncaring. He has a cabin in the highlands somewhere, and his idea of vacation is just being in nature and nothing else. He whittles and carves, he mimics birds, he watches birds, he genuinely likes to be around quiet nature, mundane, simple things.

There's other glimpses too. Just take a look at fanon vs canon fa.irshaw for a second, how everyone generally interpreted Shaw to be far more rude, rigid, stubborn, and generally difficult in the building of this relationship, but canon reveals he is far more soft, distantly longing, daydreaming about opening up and running away. When he interacts with Flynn, he is incredibly patient, he is supportive and calm and offers him praise and positivity where needed, he recognizes his strengths and overall makes such a great team with him. You read Terror by Torchlight and see that Shaw has nothing but pure, genuine love and care to offer if given the chance.

He's compassionate, my god he is compassionate and it's such a blink-and-you'll-miss-it thing. There's the quest text where Shaw says he'll take some insignias from assassins and fence them and donate the proceeds to the orphanage. In EA:EK, he regularly roots for the gnomes and their struggle in reclaiming their home, and also finds them relatively adorable. We know Amber was his best friend and he's scared to get emotionally invested in anyone because of the dangers it poses. We know he's sentimental enough to visit the Deadmines where VanCleef died, because they were childhood best friends and Shaw trained him. He's sappy, he's quiet but supportive, like!!

He's good at his job. Deadly efficient. Horrifyingly dedicated. But what he does is not in his nature. His true nature is just a simple man who wants to watch the birds and lie in the grass. They put a blade in his hand and told him to kill, but his instinct would be to use it to carve little bird statues. They deployed him to war and somehow he fell in love.

Shaw's instinct is to be left in peace with nature. His way of life is not his choice, nothing really is, but the little you do see of him and his true self is a truly, genuinely soft individual, and I just love him for it. It's a beautiful tragedy.

[mobius-prime]

1. Sonic Miniseries #0

Table of Contents / Next

Don’t Cry for Me, Mobius!

Writer: Michael Gallagher Pencils: Scott Shaw! Colors: Barry Grossman

Ah, the very first story, in the very first issue, of the very first era. This is where it all began, folks. And it’s as generic as it can possibly be. I mean, the comics weren’t intended at this point to become the dramatic, emotional journey through the longest running video game comic ever that they ended up being – this was just the initial miniseries after all – so it’s not exactly unexpected. They did need a stage-setter beginning episode, after all. That said, boy is this the most 90s thing I’ve ever seen.

So, a few important things to note first. I'm listing the writer, penciller, and colorist for each story in each issue, because I find all to be particularly significant. You can clearly see the direction of the comics' storylines change drastically as time goes on depending on who the main writer is, and as for the pencils and colors, the art style of the comics also went through very significant changes as well as some pretty clearly defined "eras" over time, and since I find the different art styles interesting to note, we'll be noting who the main artists are. Here, we begin with Michael Gallagher, who was the head writer at the beginning of the comics' run; our penciller is the apparently very excited Scott Shaw!; and finally, Barry Grossman is our colorist, and remains so for a long time in the early eras.

Anyway, we begin with a very typical encounter between Sonic and Robotnik at the beginning of this story. Robotnik chases Sonic, Sonic throws weapons-grade 90s sass like none other, we get some establishing dialogue that tells us a little bit about what the current situation between them is, meet a villainous goon… the works. Robotnik is using the Mega Muck that made its first appearance in SatAM, which I’m sure has inspired absolutely zero fetishists to do any weird Sonic art in the back corners of DeviantArt. They also do that thing that comics do where the characters just kind of explain exactly what’s happening on panel as it happens:

It should also be noted that in this first issue, Robotnik has normal human eyes. That wouldn’t really be noteworthy on its own until you see what he starts looking like later. *shudder*

We see the beginning of Antoine and Sonic’s rivalry in this first, rather silly story. Sonic also likes to break the fourth wall quite a bit in these early issues, speaking directly to the reader and often encouraging them to interact with the panels by placing their finger here or there. Pretty cute for a kids’ comic, but they dropped that gimmick early.

As this is the first issue, many characters’ designs aren’t finalized. Rotor is called “Boomer” in the early issues, Antoine is missing his trademark French accent, and Tails and Sally look almost unrecognizable from who they became over the course of the comics:

The plotline of this first story is very simple and pretty much a stage-setter for how the issues are going to go down. The Freedom Fighters discover a leak in their base, which comes from the trees crying because Robotnik bulldozed a lot of them. (Weeping willows, is the joke.) They go up to investigate, Robotnik attacks, Sonic defeats him with the power of a magic ring, and they save the day. Doesn’t have much impact on the overarching story of the entire run of the preboot, but I include these early issues for a very specific and important reason which I’ll be getting into much later in the story.

Oh No – Robo! No Mo’ Mobo!

Writer: Michael Gallagher Pencils: Scott Shaw! Colors: Barry Grossman

First of all, can I say that that title is absolutely hilarious. I don’t care how cheesy it is – that’s genuinely clever and funny.

So, this is where the comic lays out the backstory of everything it’s shown so far. A lot of this actually ended up getting retconned, but it still offers a lot of insight, especially into how Sonic himself viewed Robotnik’s takeover. He and his Uncle Chuck ran a chili dog delivery stand, until Robotnik staged his takeover of the world. Interestingly, there is no grand moment of takeover shown – rather, it makes it seem like Robotnik had been spreading his sphere of influence for a while, until it finally overlapped with where Sonic and his uncle lived. Uncle Chuck and Sonic’s dog Muttski were captured and roboticized, and Sonic met Sally for the first time as he tried to stage a rescue. From there – well, I’ll let the final few panels do the talking for me:

Again, a lot of this was retconned in later issues, but I will still include it all in the analysis as though it’s canon, for reasons that will eventually be explained.

A few more interesting things to note: first of all, we learn that Sonic’s middle name is Maurice. This is obviously very important because it’s hilarious. It wasn’t even retconned either, this is canon information about Archie Sonic.

Second of all, we get our very first hint at something very important to the plot of later issues. When Robotnik shows up to capture Chuck, Chuck clearly recognizes him. This isn’t elaborated on, yet. Emphasis on yet.

And finally, in this very first issue we get our first look at Sonic shedding tears. This might not seem significant, especially given the goofy nature of all the events surrounding it, but Sonic as a character has almost never, in any canon he’s been in, cried. He cries I think only once in the anime, which a great deal of emphasis is put on as a shocking and unusual event, and never cries, to my knowledge, in any of the games. He’s meant to be an incredibly strong of heart character, who never gives into despair, and yet here he is, crying over the loss of his uncle. This is something SEGA put strict limits on in much later issues, when they started taking more interest in keeping the plot and characters of the comics in line with their vision, so it’s pretty significant to note, I think.

As a side note, I decided for funsies to check how much money Uncle Chuck and Sonic were charging for their chili dogs. They made 200 of them and Sonic wants $300 in payment, which means on Mobius, a freshly made and instantaneously delivered chili dog costs a whopping $1.50. Can you freaking imagine? Every person on the planet would be subsisting on those things for that price. World hunger would be solved. At least for those who are willing to eat intestine-wrapped processed junk meat. (I kind of hate hot dogs, sue me.)

Well, so marks the end of the very first issue of the entire Sonic Archie preboot. While there wasn’t much plot to speak of, there were some interesting little tidbits in there. Writer Ian Flynn in particular, in the later years of the comic, loved to bring back ancient characters and concepts from the very first few issues to star in new and improved, and much more serious, roles, so we still have a lot of ground to cover here.

[boilingheart]

sometimes i sit down and think about the symbolic nature of the blade of grass in shadows rising and everything it meant to shaw and what it represented paired with the context of knowing that back in the day irl when men gave grass as a gift to another man it meant a confession of love and then u think about the leaves of grass poems by walt whitman, specifically the calamus poem collection which is regarded for its gay subtext and i read it all when i was rather not sober and sobbed becuase of how tender and ROMANTIC  some of those were written and how those have a great parallel in shadows rising with the daydreams and such and how again going back to the grass and everything it meant, how the guard gave it to shaw to give him a taste of the vacation he kept talking about despite being confined to prison and then how shaw would give that to flynn in an attempt to make those daydreams, those fantasies of going away and just being in nature and talking and exposing himself and his story to him, an attempt to make that dream a reality by giving it to him and then the code that it means “i LIKE YOU i am INTO YOU” even outside the shadows rising text and i’m jusdt so!!! i feel soo!!!!!

and then flynn has absolutely NONE of this context and probably just wonders why the fuck he was given a piece of grass.

[khalindora]

Any favourite WOW ships?

Too many to name. :>But how about a top 5?1. Malfurion/Tyrande :P (just to piss everyone off, no seriously I loved them. I might have liked a threesome with Illidan even more, but alas.)2. Fairshaw �� do I have to type it out? Mathias Shaw/Flynn Fairwind (though one my PC’s loves both)3. Wranduin (which won’t happen, and since it won’t happen I would love Anduin/Taelia/Wrathion) Let me dream!4. Turalyon/Alleria (No writer self-inserts, and they feel just natural if you read the books.)5. Thassarian/Koltira (I can’t tell you how often I got mocked for my love for Thass.)

[tennybird]

I posted 397 times in 2021

2 posts created (1%)

395 posts reblogged (99%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 197.5 posts.

I added 177 tags in 2021

#fave - 61 posts

#mathias shaw - 19 posts

#flynn fairwind - 18 posts

#barney calhoun - 17 posts

#majima goro - 15 posts

#fairshaw - 15 posts

#written memories - 12 posts

#warcraft - 9 posts

#gordon freeman - 6 posts

#trted - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 101 characters

#i basically have to ask them to read them sometimes and then they don't really give any real feedback

My Top Posts in 2021

#2

The storm rolls heavy over the hills, all dark clouds and rumbling thunder. Nature waits with bated breath; the rain does not yet fall, not until you break through the grey. You spark through the sky, crackling with energy and light, and you bring about the downpour that floods through the valley. In your wake, the forest burns, but the storm follows close behind to wet the ashes. From you, life begins anew.

They may be the crackle of light, but you are the downpour itself. Your water floods the land, tends to the fields, fills the well. The rain drums against metal roof and window pane; a cacophony of sound. When the storm ends, you stick around, casting a swath of light into the bright blue sky- do you see the children far below, pointing and cheering? Do you see them splashing in your puddles? From you, we gain color.

They may be the spark and rain, but you are the air that carries them on. A passing breeze, a swift gust, a raging whirlwind. You bring both comfort and fear with your whimsy. In your wake, the grasses sway and the trees shake. In your wake, windmills turn. There are kites far below, on the hillside- will you lift them like you've done before? From you, there is movement.

1 notes • Posted 2021-03-15 07:56:30 GMT

#1

what if i made an art blog... or started posting here or s/t

2 notes • Posted 2021-10-20 08:29:47 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[scentedflowersong]

🎵 Every now and then I know there's no one in the universe As magical and wondrous as you 🎵

Root: “A woman like you should be worshipped and ravaged to the point of no return. Lost in the depths of desire as only a true goddess like yourself deserves, Sameen. Does that sound like something you’d be uncomfortable with? Hm. I guess you’re right. I do enjoy catching you off guard.” Shaw: “I don’t feel like dancing anymore.”

The plot thickens like a mallow marsh, so let's get down to business and look at the top bits of chapter 44...

5a. "future" Emma and Regina spend a delightful evening together during which Emma tells Regina the best approach to her "past" self with an armour-plated heart is just letting things happen... and naturally they also shag...

5b. ...just as Root flirts the knickers off of Shaw and they also hurry off to get a room for themselves

4. Alice in her blind trust in her love for Cyrus (and his love for her) sends Jafar to the Well of Wonders - well well, let's hope she's right

3. Zelena and Robyn look for the Ressurection Amulet only to have it snatched by Amara... - oh well, at least it wasn't Flynn who got it

2. ...however Cyrus gives the Amulet to Kara as his mom picks him up at Kara's apartment to go to the Well of Wonders as well - guess Amara and her old student and lover are gonna face each other for the last time soon

1.and to spoil a perfectly good day, Rumple tells Regina she's running out of time and chances to make Emma fall in love with her - just typical, put the poor woman under pressure, Rumple, why don't you (but, truth be told, sometimes it's better to know your time's almost up)

[shxwmaster]

Shaw is constantly on edge. He can't comfortably travel or mingle in crowded spaces without first assessing who's near him, where all the nearest exits are, the perfect hiding spots, who in the room/area is weakest, who's a potential threat -- anyone who gets close too close to him for comfort is getting elbowed or stared down.

Stormwind is the only place he feels fully comfortable, the only place he can allow himself a moment of vulnerability, and this is because this is the heart of his assassin empire. He could be at any spot in Stormwind, and with the simple snap of his fingers or wave of his hand, have any spy embedded across the city come to his side. Cheese store, guards, restaurants, inns, bookshops, it doesn't matter where -- there's always an agent somewhere. Stormwind is his armor, anyone who attacks him in Stormwind is going to have a hard time. You want a chance at defeating Shaw? Don't fucking fight him in Stormwind.

But this anxiety, this paranoia, this complete thorough analysis of his surroundings is what generally draws him to isolate himself. It's taxing to have to constantly be on alert and tense when around anyone. Crowds are terrible, and while one on one he can usually build a fairly efficient profile on that person and gauge their skills and disadvantages, he feels exposed when with too many people since he can't read them all, and they'd outnumber him.

He also has an apparent fear of being seen, being known, likely in part to his careful nature. He worries that people can see right through him, that they know something he doesn't. Shaw genuinely struggles already to read someone's emotions, intentions and even inflection of their tone, whereas this comes naturally for other people, so this idea that he's missing something everyone else isn't puts him on edge.

It's why he can't have friends. Anyone socializing with him that's not an agent is met with passive aggression, cold stares, and even mockery in an effort to prevent people from getting close to him. It's his self defense. If he makes people disinterested or put off, it protects him. Those who get past that, well, those he can befriend (see: Renzik, Flynn, Valeera, Steelspark)

[middenwake]

Would Flynn give Shaw a New Years kiss?

i would really say it depends on what point in their relationship they’re at ;; of course you mention ‘shaw’ so my first thought naturally ties that to ‘mimi’ ( @shxwmaster ♥ ) & at their current state, i think flynn would just---LOOK at him. like, really just LOOK at him, with the biggest, dopiest smile on his face, & somehow i think something like That is more significant ;;