#half-blood blues

[myclutteredbookshelf]

Book Review: Half-Blood Blues

Author: Esi Edugyan

Published: 2011

In their review of the novel, The New York Times compared Half-Blood Blues to the classic Humphrey Bogart film Casablanca. It's not a completely outlandish comparison, as both tales are set in World War II and have plots regarding a love triangle and the characters' struggle to obtain visas. But where Sam the piano man plays a minor role in Casablanca, Esi Edugyan brings the Black musicians to the forefront in her novel.

Half-Blood Blues follows two narratives: one set in the late '30s, following a jazz band consisting of both Black and white musicians trying to exit Berlin to record an album in Paris, and one set in the early '90s, following the only two remaining band members, Sid and his friend Chip, as they travel to Poland in search of Hiero. The novel explores the frustrations of the Black Americans, who came to Europe to escape the racism of their home country, only to be faced with it once again under Hitler's regime, and how the world of jazz continued to live even after being banned by the Third Reich. Various jazz players appear throughout the novel, from Louis Armstrong to the Goldene Sieben, but I do wish that Edugyan had considered showing more of what the jazz scene was like in Berlin before the bans, as most of story focuses on the band fleeing for their lives rather than the music they make. We don't actually get to see them perform as a group before circumstances force them apart.

Read the full review on My Cluttered Bookshelf.

[bluerosefox]

Protecting Family

Hmmm

I'm on a Danny is Dick's child kick rn so I'm making more.

But lets add in some Ghost King Danny!, Dad to a deaged Ellie and Dan! And toddler Mar'i Grayson.

Danny was conceived during Dick's amnesia year when he was Ric and the woman couldn't find him to tell him (or maybe the Owls caught wind of the pregnancy and took her) and he ended up somehow (hmmm maybe a meddling time keeper?) with the Fentons.

Danny grows as a Fenton, he knows he was adopted btw, then becomes Phantom, protects Amity, becomes the Ghost King and things seem to be going okay between Amity Parkers and the Infinite Realms since they took care of the GIW problem, AND has been a good doting teen dad to his deaged 'cousins/clones' turned kids.

Danny was going to go pick his kids up from daycare one day when CHAOS happens. Just as he wrangles Ellie onto his shoulders, cause she wants to be tall today, and about to take Dan's hand cause he's and I quote "A big boy and not a baby like Ellie, Dad!" he suddenly feels the tug of his family being in danger.

Thing is, its a blood related danger. Meaning someone blood related to him was in grave danger, and by the emotions he can feel, its someone young, way younger than him.

Problem.

The only people Danny knows with his blood in their veins and are young enough for the feeling are with him.

So who?

But due to Danny being a protector spirit AND knowing the feeling is from someone as young as his own kids, Danny decides to use his Ghost King Powers to summon said person from the danger to him.

Danny opens his free arms out just as a tiny toddler with black hair like his own but with bright green eyes, even the sclera were green, in a ruined party dress drops from the sky from the summoning circle that had opened above him.

Danny stares at the terrified child, whose hands are tied by rope and was crying, and takes notes of certain traits she had that he saw every time in the mirror or on his own kids, same eye shape and cheekbones. He can tell his ghost core has claimed her as family but not as his kid though.

No the connection that formed was almost like his connection with Jazz but a bit stronger.

This kid, was his sister. His blood related one.

-Meanwhile-

Dick Grayson, aka Nightwing, and his family were freaking the fuck out.

Dick was already panicked when his daughter Mar'i had gotten kidnapped just a few hours ago by the Joker.

Now he was feeling pure dread when his daughter, who was about to be killed, was suddenly pulled into a strange glowing circle at the last minute and disappeared into thin air.

[narklos]

One of the lucky ones.

[raphaerolo]

Saw a screencap from Perfect Blue and I wanted to draw it with Obi-Wan

Smth about bloody feral obi-wan contrasted with the in-universe propaganda of him...

Ref under the cut

[cubbihue]

What would Peri’s power level be if he didn’t have his inhibitor/stabilizer wand and just went apeshit?

While Cosmo deals with too much magic in his body, Peri suffers from a slightly different issue. Cosmo has the greatest amount of magic in Fairy World. Peri is incapable of regulating his magic.

Peri cannot, not then as a child and not now in the present, control his magic. Without his inhibitor, he can easily destroy an entire realm- just as he nearly destroyed Earth as a baby. This fact has not changed, although it is less plausible today than back then.

Peri's taken extra measures in the present-day to ensure it cannot happen.

Bitties Series: [Start] > [Previous] > [Next]

Instability: [Start] > [Previous] > [Next]

[justaz]

merlin told arthur his favorite color was the color of the sky during sunset when it shifted into a deep violet. arthur gets a tunic made in that exact shade. its the best thing merlin owns. arthur was hoping that would mean he’d wear it almost everyday but merlin almost never wears it. the only time he does wear it is when royals come to visit (which isn’t all that often). arthur “subtly” asks about it and merlin is like “it’s the best thing i own. i’m not gonna dirty it mucking out the stables or serving rowdy knights wine while they splatter food on it” and arthur is like “why not wear it when nobles come to visit? look at least a little presentable for them” (cough nice save). merlin doesn’t see the point in it bc nobles don’t care about him at best, view him as less than human at worst.

arthur really just wants to see his boyfriend servant in the tunic he had made for him (bonus points for sending a message that merlin is his. not that merlin seems to notice. man is too much of an idiot). merlin wants to preserve his favorite tunic and gift from his boyfriend king.

[saintaviator]

moar hl scraps…. does a pose

[your-stranger-halfblood-things]

Jason and Percy having a romantic picnic but neither of them know how to cook for shit, so Percy just packs some tableware from CHB so they get free food

[halflifebutawesome]

MAY 16, 200-

[andi-o-geyser]

all my favourite characters are just people i see who make me go "damn you sure do clean up well but I'd much rather see you grinning with blood between your teeth"

[fisherrprince]

Redesigned my sona ( ・∇・)👍

[myclutteredbookshelf]

February Reading Wrap Up

Every book I completed this month:

Light Boxes by Shane Jones

How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel

Another Country by James Baldwin

Say Her Name by Zetta Elliot

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

[bluerosefox]

The MANY Bloodlines of Constantine

Those Constantine is Danny's dad and sold his kid soul because he thought he'd actually never have one and Danny is now the Ghost King so his soul claims are invalid AUs but learns he's not Constantine only kid (after a while Constantine honestly 100% thought he'd never have kids and never bothered with a 1st born clause when making deals, maybe some annoyed deity or powerful magic user made Constantine think he can't have kids anymore just to get back at the conman) and now doing everything in his Kingly power to save his half-siblings (can be other teens from other shows or movies or cartoons etc etc) because Danny is the oldest of them and really really wants to punch his biodad for making such a huge mess he has to deal with but Danny does get to meet and protect his younger Half-siblings.

Then comes the day he's celebrating one of his half-sibs birthday with all the others when he's suddenly summoned out of the blue and meets not just the Justice League but his, and his half-sibs, no good soul selling biodad.

Hello rightly placed aggression.... Once he takes care of that powerful evil spirit that's attacking earth first of course.

[quotespile]

Folks think a lifetime is a thing stretched out over years. It ain't. It can happen quick as a match in a dark room.

Esi Edugyan, Half Blood Blues

[fandomination666-blog]

Percy genuinely believed that Sally was trying to get rid of him by sending him to all those schools. He was so hurt when she instantly said no to homeschooling, cause all he ever wanted was to be with her.

But in the flashback we see why that hurts Sally so much. Because all of this, all the schools, and the shitty step-dad, and the stories, and the lying when necessary, and the yelling and the crying and the stress, all of this was SO SHE COULD KEEP HIM.

Because baby Percy has no idea that there is a place, a perfect place, with people just like him, with people who would help and understand him. A place where baby annabeth may have only just arrived.

Sally could have taken him to camp instantly. Even as a baby. She was only 19!!! She could've taken him to camp in that flashback, when he was like 9, she could've lived her 30s as a single young woman starting her candy business. But she put herself through so much, and Percy through so much, because she knew that there is no place more perfect than home.

And she did what it took to keep her baby home and safe, with his mom.

[cloud-craft]

The Chunk Manager keeping things nice neat and orderly