#his name was Bart and he was beautiful

[7classyantiquestores]

I made the (possibly questionable, considering proximity to the Elden Ring DLC) decision to start playing through Inquisition again, just to get my memory refreshed before Veilguard comes out (further questionable because I rarely buy games on launch anyways but whatever lol).

Long and the short of it, I decided to just focus on the main story this time (instead of clearing the majority of the side content like my first time), and I am stunned how much better the story and overall experience is. Like, there is so much bloat in this game that could have been cut out, leaving more time and budget for the core game.

It’s a pretty transformative experience, because I borderline hated this game the first time. I pressed to the end, because I’m completionist to a fault, but I found myself entirely unable to understand what people liked about it. The story felt stale and scattered, the main quests felt like an afterthought (and were often too easy due to my being overlevel), and the bulk of work (ie side quests) my Inquisitor did was boring, repetitive, and poorly justified within the context of the story.

But by ignoring any quest that the main plot doesn’t put me in the direct path of, I’m actually kind of getting it this time, which is crazy to me. I also played a character that was more tailored to the story (a human Faithful rather than a diplomatic but ultimately agnostic dwarf), which is also helping. I think they clearly had a kind of story they wanted to tell, but nearly destroyed it (to my eyes anyways) by weighing it down it with unnecessary extra content. But there’s some really good stuff in there, if you sweep away all the bloat. It’s still not a perfect game, of course. But no game is perfect, and I do really think the things I have gripes with would have been given a bit more love if the team didn’t be stuck with the impossible task of turning a tight story-driven tactics-based RPG into a huge open-world action RPG. I really hope that BioWare learns from this (and from their stumbles with Andromeda and Anthem, not to mention), and return to form with Veilguard. Tight, focused, narrative-driven RPG. Not being everything to everyone, just doing a couple things very well. This is what BioWare has always been good at, and above everything else (including my precious logic-based tactics system lol), that’s what I hope to see them do in Veilguard.

TLDR; if you ever bounced off Inquisition but feel the urge to try again with the approaching release of Veilguard, I recommend giving it a shot, with the following advice: 1) Ignore everything in the game that didn’t come up along the path of a main quest, unless it actually sound narratively significant (sorry farmer with the missing druffalo, I’ve got a world to save). 2) Beyond that, I advise trying a human or elf PC, and be either Faithful (meaning to believe in Andraste, not necessarily fully embracing the Herald title if you don’t want to) or else be really into the Dalish stuff (mainly if you’re an elf). That’ll make your character actually feel meaningfully integrated in the main story. It’s made a big difference for me, anyways.

[sunshinescribes]

Hi! Can I request how law would react if his partner calls him baby or babe (any pet names) by accident in front of everyone? The crew doesn’t really know but they got a feeling they’re dating

Baby

Pairing: Trafalgar Law x GN!Reader

Warning: Established Relationship, Heart Pirates shenanigans, Soft Law, Reader is stupid in love with Law (as we all are)

You swear you can hear color and see sound…or at least you feel like you can.

Pulling an all-nighter working on internal ship repairs seemed like such a good idea in theory. It felt like pure genius on your part, being able to avoid the headache of having to work around your unruly crewmates—or worse, having to stop completely.

You love them, you really do, but your fellow Heart Pirates are a rowdy bunch. You don’t entirely blame them, though. It’s difficult being stuck in the ocean’s depths for days on end, missing the blinding sun and salty sea air—you hunger for it just as much as anyone, but when denied, you’d at least like to make certain that the Polar Tang is able to get you all to your next destination in one piece.

All your hard work and good intentions, and yet you had failed to consider one pivotal component: how long it would take to complete your repairs. The hours had passed in the blink of an eye, and much to your surprise, your late-night work had spilled into the early morning hours.

 You wonder how Law does it. He spends nights nose-deep in medical texts or hunched over his desk, flipping between scrolls and maps with ease. The dark circles under his eyes are a clear sign that he doesn’t get nearly as much sleep as he needs, but he moves and thinks like a fully rested man. Even when you slip into his room in the late hours, mindful of making sure your crewmates don’t know where you run off to, you find Law at his desk, lost in that brilliant mind of his.

He makes it look good, but you aren’t so sure you can say the same. You trudge down the narrow halls of the Polar Tang like an undead creature—sluggish and half-alert.

But you’re so close. Nearly done with your work. All you need is just one final push, a little boost to keep you on the mend. You can already taste the creamy milk and rich espresso on your tongue, topped with a dribble of caramel, just for that additional burst of energy. Yes, that’s exactly what you need.

You feel like you could float into the mess hall if you weren’t so worn. You nearly stumble as you push your way inside, avoiding Bepo while he rushes to his seat with Shachi and Penguin in tow. The trio is already deep in an argument that you can’t quite make out but know isn’t even worth listening to. You swear those three share blood, even if Bepo isn’t human.

Ikkaku is already seated, protecting her plate from Hakugan, who still can’t seem to grasp the concept of keeping his grubby little hands out of other people's plates, no matter how many times Ikkaku or Jean Bart try to beat it into him.

Others slip in and out of the mess hall, exchanging a kind greeting or snide remark before shuffling to their stations.

You hear Law before you see him, his rich voice carrying through the crowded space as he calmly explains to Uni that the Polar Tang will have to make port soon. You can’t help but stare. Even in your hazy, sleep-deprived state, Law is still the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen.

Reliable as always, Uni nods before rushing to the control room. Law catches sight of you as you stagger towards the counter. His expression is flat, his lips pulled in a tight line, but you notice the softness in his eyes. No matter how convincing his scowl may be, his eyes are always so telling—the singular piece of his soul he can’t hide.

He shifts closer, leaving a respectable space so as not to draw attention to you two. “Good morning.”

You yawn the greeting back unceremoniously, and god, you swear you feel your heart stutter when you glimpse the smile he’s trying so hard to hide.

“Late night?”

Your response is a tired hum. A joke sits comfortably on your tongue, but you can’t compel yourself to say it. You need your morning boost before you fall face-flat on the floor. You glance up at the cupboard, too tired to struggle.

“Baby,” you call, your voice slightly slurred, “can you pass me a cup?"

Law reaches above you, finding the mug you always seem to gravitate to—it’s nearly in his hands before he stops suddenly.

He stands as still as a statue, and you know your confusion is evident. 

The sudden silence that falls over the room doesn’t help. You can’t make out the usual jokes and jabs shared at the tables. No clattering forks. No loud, obnoxious slurping.

Did you push yourself too far? Is this what sleep-deprivation psychosis feels like?

“…baby?” Penguin questions.

Oh.

Oh shit.

The voices come all at once. A shrill cry from Bepo. Shocked laughter from Jean Bart. Shachi and Penguin yell over each other, triumphantly claiming they knew it. The only person who seems wholly unaffected is Ikkaku, who shoots you a knowing grin before returning her attention to her plate.

You glance at Law, who glares at his crew as a multitude of questions are fired his way. Each inquiry is louder than the last, and voices begin to blend as your crewmates shout over each other, desperately trying to get to the bottom of your secret relationship.

Maybe it’s the sleep-deprived delirium that makes the situation funnier than it actually is, because you laugh. Inelegant and uncontrolled. You shoot Law an apologetic glance, attempting to look as guilty as you feel, but from the way your shoulders shake and your lip quivers, you know you look anything but.

You expect his signature scowl—the look that makes marines blood run cold—but you receive something far sweeter—that surprised, uncertain smile that makes Law look years younger. His irritation has a habit of fading when you laugh, as if your joy is contagious.

He ignores the cries of his crew, finally passing you your cup.

“Sorry,” you whisper, trying to sound regretful, but your voice sounds far too cherry, laced with laughter.

“Don’t be.” There’s a devious glint in his golden eyes, and you hear the tell-tale sound of his room being created before you even see the blue film that contains it. “You have to deal with them now.”

You swear you hear that snarky chuckle of his, but he’s gone too quick, replaced with a crumpled piece of paper. There’s a moment of silence, a temporary peace, before all eyes fall on you, and the questions spill forth once more.

A/N: I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR TAKING SO LONG TO FINISH THIS REQUEST!! Despite that, I hope you enjoyed!

divider credit: cafekitsune

[brucewaynehater101]

so in a number of ancient cultures it was inappropriate, unacceptable, and probably even an executable offense to look directly at the emperor with the idea that they have divine right to rule or they're descended from the gods or whatever.

Space Emperor Tim of many names had made it no longer an executable offense but his planets still find it very disrespectful for anyone, besides the royal consorts, to look directly at their baby space emperor. They actually appreciate and approve that he wears a mask, so clever and considerate of their baby emperor to restrain his divine glory in such a way! He's also a babie and so it's inappropriate and unacceptable to the empire for anyone to go around and have actual realistic images of their emperor or his equally babie consorts around everywhere. Instead all images of the imperial group is very stylized or they all incorporate the emperor's mask on not just him but also his consorts/bodyguards/whatever they are to him on whatever planet. Further, even on just one planet there are a lot of different ideas of what makes someone or something beautiful but fortunately for C4 all shades of human skin tend to be perceived as a color usually used on something to make it seem extra cute, and their relative smallness make all of them, especially Bart with the fluffy hair, the equivalent of kirby in the eyes of the empire, smol, adorable, probably able to destroy everything but you forget because, again, smol and adorable.

That being said, all the merch, from statues to commemorative spoons, tend to be recognizably probably a human in a mask and that's as close to being identifiably any member of the C4 that they typically get.

Tim has put in protocols just in case someone tries to visit the empire while impersonating him or any of his friends. So far no one has tried but if Damian ever goes to the empire as Robin he's going to inadvertently be dealing with some trouble. Or he may get written off as a baby cosplaying as their beloved emperor and Damian will be extremely pissed off because people are being condescending and cooing at him for the respect he's displaying towards their beloved emperor.

It would be hella cool if some of the planets gifted YJ a variety of masks. Perhaps the team ends up with a collection of different styled masks (with various beauty standards and styles) as the planets' gesture of gratitude, respect, and reverence. Some are styled similar to discowing, but others have wildly complex designs or simplified ones.

It'd be cool to see various designs, colors, concepts, etc. The regular Robin mask is used most often in fanart, but perhaps they play around with mask designs.

I think Damian would enjoy learning about different animals species on the planets. Maybe Tim entrusts upkeeping planet ecological systems to him at some point

[socialfakes]

the devils in the details- luke hughes

chapter 3; part 2: body art

nhl x platonic!fem!reader

eventual luke hughes x fem!reader

nico hischier x fem!reader

the masterlist

Liked by lhughes_06, jamie.drysdale, trevorzegras and 9,843 others

yourinstagram | new piercings & tattoo 🦈 sharks are my absolute favorite

view all comments

jackhughes how were you so calm throughout this process? i got a tiny one and it hurt so much 😫  | yourinstagram i have a higher pain tolerance than you, obviously 😉  | lhughes_06 he cried like a little girl and it was hilarious 😂  | jackhughes i'll admit that i did in fact cry but i definitely did not cry like a little girl, luke  | _quinnhughes luke that was you

_quinnhughes and now we have 3 matching ones 🦈🍀

user12 so much pain tolerance 😊

elblue6 love the piercings, darling 😊

tdemko30 glad to see you took my piercing suggestions

jamie.drysdale baby shark 😏  | yourinstagram no ✋🏻

user13 jack has another tattoo?!?  | user06 what is it?  | user13 no idea yet but hopefully someone gives us some inside information  | yourinstagram it’s 4 letters, one for his name, one for my name and one for both luke and quinn 👍🏻

trevorzegras we need to get a tattoo together now 😔  | yourinstagram come visit and we can 😊  | trevorzegras got the next flight out 😏

user11 the way you have these boys just wrapped around your finger is amazing 🤩

rutgermcgroarty thanks for inviting me to witness luke cry like a baby 😂  | yourinstagram anytime 😏

Liked by rutgermcgroarty, nicohischier, jamie.drysdale and 8,516 others

yourinstagram | for the boys that are my star, my moon and my sun ⭐️🌙☀️  tagged: lhughes_06, _quinnhughes, jackhughes

view all comments

jackhughes ☀️

_quinnhughes 🌙

lhughes_06 ⭐️

bboeser loving this

user16 a beautiful tattoo with a beautiful meaning behind it ❤️

tdemko30 awe you got the one i suggested 😊

jamie.drysdale such a sweet one

trevorzegras i love this but obviously not as much as our matching one 😉

elblue6 we have the same sun, star and moon 😊

_eliaspettersson ☀️🌙⭐️

jackhughes this was such a surprise but i am so honored to be your sun ☀️❤️

rutgermcgroarty perfect tattoo

user07 these boys really are your whole world aren’t they?  | yourinstagram absolutely 💕

Liked by yourinstagram, jackhughes, jamie.drysdale and 26,842 others

trevorzegras | while not my sister in the ‘traditional’ sense, y/n is my sister in every aspect of life. don't know where i'd be without her honestly 😊❤️  tagged: yourinstagram

view all comments

yourinstagram prison probably 🙄  | yourinstagram just kidding, obviously. love you trev 😊

user13 love this sibling dynamic between you two

jamie.drysdale the tattoos represent you two so much  | yourinstagram i know right? trevor picked them out  | jamie.drysdale knew he had some taste 😏

lhughes_06 not even real siblings but y’all fight like it 😊  | jackhughes it’s the same for me and y/n too  | yourinstagram i fight with everyone 😄  | lhughes_06 not me 😊  | _quinnhughes you don’t fight with me 😃

_quinnhughes the perfect tattoo 😊

user01 bart and lisa are iconic siblings but certainly not as iconic as y/n & trevor 😂

jackhughes absolutely love this tattoo

user16 a guy and girl CAN be friends. it really is possible 😮  | trevorzegras surprising isn’t it? 😂  | yourinstagram i love trevor a lot but he is definitely ONLY my friend 👍🏻  | trevorzegras best friend*  | yourinstagram pushing your luck, bud ✋🏻

taglist: @worldlxvlys

[mamawasatesttube]

Hi hello, i jist felt the need to say that ive reread androcheia like 4 times now and im still thinking about the commitment from kon to make play stardew valley from both controllers to live out his farm life dream with tim?? Hello?? I am insane about that??

Also, i made cimanom rolls yesterday cuz of the fic, and they turned out pretty well!

Hope u have a great day!

YIPPEE!!!! yeah kon has been putting in the WORK. this is the culmination of like 100+ hours of gameplay. he's having fun with it he's got his gay little pixel farmboy running around and a set of rabbits all named after bart (bart, thol, em, and mew) as well as one cow that bart grabbed his controller and named gamer420. kon feels so bad for this cow. he tells her she's beautiful and he's sorry bart did this to her on a regular basis

[dearlexies]

I've been thinking a lot about Jaybart lately, even wrote half of two one-shots that I might post soon, since I'm bored, and have nothing to do, here are some hcs of them that I have and intend to work on some future fanfics:

Sometimes, while the other is sleeping, they lie awake counting the other's breathing just to make sure they are alive. Neither of them knows about it. Bart does this more often, but Jason spends more time awake counting his breaths.

Jason cooks and Bart cleans. Bart can't cook to save his life, but he makes decent coffee.

Bart has freckles all over his body and Jason often compares them to stars, when they are alone he tries to kiss each of his freckles.

Bart's love language is physical touch and words of affirmation, so Jason has always one arm around his shoulders or waist, sometimes he lays his head on Bart's shoulder and when no one is looking he leaves a kiss on his neck or whispers in his ear 'I love you'

Jason's love language is quality time and acts of service. Bart always tries to find a way to go to Jason's apartment and spend some time with him, they talk, watch movies and sometimes just enjoy each other's company. 'I love you' for Jason is not in words, but it is in the little things. In the coffees that Bart makes for him, in the early hours of waking up together, in the silence while Jason cooks and Bart helps him chopping the vegetables.

Bart made (read: forced) Jason to watch all the Star Wars films

Whenever the two watch a film/series, Bart develops a crush on one of the actors and talks about it for weeks and Jason just agrees that most of them are actually hot

Most people don't know that they date. Bart always says he has a boyfriend, but never says his name instead he describes his boyfriend as 'a literature student who loves cooking and Jane Austen and Virginia Woolf books' and he always has fun seeing people's reactions when Jason appears and kisses him.

Roy can't stand being in the same room as them, he always says that they look at each other with puppy ​​eyes or like they're ready to fuck right there

Sometimes Bart wears skirts and dresses, Jason thinks he looks really beautiful wearing it.

Tim was the first to know they were together, he accidentally walked into the kitchen and saw them kissing (his reaction was similar to Ross's in friends but with less screams)

On their first Valentine's Day together, the two forgot it was Valentine's Day and spent the day watching horror movies and eating pizza.

Bart always listens to Tim and Jason's complaints about each other and finds it funny how the two always end up saying "How is he your best friend/boyfriend?”

Bart always pulls Jason's blanket over while sleeps.

Tim constantly walks over while they are almost having sex, most of the time he screams 'my eyes!' and Jason finds something to throw at him.

They are not a clingy couple, no pet names, no matching accessories, not so many pda, except for a few kisses, and a hand on the other's shoulder or waist, and they barely talk about the relationship with others, the reasons many people don't know they are dating is precisely this. They are very private, and none of them are afraid to provoke, disagree or upset the other.

[jgroffdaily]

Willkommen and bienvenue to another round of anonymous Tony voters debating the merits of this year’s nominations, with Stereophonic and Hell’s Kitchen leading the marquees with 13 nominations each. Despite all the mothers, rock-and-roll doyens, and Waystar Royco employees trying to lure us to the Theater District, our two veteran Tony voters aren’t overly enthralled by the season. They think it’s one of the strongest years for plays in recent memory. But for musicals? Eh, maybe some shouldn’t have made the transfer from across the pond. And while Stereophonic and Merrily We Roll Along are destined for further greatness, the voters don’t think being a Hollywood star guarantees an acting trophy. Ahead of the June 16 ceremony at Lincoln Center, they weighed in on where they stand and why.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical

Brody Grant — The Outsiders Jonathan Groff — Merrily We Roll Along Dorian Harewood — The Notebook Brian d’Arcy James — Days of Wine and Roses Eddie Redmayne — Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Voter 1: There are three exceptional performances in this category. Brody and Brian are extraordinary, but my vote is going to Jonathan. His performance is the best of the year in any category, actually. He manages to make, on paper, a character who might be very unlikable and turn him into a complex human being who makes some pretty awful choices, and yet we understand the humanity behind those choices. It’s a staggering achievement.

Voter 2: My winner is Jonathan. That character is a total jerk the way it’s written, but he makes him completely sympathetic and it’s a beautiful performance. But I do want to say it’s an interesting list of names. I would’ve put money on Brian because that was an amazing performance. I probably would’ve predicted Eddie, even though it was a very divisive performance. I thought it was very stylized. I thought, Okay, you know what? That’s a choice. He was just sort of there for me, but I suspected he would get nominated because it’s one of “those” roles. Brody is saddled with two of the worst wigs on Broadway — he overcame them. The one glaring omission here is the star of Tommy, Ali Louis Bourzgui. That kid is a star. He’s so magnetic. I was enraptured from start to finish and I don’t understand why he’s not included.

Best Revival of a Musical

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club Gutenberg! The Musical Merrily We Roll Along The Who’s Tommy

Voter 1: Merrily, Merrily, Merrily. I do think it’s disappointing that the one specifically BIPOC musical, The Wiz, was excluded. I’ll say that. I’m disappointed that it was snubbed. But for me, it’s Merrily in a walk. I really liked it downtown and I fucking loved it uptown.

Voter 2: Merrily. It’s always been my favorite. I know it’s the Stephen Sondheim black sheep show, but this is the best production I’ve ever seen and I think it’s the best production you will ever see. It finally works. There’s a lot of good you can say about these four shows, but Merrily is without question the one for me.

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical

Roger Bart — Back to the Future Joshua Boone — The Outsiders Brandon Victor Dixon — Hell’s Kitchen Sky Lakota-Lynch — The Outsiders Daniel Radcliffe — Merrily We Roll Along Steven Skybell — Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Voter 1: This is another great category. I loved Steven and really loved Brandon. I thought both of the guys from The Outsiders were wonderful, but I’m all about Daniel. His delivery of “Franklin Shepard, Inc.” is award-worthy just for that song. Watching him grow as a stage actor has been a privilege. He’s one of the biggest stars in the world and he keeps coming back to the stage. In this production, he just takes it all to another level. It’s spectacular.

Voter 2: I’ll end up going with Daniel, but Steven, oh my God. I’m thinking about his performance and I’m almost crying again. Ron Rifkin won for that role in the last Cabaret revival. It’s definitely one of those roles that gets you noticed. But Tony nominators have had a habit of ignoring Daniel, so I was so happy they nominated him. He’s a fantastic stage actor. This isn’t a brag, but I’ve seen everything he’s done in New York on and off Broadway, and he gets better every time. His “Franklin Shepard, Inc.”? He’s singing the 11 o’clock number at 8:30. Come on. That’s a pretty tall order. Oh, I totally forgot about Back to the Future. I’m surprised Roger got in there.

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

Shoshana Bean — Hell’s Kitchen Amber Iman — Lempicka Nikki M. James — Suffs Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer — Monty Python’s Spamalot Kecia Lewis — Hell’s Kitchen Lindsay Mendez — Merrily We Roll Along Bebe Neuwirth — Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Voter 1: You won’t be surprised given all my Merrily love, but it’s Lindsay. She recently got married — Jonathan was the officiant and Daniel was the ring bearer. That’s how close they’ve become as friends, and that chemistry and love they have for one another is so evident onstage. Lindsay is really funny and sour; she oozes sarcasm, and yet she allows us to see the pain behind all the armor. In the final Merrily scene, we witness her innocence and her hopefulness in a way that I don’t think anyone sees coming. It’s acting at the highest level.

Voter 2: Even though I love Merrily and Lindsay here, I’m inclined to vote for Kecia for Hell’s Kitchen. I didn’t love the show, but she was one of the reasons I liked it. Oh my gosh, her voice. She anchors the show in a lot of ways. She’s also one of those actors who’s always been around and doing fantastic work. She made her Broadway debut at age 18 in Dreamgirls, playing Effie. This show is just another reminder of her talents. It’s not like we should give Tonys for longevity or lifetime achievement, but I feel like this is just another reminder of, Yes, Kecia is fantastic. That might put me over the top for her.

[s10127470]

Shipping Ideas: Bart Simpson

I'm pretty sure most of you are familiar with crack-ships.

The act of taking two characters from completely different sources of media (and in some cases, from the same piece of media) and putting them in a romantic relationship.

And while this is largely seen as kind of a joke by most of the Internet, there is a strange beauty to it.

Not only seeing completely different characters being put together, but seeing it done in a way that still stays true to their respective characterizations.

And in some cases, the characters as they're presented in the crack-ship are actually better than where they originated from.

One of, if not, the best case of crack-ships I've seen is from an artist by the name of Flower Cannibal (Iris Lamour).

For the past year, she's been doing a web-comic series titled The BriBob Multiverse.

Set in a weird mish-mashed world where just about every fictional character you can think of co-exists, this series primarily focuses on various same-sex crack-ships pairings.

But the main one is the titular BriBob, which is a ship between Brian Griffin from Family Guy and SpongeBob SquarePants.

This already sounds like an insane and disastrous ship given how drastically different these two are.

But believe or not, it’s actually really engaging.

For starters, there’s the characterization of the two.

SpongeBob is what you would usually expect from him, but Brian is essentially back to his characterization from the earlier seasons, when he wasn’t a egotistical douchebag.

As for how they got together.

We see this happen in the very first part of the comic, where Brian is attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting being held by Steven Universe.

SpongeBob is the last to arrive to the meeting, where he finds himself sitting next to Brian.

The two immediately hit it off, as Brian finds himself drawn to SpongeBob’s bright demeanor.

Though you may be wonder why the hell SpongeBob of all characters is at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

Well, this where gets take a real shark turn.

So basically, sometime before the events of the comic, Mr. Krabs DIED and as a result, The Krusty Krab got shutdown.

This led SpongeBob to spiral into a deep depression, and he decided to join AA as he didn’t want his depression to reach to the point where he does become an alcoholic.

Yeah, despite this comic being crossover insanity, it’s also shockingly deep as well.

The reason why these two ended up together is that they’re both aimless souls.

We already know Brian is one (and I appreciate how it’s treated in a way that makes us sympathize with him and instead of trying to make him look like a loser) and SpongeBob now since he’s lost his job (which he loved).

And throughout the comic, we see these two really bringing the best out of each other.

SpongeBob helping Brian keep his spirits up and being his motivation for him to buckle down, and Brian amazing SpongeBob with his intellect and showing nothing but love for his unique quirks.

If you want to check this series out, here are the links to Flower Cannibal's TikTok and Instagram.

But anyway, the reason I'm sharing all of this is because I've gotten into the whole concept of crack-ships.

And in honor of Pride Month, I've decided to start a series where I take a fictional character and choose 4 other characters (2 male and 2 female) that I think they would be really good matches with.

And to start this series off, our very first guest will be the pranking master of Springfield Elementary, the eldest child of the Simpsons family, and the creator of The Bartman: Bart Simpson!

So without further ado, let's get started!

Partner #1: Chuckie Finister (All Grown Up!)

I had to put these two together just because of the fact that they shared the same voice actress: Nancy Cartwright.

Basically, Nancy would be in a relationship with herself!

Talk about self-love!

But apart from that, there is another reason why I think these two would really be a good couple.

AGU Chuckie, although still neurotic and cautious like when he was baby, is shown to be somewhat more courageous and a bit of risk taker, since he doesn't want to be seen as a coward anymore.

And Bart, someone who is courageous and a massive risk talker, would definitely cater to that.

These two would basically be partners-in-crime in a way while also complimenting each other really well.

Bart helps Chuckie become more courageous and stand up for himself, and Chuckie makes sure to reel Bart in so he doesn't take things too far and get them in trouble.

Also, I could totally see this maybe even leading to a potential friendship between Skinner and Pangborn.

They would definitely be the primary targets of this couple's pranks and totally bond over their shared exasperation and frustration towards them.

Partner #2: Sakura Haruno (Naruto)

Now this is a classic!

I'm sure any of you that grew up in the 1990s and 2000s probably remember Nickelodeon Magazine.

Well during the late 2000s, they had this issue that was essentially a parody of the celebrity magazines of the time known as Toon Weekly, which focused on the lives of fictional characters (mainly cartoon, anime and comic book ones) as if they were celebrities.

And in that issue, one of the main articles was that of Bart and Sakura, who are shown to have a surprisingly close friendship in this universe.

And the article possibly hints that they may be more than just friends.

But in all honesty, I could actually see them canonically being a thing.

Although Sakura is primarily compassionate, determined and courageous, she's also incredibly short-tempered and aggressive.

I could actually see Bart being attracted to that.

He definitely strikes me as a guy who, in the words of Spike Spiegel....

As for why Sakura would be into Bart.....

Well, Bart is, in all honesty, is a really kind and caring person.

While yes, he does prank and mess with people a lot.

He is by no means a malicious person and he does know when to stop before things get taken too far.

And he's willing to stand up for others.

Not to mention he's pretty confident, something Sakura exactly wasn't at the beginning.

And since Sakura is an honor roll student, this relationship honestly writes itself!

Sakura would help Bart buckle down and help him think about his future and become the best student he can be instead of coasting on a D- GPA for the rest of his life

And Bart would help Sakura become more confident and far less narcissistic, making her realize that she's already pretty and shouldn't have to worry about what others think. Along with that, Bart would definitely encourage Sakura to hone her ninja skills, which he would find totally cool.

Also, two things to note before we move on.

Bart would definitely have a good future with Sakura. Since let's be real, I think we're all sick of having every potential future for Bart being him ending up as a total loser.

Bart would be a FAR better lover to Sakura than Sasuke ever was. I mean, my God, it isn't that hard of a feat to accomplish.

Partner #3: Cricket Green (Big City Greens)

Now this one literally writes itself.

Cricket is incredibly mischievous and fun-loving, which would jive really well with Bart.

As you expect, the two would definitely be partners-in-crime when it comes to their pranks and antics.

In addition to that, Cricket would just find Bart really cool to hang around and smart due to him being more knowledgeable about the outside world than him, while Bart would find Cricket really endearing and kinda cute because of his optimism.

Also, I just feel the multiple aneurysms coming for Homer and Bill.

Not because they would be against their sons being a couple.

(Well, maybe expect for Homer...)

But because of the absolute mayhem and chaos they would be causing together.

Partner #4: Reggie Rocket (Rocket Power)

We all know Bart is a EPIC SKATER!

So why not give him a love interest whose also an EPIC SKATER as well?

Apart from that, I can just see these two having really strong chemistry.

I’d imagine that Bart would probably gain an interest in the much greater world of extreme sports thanks to Reggie.

Reggie would definitely make sure that Bart doesn’t do something stupid, which she would be a master of thanks to Otto.

I’d could actually see a moment between these two taking place after Reggie saved Bart’s ass from something he caused.

Reggie would be furious and Bart would apologize and try to calm her down.

And I’d imagine it would accumulate with Reggie finally calming down and saying…

“You’re lucky that your cute….”

Also, how do you think Raymundo gonna feel about Bart and Reggie dating?

After dealing with Otto all the time, I’d imagine his tolerance for antics are really fucking low.

Well that’s all I have for now!

Let me know what you guys think about this little series I’ve decided to start and the characters I chose for Bart.

Also if you could, send me some ideas for who you want me to talk about next time!

But until then….

[rezonan]

Never been a big fan of Tim Drake, don't hate him or anything but I just never found him interesting outside the animated series (where now with more comic knowledge I know is just Jason with Tim's name on it) and all the post-New 52 stuff is just plain bad

But I've read through most of the early to mid 2000s and I'm really starting to get some of the appeal, Stephanie is 'dead', his dad is dead, Conner and Bart are dead, he's in a toxic relationship with Cassie and he even tried to bring Conner back by re cloning him. Around this time Jason shows up to beat the shit out of him too, then Bruce 'dies' too. Then I heard later on he has a breakdown over nor being Batman in Battle for the cowl, Dick basically takes away Robin from him and

And through all that tragedy, He slowly starts to act more like Bruce which is interesting. Because becoming more like Bruce was really a weird twist. It's the idea that Tim came into this world by choice, and was actually happy doing this job.

It was interesting how Bruce became a hero because of tragedy, but Tim experienced tragedy because he wanted to be a hero. Beautiful piece.

I'll should read up on his stuff more

[mossiestpiglet]

I'm so sorry I don't know if you still have cotrk thoughts but I just want to say I really enjoy your appreciation of the Bloor family. They have a lot going on. It's really tragic for them but it's so fun. I just needed to talk to Someone about them.

My sweet beautiful anon I am literally always having CotRK thoughts and ESPECIALLY thoughts about the Bloors. When I say I was not the target audience for this series I mean that even as a kid (I think 8-10 when first starting to read them) I was digging into things probably slightly too deep and loving how fucked up the relationships and backstories were. Middle grade books where almost every character has severe trauma and it’s up to the reader to decide how closely they want to look at it are some of my favorite works.

I’m also really into some of the themes of the series, like generational manipulation, hierarchy, bodily autonomy, etc. These are really interesting themes to explore in children’s fiction and I think it’s done fairly well in CotRK because Nimmo lets it be dark and grim, but also filtered through a child’s understanding. It would be a supremely different vibe as narrated by Paton, with the decades of trauma and history he has with each of the other characters and his much, much bleaker perspective on family and his own freedom. There’s some weird like. Biological determinism angles going on which I really don’t like (and also are internally inconsistent in some ways), and I think it’s fair to critique that but it should also be understood in the context as basically a staple of the genre and so not surprising.

The Bloors tie in with those above themes really well because Bartholomew, Harold, and Manfred are all defined by how they are/have been controlled by Ezekiel. They all only exist because of Ezekiel’s desire for power and endowed descendants. Bartholomew was only allowed to get away because he’d already produced a child for Ezekiel. Harold and Manfred have grown up entirely controlled by Ezekiel, essentially as his tools. They seem to be in agreement with him because of those biological determinism issues noted above, but I think the textual backstory given to both can’t be ignored. Harold lost both parents at a young age and was raised in an environment where being endowed was everything and he isn’t. Manfred is endowed and his endowment is a weapon that is immediately put to use even as a baby. Bart existed to make Harold, then Harold existed to make Manfred, then Manfred existed to be used for whatever Ezekiel wanted. They are fucked up for good reason.

I also am just obsessed with some of the timeline stuff like. Age-wise Paton and Harold have to have more backstory than we really ever get to see because Harold is only two years older than Paton and so they would have for sure known each other at Bloor’s academy. What the fuck was that like?? How did Paton even attend the academy with his endowment??? And what was the academy like for Harold, to attend the school with his name on it, probably be head boy and all, but not be allowed in the King’s Room? His disparaging comments about the endowed in the third book are Really Weird and certainly speak to a lot of unresolved feelings about the endowed/not being endowed.

Anyhoo I should get my hands on a used set of the books so I can just annotate them to shreds

[secondgenerationnerd]

Growing up

Finally got around to writing this!

—————————

With Omega’s weekly supervisors called away on a mission, the Titans offered to step in. After all, over half the teams are related in some way. 15 year old Damian bickers with Tim over something stupid. Kon teases Jon every time the younger super kisses Mar’i Grayson’s cheek. The speedsters-Irey, Jai, and Bart-are bouncing around the room, talking at a million miles an hour. Cassie and Rose chat with Lian as the archer works on a new arrow.

Jaime has Colin helping him with dinner, the mouth watering smells filling the room. Milagro was supposed to be helping, but they’d barely seen her today. She’d locked herself in her room. Something about a time sensitive project.

Heads cocking, the ones with superhearing turn towards the door. Mar’i, bouncing on her toes, squeals, “Milagro’s coming now!”

The younger team look excited, even Damian has a a smile on his face. Jaime raises an eyebrow at his teammates. Given the confusion on their faces, of them know what’s happening either. Lian pulls out her phone as the door cracks open. The sweet voice of his younger sister drifts through, “Someone’s recording Jaime, right?”

Perking up at his name, he shoots a look at the door, “Mocosa, I swear to God—“

“It’s not bad! I just want your reaction to something.”

“Pinche…okay, what is it?”

The doors slide open more. Milagro glides into the room, a brilliant smile on her proud face, “I finished my Quiñce dress!”

She spins, allowing the fluffy skirts to billow out around her, flashing the matching flats underneath. The soft pink fabric makes her tan skin glow. Delicate beading covers the bodice and skirt, intricate patterns that could only have been hand sewn.

A few of the heroes take a peak at her older brother. Though far from crying, there’s a soft sadness in his dark eyes. A flood of memories washing over him, trying to place who the young woman infront of him was.

The squishy faced baby his parents brought home. The one that slept on his chest while he watched cartoons, or in the bassinet that had been in their family for generations. The one his parents named for the glorious miracle she was. The one who always splashed him when it was bathtime and Mamí let him help.

The stubborn toddler chasing after him and Ty, wanting them to play dress up with her. The one that would come into his room on rare stormy days. The one he could always make laugh with a funny face, or calm down when their parents couldn’t. The one he taught to skateboard by holding both her hands as he ran with her.

The giggly little girl that would run up to him, holding his hand as they walked home from school. Some guys had teased him about it, but Jaime didn’t pay them any attention. He’d never admit it, but it was the best part of his day. The only one who never gave up that he was alive.

Is this the same little girl who made him a big brother?

“Jaime?” Milagro’s voice breaks his train of thought. She looks at him expectantly, fiddling with her hands, “¿qué opinas?”

His proud, confident, head strong sister…looks nervous. Like his approval means something to her. Then it hits him.

To her, it does mean something.

Tilting his head, he looks her over, before a soft smile graces his handsome face, “…Are you still going to make me dance with you?”

A brilliant smile lights up her beautiful face, though mischief twinkles in her eyes, “I do have the contract you signed.”

“It was on construction paper and, technically, I was a minor—”

“That’s why I had Mamí y Papí witness it.” Milagro reminds him, “I will still allow you to pick the music as long as Mamí hears it too.”

“Deal.” He laughs, then offers her another smile, “Es perfecto, Mocosa Verde.”

Mar’i bounces on her toes, pulling on Tim’s arm, “Can we give it to her now, Uncle Timmy?”

“Yes, Star!” The older man laughs, “Go grab it.”

“Grab what?” Milagro asks, frowning as Mar’i flies to her dance bag on the hook. While she’s rummaging around in it, Damian speaks before his brother can.

“An early gift from Mother and Father. Father remembers how important a Bat Mitzvah was to Grandmother, and Mother insisted on personally picking out the gift.”

Mar’i flies back over to her friend. Setting a simple box on the counter, the younger girl straightens up, “You told me that you wanted to feel like a princess at your quince.”

Her own accent trips on the unfamiliar word, but that doesn’t change her smile. Mar’i opens the box to reveal a beautiful tiara. Soft pink gems match the beading on her bodic and the sliver exactly what Milagro had dreamed of. Mar’i lifts it up, floating to be above Milagro, “Every princess needs a crown!”

“I-I can’t accept—“

“You will.” Damian says simply, “Mother won’t hear a word otherwise.”

“Damn, Mil,” Lian whistles, circling her friend with the phone to snap pictures, “I think this is your best work yet!”

“Thank you!” The lantern beams, “I’m going to change before dinner.”

As she disappears again, the other begin to wrap up their activities and head towards the table. Jaime takes a moment to breathe, wrapping his head around the big change happening soon.

“You good, dude?” Kon asks, taking the stack of plates from the counter. Jaime nods.

“Just…younger siblings you know?”

The super laughs at that, “Trust me, it’s weirder when they start dating.”

[muckii]

Heart in a Birdcage

A/N: Vis is the character @rahonn fanfic Empty Eyes, Full Heart on AO3. If you haven't read it, you should check it out. TW: Violence, Murder, Slavery Word count: 700 --------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 01: I'll Survive

She was terrified, panic setting in. She saw the neck collar getting closer to her and she screamed and tried to escape, but it was pointless. Still even if she couldn’t escape she would at least fight back, as soon as the hand with the collar came closer she bit down on it hard. SLAP! The guard you bit slapped you right in the face. “Don’t hit the merchandise you moron! Look what you did, she is damaged goods now.” The guy in charge looked at you in confusion, you didn’t make a sound when you got slapped , hell you didn’t even flinch. All you did was stare him down with a grin.

I’ll never be the one to breathe a sigh, but I’ll survive.

 Suddenly the men around her started dropping like flies in a pool of blood. A person with blue hair was running through the Auction House killing all the monsters and setting it on fire. It was the most macabre and yet most beautiful thing she has seen. She got up and ran, out of the fire and away from the nightmare. Tears kept running down her cheeks, it was finally over and she was free. Suddenly she stopped , when a thought kept nagging at her ‘What if her saviour was still in the fire?’ Whoever it was, was capable enough but the fire spread quickly.

“Ugh FUUUUUUCK!” She cursed at herself because she knew if she didn't go back, she would never forgive herself. She turned on her heels and ran back towards town. Her lungs hurt as had zero stamina. When she arrived back in town she collided with a hard chest and fell to the ground. Looking up she let out a sigh of relief. “Help, I need your help. Please! Follow me! “ Before he could even answer, you just took him by his hands and led him back to the fire and Blue’s scent. She guided them to where it was and as soon as they arrived she tried to kick and box the concrete wall. She knew Blue was right behind it doing the same thing. Suddenly the wall collapsed and with it did both of them.

“Oh this is gonna be a long night! Bepo, call Jean Bart and tell him we have two medical emergencies! Penguin, Shachi pick them up but be careful and I’ll be taking her!”

“Now Room!”

You slowly started to regain consciousness and what was that under your hand? Fur? Your eyes shot open and you looked around trying to figure out where you were, when your eyes fell on the sleeping polar bear that for some reason slept under your hand. He was kind of cute and his cheeks were adorable. You just wanted to pinch them, but when your hand moved the bear woke up. Looking at you he jumped up and immediately apologized and went to get his captain.

“Welcome back to the living! To my surprise you were unconscious longer than your friend.”

You looked at him in confusion “What friend?”

“Vis?” He said he was equally confused after all you ran up to him asking for help.

“Don’t tell me you actually never met the guy? Do you make a habit of helping random strangers?” He snorted "Would that be so bad? But no, it's just he saved me and I wanted to return the favor, that's it." Silence started to fall, but it wasn't uncomfortable. "Lilly is my name by the way and thank you for taking care of me as well, but how do you expect me to pay you? And don't you dare say I can use my body!" She eyed him as if she was ready to strike. "Tch. Get over yourself Lilly-ya. How about you join my crew? I know there's more to you than meets the eye. So what do you say?"

You knew accepting his offer would be crazy and yet, there was something about him that made it hard to refuse. "Alright, let's hope you won't regret it one day." He tossed you a white onesie and then smiled at you and said "Not likely. Names Trafalgar Law. Welcome to the crew!"

[halfwaydeepunofficial]

yknow i had not intended for this blog to have as much crossover content as it apparently does but that’s the beauty of tumblr i guess

anyways @idrisofficial when you rb’d that post and tagged it as kori that made me think he might get along with beau and tbh i’m so right for this. they both have strong golden retriever energy.

some lore for reference

he has a miniature goldendoodle named bart.

he wants nothing more than to be a nice little sailor boy. unfortunately he will probably achieve this by enlisting in the navy because that’s what his dad did.

^^ relatedly he’s on his school’s swim team, and he works as a lifeguard. (beau 🤝 miriam, beach and swim team)

he likes to think of himself as brave and he’s not totally wrong! he stands up for what he believes in (sometimes) and he won’t run from a fight. sometimes he even impulsively starts fights. but he’s more gallant and silly than anything.

he’s kind of an anxious little dude (<- grew up catholic and in a military household) but not nearly as much as franklin.

he’s just really friendly. and definitely a bit of a people-pleaser.

he has a soft romantic side that’s not well-hidden. he doesn’t even really try most of the time but sometimes when the hypermasculinity pressures get to him he makes attempts. they’re very bad.

basically beau franklin atticus and sol are on some kind of graph. i’m not really sure what the graph is though.

[kellyvela]

I, CLAUDIUS / GRRM / ASOIAF

GRRM about the best TV series of all time:

Question: Name the best television series of all time, and explain why it's the best. GRRM: This is a tough question. I have liked a lot of television through the years, and of course I have to exclude the programs I've worked on myself (e.g. Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast). I was very impressed with Rome on HBO; I found it riveting, both brilliantly written and brilliantly acted. I am interested in ancient Rome so another contender would be I, Claudius, produced by the BBC, that aired on public television three decades ago (1977). It was produced on sound stages so it hasn't got nearly the HBO production value, but again the writing was superlative, as was the acting, so it holds up today.

GRRM when HBO's ROME ended:

I am going to have to watch all of I, CLAUDIUS again to get the taste out of my mouth. Pfui.

GRRM about Tiberius and Stannis:

grrm Re: No actors named Bart that I could see playing a role in GoT Damn! I hadn't known that.

Baker was one of the unsung heroes of I, CLAUDIUS. Derek Jacobi and Sian Phillips got an incredible amount of praise for their portrayals of Claudius and Livia, deservedly, while Brian Blessed and John Hurt were already well-established and well recognized, but I never felt Baker got nearly enough attention for his Tiberius… a thankless role, since the character was so unlikeable, but one that he performed brilliantly.

There's a lot of his Tiberius in my Stannis, fwiw.

GRRM (again) about Tiberius and Stannis:

And it is important that the individual books refer to the civil wars, but the series title reminds us constantly that the real issue lies in the North beyond the Wall. Stannis becomes one of the few characters fully to understand that, which is why in spite of everything he is a righteous man, and not just a version of Henry VII, Tiberius or Louis XI.

GRRM about a possible HBO's adaptation of I, Claudius:

sourbillytipton You're reportedly new HBO contract Is there anymore light you could shed on it?

With the report saying you'll help produce other projects many fans hope for adaptations of Robert's Rebellion, D&E, Tuf, Sandkings…

I doubt any of those mentioned will be produced anytime soon. My money is on you lending a hand on the new I, Claudius mini series.

grrm Re: You're reportedly new HBO contract Tuf would be fun. Dunk and Egg are being discussed. Robert's Rebellion is part of Ice & Fire, won't be a separate series. Sandkings was done by the OUTER LIMITS; I retain feature film rights, but television rights are gone.

I, CLAVDIVS? Heh, not likely. And talk about a suicide mission. I mean, I'll watch, but how do you match one of the greatest TV series ever made? That's the television equivilent of remaking GONE WITH THE WIND or CITIZEN KANE. No, thanks.

GRRM when asked about reading recommendations:

The books [Maurice Druon's THE ACCURSED KINGS] were a huge success in France. So huge than they have twice formed the basis for television shows (neither version is available dubbed or subtitled in English, to my annoyance), series that one sometimes hears referred to as “the French I, CLAUDIUS.”

GRRM about being influenced by Robert Graves's I, Claudius:

Question: So you’ve talked a lot about the historical novels that you’ve drawn on. Are you influenced by Robert Graves’ I, Claudius?

GRRM: To some extent. I read I, Claudius and Claudius the God many, many years ago. And of course, I loved the TV series. I think the TV series is one of the best series ever done. There’s talk [that] HBO may be re-doing that. That’s a dangerous idea.

GRRM (again) about a possible HBO's adaptation of I, Claudius:

Question: It seems like HBO’s development is very slow. They put things in development and it takes a long time.

GRRM: They do, but they don’t develop nearly as much as the broadcast networks, who typically order 20 drama pilot scripts, will make 10 of the 20 scripts, will actually film them, have 10 pilots and put three shows on. HBO doesn’t do that. When they develop something, they’re pretty serious about it. And they have some interesting shows in development. American Gods would be cool. And if they do remake I, Claudius, that’s a tough one to tackle, though, because the original was just so great. How do you equal a cast with Derek Jacobi and John Hurt and Brian Blessed and Xiân Phillips? Wow, what a cast.

HBO could go further, obviously, because I, Claudius was a BBC production. It was made for a dollar fifty. The sets are painted canvas. You could see marble columns flapping when someone walks by them too fast. They were just a painting. You didn’t care. It was a landmark kind of thing. Special effects are nice, but it’s the writing, acting, and storytelling that make a story great. And the dialogue and the characters, and it’s a brilliant, brilliant show.

GRRM about Suetonius and Mushroom:

The narrative unreliability is reminiscent of Westeros’s first tell-all author, the court jester Mushroom, who claims intimate knowledge of various Targaryen bedroom secrets. “And he may be making up a lot of this shit,” Martin said. “That possibility is there, because he’s an old guy telling tales, and embroidering them, making them more sexual, suggestive, and violent.” Martin likens Mushroom to Suetonius, “the great gossip of ancient Rome,” whose stories helped shape I, Claudius. “It’s full of things like [Claudius’s third wife] Messalina having a fucking contest with a prostitute, and there’s no source for that! Unless you believe Suetonius,” Martin said. “People do know things, but the things they ‘know’ may not be right.”

GRRM about re-watching I, Claudius during the COVID - 19 pandemic:

The BBC made their adaptation of I, CLAUDIUS — based on the classic novels by Robert Graves (I, CLAUDIUS and CLAUDIUS THE GOD), which were in turn based on the histories of Suetonius — in 1976, but I did not encounter them until a few years later, when PBS picked them up and ran them (in a somewhat censored form, to shield Americans from seeing nipples) in the USA.  I remember, I was still living in Dubuque, Iowa at the time, teaching college.   I loved the series then, and I love it now.   I have probably watched it a dozen times in the years since.   When it was rerun on TV at first, then later on VHS tape, and most recently on DVD.

I just finished watching it again.  Up in my mountain cabin, I discovered that my assistant had never seen the series, so of course I had to break it out and show it to her.   It is just as brilliant as I recall.   I am pleased to say my assistant, seeing it for the first time, loved it just as I did, seeing it for the… I don’t know, the tenth time?  Twentieth?  I have not kept count.

This despite the fact that the budget for BBC drama in the 70s was… let us say… not large.   There are no special effects here.   No battles.   No exteriors, in fact.   It was all shot on a sound stage, and most of it takes place in one or two rooms, repeatedly redressed.   When these Romans go to the arena for a gladiatorial show, you do not so much as glimpse a gladiator, you just see the actors sitting watching carnage offstage.   This is not HBO’s ROME nor even SPARTACUS (both great shows in their own right).  I, CLAUDIUS is more akin to a filmed stage play.   I think the craft services budget on any HBO series is probably ten times what the BBC spent on the entire thirteen episodes.

And you know what?  IT DOES NOT MATTER.   If you have great writing and great acting, that is really all you need.   And I, CLAUDIUS had that in spades.  A single writer, Jack Pulman, scripted all thirteen episodes.   Pulman is long deceased, I fear, which I regret.  I would have considered it an honor to meet him and shake his hand.   His dialogue sparkles from beginning to end, with so many unforgettable lines… and throughout he remains true to the genius of Robert Graves and his great novels.

And the acting here is equal to the brilliance of the writing.   This was the series that made Derek Jacobi a star, and rightly so, but the supporting cast around him was sensational as well.   Sian Phillips as Livia, Brian Blessed as Augustus, John Hurt as Caligula, the criminally underappreciated George Baker as Tiberius, Patrick Stewart (with hair!) as Sejanus, and more, and more, and more…. there’s not a false note here.   They were all great.

And yes, from time to time a marble pillar ripples when someone passes, revealing itself to be painted canvas, but so what?   If you are like me, you are too deeply involved with the characters to notice or care.

If you have never seen I, CLAUDIUS, you owe it to yourself to have a look (though be warned, this a dark show, and there is lots of violence and sex, especially by the standards of 1976).  You should read the novels too, they are terrific.  And then give thanks you do not live in ancient Rome.

Even now, deep in the Second Golden Age of television, I would rank I, CLAUDIUS as one of the greatest television series ever made.   Certainly in the top ten.  Probably in the top five.

Most of the ASOIAF fandom:

GRRM: I dunno if any of you, if you guys have ever seen I, Claudius, have you seen I, Claudius?

GOO: No.

GRRM: Oh, you should see I, Claudius. It's one of the great television series of all time, one of my favorites.

GOO: What is it about? [DAMNATION!!! DISGRACE!!!]

GRRM graciously lecturing most of the ASOIAF fandom about I, Claudius:

It's about Claudius, the Emperor Claudius, it's based on two novels by Robert Graves, which were called I, Claudius and Claudius the God. Claudius was, let's see, he was the fourth Roman emperor, I think, but he lived through the reigns of the first three, and he was disabled in some manner, he had a limp, he twitched, he stuttered and everybody thought he was an idiot in his family, and at a certain point, he started even, according to Graves and some historians, exaggerating his idiocy, because meanwhile everybody else was competing for power and all his relatives were murdering each other and poisoning each other and stabbing each other, so he managed to survive and become emperor, and Graves wrote these two great novels about them, which I recommend. And in the '70s, the BBC adapted them to a 13 hour series called I, Claudius. Now it it was a BBC show, not an American network show, so their budgets are significantly less anyway, and it was the '70s, so these shows were made for a dollar and 95 each, there are no special effects, there are no, in fact, the entire show was filmed in like three rooms, and, you know, when Claudius goes to a gladiator show, you never see any gladiator, you just see him sitting and his face reacting to, and, you know, things like that. Um, occasionally some of the marble pillars will ripple as he walks by because they were actually painted canvas. Can you forgive that? Sadly I found that there's some modern viewers and fans who can't, but I certainly could, and it's brilliantly written and brilliantly acted it's it made Derek Jacoby a star. It includes Patrick Stewart with hair in a minor role and a very young John Hurt and things like that. And it captures all of, you know, all of the reign of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, and of course, Augustus's wife, Livia, who is portrayed very…you know, she's like a smarter version of Cersei... Umm but it's a great show, but the point is, it's framed, because when you come into the show, you see the old Claudius, he's emperor now, he's in his old age, but he's writing the secret history of his family to pass down the real story of what happened, and, you know, he opens every episode writing it and then you see the flashback, you see the episode. So all of the episodes are framed by old Claudius, actually the first two, I think, he's not even born yet, but old Claudius was writing about that.

It's not a novelty that GRRM loves historical novels and dramas and his love for I Claudius (the BBC show and the Graves's novels and even Suetonius's gossip stories) it's the perfect example.

And if most of the ASOIAF fandom paid more attention to that love, they would have asked George more about I, Claudius (show, novels and Suetonius's gossip stories) and how they inspired some ASOIAF characters, events and plots; or read and watch I, Claudius (show, novels and Suetonius's gossip stories) to see for themselves what George took from those and made it into ASOIAF.

This post is nothing new, some readers have posted about I, Claudius and ASOIAF similarities before, but (as always) there's a lot of things that they missed and/or interpreted differently.

So here I'm going to show you some more of what most of the ASOIAF fandom is missing because they don't pay attention to what GRRM is always saying and recommending....

TITLES

Claudius wasn't there to bore you with all his many titles:

I, TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS DRUSUS NERO GERMANICUS This-that-and-the-other (for I shall not trouble you yet with all my titles)...

—I, Claudius (Chapter 1) - Robert Graves

No comments needed (or read this post).

UNTHOUGHT MONARCH

Two years have gone by since I finished writing the long story of how I, Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus, the cripple, the stammerer, the fool of the family, whom none of his ambitious and bloody-minded relatives considered worth the trouble of executing, poisoning, forcing to suicide, banishing to a desert island or starving to death – which was how they one by one got rid of each other – how I survived them all, even my insane nephew Gaius Caligula, and was one day unexpectedly acclaimed Emperor by the corporals and sergeants of the Palace Guard.

—Claudius the God (Chapter 1) - Robert Graves

Sounds familiar??? Here's is a hint of Bran the Broken everyone, and this is only a little one, the HUGE one comes later.

I know, I know, most readers that have written about I Claudius and ASOIAF think that Claudius is most similar to Tyrion, because they are both disabled but clever people, despised by members of their families, lost first love, prostitute lover, betrayed by a wife/lover, etc.

And I agree, but GRRM doesn't take from original sources and make exactly the same into ASOIAF, he changes and mixes characters, events and plots.

And that's why I find in I, Claudius (show and novels) a really huge hint to Bran Stark becoming the unthought ruler of Westeros. But, as I just said, that comes later.

BROTHER AND SISTER INCEST

Caligula: [coughs] Agrippina: Caligula, darling, what are you doing out of bed? Caligula: I've had a bad dream, Mother. Agrippina: Oh, my poor baby. Come here. What did you dream? Caligula: Horrid dream. I dreamt there were bats sitting along the shelf in my room. Then they flew down and sat on me until I was all covered with them and no one could see me anymore. Agrippina: Oh, my poor baby. Antonia: You shouldn't eat so much before you go to bed. Agrippina: Oh, Mother, he's been through so much! Antonia: He stuffs himself with all manner of things. Claudius: Perhaps he'd like to sleep with Drusillus? He'd be company for him. Agrippina: Would you like that darling? Would you like to sleep with your cousin's room? Caligula: I'd rather sleep with Drusilla. Antonia: Drusilla? Your sister? A boy of your age? What is the world coming to? Agrippina: Oh, he doesn't mean anything by it.

—I, Claudius - Episode 6 - Scene 3 "Foul Play"

Caligula: No! Let go of me! Let go of me, you horrid old German woman! Claudius: What's this? Caligula: I hate you! Claudius: What's the matter? Antonia: He is disgusting! Claudius: What has he done? Antonia: Oh! Claudius: What has he done? Antonia: That child is a monster! Caligula: I'm not, you horrid old German woman! I'll burn your German house down! Claudius: Stop it! Stop it! Come here! Come here! Now, what is all this G-German? Antonia: He calls everything German that he doesn't like it. He is a monster. Claudius: Well, what has he done? Antonia: He knows what he's done! Caligula: I didn't do anything! I didn't! I didn't! Honestly, Uncle Claudius. I didn't do anything, I swear. It was only a game. Antonia: I found him in Drusilla's bed. Naked, the pair of them! He is revolting and so is she. I've locked her in her room! Caligula: Well, Mother… Antonia: You're a blockhead if you believe his lies! Claudius: Where are you taking him? Antonia: To the cellar to lock him in. Caligula: Please don't let her take me. Please Uncle Claudius. I hate the cellar. I'm afraid. Claudius: Well, you leave him here with me. I'll t-t-talk to him. Antonia: He needs a good whipping, not a talking to! Oh, Claudius, you're such a fool! I've no patience with you. It should have been you who died, not Germanicus! What use are you to anyone? Claudius: Now, don't you know that you sh-shouldn't play games like that with your sister? Hmmm? Don't you know how w-wicked it is? Caligula: Why? Claudius: Why? B-because it is. Caligula: Why? Claudius: Now, now look, don't answer me back or I'll cut you on the head! Now, you listen to me. Now, a sister is a sister and she's not to be p-p-played with, ever, do you understand? You can't p-p-play with her and you can't m-marry her. Caligula: But she wanted to… Claudius: I don't care what she wanted! You're disgusting, the pair of you. And I shall talk to Dr-Drusilla later.

—I, Claudius - Episode 6 - Scene 3 "The Trial"

Sounds familiar???

He could never bear to be long apart from his twin. Even as children, they would creep into each other's beds and sleep with their arms entwined. Even in the womb. Long before his sister's flowering or the advent of his own manhood, they had seen mares and stallions in the fields and dogs and bitches in the kennels and played at doing the same. Once their mother's maid had caught them at it . . . he did not recall just what they had been doing, but whatever it was had horrified Lady Joanna. She'd sent the maid away, moved Jaime's bedchamber to the other side of Casterly Rock, set a guard outside Cersei's, and told them that they must never do that again or she would have no choice but to tell their lord father. They need not have feared, though. It was not long after that she died birthing Tyrion. Jaime barely remembered what his mother had looked like. —A Storm of Swords - Jaime III

HEIGHT DIFFERENCE WEDDING

When I watch the scene of Claudius and Urgulanilla's wedding, I immediately thought about Sansa and Tyrion's wedding.

The I, Claudius scene has no dialogue except for Livia's final line. Claudius enters to the ceremony, salutes to the bride's family and then to Augustus and Livia, then seats next to the bride and holds her hand.

Then the priest signals the bride and groom to stand and:

Urgulanilla: [stands]Livia: [crowd laughs] She grew! She just kept on growing! —I, Claudius - Episode 4 - Scene 7 "Keep playing the Fool"

Urgulanilla was indeed very tall, but her appearance is closer to Brienne than Sansa:

Urgulanilla was – well, in brief, she lived up to her name, which is the Latin form of Herculanilla. A young female Hercules she indeed was. Though only fifteen years old, she was over six foot three inches in height and still growing, and broad and strong in proportion, with the largest feet and hands I have ever seen on any human being in my life with the single exception of the gigantic Parthian hostage who walked in a certain triumphal procession many years later. Her features were regular but heavy and she wore an almost perpetual scowl.

—Claudius the God (Chapter 8) - Robert Graves

Back to the wedding, something very similar happens in ASOIAF with the bride and groom height difference and the crowd laughing about it:

The dwarf tugged at her a third time. Stubbornly she pressed her lips together and pretended not to notice. Someone behind them tittered. The queen, she thought, but it didn't matter. They were all laughing by then, Joffrey the loudest. "Dontos, down on your hands and knees," the king commanded. "My uncle needs a boost to climb his bride." —A Storm of Swords - Sansa III

TRUST NO ONE

Now farewell for the last time, Tiberius Claudius, my friend whom I love more truly than you ever supposed. Farewell, little Marmoset, my schoolfellow, and trust nobody, for nobody about you is worthy of your trust.

—Claudius the God (Chapter 23) - Robert Graves

Herod: Listen, Claudius. Let me give you a piece of advice.

Claudius: Oh, I thought you'd finished with advice.

Herod: One last piece and then I'm done. Trust no one, my friend, no one. Not your most grateful freedman, not your most intimate friend, not your dearest child, not the wife of your bosom. Trust no one.

Claudius: No one? Not even you?

—I, Claudius - Episode 11 - Scene 4 "Advice From an Old Friend"

"Lord Petyr," Ned called after him. "I … am grateful for your help. Perhaps I was wrong to distrust you." Littlefinger fingered his small pointed beard. "You are slow to learn, Lord Eddard. Distrusting me was the wisest thing you've done since you climbed down off your horse." —A Game of Thrones - Eddard V

Trust no one, I once told Eddard Stark, but he would not listen. You are Alayne, and you must be Alayne all the time.

—A Feast for Crows - Sansa I

"Say what you want. She will be my bride, Lord Connington will see to it. I trust him as much as if he were my own blood." "Perhaps you should be the fool instead of me. Trust no one, my prince. Not your chainless maester, not your false father, not the gallant Duck nor the lovely Lemore nor these other fine friends who grew you from a bean. Above all, trust not the cheesemonger, nor the Spider, nor this little dragon queen you mean to marry. All that mistrust will sour your stomach and keep you awake by night, 'tis true, but better that than the long sleep that does not end." —A Dance with Dragons - Tyrion VI

TYWIN, JOANNA, IS THAT YOU?

Augustus ruled the world, but Livia ruled Augustus. And I must here explain the remarkable hold that she had over him.

—Claudius the God (Chapter 2) - Robert Graves

Narrator Claudius: Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, old friend and commander of the armies of Augustus. Emperor of Rome, a most remarkable man. But even more remarkable who was Livia, his second wife. If Augustus ruled the world, Livia ruled Augustus.

—I, Claudius - Episode 1 - Scene 2 "Dinner Conversation"

His mother had died giving him birth, so the Martells would have found the Rock deep in mourning. His father especially. Lord Tywin seldom spoke of his wife, but Tyrion had heard his uncles talk of the love between them. In those days, his father had been Aerys's Hand, and many people said that Lord Tywin Lannister ruled the Seven Kingdoms, but Lady Joanna ruled Lord Tywin. —A Storm of Swords - Tyrion V

TARGIES, IS THAT YOU?

Livia was of the Claudian family, one of the most ancient of Rome, and so was my grandfather. There is a popular ballad, still sometimes sung by old people, of which the refrain is that the Claudian tree bears two sorts of fruit, the sweet apple and the crab, but that the crabs outnumber the apples.

—I, Claudius (Chapter 2) - Robert Graves

Tiberius: I'll tell you something, Drusus. Sometimes I so hate myself, I can't bear the thought of me anymore. You don't know anything about darkness, do you? Inside darkness. Blackness. Drusus: Ah, stop bragging! I could match you black for black. Tiberius: Not you. Not you. The say the tree of the Claudians produces two kinds of apples - the sweet and the sour. That was never more true than you and me. Drusus: And what of our mother, which is she? Tiberius: Livia? Drusus: Mmm. Tiberius: They say a snake bit her once and died. Drusus: Hey. Hey, that's no longer funny.

—I, Claudius - Episode 2 - Scene 2 "Siblings Rivalries"

"Why ask for truth," Ser Barristan said softly, "if you close your ears to it?" He hesitated, then continued. "I told you before that I used a false name so the Lannisters would not know that I'd joined you. That was less than half of it, Your Grace. The truth is, I wanted to watch you for a time before pledging you my sword. To make certain that you were not . . ." ". . . my father's daughter?" If she was not her father's daughter, who was she? ". . . mad," he finished. "But I see no taint in you." "Taint?" Dany bristled. "I am no maester to quote history at you, Your Grace. Swords have been my life, not books. But every child knows that the Targaryens have always danced too close to madness. Your father was not the first. King Jaehaerys once told me that madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin. Every time a new Targaryen is born, he said, the gods toss the coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land." —A Storm of Swords - Daenerys VI

STANNIS, IS THAT YOU?

He was a tall, dark-haired, fair-skinned, heavily-built man with a magnificent pair of shoulders, and hands so strong that he could crack a walnut (…) He went bald early in life except at the back of his head, where he grew his hair long, a fashion of the ancient nobility. He was never ill. Tiberius, unpopular as he was in Roman society, was nevertheless an extremely successful general. He revived various ancient disciplinary severities, but since he did not spare himself when on campaign, seldom sleeping in a tent, eating and drinking no better than the men, and always charging at their head in battle, they preferred to serve under him than under some good-humoured, easy-going commander in whose leadership they did not have the same confidence. Tiberius never gave his men a smile or a word of praise, and often overmarched and overworked them. ‘Let them hate me,’ he once said, ‘so long as they obey me.’ He kept the colonels and regimental officers in as strict order as the men, so there were no complaints of his partiality. Service under Tiberius was not unprofitable: he usually contrived to capture and sack the enemy’s camps and cities. He fought successful wars in Armenia, Parthia, Germany, Spain, Dalmatia, the Alps, and France.

—I, Claudius (Chapter 3) - Robert Graves

Tiberius: Well, don't bother on my account! I'm sick of it! The gods know I've done my best! He never liked me. Never! Thirty years I've run his errands for him! I've fought on his bloody frontiers, collected his taxes! He's never once put his hand on my arm and said, "Thank you. What would I have done without you?" Now he sends me off to Illyricum and he doesn't even plan a farewell dinner. Not even a goodbye. Just get on your horse and ride! Well, damn him! I retired before and I can retire again! Let his precious grandson run his empire for him. I'm sick to death of it!

—I, Claudius - Episode 5 - Scene 4 "False Pretenses"

Stannis Baratheon, Lord of Dragonstone and by the grace of the gods rightful heir to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, was broad of shoulder and sinewy of limb, with a tightness to his face and flesh that spoke of leather cured in the sun until it was as tough as steel. Hard was the word men used when they spoke of Stannis, and hard he was. Though he was not yet five-and-thirty, only a fringe of thin black hair remained on his head, circling behind his ears like the shadow of a crown. His brother, the late King Robert, had grown a beard in his final years. Maester Cressen had never seen it, but they said it was a wild thing, thick and fierce. As if in answer, Stannis kept his own whiskers cropped tight and short. They lay like a blue-black shadow across his square jaw and the bony hollows of his cheeks. His eyes were open wounds beneath his heavy brows, a blue as dark as the sea by night. His mouth would have given despair to even the drollest of fools; it was a mouth made for frowns and scowls and sharply worded commands, all thin pale lips and clenched muscles, a mouth that had forgotten how to smile and had never known how to laugh. Sometimes when the world grew very still and silent of a night, Maester Cressen fancied he could hear Lord Stannis grinding his teeth half a castle away. (...) "Why should I avenge Eddard Stark? The man was nothing to me. Oh, Robert loved him, to be sure. Loved him as a brother, how often did I hear that? I was his brother, not Ned Stark, but you would never have known it by the way he treated me. I held Storm's End for him, watching good men starve while Mace Tyrell and Paxter Redwyne feasted within sight of my walls. Did Robert thank me? No. He thanked Stark, for lifting the siege when we were down to rats and radishes. I built a fleet at Robert's command, took Dragonstone in his name. Did he take my hand and say, Well done, brother, whatever should I do without you? No, he blamed me for letting Willem Darry steal away Viserys and the babe, as if I could have stopped it. I sat on his council for fifteen years, helping Jon Arryn rule his realm while Robert drank and whored, but when Jon died, did my brother name me his Hand? No, he went galloping off to his dear friend Ned Stark, and offered him the honor. And small good it did either of them." —A Clash of Kings - Prologue

A SIGN FROM THE GODS

When I watch the scene of Claudius catching the wolf pup from the sky, I immediately thought about Bran and Summer.

The I, Claudius scene is called "A sign from the Gods"

Germanicus: Eagles. What are they fighting for? Julia: Here come the children. Let's go into the house. It sounds as if they've been quarrelling again and I don't think I could stand it. Germanicus: Eagles! They're fighting! Postumus, look at the eagles! Agrippina: What are they fighting for? Castor: Oh look. One of them's got something! See, in its claws there. It's a small animal, [screeching overhead] Agrippina: Mother, Mother, the eagles are fighting! Castor: They're fighting over something. Look out! Livilla: What is it, Claudius? Castor: It's a wolf cub. Germanicus: Mother, it dropped right from its claws. Livilla: Let me have him! Let me have him! Antonia: Leave it be! It fell to Claudius, leave it be! Julia: Look at the blood. Ye Gods, what does it mean? Domitius, tell us what it means. Domitius: Lady, I… Antonia: You know what it means, I can see from your face. Tell us, I beg you. Children, go into the house. Domitius: No! Let them stay. The sign was given to you all, and given now, perhaps, because I am here to read it. But they must be sworn to secrecy. Who are the gods that watch over this house? Julia: Jupiter and Mars. Domitius: Then do you swear, all of you, by these your gods…that no word of what you are about to hear shall ever pass your lips? [all]: Yes, we do. Domitius: The wolf cub is Rome. No doubt of it. Romulus was suckled by a wolf as her own cub, and Romulus was Rome. And look at it. All torn about the neck and shivering with fear. A wretched sight. Rome will be wretched one day. But he will protect it. He and no other. Livilla: [laughs] Claudius as protector of Rome! I hope I shall be dead by then. Antonia: Go to your room! You shall have nothing to eat for the rest of the day! Julia: Children, come in. Come inside. Claudius: May I k-k-keep the cub, please, Mother? Please may I?

—I, Claudius - Episode 3 - Scene 2 "A sign from the Gods"

In the novel the scene is basically the same, but it provides more important details:

One extraordinary event in my childhood I must not forget to record. One summer when I was just eight years old my mother, my brother Germanicus, my sister Livilla, and I were visiting my Aunt Julia in a beautiful country-house close to the sea at Antium. It was about six o’clock in the evening and we were out taking the cool breeze in a vineyard. Julia was not with us, but Tiberius’s son – that Tiberius Drusus whom we afterwards always called ‘Castor’ – and Postumus and Agrippina, Julia’s children, were in the party. Suddenly we heard a great screeching above us. We looked up and saw a number of eagles fighting. Feathers floated down. We tried to catch them. Germanicus and Castor each caught one before it fell and stuck it in his hair. Castor had a small wing feather, but Germanicus a splendid one from the tail. Both were stained with blood. Spots of blood fell on Postumus’s upturned face and on the dresses of Livilla and Agrippina. And then something dark dropped through the air. I do not know why I did so, but I put out a fold of my gown and caught it. It was a tiny wolf-cub wounded and terrified. The eagles came swooping down to retrieve it, but I had it safe hidden, and when we shouted and threw sticks they rose baffled and flew screaming off. I was embarrassed. I didn’t want the cub. Livilla grabbed at it, but my mother, who looked very grave, made her give it back to me. ‘It fell to Claudius,’ she said. ‘He must keep it.’ She asked an old nobleman, a member of the College of Augurs, who was with us, ‘Tell me what this portends.’ The old man answered, ‘How can I say? It may be of great significance or none.’ ‘Don’t be afraid. Say what it seems to mean to you.’ ‘First send the children away,’ he said. I do not know whether he gave her the interpretation which, when you have read my story, will be forced on you as the only possible one. All I know is that while we other children kept our distance – dear Germanicus had found another tail-feather for me, sticking in a hawthorn bush, and I was putting it proudly in my hair – Livilla crept up inquisitively behind a rose-hedge and overheard something. She interrupted, laughing noisily: ‘Wretched Rome, with him as her protector! I hope to God I’ll be dead before then!’The Augur turned on her and pointed with his finger. ‘Impudent girl,’ he said, “God will no doubt grant your wish in a way that you won’t like!”

—I, Claudius (Chapter 5) - Robert Graves

An disabled eight year old boy got a wolf pup that fell from the sky free from two eagles that were fighting for him, an event that was considered a sign from the gods, a portent about the boy becoming the forth Roman Emperor, the Protector of Rome???

Tell me if this is not very similar to Bran and his brothers finding the direwolves next to their dead mother and keeping them as pets, pets that are considered a gift from the old gods, a portent about the children becoming monarchs, at least some of them, like Robb, Jon, Bran and Sansa???

But the similarities between Claudius and Bran are the most prominent:

Similar age: Claudius 8 / Bran 7.

Prophecies: Claudius was prophesied to be the fourth Roman Emperor / Bran was prophesied to be the Three Eyed Raven.

Wolves: Claudius got a wolf pup from the sky, the wolf was an important symbol of Rome (The Capitoline Wolf nursed Romulus and Remus) / Bran got a direwolf from the old gods, the direwolf was the sigil of House Stark.

Disability: Claudius got a permanent limp, after suffering infantile paralysis that shortened his left leg / Bran got paralyzed from the waist down after his fall.

Hurtful nicknames: Claudius was known as the Cripple / Bran hates being called cripple and according to the show he will be known as Bran the Broken.

Especial transport: Claudius was usually carried in a sedan-chair / Bran was usually carried by Hodor.

Lost older brother: Claudius lost his beloved older brother Germanicus / Bran lost his beloved older bother Robb.

First Love: Claudius first love was Medullina Camilla. Among the Etruscans “Camilla” is what they call the young hunting priestesses dedicated to Diana (the Huntress) / Bran's first love was Meera Reed, a fine huntress and fisher, a fighter with net and spear.

Compared to monkeys: Claudius was called "marmoset" by his few friends / Jon remembers Bran clambering up a tower wall, agile as a monkey.

Survivors: Claudius nearly died on several occasions / Bran survive his fall.

Unthought monarchs: Claudius, despite all odds, became the fourth Roman Emperor / Bran will become King of the Seven Kingdoms.

Builders: Claudius built many roads, aqueducts and canals / Bran was named after his famous ancestor Bran the Builder, and as a monarch he will be able to emulate his renowned ancestor.

There you have it!

All hail Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus and Brandon of House Stark!

[princesssarisa]

A Christmas Carol Holiday Season: "Scrooge" (1970 musical film)

Here we find the first lavish big-screen musical version of A Christmas Carol. It clearly follows in the footsteps of another Dickens-inspired movie musical, 1968's Oscar-winning Oliver!: not only is it similar in tone and musical style, it was filmed on some of the same sets. In place of Lionel Bart, however, this score features music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Stop the World – I Want to Get Off, and more), who also wrote the screenplay. And the star is the unlikely Scrooge of 34-year-old Albert Finney, affecting a hunched walk and a croaking voice under considerable makeup and prosthetics to play the old miser.

In general the plot follows Dickens' book faithfully, but with a unique tone of wry and sometimes dark humor that sets it apart from other adaptations... yet which never crosses the line into parody or detracts from the serious themes. Marley's Ghost (Alec Guinness) has a particular sense of dry gallows humor about him, and the Ghost of Christmas Present (Kenneth More) trades his poetic speeches for a cheerful yet biting sarcastic wit. Bob and Mrs. Cratchit (David Collings and Frances Cuka) are a young couple in their early 30s instead of the usual middle-aged pair, Bob has a lively, playful personality in place of other versions' careworn meekness, and the mischievous humor of Scrooge's nephew, here renamed Harry (Michael Medwin), is likewise enhanced. On the more poignant side, the sequence with the Ghost of Christmas Past (portrayed as a stately elderly lady by Edith Evans) places special emphasis on young Scrooge's romance with his fiancée Isabel (Suzanne Neve) and the older Scrooge's sad pining for her. But most unique are the scenes with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Paddy Stone), where Scrooge's poor debtors turn his funeral into a song-and-dance celebration, and where Scrooge plunges into his own grave and finds himself in a darkly comic version of hell. Little wonder that after he wakes up, Scrooge is so elated that he creates a grand musical finale in the London streets, dressing as Santa Claus to give toys to all of Camden Town's children and cancelling every debt that's owed him.

Albert Finney's attempt at performing old age is slightly cartoonish, but he still gives an engaging performance that captures Scrooge's wide range of emotions and transformative arc. The supporting cast of distinguished British names are equally strong, and Bricusse's songs – "A Christmas Carol," "Christmas Children," "I Hate People," "Father Christmas," "December the Twenty-Fifth," "Happiness," "You," "I Like Life," "The Beautiful Day," "Thank You Very Much" and "I'll Begin Again" – are full of charm.

In the realm of Christmas Carol musicals, this is a quirky one, but unforgettable, and it always brings a smile to my face.

@ariel-seagull-wings, @reds-revenge, @faintingheroine, @thealmightyemprex, @thatscarletflycatcher

[plushiepalz]

happy friend friday!!

i received a new friend yesterday!!1! his name is bart. hes not the brightest, but he has a simple wisdom about him. i made him a special name necklace because he is special to me :] he loves to bask in the sun and reflect on what makes life beautiful

omg hi bart!!! its okay bart u dont have to be the brightest ur pretty enuf to not think<3