#moppet martin

[curiousb]

The Martin Family Album: Volume III

I'm very pleased to report, that after prospecting the neighbourhood for (an unfeasible number of) years, Moonshine the Stray has finally found his forever home, with Harriet and Robert! Look at that smile. 😊

~ Aquarius

~ Doofus / Friendly / Cowardly

He's already making himself useful.

And getting comfortable.

Little Carol is being very well nurtured by her adoptive family...

...including her much older brother Willoughby.

And as a result, she's a very accomplished young lady, being the first of my Sims to acquire all her toddler skills!

Not surprisingly, she grows up exceedingly well.

~ Aries 5 / 8 / 6 / 3 / 3

~ Brave / Sailor / Social Butterfly

~ OTH: Nature

~ Favourite Colour(s): Orange

And then heads straight outside to burn off some energy.

Meanwhile, Robert is finally getting started on the garden. It's been a cold spring, with snow remaining on the ground much longer than usual, but he's been itching to start planting.

Harriet thinks that Moonshine might be even happier with a bit of feline company, and from the list of kittens currently waiting for adoption, she chooses Moppet.

Who - thanks to my pet lifespan mod - promptly ages up, into a floofball!

~ Libra

~ Genius / Cowardly / Finicky

Moppet ingratiates herself with her new family by suggesting some stretching exercises to Carol.

Hello, and all that, but why are you sitting on my sofa?

[mystery-of-arkham-asylum]

A list of books I have read this year. Will reblog everytime I update as I read more. Doing this a a bit of fun and to hopefully motive myself to read a bit more like I used to.

(I would like to state that I do not share/approve of the views or opinions of a certain author on this list. I just enjoy the books and won't let some poor excuse of a human being ruin them for me.)

First time reading | Reread

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K.Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- J.K.Rowling

The Sheep-Pig - Dick King-Smith

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K.Rowling

Cirque Du Freak - Darren Shan

The Vampire's Assistant - Darren Shan

Tunnels of Blood - Darren Shan

The Tale of Peter Rabbit - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin - Beatrix Potter

The Tailor of Gloucester - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Benjamin Bunny - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Two Bad Mice - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of The Pie and The Patty-Pan - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher - Beatrix Potter

The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit - Beatrix Potter

The Story of Miss Moppet - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Tom Kitten - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or the Roly-Poly Pudding - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Ginger and Pickles - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Mrs Tittlemouse - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Mr. Tod - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Pigling Bland - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse - Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Little Pig Robinson - Beatrix Potter

Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes - Beatrix Potter

Celily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes - Beatrix Potter

Winnie-the-Pooh and some Bees - A.A.Milne

Pooh Goes Visiting & Pooh and Piglet nearly catch a Woozle - A.A.Milne

Owl becomes and author - A.A.Milne

Eeyore has a birthday - A.A.Milne

Kanga and Baby Roo Come to the Forest - A.A.Milne

An Expotition to the North Pole - A.A.Milne

Piglet is entirely surrounded by water - A.A.Milne

Christopher Robin gives a Party - A.A.Milne

Eeyore loses a tail - A.A.Milne

A House is Built at Pooh Corner - A.A.Milne

Tigger comes to the Forest - A.A.Milne

A Search is organdized - A.A.Milne

Tiggers don't climb trees - A.A.Milne

Rabbit has a busy day - A.A.Milne

Pooh invents a new game - A.A.Milne

Tigger is unbounced - A.A.Milne

Piglet does a very grand thing - A.A.Milne

Eeyore finds the Wolery - A.A.Milne

Christopher Robin and Pooh come to an enchanted place - A.A.Milne

Pooh's Poems - A.A.Milne

Christopher Robin returns to the Forest - David Benedictus

The Spelling Bee - David Benedictus

Rabbit organises almost everything - David Benedictus

It Stops raining for ever - David Benedictus

Pooh goes in search of honey - David Benedictus

Owl becomes an author - David Benedictusk

Everybody learns something - David Benedictus

The Game of Cricket - David Benedictus

Tigger Dreams of Africa - David Benedictus

The Harvest Festival - David Benedictus

Yellow Submarine - The Beatles

The Answer - Rebecca Sugar

Guide to the Crystal Gems - Rebecca Sugar

Keep Beach City Weird - Matt Burnett and Ben Levin

Young Zaphod Plays It Safe - Douglas Adams

Vampire Mountain - Darren Shan

Trials of Death - Darren Shan

The Vampire Prince - Darren Shan

Coraline - Neil Gaiman

Cycle of the Werewolf - Stephen King

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman

Troll Bridge - Terry Pratchett

Turntables of the Night- Terry Pratchett

The Sea and Little Fishes- Terry Pratchet

Hunters of the Dark - Darren Shan

Escape from Bloodcastle - Jenny Tyler

Curse of the Lost Idol - Gaby Waters

The Incredible Dinosaur Experdition - Karen Dolby

Time Train to Ancient Rome - Gaby Waters

Agent Arthur's Jungle Journey - Martin Oliver

Agent Arthur on the Stormy Seas - Martin Oliver

The Ghost in the Mirror - Karen Dolby

Agent Arthur's Artic Adventure - Martin Oliver

Journey to the Lost Temple - Susannah Leigh

The Pyramid Plot - Justin Somper

The Emerald Conspiracy - Mark Fowler

Mutiny at Crossbones Bay - Mark Burgess

Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach

A Day with Wibur Robinson - William Joyce

Allies of the Night - Darren Shan

Killers of the Dawn - Darren Shan

Animal Farm - George Orwell

The Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Juster

The Necrophiliac - Gabrielle Wittkop

Never Say Boo to a Ghost - John Foster and Korky Paul

Red Dwarf Log No. 1996 - Paul Alexander

Wacky Wednesday - Dr. Seuss

The Wild Robot - Peter Brown

I Wish I had Duck Feet - Dr. Seuss

Ten Apples up on Top - Dr. Seuss

Scrambled Eggs Super! - Dr. Seuss

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish - Dr. Seuss

The Sneetches and Other Stories - Dr. Seuss

Hop on Pop - Dr. Seuss

The Larax - Dr. Seuss

I Can Read with My Eyes Shut! - Dr. Seuss

The Tales of Beedle the Bard - J.K.Rowling

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - J.K.Rowling

Quidditch Through the Ages - J.K.Rowling

[christinaroseandrews]

Soon-to-be spinster, Violet Lavell, faces a choice: either marry by the end of the season or become an unpaid governess for her sister's wild brood. Violet is loathe to choose either option and decides on a third choice: expanding her career as a gossip columnist. Now she just needs to find something extra juicy to report on.

Seth Dalton has returned from the Napoleonic Wars a broken man - his body and mind seared with scars from the battles he's faced. Worse, he's got to deal with the mess left in the wake of his brother's death.  His family and society expect him to pretend that everything is in the past, that he's his old rakish self, and he's decidedly not. When he sees his next door neighbor, and former crush, Violet, his feelings for her are rekindled. But how can he court her when he can barely stand to be seen in society.

First off as always, content warnings for those who need them: cw: parental abuse, cw: fatophobia, cw: body negativity, cw: period appropriate sexism, cw: graphic depictions of war, cw: body trauma, cw: panic attacks, cw: ptsd flashbacks, cw: parental neglect, cw: emotional abuse, cw: prior dubious consent, cw: frank discussion of depression/mental illness.

Note: All of these are handled well within the text but they do need to be warned for those who have triggers, I will be discussing some of these more in depth in my review.

I've never read anything by Madeline Martin before, and I will definitely be rectifying that in the future. This book was an absolute delight!  I admit I had some doubts, after all it's hard to portray the effects of war and parental abuse well in contemporary fiction much less in historical when the terminology didn't exist. I was happy to be proven wrong by this book, though. The author explained how things worked right off the bat, and the descriptions of the flashbacks, panic attacks, and hyper vigilance were on point. As someone with PTSD, it was nice to see the illness handled competently and delicately while at the same time making it clear that the person suffering from it was not someone to be pitied but someone to be understood and accommodated. 

And the effects of war were not the only hard topics hit in this book. As a Plus-sized woman in the very size conscious Regency era, Violet has been berated and forced to starve herself to meet society's, and in particular her mother's, expectations. She is not slender. She is not lithe. She's curvy with a bosom that men can't help but have conversations with -- which I very much could identify with.  Is it any surprise that she's a wallflower who finds solace in reporting the gossip of her peers?

Frankly I ended up loving the characters, they both have complete character arcs which are supported by the romance but not wholly dependent on the romance. Violet needs to find her confidence while Seth needs to figure out what he can handle. Both of them deserve a second chance -- both for themselves and for their romance. They'd had mutual crushes on each other but circumstances worked against them six years ago... now they've changed and grown and have the opportunity to reconnect again. Plus Seth is a beta hero. There are not enough of those in romance. Seriously. Give me less toxic masculinity and men who are sweet and gentle and kind and who listen to their loved ones.

I adored Felicity and her cat Hedgehog. I mean what story isn't improved by a cat in a bonnet? Cute kids and cats aside, he other supporting characters were also nicely well-rounded. I really liked the courtesan, Lottie, and her advice on loving yourself being important. It was a women supporting women moment and I am 100% here for that. I also loved the hints of the romance between one of Seth’s friends and his sister. I want Rawley and Caroline’s book please!

Honestly, this book is lovely. It was a joy to read. And it's a story I will be rereading again.

Five Stars.

If this is your jam, you can get it here.

If you like these kind of honest reviews, please consider supporting us here!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley

[free-martinis]

★★★★☆ After several egregious misfires (The Cloverfield Paradox, Game Over, Man! and The Week Of) the streaming giant Netflix has finally returned to the arena of “genuine” movie-making that it established with award-winners such as Mudbound and The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected).

This time it has done it with an eerie, atmospheric and unexpectedly poignant zombie thriller (available from today) from the debut feature directors Yolanda Ramke and Ben Howling (here adapting their own short film of the same name — it went viral on YouTube in 2013).

Set in the arid Australian outback, and stunningly photographed by the veteran cinematographer Geoffrey Simpson (Shine, Oscar and Lucinda), it’s constructed around an exceptionally empathetic central turn from the Sherlock star Martin Freeman.

He plays Andy, an Englishman abroad, determined yet sensitive, who is attempting an epic trek across hostile landscape with only his beloved baby daughter Rosie (a tiny blond moppet played by two sets of twins) for company. There’s just one snag. The country has been overrun by highly infectious and insatiable zombies, and Andy has recently been bitten by his dead wife, which means that he has less than 48 hours to get his precious Rosie to safety before he too becomes transformed into a hideous, rapacious, puss-spewing cannibal.

It’s beautifully done. Really. Delicate and maudlin at every turn, where another film might have gone for cheap jumps or screen-splashing gore (see the Resident Evil franchise, or Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse). It helps too that Ramke and Howling have wider storytelling ambitions and thus throw Andy, road movie style, in with a series of fellow travellers who represent allegorical aspects of the Australian national psyche.

There’s Vic (Anthony Hayes), the gun-toting bigot (he’s a dead ringer for the serial killer brute in Wolf Creek). There’s the friendly middle-class family trapped, it appears, in a perennial birthday picnic — this dreamlike sequence becomes nightmarish when the father quietly reveals to Andy the loaded handgun in his belt and his plan to kill his brood rather than surrender them to the zombie horde. And finally, crucially, there’s Andy’s eventual sidekick, Thoomi (Simone Landers), an aboriginal girl who’s caring for her zombie-fied father and whose instinctive compassion and understanding of the land suggests the only possible survival route for a troubled nation.

In the end, though, perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s Freeman’s film. By turns fearful, aggressive, broken and acerbic, yet never once overplaying the “big” emotions, this is a powerful study in deadpan resilience and paternal determination. He is too often the comedy sidekick (see Black Panther) or the second banana (Sherlock). Cargo is proof, if it were needed, that Freeman can carry his own movies.

[msb-lair]

Clutches 2001-2100:

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Deodar/Acacia [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-01-01, hatched on 2020-01-06

Scorch/Limetti [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-01-02, hatched on 2020-01-07

Areca/Gingko [Test] - five eggs laid on 2020-01-03, hatched on 2020-01-08

Camia/Camber [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-01-04, hatched on 2020-01-04

Staghorn/Vinca [Test] - one egg laid on 2020-01-05, hatched on 2020-01-10

Moski/Masti [Test] - four eggs laid on 2020-01-06, hatched on 2020-01-11

Dager/Daget [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-01-07, hatched on 2020-01-12

Ellwyn/Ellend [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-01-08, hatched on 2020-01-13

Ezili/Neriya  [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-01-09, hatched on 2020-01-14

Tarazed/Altair [Test] - two eggs laid on 2010-01-10, hatched on 2020-01-15

Lamellar/Ossifer [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-01-11, hatched on 2020-01-16

Anisette/Scorpio [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-01-12, hatched on 2020-01-17

Chestnut/Walnut [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-01-13, hatched on 2020-01-18

Galet/Roche [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-01-14, hatched on 2020-01-19

Flurry/Flux [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-01-15, hatched on 2020-01-20

Dakhma/Catacomb [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-01-16, hatched on 2020-01-21

Shirin/Shiro [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-01-17, hatched on 2020-01-22

Mossflower/Goldcap [Test] - five eggs laid on 2020-01-18, hatched on 2020-01-23

Moppet/Tuffet [Test] - five eggs laid on 2020-01-19, hatched on 2020-01-24

Ruin/Rook [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-01-20, hatched on 2020-01-25

Cattail/Bullrush [Test] - four eggs laid on 2020-01-21, hatched on 2020-01-26

Zera/Xeno [Test] - four eggs laid on 2020-01-22, hatched on 2020-01-27

Misty/Mellow [Test] - one egg laid on 2020-01-23, hatched on 2020-01-28

Deodar/Acacia [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-01-24, hatched on 2020-01-29

Sundew/Moonshadow [Test] - one egg laid on 2020-01-25, hatched on 2020-01-30

Zingiber/Tamarack [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-01-26, hatched on 2020-01-31

Molly/Relic [Test] - four eggs laid on 2020-01-27, hatched on 2020-02-01

Agate/Jasper [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-01-28, hatched on 2020-02-02

Jaguarundi/Dophis [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-01-29, hatched on 2020-02-03

Scorch/Limetti [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-01-30, hatched on 2020-02-04

Areca/Gingko [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-01-31, hatched on 2020-02-05

Hrava/Rhovan [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-02-01, hatched on 2020-02-06

Ellwyn/Ellend [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-02-02, hatched on 2020-02-07

Kara/Arak [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-02-03, hatched on 2020-02-08

MrsMiniver/ColonelBlimp [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-02-04, hatched on 2020-02-09

Caicos/Turks [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-02-05, hatched on 2020-02-10

Seedling/Sapling [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-02-06, hatched on 2020-02-11

Dakhma/Catacomb [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-02-07, hatched on 2020-02-12

Riro/Kiraki [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-03-08, hatched on 2020-02-13

Banshee/Haunt [Test] - four eggs laid on 2020-02-09, hatched on 2020-02-14

Marian/Martin [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-02-10, hatched on 2020-02-15

Juniper/Alder [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-02-11, hatched on 2020-02-16

Moski/Masti [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-02-12, hatched on 2020-02-17

Tabbie/Tortie [Test] - one egg laid on 2020-02-13, hatched on 2020-02-18

Teyla/Bantos [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-02-14, hatched on 2020-02-19

Camia/Camber [Test] - five eggs laid on 2020-02-15, hatched on 2020-02-20

Beauty/Prince [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-02-16, hatched on 2020-02-21

Galet/Roche [Test] - one egg laid on 2020-02-17, hatched on 2020-02-22

Lamellar/Ossifer [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-02-18, hatched on 2020-02-23

Ether/Ecto [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-02-19, hatched on 2020-02-24

Snowdrop/Edelweiss [Test] - four eggs laid on 2020-02-20, hatched on 2020-02-25

Dacia/Serre [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-02-21, hatched on 2020-02-26

Tympa/Tybau [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-02-22, hatched on 2020-02-27

Tindome/Oronte [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-02-23, hatched on 2020-02-28

Liesel/Liender [Test] - one egg laid on 2020-02-24, hatched on 2020-02-29

Nummus/Moneypit [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-02-25, hatched on 2020-03-01

Pennyroyal/Laurel [Test] - five eggs laid on 2020-02-26, hatched on 2020-03-02

Brie/Brioche [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-02-27, hatched on 2020-03-03

Permin/Petri [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-02-28, hatched on 2020-03-04

Tarazed/Altair [Test] - five eggs laid on 2020-02-29, hatched on 2020-03-05

Peridot/Palladot [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-01, hatched on 2020-03-06

Deodar/Acacia [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-03-02, hatched on 2020-03-07

Zera/Xeno [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-03, hatched on 2020-03-08

Ruin/Rook [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-04, hatched on 2020-03-09

Bloom/Blight [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-03-05, hatched on 2020-03-10

Roxbury/Egremont [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-06, hatched on 2020-03-11

Kara/Arak [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-07, hatched on 2020-03-12

Mossflower/Goldcap [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-03-08, hatched on 2020-03-13

Cypress/Aspen [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-09, hatched on 2020-03-14

Molly/Relic [Test] - five eggs laid on 2020-03-10, hatched on 2020-03-15

Agate/Jasper [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-11, hatched on 2020-03-16

Misty/Mellow [Test] - one egg laid on 2020-03-12, hatched on 2020-03-17

Sundapple/Moonshadow [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-13, hatched on 2020-03-18

Kintsugi/Inlay [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-14, hatched on 2020-03-19

Siowyn/Sionyn [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-03-15, hatched on 2020-03-20

Hrava/Rhovan [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-03-16, hatched on 2020-03-21

Scorch/Limetti [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-17, hatched on 2020-03-22

Jaguarundi/Dophis [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-18, hatched on 2020-03-23

Ellwyn/Ellend [Test] - four eggs laid on 2020-03-19, hatched on 2020-03-24

Sharma/Mazeras [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-20, hatched on 2020-03-25

Meander/Rambler [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-21, hatched on 2020-03-26

Riro/Kiraki [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-03-22, hatched on 2020-03-27

Dakhma/Catacomb [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-23, hatched on 2020-03-28

MrsMiniver/ColonelBlimp [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-24, hatched on 2020-03-29

Caicos/Turks [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-03-25, hatched on 2020-03-30

Staghorn/Vinca [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-26, hatched on 2020-03-31

Amarais/Avander [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-27, hatched on 2020-04-01

Marian/Martin [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-28, hatched on 2020-04-02

Tabbie/Tortie [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-29, hatched on 2020-04-03

Teyla/Bantos [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-03-30, hatched on 2020-04-04

Humus/Hummock [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-03-31, hatched on 2020-04-05

Galet/Roche [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-04-01, hatched on 2020-04-06

Lejka/Lejke [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-04-02, hatched on 2020-04-07

Banshee/Haunt [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-04-03, hatched on 2020-04-08

Camia/Camber [Test] - one egg laid on 2020-04-04, hatched on 2020-04-09

Cattail/Bullrush [Test] - two eggs laid on 2020-04-05, hatched on 2020-05-10

Bloom/Blight [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-04-06, hatched on 2020-04-11

Ether/Ecto [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-04-07, hatched on 2020-04-12

Snowdrop/Edelweiss [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-04-08, hatched on 2020-04-13

Tsamma/Oronte [Test] - three eggs laid on 2020-04-09, hatched on 2020-04-14

[klatukattdreams]

DGHDA for you too! (and also, can you do your first fandom too?)

DGHDA The first character I first fell in love with: Bart. ♡♡♡The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Aw, geeze, all of them? But especially Dirk. The character everyone else loves that I don’t: Estevez. He’s a great guy but he is actually dead, dudes. The character I love that everyone else hates: Friedkin. He is just so aweful he’s great! The character I used to love but don’t any longer: Riggins. He had a good strategy which totally failed.The character I would totally smooch: Any ;) … FarahThe character I’d want to be like: Bart. I want to be a murder dirt moppet.The character I’d slap: Todd. Seriously. A pairing that I love: BrotzleyA pairing that I despise: Amanda/Martin

My first fandom was star trek so (TNG edition)….The first character I first fell in love with: DataThe character I never expected to love as much as I do now: PulaskiThe character everyone else loves that I don’t: Deanna Troi. I hate under-utilized super powers. The character I love that everyone else hates: I don’t know if people hate him, but QThe character I used to love but don’t any longer: Geordi. I had such a crush on him as a kid. The character I would totally smooch: ANY. Q. Or LwoxannaThe character I’d want to be like: Any. They all so smart. The character I’d slap: Westley.A pairing that I love: Geordi/DataA pairing that I despise: Picard/Beverly

Thank you for asking! X*

[xavierfiles-blog]

Entry 068 - Artie & Leech

Names: Arthur Maddicks and Leech

Code Names: Artie and Leech

First Appearance: X-Factor #2 (Mar ’86) and Uncanny X-Men #179 (Mar ’84)

Powers: Thought projection and Power negation

Teams Affiliation: Morlocks, X-Factor, X-Terminators, Generation X, Future Foundation

About

There is something pure about a friendship between young kids. The unconditional decision that “we’re friends now” is a joy to see. So much of adult friendship is based on schedules, compromises, planned excursions that it is good to be reminded about how simple it used to be. There are powerful friendships in X-Men, Kurt and Logan, Kitty and Rachel, Bobby and Hank, but more than all of those, is the unadulterated goodness of Artie and Leech.

Portrayed by Connor Stanhope and Cameron Bright

Artie was a regular kid until his eleventh birthday. His mutant ability kicked in, turning his skin pink and lumpy and removing his ability to speak. He could psionically project manifestations of his thoughts but his communication skills were limited. His father, a scientist, tried experiments to cure his son and captured Beast to that end. X-Factor soon came to their friend’s rescue and a battle broke out. Knowing that Artie would be in the crossfire, Dr. Maddicks pleaded for X-Factor to take his boy to safety, sacrificing himself for his son.

Artie enjoyed his time with X-Factor and started looking up to Rusty, one of the older students. When they went to the Morlock Tunnels to assist in during the Mutant Massacre, Artie got lost and ran into Caliban and his new best friend Leech. Leech was a Morlock with green skin, a big head, and a grasp on sentence structure that could only come from growing up in the literal sewers. The trio was cornered by Sabertooth and Caliban was injured. Artie decided to be a hero and searched for X-Factor, only to find the god of Thunder instead. Thor helped the group make their way to X-Factor’s base and Leech didn’t forget Artie’s courage.

Art by Walter Simonson, Bob Wiacek, and Petra Scotese

Artie and Leech became fast friends. All the other kids in X-Factor were older, they were worried about girls, and boys, and the future, and all sorts of things. Artie and Leech? They were just worried about playing. Sure they got caught up in adventures, but they were happier delivering Christmas presents to misfortunate children and messing around with the rest of the cast. X-Factor finally realized that eleven-year-old boys should probably be in a real school and sent them to St. Simons boarding school. The school quickly realized how close the boys were and declared that Artie and Leech were never to be separated.

Art by Jon Bogdanove, Al Williamson, and John Wellington

At the school, they met a young boy named Taki. He was wheelchair bound and had a learning disability, combining that with the death of his parents turned Taki into a bitter boy. Artie and Leech, being the best kids, tried to reach out to him but Leech’s power negation field interfered with Taki’s electronics and Taki was not polite about it. Artie would not tolerate his best friend being treated like that and made Taki apologize. He came around to the power of friendship and became a buddy to the boys.

Art by Jon Bogdanove, Al Williamson, and John Wellington

That night, demons under the command of N’Astirh captured the boys by mistake and brought them to their master. N’Astirh had little time for their incompetence but his goblins decided that it would be a shame to let good meat go to waste. N’Astirh told them that they could eat sweet Artie and Leech only after they captured the babies he would need to open a portal to Limbo. Artie used is powers to get a message out to the X-Factor kids and resigned himself to his fate. As the demons brought more and more babies, Artie and Leech did their best to keep the kids safe, even giving up the clothes on their back. Taki and the X-Terminators (Rusty, Boom Boom, Skids, and Rictor) freed the boys and saved the day, and Artie, Leech, and Taki returned to St. Simons to continue their studies.

Art by Jon Bogdanove, Al Williamson, and John Wellington

The two moppets were eventually captured by Marrow and her Gene Nation and subsequently rescued by Generation X. Skin and Chamber helped the boys build a treehouse in the school’s biodome to call home. After Onslaught and the apparent death of the Fantastic Four, Franklin Richards joined them and became fast friends with the boys. They quickly assembled a motley crew including Howard the Duck, Man-Thing, and a Rigellian Recorder and jumped through dimensions to save the multiverse. Franklin eventually found his was home and the boys stayed at the school until it disbanded.

Art by Martin Egeland

After M-Day they boys were split. Artie lost his projection powers but kept his physical deformity. Leech kept his powers and joined the 198 outside of the Xavier Institute. He found his way back to the Morlock tunnels where Masque imprisoned him for his own uses. They boys found their way back together thanks to their old buddy Franklin. At his birthday, Franklin wanted to give each of his guests a present. For Artie, he had his sister Valeria make a helmet to mimic his old powers. For both boys was a key to their new home, the Baxter Building.

Art by Neil Edwards, Andrew Currie, and Paul Mounts

Reed Richards decided that the key to the future rested with young children and enlisted Artie and Leech, as well as other young geniuses, in his new program the Future Foundation. Their goal? Solve Everything. The boys loved spending him with their friend Franklin, even if Leech was being used to covertly dampen Franklin’s reality warping powers. After the end of the universe, Artie and Leech joined their best friend Franklin and the rest of the Future Foundation and the edge of reality. Franklin had become akin to a god, recreating worlds and Franklin had Artie and Leech to be there with him.

Art by Esad Ribic and Ive Svorcina

Must Read

Artie and Leech are consistently delightful and none more so than in a backup story for New Mutants Annual #7. Written by Judy Bogdanove and drawn by husband Jon, Close Encounters of the Mutant Kind is a delightful tale of Artie, Leech, and Taki getting confused for aliens and getting a new grandma. It is short, sweet, and adorable. Exactly like our two moppets. It is on Marvel Unlimited so go check it out.

Art by Mike Mignola

Ranking

So, I love Artie and Leech. I want them to live in my spare room and go on adorable adventures and never grow up. I am not under the impression that they are particularly deep characters but they fill their role perfectly. They are better X-Factor kids than Skids, but nowhere near as good as Boom Boom. I like them more than Caliban but less than Wolfsbane. They are like Omega Red in that, they aren’t deep but they are fun. I straight up like them more than Omega Red so that places them as the new number 40 in the Xavier Files.

Artie and Leech were requested by /u/iaro and /u/fredlong4257 on Reddit, Scott Barrie from this site, and Kevin Newburn from twitter. Kevin procured me a sweet shirt from Emrald City Comic Con so he got to pick this week. If you have a request just submit it at the bottom of this article and I will add it to the list that currently stretches into December 2018! If you want to cut to the front of the line, we have a Patreon you can support for just $1 to get a line cutting reward.

Make sure you check out Legion Quest a new podcast where me and Newsarama reviewer Matt Sibley talk about the FX show Legion. You can follow the show at any of these sources (iTunes | Google Play | Sticher | RSS).

Click here if you want to see the full ranked list, with links to every entry in the Xavier Files so far.

If you liked what you read be sure to follow Xavier Files on twitter, Tumblr, Facebook!

Saturday I have a special entry for all of you! See you then!

Character Request

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Entry Key

Entry 068 – Artie & Leech was originally published on Xavier Files

[curiousb]

The Martin Family Album: Volume IV

Gardening in PJs.

With his Green Thumb, Robert proves to be a natural. (Although I think he needs to tackle those weeds pronto.)

Carol would love to be an older sister, but given that Harriet isn't getting any younger, it might not be wise to adopt again, and I think she's destined to be an only child.

Moonshine is there to see her off on her first day at school - albeit distracted by a tasty puddle.

Well, the younger sibling that Carol longs for might not be on the horizon, but it looks like there will be at least one addition to the family...

There's a sudden profusion of kittens! There are four altogether - Daisy, Dave, Dougal and Douglas - but please don't expect me to know which is which!

They're being extremely well cared for, by both parents.

Except when one accidentally wanders off and gets a little lost... (They were safely returned to the fold - no harm done!)

However, by the time they age up, I think parental patience with their antics is wearing a little thin.

Look at that adorable fluffy face though! I think this is Dougal?

Mum and dad both head outside into the spring sunshine, for a bit of respite from their rambunctious brood.

Perhaps in the end Carol will appreciate not having to share her parents with anyone else, as she's never short of attention from either of them. They're both so very glad that she came to live with them, and made their little family complete.

[christinaroseandrews]

Looking for a Romance this Valentine’s Day?

So, every publication and blogger is putting out a Valentine’s Day romance list, and we are nothing if not followers. We’ve assembled a large list (33 Books) of a mix of traditionally and indie published books. All of the books on this list are ones we’ve read and feel comfortable recommending. And they all fit the definition of romance - a story where the relationship is central to the overall plot and features a happy for now or happily every after ending.

We’re going to break this down into several categories because not everyone reads Regency romances (but we are going to start there).

Regency Romance

These are books set between 1795-1837. While the Regency itself was only from 1811-1820 most people use these dates including Wikipedia. This was honestly one of the hardest for us to narrow down, mostly because it’s the dominant genre in traditionally published romance -- even Contemporary doesn’t hold a candle to Regency right now.

Sweet Disorder - Rose Lerner - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Election hijinks ensue when the local election hinges on who the widowed wife of a newspaper printer marries. Other Notes: Plus-Sized Heroine, Family Drama, Disabled Characters, Everyday People Falling in Love, Marginalized Author (Jewish).

The Baroness Affair - Jean Wilde - M/M/F Romance (Steamy) - A desperate noblewoman enlists the help of a male courtesan to help her get pregnant... no it’s not what you think. Other Notes: Equal Triad Polyamory, Period Appropriate Homophobia, LBGT Romance, Family Drama.

How To Start a Scandal - Madeline Martin - M/F Romance (Steamy) - A wallflower and secret society reporter reconnects with the Earl Next Door who’s recently returned from the war. Other Notes: Plus-Sized Heroine, Family Drama, Positive Mental Illness Portrayal, Cute Plot Animals.

Project Duchess - Sabrina Jeffries - M/F Romance (Steamy) - A duke returns to his family after the mysterious death of his stepfather, yet another duke, only to be enchanted by a woman who has a connection to the last person to see his stepfather alive. Other Notes: Older Heroine (the whole series features these), Romantic Suspense Series, family drama. I’m really enjoying the whole series and it’s worth a read.

The Rakess - Scarlett Peckham - M/F Romance (Steamy) - This is a love it or hate it kind of book that flips so many of the conventional romance tropes on its ear. It features a hard-drinking, hard-smoking, highly sexual woman who authors progressive literature and causes a scandal just by living her life meeting up with a mild-mannered reputation conscious Scottish Architect with two small children. Even the cover flips the script on the classic clinch cover. I loved it. A lot people didn’t. Other notes: Period appropriate sexism/hypocrisy/etc., CW: alcoholism, neighbors to lovers, adorable plot moppets.

Paranormal Romance

These are romances that feature a fantastical element. This can be anything from vampires to shifters to time travel. These also will often be series which may or may not continue with the same relationship throughout several books.

Hot Ghost - Annika Martin - M/F Romance (Steamy) - A waitress finds love with the ghost who haunts the pier near her family’s restaurant. Other Notes: Major Character Death (It’s a Ghost Romance...), Everyday People Falling in Love, Novella.

Accepting Fate - Deanna Chase - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Fresh from a bad break up, a woman meets her soulmate at an art gallery opening. Together they have to work through their trauma and find out if they can be happy together. Other Notes: Childhood trauma, Fire Fighter Romance, Soulmates, Artists.

Gretel - Niamh Murphy - F/F Romance (Steamy) - A retelling of the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel with a very interesting twist. Other Notes: Age-Gap Romance, Novella.

One Shade of Grey - Monica Corwin - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Dorian Grey, yes that one, has a bit of a problem. He keeps seeing a woman who he thinks is the reincarnation of his lost love. But is she really? Or is he going insane? Other Notes: Positive Portrayal of Mental Illness, Classical Story Retelling, Billionaire Romance, Immortality

Tangled in Time - Barbara Longley - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Cursed to see spirits, Regan is approached by the spirit of a cursed Irish warrior. Now they must work together to lift his curse and fall in love along the way. Other Notes: Fae Romance, Time Travel Romance, Ghost Romance.

Hunger Pangs: True Love Bites - Joy Demorra - M/M/F Romance (Steamy or Fluffy) - A vampire, a werewolf, and a magic user walk into a plot to end the world. Of course they have to fall in love along the way. Other Notes: Vampire Romance, Werewolf Romance, Magic User Romance, LBGT Fantasy Romance, Bisexual Romance, Postive Mental Illness representation, Marginalized Author (Disabled, Queer, Neurodivergent).

Erotic Romance

These are books where the sex is as much a part of the romance as the rest of the story. The plots here tend to be thinner, but they’re still present and important. This is not smut for smut’s sake. The relationship is important too. All of these are going to rate high on the steam.

After Hours - Lynda Aicher - M/F Romance - An executive assistant accidentally observes an after hours orgy in one of the boardrooms. Rather than be repulsed, she’s aroused. And up for more. Other Notes: Workplace Romance, Voyeurism, Exhibitionism, Mild BDSM, Boss/Subordinate Relationship.

Loving Maddie from A to Z - Kelly Jamison - M/M/F Romance - An outwardly happy couple looks to add something to their relationship by inviting their friend into their home and bed. Other Notes: Polyamory, BDSM, Big City Romance.

Ever After - Eden French - M/M/F Romance - An erotic modern retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale featuring billionaires, celebrities, and lots of hot sex. Other Notes: Interracial Romance, Polyamory, Billionaire Romance, CW: Child Abuse.

Test Drive - N.S. Johnson - M/F Romance - A so-called good girl finds that she’s really not when she falls for the leader of a street racing crew. Other Notes: Polyamory, CW: Infidelity, Interracial Romance, Reverse Harem, Recreational Drug Use, Author of Color.

Other Historical Romance

These are romances set outside of the Regency but not during contemporary periods. A lot of old school romances tend to be this because medieval was big then. But it also includes everything up to 1990 too... Yeah... I know... I feel old.

Let It Shine - Alyssa Cole - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Set during the civil rights movement, this story follows two young people struggling to find their voice and love amidst the turmoil of the 1960s. Other Notes: Interracial Romance, Period Appropriate Racism, Period Appropriate Anti-Semitism, Author of Color, Sports Romance, Novella.

In Pursuit Of... - Courtney Milan - M/M Romance (Steamy) - Set immediately after the American War for Independence it features a British soldier falling in love with a Black man who fought for the American side. Other Notes: Interracial Romance, Romantic Comedy, period appropriate racism, author of color, Novella.

Bringing Down the Duke - Evie Dunmore - M/F Romance (Steamy) - A rare female scholar tries to keep her scholarship going while also crusading for the rights of women in Victorian England. Other Notes: Alpha Hero, Clueless Heroine.

Contemporary Romance

These romances are set in the last 25 years and run the gamut of tropes.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown - Talia Hibbert - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Sick of living her life wrapped in tissue paper, Chloe Brown sets off to live a little. And to do that, she needs the help of her building’s manager. Other Notes: Plus-Sized Heroine, Interracial Romance, Disabled Characters, Positive Portrayal of Mental Illness, Marginalized Author (Black). As a note the sequel Take a Hint, Dani Brown is just as good and features a Bisexual Woman of Color.

Beg, Borrow, or Steal - Susie Tate - M/F Romance (Fluffy) - A medical student has to juggle the needs of being a single mother, a student, and paying the bills. And if that means she’s got to take off her clothes to do that, that’s what she’s going to do. Too bad she keeps falling asleep in class. Other Notes: No Sex (No really), But also Super sex positive, Student/Teacher Relationship, Adorable Plot Moppet.

Soft Hands - Ariel Bishop - M/M Romance (Steamy) - A professional Hockey Player ends up falling for the team trainer and massage therapist. Other Notes: Bisexual Rep, Sports Romance, Interracial Romance.

The Year We Fell Down - Sarina Bowen - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Two people who’ve suffered from accidents which have left them disabled find each other at a Harvard Expy. While one of the characters only has a temporary disability (broken leg) it still fucking counts. Other Notes: New Adult Romance, Disabled characters, Sports Romance, College Romance.

Small Town Romance

A subgenre of Contemporary Romance, these are books set in a small town and often the stakes tend to be pretty low. They can run the range of no-sex to lots of steam. They are also often VERY WHITE. While many are set in America, they can also be set elsewhere with Australia and the British Isles being the most common other settings.

Falling for Her Brother’s Best Friend - Noelle Adams - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Who doesn’t love a small town romance featuring characters that used to be childhood friends becoming more? Other Notes: New Adult Romance.

The Last One - Tawdra Kandle - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Meghan, an art student, and Sam, a farmer, and how they meet in small-town Georgia when Meghan comes to teach art over the summer to the kids in town…and ends up staying with Sam and his family. Other Notes: Alpha Male Hero.

If Wishes Were Horses - Caitlyn Lynch - M/F Romance (Steamy) - When an Aussie woman inherits partial ownership in a horse ranch in Ireland, sparks fly. Other Notes: Novella, Irish Romance.

Old School Romance

These are romances that were written before the rise of indie publishing where white men had the power and it shows. These are what people point to when they reduce romance novels to just “bodice rippers” but even then they weren’t just that.  BTW none of these books feature Fabio so suck it!

Skye O’Malley - Bertrice Small - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Daughter of a small Irish lord, this book follows Skye through her life and romances across England, Ireland, and even Algeria. It’s wild and all over the place and is not your typical romance novel. It ends on a HEA but there is a JOURNEY. But gods it’s one of my old-school faves. Other Notes: Major Character Death. Non-Con, Pirates, Interracial Romance, Historical Domain Characters, This is not your typical romance. I like the whole series... but that’s a me thing.

The Traveling Matchmaker Series - Marion Chesney/M.C Beaton - M/F Romance (Fluffy) - A housekeeper inherits a large sum of money and decides to use it to travel about England. Along the way, she makes matches for the other passengers of the stagecoach she’s traveling on while getting into all sorts of adventures. This series is pure fluff and I love it. Other Notes: Period appropriate xenophobia, Age Gap Romance.

Remembrance - Jude Deveraux - M/F Romance (Steamy) - A romance novelist discovers that the reason she hasn’t found love is because of an issue with her past life. So she decides to do something about it... only to find it’s just the very tip of the story. Other Notes: Time Travel Romance, Past Lives, Meta... so very meta.

Desire in Disguise - Rebecca Brandewyne - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Look this is set during the French Revolution and features duelling (quite literally) pirates. This is a wild ride and it’s so old school it hurts. Other Notes: Alpha hero, mistaken identity, enemies to lovers, spies, pirates, But oh so many problematic tropes. This looks to be out of print... so check your local library.

Gentle Warrior - Julie Garwood - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Set right after the Norman Invasion of England, this features a Norman Lord who was granted an Anglo-Saxon wife and all of the drama that comes with. Note... this is the first Romance Novel I ever read.. My mother bought it for me when it was newish -- in 1987. Other Notes: CW: Rape, Arranged Marriage, Non-conventionally Attractive Hero.

Books that check all of the boxes of Romance but aren’t Labeled as Romance because Sexism.

Romance isn’t about sex. There’s lots of books with explicit sex in them that aren’t Romance and several with a strong romantic relationship that drives the plot which ends happily and satisfying. But sexism is a thing and so here we are.

The Princess Bride - William Goldman - M/F Romance (Fluffy) - You’ve probably seen the movie. The book is also fun. And since the romance is central to the plot AND the ending is a happy one (especially in the movie) it qualifies.

The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins - M/F Romance (Fluffy) - Look who would have thought that in a book about kids killing each other and the violence of war that Romance would play that big of a role? But it does. And it is. And it’s important.

Katherine - Anya Seton - M/F Romance (Fluffy) - This could feasibly go into Old School Romance, but apparently the publishers have decided to downplay the actual romance and try to sell this as literature. It follows the real-life Romance between Katherine Swineford and the Duke of Lancaster. 

Did we leave off any of your favorites? It’s probably because we haven’t read them! We always like recs, especially featuring marginalized authors or main characters with marginalized identities.

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