#penguins roundup

[bryansrustache]

seeing so many of my fav pens using pride tape and speaking up tonight made me so happy :’). w the ban this year and most teams only having 2 or 3 players use it i just wasn’t expecting to see that many guys with it tonight but i am so glad i was wrong!!!!!

[setokaibapetty]

5 + 1 Fic Friday Roundup: Adoption

It's still family month apparently so have some fics where either legal adoption or just taking absorbing someone into the family without paperwork takes place.

The Business of Family (AO3) - Oswald Copplepot aka The Penguin (from the Batman comics) takes in the Fenton siblings (from Danny Phantom) since adopting kids worked to improve Bruce Wayne's rep, why not his?

Empty Vessels, Gravel Roads (AO3) - "The Winchester brothers come to Gotham. Really, how could Dean say no to a hunt in his childhood hero’s hometown? But an easy case gets complicated when they run into our favorite zombie-Robin fresh from the grave."

Another Brother (FF) - "There weren't supposed to be any survivors, but Chief Hakoda couldn't bring himself to kill the Fire Nation boy. Against his better judgment, he brought him home. A Zuko joins the Water Tribe story."

Greater Love Hath No Man (AO3) - "Twenty years after the Clave brings the Circle's members back into their ranks after Valentine's death, an infant warlock is left on the steps of the New York Institute. Alec Lightwood will blow up the ground he stands on for those he loves."

Odin's Son, Tyr's Son (AO3) - "This whole thing sprang from a prompt wherein someone [Tyr] saw Loki being mistreated, myth-style, and stepped in to stop it."

Bonus: The Demon of Gotham (AO3) wherein Kurt Wagner is taken in by Jason Todd after some unexpected dimesion travel.

[m1dnitefloat]

igloo :]

[lightningarmour]

Absolute comics first thoughts

For the first time since the end of DOOMSDAY CLOCK I've been persuaded into paying money for a DC comic, and two, no less.

I've been 100% checked out of the DC sphere for about 5 years, only occasionally seeing some news here or there about the latest crossover event or fave character or what have you, and I regard those with the passing interest one might have in seeing a hot air balloon. Nothing has drawn me back partly because I'm old now and don't have the time or inclination to try catching up on years of crossover event, status quo altering storylines and yadda yadda.

I had heard about the new ABSOLUTE line of titles, but from the initial teasers and previews, not the least of which was the character design for Absolute Batman with his giant stupid fat bat symbol, I just wrote it off as them doing yet more edgy elseworlds stories, and thought no more on it until maybe three weeks ago. I saw a little roundup of details about Absolute Superman from an interview with Jason Aaron and it caught my attention.

I've gone on at length in the past about how I think that any earnest attempt at writing Superman for modern audiences that keeps true to the "idea" of Superman without making a cynical edgelord version of the character would need to depict Superman as a politically engaged, class conscious individual at least, and a full on Leninist at best. Now obviously I do not expect DC comics to publish a comic about communist superman without it being a laughable piece of propaganda like RED SON, but nonetheless, hearing that Absolute Superman is about a superman who is fighting a mining corporation to protect a community of abused labourers, and re-imagining Krypton as a caste-based society that was destroyed by reckless exploitation of the environment, I was certainly interested.

I resolved to check it out at least. I'd seen some of the details about Absolute Batman, that he's not a billionaire and whatever and still wasn't too interested, but realized I'd heard basically nothing about Absolute Wonder Woman. "She didn't grow up on Themyscira" okay what does that mean?

At this point both Batman and Wonder Woman were out so I looked it up and found some pages from Absolute Wonder Woman #1 and was pretty much instantly hooked because the art was tremendous, and Wonder Woman is flying on a skeleton pegasus with a huge Guts sword and like, that just fucking rocks ass, come on. So I was now sold on two Absolute series, I decided eh, what the hell I'll check out Absolute Batman #1, maybe I could be convinced.

So now that I've read all three first issues of the new ABSOLUTE Universe, I have some thoughts.

ABSOLUTE BATMAN #1 is a confused mess. I think that Batman, being easily the most popular DC character, with the broadest demographic appeal, has too much baggage. You'd kind of think that with a character like this where everyone knows his whole basic backstory, you could gloss over the details a bit more, but this issue is so concerned with establishing and referencing as many iconic Batman characters as possible, it's so bloated.

in this one(1) issue they set up or directly show you: Alfred Pennyworth, Jim Gordon, Barbara Gordon, Harvey Bullock, Killer Croc, Penguin, Riddler, Cat Woman, Two-Face, Black Mask, Ras Al Ghul, and of course we cannot go even one single issue without giving you The Joinker. It's too much. Ease off. We're not going to encounter probably two thirds of these people for ages. And, frankly establishing that half of Batman's presumptive rogue's gallery just so happened to be Bruce Wayne's childhood friends is dumb as shit. The dynamic between all of them is going to follow the exact same "gasp, could it be that my old friend is now a criminal?!" dynamic like 5 times in a row.

This is easily the most edgy of the current Absolute series and is basically exactly what I assumed the whole imprint was going to be, but it really feels in places like Scott Snyder wanted this to be a Batman that was darker and more violent but then DC editorial was like "no, Batman can't kill people" so he adjusted the script as little as possible to reassure the audience that he's rolling non-lethal damage as he stabs the shit out of people with his ear-knives and chops their hands off.

Despite all the parts I don't like about how they portray Batman, the thing that pisses me off is I really like the way they are doing Bruce Wayne.

Typically Bruce Wayne, the billionaire is kind of a hard character for me to like because of how much he serves this kind of great man power fantasy(yes, I know, superhero comics are inherently fascist) He has a vendetta against the concept of crime because his parents were killed by a criminal, so he takes it upon himself to "protect" Gotham, but in many depictions of Batman it's kind of like, what exactly is his connection to the city other than he lives there and presumably is the HQ of Wayne Enterprises. he views it the way a rich person would, dirty and too full of undesirable people who must be punished so that he, a wealthy socialite can enjoy the place without having to see the underclasses.

Making Bruce a working class urbanist is such a more interesting way of exploring the character. He loves the city because he grew up in it's streets, played in it's parks, attended it's schools, rode it's busses. Adding the layer on that that he became a civil engineer and worked with the municipal government does for the first time I've ever seen something interesting with Gotham by kind of interrogating the notion of what makes a city what it is. Is it the infrastructure, the people, the civil servants? It's the most interesting Bruce Wayne has ever been.

But then as Batman he's just fucking mutilating people and blowing them up with bombs and whatever. Yawn. I think that the Batman aspect also annoys me because it so blatantly disregards the central premise of the Absolute line. What if Batman wasn't a billionaire? Well then he wouldn't have access to tons of money and resources to do his Batman shit! So they like, half-ass that by giving him the kind of stripped-down arsenal. No gadgets and gizmos, just knives and a hunk of bat shaped metal used as a battle axe. But then oh yeah he also has some kind of miracle fabric that he can use as like tendrils or whatever and it's completely bullet-proof and so on and so forth. Like, Batman really really does not feel in any meaningful way like he is working at a disadvantage in this version of the story, and that just makes the whole thing so damn boring.

ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN #1 fucking kicks ass. This was by kind of a wide margin the best issue of the three series debut issues. I think that unlike Batman and Superman who both have quite a lot of baggage tied into their backstories and supporting cast and so forth, Wonder Woman has never quite achieved the level of iconography as they have so there's almost more freedom to do something new without hitting a bunch of prescribed plot points. In fact she might be the one of the trinity who has had the most attempts to re-imagine her and spruce her up to get people interested. I recall back in 2010 they did a big shake up that was not too dissimilar to this new take on the character. What if she never grew up on Themyscira? What if she didn't have the favour of the gods, etc. And I really liked that one, so I guess it's no surprise I'd be fond of this new version as well.

I think the number one thing that hooked me on this issue is the artwork, tbh. It's my favourite style so far of the Absolute comics, and everything just looks so cool and big and epic and awesome. That's it. It's just cool as hell.

The next most important thing is it has much better pacing than the other issues. You get a very simple, very effective set-up. The Amazons have been punished by the gods so this baby is being raised in hell by a witch. That's it. Good, effective time lapse of her growing up interspersed within the action scenes of her fighting monsters. It's simple and to the point but still leaves me invested int he mystery and wanting to know more. And again, it did not feel the need to shoe-horn a bunch of characters in so you can do the soyjack point at the issue. They could have easily shoved Steve Trevor in there as one of the soldiers responding to the freaky monster pyramid but that would have just been lame. It's confident enough in itself to not have to try and get you with low hanging fruit.

I don't really have much else to say, it's just cool and good and I'm unequivocally excited for more.

ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN #1 is a solid start. Now I'll admit I'm way more of a Superman-head than I am for Batman or Wonder Woman. This was the series that made me interested in the Absolute experiment in the first place, so I'm probably way more willing to be lenient towards a Superman title than say Batman.

That being said, this one also has like Batman, aspects I really like, and others I'm a bit iffy on, though not in as wide a gulf as Absolute Batman. As I said before, I've spent probably too much time trying to think of how to reinvent Superman in a modern context and, specifically, from a politically left-wing perspective, and I'll say that so far I think they're doing a decent job.

It's obviously nothing new to look at Superman as an immigrant story. Going all the way back to Siegel & Shuster, who were children of Jewish immigrants, the whole idea was what if this guy came from somewhere else. I think that the way that Jason Aaron has interpreted that concept for a modern context is actually quite brilliant. It's almost less of what if Superman was an immigrant than what if Superman was a refugee? Rather than unable to return to his homeland, but finding a new home with loving foster parents we are given the suggestion that he's never had a stable home since arriving on Earth. Moving from one place to another, nowhere to go home to, hiding among the economically exploited peoples of the global south.

It's such a riveting set up, I'm really excited to see how this version of the Character is informed by his history.

I also like the use of Krypton as kind of a heavy-handed double metaphor for stratified class society and the dangers of climate change. Like, it is presumably already dead and gone and unable to like, textually affect the story so who cares if it's allegorical nature is too on the nose. I also really like the notion of Kal El having like, living memory of Krypton, rather than only knowing about it from recordings on an alien flash drive or whatever.

I think the use of this "Lazarus" corporation as a kind of stand-in blanket evil corporation that does every kind of exploitative, extractive, broadly seen as morally wrong kinds of industries a bit hokey but hey it's a comic. I love the use of the Peacemakers as the like, corporate PMC security force though, that's fun. I am pretty curious if Lazarus is going to be a kind of fake-out Lexcorp. Like Luthor is the head of it but they called it by a different name so as not to ruin the surprise of his introduction. That or maybe it's related to Ras Al Ghul? Who knows, but I'm interested in what their whole deal is. They not only operate diamond mines and factory farms but also like, hunt down alien technology to reverse engineer?? And employ a Brainiac. curious as to what the deal is with the screaming jars. Does being shrunk down just like, really hurt? Seems like almost going overboard with the concept. Like not only does he shrink down cities and put them in jars but he also tortures the shrunken people? Like why, what's he getting out of it?

Some of the iffy parts for me include the suit AI thing he's got because I'm frankly sick of that trope by now. Ever since Iron man it's like every fucking character in comics has to have some kind of tech suit with a quirky robot voice. I'm willing to give it a chance on the grounds that it's like alien technology so sure whatever. I kind of like that he has to fucking charge the suit with a solar panel. I am curious about what exactly the breakdown is with the suit. He uses his x-ray and laser eyes so presumably it's still Kal himself who has super powers and they're not like, imbued by the suit. The suit seems like it is regulating his powers in some way. Like without it he couldn't control them and would cause havoc, but the fact that he has to like charge the suit's battery is kind of funny. Like, is the suit solar powered and his powers are just inherent no matter what, or does he still derive his power from sunlight as well? Fuzzy on the rules.

I also don't like the Lois reveal. It's just dull. Who care. The little teaser of Kent Farm is interesting to me. Feels like several different ways they could pivot:

Kal El's rocket lands and blows a hole in their barn, they find him and are frightened of him so they call the authorities/Lazarus and Kal flees.

Similar to above but they care for him like usual before Lazarus shows up looking for the alien craft and kill the Kents to remove any witnesses

Altogether it does enough things I'm interested in to keep me going with it despite the few quibbles I have. So far it's 2/3 on the Absolute universe and with the "phase 2" or whatever announced I'm 100% guaranteed also picking up Absolute Flash because it's my boy Wally and Jeff Lemire writing, like come the fuck on, how could I resist that.

[sroloc--elbisivni]

Fic roundup: Heart Pirates, post Winner Island

After seeing @purplehairedwonder's post rounding up her fics from the aftermath of the Law-Blackbeard fight now that it's been animated, I thought I'd make one putting together as many as I could find or remember. These are ones where it's the main focus--I realize it does feature in like, various longfics, as a background/inciting event but my goal was to sift out the ones that are focused on it. If there's one that is post WI focused you know and love I'm missing feel free to toss the link in the replies and I'll update the list. I've done some minor sorting into sections for Lulaw, Heart Pirates crew fics, bad end, and various, and within those things are listed alphabetically.

Lulaw

a beating heart by Heartprts (jiaaa27)

After successfully escaping Egghead, the Straw Hats are on their way to Elbaf when two individuals made their way to the Thousand Sunny. The ensuing events led Luffy to realize his feelings for the dying captain. Prompt: confession | heart swap | i thought i'd lost you

A Thing Both Terrible and Beautiful by purplehairedwonder; E, 3.5k, complete.

Law wants it rough, wants it to hurt, because it’s what he deserves after losing everything. Again. Luffy knows he needs something else.

as I hold your hollow heart by betsib; M, 25k, complete.

The Straw Hats pick up Bepo and an unconscious Law after the events at Winner Island. Luffy is more than ready to help him, but when Law opens his eyes, he is a stranger. Meanwhile, Law wakes up in Dressrosa, with Doflamingo's symbol tattooed on his chest and servants calling him "Corazon".

Ballast by SyrupFog; NR, 7.3k, complete.

Law stands at the helm of a ship that isn’t his. They need supplies, they need to recover (he needs to recover), they need to go back. He can’t— he doesn’t have another choice. They have to go back to Winner Island as soon as possible, as soon as they’re able. There’s just no other option, here. Not for him. Not when his entire crew, save for Bepo, is somewhere out there. They’re strong. They must have survived. Law needs them to have survived. Law and Bepo have commandeered a small marine vessel, but there's a ship that simply won't stop following them, and Law-- Law's having nightmares.

Bet by Salemmcit0; G, 1.3k, complete.

Luffy wants to take care of Law while he's wounded, and he lets him. Both pirate crews are freaking out. And betting about it.

Broken Hearts by Dragon_Fallss; M, 33k, complete.

After retreating from Blackbeard, Bepo takes Law to the Thousand Sunny for help. Law's broken. And on top of that, the virus from the battle makes a surprise return. He now has to deal with his grief and a new body. And Luffy is so kind it's painful.

Call You Mine by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead; T, 8.8k, complete.

“Who would even be crazy enough to date Straw Hat Luffy?” “It’s gotta be someone who’s pretty strong,” one of the bar’s patrons mused. “I don’t see Straw Hat falling for a weakling.” “Strong enough for Straw Hat, and crazy enough to accept his advances,” another patron mused. “There aren’t many people that can say they’d meet those requirements.” “It’s pretty much just the Worst Generation, right?” someone else pointed out. Law scowled at his drink and wished Penguin wasn’t such a busybody. “Makes sense. Those Worst Generation guys all seem pretty close. When they’re not trying to kill each other, anyway,” the bartender pointed out with a shrug. Law had to admit he was right, at least when it came to Luffy. The idea of Luffy dating someone in their exclusive little band made sense to him, too. Or: Five times Law was jealous of Luffy's mystery boyfriend, and one time he realized the mystery boyfriend was Law himself.

Dead Defend No Honour (Day 9 of LawLu Week 2023) by KhepiAri; G, 2.7k, complete.

What if Luffy found out, Law lost it all at the hands of Blackbeard? Will he let Law suffer alone, or will he drag him back to Sunny?

Dissecting a Captain by devils_regrets; E, 10.8k, complete.

Law's anguish and hatred drives him to lash out at the Straw Hat Captain, but Luffy of all people knows that's not how to heal the heart.

Grounding Exercise by heart_sen_ya; T, 2.5k, complete.

The panic didn’t leave Law’s body, but he managed to slow his movements, grip tightly at his first mate’s sleeve. “Bepo?” he huffed. “Real?” The question hung heavy between them. “Yes,” the word was dripping with sorrow, with apology. “Not dreaming. I’m sorry, Captain.” Tattooed fingers curled deeper into Bepo’s sleeve. Law leaned forward into him, his body screaming in protest. He didn’t care. How could he? Here he was, alive amidst tragedy. “Again,” he hissed, vocalizing the thought. “Again?'' The word tasted like poison.

Healing of the heart by Tchell1; G, 10.5k, complete.

In the aftermath of Law and Black Beard's battle, Law is left broken and hopeless. Monkey D. Luffy will not allow Law to fall into despair.

Look Who's Laughing Now by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead; T, 13.2k, complete.

I really like Torao, Luffy thought contentedly. I like him, too. The words felt like a warm echo of his own thoughts, bumping against the inside of his skull in a gentle but insistent way. That was weird. But not the weirdest thing Luffy had ever experienced, so he ignored it. “Did you get something in your eyes, Mugiwara-ya?” Torao asked. “They look a little pink.”

Loss & Regret by CaptainButterBuns; G, 1.4k, complete.

Blackbeard has dealt a crushing blow to the Hearts and Law is left to deal with the trauma but an old ally could be just what he needs to help him through it.

Lost and Found (You) by purplehairedwonder; T, 7.5k, complete.

Five times Law and Luffy almost lost one another and one time they did something about it.

My Heart in Your Hands, My Hands around Your Heart by purplehairedwonder; G, 1.9k, complete

In Luffy's lowest moment, Law takes Luffy's hand and promises that his story will not end. In Law's lowest moment, Luffy takes Law's hand and promises the same.

My Heart, Fragile in Your Hands by purplehairedwonder. T, 2.3k, complete.

“I failed them,” Law whispered, and it felt like a confession—like at church in Flevance. Confession was supposed to absolve someone of their sins, right? He doubted there was a god anywhere who could absolve him of his. And yet, he confessed at the altar of Luffy. “They were my responsibility, and I failed them.” Or, Law wakes up in the Sunny's infirmary after Winner Island.

On fire by Suwym; T, 367 words, complete.

Law has lost practically everything: his father, his submarine, his crew, and that vivre card.

Our Hearts, Made Whole in Each Other by purplehairedwonder. T, 2.3k, complete.

Luffy cupped Law’s cheek with his hand, softly grazing his thumb over a yellowing bruise. “Torao is so pretty,” he said quietly, a note of awe in his voice. Law flushed. “Torao’s heart is beating so fast.” “Yeah,” Law agreed, swallowing. “It is.” Luffy’s, despite a few flutters, was beating steadily in Law’s chest. Law, on the other hand, felt pinned to the spot, one hand holding Kikoku and the other in Luffy’s grip. “You should stay.” Law blinked. “What?” “You should stay,” Luffy repeated. “On the Sunny. With me."

Passing Showers by daggermoon; G, 6k, complete.

In which Law is extremely irritable, lost at sea with an idiot strawhat burrito, and very much out of his depth. ______ He is helpless, no more than an insect in a puddle, clinging to a leaf in order not to drown. Even worse, he has a particularly dumb fellow insect to take care of. Now part of a series *grins sheepishly*

Tattoos by Salemmcit0; G, 4k, complete.

Luffy takes Law and his crew to Swallow Island to build a new Polar Tang, and retouch his tattoos. Nobody knew that Mugiwara-ya was planning on getting one too.

The Heart is a Thing to Be Broken by purplehairedwonder; T, 5.5k, complete.

The Straw Hats learn about Winner Island.

The Lost Case by felsefeslegen; M, 24k, WIP.

SPOILERS AFTER 1081 IN THE MANGA. What happened to Law and Bepo after they defeated by Blackbeard and lost in the ocean? How will they survive and what will happen after Law and Luffy meet up in Elbaf? --- After the total defeat of Heart Pirates, Law and Bepo washed up on a deserted island. After that the thing made them survive became their nightmare, they were rescued from there like a miracle. Yet, Law was broken enough to hurt both himself and others. And mostly, Luffy.

Then Came You by Raiya

„Please Captain don’t die.“ Law could hear Bepo repeat the words over and over. The seawater around him felt like it was holding him in a breathtaking grip, but maybe it was Bepo carrying him. Law did not know if he was unable to move because of the water or his injuries but it did not matter much, he barely could keep himself conscious but tried his best.

These Petals Surface And Scathe by Cooknumber3; T, 17.8k, complete.

What had begun as a flicker of curiosity in Sabaody had turned into an unfortunate crush by the time Punk Hazard rolled around. Dressrosa saw it deepen into devotion, and it sweetened on Zou. Then Wano came and went, leaving him with something he now has to recover from. (Or: Hanahaki disease is cured by confession, not reciprocation. This is the aftermath, where Law tries to move on.)

What once was lost, now found by Callunar; T, 7k, complete.

Transcription for Chapter 1082 OFFICIAL!!! THIS IS DEFINITELY WHAT HAPPENED IN CHAPTER 1082. DON'T LOOK AT ANY OTHER SOURCES, JUST TRUST ME.

You didn't have to come by Salemmcit0; G, 1.6k, complete.

After parting ways while leaving Wano, Luffy can't stop looking at Law's vivre card. Days later the paper began to disintegrate. Or, Luffy goes to look for Torao as the Winner Island encounter is going on Day 1 of Lawlu 2023 week - Loyalty

your hands in mine by betsib; T, 1k, complete.

Luffy has always liked Law's hands.

Your Heart, Broken in My Chest by purplehairedwonder. T, 3.6k, complete.

Luffy was far from an expert at having someone else’s heart in his chest, but he was pretty sure what was happening with Torao’s heart wasn’t normal. AKA, Law and Luffy switched hearts after Wano, and Luffy feels Winner Island happen.

10 Days of LawLu 2023 Day 6/8/10: Holding Hands/Hurt & Comfort/Confessions by Straw_Heart3; M, 4.6k, complete.

The aftermath of Law's fight with Blackbeard on Winner Island.

Heart Pirates major role

A Last, Beating Heart by HyperbolicReverie; G, 1.4k, complete.

“Oh, my wonderful crew,” you think, thoughts hazy as bits and pieces of yourself begin to drift in the currents. “Oh, my dear, brave little boys. I hope you can forgive me for not being able to carry you further. I can no longer be your heart.”

Your journey has ended. But this? This you can do.

A Swallow's Cry by Heartprts (jiaaa27); T, 3k, complete.

Klabautermann: a spirit that dwells in ships, an incarnation of a ship that has been well loved and cared for. Tangs, surgeonfishes: a family of marine fish with a distinctive characteristic of having scalpel-like scales at their caudal peduncle. or Polar Tang fought for her family, to her very last breath.

At Our Dream's End by chioccowine; G, 2.5k, complete

A snippet between the Heart's captain and his first mate after chapter 1081 - - - “But, Bepo...” his captain’s body shivered as he uttered softly, like the blossoms of the epiphyllum under the moonlight, silently withering in the gentle wind without anyone knowing. “What lies at the dream’s end? What lies at the end…when there’s nothing left to dream about?” Bepo sniffed to hold back his tears, and he reached out his paws determinedly. Like how the three of them used to do for him when he was still a little cub, he hugged his captain tight, sheltering him from the long freezing night.

Bioluminescent Hearts by Harmonica_Smile (Rescue_Remedy); T, 5.7k, complete.

"No bodies?" Blackbeard fumed. Doc Q and Stronger had bounced across rocky Winner Island when that bear had gone all Sulong and knocked them out. Van Augur's range for warping wasn't that great, and was tricky over open water. He could sharpshoot the skin of a hangnail, but the bear was fast. If he'd managed to get a shot in, they could've finished the Mink off, and pulled the shitty doctor from the water, taken his heart and returned triumphant. Once the horse had woken up.

blessed, not cursed by Heartprts (jiaaa27)

For a few years now, Jean Bart feels like his life is cursed. It all happened too quickly; one moment their ship capsized, and the next moment he's wearing an explosive collar. It was the start of all the curses.

Caught by purplehairedwonder. T, 1.2k, complete.

Maybe this wasn’t such a bad death, Hakugan thought as he felt darkness beginning to encroach on his vision. He’d been on the crew of a Warlord, had helped in the fight that defeated two Emperors, and had seen more incredible, unbelievable things than he would have once thought possible; it had been a much more fulfilling life than he would have had if he’d stayed in his boring, backwater home in the North Blue. He would never regret agreeing to join Trafalgar Law all those years ago. He only hoped that his captain would somehow live on to fight another day; as long as Law lived on, so would the Heart Pirates.

Celebration by purplehairedwonder. T, 1.6k, complete.

As the Heart and Straw Hat Pirates celebrate the jailbreak of the imprisoned Hearts, Shachi tracks down a guilt-ridden Law and offers his captain some moral support.

Cursed by purplehairedwonder. T, 1.4k, complete.

After Wano, Jean had never been prouder to sport the Heart Pirates Jolly Roger on his back, tattooed over the slave brand that had marked him as cursed for so many years. But they had failed Law on Winner Island. Jean had failed him on Winner Island.

Clang, Ding, Zing by Mekachu04. G, 489 words, complete.

Still, it surprised him when Kidd approached him first, a thick pad of blank newsprint that Law hoped he'd gotten permission for before liberating from Franky's workshop. Kidd dropped the heavy booklet on Law with no preamble. an *extremely* short snippet of two very much down on their luck pirate captains dealing with their recent losses. More light-hearted than it sounds.

Food by purplehairedwonder. T, 1.2k, complete

“Sorry for borrowing your kitchen without asking. I just...” “It’s fine,” Sanji said easily before starting to roll up the cuffs on his sleeves to his elbow. “You wanted to make something for your people, didn’t you?” “I...” Clione blinked in surprise. “Yeah.” “I get it,” Sanji said. Once his cuffs were rolled up, he crossed his arms and leaned against the side of the counter. “It’s how people like us show our love, right?” Sanji went on. “Through our cooking.”

going through by aghhhhhh; G, 1.1k, complete.

Hakugan has an idea. Written for Heart Pirates Week 2024 Day 8: Hakugan and Caught

Heart to Heart by MorWicked; G, 1k, complete.

The Heart Pirates have been destroyed, and now they need to help each other remember what matters most. ----- Digging his fingers in amongst the flotsam of pebbles and broken shells, Law wrestled his harrowed anatomy into a position somewhat less prone. Slumping against the familiar form of his salvation, Law found it a little easier to breathe. A heavy paw settled over his shoulders, somehow easing the gravity of devastation even as it rested in a fashion that belied a bone-deep exhaustion.

'homeless heart' by fab_ia; T, 4k, complete.

“They’ll make it,” Bepo says. “They always have before, haven’t they? From the North until here…” It isn’t survivors' guilt. Bepo refuses to call it that, at any rate, because that would mean expressing some degree of doubt that the rest of them have managed to survive. He isn’t sure that he’ll be able to keep going if he lets go of that hope, if he doubts them for even a moment.

Last nights with Tang by Lyy30; G, 6.5k, complete.

Ikkaku has her first and last conversation with Tang.

Loyalty by purplehairedwonder. T, 1.2k, complete.

The only solace the Hearts had after being taken captive by the Blackbeard Pirates was the revelation that Bepo had gotten Law away from the battlefield. They’d all sworn in Wano that they would do whatever it took to protect their self-sacrificing captain, and any of them would have made the same choice, had they been able. They were the Heart Pirates, and Trafalgar Law was the beating heart at the center of the crew. They would hold out until Law came for them, and they would give the Blackbeard Pirates nothing.

Low Battery by killyhawk; T, 1.5k, complete

Two times Shachi carried Law, and one time he couldn't.

Night by purplehairedwonder. T, 1.1k, complete.

Their rescue comes at night.

Wish the 4 of us stay together forever by Horsehead_557; G, 837 words, complete.

Penguin, Shachi, Law and Bepo are all waiting outside to see the shooting star while drinking some tasty hot chocolate until Bepo suggest that they make a wish

Bad end

Broken Hearts by CaptainButterBuns; E, 736 words, complete. Graphic Depictions of Violence + Major Character Death warning.

Law has bitten off more than he can chew with Black Beard and the Heart Pirates pay the ultimate price.

Forced Disease of Despair by ProfessorDatenix; E, 6k, complete. Law/Blackbeard and Blackbeard Pirates. Rape/Non-Con warning.

Law gets turned into a woman in the battle against the Blackbeard Pirates near Winner Island, but something goes wrong and ends up captured by them, being completely at the mercy of mean that want to show their new slut what it means to be a captured woman by an enemy ship

From the Ashes by purplehairedwonder. T, 10.8k, WIP.

Blackbeard takes Law and the defeated Heart Pirates captive after their defeat at Winner Island.

Some version of you. That I might not have, but I did not lose by ImpassiveMoon; T, 3.2k, WIP.

Law doesn't escape Winner Island. Luffy and the Strawhat Pirates, sailing high after their escape from Egghead Island, find out far too late. A butterfly flaps its wings and creates a tornado. What then would a beetle do? A god? Brace yourself. For D will bring a storm.

The promised I have to keep by Horsehead_557; G, 3.35k. Graphic Depictions of Violence + Rape/Non-Con warning.

the young captain taking out his den-den mushi and vivre card luffy like calling the other captain while looking at his vivre card cause it makes him feel like that torao is infront of him “wh-where is” luffy panicked he cant find torao’s vivre card - in something happened to law and they cant do anything about it

the steps to an foretold conclusion by aghhhhhh; T, 3.2k, complete.

Law was always going to die. He is on the altar, heart torn out for the sun.

to the victor go the soiled by Anonymous; E, 8k, complete. Rape/Non-Con warning.

Law had been Doflamingo’s slave-concubine for some years before escaping the clan in his late teens and starting his own crew, but no-one left Doflamingo’s harem. Doflamingo was excited that Law now had a hole that he and other members of his crew had not yet sampled. Variety was the spice of life and all that. Another thing Doflamingo liked was how docile the constant fucking from Blackbeard’s crew, the transformation, and the specially designed seastone adornments had made Law. Straight into the PWP. Hurt, no comfort. If it's not your thing, click right back. Tags are not for show

Other

Aftermath by purplehairedwonder; G, 1k.

The aftermath of the fight at Winner Island.

A Most Surprising Alliance by Cygnus_the_Harper; G, 13.3k, complete. Users-only.

After the battle on Winner Island Bepo and Law flee across the ocean. Finding themselves stranded on a winter island they try to pick up the pieces, find a plan for moving forward, and worry about their crew. This was written after the cover page art depicting Law napping with a leopard and a bottle of vodka. It was such a fun picture that I had to write the adventures of Law and Bepo on that island, and their eventual rescue.

A Promise Fulfilled, 13 Years Later by betsib. T, 5.8k, complete.

Rosinante wakes up on Minon Island on the exact spot where he died, 13 years later. He's surprised to find Law is now a notorious pirate, and sets out on a journey to find him. Written for CoraFest 2024.

a victory every year by betsib; T, 6k, complete.

Law finds himself imprisoned in Impel Down, injured and possibly dying. His only company is Doflamingo, who tells him Luffy has been captured too. All in all, not the best way to spend his birthday.

A Wave Across a Bay by Sleeping_Songbird; G, 785 words, complete.

The aftermath of The Hearts fight with Blackbeard.

Beautiful Savior by Captainkreuger; G, 1k, complete.

Cavendish and his crew save Law and Bepo after Blackbeard defeats the Heart Pirates.

Faded by meowmystery; T, 819 words, complete.

Alone with his thoughts, Trafalgar Law begins to think his past over, which he has done over a million times. No matter how much he tries, he can't seem to come to a conclusion. Is there really an answer?

Fem Law on Winner Island by SilverSphere; G, 1.4k, complete.

This is just a canon-divergence drabble of Law getting stuck as a girl on Winner Island : )

Give Us a Little Love by cptrum; G, 2.3k, complete.

Law and Bepo get away from Winner island, but now what? Bepo is stuck trying to help an injured Law and also get his crew back. A what happened after chapter 1081 (since we still have zero resolution for that).

Hurting by lostsometime; T, 808 words, complete.

It hurts different, is the thing.

In the Light that Falls at Moonrise by Rimetin; T, 12.7k, Smoker/Law.

"The Captain,” the mink repeats, “trusts you.” Smoker chews on his cigars, letting his head fall back again. “Yeah, you said that.” “And you trust him.” Smoker and Law speak with their respective seconds-in-command, gain some valuable insight, and come face to face with some difficult to admit facts. Part 3 of Bitten by the Cold

Magneteers by Mekachu04; T, 2k, WIP.

After fleeing Blackbeard, Law & Bepo have been rescued by the Strawhats. Luffy is more than happy to help Law find his ship and crew, but his crew rightly points out that finding a submarine under the water is a big ask. If only there was someone they knew who could find large metal things and easy move them around. Possibly bring a sunken sub up to the surface with his magnetic abilities. So they detour to hunt down the Kidd Pirates. Unfortunately for Law, Shanks found Kidd first.

Polar Bear, Ocean Blue, and A Glass of His Dreams by chioccowine; G, 8k, WIP. Shanks/Law.

In order to bring Black Beard down to his demise, the Captain of the Hearts seized the opportunity to propose an alliance to the notorious red-haired emperor. The young captain’s willing to offer anything - - As he had nothing to lose.

Salt for Salt (Bone For Bone) by Friendly_Neighborhood_Asexual; NR, 2k, complete.

Bepo didn’t know how long he had been swimming, only that his lungs burned and his limbs ached and that he could not stop until his captain was safe. Law was tucked firmly under his arm, pressed close to his side with all the strength the mink could afford, and Bepo couldn’t tell if he was still breathing anymore. He couldn’t dwell on that though - wouldn’t dare to entertain the thought that he might be - his captain was strong, strong enough to survive Doflamingo, strong enough to survive Kaido and Big Mom, strong enough to bring emperors to their knees. Law would be strong enough to survive Blackbeard. Bepo didn’t know if he would be strong enough to survive Law’s death.

Seeing the Light by CaptainJoJo; T, 1.4k, complete.

Law doesn't want to talk about it and Luffy isn't pushing him.

Suns Will Sink to Shade by Rimetin; T, 7.3k, complete. Smoker/Law.

Smoker gnaws on his cigars, puffing thick clouds of off-white smoke. “I’m trying to help you, brat.” “I didn’t–” Law cuts himself off. It dawns on him then that he did, in fact, ask. Involving Smoker was his own express decision, however impulsively made. Bepo certainly hadn't made it for him - hell, he hadn't so much as questioned it. And he hadn't been the one to bring the rumors, either: it had been an innocuous bit of conversation Law overheard, and his traitor brain had latched onto it. Pushed to his breaking point and beyond, he'd heard Smoker's name and only thought refuge. Fuck. Smoker and Law talk some things through. Plans are made. (now with art!) Part 2 of Bitten by the Cold

The Aftermath by RitsukoRyoku; G, 3.5k, complete

This is how I envision the aftermath of that fateful battle as the Heart Pirates recover and recuperate.

what we have left by betsib; G, 716 words, complete.

Bepo and Law are picked up by the Straw Hats after the events on Winner Island, and Law proposes another alliance.

When Stars are Silver by Rimetin; T, 7k, complete. Smoker/Law.

When the air around him thins and fills with bluish static, Smoker knows exactly what it is. He turns in his chair just in time to catch two of his meditating rocks poof out of existence, replaced instead with… A man and a polar bear. SPOILERS for ch. 1081. After Winner Island, Law finds Smoker. Part 1 of Bitten by the Cold

I II II L by darkrogue1 (Lily_Haydee_Lohdisse); T, 764 words, complete.

Bepo worries about his Captain

[keen-eye]

got really bored and made the N6 into Club Penguins. couldn’t decide whether they should look like their CC designs, or CT designs, or how they’d design their own penguins, so I did a mix of the 3 / what felt right lol

the N6 as players:

Brooklynn: obsessed with playing the PSA missions. the others always ask her to play with them and she promises to after just one more mission (a lie). investigated the Operation Blackout rumors. she’s constantly searching for secret messages on the island. she uses her coins to buy the most fashionable outfits and loves being the first to find new hidden items in the catalogs. hangs out in the Coffee Shop with everyone

Kenji: wants to have the highest rated igloo, but he’s not very good at the minigames so Yaz plays on his account to get him coins. he scouts other players’ igloos to steal borrow ideas. loves the monthly parties/themes and throwing his own parties. collects Special Actions’ Items (pretends to work everywhere). looks online to know where/when to find rare items (also uses codes). throws snowballs at other players 

Yaz: prides herself on being the best at the minigames. when she wants to play Sled Racing she yells at other players on the Ski Hill to play against her. Darius beat her at Card-Jitsu too many times and now she refuses to play (her excuse is that it doesn't take skill anyway). enjoys the Night of the Living Sled short films and dressing up for the Halloween parties. one time she submitted artwork to be displayed in the game

Darius: as good at the minigames as Yaz but he doesn’t take it nearly as seriously. his favorite game is Card-Jitsu and he’s always trying to get the others to play with him. he earned all the belts in one sitting (then did it on Kenji’s account). plays in the Arcade and reads books in the Book Room. loves anything Rockhopper related. always exploring less popular areas of the island and finding/unlocking secret rooms

Ben: very invested in the in-game conspiracy theories and lore. logs on and immediately tries to tip the Iceberg (hard hat on, pengussy out). tries to convince others of the most random theories. eavesdrops on players misbehaving and follows them around because he’s nosy. has been banned many times for refusing to leave other penguins’ igloos when they tell him to. reports “pookies” because he thinks they’re pedos

Sammy: spends most of her time in the main hangout spots chatting with everyone. she’s been temporarily banned twice for revealing and asking for too much personal information (you can’t ask for someone’s address to send them a care package, Sammy). she’s the best at Puffle Roundup and uses her coins to adopt puffles (she has to get one of every color/type). she takes naming and caring for them very seriously

comments on their designs ->

Brooklynn was the hardest in getting the right outfit/jewelry combo, but I lucked out with her hair. an alternate version of her had glasses but I wanted her to have eyelashes (does she look like a Simpsons character, maybe)

Kenji was originally going to be blue but red just went better with his outfit + vibe. an alternate version of him had sunglasses but I wanted his eyes to be visible

Yaz could have been black, her favorite color like I did with Brooklynn, but she looked better purple. she had good options for hair but not for her outfit

Darius was the easiest (minimalist king), but unfortunately Club P is lacking in textured hair options so this was the best I could do. he could have been green but brown suited him best

Ben is the best imo. the hair and outfit were perfect, but had to settle for a satchel. he could have been peach but he looks better orange

Sammy looks the most like her younger self but no other hair option matched her as well as this one. she could have been yellow but I swapped her and Brooklynn’s colors. she's the only one with expressive eyes

Everyone’s shoe choices were very easy

[dconscreen]

Superman: Hopeful and Joyous | News/Trailer Reviews

Leading up to SDCC, we have a short news roundup that we recorded on July 21 -- but due to technical difficulties, we didn't get it completed until today. Apologies! Here's what we talked about:

KITE MAN: HELL YEAH!

Kite Man: Hell Yeah is Now Available on Max

Producer Discusses Lance Reddick's Posthumous Lex Luthor Role

Matt Oberg Wants to Play Kite Man in Gunn's DCU

BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER

First Batman: Caped Crusader Clip Released by DC | https://twitter.com/i/status/1811838084083818833

THE PENGUIN

The Penguin: DC Revives The Batman's Viral Website

The Penguin will premiere exclusively on HBO on September 19th

SUPERMAN & LOIS

Superman & Lois Final Season Teaser Trailer Released | https://youtu.be/JkQNzCL9yVU

SUPERMAN

Superman Movie Logo Unveiled by James Gunn

Superman Wraps Filming In Cleveland With Cast Photo

Superman: James Gunn Teases How Much Filming Is Left

James Gunn Already Knows Which DCU Film He's Writing After Superman

Superman: James Gunn Confirms Timeline With Creature Commandos and Peacemaker Season 2

The Boys Star Jack Quaid Reveals He Auditioned for James Gunn's Superman

WATCHMEN

J. Michael Straczynski Wrote Script for Animated Adaptation

Watchmen Chapter 1 Animated Movie Trailer Released | https://youtu.be/j-s-cxTnH2

MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN

My Adventures With Superman Season 3 Begins Production

BOOSTER GOLD

Bull Crap Rumor About Kumail Nanjiani Playing Booster Gold

Gunn Says Nothing is in Production Unless It is Greenlit

THE BATMAN PART II

No, it's Not Canceled.

Join Our Riotous DC Debauch!

Site: https://dconscreen.com

Store: https://bit.ly/DCoStore

Patreon: https://patreon.com/dconscreen

Apple: http://bit.ly/DCoSReview

Spotify: http://bit.ly/DCSCREEN

Spreaker: https://bit.ly/DCoSSpreaker

A Special Thanks to BossLogic for this week's show art!

[theomenmedia]

The Penguin Episode 3 Roundup

Dive deep into Gotham's dark soul with Colin Farrell's mesmerizing performance in The Penguin Episode 3. Where ambition meets morality, Oz Cobblepot reigns.

Link to the full story: https://www.theomenmedia.com/post/colin-farrell-s-mesmerizing-transformation-the-dark-descent-of-the-penguin-in-episode-3

[zahlibeth]

2023 bingo roundup

new years resolutions don't work for me, but having a bingo card to check every month keeps me thinking about new things. I managed triple bingo this year?! Thoughts about all of them under the cut - may not be of interest to anyone other than me, but it is my blog so

Random other stats books: 17 (+1) most recommended: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (sci-fi. man in rocket trying to save earth. best read without further spoilers. enjoy?) most loved: the Rebel Kings MC series by Garrett Leigh which has sent me into full brain rot. queer biker brotherhood - romance and found family and trauma and violence

movies: 21 new favourites: Dungeons & Dragons, Nimona, Red, White and Royal Blue.

tv: 29 different shows, 34 full seasons. 8 partial seasons - some affectionate (actively watching Succession S2, Sons of Anarchy S4), some derogatory (gave up on Picard S3 and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S1)

Bingo squares A&E visit - read "ER visit". put this one in because up until this year kiddo had found herself in a&e at least once every year. this year? no, husband had a weird heart thing that resolved itself (??? bodies.) and i fucked my wrist by falling over while running with kiddo on her bike, to the point where i needed it x-rayed (it was fine)

appearance change - fucked around with my hair a little, cut it fairly short over the summer, braided it a bit, currently growing it out

redecorated - god so many things. i re-organised the bathroom to be somewhat tidier (and easier to clean!) and also bought a snake plant (she's doing lovely). we finally put up the border in kiddo's room. (she's 5. we bought it 7 years ago. 2016.) and then also bought and put together a bedside table and reading lamp for her. we hung curtain rails and put new blackout curtains in her room (grey) and ours (beautiful bottle green). decluttered half the kitchen and the sides are clean??? and staying tidy??? and then i had a december meltdown and we put together a little bookshelf upstairs to hold puzzles and two giant ones downstairs, ditching the sideboard via facebook marketplace and finally decluttering the living room. we have an ikea trip planned for tomorrow to get a million baskets to organise said bookshelves. also we reorganised the cupboard under the stairs and got a new shelf thing in there, made possible by the clearout i did earlier in the year. and i framed and hung kiddo's amazing penguin on the wall. phew.

new favourite foods - discovered 3 new takeaways that do incredible things + fries. very dangerous. one is colombian street food (loaded sweetcorn dirty fries, tostones), one is straight up fried chicken (spicy fries with hot sauce, cheese sauce and crispy onions), one is asian fusion (chili brisket noodles or hoisin crispy duck fries. plus gyoza). also husband discovered rasperry frangipane tarts at the shop and they are the perfect sweet and sharp deliciousness

happy news - new nephew! the recipient of The Baby Blanket, he is three months old now and the cuddliest delight

good surprise - surprise flowers from husband and kiddo. surprise birthday wishes (and gifts?!) <333 and in reverse I also snuck a needle minder on to husband's cross stitch and pulled together a couple of little surprises for kiddo. i think we're going to do an easter egg scavenger hunt this year.

self knowledge - no big revelations this year, thank fuck (and uhh sorry to those few of you that i might have nudged into revelations of your own.) I DID discover a couple new ways to get a brain reset when needed though

new routines - bread making, skincare, trying to be more organised about cleaning the house, got a little library routine with the kiddo, got interdental brushes back into the teeth routine, kiddo has her own bedtime routine by herself

apologised for a fuck up - yeah i had a couple of these, including one i just. ignored. for a month or so. not proud of that. glad i cleared the air

caught covid - for the first time! kiddo's final gift out of pre-school

got dressed up - kiddo came out with us for dinner on my birthday, that was a lot of fun, glad she's old enough to do this now! couple of other dinners, christmas etc. nothing big. waiting for the day she and i can wear matching dresses to a wedding

new skills - bread making, various knitting techniques (flat, in the round, intarsia, some cabling, pattern drafting, various increases and decreases, colour changing etc), but also: french and dutch braids (mostly on the kiddo, growing my hair out a little more for me) and photoshop giffing just about

survived a bad decision - not sure i have much specific to point to for this one. i fucked up a couple of times and recovered in a couple of ways. i did also figure out how to fix a complete brain meltdown so that helped a lot.

cried - yeah, a bunch of times actually. some fic that destroyed me. some complete emotional and physical exhaustion. and then the time my bastard husband (affectionate) made me sit through "slipping through my fingers" from the mamma mia soundtrack. a song that made me emotional before i had a kid and now d e s t r o y s me. but we were listening to the soundtrack in the car and he didn't skip it so i just sat there in floods of tears until it was over. cathartic

misc favourites - new fandom in Rebel Kings MC <333 and all that goes with that: new characters, new ships, fic that looks into my soul, you know, the usual.

being brave (blank) - left two blank, have decided one of these gets to be filled for being brave - spotted something at work that's ethically and legally dodgy, so had to speak up and get it agreed that we would remove something from a couple of systems so we're not violating anything. I think i railroaded everyone into just agreeing with me by turning up well-informed and determined? I had to re-explain it again recently, but at least people seem inclined to agree.

new friendship - um. this one is hilarious in retrospect? I have made several very lovely tumblr friendships this year but i don't think i initiated a single one? beyond commenting occasionally on posts, I think all of you have messaged me first so. thank you <3. and if you've been in my DMs this absolutely includes you fyi. I also managed to make friends with a couple of different parents at kiddo's school so that's good! not close friends, but at least someone i can talk to at the inevitable events. (and then there's you, who i didn't anticpate at all <333)

bad recipe - actually only one on my list this year? I tried to make potato rosti and it was just ??? burnt and also raw??? so unappealing i never even tried a redo

new craft - well. knitting. not much else to say here!

other thoughts - the fact that i don't have any new tech says something about the brain space I DIDN'T have this year. badly need to upgrade my desktop but i can't face the research right now. my kindle battery is also dying a death but then i have to think about non-amazon alternatives and blah.

don't know if this should get its own square, but i got to meet another discord friend this year and take her for a walk around York city walls, so that was an unexpected delight.

over all it was a much more productive year than i expected, and it's nice to think about the progress i made, especially when a lot of things still suck in a lot of ways and are hard to deal with. trying to carry that energy into 2024 and maybe we can also fix some of the harder things too

(if you read this far i love you. if you just skipped right to the end i still love you. wonder what i should put in the bingo this year)

[redgoldsparks]

November Reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon.

H is for Hawk written and read by Helen MacDonald

I listened to this as an audiobook in the author's voice and absolutely adored it. Its a memoir of grief, unfolding primarily in the one year after the death of the author's father. It is also a brief history of falconry in Britain, the story of a goshawk the author trained, and an examination of the legacy of TH White, British author, closeted homosexual, and amateur falconer who ruined a bird with his own obsessions and neuroses. Macdonald's descriptions of landscapes, weather patterns, and birds in flight are as lyrical and lovely as the recording of depression and social isolation are devastating. Highly recommend.

Animosity Vol 1: The Wake by Marguerite Bennett, Rafael De Latorre, Rob Schwager, Marshall Dillon, Juan Doe

One day, all of the animals of the world wake up to human level consciousness, and most of them turn to violence against their human oppressors. Humans reel in the aftermath of this complete overturn of the world as we've known it. A few animals stay loyal to their human families, and this story follow one of them- Sandor, an elderly bloodhound, who promises his 11 year old human Jess that he will keep her say and travel with her across the country to find a half brother she has never met. Fast paced and thought provoking, the first of a ongoing series.

PS I Still Love You by Jenny Han

As charming and fast paced as the first book in the series. This story unfolds more of Lara Jean's life, the sweeps of her emotions, her deep love of her family, an internship at a retirement home, and the tangled lines of old friendships and crushes. The writing in these books is so grounded and warm, it feels like a breath of fresh air compared to some of the YA I've struggled with in recent years.

A Pros and Cons List for Strong Feelings by Will Betke-Brunswick

I was given the opportunity to read this book ahead of its release! Here's the blurb I wrote for it: Life does not deliver a series of discrete events, but a tangle of overlapping experiences. The author was working on a mathematics degree, playing on a hockey team, and slowly coming out as trans and nonbinary when their mom was diagnosed with cancer. This book weaves memories from the author's childhood with scenes from the last few months of their mother's life into a tender story of acceptance, care, and love. The heavy moments are lightened by the portrayal of the family as penguins, with friends and strangers as a flock of other birds, but the story is deeply human. 

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire, read by Cynthia Hopkins

This series introduces Eleanor West's Home For Wayward Children, a boarding school for children who, like Alice, fell into another world; and returned to find they were completely out of step with life back on home. Some of these children went to magical fairylands full of rainbows and rhymes. Others went to strict authoritarian worlds ruled by logic and law. Nancy went to the land of the dead, and spent a peaceful year learning the values of stillness, silence, and the whispers of ghosts. She hates Earth on her return and the pressures of her family to "just be normal." But she finds companionship and understanding at Eleanor West's school. Until, that is, a bloody murder shocks the little school community and fear and suspicion turn in Nancy's direction. This is a slim fairy tale of a book, not a murder mystery. I loved this unique take on portal fantasy and the magical boarding school genres. The story includes trans and asexual characters, which I appreciated, even though I found some of the dialogue around those identities a little chunky. I sped through the short audiobook in just a few days and plan to keep reading this series.

Boys Run The Riot vol 1 by Keito Gaku

High schooler Ryo knows that he's trans, but doesn't feel like he can tell anyone; it seems safer to repress this part of his identity. His school system requires gendered uniforms and Ryo hates wearing skirts, so tries to get away with wearing his PE track suit to school as often as possible. But he also fears standing out and the potential judgement of his peers. The only time Ryo feels like himself is after school when he roams the city in his own chosen street style, expressing his frustration and yearning through graffiti art. When Jin, a rough looking older boy who had to repeat a grade, joins Ryo's class, Ryo plans to steer clear of him. But then Ryo runs into Jin in a store and it turns out they share a taste in fashion and buried desire to break out of the molds society has built for them. Jin urges Ryo to start a fashion brand and tell his truth to the world at last. I was excited to try a manga series which centers a trans character, and which is also written by a trans author. This first book was a little shaky for me. The emotional beats felt clunky and rushed, and the antagonist boringly stereotypical. Nevertheless, I like the premise a lot, and will probably read at least one more volume to see if the writing smooths out a bit farther into the series.

Down Among The Sticks and Bones written and read by Seanan McGuire

An excellent second installment in the Wayward Children series. This one follows two characters we got to know in the first book, twins Jack and Jill, daughter of a pair of yuppie control freaks who didn't let their children make any of their own choices. No wonder a door opened for them, and let them escape into another world. It was a world of vampires, werewolves, and cursed sea monsters, but it was still better than what they'd left behind. I enjoyed this a lot, but was also interested from a writing perspective to think about how much territory it retread from information given in book one; and how successful it still felt despite that. It made me reflect on my own relation to ideas that feel "book worthy" and whether I could also be developing smaller thoughts into satisfying stories.

The Hand On The Wall by Maureen Johnson read by Kate Rudd

What an excellent conclusion to a three-book mystery arc! This one picks up right where the second one left off with Stevie, our anxious and brilliant teen detective, trying to fit together the pieces after a third death in as many months, with hints, rumors and uncertainty on every side. And oh how those pieces fit! I don't even want to say anything about the plot because to do so might spoil some of the events of the first two books, but I think this one is the best yet of the series and I am excited to see what comes next.

A Sentimental Education by Hannah McGregor

This is an essay collection I know I will return to again and again. Hannah McGregor, host of two of my favorite podcasts, Witch Please and Secret Feminist Agenda, tells the story of her own feminist education through six essays written in the first person, a deliberate act to carry over the voice she developed in podcasts into her writing. The first essay introduces a theme that recurs throughout of the uses and agendas of sentimental literature, especially books about white women caring deeply about things, in a way that can spark equal emotion in the reader, which has the potential to either, or both, stir political action or else prop up white supremacy. One of the major questions of the text is whether reading certain kinds of books, or reading in certain kinds of ways, can make the reader a better person- more empathetic, more motivated to strive for justice and equality. Caring about others is a feminist project, and McGregor questions where this care falls inside institutions like the university, who is able to ask for and receive care, who is able to give it or refuse giving it. McGregor asks these questions as a queer, fat, asexual, white university professor with a tenured position and constantly acknowledges her own position and also where her knowledge comes from. One of my favorite pieces is the many quotes woven through the text, as well as references to longer conversations I experienced in podcast form. I am so grateful for this book, and excited to annotate it on my second pass!

Slip by Marika McCoola and Aatmaja Pandya

Jade, a ceramic artist, is accepted into a prestigious summer camp for teen artists hoping to build their portfolios and win college scholarships. Three weeks before she is due to leave, her best friend Phoebe attempts suicide, and Jade isn't able to see Phoebe or speak to her before Jade has to leave for art camp. She is naturally distracted, not able to focus solely on her work because she's thinking so much about her friend. Then some of Jade's sketches and sculptures start to come to life, and Jade has to rethinking why she makes art, what she's trying to express, and who it is for. This is a beautifully illustrated and emotional coming of age story with a queer lead. The plot is quite simple but I was drawn in by the limited palate, dry bush line art, and the creative struggle.

Other Ever Afters by Melanie Gillman

I absolutely loved this collection of queer fairy tales. I'd read about half of them online (Melanie Gillman posts an original fairy tale comic every year in October, on 24 hour comic day) but it was a pleasure to see these familiar pieces presented in this new anthology. I also loved all of the new stories and the interwoven themes of belonging, self-naming, queer love, rebellion, and abolition of monarchy in fantasy settings. All of the art is done by colored pencil and the rich tones, smooth shading, and smart color palettes all please me right down to my artist's core.

[zahri-melitor]

A Lobo roundup:

Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special #1 (1991): Lobo kills Santa on commission from the Easter Bunny. Then Lobo delivers Christmas Presents in the sleigh by dropping H Bombs on both the naughty and the nice.

Also the elves here are not unionised. Go talk to the elves in Super Jnrs : Isle of the Lost Toys. Go joint their North Pole Elves Union (NPEU strong!)

Lobo #48: this is a retelling of the previous story but from the perspective of the penguins with guns: why they followed Lobo, why they separated from him, and then how for the end of this story they reencounter him.

Okay done with Lobo, onto other things.

Papa Noël - Swamp Thing #115. This is a back up story.

It’s telling the story of how Louisiana was populated by French Canadians who became Cajun, and their festival of lighting bonfires for Papa Noël.

Then the big man himself delivers presents for Tefé.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 7.9

Holidays

Arbor Day (Cambodia)

ASB Community Action Day

Call of the Horizon Day

Chicken Days begin (Nebraska)

Constitution Day (Australia, Palau)

Constitutionalist Revolution Day (São Paulo, Brazil)

Day of the Employees of the Diplomatic Service (Azerbaijan)

Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo (Utah)

Donkey Kong Day

Family Day (Ukraine)

Fashion Day

Festival of Grand Unified Theories

Flag Day (Chile)

Goat Mother’s Day

Intern Appreciation Day

International Small Arms Destruction Day

Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival begins (Turkey)

Mars

Mint Day (French Republic)

Muffler Appreciation Day

National Camel Toad Hunting Day (Secular Church of the SubGenius)

National Culture Day (Kiribati)

National Dimples Day

National Lavender Day

National No Bra Day

National Student’s Day (India)

Nunavut Day (Canada)

Paper Napkin Day

Rock Around the Clock Day

Shiman Rokusen-nichi (Day of 46,000; Tokyo, Japan)

Special Recreation Day

State Rebellion Day (São Paulo, Brazil)

Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Day (Ohio)

White Ensign Anniversary Day (UK)

Wimbledon Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Omelette Day

National Chicken Day

National Sugar Cookie Day

World Pakora Day

2nd Sunday in July

Barn Day [2nd Sunday]

Disability Awareness Day (UK) [2nd Sunday]

Father’s Day (Uruguay) [2nd Sunday]

Festival of the Giants begins (Fête des Géants; France) [Sunday after 7.5]

Lá Cuimhneacháin Náisiúnta (National Day of Commemoration; Ireland) [Sunday closet to 7.11]

Independence Days

Argentina (from Spain, 1816)

Kebec (f.k.a. Alaurentia; Declared; 2017) [unrecognized]

Luxe (Declared; 2009) [unrecognized]

South Sudan (from Sudan, 2011)

Feast Days

Agilulfus of Cologne (Christian; Saint)

Amandina of Schakkebroek (Christian; A Martyr of Southern Hunan)

Caprotinia (Old Roman Female Slave Festival)

Charlotte the Penguin (Muppetism)

St. Clotilde (Positivist; Saint)

Cyril and Companions (Christian; Martyrs)

David Hockney (Artology)

Day of Unn the Wise Person (a.k.a. Day of Remembrance for Ann the Deep Minded; Pagan)

Dharma Day (Buddhist) [Full Moon, 8th Lunar Month]

Ekādaśī Tithi (Self-Purification Festival; Hindism, Vaishnavism) [11th Lunar Day]

Ephrem of Edessa (Christian; Saint)

Everilda (Christian; Saint)

Feast of the Chinese Martyrs (Christian; Martyrs)

Feast of the Martyrs of Gorkum (Christian; Martyrs)

Feast of Our Lady of Peace (Christian)

Feast of Translation of Nicolas (Christian; Confessor)

Gregorio Grassi (Christian; A Martyr of Shanxi)

Invent a Word Day (Pastafarian)

Marija Petković (Christian; Blessed)

Martyrdom of the Báb (Bahá'í)

Martyrs of Gorkum (Christian; Martyrs)

Mary Hermina Grivot (Christian; Saint)

Mojo Nixon Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Our Lady of Itatí (Christian)

Our Lady of Peace, Octave of the Visitation (Christian)

Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá (Christian; Saint)

Pauline of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus (Christian; Saint)

Rusty (Muppetism)

Sabinus (Christian; Martyr)

Solstitium VI (Pagan)

Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury (Anglican commemoration)

Veronica Giuliani (Christian; Saint)

Zeno (Christian; Martyr)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [26 of 53]

Tomobiki (友引 Japan) [Good luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

American Pie (Film; 1999)

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (Film; 2004)

The Bears and Bees (Disney Cartoon; 1932)

Black Widow (Film: 2021)

Blowin’ in the Wind, recorded by Bob Dylan (Song; 1962)

Blue, by LeAnn Rimes (Album; 1996)

Despicable Me (Animated Film; 2010)

The Girl Who Played with Fire (Film; 2010)

The Golden Compass (a.k.a. Northern Lights), by Philip Pullman (Nove; 1995) [His Dark Materials #1]

Love and Curses (WB MM Cartoon; 1938)

Loving You (Elvis Presley Film; 1957)

The Office (UK TV Series; 2001)

One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing (Film; 1975)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (Film; 2003)

Pluto’s Purchase (Disney Cartoon; 1948)

Predators (Film; 2010)

The Queen Was in the Parlor (WB MM Cartoon; 1932)

Riding Giants (Documentary Film; 2004)

Rookie of the Year (Film; 1993)

Tall Timber (Disney Cartoon; 1928)

This Is a Life? (WB MM Cartoon; 1955)

Tron (Film; 1982)

Winnebago Man (Documentary Film; 2010)

Today’s Name Days

Augustin, Gottfried, Veronika (Austria)

Leticija, Marija, Veronika (Croatia)

Drahoslava (Czech Republic)

Sostrata (Denmark)

Aive, Aivi (Estonia)

Ilta, Jade, Jasmiina, Jasmin, Nanna (Finland)

Amandine, Hermine, Iphigénie, Marianne (France)

Hannes, Hermine, Veronika (Germany)

Pagratios (Greece)

Lukrécia (Hungary)

Letizia (Italy)

Asne, Tusnelda, Zaiga (Latvia)

Algirdas, Algirdė, Leonardas, Veronika (Lithuania)

Gøran, Jøran, Ørjan (Norway)

Anatolia, Heloiza, Hieronim, Lucja, Łucja, Ludwika, Lukrecja, Mikołaj, Patrycjusz, Weronika, Wszebąd, Zenon, Zenona (Poland)

Lujza (Slovakia)

Verónica (Spain)

Götilda , Jörgen, Örjan (Sweden)

Averil, Avery, Junior, Misty (USA)

Amandine (Universal)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 190 of 2024; 175 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 27 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Duir (Oak) [Day 28 of 28]

Chinese: Month 5 (Wu-Wu), Day 22 (Wu-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 20 Tammuz 5783

Islamic: 20 Dhu al-Hijjah 1444

J Cal: 10 Lux; Threesday [10 of 30]

Julian: 26 June 2023

Moon: 55%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 22 Charlemagne (7th Month) [St. Clotilde]

Runic Half Month: Feoh (Wealth) [Day 11 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 19 of 94)

Zodiac: Cancer (Day 19 of 31)

[hullomoon]

hullomoon’s 2022 works: part one

it’s the end of the year, which means it’s time for a work round-up! this year i really tipped into being podfic heavy (and more multifandom!). if you haven’t yet, check out my 2019 roundup, 2020 roundup, and 2021 roundup! all works are ordered in chronological posting order.

part one | part two | part three | part four | part five | part six | part seven | part eight

i rule with the velvet tongue | Schitt’s Creek | Steve/Ruth | explicit | 789

Ruth takes Stevie apart 

[podfic] Natural Selection | Schitt’s Creek | David/Patrick | 0:32:31

David is a penguin. Obviously so is Patrick given that human-penguin pairings are rarely successful in business together, much less romantically in business together.

[podfic] twist yourself around me | Schitt’s Creek & Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | David/Rebecca | multivoice | 0:10:27

He’s seen her here before, he’s pretty sure, but this time, her friends have left her sitting alone, having wandered off to dance or drink or fuck. His friends have done the same, and he’s just drunk enough and lonely enough to approach her. Not that he never approaches strangers in the clubs. On the contrary, he does it with enough frequency that it would be alarming if he stopped to think about it (so he never stops to think about it). Those interactions, though, rarely involve many words, all sweaty bodies and hands and tongues. Something about this woman makes him want to strike up a conversation. So he slides into the seat across from her.

[podfic] kiss me beneath the mistletoe | Schitt’s Creek | Alexis/Twyla | multivoice | 0:12:58

twyla’s body magically produces plants whenever she feels any strong emotion, but she has it completely under control. that is, until she meets alexis rose. now what is she supposed to do with all these roses?

[Podfic] Through Someone Else’s Eyes | Schitt’s Creek | Alexis & David | multivoice | ~0:27:00

It’s all Mr Hockley’s fault.

The tea was supposed to get him high, not make him wake up in his sister’s body.

[Podfic] a lifetime of promises | Schitt’s Creek | David/Patrick | multivoice | 06:06

Their wedding song is playing at Brebner’s.

No, not their wedding song; their song. Not that David would ever try to claim the downright divine masterpieces of Tina Turner — he generally believes that couples having “songs” is cheesy and off-putting — but dammit, if anyone earned a song, this song, it’s him and Patrick.

—

or, sometimes you have a mini breakdown in the ice cream aisle of the supermarket, and that’s okay

Crawl Before You Can Walk | Schitt’s Creek | David/Patrick | 10:18

The continuing adventures of Ted the Turtle.

but it’s golden | Schitt’s Creek | Rachel/Heather | ~3.1k

Rachel knew that going back to Schitt's Creek meant she'd see Heather again. What she didn't expect was spending the weekend with her.

Femslash February: Chapter One | Schitt’s Creek | Alexis/Ruth | 100

rainbow

Femslash February: Chapter 8 | Schitt’s Creek | Ronnie/Moira | 100

fashion

[chaotic-crying-cowboy]

How it feels getting a high score on puffle roundup in Club Penguin

[citythatbreeds]

CTB Show 511: Big Giant Plastic Straws

Baltimore Comicon recap, Bruce Springsteen in town, yeeted rooftop pools, and a new segment entitled “Hey Remember That?” on the first half of le show. Then, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Agatha All Along and episode 1 of Penguin are discussed on the pop culture roundup. Yay! Wow! JOIN OUR DISCORD! https://discord.gg/ntcQjmWJZW