#so far the Spirit movie is to much horse

[corpsebunniie]

cant horse to close to the sun, less i scare my boyfriend. so.

enjoy the low quality horse i made for him

[franki-lew-yo]

ALL my feelings towards Friendship is Magic could be so easily summed up as:

" -Twilight Sparkle should never have become an alicorn princess in season 3 of a series with 9 seasons - ''

She should have always had it in the books to eventually become an alicorn, but her becoming one in season 3 is where literally all (my own) problems with the show stem from and almost all of those problems are about the show in execution, NOT in theory. 

Everything about later seasons Friendship is Magic’s writing reeks of the writers trying to make their ideas, fan ideas, and Hasbro’s ideas work all at the same time with so little time. They were told to make Equestria Girls, Princess Twilight, Flurry Heart and the movie “work” while also juggling writing in Starlight and her whole arc (and the characters attached, like Sunburst), the CMC getting their cutie marks, the reformed changelings, griffons and dragons, their Starswirl the Bearded stuff; WHILE ALSO making sure Discord and the Princesses (mostly Luna) and the ‘fan fav’ characters worked on their own and come together.

In my opinion, it just didn’t.

There was always too much going on with little to no time to breathe or appreciate the characters -how far they’ve come, how much further they have to go- at all. And it made later bit of lore and characters feel frustrating. It made potentially great characters deeply unlikable. Starlight and Discord are the biggest victims.

I want to like them. I really do. I can’t though because Starlight is not only a ‘madeawittlemistake’(aka ran a cult)-villain redemption, BUT she has to share her stories with the main six. They underdeveloped her while also trying to make her important and it just made me dislike Starlight and Twilight so much. It made me get mad at Starlight for being in the way of a Twilight episode, it made me wanna scream at Twilight for getting in the way of what should be Starlight’s time to shine!

Discord now had to share his ‘redeemed baddie’ spotlight with Starlight and others meant he had no time for his development which, when it was done* (ALL of Season 4) was abysmally fast, badly paced and in my view insulting. It made Discord, even in episodes where he had a point to be there, feel useless because fundamentally was overall. Season 4 assassinated Discord’s character to me and I didn’t remotely like him. For years I thought I just didn’t like FiM simply because the show and the fandom clearly preferred Fluttercord to Dislestia and I was just butthurt. Which, to be clear, I am. My mega revelation regarding this show was realizing that, no- what I hated wasn’t Fluttercord, it was Discord himself. How he was being handled, how he was written from s4 onward (ALL THE EPISODES WHERE HE’S YANDRE TO FLUTTERSHY SHOULD HAVE BEEN BEFORE HIS BETRAYAL. ALL OF THEM. NO YOU WILL NOT CHANGE MY MIND IT’S FINAL) pissed me off so much as a person who really loved his potential character in season 2 and 3. Discord and Fluttershy being besties and possibly more could and should have been adorable...but it wasn't because the Discord we got was a horrid character. Fluttershy deserves better.

I know you guys don’t wanna hear this same old worn-out critique about FiM, but I’m sorry I have to agree: when they weren’t being crowbarred into stuff that didn’t need their stories, Starlight and Discord were both forgiven -by the show- WAAY too soon. The problem wasn’t that they had redemption arcs and/or that other characters didn’t. The problem was their redemptions were badly done. The show didn’t treat them like they had been redeemed from something hurtful, it acted like they had never done anything wrong. And that was bad because it made it so, when the three baddies at the end of the series were officially crowned "irredeemable", the show felt biased. It felt mean spirited towards Tirek, Chrysalis and Cozy when their end should have actually felt fitting and funny. It’s not about ‘morals’ or ‘punishing’ fictional cartoon horses voiced by John DeLancie for warcrimes or whatever tf Lily Orchard goes on about-- it’s about how the show FELT LIKE IT FAVORED some characters more than others. That was a thing that I loved Friendship is Magic for not doing in seasons 1-3, what made it and it’s character’s endearing and wholesome to me, and it’s why the handling of the main cast in later seasons felt so mean.

But to get back to the alicorn in the room; Twilight could have graduated or something for season 3 and then the whole show could build up to her actually outdoing Starswirl’s wrongs as she does in the pony of shadows plot. THAT could have been her ‘upgraded to alicorn princess moment’; but it didn’t. As much as I wish it were that way, it isn’t and that’s not what the writer’s did because they didn’t have the time or foresight for that. Sadly, even though lots of flaws and problems were always baked into the loaf from the start (Celestia being useless or 'sinister', ponies being racist towards everything else, bad and/or basic friendship lessons) Twilight becoming an alicorn princess, which DID ultimately change her character, her role and her presence even amongst her friends and the rest of Ponyville, was the start of all the problems.

We’re stuck with what we got and what we got was a series that -to me- only ever kept adding more and MORE until it felt overstuffed, hectic, and unfortunately mean spirited when it wasn’t trying to be. There’s nothing we can do now. Personally, I highkey am annoyed at other adult bronies saying I “didn’t get” the show and its decisions which is why I didn’t like it. No. Trust me I get “it”; the problem is that “it” wasn’t well done which is why I didn’t like “it”. “It” deserved better.

Of course, I also get some of why those bronies are so defensive. After all I was there when the whole 'Twilight becoming a Princess'-controversy happened. I remember how ugly it got and how annoying and entitled you guys were about it and Equestria Girls' existence (don't even get me started on ur #savederpy).

Something I want to make especially clear whenever I criticize writers, especially of kids shows, is that a criticism IS NOT an attack. Ever. Boycotts and callouts should be reserved for stuff that's actually morally wrong and yes they also count for stuff I like, not just stuff I want to be mad at. Lookin at you, Didney.

There was never and still is never a reason to bother, hurt or ask the writers for MLP gen 4 why they did what they did. No, not even if you're being 'friendly' about it. Leave M.A. Larson alone.

Granted, fans being entitled to creator's attention and creator's being entitled to fans' affection is it's own rabbit hole, but I truly think that FiM set an ugly standard for that with animated shows today.

Besides still being too thin skinned and not liking that a thing they've divested so much real life time into could be bad, a thing about cartoon commentary and criticism in the 2010s-2020s is they're really parasocial and demanding of writers and artists behind a show. The was always the biggest, ugliest, most uncomfortable aspect of Friendship is Magic to me: because it's creators were online and fans knew they were listening, could approve of fan's creations, and especially because they felt 'responsible' for a show's success, they were really into @ing writers about everything. When critics would call something out for being badly written it somehow always made it's way into becoming a personal accusatory thing. People were blaming writers for being human and working within time constraints and network decisions. You didn't have to be like that TinyToons guy who stalked Tress MacNeille about sexualizing Fifi in the 90s to be a harasser. You could just be an aggressively oversupporting 'stan' or angry nitpicking critic to make a writer who's just doing their job, uncomfortable

tl;dr: I disliked the writing of the later Friendship is Magic. I think it was bad because it was bad. None of that is meant as an attack on the writers who were trying their best and don't need to be roped into any fandom nonsense, positive or negative, and never should have been in the first place.

Hopefully, that's one deadhorse finally beaten.

[barelymaddy]

General love reading

Pile 1 Pile 2 Pile 3

Pile 1

Cards:4 of swords,3 of wands,6 of wands,Judgement(Tarot of the Divine);Release your ex(Romance Angels);Pansy(Botanical Inspirations oracle)

Hello Pile 1!First of all,i feel a very exciting energy coming from this pile,so maybe you feel ready to get back into the dating game!I see that your love life might have been stagnant for a while,maybe even heartbreaking for some,but no worries!Your efforts were noticed by The Universe!You are encouraged to step out and go outside if you didn't already.Try and join as many events and you will notice many people admiring you.Now its the time for you to shine!I get a feeling that you will meet someone special in the near future who will really help you grow.It is possible that some of you will live the fairytale romance that you always dreamed of this summer!No matter what,your love life will certainly not be dull anymore,Pile 1.For some of you,this connection will help you release old lovers or old habits that stayed in the way of your emotional growth.Try to be optimistic and you will surely be rewarded by the universe!There is a lot of focus here on being confident (hot girl summer💅).Im also picking up on fire energy so either you or your person could be a fire sign or things will move very quickly for you.

Other messages:the color orange,ladder, sunrise,bondage,horse,carnaval,mountain,text message,night time,garden

Pansy meaning in flower language:"Think about me"

Song:

Pile 2

Cards:10 of coins reversed,Page of cups,5 of swords,Queen of cups(Tarot of the Divine);Healing family issues(Romance angels);Peony

Hey there Pile 2!So i noticed very quickly that your energy is blocked,which also affects your love life.You recently have gone through a betrayal of some sorts.This person really took advantage of you and made you feel very unstable.Spirits told me that you need to open up your heart to others and seek out help.It is not good to bottle up your feelings.I'm also hearing that this person might have been from your family or your family is an important element when it comes to your love life.This events left you without hope for the future but you mustn't give up!There are lot of amazing things held in store for you!If you learn to open up The Universe will help you to move on and find the love that you always craved for.I'm hearing that a female figure in your life is worried about you and really insistent in talking with you about your feelings.Don't let anybody hold you back from working towards your dream life!Try to appreciate your present a bit more,and you might find some surprises!For some of you,there's a person who has a crush on you but they're refusing to tell you in fear of rejection and because they know that you're going through tough times.No matter what,you'll come out stronger from this, but you don't have to do it alone.There is love all around you you just have to notice it!

Other messages:baby pink,crib,downtown, forest,Last Night in Soho(movie),knife,flowers, napkin,crying session

Peony meaning in flower language:"Anger and shame"/"Prosperity and compassion"

Song:

Pile 3

Cards:Knight of cups,The World,The Hanged Man,10 of cups reversed(Tarot of the Divine);Getting to know each other(Romance Angels);Hyacinth

Hey Pile 3!So it looks like you have been talking recently with a person that you tought will be your future partner but it just didn't work out.The spirits say that you're too fixated on finding love and you need to take a break and enjoy life.Only then you will be able to receive romance into your life.You've worked very far to get here and it would be a shame to not enjoy your acomplishments.Try and give the same attention you give to other people to yourself.You will then benefit from a glow up!You will also start to enjoy your presence so much that you wont even think about love,and then BAM!💥Love will come knocking at your door!I'm also hearing that you need to take things slow.Maybe try to really get to know the people around you instead of romanticizing them.You will be surprised by some of them!(in either good or bad ways).You need to learn to fall in love with the person,not the idea of them you created in your head.I know you may feel very unfulfilled right now in your love life,but it will get better,you just need to learn to choose the right people for you.Don't be a doormat to them!(this was for a specific person lol,their spirit guide was screaming at me🤣).Overall,don't take things too seriously,try to be a bit more playfull and remember to have fun and put yourself first for once!

Other messages:rose garden,greenhouse,water, warm weather,vacation,pink,shopping,Hawaii, cabin,friends,lovers,big birds,Mexico,family time

Hyacinth meaning in flower language : "Constancy"/"Playfulness"

Song:

That's it,hope it resonate with you~

[pineappleciders]

trick or treating with RW OMORI characters / halloween headcanons 🎃

A/N: wowie tomorrow is halloween!!! i am going as a clown :-) i was considering not going cuz i'm getting older but i am NOT ready to give it up yet sob

SUNNY

loves the low-effort costumes like a mummy with toilet paper or a sheet ghost. also loves the ones that cover his face so he doesn't get anxious going door-to-door

he loves candy and will binge it all night but sugar upsets his stomach so you might have to have tums on standby :,)

he doesn't love to say "trick-or-treat" out loud but he'll say it if you and the others do, albeit much quieter

SUNNY likes the spooky season but sometimes scary decorations are a bit too much for him, so he'll go on the opposite side and make you walk by the scarier ones instead

he'd like to watch scary movies while eating candy on halloween night, but he 100% brings blankets and stuffies for protection

his family, especially his mom and MARI, always loved halloween and halloween parties with lots of decorations and food. he doesn't care for the parties, mostly just likes the candy and spending time with his friends

AUBREY

she's a bit more neutral on the spooky season, but she absolutely loves scaring kids (especially ANGEL.)

she likes trick-or-treating because it's very nostalgic to her, and she prefers not to be home, so she'll either go with the hooligans or SUNNY and the others

doesn't put too much effort into her costume, usually does something she'll know will look scary (like michael myers etc.) and LOVED standing menacingly at people's doors for candy

her favorite candies are usually non-chocolate ones like jolly ranchers and lollipops!

will purposely take you down creepy streets while trick-or-treating to see your reaction. she'll laugh at you but doesn't mind holding your hand if you're scared!

wants to help you with your costume beforehand, because she likes to dress up just doesn't feel like putting in the effort for herself

KEL

LOVES the spooky season. he doesn't get to participate as much as wanted because his parents aren't humongous fans, but they still help him and HERO with their costumes

he loves big and goofy costumes like those inflatable dinosaurs or the ones riding a horse

he's a bit hard to keep up with during trick-or-treating, constantly running from house to house and pointing out cool decorations. and the sugar isn't helping

KEL will absolutely praise any costume he comes across, esp yours. he doesn't care if it's low-effort or over the top or funny or scary, he just adores the spirit of everyone coming together to be silly

he loves tormenting HERO a bit with scary things and fake spiders, though he never takes it too far. and if you're scared of those things, he'll do the same >:)

while everyone is watching a horror movie after coming home, you notice he's not reacting to any scares.. it turns out his sugar high crashed and he's wiped out. you'll have to make him brush his teeth the next morning

HERO

HERO feels a bit silly trick-or-treating at his age, and definitely wouldn't do it if it weren't for his dear friends

he'll probably go as something normal but not too scary, like an evil doctor with some fake blood on the scrubs

he doesn't love it when things get too scary, like slasher films. he's just not good with gore and jumpscares. do NOT get hin started on spiders.

he'll be the one carrying everyone's candy bags for them when they get too heavy, or will carry someone on his back if their costume has their feet sore. he's a bit like the babysitter of the group

he'll definitely help you with your costume, designing it, buying stuff for it etc. he just enjoys helping out!!

probably ends up giving his candy to you or someone else, only keeping a few pieces to himself. he likes it as an occasional treat

HERO's pretty bad with scary movies and decorations, but he still enjoys halloween as it reminds him a lot of childhood and good memories trick-or-treating with KEL and the others :)

MARI

she ADORES halloween and all the festivities. it's probably her favorite holiday (though she does love christmas)

will put a lot of effort into her costume, either something cute or something scary, it's always a good costume!!

will 1000% prank you and the others the entire month of october. she stopped putting bugs in HERO's desk a long time ago, but she brings it back every year for spooky season!

loves to bake silly little halloween treats like marshmallow ghosts and chocolate spider cookies

she prefers chocolates to other more sugary candies, so she'll trade with AUBREY for the ones she likes, and often finds herself giving SUNNY a lot of her candy

MARI will bring water for everyone to make sure everyone stays hydrated, and will also carry you or SUNNY with surprising strength if you get tired :-0

tries to get HERO to be brave and nudges him towards houses that are rumored to be haunted (she doesn't push it if he says no, she just wants him to grow and overcome his fears!!)

BASIL

he likes the artistic aspects of halloween, like creating costumes and carving jack-o-lanterns

though he does find himself enjoying the scary things a bit, like watching movies with everyone and creepy decorations. though his favorite part of it all is watching his friends be happy!

he's a bit picky about candy he likes, so he'll often trade with someone else or just let them have what he dislikes

BASIL's costumes are typically tame, something like an angel or a grim reaper are his favorites. he doesn't usually do the bloody stuff, prefers mild/psychological scariness

likes to bake halloween treats with MARI and always comes up with the most creative snack ideas

he'll obsessively brush his teeth on halloween night after trick-or-treating, paranoid about all the stories he's heard of sugar rotting teeth. (he'll insist everyone else do it too)

he'll really go to any house that you and the others want to go to, he isn't really scared of decorations or getting haunted. so he'll hold your hand if it freaks you out!

[jennamoran]

The Far Roofs

cover art by Isip Xin

Hi!

Today I'm going to talk a little bit more about my forthcoming RPG, the Far Roofs. I've previously talked about

general principles,

the rats,

and the campaign.

Today, I want to talk about the Mysteries.

Up on the distant roofs, you see, the rats hunt, and are hunted, by these ... things. These vast, impossible god-monsters.

The Mysteries.

These things that are as much experiences as beings.

I like to anchor them to real-world myths. That's mostly an authorial choice, rather than something intrinsic to their character---

I think if I named them all in some made-up language of my own, called them all things like, I dunno, Alolitha or Eidumir, then they'd come across as cooler ... but also harder to get a handle on.

You'd have to be immersed in the setting to really get what they're about.

So I give most of them a byname that's more accessible. Something like Harpy, Hoop Snake, Lennan-Shee---whatever---so that you can tap into your memories or impressions of real-world mythology and the work of fantasists and cultural tropes and monster manuals from other games and the stories of your childhood and all of that.

Even still, they are vast things.

You might be forgiven, if I just named them without that prelude, in thinking that they seem vast to the rats because the rats are small. Thinking, perhaps, that you could fight off a Mystery like Jackalope, say, or Hippocampus ... if you were lucky, or had a gun ... whereas a rat might have a harder time.

The thing is, to walk in the realm of myth is to lose your grounding in the world. On the Far Roofs you can't rely on your ability to frame a story or a conflict through a rationalistic lens. The Mysteries are not physical creatures of a certain size, but rather the animating spirits of dramatic, life-changing experiences. Like the starring monster of a horror movie, or divinity that visits you in dreams, it's loosely possible to pay them off, or punch them out, or argue with them about Naruto, or whatever, but you can't really extrapolate out from that to resolve whatever underlying problem they can be.

Jackalope isn't a thing you shoot, or whatever:

It's a thing you encounter on dark nights, sometimes, and can't ever really prove you've seen. Maybe you don't even encounter it, just ... find its tracks.

It's not a conflict you can easily rewrite.

As for something like Harpy ... she is dead, the rats have killed her ... and even dead and disembodied your fate is very likely in her hands.

.

This kind of thing is why the rats are valid protagonists in this world:

In the face of the Mysteries, there's not much difference between the standings of a human and a rat. We are all such small, imperiled things.

.

Each of the Mysteries is tied to some internal state. Some mood or emotion or whatever. It's not clear how much that's true, and how much that's a game convention, and how much that's how the rats, who you're going to be getting most of your basic information from, understand them.

... but it's at least a little bit "all three."

This is, fundamentally, an authorial choice. The Far Roofs is an expressionist game. It's a game about emotion bleeding out into reality, about moods and experiences taking on physical or quasi-physical form in the world or narrative around us. So that's part of why I made the Mysteries like this.

The other part is, if you want to make up your own Mysteries, it helps a lot that you can start with an internal state.

Deciding to make up "Centaur" as a Mystery is kind of boring. I think.

Deciding to make a Mystery named Centaur that is on some level "about" mind-body duality or immersion in the body, or wisdom, or the post-exercise endorphin mood, or having ADHD ("I'm stuck on a horse that's going where it wants"), or whatever ... that's a bit more interesting.

Starting with a mood you want to talk about, I think, like ... Sorrow ... and figuring out what mythical entity best matches that (I'd go with Banshee), and then figuring out how its stories work from there:

I think that's the most interesting option of them all.

.

I do give some of them fancy made-up names, to be clear. I'm not opposed to having an Alolitha or Eidumir or whatever around! But that's not the default or primary approach.

.

In theory, the game expects you to make up most of the Mysteries you encounter.

In practice, there's a built-in campaign that features a bunch of them, so there are enough worked examples in the book that you might never have to come up with one from scratch:

there's solid summaries of about three dozen, plus

in-depth writeups of Goblin, Harpy, Hoop Snake, Unicorn, and four other Mysteries that map a bit less precisely to established myths.

.

There's a lot in those in-depth writeups, but my favorite parts are the pages that are just questions the GM can ask the players when that Mystery is at hand.

(Questions, sometimes statements, sometimes actions or power uses, but ... it's the questions that I love.)

I have spent the better part of a decade working on power sets for spiritual, mystical, and divine entities, and you can find some cool rules toys for the more purely mechanically minded here. I like how their game-mechanical writeups all turned out.

... but in both practice and theory, none of that is as cool to me as the list of asides and questions the GM can crib from when the Mystery is involved. Simple stuff like "the wind is rising" or "speak to me of solitude." More nuanced stuff like GM-as-Death playing a spade suit card and saying, "tell me of a nasty accident, and how you avoided or survived it." In every case, a bunch of options.

As a reader, I love the detailed mechanics more. As a reader, I don't really care that much about the actual how of how the Mysteries do things but I love that there is a how. It tickles an important part of my brain, deep down.

... but when I'm actually GMing, I love the lists of phenomena and questions so very much.

I am admittedly usually in a constant state of panic when GMing, so perhaps I get more value out of both the cue card function and the ability to hand off responsibility to the player than others would.

Perhaps.

.

If you're curious about those examples:

The wind rises when you're dealing with Harpy because a lot of her story is the story about how being on the Far Roofs is like falling, like flying, like losing the stable influence of the ground. So naturally you feel the air. You feel the motion. It arises. Naturally you become isolated, or at least experience intermittent solitude, because the ground ultimately mediates almost every social connection and interaction.

Maybe not love or skydiving teams, I guess.

When Death's presence is weighty in your life ... well, it's in your life, so you're probably not dead yet, but stuff happens! You nearly died!

I like that you don't have to think through that theory when playing with this stuff, but it's still all right there, implicit, presented in a couple of different forms.

That's what I have to say tonight!

.

From the Cutting Room Floor for this Post:

... there is still a part of my brain that loves it when you write up the power that lets the Christian God be three species of hypostasis and a single ousia, or whatever, and loves it even more when you can use the same power to combine three mechs.

I have not written up that specific power, though, to be clear, as I rarely put either Christianity or mecha in my games (albeit, see Invisible Mecha) ...

[writing-time-bitches]

Aeon Headcanons because i have many thoughts about them

-Yaoshi is vain as shit. Particularly about their mission and Path.

-Lan is one of the Aeons who has a more favorable opinion on humans and mortals. They don’t bother mortals much but will jump to their defense.

-Nanook despises everything and has made several attempts to break Qlipoth’s wall, all of course ending in failure and a very angry rock-god.

-Yaoshi’s extremely obsessed with Lan. The obsession began when Lan first started hunting their beautiful creations and gifts. Is mad at Lan for taking a vast majority of their old followers (Xianzhou Alliance) and makes it a point to slander Lan any chance they get.

-“I hate Lan.” Yaoshi says, as they hang numerous pictures of Lan on their wall.

-Qilpoth is the tired dad of Aeons. Xipe is the mother.

-Nanook was once human, was crossed by the humans and made it their life mission to destroy every single trace of humanity from the universe. From then on they became an Aeon due to their immense desire for humanity’s death.

-Yaoshi and Lan are like divorced parents, enemies to lovers, and Lan took the kids.

-Nous and IX are surprisingly good friends, or at the very least in each other’s good spirits.

-Nous is that one friend that says “i know” to everything you say.

-Ouroboros and Nanook are also kinda ok with each other? They both strive to destroy everything but that’s also why they’re a little hostile to the other. Rivals?

-Nanook is that feral little child that everyone hates.

-Fuli likes to watch human memories like telenovelas.

-Yaoshi isn’t actually that bad. They wish to spread eternal life and, yes, their means of accomplishing that are twisted but their looking for those select few mortals who would push through the ugly to get to the beautiful. So far no luck, but Yaoshi will continue to hope.

-Akivili and Qlipoth were the oldest Aeons before Akivili’s disappearance. They were buddies.

-Qlipoth knows of the Sky People for HI3 and they are one of the many other possible threats that inspired Qlipoth to build.

-Qlipoth knows or at least has an inkling of the existence of the Imaginary Tree. Perhaps they strive to protect their universe from others…

-Aha most definitely is self-aware. Definitely knows about alternative universes and Imaginary Tree, not that the others will listen to them.

-IX is the quiet kid in the back of the class that always has an AK in their bag.

-IX is just a little baby and almost all Aeon’s agree that IX should be protected despite knowing that IX could easily eradicate everything that comes against them.

-Nous has movies. They like movies.

-Nous does not have information on Welt Yang or Void Archives. They are out of Nous’ reach of knowledge due to them being not of this universe. Nous has acknowledged both of their existences to be a challenge.

-Lan’s body is literally just a fancy horse. Horse anatomy. Centaur mf.

-Xipe has a very positive opinion of mortals. They love them little things.

-Usually the one the Aeons go to when a dispute happens is Xipe due to their Path and their indifferent personality.

-Mythus is the weird uncle that everyone has a love-hate relationship with.

-Ouroboros will gnaw on other Aeons if given the chance. Nanook is usually the victim.

-Yaoshi has this big ass tree surrounded by a golden sea of energy. This tree is how they spread their Path’s ideology. Seeds and fruits of this tree are the basis of the Xianzhou’s mara. The tree is covered in little cocoons that hold the bodies of those inflicted with Yaoshi’s gift and failed Yaoshi’s trail.

-All the Aeons are one big dysfunctional family and when placed in the same room it’s just chaos.

[the-golden-comet]

✨OC Interview Tag✨

Thank you for the tag, @illarian-rambling ! I’ve done all the main OCs thus far, but I can bring out Johnny Astrum from Lone Star Rangers for this one

Were you named after anyone?

Nah. Astrum’s the name that runs in the family. Come from a buncha cow herders. Figures, right?

When was the last time you cried?

I don’t cry. I get even.

Do you have any kids?

I’m on the move too much to settle down. Bounty huntin’s not the cozy lifestyle you wanna raise a family in.

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Depends. Sometimes that’s how you lure a target. Gotta use the best tactics to draw the varmints out, y’know?

What is the first thing you notice about people?

If there’s a bounty on ‘em. They act all skitterish, always check in’ over their shoulder, always lookin’ to see if anyone’s following’ em. That’s why you gotta act cool so you don’t draw suspicion on yerself.

What is your eye color?

Uh….you probably can’t see my eyes too well. I’m made out of natural gasses. You probably shouldn’t stare at me too long neither, lest you wanna go blind. Definitely makes my job harder—can’t blend in too well.

Scary movies or happy endings?

I’ve been scorned too many times by past partners. I’ll take a scary movie, if they even work on me.

Any special talents?

Wranglin’, Herdin’, Gamblin’, Blowin’ smoke rings and shootin’ through ‘em.

Where were you born?

Andromeda Majoris IV, in the Astora Galaxy sect. That’s where all the Astrums were reared.

Do you have any pets?

I used to work on a farm with my folks. Had cows, horses, chickens, pigs, sheep, you name it. Once I get enough credits to settle down, I’ll get a plot on a gentle star galaxy, raise my own livestock.

What sort of sports do you play?

Do darts count? I have a pretty mean streak o’ darts. Can usually take home lots of credits if the bettin’s high. Definitely have ended in lots of saloon shootouts.

How tall are you?

Oh, I don’t know…maybe 6’8? Bounties have always said I’m an imposing feller. Tried to get to my soft side. Too bad their heads were worth more than their compliments.

What was your favorite subject in school?

School? My parents taught me on the farm. So, I guess….raisin’ animals was my favorite? Or maybe growin’ our crops…I didn’t like reading none….math, maybe. You gotta know how much water to give to the soil, n’ how much feed to the cattle.

What is your dream job?

God damn, if I could just be a farmer and raise animals for the markets, that would be ideal. I got caught up in wanting to be a star….and despite bein’ one in body, in spirit I just wanna settle down, y’know? Bounty huntin’s great n’ all, but my astral bones’ll get weary one o’ these days, and I gotta have a backup plan.

I’ll tag (no pressure): @wyked-ao3 , @autism-purgatory , @sunglasses-in-the-bentley , @madi-konrad , +open tag! 💖

[frozen-snowflakesandsunflowers]

The Nøkk's real purpose | Theory | Analysis

So I was just scrolling along YouTube until I came across some deleted scenes for Frozen 2 (and I have to say they're really good scenes - bummer they got cut) - and when I watched 'Kristoff's Lie' and I saw a comment saying “I thought the Nook was just some murderous horse... But he's not... He seeks the truth in your heart. If you're not true to yourself or others, then it kills you”. That's how my first impressions of the Nøkk were. And being honest until I saw this deleted scene again I realised that that's what the Nokk really does. That scene really tells us clearly what the Nøkk's purpose is and why it's so rageful in the dark sea. It seeks the truth in your heart. It wants you to be open and honest to yourself and others otherwise what's the purpose of living a lie without achieving anything and living happily?

Frozen 2 cropped IMAX poster

Kristoff's lie in the scene was living the princely life with Anna. He admits how he doesn't like being polite, and greetings lots of people, wearing fancy clothes etc all to which Anna ends up saying “I don't think we should get married”. I personally am glad this was cut because I wouldn't want Anna to feel that no one wants to marry her for her or their relationship to have such a sudden turn. But we did get a scene that shows Kristoff's discomfort with royal stuff. When Anna sees the boys all dressed up for coronation (unconfirmed if that was her coronation or after), Kristoff tells Anna she gets this for one hour. Anna tells him that's ok as she prefers him in leather anyways. So Anna is aware that Kristoff would find formality a little difficult but accepts him and lets him be himself. It's a much better take on what the deleted scene showed I believe. I hope nothing breaks them up in the upcoming movies. Both Kristoff and Anna prove to each other that they love each other for who they are and what they would do for love.

Deleted scene: Kristoff's lie | Frozen 2 epilogue

But back to the Nøkk, that's an example of what the water horse helps you to achieve. That's why it's so full of rage to strangers or those who wish to ride it. But when Elsa meets Nøkk at first, he's like that because like the other spirits they were awoken and angry from the events of the past. Though Elsa didn't speak her heart out she was putting her heart out. She wanted to find answers about the past, about herself so she could free the forest and give Arendelle a future. Elsa's motives were clear. She was true to herself and that became determination and courage when she tried to fight/ tame the Nøkk. But finding her true self was yet to be discovered and that's where he led her too; the place of discoveries, Ahotohallan.

Frozen 2 - Elsa meets the Nøkk

“What about their parents? He killed them. He didn't save them”

Well let me address that here too. No the Nøkk didn't kill them. It was the dark sea that killed them. The Nøkk lived in the dark sea, the same way the earth giants live beside the river, but let's not forget that between the very moment the mist forged in the forest and when Elsa woke up, him alone with the other 3 spirits were asleep. But even if he was awake, calm or in rage I don't think he could affect the waves of the dark sea.. It was with Elsa's help that he was able to push back the water when it almost hit Arendelle.

Speaking of the dark sea...

Ever wondered why the dark sea was so rageful?

I think I figured it out. Crossing the dark sea by any kind of mobility, would get that person to discover Atohollan, the frozen river of memories. It's not because Ahotohallan fears power being taken or anything of a sort as I don't think its power can be taken. But rather that whoever enters Ahotohallan would not only not be able to stand the cold but if they did, they would do too far in and freeze like Elsa with no way of being saved. We all can walk on them but not go inside as it's much colder than the outside. No other spirit can enter Ahotohallan for that reason. Not the Nøkk, Bruni or the earth giants. Elsa being the only one who has the power of ice and snow can enter the glacier.

Why Elsa didn't let Anna and Olaf rage along with her to Ahotohallan

The temperature of Ahotohallan and the rageful waves of the dark sea are the reasons why Elsa didn't want Anna, Olaf or anyone if it were, to come along to work her to the dark sea. It could have killed Anna. Maybe it wouldn't exactly kill Olaf but Elsa knew something would be there to harm Olaf and that was his own death prior to her frozen one, and so she let Olaf, the same fuzzy silly happy snowman be with Anna who needs him the most. That's why she tells Anna “And I can't lose you too”.

Back to dark sea Vs Agnarr & Iduna

And those same reasons why Anna and Olaf were pushed away were sadly the reason why Agnarr and Iduna died that night they attempted to cross the sea. The moment Elsa saw her parents death she knew that the waves would be so heavy and didn't want the same to happen to Anna. She would never forgive herself if Anna didn't make it.

Elsa was able to cross the sea because she calmed and tamed the Nøkk. The Nøkk too and the other probably sensed Elsa as the spirit or someone like them seeing her powers so they had a sense of familiarity and immediate bond with her. No one else could have calmed and tamed the Nøkk or any other of the spirits but Elsa because of her powers.

The powerful Nøkk, when calm, is actually a Nøkk that leads you to honesty even though once you're in that situation with the water horse it's a do or die situation.

Frozen 2 - Elsa saves Arendelle

[frasier-crane-style]

Okay, that's True Grit. That's entirely True Grit. Exact same plot, exact same tone, exact same Coen-wannabe dialogue (and Tom King is no Coen Brother)... all King did was transpose a bit of a by-now-generic high fantasy/space opera setting onto True fucking Grit. It's not even that obscure a work to rip off. There was a remake in 2010. Hailee Steinfeld debuted in that movie and she's still playing a 'Young' Avenger.

Oh, but hey, there's Supergirl in the Rooster Cogburn role. That's different, right? Because Supergirl is Supergirl and not a drunken, cynical badass type?

And if you've seen True Grit, either version, you pretty much know how it goes (aside from a shock value ending that is, surprise, deeply cynical and mean-spirited). King mercilessly mischaracterizes Kara into this very 90s bad grrl caricature--she calls Superman a little bitch at one point, because he's not as tuff as herrrr--and the bad guys all go "oh, you can't beat me, you're just a girl!" Aren't we past this?

I found the premise pretty unbelievable... I know comic writers have to know up with far-fetched scenarios, since the real top-tier superheroes are unbeatable otherwise... but Supergirl has turned 21 and wants to get drunk. She doesn't want to do this with any of her friends, apparently, so she takes a barely controllable starship to a sector of space with only red suns... she can't just borrow a red sun room in the Fortress of Solitude or wherever... and she lands on this world that's a hellish dictatorship where people are killed for laughing at jokes about the king... she brings Krypto along, who is also depowered... and she doesn't bring any kind of communication device so she can call a Green Lantern or someone for help... and she's gone for months, but no one thinks to look for her.

And the villain... this is another one of the very few changes from True Grit, where the killer is just a random thug, the kind of guy you'd expect to impulsively kill someone. Here, he's a criminal mastermind that can summon up magic that nearly kills Supergirl and he almost randomly hooks up with this gang of superpowered mass murderers (who indulge in ethnic cleansing so frequently that you'd think a Green Lantern or someone would go after them--seriously, they are depopulating planets on a weekly basis) so it takes more than five seconds for Kara to rout him.

There's also a super heavy-handed segregation/racism metaphor. I mean, it is TOS, "all his people are black on the left side and white on the right side!" blatant. Like, embarrassingly hamfisted.

And this comic is WORDY. Not only is OC donut steal Hailee Steinfeld doing her Coen act every time she speaks, but she also narrates, choking every panel with multiple paragraphs of PROSEPROSEPROSE. Everything is a speech, everything is a monologue. Mike Flanagan would read this and say "hey, buddy, don't you think you're overdoing it a tad?" And there's some good art here--that's the one real positive of the comic--but it is just drowned out by King not trusting his artist one iota to tell a story.

Supergirl is given this really stock "it sucks to be Superman" angst, which we're all tired of with Clark, right? Is it really fresh to just transpose him being broody and violent onto Kara? All the cursing and casual violence would be a little more appropriate for Power Girl, but I guess that wouldn't subvert expectations like making the main character an embittered Supergirl. Clearly, we're supposed to find all this shocking and edgy, but it just comes off risible. You're really going to have Krypto the Super-Dog and dead babies in the same exact story?

And since when does Supergirl hang out with Krypto? I thought her pet was Streaky. King goes all pre-Crisis with Comet the Super-Horse showing up and really being a man with a magic spell cast on him, but he doesn't know that Supergirl's pet is Streaky the Supercat? Boooooo.

[quitealotofsodapop]

Any plans or spoilers on how Reborn!SWK meets his LEM?

Can Qi Energy be involved somehow? Like they were reborn as a Shadow spirit LEM met in the Shadow realm and just drag him to meet them or something? Sorry QE was my favorite in the movie, still sad what happened to them. 😅😅🥲

Hehehehe, I drafted this out immediately after watching the film :3

Reborn!SWK is a menace to society/his sworn pilgrims and I love him.

Reborn!Xuanzang/Tripitaka trying so hard to be the cool one. In hindsight he had no idea wtf the manfruit was, and he didn't even get a moment to be like; "Oh sweet Buddha this is a Texas Chainsaw Massacre-temple. Imma faint." so he could reject it. Man gets the "captured princess" treatment for the film.

Ao Lie/Bai Longma absolutely stealing the role as the most beautiful horse.

I adore Reborn!Sha Wujing in all his nerdy Abe Sapien-esque glory.

Reborn!Pigsy to Xuanzang; "No matter what your tear is for, I will wipe it." sounding a bit fruiter than expected with knowledge of lmk freenoodles :👀:

I've only had Qi Energy/"Fruitie" and hour and a half and something happened to him :(

Pure Wind and Bright Moon are the meanest femboys I've encountered thus far in my Journey to the West media tour. I will summon my Reborn!LEM for express purposes of karma.

If Yuandi had ID'd Xuanzang as not remembering his past as GC, then it could have been a hilarious moment of Yunadi not understanding why Xuanzang sees good in him.

How this SWK meets his LEM is very much tied to the rift caused by Yuandi and Qi Energy/Fruitie I did say that Reborn!SWK's *MK* had "already lived it's first life".

Spoilers under Read More

QE/"Fruitie"' = Reborn!MK/Qi Xiaotian >:3

He takes on a new form after his and Yuandi's deaths in the film. After all Energy cannout be destroyed, only transferred. A form resembling the species of creature he most adored in his short life; a monkey demon. However, the effort expended by sealing/merging with Yuandi leaves the newly formed soul neither living nor dead. A little shadowy shade in the shape of an infant.

Luckily as the newly formed creature cries out for a parent that it's never had; a kind figure guiding lost souls with their lantern hears them.

Reborn!Six Earred Macaque: "Oh dear... what horrible being would abandon such a defenseless creature?" Reincarnated QE: *delighted baby monkey chirping!* Reborn!LEM: *picks up QE and holds them tight* "Don't worry little one. I'll take care of you." Reincarnated QE: *tries nomming on LEM's glowing ears*

The shadow wielder dubs the baby; "Xiaoqi/Xiao Qi/效气" for their boundless energy even as a hungry newborn. And so Reborn!LEM continues on their own journey with a little stowaway in tow.

Both the pilgrims and the shadow wielder cross paths in the Slow-Cart Kingdom. Where a monk is captured, a pair of monkeys bond over unwanted suitors and an unexpected addition to their party, and a primordial energy spirit tries their best to tell the pilgrims that they're all better now!

[cantevenbeachhere]

hi Ken! Can I make a request please? I’m really curious about what you would think of this movie I used to watch as a kid. It’s called The Swan Princess. It’s a little different from how Barbie did it, but I think you’d like it. Could you like do a Ken’s movie take for it? Minimal horse content though, sorry.

The Swan Princess, huh? I think I can manage that. Sounds interesting. Thanks for the suggestion!

*1 hour 29 minutes later*

Ken’s Movie Takes!

🦢 🎥 🎬❕

Okay so I’m gonna have to add like a category or two for reasons, but stay with me here, my dude, because wow. What a movie. Okay so without further ado, The Swan Princess.

Horse Content - 0.5/5

I mean there were horses, but like for a few seconds at a time. I was warned about it though, so it’s okay. I appreciated the heads up.

Song Content - 7/5

Look. I appreciate a good song, and this movie delivered with a lot of rock solid hits. Don’t get me started on Far Longer Than Forever, okay? I got choked up, not gonna lie. Like as far as love songs go, that one was good. Even the bad guy had a fun song, like dude. Seriously.

Rewatchability - 4/5

This one is gonna be a repeat watcher for me, I can tell. I mean it’s not Spirit level, but it’s still pretty dang good. I was not prepared for how hard some of these parts would go. Like the ending fight with the monster??? Oh my gosh dude! And the prince chasing the princess because he thought she was actually the bad guy?? My heart was pounding like super hard!

How Much I Enjoyed It - 5/5

Loved it! Excellent suggestion! And like it was one of those old school cartoons which was so nice too, ya know? I miss those. Everything’s gotta be like 3D now which is fine, but c’mon. Can’t leave the classics behind in the process!

Kenergy - 3/5 uh no actually 4/5

Okay so if you like took the frog, the puffin bird, and the turtle and made them one character, you’ve got loads of Kenergy. Like I think that’s one reason why they had to do 3 different characters because that would be a lot of Kenergy for just one character who’s not an actual Ken and knows how to handle it.

Oh yeah! And the whole paintball scene but like with bows and arrows? The whole scene had off the charts Kenergy! Honestly, that was one of my favorite parts. That’s why the rating is a 4/5 instead of 3/5.

[mask131]

not sure if you're still doing the mieruko-chan ghost analyses, but an idea for if/when you cover the horse living room ghost again: I believe it's ANOTHER spirit form of her late father. Just as the more human form represents his love and humanity, the horse spirit could express his negative qualities (duty and independence to a fault, and the great deformity expressive of his untold woes/regrets). It'd also casually explain why it lingers in Miko's house specifically, seems to fixate on the wife's cooking, generally isn't hostile towards Miko nor her father's spirit, and also why Mamoru himself seems to be so casual with it! There's a lot of symbolism in horses in japan/shinto religion too, far too much to cover in this ask, so I'd be curious to see your thoughts on that when you have the time :) Also, I love deep dive analyses like the stuff you put out. Earned a follower.

Hi! Thank you very much. I unfortunately placed the series on hiatus for now - my series of post, not the manga series of course X) I still read the chapters faithfully, but having to list down all the ghosts, constantly thinking about every of them to link all of them together, and editing each scan, can take a lot of effort. There are just so many spirits and ghosts and clues throughout this manga - I find myself forgetting half of it some times X)

That being said your theory is quite interesting. I never thought of the idea that a ghost could be "split" into two, especially since most of those we saw before were "whole"... But we have so many strange things happening, anything is possible.

My personal inclination would be that maybe this horse entity is some sort of agent of death or minor afterlife spirit - similar in nature to the butler tending the "waiting lines", or to the grim reaper that has recently popped up in the latest chapters, or the monstrous entity that was pulling the wheelchair in the hospital. One of the "shinigami" entities, so to speak. I mostly thought of this due to the protectiveness he expressed towards the dad's ghost, coupled with how he could interact in a dominating position against the entity covering Michiru, whatever this thing is. It reminded me of how the other "shinigami" creatures truly gave no shit about the other ghosts no matter how hostile they are. This, superposed with Miko's latest question raised in the new chapter "Why is my father here? What holds him back here?" makes me think the horse-creature might be some sort of "guardian angel" or "protective spirit" here to escort him/accompany him/guard him until he has done whatever he has to do... But again, things are not so clear-cut because we also saw positive ghosts do the same with malevolent entities - such as how the ghost of the dead child told the river-god-like entity to just feck off when it tried to (devour?) Hana.

But again, I guess I personally lean more towards the "otherwordly" spirit theory because for me the horse and ghosts association when it comes to Japan is "Horse Face", from the "Horse Face and Ox Head" duo. This horse creature could be some sort of take on this mythological entity, being a reversed "Horse Face" as rather a human-faced horse-like creature... But I am just theorizing and rambling X)

I do want to continue and go back to my ghost analysis of Mieruko-Chan because this world is so fascinating - and it works as a perfect homage to the J-horror movies involving ghosts - but I don't think a "case by case, chapter by chapter" analisys truly works. I was thinking of maybe switching it to more "general" rules and trends we can notice, now that we have a pretty big number of chapters and volumes. I'll see how things go!

[bedofthistles]

The Little White Horse: A Complete Summary

So! I finally read TLWH, and man do I have thoughts and opinions! So many... so... many....

However, before I get into those opinions, I wanted to share my summary of TLWH, since I don't think a lot of people have read the book who enjoyed the movie.

Unfortunately, my thots and opinions are too wide and vast, resulting in what is more or less a 16 page dissertation, which may grow depending on if I think I covered all the topics I wanted to cover. So, to makes things a bit easier, I'm going to be splitting them up into more readable sections.

So, if you haven't read the book, if it's been a while since you've read the book, here is a summary of the novel.

Alright friends, the time has come. 

After undertaking the laborious task of consuming all Moonacre content possible (movie, minie-series and novel) I have come to some unfortunate conclusions. The book sucks. But before you go too far, especially the weird amount of you who like the book, I would like to preface that each person is allotted their opinions. I am not aiming to dis the book, it’s a classic, but it’s not perfect, no book or work of art is. No one should get so offended by another’s opinion to the point where it sparks a deep, roiling anger inside of them. 

(Rachel Zeglar may be wrong about the Snow White movie from the 1930s, but I took her side, everyone got real upset about a girl having opinions, not that’s her opinion and she’s allowed it.) 

I want to start out by saying there are some issues in regards to race, incest, pedophilia, grooming and sexism in the novel, if that surprises and shocks you, I’m sorry but its in there, and just because you didn’t notice it doesn’t erase the fact that it was there. I also don’t want this to be about me comparing the book to the movie, because one that would just be a rant, and as much as I love that, that wouldn’t be fair to either works, and honestly? Besides the names and setting, the book and movie could almost fully be divorced from one another. 

In case you don’t know the plot to the book, I will try to surmise it as best I can: 

Maria Merryweather is a recently orphaned girl, she leaves London with her governess (Miss Heliotrope) and her dog (Wiggins) arriving to live with her first cousin once removed, Sir Benjamin, lord over Moonacre Valley (and if you’re not up to snuff about what that means, he’s a landlord, more or less). While driving, Maria occupies herself by staring at her small feet, her one attribute and attractive characteristic. 

While en route, Maria sees the beautiful valley lit up like silver in the moonlight, and between the trees she spots a luminescent white horse. When she tries to tell her governess this, Ms. Heliotrope tells her to stop her overactive imagination, she has always had an overactive imagination, especially back in London, when she made up a playmate named Robin (yes, that one). 

When they arrive, they learn that no woman has stepped foot inside of the house in 20 years - yes, Sir Benjamin is proud of this - and, very importantly, there is no pink within the house. While there, Sir Benjamin is a very happy, polite gentleman, who calls Maria your highness, and refers to Moonacre Valley as her dominion. There are also this weird thing about Sun Merryweathers and Moon Merryweathers.

“The brave soul and the pure spirit shall with a merry and a loving heart inherit the kingdom together," quoted Sir Benjamin. “That's our family motto, my dear. It's been our motto since the days of the first Sir Wrolf. It refers, I think, to the two sorts of Merryweathers, the sun and the moon Merryweathers, who are always merry when they love each other. It is also, perhaps, a device for linking together those four qualities that go to make up perfection --courage, purity, love, and joy."

While giving her a tour of the manor, he shows her a well (this will be important later) and Maria thinks to herself if I were a medieval lady, this is where I would hide my jewels in time of war. 

Weird, but okay. 

The one place Maria is not shown, is the kitchen. 

They go to church, while the Parson is preaching, Maria brushes her skirt to smooth out some wrinkles, and there’s a noise that captures her attention for a bit. Then, once the service is over, everyone lines up and goes up to the Parson to get absolutely read to shreds. He literally tells them their sins of the week, and when it’s Maria’s turn, despite only being there for a day, she’s scolded for her vanity and curiosity. 

One of the things Sir Benjamin gets scolded for is allowing the (and I’m so sorry for this) “Black Men” to stop hunting in Merryweather park. And that’s kind of all they do, and from here on out I will be referring to them as the De Noirs because that is technically their name, but Elizabeth Goudge just keeps calling them “the Black Men”. 

And yes, that is as bad as it sounds, but more on that later. 

Let’s just speed run some facts. 

Every morning, Maria wakes up to cookies, milk, a stroked fire, and an outfit placed out for her. Maria feels so loved by these small acts, and feels as if she loves whoever is putting out these clothes. 

“[Maria] had a queer feeling, as she fastened the coat of the habit and pinned the bunch of snowdrops to the front of it, that L.M. - whoever she was - put loving arms around her; almost as her mother might have done, had she not died.” 

When she is out in the forest with Periwinkle and Wrolf, she hears the shrill, shrieking rabbit, and goes to save it. As she does, she realizes that the De Noirs have come for the rabbit as well. She and Robin save the rabbit from the De Noirs and bring her to safety. Robin tells her it's actually a moonacre hare, and then upon her asking too many questions, leaves. 

“Maria choked down her curiosity, for Robin had always hated being asked questions, and if she asked too many would disappear, and she did not want him to disappear just yet.”

“There was no answer, and looking up she saw that Robin had disappeared, even though as far as she knew she had not asked a single question.” 

She knows this because she would dream about Robin in London, and when she asked him questions, he would just leave the dream. 

Maria learns about Sir Wrolf (who was arrogant, rude, and planned on marrying the Moon Princess to steal Black William’s land), the Moon Princess (who was just pale, and kind, I think?) with her dowry of pearls, and Monsieur Cocque De noir, otherwise known as Coeur De Noir because his heart was so black (it’s a common french last name, not to mention the black cock that rides on the current De Noir’s shoulder).

“[Sir Wrolf had] got Paradise Hill but there remained the pine woods behind his manor house, that run right down to the sea, to what is now called Merryweather Bay, which were the property of Sir William Cocq de Noir, called Black William because of the black cock that was his family crest, and because of his lashing dark eyes, black hair and beard and sallow French skin. And also because of his black heart. Coeur de Noir, men sometimes called him, instead of Cocq de Noir. For he was a bad man, was Black William, cruel to wild creatures, domineering with his servants, morose and ungenerous.”

Black William remarries, has a son, and that son becomes his heir. Because of this, Sir Wrolf can’t inherit the whole of the Valley through his wife, and gets super angry. Because of his rage, the De Noir’s think Sir Wrolf killed Black William, the Moon Princess ran away, and Black William’s son, who was believed to have died from sickness, returned twenty years later with his band of men who would become the wicked, evil, ‘Black Men’ who plague the valley. Sir Wrolf is described to have died heartbroken (good) and damned to ride around Paradise Hill in a sort of purgatory for his ill-deeds.

The Parson also tells Maria that every Moon Princess is destined to leave the Valley after fighting with her love. That it won’t be until the Moon Princess humbles herself and marries a poor man she will never be allowed to stay. 

“She always has gone away," said Old Parson. “Not necessarily from the valley, but from the manor. Yet the old folks in the village vow and declare that one day there will come a Moon Princess who will have the courage to deliver the valley from the wickedness of the Black Men. But like the princesses in all the nicest fairy tales she will have to humble her pride to love not a prince but a poor man, a shepherd or ploughman or some such country lad, and to effect the deliverance with his help, and that's a thing which no Moon Princess has yet done, so proud are they.”

At this point, Maria meets Loveday Minette, the lady who had been leaving her clothes, she is kind and beautiful, and cleans the Parson’s house. 

Then again, while out with her animals and Ms. Heliotrope, Maria goes to Paradise Hill, which is the monastery Sir Wrolf stole from the monks because he was covetous. While there she meets the shepherd and guess who it is? That’s right, Robin, no surprise there. While the two are there, the De Noirs attempt to steal the sheep. 

Robin, Maria, and the Ghost of Sir Wrolf -

“And then, through the noise of the thunder and the rain, she distinctly heard the hoofs of a galloping horse pounding upon the turf. As the horseman was behind her she could not herself see anything, but whoever he was the Black Men seemed to see him, for with faces blanched by terror they turned and fled.”

they manage to scare them off.

Maria and Robin have a fight, but they deal with it, because Maria knows if she doesn’t forgive him, she’ll have to leave the Valley. This will be handled in more depth later. Likewise, Loveday and Sir Benjamin had a fight twenty years ago, Loveday leaves the Valley, marries a lawyer, sires Robin, and then comes back after her husband dies. Because of their stubborness, neither would return to the other and apologize. More detail on this later. 

After dealing with the De Noirs, however. Maria decides that she must save the valley from their wickedness. 

She, Robin, and the Parson return Paradise Hill to god, Sir Benjamin no longer profits off the sheep, and that’s it. It was a really long boring chapter about all the children of Silverydew cleaning it up and decorating it again with the statue of their Lady. They sing, and I think Sir Wrolf’s soul is released from the hell that is Moonacre Valley. 

Once this is done, Maria and Robin sneak into the Castle in the pine woods, ask Mr. Cock to pretty please stop stealing and he says: not until you give me back the pearls, and also your ancestor murdered my ancestor. 

Robin and Maria are chased, they find the tree hollow, with evidence that someone once lived there including a knife with a carved cock as the handle-

“Once upon a time this cave had been lived in. A hollow place in the wall was blackened, as though a fire had been lit there, and standing on a flat rock beside it was an iron pot that must have been used to cook stew in. And lying on the rock beside the pot was a huntsman's knife in a metal sheath, and a tarnished silver mug. Maria and Robin picked them up and looked at them, holding them close to their eyes in the dim light, and lo and behold, the sheath that held the knife was beautifully made in the shape of a cock, and upon the silver mug also there was traced the outline of a cock."

They also run through the tunnels that go through Moonacre Valley until they reach Merryweather Bay, where Maria finds a boat that belonged to Sir William. 

For Maria, this is enough evidence that Black William left on his own accord, and the magical sea unicorns brought the boat back to Merryweather Bay as proof. 

Once they’re home safe, Marmaduke asks Maria for butter kept in the well, because it's cold in there, and while Maria is more or less rifling through the Merryweather fridge, she finds an old box that has the pearls in them. 

Maria decides that she doesn’t want to give the pearls to the De Noirs, because they are wicked, and will just give them to the moon instead. Then, through a gold medal mental gymnastic routine, decides that she will give them over. 

“And yet Maria did not want to give those pearls away. She loved them far too much. She did not want to give them even to the moon, and as for giving them to the Black Men--well--she just couldn't do it. And yet she had to do it. Monsieur Cocq de Noir had promised that they would stop being wicked if she could give him proof that Black William had not been murdered by Sir Wrolf, but had withdrawn to a hermit's life by his own choice, and if she would give him the pearls. “That first condition was already fulfilled, for when he was pursuing her and Robin he would have seen Black William's hermitage with his own eyes, and the pearls he would have too if she could bring herself to give them to him. And then he would not be wicked any more and complete happiness would come to the Moonacre Valley. Somehow Maria did not doubt that if she kept her part of the bargain Monsieur Cocq de Noir would keep his. The wickedest of men have good in them somewhere, and remembering the direct look in his eyes she felt quite sure that he was not a man who would break his word. Yet she felt she could not give him these pearls, that she had found herself and that seemed already a part of her. “And then it struck her suddenly that if she gave her pearls to Monsieur Cocq de Noir she would, in a way, be giving them to the moon. For the moon belongs to the night, and what was more like night than Monsieur Cocq de Noir and his black pine forest? And the first Moon Princess had come out of the night-dark pine wood, bringing the pearls with her. The pearls belonged far more to the Black Men than they did to the Merryweathers.”

However, when she goes to the Castle, Mr. Cock takes the pearls, but doesn’t believe her about the boat. Then she hits him with the old “magic unicorns brought him into shore”, and he doesn’t believe that, but Maria is able to convince him to come out with her to the forest where she is sure the Little White Horse will appear, despite being rather elusive this whole time. They go out together, they see not only the Little White Horse, but a whole tidal wave of Sea Unicorn, and he’s like oh! You were telling the truth. 

But! That’s not the end! 

Maria still has to get Loveday and Sir Benjamin back together, and that is a whole other thing that deserves its own post and I will go into full detail on later. As well as some issues that I have with Robin Minette. 

The story ends with Loveday and Benjamin getting married, Robin and Maria getting married A YEAR LATER, and going on to have ten kids. While the book does not tell us Robin’s age, we know Maria is thirteen, meaning she is at least fourteen when she gets married, and who knows when they start having kids. Again, I will talk about this more later. However, despite common belief, this getting married at 12-14 was not common.

The book ends, however, with one of the most lovely quotes. 

“For sometimes in her dreams at night she stood beneath the branches of a mysterious wood, and looked down a moonlit glade, her eyes straining after something that she could not see. And when she woke up there would be tears on her cheeks because her longing had been unsatisfied. “Yet she was not unhappy because of this dream. “She knew that one day, when she was a very old woman, she would dream this dream for the last time, and in this last dream of all she would see the little white horse and he would not go away from her. He would come towards her, and she would run towards him, and he would carry her upon his back away and away, she did not quite know where, but to a good place, a place where she wanted to be.” 

To keep things brief (too late) I will be making other posts to complete my analysis of book, movie, and small mentions of the miniseries. 

And if you were thinking about reading the book: don’t.

First | Next

[rabbitcruiser]

Pony Express Day

Pony Express Day celebrates those brave souls who made up the unique mail delivery system of the same name. Back in the days of the wild west, there was no Fed Ex, no Postal Service that ran that far west, no planes, and delivery by ship were likely to take months if it ever got there at all.

Seeing this need for a specialized delivery service, Leavenworth and Pike’s Peak Express Company took an opportunity to expand into this void. From this important decision was born one of the most iconic pieces of American History, whose influence is felt in hundreds of Pony Express Day Festivals throughout the American Midwest.

History of Pony Express Day

The Pony Express existed for 18 months between the days of April 3, 1860, to October 1861. In these days there was no airmail, no great American Highway, all there were was hundreds of miles of wide-open spaces with not much in between but animal-filled wilderness and bandito filled hollows.

During this time, if you wanted to send a letter or small package from anywhere East past the gateway of St. Joseph, Missouri, there was only one way to go. The Pony Express was a massive employer for its time, with up to 80 young riders employed at any given stage, with stringent requirements on their age, size, and weight.

The Pony Express preferred to employ the youngest riders they could, in part for their resilience, and in part for how light they were. The lighter a man was the longer the horse could run and the more cargo the rider could carry, and since the horses were put to go full tilt for 10 to 15 miles at a stretch before changing, this was of vital importance.

The rider changed out every 75 to 100 miles, but the mail never so much as slowed even in the worst of weather. While the average trip from coast to coast (On Horseback!) took 10 days, when they delivered Lincoln’s Inaugural Address, the trip was made in a mere 7 days and 17 hours.

How to celebrate Pony Express Day

With Pony Express Day Festivals being a staple all throughout the United States, there are tons of opportunities to celebrate the bravery of these young mailmen. You can spend Postal Express Day dressed up as one of these adventurous young souls who served as the heart of America’s fast-tracked postal line while watching equestrian events commemorating the challenges they faced.

Speaking of equestrian events lets not forget the true heroes of this endeavor, the horses that carried men and post across the nation time and time again. These events often have a broad range of related events, including food-related events.

Chili was one of the staples of the old American West, and as you might imagine there was often a pot of this spicy staple bubbling to keep the riders fed as they came in and out with the packages.

If you find yourself without a local event, you can host one at your home. Make Chili and Cornbread, find logos and the like to print out online, and get the 1953 movie ‘Pony Express’ featuring Charleston Heston and Rhonda Fleming!

This is a classic about this amazing American institution and the trials and efforts of the men and women who fought to make it a reality. So get together with your friends and family on Pony Express Day, and celebrate the Pioneer spirit of the Old West!

Source

[spookyserenades]

hi second part 👋🏼

hobi- just remembered this, when y/n, Ben, Alice, and Laura text about how hot the hybrids are I thin mainly hobi omg they cracked me up sm. The im married not blind part was so funny 😂

jimin- i don’t remember much from the chapter in September I don’t think we saw much of him but in this recent chapter OMG he was such a sweet pea!!! Y/n really went all out getting his HORSE shipped here. And jimin saying happy b day to join was so sweet cause every one’s warming up to joon after the fight a bit and I think everyone is warming up in general. Anyways y/nie goes above and beyond for her boys and ahhhh so sweet. He was so happy too you could tell he wanted to cry gosh. I love when jimin can’t handle his alcohol well I can just imagine his red cheeks eeek I hope we get to travel and see his family too. He’s defiantly been working hard on the barn, and when she mention he was shirtless at some point 🥵 I cant- im sorry I’m on my period that my horrible excuse anyways -

taehyung- him wanting to take photography and him taking pics of HER STOP ✋ no author u need to stop it’s too much like omg and when they held each other afterward I melted like I TURNED into a puddle of the floor and I’m only able to write this now bc it’s so cold here that I froze and turned back into my human form. She’s possessive and irl tae is too cause like do u remember the perila leaf débat he would get so jelly if his gf peeled off a leaf for a guy friend. The dinner scene where the waiter was making eyes an y/n and tae held her waist and GLARED that’s some dominance right there. I forgot about including the piano scenes in yoongi so I’ll add them here. the pic tae took of their feet sounded so cute and I’m glad yoongi and tae are getting more comfy w each other (cause I think yoongi chose to sit next to him asp) also cause when y/n was thinking abt how she didn’t want him to be alone 🥺😩 yes tae we want you to interact w the others~ Tae LOVES her touches too he reacts easily in just a snap 🫰

jungkook- ahh yes our angst boi- his birthday party scene was so cute he was so flustered and malfunctioned Sksks it was nice to see a raw and genuine part of him that was truly thankful for her that day I hope we get to see more of that. Jk annoying y/n during hobi’s run by giving her a cig omg I cant- this man’s needs to stop he just loves to tease. Such a sassy and snarky boy I’m totally here fir it all the way. And him picking a scary movie bc he knows hobi Jin and jimin will hate it lol. Him already agreeing to held joon and y/n w the wards before she even asked- really can’t hind anything in this house lol. I forgot to talk about this, but joon being upset w y/n and she didn’t call for him when she head the spirit threaten her 😩 he tries to pretend he doesn’t care but he DOES FR and Jk look at him like dam. Okay but that cliffhanger for the last chapter ofc u just stuff us full of fluff just to rip it out of us and I LOVE IT. I wonder what Jk and hobi/joon (I think joon was involved) fought about to make jk storm out like that although it wouldn’t be the first time. And on Halloween, come on yall! Smh 🤦‍♀️ ahh but he’s one of her boys so she’ll rein him in anyways.

Im guess there’s too much testosterone in that house hold or maybe they’re energy’s bc most of them are exotic predators and dominance is a big thing. I don’t remember exactly. Anyways I spoke about everything I could remember so far sorry for typos, ty sm for feeding us every month with such a hearty meal! Luv u 💋

Hehe hey again!!! fkdasfk I'm glad you liked my "married not blind" joke LMAO it's sooo true, especially when it comes to Hoseok. 👹

Jimin - Y/N getting him his horse... my bestie who usually beta reads for me was like Dana no way lmao. I wanna have disposable income like Y/N, and spoil all the boys silly too!! I guess we can live vicariously though Y/N LOL. 💀💀💀 But Jimin so deserved to be reunited with Vista, and he was so happy to have a piece of his former home with him now. Jimin is such a sweet, polite guy, so him wishing Joonie a happy birthday proves he really just want to keep the peace. Tipsy Jimin is just the cutest stinking thing ever, I can picture his face so clearly in my mind! Knowing Y/N, she'll definitely make good on her mental promise to bring Jimin to see his family (I'm sure she wants to meet them too!) Also YES you're right, he was totally shirtless when he was patching up the roof of the stable... I would have passed out if I saw that, Y/N is a strong woman!

Tae - UGH Another one that is totally whipped for Y/N, taking pictures of her, including a couple at his first expo... even though only four were displayed at that expo, you can imagine he's probably taken dozens more of her, which makes me blush and kick my feet. He's definitely one of the more cuddly ones, too, so when he hugged her at the expo that moment was so sweet and intimate... physical touch must be one of his love languages. I love my men a little possessive, and I DO remember the whole perilla leaf debate (wild) and Tae being like that both irl AND in Trouvaille is just so... you know? He was definitely staking claim over Y/N in that brewery, he did not like that random man staring at his girl like that. OOF! 🥵 I'm glad you brought up Tae and Yoongi beginning to come around to one another. They have that connection of both being into music, and I think they have similar possessive feelings over Y/N. Maybe Yoongi will be the one who gets close to Tae first, we'll see!!

Jeongguk - fhdjasf our little edgelord! Ah his birthday was so self indulgent, fluffy, and a chance to see his softer side under all that iciness he usually displays. I think the longer time wears on, he'll let go of more of that frostiness and become more comfortable showing Y/N his tender side. fjdksa I forgot about the scene where he offered her a cigarette at Hoseok's meet-- such a twerp!! I love love love scary movies, and I feel like him maybe Yoongi are the only two that would actually wanna watch a horror film with me IRL, or Y/N in Trouvaille. Hoseok is a bit of a scaredy cat, and the rest of them put that off a little bit as well LOL. And for sure, there really isn't anything that can be hidden in that house anymore, there are ears literally everywhere.... bad news for someone who likes to talk shit, like me. But that's an example of Jeongguk being uncharacteristically sweet, agreeing to help Y/N even if he doesn't have to. Joon was so pissed when she didn't call out for him when she was threatened, but Y/N handled everything just fine, IMO, he was being a dramatic wolf.

You know I love a good cliffhanger!!! I can't not have one almost every time. Hopefully, this time, the conflict can be resolved quickly, and it isn't as bad as The Incident between Joon and Tae. We shall see-- or you may have already seen, in this newest update!! I'm dying.... there is indeed too much testosterone in that house, but I suppose that it is just something they're all going to need some adjusting to. BUT!! Thank you again so so much for sending in these messages and gushing over the boys with me. I always look forward to hearing what you think. Loves you babe!! 💜💞💜💞

[mysticstarlightduck]

OC Interview Tag!

Thanks for the tag, @agirlandherquill (here)!!!

I'll go with Sam Delaways from Enchanted Illusions for this one, because I want to talk more about him and because I think you guys will really like this character! (:

Are you named after anyone?

"Nah. At least not that I know of, that is. I like my name just fine either way, though I don't think my parents put that much thought into it."

When was the last time you cried?

"Pretty recently, but why do you wanna know? (chuckles mischievously) You little rascal. I'm not telling ya that."

Do you have kids?

"No, but I take care of my little brothers - I'm all they've got since neither of our parents are around anymore. They're little kids, so one could say I'm raising 'em. Or at least that I'm trying my best to."

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

"Only when I'm trying to be funny - or when I really wanna annoy Augustus (laughs). That uptight necromancer needs to get a sense of humor and quick, haha. I never use sarcasm to be rude, though, there ain't no need for that - unless someone really deserves it. In that case, I can make an exception."

What is the first thing you notice about people?

"If they're dangerous in some way or another - and if they are, I try to find out ways to avoid gettin' in their way. I also try to notice if they're confident or shy, if they're arrogant or humble if they're temperamental or calm - these things can tell me a lot about whom I'm interacting with."

What's your eye color?

"Dark grey, I think."

Scary movies or happy endings?

"I tend to prefer stories with happy endings, though I like my fair share of scary stories, on occasion. Depends on my mood, mostly. I don't have much time to spend reading anymore, though I like to, and I ain't ever gone to the local theaters to see any of the plays and operas, but I hear they're awesome."

Any special talents?

"I'm not sure, haha. I think I'm quite good at climbing things, and I can hold my own in a fistfight if I need to - but I hate having to. I'm good at navigating the city and using my surroundings to get around faster, and I can build things pretty quickly. Otherwise, I know how to do a lot of stuff, but I dunno if they'd be considered 'special talents' - shoe-shining, fixin' boats, selling newspapers and matchsticks, that sort of stuff. It's what has kept us alive so far - cause the factory sure ain't paying me enough for that."

Where were you born?

"I was born in the outskirts of Ansburke. Y'know, the capital city of our land, and all that. But we moved to Strystead after our parents died - more factories willing to hire a nonmagical teenage street rat, you see. I dunno if it was a good plan in the long run, but it's too late to be thinking about that though."

Do you have any pets?

"Nah, can't really afford to right now. But if I could I would love to have lots of dogs, because they're adorable! Maybe one day I will."

What sports do you play?

"I'm not really the sporty kind. Seems like a waste of perfectly good time and energy for me. I've seen some rich folks playing a game called cricket, I think - and it looks very fun, I'd like to try it one day! I also know how to ride a horse, and I know people consider horseback riding as a sport, but it isn't something I do that regularly so I don't think it counts."

How tall are you?

"I think I'm average height, compared to my friends."

What was your favourite subject in school?

"Never went to school, but I think I would have liked history or magic classes, those seemed fun!"

What is your dream job?

"Ain't got time for dreams in Strystead - dreams don't pay your debts, neither can dreams put food on your plate at the end of the day. Learned that the hard way a long time ago. Currently my 'dream' - if you could call it that - is to pay my debts and get the heck back to Ansburke before these factories finish breaking my spirit too, but unfortunately, I don't think I'm gonna be able to do that any time soon. Eh, that's life though."

Tagging (gently, no pressure):@steh-lar-uh-nuhs @late-to-the-fandom, @eccaiia @willtheweaver @littleladymab @cabbojage @lassiesandiego @little-peril-stories @oh-no-another-idea @thepeculiarbird @rickie-the-storyteller @crowandmoonwriting @steh-lar-uh-nuhs @gummybugg @forthesanityofstorytellers @doublegoblin @aalinaaaaaa @starlit-hopes-and-dreams @elshells @clairelsonao3 @anyablackwood @tabswrites @illarian-rambling @kaylinalexanderbooks and OPEN TAG