#spot the stephen king references

[natalieironside]

Masters of the World, part 1

Hey there, Age of Mythology fans! You can head on over to https://www.patreon.com/posts/77895021 and download the first map in a campaign I been working on (nothing is for sale, I'm just hosting it there while I work on my big-girl website)

Heyyy everybody, here's one of my side projects!  I'm making a custom campaign for the super great historical fantasy RTS game Age of Mythology: Extended Edition,which I'm pretty sure at least one other person on Earth still plays.  You can get it here if you don't have it:  https://store.steampowered.com/app/266840/Age_of_Mythology_Extended_Edition/  It's been a lifelong favorite since I was a kid and it's a great relic of the early 2000s RTS golden age; highly recommend.  Once you've got the base game plus the Titans and Tales Of The Dragon xpacks, you can just drop this bad boy into the "scenarios" folder in your game files and you'll be good to go.  More on the technical issues in a minute, but if you run into any problems try opening it in the editor and just selecting one of Player 1's units and that should fix it. 

First, a word on the production.  To put it bluntly the AoM scenario editor absolutely stinks.  A lot of stuff just straight up doesn't work.  For one thing, I've confirmed with other mapmakers that the campaign maker is irreparably broken and the only way to knit all the scenarios into a campaign is to manually write an XML document, which . . . I am not doing that.  Also, a lot of the text-based storytelling elements from AoE2 were cut and replaced with visual ones, and listen Ensemble Studios I love you but I am not going to sit here for hours and make an entire claymation movie one if-then statement at a time.

All this is to say that this scenario is not done, but it is as done as it's ever going to get, so I'm just gonna send it.

Masters of the World part 1 is a single-player battle royale (well technically it's 1v1v1v1v1v3 but who's counting) build-and-destroy map with 7 AI players.  Much like Swords of Outremer, I went a little wild with this one and as a consequence it's mad chunky.  I recommend playing with your video settings turned alllll the way down.  Also much like Swords of Outremer, I used an RMS for the skeleton; this one is Alfheim.  I'm planning on telling this story in about 7 or 8 single-player maps, and you can expect Masters of the World part 2: The Fields of Pentecost sometime soonish.

***

Masters of the World is a high fantasy scenario where you play as Ajax Ironroot, king of the dwarves, who has come south out of his mountains to deal with an ancient threat:  The Master of the World.  The Masters, a band of mighty and nigh godlike wizards, lorded over by the mysterious figure known only as "the Wizard," have long scourged the land and laid it waste as they vie against each other for ultimate mastery.  Ajax, afraid that this destruction may spread across his borders, will march forth to challenge the Masters on their own terms . . . But, to challenge them means becoming a Master of the World oneself.  

Featuring a robust cast of characters, including the vain and proud Lady Pentecost, queen of the elves, and the mysterious vampire lord Gretta, Duchess of Shadows, as well as various and sundry other original the characters (do not steal).  If you like protracted mountain sieges and massive endgame doomstack fights, like I do, this should serve; during playtesting I let the AI duke it out amongst themselves and they whupped on one another with no clear contender for like 6 or 7 hours until the game ran out of memory and crashed. 

Have fun and let me know what you think!  :)

[stagspoint]

Graffiti in Seattle, WA

"Everything you Love will Be carried AWAY"

[marypsue]

Nine people I'd like to know better

I was tagged by the lovely and talented @hauntingyourself! (Do yourself a favour and go check out their art right now.)

Last song: 'Broadway', by the Goo Goo Dolls.

Favourite colour: Green!

Currently watching: I've been trying to keep up on AMC's Creepshow as it comes out, does that count?

Last movie/tv show: The Hunger! David Bowie is in far less of that movie than was represented to me.

Spicy/savoury/sweet: Savoury, usually.

Relationship status: Nope.

Current obsession: Sleep all day. Party all night. It's fun to be a vampire.

Last thing you googled: Michelle Monaghan.

I'm tagging @thelibrarybat, @maddie-grove, @amethystunarmed, @rocketnebulas, @thestuffedalligator, @officialqueer, @powersandplanetaries, @whim-without-gumption, and @sayitwithsarcophilus!

[mask131]

November is usually my Shining month, and so I want to bring forward again something I have been repeating for a long time now but that I don't see being picked up a lot by people. A detail that is well-hidden inside the Doctor Sleep movie, but that makes the piece even more infinitely appreciable and shows it was made by true Shining fans.

And this detail is... the ghosts of the Overlook Hotel.

Now, when this bunch appeared during the final scene some familiar faces could be spotted. Grady of course, the Injured Guest from the "Great party, isn't it?" scene, the Twins, and of course the Woman of Room 217 -sorry, 237. But there are other faces there - seemingly random people in fancy outfit just for the sake of it. People were confused as to who these people were...

But all you have to do is look at the end credits. And you have a big surprise.

The familiar faces are confirmed to be the ghosts we always thought we were, or to correspond to famous ghosts of the original novel. The twins are confirmed as Grady's two daughters, while the woman in the white dress (not on the picture above but you can her in the scene) is Mrs. Grady. Meaning we have the whole Grady family as ghosts. The woman of room 237 is confirmed to be indeed Mrs. Massey, just like in the book ; as for the Injured Guest (only referred to as "injured guest" in the original scripts of The Shining), the sequel decided to make him Horace Derwent. Meaning he likely can switch between a young/attractive and older/more gruesome form, just like Massey's ghost, since in the original movie Derwent was clearly seen though not named in the scene with the man wearing a dog-bear-like costume (the script confirms it is supposed to be a dog costume though).

Alright, but what of the others? Now this is where things get interesting! The bald man to the right of Grady? That's Vito the Chopper. Yes, the Vito the Chopper from the novel by King, the mafia boss who got his head blown off in the Presidential Suite - as for the two men near him, they are his two bodyguards, Victor T. Boorman and Roger Macassi. Also from the book. These three characters are actually an Easter egg for those who read the book (and we know from the original treatment of Kubrick's movie that the criminal paradise-era of the Overlook and the murders at the Presidential Suite were originally supposed to play a big role in the cinema version of the story too).

But things get even better with the last ghost of the group. He doesn't appear in the picture above either, like Mrs. Grady, but you can notice him during the scene, a large man right behind Mrs. Grady when the ghosts first appear (he is played by Marc Farley). And the ghost's name, as revealed in the credits is... James Parris.

Now, fans of the novel might wonder "Wait... Who's that? I don't recall reading about him". And indeed, you did not! At least if you just read the regular version of the novel! James Parris is however a true character of the Shining, a true victim of the Overlook Hotel, a character written about and invented by Stephen King... But he is part of the deleted prologue of the novel, "Before the Play". You know this prologue that was not part of the published novel but was released in various TV magazines several times, and then finally re-added to the main novel in the collector Cemetery Dance edition of "The Shining"? You must have heard of it - even before the Cemetery Dance release the prologue was going around the Internet, published on small fan websites and discreet literature blogs...

And James Parris was, according to the first part of this prologue (detailling the building and creation of the Overlook... and its first victims) the second owner of the Overlook Hotel. A man that was touched by the same obsession and madness for the hotel that had overtaken Watson's grandfather (the actual builder and first owner of the Hotel), and, if I recall well, ended up dying of a heart attack on the hotel's garden-grounds (near the topiary beasts if I recall well, but I am not too sure, I haven't read the prologue in a while).

So all of that to say - not only did they bother placing an Easter Egg for the fans of King who had read the original book ; but they also placed an Easter Egg for those that knew of or had read the Before the Play prologue, which most regular fans of the novel never even heard about! If this isn't commitment to researching your source material, I don't know what is!

[lazycats-stuff]

Bruce Wayne x male!reader

Another teacher oneshot! I want to write more, maybe about how the press found out.

Summary: Bruce and (Y/N) are together for a year now, without the press finding out. But one day that changes and press get the wind of it.

Warnings: Press being invasive, people saying that (Y/N) is cute, Bruce being protective.

(Y/N) smiled as he sat at the back of the manor, the side where there was just a clearing. watching boys running around, playing football. (Y/N) was wrapped in a blanket, due to the wind that was blowing, with a cup of hot chocolate in his hands. He wasn't a person to play sports, but he was more than happy to cheer them on.

He took a sip of his warm drink and looked at Alfred who sat down next to him.

" Do you need another blanket master (Y/N)? "

" No, Alfred thank you. And please just call me (Y/N), the title of a master makes me feel rich. "

Alfred simply nodded, but (Y/N) knew that Alfred would refer to him with the 'master' title. He shook his head in amusement and went back to look at his boyfriend. Bruce was wearing a grey shirt, that clung to him because of the sweat, but what made his mouth water were Bruce's muscles. Sure, it seems superficial, but he loved them. He felt safe wrapped in those arms, especially when Bruce got back from patrol.

" How about a break gentlemen? " Alfred yelled out, seeing how they were getting tired.

" Sure Alfred. " Bruce said, jogging towards his beloved. (Y/N) knew what Bruce's intention were.

" Bruce, I love you, but no kisses while you are sweaty. "

Bruce actually pouted, but complied. He took a sip of water, then glanced back at his boyfriend.

" Bruce, no. Shower first then you can kiss me. No ifs or buts. "

Bruce pouted once more, looking like a kicked puppy. The boys snickered at their father's reaction.

" Fine, you win. Guys, eat something. You wait here hun. "

Bruce left and the boys couldn't help but comment.

" You know (Y/N), I have never seen Bruce so whipped for somebody. And I have been with him the longest here. " Dick commented, smiling.

" I agree. Father is whipped for you. " Damian said, taking a sip of his water.

" I would say a simp. " Jason said.

Tim rolled his eyes at the name. (Y/N) simply hummed, fully aware of the meaning behind that word. He wanted to keep up with his students, so he took it upon himself to learn their slang. Urban dictionary was a good help.

" Tim, Jason is not really wrong. Bruce is always ready to take his credit card and simply buy me whatever I glanced at. I looked at Stephen King's book It. A simple glance. What I found the next day, in my room, with a rose and a note saying and I quote: ' Have a good day at work my darling. Your beloved Bruce. ' "

" I remember when you hid his wallet once, you were swamped with gits. I also remember, you said something about giving something for us before the Christmas break. You said something about like something small, like some candy and what not. " Damian remembered.

" And your father got me enough candy for the entire school. I don't think any of you realize how hard it is to explain to your coworkers how you could afford it. " (Y/N) snickered at the memory.

The boys chuckled quietly at that. But that sealed (Y/N)'s spot as the favorite teacher of the school.

" But you position as the best teacher in school was solified. " Dick added, sitting down on the chair.

" Really? " (Y/N), furrowing his eyebrows, looking at the boys as if they grew a second head. he was aware that the students liked him, he was a chill professor, but still wanted their best and always helped those who needed extra help... But he didn't think he was the best teacher there.

" Yup. We would never lie to you. " Jason said, taking a bite of the sandwich.

" I mean, you help us out with our assignments and you proofread them. " Jason said, cringing at the thought of his past assignments. Jesus Christ, how did he pass all of that?

" Don't cringe at the past assignments Jason, you came a long way. "

Jason wanted to say something, but smirked, looking behind (Y/N)'s shoulder.

" Okay, I showered, now there is no escape. " Bruce said, lifting (Y/N) up to sit him in his lap. (Y/N) yelped and bushed.

" My God Bruce, you are like a golden retriever and a cat mixed all in one. "

Bruce gave (Y/N) a kiss on the cheek and squeezed him a bit tighter. (Y/N) huffed, but leaned back on Bruce. He was so warm, ready to drift off.

(Y/N) sighed as he got into the faculty room. His coworkers were all acting as if they were teenagers.

" Okay, is anybody going to tell me what is going on or do I have to turn into Sherlock Holmes? " (Y/N) asked, not having a clue.

" Oh, just this. " JJ said, opening something on his phone. He handed (Y/N) the phone and he nearly died of shock. It was from a tabloid, revealing (Y/N)'s and Bruce's relationship to the world. There were pictures from their date recently... Bastards...

" Why didn't you tell us you started dating again? " Kaylee asked him, all happy for him.

(Y/N) was numb as he gave the phone back. He took a deep breath and excused himself from the room. He took his phone out and called Bruce. He went to a closet and waited for Bruce picked up.

" Hey hun, I know, I read it too. My PR team and I are working on it. I'm sorry. " Bruce apologized, feeling awful.

He can take the heat of the press, but (Y/N) can't. He was never in the spotlight and Bruce liked it. He wasn't ashamed of his lover, he wanted to show him off, but on (Y/N)'s terms. Not in the press'.

" It's not your fault Bruce, I should have known that this day would have come. "

" No, don't say that, you and I should have gone public on your accord. I can always leave earlier from work and pick you up. Do you need me to pick me up? "

(Y/N) smiled at Bruce's proposition.

" Pick me up at 3:30 then, I am substituting today. "

" Will do. Did your coworkers say anything about... Us? "

" Only good things B. "

" Okay. Somebody tries to do something, call me. Okay? "

" Okay Bruce. I love you. " (Y/N) said, smiling like an idiot.

" I love you too hun. "

(Y/N) hanged up and went back to the faculty room. He took a deep breath before entering. Everyone looked at him and JJ looked sad, regretful even.

" JJ, it's not your fault. I'm not mad, just shocked that the news got out. "

JJ nodded.

" Is he treating you well? "Kaylee asked.

" He is. "

" Good. He better. "

(Y/N) smiled.

" And we are not judging you based on your sexuality. " Tamara, the principal said, taking a cup of coffee.

" Anyone tries to, come to us. " Kaylee added.

(Y/N) nodded, taking a cup of warm coffee from JJ.

" So... When did this start? " JJ asked.

" A year and a half ago. " (Y/N) answered, sitting at the desk in the center of the room.

Kaylee smiled and gave him a side hug.

" I am happy for you. If my work bestie is happy, then so am I. But I want to meet him. He needs to know that if he hurts you, we will come after him. " Kaylee said, a dark look going through her eyes.

" Okay, lets not go there. " (Y/N) said.

" If you say so. "

And true to his word, Bruce picked him up at 3:30 exactly. And with the press, who were there watching taking photos and trying to get their attention.

Bruce was leaning on the front of his car, ignoring the press, simply waiting for his boyfriend to come out.

And once he did, he lit up. He stood up, fixed his posture and when (Y/N) was close, he brought him into a hug. (Y/N) didn't mind at all, but they need talk about the press.

" I know, lets go home. " Bruce said, as if he read his mind, pulling away and opening the door for his boyfriend.

And once they were home, they could relax. Well, everyone expect (Y/N). He was stressed out now.

" Hun? Are you okay? " Bruce asked, gently taking him into his arms on the sofa.

" I'm just... Really stressed... And tired. " (Y/N) replied, leaning back into Bruce, tracing random patterns on his forearm.

" I know, I'm sorry. "

" Bruce, it's not your fault. It's theirs. They have no concept of privacy... Bastards. " (Y/N) muttered.

" Hey guys, I will be quick, you are trending on Twitter. Bruce for being with a man and (Y/N) for... " Dick trailed off, not knowing how to finish his sentence.

" For what Dick? " Bruce asked, anger and possessiveness clawing at his chest. He brought (Y/N) closer, nuzzling the crook of his neck.

" For his looks. People are saying that he is cute, hot, adorable... Nothing bad for now. "

Bruce hummed, a bit shocked, knowing how people are judgmental, so the positivity shocked him. Not the fact that (Y/N) is hot, adorable.

" Really? " (Y/N) asked, brows furrowing.

" Yes. Just wanted to let you know. They are saying that you two look adorable. " Dick said, leaving the room. He needs to finish his homework before patrol.

" Huh. " (Y/N) said, after a minute.

" A good huh, or... "

" A good one. "

Bruce sighed in relief. Okay. This is good.

" Would you like me to make a statement? " Bruce asked his lover, giving him a gentle kiss on the back of (Y/N)'s neck.

" Over what? "

" I don't know. Maybe post a picture of us or you, and write something. Or just write a Tweet, but that won't do any justice. "

" So Instagram? "

" I have a great picture of you. And you will be involved in writing it. I need an English major for this. "

" You got it Bruce. "

And they did just that. Bruce posted what he considered to be a beautiful photo of (Y/N), the one where he was laughing at something, on the sofa.

And in the caption:

' I have always said to the press, leave my loved ones out your headlines. That includes my children and now (Y/N). What the press did was beyond despicable, a complete invasion of privacy of someone who didn't want to be in the spotlight. And I am warning the paparazzies right now. Just like I said before, my kids and (Y/N) are off limits. I am not afraid to use force to protect the people I love. (Y/N), alongside my children are not to be followed around school. I will be dragging you and your companies to court if you do. And I'm not someone you want to get caught with in a legal battle. '

[spocks-husband]

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟

Hello friends!!

I'm in a bit of a tight spot financially right now, and I'd really really appreciate some help, and as such I'm so so thrilled to announce that I'll be opening up commissions for both fanfiction and visual art! If you've ever wanted a custom piece or a personalized story from me, now's your chance!

Here's the breakdown of pricing:

Fanfiction Commissions:

- Short Story (up to 700 words): $10

- Medium Story (700 - 2500 words): $40

- Long Story (2500+ words): $80 (+40 for every 1000 words beyond 2500)

What I will write:

•Angst

•Dead Dove

•Smut

•Basically anything :3

What I won't write:

•Spuhura

•Spapel

•Zutara

•Basically any ship I don't like lol sorry

•Right-Wing content

Visual Art Commissions:

- Sketches:

•Bust: $2

•Waist-up: $6

•Full Body: $8

- Lineart:

•Bust: $5

•Waist-up: $10

•Full Body: $18

- Full-color Illustration:

•Bust: $20

•Waist-Up: $45

•Full Body: $60

•Full Ref Sheet: $150

What I will draw:

•OCs

•Self inserts/personas

What I won't draw:

•NSFW (mostly just cause I don't know how my bad ☹️)

Fandoms I work in:

•Star Trek (TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT, PIC, DISCO)

•Avatar: The Last Airbender

•The Legend of Korra

•Hitman Games

•Stephen King

•Invincible

•The Boys

I'm also totally willing to do non-fandom stuff!!

Rules:

•Payment preferably through Cashapp

•Give me time to do it! I'm still in school I need time 😭

•I'd appreciate half upfront but we can work that out on a case-by-case basis

•Prices are subject to change depending on the complexity of the request

If you're interested in commissioning me or have any questions, feel free to send me a message! If you'd like references for my art/writing there are plenty on my page but I'd also be more than happy to send some in DMs. Thank you ^^

[ghostly-shenanigans-in-progress]

Any headcanons you have about Ghost Writer?

So, sorry it took forever to reply! Here’s a couple I had saved;

Ghostwriter did serve his time while in Walker’s prison after the Christmas truce episode. Surprisedly, he managed to get out early after convincing the warden on starting a book club with some of the good behavior inmates to prevent a potential boredom spurred prison riot. Even after getting out, Ghostwriter still hosts the book club for the prison on a biweekly basis along with his usual one he hosts at his library.

In his past life, he was a librarian, ghostwriter/copyeditor and archivist in the same library that is now is his lair. He died in the 1980s.

Ghostwriter died after being hit by a car on his way to work. it’s basically an isekai situation for him when he discovered his new powers and believes to be the main character/narrator in his own story. Until you know the real main character shows up lol.

I think his name was originally Stephen (Pronounced as “Steven”) Woolf Ellison, he will get annoyed if you pronounced his name wrong. His name is a combination reference to his favorite writers Virginia Woolf, Stephen King and Harlan Ellison.

Loves all genres but has a soft spot for science fiction, horror, thriller, and any thing that evokes a stream-of-consciousness prose style in the reader.

I see him and Danny making amends on their last encounter by Danny visiting his library and begging him to let him read a book that he originally had but got stolen/destroyed by Dash and he could not a find a new copy anywhere else. GW has a heart for kids that got bullied obviously and for ones that go the extra mile in being dedicated to their studies. He allowed him to use the book on two conditions, Danny read the book in the library until he finished it and that GW could edit/review it afterwards. And his form of payback was giving Danny the most scathing constructive criticism he had in his life for a book report.

Has pretty much memorized all the books in his lair and always accepting new additions but he’s super selective in the condition and content bc he’s a snob about literature. His skills in typing would make Technus jealous given his ghostly ability allows him to type faster than a normal human and even ghost.

His lair is also connected to a theater that belongs to an oc of mine known as the Director. Their lairs became connected due to their love for the arts and culture behind the creative arts. It has helped significantly in getting more people to visit their area to learn and enjoy that stuff ever since (Just be careful, the Director has the ability to make anyone he wants sing and perform if he thinks you can, think music meister but more well meaning).

He now hates oranges ever since the Christmas Truce incident. If you wanna befriend him, bring him a muffin or pear instead.

Only reason he goes by Ghostwriter than his original name is because he thought it was a requirement for ghosts to come up with a new name for themselves similar to a pen name.

[the-nosy-neighbor]

The Nature of the Beast (Black Ooze)

This post includes spoilers for Welcome Home a little bit, but there are also several spoilers for science fiction/horror movies/tv/stories.

It's nothing new though, I think the most recent reference is Deep Space Nine. Also !Spooky Pictures!

A history of oozing blob-like creatures in American film and television--

Ominous Obsidian Ooze:

According to tvtropes.org, this trope (of oozy black stuff) is called “Ominous Obsidian Ooze.”

It is defined by a black ooze, often shiny and often in stark contrast to its environment (and of course the example picture is Supernatural) . It is believed to have evolved from the prevalence of and concern about oil spills and other pollution.  I think, for me at least, that pollution does really fit the vibe.  It reminds me of Pollution from Good Omens.

So black ooze (the creature/entity) often leads to pain, mutation, unnatural death, and “even a Fate Worse Than Death.”

(So help me if we find out Sunny is the weathervane on Poppy’s house…)

Anyway, the ooze is speculated to have evolved from a fear of pollution, but also basic human fears such as water too dark to see into and water that you shouldn’t drink. 

The closest association I have from this trope is the Stephen King short story, "The Raft," which was dramatized on Creepshow 2.  I saw this as a younger kid, and the whole thing was spooky.  There is a group of teens at the lake, probably playing hooky and definitely smoking cigarettes.  They swim out to a raft in the middle of the lake (think floating wooden platform) and then this black slick on top of the water appears, and starts stalking and eating them, and they are trapped. 

Just for you, I went to see what the plot is because I probably have misremembered all the important bits. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raft_(short_story), OK, so, college kids, one of the girls sees pretty rainbows on the surface and touches it, and she gets sucked in and “ripped to shreds”

So, then the beastie pulls someone through the cracks on the raft, and they are no longer safe on the raft.  The remaining woman faints, and the remaining guy can’t swim to shore while it is eating because he’d be leaving the woman to die, and he couldn’t swim fast enough while hauling her.  They spend time taking turns watching and then end up committing the sin of sex, so death it is.

The thing that I find interesting in this portrayal of the black ooze is that it is attractive to the viewer.  I guess secondarily, I find it interesting that this is a monster of inevitability, kind of like the Evil Dead universe, where they are trapped in one spot, die upon leaving the safe zone, but at the same time are convinced that they will die if they remain in the same place.  What I’m trying to say is that someone needs a chainsaw hand.

(Evil Dead has some black goo in the form of on or coming out of Deadites.)

Of course, there is a version in DvD, named “Black Pudding,” deltailed as “large ooze, unassigned.”  So thank goodness the ooze in neutral.  It is very strong and has a strong constitution.  Immune to blinging, charming, deafening, exhaustion, fright, and being knocked prone.  It also can eat through 2-inch thick wood or metal in 1 round.  It can also climb, including hanging upside down on the ceiling.  They can be split apart into separate entities of a smaller size with certain hits taken.  (https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16808-black-pudding)

This is actually pretty reminiscent of the puppetmaster creature that I saw before, the Puppeteer Parasite, which seems to be somewhat cross-referenced to the pudding monster.  The Puppeteer Parasite catches a ride and eats your life force.  It can make you do things.  (I believe that Skip from Dropout’s Dimension 20, Starstruck is a creature similar to this.) https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/2506151-puppeteer-parasite

Star Trek had its own version of the black blob monster, Armus from the episode, “Skin of Evil.”  The concept in this episode is that the people of Vagra II had found a way to remove all evil from themselves and it mainifests as a black goo that can take the form of a human shape.  It could also absorb people, and inflict psychic damage and physical weakness while you were in there.  This guy famously killed Tasha Yar.  For some reason, I must usually skip this one, because it is very vague for me.  Anyway, it wants to torture people (castaways normally, they abandoned him on this planet) he wants to find a way to find those that made him for revenge purposes.  Picard pulls a fast one (Look, a three-headed monkey!) and they beam up and take off. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Armus

Fun fact:  Later that year, Ensign Mariner, furious over Boimler being promoted to lieutenant junior grade and transferring to the USS Titan, threatened to "feed [him] to an Armus." (LD: "No Small Parts")

You could make an argument that Odo from DS9 is a creature of this type, as he is a shapeshifter that spends a necessary amount of time in a liquid state regularly.  If he doesn’t, he will be forced to revert (forced by his body).  Any time Odo is in a liquid or shifting state, however, he is gold. 

He doesn’t know if there are any others like him at the beginning, but as the show progresses, he forms a difficult relationship with his extended family, who exist as a sort of single consciousness, like the Borg, but more evolutionary instead of tech-based.  When the changelings are in their natural state, they essentially look like a gold ocean on the planet’s surface.  While this is dark, it also has the gold highlights.  In fairness to the theme, though, these are not good people and they believe themselves to be god-like creatures or at least more worthy than anyone else.  There is a whole period of the show where the paranoia of who is humanoid and who is changeling reaches a fever pitch. Listen, I could talk DS9 all day.  (https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Changeling)

I think the original version of this being is the classic movie monster, The Blob.  “The Blob is an amorphous mass of alien goo that appears in the 1958 film of the same name. Appearing as nothing more than a mass of red gelatin, this creature possesses animalistic intelligence, acting purely on the instinct to feed. It feeds on flesh and gains mass as it consumes other creatures.”

Common tropes for ooze monsters:

Mesmerizing

Grows when it eats

Eats all life forms it comes across (the changelings qualify for this, but only in the conquering sense)

Eats the inexperienced

Can’t be killed by guns, electricity, or fire

Inescapable (at least seems to be)

This quote:  “The Blob does little else except eat and grow”  Same girl, same.  But I think that the eat grow cycle is the thing that might be most important about this kind of monster.  Impervious to ways that humans generally attempt to control or avoid things, and dead set on eating everyone.  (https://monster.fandom.com/wiki/Blob)

For Welcome Home, that could be a direct link.  We have seen the black goo underneath Home grow during our time with the website.  We’ve also noticed stringy bits that have started to reach outward from home, like fingers looking to grab.  Whatever else this force is, I think the idea that it is trying to devour people/puppets in some aspect is the right idea. 

Coming soon, part 2, where goo in Welcome Home specifically is explored.

[doomedandstoned]

FOSTERMOTHER Return with 3rd Full Length ‘Echo Manor’

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

As of today, there are 30 days remaining until Autumn, and you can feel a certain wistfulness that mirrors the changing moods of the season in new album, 'Echo Manor' (2024) by FOSTERMOTHER. Though it was undoubtedly composed and recorded over a more extended period of time by the Houston trio, it fits the mood of right now. This is melancholy music for melancholy times. We find ourselves in this strange, mad world and it's comforting to find a sound like this that literally echoes our despair.

That's not to say this is angsty or angry music, just that it expresses a certain kind of longing for something better, a nagging emptiness, with elements of stoic acceptance in the singing. There's a haunting surrealness to a song like "In The Garden of Lies," for example. It's as atmospheric as walking into an abandoned building that has been overtaken by nature once again. In fact, the album begins with a reference to ghosts in "Wraith." Lyrics are fittingly vague, yet touch on something authentically felt: "Everyone is nothing, lonelier than we thought."

Keyboards have always added something special to the Fostermother sound, doubling down on the emotive punch of their sound, as on "Empty One." Both vocalist/guitarist Travis Weatherred and bassist/guitarist Stephen Griffin are credited with keyboards on this album, so I imagine a lot of thought was given to creating these misty, transient sonic environments.

The sweet spot of the album for me is right at "All We Know," one of my favorite tracks of the album for its those poignant bittersweet guitar harmonies. It's pure doom on the order of those moving riffs in Trouble's "The Tempter," but disguised in the vein of heavy rock. Deep and engaging, the vibe pierces right through you and tugs on those emotional heartstrings.

It keeps getting better too, with the infectious rhythmic groove of title track "Echo Manor" which feels like a dreamstate in which we're are sedately growing apart from ourselves. "This ghostly intrusion, a haunted illusion."

"Rituals Unknown" continues the lyrical emphasis on shadows and the immaterial realm. "I feel reversed," Travis sings. "I am reversed." The twin guitar harmonies are once again quite compelling. In the days following the pandemic, we have awakened to new realities about being human and in many ways perhaps we also feel like a ghost tossed about in the ether, with nothing really real to anchor ourselves to. Fostermother seem to suggest that everything is changing, constantly changing.

"King To A Dead Tree" is like a magic blend of dark rock, gothic rock, and doom metal, and features a guitar solo from fellow Houston musician Rusty Miller of High Desert Queen.

"Carry Me" is another standout, not for anything bombastic, but for its sense of melancholy. Fostermother has a knack for finding those moments to elevate to the forefront of our consciousness, with effective writing -- sometimes just the way one word is sung (here the song builds up to a release in the chorus "nowhere to go, feeling blue.").

"Watchers" brings us back to the grungy doom glory of vintage Fostermother with a brooding, stormy feel and some explosive guitar work. Some of the harmonies produced by the guitar and bass are so deeply moving that you can feel the psychic pain so keenly, as in "Lighthouse."

Fostermother's Echo Manor is an enigma in contemporary heavy music and for that reason alone it deserves hearing. Eerie, nostalgic, and deeply felt, with appealing vocal moments and warm, blanketing harmonies that really stay you. It comes out on Ripple Music on Friday, August 23rd on vinyl, compact disc, and digital formats (get it here). Stick it on a playlist with Pallbearer, Foot, Young Hunter, and Pinky Floyd.

Give ear...

Ripple Music · Fostermother - Echo Manor

SOME BUZZ

Fostermother are back! Long acclaimed by international critics for their catchy take on doom metal, the Texan trio takes a substantial turn in their career by revealing a more multi-faceted, atmosphere-driven facet of their music on "Echo Manor."

The band made an impression within the stoner and doom scene with their massive-sounding 2020 self-titled debut, "hitting both soft and hard in all the right places, leaving oddly-comforting destruction in its wake" according to Everything Is Noise. Signed to Ripple Music in 2021, the pair released their sophomore album "The Ocean" which reached #20 on the Doom Charts Top 100 albums of 2022.

Echo Manor by Fostermother

With drummer Jason Motamedi officially rounding out the lineup, Fostermother recorded their third album "Echo Manor", pushing their sound into heavy psych territory with hints of post-rock and progressive rock. It was produced, mixed and mastered by Travis Weatherred, with artwork by Kimberly Weatherred.

Follow The Band

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[kaiba-cave]

Stephen King references his older books so often in newer ones that I have to wonder if he has like multiple assistants reading his old books to help him remember the details of them. Or if he re-reads them himself, or maybe still has really good notes about them handy.

Like the short story that I’m reading right now, the main character Vic, is the husband and father of the woman and boy in Cujo. Cujo was released in freaking 1981. It also takes place near the spot where Duma Key, another of his books, was. Duma Key came out in 2008. So this short story is simultaneously referring back to stuff from a book that’s 33 years old, and a book that’s 16 years old.

Like, I know I only write fan fic and maybe it’s different with your own original work but I wouldn’t be able to write a new story and reference old plot points of my own fics from say five years ago, let alone 33, without re-reading my own stories over and over first because there’s no way I’d just remember what I wrote before. 😂

And plus a lot of Stephen King’s early books were written while heavily under the influence of drugs and alcohol, lol. Which is another reason I’m like, no way he can just remember enough of his own stories from THAT long ago without researching them or having someone else tell him first when he includes such old details in brand new books, pfft.

I just find it so interesting and I always love it when I’m reading one of his books and suddenly I’m like WAIT that character/place/thing was in this other book of his! 😂

[stranger-chichka]

Stranger Things/IT (1990) parallels

As I was watching IT (1990) lately I realised something. I need you to recall the moment our Cali gang is driving home from Rink-o-Mania, Argyle and Jonathan are talking about the wheels and…start singing (I already analysed this scene, but my main focus was on the wheels, now I want to focus on the word "blip" and what it hints at).

Jonathan calls the incident with Angela "a little blip" and then he and Argyle start singing this word. The melody is definitely "Entry of the Gladiators" written by Julius Fucik. It is associated with circus and clowns, right? And who's the main villain in IT? Pennywise. A clown.

Before we move on, I want to add some references I found in the name of the composer.

Julius. I noticed this exact word in relation to drinks while analysing Starcourt Mall teaser. It means "youthful, downy-bearded" and my guess is that it's a reference to the OG party's DnD characters? Will draws them with beards. Fucik. In 1985 Tomas Fucik was born. He's a Czech former swimmer (we have A LOT of water references in ST), who specialized in backstroke (=piggyback reference?) and individual medley (=El's individual arc reference?) events.

So, the song. The name of this military march (= soldiers attack the Byers' house and are chasing El) is "Entry of the Gladiators." It was composed in 1897 (1+8+9+7 = 25. 2+5 = 7)

In s3 Hopper calls himself Antique Chariot, and "chariot" is a two-wheeled vehicle that was used in ancient times for racing and fighting and was pulled by a horse or horses. And this foreshadows his fight with a sword against the demogorgon.

Joyce calls herself Wheelbarrow, and "barrow" is a vehicle moved by a person from which fruit and vegetables, etc. are sold at the side of a road. This one foreshadows the Cali gang's road trip + pineapple pizza in s4.

So, the original march is called "Entrance of the Gladiators" op. 68 and adaptation - the one, that became a screamer march for circuses, often used to introduce clowns - is called "Thunder and Blazes."

Thunder. A loud rumbling or crashing noise heard after a lightning flash. Lightning comes first with the sign of light presence followed by thunder. Light = Will. He is the first to realise his feeling for Mike ("It was a 7"). And Mike = thunder. He's always late. And, of course, blazes. Downtown on fire.

A giant creature with a gaping mouth. This once again reminded me of IT. In the final battle IT transforms into a giant spider with big teeth. And who is obsessed with spiders in s4? Henry Creel.

IT (1990)

source

Now, the word "blip." A spot of light. At first, I thought it was something romantic because of how Mike always sees Will in the light, but that was until that moment in the film. Deadlights.

"The Deadlights were writhing, radiant orange lights that were a mysterious but very deadly and terrifying eldritch form of energy that originated from the preternatural dimension known as the Macroverse, also known as the Todash Darkness (=the Upside Down). They're a recurring plot element in Stephen King's works including The Dark Tower and IT. It was well known that just a mere glance into the bright lights instantly caused death or permanent insanity."

IT used these Deadlights to blind new victims, usually children, and robbed them of their conscious minds. It used this to drive his victims insane as well as leaving them both immobile and lifeless before taking them away to consume later."

Doesn't remind you of anything? Or better to say, anyone? Vecna.

I believe the blue light in Stranger Things = The Deadlights = evil while the yellow light going from Will is opposite to that - it's good.

Examples of blue light in ST:

the Upside Down is blue;

Vecna kills under the blue light;

blue light in Starcourt Mall and it's associated with 1) russians who were opening the gates into the Upside Down; 2) Vecna, because he's connected to the Upside Down; 3) Mike, because of this teaser and his probable blood connection with Henry;

Scoops Ahoy has a lot of blue everywhere. Bad things happen to Steve and Robin when they're wearing Scoops Ahoy's uniform + it's name and theme related to water and water is bad. We can see Scoops Ahoy when Billy dies. Also, they’re selling ice-cream. It’s cold. Who likes it cold? The Mind Flayer? Who controls him? Vecna. Everything in the Starcourt Mall is pointing at his presence there. Water is bad in IT as well. Bill's brother is killed by it when it's raining. Pennywise literally says that his victims “float.” Bill relives his memories of first seeing IT in the form of Georgie (his brother) in the basement of his old house, all while actually being submerged in underwater (=El & the sensory deprivation tank). IT lives in the sewers (=an artificial passage or pipe, usually underground, that carries waste and used water from sinks and toilets) and the Losers defeat it there.

Vecna chases Billy in blue light;

blue light at Rink-o-Mania & Will wearing blue outfit there;

+ the disco ball may symbolise Vecna's watching them (a reference to Snow Ball and "Every Breath You Take" song about stalking) but later we have this transition from the ball (=Vecna) to the yellow light (=Will).

We have this contrast of blue = cold = evil (He likes it cold. When it's cold I want to die. The preacher likes the cold) and yellow = warm = good. It's definitely Will.

Yes, Will is similar to Vecna in many cases, but they're so much like Harry Poter and Voldemort. Harry/Will was chosen by Voldemort/Vecna. Voldemort wanted to kill Harry but in reality, created a connection between him and Harry. This connection was both a good and bad thing. Harry could feel how Voldemort felt but Voldemort, knowing about this connection, could manipulate Harry. The same thing is with Vecna and Will. Will tells Mike in the cabin: "I can feel him. I can still remember what he thinks and how he thinks." But in s2 Vecna uses this connection for his own purposes. God, I was supposed to write a post about UT/Stranger Things parallels and ended up on Harry Potter parallels, I'm hopeless...But let's go back to IT.

IT reminds Venca so much. Let me demonstrate:

can disguise Itself as anything its victims want - or fear - to see (=Vecna showing his victims their fears);

prefers to encounter Its prey alone (=Vecna usually attacks when they're alone);

assumes a form which is the most terrifying to Its prey before revealing Its true form, and driving the poor unfortunate to madness (=the same with Vecna here);

an interesting fact: in 1985 IT changed his form into the shark from Jaws. Guess what poster we see in Will's room, very often behind Mike's back? The Jaws.

feeds on that human’s soul, the one thing that gives It sustenance (=Vecna also feeds on people's souls and becomes stronger from it);

"Silver cat feeds"

adopted a cycle (= never-ending story) of hibernating for long periods and waking approximately every 27 to 30 years (=Vecna kills his mom in 1959 and starts killing again in 1986);

telepathy (can clearly read the Losers' thoughts, and use them to its own advantage), mind control ability (has the ability to erase particular things out of a person's memory or knowledge = birthdaygate), telekinesis (these are Vecna's powers too);

Possibly IT may have an effect on the weather in Derry's region. On more than one occasion, when the Losers face It, the weather changes into a thunderstorm. Most notably at the final confrontation, which actually devastates Derry's downtown region. Also, possibly photokinesis (light manipulation).

In Stranger Things we see a thunderstorm:

in s1 on the next day Will went missing when the boys go looking for him (Mike insists on them going);

in s2 we hear thunder when Bob comes to Byers to check on Will and Mike's already there, worried as hell about him;

in s3 when Mike & Will are arguing, Mike hurts WIll's feelings but immediately rides apologising;

in s4 we also hear thunder during Mike's monologue to El, when he's ripping off the band-aid and thinking this time he definitely lost Will.

Every time Mike is devastated because he thinks he lost Will he manipulates the weather subconsciously.

Talking about photokinesis, I do believe both Vecna and Will can manipulate light. But as I wrote previously, Will's light is always bright = warm = good, and Vecna's is blue = cold = bad.

It leads to this moment in Creel's house:

Time manipulation = Vecna (maybe Mike, because he's always late); Weather manipulation = Mike (we see Alice wearing a dress with colourful umbrellas on it and Alice might be Karen); and...light manipulation = both Will & Vecna.

Also, I found some characters' parallels, so I'm adding them too.

This obvious love triangle was already mentioned by incredible @will80sbyers - El/Bill, Mike/Bev and Will/Ben.

Bev is Ben’s first friend at school, she initiates their conversation and Mike is Will’s first friend in kindergarten, who also initiates the conversation (AND they ended up together).

Bill’s brother is killed by IT and he blames himself for that. In s4 El thinks she’s the one who killed the kids in the lab (=her brothers and sisters), she also suffers from that feeling of guilt. However, it’s not their fault and they admit it in the face of evil.

Bev is the first person who volunteers to help Bill and fight against IT and Mike is the person who takes El to his home and is going to protect her from “bad people.”

Ben writes a poem for Bev, but she thinks it's from Bill at first and has a crush on him. Will paints a picture for Mike, but makes him believe El commissioned it.

I believe Max is paralleled to Audra (Bill’s wife) in s4.

She’s taken by IT and is made catatonic. The Losers Club rescue her but she’s still not there (=Max is taken by Vecna, is cursed, the party saves her but she's in a kind of coma). Bill never leaves her side and he’s the one who heals her (I didn’t include the moment of El making Max's heart beat again, because she's not awakened yet.) Also, this parallel gives so much Elmax energy that I start worrying about Lucas’s fate in the show… However, he's the one never leaving Max's side in the hospital, so I hope the Duffers won't copy everything from IT and it will be Lucas who heals Max (No hate, I like Elmax, but I just want Lucas to have a happy ending too!!!)

Dustin is paralleled to Mike in some ways.

both are bullied and threatened at school;

both are connected to the library (Mike works here Dustin goes there a lot);

both were separated from their party for some time (Mike stays at the hospital after being hurt by Henry while the Losers Club are fighting IT, and Dustin in s3 while he’s stuck with Steve, Robin & Erica).

Now, some things that are bothering me.

The first one - Silver cat.

I still have doubts about who exactly it is. It's associated both with Creels and Wheelers, because my guess is they somehow must be connected. The same in IT - it's associated both with IT (eyes like silver coins) and the Losers (silver slugs and Bill's bicycle).

I recalled the Kas theory and the existance of the artefact called the Eye of Vecna. "The only way to permanently destroy the Eye of Vecna was if both the Eye and the Hand of Vecna were attached to the same creature, and then that creature was slain by the artefact known as the Sword of Kas. Any other attempt to destroy either artefact merely transported it into a hidden vault in an unknown location." We already saw Hopper with the sword. I believe we'll see Mike with the sword in s5 considering he's paralleled to Hopper a lot and so he could be paralleled to St Michael. Also, the disco ball at Rink-o-Mania is silver and I already wrote about my thought it is the way the Duffers wanted to show us Vecna is watching our trio. Vecna's killing while Mike went to Cali ("Silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west"). Bev wounds IT with 2 silver slugs made by Ben (We know that Will's slug in s2 transformed into demodog and then demogorgon. Does that mean in s5 they will be fighting against Vecna with the party or what?) out of a silver dollar in their first battle in the chapter that is called The Bullseye. After Robin & Nancy succeeded in finding what they needed about the Creels family they call Dustin and Robin says Nancy's "shot in the dark was a bull's-eye," and in the battle against Vecna Nancy makes 5 shots (+ 2 Molotov cocktails from Steve & Robin before) and then Vecna vanishes. Together it's 7. 7 fireballs?

In the same battle Bill has performed the "Ritual of Chüd" (a psychic battle in which the two forces duelled with their wits = El is fighting Vecna through her mind) in an attempt to face IT in the Macroverse, the alternate universe where It is from = the Upside Down.

We have another Wheeler sibling who kinda helped the party. It's Holly. Her Lite Brite with a rabbit on it helps the party to communicate with those who are in the Upside Down through the lights. And what is interesting, when the 4 gates open, they start spreading, we hear the chimes and we are shown Creel's house, Eddie's trailer, Lovers Lake, the road where Fred was killed, Wheeler's house with falling photos, Holly and Karen, then again, Creel's house and the library. They showed us the places where the 4 gates were opened + Wheeler's house. Why? And Karen has her own poster in s4. Why? Because she's Creel. And her children too.

Look at these parallels between Holly and Alice. Nightmares. Both are scared because of Vecna.

Also, it's interesting that Holly has dogs on her collar. Dogs are associated with Mike ("I'm not a dog!" ) and demodogs. Dart was a demodog and I have a theory in mind that Dart may symbolise Mike being ashamed of his feelings toward Will = Holly knows about Mike's feelings toward Will. Also, she knows about the supernatural stuff (remember her noticing the lights and the monster in the wall in s1 + noticing the trees moving in s3?)

One more silver reference in IT - Bill's bicycle name is "Silver" and in the end, he takes Audra on a ride on it and during that ride she awakens. I don't have any idea what it symbolises but a bike has wheels, lol. The Wheelers will play a crucial part in healing Max or what? (actually, this resonates with @madwheelerz 's guess of Creels having the ability to reanimate).

2. The second thing and my main concern is Lucas.

I haven't written about any parallels between him and IT characters because I'm not sure who is he paralleled to. Mostly it's Richie I guess, but also Bev is the one entrusted to fire the silver slugs at IT and we know about Lucas's Slingshot Proficiency (knocking Billy briefly unconscious to save Max in s3) + his idea with fireworks in s3.

Richie:

provides emotional support for the group (= Lucas gives emotional support to Max in s1 and s4 + he's the one to give Mike advice when he starts having problems with his relationship with Eleven);

becomes a secondary leader (=s1 Lucas vibes when he's focused on finding Will) and rescues Bill (=in s1 he's the one to warn the party the dad people are coming for El) when the Ritual of Chüd goes wrong, helping Bill kill IT in the final battle;

ferociously fights IT alongside his friends and keeps Bill focused when his grief for Georgie becomes too much + keeps him stable when he thinks Audra might be dead (I believe we'll see Lucas & El bond in s5).

But this. This makes me feel worried about him. In their second and final battle against IT, Losers hit IT with their collective belief and love and childhood nostalgia. Bill fights his way inside It's body, locates It's heart and destroys it.�� But one of the main characters dies. It's Eddie. He uses his aspirator as before to seriously hurt IT in the physical world, losing his arm in the process and dying of blood loss. THIS scares me. Because look at the poster near Lucas. It says: "BE HERO GIVE BLOOD." And he's wearing blue. Blue=Vecna. There’s so much blue in that room actually. (Okay, I also remembered it was originally Mike standing near that poster but he decided to stand between El and Will, so now it’s Lucas who’s near it. God, I don’t want anyone from the party to die. PLEASE, NO. If he’s gonna sacrifice himself for Mike…I don’t even want to imagine it. Just no.)

Some parallels I've already posted you can check out here, here and here (if you made it till the end of the post...I hope somebody did though).

Wow, it took me some time to finish this post and I’m not even sure many people read it till the end, but still, I hope someone will. The Duffers really take a lot of inspiration from Stephen King’s books, especially films based on his books, and it’s so cool picking up all these parallels, I really enjoy the process and I want to believe some of us will enjoy the result!

P. S. I haven’t read “IT”, so the research is mostly based on the film and some info from Wikipedia and other sites, so if any fans of King and IT happen to read this post and have something to add or correct me, be free to leave your comments <3

[medievalproject]

Textile Time: The Coronation Mantle of Hungarian Monarchs

The Coronation Mantle. Copyright Hungarian National Museum, Budapest

Going through some old pictures, I found my picture of the incredible bronze relief of the Hungarian coronation mantle. Sculptor Rieger Tibor honored the 1000th anniversary of the coronation of King Stephen I with a recreation of the elaborately embroidered coronation mantle.

The Coronation Mantle, cast in bronze. On the exact spot where Francis I was coronated in 1792. Budapest, May 2022.

The original mantle wasn't designed for coronations. It was initially a vestment worn by a priest and made at the request of King Stephen I and his wife Gisela of Bavaria who donated it to the Church of the Virgin Mary in Székesfehérvár in 1031.

It wasn’t until the late 12th century, when due to its ornateness and connection to King Stephen I (later becoming St. Stephen in 1083) that the vestment transformed into a coronation mantle. Thereafter, it was worn by all future monarchs. The last time it was used was in 1916, by Charles IV.

A closer look at a copy of the mantle reveals iconography common at the time. We see more clearly that Christ is shown twice.

Unknown author, scanned by Szilas from A magyar Szent Korona by Tóth Endre, Szelényi Károly, Kossuth 2000, Budapest, Wikicommons, Public Domain

In the upper center, Christ treading on the beasts (a variant of Christ in Triumph), victorious over death, holding his feet on the necks of beasts- a dragon and a lion. This refers to Psalm 91:13, "Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet." aka the Devil. On either side of him sit a crew of Old Testament prophets.

By Unknown author - The Coronation Mantle, close up of Christ. Wikicommons, Public Domain

Below the upper Christ, in the center is Christ in Mandorla Majesty on the throne flanked by Apostles.

Last but not least, patrons of the mantle, Gisela of Bavaria and King Stephen I get themselves featured below the Christs.

It is possible to make out the crowns as well as the objects in hand. Gisela holds a type of tower or building. King Stephen with an orb and spear of sorts.

By Unknown author - Wikicommons, Public Domain

According to the Textile Research Centre, embroiderers used several stitch types- stem stitch, chain stitch and feather stitch. The couching technique was used to create additional details. 

Want to read more?

Textile Research Centre - Hungarian Coronation Mantle Rieger Tibor - The Coronation Mantle

[thefifthsister-notactive]

CHB '22 #20: It's The Season

Season 5

Since the early days of knowing her he'd known she loved reading. Heck, it was the reason they had met. No other officer, Detective, Captain even could have spotted the connection to his books the way that she had. He’s always been impressed with the references she could drop into conversation out of nowhere; the way he could rattle of a story a case reminded him of and she could name the book had made him appreciate her mind more and more.

Getting to watch her read, losing her to the world she held in her hands, watching the stress of the day vanish while she devoured the written word had hit him in unexpected ways and it stirred things when he wanted to interrupt and she’d keep him waiting until the end of the chapter, the end of the page, the end of the sentence. 

He’d long since gotten used to finding her in different spots, curled up with a book and relaxing. Finding her now, curled up in his office with a book he knew well from his own collection made him smile.

Salem’s Lot. One of his favourites. He stands in the doorway and watches her read for a few moments. 

“King, hey? One of my favourites. Glad it’s not Patterson.”

She peeks over the paperback at him, sips her coffee and shrugs. “It’s the season and he is kind of a big deal this time of year.”

“Yeah, I like cracking out a King or two at Halloween,” Castle nods. “Alexis usually borrows my copy of Carrie or It this time of year.” “You have a great collection. My Dad has most of his books too. When he felt I was old enough he gave Carrie to read.”

“Your Dad’s a fan?” 

“Yeah,” Kate smiled. “You two should really compare books. You’d be amazed at his collection too.”

“My mother is actually the one that got me into Stephen King,” he tells her. “She auditioned for a few movie adaptations, Carrie, Salem’s Lot,”

“Wait… Martha auditioned for Carrie?” Kate was shocked.

“Yeah, anyway, she had the books lying around, and you know me with a book that’s just laying there.”

“Just gotta nose through it,” Kate laughed.

“Yeah,” he smirked. “I read a lot. Went to the library and looked for more. Salem’s Lot is still one of my favourites. Also partial to Misery.” He joked.

“You know, with your love of horror and your ability to find the supernatural in so many cases we work, I’m kind of surprised you stuck with mystery writing and not horror.”

“Angry wiccans?” He pointed out.

“Okay, you have me there,” Kate conceded. “But that was a cover for the real murderer in the end. It wasn’t really supernatural.”

“I like the why. I like exploring what makes people tick, why they do what they do,” he explains. “You can only do that so much with horror, because it usually ends up being a curse or family legacy or some kind of otherworldly being. I want to explore more than that.”

Kate smiled, watching him, hearing him talk about writing, seriously without hiding behind his nine year old procrastinating jokes warms her heart. She’s read all his books and knowing the motivation, the inspiration behind his words makes them a little more special to her. 

“We should have a King marathon,” she suggests, watches his face light up like the nine year old she’d just compared him to mentally.

“Really?”

“Yeah, let me finish the chapter and my coffee,” she insists. “And The Shining has to be apart of it. Classic!”

“Best girlfriend ever.” He smiles, leaning down to kiss her.

“Think Martha will tell me about auditioning for Carrie? I loved that film as a teenager. Watched it with my Mom one Halloween when I was too old to trick or treat but not allowed out to parties yet.”

He smiled, thinking of that young girl. “My mother? Discuss her career? You’d better make sure to ask her when you’re not on call, she’ll be hard to stop.”

___________________ Prompt: “Book” from Screatober prompt list

[ingravinoveritas]

Not the first thing I'm thinking when Georgia has the pride flag in her vday post (bless her) being "ah, Michael :)"

(I love David's cards every year, they're so cute?)

Hi, Anons! (Grouping all these together since they're related.)

I did indeed see Georgia's Valentine's day post, and thought it was quite interesting. (It's here, for those who haven't seen it yet.) And let's get a few visuals up so we can discuss:

My first thought was that this appears to be Georgia's card to David, rather than David's card to her (which I think is what you were thinking it was, Anon #1). But we can see him holding it, and also the message on it seems more like Georgia's style than his (to me, at least). Interesting, though, that she shared both their cards last year, but only the one this time around.

I also found it curious that Georgia put the pride flag in her post, especially without any context. I know that it certainly could be because of the volatile atmosphere around gay/trans rights in the UK (particularly the horrific murder of Brianna Ghey), but Georgia posted a picture of Brianna in her Insta story yesterday, so I'm not sure the pride flag was related to that. It could also be a sign of support for Wilf...but I can't help thinking that it's somehow for David, too. Even if it's not said aloud, or specifically named, it's just...there, you know?

So I totally get you thinking of Michael, because that crossed my mind, too. I could so easily see Michael and David wishing each other a Happy Valentine's Day, and getting each other sweet little gifts. Nothing flashy or expensive, and certainly nothing "traditional" (flowers, chocolates, etc.), but something that is meaningful to them specifically. Like David getting Michael an autographed copy of his favorite Stephen King novel, or Michael getting David a pair of rainbow cufflinks or a childhood toy he'd always wanted but would never buy for himself.

(I could also see David giving Michael one of these cards:

...Or heck, either of them giving the other any one of several of these hilarious and cute Valentine's cards for same-sex couples.)

But yes...like you, Anon #2, I did notice the lack of a post from AL, and I also found it telling. It was pointed out to me by @invisibleicewands earlier that several folks spotted Michael in Cardiff today, so it does make one wonder whether he and AL were even together for V-Day. Whatever the case may be, to your point, Anon #3, I'm actually glad AL didn't comment on Georgia's post, because I'd rather no comment than some insincere, PR-laced sentiment that continues pushing the disingenuous "AL and Georgia are BFFs" narrative.

I do think AL has very much been trying to model herself after Georgia and her and Michael's relationship after GT and DT's for the last few years, but with limited (if any) success, especially given how much more attention Georgia's "other wife" posts have gotten than anything AL has ever posted. So it would not surprise me if AL was slightly jealous of or annoyed by Georgia's post (or more precisely by the fact that she had nothing to post next to it).

As for Michael dressing more like David, I assume you're referring to the ridiculous shirt Michael wore on Australian TV in December, but I'm not so sure I agree. Michael used to dress much more flamboyantly than he does now (top hats, onesies, and blue fur-lined paisley ponchos all come to mind), so if anything, I'd say Michael wearing that shirt was him dressing more like himself, rather than David. (I could definitely see David stealing that shirt from him, though.)

So, those are my thoughts on this year's Valentine's Day content. Thanks for writing in, Anons, and Happy V-Day to you all! 💗

[destielshippingnews]

Edvard's Supernatural Guide: 2x05 Simon Said

Spoilers up to SPN 5x05 Fallen Idols

Supernatural’s 27th episode is the first episode by Ben Edlund, a favourite among fans of the show for his unusual, quirky concepts, his peculiar yet usually-fantastic execution, and for being one of the biggest pushers of bi!Dean and DeanCas,

Edlund was a producer on both Firefly and for the last year and a half of Angel, making him one of several connections between Supernatural and Joss Whedon’s work. Another connection is the actor Ridge Canipe who played poco!Dean in 1x18 Something Wicked and 3x08 A Very Supernatural Christmas. He also played Doomed Teaser Child in Angel 5x14 Smile Time which was written by Ben Edlund.

Speaking of Firefly, Jensen was cast as one of the leads for the 2003 show Still Life of which only an unaired pilot was made. Starring with him was Morena Baccarin as his dead brother’s ex-girlfriend and his apparent love interest. Morena Baccarin, as I am sure you know, played Inara in Firefly and Serenity.

Quite a few fan-favourite episodes were written by Edlund, including 2x18 Hollywood Babylon, 3x03 Bad Day at Black Rock, 3x13 Ghostfacers, 4x05 Monster Movie, 4x08 Wishful Thinking, 4x16 On the Head of a Pin, 5x04 The End, and 6x20 The Man Who Would be King. However, in spite of Edlund’s reputation among the fans, his first episode of Supernatural is far from being a stand-out. It hurries the plot along, lets us conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Sam’s visions have something to do with Azazel (Yellow-Eyed Demon), and foreshadow the possible end to Dean and Sam’s story, but it does not do any of it in a way which personally entertains or interests me. Edlund’s next offering, 2x11 Nightshifter, leaves me similarly cool.

One thing which series two does better than series one is plot: more happens in series two which is relevant than in series one. The set-up for this began already in episode 2x01 In My Time of Dying, with John telling Dean he might have to kill Sam (though this is not revealed to the viewer straightaway), but the main plot of series two is the psychic children and Sam’s psychic abilities. Funnily enough, though the plot of series three is trying to free Dean from his contractual obligations with the crossroads demon, the story is actually about Sam. Even in a plotline about himself, Dean gets shunted aside in favour of Kripke’s self-insert. Anyway, not much significant has happened in relation to Sam’s psychic powers since 1x14 Nightmare, but 2x05 lights a metaphorical fire under its proverbial derrière. The episode’s story of one brother becoming a monster and the other being forced to kill him is clearly foreshadowing Dean and Sam’s story.

On the subject thereof, the show has made numerous references to Stephen King’s works, namely IT in 2x02 Everybody Loves a Clown, Pet Sematary in 2x04 Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things, and the upcoming 2x09 Croatoan and 2x11 Playthings make reference to The Shining. I am far from an expert on Stephen King, having read only about 20-25 of his books, but even after reading only that I can see parallels with the story of the psychic children. Allow me to explain:

Stephen King’s novels take place in a multiverse very much like Supernatural, and many themes, references, and places link the novels together. The axis mundi of the Kingverse is The Dark Tower series of novels, a story inspired in large part by The Lord of the Rings but which is drastically different and does its own thing completely (Dean would love it: cowboy iconography everywhere! In fact, I can see Dean having quite the soft spot for Roland…).

The dark tower in question is the axis mundi of the multiverse, the pin keeping everything in place. Beams of power are emitted from the tower, each one named after an animal such as the bear or the turtle (whom readers of IT might recognise). These twelve beams transverse time, space, and different universes, holding everything in place. However, the Crimson King wants to destroy the multiverse completely, just because he likes destroying things, and his plan to topple the dark tower might sound familiar to Supernatural viewers.

Psychic children play a significant role in Stephen King’s novels, such as Carrie, The Shining, Doctor Sleep, Firestarter, and The Institute. Part of the Crimson King’s plan is to gather as many of these children together as possible into an institution and harness their psychic power to attack each beam until they fail and the worlds begin to die. By the time the story begins, many of the beams have already been destroyed, and it is a race against time for Roland and his ka-tet to get to the dark tower and save the multiverse.

It is no secret that Eric Kripke is a big fan of Neil Gaiman, especially American Gods and The Sandman, but he also appears to be quite the Stephen King fan, and this is apparent in the psychic kids storyline. Sam’s story is not a copy of King’s psychic children, but it is similar enough to warrant comparison and for there to likely have been inspiration taken from King.

Returning to the episode, the story begins with a middle-aged doctor taking a phone call, then shooting a man in a hardware shop somewhere in small-town Oklahoma before turning the rifle on himself. It turns out that this is a vision Sam is having, and Sam uses the name of the bus line he saw in his premonition to locate the town. This leads them to a case involving not one but two psychics and a lot of incestuous subtext.

And no, Winc*sties, I am not referring to Dean and Sam, but Weber and Andy, or specifically, Weber. From the beginning of the episode, there is something off about him, something strongly reminiscent of Warren, Jonathan, and Andrew in Buffy, or even Ed and Harry. They are utterly incompetent at social interaction and try their hardest to cover it up with something which is clearly an act adopted from television shows and rap/hip hop music. Far be it from me to judge somebody for trying to fill in a missing part of their personality, but the result is that Weber comes across as trying too hard.

As hinted at, this suggests either a ‘sheltered’ childhood which denied him the opportunity to learn how to socialise, a neurodivergence such as autism , or quite probably a mix of both. Some people might be tempted to use the demon blood to explain his mental instability, but Weber’s desperation to fill a gaping void with his brother (not a pun), his resentment and murder of those responsible for his adoption, and the fact he appears to be a serial rapist and killer of women strongly implies abuse at the hands of his mother.

A slight sidetrack to Jensen’s new show, Big Sky. The first series and a half revolved around a human trafficking ring, and one of the main antagonists was Ronald. In the scene he was introduced, his mother was shaming him for not being as successful as her friends’ children and treating him like an eight year old. This very scene set alarm bells ringing in my head, and I was right. It turns out Ronald kidnapped women and trafficked them into prostitution in Canada. The ultimate cause of this was his mother’s mistreatment of him as both a child and an adult, involving perverted intrusions into his sex life (reminiscent of Francis Dolarhyde in Manhunter (see 1x06 Skin), and ‘allowing’ or encouraging him to sleep in her bed with her. This last could possibly have been as a ‘replacement’ for the husband whom she killed when Ronald was a boy. That puts me in mind of the role poco!Dean had to take on as almost an ersatz wife and life partner for John as discussed in 2x01 In My Time of Dying.

She was clearly a Jocasta of the highest order, and while Ronald was responsible for ruining the lives of countless women and girls, his mother was responsible for making him the kind of person who would do that.

Returning to Weber, he serves another purpose in this episode as being an insight into Sam’s possible future. Whatever happened to him at his adoptive home, it seems the awakening of his psychic abilities was a catalyst to a change in behaviour for Weber, allowing the monster loose. Sam is scared that this will happen to him as his powers develop.

However, Weber is relatively insignificant in the overall story of the show, serving to showcase a possibility and reveal Sam’s fears. Whilst I can have sympathy for whatever must have happened to him, and whilst the demon blood might have been responsible for the monster he became, he was indeed a monster and got what was coming to him. At least the manner of Weber’s death would have pleased him had he been alive long enough to appreciate it: getting blasted from behind by his brother.

Sam is terrified in this episode because he is seeing one of his possible futures. Dean tries to reassure him, but to anybody with ears, Dean’s protestations that Sam ‘doesn’t have it in him to be a monster’ sound like desperate denial: he knows what Sam might become, but does not want to accept it.

Dean is trying to be supportive of Sam, and even gets hostile with Ellen at the end of the episode as an attempt to keep Sam's psychic abilities secret from other hunters. But there is something about Sam’s behaviour in this episode as well as the way he generally talks about himself from 1x14 Nightmare onwards which suggests fatalism and even self-destructive tendencies. In 5x05 False Idols, Sam will go on to blame Dean’s ‘controlling nature’ for driving him to Ruby, but this is an attempt to absolve himself of responsibility and ignore a deeper issue. Dean tries his hardest to support Sam as a brother and friend, but Sam does not let him get through. That is Sam’s problem and Sam’s responsibility.

Further to the subject of Sam (usually I discuss Dean at length like this, but this is mostly a Sam episode), I mentioned a few analyses ago (1x19, perhaps?) that he has many traits of bipolar disorder, or manic depression. He certainly views himself as scum of the Earth sometimes, but he also has what could be the ‘manic’ aspect on display in this episode. That is his refusal to even entertain the notion he could be wrong about Andy because Sam just knows so much better, and he certainly knows better than Dean (like with the patch of dead grass in a graveyard in 2x04 Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things).

Of course, there are other factors at play, such as Sam’s dislike of Dean and his apparent need for sureties such as Andy being the killer and even the surety that he will become a monster. Sam’s touchiness at being referred to as a ‘freak’, for example, indicates he is already struggling with this view of himself and feels Dean’s use of the word is ‘confirmation’ of his insecurities.

Another part of him on display in this episode is his hope that saving people will stop him going bad. Sam has seen people die before, but he was especially broken up after the doctor he thought he had saved from shooting himself with the rifle got the Regina George treatment.

Another part of him on display in this episode is his hope that saving people will stop him going bad. Sam has seen people die before, but he was especially broken up after the doctor he thought he had saved from shooting himself with the rifle got the Regina George treatment. Other than the fact that watching somebody get run over right in front of you is the opposite of fun, his inability to save the doctor perhaps confirmed to Sam that he cannot save people, and if he cannot save them, he cannot save himself.

Returning to the very beginning of the episode, the music over the recap reminded me that the show once had a real vibe about it, something lost somewhere around series four. It reminded me a lot of The X-Files in that there was something very early 1990s genre show about it, as well as the fact I am sure there is an episode of The X-Files filmed in the same location.

A bit of a culture shock is how easy it is to acquire firearms in America. In Britain, it is possible to go into certain shops to acquire hunting knives, Swiss Army Knives, and similar things, but as far as I am aware guns are not available to the general public. Things are different here in Finland, where primary school children are allowed access to sharp hunting knives (under teacher supervision) whilst preparing food outdoors, gunshots can be heard frequently during hunting season, and where pistols are available to buy in some outdoor and sports shops as well as a specialist weapon shop or two (although licenses and permits are required).

We meet Jo, Ellen, and Ash again in this episode. Jo is, as always, being Bad Ass, by which I mean adults act stupid around her to make her look good. Of course, some middle aged men would act silly around a pretty young woman like Jo, but given how easily and she ‘beat’ Dean (who conveniently did not fight back because men shouldn’t hit women) in 2x02 Everybody Loves a Clown, she comes across as an attempt to write a Bad Ass Chick. If I can call out the fact that almost all the baddies on Big Sky are men and almost all the victims are women and girls, I can call out Jo as a bit of a Mary Sue, surely.

A female sometimes being better than a male at ‘man things’ is not the issue, nor is a tiny female being able to best a large male at physical combat an issue. It makes complete sense, for example, that Mary in The Winchesters is able to go hand-to-hand with the demon in 1x01 Pilot because she had been groomed her whole life to do just that, in the same way Dean had. My younger sister plays more video games than I do, but whereas I am quite content with Pokémon, Dragon Quest, Monster Hunter, and Spyro the Dragon, she likes more ‘serious’ games such as Fallout, Halo, and Assassin’s Creed and is much better at them than I am. My third sister was in army cadets for about five or six years and could have joined the actual army as a lieutenant (I think) whilst I had the hand-eye coördination of a thing which has no hands or eyes and barely passed my tae kwon do and kickboxing gradings.

Dean also seems to have the same general opinion of Jo as I do: that she is a little girl trying too hard to act like a woman. She clearly wants to enjoy physical intimacy with Dean, but he is not into it at all. This is something acknowledged later in the show, and in Jo’s defence she does grow up a bit later in the show, though I do not understand people who think Dean should have ‘ended up with her’.

Dean and Ash’s ‘relationship’ could have benefited from further exploration. In fact, something which would have vastly improved series two would have been for Ash to take on a more prominent role and to coördinate Dean and Sam’s hunts whilst searching for more psychic children. The Roadhouse could even have functioned as a safehouse for psychic children, but the Harvelles were only introduced because the executives wanted Dean and Sam to have a base of operations and Kripke used them as little as possible.

That said, there are people who saw more between Dean and Ash than a working relationship, and it did not come out of nowhere. Other than the fact that Ash completely ignores Sam when Sam knocks on the door at the beginning of the episode, but opens the door immediately naked when Dean calls for him...

Dean recognises Ash’s burnt remains by his watch in 2x21 All Hell Breaks Loose Part I. Unless I am mistaken, Ash’s watch was new then, meaning Dean had seen him off-screen enough times to get familiar with the timepiece.

Further to the discussion of Dean, his disgust as Jo puts REO Speedwagon on the jukebox is gold.

However, nobody likes music snobbery. John enforced conformity on Dean through control and shame, but Dean is unfortunately passing some of that on without realising. He does the same with Sam’s hair: Sam’s hair does eventually get utterly ridiculous, especially with the mutton chops in series seven, but men are allowed to do whatever they want with their hair.

I have not had my hair cut for about thirteen years and one thing I learnt pretty fast is that people – men AND women – are very fond of telling men what we can and cannot do with our hair. One of the reasons I refused to cave to people’s comments, jokes, and attempts at shame was because I wanted to flip them the metaphorical bird. While I agree with Dean that Sam’s hair is ridiculous, it is not because Sam is a man with long hair; it is because it is a bad hairstyle. A ponytail or braid would have been great, but that has the downside of it being a handhold for opponents in combat. A topknot would have been cool, though.

This behaviour from Dean should have been something the show seriously addressed as it is second-hand abuse. When Dean mocks Sam for something, it is John speaking through Dean. Dean is far from stupid, but Sam has more education and should be able to call this kind of thing out for what it is. Imagine the scene:

Dean: You gonna get rid of your female hair anytime? It’s staring at me.

Sam: [frowns] You gonna stop passing off Dad’s abuse of you onto me anytime soon, Deano?

Dean: [stares speechless for five seconds] ...I believe I’ve made a mistake.

Sam: Thank Dad’s paramilitaristic parenting for that. And besides, female hair? Two words: Classic. Rock.

There could have been growth, healing, recovery, becoming better brothers, friends, and a better team instead of spending the next fourteen years with Sam as narcissistic abuser and Dean occasionally taking potshots. Alas, some writers and loads of fans seemed to like their narcissistic-co-dependent Chinese finger trap and refused to free them from it.

Anyway, Dean’s ‘disgust’ is perhaps not quite as genuine as one might think, given that he sings the same song in the car afterwards.

...And Sam, once again, refuses to let Dean have his fun. He also neglected to explain to Ellen that Dean's hostility and rudeness to her was on Sam's account. Yes, Dean 'chose' to behave like that, but he did it for Sam who, once again, let Dean take it. Not very 'heroic protagonist' behaviour.

Thus concludeth my analysis of this episode.

[saschaederer]

- “(Several objects having been sticky) Icky”

- “Dick”

- “Simon Benz”

- “Threat” (initial reference to an image of a black cat behind me, shortly before I found that there’s garlic missing)

- “Joshua Weissmann” - “Burger” - Image of a smiley face projected unto a hinge - “loose” - “Taylor swift” - “bad joke” - “pussy”

- Artificial dream where I was in the hallway of the cellar of my apartments complex, suddenly there being a gestalt behind me, seemingly an elderly woman (reminiscent of the late queen) with a large, round hat and a small bird pertaining to a ‘peacock’ (initial reference to ‘peacocking’, mentioned in a JP video about more or less psychopathic dating advisors) holding a cellar door open and standing next to it, looking vantablack from top to bottom (like a shadow) (initial reference to a Delta alter). I asked “Who are you?” and woke up as I said „Show yourselves!“

- Artificial dream of me walking into a Burger King somewhat, seeing Simon Benz and telling myself that if he’s here, my brother has gotta be not too far away either, then spotting him by his side and telling them what I just thought. Me going up to the counter and choosing burgers for myself and somehow having trouble choosing between a whopper, the seasonal ‘big fat double cheese’ and what i want to have on the side, salad or fries, since I was already full

- Artificial dream of seeing Lisa (from the theatre I played in, in the past) on stage, dancing, and thinking that acting is actually quite similar to that and that’s why she must’ve overtook me back then, it’s a matter where you go by feeling and not think too hard about - her going off stage and talking to girls who talk to each other about how they’ve been loving their job, making a lot of money disseminating porn, only thing which is icky about it is how they have to collect the wank tissues from the guys too

- „Kastration“ (German: castration, initial reference to („my penis“) me)

- This https://imgur.com/a/36QoaEa displayed on my iPhone lockscreen (initial reference to a hypothetical girl of that age who’s been acting similar to me) - „my dream“ - „a dream of mine“ - „makes sense“ - „Julian Sens“ - „(„initial reference to“) rape“

- „Lea Pollert“ - „Die ich hübsch fand“ (German: Who I found pretty)

- „Denise Oppitz“

- „Alina Calavera“

- „Melisa Lerose“

- „KarissaEats“ (YouTuber)

- „Mikhaila (Peterson)“

- „Die ich hübsch fand“ (German: Who I found pretty, initial reference to the women above) - „Pertain“ - „Rape“

- „Kamala“ - „Harris“

- „Putin“ - „Shmuck“

- „Bitchan“ (Japanese nickname my mother has given me) „trauma“ - „naked“ - „mami“

- „(Stephen King’s) It“ - „(„initial reference to the“) system“

- „Gabriela Eimer“ - „(„Nicht“) hässlich“ (German: (Not) ugly)

- A muslim girl wearing a hijab looking at my crotch (insinuating a threat)

- „Gemma“ (initial reference to a girl from King William‘s college)

- The chorus of ‚Taylor Swift - Fortnight‘ playing in my head (initial reference to Marika Hashimoto) - „Touch, touch, touch you“ (initial reference to me)

- „Clara (Reelbach)“ - „Schaf“ (German: sheep) - „Mett„ (German: mince) - „Mettenheimer“

- Sounds alluding to electroshocks

- „Eggs (initial reference to my testicles) / ex (Denise Oppitz)“ - „buns“ - „meat“

- „Spam“ - „Spammy“

- „Jayztwocents“

- „Kai (Ederer)“

- „The system“ - „I will never betray you („Atreyu“) - „Joke“

- Sound of a blob (initial reference to acoustic resonance pertaining to a mass of people)

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REPORTS

- Somehow having apparently gained two to three kilos over the last month or so , although I had already reduced my meals to one and a half a day with only little breakfast, forcing me to do intermittent fasting going forward

- The artificial thoughts / vocalizations ‘closing in on me‘ in vicinity and intensity (“Tinkerbell”)

- New attempts at creating Reddit profiles failing over and over again by getting shadowbanned

- A mechanic in the game ’Hearthstone’, functioning in a manner which it never should

- Highly conflicting information on the internet, whether superglue is water-resistant or not

______________________________________________

PLEASE READ

How I handle threats I receive (Last Update: 14. 9. 2024):