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danwhobrowses · 1 year ago

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One Piece Chapter 1099 - Initial Thoughts

And we're back

After a week break it's time to see if One Piece will take the lead in emotionally devastating me for this week, given how other things are leaving me on 3 week breaks of ship-based anxiety, not that you could tell of course I've kept it sooooo well-hidden

Anyways, it's time for more One Piece and so, more Kuma backstory, let's see where we go from here

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Release also

Oden cover this time, Tanukis are giving him a makeover

We pick up where we left off two weeks ago, King Becori has returned and has been burning down the south

Kuma though is fighting through the fire to save people

Becori got the idea from the Goa Kingdom fire, figures

The people though are a lot more resistant to the act than the Goa Nobles were, so Becori orders a few to be killed to silence the mob

Kuma is here and he is fucking pissed

The church is being used as a shelter, as Bonney worries for her dad

Despite Becori's threats, Kuma lays out the entire castle, the One Man Revolution of Sorbet

News travels to Marejois about a new king in Sorbet, as Saturn learns that the people voted Kuma to rule

Kuma though says he's just a figurehead, since a previous king, Bulldog, is actually running the country

A much more adult looking Bonney is running laps in the church though, surprising everyone in how much she looks like Ginny

Seems she somehow ate a Devil Fruit, but also wasn't aware of it, since her aging up was unintentional and she was just trying to up her stamina

As the others try to see how much control Bonney has over the fruit, King Bulldog arrives at the church

Hey it's that old version of Bonney she used in the Reverie, but also Bonney here...

Turns out Queen Dowager Conney was an actual person, explains some things at least in how she made it to the Reverie in that disguise

Kuma yelling at Conney at the back thinking it's Bonney XD

Conney is Bulldog's mother, and Bulldog as Kuma's advisor has come with news

Becori's still about, running a smear campaign on Kuma, thus the moniker of 'The Tyrant'

The propaganda means he's still backed by the World Government, and thus it's only a matter of time until they come back to finish the job

Wanting to protect Sorbet, Kuma leaves it in Bulldog's hands, and goes out to confront Becori again at sea, this also means Bulldog and Conney will take care of Bonney in the meantime

'But I'll be so lonely' welp that's another knife in my riddled heart right now

Alas, Kuma does confront Becori, sitting pretty on a Navy ship and accusing Kuma of usurping him and being a corrupt dictator

Kuma sunk the armada, which got him a bounty (Carrot meanwhile sinks a bunch of Yonko ships and doesn't even get one bounty...yes I'm still sore about it the anime did not help validate her conclusion in Wano)

'He was a hero' 'I don't care, he was my dad first' - Oda please my heart doesn't have room for all these knives

Bonney also wants to be a pirate when she's 10 and cured

Kuma journeys out for info on Sapphire Scales, traveling to all the places he sent the Straw Hats to

He first goes to Chopper's island, since they had vast medical information

Then to Mihawk's island, doesn't look too occupied back then

Oh hey it's those Grand Fleet guys, Jeet and Abdullah

The bounty hunters of course fail in trying to claim Kuma, this was very pre-Dressrosa

Vegapunk's old home is next but they don't have answers

Tequila Wolf is sailed past again (Kuma and Oden have now sailed past it), I don't know what the next one is but it looked like Kuma helped it out, maybe it was Brook's island?

Then Weatheria (Nami's island) and the Boin Archipelago (Usopp's island) with Heracles'n

The stress is creeping up on Kuma though, dead ends and Bonney's 10th birthday is getting closer

Now that's a draconic ship there

The Revolutionaries have found Kuma, Morley has joined and Betty is still looking way different to how she does now

Dragon has a drink with his old Comrade, Ivankov and Inazuma are in Impel Down at this point, but despite all the news around Kuma he doesn't listen to media

Betty also gets Kuma's blessing to lead the Eastern Forces, since Dragon wouldn't allow anyone to take Ginny's position without it

Sabo and Koala also wanted to see Kuma, if only Dragon showed this much pride in his biological child

But he does give Kuma some intel, Vegapunk is moving labs and security is lax, good time for an audience

I think the move is implied to be the Punk Hazard incident too

Kuma is more than willing to rejoin the Revolutionaries once Bonney is cured, and Dragon is more than willing to welcome him back

Back at Sorbet, Bonney is learning how to fight, the scales are still spreading slowly though

Kuma takes Bonney to Navy Science Division Lab 08, which will later be where Egghead Island is, telling her it's a check-up

Got a little box for her like Nezuko

Everyone's surprised about how weird looking the other is

Vegapunk CAN cure Bonney, so clone theory might be done now

Bonney is playing with Sentomaru at this moment so she's not privy to the conversation

Stem Cell Treatment will be the method, real life solutions being thrown in there

The price is exorbitant though, equivalent to building a cyborg

Vegapunk also learns that Kuma's a buccaneer, even though his association with the WG would make that dangerous information

Vegapunk can't explain why Buccaneer blood is special, but he'd like more of it to clone him

Kuma is of course concerned about the idea of clone soldiers, but with Vegapunk using it as a form of payment he's more than willing to do it

Vegapunk hoped at least that the clone army's ability to deflect bullets and shoot lasers would scare evil pirates into submission, having watched Oppenheimer I think the sentiment is meant to be similar

But Kuma does like the idea of robots bearing his likeness protecting the innocent

Saturn meanwhile though has other intentions for them 'a weapon's worth is defined by how many it kills'

The bots are named Pacifista after Kuma's proclaiming himself a pacifist, two men looking to do some good without the hindsight of what damage they will wrought

This was a steady chapter really, could've been a lot more devastating for sure.

We've slowly built up again to all the stuff leading to Kuma's affiliation with Vegapunk, as well as his brief run as a pirate. Much like Corazon it seems most of his travels were fuelled by trying to find a cure for Bonney. A lot of blasts from the pasts this chapter too, though I suppose it makes sense that Kuma visited the places he sent the Straw Hats to, given how them being sent there was tailored for their skills or what they needed to improve on.

The Bonney Clone theory is likely dead, but I still can't put it past Oda to pull the rug, especially for Chapter 1100 - Oda and round numbers after all.

But yeah, it seems a brief alleviation for the moment, before it likely goes to hell again...

#one piece #one piece spoilers #op spoilers #egghead island arc #future island arc #bartholomew kuma #jewelry bonney #dr vegapunk #revolutionary army #monkey d. dragon #belo betty #pacifista #sentomaru one piece #saint jay garcia saturn

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chesblob · 1 year ago

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WARNING THIS IS A RANT ❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️

my opinions on every total drama reboot character yippeeee

these are js my opinions, im rewatching it rn so i can analyze the characters better

rajie ? best boy. BEST. BOY. MY FAVORITE BOY ON THE ISLAND. HE IS AMAZING. HE WAS ROBBED.

wayner : also a best boy , BEST ALLYYYY WE STAN HIM BEING SO SUPPORTIVE OF RAJIE

if chris ever tries to separate rajie n wayner im OFFING MYSELFF THEYRE SO WHOLESOME TOGETHER PLEASE FRESH DONT DO ANYTHING TO THEM

bowie : an actual slay queen. prom king AND queen. he shouldve won tbh i would pay sm money thag i dont have rn to see that

zee : yes. he acts high but lowkey hes cool and js overall a good character with cool development, js a likable guy

julia : ooh GIRL. SHE HAS BEEEEFFFF WITH THAT DINOSAUR. when me and my boyfriend watched the season for the first time on a teams call , the dino scene came up and we laughed for an hour straight about it 😭😭 shes iconic. “ crystals are real. prayer hands emoji.”

priya : tbh , i could tell she was gonna win from the first episode. it was really obvious tbh and i feel like the plot wouldve been better if bowie won? her characters cute tho fsfs

emma : girly ate those lil dancey dances UP. her friendship with bowie was so good. and also her mocking mk was so yes “i thought it was haalff 😖”

ripper : HE TOOTS. HE FLASHES. HE THINKS HES A GYM BRO. POOKIE I HATE HIM IDK

caleb ( HELP I ACCIDENTALLY PUT JUSTIN INSTEAD OF CALEB LMAO) : i wish wish wish he wasn’t eliminated first. he had no character development other than being a token hot guy, he had MAYBE 3 lines in the entire first episode before he got ELIMINATED

nichelle : she ate everything up , but what if shes js jerry in a wig. im paranoid.

chase : ehhhhh ew ngl cos he drove emmas car into a pet store and now shes pressed

mk : i feel like she couldve been cool if she had more development, i feel like she was kinda a wasted side character ://

millie : i have beef with millie for no reason. 😭i js hate her and she pretends to be loyal but girly was so terrible

damien : not bad tbh ! hes nice too so yk

scary girl / lauren : she’s interesting defooo!! im sad that she didnt get that much screentime this season , and im so pissed that shes getting voted off first next season. ALSO THE THEORIES THAT SHES DAWN IN DISGUSE SHDHDNDN 😋😋 ID BE SO HAPPY IF THEY WERE TRUE

axel : wanted to see more of a personality from her, for now shes known to me as a saner version of jo or eva 🥲

chris : NO BFO YOUR VOICE ABSOLUTELY SUCKS BOOTYHOLE TFFFF

chef : consistent since 2009, biotches

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astoundingbeyondbelief · 2 years ago

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Kaiju Week in Review (December 11-17, 2022)

After the success of last year's Pacific Rim Ultimate Omnibus, Legendary Comics has launched a Kickstarter for a MonsterVerse Omnibus collecting Godzilla: Awakening, Skull Island: The Birth of Kong, Godzilla: Aftershock, Godzilla Dominion, and Kingdom Kong. It blasted past its funding goal on the first day. The Omnibus will eventually make it to retail, but naturally the Kickstarter rewards include some exclusives, like a slipcase and a different cover, as well as higher-tier bonuses like enamel pins and the ability to get drawn into the comics.

The biggest draw if you've already bought the five comics above is the debut of "Call to Action", written by Brian Buccellato and illustrated by Zid. Logline: "[S]et during the events of Godzilla vs. Kong, a Naval fighter pilot with a personal attachment to Godzilla is put to the test when his squadron is called upon to intercept the King of the Monsters." Well, I'm a sucker for mining drama out of incredibly minor characters, and Zid's the best artist these MonsterVerse comics have seen. If access to that story's all you care about, consider the $15 tier, which nets you a PDF of the Omnibus. K-D-M, who's proven to be a reliable source, is also saying that a number of the minor Titans (Na Kika, Amhuluk, Tiamat, and perhaps others) will receive Monarch bios as well. Those have been delightful sources of lore in the past.

Speaking of comics, @mekagojira3k published the first issue of his self-adaptation of All Your Ruins on WebToon. Read it immediately, it's gnarly as shit! There's a kaiju with crosses on its back taunting a mysterious masked figure and what I'm choosing to interpret as a nod to the Age of Giant Condor!

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I couldn't wait for the Week in Review to post about this, but it merits repeating: The Asylum is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a Destroy All Monsters-style epic called 2025 Armageddon. (Insert scare quotes around "epic" if you wish.) Most exciting to me is the return of Mega Shark, whose series inexplicably ended in 2015 just as it and the Kaiju Renaissance were finding their stride. It's also playing in five fairly random theaters across the country until the 22nd (sorry, should've gotten this post out faster). The rest of us will have to hold off until the VOD release on the 23rd.

After it placed second in the last two Movie Monster Series fan polls, Bandai has thrown up its hands and given Super Mechagodzilla a vinyl, just in time for the 30th anniversary of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II next year. January 31st is the release date for that one. They also announced a third poll, this time allowing fan submissions to determine the 10 nominees instead of making the shortlist in a smoke-filled room themselves. Yes, that means Zilla, Bagan, and the Giant Condor are theoretically on the table (but no Godzilla incarnations allowed). All's you need is a Godzilla Store account to nominate a kaiju and eventually vote.

Finally, for you Dagahra fans out there, his first figure in ages is coming soon from the Kaiju Out of the Laws line. Shame those are so expensive.

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Here's the teaser for the Kaiju No. 8 anime—and yes, it's going to be part of the Toho kaiju canon. I got caught up with the manga earlier this year and found it pretty enjoyable. An older protagonist is unusual for this type of story, and I like how he's constantly drawing on his experience cleaning up kajiu corpses after taking on the more glamorous work of fighting them. You also gotta admire the boldness of calling a metamorphosing character Kafka.

SciFi Japan has a first look at a film due next year called Kaiju: Island of Fire. The production company is based in Japan, but there's a lot of Hollywood talent in this one, including writer/director Andrew L. Phillips, who has a background in stunt acting. Inspired by 3Y Films, they've also brought back some veteran kaiju actors: Kent Gilbert (the swishy ship commander in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah), Chuck Wilson (the Futurian Wilson in same), Inge Murata (every Japanese kaiju movie that's needed a German since Monster X Strikes Back), and Tomoko Ai (Katsura Mafune in Terror of Mechagodzilla). No story details yet, although you can probably guess the setting. I like the suit design of what is presumably the anti-kaiju team too, at least from the back.

#godzilla #king kong #monsterverse omnibus #call to action #all your ruins #2025 armageddon #mechagodzilla #bandai #kaiju no. 8 #kaiju island of fire #kaiju #comics #toys #the asylum

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mariacallous · 10 months ago

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Much of India came to a standstill on Jan. 22, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi consecrated a temple in the northern city of Ayodhya commemorating Rama, a warrior-king worshipped by Hindus as a god. Schools, colleges, and offices closed and central government offices gave a half-day off to all employees. Some expectant parents even cajoled obstetricians to schedule cesarean sections on the day so that their children are born at the auspicious moment coinciding with the temple’s opening.

Such a public display of religiosity by the Indian government and its leadership may seem peculiar, particularly to those who cherish secularism. But India moved away from the state’s traditional interpretation of secularism a decade ago, when Modi led the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power. With the next national elections only a few months away, Modi has choreographed the Ram temple consecration to consolidate his Hindu vote (about 80 percent of the country’s population is Hindu). The political intent is clear: Cutouts of Modi grace lampposts on the airport road in Ayodhya, with similar images of Rama added almost as an afterthought. In an audio message on social media this month, Modi said, “God has made me an instrument to represent all the people of India.”

The ongoing construction of Ram Mandir is very controversial in India. From the early 16th century until 1992, a mosque known as Babri Masjid stood on the site—built during the time of the emperor Babur, the first Mughal to rule India. Many Hindus say that Babur destroyed a temple honoring Rama that previously stood on the land, which they believe is Rama’s birthplace. In the 1980s, Hindu activists began a movement to reclaim the site and build a temple there. In December 1992, they razed the mosque, an act that shocked the nation.

But in the past two decades, India has changed, and Hindus clamored for the land to be restored to them. In 2019, the Indian Supreme Court ruled that although the initial act of demolition was illegal, it would offer the site to a Hindu trust to build a temple and grant land elsewhere to a Muslim trust to rebuild a mosque. Although the construction of the Ram Mandir is not yet complete, Modi needs the imagery for his election campaign, and so the consecration will go ahead. Some opposition parties, including the Indian National Congress and the Communist Party of India, did not send their top leadership to the ceremony; however, some Congress leaders were divided over the boycott and at least two attended.

Rama, for many Hindus, is maryada purushottam—the ideal human being who sacrifices himself for others. His is the kind of life to which lesser mortals should aspire; his heroism is based not simply on battlecraft, but upon his ability to put others’ interests before his own. In the Sanskrit epic Ramayana, Rama is the prince of Ayodhya who is about to become king when one of his father’s wives demands that Rama go into exile, and the succession passes to her son instead. Rama leaves with his wife, Sita, and brother Lakshmana. The king of Lanka, Ravana, abducts Sita, and Rama mobilizes an army of monkeys to invade the island fortress, defeating Ravana and rescuing Sita. After 14 years, Rama finally rules Ayodhya, leading to a golden age.

The BJP sees the construction of the Ram Mandir temple as evidence of its single-minded determination, no matter how long it takes. Formed in 1980 by some members of the former Janata Party, the BJP initially struggled electorally. It briefly held power in the 1990s and led a coalition government between 1999 and 2004. In 2014, Modi projected himself as committed to development and boosted the BJP’s vote share to win a majority of seats in parliament with 31 percent of the national vote; five years later, the party increased its tally to 303 seats out of 542, winning 37 percent of the vote. The temple project follows other promises kept by Modi’s government: revoking the special autonomous status of Indian-administered Kashmir and introducing a citizenship act that created a pathway to Indian citizenship for asylum-seekers from neighboring countries but excluded Muslims. Modi has shown that he is the man who gets things done.

The BJP capitalized on three major changes that occurred in India in the 1980s to build its identity and increase its vote share. First, many Indians bristled at how India practiced secularism, perceiving the government as granting special favors to religious communities, such as subsidies for Muslims to perform the Hajj and curriculum exemptions for faith-based schools. Second, Indians were tired of living in an economy beset by sluggish growth and shoddy products due to socialist policies that restricted foreign investment and trade. (That changed in 1991, when the Congress government deregulated the economy.)

Finally, India was a leader in the Non-Aligned Movement, but the appeal of nonalignment was fading with the decline of Soviet influence and the eventual disintegration of the Soviet Union. The Congress party ruled India for most of its first 49 years post-independence, and it was instrumental in developing India’s secularism, socialism, and nonalignment. The BJP took advantage of public disenchantment and stepped into the void, promising “equality for all, appeasement to none,” to promote a market-based economy, and to reset its foreign policy, often aligning with Western interests. (Still, the BJP pursues strategic autonomy in many respects, such as its continuing trade ties with Russia despite Western sanctions.)

Most politicians have the next election on their mind; Modi and the BJP leadership have the next generation in mind. After all, more than 40 percent of Indians have no living memory of the Babri Masjid mosque. Even in the early years, the party began influencing India’s younger generations in the states where it came to power first, changing textbooks and rewriting history to downplay the roles of Mahatma Gandhi and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (and his family members who later came to power) and project alternative heroes who were more militant and outwardly Hindu. By promoting Rama as the warrior-king who ruled over an ideal state, the BJP aims to create a constituency of voters who see their identity primarily in religious terms and equate the Hindu faith with the nation of India.

To the BJP’s core voters—the hardwired Hindu nationalists—the party has promised to restore Hindu glories, embodied by the Ram Mandir temple. The events in Ayodhya have set a precedent: Some party activists want to transform more mosques (and, in some instances, churches), claiming they were also built where Hindu temples once stood. The triumphalism around the temple construction is so vicious that not only is it the opposition leaders boycotting the event who are facing criticism, but also four seers of the Hindu faith who have raised a range of objections—including the choice of Modi to perform the ceremony, which they say should be presided over by a priest.

The Hindu nationalist movement’s elevation of Rama over other Hindu deities is also strange. Hinduism is polytheistic, and its literature does not rest on one book. Many interpretations are liberal, and some contradict each other: Skepticism and atheism are also part of certain strands of Hinduism. In the late 1980s, I interviewed Morarji Desai, who had served as India’s prime minister representing the Janata Party. I asked him what he thought of the movement to build the Ram temple on the site of Babri Masjid, and he suggested that the BJP’s ultimate goal was to undermine Hinduism’s pluralism and turn it into a faith with one book (the Ramayana), one place of worship (Ayodhya), and one god (Rama). The slogan now reverberating through Ayodhya and much of India is Jai Shri Ram, or “Victory to Lord Rama.”

Rama is an exceptionally interesting and nuanced literary figure and well-loved outside of India, especially in Southeast Asia. But many Indians do not take kindly to works that present Rama in a different light, such as the late poet A.K. Ramanujan’s celebrated essay, “Three Hundred Ramayanas,” which shows how the epic’s characters appear in different forms and offer different interpretations in India and beyond. Nina Paley’s charming 2008 animated film that draws on the Ramayana, Sita Sings the Blues, was also controversial. The latest victim of this outrage is a Tamil film released on Netflix last month, Annapoorani, about the daughter of a Hindu priest who wants to be a chef; her Muslim friend encourages her to pursue her dream, correctly citing a verse from the Ramayana that shows that Rama ate meat. Some Hindus who practice vegetarianism for religious reasons were offended; Netflix withdrew the film, and the actor who played the protagonist issued a public apology on a “Jai Shri Ram” letterhead.

India is no longer a land of nuances. A significant part of its population wants an assertive government and a black-and-white narrative where subjugated Hindus are reclaiming their identity, and the foreigners who colonized the country in the past—the British and, before them, Muslims—are cast as villains. Such an approach risks turning a multidimensional country into a cardboard caricature of itself. The Ram temple consecration marked another milestone on that path—which Modi walks in the hope of getting elected once again.

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celtfather · 7 months ago

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Irish Shadows #658

Step out of the shadows and listen to the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #658. Subscribe now!

Maggie’s Wake. Keltricity, Altan, Dancing With Hobbits, Tarren, Michael Darcy & The Atlantic Tramps, Telenn Tri, The BorderCollies, The Langer's Ball, Ironwood, Nick Metcalf, The Changing Room, Jimmy & Scots Folk Band, Karan Casey, Jigjam, Kinnfolk

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0:06 - Maggie’s Wake "Into The Shadows" from Maggie’s Wake

2:42 - WELCOME

4:15 - Keltricity "Sand Island - Maggie in the Rain - Steady On" from Live at Terra Firma Radio

7:57 - Altan "Liostáil mé le Sáirsint (Song)" from Donegal

11:03 - Dancing With Hobbits "Hobbit Polka" from Dancing With Hobbits

14:14 - Tarren "You to Me" from Revel

20:11 - FEEDBACK

23:00 - Michael Darcy & The Atlantic Tramps "Wild Rover No More" from Down to the Roots

25:52 - Telenn Tri "Weasel's Revenge set" from The Cat's Meow

31:25 - The BorderCollies "Twa Corbies" from To the Hills and Back

34:58 - The Langer's Ball "Air: Bygone Days" from Appetite for Tradition

36:58 - Ironwood "Selkie Song" from Gretna Green

40:10 - THANKS

41:54 - Nick Metcalf "Walls of Liscarrol / Christy Barry's Set" from Skyline of Skye

45:49 - The Changing Room "Delyow Sevi" from Picking Up The Pieces

47:52 - Jimmy & Scots Folk Band "HIGH KING'S REEL" from The Viking Irishman

50:02 - Karan Casey "By and By" from Nine Apples of Gold

54:30 - Jigjam "John D. McGurk's (The Heartbeat of St. Louis)" from Across The Pond

57:56 - CLOSING

58:45 - Kinnfolk "Loch Lomond" from The Knotted Circle

1:02:03 - CREDITS

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather and our Patrons on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Visit our website to follow the show. You’ll find links to all of the artists played in this episode.

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What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? Please email me. I’d love to see a picture of what you're doing while listening or of a band that you saw recently.

Email me at follow@bestcelticmusic.

Mary Beth Carty emailed a photo: "Hi Marc,

Here is a pic of myself (accordion), my sister Lilly Cart (bodrhan), and my 3rd cousin Heather MacIsaac performing a concert of Irish songs and tunes at the Antigonish Heritage Museum, the former train station in my hometown. The acoustics are great in this space and there was a full crowd. Volunteers from the Heritage Association provided tea, juice, and snacks for the attendees. We did a number of sing - alongs and there were lots of moments when the crowd joined us on beautiful choruses. A great time! "

James OConnor emailed a photo: "Hi Marc Here is a pic with Jim O’Connor and Jim Chetz Keegan of Boston Blackthorne backstage at the beautiful Colony Theatre in Woodstock NY with the Dublin City Ramblers. We opened the show for the Ramblers who sounded fantastic and were incredibly gracious to us."

Jeffrey McCafferty emailed: "We had a record day in pittsburgh…America’s Grand St Patrick’s Day powered by the Pittsburgh Penguins…featuring 500,000 spectators, FNB’s St.Patrick’s Family Fair in the Square, 200 entries with 20,000 participants, great weather, 20 bands"

Virginia Davis emailed: "Hi Marc - Happy Birthday! I’m super - swamped today and maybe tomorrow, but I’ll get back to you as soon as possible! We actually have a new CD I need to get over to you - thanks! "

Betty Collette emailed a shirt picture: "Hi Marc - I was sewing pillows, cooking corned beef dinner, baking blueberry scones, and listening to Irish music. Here's my newest tshirt of The High Kings. We recently were lucky to see them nearby in Tomball, Texas!

Happy St. Patrick's Day and Happy Birthday, too!! "

Check out this episode!

#celtic #Irish #Scottish #music #Ireland #Scotland

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panelshowsource · 1 year ago

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random thoughts dump of the week bc none of this deserves its own post

coming down from a smol john kearns kick and really enjoyed it, guy has a ridiculously sweet presence and i really like his voice. it also brings me great joy his previous career was working in museums and as a tour guide. i would like that life, i think (i worked at universal orlando for a little bit in 2013 and was always super jealous of the vip tour guides lol). he mentioned on one of his rhlstps that despite winning arguably the biggest (british) comedy awards there are, he never released a standup special or dvd, and he kinda wants to keep it that way so he has something special between him and his live audience — and that really made me sad face. like, my guy, what about those of us who can't see you bc won't leave that damn island. (also ed gamble's new tour having no nyc date felt personal...) in another episode, he talked a little about, in great part due to social media, people want comedians they can know everything about, get the whole look of; comedians who are the same people onstage as off. he's not like that and doesn't really like the idea of that. i think there's a lot to say about that subject but i'll just leave it for now...

speaking of touring ed byrne next week!!! and jimmy and alan carr coming up!! what a fun time :')

speaking of rhlstp and ed, one thing that occurred to me and i thought was quite funny upon listening to his recent episode is that both richard and ed have that self-aware side of them that admits to bitterness, professional jealousy, annoyance with critics/haters, believing they're not as successful as they deserve to be, etc. while it can come off whiney here and there, it's not too obnoxious or anything, i just found it amusing they had this (often concealed or private) quality in common. i might even put jenny eclair in that camp (others too but that's a discourse i don't really wanna start lmao)

if another youtuber, following amelia dimoldenberg (and munya? does he count?), had to go on taskmaster i would probably vote for ollie kendal off of jolly. in my mind he and alex would be genuinely good friends outside of the show

man i miss the horne section podcast so bad

honestly, i'm a little surprised david mitchell doesn't have a podcast. he loves radio, it's not too demanding of a gig, and he's got tons of interests that could make engaging premises for podcasts... i'm sure someone has floated this to him before, so i need the reason why he said no. maybe he was busy with his book. would love a history pod fr

does anyone else ever remember when david mitchell was in rick and morty and just sit back and go O_O also when he was on graham norton with hillary clinton like lmaooo i just love the idea of the booking agents for that show being like "we're having fucking hillary clinton on who can we bring for comic relief who is a household name but not problematic but intelligent but actually funny" i mean they hit the jackpot of course but it cracks me up that that's his brand

did david ever watch succession? rob def did but i need more about it from both of them

sometimes i think about when david accepted his bafta for peep show and the music that was playing while he walked to the stage was "sex on fire" by kings of leon hahahahaha like what who was djing that night fr

where did charlie brooker go

speaking of back in the day — and i do mean back, like 15+ years ago — and my main panel show obsession was buzzcocks, there were a few non-comedians who would come on panel shows who were properly fucking funny, like martin freeman and josh groban, and i'd always pray they'd eventually come on again. and i think at the time the person at the top of my list was professor green. how random is that TT he was just always up for laugh and just so likable. i also LOVED the song "just good to be green" with lily allen in like 2010 lmaooo this really ages me :)

been really enjoying some old angus deayton-hosted stuff, like old hignfy and wilty. i got into panel shows after he'd stepped out of the spotlight, but i remember being crushed when i found out about his scandal. i also remember stephen fry standing up for him and chastising paul & ian publicly after That Episode of hignfy — which absolutely blew my mind, even though stephen has always said what he thinks — and i agreed with him and am not sure even today if i fully forgave paul & ian for how they treated angus. ik he's still here and there, but i wonder if we'll ever see him in any properly notable capacity again

just watched the latest hignfy actually and jack dee pheww he's ageing very nicely let me just say it and pheww emmanuel sonubi please and thank you. also, paul's outfit was quite nice. an enjoyment of the eyes indeed

i've been making a lot of typos in my gifs lately for literally no reason other than not proofreading my rushing and it's embarrazzing i'm gonna do better

speaking of gifs i have NOTHING!!! in my drafts folder. nothing. no content. nothing is made. nothing in the queue. [sigh] sounds like tonight we be bustin it out huh. idk about other gifmakers (i actually don't follow any other panel show blogs, but this isn't necessarily a panel show blog thing, just a regular original content thing) but i don't usually make gifs throughout the week — instead, like, marathon gif like two times a week and build up 10–20 drafts to post throughout the week. if you gif every single day or to keep up with all of the new content, it starts to become a chore, which is never fun :(

speaking of which i probably won't gif outsiders too much because people don't seem to care too much about it + the webrips are just...so ugly in gif form, even at 1080p! it's a dave thing fr, taskmaster used to be the same way -_-

okay here we go into gif mode btw i got some of your requests and will def make them!!

#p #long post

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blueberrypancakesworld · 2 years ago

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~ Duties ~

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warning : Nightmare

next chapter , masterlist

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The beating of her heart did not seem to want to stop. She was still standing in front of the large door to the throne room. Her thoughts were overflowing with worry about Daemon. She was not stupid, she knew it was highly critical and a foolish thing to say, even in a brothel. But on the other hand, she couldn't help but feel her heart aching. My time is too short for all this, she thought sadly and realised that once again she had to get out of King's Landing as quickly as possible. Even if she left Rhaenyra alone to her grief and would probably never see Daemon again. So she had no other choice. Her uncle had been lord of Bear Island and its castle for too long for her taste. She knew he would not dare to do anything serious. But the whispering he liked to do had begun shortly before her father's passing. She was not averse to it, she knew she was Lady Mormont only because her father had no other choice. Since not only his Lord Stark had voted for the claim of Y/n but also her uncle had been hanging out in drinking houses in Dorne and elsewhere. He will never be made for ruling, she thought, anger and sadness sweeping through her. But as fast as the storm came, the faster it disappeared when the big wooden doors with the metal ornaments opened.

The squeak and creak filled the corridors. She heard footsteps before Daemon stepped out with a scowl in his violet eyes. He seemed not only angry but deeply hurt. ,,Prince Daemon," she said, trying to get his attention. But he barely glanced at her and kept walking. Uncertainty lay in her as she wondered if she should follow him. Should she dare to provoke him even more or should she keep the dagger and walk away? With a jerk Daemon came to a stop in the corridor, he did not turn around and yet she seemed to see the small smile. ,,Little Bear, it seems you have broken your vow," he said, amusement in his voice. She took this as a sign to go to him and when she arrived next to him he just kept walking. This time, however, she walked beside him much to her confusion. ,,I don't know what you mean, my prince," she replied, putting on the innocent face of the vulnerable maiden as in the throne room.

A silent laugh escaped him as he rolled his eyes and muttered, ,,Of course you do". She didn't know where they were going but with each step the light of the sun seemed to increase and the rustle of the wind surrounded them. Silently she followed him to wait out the situation as she was not sure about him. Daemon seemed unpredictable on the one hand and so cold and distant on the other. As if it was all for his own pleasure when he was looking for approval, which he obviously wasn't getting from his brother. ,,Tell me, little bear, how is it that such an insignificant little house like yours comes to have a Valyrian sword?" he asked rhetorically and she hated the way he spoke about her house. ,,To my sorrow I do not know this myself my prince but perhaps you will help me to remember. If I kick you from me again...you might lose your own beloved sword," she said softly to him and placed her back hand calmly on Long Claw's hilt. The blond laughed, he understood the implication and it even seemed sincere for a moment. ,,Northerners," he said under his breath, but seemed to hold back his comment. Only when they rounded a corner arch and arrived in a large open hell did she stop, apprised.

A large dragon in red with a long almost snake-like appearance looked at them curiously. It looked completely different from Syrax, who seemed more elegant. Daemon walked up to his dragon and stroked its scales. He whispered something to the red animal and she heard the familiar word ,,Lykirí". She cautiously came closer, but kept several steps away from the dragon and its rider. ,,Lykirí is that the High Valyrian word for calm? she dared to ask and her heart beat wildly in her chest. But whether it was because of the dragon or its rider, she didn't know. Both had such a strong attraction and fascination that she couldn't tell the difference. Daemon smiled, ,,I would have thought you were just a dumb little bear...but yes, in High Valyrian it can be translated as calm" he said and his eyes moved over her sword to her eyes. She noticed that his gaze was completely different from the one she knew from men. It wasn't fatherly like her commander's or understanding like Viserys', but it wasn't watchful like Otto's or even lustful like Jason's either.

Daemon looked at her with something she couldn't place and it made her nervous. To get out of the situation as quickly as possible, she reached behind her and took the dagger in her hand. His violet eyes narrowed for a fraction before he smirked again. ,,Have you come to kill me?" he asked jokingly and his dragon hissed. But she did not retreat, ,,No, my prince, you have left the dagger in my bear. I wanted to give it back to you, it's yours," she said and held the well forged metal out to him. Again his eyes wandered over her, as if he were again weighing something. ,,Why did you lie?" he asked instead, rolling his eyes as she tried to pull the lady's trick again. ,,Please take your dagger," she said instead and took a step closer. The red dragon also came closer and snarled again. But she did not retreat. She could not and would not show any weakness. ,,Why should I accept my weapon from a liar?" he asked provocatively and stroked his dragon. She bit her lip as she realised that he would not take the dagger so easily. ,,Your dagger," she said again, but a little impatiently. ,,I don't want my dagger back until I get my answer," he said, and with a quick look from her and an inward curse, she took the weapon back.

Without warning he grabbed her injured hand and held it gently but firmly to the dragon's head. ,,Don't," he hissed as she was startled and tried to free herself. ,,You are hurting me," she said as she tried to free herself. But when she felt the dragon's growl and the warmth going through the beast's body, she let him be. ,,You're getting pretty close to a dragon for a bear," she heard him say more calmly and the dragon seemed to calm down too. ,,What makes you think that?" she asked, not daring to take her eyes off the dragon. She didn't dare look him in the eye. She did not dare to face Daemon. She did not behold that strength. ,,Your eyes looked like a bear's when you showed your true nature" he said whispering in her ear and she flinched reluctantly. ,,Pure... imagination" she replied and tried to talk her way out of it. ,,One secret is out and you just have to tell me the other one," he said again softly before gently letting go of her hand. Almost as if he was sorry that he had broken her fingers.

Slowly and completely absorbed by the situation, she carefully took a few steps away from them. ,,Read the history of my house...then you will get the detailed answer of the bear" she said slowly and held the wrist of her injured hand. Daemon smirked again before stroking his dragon one last time. ,,Caraxes and I await your answer to the steel eagerly," he said before walking past her to a black-haired woman. The woman from the brothel she thought, recognising him, and took one last look at Caraxes before walking out of the open room. Her heart was beating fast and she did not deny the tingling in her stomach. She had been able to smell the fire and smoke on the prince. The leather and steel as if he had just been in a battle. But that look from the beautiful violet eyes was what always brought her down. The moment he stood behind her and pressed his hand on his dragon, he seemed to have so much power over her. But the thing that fascinated her and in part she liked was that she had enjoyed it.

She was at his mercy and yet she trusted him not to feed her to Caraxes. It was only when she had walked through the corridors and left the castle almost in a hurry that she became terribly aware of one thing. Daemon Targaryen knew of her curse. She doubted that he knew more precisely, but he was not stupid. Even he could interpret the talk of the people. And I was stupid enough to give him a hint, she thought and cursed. Before she walked across the square at a fast pace, ignoring the other lords. But even she noticed that there were fewer and fewer tents in the large square. ,,My lady, are you all right?" her commander asked her when he saw her distracted expression. Her heart ached as she realised they had to leave. They had to leave as soon as possible. And yet she had said these words too many times. ,, I want you to find a trader, whether it is our friend or someone else, and ask him to bring us back tomorrow night. It is time to return at once," she said and the strength in her voice came through. ,,Of course right away my lady," he said bowing slightly before mounting his horse and disappearing.

She was relieved and grateful that her guardian did not interfere, but took her for what she was, the Lady Mormont. As she entered the tent she was greeted by a smiling Meta who moved away from the hanging wreath of flowers. ,,Hello my lady, your wreath is already drying" she informed the younger one and saw the pleased expression of the Mormont. The younger one looked over at the wreath hanging from the ceiling tied by a thread. The leaves had already been croaked and had lost their life. But even though they were dead, their beauty still remained. "Rhaenyra will still be beautiful even in the flames", she thought, and imagined the risky log. The dark pines of Bear Island gave off a smoky smell as Syrax burned the princess. Even in death, she seemed to be able to defy the flames. Turning away from the thought, she looked around the tent somewhat helplessly. Should she order Meta to pack already? Should she pack herself and prepare for tomorrow. She sighed as she looked at her broken fingers.

They were not as swollen as they had been at the tournament, but they still hurt. She remembered Daemon's firm grip, but it had so much more to it than simply his will. In her mind she sat down on her chair behind the small table and pulled out Longclaw. Was he going to take the sword from me? she asked herself as she ran it over the Valyrian steel, careful not to cut herself. Does he want a second Valyrian steel sword? was the next question in her mind. Too many questions about the prince ran through her mind. And yet she could not lie to her heart that it beat faster when she was with Rhaenyra or Daemon. Rhaenyra. The young Mormont hoped that the princess would at least get along a little better after she had shown her grief. The female bear had calmed the princess. She hugged her, gave her a reassuring kiss on her blonde hair. Could she have done more for Rhaenyra? Even if she didn't know what she could offer the princess who could have anything. She decided that her tent seemed to crush her again under her thoughts. Alyssa raised her head and mumbled as if trying to communicate with her rider. ,, What's wrong?" she asked, stroking her fur. But she didn't get an answer, instead Alyssa looked at one of the many lords, his gaze seeming to linger on the children of this one. ,, You're right, Alyssa," she murmured as the order of succession came to her mind. If Rhaenyra's brother had survived, he would have ascended the throne on his eighteenth birthday.

And if Viserys had died before then, he would have had the support of his sister, the small council and the hand. But he was dead and there was only Rhaenyra again. She knew that the Velaryon were the last family next to the Targaryens, the last house next to the Dragon of Valyria. She knew that Princess Rhaenys had almost received the crown. But the people had voted for Viserys, her cousin. The queen who was not. A macabre title she had accepted at some point. But something told her that Rhaenyra was on the shortlist of heirs to the throne. Because once Daemon was gone, and she assumed that he would be, since Viserys had made it clear how he felt about his brother. But the Velaryons she herself had never met any of them. Only seen them at the tournament but never spoken a word.

She herself felt a reluctance to leave Bear Island to someone who did not come directly from her house. Queen Rhaenyra, she thought, and a brief smile came to her lips. Alyssa yelled once as she seemed to have seen someone. Travelling out of her thoughts, she looked after her bear and saw the young Lord Glover who quickly disappeared into his tent. To reward her bear, she reached to her side and pulled out a piece of dried meat from the small pocket on her trousers. ,, Good," she said before leaving her bear alone. Freeing herself from her thoughts, she went back into the tent where she sent her maid out. Sleep was what she needed, sleep to recharge her batteries. Covering herself with the furs, she closed her eyes and felt how tense she had been all day. Only slowly did the darkness and sleep overtake her before her mind was at rest and she was completely swallowed up by her feelings. There was no meadow on which she woke up again, no why with Rhaenyra or her uncle who killed her. Instead, the blue sky and a few big white puffy clouds surrounded her. Only when she heard a loud growl did she realise that she was standing on a risiegen Caraxes. The red dragon seemed infinitely large in her dream, as if it could block out the sun with just one of its wings. It was unbelievable. A smile came to her lips as she let go of any fear and dared to look down. Below her, hundreds of thousands of feet, she saw the floor of Westeros or some other area, it was hard to tell. Looking back over Caraxes, she suddenly saw Daemon standing on the dragon's long neck. His long blond hair blew in the wind as he deftly walked across the red scales straight towards her. The small mysterious yet amusing grin was on his lips. The black armour had disappeared and was replaced by leathery clothing in the red and black of the Targaryen crest. ,,Little Bear," he said with amusement when he seemed to have noticed her staring. She didn't know what to say, so she nodded slightly. Suddenly she heard giggling behind her, it sounded happy and full of joy.

Turning around, she saw Rhaenyra suddenly flying on Syrax next to them. She was wearing her black uniforms with the scales on the shoulders and the silver buttons that held the top together. ,,My flames" the young Momront said impassively and her eyes went to the two pairs of eyes of the Targaryens. Yes, they were the two living flames. The image of their dragons, only flesh and blood and not covered in scales, breathing fire. ,,My Lady," Rhaenyra said, making what appeared to be a bow on Syrax. The golden dragon roared and Caraxes joined in. It seemed that not only the dragons but also their riders and his friend all felt the same. They all had the same heart. Full of love and affection. Or so the young Mormont hoped inwardly. Only when she looked back down to the ground did her surroundings blur. The sky was much bigger and they were all now only about the size of a dragon from the ground above Westeros. A glance at Daemon told her that he was in the saddle of Caraxes and seemed to be waiting for her. ,,Little Bear" he said invitingly and offered his hand as she settled behind him. At first everything was peaceful like everything else in this dream, it was wonderful. But when she saw a shimmering greenish flame in the distance, she sensed something was wrong. She saw Rhaenyra say something but did not hear it. Instead the wind picked up around the three of them as they flew faster towards the glimmer. ,,No," she said, stunned, as she identified what it was. The whole of Bear Island was burning in greenish flames. The forests, the fields, the inhabitants, the animals, everything was burning in a greenish poisonous tone. But why ? Suddenly, with a cry from Caraxes and Syrax, a jolt went through the risky dragon's body. The risky stones that had already drilled into their boat had appeared out of nowhere and had drilled into the bodies of the two animals. Syrax and Caraxes crashed to the ground. Before the world blurred again. When her own mind allowed her to look around again, she saw that she was back in her castle. At least from what was left. The stone and the fire had destroyed everything.

Everything was either burnt down or smashed to pieces. Only when she looked around in fear and panic did she see her uncle standing in front of the former hall. An expression of anger was in his eyes that seemed to devour her. ,,What have you done?" she shouted at him, but he just stood there and said nothing. Instead he suddenly drew a dagger before reappearing a few metres away from her. Startled, she drew back and was about to reach for Lanklaue when she reached into the void. She did not have her sword. She continued backwards before her shoe bumped into something. She dared to look behind her for a moment but then she felt the stabbing pain in her stomach as her uncle had rammed the dagger into her stomach. Silent screams that she herself could not hear escaped her lips as she stumbled backwards and landed hard on the floor. Tears came to her eyes when she saw what she had hit. It was the bloodied corpses of Rhaenyra and Daemon. She cried out but her voice was gone. She wailed as much as she could.

But no one seemed to hear her. It was only when she looked back at her uncle that she saw him lash out with Longclaw before the sword bored into her. With a jerk she opened her eyes and her heart beat wildly as she slowly realised that it was only a dream. Nothing more than a dream. Nothing that was real or would become real. Bear Island would last for hundreds of years, it would not perish like Valyria. And also Rhaenyra and Daemon would live on through legends and songs and stories. No stone or fire could change that. One dragon could not be burnt. Her tired gaze went through the tent, but she saw that it must be the middle of the night - no one had woken her up, nor had anything important happened. For a brief moment she toyed with the idea of looking for Rhaenyra. But she would only have to go through the entire castle. Perhaps she would rouse the princess from her sleep. So she decided to lie down again and block out the thoughts she was now having about the dream and how believable it was. Such a thing would never become real...would it?

Morning came over Westeros and for the first time it seemed to be a morning without bad news. This time, however, she was awakened by a hand on her shoulder. ,,My lady, you must get up, there will be a very important event at noon," she heard her maid say, handing her mistress a goblet of water. ,,Thank you," the younger one said sleepily and was relieved to find that she could easily wrap her fingers around the goblet. ,,What kind of event?" the young Mormont asked and sat down on the edge of the bed. ,,Faithfulness to the heir to the throne and future queen Rhaenyra," Meta said with such naturalness that she almost choked on the water. ,,Rhaenyra will be queen?" she asked as if she had not understood her maid. The elder nodded and took the empty goblet from her. ,,When did you know?" was the most powerful question as she rose from her bed and paced back and forth excitedly. ,,I overheard it when I went for water but a letter came for you" she said and pointed to the table on which the rolled up parchment lay. Almost overhastily she reached for it, broke the seal and read the text. Her maid had told the truth, Rhaenyra would be appointed heiress by noon.

Not she Daemon or one of the Velaryons but Rhaenyra. Joy flooded her. Queen of the Kingdoms who would rule over them. Queen Rhaenyra. ,,Is my clothing clean and dry? A dress as much as I would wear my mother's, it is inappropriate at this moment. It shows no strength that I have to show today" she explained to her maid. She thought for a moment before nodding and leaving the tent for a moment. ,,I have taken the liberty of cleaning it completely. Even the blood stains are gone," she said and received only a nod from her mistress. ,,With the greatest respect your parents, especially your mother, will understand why you didn't choose the dress," Meta said as she began to undress the younger girl. I hope so too the young Mormont thought silently. She felt how nervous she was. She knew that one of the duties of a lord was to speak out for the heir to the throne or to follow the king. In her case, however, there was only her and even if her uncle were here, he would only stand at the side and bow. It would be and will be her who will be called upon and who will have to say her allegiance and loyalty to Rhaenyra. She had to show a strength on political levels that she had not experienced before.

When she had her usual clothes back on, she reached for Long Claw and fastened it to the leather belt. When she looked in her mirror she saw the black bear standing upright on the dark green fabric. ,,Say, has the crown actually given itself recognition?" she suddenly remembered when she decided not to wear gloves because of her broken finger. Astonished, the older woman looked over again before she went out and the commander entered. ,,My lady, you will speak for Rhaenyra today," he said the familiar information and saw the younger one nod. ,,Here, a messenger of the crown had brought this bag late in the evening" he said and handed the younger one a small leather coin pouch. With a wave of her hand she let her foster father know he could leave before she sat down behind her table and counted the coins. With each coin came a relief. It was enough not only to buy new seeds and other missing things. It also covered any other costs for the time being. She was about to hand the bag to her maid and tell her to put it in one of the chests when she saw something flashing from between the coins. Astonished, she reached for it and shortly afterwards had a small bear brooch in her hand. How did it get in there? she asked herself and eyed it. She turned the simple yet already crafted brooch between her fingers. Rhaenyra...was it a gift to thank her for the comfort she had given the princess or for something else entirely? She took the small brooch and fastened the bear slightly above her heart.

Because it was made of simple bronze, it still matched her clothes and the colours. It's perfect she thought as she observed her image as best she could in the small mirror. Detaching herself from her image, she went outside where she ate breakfast. But even the other lords of the houses seemed to have dressed up. At least they seemed to avoid stains on their clothes. The time until the aforementioned point seemed to pass much too quickly. Whether it was her joy for Rhaenyra or her heart, she did not know. What she did know was that she was leaving at any moment to be at the ceremony. ,,You are sure that no one is to accompany you?" she heard her commander ask, handing Longclaw back to her as he cleaned the sword one last time. ,,You will wait here, it is purely a matter for the leaders of the houses. I will go alone, pack the things after I return, we will go in the evening" she said strongly and passed over the brooch on her clothes. ,,As you wish, here we stand," said her commander before her three subordinates bowed as her mistress set off for the castle.

She was no fool, she knew she was probably the smallest number of all. She was alone. A young bear alone among so many others. All the lords had either taken their wives and children with them or their relatives, even brother and brother seemed to be able to get along and let stretches be. But even in her clothes she was unnoticeable and did not stand out. Well, if one were to go purely by that, she stood out as a woman, especially as a lady, precisely because she wore sword-bearing clothes. But this was not the reason why her heart was beating wildly. She would see Rhaenyra and swear allegiance to her. Even if she would not have done it without the ceremony. All the lords and ladies of the houses went into the great hall. To their astonishment, there seemed to be relatively few of them compared to the whole mass. Although, when they thought about it, only relevant houses that at least owned lands and had a certain degree of influence were summoned. I should consider myself lucky, she thought to herself admonishingly and stood as sole representative at least in the northern ranks. She recognised Lord Stark and Lord Bolton, they had their sons with them but Lord Glover was missing.

She would have liked to giggle but it was the nervousness and the fast beating of her heart that prevented it. Looking through the people she tried to catch a glimpse of Rhaenyra but to no avail. Instead, the heads of the individual families or houses were called up one after the other. They all stepped forward and the families stood behind them. They all went through the rows but Rhaenyra could not see them. She bit her lip but before she could taste blood she heard, ,,Y/n Mormont Lady of Bear Island". She walked past her Lord Starj and saw the brief look of encouragement before walking through the middle of the corridor. Then she caught sight of Rhaenyra, beautiful in her robes. The heavy dark fabric full of embellishments and sheer golden chains on her head and neck were just small dots. It was all together, the golden cloak, the long black dress, the dark red tights, the headdress full of stones.

She looked like a goddess. The goddess of flames. She stopped a few metres away from the princess before kneeling down and looking at Rhaenyra. ,,I Y/n Mormont Lady of Bear Island pledge my allegiance to King Viserys and his heiress the Princess Rhaenyra. I will render allegiance to them and defend them against the enemy in good faith and with good intent. I swear this by the old gods as well as the new" she said the familiar words before she stood up and looked proudly and loyally into the violet eyes of the princess. Before she turned around and went back to her seat. You did it, she thought, feeling the adrenaline begin to subside. She knew it was only the beginning of so much more not only for Rhaenyra but for herself. What had begun with her duty as a Lady had now reached the pledge of allegiance to the new Queen. What was still to come...everything that she had hoped would not happen. Dreams should remain dreams and desires only lusts. But for this moment she was only the Lady Mormont. And with Viserys' words, she bowed like the other lords in the room before looking to Rhaenyra and seeing her future queen.

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ethyt7 · 1 year ago

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Next round

#Spotify #ice king #adventure time #adventure time distant lands #fionna and cake #word girl #dr two brains

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bunnymajo · 1 year ago

Note

obligator Sonic ask because you always have the best taste in Sonic things

aw thank you!

1. bake cupcakes for: Surge and Kit first, then Tails, and every character after that

2. trust with the keys to my car: Amy. You might think Tails but he's a pilot with a crash history and the cars he's driven are like for a racing circuit. Amy's used to normal cars.

3. put thumbtacks on the chair thereof: Geoffrey St. John

4. have a crush on: like Boom-Eggman is peak doofy husband material. Also like...have you seen Elias?

5. pack up and leave if they moved next door: I love the Babylon Rogues. I adore them. but they would be some of the worst neighbors.

6. vote for President: Jewel the Beetle. like this poor girl isn't stressed enough but like, she's a great leader.

7. pick as my partner in a buddy movie: Tangle or Tails

8. pair up: *stealing a box of defunct characters and pairing them up with new ones like they're dolls* Surge & Elias.

9. vote off the island and into the volcano: King Max & Locke. they're holding hands as they go in.

10. wheedle into fixing my MP3 player: *without hesitation* Tails. give me a battery that never dies and enough storage to fit the catalogue of every anime ost ever on it.

#(also yes i still use an mp3 player because retro anime osts & sites like spotify hate each other)#thank you meri :D #responses

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wolfgirlmay · 1 year ago

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Dusk & The Sarkaz Prince

Characters - Dusk x Hibiscus

Summary - Hibiscus participates in Rhodes’s Island annual fundraiser and aims to make Dusk ́s heart skip a beat or two while getting lots of donations.

Word Count - 1,266

Tags - Humor, Drag, Drag King Hibiscus, Trans Dusk, Lava and Nian are there too, NSFW, Sexual content happens mostly off-screen, Hibiscus uses He/Him while in character.

Notes - This is a slight rewrite of an old fic that I love but did not feel it was enough of a change to post on AO3 again. No beta read and English is not my first language so grammatical errors abound.

It was time for Rhodes Island's annual fundraiser, and this year Nian and Closure cooked up their best scheme yet, a drag king show featuring some of Rhodes Island's most popular operators.

The plan was simple; have tons of cheap alcohol, let the audience put money to vote for their favorite performers, and at the end of the show, once they were all good and tipsy, sell signed prints of the performers in their outfits for extra profit.

Of course this could only work if the incentive for voting was a good one. And to this point, Kal’tsit made the perfect recommendation. The most voted contestants would be featured in a calendar they could sell for a boost in funding.

The resulting event was a total success. Entry tickets sold out in record time, the crowd was having a great time, and judging by the reactions so far, voting and merchandise would bring in a ton more LMD. They were only about half way through the show and already well on track to break last year's record, and that was not even accounting for their online merch sales.

“Give another round of applause for Moby Dick!” Nian called over the speaker system.

Nian’s boisterous tone was almost lost in the cheer of the crowd. The auditorium, full to the brim, exploded in applause, screams, and the feral squealing of a certain shark as the latest performer left the stage with a reserved bow.

“Don’t forget everything you expend tonight goes to a good cause! Keep the drinks rolling, and use that hard earned cash to put some votes towards your favorite performers.”

Among the lively crowd were two less outspoken observers, Lava and Dusk. The two girls were seated in the front row, a privilege of Nian producing the show and Hibiscus being one of the featured performers. Neither of them were fond of such crowded, or loud, spaces, but they were willing to make an exception to support their respective lovers.

Two cups of wine hit the girls table and the crowd began to calm down as the stage was being prepared for the next performer.

“God, that shark's wailing felt like it was piercing my soul,” Dusk complained.

Lava nodded approvingly. “No joke, I thought I was gonna go deft.”

Lava and Dusk took a long relaxing sip of their drinks. Despite their complaints, they were having a fun night together. It turned out they had more in common than they first knew, and if they were being entirely honest with themselves, they were enjoying the show.

“Hey, did Hibiscus tell you when she was up?”

“No,” Dusk said with a shake of her head. “She would not even tell me her stage name or anything. She said that she wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Yeah, that sounds like my sister alright.”

Nian’s voice came back to life with an electric buzz, ready to announce the next performer. “Next up, all the way from Victoria, he aims to claim your hearts with his royal charm and sweet music! Give a warm welcome to…”

Dusk’s tail perked up. “Could it be?”

Lava shrouded with fear. “I have a bad feeling about this…”

“...Prince Long Flute!!” Nian finished.

Dusk knew instantly, but she was still shocked. “Prince…Long Flute?” she mumbled to herself as she began awkwardly clapping.

Lava facepalmed. “Ughh, I knew she would pick a terrible name.”

To the roaring applause came out a well dressed figure. A pristine black suit featuring a vibrant flower on its jacket’s pocket, half gloves and dress shoes to match, and an immaculate violet bottom up shirt in full display through the open jacket made up his outfit. His short yet flowing lavender hair framed his heart melting smile as he playfully waved to the crowd.

The pace erupted with cheers and Dusk had to bring both her hands to her mouth to restrain the wild noise that was forming in the back of her throat. “A prince, he is a prince. A twinky, handsome prince!!” the dragon thought to herself as she stared in awe.

Lava looked at Dusk with a teasing grin. “Looks like you are the one about to squeal now.”

She was, and could not muster the words to deny it. Seeing Hibiscus like this was filling Dusk’s mind with more inappropriate thoughts than she ever thought possible.

Nian’s commentary continued. “Have his princely looks already conquered the audience, or will this slender prince have to do more to win them over?”

Prince Long Flute stood tall in the middle of the stage, flute at the ready, and offered the audience a playful wink, getting a loud roar in response. Dusk, unable to hold on any longer, joined in with the cheering crowd.

“Looks like our prince charming is ready to show us his skills!”

With that Nian’s commentary stopped. Prince Long Flute moved his flute aside and brought a finger to his mouth. He dexterously took his glove off with his teeth and then flung it to Dusk down in the audience. The dragon squealed like the Shark before her and blushed a vibrant red. The crowd loved it, going wild at the bold display.

The ensuing musical performance was mostly lost on Dusk who was still flustered beyond belief. After the show was over and the voting results were up, Dusk made her way backstage. The dragon looked frantically around the crowded dressing room for her lover.

“Dusk, over here!”

Dusk rushed to the familiar voice. She greeted her lover, still in full costume, with a quick kiss and held them in her arms in a cramped corner of the dressing room. “You were great out there.”

“Thank you, I figured you would like it. So, did I make your heart skip a beat?”

“You always do, but that was just unfair.” Dusk returned the glove to her lover. “I almost passed out when you pulled that stunt.”

Hibiscus let out a giggle before putting on her character once more, changing her tone to match that of her noble persona. “I guess my charms worked on you, my fair lady.”

“Hibi… No. Prince Long Flute, you have no idea. I can’t wait till we are alone, there are so many things I want to do to you right now.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

Dusk held her lover by the chin and teasefully ran her thumb against his lips. “First off I want to put that mouth of yours to work. I want to see if you are as good at handling me as you are with that flute of yours.” Dusk leaned in to whisper into his ear. “I will have you on your knees, sucking me off until I ruin that pretty face of yours.”

“That can be arranged, after all it is a prince's duty to take care of his lady.”

“Good,” Dusk purred. “You are such a good boy, and good boys let themselves be pegged all night long, right?”

“But of course. It would be ill fitting of Victorian nobility not to. Why don't we make way for my chambers? I promise they will be to your liking, my sweet patron.”

“Yes, yes.” Dusk claimed his lips with passion, her serpentine tail possessively warping around him as she did so. “Let’s get out of here, my prince.”

The role play continued all night long, until Dusk was done breaking her twink. She loved Hibiscus in all ways she came, from the sweet but fierce medic, to the noble prince from Victoria. She just could never have enough of the Sarkaz.

The End

Thanks for reading!!

#arknights #fanfic #dusk arknights #hibiscus arknights #arknights fanfiction

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dweemeister · 2 years ago

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2022 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song (preliminary results)

TAGGING (yes, even some non-participants who I still would like to invite for the final): @addaellis, @birdsongvelvet, @dog-of-ulthar, @emilylime5, @exlibrisneh, @halfwaythruthedark, @idontknowmuchaboutmovies, @introspectivemeltdown, @maximiliani, @memetoilet, @myluckyerror, @phendranaedge, @plus-low-overthrow, @rawberry101, @rosymeraki-blog, @shootingstarvenator, and @theybecomestories, @umgeschrieben, @underblackwings, and @yellanimal. There will be more invites from other followers not listed here for the final.

Good day everyone,

If you are being tagged in this, that is because you were invited to participate in the 2022 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song's (MOABOS) preliminary round. As usual, I extended the deadline for a little bit of time to procure some last votes. My thanks to you all, even for those who did not participate (I hope you'll be able to participate in the final however!). The email for the final round will be sent very shortly. For newcomers: the final uses a different tabulation than what we used here for the preliminary. That will be explained soon.

A record 36 people cast their rankings in the MOABOS preliminary round. Five people including myself and my sister did both groups; those three others (and the few others who were invited to do two groups but didn't) have been doing MOABOS since or near the beginning.

What follows are the results from both groups. First choices received 10 points, second choices 9 points, third choices 8 points, etc. The top six from each group advanced to the final. Unlike in previous years where I reserved the power to take 0-2 songs that finished outside the automatic qualifiers, there are no such wild cards this year.

If two or more songs tied on points, the tie was broken based on the #1 votes received. If two or more songs were still tied, the tie was broken by average placement on my and my sister's ballot. There is no benefit in the final to "winning" either preliminary group. Other than myself and my sister, three people - all of whom have been doing MOABOS for the longest time - participated in both groups.

The below is formatted: "Song title", film title (total points) / first-place votes.

GROUP A (21 participants)

“Someone’s Waiting for You”, The Rescuers (142) / 5

“Never Look Back”, Love Me or Leave Me (134) / 2

“No Love, No Nothin'”, The Gang's All Here (118) / 4

“Good Morning”, Babes in Arms (110.5) / 1

“Island in the Sun”, Island in the Sun (109) / 3

“Pillow Talk”, Pillow Talk (101) / 1

“The Lady in the Tutti Frutti Hat”, The Gang's All Here (89.5)

“Pass Me By”, Father Goose (88) / 1

“When You're Next to Me”, A Mighty Wind (84) / 1

“Once Upon a Time in New York City”, Oliver & Company (83) / 3

“Once and For Always”, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (63)

In Group A, the top song burst out to an early lead, only to be culled back a little bit to make it essentially a group of two heavy hitters and everyone else. On deadline's close, the top six were well clear of the bottom five. "Once Upon a Time in New York City" is a Disney animated canon song that garnered the second-most amount of #1 votes, but it found itself second-to-last, making it the most polarizing song in the group. Instead, Group A rewarded the other Disney song in that group and Doris Day (twice!). For what it's worth Group A participants, I think you got rid of the second-best song from A Mighty Wind (2003). And I'm pleasantly surprised more of you have seen The Rescuers (1977) than I would have predicted!

"Good Morning" is the first song from the classic MGM library to grace the MOABOS final since 2017("I Like Myself" and "Thanks a Lot, But No Thanks" from 1955's It's Always Fair Weather). And Harry Belafonte and Alice Faye make the final on their MOABOS debuts.

GROUP B (20 participants)

“ Why Should I Worry? ”, Oliver & Company (125) / 5

“I'll Never Stop Loving You”, Love Me or Leave Me (121) / 1

“Love Survives”, All Dogs Go to Heaven (113) / 3

“Tomorrow is the Song I Sing”, The Ballad of Cable Hogue (105) / 5

“ A Journey to a Star”, The Gang's All Here (103) / 3

“A Mighty Wind”, A Mighty Wind (95)

“The Sneak Song ”, Robin Robin (93) / 1

“Paducah”, The Gang's All Here (91)

“Roll Up Sailorman”, Big Fella (87) / 1

“Anyone Can See I Love You”, Ladies of the Chorus (83)

“Old Joe's Place”, A Mighty Wind (47) / 1

In Group B, A Mighty Wind, a movie that had three entries in the preliminary round, narrowly avoided a complete wipeout here. In both groups, American folk music (or, at least, a comedic replication of that genre) had its fans, but some very vigorous detractors. The title song from A Mighty Wind qualified for the final round by a margin of two points (and unlike its closest challenger and all other qualifiers into the final round, it did not have a single #1 vote). A nail-biting 10 points separated the sixth place song with the tenth. And like in Group A, Disney (this time in the form of Billy Joel) and Doris Day ruled.

Tying the top song on #1 votes, a fourth place finish for "Tomorrow is the Song I Sing" has to be a bit concerning, as it becomes the most polarizing song in Group B. As history tends to go, "Paducah" joins a list of songs with titles/lyrics about interesting-sounding American towns that won't be winning MOABOS yet again (any "(I've Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo", "Wichita", and the MOABOS-infamous "I Dug a Ditch" fans out there?).

(For newcomers, "I Dug a Ditch" from Thousands Cheer (1943) caused a not-so-insignificant stir among its detractors during the 2019 MOABOS prelim. That year, in the last few hours of voting on the final five rankings submitted, the song was ranked 3rd, 3rd, 5th, 2nd, and 1st - that’s 41 points out of a possible 50. "I Dug a Ditch", which seemed dead and buried only the day before, dug itself out of the hole to make the final.)

* * *

Among the eliminated, I wanted to tip a very tutti frutti hat to Carmen Miranda, one of the brightest stars of the 1940s at the peak of her career at 20th Century Fox. We'll see her again some other day on MOABOS, a phenomenon of a cultural melding all too rare in Hollywood back in those old days.

And a gracious nod to jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman, whose big role in "Paducah" won't be joining us in the final. Goodman, one of the most prominent Jewish entertainers of his day, was perhaps the best jazz clarinetist of all time, and was one of the first to direct a racially integrated jazz band (during an era where that might have been a career killer). Goodman also made strides late in his career in classical music (I'm very fond of his recording ofAaron Copland's Clarinet Concerto).

And like last year, another three cheers to the bass-baritone Paul Robeson. Robeson's outspoken politics on race and imperialism landed Robeson in trouble, which forced him out of Hollywood for a time to make movies in Britain (Big Fellais a British production).

Since the prelim began, three songs I have yet to identify have been awaiting their opposition. However, this was supposed to be four songs awaiting in the final round. Absent from the final round due to the fact I cannot find any video or audio on it is "Nous sommes seuls dans la forêt (We Are Alone in the Forest)” from 1930's Le Million. Unless I (or someone else) can find a video or audio clip of this ASAP, this song will unfortunately have to be considered an honorary mention. One online movie reviewer had a YouTube link to this song, but unfortunately it ran afoul of the Criterion Collection (who handle the film's distribution in North America) some time ago.

Thank you all for participating in the preliminary. I certainly hope you are pumped for the final round that is coming your way on Tuesday, and that you're all enjoying the cinematic and musical adventure and discoveries we are all making!

Bonus music for your enjoyment!

From two of the Movie Odyssey Award nominees for Best Original Score are two magnificent cues from two probable nominees. The first is "Cody's Flight" from The Rescuers Down Under (1990; yes, the sequel to The Rescuers), composed by Bruce Broughton. The second is "Sonata in Darkness" for solo piano from The Batman (2022), composed by Michael Giacchino.

#Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song #MOABOS #2022 Movie Odyssey Awards

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