#which was where a half demon who has been judged for all his life for his looks fell in love with a blind person

[maomaopilled]

[tgaa spoilers]

i love all the different ways case 1-1 and case 2-5 of tgaa contrast each other.

in case 1-1 kazuma believes in ryunosuke and wants to defend him in court even if it risks his study trip which is extremely important to him. even though ryu doesn't let him be the defense lawyer he still supports ryu in court and trusts in him. ryu barely has any idea what's even going on and it's a very emotional trial for him bc he could literally be found guilty of a murder he didn't commit. he is so nervous and anxious. so kazuma really is like his rock throughout the trial. kazuma is the one he looks up to and admires, representing such lofty ideals

but then by the time we reach case 2-5 it's like everything has been flipped around.

so many revelations about kazuma come to light, his desire for revenge and his part in the assassination plot and everything else. despite all of that... ryu keeps trusting and believing in him time and time again during the trial. it's a very personal and emotional trial for kazuma and this time ryu is like his rock. ryu isn't anxious anymore he has grown so much. now he is confident and collected and he never stops going after the truth no matter what. he stops kazuma from getting blinded by his own emotions and going too far off track. and where before, ryu was the one admiring kazuma's resolve and following in his footsteps. now it's kazuma who is moved by the resolve of ryunosuke naruhodo and needs to follow in his example of upholding the truth.

and the way that ryu and kazuma were supposed to part ways after case 1-1 with kazuma leaving to go to england but they didn't because ryu went with him. there's an element of codependency there. and i get the sense that part of the reason kazuma wanted him there is because he was afraid (if afraid is the right word?) of what could happen in england and he felt like he could face anything with ryu by his side. but by the end, they part ways willingly, and it is sad but i think they both know it's for the best and it's important for them both to follow their own paths and find themselves. they trust that the distance won't weaken their bond and they will meet again. kazuma isn't afraid anymore, he's ready to face his demons on his own... and ryu is ready to forge his own path.

not just that, i find it so interesting that lord stronghart's plans brought about his own downfall. in the first case, the murder that ryu is falsely accused of is actually one half of the assassination plot. him being falsely accused and defending himself in court is what begins his whole journey of becoming a defense lawyer capable of exposing all of lord stronghart's secrets in the final case. it's that idea that the truth always comes out. stronghart's plan to silence the people who know the truth actually started a young unassuming man on the journey to exposing the entire truth.

and i also love how jigoku is the judge for the first trial and he seems so intimidating and authoritative at first, a symbol of law and order. but by the final trial, ryu is cross examining him, picking apart all his lies, demanding that he can't withhold any information no matter how important his status is. it recontextualises the first trial bc we realise that jigoku knew exactly what was going on and he was okay with ryu being charged with a murder he didn't commit as long as his own secrets were safe and his own status was secure. in the first trial, jigoku was okay with ruining a man's life for his own gain. but by the final case, that same man reveals all his crimes in front of everyone in the court room. it's just so satisfying the way everything comes around, the way the truth always comes out.

[blueflipflops]

Blessed is The Fruit of Thy Womb

tw: pregnancy, violence, dissociating

Inspired by @cyrwrites 's prompt which is just too good to not write about Talia being pregnant from the exposure from the Lazarus Pits. Saw the tag about "Damian having a complex due to danny's whole "Child of Lazarus" thing he's got going on" and ran with it. Also the religious allegations thing was inspired and I am so here for it. Ended up longer than i planned tho. Would probably add more to this. Enjoy.

Next

...

Damian Al Ghul was born a prince. An heir. The blood son of Batman and Talia Al-Ghul. The grandson of the Demon Head.

He is to have the world presented to him in a silver platter even before he reaches his majority.

And yet... that's not quite right, now, isn't it?

Because for all the gift of genes he has in his body, for all the training he has ever endure ever since he learned how to walk... that is all he'll ever be.

A genetic experiment on how to get all the appealing genetic material from both parents and make it into a child.

His mother did not even bear him!

Pregnancy is too much of a hassle, too restrictive, too dangerous for her line of work. She need not be bothered to undergo the burdens of pregnancy when she can create a perfect child in a test tube.

Yet for all her complaints and stilted explainations, why...

Why does it seem like she cared more for the Child that grew itself in her womb?The one that came out of nowhere. The one she birthed herself. The one that Damian seemed to keep losing everything to.

Ever since his mother's womb grew with child with a distinct energy only felt in the Lazarus Pits, she has became estatic and raving. She had claimed that the Lazarus Pits has Chosen her to bear the fruit of its power. The one true heir. The Incarnate of Immortality and Power.

She claims all the honor and the pains that came with it. She became obssessed with the Child even before it was born. Even more when it was born male and familliar feeling of power emanating the infant. The Child opened its eyes with glowing Lazarus green eyes and the scent of death clinging to its blood covered flesh. It did not cry when it was born but just opened its eyes seemingly judging the worth midwife's life in the mortal realm. It must have deemed it unworthy as it is said that the stare looked straight to her soul and drove her mad. Damian never really knew who did the final blow. Was it his mother, the midwife herself or if it was his... brother just as rumored. Damian did not care to know any of that only that the midwife and several other helpers did died that day screaming and bloodied. Their corpses dumped over to the Pits as an offering.

The first time Damian had looked upon those cursed eyes where the first he had ever felt real fear in his life. In the very young age of 10 was he formally introduced to the Child. It looked like a human but distinctly not at the same time. Like an entity thats trying too hard to appear human but forgets what humans look like half the time.

The Child unsettles Damian.

It began its training about the same age as Damian did and unsurprisingly took on the skills easily as breathing. With abilities that seems to only get stronger with time and added training. It is not as perfect as his Mother praise it to be as it is said to go off in bouts of mad rage that seemed to only calm after blood has been spilt. This stopped being a problem after they found out that constant baths in the Pits have a similar enough effect without thinning their forces from the whims of the Child.

Slowly, no matter how hard Damian trains, no matter how successful he is in each obstacles or tests thrown his way, he will never get that Honor he was raised to believe was rightfully his. He was put to the side. Once a future leader now in a role of a follower.

Damian Al-Ghul is a prince. A warrior. An assassin. A spare. A bargaining chip against his father.

For all that the Child is younger than him by a mere year, Damian, with his obvious superior combination of genes, is less than the Child of Lazarus himself.

No matter.

There is one thing the Child cannot claim over him.

He is the blood son of Batman. Not him. Never him. Batman has no claim to the Child either as his mother ravingly repeated over and over again. (As if to remind him of his place.)

He is the only blood son of Batman after all. Not him. Damian need not share what is rightfully his.

No. Of course not.

That is why when his mother told him that he is to pack up his belongings to live and train with his father, Damian did not hesitate nor did he looked back.

His father will be different, he knows this. He will value him more than some demon child from the pits, he is sure. Even if he has to prove himself for it.

...

Danny is dissociating most of the time and feels like this is a very detailed hallucination post vivisection and cannot (dont want to) accept to awknowledge what is happening. He doesn't know what to do with himself if this was real. He has killed people here and sometimes in blind rage too. His core is very fragmented which means his memories are all over the place. Add that to his willful ignorance of the development of his apparent reincanation, he is very Messed Up.

To him, he is Danyal Al Ghul. Heir to the Demon Head, son of Talia Al Ghul, and Child of the Lazarus. But he is more than that, isn't he? He sees flashes of life before this. Of flight and action. Of family and friends. But that can't be right, can it? He feels like something else. Like someone else. But how can that be?

He emanated death energy all over because he can't control his emotions and powers as much as his teenager self. The ectoplasm in the air in the LOA's lair comes from the Lazarus Pits which is so corrupted from the amount of death, corpses, and heavily concentrated emotions, that it messes with Danny's head. He tried to get as much distance from the Pits as possible but Danny can't survive without ambient ectoplasm especially with his core being fragmented like this. When the stress got too much (which was often) he ends up in blind rage that only stops when someone dies and he hungrily absorbs up the ectoplasm from the freshly new corpse. And it goes over and over again until Danny decides that enough is enough. He doesnt want to not have complete control of his body nor does he want to kill more than what his new family is already making him to. He just has to suck it up and get his ectoplasm from the nearest available source: the Lazarus Pits.

After that, he stopped randomly killing people whenever he gets pissed. Being so hungry all the time, the ectoplasm from the pits started to become delicious to Danny but still. He tries to limit his consumption to the very minimum because it messes his head a bit wheter he notices it or not. So like 2-3 times a month. He stopped being deathly hungry.

His apparent "skill/genius" is just a abnormal one up from a normal child who had not lived half a lifetime growing up with a black belt ghost hunter mom who trains them to fight as mother-son bonding time. He didn't really go about it easily either. (Damian is just an unreliable narrator) He just instictively knows the basics and the theory but had to relearn how to do it in his new body that the League just polishes and sharpens to the max blinded by the idea of Danny being the Child of Lazarus. (Them being a cult and all) His hair becoming flame-like wisps and glowing eyes when angered did not help this theory. Nor did his inhuman strength and ghostly powers or his sharp teeth either. He seems to be able to use his powers even in his human form but ra's pissed him off so much one time he reverted to his ghost form...which became so twisted as the years has passed from all the trauma he has experienced and turned into a giant eldritch monster with way too many eyes and teeth, a cloud-like expanse of space and stars, and an Aurora Borealis encircled above his head like a crown. Ra's learned some lines drawn in the sand that day. He is overcome with both fear and poorly contained greed. His eyes dilated from the show of sheer power from this Child. Oh, how he hungers for it.

Danny, despite his nonexistent efforts, became a momma's boy. How can he not when his new mother showers him with love and affection near obssessively? His core subconsciously purrs in satisfaction from the attention despite the overall creepiness of the situation. His core imprinted on the woman already. Who cares if she's a bit crazy? His mother has always been a bit crazy. His memories of past!Maddie (pre-discovery/vivesection thingy) get muddled over and mixes up with memories of Talia which makes him latch onto her more. (Which Talia definitely encourages.) Because his mom is finally paying attention to him again :) she says she loves him :) and she doesn't want to rip him apart molecule by molecule :)))

(He knows. He asked! Although the words may have got tied up on his tongue and the question may have sounded more like a threat than what was intending to ask. But its all good! Surely his mother understood what he was trying to say because she immedietely hugged him and told him that she loved him very much and asked very nicely not to kill her. He is sure that they became closer after that. Talia is just thankful that her Child continues to recognize her as his Mother/Bearer and spared her from his usual rages. She is, of course, worth more than these other lowly mortals. Danyal is hers and hers only after all.)

...

Damian, on baby's first crisis: I am the blood son of Batman. The ONLY son of Batman. Surely I don't have to share him with others :)

Me, nervously looking over my shoulder to see a line of robins and robin-adjacent children that had at one point dressed up as a caped traffic light or another: ...uhhh...

Me, looking at the other side seeing Terry Mcginnis and Helena Bertinelli/Wayne playing rock paper sissors : yeah... about that...

Damian is very biased here. Because how the fuck is he going to compete with a fucking demon pit incarnate??? He's got a lot of thoughts about being replaced here which ha! New flavor of trauma for my baby bird. :)

Love giving Damian a complex :) Wanna put him in a jar of pickles and shake it :)

Also would love to see Damian will arrive ready to prove his worth only to find out that Batman is dead/missing/stranded in the timestream and how it will affect his new flavors of complexes and issues. Lol Oh to be a fly on the wall of the batcave when that happens. Wait dont they have bats there? Flies would get eaten—

Lol someone calls Damian a demon child once and he gets geniunely offended. He hisses back that he is not a Lazarus Pit Baby and thats how the batfam finds out about danny. They all panic at first thinking that not only did Bruce have another secret child but said child is apparently still with LOA. And boy would that do wonders to Damian's buried insecurities. Damian is going going to experience some Emotions and he's going to make it everyone's problem.

Like mother like son.

Talia and possibly Ra's POV next

Anyways, here are them tags:

@emergentpanda-blog @skulld3mort-1fan @rosecinnamonbun @ver-444 @learning-to-fly-on-my-own @dannyphantomphan @yasminerd00 @blep-23

[emmaofnormandy]

~A Medieval Tale: The Rogue & His Lady. Part II~

Plot: Y/N is a damsel who captures the heart of a rogue, misunderstood prince named Aegon Targaryen in 14th century England… with no civil war to disarray the family.

It’s fluffy, very mediæval like; smut; long post.

(+21)

***

Even sun sets in paradise.

Clouds rumble in the skies, a sign of storm, a bad omen to all those who fear the ire of the divine. Many were the peaceful years of King Viserys’s reign. Some would incline to judge this monarch as fool, others, wise, good even.

Whatever epithet this king deserves, it goes to wind, blown away by the first evidences that peace is yet to be supplanted by something worse. What might that be… is yet to be found out.

With the sun eclipsed, new events are setting stage. Aegon and you are forced to be apart by these circumstances and you fear to remain a shadow in his memory, praying to the divine that he does not forsake you .

On his part, this redeemed prince has renewed his vows to you. But he’d come to find that easier is said than done for his attentions are required elsewhere. Demons are coming out to reclaim his soul and he’s the target of evil again.

Indeed, to be surrounded by such creatures requires an inner strength that a fragile faith cannot knock down. Here, Aegon finds difficult to shake ‘em off.

Oh why Lord hast thou forsaken me?

Masking his pain, his porcelain skin turns to ivory. Sweet Prince is now a king… who faces the opposition of partisans who threaten to replace him with Rhaenyra.

Where there is smoke, there is flame. And someone might get burnt.

You, despite yourself, feel inclined to let be consumed by these unnatural flames.

Already pained by how politics are preventing one to find the other, you swallow your pride and discreetly search for him.

Aegon is found in secretive talks to Lord Daeron, his brother and councilor, who thinks best to marry off his sister in order to prevent political troubles that could arise in her state— and none seems to suspect, though, that the Lady Rhaenyra is holding the reigns of her life by taking her own uncle, Lord Daemon Targaryen, as her husband.

How bold, the scandalized court would whisper.

Part of shadows, you are invisible to the eyes of men—and to those of the women, too. For who are you if not part of a nobility that few are familiar with? Your family possessions may give them some credit, but no name, no blood, nothing… could commend you to His Grace.

The tentacles of the Devil hereby try to persuade you of your insignificance, thus trying to work against the designs of the Cupid by pushing you away from him, the one your heart desires.

To the most pious, though, this is read as an announcement of a heavenly battle for two lost souls. Which one is going to be the victor?

One could only pray to fight away such impertinent demons…

But a soul when linked to the other is prompted to recognize its other significant half… regardless the crowd that tries to part them.

Which means to say that His Grace’s lilac eyes find the y/c eyes of yours. So lost. Plagued by this intermittent chaos.

In silence, screaming for the lover stolen.

“Lady Y/N!”

The stunned group of councillors, and here his relatives are included, follow the cause of the king’s disrupted distress.

To many, the evident surprise in their faces when seeing it is you the very reason why Aegon II is more concerned to a damsel than politics may lead to that old superstition, understood as a sort of common sense, which places the blame of wrongs in women… simply because they are not obeying the natural orders.

Regardless, spotlight is on. The Cupid dances, the Devil threatens. Fate is about to play deadly its cards.

“I could not reach out for you. I pray you forgive me for being…”

Even if staying at the center of this stage is something you do not wish for, it is too late to storm out. Your destiny escapes your hands, it’s been woven by the divine. This is all you know.

“Do not apologize, lord. There is nothing to be forgiven for”, you smile, but Aegon sees sadness in your irises. “What can we do before duty? Should be me the one to ask you forgiveness for my meekness, my spirit so prompted to be passional…”

“I see nothing in you to be faulted for. Reason cannot conceive it. Lady Y/N, I aim to reclaim not your body, even if it arises the desires of my flesh, but your soul, so only I before it can be whole.” He cups your face with his hands, in complete ignorance of his mother’s baffled countenance. “Even so, unworthy of thee as I am, take me not as king, but as a man.”

“Poet of mine heart”, you sigh, to the delight of the Goddess of Love who claps before this chaotic profession of most profound sentiments. “I could not refuse you, whether as a beggar, whether as a king. Likewise, my heart is yours to be commanded… despite my most inappropriate station.”

Aegon smiles and it is as if sun shines the brightest. To a general astonishment, the king loves. And such a love is above mortal, fable laws; above lust, inferior desires that have made no other victims than himself.

“I care naught about the laws of men, for I stand before them. My wife you will be, lady of this court, mistress of the realm”, says he in a tone that leaves no argument to it.

Devil is finally fought off. Victory is placed in the hands of Cupid. Heaven smiles below… even if skies remain grey still.

***

Nothing evokes a greater scandal than unexpected unions. Disregarding reason and every sensible advise, the king intends to make his word law of the realm.

All of this is suffice to say that making you his queen attracted great disapproval of the court. Something unseen since the days of Maegor the cruel.

But Aegon may be many things. Cruel he is not. And you are unlike any of his consorts.

Despite the gleefulness of finally being tied to Aegon, you know that working for peace is part of your queenship.

Therefore, days before the wedding you come after the dowager queen, lady Alicent Hightower. You hope to be as convincing as possible in arranging domestic peace, for you do this overall for the man you love—never forgetting, however, how uncommon this union is, out of the Targaryen inbred and hierarchically mismatched.

The redhaired lady, once praised for her piety and discreetion, who once possessed a crown over her head, welcomed you with distrust in her eyes—even if you see how queenly she is in manners. That is to reinforce the regal obligations one has… out of habit, perhaps, when dealing with others she is less… inclined to like.

“Madame the Queen”, you address her accordingly. “I thank you for welcoming your humble servant.”

Your speech definitely surprises the dowager queen. The lady Alicent has judged you as some sort of gold digger, who craved your nails in her son and whose manners were most undignified of Aegon—even if he is not, as she knows well, the great moral of her house.

However, when studying you, your modesty and meek speech, she realizes she’s been wrong. Not many could surprise Alicent Hightower, but you, Y/N Y/LN did.

“Please rise, child”, she softens towards you. “I am not a queen… not anymore.”

“One never ceases to be a queen, even if the crown is legated to another. You are the force behind this house, my lady. I would do harm to all of us if I only followed my heart.”

Wise move. Oh, this lady possesses a sharp wit. Certainly not like any of the mistresses Aegon had conquered to warm his bed.

And yet… hasn’t Lady Alicent been remembered of that heroine whom she admired, Isolde being the character’s name?

Though the dowager queen envied you for being who she aimed to be since the days of her girlhood, she is not unreasonable where you are concerned.

“I appreciate you come after me for that. I admit all of this caught me out of surprise, for little I expected seeing my son so besotted.”

You try smiling, charmingly if you dare.

“Indeed it has baffled me as well that the king considered me in high esteem. Unworthy as I am, I, however, feel likewise.”

“But you surely must be aware of his flaws”, the dowager queen could not help herself. You remind her of sweet Helaena, who, however, even in her sweetness had a driven force that led her elope with Aemond, her brother.

“I am, my queen. I do not love for the king he is, but for the man he is becoming. I too have my flaws.” The final card is yet to come… “Before the divine, we are inferior beings, all longing for redemption.”

The Queen smiles. You’ve succeeded in captivating her.

“This is very true. Sometimes… when we least expect, we come to learn that love sent from above is yet to redeem us all.”

From this day on, you and the dowager queen become close, perhaps occupying the vacant position left by the princess Helaena.

***

It is the ceremony day. Here you and Aegon are, lawfully married. A banquet is held on your honor, as well as tournaments are drawing high and low born men alike who spots in the jousts an opportunity to write their names in history.

Most want to be the lady Y/N’s champion, but you’ve already granted your favour to Lord Daeron, the king’s youngest brother, who used to be your childhood playmate.

As wine is poured in your silver glass, you and your lord husband speak as if there is just the two of you in a gold and green salon.

“I espoused you”, says he with his typical smug.

“Indeed”, you side smirk. “But I pray you are reminded daily that I was not any conquest of yours.”

“No”, he agrees, looking deep into your eyes as he takes your hand to his lips in a lingering kiss. “You are the redemption of a lost sinner, my lady.”

But this sweet, intimate moment is interrupted by Aemond’s boast.

“It appears”, he announces in his own way, “this is the moment we have all been waiting for. The bedding ceremony.”

You look away, crimson pink painting your cheeks all the whilst Aegon raises his eyebrows at his brother—though he’d indulge in lies if he didn’t admit he’d been looking to it. Perhaps too much for a man who until recently was slaved by his flesh.

*

A path of flowers follows your steps as the gentlewomen remove every piece of your green gown. Your carefully embroidered hair is now loose in your back and every jewel that embellished your skin is carefully removed.

Never before you felt so nude, so exposed. Specially under the cries and giggles of the ladies, some of which behave in what you judge to be somewhat in the old ways.

“Be merry, my dear. Today is the day your queenly duties begin”, someone tells you.

You smirk at them, but pay little attention to their sayings, detesting this exhibition. Until your mind suddenly goes blank before the view of perfection that stands right under your eyes.

Aegon Targaryen hasn’t seen you yet. Perhaps to drink away his nervousness, he downs his glass of wine. His hair is somewhat a mess, falling short down to his neck; but your eyes scan his muscles, perfectly shaped after years of sword training.

The lines of his body that reinforce his shape awake something different in you. And when he turns at you….

Your face goes instantly red.

“My queen”, and it doesn’t help you that he scans you with the eyes of a predator.

And you like it how he smirks and moves all the way to welcome you properly.

“You look beautiful like always”, his whisper is like a summer breeze, warming and cozy; his arms are like a fortress, strong and safe. “Do not shy away from me, my dear.”

He is right behind you, his arms snaking around your waist, thus involving you in between. His chin is resting over your shoulder, his lilac eyes staring at your heart-shaped face as he uses one hand to play with your hair all the whilst the other is resting over your belly.

“You are gifted with a beautiful out of this world. As a sinner, I should not dare to look at you, but because of my weakness, I have my feebleness exposed.”

“Oh Aegon, you are no man, nor king, nor something in between. You are above all, and as your subject I boldly commend myself to you.”

Speeches are silent from the moment his lips meet your skin and your mouth drops in an “o” right as you give in under his touch. His slender fingers caressing your belly, squeezing gently your waist before cupping your breasts make you experiment—truthfully this time—this dragon fire.

And you want to get burnt so desperately.

“Aegon…”, you moan softly, dropping your head at shoulders.

Sinful has never been so tempting. Where there is a flame someone is about to get burnt, and you place yourself willingly in this position, notwithstanding the morals of the Church against lust and the dangerous of having pleasure in marital bed—everything must be balanced.

You certainly do not feel condemned by any means when he’s kissing your neck and cupping your breasts; nor guilty when his tongue paces slowly towards your neck.

Aegon too revives his old self, though he is now controlling his lust, not the other way around. As when he lowers his right hand and through forest he finds waterfall in you, diving in you and together finding pleasure in sin.

“Oh yes”, he groans in your ear, pleased to please you. “Give yourself to me, my dear”.

When your gazes meet, you know it’s your end. You are doomed.

And Aegon, has truthfully been tamed.

***

As when sun and moon meet, so it occurs a significant event the moment your body meets his. When he holds your thighs and pushes within you, when he looks at you with a mix of love and lust… you know it’s nothing regular.

It’s supernatural.

Divine.

Like when Mars met Venus and in her he planted his seeds, so the king plants his in you.

When does profanity begin? When does sacred end? A line so fragile between extremes is yet to be traced.

But one gaze, one kiss… one bliss is enough to bring altogether what has ever been apart.

Victory thus falls upon the hands of the Cupid, and Heavens will too bless this unique match. No one could have foretold the plans of the divine… as no one could have fought them either.

***

• Epilogue.

The king sits on his throne, eyes glued on his dancing queen. A smile dances over his lips, some might say Lady Y/N is a witch.

A love for a crown?

A crown for love?

When all eyes are set on their offspring, doubts are quietened. A pair of twins is seen dancing with their mother, whilst another, the elder and heir, is found by his father’s side.

All is well that ends up well… with you.

Aegon smiles. Against all wishes, the peace he provides. And he rises, uncontestedly victorious.

Their family is yet to grow further, with Lady Y/N, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, mothering at least ten more children. Their lives will last… until spring comes and summer passes.

During the autumn of life, when marriages thrive, you outlive your husband only to see Jaehaerys II with Jaehaera by his side.

Thus it is how this Targaryen line survives…

[crusty-chronicles]

sorry if this is a bad time to request and feel free to put this off till whenever or even delete it if you're sick of airheaded stronk s/o asks

I was wondering, could you do short headcanons about how hiei and/or kurama with a stronk/airhead s/o would react to someone random or even a minor antagonist actively being rude their s/o while they're in earshot

[for a more specfic example maybe that eyeball at the gate of betrayal calls their attempted sacrifice foolish or the pretty boy purple guy from the dark tournment says smth like "it's a shame such a pretty face is wasted on such a brainless oaf" which has the added bonus(?) of sounding underhandedly flirtatious.]

again no pressure to write this quickly or at all. i just figured i'd throw it in your ask box incase it interested you at all.

Also entirley seperate question but would you be willing to cover roroanora zoro in your stronk/airhead s/o series?

BONUS AIRHEADED S/O DRABBLES: How they react to someone insulting their S/O

An: Of course I don't mind! Never be afraid to request things, it just might take me a little bit to get to them but really I enjoy doing them!

--------------------

Kurama:

More than likely it would be a comment from Yomi or Kaito that would make him lose his cool. For this instance though, we'll go with the latter.

🦊🦊🦊🦊

It was a little after Botan got her soul stolen that Kaito decided to run his mouth. You having been kidnapped with Yusuke because where one went, the other followed. Much to Kurama's dismay.

"You've got me curious, playing house with a human I'd figure would be so far below you. Do you find them amusing? Maybe think of them as some sort of plaything? A way to keep yourself entertained?"

The taunt was an attempt to make the fox demon slip up. And it seemed to be working judging by his glare and increase in spirit energy.

"Did I strike a nerve? Don't tell me the great Yoko Kurama is actually infatuated with a human. And not a very bright one at that." There was a smirk on his face that only grew seeing Kurama manipulate the plants around him. Knowing he couldn't physically hurt him at the moment.

"You should have seen them. Getting all worked up over Urameshi being immobilized, only to fall for the exact same trap. It was almost too easy. Even when being told moving was useless, they still struggled. Yelling out curses and promises to...what was it? Oh yes, 'kick out asses' I believe. I never would have pegged you as the type to go after a stupid brute."

His cackling was soon disrupted by the sound of Kurama's voice. Speaking up at last with a tone so cruel, it temporarily frightened Kaito.

"You should hope I don't find a loophole around your no violence rule. Because if I do, you'll regret every last word." Eyes glowing an eerie golden.

When he finally bested the snarky human, he half thought to just crush his soul. No only because he put his friends in harm's way, but he also insulted you.

Insulted his relationship with you.

Buuuut, Kurama wasn't exactly allowed to end a human's life. And he refused to stoop that low anyways.

No, he'd just leave Kaito the way he was and focus instead on getting you and Yusuke back safely.

Overall he's petty about it, but not angry enough to lash out. He'll let it go for now....But if it happens again all bets are off.

----------------------

Hiei:

For Hiei it is most definitely Shishi that gets to him. I feel like maze castle is a little too early for him to get mad at someone making fun of you. Maybe a comment of 'A foolish sacrifice and yet you're the one who's dead'. But if it's during the dark tournament on the other hand 👀👀👀

⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️

Kuwabara had just gotten teleported to who knows where. Leaving you, Hiei, and Kurama left to fight. It was just your luck that the die landed on your name. The other once again on Shishi's.

"Oh great, another bumbling idiot. At least this one is easier on the eyes." The demon commented as you made your way onto the arena.

Already Hiei could feel his blood start to boil. Disliking the way Shishi seemed to look you up and down.

"Perhaps defeating you will boost my popularity. Just don't die so quickly. I want to be able to entertain my fans."

You were already getting tired of this guy yapping. And it didn't help that he made your best friend vanish into thin air.

"I wouldn't be so sure about you beating me."

But at your comment, he only grew angry and snapped.

"Are you delusional or just that stupid? You think I would let a mere human beat me? Especially one as klutzy as you."

You were not a fighter to be underestimated. Hiei knew that firsthand. Yet you continued to let that cretin berate you as you fought.

For some reason that made him furious. Wanting to both put him in his place and let you teach that bastard a lesson. He took a step forward. Already deciding that if you did indeed lose this fight, he'd be the one to beat that egotistical demon.

A firm grip on his wrist stopped him from taking another step forward.

"Refrain from doing anything foolish. I know you care for them, but you'd only be damaging their pride more by stepping in." Kurama scolded.

The words temporarily snapping Hiei out of his protective thoughts.

"Tch, I don't care for them."

Hiei is absolutely ready to throw hands on your behalf. Yes you're foolish, but you're his foolish human. The only one allowed to insult you is him.

------------------

MASTERLIST

[catholic-character-tournament]

Round 1 - Side A

Propaganda below ⬇️

Abuelita Alma Madrigal Propaganda:

There's a church in the Encanto as well as a priest and given how strong her grip is and how much of a control freak she is, I would very much doubt she'd allow people to believe in other miracles than Pedro's if she wasn't, herself catholic. Also I mean south american turn of the century family they're probably catholic.

Listen at least Alma is!!! The candle!! The importance of the church!!! The vibes are just there!!!! The idea of being a savior by sacrificing yourself (or at least your personality/grief) for your people? That’s SO catholic coded PLEASE

Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler Propaganda:

good lord where do i start. in the animated series he converts logan to catholisism and then fucks off basically thats the main thing he did there. i think one time they tried to make him a demon to explain how he looked but everyone hated that. he sold his soul one time to help his friends out after he died. he and logan have a weird little gay thing. he was a priest one time but he was made a priest by a fake bishop from a religion that hates mutants iirc so he just wasnt a priest. like 3 people have written him in a way i like and one of those is my friend just talking about how they view him.

wow marvel loves making catholic characters dress/look like demons

Kurt is a mutant who was born to mystique who looks a LOT like a devil (technically is half one but that cannon truth isn't real go back to bed), his mother dropped him off a cliff when he was born and he was picked up by a Romani group/circus (fuck old comics man) however he then narrowly escaped being sold to a freak show and found himself in a small German town. There he met a kind priest, who showed him God, and he quickly grew attached to the idea- However, it wasn't long before people began labeling him a demon and soon the whole town was against him with pitchforks and fire. Cornered and injured, Kurt thought this might be the end for him- maybe he would see heaven so long after finding it- but he was then saved by Charles Xavier who invited him to the X-Men. AND ITS BEEN SO MANY YEARS AND HE HAS BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH THERE. SO MUCH. SO GOD DAMN MUCH. BUT THE MOST AAAA THING TO ME CONCERNING HIS FAITH HE WHEN HE LITERALLY DIED AND WENT TO HEAVEN BUT THEN BECAUSE OF DRAMA WITH HIS FATHER HAD TO BRING HIS FRIENDS IN WITH HIM FROM THE BEYOND. THEN WITH ALOT OF TROUBLE THEY FOUGHT HIS FATHER AND THE ONLY WAY KURT SAW TO STOP HIM WAS IN A MOVE THAT STRIPPED THEM BOTH OF THEIR SOULS AND PUT THEM BACK ON EARTH. SO KURT CANONICALLY HAS NOW LOST HIS ABILITY FOR ETERNAL PEACE, LOST HIS VERY SOUL, TO SAVE PEOPLE- AND ALSO TOLD NO ONE NOT EVEN HIS GAY LOVER WOLVERINE.

Nightcrawler is a mutant vigilante who looks like a classical demon. He can't even go to church without people panicking and trying to exorcize him. Despite it all, he's so full of faith and hope and compassion, and he wants to believe the best of everyone. Also, he's bffs with an extremely angry Jewish sword lesbian. That has nothing to do with anything, but it's important to me that you all know that.

What if you were a devout christian and literally looked like the devil? He nearly became the pope, which was a plot by some supervillains that also involved faking a rapture? There is nothing like comics I swear to god.

A catholic who is half demon I don’t think I can better explain a struggle than that. But his character is so relatable to people who feel unwelcome with their congregation because of something that is a part of them but still feeling a connection to the faith. Kurt actively engaged in his faith and shares how his faith helps him through all the things he has faced in life and how he found a home with those of the church who leave the judging to God.

so they made kurt a priest briefly before deciding to retcon it, resulting in nightcrawler actually being part of a plan by villains to promote him to pope then reveal to the world that the pope is a demon. wild.

I have a side blog and a tattoo about him and i really really want him to win

Wisecracking devil-appearing devout Catholic with the Best superpower (teleportation)? HECK YES

German Catholic circus acrobat who looks like a demon & can teleport through a hellish alternate dimension with a puff of sulfur. Character of all time.

hes catholic and his dad is the devil. what could be funnier than that. also hes my silly little guy.

Nightcrawler is the world’s most fun catholic priest. I first was introduced to this kindhearted teleporting acrobat while he saved a boat full of stowaway refugees from inter dimensional pirates with swashbuckling gusto!

[enxeii]

This is a MEGA MEGA old sketch; I’m currently writing longer and better, so please don’t judge too harshly

(If the translation here is awkward, I'm not to blame; it's the chat GPT)

Puddles of crimson blood surrounded the pedestal where just a short while ago a majestic statue of a still very young but already very successful and beloved deity had stood. Now, in its place, lay the very same deity, now deposed, unconscious and bleeding. Poor, poor Crown Prince, how sad it is, how sad it is to realize that not all problems can be solved with excessive self-sacrifice and grand, pompous phrases! But it’s alright; after all, he had no experience to understand this, right? This naive and overly self-confident boy still has everything ahead of him. And most importantly, he will have the most reliable and best helper in this. How regrettable it is that his little prince so aggressively refuses to acknowledge his assistance. He merely wants to help this foolish child open his eyes and finally see the world as it is, without rose-colored glasses. But it’s alright; very soon, his Xiangle will realize the mistake he made, will come to him, and will start begging the demon for guidance. And until that happens, the White Calamity will gladly assist him with this. Most importantly, he will prove that no one in this world will love him as much as he does.

The old temple had long been deserted, and the people who had dared to stab a sword into the chest of their own deity, to whom they had once prayed for salvation and health for their own lives, had instantly forgotten all of his deeds, consumed only by their selfish desire to live, had long turned to ash beneath their feet. Only two figures, clad in white—though who could say—remained inside the half-destroyed, blood-stained temple, from which the acrid metallic smell seemed it would never dissipate.

After several hours of silence in the temple, finally, some sound broke the stillness. The rustle of clothing, followed by quiet, almost imperceptible steps barely audible to human ears. Over the now former deity, a demon loomed, still clad in all white. He scrutinized the face of the fallen god, as if everything could have changed in those few hours. Then, thoughtfully, and with a somewhat anticipatory, sinister smirk, he pulled something small, metallic, and shiny from his sleeve.

He then turned it under the light of the only remaining, barely flickering candle, examining it as if seeing it for the first time in his life. It turned out to be a silver ring with a stone, very similar to what two lovers typically wore after their wedding ceremony. But it had one very small peculiarity. The stone was not attached or welded to the ring itself, as is usually the case; it was held by a nail inserted inside the ring. In other words, to wear this ring, one would literally have to pierce their finger through. It seemed only a madman would wear such a thing! Indeed, only a madman would. And that was exactly what the White No-Face was.

After a moment, the White No-Face smoothly shifted his gaze from the sadistic ornament to the rather emaciated, pale, blood-soaked hand of the former Crown Prince. With a deft and swift motion, he removed the nail with the stone and slipped the ring onto the thin ring finger of the deity's right hand, the place where married people typically wore their wedding ring. A moment later, a sound filled the temple that seemed completely unfamiliar, inappropriate, and too loud—the sound of metal ringing, the crunch of breaking bone. Just a couple of hours ago, the entire temple had been filled with these sounds. Everything had merged into one, and the common folk, for whom hearing such a sound had once been pure horror, no longer paid it any heed. Now, however, the temple was once again enveloped in such tranquility, as if a brutal massacre had not just occurred within its walls.

A new stream of blood once again desecrated the nearly deathly pale skin, which in life had only known the touch of the blood of enemies felled by its bearer. Although, looking at the state of the Crown Prince Xiangle, this was practically unnoticeable. Considering how much blood he had already shed and the wounds visible on his body, this small detail would go unnoticed by anyone.

It was completely unnoticeable, but for Xie Lian, it remained a disgraceful mark far worse than the cursed kanji, especially considering who had left it and with what intentions. Unlike the cursed kanji, which peacefully rested on his neck, merely reminding him of the horrors of his kingdom's fall, bringing immense pain, both physical and moral, serving as a reminder of even more horrific events and of a completely immoral, disgusting creature that did not adhere to even basic moral standards, for whom there were no boundaries of what was permissible, wearing only white and having the audacity not only to adorn him with such a thing but to wear an identical ornament on his own ring finger, which was originally meant to symbolize a strong and happy marriage. But there was one caveat: unlike His Highness, who was less fortunate, the White No-Face's ring was an ordinary wedding ring, without any masochistic inclinations. Wedding rings with the White No-Face… just think about it… it sounded utterly unimaginable; it was too insane to be true. Even such a bright and lovely tradition for lovers had been defiled by the demon with his perverse and completely immoral thoughts.

But his motive remained a mystery to Xie Lian. It was clear that he wanted to inflict as much pain as possible, to humiliate him as much as he could, to trample him into the dirt in order to finally break the excessive pride of the Crown Prince, but there were plenty of other ways to do that! Why did it have to be done this way? Moreover, hadn’t he done this not long ago when he destroyed Xiangle, proving to the naive Se Lian that he was not omnipotent? And that torture with a hundred swords had been more than enough to finally break the almost defeated fallen deity. So this action was completely unnecessary. Such ornaments should be worn by lovers who had willingly chosen this, and the White Calamity was perhaps the last person one could call such.

The ring could not be removed by any means. It pierced through the bone, preventing it from healing, causing excruciating pain. The only way to get rid of it would be to cut off his own finger, and His Highness was not yet mad enough to take such a step. To be honest, he wouldn’t dare. Besides, it remained inconspicuous only when the internal organs of the prince, minced into fine pulp, were on display. When he, dressed in modest monastic robes made from the most disgusting fabric imaginable, gathered trash to somehow make ends meet, the shiny ring with a rather large and clearly expensive stone caught the eye first and foremost.

For the White No-Face, this ring brought only good associations, though what else could one expect from a mad sadistic demon? His beloved Xiangle wears matching ornaments with him, and not just any, but wedding rings—how sweet!

[deng-yi-deng]

Cdrama: what I watched 2024

This year I got suuuuper picky and also pretty much stopped watching cdramas. Will this be my last wrap-up post ever? Tune in next year! Normally I keep a running draft review going that I can just post at the end of the year, but this year I forgot - which really signals my waning interest in cdramas generally - so my reviews are kinda vague.

No shade to folks who loved the big popular romance dramas but I completely gave them a pass. As a result, I had a great drama year - nothing under a 4/5 for this viewer!

Best drama this year: Heroes 天行健 (2024). Y'all slept on this one. Watch it now!! Even better than JoL2. Yes, you heard me. Shoutout to @lyxurious for reccing it to me. She has the best taste 💜

Mostly spoiler-free reviews of what I watched in the order I saw them under the cut

Follow Your Heart 颜心讥 4/5 (iQiyi)

(score includes extra credit for LYX bias)

Easy-watching, low-stakes, funny, and sweet. If I'm honest, one of the better plotted dramas that Luo Yunxi has been in. You know him as the beautiful crier, but his rom-com is not to be trifled with. Luo Yunxi is great as Jiang Xin Bai, the face-blind detective, but I was so happy to see Song Yi (Yan Nan Xing) in something where she wasn't playing a helpless girl or demure lady. It's the most enjoyable role I've seen her do apart from RuoRuo in JoL. Her comedy chops are also very solid, and she and Xixi were very cute together. The plot does falter a bit in the last 3/4 and slows down as they focus on the other couples, but then picks up and ends happily. Some great comedy characters - Jiang Xin Bai's mom is hilariously over the top - and fabulous performances by guest actors who play "Yan Nan Xing" when she shape-shifts. Also some good fight scenes! This is one I'd re-watch to de-stress.

Judge Dee's Mystery 大唐狄公案- (4)?/5 (Youku, Netflix)

Overall good, with movie-quality visuals, but I was disappointed by the last two mysteries which were simple and lacked oomf - I think the drama was split into two parts due to the new <40 rule, which would explain the fall off in momentum. As such I'm going to reserve a rating until the second half drops. Some of the individual mysteries - especially the one with Zhang Ruoyun - were fabulous. Acting was great from all the leads - don't believe anyone who tells you Ma Rong was annoying, she was not. The gender swap the writers did for that character totally worked for me. And I absolutely bought Zhou Yiwei as Di Renjie (though tbf I've only seen the Detective Dee movies).

Looking foward to s.2 (or part 2 however you want to count it)

Joy of Life 2 庆余年 4.5/5 (iQiyi)

Lots more people have reviewed or commented on this so I will be brief - I enjoyed the focus on politics and the machinations of the emperor, so this season really worked for me. I also thought Wu Xingjian did a great job as Yan Bing Yun, taking over from XZ. I loved the interactions between Fan Xian and Wang Qinian, adorable. There was one scene where the emperor and Fan Jian were talking/ploting/negotiating and the dialog and acting were so aaagh. so clever. I was kicking my feet and squealing. It is nice when a drama does not assume its audience is stupid. And of course we can't forget the 'power point' Fan Xian and Fan Si Zhe give about treasury bonds. Worst part: Uncle Wu doesn't show up until nearly the end ;_; looking forward to LOTS of Uncle Wu in s.3

Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 2 To the West 唐朝诡事录·西行 4.5/5 (iQiyi)

Better than season 1 in production quality but particularly in terms of the mysteries themselves. Where s.1 gave us Scooby-gang like "the demon is just a guy in a mask" solutions, the mysteries here have a bit more to them, and plenty of cultural interest as they journey farther into the west, ending up in Dunhuang! Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming still have unbeatable chemistry, but I feel like LLF got the spotlight a bit more this season. I love them both, but hope my man Wuming doesn't get the short end of the stick again. Let's please not forget who the disciple of Di Renjie and all-around genius is?

S.3 they should head back to Chang'An and maybe??? get back to the original mystery of who is the worst royal in the capital!

Heroes 天行健 5/5 (Tencent, YouTube)

Some of the best and most entertaining storytelling in a cdrama that I've watched. The setting at the very end of the Qing, with the turbulence and uncertainty works perfectly to explore the question of who really is a hero, and for whom. And the fights! There are so many!! sometimes more than one per episode!!!! The characters are well written and well-acted. This drama cements Qin Junjie as one of my favorite actors now (having previously only seen him in Fox Volant). Also one of the few guys who can rock the queue and still be handsome. We follow three groups of characters as they try to find the pieces to a puzzle that will lead them to a treasure. One group is the old guard (royalty, the establishment), one the outsiders of the jianghu, and the third are the rebels - the new China. The stories and character relationships are woven together really well, and the pacing of each episode pushes you forward to the next, always wondering what will happen. I seriously did not think they could keep each episode as interesting as the last but they did - with twists that were surprising, but logical in hindsight. Each 'hero' is trying to find their place in the world and do what they think is best for their people - by following the rules, by breaking them, and by making new rules. It's as much a competition between philosophies as it is between individual groups or individual people. This drama is intelligent, but first of all it's entertaining. It understands exactly what it is and what it's trying to do and is very self-aware. Please please pay special attention to the opening credits because they change...(also kudos to the composer who so ably channeled Enrico Morricone when necessary.)

I Am Nobody 异人之下 4.5/5 (Youku, YouTube)

Though this came out in 2023 I didn't manage to watch it until the end of the summer (2024) and I'm glad I did. Pure fun. Hilarious, great concept and characters, well done all around. It gave me major KO One flashbacks - mostly because of the style of humor and the focus on 'teenagers' - but was completely it's own thing. Great characters with sweet and sometimes heartbreaking backstories. Bao Bao you deserve all the hugs forever 😭.

Highly recommended if you enjoy fun comic book style fights, clever storytelling, and slightly sophomoric humor with lots of heart.

Dramas I dropped:

Not as many this year, since I didn't even try any of the big popular idol dramas. Eternal Brotherhood lost me around the 2/3 mark but I can't explain why! It had a great plot, and I love Yang Xuwen, but maybe I just got distracted? When the second half comes out I'll probably try it again.

Kill Me, Love Me had a spectacularly plot-packed first couple episodes and then they put on the brakes. That kind of uneven pacing, and focus on secondary characters led me to drop around ep 9. Which was sad because I like all the actors and the plot seemed good, but I lost interest.

[sunderwight]

Scenario where Crowley, actually being crow-like rather than snake-like in this regard (or perhaps dragon-like) has spent a lot of his time on earth accumulating a hoard of supernatural treasures that he just sort of keeps shoved in a storage unit somewhere.

Most of it are things that other demons or angels have lost on Earth, or occult tools that humans have made that proved a little too effective at doing dangerous or inconvenient things that like, threaten to unleash the hordes of hell onto the world (Hell approves of intervening because the understaffing issue means they don't actually want a whole bunch of demons suddenly taking unsanctioned holidays on Earth). But basically if an angel accidentally drops their celestial harp or some guy comes up with a way to hack a direct line to Satan, Crowley goes and fetches the relevant artifact and then, because Hell's bureaucracy is a joke and they never actually check, he just sort of keeps hold of them instead of sending them back to head office.

Crowley's got his own unit somewhere full of Indiana Jones style treasures. Holy grail, Ark of the Covenant type shit. Half of it is broken and a lot of it even he is uncertain of the provenance of, whether it was made by angels or demons or humans in some cases is tricky to discern, and some of those things are just objects that were causing trouble or seemed liable to and so he grabbed them and stuffed them in a box and forgot about them.

Usually he brings the books to Aziraphale first, but there are some he's grabbed while they were in "not speaking to one another" phases of their relationship, and Crowley only cared to remember to show them to the angel if he thought that Aziraphale would find them interesting. (Crowley, despite having spent a lot of time listening to Aziraphale talk about books, still does not actually know a lot about books, and so is not always a good judge of what might be interesting.)

Basically where this is going is: Crowley has had the Book of Life moldering in his storage locker for decades, and he has no idea. It just looks like a kind of shabby, big old book! There isn't even a title on the cover, and he could never get it to open, so he thought it was a dud book or something (again, he doesn't really 'get' books). He got it off of some charlatan occultists in the 1500's who were running a con about being able to summon angels, but then actually did manage to summon Aziraphale, which annoyed Crowley (interrupted dinner) so he stormed in all demon-like, put the fear of Satan into them, and took away all of their stuff. He would have shown Aziraphale the book, but they got into a fight straight afterwards so instead Crowley just added it to his hoard of crap and completely forgot it existed. The renaissance was going on, there were a lot of distractions! How would Heaven even lose something as important as the Book of Life?

Anyway, this has led to a massive misunderstanding that coincided with Aziraphale's genuine interest in books, where the Metatron thinks that Aziraphale somehow figured out that the Book of Life went missing and has been covertly blackmailing him for centuries with the offer to discreetly find it (via various rare book dealers and underground book circles specializing in occult books, like prophetic tomes and etc), and Aziraphale just thinks he's successfully convinced Heaven's upper management that a bookshop is a perfectly good celestial embassy.

[immoralimmortals]

that's fair! there isn't terribly much naruto daemon stuff, much less akatsuki

it's just fun if everyone had a companion and other people could see how you treated the "other half to your soul"

adds perspective? humanizes? or demonizes??

what are all or any of your akatsuki's favourite deserts? yes, including sasori or any of the others who are Less Than Human Now -- they used to eat them didn't they?

unless they don't like desserts, haha

itachi probably judge them a little lol

Yeah, I can see what you mean. Puts a new twist on putting your heart on your sleeve.

Desserts! I love desserts and trying new flavors of things.

Akatsuki member's take on desserts:

Pain/Nagato: Not a dessert man. I can't imagine him enjoying sweets very much, especially if he's been chronically deprived of the finer things in life due to his upbringing. He won't turn you down if you offer him a nice slice of cake, but don't take it personally if he doesn't finish it.

Konan: Same as Nagato but not as bad. She likes mild flavors for her sweets. It can't be bursting with sugar, nor can it be so fruity and tart it might make your mouth pucker. I bet she'd enjoy matcha flavored things, like mochi or taffy.

Zetsu: Frankly I do not entirely know what this man(s) thinks of regular human food. Your palette is a bit fucked up if cold bodies are your favorite taste. That being said, I think the funniest option is if he really likes ladyfingers for the pun alone.

Tobi/Obito: I know it's canon he likes dango. That probably gives a good idea of where we can take these headcanons. I think while he appreciates finer flavors, he's a sort of "I'll take what I can get" kind of guy, especially as his Tobi persona. As Obito, you'd have to catch him dead before he'll let it be known he has midnight snacks on the regular.

Hidan: Kind of hard to imagine liking sweets. I don't think he hates them, but he associates them with being childish. He'd eat out of boredom and nothing else.

Kakuzu: Earthy, tea or coffee or floral flavors. Rose turkish delight or tiramisu or dark chocolate dipped coffee beans. Maybe taro or ube flavored things. Desserts are a treat and not a necessity, and one he prefers to savor on his own. Do not invite this man to your ice cream social. He will not come.

Deidara: Fruit. Citrus and raspberries and mango and other such sharply flavored things. He'd love the shit out of watermelon or blue raspberry jolly ranchers. It has to be bold for him to enjoy it, which is a blessing if you're around overly processed American brand candy. I bet he'd like bomb pops, name not even involved in that. You KNOW he'd be obsessed with pop rocks. He'd put that shit on ice cream to make it less boring like how a dad takes out a packet of hot sauce "for more flavor".

Sasori: He doesn't eat, so I think he'd be entirely into the visual/artistic aspect of desserts. Macarons are a good example, he'd really enjoy the painstaking work involved with making them perfect. I think he'd also enjoy cake and chocolate sculptures, but much more to critique than to thoughtlessly admire. He would take no offense to using fondant, rice crispies, or wood planks to keep that art piece together. Edibility is not a factor. He and Deidara would gravely injure one another over this.

Kisame: I bet he really would like popsicles and boba tea. Strikes me as a cold dessert kind of guy, has to be something refreshing. I think honeydew would be a flavor he'd go towards, maybe coconut or lime. I'd take this man out to the boardwalk this summer for sure to split a drink or a stick.

Itachi: A gourmand. He can taste anything and know not only the ingredients but their rough (if not precise) ratio. He can analyze food like a DNA scanner can hair on an FBI tv show. You know he'd win any cooking competition involving guessing flavors. Gordon Ramsay would fall in love with this man. I know canonically it's dango, but I think the funniest favorite dessert for him would be the shitty near straight up powder sugar chocolates you can buy for Halloween.

[fibula-rasa]

Lost, but Not Forgotten: Racing Hearts (1923)

[alternate title: Have a Heart]

Direction: Paul Powell

Scenario: Will M. Ritchey

Story: Byron Morgan 

Camera: Bert Baldridge

Studio: Paramount & Famous-Players Lasky

Performers: Agnes Ayres, Richard Dix, Theodore Roberts, Robert Cain, J. Farrel McDonald, Warren Rogers, Robert Brower, James A. Murphy

Racing Stunts: James A. Murphy, Jerry Wonderlich (or Wunderlich), & Agnes Ayres

Premiere: Opening week: 18 February 1923, Rivoli Theatre, New York, NY

Status: presumed entirely lost

Length: 5,691ft or roughly 60 minutes

Synopsis (synthesized from magazine summaries of the plot):

Does advertising work? Virginia “Ginger” Kent (Ayres) thinks it’s just the ticket to save her family’s failing automobile company. Unfortunately, her cigar-champing father, John Kent (Roberts) abhors advertising. 

Ginger takes matters into her own hands and speeds her way through a town where she knows the judge really throws the book at speeding motorists. Her hope is that getting her name and the name of her father’s car, “Granada,” in the papers will drum up interest. However, on that very day, Roddy Smith (Dix) is temporarily filling in for the local traffic cop. Roddy happens to be the son of the manufacturer of a rival car called the “Mono.” Roddy instantly falls in love with Ginger and convinces the judge to let her walk—inadvertently foiling her plan to get the Granada in print. 

Later, Ginger’s father takes a business trip to London, leaving Ginger with instructions to fulfill in his absence. Ginger sees an opening and forges instructions for the factory’s foreman to build a racing car according to her specifications.

Meanwhile, an employee of the Kent’s is secretly talking to Smith, Sr. about the Kent’s financial troubles and trying to finagle a buy out. Smith, Sr. directs his son to go undercover and scope out the Granada operations. Roddy ends up hired to work on the racing car.

Ginger plans on entering the car in The Vanderbilt Cup, taking place in Santa Monica. Everything is going smoothly, until just before the race. The factory superintendent (Cain) that Ginger chose to race the car is a turncoat and has taken money from Smith, Sr. to throw the race. Roddy is also revealed to be a Smith in disguise and his father forces him to drive one of his own company’s cars in the race. So, in a momentous turn of events, Ginger has to race the car herself.

In the final stretch of the race, Ginger is in the lead—until she runs out of gas! Roddy sacrifices his chance at winning and uses his car to push Ginger across the finish line, which results in him crashing out. It’s all worth it though, as the Kent company is saved and Roddy and Ginger couple up.

Additional points of interest: In the opening sequence of the film, to illustrate stunt advertising, a car is seen floating above a city attached to a balloon. I couldn’t quite sort how/where this would fit into the plot synopsis, so I stuck it here!

Real-life racer Jimmy Murphy not only does stunt driving for the film, but also has a cameo as an out-of-work racecar driver. 

Ayres reportedly did some of her own driving on the racetrack, exceeding 100mph!

Buy me a ☕

Transcribed sources & annotations below:

Paramount Pep, 30 October 1922

Agnes Ayres a Speed Demon

“Racing Hearts” has been chosen as the title of the new Agnes Ayres picture which has just gone into production under the direction of Paul Powell. This story is an original by Byron Morgan, who is well known for his unusual success as a writer of fiction which has automobile racing as a background. Miss Ayres is seen in the production at the wheel driving a racing car at a rate of one hundred miles an hour. She has been practicing for this production on the Los Angeles Speedway during the past two weeks, using a genuine racing car which has been a victor in several big contests. When the big racing scenes of the production are staged Miss Ayres will be supported by a half dozen of the greatest automobile drivers in America, men who have won fame at races at Indianapolis and other speedways throughout the country. The scenario is by Will M. Ritchey. The cast of this picture includes Richard Dix in the male lead, Theodore Roberts, Robert Cain, J. Farrel McDonald and Warren Rogers.

NOTE: One of many mentions of Ayres doing her own driving, and at 100 mph! With a 1922/3 car!

---

Paramount Pep, 6 November 1922

In and Around Paramountown

The famous Jerry Wonderlich, victor of many a racing duel, is heading the group of automobile racers appearing in “Racing Hearts,” the latest Agnes Ayres production. Miss Ayres herself drives in race scenes of this picture at a rate in excess of 100 miles an hour. Richard Dix, her leading man, is called upon to meet this speed in another motor car, and likewise to travel at over 60 miles an hour upon a motorcycle.

It is said that the production is entirely different from the usual run of Agnes Ayres’ pictures, and presents her in a virile, out-door type of rôle. “Racing Hearts” was written for Miss Ayres by Byron Morgan, perhaps America’s greatest writer of automobile racing fiction. The story was adapted for the screen by Will M. Ritchey and is being directed by Paul Powell.

NOTE: Jerry Wunderlich/Wonderlich filmed this movie in between his two Indy 500 appearances. Unfortunately, like James Murphy, Racing Hearts appears to be his only feature film work!

---

Moving Picture World, 11 November 1922

News from the Producers

Conducted by T.S. da Ponte

Changes Titles of Two

Three new titles have been chosen for as many forthcoming Paramount pictures.

William de Mille’s recently completed production from an original story by Clara Beranger, in which Bebe Daniels, Lewis Stone, Kathlyn Williams and Harrison Ford have the important roles, has been permanently titled, “The World’s Applause.” “Notoriety” was the title originally chosen, but when it was found that another company had a prior claim, it was changed temporarily to “Paths of Glory,” which in turn has now given way to “The World’s Applause.”

Mary Miles Minter’s latest picture, just completed under the direction of Charles Maigne and adapted from Stephen French Whitman’s novel, “Sacrifice,” is to be called “Drums of Destiny.”

“Racing Hearts” is the title chosen for the new picture Agnes Ayres is just starting under the direction of Paul Powell. This is a story by Byron Morgan, author of the Wallace Reid automobile racing pictures, and Miss Ayres has the role of a race driver who goes in and wins a thrilling speed contest when the regular driver fails to show up.

NOTE: Both “Drums of Destiny” (titled “Drums of Fate” on release in 1923) and “The World’s Applause” are also lost films. I covered “The World’s Applause” first in this series.

---

Paramount Pep, 13 November 1922

Racing Scenes

Outdoor racing scenes have been completed for “Racing Hearts,” the new Agnes Ayres picture. Paul Powell is now working indoors at a set representing the interior of a racing garage on the eve of a big speed battle in which Miss Ayres drives a car at over 100 miles an hour. The famous Jerry Wonderluch and other nationally known racing drivers take part in this sequence.

---

Paramount Pep, 27 November 1922

The Nono Doll 

Although Paris started the fad of the Nono dolls as mascot, Agnes Ayres soon acquired one as a regular part of fashion. 

We understand Miss Ayres will display her little pet in her latest picture, “Racing Hearts.” 

NOTE: I have not been able to find anything about Nono Dolls as they relate to Paris in the 1920s, but I’m assuming that they are a brand of boudoir doll, which were popular with flappers at the time.

---

Motion Picture News, December 1922

Agnes Ayres Picture Has Thrills Aplenty:

REMEMBER those wonderful automobile pictures—”Too Much Speed,” “The Roaring Road,” “Excuse My Dust,’ “What’s Your Hurry?” Across the Continent,” etc.—that Wally Reid made from the stories of Byron Morgan? Will you ever forget them? Well, in “Racing Hearts” you have Agnes Ayres risking her precious life in just that kind of a picture by the same author. Like the others, it’s a comedy-drama with thrill following thrill upon the automobile racetrack and boulevard. Some famous drivers take part in the race which Agnes wins in a most sensational finish. Yes, Theodore Roberts, with his familiar cigar, is here again as the father, with Richard Dix playing the leading man’s part and Robert Cain doing a lot of dirty work. Paul Powell directed this one—one of those triple-guaranteed speed pictures that can’t go wrong.

There is no present-day fiction writer who possesses more of the human touch than Clarence Budington Kelland, whose stories appear in Red Book. “Contraband,” another production in which Miss Ayres appears for Paramount was published serially, starting in the issue of May, 1922, and is the story of a young girl, charming, attractive, but poor, who suddenly finds herself, through the death of an uncle, owner of a small-town newspaper. She moves in and runs it, and runs it right, without fear or favor, thereby provoking the anger of a wealthy old rascal who holds a mortgage on the paper and is determined by hook or crook to own and control it.

How Miss Ayres, as Carmel Lee, confounds him and sets him where he belongs, makes great screen entertainment. The scenario is by Beulah Marie Dix and Paul Powell is the director.

NOTE: I looked up the other film mentioned here, “Contraband,” but it looks like it wasn’t completed or released. Apparently they began production on it in late January 1923, with Wesley Ruggles in the director’s chair and may have shot for a handful of weeks, but I wasn’t able to find reference to it beyond it being “in production.”

---

Paramount Pep, 13 December 1922

Around Paramountown 

(Continued from page 12) 

Agnes Ayres’ picture, “Racing Hearts,” will progress rapidly to its conclusion. It was necessary that Paul Powell, the director, have a number of racing cars for use in the big race scene of the picture and these were not available until after the annual event. This is a Byron Morgan automobile story adapted by Will M. Ritchey, and Richard Dix plays the male lead with Theodore Roberts, Robert Cain and others in the cast. 

---

Camera, 16 December 1922

Complete 

“Long Skirts,” starring Fatty Karr, directed by Bruce Mitchell for East Coast Productions. Federal. 

“The White Flower” starring Betty Compson: written and directed by Julia Crawford Ivers; Paramount. 

“Racing Hearts,” starring Agnes Ayres; directed by Paul Powell; Paramount. 

NOTE: Couldn’t find much information at all about “Long Skirts” other than its production and completion, but if it was released it was likely in 1923. It’s a two-reeler also starring Joe Murphy, Lilymae Lyle (or Lilymae Wilkinson), Geary O’Dell (or Garry O’Dell), Phillip Dunham. It was written by Ward Hayes and shot by Vernon Walker.

“The White Flower” (premiered March 4, 1923, considered lost)

---

Exhibitor’s Herald, 23 December 1922

Baron deForrest on a recent visit to Paramount studios on Coast stated that London had turned down all censorship and blue laws. Cheer-o for London. In the picture are the baron, his son and Theodore Roberts, playing in “Racing Hearts.” Note the manner in which Los Angeles press played up Paramount convention held there.

---

Motion Picture News, 27 January 1923

Racing Hearts” Completed by Powell 

Paul Powell has completed his Paramount production of ” Racing Hearts,” starring Agnes Ayres, and the film is now in the cutting room at the Lasky studio. Heavy rains delayed the production of this automobile story by Byron Morgan, making it too dangerous to undertake the big road racing scenes. 

---

Moving Picture World, 27 January 1923

Five New Paramounts Finished on Coast

A perfect picture of industry last week, the Paramount West Coast studio has been comparatively quiet for several days. For the first time in many months, only four companies are at work, where nine units were busy for many weeks before.

The five companies that completed production almost to a day were Joseph Henaberry’s unit producing “The Tiger’s Claw,” starring Jack Holt, with Eva Novak and Eileen Pringle in the leading feminine roles; “Bella Donna,” George Fitzmaurice’s production, which is Pola Negri’s first American starring vehicle; Walter Hiers’ first starring picture for Paramount; “Mr. Billings Spends His Dime,” while the cutting and assembling was completed on “The White Flower,” starring Betty Compson, and “Racing Hearts,” in which Agnes Ayres starred.

The four companies now on production at the studio are the William de Mille unit, producing “Grumpy,” with Theodore Roberts, May McAvoy and Conrad Nagel featured; “The Trail of the Lonesome Pine” unit, in which Mary Miles Minter stars and Antonio Moreno is featured in support; “Prodigal Daughters,” Sam Wood’s production starring Gloria Swanson, and “The Law of the Lawless,” starring Dorothy Dalton, with Theodore Kosloff and Charles de Roche featured in support.

That the studio will soon be once more a hive of industry is indicated by the fact that production will begin within the next few days on “The Rustle of Silk,” starring Betty Compson; “Contraband,” starring Agnes Ayres; “The Cheat,” starring Pola Negri and other pictures.

NOTE: “The Tiger’s Claw” (premiered 18 March 1923, presumed lost), 

“Bella Donna” (premiered 1 April 1923, reported to be extant at Gosfilmofond Archive, but not accessible via home video or online. It’s listed in their online catalog but without details about the holding.), 

“Mr. Billings Spends His Dime” (premiered 19 March 1923, presumed lost), 

“The White Flower” (premiered March 4, 1923, presumed lost) 

“Grumpy” (premiered 11 March 1923, reported to be extant at Gosfilmofond Archive, but not accessible via home video or online.  It’s listed in their online catalog [under “БРЮЗГА“] but without details about the holding.), 

“The Trail of the Lonesome Pine” (premiered 15 March 1923, presumed lost),

“Prodigal Daughters” (premiered 15 April 1923, presumed lost),

“The Law of the Lawless” (premiered 22 July 1923, presumed lost),

 “The Rustle of Silk” (premiered 13 May 1923, presumed lost),

“Contraband” seems to have never been completed or released, as described in a note above.

“The Cheat” (premiered 27 August 1923, presumed lost)

Welllll, that’s a depressing list.

---

Paramount Pep, 21 February 1923

Our New Leading Man 

One of the latest to sign up as a leading man is Richard Dix, shown here in the Mono-flyer that he drove in the big race playing opposite Agnes Ayres in “Racing Hearts.” 

As stated in a previous issue of PEP, Mr. Dix has signed a contract for five years. 

Congratulations and a hearty welcome to our big family.

---

Camera, 24 February 1923

THE SILENT TREND

Frankly, it has been difficult for the average picture-goer to understand why Agnes Ayres is a star! And, it must be confessed that she has disappointed in several of her screen characterizations. But, she seems to have found her plane to some extent in “Racing Hearts,” her latest picture for Paramount. In this photodrama of geared-up action, she does the best work of her career—not truly stellar performing of artistic finesse, but satisfactory interpreting of a role for which she is suited. Here is an automobile story quite unusual in that it has provided opportunity for just about the most exciting auto races ever filmed. During some of the more exciting race moments, it is impossible to restrain yourself from getting up on your feet and letting out an obstreperous whoop. Near the finish there is a mishap in the form of a “spill” and this all but makes one swoon. To attain such heights of arousing excitement is an achievement for which Paul Powell deserves credit. One of the unusually interesting features of “Racing Hearts” is, Jimmy Murphy, the real thing in the automobile-racing world, who appears briefly in the role of a driver out of a job. Richard Dix is in the cast contributing those ingratiating qualities of his, and Theodore Roberts is also among them in his usual flawless acting form. 

NOTE: A recurring comment about this film is that Agnes Ayres found her footing as a star in this film, even though she had been in prominent roles for years by this point. (I’m assuming here that this was a commonly held opinion—though we can’t really know since so many of her films are lost.) Prior to this film Byron Morgan had provided stories for a handful of racing vehicles (pun intended) for Wallace Reid, one of which featured Ayres as the romantic interest: “Too Much Speed” (1921, presumed lost). It’s kind of sweet that taking the same type of story but remixing it so Ayres would be both the lead and the racer fit her so well.

---

Exhibitor’s Herald, 24 February 1923

REVIEWS

AGNES AYRES IN 

RACING HEARTS 

(PARAMOUNT) 

Here’s a capital automobile story, chock full of action and one of the best staged and most exciting automobile races ever screened. It fairly raises you out of your seat. Many opportunities for exploitation in this one. Directed by Paul Powell. Seven reels. 

We feel sure you’ll like this latest Paramount picture, which is all about a pretty girl, a good looking hero, a stubborn father and rival automobile manufacturers. Agnes Ayres does some of the best work of her entire career. And you’ll like Richard Dix, a natural and thorough actor, with a winning smile and a wonderful personality. Add to this Theodore Roberts, with a pocketful of cigars, stubborn owner of a manufacturing plant; Robert Cain, as Claxton, in his employ, and tricky; Warren Rogers, as Jimmy Britt and J. Farrell MacDonald, as Silas Martin, a banker. A flash is given also of Jimmy Murphy, who poses briefly as a driver of high-speed cars, out of a job. 

The story is quite ordinary, based on the old, old theme of rivalry between two automobile families, and yet by careful handling and an especially well handled automobile race, is made to live and become acutely interesting, as well as very human and real. 

There is a “spill” near the finish of the race that’s a real thriller and the blase film fan that doesn’t get a “kick” out of that race is dead from the neck up. 

The story runs thus: Virginia Kent. known as “Ginger,” Kent forges a letter of instructions to the foreman of her father’s plant, which permits her to hire outside help and build a racing machine, while her father is in Europe on a business trip. Roddy Smith, son of a rival manufacturer, is hired as an expert mechanic by Virginia. The machine is finished and he has tentatively agreed to drive it in the Vanderbilt race, when his father exposes him to Virginia. She hires an unscrupulous superintendent in the factory to drive the car, but he plans to lose the race, and thus ruin her father. At the last moment he is exposed. and Virginia drives the car. On the home stretch of the last lap of the race her gas gives out, and Kent who is driving his father’s car, pushes her over the tape, but wrecks his own car. Of course the romance started in the factory is continued and it all ends happily.

---

Moving Picture World, 24 February 1923

“Racing Hearts” 

Agnes Ayres Makes Good in Her Dramatic Picture for Paramount. 

Reviewed by Joseph Ester 

Speed fans will get their fill when they see “Racing Hearts,” Agnes Ayres’ latest Paramount production. Automobiles play a big part throughout the film and the stunt of sending a motor car aloft as ballast for a balloon right at the beginning to attract attention of people of the city marks it as a novel picture. 

Plenty of action is the big theme and there is always something doing when Agnes Ayres as Ginger, the daughter of John Kent, automobile manufacturer, capably played by Theodore Roberts, is on the scene. ‘Racing Hearts” serves to bring out Miss Ayres in a new characterization, and Richard Dix as Roddy Smith has to step some to keep up with her, but makes the grade and helps to turn out an interesting picture. 

The big race scene when Miss Ayres takes the seat of the driver who turns yellow at the last minute and refuses to drive and the smashup of Roddy Smith to allow her to win the race are realistic and keep the audience interested to the end of the film. There are flashes of real comedy in this picture that help to relieve the excitement of the racing sets, and, under the direction of Paul Powell, the picture is handled in a capable manner. 

Any person with red blood in their veins will like ‘Racing Hearts,” and you can use plenty of publicity in playing up this picture, as it is worth it. 

Cast 

Virginia Kent…Agnes Ayres 

John Kent…Theodore Roberts 

Roddy Smith..Richard Dix 

Fred Claxton…Robert Cain

Jimmy Britt…Warren Rogers 

Silas Martin…J Farrell MacDonald 

Based upon story by Byron Morgan. 

Scenario by Will M. Ritchey. 

Photography by Bert Baldridge. 

Direction Paul Powell. 

Length, 5,600 feet. 

Story 

Virginia Kent, speeding in her father’s car, is arrested by Roddy Smith, not a real cop but substituting on that particular day. Mr. Kent’s motor car business Is in bad shape and his manager tries to get Roddy’s father, a competitor, to buy up the Kent business. Affairs lead to a race in which Virginia begs Roddy to drive her father’s car, but, as he is pledged to drive his own father’s, she is forced to enter the race herself. She wins and Roddy wins her.

---

The Film Daily, 25 February 1923

Pleasing Romance And Good Auto Race Chief Points of Appeal 

Agnes Ayres in 

“RACING HEARTS” 

Paramount 

DIRECTOR…Paul Powell 

AUTHOR…Byron Morgan 

SCENARIO…Will M. Ritchey 

CAMERAMAN…Bert Baldridge 

AS A WHOLE…Slight but agreeable feature that contains fair excitement in racing sequence 

STORY…Satisfying romance with rather familiar situations although they are nicely handled 

DIRECTION…All right ; racing sequence effectively done and furnishes some thrills. 

PHOTOGRAPHY…First rate 

LIGHTINGS…Good 

STAR…Pleasing and usually convincing 

SUPPORT…Very good ; Richard Dix, good lead and Theodore Roberts splendid, as usual 

EXTERIORS…Appropriate 

INTERIORS…Not many 

DETAIL…Ample 

CHARACTER OF STORY…Daughter of automobile manufacturer, in latter’s absence, has racer built that wins and makes the car famous 

LENGTH OF PRODUCTION…5,691 feet 

Agnes Ayres has a story somewhat different from her recent vehicles in Byron Morgan’s “Racing Hearts,” an automobile story that furnishes a satisfying entertainment, of rather light weight but containing sufficient good incident, pleasing romantic situations and a cast that gets it over. The theme doesn’t vary greatly from some of those that served Wallace Reid so capably in several of his pictures that proved thoroughly popular, so “Racing Hearts,” will undoubtedly be well received by a majority. 

Richard Dix, who is rapidly coming to the fore as a leading man, plays the role that Reid did so well—the good looking young racer who mixes love with his favorite sport. Dix handles the role very well and, while he isn’t quite as convincingly romantic as Wallie, he will please them and he makes a satisfying opposite for the star. Agnes Ayres makes the most of the role of the automobile manufacturer’s daughter who hits upon a scheme to make her father’s product sell by stunt advertising, an idea abhored by the old gentleman—Theodore Roberts contributing the humorous touches as the contrary parent. 

In spite of the very slight material at hand, Director Paul Powell has succeeded very well in maintaining an even interest throughout and where it was necessary to do some padding, he has done so without lessening the speed. Toward the end he supplies some first rate thrills in the racing sequence and the cameraman is also to be credited with good work in shooting these scenes. 

Of course there is never any doubt as to what the outcome will be but this won’t spoil the picture for those who like stories of a highly romantic flavoring such as this. There is a wicked villain who plots with the owner of one of the competing cars to prevent the other winning but it is all very mild plotting and never threatens to cause any serious damage to the love affair of the daughter and son, respectively, of the contesting owners. The only standard make of car that gets any prominence in the film is the Durant, the others are all made up names. 

Story : Virginia Kent’s father refuses to go in for “stunt” advertising so his make of automobile, the Granada, is not nearly as popular as that of his enemy, the Mono, made by Smith whose son, Roddy, is in love with Virginia. How Virginia, in her father’s absence, has a racer built and entered in the road race, and drives it to victory herself when she learns the driver has been bought by Smith, is coupled with the reunion of Virginia and Roddy who drove his father’s car off the track to allow Virginia to win. 

Star’s Admirers Will Like It And Racing Sequence Will Interest

Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor

Admirers of automobile racing stories will be well pleased with this latest Agnes Ayres picture, “Racing Hearts,” and there are enough good talking points in it for you to get them interested without a great deal of trouble. A trailer of the racing sequence will make them want to come back to see the entire picture, especially if you show a shot of the final spill. 

The star’s admirers will like her work in this and you can promise them a story a little different from those she has had recently. Talk about the good supporting cast using the names of Richard Dix, Theodore Roberts. Stunt advertising and exploitation will also do very well to arouse their curiosity.

---

Educational Screen, March 1923

THE THEATRICAL FIELD

RACING HEARTS (Paramount)

This is one of Byron Morgan’s stories the “roaring road,” the sort of thing that Wallace Reid used to romp through so debonairly. Theodore Roberts is familiar as the fierce, cigar-chewing old manufacturer of automobiles, l who doesn’t believe it pays to advertise. Agnes Ayres plays his headstrong daughter who takes advantage of his absence to have a racing car built in the hope of winning the Vanderbilt cup, and recouping the fortunes of the factory. Richard Dix is pleasant as the rival manufacturer’s son who loses the race and wins the girl. The famous racing driver, “Jimmy” Murphy is played by a modest and camera-shy young man by the name of James A. Murphy, greatly to the delight of race enthusiasts who recognize him. Some very good race scenes, including one or two narrow escapes and one honest-to-goodness spill, furnish the excitement. (Community.)

NOTE: Tragically, Jimmy Murphy died in a race in September of 1924. While there is some extant footage of him racing, Racing Hearts is his only known feature film appearance!

---

Screen Opinions, 1 March 1923

“RACING HEARTS”—Class A 

(Adapted from story of same name) 

Story:—Daughter Overrules Father’s Aversion to Advertising; Wins Road Race 

VALUE 

Photography—Very good—Bert Baldridge.

TYPE OF PICTURE—Sporting—Fascinating.

Moral Standard—Average.

Story—Very good—Comedy-drama—Family.

Star—Very good—Agnes Ayres.

Author—Very good—Byron Morgan.

Direction—Very good—-Paul Powell. 

Adaptation—Very good—Will M. Ritchey. 

Technique—Good.

Spiritual Influence—Neutral.

Producer—Paramount 

CAST 

Virginia Kent…Agnes Ayres 

Roddy Smith…Richard Dix

John Kent…Theodore Roberts

Fred Claxton…Robert Cain

Jimmy Britt…Warren Rogers

Silas Martin…J. Farrell MacDonald 

March 1 to 15, 1923. 

Footage—5,000 ft. 

Distributor—Famous Players 

Our Opinion 

MORAL O’THE PLAY—It Pays to Advertise. 

Spirited Comedy-Drama Presents Agnes Ayres in Peppy Role 

“Racing Hearts” brings memories of that splendid series of automobile stories in which Wallace Reid appeared not so very long ago. And the fact that Theodore Roberts is cast as before in the role of an automobile manufacturer and father to an irrepressible young person serves to intensify the impression that the late actor should have his place in the cast. However, Agnes Ayres gives such a spirited performance, looking as pert and winsome as any flapper, that we are amply satisfied, and Richard Dix, as the regretful son of the opposing party, who has fallen before the smiles of the fascinating Virginia Kent, is quite as we would picture the romantic son of a sport king. Theodore Roberts is as always master of the situation, and Robert Cain is excellent as the heavy. The cast is good throughout, with Robert Brower, Warren Rogers and J. Farrell MacDonald getting in fine work. The racing scenes are well photographed, and one or two real thrills are staged in which accidents which seem to be very real occur. You can bank on this picture. Book it on the reputation of former auto racing pictures. 

STORY OF THE PLAY 

Virginia Kent, daughter of John Kent, manufacturer of the Grenada automobile; is so impressed with the idea that her father is losing. out to his chief competitor, Smith, of the Mono machine, that she decides to try a little advertising of her own. Her first venture is in speeding at sixty miles an hour, which, however, fails to get her into jail, and thereby into the newspapers, because Roddy Smith, who is substituting for the cop, falls in love with her at first sight. Later, when Dad is over in London, she has a racing car built for Granada, and because the driver is being bribed by Smith, Sr., she drives it to victory herself. The story ends with Dad’s fortunes taking a turn for the better, and Virginia and the son of the enemy betrothed.

PROGRAM COPY—”Racing Hearts”—Featuring Agnes Ayres 

If you are longing to see another of those peppy Paramount automobile pictures with hairbreadth escapes on a dusty track, don’t miss “Racing Hearts,” with Agnes Ayres, Theodore Roberts and Richard Dix. It’s a pippin’!

---

Exhibitor’s Trade Review, 3 March 1923

RIVOLI 

1. Overture—Rienzi (Richard Wagner) 

2. Risenfeld’s Classical Jazz 

3. Rivoli Pictorial 

4. Message of Emile Coue 

5. Gavotte Louis XIII 

a) Miriam Lax, Soprano 

b) Inga Wank, mezzo soprano 

c) Jean Booth, contralto 

d) The Serova Dancers 

6. Feature—Agnes Ayres in Racing Hearts 

7. Mighty Lak’ a Rose Marcel Atwell, soprano (Ethelbert Nevin) 

8. Casey Jones, Jr. 

Press Comments 

World—Is quite a snappy little film comedy. Tribune—The story is simple, but amusing. A picture called “The Message of Emile Coue” is very well done. American—I think it was the longest race I have ever seen screened. In its way it was palpitant and vibratory, and those who thrill at races will thrill at this. Globe—It is a very much patched-up affair with a plot that is too complicated. Be it said, however, that the automobile race is the best that we have ever witnessed. Journal—”Racing Hearts” contains something more than a speed contest and a love story. Mail—If you like thrills furnished by spills of racing cars you will like this picture. Telegram—An exciting automobile romance in which Miss Ayres is the first woman of the screen to pilot a racing car in an actual contest. Eve. World—It’s a good picture and well worth an afternoon or evening’s time. Sun—After seeing this picture you decide that woman’s place, in the case of Miss Ayres, is behind the steering wheel. 

NOTE: The Message of Émile Coué (1923) is a short film of Coué’s lecture on “autosuggestion.” I wasn’t able to find if the short is extant.

---

Exhibitor’s Trade Review, 3 March 1923

Racing Hearts 

Released by Paramount. Story by Byron Morgan. Scenario by Will M. Ritchey. Cameraman Bert Baldridge. Directed by Paul Powell. Running time approximately one hour.

CAST AND SYNOPSIS 

Virginia Kent, Agnes Ayres; Roddy Smith, Richard Dix, John Kent, Theodore Roberts; Fred Claxton, Robert Cain ; Jimmy Brit, Warren Rogers ; Silas Martin, J. Farrell MacDonald. 

Virginia Kent, the daughter of an automobile manufacturer believes in advertising and speeds her car through the city streets in hopes of being arrested and getting publicity for the “Grenada.” She is arrested by Roddy Smith a temporary motor cop but in reality the son of her father’s competitor. The case is dismissed in court. Upon learning that her father is going away for a short while she has him sign a letter which gives her the authority to have a racing car built according to her own specifications. Roddy Smith gets a job as mechanic in the Grenada factory and builds the car for her. She enters it in the races and at the last moment learns that her driver has been bought. She determines to drive herself. Roddy Smith is compelled to drive his father’s car against her. During the race she has been ahead but on the last lap runs out of gas. Roddy runs into her machine and pushes it over the line. He is injured in the accident but Virginia comes to him and then everything is all right. 

“Racing Hearts” is a good automobile romance and should easily satisfy the lovers of action. It is a lively combination of comedy and society drama and affords pleasant diversion all the way through. Although the material is typically that which is spoken of as being “good movie stuff” it serves its purpose and carries its thrills. 

Points of Appeal.—The auto race is exciting from start to finish. Also the romance through the story is enjoyable and there are numerous comedy situations that bring the laughs. It should prove to be a good box office attraction in practically any house. The picture has been done with some good interiors and realistic outdoor shots. There are also some changes of costumes by the star that will interest the ladies. 

Cast.—Agnes Ayres as Virginia Kent is attractive in the role. She possesses a great amount of personality that radiates on the screen. Richard Dix is also good as Roddy Smith and is of the agreeable hero type. Theodore Roberts, as John Kent is included in the cast with his ever present cigar. Others in the story give satisfactory portrayals.  Photography, Lighting, Direction.—The photography and lighting throughout the picture is excellent. There are some unusually fine shots made at the race track and the interiors are always good. Direction has been well handled.

---

Motion Picture News, 17 March 1923

“Adam and Eva” and “Racing Hearts” Due 11th 

On March 11 Paramount will release the Cosmopolitan production, “Adam and Eva,” starring Marion Davies, and Agnes Ayres in “Racing Hearts,” both comedy-dramas, though widely different in theme and treatment. 

Guy Bolton and George Middleton’s stage play, “Adam and Eva,” was adapted for the screen by Luther Reed and directed by Robert G. Vignola. Joseph Urban designed the settings. T. Roy Barnes has the leading male role, with Tom Lewis, William Norris, Percy Ames, William Davidson, Bradley Barker and John Powers most prominent in the support. 

“Racing Hearts” is an automobile race story by Byron Morgan. Will M. Ritchey wrote the scenario and Paul Powell directed. A race scene was staged at the Santa Monica course near Los Angeles for this picture. Playing opposite Miss Ayres is Richard Dix. Theodore Roberts, J. Farrell MacDonald and Robert Cain are in the cast. 

NOTE: Adam and Eva (premiered 11 February 1923) exists only in fragments but I’ve seen a couple minutes of it and read the plot description and it is exceedingly cute. Here’s hoping the rest of the film turns up somewhere soon!

The Vanderbilt Cup was a real road race, though it wasn’t run in the 1920s, however the last competition was run at a course in Santa Monica in 1916.

---

Moving Picture World, 17 March 1923

Eight Productions Scheduled by Paramount for Release in March 

During the month of March Paramount will release eight productions, included among the high lights being Cecil B. DeMille’s production, “Adam’s Rib”; two Cosmopolitan productions, “Adam and Eva” and “The Nth Commandment”; Allan Dwan’s “The Glimpses of the Moon,” his first under his new contract with Paramount, and the initial starring picture of Walter Hiers, “Mr. Billings Spends His Dime.” 

First on the schedule is Betty Compson in “The White Flower,” which is listed for release the 4th. Julia Crawford Ivers wrote the story and scenario and directed the picture. The story is laid in Hawaii, and it was there that Mrs. Ivers took the company for the filming of the exterior scenes. Edmund Lowe is Miss Compson’s leading man. 

Cosmopolitan’s “Adam and Eva,” starring Marion Davies, is scheduled for the 11th. Robert G. Vignola, who produced “Knighthood,” also directed this picture, which is an adaptation by Luther Reed of the stage comedy-drama success by Guy Bolton and George Middleton. The settings were designed by Joseph Urban, who was the art director of “Knighthood.” 

Agnes Ayres in “Racing Hearts” is also scheduled for the 11th. This is an automobile race picture from the pen of Byron Morgan, who wrote “The Roaring Road,” “Too Much Speed,” “Across the Continent” and other automobile stories in which Wallace Reid starred. Will M. Ritchey adapted “Racing Hearts” and Paul Powell directed. Miss Ayres’ leading man is Richard Dix. 

On March 18 Walter Hiers, long a popular leading player under the Paramount banner, is formally introduced as a star in “Mr. Billings Spends His Dime,” a comedy by Dana Burnet. Wesley Ruggles directed from a scenario by Albert Shelby LeVino. Featured as Hiers’ leading woman is Jacqueline Logan.

On the same date comes “The Nth Commandment,” from the  Cosmopolitan studios. This drama was written by Fannie Hurst, scenarized by Frances Marion and directed by Frank Borzage—the same trio that was responsible for “Humoresque.” Coleen Moore, James Morrison and Eddie Phillips are featured, with other prominent roles in the hands of Charlotte Merrian and George Cooper. 

Allan Dwan’s production, “The Glimpses of the Moon,” with Bebe Daniels and Nita Naldi, is announced for release March 25. This is a picturization of Edith Wharton’s novel, treating the subject of trial marriage. E. Lloyd Sheldon wrote the scenario for the production. 

Alice Brady in “The Leopardess” is the other release for the 25th. This is an adaptation by J. Clarkson Miller of the novel by Katharine Newlin Burt. Edward Langford and Montagu Love have the two chief supporting roles.

NOTE: “Adam’s Rib” (premiered 4 March 1923, extant—copy held at George Eastman House), 

“Adam and Eva” (mentioned above), 

“The Nth Commandment” (premiered 18 March 1923, only incomplete copy known to survive), 

“The Glimpses of the Moon” (premiered 25 March 1923, presumed lost), 

“Mr. Billings Spends His Dime” (mentioned above), 

“The White Flower” (mentioned above), 

“When Knighthood was in Flower (premiered 21 September 1922, extant AND fully restored! Available on DVD + Blu via Undercrank Productions!), 

“The Roaring Road” (premiered , extant—copy held at UCLA Film & TV Archive), 

“Too Much Speed” (mentioned above), 

“Across the Continent” (premiered 4 June 1922, presumed lost), 

“The Leopardess” (premiered 23 March 1923, presumed lost)

---

Moving Picture World, 17 March 1923

Abandoned a Stunt for Racing Hearts 

Once more the man who says that exploitation does not pay has been proven a liar. This time it happened in Faribault, Minn. 

The Grand Theatre did not expect to make as much money with Racing Hearts as with Bella Donna, but Hearts was a corking good picture and they decided to give it every chance. 

A Buick dealer was persuaded to put a car in his window with a sign to the effect that this particular car would sail over the city attached to a balloon, as in the opening scenes of Racing Hearts. 

At once Pro Bono Publico and Constant Reader dashed off notes to the newspapers casting gloomy forebodings as to what would happen if a rope broke and the falling car mashed a few of the citizens. The fact that Pro and Con seemed to use the same typewriter did not bother the editor. He knew the press agent brought both letters in, but it made good reading. 

It served to set off the real letter writers and the paper was flooded with protests, so the Grand very gracefully announced that it had no desire to endanger life with its stunts and it had countermanded the order for a balloon. It’s the Blood and Sand Bullfight in a new guise, but it worked even better, because it was more plausible. 

Then M.J. Glazer arranged with Paramounteer Jack Hellman to send up a student barber from Minneapolis and announced him as the same man who bobbed Agnes Ayres’ hair. He would operate in the Grand foyer free of charge. Sixteen girls climbed into the chair the opening night and the rest of the town was there to look on. Simple, inexpensive and most profitable. Better yet, let him make a small charge for a local charity. It beat Bella to the money. 

NOTE: The chance that somebody out there’s grandmother got their hair bobbed in a movie theater lobby in Faribault, Minnesota is delightful to me.

One of the newly bobbed customers, from Exhibitor’s Trade Review, 26 May 1923

---

Screenland, April 1923

Little Hints for PLAYGOERS

“RACING HEARTS”

Paramount

A crack-a-jack racing picture, with Agnes Ayres and Richard Dix enveloped in a cloud of dust from start to finish. The up-to-date daughter of a conservative automobile manufacturer sets out to prove to her sire that it pays to advertise. She wins her point, the Vanderbilt Cup race and a brand new, grade-A husband. Agnes is pretty and more capable than usual, while Richard Dix fits into the semi-comedy role very pleasingly indeed. Theodore Roberts and cigar are very much present and Robert Cain makes a nice hissable villain. It’s a good picture.

---

Motion Picture News, 14 April 1923

Three Newspaper Features Are Planted on “Racing Hearts” 

Rockford, Ill. — In exploiting ” Racing Hearts” at the Palm theatre, Bill Danziger, Paramount exploiteer, put over three different newspaper features, giving the papers the “low-down” in each instance. 

Danziger framed an interview with Agnes Ayres in which the Paramount star was quoted as remarking that women would never make as good automobile drivers as men. The newspaper followed this up by sending a reporter to interview women known to drive cars. They protested in vigorous terms, and the copy was worked into a two-column front-page spread. 

The next gag was a Saturday matinee for the blind. The management invited every sightless person in town to “see” “Racing Hearts.” They got about forty responses and so Danziger invited forty school teachers to attend and act as the “eyes” of the victims. During the progress of the picture, the teachers leaned over and whispered the entire story. This made an interesting experiment and the newspapers took it up for a three-column spread under a big head. 

The third stunt was a faked interview with ” Jimmy Murphy” who, Danziger said, was one of the greatest racing drivers in the country. Murphy spoke on the line that gasoline as a fuel was nearly exhausted and the only thing that would save the industry wou(l)d be a new alcoholic substance made from potatoes. 

---

Moving Picture World, 14 April 1923

Tied Film Fashions to Racing Hearts 

Because the stage of the Palace Theatre, Fort Smith, Ark., is too small to permit the use of models in a fashion show, Hugo Plath put it on a film and ran that off, giving about as much satisfaction. It was a special for Racing Hearts, but only one angle of the campaign. 

An auto agency sent several new model cars around town for an entire week before the opening as well as during the engagement, and bannered these for the attraction. The week of the showing a car was displayed in the lobby. This had the wheels jacked up and these were given motion by a small electric motor. The car could have been worked under its own power, but the resultant gases would have been the reverse of an attractor, so the silent and odorless motor was used. Mr. Plath can trace a number of direct ticket sales to this feature. 

He made a miniature road race in the windows of the automobile company, to hook in and to announce that Jim Murphy, the champion race driver, would be seen in the film. 

For the lobby display he used two-foot hearts, one to each letter of the title. This and the automobile was sufficient to get attention. 

As the merchants who were represented on the film paid the cost of making it, Mr. Plath’s expense was around five dollars for a decided increase in business, and he shipped the display on to the Palace Theatre, Muskogee, further cutting the cost.

---

Exhibitor’s Trade Review, 21 April 1923

“RACING HEARTS” 

(Paramount) 

MARK STRAND, ALBANY. — 30-60. Three days. Considering the season, this picture played to very satisfactory business. 

Exploitation.—Strand type. 

Short Subjects.—”Torchy Steps Out;” Topical News. 

Press Comments.—Altogether a bright, clean, enjoyable picture.—News. Acted at just the right speed.—Times-Union. Next to going to the races, the best thing is “Racing Hearts.”—Knickerbocker Press. Gives you your money’s worth and a little more.—Journal.

BUTTERFLY, MILWAUKEE.— 40-50. Business not as good during second week of showing, but held up reasonably well. 

Short Subjects.—Christie comedy; Selznick news; prologue. 

NEW, BALTIMORE.—25. 25-50. Big business. 

Exploitation.—Newspaper advertising on large scale; lobby displays, posters, cards, etc. 

Short Subjects.—News; “Five Fifteen;” Vocal Solo. 

Press Comment.— “Racing Hearts” has about the best auto race that we have ever seen filmed. It’s a peach.—Evening Sun. “Racing Hearts” is fast-flying entertainment and the cast is excellent.—News. 

NEWMAN THEATRE, KANSAS CITY, MO.—15-25-35-50-75. Theodore Roberts usually draws well here. Good week’s attendance. 

Exploitation.—A cut of Theodore Roberts, inside a heart, was featured in Sunday newspaper space. Also billboard and lobby display. 

Short Subjects.—”A Tough Winter;” “Newman News and Views.” 

Press Comments.—One of Byron Morgan’s best racing stories and travels along the screen in an entertaining manner.—Star-Times. One like Wally Reid used to race through and win the girl as the roadster came tearing across the continent.—Journal Post. 

NOTE: “Torchy Steps Out” (25 June 1922, status unknown) a two-reel comedy starring Johnny Hines for Educational Pictures,

“Five Fifteen” (21 January 1923, status unknown) a two-reel comedy starring Slim Summerville for Fox,”A Tough Winter” (4 February 1923, extant as of 2022!) The first reel was long lost, but found in Gosfilmofond’s Archive and is now available on their youtube channel. I really enjoy the first reel of this, tho it kind of falls apart with the time-jump/scene change for the second reel.

---

Motion Picture News, 28 April 1923

“Racing Hearts” lobby display at the Olympic Theatre, Pittsburg, of which Tom Schrader is manager

---

Photoplay, May 1923

RACING HEARTS—Paramount

ANOTHER Byron Morgan automobile tale of a road race like those of the series made popular by poor Wallie Reid. This one has Richard Dix in the Reid rôle of the motor daredevil, with Agnes Ayres as the heroine who isn’t afraid to step on the gas. This may entertain you—unless the auto stuff has been worn threadbare. To us the motor seems to miss.

NOTE: A lot of the snippets about the film bring up Wallace Reid, who starred in a number of racing movies (and even took up racing himself). Unfortunately, Reid passed away in January of 1923 while attempting to recover from a morphine addiction.

---

Motion Picture News, June 1923

Balloon Ascension Hoax Pulled to Exploit “Racing Hearts”

Kankakee, Ill.—Manager William Cadoret, of the Majestic theatre, and Bill Danziger, Paramount exploiteer, gained publicity for “Racing Hearts” in the Daily Republican through a hoax which they framed up.

They tied up with the Buick agency in connection with “Racing Hearts” and for two days previous to the exhibition of the picture ads were run in the paper announcing that a Buick car, attached to a gas balloon would be lifted eight miles above the head of the shortest citizen of Kankakee. This created considerable comment and was given much free space under the “amusement” and “theatrical” columns.

On the day the picture would be shown another ad appeared stating that because of innumerable protests from the public, the Buick car would not go up, as previously stated, as it would mean too great a risk and would endanger too many lives.

In addition, a general merchants’ tieup campaign was waged in which the music store tied up for harmonicas, the United Cigar Stores for cigars, thereby exploiting Theodore Roberts; the town’s largest auto supply company tied up for accessories, throwing in the automobile angle, and nine confectionery stores had a “Racing Hearts” sundae.

NOTE: The amount of tie-in exploitations of this movie is outrageous, no wonder exhibitors seem so eager to run it, despite a noted lack of faith in Agnes Ayres as a star at the time.

---

Moving Picture World, 7 July 1923

RACING HEARTS. (5,600 feet). Star, Agnes Ayres. Theodore Roberts saved this picture as usual when he takes a character part. On the strength of Roberts the picture took well here. Agnes Ayres also pleased, however, with her nerve in the races. Exciting throughout. Used panels, newspaper. Had good attendance. Draw mixed class in town of 5,000. Admission. 10-25, war tax included. L. Laws, T. & D. Theatre (1,072 seats), Watsonville, California.

---

Motion Picture News, 23 October 1923

RACING HEARTS. Produced by Famous Players. Distributed by Paramount. Released March 11, 1923. Star, Agnes Ayres. Director, Paul Powell. Length, 5,691 feet.

Synopsis: Automobile romance that winds up with a race through some beautiful California country. Based on rivalry between automobile families. Auto manufacturer’s daughter has racing car made without his consent in effort to gain publicity. Enters in the race, wins and the make of car becomes famous.

References: Reviewed issue Feb. 24, 1923, page 941.

First Run Showings: Pages 817, Feb 17; 929, Feb. 24; 1038, 1040, Mar. 3; 1165; Mar. 10; 1392-3. Mar. 24; 1556, Mar. 31; 1674-5, Apr. 7; 1785-7, April 14; 1896, Apr. 21; 2381, May 19; 2866, June 16, 1923

Advertising: Two page insert, Dec. 23, 1922; 240-41, Jan 20, 1923.

Lobby Displays: Pages 2058, Apr. 28; 2171, May 5; 2385, May 19; 288, July 21; 744, Aug. 18, 1923.

Exploitation: Pages 1790, 1794, 1797, Apr. 14; 2392, May 19; 2766, June 9, 1923.

Newspaper Displays: Page 1272, Mar. 17, 1923.

---

Exhibitor’s Trade Review, 12 January 1924

`Racing Hearts’ 

Auto Picture Released by Paramount 

BRIEF: Virginia Kent believes that her father’s automobile concern needs publicity to save it from ruin. She tricks him into consenting to have a special car built and when Claxton, the traitor manager of the concern who has been bribed by a rival concern to throw the grand prize race, tries to quit just before the event, Virginia takes his place and drives the car to victory. A love affair between Virginia and Roddy, son of the rival concern’s owner, who drives one of  his father’s cars in the race is cleverly woven in.

SPEED is the keynote of this entire picture and speed is what they love! It’s a comedy of Cupid and cars. A good story seasoned with love and last lap thrills. 

Since Henry F. made the auto as customary as the bath tub this type of picture is sure to go well any place from Broadway to the tiniest village. The record of this picture verifies the nationwide interest in autos and speed. It rode over to success on the gasolinemania wave. And it’s the kind of picture they’ll come to see again because they can get the same thrill and satisfaction out of it. 

Plenty of tie-ups and exploitation stunts are possible. Dress up a racing car with the legend, “This is the car that won the Grand Prize Race. See it at the … Theatre in ‘Racing Hearts.'” A Cadillac car is also used in the picture. Tie-up with Cadillac dealers. Try to get hold of photographs of famous races for a good lobby display. Your local newspaper or automobile agencies may have them. 

For novel advertising, a motor car corporation in the picture hitches one of its machines to a large balloon and sails it over the city, attracting the attention of thousands. This suggests the idea of having a balloon ascension of your own. Secure a good sized balloon and on it arrange a trapeze-like apparatus. On this can be hung a large banner that can be read for miles around. The wording should be to the effect that this is a miniature of the balloon used in the Paramount picture “Racing Hearts’ starring Agnes Ayres and showing at the Blank Theatre next Monday. 

---

Moving Picture World, 26 January 1924

RACING HEARTS. (5,600 feet). Star, Agnes Ayres. It is a pleasure to look at Miss Ayres and a blessing to the box office and one’s list of satisfied patrons to show such a picture as “Racing Hearts.” There is comedy, romance and an auto race that even kept the hardboiled ones interested. Theodore Roberts has no equal and Richard Dix is fine. Wish there were more like this one. Better than the average program picture. Had good attendance. Used slide, photos, boards. A suitable picture for Sunday. Guy C. Sawyer, Town Hall Theatre, Chester, Vermont.

---

Variety, 22 February 1923

RACING HEARTS

Famous Players production starring Agnes Ayres, with Theodore Roberts and Richard Dix featured.

Adapted from Byron Morgan’s story by Will M. Ritchey. Directed by Paul Powell. Shown at the Rivoli, week February 18, 1923.

Virginia Kent…Agnes Ayres

Roddy Smith…Richard Dix

John Kent…Theodore Roberts

Fred Claxton…Robert Cain

Jimmy Britt…Warren Rogers

Silas Martin…J. Farrell MacDonald

A rather light little comedy drama of the automobile world. It carries as its big punch an automobile road race which should be satisfying enough for the most blase seeker of thrills. Its cast it is fairly strong on names, having both Theodore Roberts and Richard Dix as featured members under the name of the star. There is nothing, however, about the picture that is going to cause any unusual jam at the box office, although as entertainment it is fairly satisfying.

Richard Dix has the role of the son of the owner of one auto manufacturing plant. He is a go-getter type of youth who believes in advertising stunts and his father sanctions his wild splurges for publicity. A rival company is headed by Theodore Roberts and the star appears as his daughter. She is also a believer in advertising, but her father is a conservative and won’t go in for racing or any of the unusual stunts that are utilized to popularize a car.

In an effort to obtain publicity for her father’s machine the girl drives it at 45 miles an hour through a town where the magistrate is noted for sending speeders to jail in the hope that is sent to the hoosegow she will get that name and that of the car in print. It is in this town that the rival auto shops are located and the son of the owner is acting as a motor cop temporarily, he persuading the judge to discharge the girl because it would appear as though his father’s firm was behind the pinch as a sort of spite rivalry.

The next day the boy gets an assignment from his father to obtain a position in the rival plant to make a survey of conditions there, as it is known that they are pinched for money and it is possible that the plant will shortly be on the market. Once on the job he is given the task of designing a racing car under the direction of the girl. Her father in the meantime having left for London to close a foreign deal for his cars. The girl has written into the set of instructions that her father left a command that a racing car be built.

Then comes the day of the big road race, with the usual crooked driver stuff and the girl jumping in at the last minute and winning the race, although she manages to cross the line with the assistance of a bump from the rival company’s car, which was driven by the son of the owner. Of course prior to this the girl has discovered his identity and accused him of spying, but the finish of the race finds them clinched in each other’s arms.

There are some fairly good comedy moments in the picture but it is the race that will get to the fans. That feature was well handled in direction.

[threemythics]

Male Non-Human Muses

demons are: 

Kai 

Kai, also known as Kim Jongin, is a prince in hell. He was given the job of judging the souls of the damned, and he is very good at what he does. He hates the job though, if he’s being perfectly honest. If he could, he’d have passed the job off to someone else long ago, but no one has ever lived up to his standards. He decides where souls go and to which demon they report in order to receive their punishments. He is also the one that, when the right soul comes down the line, can decide to make them a demon as well. Time moves differently in hell. Depending on where you are, time can either go faster or much much slower. A year on earth is but a few moments in his office, where as in say, the pit it may be millenia. Because of how time works for him, Kai was able to create a life on earth as well, where he is an idol in the group called EXO. He quite enjoys performing, and he loves the corruption he can cause simply by moving his body for the humans who adore him. 

Taemin:  Member of SHINee, and demon of pride. Very confident, super out going and silly when in Idol mode, but will turn on a dime if needed. Mostly just a very laid back man. Loves dancing more than anything.  Minjun: (Jungkook fc) 

Minjun is a crossroads demon, and he is very good at his job. He is one of the most powerful of his kind, and has claimed souls of human and supernatural alike. He even has the distinction of gaining the soul of an angel once. That is one of his prized possessions. He has a pack of demonic dogs known as hell hounds that he uses to retrieve the souls of those whose time is up. He does have a favorite within his pack, a hell hound named Legion who has since been retired and lives in his home with him instead of at the kennel. He is jet black and has two heads. One is a skull and the other splits in half to reveal monstrous teeth. He is a friendly dog though when not having been sent on a hunt. How to summon: Bury a tin box containing your desire, a lock of your hair, and your own blood at a crossroads. Stand on top of the buried box and wait until midnight. Do not fall asleep, do not speak to anyone, and do not move from that spot until he comes for you. Failure to follow these instructions exactly may result in injury to you or others around you. 

 siren: 

Hongki

 His favorite food is strawberries, but he hates things that are strawberry flavored. It just doesn’t taste right. He loves to read, and has an entire room in his home full of old dusty books he’s read many times over. Some of the books in his collection are one of a kind, so he doesn’t let anyone into his library room unless he trusts you completely. He loves to perform, enjoying how his voice could cause overwhelming happiness for those he sang for, and that’s how he became an Idol. He joined a band called FT Island, and the rest is history. 

 Mer: 

Jinki fc named Finn 

He gave up his tail and voice to be human. He doesn’t understand everything that is said to him, but he is a quick learner and will do his best to communicate through gestures. He is learning to write as well. information: He had a beautiful singing voice back when he was still a merman. Finn traded his voice for legs and lungs after falling in love with the human race and deciding he wanted to be one of them. He has learned how to blend in, or at least he thinks he has, but he is a mute and can not even make squeaking sounds as he no longer has vocal chords. He is very naive, and also very curious.

Imp: Jongup At the time of his birth, and imp chose his current form as their host, and he has been causing mischief ever since. I guess that’s kind of sad, because the child Jongup would have been was destroyed that day. The baby Jongup could already speak, and walk, and talk. Not that he ever complains of course. He was born with all of the imp’s knowledge of the universe. it was slowly shared from the imp to him as he grew. His parents knew. His dad left because of it, but his mother stayed. Jongup and his imp share a personality. The imp became very much Jongup, and vice versa. Every time an imp chooses a host, their personality adapts to that host and they become symbiotic. Host and Imp, if they bond properly, share the connection. Jongup can control the imp just as much as the imp can control him. They are one and the same. Jongup is 18, but his imp has existed since the beginning of time. Every major war, death, or chaotic moment, The imp was there. He knew King Henry the 8th, and the Borgias. He knew Elisabeth Bathory, Nero, and Caligula. He even knew Hamurabi from the time of the Babylonians. Where there is chaos, There are always Imps.   Djinn: Sicheng Sicheng is a Djinn. He exists to spread chaos and mischief through wish granting. It is his favorite pastime, and he is quite good at it. He will twist words into wishes and find ways to corrupt any wishes he grants. Outside of this, though, he can be surprisingly kind. He is very smart when he wants to be, and wanders around when he has nothing else to do. It is hard to keep him focused when he has too much to think about. Best thing to do in that situation is to sit him down and give him a pen and paper, or walk with him until he realizes that you are in fact there with him.

Nekos: Jang Dongwoo Dongwoo is a homeless kitten. He wasn’t always. He had a long relationship with someone who looked a lot like him who treated him very poorly, but he was so in love with them that he didn’t complain. Even once the twin got another boyfriend, Dongwoo didn’t leave. He was happy to just be looked at as a pet and he had gotten so unhealthily attached to them that he rationalized it in his own head. Eventually the abuse got so bad that Dongwoo made the decision to damage himself in an attempt to win back his twin’s heart, not realizing he’d never had it in the first place. His other half had told him “i’d love you if you weren’t a fucking neko”, so Dongwoo went to the kitchen, took a knife, and hacked away at himself until all that was left of his neko appearance were jagged stumps where his ears and tail had been. He was kicked out of the house once healed, and only then did he finally understand that they had never really loved him, and had only kept him for so long as a toy to hurt or fuck as they wanted. He has been homeless ever since.  Yoon Shiyoon he was turned at the age of six he has lived alone for 10 years he was abandoned by his family at the age of 18 he is friendly and kind to those who are nice to him he trusts until given a reason not to he can sometimes be overly affectionate he can sometimes be really shy he hides his tail under his clothes, and his ears under his hair, but when very happy or surprised they will pop out without him realizing it He used to have a job at a rehab but lost his job and has since become homeless can not handle liquor well tail is an erogenous zone

 Shifters: 

Were-tiger 

Ahn Daniel was born of very poor circumstances when an alpha attacked Ahn's omega mother. It was only when he was born a white tiger that they realized the attacker had been family. It was a very rare mutation and with it came a whole slew of health problems. He has a slight curve to his spine and had to wear a brace growing up to correct it, as well as having anger issues that he had to go through a lot of training to learn to control. He has, over the years, grown distant from his family, moving out of Seoul to find jobs elsewhere. In his teens he was much more dangerous than he is now, but he is stronger than the average human, and honestly stronger than the average tiger as well; only using that strength now for his job cleaning homes as well as self defense. After all, being able to lift a queen sized bed with one hand is very useful. 

 Changeling: 

Im Jaebum 

He is 23 years old. Jaebum is 5 foot 8 tall and weighs 145lbs. He is muscular but not too much so. He is kind, and caring, and puts a lot of effort into his friendships. Jaebum is a bit loud at times, and can alternate between shy and outgoing. He suffers from anxiety and depression, but masks it with comedy and a big personality. You won’t see his depressed side unless you get close to him.Active in the last hour0 unread messages

selkies: 

Huang Zitao: 

Still learning how to be human He spent the past 200 years living in the ocean decided to try being human 24/7 only recently when he was given permission to do so can get grumpy when denied what he wants he always tries his best to fit in and get along with everyone he is a bit of a spoiled brat at times very caring and sweet to those who get to know him he fears the ocean because now that he’s been human for a while he gets uncomfortable as a seal for too long he has never been sexually interested in anyone he lacs social skills but does his best to hide it he carries his pelt with him everywhere in a bag that he doesnt let others touch to those who aren’t supernatural, his pelt looks like a jacket if you can tell what it is, he doesnt trust you and sees you as a danger 

 Bangchan (used to be a himchan) 

He was homeschooled for most of his life due to his mother not wanting him to know what he is. He didnt have a bad childhood. He got to play in the backyard, and travel with his mom and dad, but he’s never seen the ocean, does not know he is a selkie, and until he got into college he hadnt had any friends outside his own family. He is very innocent because of this. He is currently enrolled in college with a full scholarship and living on campus. He is an art student and is very talented despite not believing so himself. 

 grim reaper:

Jackson Grier (yoo youngjae fc) 

He is easy to anger and usually first to draw a weapon, but he is also extremely friendly to those who are friendly to him. He has markings from head to toe due to what he is, but hides them when not on the job. information: As a Grim Reaper he is immortal and does have powers, but he doesn’t use them often as they usually result in death. He can go invisible, and he can teleport, but those are the only powers he uses without the fear of ending a mortal’s life. His others are the ability to take someone’s soul out of their body, the ability to kill with a single touch, and the ability to conjure weapons at will. He is a sucker for cute people and has a soft spot for children. Lycan: Mark (NCT) Mark was adopted at the time of his birth to a very nice couple in Canada. He grew up knowing what he was but also knowing not to show it. Because of this being drilled into him from a very young age he developed the ability to hide his scent to the point of seeming human even to other Lycans. The only downside to this is that he also did not develop the ability to distinguish other lycans from the humans around him. Mark decided, with the support of his adoptive family, to audition for SM entertainment. When he got in, his whole family celebrated, letting him move to Korea to pursue his dream of becoming an idol.Pretty much from day 1 of being in Korea he found himself drawn to one of his fellow trainees, a man he’d been told was named Johnny. He was also one of the few others who spoke english and so he found himself spending as much time as possible with them while completely oblivious to the fact that they were, among others in their future group, also a lycan like himself. When he finally figured it out he gave into his urges; becoming Johnny’s mate and omega. They have been inseparable since, and while he doesnt let on to fans, he is not shy of his love for them around those he trusts. Archangels: Mikel  (Zhoumi fc)

Mikel is the name chosen by Saint Michael the Archangel for his time on earth. He was sent down to reign in the children of the princes and rulers of hell, and to possibly turn them to the side of heaven for the coming war. He wound up liking humans so much that he stayed, drawing out his task for as long as possible so that he could continue to learn more about humanity. He is a bit stiff at first, unable to shake his military training and the habits he had formed over millennia at god’s right hand. He is also known as God’s sword, though he secretly hates that. He does not dislike his job. In fact he loves it. He likes being god’s tool to strike down evil. He just hates the title. He is kind to those he meets, though he may seem stiff and unfeeling if you only look at the surface. Uriel: (Nu’Est ren fc) Saint Uriel the Archangel’s name means “God is my light” or “Fire of God”. He is known as the angel of wisdom, Uriel shines the light of God’s truth in a dark world. He is believed to remind people that hearts should burn for the love of God. As an Archangel, St. Uriel is among those at the head of the company of angels. He is a personification of the Divine Fire that hails from heaven. As the angel of wisdom, Uriel is the patron saint of the arts and sciences. As a representation of the fire of God’s truth, Uriel is also a patron for those making Confirmation.When he came down to earth to spend time amongst the humans he found that he quite enjoyed all that humanity had to offer. He has spent the past few years exploring the world and experiencing human joys and pleasures to his hearts content. He does still respond to his father’s call; helping those that he is sent a vision of. He is a kind man, and a gentle soul unless provoked. Oni: Song Joongki Song Joongki is an oni. Yes, he doesn’t look how people imagine an Oni to look, but that is very much to his benefit. He discovered when he came of age that humans seemed to find him incredibly attractive and he could make money off of this. That is how he became a cam boy. He quite enjoys his job. His free time is spent out in nature, or in a library curled up with a good book. He loves to go hunting, fishing, and hiking more than anything else in life. Vampire: Hongjoong he is touch averse outside the bedroom, has no family, lives in an old mansion, and his favorite pastime is reading. (have not written as much of his backstory. still working on it ^_^)

[eye-of-mordor]

3/3

Sauron, whose personality is oddly coincidental with the planet Saturn, seems to be a spirit that is ever-present. Saturn also plays a huge role in Vedic and Hindu astrology, functioning as a cosmic judge of karma and reincarnation law, striving for a balanced world. This planet is often closely associated with Rahu and Ketu and by extension, the dread demon Svarbhānu himself. They are known to be great friends, if not one and the same spirit in separate bodies. They are also allied in the eternal struggle against the Sun. And even Shiva ties in all this. A hotly debated topic among astrologers is that how Shiva is the secret hidden master of all these entities, who recruits other gods to govern them in his stead while he handles other tasks.

Saturn and Rahu are at times viewed negatively. Thought to bring much misfortune via illnesses, selfishness, delusions, obsessions, excessive ambition for material gain, wanton indulgence in vices, they are often shunned and chants are uttered to ward it off, especially the evil eye of Saturn. For these reasons, they are associated with the tamasic energy, which relate to the darker aspects of existence. But when properly channeled, they can bring much wisdom and progress in life.

Another nakshatra of interest is Purva Bhadrapada, which when Rahu enters it, its power can be multiplied exponentially, whether for good or evil. The name of this nakshatra literally means 'first of the blessed feet,' since it is depicted as a single leg mounted on top of a small rise such as a hill or mound. This is another image of Shiva, known as Ajaikapada. In this form of his, he is standing atop the sacred Mount Meru, the centerpiece of the entire universe from where he begins his dance of destruction after certain intervals of time have elapsed. Whilst dancing, the third eye in his forehead that has long been half-open, now fully opens, and unfathomable destruction is wrought. Flames shoot out of it, lightning is seen from east to west, oceans borne tsunamis, hurricanes rage, volcanoes erupt, meteorites fall from the sky, great fires scorch the earth, engulfing its sky in darkness. When his dance is finished, everything has been wiped away and a blank slate is presented.

A new world.

THE RINGS OF POWER – analysis of Sauron’s character 1/3

Throughout the series of The Rings of Power, there is heavy symbolism and allegory. Several of these that tie in with Sauron's character seem to have been noticed by some but gone largely undiscussed. Frequent contrasts between the colors blue and red have been used in the storyline arc of his character. The two elements that are represented by these colors are water and fire, which are weaponized by Sauron in Tolkien's legendarium – the deluge of Númenor, and his kingdom of Mordor that is best known for its fiery Mount Doom. Another allegory that seems to be at play here, and plausibly deliberately done by the show creators, are the subtle hints of Sauron embodying many of the main traits of the ancient three-eyed god, Rudra, of the archaic oral tradition of the Rig Veda that was brought to the Indian subcontinent in a bygone epoch by the Vedic civilization who were Proto-Indo-Europeans from somewhere in the far north. Around the time when the Vedic civilization mysteriously disappeared from India sometime in the second millennium BC, the oral tradition of the Vedas was transferred into written documentation. Then when the Vedic civilization spirited away from India, the Hindu civilization was born and with it, the seedling of a newly developing religion would come to grow into the tree known as Hinduism today.

From this seed, grew multilayered stories featuring many new gods. But some were built from the characteristics of the preexisting Vedic gods. One such god is the familiar Shiva, depicted as three-eyed, blue-skinned, wielding a trishula, a lunar ornament atop his hair, and his serpent Vasuki coiled around his neck. This god was developed out of Rudra, likely based on a word used in an account in the Rig honoring Rudra as 'auspicious,'  a word that in Sanskrit is śivaḥ. Throughout the Vedic period, Rudra was often associated with the color red, depicted as an irascible god with whom not even the other gods wanted anything to do with unless they needed his destructive powers to solve a problem. Then later when Hinduism developed, the color blue was attributed to Shiva, who is seen as a calmer side of Rudra, and is believed to be able to control water, especially at night when the Moon's gravity pulls the Earth towards it. This trait of his seems to have been incorporated into The Rings of Power, especially concerning the otherworldly aura of Sauron’s sword hilt that emblazons the symbol of Mordor, seemingly reminiscent of Shiva’s three-pronged trishula. In fact, when his reformed sword is used as a key by Waldreg to awaken the ancient fire of Mount Doom, the element of water is used to achieve this via a massive flowing river that pours into the magma chamber of the volcano, triggering a phreatomagmatic eruption. In this way, Sauron’s weapon is linked to the elements of water and fire. Archaic knowledge of the interaction between water and magma chambers has been demonstrated in the Rig.

(Click here to continue to segment 2)

[ravens-rambling]

The Demon and Angel

A/N: Uuuhhhhhh this just sort of came randomly to me? I don’t know where it came from but I might continue this! It was quite fun to do~ And yes this going to be a romantic Moxiety if y’all don’t like it then uhhhhhh I guess you don’t have to read it then. IDK we need some more Moxiety in the world I think. Sorry its short uugghhh 

summary: It happened during one rainy day the two met. One half-demon who was hiding from the world, who just wanted to survive, and one kind human who lend him a hand. Despite their differences, they want to learn from each other and maybe fall in love in the process. 

WC: 1,050 uuggghhh so shoorrtttttt 

ships: Romantic Moxiety

warnings: Anxiety, Nervousness, Self-Deprecating thoughts, Mentions of torture, Sensory overload, mentions of suicide, uuhhhh I think that’s it??? idk 

Tag List: @punsterterry @frostedlover @stormcrawler75 @mutechild @mycatshuman @panicattheeverywhere15 @thewinterbookqueen @analogical-mess

The rain battered against the city streets, it’s cold air seeping through the darkness like a cloak. The man, a teenager really, sat huddled as close as he can into his old wrinkly, full of holes, blanket. It was really his only source of warmth. A tarp was covering him but really it did little to protect him from the rain. All he could do was cuddle into himself and try to get what little warmth he could.

His tail and his one wing wrapped around his thin frame as he shook with the cold. Oh yeah, he forgot to mention that he was a half demon.

A being that wasn't supposed to be in existence. A being that is, he is told, suppose to be considered evil. Suppose to rain havoc and chaos into the world. Some say he is the precursor to the apocalypse. Some say the world will end if he lives another day.

He wasn’t any of those things, at least he doesn’t think so?

From the moment he was born he’s been like this. Having fangs, a pointed tail, one spiked purple wing, his dark purple horns coming from his head, it’s not like he can do anything to change it. It’s not like he wanted this life. But here he was trying to survive since the moment he could breathe.

And trust him when he says he has wanted to stop breathing multiple times. There has been countless amount of times, more times then he could count, when he has passed out and he seriously doubted that he would ever wake up again.

And every time he did he was disappointed with himself.

But now he was here, well not like here was any better but still, at least he was alone. At least he wasn’t poked and prodded all day every day. At least he could feel the wind against his skin without having somebody hovering over him.

At least he can breathe freely now.

How he escaped from that place he still couldn’t figure out. Maybe he didn’t want to know. All he knew was that he opened his eyes and he was outside, past the gates, past the people who tortured him, past the-

A sudden noise made him jump out of his thoughts. Followed by louder noises, noises that were getting closer to him.

It sounded like paw steps were running towards him and loud yelling too. That sounded like a human. Shit.

He tried to bury himself further in the blanket, maybe the human won’t see him. He titled his head for his pointed ears to get a better grasp of what’s going on. He knew if he moved out of this spot the human would surely see him and it wasn't like his one wing was operational.

“Zoe! Baby girl what are you doing? Zoe!!”

He heard loud barks which blasted through his eardrums and sent him winching, he had to bite his lip from making any sort of noise. Curse his sensitive ears why do they have to be sensitive? Properly to bring more wonderful pain to him, how lovely. The barking was getting closer until he could see bright yellow fur on the edge of his vision. This isn’t good. The human will see him. He’s gonna hurt him if he sees him. He’s gonna-

“Zoe. Get back here! What has gotten into you- Oof.”

The man walked right into the dog and it almost sent him falling right over onto the ground but he managed to study himself. He looked down to the dog who was looking straight at the demon man.

He wasn’t able to tell what the dog was thinking but suddenly he started barking again, louder than before.

All he could do was clunch his ears tightly as the loud sound sounded like it was right in his ears, it blasted through his entire body. Without meaning to he cried out his entire body shaking at the pressure.

“Hello? Is somebody there? Zoe, what’s wrong?”

Could the person not see him? Well, that’s good at least. But before he could even get a moments relief the dog was suddenly right at his face. And it was still barking.

“MAKE IT STOP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!”

He didn’t know what he was doing, all that he knew was that if this creature doesn’t shut up soon his head might explode.

“Zoe Zoe stop! It’s okay stop!”

As if on cue the dog suddenly stopped, the sound came to a sudden halt. His body was still shaking and his head still throbbing but at least it stopped.

But he froze when he felt eyes on him.

“Hello there? Who are you? Are you okay now?”

His head whipped up to see the man's eyes looking right at him. He was smiling brightly despite the fact that he was drenched. His hair was a curly brown a piece of hair even was curled up at the top. He wore on a bright blue sweater with white pom poms coming down the collar and white cats face on the center. His jeans were a tan color though all the demon didn’t want to look at it for very long in fear the man would do something.

Though when he looked at his eyes there was something…wrong with them? They didn’t seem like normal eyes. But still, the human looked at him in deep concern. Why would a human be concerned with him?

“I… I… Y-Yes…” He managed to wheeze out and at that moment he realized he could barely breathe.

The man smiled a bit more, “I’m glad to hear that kiddo. I’m Patton! What’s your name?”

Despite his fear that shook him to his very core. Despite the fact that he was terrified of getting hurt again. Despite his own mind screaming at him to run and never look back… There was something pleasing about those eyes. He didn't see a trace of fear in them, didn't see a trace of wanting to hurt him, only deep concern and worry for him. Even his voice was full of concern though for some reason it was bubbly?  There was something so peaceful in those eyes that he felt himself saying back.

“V-Virgil….”

[robininthelabyrinth]

Cultivated-to-Immortality post-canon where cultivation in modern day is mostly mysterious and many doubt it's real - and then WWX gets a cooking show...

“I’m going to murder him,” Jiang Cheng said blankly.

He wasn’t even angry or frustrated or any of the things he normally was when he said something like that. That would require actually reacting to -

What he just saw.

With his own eyes.

For real.

“You can’t do that,” Nie Huaisang said from where he was curled into a tiny little ball on their on-the-verge-of-breaking-down couch – modern things were really crap. The thing couldn’t be older than what, thirty or forty years, and it was already useless, and Nie Huaisang wasn’t helping matters by crying tears of laughter into the worn-out cushions like he was right now. “He’s immortal, remember? We’re all immortal.”

“Immortal in the sense that we won’t die of old age,” Jiang Cheng said. “I can still kill him.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“I wouldn’t,” Jiang Cheng admitted. He was pretty sure they’d established that back in Wei Wuxian’s first life, forget his subsequent resurrection or when they all unexpectedly achieved immortality. “But I could definitely break his legs. He’d heal from that quick enough.”

“The day you break his legs will be the same day you do it to Jin Ling,” Nie Huaisang said wisely. “And I know you wouldn’t do that to our beloved junior squad.”

“You really need to stop calling them juniors, they’re all married with children and grandchildren a half-dozen times over already, and anyway stop getting away from the main point, which is this – this – this travesty.”

“It’s not a travesty,” Nie Huaisang said, pretending towards solemnity. Jiang Cheng didn’t know why he bothered, it wasn’t like they hadn’t spent centuries together by now on account of immortality being a little lonely and them not liking anyone else who’d reached immortality enough to want to spend that sort of time with them. “It’s a cooking show.”

“It can be a cooking show and a travesty! It’s a cooking show run by Wei Wuxian,” Jiang Cheng growled. His stomach hurt just remembering the many times he’d been suckered into trying something because this time I’ve really got it down, I promise, you’ll like it! “Of course it’s a travesty. Did you see the set up he has going on? He has an entire wall of hot peppers!”

“Hmm, good point,” Nie Huaisang said. “You’re right. Something needs to be done about this.”

“I’m glad we agree.”

“I’ll send him some peppers from our garden,” Nie Huaisang decided. “I have that new varietal breed that we’ve been working on, extra hot; he’ll love it.”

“Don’t you dare send him the Zidian pepper without letting me try it first,” Jiang Cheng said pointedly. “It’s mine. He only gets leftovers once I’ve decided it’s complete. Anyway, are you telling me that you don’t think that this - this - this thing is a disgrace?”

They both looked at the screen, where the words ‘CHEF CULTIVATOR’ had appeared in large letters.

“I don’t know,” Nie Huaisang said thoughtfully. “I rather like the conceit of it – the mysterious food-obsessed Chairman kidnapping the heirs of the various cultivation clans...it’s all very historically accurate, at least?”

“One, Wen Ruohan wasn’t a Chairman, he was a tyrannical warlord who made all our lives absolutely miserable. Two, if that set is supposed to be the Nightless City, why is it so dark, and what’s with all the lava everywhere? I’m not even going to touch on the rock chair thing that no cultivator who values the state of their ass would ever sit on -”

“I don’t know about that,” Nie Huaisang said, looking down at their shitty couch with a exaggerated thoughtful look.

Jiang Cheng ignored him. He didn’t want to go couch-shopping again. It’d only been a few decades!

“And three,” he said, soldiering on, “I feel the need to point out that the cultivation clans were not named ‘Spicy’, ‘Barbecue’, ‘Vegetarian’, and ‘Expensive Fusion’.”

“But he’s got the coloring right and everything! And it’s really funny to see a chef outfit done up in that awful Jin gold color...”

Jiang Cheng put his head in his hands.

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nie Huaisang said, completely unable to resist bursting out in occasional bouts of giggling. “This is exactly like the time the Wen sect forced all of us to attend their indoctrination camp. Exactly like! You’re just misremembering.”

“I’m pretty sure that I’d remember being forced to compete in some sort of absurd cooking competition with mystery ingredients.”

“Would’ve been nice if we had.” At Jiang Cheng’s incredulous expression, Nie Huaisang shrugged. “Better than listening to Wen Chao talk, no?”

“…well, yes,” Jiang Cheng admitted. “Still, the whole thing seems a bit much. Cultivation is now state-regulated - by which we mean mostly banned from public knowledge - and our sects are all shrouded in mystery...this does seem to lower the tone a bit.”

“Like you care about tone.”

Jiang Cheng, who’d declared that he’d stopped giving a fuck sometime around the eleventh century, had to concede that.

“How’d he get the whole thing approved by the government?” he asked instead. “I thought they censored anything to do with modern-day cultivation.”

“I don’t think they’re that concerned about him spilling actual cultivation secrets on his cooking show.”

Jiang Cheng huffed, not wanting to admit that Nie Huaisang had a point. At any rate, the commercials were over and the show was continuing; he had better things to do than listen to Nie Huaisang talk, like watch the television.

After a few moments, his face began to turn purple.

“Oh,” Nie Huaisang said, and buried his face back into the pillows. “Oh no. Oh no.”

“I cannot believe him,” Jiang Cheng said. “I can’t – he can’t –”

“Now, now,” Nie Huaisang said between laughter so hard that he was hiccupping. “Be nice. If Wei Wuxian is the despotic Chef Cultivator and - oh this is terrible - Grandmaster of Demonic Cooking, that is on the hunt for a chef worthy of being his successor by forcing teams to challenge his stable of in-house chefs, it only makes sense that the ‘challenger’ team would be protected by the – by the –”

Jiang Cheng closed his eyes. “Lightly-Braised Lord?”

“That!”

“I would say that I can’t believe Hanguang-jun agreed to this, except he hasn’t said ‘no’ to Wei Wuxian in centuries,” Jiang Cheng said bitterly. There was a reason he refused to live with them. “This is a disgrace.”

“Accurate, though!” Nie Huaisang said, grinning. “That’s a very mild flavor of cooking, very appropriate for Lan Wangji.”

“I think you mean tasteless.”

“I mean, Lan Wangji is that, too, at least when it comes to Wei-xiong”

Jiang Cheng couldn’t exactly say that that was wrong.

They continued watching.

“Oh no,” Nie Huaisang said a few moments later. “The Ghost Pepper General. Poor Wen Ning!”

“It doesn’t fit,” Jiang Cheng said with a sniff. “He has no flavor profile.”

Maybe he was getting more into this than he would be willing to admit.

...he wasn’t going to admit it out loud anyway.

Nie Huaisang sniggered. “I hope Wei-xiong isn’t the judge.”

Jiang Cheng stared at the screen. “I still can’t believe this is actually happening.”

“I love it,” Nie Huaisang said. He was now scrolling on his phone. “The internet agrees with me, apparently. It’s a hit!”

“It figures.”

Their phones gave a chime at the same time, indicating a message on their group chat.

“Huh,” Nie Huaisang said. “That was the notable Chef Cultivator himself.”

“Oh, I bet it was,” Jiang Cheng grumbled, making no move to reach for his own phone. “What does he want? To apologize?”

“No, to offer us walk-on roles in the event he gets renewed for a second season.”

“Absolutely not,” Jiang Cheng said at once. “I refuse to be known as the Sandwich Shengshou or whatever he comes up with.”

Nie Huaisang dissolved into giggles. “Oh no. He would, too!...I wonder what I’d be?”

Jiang Cheng huffed. “You’d be – the Saltshaker. Obviously.”

“Oh noooooooo…”

[nikadoesanart]

Dazai in both his PM & ADA clothes

In Chapter 11, we can see Dazai depicted wearing a combination of both his PM and ADA clothing when Chuuya reminds Dazai of his past as the youngest executive in the history of the Port Mafia. I am aware that he is drawn in a similar way in the Vol 3 contents page, but I will be saving that for another time, as he is accompanied by Akutagawa and Chuuya there and I think it's best to analyze that artwork as a whole.

In regards to Dazai’s outfit here being a mix of his ADA and PM ones, overall I think it was done intentionally to show how even though he’s been in the ADA for the last 2 years and defected from the PM 4 years ago, he can’t get rid of his past. He may have been able to literally burn the coat (ch 30, p 15) and create an unbelievably clean record (Entrance Exam p 17, Yen Press translation) but his crimes still followed him, covered up or not. Or another way I’d phrase it would be that he may be on the side that saves people and a better person at heart now, but he can’t shake off his past as it still quite literally clings on to him. Starting with the background, the people and eyes glaring at him could very well be a metaphorical representation of his crimes. For example, it could be some of the people whose deaths he played a part in. It could also be those who were/are supposedly close to him judging him for his decisions and actions as well as how he may likely feel that he is still viewed by society as a monster and "the demonic prodigy of the Port Mafia’s guerrilla squad" (The Heartless Cur, easygoingscans translation) considering that his high intellect alienates him from almost all of society in addition to all of his mafia achievements. After all, he was advised to lay low while his records were made clean for him to even have a chance at being hired by the Agency. For comparison, Fukuzawa’s past occupation isn’t common knowledge to the public and Kyouka’s mafia achievements were an issue at first with her being able to work in the Agency (or really anywhere outside of the mafia). Moving onto Dazai's overall appearance, he looks all disheveled here, as if both the coat and his own physical and mental states are all falling apart and off of him. He’s holding onto the coat like he’s not quite ready to let go of it, likely because his time in the PM is crucial to who he is today. After all, that is when and where he (most likely) met and befriended Oda (as far as we can infer based on existing knowledge in Dark Era, novel version included). Through Odasaku, Dazai found someone who truly understood him and was given a reason to both live and to get rid of his ties to the mafia, which the coat literally represents because he received it from Mori.

Fully leaving his past behind him means leaving Oda in the past and moving on from that part of his life entirely. We know that that is one thing he cannot and likely will not do, even if all he is left with now are small mementos and his memories of that time, including at least a couple of moments that he does treasure. We've seen him hold a Lupin matchbox and even pay the bar a visit right before difficult and risky decisions, and think of Oda when thinking of how he has failed both in the past and in the present or just reflecting in general (when talking with Kyouka on the plane in ch 35, at the end of 55 Minutes, at the end of season 3, and when discussing his views on why things happen with Fyodor in ch 77, etc).

Even in this panel alone, his facial expression clearly shows that he is far from pleased to be depicted and referred to this way and we now know that he was at his absolute lowest, mental health-wise, at age 16 during Storm Bringer (at least as far as we currently know of his past). (Creds to @emmacifer for pointing these two details out) Admittedly, my knowledge for understanding body language is fairly limited, but regardless, look at specifically how and where Dazai is holding onto the coat. His right hand is in his pocket and with his left hand he’s gripping onto what appears to be the area just between the parts of the coat that are in the armpit and lung areas (idk how else to describe it). If you try grabbing your own shirt or jacket in that same spot, you will feel some of the pull on the fabric in your shoulder, almost as if Dazai is trying to create or maybe even recreate this feeling in a more visible way to represent Oda's last words giving him a reason to leave and go towards the side that saves people, or his desire to escape from feeling inhuman. In regards to Dazai having his left hand in his pocket, and because Dazai specifically has his thumb out, that means high confidence (source 2).

(If you do know more about reading body language, I'd love to hear your input on this panel! The stuff about his right hand is purely my own speculation and interpretation vs the part about his left is based on what I read in the linked source) Coming back now to how he is dressed specifically in this panel, Dazai is wearing his coat/overcoat and bandages from his PM days and his vest, shirt, and pendant that he wears now in the ADA. In other words, he is currently on the side that saves people (the ADA) at heart, but he still wears his past on top of that. The weight of his actions, especially as a PM executive, outweigh his accomplishments under the ADA, especially once his crimes and past do get revealed. He is quite literally wearing the source of his (currently known) pain and suffering on top of everything else because that ultimately did play a large factor in shaping him as a person. Both the countless injuries he's sustained in exchange for his achievements (represented by the bandages) as well as the cause of the mental abuse and manipulation he was subject to under Mori (represented by the coat).

Additional sources and credits:

Meaning of hands in pockets Meaning of hands in pockets 2 (the one I used) Huge thank you to Zae, aka BSDiseverything on Twitter for helping to find where Dazai’s demon prodigy nickname is from (I literally reread half of Dark Era by this point and started checking the dark era anime)

[catholic-character-tournament]

Round 4 - Catholic Character Tournament

Propaganda below ⬇️

Gambit

He is catholic, cares about the cross and baby jesus and everything. He also has red and black eyes and a member of a Guild of Thieves. He has been a thief since a child and is proud of it. His marriage was anulled and he got remarried later, but inbetween he had a lot of sex with random people. The fact that he is catholic and doing all this shit is never brought into question.

Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler Propaganda:

good lord where do i start. in the animated series he converts logan to catholisism and then fucks off basically thats the main thing he did there. i think one time they tried to make him a demon to explain how he looked but everyone hated that. he sold his soul one time to help his friends out after he died. he and logan have a weird little gay thing. he was a priest one time but he was made a priest by a fake bishop from a religion that hates mutants iirc so he just wasnt a priest. like 3 people have written him in a way i like and one of those is my friend just talking about how they view him.

wow marvel loves making catholic characters dress/look like demons

Kurt is a mutant who was born to mystique who looks a LOT like a devil (technically is half one but that cannon truth isn’t real go back to bed), his mother dropped him off a cliff when he was born and he was picked up by a Romani group/circus (fuck old comics man) however he then narrowly escaped being sold to a freak show and found himself in a small German town. There he met a kind priest, who showed him God, and he quickly grew attached to the idea- However, it wasn’t long before people began labeling him a demon and soon the whole town was against him with pitchforks and fire. Cornered and injured, Kurt thought this might be the end for him- maybe he would see heaven so long after finding it- but he was then saved by Charles Xavier who invited him to the X-Men. AND ITS BEEN SO MANY YEARS AND HE HAS BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH THERE. SO MUCH. SO GOD DAMN MUCH. BUT THE MOST AAAA THING TO ME CONCERNING HIS FAITH HE WHEN HE LITERALLY DIED AND WENT TO HEAVEN BUT THEN BECAUSE OF DRAMA WITH HIS FATHER HAD TO BRING HIS FRIENDS IN WITH HIM FROM THE BEYOND. THEN WITH ALOT OF TROUBLE THEY FOUGHT HIS FATHER AND THE ONLY WAY KURT SAW TO STOP HIM WAS IN A MOVE THAT STRIPPED THEM BOTH OF THEIR SOULS AND PUT THEM BACK ON EARTH. SO KURT CANONICALLY HAS NOW LOST HIS ABILITY FOR ETERNAL PEACE, LOST HIS VERY SOUL, TO SAVE PEOPLE- AND ALSO TOLD NO ONE NOT EVEN HIS GAY LOVER WOLVERINE.

Nightcrawler is a mutant vigilante who looks like a classical demon. He can’t even go to church without people panicking and trying to exorcize him. Despite it all, he’s so full of faith and hope and compassion, and he wants to believe the best of everyone. Also, he’s bffs with an extremely angry Jewish sword lesbian. That has nothing to do with anything, but it’s important to me that you all know that.

What if you were a devout christian and literally looked like the devil? He nearly became the pope, which was a plot by some supervillains that also involved faking a rapture? There is nothing like comics I swear to god.

A catholic who is half demon I don’t think I can better explain a struggle than that. But his character is so relatable to people who feel unwelcome with their congregation because of something that is a part of them but still feeling a connection to the faith. Kurt actively engaged in his faith and shares how his faith helps him through all the things he has faced in life and how he found a home with those of the church who leave the judging to God.

so they made kurt a priest briefly before deciding to retcon it, resulting in nightcrawler actually being part of a plan by villains to promote him to pope then reveal to the world that the pope is a demon. wild.

I have a side blog and a tattoo about him and i really really want him to win

Wisecracking devil-appearing devout Catholic with the Best superpower (teleportation)? HECK YES

German Catholic circus acrobat who looks like a demon & can teleport through a hellish alternate dimension with a puff of sulfur. Character of all time.

hes catholic and his dad is the devil. what could be funnier than that. also hes my silly little guy.

Nightcrawler is the world’s most fun catholic priest. I first was introduced to this kindhearted teleporting acrobat while he saved a boat full of stowaway refugees from inter dimensional pirates with swashbuckling gusto!