#while Carroll was still alive too

[mocktortis]

The frontispieces were drawn by Charles Copeland! I got that information from The Annotated Alice, which describes the Cromwell editions as "unauthorized".

I'm trying to understand the Thomas Y Crowell US editions of Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass from the 1890s. Jesse Bridgman illustrated them, imitating Tenniel and often copying Tenniel illustrations. Are they pirate editions or legitimate editions published with Carroll's permission? Or a US/UK copyright grey area? The books would still have been in copyright in the UK (under the 1842 Copyright Act, they'd have been in copyright for 42 years). Crowell were a legit publisher (now part of Harper Collins) but I can't imagine Carroll or Tenniel authorising this. Someone out there must have insight or knowledge... (And they were filed by Crowell with the Library of Congress for copyright purposes.)

(All Bridgman illustrations except the last one, which is the original Tenniel that Bridgman was copying.)

My guess would be the kind of US/UK copyright oddnesses that meant that Gilbert and Sullivan had to mount special productions of their plays to keep the US copyright.

[kyndaris]

Purpose and Direction

Mental illness is something that has only, in recent decades, been properly acknowledged. With the help of the pandemic, it was pushed to the forefront of the social consciousness as people struggled to adapt to the new dorm of lockdowns. yet, even in this day and age, there is still a stigma associated with getting professional help to address the underlying issues of one’s psyche. And while society is focused on the high levels of anxiety and depression in our youth, in an age where purpose is almost impossible to find and apathy pervades even the brightest of minds, it should be noted that no age group is immune to mental illness.

Or its consequences.

From a personal level, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no stranger to suicide ideation. After all, when the world seems such a challenge, when all I do is float around, never hitting the milestones in life that others have, there have been days when I’ve wondered if the struggle is worth it. It just seems easier to remove oneself from the equation. To put an end to needless pain and suffering.

And this is exactly where we find Alfre “Frey” Holland in the opening moments of Forspoken. As the game begins, players find the main character on trial for theft. Which is her third misdemeanour. If not for the sympathetic judge, Maya Bird, and the fact that it’s nearly Christmas, Frey might be on a one-way trip to jail.

Fortunately for our protagonist, she gets off with community service instead. After all, the game needs to game. And putting Frey in prison isn’t going to lead to the events of Forspoken now, is it?

As Frey leaves the courts, however, she is accosted by the very thugs that asked her to steal a car and deliver it to their boss. She managed to escape but later the miscreants find the apartment Frey has been squatting in and burn it down. Along with the cash she had accrued to finally escape the mightmare her life had become.

Honestly, not being able to pick up the gym bag full of money bfore Frey went searching for Homer, WHILE THE APARTMENT WAS ON FIRE had me screaming at the screen. Every interaction I had with it, Frey would refuse to pick it up, commenting that she needed to find her cat. 

I know the game needs a reason for Frey to hit rock-bottom but learn some common sense!

Anyways, without the means to escape her current situation and having nowhere else to turn, Frey hands Homer to Maya Bird and then contemplates what to do with her life atop the Crossroads Hotel near the Holland Tunnel where she was found as a baby. As Frey debates whether or not to jump, she spots something in the corner of her eye. Breaking into the shop, she find a strange glittering vambrace and, as she reaches for it, is suddenly thrust into Athia.

Just like Alice, in her favourite book, Frey is now in a brand new world. But Athia is no Wonderland. Whereas Lewis Carroll, also known as Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, crafted a whimsical world with grinning cats and mad tea parties, the world of Athia is not nearly as fanciful. Rather, it is a world on the brink of collapse. And when viewed from the lens that its current state is a reflection of Frey’s tenuous mental state: her bone-deep depression that is just one bad day away from utter destruction, it makes sense that the world, although filled with fantastical landscapes and magic, is also a vast empty land devoid of people. Abandoned towns scatter the countryside and the only ‘living’ things are the creatures that have been corrupted by the Break. And as I was exploring the world, I couldn’t help but feel that the land itself was much too drab and washed-out (unless, of course I was in the heavy break-infused lands near the Tantas’ palaces. But those were really just word filters). It was only in photo mode where I could adjust the colour and saturation that Athia felt more alive.

After an encounter with a dragon, Frey begins her quest to find a way back home to New York and her cat, Homer. Along the way, she is forced to fight against the corrupted Tantas. In the process, she becomes a beacon of hope for the surviving denizens of Athia, even though the idea of being a hero is something she struggles to accept until the end. The weight of expectations and the duty thrust upon is something that Frey fights against throughout much of the game. An understandable reaction if one considers her fraught childhood and her difficult circumstances right before she was transported to Athia.

Some might have complained that her refusal to take up the call goes against the usual plucky video game protagonist, or makes her weak, but I thought this characterisation for Frey particularly apt. If I fell into another world that was suffering from a particular malaise and learned that I was their only hope, I’d be scared, too, of picking up that mantle. More so if I had a history of falling through the cracks of society as others failed to provide aid when I needed it and failing to meet the expectations of others.

But, supported by the townspeople that believe in her, such as Auden, Johedy and Pilo, Frey is able to push past the fear that held her back and save the broken land once and for all from the machinations of the evil daemon, Susurrus.

Of course, even by game’s end, Athia is not entirely free of the Break. While the work of trying to clear it may seem daunting, Frey and the Athians are content to put in the hard yards to rebuild. Just because you defeat the ancient demon of destruction doesn’t mean that the world suddenly returns to normal. As with mental health, saving Athia (and oneself) is a journey of thousands upon thousands of little steps. It’s about reprogramming the biases that we have. It’s about taking some time for yourself so that you don’t collapse when you focus on looking after others. And it’s also about accepting those bad parts of yourself and reconciling it with your strengths as a whole.

In not many games have I seen such a thorough exploration of mental health beyond Psychonauts. For, if we are to take the metaphor even further, Susurrus himself is that inner negative voice we have inside. The one that tells us we aren’t worthy. That we’re ugly. That we’re stupid and will fail whatever endeavour we try our hand at. I know that as a writer, I’m one of my own worst critics. Rereading some of my works, I can’t help but pinpoint every misspelling or error. Worse is when I’m editing my long-form stories and wonder why I spent so long on something so horrendously atrocious. It would be easier if I simply deleted everything.

Fittingly, sussurus is a noun that means whispering, murmuring or rustling: “The susurration of the wind in the trees.”

I suppose my only gripe with the mental illness angle of Forspoken is how each Tanta breaks. Theirs is not some slow descent. Somehow, Susurrus manages to push them over the brink and they suddenly go from well-meaning protector to outright tyrant. Or suddenly develop a split personality. I’d have preferred witnessing the descent into so-called ‘madness’ rather than be peppered by notes from the citizens that speak of the sudden reversal in the Tantas demeanour.

And for that matter, I’d have liked to have seen, rather than read, what life had been like in Athia before. Or to hear of the world before the Break from the older residents of Cipal. Forspoken, much like The DioField Chronicle has a lot of world-building and lore that is relegated to the background but remains untouched by the main narrative. It would have shown better the hope the people carried and the resignation they had reached after twenty years of worsening circumstances.

Beyond the story elements, Forspoken is a fun game especially in terms of traversal. After all, it’s not everyday that the main protagonist is a dexterous mage that can do magic parkour. While I did find some of the controls a little floaty or inexact, I loved being able to climb cliffs and watch the trail of magic that Frey left behind as she ran, jumped and floated to her next destination. Combat, too, was a blast. While I know that there are people who complained about it after playing the demo, I thought each set had its own unique quirks. It helped that enemies, too, had vulnerabilities or resistances to certain types of magic, which allowed me to change them on the fly when needed.

Of course, there’s no need to actually change the type of magic one liked best if you were overlevelled, but the different effects and the flashiness of the spells were quite enjoyable to see. That and the fact that you could switch them around on the fly with a button prompt.

Now, the dialogue. The one point that many critics and players alike too umbrage against. For me, personally, I never found anything to dislike about the exchanges between Frey and Cuff. Some people pointed to the awkward writing when Frey discovered she had powers and I retort that if I could suddenly move things with my mind, I’d probably say the same thing. The only character that I felt was lacklustre in delivery was actually the bard: Wallace. Most of his lines sounded like they had been phoned in or they were just said awkwardly.

Once you’ve played through Biomutant and had to deal with the grating narrator commenting on your every move, there isn’t anything else that compares.

Long story short, I enjoyed my time with Forspoken. While I was a little hesitant at first, seeing all the negative impressions of the game, I thought it best to still give it a fair go. And while the ending message was a little on the nose, reminding me of the one I wrote for my short story Unseen, I still feel like it bears repeating. If you are going through something hard or difficult, you are not alone. Help is available! You are NOT a burden. People DO care. Even if it’s just one other life, you HAVE made an impact and you have CHANGED it for the BETTER.

I’m also just going to insert a link to crisis lines for anyone that may need it right here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines

And hey, you never know if you might just isekai into another world and become its saviour. 

On a site note, I definitely felt there were a few longing looks that were exchanged between Frey and Auden. But maybe that’s just me trying to see if there’s anything I can latch my fantasies onto. In any case, a sequel to Forspoken might be a far-off dream considering its poor performance.

[cartoonfangirl1218]

Twisted Tales: Unbirthday Review

Liz Braswell’s Unbirthday asks the question “What if Wonderland was in peril and Alice was very very late?”  I can tell Braswell is a fan of Wonderland (or at least she had a very good editor and extra readers helping her) because it was a very merry splendiferous sort book of Nonsense utilizing many hallmarks from the movie and the Carroll books. From the author’s note warning readers that only mad hatters may take mercury, readers cannot eat mercury or they will die, I knew I was in for a treat. She has a deft voice in describing the changing landscape of Wonderland that always manage to bring people where they need to go. A fact that Alice comes to recognize and learns to trust. For in Wonderland, it’s best not to think too much. But follow your instincts like a child. It is all magically strange yet familiar and Braswell embraces the best part of Wonderland is how the child’s view of the world can be so free-ing. Unlearning all you learned makes the world more sensible. Additionally, she keeps consistent rules within the Wonderland world and in the real. Like Alice forgets her Wonderland antics while in the real world like it was a distant dream. And she forgets England and her work over there, calling it things like Angleland and such. This, of course, makes it all the more difficult for her and more compelling to read. 

Braswell kept a consistent voice in Alice combining her Victorian day sensibilities that made her feel so frustrated with Wonderland and a curious outlook on life that keeps her on the fringes of respectable society. Just the way she describes things in Aloce’s POV comparing dandelions to bread-and-butterflies, it just felt perfectly off kilter. I also enjoyed her choice to make Alice a photographer, a new sort of hobby and magic in Victorian times. It fits her curious nature and further highlights the dual worlds with mirror-like glass slides that show mundane and horrifying images. 

It’s a long book, 500 pages, split into 3 parts, and she uses every page to the best extent. Not only does she explore Alice’s return to Wonderland, but also the xenophobic forces rising in the latest mayoral race. I’ll admit I was more interested in the latter as it is unfortunately very timely. While Alice and her like-minded friends (her libertine Aunt Vivian who is such a role model and socialist-milliner, Mr. Willard, the Hatter’s real world alternate) are able to see clearly past the pure English rhetoric, Alice’s older sister doesn’t and I was eager to see how or if Alice could change her mind.  There is also the introduction of Alice’s love interest, Katz who shares her odd outlook on life. They also tease each other and poke each other. He, calling out her privilege as a sheltered English girl with money while he was a Jewish son of immigrants. Her, reminding him that as a woman she has opportunities that he does. He was a poor immigrant that worked up to become a lawyer. She still can’t even vote. They get each other and challenge each other, and I so enjoyed their interactions. And how their bond is vital to finding the solution. In both worlds. 

However, Alice realizes what happens in the real world affects Wonderland and vice versa. After 10 years away, she is summoned back on the anniversary of her first visit because she is the only hope left against the mad Queen of Hearts. Well. . . Madder. Her reasons are ridiculous but they make perfect sense in a Wonderland way, and the denizens of her kingdom suffer in daily executions and maiming. Even the March Hare is killed! And the Mad Hatter, Doormouse and Dodo barely make it out alive. The Mad Hatter is bumped about, he has the Nonsense knocked out of him. And a conventional Hatter is strange indeed.

I enjoyed the darkness that is imbued in this tale, really getting into the terror of war and the injustice of prejudice rhetoric in politics and mobs. She covers the different kinds of men and women involved from the unknowing prat who just wishes to join the winning team, to the knave that does the bare minimum of effort even when he knows it’s wrong to the ones who truly fight on the front lines. While Alice acknowledges that it may be temporary solutions, at least they tried. There is also an emphasis on ——. I would tell you, but it’s an answer to a riddle that would spoil the whole solution. So I’ll leave it here for you to ponder.  I have mine and you have yours It's needed in a painting But in the end none agree on the meaning of the thing.

I don’t have many nitpicks as Braswell set out with an ambitious book and I believe she did well with such a grand scope. My one nitpick is that sometimes there were misspelled words like cents instead of sense, but since it’s a wonderland book I’m not sure if it was intentional or not. 

Go read the book if you want a ridiculous, nonsensical adventure into childhood and wonder. And darkness and prejudice. It’s a dual narrative of smoke and mirrors and a perfect treat for ones unbirthday. 

[histoireettralala]

Antoinette de Bourbon

Between 1515 and 1536 Antoinette de Bourbon gave birth every other year; of her twelve children, ten survived to adulthood: Marie (1515), François (1519), Louise (1520), Renée (1522), Charles (1524), Claude II (1526), Louis (1527), Antoinette (1531), a second François (1534), and René (1536). Antoinette's faith in the saints prepared her for the rigours of childbirth and, since in those days nearly half of new-borns did not reach the age of ten, her devotion paid dividends. Not only had she an ever-growing household to care for, but unlike her husband and brother-in-law, who were expected to live beyond their means, she was frugal. Her role went beyond the day-to-day expenditure of feeding and clothing the household at Joinville: she looked after her husband's accounts and, in conjunction with financial officials, advised him on expenditure. In 1520, Claude made her proxy for all his affairs. Two years later, she chided him for spending too much money while on campaign, on wining and dining his Swiss guard, and dressing them too extravagantly. The role of financial advisor was one she would fulfill for her sons and her grandsons too.

[..]

Antoinette was much concerned with the poor, spending her leisure time stitching clothes for them while listening to pious readings. Alms were distributed regularly: 400 poor girls provided with dowries, and 100 bursaries provided to poor students. Legend has it that once, after her sons returned from a hunt, she was angered to discover that they had trampled the fields of local peasants, and so the following day she served them no bread at table: "My children, we have to save on flour, since you have destroyed next year's crop." Antoinette's daily expense account, a fragment of which survives in the British Library, gives credence to this tale [..]

Frugality did not mean that Joinville was cold and unwelcoming. On 8 September 1539 Antoinette wrote to her daughter in Scotland that her father and seven siblings had arrived "to dance at our feast tomorrow." "Our" feast refers to the holiday of San Gennaro (9 September according to the Julian calendar), patron saint of Naples, an indication of how family tradition kept alive the dream of the Angevin Empire. Children were present at Joinville throughout her life, and the great disparity in ages between them meant that the eldest had married and on occasion moved in with their wives and children while their younger siblings were still being cared for by their mother. Particularly significant in the beginning were the children of Antoinette's eldest daughter, Marie, who were joined later by the wives and sons of François, Claude II, and René. In 1534, Marie had married Louis, Duke of Longueville, who claimed royal descent through his great-grandfather, the bastard of Orléans, heroic companion of Joan of Arc. Louis did not live to see their son's second birthday in 1537 and when Marie remarried James V and went to Scotland she left the boy, François, affectionately known as the "little duke", with his grandmother and grandfather at Joinville. She would not see him again for another twelve years [..] In 1547, he was briefly joined by his half-sister Mary Stuart, who had become a precious commodity on the death of her father and whose safety in Scotland could no longer be guaranteed. To protect her from English hands she was sent to her grandmother, before, as befitted royal princesses, joining the royal court. Barely six years old, she enchanted Antoinette: "Our little queen is in as good spirits as possible", she wrote to her eldest son, "and I assure you that she is the prettiest and best [girl] of her age that you've ever seen."

Stuart Carroll - Martyrs and Murderers: The Guise Family and the Making of Europe

[impulsea]

(Ariel anon here again) ! I'd love to know your thoughts on that upcoming series called Ariel that's supposedly coming out and will be aimed toward a pre-K audience, in the vein of an Alice's Wonderland Bakery! Just read this and wow, I wasn't aware there was going to be a new Ariel series! I google'd a bit on it and to be honest, I don't there's a need for it? I feel the TV series for all it's flaws was enough (and it was aimed for a younger audience), and along with the comics and the prequel already told us enough about Ariel's life under the sea, unless this new series is going to feature a child Ariel - which it's not unplausible considering is aimed to pre-schoolers - but even so it wouldn't be the same for me? Most of the original cast is dead (Kenneth Mars, Samuel E. Wright and recently Pat Carroll) and I don't believe replacements would be able to replicate the same energy these actors put into the characters, and Ariel's original creators (John and Ron) left Disney, so it's up only to Jodi to keep her in character now. I expect this Ariel to be sanitized in a way to make her more like a "good role model" who teaches lessons to little children in each episode, which is not bad, but I personally feel that the original TV series already filled that purpose, but who knows, maybe I'm wrong and they end making a sweet show while keeping Ariel in character. Just my two cents.

I'm conflicted, because on one hand, I love The Little Mermaid so much that it's hard for me to resist expansions upon the franchise...however, as I mentioned in my previous asks, there were certain projects that were so damaging to Ariel's character integrity that I'm also a little resistant? It's nice to have new content, but when that content just continually takes us further and further away from the core of the film...I'm not sure.

I'm a huge fan of the original four princesses, and I have yet to see any of the first three be successfully adapted into anything outside of their original films. Ariel had more luck, but I think it was by virtue of the entire voice cast still being alive to maintain their characterizations and to add authenticity to their projects. Of the cast that's regularly used, Jodi's the only one left, and she's majorly shifted in her personality as of the past few years. The more and more I look back on certain things I was dissatisfied with, the sequels especially, I see that she wasn't enough to save Ariel from bad writers and creative talent who misunderstood her. 

For what it's worth, it seems the Junior Ariels how will be innocuous though, given its target demographic...but I feel like that's going against the company? Walt wanted the animated features to hold their own against the contemporary films they were going up against. He didn't want Snow White to be viewed as Sesame Street or Barney- he wanted it to be able to hold a candle to Gone With the Wind and Casablanca, and it does. While I understand that there's a sector of Disney that appeals directly to an extremely younger audience, I feel like they should leave the classic movies out of being incorporated in this way, because it's a bad look for the brand. The old Disney movies- and those of the Renaissance- pushed for reality and adult stories and mass appeal. The newer Disney movies now, like Frozen and Tangled and Moana, are extremely infantilizing the artform and having a show like Junior Ariel is just going to perpetuate that and the ideology that "The Little Mermaid" is only for babies instead of the deeply complex, adult story it actually is. That's not even getting into how all of the queer-coding will be removed, the way it has been in the sequels, because it would be considered "too inappropriate" for the camp they're trying to pitch this project to.

[violetrose-art]

Corpse Bride Headcannons, Theories, and Ideas

This is just a list of the theories, headcannons, and ideas I came up with for Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. I might add more later on, so watch out

-Victor and Victoria were born and raised in a small English village close to the Atlantic Ocean called Burtonsville

-Victor’s full name is Victor Ichabod Van Dort

-When he was about four years old, Victor found Scraps as a mixed-breed puppy in an alleyway. Nell and William refused at first, but William saw how his son quickly became attached to the dog, so he let him stay. Sadly, when Victor turned eight, Scraps was brutally mauled and tragically killed while trying to defend his beloved owner from a bigger, nastier dog

-Victor’s favorite toy as a child was a stuffed horse he called Usher. He begged his mother to let him keep Usher until he was fourteen

-Victor learned to play the piano when he was about five years old. He was a fast learner and he picked up on it very quickly, and his tutor was greatly impressed by his skill. His favorite musicians are Mozart and Beethoven

-Victor works as an artist to draw many types of butterflies for the Lepidoptera Community, as well as a professional pianist. Originally, his father wanted him to work as a fish merchant and take over the family business, but Victor politely told him “no thanks” because he wanted to follow his own dreams. William was disappointed, but deep down he wanted his son to be happy. So he usually encouraged him, especially when Nell wasn’t around

-Outside from his butterfly works, Victor does paintings during his free time at home. The color theory that he studied was written by Eugene De La Croix·         Victor has been drawing since he was a child. His favorite things to draw are animals, butterflies, and other insects. He also does landscapes and people sometimes. He also likes to write sometimes, mostly a few poems and a couple musical compositions. Nothing he took too seriously, though. He also likes to sing when he thinks he’s alone

-In his childhood, Victor used to have a somewhat regular playmate named Humphrey. They were almost friends, but when William’s business became very successful and Victor’s family became rich when Victor was about eleven, Humphrey stopped coming over and the two boys haven’t seen each other since

-When he was a boy, he learned how to speak French because his mother thought it was “high-class” to be bilingual. Victor was diligent in his studies and thus has a good knowledge of spoken and written French. He may not be perfectly fluent, but he can carry on a decent conversation

-Victor is severely allergic to walnuts and poison oak

-Victor had a cousin named Mary whom he was very fond of, but she passed away when she was seventeen and he was six. She got lost in the woods and was attacked and devoured by a pack of wolves

-Victor doesn’t drink anything more than the occasional glass of champagne or wine. The reason? Mayhew once got him drunk and it turns out Victor is a CHATTY drunk. As in, he’ll tell you his life story at the slightest provocation. Victor was so embarrassed when he sobered up that he nearly swore off all alcohol forever. It’s very unlikely he’ll ever knowingly get wasted again·         After he and Victoria were finally married, Victor gained confidence and he stood up against Victoria's parents earning him some respect

-Victor HATES smoking. He was secretly offered a cigarette from Mayhew when he was fourteen and after the first inhale, he was coughing and gagging so much that he nearly threw up

-Victor is the tallest member of the Van Dort family, making him stand out quite a bit during family reunions

-He may not be a sporty person, but Victor enjoys cycling. He also loves a good game of chess

-Victor adores reading. His favorite writers are William Blake, Charles Baudelaire, Lewis Carroll, Edgar Allan Poe, and William Shakespeare

His favorite books are “Les Miserables”, “Dracula”, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, “The Fall of the House of Usher” and other works by E.A. Poe. The play/book that he hates the most is “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” because he strongly dislikes this style of a love triangle in the plot line. He also has a fascination with penny dreadful. Yes, he knows the serial stories are really nothing but lowest common denominator trash, but he loves them anyway. He got hooked on them as a teenager thanks to Mayhew’s nephew, and he used to keep a secret stash under his mattress

-When she still rather young, Victor noticed that his daughter, Emily, became very interested in music, so he taught her how to play the piano as well as the violin

-Victoria was the one who taught her son, Edward, how to read and they bond over books and stories they both enjoy

-The worst day of Victor’s life happened about three weeks after Scraps died. Victor’s parents had some business friends over for tea, and forced a still-grieving Victor to come down and be social. Poor Victor made a bad impression, being quieter and clumsier than normal, culminating in knocking over one man, tripping his wife, and insulting said wife’s coat in apologizing. Nell, humiliated and enraged, turned on her son once the guests were off, screaming at him about what an embarrassment he was while they were still standing on the front steps. Victor was so horrified, embarrassed, and depressed that he came too close to taking his own life. He got his hands on his father’s straight-razor, snuck into the bathroom, and actually had it to his neck when a noise from outside the bathroom spooked him and he dropped the razor and ran back to his room as fast as he could. Fortunately, the distraction gave him time to realize suicide wouldn’t fix anything, and he made a promise to himself never to stoop that low again. His parents also apologized the next day, which helped a lot. Victor avoids telling anyone about it unless he feels he has to, certain they’ll think less of him for it

-Victor was born June 9th, 1867

-Victoria’s full name is Victoria Elizabeth Everglot

-When she was very little, Victoria had always wanted a pet (like a cat or a small dog) but her mother said that having a pet in the house was uncivilized and improper and that all animals were filthy and uncouth creatures

-Victoria’s favorite hobby is sewing and knitting. She often designs most of her husband’s clothes and others in her spare time

-As a child, Victoria tried to be closer to her parents, but often found the family maid Hildegarde as more of a mother figure

-Victoria loves to read in her spare time… even though most people call it scandalous for a woman to do such a thing. Her mother even said reading was too passionate for a young lady. At a young age, Hildegarde, taught Victoria how to read (something her parents never found out about)

-Her favorite books are “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, “A Christmas Carol”, and any classic fairy tale. And her favorite writers are Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Andersen, and the Brothers Grimm

-Victoria’s favorite toy as a child was a china doll she called Miss Liddie. By the time she was about eleven, she had grown out of it. Even though she knows she’s too old for toys now, she still misses Miss Liddie

-Victoria isn’t allergic to anything, but she does tend to sneeze if dust is in the air

-When she was a little girl, Victoria was nearly trampled by a horse-drawn carriage, which made her develop a slight fear of horses

-Victoria likes to sing whenever she thinks she’s alone. She doesn’t believe it, but she has a surprisingly lovely singing voice

-When she was a little girl, Victoria was entranced by the piano in her house and she immediately wanted to learn how to play but her mother had told her daughter many times that music was improper and too passionate for a young lady. But Victor always tells his wife that music is a wonderful way to express oneself and that he would be more than happy to teach her how to play

-Victoria used to have a regular playmate named Gwyneth in her girlhood. They were good friends, but when Victoria reached her pre-teen years, Gwyneth stopped coming over to play for some reason and she never heard from her since

-Victoria is the most beautiful member of the Everglot family

-When she was in her early teens, Victoria secretly dreamed of becoming a writer someday

-Victoria was born February 3rd, 1868

-Victor and Victoria had two children. Their names are Emily Alice Van Dort (age 15) and Edward Daniel Van Dort (age 10)

-When Victor and Victoria were married, they moved out of their parents houses and bought a beautiful two story house that sat at the edge of a large meadow that was right next to the forest… plus, the house was a good mile or so away from Burtonsville

-The Corpse Bride’s full name is Emily Charlotte Cartwell

-Emily was born into a wealthy family. Her parents, Lord and Lady Cartwell, couldn’t say ‘no’ to their daughter and they practically gave her everything she asked for, so she became incredibly spoiled, selfish, and incredibly naïve·         Emily was a hopeless romantic, often spending time reading romance novels and daydreaming about her wedding when she was alive

-When she was alive, Emily was blonde

-When she made it to Heaven, Emily was finally reunited with her mother and father

-When their daughter disappeared, Lord and Lady Cartwell were so sad and depressed that they wasted away and passed away in their sleep

-Before ascending, Emily considered Bonejangles to be one of her best friends. They used to sing and dance together all the time. He even taught her how to play the piano

-When she was alive, Emily knew how to ride horses. She even had a pet white mare she called Aphrodite

-Emily Cartwell died at age eighteen

-Lord Barkis’s full name is Barkis Finbar Campbell Bittern

-Emily met Lord Barkis while she was on an outing with her parents. Her parents had their backs turned while Emily was talking with Barkis. After only a few minutes of talking, she was instantly smitten with him and she accepted his immediate proposal of marriage… and her mother and father were not happy about it at all. Emily and her father had a huge fight and she decided to elope with Barkis… but for her, it didn’t go as planned

-Barkis told her that if they were going to be together, they would need money. Emily wasn’t sure, but in the end, she agreed

-On the night she was running away, Emily stole not only her mother’s wedding dress, veil, gloves, and best shoes, but she also stole the jewels from her mother’s jewelry box and a large bag of gold from her father’s office

-As Emily was waiting for her fiancé that night, Barkis snuck up behind her, stabbed her, knocked her out cold, took all of her money and jewels, and buried her alive. She woke up in a shallow grave and tried to claw her way out before suffocating to death. That's why her hand was sticking out of the ground

-Barkis was married six times in his life. He and his first wife were married out of love until he found her cheating on him and killed her. The second was an elderly widow for her money. The third one got away before he could even hurt her, but she drowned herself in a deep, rushing river. The fourth was a drunken lonely woman who “accidentally” fell out of a two story window. The fifth being Emily and the sixth being Victoria

-In the Land of The Dead, Barkis was brutally beaten and ripped apart before he was imprisoned in an iron coffin chained seven feet underground with other criminals like him for all eternity

-After he ran away, Barkis studied linguistics in French, Latin, German, and Russian in order to impress others… or use different fake accents to fool them with

-Barkis’s original first name was Bradford and he had a rough upbringing. His father was a violent alcoholic and his mother was a reckless prostitute and they both abused Bradford as a child until he ran away from home at age sixteen and changed his name to Lord Barkis

-Barkis has a twin sister who had a son named Hector. Hector greatly looked up to his uncle and when he heard about what happened to Barkis, he was taken aback, but he also felt he could use that to his advantage. When he turned 30, Hector came to Burtonsville to exact revenge on the Van Dort family… but he also developed a vile infatuation with Emily. Whenever he tries to woo the young girl (which always fails since Emily finds him repulsive and cruel), Victor gladly steps in the way every time and he always sternly tells Hector to stay away from his daughter

-Mrs. Van Dort’s full name is Eleanor Minerva Fitzackley Van Dort

-Nell came from a lower class family. She lived with her father, mother, and three sisters. However, Nell wasn’t happy with her place in society and she wanted to became something more

-Nell and William first met when she was caught in the rain one stormy day and he offered her a ride home in his fish merchant carriage. She declined at first, but quickly gave in when it started to bucket down. As they rode together, they started chatting and soon became very interested in one another

-Nell and William made their way back to the village just in time to witness Emily's soul disappear into the night as a swarm of blue butterflies

-When she learned about Mayhew’s death, Nell quietly wept in her room about it. She might be overbearing, but deep down, she truly does care for the ones closest to her. She also adores her husband and son, even if she does find them a bit irritating. She just has a hard time showing her emotions

-Mr. Van Dort’s full name is William Oscar Van Dort

-William loves talk about fish and his business, he always tries to weasel in the topic whenever possible to his wife and son's annoyance

-William used to take Victor on fishing trips when he was younger, which practically bored Victor to death

-While he tends to be the more passive one in their relationship, William does put his foot down when the situation calls for it

-It may not seem like it, but William adores Victor and he tries to do whatever he can to be there for his son

-When Victor turned sixteen, William gave him a silver pocket watch with a design of a fish on the front and his initials

-Lady Everglot’s full name is Maudeline Hortense Glottberg Everglot

-Maudeline and Finis didn’t plan on having a child in the first place and Victoria came as more of a surprise

-Maudeline had a sister named Marie who loved playing the piano. They didn’t get along in their youth and they drifted apart as they grew up. Maudeline wasn’t even invited to Marie’s wedding to Lord Frederick Cartwell

-When Marie died, she left her piano to her sister, but Maudeline never touched it. She felt it brought back too many memories and forbade Victoria from going near it was well

-Lord Eveglot’s full name is Finis Augustus Everglot

-While he was disappointed in not having a son, Finis deeply cares for his daughter. He just doesn’t know how to show it

-Even though they’re not good at sharing their feelings, Maudeline and Finis do care for each other to some extent

-Hildegarde has lots of grandchildren and she visited their home in the countryside as often as she could before she passed away

-When he was alive, Bonejangles was a freelance jazz musician from America and his original name was Dexter. He was finishing a gig in England when he died in a horrible carriage accident (he was run over), which also caused him to lose his eyeball

-General Bonesapart and General Wellington were actually General Napoleon Bonaparte and English General Wellington, two real historical figures. However, even though they hated each other at first, they became real pals eventually

-Although they don't say it out loud, people in Burtonsville make fun of Maudeline's hair cut, calling her names like "Rump Head" or "Hairmungus"

-Elder Gutknecht is one of the many Afterlife Lords, responsible for managing the dead after they pass. Among them include God, the Devil, King Vince, Hades, Hel, Osiris, Odin, Freya, and, the Hindu God Yama

-The Underworld is actually thousands of miles underground and due to the magic surrounding it. Mortals can't access it unless they die themselves

-After his death, Mayhew kicked the habit of smoking altogether and is very glad he did

-Elder Gutknecht has a fearsome Hellhound by the name of Infernius, his fierce and ever loyal pet. He guards the entrance to the Land of the Dead and can breathe fire that heats up to 900 degrees

-The fellow who was cut cleanly in half was an English gentleman by the name of Herman, who lived in Burtonsville years before. He ended up meeting his death due to an accident involving a rather large guillotine

-Generals Bonesapart and Wellington are the leaders of army of the Land of the Dead, but are only called into combat in times of great peril

-The people of Burtonsville sometimes call Lord Everglot “Everglut” behind his back

-Victoria has a cousin by the name of Dolores. Dolores is something of a freeloading con artist who moved to America when she left home. She considers herself a very attractive woman, but she just wears too much makeup and rather revealing clothes and is actually rather sleazy in reality. She also smokes, which Victoria and the rest of the Everglots are strongly against

-When he was alive, Elder Gutknecht used to be a wise sage that helped people in their time of need. He passed away when he reached the age of 102

-The Everglots were a family of nobles with a significant amount of money, but due to a bit of excessive gambling (by Dolores), they lost almost everything

-Almost every member of the Everglot family is rather ugly due to bad genetics. Victoria considers herself very, VERY lucky to have not inherited such genes (she unknowingly received her natural beauty from her late Aunt Marie)

-Pastor Galswells was raised in a strict environment. He was taught that kindness was weakness and to be stern and firm with everyone. He passed away shortly after the official wedding of Victor and Victoria and a new pastor took his place. His name is Pastor Ivan Blackthorp and he’s much kinder and friendlier than Galswells ever was

-The reason Victor named his dog Scraps was because he only ate table scraps

-The people of Burtonsville have a secret inside joke about the squatty walk Finis Everglot does where they assume that he would jump like a toad and snatch up a fly at any moment

-Burtonsville is well known for its raven population and there's an old legend saying they're messengers to the Land of the Dead

-For some weird reason, William Van Dort is known to mutter the words "Fishy, fishy, fish" in his sleep and it honestly creeps Nell out

-Paul, the decapitated head waiter, was actually a French man who served Marie Antoinette during her reign. Unfortunately, he was unjustly executed by association with the queen when the French Revolution broke out and he was never able to find his body after he died

-Several people have assumed Maudeline's hair is an actual wig and she's bald under it… only to be mistaken, resulting in a whooping

-Lord Barkis was a master of disguise in life and was never caught by the police as a result

-The Underworld has a prison known as the Iron Tomb and it holds some pretty infamous inmates who include Bluebeard, Caligula, Henry VIII, Mary I of England, and many more

-The Town of Burtonsville was actually built on an ancient burial ground, which is possibly why the Land of the Dead is connected to it

-After her death, Emily was made the official guardian angel of the Van Dort family

This is all I've got so far, but feel free to tell me what you think and tell me which one is your favorite

[thessalian]

Jallira!Warden vs the Halls of Home

Outside the Spoiled Princess

Jallira: It feels like the world is full of a little too much coincidence. What are the odds of tripping over one of King Cailan’s former honour guard all the way out here? I’d have to wonder if he was looking for us, or at least some indication of what happened with Duncan ... which means our location isn’t as secret as we’d have liked. I mean, I know we told Loghain’s man what we were doing but he could hardly have reached Denerim yet and anyway there were about a half-dozen places we could have gone instead and--

Kester: You still overthinking everything, lass? Have done since you were first in my boat on the way to Circle!

Jallira: Oh! Hello, Kester. But ... speaking of Bessie, why aren’t you nearby to her? I was hoping to get to Kinloch Hold and--

Kester: Ser Greagoir took my boat and left that little toe-rag in charge of it. Said not to worry but he didn’t look like not-worrying to me.

Jallira: Oh. Carroll. Erm ... I’m going to see about the ‘not-worry’ so hopefully once that’s cleared up we can reunite you and Bessie. Okay? I just need to speak to this gentleman about ... oh. Desertion. That’s never a good sign.

Sammael: You die now!

Jallira: ...All right, new plan. Self-defense, then we get you Bessie back.

A little while later

Carroll: Oh. You.

Jallira: Hello, Ser Carroll. We’d like to get to the Tower, please.

Carroll: I’m not supposed to let anyone through!

Jallira: Isn’t it sort of your job to put mages in the Circle?

Carroll: Um...

Jallira: And Ser Greagoir has that whole thing about dereliction of duty?

Carroll: Ummmmmmm...

Jallira: I would truly hate to see you demoted.

Carroll: All right, all right, but if you’re going back out again, I’m not responsible! *stalks towards boat*

Leliana: That ... made ... no sense.

Jallira: Ser Carroll is ... loyal. Dutiful. But not very bright.

Morrigan: T’was already obvious that the Templars did not recruit for intelligence. Alistair illustrated that point quite well.

Alistair: Ha, ha. Can we just go?

Morrigan: I shall not! I shall be here, restocking my herbs. And you will take that mongrel with you. He is the reason I am obliged to wander the land hereabouts to restock.

Sten: I will stand guard here. I am surrounded by more saarebas than I care to be, most days.

Jallira: *sigh*

And, at the Circle Tower

Greagoir: Oh. You.

Jallira: That seems to be the default Templar greeting for me today. How have you been, Ser Greagoir? You look ... harried.

Greagoir: The place is swarming with demons and abominations and possessed Templars and it’s all your fault!

Jallira: ...........meep?

Leliana: Translation: she was not even here when this began, so she would be very grateful if you could explain how she could have caused this.

Greagoir: That business with Jowan--

Jallira: ........meep!

Alistair: Translation: that should have made you more vigilant, not less.

Muffin: *snarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl*

Jallira: And ... that ... translates to ‘please stop being mean and tell me how I can help’. ...Please.

Greagoir: If you want to throw your life away looking for Irving, have at it. But if you don’t get him back down here, alive and unpossessed, before reinforcements arrive, we’re Anulling the shit out of this place.

Jallira: ..............meep.

Leliana: I believe that translates to swear words she refuses to say.

Greagoir: Ugh. Maker turn his gaze on you, all that shit. Try not to die.

And, inside...

Jallira: .............................

Leliana: She has gone beyond ‘meep’. How worried should I be?

Alistair: You remember back in Lothering when she was calculating about Fade hornets? I think we’re past that.

Leliana: Oh, dear.

Wynne: ...Jallira?

Jallira: Wynne! *HUGS*

Wynne: Oof! Goodness, you must have been worried. Well, I suppose with good reason. I’m grateful you survived, too. Uldred was...

Jallira: Uldred was Uldred; I think I understand. He got snitty in a war council at Ostagar and now I suppose he’s reached peak snit.

Wynne: That’s one way of putting it. How did you get in?

Jallira: Erm ... if I don’t find Irving and if he’s not alright ... before reinforcements from Denerim get here ... Ser Greagoir said he’s going to Annul the ... erm, excrement ... out of this place.

Wynne: Then finding Irving first sounds like a marvellous plan. Let me just take down this barrier I’ve been holding and join you.

Alistair: Not that we wouldn’t be grateful for the help, but ... there are children here. And ... traumatised apprentices. Who’s going to look after them?

Children: *playing with a happy happy Muffin*

Alistair: Ah. Yes. War dog. Never mind.

Wynne: All right. Erm ... Alistair, was it? You might wish to keep an eye on Jallira when we get a look at the library.

Alistair: What-- oh.

Leliana: I’m not sure I understand...

Jallira: ..........oh Maker the poor books...

Leliana: Ah. Now I understand.

Alistair: Jallira? No. You cannot reorganise everything, Jallira--

Abominations: RAAAAAAAAAAA

Jallira: LEAVE. THE. BOOKS. ALONE.

Abominations: *die a horrible flaming death*

Leliana: She is that concerned about the books ... and yet she’ll use fire around them?

Wynne: This is a mage’s library, Leliana. If we didn’t make the books at least somewhat fireproof, we wouldn’t have a library left. Annnnnnd she’s organising.

Jallira: I am not! There are at least five summoning rituals in progress in this building and we need fewer of those! We’re going to have to shut them down.

Alistair: Jallira--

Jallira: I cannot bring back the dead and I cannot unpossess the possessed and I cannot even fix this horrific mess in the library but I can at least do this so that demons don’t come up behind us and maybe eat Muffin.

Wynne: ...not the children?

Jallira: Muffin is a marvel and his last act would be to ensure that his enemies choked to death on his bones before they could harm others.

Alistair: How does she sound almost cheerful when she says that?

A couple of floors later...

Jallira: I’m not sure I understand how this Tranquility thing works. Owain has no emotions but he has preferences? And they all say ‘thank you’ but gratitude is an emotion. So are they just saying the words out of politeness but don’t mean it? But that doesn’t explain the preference for the familiar because that implies ... well, a preference, and an emotional reaction to the unfamiliar, even a mild one. Is it just that the Veil is so damaged in this place that some of the Fade is leaking through and restoring a mild connection to their emotions, or is the Tranquility process selective of what emotions it removes? Either way, how would that even work? Is it possible that the Rite of Tranquility isn’t a full severing from the Fade, leaving a tiny link but nothing that can be significantly used? I suppose that must be the case, though that does put paid to the notion that it’s done to prevent demon possession because we just saw one of the Tranquil physically transformed into a demon and if demons can inhabit dead bodies they don’t necessarily require a form that’s connected to the Fade so--

Leliana: How are you talking research papers in the middle of ... well, this?

Jallira: I am trying to take my mind off the fact that the rooms and corridors I have lived in since childhood are swarmed with demons and littered with bodies of my dead compatriots? And that I’m having to kill Templars when that’s a Tranquil-making offense under normal circumstances and I’m a little bit conflicted about the fact that I can actually do so? Maybe?

Alistair: I suppose that’s fair. They did get a bit excessive, what with the ... flesh globs and all.

Jallira; Wynne: ..................................

Leliana: And that translates to “please stop talking”.

Jallira: ..........Niall!

Sloth Demon: OHAI.

Jallira: ............I should ... have insisted ... on a nap ... before we started... *thump*

[det-loki]

poison & wine part six

“Do you fight for pride or glory?”

warnings: angst, blood mention, snakes, panic attack

pairing: detective loki x fem reader

word count: 2,091

A/N: this is a shorter chapter, but it’s heavy and I didn’t want to weigh it down by continuing on, so I broke it up for next chapter. enjoy! <3

1  2  3  4  5   ⌽

David and you pulled up to a small home that the man from the vigil supposedly lived in. Jill, from the Value Mall, called Loki after he had shown up again, buying children’s clothes yet again. She relayed the license plate number to David, who was able to track him down in minutes with the help of dispatch.

Loki knocked on the door three times and then stood back to wait, quickly glancing at you and nodding reassuringly. The door handle turned, the door moving only as far as to show the man from the vigil’s face as Loki and you held your badges up.

The man was dressed in a khaki-colored button-up with a tie, seemingly put together, yet his eyes held a frantic look. Like a caged animal, unable to escape the confinement of a maze. 

Loki plastered a fake smile onto his face as the man nervously looked between the two of you, “Mornin’.”

A long pause occurred as the man, Bob Taylor, turned his gaze to you, eyes traveling down your body slowly. Loki clearing his throat loudly caused the man’s eyes to dart away from you and back to Loki.

“Why’d you run away from me the other night, man?’ The man looked Loki up and down nervously before shaking his head, “I’ve never seen you before. Are you sure you have the right house?”

You stepped closer to the door, a smile plastered to your face, “You been doing some shopping at the Value Mall lately?”

The man’s eyes widened microscopically before he turned his expression neutral,” Yeah. Why, is it a crime to shop there?” He motions at Loki’s buttoned shirt and coat, “I can’t afford to buy suits from Brooks Brothers.” 

“You bought children’s clothes.” Loki pulled a smile onto his face as he spoke to Taylor, whose face had gone pale at the mention of children’s clothes. Loki’s face quickly went dark and stoic again. You each held your own version of this man in your head, he was the only suspect you had that made the most sense at this point in time. 

“Did I? I must have been in a hurry.” The man’s eyes darted nervously between you and David, eyes staying longer on you than Loki.

“Do you have children?” You and Loki already knew the answer.

The man shook his head slowly, eyes darting to the ground, “No...I don’t have…”

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Loki position his foot against the door as Bob braced against it, failing to close it as Loki barged his way in. The man went flying back as Loki took hold of him and threw him against a wall, the awful crack of a broken nose filling the air. You shut the door behind you as Loki shoved the man against the ground and cuffed him.

You drew your gun from your hip to provide cover as Loki cuffed the man and then drew his weapon, “You move and I’ll put a bullet through your fucking head.”

You averted your gaze from Loki holding Bob Taylor down and took notice of your surroundings. Mazes were drawn all over every square inch of the walls and doors. What the fuck?

Your nose picked up on a horrible stench from the kitchen. Your stomach was doing flips and your brain was screaming at you, please don’t be those girls.

You slowly advanced towards the flies buzzing in the kitchen with your gun drawn as Loki called in for back up behind you, “This is 13-40 and 13-43. I need an additional unit for search. 437 Carrol Street. Possible kidnapping victims on the premises.”

The walls were the same in this kitchen, mazes everywhere. Piles of empty plastic bags were on the kitchen table. You walked further into the kitchen to find a pig’s head in the sink with a wig on it, flies hoarding around it, and its foul odor. 

You turned around to follow Loki through the halls of the home, covered in drawings of mazes. You opened door after door to find nothing. Loki came to the last door and tried to open it to no avail. Locked. He braced himself and jammed his shoulder into the wood of the door, not budging. You positioned yourself behind Loki and in front of the door with your weapon as Loki hit the door again, this time the wood splintered away, allowing you and Loki to enter. 

Dozens of black industrial crates littered the floor and your stomach and heart sank. You weren’t a religious woman despite the numerous accounts of religious imagery in your life, but at this moment you prayed to whatever God or divine being that would listen. Please don’t let these girls be in there.

Your eyes darted to David’s icy blue ones before you both sprung into action. You stayed in the room and called out for the girls while David took the suspect to the car and got a crowbar to try to get the lids off. 

The heavy weight of the crowbar was placed into your hand. Cold.

You got one crate open, your hands frantically ripping off the top and searching through the contents. Snakes. Live snakes. And bloody clothes. You felt like someone turned off the oxygen in your lungs, breath getting erratic and heart-pounding as you jerked back against the wall as snakes began to spill over the top of the crate and over your feet. 

Your shaking hands started on another crate, although you couldn’t get it open due to the tremble of your hands and the blur of tears in your eyes. You should be stronger. To save them. To save her.

You fumbled through three more crates alongside Loki before you couldn’t any longer. 

“I can’t, David, I can’t.” You looked at David with terror in your eyes as he continued to sort through the remaining crates of bloody clothes and snakes, stopping to read whatever papers he had found in the last crate.

If you finish all the mazes you can go home.

“Go, go. Let’s go.” He knew exactly what set you off. The bloody clothes.

You ran out of the house ahead of David as fast as your exhausted legs would take you, landing on your hands and knees as you fought for breath. Your lungs were expanding and contracting rapidly but you couldn’t catch your breath, a fire had set in your lungs. Your fingers dug into the frozen ground, dirt and dried grass catching underneath your fingernails. Your body was in front of the home on Carrol Street, but your brain was reliving the day you lost your little girl. You sobbed and screamed, reaching for her body that wasn’t there, desperate to touch her one more time. Images of needles and her bloody pink shirt made your eyes blurry and head pound.

Someone touching your shoulder caused you to jump back, eyes frantically searching for who the hand belonged to. Your eyes saw his black boots first, then his face came into view as he knelt down in front of you, hands on your shoulders. 

“David, David, she-is she? Are they?” The words tumbled from your lips, sending a dagger straight in Loki’s heart.

“No, no. Just clothes and snakes. Fuck. Fuck!” David tore his eyes away from your crying ones, yelling, his breath turning into cold clouds floating through the air. You could hear police sirens approaching in the distance as David still had you in his embrace, the only thing keeping you from crumbling apart on the frozen grass. 

Your breath was still ragged, uneven pants escaping your lips as your eyes searched Loki’s face, your hands clutching his coat with white knuckles. You had officially broken. Your soul shattered into a million pieces, some you were sure you would never get back. Some were already six feet under with your little girl.  This town ruined you three times over, staining your heart with black ink, spilling over to Loki’s stained soul as well. Two broken souls in a small town only able to keep the other alive. 

The fluorescent lights were giving you a headache as you sat in a cold conference room staring at the grain of the wood table you were sat at. Loki was compiling photos of the contents of the crates, preparing to call the Birch family in to see if they could identify any of the clothing. Your eyes felt puffy and bloodshot, you were sure you looked awful. Your eyes moved from the table to Loki, he looked as bad as you did; dark circles overpowering his eyes, stubble more pronounced  on his jaw. He held the look of a father in pain, ready to tear the world apart to find the little girls that reminded him far too much of his own little girl, despite never meeting the missing pair.

Franklin and Nancy Birch came into the room, each holding an expression that no parent should hold. You were all too familiar; the pain, regret and anger creating a sour expression void of anything good. Beside you, Loki’s hand moved under the table to find your hand, squeezing it gently in reassurance before he began the meeting. 

“So we’ve taken photographs of some of the clothing we found in the suspect’s house.” Neither Franklin or Nancy said a word, only nodding. Loki shuffled through dozens of photographs before he got to one that caused the atmosphere in the room to shatter. A purple shirt with a deer on it. You could hear the sharp intake of breath from Nancy before she jolted up and out of the room, Franklin shakily apologizing before following after his wife. You hated your job.

You remained in the conference room as Loki got up to go get the Dover’s. You took a deep breath in, attempting to calm yourself. There were times like now where you wondered why you were doing this, and the cause. You could only chalk it up to the butterfly effect, everything already written in the stars. Or something. Anything.

Keller Dover was alone, his wife not able to come to the meeting. You didn’t blame her.

“So he confessed? He said he killed them?” Bob Taylor had begun the interrogation process, claiming he killed the two little girls, but there were still unanswered questions and no bodies. You were the one he confessed to, his nose dripping blood while he did so. You were sure that image would haunt you in the rare times that you did sleep. 

“We were hoping he was lying, but we haven’t found any bodies, Mr. Dover, but the Birches positively identified two pieces of clothing. I’m gonna need you to tell me if you recognize anything.” Loki spoke softly to Keller, explaining what was happening. 

Loki began filing through photos again, looking to Mr. Dover for confirmation after every photo. You watched his face after looking at each photo that was placed in front of him, pain and sorrow, his lips quivering in suspense. His face changed as Loki placed another photo in front of him. He took the picture in his hands, the photo shaking with his grasp as he stared at it. Your heart sunk. 

“That-that’s her…that’s her sock.” A bloody sock with a baby pink bunny on it. Keller began to cry. Beside you, Loki was obviously uncomfortable and angry, as were you. David’s fists clenched and unclenched as he shifted in his seat, angry at the world and himself. 

“You-you wasted time. You two wasted time following me.” Keller looked at Loki as he spoke, moving the photo of the sock on the table in his direction, pointing at it, “You let this happen.” Keller left the room, leaving you and Loki in deafening silence. 

“This isn’t- we didn't let this happen, Loke.” You didn’t know what else to say, so you stopped talking, watching David as he brought a hand to his face and his eyes blinked harshly. He was falling apart on the inside, blaming himself for everything. He was broken. You both were. Yet the pair of you fit together like puzzle pieces, broken and all. Yet, you were afraid this case would destroy the both of you irreparably. You lowered your head to lay on the cool wood of the table as Loki sat beside you, letting the silence choke you.

You didn’t think you were going to make it out of this case alive.

taglist:  @lexie-wayland @whew-oh-em-gee @winterlavenderskysworld​ @buck-this-nasty @heeyirenee @pinkpunkdynamite @eleventhdoctorsangel @multiyfandomgirl40 @thanossexual​ @speedybonkuniversityzine​ @booklove103​ @curly-q3

[nataliedanovelist]

GF - National Treasure

An AU in which Ford and Stan didn’t have a stupid fight, and the Pines family had been entrusted with a secret generations ago...

~~~~~~~~~~

The pair of eight-year-old twins carefully opened the screechy door to the attic. Inside the room was filled to the brim with boxes and old random stuff, but Mabel and Dipper knew better. They grinned and started to explore.

They were at Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford’s house for Thanksgiving. Normally the weather is bright and sunshiny and it’s perfect for making leaf piles and running around, but not today. Today it was raining with the occasional ring of thunder and a flash of lightning. So rather than go outside while the adults sat around the burning stove and talked about boring adult stuff, the kids decided to go on a little adventure.

Mabel flipped a switch and a sad hanging lightbulb turned on. Seeing what they wanted, Dipper grinned and started to climb cardboard boxes like steps for a book up on the highest stack. Mabel held the boxes still for her brother, and together they retrieved the old maroon book encrusted with a gold emblem. Mabel made sure Dipper climbed down safely, and then they looked down at the book together with their backs to the door, a poor decision.

“Whatcha got there?”

The kids gasped loudly and turned around. Standing side by side was their great-uncles, the only other pair of twins in the family. Grunkle Ford stood in his slacks and red sweater-vest with a brown dress shirt and trenchcoat, a soft smile on his face and his six-fingered hands in his pockets. Grunkle Stan had his arms crossed over his beefy chest, smiling slyly at the kids, as if telling them silent that he was proud of them for being so sneaky. He wore worn blue jeans and a faded white tank-top, and had an old maroon robe on.

“Uh…” Dipper stuttered, still a little startled by the sudden appearance and for getting caught. “Um… we…”

“You both know you’re not supposed to be up here.” Grunkle Ford reminded them gently, not sounding at all angry, rather amused.

Dipper nodded, but Mabel was bold enough to admit, “We just wanted to know the truth.”

“Ah,” Grunkle Stan pulled a cardboard box to himself and sat comfortably. “I guess I’m up for a little storytelling.”

Grunkle Ford sat on a separate box and asked his brother, “Are you sure about this, Stanley?”

“They’re old enough.” Grunkle Stan said confidently, ruffling their little heads. Giggling, Mabel crawled up onto Grunkle Stan’s lap and Dipper sat on Grunkle Ford’s lap, the book still in his tight grasp.

“Tell us a story, tell us a story!” Mabel pleaded, bouncing on Grunkle Stan’s lap.

“Okay, okay.” The old man chuckled and began to tell his story. “It was 1852…”

“No it was not.” Grunkle Ford interrupted. “It was 1832.”

“Shaddup, I’m telling the story!”

“I’d let you tell it id you would tell it correctly.”

The kids giggled at the playful bickering and Grunkle Stan joined in. “Alright, fine, it was 1832. It was storming, kinda like it is right now, and late into the night. Charles Carroll was the last guy who had signed the Declaration of Independence and was still alive.”

“You do know what that is, right?” Grunkle Ford asked the children, who both nodded.

“We learned about it in school.” Dipper informed.

“Oh, good.”

“Anyways,” Grunkle Stan injected, excited to tell his story. “Charles Carroll was part of a secret society called The Masons.”

“Like me!” Dipper gasped.

Grunkle Ford chuckled and ruffled his hair. “That’s right, my boy. That’s right.”

“You see, this Charles guy was dying.” Grunkle Stan went on. “And so he had his stable boy drive him in the dark storm to the White House so he could talk to Andrew Jackson.”

“Why?” Mabel asked.

“Cuz Charles had an important secret to tell the president before he died.”

“Did he talk to him?” Dipper asked.

Ford shook his head. “No. He never got the chance. You see, the stable boy went to alter the president, but he wasn’t home that evening.”

“Probably too busy kicking Indians outta their homes.” Grunkle Stan muttered bitterly.

“Stanley,” Grunkle Ford hissed warningly.

“So, with no one else to tell his secret to, Charles locked himself inside the carriage with the stable boy, our grandfather’s grandfather, James Pines, and told him his secret.” Grunkle Stan said.

“What was his secret?” Dipper asked.

The old men exchanged smiles, then whispered at the same time, “A treasure.”

A crack of thunder and lightning made the children hold onto their great-uncle tightly. “A treasure beyond all imagining.” Grunkle Ford muttered.

“A treasure that had been fought over for centuries by tyrants, pharaohs, emperors, warlords.” Grunkle Stan added.

“And every time it changed hands, it grew bigger and bigger.”

“And then suddenly,” Grunkle Ford snapped his fingers. “It vanished. And it didn’t reappear until over a thousand years later, when knights from the first crusades discovered secret vaults beneath the Temple of King Solomon.”

“You kids do know who King David and Solomon are, right?” Grunkle Stan double-checked. When Dipper and Mabel nodded, he went on with the story. “The knights who found it agreed it was too good for anybody, so they brought the treasure to Europe and formed a group called The Knight Templar.”

“Over the next century, they smuggled it out of Europe.” Grunkle Ford narrated. “They formed a new brotherhood called The Free Masons, after the builders of the great temple. But then the Revolutionary War happened, but by then the treasure had been hidden again.”

“And The Free Masons now included folks like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere.” Grunkle Stan said. “They knew they had to make sure the British never got their dirty hands on it, so they devised a series of clues and maps to each location. Over time, the clues were lost or forgotten. That is, except for one last clue, and that’s what Charles wanted to give to the president, but he gave it to James Pines.”

Grunkle Ford and Dipper opened the book, and the old researcher pulled out an old piece of paper, then read it out-loud to the children. “The secret lies with Charlotte.”

“Charlotte?” Mabel repeated. “Who’s she?”

“No one knows.” Grunkle Ford answered. “Not even poor Charles Carroll knew.”

“But, the Masons and the Founding Fathers were clever, like us.” Grunkle Stan reached into his pocket and pulled out a dollar bill, showing the kids the symbols. “The unfinished pyramid, the all-seeing eye. Those are symbols of the Guardians of the Temple. They’re speaking to us, just in a language we don’t speak yet.”

They all heard warm chuckling and looked at the doorway to see Dipper and Mabel’s father standing in a red flannel and smiling at the warm scene. “Or they thought it looked cool and decided to put it on their money so other countries would take them seriously.”

Grunkle Stan shook his head and pocketed his cash. “Your old man doesn’t believe in the Free Masons anymore.”

“I just think our Founding Fathers were a little too busy fighting for their lives and freedom to have time to hide the world’s largest treasure and leave clues on how to find it.” Alex said with a shrug. “Anyway, we really should get going. Thanks again for having us over, you guys.”

“Of course, we’re always happy to see you all.” Grunkle Ford reassured as the old men put the kids down and stood up.

Alex went downstairs, and Grunkle Ford and Stan moved to follow, but a small voice stopped them. “Grunkle Stan, Grunkle Ford, are…” Dipper stopped, shy and hesitant, and rubbed his arm bashfully. 

But Mabel understood him and finished the question for him. “Are we knights?”

Grunkle Stan laughed and Grunkle Ford chuckled warmly at their children. “You both wanna be?” Grunkle Stan asked.

The kids nodded excitedly.

“Okay. Kneel.” Grunkle Stan instructed.

Dipper and Mabel obeyed. Grunkle Stan shed his robe and grape it over Dipper’s shoulders, meanwhile Grunkle Ford took off his trenchcoat and decorated Mabel with it in the same manner. Then Grunkle Stan took out his pocket knife, popped it open, and held it upward, like a sword.

“Mason and Mabel Pines, as great-great-great-great-grandkids of James Pines, do you take the duties…” Grunkle Stan snorted. “Heh. Duties.”

Grunkle Ford groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose while the kids giggled. “Do you swear to take the responsibilities of the Templars, the Masons, and the family Pines?”

“We so swear.” Dipper and Mabel harmonized, and then Grunkle Stan lightly tapped each of their shoulders with his tiny sword.

At once the kids got up and hugged their uncles, Mabel to Grunkle Ford and Dipper to Grunkle Stan, but the old pair of brothers brought them all together for a big warm hug.

[aion-rsa]

The Walking Dead Season 11: Who Lives and Who Dies

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This Walking Dead article contains major spoilers.

Many of us thought this day would never come, but as all of The Walking Dead‘s characters know very well, everything that has a beginning has an end. Season 11 of AMC’s flagship zombie drama will be the show’s final run of episodes, but fortunately it’s an expanded season. Fans will get 24 more episodes, broken up into three parts, before the show — and a few of its characters — meets its end.

And it wouldn’t be a season of The Walking Dead without a few big deaths along the way. As we have in past seasons, we’ve made some predictions regarding who will bite the bullet in season 11. For the final time, here are the characters we think are on the chopping block and the ones we believe will live on to remember them after the credits roll on the series finale.

Keep track of all The Walking Dead season 11 deaths below:

DEAD

Roy (C. Thomas Howell)

Prediction: Dies

Result: Dead

Roy took an arrow to the face during a Reaper ambush.

Gage (Jackson Pace)

Prediction: Dies

Result: Dead

Gage stabbed himself in the chest twice, attempting to kill himself before being devoured by walkers in a train car. Zombie Gage was then put down with a shot to the head by Gabriel.

ALIVE

Pope (Ritchie Coster)

Prediction: Dies

I’ve never seen a guy more likely to die in the first half of a Walking Dead season than Pope, the leader of the show’s newest villains, the Reapers, who themselves strike me as filler villains for Maggie and Daryl while the real story at the Commonwealth develops. I assume the Reapers will be out of the picture by the time Alexandria needs to turn its attention to the much larger settlement in the second part of season 11.

Pamela Milton (Laila Robins)

Prediction: Dies

The Governor of the Commonwealth is poised to be the final season’s big bad. A bureaucrat hellbent on preserving the way things were before the zombie outbreak, Milton even established a caste system within her settlement to propagate class inequality. She represents everything that was wrong with the world before the fall of society and the complete anti-thesis of how the Alexandrians do things.

If you’ve read the comics, you know how Pamela’s story ends in Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard’s story, but the TV series is known for taking sharp left turns when you least expect it. One thing we know for sure is that the Alexandrians will have to reckon with Pamela’s rule before the series finale.

Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton)

Prediction: Dies

A Commonwealth acolyte and bookkeeper of the community, Lance is one of Milton’s chief personnel, helping her run the settlement’s government. He’s also seems like cannon fodder to me as things heat up between the Commonwealth and Alexandria, an early death that could spark a conflict between the two factions.

Mercer (Michael James Shaw)

Prediction: Lives

Mercer is loyal to the Commonwealth but there are more sides to him than his distinct orange military armor lets on. He’s one of the most interesting characters of the comic’s final storyline, and it would be a shame to lose him before we can see his story through.

Elijah (Okea Eme-Akwari)

Prediction: Lives

Elijah made his debut in one of the most WTF moments of season 10 when he rescued Aaron and Alden from the Whisperers. For weeks after his reveal, people wondered who the man in the steal mask could be. When he returned in the final six episodes of season 10, the show just kind of moved on without fleshing him out, which is unfortunate since he looks so cool! I’m going to assume that the series is saving a big Elijah-focused episode for later in the season and that he’s too awesome to kill off. You don’t just introduce a blade expert in a steel mask for no reason!

Virgil (Kevin Carroll)

Prediction: Dies

Virgil has a lot to atone for after kidnapping and drugging Michonne in season 10. At the end of the season, we learn that he’s found a disoriented Connie in the woods. His redemption arc will likely include helping Connie survive on the walker-infested road back to Alexandria. Will that eventually involve a final sacrifice to save her?

Connie (Lauren Ridloff)

Prediction: Lives

Connie’s been through a hell of a lot in the past season. After surviving an explosion, a cave-in, and an entire walker horde, Connie’s made it out of Whisperer territory but is still a ways from home. Expect part of season 11’s story to be about Connie’s odyssey and ultimate reunion with her sister and Daryl.

Lydia (Cassady McClincy)

Prediction: Lives

Lydia was at the center of Alexandria’s conflict with the Whisperers for a season and a half. With Alpha and Beta defeated, and their faction all but obliterated, I have to wonder what Lydia has left to do on the show. That said, the writers have continued to find interesting ways to explore this character, and someone has to live on to lead the next generation of Alexandrians. I think Lydia is in it for the long haul.

Magna (Nadia Hilker)

Prediction: Dies

Magna was sidelined pretty quickly after her introduction. While a reunion with Yumiko seems like the logical direction for her story, The Walking Dead universe is a cruel one. She could be headed toward tragedy.

Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura)

Prediction: Lives

In season 11, Yumiko is inheriting a major storyline from the comics that likely means she’ll survive the final 24 episodes of the series. Of course, the TV show could always alter that storyline to bring a tragic end to Yumiko’s story.

Luke (Dan Fogler)

Prediction: Dies

It’s pretty wild that Luke has survived as long as he has. A man of the arts hardly has a place in the cruel world of this show, but he has clumsily persevered thus far. But if the writers are planning an especially bloody final season, I’d put Luke on the short list.

Kelly (Angel Theory)

Prediction: Lives

Kelly has been one of the best late additions to the show. It would suck for her to finally reunite with her sister only to meet an unexpected end.

Alden (Callan McAuliffe)

Prediction: Dies

Another candidate for the chopping block. I’m surprised he’s even made it this long.

King Ezekiel (Khary Payton)

Prediction: Lives

Yes, Ezekiel has thyroid cancer, and were he in Alexandria, that would mean his inevitable death. But the Commonwealth is a different ballgame, an advanced settlement in the comics that will likely have the doctors and surgical resources needed to save him. That is, if Ezekiel isn’t caught up in Milton’s caste system.

Jerry (Cooper Andrews)

Prediction: Dies

I love Jerry and don’t want to see the tank with a heart of gold go. But if the season needs an early death that pulls at the heart strings, Jerry is a prime candidate for a midseason casualty.

Father Gabriel Stokes (Seth Gilliam)

Prediction: Lives

Gabriel has evolved so much since his debut in season 5, becoming one of Alexandria’s key leaders. He’s come so far and even survived longer than his comic book counterpart. I’d hate to see him go so close to the end. So I’m just going to say he lives.

Aaron (Ross Marquand)

Prediction: Lives

Aaron seemed destined to die seasons ago, too kind and trusting to survive this long. But here he is, still fighting and surviving. He’s lost the man he loves, his arm, and many friends — and it’s all hardened him into a war machine. It’d be a shame for him to die now.

Rosita Espinosa (Christian Serratos)

Prediction: Lives

In the comics, Rosita’s head ended up on a pike during the Whisperer war, but her TV counterpart has persevered. It’s difficult to predict where her story goes at this point, but since she survived her comic book death, I assume the show’s writers have something in mind for her in season 11.

Eugene Porter (Josh McDermitt)

Prediction: Lives

Eugene has become an unlikely protagonist going into season 11. From a mulleted coward hiding behind his intelligence so that others protect him to the Alexandrian leading his people to the Commonwealth, Eugene is central to the plot of the final season, and I think that means he’s safe. Plus, Eugene is hilarious, and The Walking Dead can always use a little comedic relief.

Judith Grimes (Cailey Fleming)

Prediction: Lives

Result: Lived

NO.

Rick Grimes Jr. (Antony Azor)

Prediction: Lives

Nah.

Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan)

Prediction: Lives

I think The Walking Dead is going to end with one last big death, one last sacrifice before the credits roll on the massive zombie drama. Like Rick in the comics, one of the major characters of the TV series will likely become the martyr who inspires change inside the Commonwealth’s walls. Negan would probably be on the short list for this big moment from the comics, a villain finally choosing to do the right thing for a cause bigger than himself, a fitting conclusion to his seasons-long redemption arc. But Jeffrey Dean Morgan recently teased that he was already having discussions with AMC about a potential Negan spinoff after The Walking Dead has concluded, which means the former Savior leader is safe…unless the Negan show is a prequel.

Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride)

Prediction: Lives

This one’s an easy one: Melissa McBride is getting her own spinoff that will follow her character after The Walking Dead series finale. That means she’s safe.

Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus)

Prediction: Lives

Norman Reedus is joining McBride for that spinoff, so he’s safe, too. The actor even told us what the Daryl and Carol show will be about.

Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan)

Prediction: Dies

That leaves The Walking Dead with one logical choice to pick up Rick’s final storyline from the comic. It’s Maggie. It also makes a bit of sense from a logistical standpoint. Lauren Cohan has already left The Walking Dead universe once before to pursue other small and big screen projects. She’s back for the final 24 episodes of the series as a welcome legacy character but that doesn’t mean Cohan wants to stick around for longer than that. I assume Cohan’s returned to bring closure to her character, not to prepare for a spinoff.

Let us know your predictions for The Walking Dead season 11 in the comments!

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[wtf-triassic]

Triadobatrachus massinoti

By Scott Reid

Etymology: Triassic frog

First Described By: Piveteau, 1936

Classification: Biota, Archaea, Proteoarchaeota, Asgardarchaeota, Eukaryota, Neokaryota, Scotokaryota Opimoda, Podiata, Amorphea, Obazoa, Opisthokonta, Holozoa, Filozoa, Choanozoa, Animalia, Eumetazoa, Parahoxozoa, Bilateria, Nephrozoa, Deuterostomia, Chordata, Olfactores, Vertebrata, Craniata, Gnathostomata, Eugnathostomata, Osteichthyes, Sarcopterygii, Rhipidistia, Tetrapodomorpha, Eotetrapodiformes, Elpistostegalia, Stegocephalia, Temnospondyli, Euskelia, Dissorophoidea, Xerodromes, Amphibamiformes, Lissamphibia, Batrachia, Salientia, Triadobatrachidae

Referred Species: T. massinoti

Status: Extinct 

Time and Place: Approximately 251–250 million years ago, in the late Induan to early Olenekian of the Early Triassic.

Triadobatrachus is only known from the Sakamena Formation in Northern Madagascar.

Physical Description: Triadobatrachus superficially resembles modern frogs, it was only around 10 cm long, had a broad head and a very reduced tail. Its skeleton had many features associated only with frogs among amphibians, including a very frog-like skull with big eyes and their characteristically elongated hips. Soft tissues preserved around the fossil even show that it had the wide, round body of frogs too. However, the skeleton of Triadobatrachus differed from living frogs in a few major ways. It had much more vertebrae than living frogs, 26 compared to the maximum 4–9 of frogs alive today, giving it a much longer body, and these vertebrae had ribs, unlike living frogs. Its legs were shorter and more squat, especially its back legs, which were hardly any longer than its front ones, making Triadobatrachus incapable of hopping despite its derived hips. Even the stumpy tail was still more prominent than in living frogs, and may have even retained some degree of mobility. To sum it up, Triadobatrachus more or less looked like a stretched out frog with short legs. Think of a horned toad lizard but with more of the toad part and less horned.

Diet: Like other frogs, Triadobatrachus was probably carnivorous, likely feeding on invertebrates like insects and other arthropods, molluscs, worms, and perhaps even any small vertebrates it could fit in its mouth.

Behavior: One of the most standout features of Triadobatrachus is that it couldn’t have hopped like modern frogs. Instead, Triadobatrachus would have walked around on land more like a salamander, although it is unknown just how much time it would have spent on land in the first place anyway. It was clearly amphibious, and it probably swam by kicking its back legs like frogs, unlike the undulation of newts and salamanders. It would have spawned like living amphibians too, laying shell-less eggs in water that hatched into tadpoles and underwent metamorphosis just like modern frogs. Otherwise, its behaviour is a mystery. We don’t even know if it would have croaked or not.

Ecosystem: Not much is directly known about the ecosystem Triadobatrachus inhabited, as the only known fossil had been washed out to sea along the coast. The intact body at least implies the body wasn’t transported far, so Triadobatrachus probably lived in coastal floodplain rivers and swamps. Various other temnospondyl amphibians are known from the area, including Edingeralla, Deltacephalus, Mahavisaurus, Wantzsosaurus and Tertremoides. Despite being amphibians, many of these temnospondyls were likely euryhaline, meaning they could tolerate salt water and inhabited the coastline, something only a few living amphibians are even remotely capable of standing. The peculiar aquatic reptile Hovasaurus lived along the coasts, although it’s unknown if it ever crossed paths with the freshwater frogs, and terrestrial procolophonid parareptiles were also present. Plant remains suggest the environment was tropical and semi-arid with a monsoonal climate that supported conifer forests along with seed ferns, horsetails and clubmosses.

Other: Triadobatrachus is one of the only known stem-frogs, along with the polish Czatkobatrachus, and is certainly the oldest. The early evolution of Lissamphibia (all living amphibians) is poorly understood, particularly whether their ancestry lies in the temnospondyls or some other “amphibians”. Triadobatrachus doesn’t solve this debate, although it does show similarities to the Permian amphibamiforms like Gerobatrachus, supporting the temnospondyl affinity for batrachians (the frogs and salamanders) amongst dissorophoids.

Before they were considered to be temnospondyls, lissamphibians were often thought to be lepospondyls, a probably paraphyletic or even polyphyletic (i.e. unnatural) collection of “amphibians” on the tetrapod tree more derived than temnospondyls (some may even be honest to goodness amniotes!). This picture is complicated by caecilians, which at one point were suggested to be lepospondyls while batrachians were temnospondyls, making Lissamphibia polyphyletic! The story got even stranger after a little Triassic amphibian, Chinlestegophis, was discovered in 2017 and was considered to be a stem-caecilian. Chinlestegophis pulled caecilians back into temnospondyls with the other lissamphibians, but at almost opposite ends of the temnospondyl tree—batrachians in amphibamiforms and caecilians in with the stereospondyls related to the giant metoposaurs! So lissamphibians may all be temnospondyls...but also polyphyletic, unless nearly all of Temnospondyli is classed as lissamphibians and becomes part of the crown group. This would also mean our small modern amphibians both independently miniaturised from the much larger, classic predatory amphibians of the Palaeozoic and Triassic. What a concept.

Regardless of temnospondyl taxonomic troubles, Triadobatrachus is a perfect transitional form from more generalised amphibians to the highly specialised anatomy of frogs. Particularly, it shows that some of their unique anatomical adaptations evolved before they were able to hop, and may have functioned for other activities like swimming. The almost complete preservation of a skeleton as delicate as one of a small amphibian is a remarkable find, let alone one that represents a perfect transitional form for a group of animals whose evolutionary history is shrouded in mystery, and makes Triadobatrachus a fantastic find, no matter how unassuming it may be.

~ By Scott Reid

Sources under the Cut 

Ascarrunz, Eduardo; Rage, Jean-Claude; Legreneur, Pierre; Laurin, Michel (2016). "Triadobatrachus massinoti, the earliest known lissamphibian (Vertebrata: Tetrapoda) re-examined by µCT-Scan, and the evolution of trunk length in batrachians". Contributions to Zoology. 58 (2): 201–234.

Lires, A. I., Soto, I. M., & Gómez, R. O. (2016). Walk before you jump: new insights on early frog locomotion from the oldest known salientian. Paleobiology, 42(4), 612-623.

Maganuco, S., Steyer, J.S., Pasini, G., Boulay, M., Lorrain, S., Bénéteau, A., Auditore, M. (2009). “An exquisite specimen of Edingerella madagascarensis (Temnospondyli) from the Lower Triassic of NW Madagascar; cranial anatomy, phylogeny, and restorations”. Società italiana di scienze naturali.

Pardo, Jason D.; Small, Bryan J.; Huttenlocker, Adam K. (2017-07-03). "Stem caecilian from the Triassic of Colorado sheds light on the origins of Lissamphibia". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 114 (27): E5389–E5395

Piveteau, J. (1936). "Une forme ancestrale des amphibiens anoures dans le Trias inférieur de Madagascar". Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de l'Académie des Sciences. 202: 1607–1608.

Rage,J-C; Roček, Z. (1989). "Redescription of Triadobatrachus massinoti (Piveteau, 1936) an anuran amphibian from the Early Triassic". Palaeontographica Abteilung A. 206: 1–16.

Roček , Z., Rage, J-C. (2000). "13. Proanuran Stages (Triadobatrachus, Czatkobatrachus)". In Heatwole, H.; Carroll, R. L. (eds.). Amphibian Biology. Paleontology: The Evolutionary History of Amphibians. 4. Surrey Beatty & Sons. pp. 1284–1294.

Ročková, H., Roček Z. (2005). “Development of the pelvis and posterior part of the vertebral column in the Anura”. Journal of Anatomy. 206(1): 17–35.

Xing, L., Stanley, E. L., Bai, M., & Blackburn, D. C. (2018). “The earliest direct evidence of frogs in wet tropical forests from Cretaceous Burmese amber”. Scientific reports, 8(1), 8770.

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Upupa

Eurasian Hoopoe by Jaiprakashsingh, CC BY-SA 3.0 

Etymology: Hoopoe

First Described By: Linnaeus, 1758

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Afroaves, Coraciimorphae, Cavitaves, Eucavitaves, Picocoraciae, Bucerotiformes, Phoeniculidae, Upupidae

Referred Species: U. africana (African Hoopoe), U. antaios (Saint Helena Hoopoe), U. epops (Eurasian Hoopoe), U. marginata (Madagascan Hoopoe)

Status: Extinct - Extant, Least Concern

Time and Place: Between 12,000 years ago and today, in the Holocene of the Quaternary 

Hoopoes are known from all over the Eastern Hemisphere 

Physical Description: Hoopoes are extremely distinctive birds! They have very long, thin, and curved bills that extend out greatly from their heads, and huge crests on their heads that are easily spotted. They have long, thin bodies, and feet built for perching. THeir wings are very square-ish, and they have shorter tails than other birds. However, their coloration is decidedly where they are most distinctive of all. They have bright orange heads, with orange crests - but the crests end in very slight white bandings and then black tips. Their bodies are orange, but their wings and rumps and tails are black and white striped all over! They are such beautiful, distinctive birds. The shades of orange can differ in brightness or redness based on species (for example, the African Hoopoe tends to be redder than the Eurasian Hoopoe), but they do tend to be overall similar to one another in appearance. Living species range between 19 and 32 centimeters long; the extinct Saint Helena Hoopoe, though it had smaller wings, probably could have reached 36 centimeters long.

Madagascan Hoopoe by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 

Diet: Hoopoes primarily feed on insects, especially larvae, though some larger animals are also fed upon by these animals. 

Common Hoopoe by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 

Behavior: Hoopoes are very curious, adventurous birds, spending a lot of their time foraginging on the ground - they’ll dig with their bills into soft earth, using them to turn over leaves and probing into the mud and dung for insects and other invertebrates. They’ll even use their bills to prise off the bark from trees, or forage for insects in lichen! Sometimes, these birds also smash their food against the ground to They’ll usually forage in pairs or alone, spending a lot of their days looking for food. Some Hoopoes - especially the Madagascan Hoopoe - will forage in even slightly larger groups, of up to six individuals. Fascinatingly, Hoopoes have their own version of Penicillin - Anting! They’ll find piles of ants and roll around in them, allowing the ants to cover their feathers. The ants then secret substances that will kill bacteria, fungi, and other insects - protecting the Hoopoe (and other birds that Ant) from illness! These birds also take dust and sand baths to clean themselves; they’ll also sunbathe by spreading out their wings and tail low to the ground and tilting their heads up! 

Madagascan Hoopoe by Charles J. Sharp, CC By-SA 4.0 

Hoopoes are distinctive in one very special way that lead to its name - their voice! They literally make calls that sounds like “hoo-poo-poo” and “hoop-oop hoop-oop” - leading to the name, Hoopoe, as well as the genus  name, Upupa, and the species name of the Eurasian species, epops. Interestingly enough, the Madagascan Hoopoe does not make this sound - but rather, more cooing sounds, like doves. These birds will also make harsh, scolding calls, trills, and hisses, depending on the situation. The females and males will communicate primarily in trilling sounds while watching out for their nests. These birds are often sedentary, not migrating over long distance, but northern populations usually do come south in the winter to avoid colder climates, creating a variety of populations with very distinctive seasons and migrational patterns from one another within the species. 

Saint Helena Hoopoe by Apokryltaros, CC BY 2.5 

Hoopoes are monogamous each breeding season (which varies throughout the year as Hoopoes live all over the Eastern Hemisphere), forming strong pair bonds (that only last for that period of time). Males make very frequent calls to establish their territories, and they often fight with each other very brutally - including stabbings that can leave their opponents blinded. Females will then mate with the winners of these contests, and together they make nests out of holes in trees and walls with very narrow entrances. They usually aren’t lined with much. The female then incubates the egg, while the male defends her and the nest. Clutch size tends to depend on location, varying between 4 and 12 eggs per nest. They are incubated for nearly three weeks. At hatching, the chicks are very white and fluffy after a few days, and the crest develops after two weeks. The chicks are able to leave the nest after about a month, though they still stick with their families for a little while. Sometimes, when males defeat each other and replace each other in the mated pair, they will kill the offspring of the replaced male. Females can produce foul-smelling liquid, as do the babies, to protect themselves from predators - since they smell like rotting meat, they can fend off meat-eaters and parasites, and potentially fend off bacteria. Chicks in the nests also are able to literally poop at intruders, helping them to protect themselves! After leaving the nest, they stay with the parents for another week as they gain their bearings; they then become sexually mature between ages one and two. 

Eurasian Hoopoe by Frank Vassen, CC By 2.0 

Ecosystem: Hoopoes live mainly in open country - pastures, orchards, steppe, dry savanna, wooded savanna, short grassland, and bare ground. They congregate near scattered, isolated trees for their roosting and nesting. They do need perches and shade, but they want the trees they get these services from to be rare in the environments - so they can go down to the ground to get their food! They are fed upon by herons, falcons, and many other birds of prey. 

African Hoopoe by Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0 

Other: Most hoopoes are not currently threatened with extinction - they are extremely common, widespread birds, that are even protected in many localities (being highly venerated in many cultures - it’s even mentioned extensively in the Quaran - and made the national bird of Israel; it is also considered a pest controller and thus is protected on that front also. Some local populations, such as those in Morocco, are more threatened due to local practices (such as selling them for medicine), but overall they seem to be doing well. In fact, there are probably as many as 10 million Hoopoe around today, if not more. Still, in more northern countries such as Germany they are more endangered, primarily due to changes in habitat, hunting, and human activity giving pressure to the populations. The numbers in Madagascar are slightly vulnerable too, given forest clearance. Hoopoes are closely related to the Hornbills! 

Saint Helena Hoopoe by Scott Reid 

Species Differences: The four species primarily differ based on location: The African Hoopoe is found in Africa; the Eurasian Hoopoe is found in Eurasia; the Madagascan Hoopoe is known from Madgascar: and the late Saint Helena Hoopoe - now extinct - was known from the island of Saint Helena off the coast of Africa! The Saint Helena Hoopoe differed from the other species in other ways, too - it had smaller wings, was somewhat larger, and was probably flightless! A giant flightless Hoopoe! And, like most large flightless birds of the recent past, it went extinct due to human activity on the island - this time, sometime in the 1500s.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut 

Ashmole, N. P. 1963. The extinct avifauna of St. Helena Island. Ibis 103b:390-408

Burney, D. A., N. Vasey, L. R. Godfrey, Ramilisonina, W. L. Jungers, M. Ramarolahy, and L. Raharivony. 2008. New findings at Andrahomana Cave, southeastern Madagascar. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies 70(1):13-24

Carroll, R. L. 1988. Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution 1-698

Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017

del Hoyo, J., Collar, N. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Madagascar Hoopoe (Upupa marginata). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.  

Goodman, S. M., M. J. Raherilalao, and K. Muldoon. 2013. Bird fossils from Ankilitelo Cave: inference about Holocene environmental changes in southwestern Madagascar. Zootaxa 3750:534-548

Kri?tín, A. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.  

Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. Editio Decima 1:1-824

Olson, S. L. 1975. Paleornithology of St. Helena Island, South Atlantic Ocean. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology 23:1-49

Sinclair, Ian; Ryan, Peter (2009). Complete Photographic Field Guide: Birds of Southern Africa. Struik Nature.

[takaraphoenix]

Hey! What are your favorite fantasy/fairytale books, shows and movies?

Well, that is a very broad question. So... let’s structure this and tackle it.

Phoe’s Favorite Fantasy Books!

I don’t read much, so that’s a very short list. Seeing as you’re on my blog, I assume you know I read and loved Percy Jackson and the Olympians so that. However, there are fantasy series that I love way more than that.

For one the Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire, my favorite author who I adore and worship. Takes the Wicked Witch of the West from Wizard of Oz and goes “but what if she was actually a restistance fighter trying to overthrow a corrupt government under their dictator, the Wizard?”. It’s amazing, I love it. Hardest recommend for the first two books. Been not too big on the third and fourth though, but that’s what happens when these things aren’t born out of being intended as a series but rather just... sequels... happening.

Golden classic that seems silly to even mention but I love these books - Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I. Love. Them. I love Alice, I love the world, I love the fantasy. One of only three books that I personally allow to classify as modern fairy tales (Peter Pan and Wizard of Oz being the other two. I just... I do think that there is a difference between “fairy tale” and just general “fantasy book(s)”, but these three I do think deserve a place in the canon of fairy tale classics). Also, fun fact: my above mentioned favorite author wrote a third installment for this series for the original book’s anniversary, it’s called After Alice. (I own a signed copy. I squealed very loudly when I opened it.)

My favorite fantasy book series though is the Bartimaeus series by Jonathan Stroud. I adore these books. Yes, if taken as a singular book, the first installment of the Wicked Years, which works as a standalone too due to the series’ nature of having sequels instead of being an intended series, takes the crown, however as a whole, coherent series, including all books in the series, no fantasy franchise beats Bartimaeus for me. It is sarcastic, snarky, fun, filled with heart, totally lacking unnecessary forced romance, has a fascinating world, the writing is a great read. I love this series to bits and pieces.

Now, since you specifically said fantasy/fairytale, I’d be a fool not to mention William Joyce’s Guardians of Childhood, the book-series that Rise of the Guardians is... let’s say a sequel to? While not necessarily fairy tales in the traditional sense, having the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Sandman and Santa as its main characters, it does go very much into fairy tale elements. It’s a really fun read, I personally think that Joyce has a delightful and enjoyable style.

So, that’d be the five book series that I’d recommend for fantasy.

Unless you meant actual literal fairy tale books - then I will have to disappoint you, unless you’re German. Because being German, my fairy tale collection is... well... German. I got this one. Mainly, I admit, for the illustrations - Tony Wolf worked on the majority of them and I love his illustrations, he was the author and illustrator of my favorite children’s book series when I was a kid. Which, talking about fantasy, fairy tales and books, I will absolutely also recommend here. Their English name is The Woodland Folk and it is very adorable and also very scaring for small children because fairies die in it. I was very traumatized as a kid but I still loved it a lot.

Phoe’s Favorite Fantasy Movies!

Now, movies are... it depends on what movies you want; live-action or animated. I do feel that those are vastly different categories that set vastly different expectations. And then there’s the overlapping between fantasy and supernatural in many such movies.

Let’s start with live-action, which is going to be a very short list because I am really not huge when it comes to movies - I barely watch any movies and if, then they are animated in 80% of the cases.

Lord of the Rings. Yes, I know, book-people would have filed that in the category above, but look... I am not a huge reader. And the movies have pretty blonde Orlando Bloom. But I do truly love these movies, I try to rewatch them regularly but consider I less see them as a trilogy and more as one 12 hour movie, it’s always quite the time-commitment.

And, with this one I am never quite sure whether to count it as a movie series or as a mini TV series, but the way they were released on TV, they were a movie series - so The 10th Kingdom, which is basically Once Upon a Time before that came out and without the Disney. It’s about the grandson of Snow White ending up in modern day New York and getting the help of a waitress and her dad to take down his evil stepmother, who is trying to take over the 9 fairy tale kingdoms. I love this series so very, very much.

Also The Librarian, which is a fun fantasy relic hunting movie series. But more on that when we get to TV shows, because the trilogy has a tie-in series.

I do realize that actually the majority of movies in my fantasy/supernatural section are... in fact... more supernatural than fantasy. So, pathetically enough, that is... kind of it.

Now, animated movies is harder because I quite literally have a list with 360 animated movies I saw and liked to various degrees of which the majority would qualify as fantasy due to the nature of most Western animated movies. So I’ll try to “best of” as narrow as possible (seeing as I once successfully managed to narrow my favorite animated movies down to 65...). So, a shorter version of that.

Now, when it comes to fairy tales and animated movies, Disney goes without saying so I’m not even going to say it because it’s very obvious, we all know the movies, seeing the tales. I love most of them, especially their princess movies, with one huge exception. So let’s only name-drop Sleeping Beauty because I adore it, and assume you’ve already seen all other Disney animated fantasy and fairy tale movies and move on from that.

I am also morally obligated to say “Barbie movies” here, because they did a ton of fairy tale adaptations too and the majority of them are fantasy - but to keep it brief, here is a link to my ultimate Barbie movie ranking for more individual recommendations from the Barbie canon and let me also only name-drop my favorite - Diamond Castle.

Don Bluth’s Thumbelina, as well as his Anastasia are two absolute must-sees when we’re talking fantasy (and fairy tale in Tumbles’ case).

DreamWorks wise I love and adore Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, The Road to El Dorado and Rise of the Guardians.

Now we’re getting into what I like to think of as “deep dive” territory because they’re not mainstream, they’re not big names. But I still love them.

Naturally have to say Swan Princess (1994) - the first three movies anyway, I ignore those 3D animated chep looking sequels. But the OG trilogy is a very perfect trilogy, I adore it so very much.

Another total classic would be The Last Unicorn (1998).

FernGully (1992) is a beautiful tale about fairies and one of my absolute favorite movies of all time.

A newer entry here would be Epic (2013), which is also about fairies and was written by William Joyce!

And, even if it may sound silly. The original Care Bears movies. The three from the 80s. I love them a lot, I think they’re great fantasy fun, who doesn’t love a Care Bear they are adorable, seriously.

Phoe’s Favorite Fantasy Shows!

And we move on to our last segment of this ask. I like a lot of TV shows, so I will try to keep this to my actual favorites.

My absolute favorite is Relic Hunter, it is and always will be my favorite TV show. Even if it’s cheesy at times and only has three seasons. I love it a lot. It’s... very much as it says on the tin; hot archeologist and her nerdy assistant search for magical relics.

If you like that genre, you have to also watch The Librarians - the tie-in sequel series to the movies. More librarians! More magic! More artifacts! More fun. I really love this and I mourn that they cancelled it.

Naturally Once Upon a Time - fairy tales and fantasy and I just love this TV show. Skip the last season though.

And all-time classic for me is the original Charmed - three witch-sisters discovering magic together. This was... the first ever show I actually... really consumed, with everything around it. I was totally obsessed with this, I love it. Which is why I won’t touch the reboot at all, because there’s “I loved this thing. Now there’s a new version of it! Fun!” but there is also “I loved this thing, as it is, there is no need to make a new one, why are you touching this?” - and this one was so very near and dear to my heart growing up that it is definitely the second category for me.

Definitely gotta mention BBC’s Merlin, even if it’s very, very, very flawed. It’s still fun, the characters are lovable. It has a scary fandom... in that it’s still alive and thriving, even so many years after the show’s end.

Also Grimm, though more supernatural than fantasy, it is a fairy tale show. In a way. It’s dumb but fun, because the Grimms were actually not just scholars, they were monster hunters and now modern day descendants of them are still out there hunting the same Big Bad Wolves (who aren’t all bad). I don’t know, I love it, despite the occasional cringe.

Now, lastly on the fantasy - Galavant. A musical comedy about a knight. Very fairy tale-y. Very hilarious and lovable. Sadly cancelled after two seasons.

There are many, many more fantasy shows I watch(ed), but those would be my favorites. Though I do have to tag on that elements such as vampires and werewolves are something I categorize as supernatural so they wouldn’t find mention here in fantasy (Grimm aside, due to the fairy tale theme).

I... hope I could provide a good recommendation or two!

[dustedmagazine]

Dusted Mid-Year Exchange, Part 2: Positive No to Yves Tumour

Six Organs got a lot of mid-year love this time

Welcome back to part two of the Dusted Mid-Year Exchange, in which we tackle the second half of the alphabet. If you missed part one, with its lengthy description of what we’re doing here, you can read it here. Or just muddle through. Cheers.  

Positive No — Kyanite (Little Black Cloud)

Kyanite by Positive No

Who recommended it? Tobias Carroll

Did we review it? No.

Tim Clarke’s take:

Positive No braid tight bursts of guitars, bass and drums into upbeat yet agitated shapes. There’s a touch of Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino in Tracy Wilson’s vocal delivery, or My Bloody Valentine’s Belinda Butcher, especially on expansive opener “Elevator Up.” At just under half an hour, the urgent economy of Kyanite’s songwriting makes all the more sense when you learn that it’s the band’s final album, released on Valentine’s Day this year. As their parting gesture, nothing is wasted, everything invested. As one of the song titles says, “Get In, Get Out. Don’t Linger. Go On.”

 Raspberry Bulbs — Before the Age of Mirrors

Before The Age Of Mirrors by Raspberry Bulbs

Who picked it? Jonathan Shaw

Did we review it? Yes, Jonathan said, “Even in its heaviest metal moments, on ‘Reclaimed Church’ and excellent closing track ‘Given Over to History,’ the record’s punk vibe cuts and grins. It insists on a deadly aesthetic seriousness, and at the same time, it’s tugging the rug out from under its own feet.”

Jennifer Kelly’s take:

Raspberry Bulbs splices punk’s antic venom with metal’s storm and roar, shifting from one mode to the other inside individual tracks, sometimes measure to measure. Consider “Doggerel” which kicks off in a pogo-ing furor, rattling violently over rapid oi band rhythms, everything clipped and percussive, even the vocals, though hoarse and splintered. Midway through, a sirening guitar riff intercedes and the singing turns ominous and measured; all the sudden it’s metal. “Midnight Line” pulls the opposite trick, beginning in clanging, feedback-morphing guitar and larynx shredding howl, then introducing a punk rock palm-muted chug and anthemry. It’s a volatile mix, at times nearly playful, at others agonizingly heavy, at still others (the “Intervals” mostly) surprisingly lyrical.  I lean towards the punk-er tracks—"They’re After Me” and “Doggerel”— metal fans may feel otherwise.

 Stephen Riley — Friday the 13th (Steeplechase)

Who recommended it? Derek Taylor

Did we review it? Yes. Derek said, “Knuffke and Riley are a directly collaborative pairing now and their partnership politely demands many more dates like this one.”

Justin Cober-Lake's take:

Saxophonist Stephen Riley has put together a quartet with a singular idea of playing these classic tunes on Friday the 13th in relatively straightforward and spacious renditions. Their take on Eddie Vinson's “Four” has Riley and cornetist Kirk Knuffke trading long solos. The rhythm section does its job, but it's a horn players' record. The album comes alive most when Knuffke and Riley interact more immediately. On Oliver Nelson's “Hoe Down,” they reveal how great a partnership they have, initially matching each other on the main melody before spiraling off. “Round Midnight” could have been too obvious a choice, but the combo's personalized take on the standard works out. Everyone sounds at ease enough within the song that they take a few more risks, and the horn players supplement each other nicely with more harmonic considerations. The album ends with a trio of spirited numbers, and in each case Riley and Knuffke play off each other's solos with a sharpness that by now makes sense. Riley's listening to Monk and playing like Rollins (hence the title track) as he and his group find ways to make old bop sound new.

  Gil Scott-Heron and Makaya McCraven—We’re New Again, A Reimagining (XL Recordings)

Who recommended it? Jenny Kelly.

Did we review it? Yes. Arthur Krumins notes, “McCraven lays down a lush musical backdrop that allows Scott-Heron’s words to have emotional impact.”

Jonathan Shaw’s take:

The word “reimagine” has a sexy resonance, and for that reason, it’s often too casually used. But in the case of We’re New Again, the word is warranted. Drummer and producer Makaya McCraven doesn’t just remix Gil Scott-Heron’s final record, I’m New Here (2010); McCraven shuffles the track list, adds some relevant recordings of Scott-Heron’s voice, and creates entirely new arrangements, moods, and musical accompaniment for the earlier album’s songs. It’s ballsy — I’m New Here is justly recognized as a masterpiece, and it’s marked by a stylistic austerity. On that record, Scott-Heron sang and spoke and recited his poetry over minimalist beats, a strummed guitar, or his own piano playing. McCraven attentively reimagines the tunes, working with polyphonic, post-Bop ensembles; busy hip-hop soundscapes; gospel and funk quotations. Remarkably, none of the richness of Scott-Heron’s vocals and none of the complexity of his poetry get obscured. More often, McCraven inventively intensifies the impact of Scott-Heron’s songs. And the reordering and recontextualizing of the tracks reveals a different narrative, grounded in the resilience and the suffering of Scott-Heron’s upbringing and too-short life. You listen and you feel it. It’s a terrific record.

Six Organs of Admittance — Companion Rises (Drag City)

Companion Rises by Six Organs of Admittance

Who recommended it? Jennifer Kelly

Did we review it? Yes. Jenny said it’s “straight-down-the-middle Six Organs, not as loud and abrasive as the first Hexadic disc, not as reticently wisp-y as the older folk-derived records.”

Patrick Masterson’s take:

Back when Dusted was still a dot-com, we talked about making a site-specific canon for our 10th anniversary, a kind of “Dusted 500” field guide. There was a shared spreadsheet and talk of a benefit show and a mixtape comp and so on that never amounted to anything for myriad reasons, but I can promise you Ben Chasny would’ve figured into it somehow — and nearly a decade on from that, my promise stands. The latest (30th? Let’s call it 30th) Six Organs of Admittance record is a beautiful slow burner that shows why, all astral spirits and slow-rolling starlight guitar plucks that is, as Jenny rightly notes, a Six Organs line drive. My belief after numerous spins since early February — mostly in the mornings, for which this music also seems suitable accompaniment — is that, like the rest of Chasny’s oeuvre, it will appeal to anyone who likes guitars or reads this. On the off chance you stumbled in here or haven’t heard this record yet: Welcome. It’s always been this way.

Patrick Masterson

 Spanish Love Songs — Brave Faces Everyone (Pure Noise)

Brave Faces Everyone by Spanish Love Songs

Who recommended it? Ian Mathers

Did we review it? Yes. Ian said, “it’s more a record of solidarity and mutual support than it is anything more prescriptive.”

Patrick Masterson’s take:

L.A. quintet Spanish Love Songs occupy a very specific point on what I like to think of as the Bar Band Spectrum, where one end is a bottom-rung covers-only collective found in just about any weeknight dive pre-COVID playing for beer money out of boredom and modest ambition… and the other end is Bruce Springsteen. This band isn’t as ramshackle as, say, Ladyhawk, nor have they yet hit a glass ceiling à la the Constantines; they sound to me more like Beach Fossils or Single Mothers, where everything from their songwriting to their slightly glossy production suggests they’re as ready as they’ll ever be for arena life. And what a record to make the case, too: Brave Faces Everyone is the sound of Run for Covers Records growing up or early onset Gen Z realizing a glass of wine after everything is, in fact, a coping mechanism for adulthood in a profoundly uncaring world. It’s got a big, young heart to match its big, old sound. It says, loudly, that in the increasingly untethered reality of 2020, we are all losers forever — but there’s still a “best of it” to be made if you wanna and the bravest face is an optimistic one. I’ll rock with that (from the quarantined confines of home and the other side of another lousy livestream, of course).

Patrick Masterson

Squirrel Flower — I Was Born Swimming (Polyvinyl)

I Was Born Swimming by Squirrel Flower

Who picked it? Patrick Masterson

Did we review it? Nope.

Arthur Krumins’ take:

Making the most of a dour mood, Squirrel Flower squeezes disaffection from her vocal delivery. The instrumentation is reminiscent of a less noisy Built to Spill, or maybe Julie Doiron, and is effectively now a retro indie rock sound originally from the late 90s or early 2000s. The jamminess of some of the drawn out riffs feel both pretty and sad, and could be a good soundtrack to a rainy drive. The heaviness is well developed without being bogged down. The lyrics catch your attention with their plainspoken narration of conflict (“You slap me, I’ll slap you right back” she repeats in “Slapback”). A fitting album for looking your troubles head on while still being totally surrounded by them.

 Waterless Hills — The Great Mountain (Cardinal Fuzz)

Waterless Hills - 'The Great Mountain' by Waterless Hills

Who picked it? Bill Meyer

Did we review it? No.

Arthur Krumins’ take:

A dissonant flow that steadily increases in intensity starts this record, which is a live recorded improvisation. The combination of aching, modal violin by dbh with slightly overdriven cascading electric guitar by C Joynes makes for a feel reminiscent of “Venus in Furs” by the Velvet Underground. The percussion by Andrew Cheetham, a drum kit plug some extras like a hung Chinese gong, creates texture and mood. Sometimes there’s just a steady counting of time in the background, at other moments waves of cymbals crash and make a cacophonous emphasis as the music rises and falls. The overall effect of the jams is hypnotic, like getting absorbed in a swirling light show. The players’ sensitivity to the musical interplay of their instruments, combined with a masterful looseness, makes it a trip worth taking.

Well Yells — We Mirror the Dead (Self-released)

Who recommended it? Ian Mathers.

Did we review it? Yes. Ian Mathers notes, “tipping towards the slightly industrial/EBM side of the genre, We Mirror the Dead gains a kind of gloomy propulsion without losing any of the atmosphere or intensity of [the band’s] prior work.”

Jonathan Shaw’s take:

The Gothic is not famous for stylistic restraint, and neither are the various contemporary subgenres that have inherited goth music’s romance of dark interiors, painfully fraught feeling and highly stylized self-fashioning. A few recent acts have cut against the grain of those established maximalist textures: see the grim industrial rancor of Street Sects, and the more experimental, sample-based austerities of Wreck and Reference. Well Yells’ music feels similarly stripped down to a pulsing electronic essence. But the record is more interested in the strobing spaces of Clubland than in decrepit factory ruins, and the darkwave gloss of We Mirror the Dead presents a more conventional relation to goth’s sensations. At its best—as on album opener “Kill the King”—the music of Patrick Holbrook, sole member of Well Yells, snaps and glimmers with compelling dread and arch sophistication. Holbrook’s breathy tenor is a useful counterpoint; his vocals are vaguely reminiscent of the best of those other habitués of Clubland, the British New Romantics (remember Bronski Beat?). It’s good stuff, somehow simultaneously polished and dirty.

  Lucinda Williams—Good Souls Better Angels (Thirty Tigers/Highway 20 Records)

Who recommended it? Justin Cober-Lake

Did we review it? No.

Bill Meyer’s take: I haven’t listened much to Lucinda Williams; the one record I have by her, Sweet Old World, is 28 years old. The first thing that hit me when I listened to Good Souls Better Angels is what’s changed. Williams’ voice is much rougher, and she’s adjusted the music correspondingly, adding Hendrixian guitar flourishes to “Bone of Contention” and coarsening the domestic violence scenario “Wakin’ Up” with bad-trip electronics. The next is how pissed she sounds. Violent boyfriends are bad enough, but having a charmless sociopath for president is even worse. Fortunately, bile hasn’t overwhelmed her writing chops. Big-sounding roots rock isn’t really my thing these days, but if I feel the need to change that, Good Souls Better Angels is a good place to start.  

  Wire — Mind Hive (Pink Flag)

Who picked it? Andrew Forell

Did we review it? Yes, Andrew said, “Mind Hive is concise yet full of restless intelligence, musical ideas and willingness to push boundaries.”  

Derek Taylor’s take:

I tapped Wire late and left early. That truncated exposure lends a narrow vocabulary in describing their music contextually, pre- and post-reunions. This latest missive sounds alternately like what I remember and at least several zip codes removed with a heavy lean into synths. “Be Like Them” and “Primed and Ready” fall in the former category, while “Off the Beach” trades gangly ennui and menace for what almost resembles instrumental optimism until the lyrics stack dutifully into another ode to the disaffected and disconnected. “Oklahoma” feels inscrutably weird. “Hung” drops as the album’s extended, incremental, post-industrial dirge. There’s additional insulation sheathing this Wire, an inevitable adjunct of ascendancy to elder status, but the current foursome is still dependably conducting current.

 Yves Tumour — Heaven to a Tortured Mind (Warp)

Who recommend it? Patrick Masterson

Did we review it? No.

Ian Mathers’ take:

Listen to music for long enough and you might realize that most of the time when you hope any artist goes in any particular direction with their work, you’re bound to be disappointed. But every so often, maybe after a promising album that you just didn’t fully click with, an artist does exactly what you were hoping for and fully manifests all the potential promise you thought you glimpsed. Yves Tumor’s 2018 album Safe in the Hands of Love was admirable in many ways, but it was really only on crucial single “Noid” that all the combustible elements were really brought together into something that properly bangs. Well, Heaven to a Tortured Mind might not have as many showcases for the ambient/noise chops that Tumor definitely has, but it does consistently bang for 36 minutes of should-be alternate universe pop hits, from the brassy “Gospel for a New Century” to the floaty duet “Kerosene!” For anyone who loved “Noid” and then found more to respect than the viscerally love on Tumor’s last record, this is the record you were waiting for, and it is magnificent and ferocious.

[hisgirlwonder]

One Shot - Seeing Red

Length: 3k words Warning: N/A Synopsis: Michael has risen to power, with followers and power galore, only for you to get in the way and knock him back down to earth with your own revelation. Notes: Y/n is sixteen and Michael is seventeen when they meet at co-ed witches/warlocks school. Mostly reminiscing on the past and where things went wrong and then it jumps to present day, before the Outpost is created. They’ve been together for around ten years (y/n ends up being 26 and Michael is 27) before all of this stuff happens. I hope you guys enjoy! Not sure if I’ll make a second part yet but we’ll see. PS NO SMUT before anyone gets offended because I will not write any smut about Michael when he’s under 18. PPS. y/n has a rage at Michael because he’s mean in the story, fyi~

It was almost as if it happened yesterday. The memories were so vivid, so clear; you could even remember the perfume you were wearing. But nothing was as strong as the way his presence hit you. You never saw him coming and yet he was a surprise that you welcomed with open arms.

-

You were parked up on a bench at school, eyes glued to the book in your hand; Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, your favourite – you believed that Lewis Carroll was in a league all of his own. Upon discovering Alice and her world, you longed for the day when you’d fall down your own rabbit hole, away from this place. Sure, the school was full of your “kind” but they weren’t your kind. You were teased and mocked for being a dreamer but always knew one day you’d teach them all.

The next thing you know, a blue-eyed angel crashes into you, and sends your beloved book flying. Most boys by this point would have frustrated you for interrupting, but not him; not Michael Langdon. Warmth and kindness seeped through every pore on his body – his presence was close enough to intoxicating. He picks up the book for you and stutters out an apology; admitting that it wasn’t his finest moment, being more focused on the drum solo in his ears than on where his feet were leading him.

He compliments you on your choice in shoes (Doc Martens, 14 eyelet, with giant red roses on them - roses, you’d come to learn, were his favourite flower) and you blushed because when you first bought them your mother criticised you to no end; yes, you were a witch, but to her you should be wearing pink dresses with bows in your hair and pearls around your neck. She envisioned you a la Good Witch of the North and not Nancy Downs.

Michael was a special child who showed so much hope and promise; possessing limitless talent as a Warlock and serving as a beacon of light for those around him. He naturally was the class clown and would do anything for attention but what he really wanted deep down was someone to love; craving the hole in his heart to be filled but he never found it. Not until you came along, at least. He didn’t trust you completely for a while but that’s what a life time of hurt and abandonment will do that to someone. Once he did, on the other hand, that was another story. He finally had a place to make a home.

-

From this moment on the two of you were inseparable; where you went he went, and vice versa. You suddenly changed from “The one who blended in with the walls” to “The one who stuck out like a sore thumb.”  Death stares were abundant from all of the girls who wanted Michael to be their arm candy. He would laugh their proposals off because he possessed a special gift – reading into a person’s soul. He could see their deepest, and sometimes darkest, desires. “They only want me because I look pretty,” he’d joke, “They probably don’t realise that I’m useless in many other ways.”

When you weren’t receiving almost murderous stares then you’d receive ones in admiration. Others knew what Michael had been through with losing his family and revelled in your pairing. You were patient, kind, loving, and gentle; everything the Boy Wonder needed. Many people bet that the two of you would last forever. You did too…. up until three months ago.

This was the time that Ms. Mead, the first woman Michael ever loved, was killed. It destroyed him from the inside out. Over time, he slowly but surely was losing his light - he became closed off and his began to harden.

With no idea where the person you loved so dearly had disappeared to you were just about to lose faith. His return seemed unlikely and your bones ached from loneliness; he was in front of you like a hologram but it was all empty. Your heart longed for a reprieve because you couldn’t bear it anymore and, suddenly, the Universe spoke to you in the most unlikely of ways.

Michael disappeared for weeks, without a trace, nowhere to be found. You had no idea whether he had died or just given up on you, given up on life. By the third week, you accepted that this might have been it. Your heart broke, over and over, at the idea of a life without seeing those blue-eyes you fell in love with as a teenager ever again.

This was the way the Universe spoke to you. It was a message you didn’t want to receive.

-

Two months pass and one night, out of the blue, you get a phone call from a familiar voice. You would recognise it everywhere. It’s Michael.

He rattles off an address, wanting you to come to where he was, and says he’ll explain everything; it would all make sense in time. You didn’t know whether to be angry with him for deserting everything or happy that he was still alive.

The drive to this mysterious location felt like it lasted for years. Your stomach was in knots the whole way there from anxiety but when you saw him again, it all went away in an instant. You wept like a mother seeing her child for the first time. The tears met your cheeks like old friends saying hello; reminding your heart that it still felt, no matter how much you tried to close it off.

Your mood switched from overcome with gratitude at the sight of him to anger – your voice was cold but laced with hurt undertones, demanding answers only he could give. Why had he left? Where did he go? What did he do? The explanation you got from him wasn’t what you expected but you tried to understand anyway.

Michael explained that Mead’s death left him feeling lost so he isolated himself from everything and tried to find who he was. He wasn’t sure if he would but he did and ended up coming back with more than he’d bargained for. Something spoke to him and lead him to discovering who his father was and his purpose in life. Apparently Mead knew all along and was waiting until she felt he was ready to bring it up. Her calendar was marked for his eighteenth birthday as the day of revelation but as you knew, she didn’t make it. Mead was directed by his father to watch over him, to guide him to his rightful place and fulfil the task that had been laid out for him.

At the lowest point of the journey, he stumbled upon a place full of people who were searching for him; your Michael. They were a congregation that apparently were led by his father too. This is where the other surprise kicks in; the place where the two of you stood was a company by day that created Mead 2.0 from the memories Michael kept inside his brain.

One of the followers took a liking to Michael and gave him roof over his head in exchange for some of his time and a “good word” with his father. They conversed about everything and this is where she learned how she could help him – by taking him to those who could help recreate his beloved Mead.

The words stung because you have no idea whether or not he included you, but you let it go. You didn’t question things because you’d had enough.

-

That night, the two of you spent the night becoming reacquainted with each other’s bodies - he felt warm, and familiar, and right, but at the same time something in Michael had changed. You couldn’t put your finger on it but, nevertheless, it scared you. You’d never seen Michael like this before; like a bomb had gone off inside him and set fire to his soul. It was a different kind of passion to how he was with you; it teetered towards the dark side.

His kisses felt sharp and pierced through your core; your powers were screaming at you to pay attention but you tried to shrug it off. You just wanted to melt away in his arms, forgetting all you had learned for just an hour or two.

He became obsessed with his new found influence, the followers he had gained, and the purpose he had discovered. Your relationship took a back burner despite once being the only thing that once mattered. You’d lost him again except this time he was right in front of you, oblivious to it all. He was fading away before your eyes yet there one hundred percent.

// PRESENT DAY //

The days turned into weeks and you were late; it wasn’t surprising, the stress you were under took a toll on your body. You knew eventually it would come but you figured you’d take a test just to be certain and to put your mind to rest.

Your head pops into the office and Michael is in a meeting with a few members of The Co-Operative; a bunch of people who you knew very little about except the fact they were stealing your Michael away from you. Despite everything, you still tried to remain open but it eventually wore you down.

You tell him, “Babe, I’m just going to go and pop to the store. I, uh, need to pick up some stuff.” But it falls on deaf ears; he doesn’t register but this was nothing out of the ordinary for you; this was the new normal. Work came first and you were just made to suffer in silence.

-

On the drive to the chemist, you consider leaving like he did that night but you know that’s not the solution. You wouldn’t stoop to his level no matter how angry or upset you became. Once you’re there, you buy three different tests just to be sure and sit outside on the bench to soak up some mid-afternoon sunshine.

“Mikey would have loved this,” you think to yourself. Mikey was your Michael; the boy who would have climbed mountains and swam oceans for you. This new person, Langdon, is someone who you didn’t recognise. The tears well up in your eyes and you could feel your heart breaking all over again. Looking up to the sky, you ask, “What am I meant to do if I’m with child to someone who doesn’t even want to know me?”

Your mind mulls over the list “what if’s” you’d tucked away.

What if you are pregnant and Michael wants nothing to do with the baby? What if Michael decides he wants nothing to do with you? What happens if he’s kept you around as part of his plan that’s unfolding?

-

As you walked past the office, you notice Michael was finished with his meeting and now, presumably, writing notes on his computer. You didn’t dare disturb him because there was no need to get in an argument about what was going on yet again.

You tip toe up to the bathroom, bag of tests in one hand and the other running over the balustrade. You couldn’t help but contemplate as to which was worse - a pregnancy from a man who made you feel invisible or to live without Michael.

Sitting down on the toilet and the thoughts in your mind change into “If I am pregnant, I will love this baby regardless.” You wouldn’t give up on this child, no matter if the father abandoned you.

After peeing on all three sticks and setting a timer, you sit and wait on the toilet; your face is in your hands and at this point you wanted the world to swallow you whole.  Five minutes pass, feeling almost like an eternity. “Fuck,” you mouthed silently when you check the results; your reaction immediately telling you this isn’t what you had hoped for. You weren’t even sure what you were hoping for in general. You just knew that facing Michael and his wrath was unfortunately necessary and not avoidable at all.

You drag yourself back down the stairs. Your entire body and existence felt like it was currently being weighed down by cement.  

-

Knocking three times upon the office door with shaky hands, you become full of dread when you hear Michael calls for you to come in.

When you enter, you’re greeted with, “Y/n, what is it? That was fairly important but I’ve told them I’ll call them back. I hope this is worth me wasting their time and not some rouse to get attention,”

You’re pacing, unable to form a sentence or think straight. His tone of voice didn’t make anything easier.

“Well?” Michael asks, gesturing with his hands for you to spit it out. “Are you going to say anything or can I just write this off as you being childish again?”

That was all it took for you to lose your cool; it was one thing for him to be stressed and tired but accusing you of things that weren’t true? That was another story. “Michael, for crying out loud, listen to yourself. Where is the man I’ve spent the last 10 years loving? Where is the Michael who would know something was wrong and wouldn’t accuse me of being childish?”

Michael lifts his arms up, pointing them at himself, “I hate to break it to you, y/n, but he’s right here. I’ve evolved past what life once held for me.”

You move from your position and walk over to his desk, blood boiling in your veins. It had all been leading up to now and there was no way to hold it back. You hit your hands down on his desk to get his attention for once. “Really, Michael? Because usually evolution is good for more than just the selfish asshole who is claiming he’s better than everyone else.”

Michael huffs at your remark, “That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying that-“

You cut him off; unable to tolerate any more of his excuses. “Then what am I? Where do I fit in? I have done nothing but support you and love you through all of this. You forget you’re the one who disappeared on me yet I’m the one who has been picking up the god damn pieces from the things you broke. Have I evolved? Maybe I have because this is some other level bullshit.”

If there was one thing you were good at, it was with your words. That struck Michael with a lot force but he didn’t let it show. His guard was still up, refusing to acknowledge what you were saying, pushing him in the other direction. He groans, “You don’t understand. This is for our future. Everything I’m doing is for our future.”

“I don’t understand? I don’t understand? Huh, that’s really funny. Because all you’ve been doing is shutting me out ever since you found your ‘calling’. I didn’t give a fuck where you came from or questioned it because I loved you regardless. I loved you when you had nobody, Michael! The second you gain followers who you think love you but really only love this title you’ve acquired then what? I once thought you hung the stars in the sky, Michael Langdon. Now I can see that was a lie.”

You throw the bag of tests at him, “How’s that for our future? I bet this fits in just great with your plans, Langdon.” You storm out of the office and the house to get some fresh air. You couldn’t believe what had just come out of your mouth but you knew it had to be said.

-

Michael runs out to you, test in hand and questioning what he was looking at, “Y/n, wait, You’re pregnant?”  

You don’t bother to turn around at the sound of his voice; refusing to look at him at that moment. At this point you’re hurt beyond belief. “Yes, Michael. I’m pregnant.”

He walks around so you have no choice but to see him and that stupid blonde hair of his you loved so much; once a curly mop upon his head, now transformed into long lengths of golden silk. He squats down in front, balancing himself with one hand on the step below. It was the first time you’d felt like equals in a long time. “I’m going to be a dad?” He asks, the worry in his voice was apparent.

With arms folded, you look down at him and roll your eyes. Still sniffing from your overflow of emotions. “Yes, Einstein. Who else?”

He rises from the squat, hands run up and down the sides of his face, trying to counteract the shock he was feeling, meeting together at his chin. He looks like a deer in headlights, trying to process what this all meant. “We’re going to have a f-f-family?”

He could barely say the f word without it being a struggle. Michael never thought he’d see the day when he was going to have a child of his own. It started out as “when the time is right, we’ll try for one” and ended up becoming an echo down a hallway. After someone to love, this is what Michael wanted most. He wanted a son or a daughter to carry when their legs got tired, to be there for, to kiss their knees better they fell down. All of the things he never received as a child.

You shot up from the seat you’re sitting on, snapping at him, “Christ. Yes, Michael. What don’t you understand?”

He doesn’t move a muscle or say anything and is just staring blankly into the distance. That’s when it hits him like a ton of bricks; realising the extent of what’s happened and what’s to come.

Taglist: @sensitivethot @avesatanormalpeoplescareme @sammythankyou

[callunavulgari]

Scrapbook 2019 | Pt. II

Reminder:

Normal font - Indifferent/Neutral Italicized font - Enjoyed bold font - Loved with an asterisk* - All time favorite (bracketed titles) - Re-watches/Re-reads strikethough - Disliked

Goals are: read one hundred books this year (on track, currently at 76), finish five video games (FIN), write something novel-length (not so much) and write something original (technically done? don’t know if I want to count a snippet that didn’t even hit 1k). These last two goals CAN be combined (I might try NaNo this year, so we will see).

Part I: January-July. 

MOVIES

August

American Graffiti

Toy Story 4

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Aquaman

(Spirited Away)

The Grinch

Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus

John Wick

Alita: Battle Angel

(Jaws)

Jaws 2

The Dark Tower

September

(Avengers Endgame)

IT: Chapter 2

(Kull: The Conquerer)

(Lord of the Rings: Return of the King)

October

Lego Movie 2

Us

Roman Holiday

(Monster’s Inc)

(13 Ghosts)

Addams Family

November

The King

BOOKS

August

Red, White, and Royal Blue | Casey Mcquiston [Fin]

Nevernight | Jay Kristoff [Fin]

David Mogo, Godhunter | Suyi Davies Okungbowa [Fin]

League of Dragons | Naomi Novak [Fin]

The Magpie Lord | KJ Charles [Fin]

Witches of Lychford | Paul Cornell [Fin]

The Gunslinger | Stephen King

The Affair of the Mysterious Letter | Alexis Hall [Fin]

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine | Gail Honeyman [Fin]

The Way of Kings | Brandon Sanderson

September

The Way of Kings | Brandon Sanderson [Fin]

The Gunslinger | Stephen King [Fin]

Educated | Tara Westover [Fin]

Middlegame | Seanan Mcguire [Fin]

Eye of the World | Robert Jordan

Harrow County Vol. 1 | Cullen Bunn [Fin]

Harrow County Vol. 2 | Cullen Bunn [Fin]

Harrow County Vol. 3 | Cullen Bunn [Fin]

Harrow County Vol. 4 | Cullen Bunn [Fin]

Harrow County Vol. 5 | Cullen Bunn [Fin]

Exhalation | Ted Chiang [Fin]

The Ten Thousand Doors of January | Alix Harrow** [Fin]

Through the Woods | Emily Carroll [Fin]

To Be Taught, If Fortunate | Becky Chambers** [Fin]

The Eye of the World | Robert Jordan [Fin]

Chilling Effect | Valerie Valdes [Fin]

October

We Are Where the Nightmares Go | C. Robert Cargill [Fin]

Horrorstor | Grady Hendrix [Fin]

Feedback | Mira Grant [Fin]

Ninth House | Leigh Bardugo [Fin] 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo | Taylor Jenkins Reid [Fin]

Monster of Elendhaven | Jennifer Giesbrecht [Fin]

Mirrormask | Neil Gaiman [Fin]

The Darkest Part of the Forest | Holly Black [Fin]

We Set the Dark on Fire | Tehlor Kay Mejia [Fin]

November

The Gilded Wolves | Roshani Chokshi [Fin]

Words of Radiance | Brandon Sanderson 

PODCASTS

August

The Magnus Archive Eps 11-63

Alice Isn’t Dead Ep 5

September

The Magnus Archive Eps 64-94

The Adventure Zone | Episode 5

October

The Magnus Archive Eps 95-159**

Welcome to Night Vale

Alice Isn’t Dead Eps 6-10 + bonus episodes

TANIS Ep 1

The Penumbra Podcast

Zero Hours**

November

The Penumbra Podcast

The Magnus Archive Eps 160

TV SHOWS

August

Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural

Another Life

She-Ra s3

Steven Universe s5

Glow s1

(Gravity Falls s2)

September

Carnival Row

Sherlock s4

Fruit’s Basket

October

Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural s6

Leverage s1

Fruit’s Basket

November

Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural s6

VIDEO GAMES

August

Witcher 3 DLC: Blood and Wine (40 hrs)

September

Control (20 hrs)

Monster Hunter World

Monster Hunter World: Icebourne

Link’s Awakening (23 hrs)

October

Monster Hunter World: Icebourne

Link’s Awakening (30 hrs) [Fin]

Assassin’s Creed: Origins (10 hours)

November

Assassin’s Creed: Origins (10 hours)

DELIGHTFUL FIC

August

In These Frozen and Silent Nights by beethechange | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | “You know me,” Shane says, “I love a good cabin. I’m a cabinhead.”“I’ll show you cabin head,” Ryan rebuts without thinking, and then he turns his face into the pillow to stifle a nervous snicker. “Oh shit, wait, that’s—”

Warm My Bones by blacktofade | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 12k | Shane isn't meant to go into heat, but he does.

and only then we'll know if it was worth to become a ghost by Spooks | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 8k | It has never been easy, convincing Shane of the existence of the supernatural. It doesn't become incredibly much easier once Ryan becomes a ghost himself.

#blessed by thehoyden | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 9k | Of course Shane would rather not work; he’d like it to be like the good old days, and who wouldn’t? But a demon’s gotta eat, and he can’t even get a discount on his rent because it turns out it’s a lot harder to influence faceless companies with ominous dreams. Ergo: gainful employment at Buzzfeed.

i think i'm still turning out by the_tenerife_sea | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 6k |  Shane is starting to think Ryan is using him for his baby, considering how much he’s already talked her up to all of their coworkers and friends.

never tell me the odds by Wildehack (tyleet) | Wolf 359 | Doug/Hera | 9k | “I tried Star Wars," he says, adjusting the phone under his neck, "and it was way underwhelming.”

Alien Reacharound by Edgelord (lostlikeme) | Invader Zim | Zadr | 3k | “You’re telling me the only way I can get back into my body is some kind of…” Dib gesticulates while he searches for the right words. “Alien reacharound?”

Find Me Somebody by raiining | Good Omens | Adam/Warlock | 11k | “You left me,” he said. “You both left me, for him. And I can’t even blame you, because I’d have left me for him too.”

flirting with fire by brawlite | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 6k | WIP | Steve's a cop, Billy's a firefighter. It's not a grudge, it's just a regular old small town rivalry.

and you're trying not to tell him by lymricks | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 4k | Whatever. They don’t talk, is the point, and Billy doesn’t need to finish all these big, deep, tragic sentences in his head. He needs to know if Harrington can’t swim.For lifeguard reasons. It’s his job, all right?

See Your Colors by lj_todd | The Dark Tower | Roland/Walter | 2k | The first time Roland laid eyes on Walter was the first time he saw color.

Straight Martinis by dreamfleet, mezmerize | Kingdom Hearts | Axel/Roxas | 5k | The obvious choice. (Or, cocktail parties are boring and hot waiters are fantastic distractions.)

September

gold, when you find me by mmtion | The Flash | Iris/Barry | 53k | It's not that Iris hates The Flash, per say - more that she hates writing about The Streak in a weekly, pun-heavy comic based on The Flash.

From friends to this by Ever-so-reylo (Ever_So_Reylo) | Star Wars | Reylo | 3.6k | Ben has never been good with words; Rey, it seems, doesn’t mind learning his language.

wear it well by sarcasticfishes | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Sara, Shane/Sara | 5k | “Are Ryan and I dating? Or— something?”Shane looks up from his paperback, an eyebrow raised. “Babe I think you’re asking the wrong person.”

never gets old by brawls (brawlite), ToAStranger | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 31k | WIP | Falling in love with a cam boy named KingSteve isn't the smartest thing Billy Hargrove has ever done, nor is it the most healthy -- but the good choice is rarely ever the fun choice, and Billy is all about living life fast and loose.

Gift Trapped by andavs | Teen Wolf | Sterek | 19k | There was a massive box, wrapped up prettily with red paper and a green bow, totally eclipsing the small Christmas tree Laura set up on his coffee table. The thudding heartbeat was coming from inside.

To the Sun by blacktofade | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane/Sara | 17k | Life is weird. Ten years after Unsolved ends, Shane’s married with a kid and Ryan accidentally bumps into him at a gas station in Illinois.

Tag Team by blacktofade | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane/Sara | 14k | Ryan participates in a charity date auction, much to his chagrin. Sara and Shane try to help.

October

only then i am human, only then i am clean by Macremae | EOS 10 | Ryan/Akmazian | 4k | There had never seemed to be a reason why everyone on station wanted to bang the living daylights out of Ryan. It was just... a thing. Space is black, stars are bright, and Ryan Dalias is attractive to literally everyone. The universe continues as normal.Except now it's laughing it's ass off, because turns out there was a reason after all.

(Almost Cool by blacktofade | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 30k | While filming the Yuma Territorial Prison episode, Shane gets bitten by what he thinks is a bat. Spoiler alert: it's not.)

low lays the devil by Spooks (agonizer) | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 19k | Keeping Ryan Bergara alive and safe is a full-time job, and Shane Madej has his work cut out for him.

Scratch by L1av | DBH | Hankcon | 71k | There's a virus killing androids. Hank and Connor are tasked with finding out what it is and why it's being made. When the virus is unwillingly uploaded into Connor's system, he learns there may be a desperate reason why androids want it. He can feel pain. And he likes it.

Ask a Compelling Question by TeamHPForever | The Magnus Archives | Martin/Jon Sims | 2k | “What are you thinking about?” Jon asks, his voice edged into a snap.Martin’s mouth opens and, entirely without his permission, words spill out. “I was thinking about what it would be like to kiss you.”

a clean break by Wildehack (tyleet) | The Magnus Archives | Georgie/Melanie | 1k | Georgie’s phone rings at work, and she almost doesn’t answer it.

ways to save the world by Wildehack (tyleet) | The Magnus Archives | Martin/Jonathan | 19k | “I left you,” Martin says softly.

Where Airy Voices Lead by Harvey_King (Delphi) | The Magnus Archives | Martin/Jon | 4k |  Five unsubstantiated encounters between Martin Blackwood and Jonathan Sims, and one that was captured on audio cassette.

the shape of your comfort, molded with care by ivelostmyspectacles | The Magnus Archives | Martin/Jon | 6k | “You didn’t like the sex, did you?”

Out Of His System by platoapproved | Raven Cycle | Noah/Ronan, Kavinsky/Ronan | 2k | Noah gives Ronan a quick and nasty handjob while dirty talking to him about Kavinsky, because that's what friends are for.

i'd bury diamonds just for you by desastrista | The Bright Sessions | Sam/Damien/Mark | 9k | Mark is photographing a band on tour, Sam is working at the AM, and Damien is still struggling to adjust to life without his abilities

strange bedfellows by spookykingdomstarlight | Star Wars | Finn/Kylo Ren | 4k | “Alas, the storm is come again! My best way is to creep under his gaberdine. There is no other shelter hereabouts. Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows. I will here shroud till the dregs of the storm be past.” - The Tempest, Act II, Scene II

The Denial Twist by beethechange | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 35k | Or, the one where Shane and Ryan have some really weird dreams and perhaps, eventually, some sex.

November

The Sun Dog by ambiguously | Star Wars | Finn/Ren/Rey | 5k | Finn and Rey, with their semi-prisoner Kylo Ren, attempt to meet up with the Resistance on a planet that has been taken over by monsters.

DELIGHTFUL FANVIDS

August

billy hargrove | fairly local.

(Marvel) MCU || In The End

battle royale [iw + endgame]

Multifandom || Can i keep you?

roman godfrey | bad guy.

Mr. Sandman | Multifandom

September

Iron Man & Captain America || Legends Are Made

Quentin & Eliot || There's a door somewhere

glitter & gold [bungou stray dogs amv]

(Marvel) Thor | Worthy

MARVEL || What if the Storm Ends? (collab w/ djcprod)

Marvel || I'm Only Human

DISNEY'S Motivational Video

(SW) Darth Vader | The Good In You

(Marvel) Peter Parker | Legacy

MultiFandom || Way Down We Go [200K]

Marvel || Destruction

October

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt [Geralt Of Rivia] Tribute

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Tribute ''Swallow Song" [HD]

►buzzfeed unsolved; GhostBusters™

👻 Buzzfeed Unsolved in Nutshell [IG edits]

👻buzzfeed unsolved; calling all the monsters

Dishonored GMV (Outsider tribute) - Dark Matter

Dishonored GMV Honor for all

Preacher ][ Play Dirty

【Assassin's Creed ｜Odyssey】Wires

👻 The Buzzfeed Unsolved Crack

👻 2 Unsolved 2 Crack

Pennywise | Toxic

2023 - Trailer (1917 Style)

Crowley Good Omens Cosplay Tik Tok Compilation

Joker

(Death Note) Yagami Light | The God of the New World

REYLO || WICKED GAME

Multi-Horror || Where is my mind?

November

MARVEL/DC - Runnin

THE WITCHER | MAIN TRAILER | NETFLIX

DELIGHTFUL MUSIC

August

It’s All Coming Back to Me Now - Celine Dion

Walk Through the Fire - Ruelle

Remember When - Bad Wolves

The High Road - Broken Bells

Hey Look Ma, I Made It - Panic! At the Disco

Season of the Witch - Lana del Rey

The Void - Muse

Dancing On My Own - Robyn

Lanterns Lit - Son Lux

Fire With Fire - AlicebanD

Hungover in the City of Dust - Autoheart

Everything I Need - Skylar Grey

Liquid Smooth - Mitski

Think - Kaleida

Swan Song - Dua Lipa

September

Eleventh Dimension - Julian Casablancas

Talk | Khalid

Interstellar soundtrack

Bird Song | Juniper Vale

For the Dancing and the Dreaming | Erutan

Paradise Valley | Honey and the Sting

My Hallelujah | Autoheart

Witchcraft | Vian Izak, Juniper Vale

Furthest Star | Dirt Poor Robins

October

Lots of ghost ambient music

The Ocean | Linnea Olsson

Play Dirty | Kevin McAllister

NFWMB | Hozier

Me and the Devil | Soap&Skin

Rhiannon | Fleetwood Mac

In the Woods Somewhere | Hozier

Wet Black Leaves (playlist)

The Cruel Prince

Pas De Deux - Michael Abels

Beach Walk - Michael Abels

I Got 5 On It (Tethered Mix) - Michael Abels

POSTED FIC

August

no more dreaming like a ghost | KH | Axel/Roxas | 813 words | He is in the kitchen, the stove top still warm under his thighs, and everything smells of cherries. The pie is cooling on the windowsill, the sun slanting in warm and buttery, and it is like a dream. A memory. A wish.

Cheers | DBH | Hankcon | 6,368 words | “Are you coming in or not?”Connor blinks, jerks his eyes up and away from those hands and-The bartender has blue eyes. They match the spinning LED at his temple perfectly.

September

N/A

October

bury a friend (try to wake up) | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 1,587 words | Steve digs up Billy’s body on a Tuesday.

won't be too soon 'til I say... goodnight moon | KH | Riku/Sora | 4,549 words |  The house was built in the fall of 1882.

you'll never know what hit you | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 5,379 words | "C’mon, ghost,” Shane urges. “Make all my dreams come true. Fuck me up, fam.”

make this chaos count | EOS 10 | Ryan/Akmazian | 724 words | “You really should stop looking for me,” Akmazian tells him, fingers creeping across Ryan’s ribcage, mapping the architecture of his ribs.

eat you up whole | The Witcher | Geralt/Regis | 2,527 words | “How many mouthfuls do you think I could take from you before it had some effect?” Regis whispers, lips against his throat. Geralt can feel the pinprick of fangs. “Four? Six? Ten? More, even?”

forget the horror here | DBH | Hankcon | 4,390 words | “Hello,” the android says, it’s chest heaving, the gleam of its heart brighter, bluer than before.

summoning demons (and other bad first date ideas) | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 3,868 words | “If I let you out of that circle,” Ryan says, slowly. “Are you going to eat me?”

Itch | The Magnus Archives | Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims | 1,440 words | The boneturner takes from him two ribs - one for him and one for Jon. 

the salt water sting | Dishonored | Corvo/Outsider | 2,163 words |  The ship wrecks several hundred miles off of the coast of Karnaca.

a skeleton of something more | SGA | Rodney/John | 3,072 words | “John?” he murmurs, still coasting on the pain. His head feels like it’s stuffed with cotton, if cotton were also made of glass.

in the woods somewhere | Teen Wolf | Derek/Stiles | 4,570 words | Stiles buys a house in Virginia.

Wake Up | The Magnus Archives | Martin/Jon | 550 words | “If you wake up,” Martin tells him, experimentally. “I won’t go through with it. You can tell me what a stupid idea it was, and we can laugh about it, and everything will be normal.”

Pas de Deux | KH | Axel/Roxas | 506 words | Roxas doesn’t remember what the sky looks like anymore.

try to wake up | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 1,226 words | They do not, in fact, bone down and praise Satan.

too late to come on home | LoZ | Gen | 1,391 words | “You look familiar,” the boy says in his strange, haunting voice. “Are you lost?”

patron saint of the lost causes | Harry Potter | Draco/Harry | 4,203 words | “Can’t you just, y’know,” he waves a hand and makes an obscene gesture, his cheeks flaring red. “Shag it out?”

wouldn't you like to see something strange? | Teen Wolf | Sterek | 1,571 words | “I’d say you make my heart pound, but well…” Stiles nods meaningfully to his chest, where if you look hard enough between the slots of his ribs, you can see the lump of muscle that once was his heart, pointedly not beating. “You know.”

the night is softly, sweetly calling | Teen Wolf | Sterek | 2,938 words | Here’s the thing that Stiles never tells the Hales: his mother was strange too.

Haunt | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 1,486 words |  Ryan couldn’t remember a time when the world didn’t believe in ghosts.

bite my tongue, bide my time | PJO | Nico/Percy(/Annabeth) | 1,376 words | “What’s wrong with you?” Nico asks, cowering when Percy places a gentle kiss on his collarbone.

Bird Song | Raven Cycle | Ronan/Adam, Gen | 1,445 words | On a dreary Sunday in early January, Ronan dreams himself a pair of wings.

kiss me hard until you're done | Star Wars | Reylo | 3,082 words | He looks up at her from under heavy lids, dark hair sweeping forward to frame his face. “May I have this dance?”

beauty in the dissonance | Marvel | Tony/Loki | 1,411 words |  When Tony dies, it isn’t for forever.

like real people do | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 2,808 words |  “I’ve got the sight, man,” he says with a small shrug. “And look, I feel for you. You’re dead and I’m not, and that sucks, but unless you’re planning on doing something about it, I’d really appreciate it if you could stop feeling me up and let me get back to sleep.”

i'd rather drown in your ocean | Naruto | Itachi/Shisui | 1,630 words |  The Uchihas are an odd sort. Everyone says so.

catch your breath | The Bright Sessions | Mark/Damien/Sam | 2,588 words | Mark had never assumed in a million years that he would ever see Damien again. He hadn’t factored in zombies.

Nightmare | The Magnus Archives | Martin/Jonathan | 1,424 words | “All right,” he says, taking Jon’s still outstretched hand. “Let’s give the dream what it wants.”

dreaming of the crash | Gravity Falls | Mabel & Dipper | 484 words | When the end of the world comes, they’re under the bed.

don't we love it now? | Kingdom Hearts | Sora/Riku/Kairi | 1,784 words |  When Kairi is eleven years old, she gets lost in the woods.

all this, and love too, will ruin us | Star Wars | Reylo | 1,102 words |  Rey is awake to watch the sunrise

November

WIPS | UNPUBLISHED | ORIGINAL

August

N/A

September

N/A

October

Not October 8 | Wolf 359 | Hera & Jacobi | 652 words |  When they land on Earth, Hera spends a week in a box.

FANMIXES/GRAPHICS

August

N/A

September