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the-amber-fox · 2 years

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Young Royals Fic Rec List 2022 Edition

To tide you over the last four weeks of waiting for season 2 I have been making my way through the last months on AO3 and recommendations to bring you this part 2 of my fic rec list. All fanfics in this list have been published in 2022.

Categories for this list are:

Canon

Canon-divergent

Post-canon (pre season 2)

Fix-Its

AUs

Slightly Unhinged but worth it

E-Rated

The dark stuff.

So there should be one for everyone here

Canon

My Youth is Yours (Not Rated) by evakayaki Simon wants to give Wille "firsts" that every kid should experience, but missed out on because he was prince. OR: Five times Simon gives Wille a first experience and one time Wille surprises Simon.

Canon-Divergent

Hope Against Hope (M) by demeterfics What happens when Simon doesn't follow Wille after his panic during Horror Movie Night? Simon has regrets, Simon frets, Simon thinks that was his one chance. Wille has a bit more of a sexual crisis, but luckily Erik is there to give some brotherly advice. Boys need to figure out how to communicate. Screwed (T) (WIP) by fandom_commitment_issues Erik lived, but things are still Royally screwed up.

Post Canon (maybe)

Wilhelm & Simon: An Interview with Sweden's Young Royal Couple by cali-chan (girls_are_weird) On the heels of Queen Kristina's announcement that she will be stepping down as monarch once her son and heir turns 35, Crown Prince Wilhelm and his longtime partner, Simon Eriksson, sit down with SVT's Signe Karlsson, for the first time since the future King publicly came out as queer and confirmed their relationship, to discuss their future and dispel any lingering misconceptions about their romance. His Royal Fucking Highness Prince Simon of Sweden (he will take none of your shit) (T) by notalotgoingonatthisinstant Simon had gone through most stages of grief over the past two days since that meeting, and his head would split open if he didn't sit down with his family and friends to let it out. He should be jumping at the opportunity to refuse the titles, so why was he so conflicted? whenever we're together (M) by waitingstar He does yoga, then shirtless yoga. He times his downward dogs for when Wilhelm is passing the lounge room, pretends he doesn’t smirk at Wilhelm's strangled “Morning”.

Fix Its

always something left behind (T) by eleanna99That’s what love is, after all, he thinks. Always leaving something behind. or All the times Simon and Wilhelm almost call each other through the years, and one time they do.

A Royal Intervention (T) by AnxiousAnaconda Erik has made it his mission to call Wilhelm regularly and check up on him. The whole family seems to be in agreement that he is in a tumultuous and dangerous phase, that he could easily be steered in the wrong direction and cause perhaps unforeseen levels of PR damage, but Erik wonders whether his parents truly grasp how sensitive this life phase is for Wilhelm. It is a gut feeling, an inkling, that tells him to watch out for his little brother. Now more than ever. That broken piece, let go (T) by cali-chan (girls_are_weird), TheAmberFox Or five times Simon didn't communicate his true feelings + one time he did. OR Therapy Fic.

AUs

The greatest story never written (T) by NerdGirl07 writer! simon and reader wille: simon always has to try to not spontaneously combust whenever wille rambles about HIS OWN book to him

Play my song (G) by Elin98 It is 12.15 am and you’re listening to Late night Vibes with Simon on The Vibe FM, 104.6. I’m your host Simon Eriksson and I will be here with you all night. So for all you night owls, insomniacs, night shift workers, let me keep you company. I promise to only play good music and that we’ll have a good time.

Bloom where you are planted (T) by Cl0udyM1lk Wille is a plant boy, Simon has a black thumb. They both run semi-popular Instas.

There's a song in my heart (I feel like I belong) (M) by cali-chan (girls_are_weird) Concert pianist Wilhelm Berwald had no idea his entire life would change when he was paired up with pop star Simon Eriksson for a charity concert.

the way you look at me (T) by strummerjoe After spending his whole life in Bjärstad, Simon is excited to go to university. He wants to embrace all aspects of student life and he's ready for anything.Anything, except finding a disgruntled crown prince in his new bedroom.

Dancing Through Life (M) by pagegirlintraining After getting into a club fight that paints him in a less than ideal light, Wilhelm is forced into a living nightmare: being a contestant on Swedish reality tv. As if that wasn’t bad enough already, he’s supposed to dance on national television.Aka Wilhelm goes full Dancing with the Stars with Simon as his pro partner.

yellow paper daisy (T) by darlingdreamer21 Or: Wille and Simon meet in Bjärstad, under the most unnatural circumstances. Wille, who seeks solace in the sleepy town. Simon, who once escaped from the suffocating town.But with Simon's face plastered everywhere around the world in association with his successful music career, and Wille's own internal conflict and blissful solitude, they don't know how to deal with their mutual attraction.Inspired by the movie Notting Hill because these two dorks deserve their cheesy romcom story.

The Boy and the Bartender (M) by Spidaya Simon is a bartender at a local bar with a sunny smile and confident attitude that hide the darker side of his life he wishes to keep hidden. Wilhelm, the prince of Sweden, is a lonely boy with too much love to give and not getting much love in return.After they meet at a bar in not the most Prince-Charming way, their hearts are forever intertwined with each other, but not before going through the hurt, trials, and love that come with both of their lives.

Slightly unhinged - but worth it

Through Felle’s eyes (G) by crownedmoon Wille & Simon’s love story, witnessed by one of Simon’s fishes.

The Sound of you, an outlasting vibration (T) by TheAmberFox What if Wille joins the choir to be close to Simon? Only problem - he can’t sing to safe his life.

a whole new scandal (T) by EngelK Post? Wilhelm thought. He then remembers the notifications from his phone. Shakingly, he unlocks it. He saw tons of messages. Tons from Minou. He doesn’t even know what he has gotten into.

Open heart open mind never know who you will find (E) by simonscrown Wille deliberated whether he should be thanking the universe or cursing at it that a literal angel was standing in front of him, while his testicles were being tortured by a pair of objectively horrible booty shorts.

E - Rated

i hate accidents except when we went from friends to this (E) by cl0udy_mi1k Simon is Wilhelm's best friend, so when he confesses that he's insecure about his lack of experience Wille offers to help him. After all, it's what any good friend would do, isn't it?

Addicted to You (E) by yr_bb Simon missed him, of course he did. He knew nothing had really changed. But this forced separation was a new kind of torture, and he hated it. Hated that he wanted him still, but even in his whole setting boundaries thing, he hadn’t actually wanted to move on. He didn’t, he couldn’t, not if there was still a chance. Being this close was only bringing that all up again.

sorry about the blood in your mouth (i wish it was mine) (E) by witchjeons In the aftermath of the video, Simon falls apart. Wilhelm is there to put him back together.

There all along (E) by stretchoutandwait Kristina's death brings Simon back into Wilhelm's life after years apart. Wilhelm has to negotiate learning to become king and starting (or restarting?) a relationship at the same time.

The dark stuff

The spare (T) by Hannakin Erik can’t imagine anything worse than losing his little brother. He lives through his worst nightmare when Wille is horribly injured.

right where you left me. (M) by YourDemiurge When Crown Prince Wilhelm died at the early age of 18, he left three legacies behind: a video that he'd denied being in; a precautionary tale of young love; and a statue outside an otherwise unknown public school. **** Auhtors mentioned: @girls-are-weird @pagegirlintraining @simons-purplehoodie

@cl0udy-mi1k @ishotforthestars @cinnamoncoffees @hanna-kin @zee-has-commitment-issues @yourdemiurge

*** If you want to re-read the fic rec list part 1, you can find it here.

#young royals #young royals fanfic #fanfic rec #young royals fanfic rec #wilmon #simon x wille #wille x simon #something for everyone #season 2 countdown #lgbtq fic

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nils-elmark · 9 months

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The Poet Who Lost His Writing Hand in The Battle of Champagne

No war has been fought by more poets and artists than the First World War and no war has taken a higher toll on its intellectuals. Few live long enough to see their poetry in print and those who did, all came back wounded from the trenches. One of the survivors was the Swiss modernist and futurist writer and poet Blaise Cendrars. He joined the 3rd Foreign Legion March Regiment in August 1914. Here he became a comrade of Eugene Bullard, one of the three American protagonists of my new book - Fighting for The French Foreign Legion.

Cendrars was an outstanding artistic adventurer constantly seeking new ways of expression in the 20th century, an Elon Musk of writing in his time. But on the first day of mobilisation in August 1914, Cendrars wrote an open letter under the headline “L’heure est grave” in which he urged all friends of France to join the army and fight oppression. The modernist artist stressed that in this dark moment there was no need for words, only action. The letter was published in leading French newspapers and signed by him and 16 other foreign intellectuals, and it is not least because of this letter that thousands of artists living in Paris volunteered to fight in the war without knowing anything about the horrors awaiting them.

At first, Cendras was annoyed that he as a volunteer had to serve in the Foreign Legion and not in the regular French Army, but soon he forgot that and called it with pride “The First Parisian Regiment”:

“We young brainless, enthusiastic or indolent students, poets, painters, journalists, writers, actors, artists of cinema or circus, sons of bankers, manufacturers, engineers, famous architects or workers: hairdresser, tailors, leather worker, upholsterer, bookbinder, shoemaker; or funny or gigolos, restaurant hunters, waiters, hotel employees, nightclub musicians, street sellers, hucksters, anarchists, socialists, revolutionaries, rentiers, race drivers, boxers, gamblers, aviators, night owls, party goers, amateurs, dilettantes, dancers; Montmartrois, Boulevardiers, Montparnos, jokers and pranksters, imposters who made up our 3rd Foreign Legion March Regiment, the most Parisian of all French army regiments, and the most intellectual of all, in short a luxury regiment”

The 3rd Foreign Legion March Regiment had enough artistic talent and innovative thinking to form the avantgarde of the 20th Century - and to some extend it did. But it came with a horrible price. At the Battle of Champagne on 25 September 1915 Blaise Cendrars had his right arm shot off - his writing hand - and he was invalided out of the army. His comrade, a Polish avantgarde painter Moïse Kisling, was wounded several times in the breast at the Battle of Artois a few months earlier and he was similarly sent home. Kisling had a studio in Paris close to Les Jardin de Luxembourg where he allowed friends to sleep over when in town, amongst them one of the heros of my book: Eugene Bullard.

In 1916 Kisling and Cendras collaborated on a book with the title ”La Guerre au Luxembourg”. One thousand copies were printed of this book, which described the horror of the war through the eyes of the children playing in the Jardin de Luxembourg, which you could see from Kisling’s studio.

Cendrars is just one of the hundreds of people I present and describe in my book, and in the research and writing process I have realised how important they were. Europe today is standing on their shoulders.

#nils elmark #ww1 #blaise cendrars #american volunteers 1914 #french foreign legion #poetry #poet

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liebermintz · 2 years

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okay, some thoughts

(contains spoilers for the owl house and stranger things s4)

(no i mean there’s spoilers)

(CW: queerbaiting; satanic panic; religion; the AIDS epidemic)

i s2g if somebody tries to pull a “but the owl house was more upfront with its rep than a certain netflix fantasy horror show,” remember that the owl house takes place in presumably 2019 AND also in a fantasy world. it is unabashedly queer because it does so to defy emperor belos, who is a literal witchfinder general. he’d be scared that the human of color who peppers her speech with the occasional spanish phrase is dating a lesbian witch. luz can be open in the owl house’s universe, either on earth or the boiling isles. and even then, luz and amity’s relationship isn’t shown in front of emperor belos - at most the only antagonistic force it’s shown to is odalia and that’s framed more as odalia being so disgusted as luz being “lower-class” that she’ll arrange amity to have another girlfriend (and it’s heavily implied that she’s thinking amity is referring to a close friend that is a girl - why she’s using the same terminology in reference to luz that she did in reference to willow years prior). and even then, belos is so focused on trying to get the hell out of the boiling isles and brag about how he killed a bunch of witches on an alternate earth that he doesn’t pay attention to the queerness of characters. and the collector wouldn’t give a shit because he sees everything as a mere game to play, get bored with, and toss aside. and he apparently doesn’t keep enough tabs on the covens to realize that darius and raine are planning stuff behind his back (only learning of it when hunter!luz arrives at the head and making swift action since everybody’s there), so i highly doubt belos even pays attention to what specific pronouns darius and eberclaw use to refer to raine. the covens are more independent entities that are kept in the dark in regards to the emperor’s full plans - this is why none of them knew what belos was planning on doing. not even plant girl. not even illusions film director man. stranger things s4 takes place in early 1986, right at the ass-end of president ronald reagan not doing jack shit about AIDS and riiiiiiiiight before tony kushner got notice for angels in america, so well before heartland america got to know the reality of the gay experience and thought of them almost exclusively as the kind of shocking shit lou reed would write about in his songs or evil predators according to propaganda shorts shown in schools. remember: they’re still in cold war paranoia mode - dr. brenner was training el to spy on soviets back in season one; there’s the entirety of season 3 and its really weird attempt at doing red dawn but in a mall. and jason got the entire town talking about how D&D is satanic because the police found chrissy’s vecna’d body in eddie’s trailer. this shit is not safe for will to think about coming out, not even in california. and i mean not even in california.

most of the early satanic panic “cases” came from out west. chick publications, the publishers of that really bad “dark dungeons” tract, is based out in california. mike warnke and john todd were going to speaking engagements ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY (and not just heartland america and the deep south - i mean they’re flying to california and staying in nice hotels because they’re gonna make mad cheddar from book sales and tickets). this shit was for real. it wasn’t just some shit the genre pastiche guys made up to make D&D look edgy and countercultural. you’ve people read dark dungeons? or watched mazes and monsters? they’re blaming a tabletop RPG for the fact that we’re seeing queer people kill themselves and the fact that people are starting to question the validity of religious teachings. the show frames eddie as being pretty foolish to not only create a D&D club at hawkins high, but also for being open about it - because they know exactly what he’s walking into.

and in the grand tradition of the overarching season plots getting more adult with each passing season of stranger things, the stories get darker. season one is kids doing a spielberg/dante-style wonder horror; season two is el on a road trip and running into vigilantes and will doing poltergeist; season three is red dawn in a mall, for crying out loud. each season, and by necessity the ages of the actors, dictates the kind of ‘80s pastiche the duffers go for. season four is slasher film - and as the kids are in high school now, now they can realize how morally complex geopolitics are. now they can see death in the face - eddie’s death is easily one of the most brutal one-on-one deaths in the show because it goes beyond billy sacrificing himself to buy time for the kids or bob newby sacrificing himself to buy time for joyce and hopper to get out of the lab. eddie’s death feels dark because you know the guy legitimately wanted to kill himself. he’s still wanted in hawkins for vecna’s murders. dustin knows this - that’s why he’s sobbing like crazy. he knows that eddie legitimately wants to die and is trying to find some way to talk him out of it.

do you legitimately think that for one moment will is going to say “yeaaaaaah mike i love you on a deeper level” when he knows that he might get his ass handed to him if mike/jonathan/eleven doesn’t react properly. that’s why robin is VERY secretive about her sexual orientation. she doesn’t even come out and say that “yeah i’m in lesbians with you” to her crush from band, not even in the final scene. she doesn’t say it to nance. she only says it to steve - and that was in the context of them thinking they were going to die in a secret russian mall basement while high on truth serum.

i get you’re mad. i get that you just want to see some well-meaning queer rep, especially from a streaming platform that publicized two really transphobic specials as nothing more than “edgy jokes for edgy teens,” that maybe they could take that high of SPOP and apply it to the show that sells frozen waffles, domino’s pizza, and kate bush albums. but this is one of the few times where queerbaiting not only makes more sense, but is the safest and most logical thing these characters can do given the year, the region of america they’re in, and THE ACTUAL SATANIC PANIC AND RISE OF EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANITY AS A VOTER BLOC BECOMING A LEGITIMATE PROBLEM.

will has to have strategy just to survive. where we are right now in terms of being viewers, we are 12 years away from gay rights getting its most tragic signalboost to date.

#stranger things #owl house #spoilers #stranger things season 4 #will/mike #will byers #mike wheeler #queerbaiting #queer content #queer #gay #LGBTQUIA #satanic panic #emperor belos #luz noceda #amity blight #lumity #byler

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awarrow65 · 2 years

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November 2022 Update

My name’s Mimi. I’ve managed to have this Tumblr for over a decade. I haven’t really touched it in a long time and I thought given all of the Twitter chaos, it was best I finally come back on this side of the internet as well!

I’m an author, you can find my published work in Dark Conjurings: A Short Fiction Horror Anthology!!

I’m still heavily invested in Hawkeye (hence the URL, I’m keeping it), the MCU, Wonder Woman, any strong female character with a weapon and I am in love. Star Wars has had a grip on me for the last few years as well. The Owl House has been an emotional support thing for the last few months as well. I am a proud dog mom, and recently married! Dungeons & Dragons is also a beautiful thing I enjoy!

You can buy my book from Barnes & Nobles, Amazon etc. ; https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-conjurings-delia-remington/1135048553?ean=9781947181144

#star wars #doctor who #hawkeye #ahsoka tano #the owl house #dogstagram #d&d

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finishinglinepress · 2 years

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FLP CHAPBOOK OF THE DAY: Feather & Bone by Kathleen Williamson – NWVS #165

TO ORDER GO TO: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/feather-bone-by-kathleen-williamson-nwvs-165/

Feather & Bone by Kathleen Williamson is, on its face, a keen observation of the wildness of nature all around us, but below the surface it teems with the wildness in us, the churning emotions of human relationships – fear, horror, confusion, as well as tenderness and devotion. Many of the poems are set in small pockets of wilderness in New York City, where to find a tree brimming with ibis, you must trudge through broken glass, and warbler calls are drowned out by the sound of sirens. Williamson wrestles with the darkness, but continues to venture into it – listening for predators while letting mosquitos sing in her ears. In the end, she revels being within the thumping heart of it all, and finds the wonder that is necessary to endure.

Kathleen Williamson won the runner-up prize in the SLAB poetry contest and was a winner in the Poetry in the Pavement project in Sleepy Hollow, New York. Her work has been published in Poetry International Online Quarterly, Newtown Literary, Ponder Review, as well other literary journals. She is on the board of Saw Mill River Audubon and Films on Purpose and lives in Pleasantville, New York.

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR Feather & Bone by Kathleen Williamson – NWVS #165

How could I resist a book titled Feather & Bone? In the wake of a horrific act of human violence, these poems meditate on daily violences in the natural world. Vultures circle, hungry birds plunge into windows, and an owl spends the night cutting up his victims. A stranger lurking in the shadows reminds the speaker that she is also prey to forces beyond her control. And yet, these are not poems of unrelenting despair, but a life-affirming celebration of the “thumping heart of it all.” Braiding images of beauty and brutality, poet Kathleen Williamson finds music in the inevitable cruelties of survival.

–Jackie Craven, author of Cyborg Sister, Secret Formulas & Techniques of the Masters, and others

Part field guide, part confession, Kathleen Williamson‘s Feather & Bone studies human nature with the careful eye of an ornithologist. From brooding to migration, Williamson asks us to re-examine our relationship not only to the natural world but to the ties and traditions we dare call humanity. These poems are anything but hollow-boned, and yet, page after page, they take flight.

–Stacey Balkun, author of Sweetbitter

Please share/please repost [PROMO] #flpauthor #preorder #AwesomeCoverArt #poetry #chapbook #read #poems

#poetry #preorder #flp authors #flp #poets on tumblr #american poets #chapbook #women poets #chapbooks #finishing line press #small press #book cover #books #publishers #poets #poem #smallpress #poems #binderfullofpoets

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lavenderlostfog · 3 years

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Some Dark/Light Academia Recommendations

Books and Literature (Fiction) - The Sherlock Holmes canon (56 short stories + 4 novels) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Agatha Christie's mystery novels - Emily Dickinson's poetry - Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler - Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket - The Inkheart Trilogy by Cornelia Funke - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas - House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski - Nightbooks by J.A. White - The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré - Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy - Utopia by Thomas Moore - The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde - Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - Faust by Goeth - The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells - The Woman in Black by Susan Hill - A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik - Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - The Necromancer by Ludwig Flammenerg - fairy tales and old folktales from any culture - books about beekeeping - Dragonology

Nonficiton Literature - Silent Spring by Rachel Carson - Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris - Walden by Henry David Thoreau - The Utopia Reader, edited by Gregory Claeys and Lyman Tower Sargent - The Art of War by Sun Tzu - The Communist Manifesto by Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx - The Best American Science and Nature Writing - annual essay anthology published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander - I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai - Lab Girl by Hope Jahren - The Wages of Sin: Sex and Disease, Past and Present by Peter Lewis Allen - Poison: The History of Potions, Powders and Murderous Practitioners by Ben Hubbard - Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror & Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson - Conversations on Writing by Ursula K. Le Guin

Films - Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) - Snowpiercer (2013) - Hugo (2011) - An Education (2009) - Never Let Me Go (2010) - Mr. Holmes (2015) - Little Women (2019) - Dead Poets Society (1989) - Maurice (1987) - The Addams Family (1991) - The Imitation Game (2014) - Road to Perdition (2002) - Matilda (1996) - The Shape of Water (2017)

Shows - Sherlock Holmes - the Granada series (1984 - 1994) - A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017 - 2019) - Penny Dreadful (2014 - 2016) - The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020) - The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell (2018) - Beauty and the Beast (1987 - 1990) - The Twilight Zone (1959 - 2020)

Animation - Over the Garden Wall (2014) - Gravity Falls (2012 - 2016) - The Owl House (2020 - ) - Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart (2013) - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Anime and Manga - The Ancient Magus Bride by Kore Yamazaki - The Promised Neverland by Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu - Gosick by Kazuki Sakuraba - Princess Tutu by Mizuo Shinonome - Little Witch Academia by Yoh Yoshinari - Violet Evergarden by Kana Akatsuki and Akiko Takase

Music - soundtracks from any of the above - dark cabaret - classical music (my favs are Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky) - modern classical - anything composed by Joe Hisaishi - Postmodern Jukebox

Podcasts - Lore - Faerie - Serial - The Magnus Archives - Hardcore History - The Penumbra Podcast - Baker Street Babes - The Bright Sessions - Unwell, a Midwestern Gothic Mystery

#dark academia #dark acadamia aesthetic #films #shows #anime / manga #aesthetic #music #podcast #literature

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jadelotusflower · 3 years

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July 2021 Roundup

Discussed this month: The Once and Future King, The Good People, The Secret of Kells/Wolfwalkers/Song of the Sea (aka "Irish Folklore" Trilogy), The Matrix Trilogy, the John Wick Trilogy, Space Jam: A New Legacy

Reading

The Once and Future King (T.H. White) - I've actually read this before, but it was a long time ago and I remembered very little of it so it seemed time for a revisit. Written between 1936 and 1942, this is a surprisingly meta retelling of Arthur and Camelot, very obviously and heavily influenced by WWII, with much academic pondering on the concept of humanity and war and ongoing conflict against Might=Right - looking to the past to try and understand the present. Some familiarity with the legends is assumed, White occasionally making reference to Malory, and there is a strange anachronistic feel - Merlin lives time backwards and talks of Hitler and other 20th Century references, White frequently refers to Old England and the way things were "back then", but also calls Arthur's country Gramarye, the narrative taking place an a kind of alternate history/mythology where Uther was the Norman conqueror of 1066, and yet reference is also made to the Plantagenet kings.

Comprising five volumes (the first four published separately at the time, and the final posthumously), it struck me on this read how each of the first four are structured around the childhood of a major player -Arthur (The Sword in the Stone), Gawain and his brothers (The Witch in the Wood), Lancelot (The Ill-Made Knight), and Mordred (The Candle in the Wind), and how their upbringing played a part in the inevitable tragedy of Camelot. In the final volume, The Book of Merlyn, it comes full circle as Arthur on the eve of his death is taken to revisit the animals of his childhood for much philosophising (at one point Merlyn argues at length with a badger about Karl Marx and communism.)

The Sword in the Stone is the most engaging, with young Arthur (known as "the Wart") and his tutelage under Merlin, being turned into various animals like an ant, a goose, and a hawk to learn about each of their societies (political allegories), and meeting with Robin Wood (Hood) and Maid Marian to battle Morgan le Fay, and the climactic pulling of the sword from the stone. This was of course the source material for the Disney film, although missing the wizards duel with Madam Mim (appearing in the original publication, but removed for the revised version).

The Ill-Made Knight is the longest volume and was honestly a slog to get through, because honestly Lancelot is pretty dull/terrible, and the Lancelot/Guenever love affair less than compelling. Ultimately it's Lancelot's hubris that dooms them - he is warned that Mordred intends to catch him out in Guenever's room, but he goes anyway, and doesn't leave when he tells her to, because he is stupid.

It’s no surprise that the female characters are given the short shrift, but there’s an uncomfortable vein of misogyny running through the book. To wit:

Elaine had done the ungraceful thing as usual. Guenever, in similar circumstances, would have been sure to grow pale and interesting - but Elaine had only grown plump.

And then later:

Guenever had overdressed for the occasion. She had put on makeup which she did not need, and put it on badly. She was forty-two.

Morgause (the eponymous witch in the wood/queen of air and darkness) is a negligent mother whose sole motivation is revenge, Elaine rapes Lancelot by deception, Guenever is hypocritical and shrill (but achieves a sliver of nuance in Candle), Nimueh is a nonentity, and Morgan le Fey is a monstrous fairy. If only White had turned his academic pondering inward and in order to examine the role of women in his worldview other than as damsels or instigators.

But Arthur also gets the short shrift - after all the focus in his childhood, he becomes almost a peripheral figure in the rest of the story until the very end, and we're not actually given much to show why he is the once and future king, other than that he tries to institute a slightly less brutal system.

Ultimately, White is more interested in philosophy than character, and so Camelot's inevitable tragedy feels more clinical than visceral.

The Good People (Hannah Kent) - If the Irish Folklore Trilogy (discussed below) is the beauty and wonder of Irish myths and legends interacting with the human world, this book is the cold danger of superstition and the devastating affect of folklore used as an explanation for life's ills. Set in 1820's rural Ireland, Nora is widowed and left with the care of her young disabled grandson Michael, believed to be a changeling. The local wise woman Nance, who feels the touch of "the good people" sets about to drive out the fairy from the child, believing that the "real" Michael will return, much to the growing dread of Mary, the teenage girl Nora has hired to care for him.

Here fairies are seen as a malevolent force, "sweeping" away women and children, causing bad harvests, and bringing death to the village - to be respected and feared. And then there's Nance, bartering traditional cures for ailments and troubles - some work, some do not, and some pose great danger. On the other hand, this is a remote village where a doctor must be fetched from Killarney, and only one priest who is less than charitable. Neither provide any help or support to Nora.

SPOILERS It's an upsetting read dealing with dark subject matter - grief trauma, child abuse and accidental infanticide, a kind of slow burn horror. If it takes a village to to raise a child, it also takes one to kill a child, as mounting fear and superstition moves through the population like a contagion, heightening Nora's desperation for the "return" of her grandson, and Nance's to prove her knowledge. It's an impeccably researched novel (based in part on a true event) but very unsettling - poor Michael is never really given humanity, and I feel this book would be hugely triggering in its depiction of disability and neurodivergence.

Watching

The Secret of Kells/Song of the Sea/Wolfwalkers (dir. Tom Moore) - I've been meaning to watch these films for absolutely ages, and I finally got to them this month. I’m pleased to say that the many people who recommended them to me were absolutely correct, because they appear to have been made to specifically cater to my interests. Some mild spoilers ahead.

I watched these in internal chronological order as suggested by @ravenya003, starting with The Secret of Kells, set in 9th Century Ireland where the young monk Brendan helps illuminate the to-be famous manuscript and befriends a forest sprite Aisling, under the threat of a Viking raid. Next was Wolfwalkers, jumping forward to 1650 Kilkenny where the English girl Robyn, daughter of a hunter, is drawn into the world of the forest and Mebh, who turns into a wolf when she sleeps. And finally we go all the way to 1980's in Song of the Sea for the story of Ben, who must help his younger sister Saoirse (a selkie) find her voice and bring back the faeries who have been turned to stone by the owl witch Macha.

Although the stories are completely separate, they've been described as Moore's "Irish Folklore" trilogy, and it’s easy to read a through line from Kells to Wolfwalkers in particular - both deal with fae of the forest, and Aisling appears as a white wolf at the end of the film (having lost her ability to appear in human form). I like to think that Aisling is in some way the progenitor of the wolfwalkers - after all, Kells and Kilkenny are less than 200 kms apart.

Song of the Sea is distant from the other two in both time and subject matter, dealing with selkies, creatures of the water. In many ways, Kells and Wolfwalkers feels like a duology, with Song more its own thing. On the other hand, an argument could be made for common fae spirit/s in different forms across all three films - Aisling is a white sprite, Robyn takes the form of a white/grey wolf, and Saoirse a white seal.

The strength of these films other than the folklore is the visual style - I really love 2D animation, and while I appreciate the beauty of cg animation, I often find in the latter’s focus on hyper-realism the artistry can be left by the wayside. These films not just aesthetically beautiful, but the art is used to tell the story - from the sharp angles that represent the darker or harmful elements (Crom, Vikings, the Town), to the circles and rings that represent safety and harmony (the Abbey, the forest, Mebh and her mother/the wolves healing circle, the holy well). The exception is probably the home of Macha, the owl witch, where circles are also prominent and represent magic, and this is often the case in folklore (fairy rings, fairy forts, etc).

Kells is the most stylised, resembling tapestries or pages and triptychs from medieval manuscripts, playing with perspective. I actually saw pages from the real Book of Kells years ago in Dublin, and remember them being very beautiful. We only get glimpses of the Book and the stunning Chi Rho page at the very end of the film, but the style of art is present throughout the film and particularly in the forest where Brendan finds inspiration for his illumination, and on the flipside his encounter in the dark with Crom Cruach, represented as a chalk-drawn primordial serpent.

This style is also present in Wolfwalkers, particularly stark in the way the birds-eye grid of the town often looms over Robyn in the background and in her work at the castle. The depiction of the forest has more of a storybook quality however, as does Song, where almost every frame resembles a painting, particularly the sequences of Saoirse's selkie trip through the sea and Ben's fall through the holy well.

Rav points out in her review that there is the ebbing away of myth and magic in each successive film, contrasted with the rise of Christianity/modernity. But there's circles and rings again, because while the ultimate power of the faerie world is fading away, the interaction between our human protagonists and faerie actually increases with each film. In Kells, we have only Aisling and Crom, in Wolkwalkers, we have Mebh and her mother whose ranks grow to include Robyn and her father, and finally in Song we have Saoirse, Bronagh, Macha, the Na Daoine Sídhe, and the Great Seanachaí.

Watching in the order I did, it does give the impression of the mythological world opening up to the viewer, gaining a deeper understanding and exposure as time progressed. On the other hand, that is also because the human world is gradually encroaching on the world of Faerie, from isolated settlements like the Abbey of Kells, to growing town of Kilkenny and the logging of the surrounding forest, to a modern Ireland of motorways and power lines, and industrialised Dublin where the remaining fairies have moved underground. It makes the climax of Song, with the fairies restored but returning to the land of Tír na nÓg, rather bittersweet.

I also credit the strength of the voice acting - the adult roles are minor but with greats including the dulcet tones of Brendan Gleeson and Sean Bean, and the ethereal Maria Doyle Kennedy (who I wish had gotten to do more). But the child roles are all performed so well, particularly Honor Kneafsey as Robyn, whose growing desperation and distress is just heartbreakingly palpable.

The Matrix Trilogy (dir. The Wachowskis) - I usually don't post rewatches in the Roundup, but I really, really love these movies. I will never forget seeing The Matrix at the cinema as a young teen, knowing nothing other than the tease of the enigmatic trailers, and just being completely blown away by it, and then becoming completely obsessed a few years later in the leadup to Reloaded.

It wasn’t my first fandom, but it was probably the first time I took fandom seriously. I was very invested in Neo/Trinity in particular as well as all the mythological/literary references that fed directly into my interests. I haven’t however gone back and read the fic I wrote, for fear that it is very, very cringe. I know where is is though, so maybe one day before the ff.net is purged.

This is Keanu Reeves at his most handsome, and while he doesn't have the greatest range (as many actors don't, although they don't get as much grief for it), when he's in the zone there's no one else who could do it better. He just has a Presence, you know? A vibe, and it compels me.

This is particularly present in Neo, a character whose conflict is almost entirely internal, burdened by the weight of his responsibility and destiny, both before and after he learns it is a false prophesy. He’s not your typical quippy macho action hero, but much like my other fave Luke Skywalker, is a character who is ultimately driven by love and self-sacrifice. I definitely have a Type of male hero I adore, and Neo fits right in there.

I also really love the sequels, flaws and all, because you know what, the Wachowskis had Ideas and they weren't going to deliver Matrix 2: Electric Boogaloo. Each film goes in an unexpected direction, and not in a subverted expectations ha ha silly rabbits way, but one that does have an internal logic and pulls together a cohesive trilogy as a whole, and how often does that happen these days?

The sequels are so…earnest, with none of the cynical cool detachment perhaps some would have preferred - at its core a trilogy exploring philosophy and the nature of prophesy vs choice, determinism vs free will, and the power of love. Maybe it can be hokey, and some of the dialogue a bit overwritten, but I don't care, there's so much I still enjoy even having seen the trilogy many times over the years.

Not to mention the great female characters - while I'm not sure any of the three strictly passes the Bechdel Test, we have Trinity and Niobe in particular who I love with all my heart. It does kind of annoy me that the Trinity Syndrome is so named, because it only applies in the most reductive reading possible, and Trinity expresses agency (and badassery) every step of the way, saving Neo just as much as he saves her. I mean..."dodge this"/"in five minutes I'll tear that whole goddamn building down"/"believe it"? Niobe piloting the Hammer through the mechanical line in Revolutions? Iconic. There are criticisms that can be made, sure, but the trilogy ultimately loves, respects, and appreciates its female characters (and important to note that the avatars of The System, the Architect and the Agents, are all white men).

Then we have the Oracle, who ultimately holds the most power and is the victor of the human/machine war. There's so much going on with the Oracle I could talk about it all day. It's that fate vs free will question again (“if you already know, how can I make a choice?”), but with the wrinkle of manipulation (“would you still have broken it if I hadn’t said anything?”). Choice is the foundation the Matrix is built on, the unconscious choice for humans to accept the system or reject it - the Architect can't control that, he can only manage it, and the Oracle can't force Neo onto the path she has set out for him, only predict the choices he will make based on her study of the human psyche ("did you always know?"/"No...but I believed"). But she plays with the concept of fate in a complicated web of prophesies for outcome she wants and trusting the nature of Morpheus, Trinity, and Neo to bring it about.

And then there's the visual storytelling - there is so much meaning in almost every frame and line of dialogue. The mirroring and ring cycles not only in the constant presence of reflective surfaces and central metaphor of the Matrix as a simulacrum, but the androgyny of Neo and Trinity, bringing each other back from the dead in successive films (and ultimately both ultimately dying in the third), Neo and Morpheus’ first and last meetings, Smith who is ultimately Neo’s dark mirror, the Oracle/the Architect, just to name a few. I just…really really love these movies? Maybe I’ll do a full post rewatch sometime.

I am however reserving judgement on the Matrix 4 - already there are a few things making me uneasy. Lana is the sole director for this one (Lilly is not involved), and Laurence Fishburne apparently wasn't even asked back, even though Morpheus actually survives the trilogy (as opposed to Neo and Trinity). But I’m interested, and don’t want to go in with any expectations, but rather ready to be surprised again like I was when I watched the first film (and hope I can stay away from spoilers).

John Wick Trilogy (dir. Chad Stahelski) - It was a trilogy kind of month! This genre is generally not my thing, as I don’t have a high tolerance for graphic violence and pure action bores me after a while, but I was in a Keanu kind of mood and I'm always hearing people go on about John Wick so I wanted to know what (if anything) I was missing. While still a bit too violent for my tastes, if nothing else I could appreciate the dance-like fight choreography, even if the worldbuulding is absolutely ridiculous - I mean, literally thousands of assassins across the world chilling in sanctuary hotels, supported by a vast network of weapon suppliers, tailors, surgeons, spy networks, etc? It’s silly, but hey, I was happy to go along with it.

What I do appreciate about Keanu Reeves, and this seems to be a common thread, is that even when in action hero mode (Matrix, Point Break, John Wick, and to a lesser extent Speed), he consistently plays a man who is completely in love with his partner/wife - like, completely, unapologetically devoted to them, and I think that is a big part of the appeal - it's that Keanu energy that is often the antithesis of toxic masculinity, even when in roles that would ordinarily rely on those tropes.

Wick is in many ways the spiritual successor to Neo - insular, taciturn, and even as he's dispatching death with clinical precision. Much like Neo, Wick is a character who is somehow Soft (tm) despite all the violence. I once listened to a podcast where they amusingly discussed the Reeves oeuvre as simulations of Neo still trapped in the Matrix, and it’s very easy to make the case here and imagine John Wick as Neo plugged back in after Revolutions, mourning Trinity and set on mission after mission to keep his mind active (and it would certainly explain why the guy hasn’t dropped dead after being stabbed, beaten up, strangled, hit by a car, shot, and falling off a building). It’s a fun little theory.

Stahelski was Reeves' stunt double and a stunt coordinator on The Matrix and there's plenty of homages in the visual style and reuniting Reeves with costars Laurence Fishburne and Randall Duk Kim (who played the Keymaker).

I did also find it amusing that Wick is also often referred to as babayaga (equated in the film to the bogeyman). Well, Wick is in many ways a witch who lives in the woods, just wanting to be left alone with his dog, and there is a supernatural energy to the character, so...I guess?

Space Jam: A New Legacy (dir. Malcolm D Lee) - I took my niece to see this at the cinema and it was…pretty much what you would expect. I thought it was fine for what it was, even if a bit slow in parts (it takes a looong time for the looneys to show up) and I wonder if they have the same cultural pull they had in the nineties (the age of Tweety Bird supremacy). But the kids seemed into it (my niece liked porky pig) and that's what counts I guess.

This time, the toon battle royale takes place on the WB servers, where evil A.I. Don Cheadle (having the time of his life chewing the cg scenery) wants to capture Lebron James for...reasons, idk. James and Bugs have to find the rest of the looneys scattered across the server-verse, a chance for WB to desperately remind people that they too, have media properties and a multiverse including DC comics world, Harry Potter world, Matrix world, Mad Max world, Casablanca world etc. Some of it feels very dated - there is I kid you not an Austin Powers reference, although it did make me smile that Trinity was on James’ list of most wanted players (skill: agility).

Unfortunately, nothing it really done with this multiverse concept except “hey, remember this movie? Now with looneys” six times, and the crowd for the game populated by WB denizens including the Iron Giant, Pennywise, the monkeys from the Wizard of Oz, Scooby Doo and the gang, etc. But still, it's fun, and hardly the tarnishing of a legacy or whatever nonsense is driving youtube clicks these days.

Writing

The Lady of the Lake - 2335 words.

Against the Dying of the Light - 2927 words, Chapter 13 posted.

Total: 5272 this month, 38,488 this year.

#roundup #reading watching writing #long post

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itswildwinters · 3 years

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Ask for writers

Thank you @theisolatedlily and @soldouthaz for tagging me, I really appreciate it! This lovely tag was created by @soldouthaz, which I think is brilliant to get to know other writers!! I love it, so thank you Sarah!

This is quite long, but I still hope it’s entertaining!

1. describe how you first started writing and when you first posted: I’ve always wanted to write. I know that I only began publishing this year (January 2020) but years back, I always would open up a blank document and just... write. Lack of confidence and language barriers (I wanted to write in English, but it isn’t my first language and I only became fluent three years ago) have made it so that I would never finish a story. I think we all had our wattpad moment but even on there I would never really publish because the platform just wasn’t right. But then I discovered ao3, where I’d read fics and also improve my English. Then I found out about fests, and I decided to participate in one last year (2019 BLFF) and my first fic then came out!

And ever since, I’ve been able to write and finish what I start. It’s as if the lock that had been put to block my creativity had been destroyed; posting my first completed fic has acted as a turning point. I was extremely nervous when I first posted, still am, but now I have this need to write and I love sharing what I write and ever since I became a writer, my life’s been a lot better!

2. which of your characters do you typically resonate most closely with? do you base any characters off of yourself?: I switch between Louis’ POV, or Harry’s POV depending on the story; I tend to sprinkle a bit of myself in the characters I write, but then again they’re also completely different from me! I’ve never based a character completely on myself, which I find quite boring (haha); sometime unconsciously, I’d write a character based on someone I knew. I think some examples on how my characters can look a bit like me, is Hamlet in a sea of mist which has gotten his clear-headedness from me; or in my Murder Mystery fic, the way I describe Louis’ fear is heavily based on how I feel whenever I’m faced with something that makes me uncomfortable.

3. where do you often find inspiration?: art (paintings, music), books, quotes, poems and movies!

4. has quarantine helped or hindered your writing process?: having so much free time on my hands has definitely helped; I would seek refuge within my stories, to spice up quarantine!

5. do you listen to music/noise while you write or do you prefer silence? I love love love playing classical music (Chopin, Saint-Saens, Debussy, Yiruma, Einaudi, Faulkner, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Mozart to name a few) while writing. I can’t write when it’s anything else. But I can also write when there’s nothing; hearing the rhythmic clicking sound of the keyboard as I press over its keys can be relaxing to me.

6. what is your biggest writing pet peeve in your writing or in general?: hm in my writing I guess I tend to write very long sentences, and also I still do grammar mistakes. I hope to work on those points. I also find the way I space my fics very annoying (which is why I’ve begun making outlines!).

7. describe your ideal writing setup: in a couch or a bed with several pillows piled up behind my back, classical music in my ears and a steaming cup of tea next to me.

8. favorite time of day to write?: I love writing when it’s very early, usually after I’ve woken up and freshened up. I don’t like writing when it’s too late because I’m not a night owl; rather an early bird. I especially love when I write and it’s still dark outside, then slowly dawn breaks in and the sky becomes tainted in warm hues of orange, yellow and sometimes even purple and pink.

9. favorite genre to write + one you’d like to try writing in the future?: I love writing fantasy, horror, suspense, action, thrillers. Especially angst and hurt/comfort, as well as slow burn. I’d like in the future to explore sci-fi and magical realism!

10. do you struggle with writer’s block? how do you typically overcome it? I haven’t suffered from writer block so far, which I’m glad!!

11. what is the easiest part of your writing process and the most difficult? writing is the easiest, but outlining (as in, coming up with plot ideas) is quite difficult for me. Also dialogues can be a bit of a problem to me.

12. how do you come up with original characters? (if applicable): I just make them up in my mind, and create them when they’re necessary to the story, giving them personality traits that will help the story develop.

13. what is your favorite and least favorite word? it’s hard to choose cause I have several but favourite: petrichor and least favourite: big

14. what is one thing about your writing that you’re really proud of and one thing you hope to continue working at?: I am proud of the way I describe, which allows me to really settle the story in its verse. I love describing, giving importance to the ordinary. Also feelings; I love describing them and exploring how I can translate them into words, so that the reader can feel them. But I have to work on my dialogues methinks.

15. what work of yours has your favorite ‘verse/world building? how did you come up with it?: those who from the Pit of Hell, roam to seek their prey on earth. I’ve always wanted to begin writing thrillers/Murder mystery fics and with that one I think I managed to? I had read an article on forensic medicine back in the 19th century and it sparked this fic’s plot!

16. what font and size do you write in? single spaced or double?: Arial, 11pt, single spaced

17. what is a typo(s) you find yourself making consistently?: I don’t know if this can be considered as a typo but I tend to repeat, within a paragraph, A LOT my character’s name instead of using pronouns. This is because I’m afraid of confusion when another character arrives in the scene.

18. (if applicable) do you separate fic writing from fandom?: I don’t know if I understood the question properly, but yes? When I use Louis or Harry in my fics, they’re completely different from real-Louis or real-Harry; they’re my characters, they only have the same names, but their personality reflects in nothing real-life Harry and Louis.

I think to answer this better: I do separate fic writing from fandom, but I still think that fanfics are important to a fandom; I haven’t heard of a fandom without fanfics! Fanfics spice up fandoms, I reckon, they’re important to bring people together.

19. what emotion is your favorite to write? which is the most difficult?: Angst is my favourite thing to write, as well as fear. And I struggle with writing humour, I’m not a funny person to be honest

20. what is one thing you hope readers always take away from your works?: I always hope they like my writing and the plot, also the way I portray my characters. I want my readers to feel the writing, and the story in general. I just want my readers to truly enjoy what they read from me <3

21. what is the best and worst writing advice you’ve ever received?: I was told to always write very specifically and to fit my writing into a mould — don’t write ‘he’s’ but ‘he is’, or write shorter sentences, or stop describing so much. But in the end, there isn’t one way of writing — write the way you want.

22. which one of your works would you most want to see turned into a film/television show?: only one? ahhh this is hard! But I’d love to see those who from the Pit of Hell, roam to seek their prey on earth be turned into a movie. There are also a couple of wips that I could see on-screen but I’ll stick to that!

23. do you write scenes chronologically or out of order?: chronologically. Haven’t explored anachronies (analepsis/prolepsis) at all, but I might soon!

24. how do you handle criticism?: really well!! As long as they’re constructive and not mean, I love hearing what people think. Criticism is the best way for me, a person whose first person is not English, to improve!

25. what is the advice you would give to someone who is looking to start writing?: DO IT!! Honestly, don’t tell yourself, ‘I’m not good enough’. Just do it. Open a blank document and write your heart away, even if it’s not a story; just begin it. Explore your writing style, then maybe try to mould it into a plot. Writing is not limited to a certain category of people; it’s not just for those who can write. Writing is for everyone, and like most things, one must begin before improving (practice makes perfect!!) <3

26. what kind of feedback on your work always makes your day?: anything!!! Just the fact someone clicked on my story, read it, and took time to leave a comment — just that is enough to make my heart bursts with joy. I am so so grateful to every single person who’s ever read something from me.

27. which fic ‘verse of your own would you most like to exist in? which fic’s characters would you most like to befriend?: The verse I’m talking about is still a wip, but the siren/mermaid one that I’m currently building! I’d love to live in it.

28. what do you always enjoy getting asks about/wish people would ask about more?: Anything, really, my inbox is open to anyone and for everything! I love discussing books, movies and poetry as well as quotes, and maybe I wish people would come forth to ask me more about my fics or my wips, if they have any inquiries! Or I’d love to write drabbles!

29. what has writing added to your life? how has it changed you?: It has made my life so, so much better. Writing has stitched up a gaping hole in my chest. It’s permitted me to improve in English, has made me more confident and has allowed my creativity to flow. I just... I love writing so much. It has also allowed me to meet some incredible people on tumblr, which I’m very grateful for!!

30. why do you write?: for many reasons; to spice up my life, to help me develop my creativity, and because I love it. I’ve always wanted to be a writer.

boost yourself + tags!

1a. share the last sentence you wrote:

The words echo around his head and collide with his temples like truncheon blows.

2a. describe the wip you’re most excited about:

I’m excited for all of them, but I’ll go with my third BLFF fic. It’s very angsty, post-war, ABO, exes to lovers. It tackles heavy topics, it’s such an emotional fic. I’m so so excited for her (she comes out in January).

3a. share the piece of dialogue from one of your works you’re most proud of:

This is hard. But I’ll go with one from in a sea of mist cause the way Louis answers Harry... I love it:

“I feel like you want to kill me,” he pants out, using his right arm to hold himself up while his other hand comes up to rub at his burning cheek and nose, where Louis had hit him with the sole of his shoe.

“Before our date? No, never,” Louis blinks sweetly, chuckling and climbing up as Harry smiles to himself.

4a. share the best first and last lines from your work(s): I will do only those that are already published:

best first lines are from the hope that warbles in my fluttering breast: There, against the window, was stuck millions of snowflakes, their see-through quality no more as they huddled together, pushed against hard surfaces by the merciless wind.

best last lines are from in a sea of mist: It takes a while for Harry to go to sleep, elation pumping through his veins so fast that the previous tiredness he felt has flown out of the window. But when he finally focuses on Louis’ heavened out breathing, and when he breathes in Louis’ natural perfume that always acts as an ambrosia over him, he manages to close his eyes, and for the first time in a while, he dreams of a future that’s devoid of any darkness.

5a. link the last fic you read: currently reading sweet like honey by @falsegoodnight and Spoonful of Sugar by @zanniscaramouche and they’re absolutely amazing!

6a. link the last work you published: in a sea of mist

7a. link to your ao3 (if applicable): tomlinvelvet

8a. someone that inspires you: Louis <3 his music and just his personality overall leaves so much scope for the imagination. There are also so many writers (both non-fanfic writers and fanfic writers) that inspire me daily.

9a. a comfort fic/work that you’ve been grateful for this year: even the best laid plans and just a flicker in the dark both by @falsegoodnight as well as eyes off you by @soldouthaz ... these fics are just so amazing, everything about them is top tier

10a. other writers that you’d like to tag! @falsegoodnight @scrunchyharry @hadestyles @mercurial-madhouse @youreyesonlarry @raspberryoatss @jacaranda-bloom @soldouthaz @behisoneandonly @vintageumbroshirt @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed @lougendarey @quelquesetoiles <3 no pressure ofc!

#tagged #interaction

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maddie-grove · 3 years

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My Favorite and Least Favorite Books by Year (2010-2020)

2010

Favorite: A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce (beautifully detailed Industrial Revolution “Rumpelstiltskin” retelling)

Least Favorite: Pride/Prejudice by Ann Herendeen (published fanfiction of Pride and Prejudice, almost admirable in how efficiently it offended me)

2011

Favorite: Danse Macabre by Stephen King (entertaining exploration of horror genre, gave me a lot of ideas on what to read next)

Least Favorite: Sex Crimes by Jenefer Shute (promises a lurid story, definitely bummed me out but didn’t deliver)

2012

Favorite: Downtown Owl by Chuck Klosterman (fun but sad exploration of small-town life and death)

Least Favorite: Hawkes Harbor by S.E. Hinton (bad reworking of rejected Dark Shadows tie-in novel)

2013

Favorite: Reflections on the Magic of Writing by Diana Wynne Jones (great extensive collection of writings by interesting, complicated writer)

Least Favorite: Three Little Secrets by Liz Carlyle (romance where hero sucks big time and heroine gets raked over the coals for no reason)

2014

Favorite: The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan (sexy, fraught romance between all-time great heroine and hero who complements her in interesting ways)

Least Favorite: In the Wake of the Plague by Norman Cantor (brainless pop history by author who should know better, also my copy smelled like cigarettes)

2015

Favorite: The Fever by Megan Abbott (tense, beautifully written story of a town in crisis)

Least Favorite: Plainsong by Deborah Grabien (indulgent, Islamophobic tripe, not as clever as it thinks it is)

2016

Favorite: Gather Together in My Name by Maya Angelou (dynamic, funny, heartbreaking memoir)

Least Favorite: A Place We Knew Well by Susan Carol McCarthy (muddled, overly didactic historical novel)

2017

Favorite: Astray by Emma Donoghue (imaginative, affecting collection of historical short stories)

Least Favorite: The Basket Bride by Phyllis Coe (appallingly racist, often dull historical romance)

2018

Favorite: Breath by Donna Jo Napoli (retelling of “The Pied Piper of Hameln,” heartrending and vivid exploration of ableism and disability, and maybe my favorite book of the decade?)

Least Favorite: Fairest by Marissa Meyer (confused backstory for a series villain, can’t decide if she’s sympathetic or a dyed-in-the-wool monster)

2019

Favorite: The Wonder by Emma Donoghue (affecting and visceral story about faith and compassion)

Least Favorite: Easy Riders, Raging Bulls by Peter Biskind (badly organized and moderately sexist oral history of 1970s Hollywood)

2020

Favorite: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (a complex, exceedingly intelligent exploration of morality)

Least Favorite; The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden (overstuffed and dull YA novel)

#books #reading

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sabine-leo · 5 years

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Drunken truth...or What did I do

Author: @sabine-leo

ONESHOT

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston / reader

Wordcount: 2296

Warnings: Little Drunkenness , light swearing

Summary: Tom had a little to much to drink and needs your help!

Note: I don´t know where that came from, but it wanted to get onto paper!

Hunched over your laptop in a sparely lit livingroom you were gaping at the screen. You read the last paragraph for the 25th time and still could not comprehend what you had written. It probably would not get any better so maybe you should call it a night and start fresh tomorrow morning. Some people asked you if it got easier after your 6th book had been published but the true answer to that was NO, every book had it´s own challenges and not one had magically written itself.

You still were no were close to the deadline and had made good progress in the last weeks so it was fine if you didn´t pressure yourself tonight. After saving the file and shutting the power off you stretched and rolled your shoulders. It was late enough and you could hear your bed screaming your name. Getting up you went into the bedroom to change but half way to the bed your phone rang.

Before you could ask yourself who´d call at 1 in the morning the specific ringtone told you who it was. Tom. One of your best friends and London’s most wanted Bachelor, Actor Tom Hiddleston.

Walking over to your phone you thought it was odd for him to call so late. He did call regularly and had done so earlier too, but not in the middle of the night. Ok, you were some kind of night owl and Tom knew that but he was too polite and well-mannered to call at such a late hour…normally.

Picking up you asked

“Tom?” On the other and you heard muffled sounds and then a thud. You tried again.

“Tom??” scrambling…

“Hellloooo Darling…Jus a sec…I.. OUCH!” That did not sound like Tom, not in the slightest.

“…Bloody fence!” He swore, he never swore!

“Tom? Are you alright?” You asked now a little worried.

“What? Yeah…ye….no…I just..I just climbed me fence…shit my pants are ripped!”

And then he started to giggle…GIGGLE. Now you were really worried and went to get your coat and shoes. “Tom, where are you? At home?”

“No shit Sherlock! I jus to…told you��humped…no not humped.. JUMPED my fence!”

Was he drunk? Tom did drink sometimes but he never let it get out of hand. NEVER.

You had seen him a little bit tipsy but never actually drunk.

“Darlin…can you come over…I dunno where my keys are!” You heard him knock on a door and hoped he really had climbed over his own fence. Otherwise someone was in for a surprise!

“I´m on my way. Just sit down and wait for me. I´ll be quick!”

Tom chuckled “Sittin already…and bring the keys will ya?!” You actually heard him sliding down the wall and the little thud as he landed on his behind.

“Of course, I don´t want to climb your fence!” That made him chuckle again.

“But…I´d like to see your clothes ripped…Then again don´t wanna get you hurt…jus naked!”

Jep, he was clearly drunk and didn´t know what he was speaking. You were already on your way. Toms house was not that far away. “Love?” he asked. “hmm?” you replied walking at a clipped pace.

“I loooove to hear your voice!” He sighed. “…aaaaaand aand I should have told ya loooong agoo I do looov… Bloody hell I´m bleeding!” Oh boy, he was in for a big headache tomorrow, and what was he telling you in his drunken state??? You rounded the corner and keyed open his gate.

“Oh oh!” He said on the phone “Somo…some…someones coming!”

Now you had to laugh. “Who could that be?!” You couldn´t help but tease him.

“Ben´s Shhhh…Sheerlock..not me!” He hickuped and starred at the figure walking towards him. “Oh!!!” he exclaimed happy. You had put away your phone but he was still talking into his.

“It´s you…Hi You!” He grinned and waved a little unsteady. “Love, I have to go! You are here!” With that he put his phone down without ending the call and grinned up to you. He really looked dishevelled. He had leaves in his hair and his pants was ripped at the left knee down to his ankle.

He seemed to have cut himself superficially as far as you could tell in the half dark.

“Oh my! Let´s get you inside!” You held out your hands and Tom grabbed them both, but instead of getting up he tugged you down. With a little squeal you fell into his lap.

“Hi!” Tom grinned lopsided and wrapped his arms around you. You laughed a little as he tried to focus. “Hi yourself. Seems like you had a lot of fun tonight?!”

Tom huffed. “Nah, not as much fun as…as jus now!” He winked a little slow and came closer.

“You smell soooo nice!” He sighed. Ok, it was time to get up! He clearly did not know what he was doing or how much he affected you with his actions. Yes, you were friends, and had been for a while but there was always the potential, the sparks for more. But neither you or him had had time to explore it. You both had a lot ambition for your work and after a while you were to good a friend to ruin it with could be´s or sparks.

“Come on Tom, let´s get you inside. I need to look at your leg and there are plenty of leaves stuck in your hair!” Toms brows lifted and he touched his hair. “Whoops!” He grinned and plucked some out directly. You opened his front door first and then helped him get up. His suit was practically ruined because of his fence climbing. Inside you helped him out of the jacket and his keys fell out.

“HA…keys!” He laughed and looked at you with a boyish grin. “But…I´m not sorry I called you!”

He wiggled his finger in front of you and swayed a little.

Gladly he was a funny drunk you thought and helped him further inside and directly onto a chair in the bedroom. “Hold still, I´ll clean up your leg and see how bad you hurt yourself!”

Tom nodded, fiddling with the buttons on his dress shirt and watched you rummage around in the medicine cabinet he had in the bathroom.

“Could you take your pants off?” You asked as you gathered a wet cloth some ointment and band-aids . Tom grinned “Pants off…you want me naked too?”

You laughed. “JUST the ripped pants Tom!” Oh my, he was a hand full when he was drunk.

“To bad…” he huffed and you heard him shuffle. As you came back, he had gotten the shoes and pants off and sat there in his half open dress shirt and boxers. You cleaned his leg and saw that it really was only superficial. After you had tended to his wound you got up, but Tom had his hands on your waist and tugged you between his open legs. He could really not sit appropriately…

His head nudged your belly and stayed there as his arms tightened around you. He sighed softly and rubbed his cheek against your shirt which caused it to lift a little.

You tenderly touched his shoulders and stroked through his hair.

That way you got the last leaves out.

“What are you doing Tom?” you asked softly as he purred a little and kissed the skin of your belly.

You could not feel what you wanted to feel just now. He was drunk and not in a clear mindset.

Tom just hummed and his soft hands got under your shirt and roamed up your back.

“Tom?” Your voice was a little hoarse just now.

“Hmm?” He looked up and smiled.

“What are you doing?” You asked again and he grinned.

“Wanna hold you!” He said and smiled. “Aaaand.. kiss you!”

He was about to put his head UNDER your shirt, but you stepped away.

“Alright loverboy!” You grinned trying to regain your composure. “Time for bed!”

Tom looked at you, at the bed and then at you again! “YES!” He got up and ripped his shirt off. DEAR LORD!

“You…you get into bed. Not me!” You said as he walked over to you.

“But why?” He pouted.

“Because you had a little too much to drink. And you probably don´t know what you are doing just now.” Tom tilted his head “Oh yes, I know…” but you could not let him finish. You guided him to the bed and tilted him over with a little poke. Tom grunted “UNFAIR! I´m drunk!”

You started to laugh “Yes you are and you need to sleep it off!”

“But I wanna kiss you!” He huffed and sat up and slumped down again.

Already leaning in the doorframe, you turned and said

“If you still want to kiss me tomorrow you know where to find me!”

He probably would have no memory of you saying it anyways OR that he wanted to kiss you.

“Sleep well Tom!” You smiled and killed the light. You were not half way to the kitchen as you heard him snore already. Laughing to yourself you got a glass of water and some painkillers ready and placed it silently on his night stand.

“I want to kiss you too, but not when you are that drunk” You whispered and could not help but kiss his forehead before you left.

Tom woke up somewhere around 10 and his hand shoot up to his head. Searching for his glasses on the night stand he found the water and the painkillers instead. “Oh oh..” he murmured and sat up with a gasp. He downed the pills and looked around. His clothes lay over a chair, but the pants were ripped and everything was pretty dirty. He recalled the night as best as he could and swore more than one time as his memories eluded on him. After a shower he went into the livingroom and opened up his laptop. He keyed himself into the security camera and watched with horror what he had done last night. He knew he had called you but now he could see how he climbed- or better put fell- over his own fence, how he talked on the phone and slumped down near the door. He saw you coming to his aid and everything else he had done until you brought him inside the house.

A tea and a small breakfast later Tom sat on a chair in the kitchen and shook his head. What had he done? He had tried to kiss you… No, he HAD kissed your belly and he HAD tugged you close. He still could smell you when he closed his eyes. That was not how he had wanted to tell you. How could he now? He had messed up epically! Banging his head on the table he chastised himself. Had he ruined his chance to tell you how he really felt about you? That he did not want to be married to his work forever?

In the early afternoon you had to physically keep yourself from calling Tom to see if he was ok.

He probably just slept it off and did not know what had happened at all. You decided to proof read a chapter you had written yesterday. That would help keep your mind at ease. As you were about to start, your doorbell rang. You walked over and opened the door. In front of you stood Tom. A boyish smile on his face and a fresh picked flower in his hand. You smirked a little.

“You need to stop picking flowers out of MY garden before you come knocking on my door!”

Tom laughed “eheheh, sorry I will help you plant new ones!” He held the flower out to you and you took it. Opening the door fully you let him in and went into the kitchen. “I suppose the painkillers helped?” You asked grinning. Tom came in after hanging his jacket and taking his shoes of. He always did that.. “Yes, and I wanted to thank you for your help…” He followed you into the livingroom as you put the flower in a vase on the table.

“And I probably should say sorry for making you come over in the middle of the night!”

You shook your head and smiled. “Don´t, you would do the same if I would call you.”

He grinned. “Yes, but you never get more than tipsy so chances of me coming to your rescue are slim to none!” Leaning on the table you laughed “I thought that about you too…and look what you did!”

Tom ruffled his hair and came closer.

“Yes….about that…” He tilted his head and grabbed your hand with his…and the other one too.

You stood before him and looked up into his baby blue eyes as Tom guided your hands around his neck and let his own wrap around your waist.

“I really do still want to kiss you!”

His gaze went from your eyes to your lips and up again as he was waiting for a response.

It didn´t come, but your lips parted and your cheeks reddened as you gave the slightest tug to his neck. Tom smiled and closed the distance between you. His soft lips nibbled yours only so lightly before he settled more firmly against them and tugged you closer. He explored you slowly before his tongue grazed your lips to ask for entry. Your heart began to race and your skin tingled from the overload of sensation. Tom moaned hushed and deepened the kiss before he had to take a breath. He looked at you and the both of you started to smile.

“Hi!” Tom said like last night.

You laughed softly and stroked his neck “Hi yourself!”

@amazinggraces-world @drakesfiance @confessionsofastrugglingteen @inlovewithfreyamikaelson @heart-shaped-hell

@theoneanna @marikochi @xxxeatyourh3artoutxxx @awkwardfangirl2014 @rainbowsinthestorm @shegatsby

#tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston x reader #tom hiddleston fanfic #tom hiddleston fanfiction #hiddelstoners #tom hiddlestone fluff #tom hiddleston oneshot #twhiddleston #twh #thomas william hiddleston #fanfiction #drunk tom #hiddleston army #tom hiddleston fluff #fluff humor #tom fun

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lawrencedagstine · 3 months

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Days of the Dead Horror Convention: "The Nightmare Cycle" - Dark Owl Publishing

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nightowlgazette · 4 years

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Bela Lugosi Is (Un)Dead

Los Angeles is the home of entertainment, the beach, and even some specters that haunt some places that might make you feel like you’re in a classic horror movie. The place is known as the “City of Angels” might be filled to the brim with the ghosts of ages past. Especially those who have once graced the silver screen or even your TV screen at home.

Today, the city is best known for the bright lights, big stars, and the Walk of Fame that pays homage to many who have made a name for themselves in entertainment. But is there a spirit of some celebrity hanging around their star?

We may not be able to answer that question definitively, but what we can do is point you to the places that might.

With that, join us as we take a look at the Top 10 Most Haunted Places in Los Angeles.

10. Hollywood Forever Cemetery

First on the list is the cemetery that is the final resting place of many celebrities. With names like Mal Blanc, Fay Wray, Gary Golden and more, a stroll can quickly turn into a game of “you name it, they’re probably here”.

One of the known hauntings that most visitors have recounted was the sound of a woman crying by the lake that is located on the grounds of the cemetery. Some have said that the woman may have been that of Virginia Rappe. Rappe was a silent film actress who passed away in 1921. Her death was said to be linked to a fellow film actor named Fatty Arbuckle. While Arbuckle was cleared in the connection of her death, some historians beg to differ.

Many visitors have often found figures and apparitions milling around the cemetery grounds, with most of them wearing clothing from the periods of when they were still alive. So it may not be unusual to see a specter dressed like they were from the 1950s.

9. Hollywood Pantages Theatre

When charmed businessman Howard Hughes owned the infamous Pantages Theatre, he built a door that connected his office directly to one of the theater balconies, where he would go to think in the dark. Hughes’s ghost is a notorious workaholic, and is said to be seen in his former office on the second floor.

According to legend, during the restoration in 2000, people said they saw a man stepping off the balcony, walking along the scaffolding, and standing over a worker to inspect his work. When the guy turned to ask the man what he wanted, the figure vanished.

The Pantages is also host to a female presence who died during a show in 1932. Apparently, during a cast recording, microphones were set up in the theater and they heard someone singing in the mic when no one was on stage. Some say the woman who died was an aspiring singer who’s living out her unrealized dreams of performing at the Pantages.

8. The Culver Studios

The studio complex where such legendary Tinseltown films as Gone with the Wind and Raging Bull were filmed was built in 1918 by silent movie pioneer Thomas Ince. Ince died in 1924, after falling ill on newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst’s yacht during a star-studded cruise and dinner, celebrating Ince’s 42nd birthday. While the official cause of death was listed as heart failure, legend has it that Ince was actually shot and killed by a jealous Hearst, who was supposedly aiming at (and missed) Charlie Chaplin, who had eyes for Hearst’s mistress Marion Davies. Some say Ince’s ghost still shows up for work at his beloved former studio, and can be seen and heard walking through walls and criticizing management.

7. The Queen Mary

Famous for its Halloween event, Dark Harbor, but the Queen Mary in Long Beach is certifiably haunted according to the countless visitors who claim to hear voices and rattling chains during tours and overnight stays. The Queen Mary certainly has a past that’s ripe for modern-day hauntings. She started life as a luxury liner, setting forth on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, in 1937, and hosting everyone from Bob Hope to Winston Churchill. But when WWII began, the Queen Mary was drafted into service as a ferry ship, carrying thousands of troops into battle areas. The fancy lady was stripped of her chic facade, painted a camo grey and dubbed the “Grey Ghost.” After years of service in war, and at her majesty’s whim, the Queen Mary was eventually sold to a tour operator and sent to retirement in Long Beach, where she’s been a floating hotel and event spot since 1967. According to the late psychic and ghost hunter, Peter James, who led tours around the Queen Mary, almost all areas of the ship including the second class pool deck and engine room 13 are known to be haunted.

6. The Haunter Forest and Cobb Estate

Avid hikers will recognize this spot as the Sam Merrill trailhead, “a quiet refuge from people and wild life forever”—so reads the dedication on the cobblestone gate of the Cobb Estate. But to ghost hunters, it’s the Haunted Forest.

The sparse forest didn’t seem so haunted until the 1950s, when the Marx Brothers purchased the land and temporarily saved the dilapidated mansion from destruction—in the process turning it into a favorite haunt for squatters and ne’er-do-wells.

Today, you’re more likely to find curious teens at night wandering around what’s left of the house’s foundation; though ghost sightings are non-specific, many report ghostly noises on the surviving staircase and the feeling that they’re being watched in the dimly lit forest.

5. Griffith Park Old Zoo

A lot of people who may have heard or seen spirits will describe them as a man, woman, or child. But not every spirit might be of human form. The Old Zoo located in Griffith Park might be such a place where the spirits of even unhappy captive animals may be heard or possibly seen at night. By the daytime, it’s a really popular picnic area where friends and family can hang out and enjoy the day.

This was the first-ever zoo to be established in Los Angeles. And it was home to many lions, bears, monkeys, and several other animals. If you want to check out a place at night they might not be a walk in the park for the faint-hearted, this could be something to check out.

4. “The Entity” House

The Entity House might just look like some ordinary house located smack dab in the middle of suburban Los Angeles. But the home is known for having a story that was published into a book (and later adapted into a horror film that earned the house its name). The house was believed to the be sight of a series of hauntings with one victim recalling so many stories of each haunted happening.

While the story of “The Entity” may seem to live on forever in books and movies, the home may still have a story of its own to tell of things never been told. Are there spirits still haunting the home? What other stories that have yet to be heard that may have never been revealed in either the book or film adaptation? We will discuss the history of the home and the stories that have given it the reputation of being one of the most haunted places in all of Los Angeles.

3. Beverly Hills Bermuda Triangle

Even in the trendy neighborhood of Beverly Hills, there’s always a place that has some kind of strange presence. This part of 90210 is no stranger to some weird things. Billionaire and aviation enthusiast Howard Hughes was said to have crashed into a few homes in the neighborhood. Fortunately, Hughes survived the crash.

However, this area was also the site of a couple of high-profile homicides. One of them was the murder of Bugsy Siegel in 1947. Nearly sixty years later, a Hollywood publicist named Ronni Chasen was shot while driving in her car. She later died shortly afterward when she collided into a light pole as she attempted to flee the scene.

Over the years, some celebrities who came across this part of LA often found themselves in weird, if not, near-death situations. One such case was when musician Jan Berry of the 1960s group Jan and Dean was nearly killed in a car crash while driving and turning a sharp curve.

2. Hotel Roosevelt

Legend has it that the ghost of Marilyn Monroe still haunts her old stomping grounds. Until a few years ago, there was a famous mirror in the lobby where people would take pictures and claim they could see Marilyn’s reflection above them. The full-length mirror that once hung in Monroe’s poolside suite, and then in the lobby where it has since been removed. On the ninth floor, you can hear the late actor Montgomery Clift—who lived in suite 928 for three months while filming From Here to Eternity—practicing on his trumpet. During their stay, many guests have asked the hotel staff to tell the guest in the next room to stop playing in the middle of the night, only for the room to turn out to be vacat. What’s more? Lights and faucets are known to turn on and off on their own and the switchboard gets calls from vacant rooms.

1. Bela Lugosi’s Apartment

Bela Lugosi was another one of the acting greats in the horror film genre. For those that don’t know, his famous role was Dracula. It was known that Lugosi would always visit his favorite cigar shop every day on Hollywood Boulevard. When he died, the mortician could not have told a crazy story like the one of what happened while driving Lugosi’s body to the funeral home.

The funeral procession was supposed to go towards the cemetery in Culver City. However, the horses that were carrying the coffin had started to fight the driver. The driver wanted the horses to go right, however, the horses drew the hearse to the left. The horses went through oncoming traffic and down the boulevard. Turns out, Lugosi had gone daily to buy cigars and read the newspaper on Hollywood Boulevard. The horses stopped right in front of the shop that he frequented.

Some have said that Lugosi’s spirit may have played a role in that apparent incident. Possibly as a way to say goodbye to the place that he called home for much of his acting career. But ultimately, no one would ever be able to explain what really happened.

Eliot Wilde, journalist and writer for Night Owl and host of Night Owl FM

#vtm rp #article

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fairestfall · 4 years

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Can be used to get to know a bit about the person behind the screen!

TAGGED BY: snatched from @chainsxwsmile TAGGING: @shirebxrn, @menelvagorr, @skeksard, @thebestboye, @murkyhazed, && you!

1. FIRST NAME: I go by Ophelia online.

2. STRANGE FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: Much like a vampire, I have a physical aversion to sunlight. As a result, I am the palest person in any group at any given time.

3. TOP THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU FIND ATTRACTIVE ON A PERSON: Wide, genuine smiles, a voice that I can listen to for hours, and kind eyes.

4. A FOOD YOU COULD EAT FOREVER AND NOT GET BORED OF: Rubio’s fish tacos.

5. A FOOD YOU HATE: Tomatoes and any sort of cheese besides parmesan.

6. GUILTY PLEASURE: Besides gratuitous monster romance fanfiction? I still watch many of the cartoon series I grew up with as a child, such as Transformers Animated and Green Lantern the Animated Series.

7. WHAT DO YOU SLEEP IN: Either a nightgown or a band tee and baggy pants.

8. SERIOUS RELATIONSHIPS OR FLINGS: Serious relationships. Flings are exhausting, and when I date someone, I’m exploring a potential marriage.

9. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN THE PAST AND CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WOULD YOU AND WHAT WOULD IT BE: I would have chosen to become an English major a lot sooner and asked my mentor high-school teacher for advice. I also would’ve spent more time with my paternal and maternal grandfathers.

10. ARE YOU AN AFFECTIONATE PERSON: Very much so! If I’m comfortable with you, expect a lot of platonic cuddles and hand-holding.

11. A MOVIE YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN: The Dark Crystal & The Shape of Water.

12. FAVORITE BOOK: The Bible & my Edgar Allan Poe collection.

13. YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP ANY ANIMAL AS A PET, WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE: A wolf or an owl. Bats and rats are adorable, too!

14. TOP FIVE FICTIONAL SHIPS [IF YOU ARE AN RP BLOG, YOU CAN USE YOUR OWN SHIPS AS WELL]: For the purposes of this blog, I love @urskekyagvi‘s OC and Snow and what I’ve been plotting with @destructiveglitch. Overall, though, I love Razer/Aya from GLTAS, Bilbo/Thorin, Aziraphale/Crowley, Elisa/River God from The Shape of Water, Jack/Sally from A Nightmare Before Christmas, && orcs/happiness.

15. PIE OR CAKE: Pumpkin pie.

16. FAVORITE SCENT: Tobacco, smoke, pine, rain, ocean air, vanilla, pumpkin spice, and lavender.

17. CELEBRITY CRUSH: Does Edgar Allan Poe count?

18. IF YOU COULD TRAVEL ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU GO: Ireland or Monterey Bay, CA.

19. INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT: Introvert who forces herself to be an extrovert in order to make a living.

20. DO YOU SCARE EASILY: Not really. I’ve been watching horror movies ever since I was a child, and I’ve been through several extreme haunts.

21. IPHONE OR ANDROID: iPhone, just for the user-friendliness of the interface.

22. DO YOU PLAY ANY VIDEO GAMES: No, but I’ll never get tired of watching Markiplier play Five Nights at Freddy’s.

23. DREAM JOB: Scream queen or voice actor, published author, and college British Lit. professor.

24. WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH A MILLION DOLLARS: Pay for my sister’s college, restore my father’s camaro, donate to charity, and maybe see about getting into acting?

25. FICTIONAL CHARACTER YOU HATE: Strickland from The Shape of Water immediately comes to mind. Also, almost every Noldorian in Tolkien’s Silmarillion.

26. FANDOM THAT YOU WERE ONCE A PART OF BUT AREN’T ANY LONGER: I was a part of the Transformers fandom once upon a time with an OC, but I, unfortunately, found a lot of policing and cliques. I miss writing my OC, but I’m glad to be a part of this community now. You guys are all so warm and welcoming!

#{ out of the woods }

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bl00d4v4mps-com · 4 years

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💞✨my ~aesthetic~ over the last 10 {9} years✨💞

2010: boho skirts and tank tops and lots and lots of headbands but also graphic t shirts and short shorts. struggling artist tings. obsessed with macaroons and paris. kinda wants to move to london or new york to be a fashion designer.

2011: nerd chic but also apparently im “grunge” and edgy and emo i love hot topic. i want to be a book publisher.

2012: fully emersed in theatre. cat ears. acid wash jeans and flower crowns and owls and lots and lots of jewelry. think bethany mota and michelle phan. one direction stan. im gonna be on broadway.

2013: full on “im not like other girls” i chime in havent u ever heard of. MUCH NEON. i look liked a failed extra in the carrie diaries. also rachel berry. very much wanted to look like molly ringwald in pretty and pink and was VERY PRETENTIOUS. but also space buns and MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS.

2014: loom bands. loom bands. rompers. flower crowns. flower power. free spirit. #livelaughlove but also shut up im listening to the arctic monkeys. im an artist. ✌️ styel icon: alex russo in the tea party episode

2015: REALLY EMO AGAIN. also kpop stannie. if they wore it i wanted to wear iT FLANNELS FLANNELS FLANNELS LEATHER PANTS I LOVE DAN AND PHIL BUT ALSO ZOELLA. o2l 😳😳💞 still used the laughing emoji. dressed like she was in harry potter. heathers was quoted every day. i know like all the nirvana songs dude. im in love with lana del rey. fishnets and chokers. hearts under eyes like marina.

2016: IM NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS PEAK! only wore combat boots. black is not as dark as this girl’s soul. melanie martinez and mac demarco and the neighborhood and bts wow she was obsessed. read all YA books. esp mortal instruments. thought she was deep for reading 13rw. am i goth yet? sex pistols make me punk right????? yes i am a liberal. wait what’s a conservative again?! jennifer’s body changed my life

2017: dark academia. i am an intellectual. i have read donna tartt. i love the perks of being a wallflower. the smiths??? yes. joy division. i am better than you. black eyeliner!!! skins effie stannie. wished she was in teen wolf and gossip girl. carmilla😳 but also art hoe. yellow is da best colour. it’s FILM not MOVIE! but also got baddie at the end with giant hoop earrings and tear away pants and bejeweled chokers. RED LIPSTICK 24/7. let’s start a band. tyler the creator 😳frank ocean 😳anthony fantano ruined my life.

2018: yes i have better music taste than you. DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO GRETA Gerwig is??? wes anderson??? i dont think so. #brockhampton #localshows look at my golf le fleurs im so cultured. eyeliner to the max. RIOT GRRRL. white patent knee length boots. mini skirts. weird earrings. lucky charms cereal. painted jean jackets. gibson epiphone. guys come on already when is the revolution. fuck all republicans and democrats. i love contrapoints. think brie larson as ivy and knives in scott pilgrim had a baby.

2019: fur jackets. electric guitars. neon lights. tarot cards. cardigans. more big earrings. dark glossy lips. cowboy hat apprentiation. more is more. flowers and hearts all over the face. euphoria ✨ tricot 💞 lemon twigs. less pretentious but more niche interests. grandma long skirts and thriftef shoes. homemade jewelry and clothes. norman fucking rockwell. monster high girl come to life.

2020 predictions: more editorial make up. more horror disco. 60-70s makeup and hair but avant-garde clothes

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handlingthis-megara-blog · 5 years

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Megara Tilusi Gonzalez Egan – Character Sheet

i'm bad at love / but you can't blame me for tryin' /you know i'd be lyin' sayin' / you were the one / that could finally fix me / lookin' at my history / i'm bad at love / oh, you know, you know, you know, you know / i'm bad at love / i'm bad at love

i know that you're afraid / i’m gonna walk away / each time the feeling fades / each time the feeling fades / i know that you're afraid / i'm gonna walk away / each time the feeling fades

Archetype — The Adventurer Birthday — November 1, 1985 Zodiac Sign — Scorpio sun, Sagittarius rising, Gemini moon MBTI — ENTP Enneagram — 5: the Investigator Temperament — Melancholic Hogwarts House — Ravendor Moral Alignment — Chaotic Neutral Primary Vice — Greed Primary Virtue — Diligence Element — Earth

Overview:

Mother — Margaret Gonzalez Egan Father — Ahsan Egan (nee Haroun) Mother’s Occupation — Abandoned Meg, so who gives a fuck, right? (She’s a police officer, ex-military, random hc: she works with Copper, bc I always make everyone from Cork.) Father’s Occupation — Writer/stay at home dad. Family Finances — Not great, not terrible. Birth Order — Only child. Brothers — None. Sisters — None. Other Close Family — None, her father doesn’t talk to his family in India and her mother’s family was never in the picture. Best Friend — None. Other Friends — None. Enemies — Ninsun, but she also sorta likes her? It’s fucked up. Her ex--Canis Greenleaf. Pets — None, though Ninsun takes the form of a sandy colored Persian cat. Home Life During Childhood — It started out pretty good, when she was five, they moved to Iraq because of her mom’s work. (She was a technician for the military, high ranking, she wasn’t out in the field.) They moved back to Ireland when Meg was ten. Her mom left abruptly when she was thirteen. She found out later that her parents had been fighting for a while and it wasn’t as abrupt as she thought. Still, her mom didn’t even say goodbye to her or anything, so that sucked. She rebelled as a young teen, smoked, did (minor) drugs, etc, etc. Had a boyfriend at the age 13. Once she got into secondary, she settled down a bit because she was actually being challenged in school and really enjoyed herself. Town or City Name(s) — Cork, Ireland -- Baghdad, Iraq -- Cork, Ireland What Did His or Her Bedroom Look Like — Posters everywhere, always looked like a tornado had blown through. Oscillated between girly and punk. Any Sports or Clubs — Book club, chess club, football Favorite Toy or Game — Crosswords. Also Clue. Schooling — Went to public schools and military schools, got her undergrad at Dublin, masters at Oxford, PhD at Cambridge and then La Sorbonne. Favorite Subject — History Popular or Loner — Loner, but had a loyal group. Important Experiences or Events — Her mother leaving/getting accepted to school/living in Saudi/her experience with her ex Nationality — Irish Culture — an Irish/Indian/Middle Eastern hybrid Religion and beliefs — Spiritual, but doesn’t exactly have a religion, much to her father’s dismay.

Physical Appearance:

Face Claim — Summer Bishil Complexion — Golden/brown Hair Colour — Dark brown Eye Colour — Brown Height — 5’3 Build — short but kind of sporty/curvy Tattoos — probably one or two Piercings — ears, had a septum when she was younger, has a nose piercing. Common Hairstyle — usually down or in a high pony, occasionally a braid. Clothing Style — a little femme punk is probably the best way to describe it. Leather jacket, dark wash jeans, boots. Mannerisms — purses her lips a lot, can talk animatedly with her hands and body when she gets passionate about something, but tends to be rather still otherwise. Usual Expression —

Health:

Overall (do they get sick easily)? — not really? Travel always makes her a little sick though. Physical Ailments — well sometimes her eye sees into the underworld which can give her mad vertigo lol Neurological Conditions — none Allergies — none Grooming Habits — loves a good groom; treats herself to baths n face masks n such all the time Sleeping Habits — not so great these days, underworld nightmares, am I right? Eating Habits — good, she doesn’t eat beef, loves a good salad, a good curry, lots of protein and good for you food. Exercise Habits — tries to exercise regularly in a lowkey way, though she has gotten a little worse in the last few months. Emotional Stability — hot temper but tries to control it behind an air of indifference. Body Temperature — runs a little cold, especially these days Sociability — used to be much more extroverted than she is now. Extroversion is her natural setting. Addictions — knowledge. Drug Use — in secondary Alcohol Use — frequent

Your Character’s Character:

Bad Habits — abrasive, snarky, untrusting Good Habits — loyal af, self care af Best Characteristic — loyalty and being like a dog w a bone when faced with a problem. Worst Characteristic — not letting anyone in Worst Memory — finding Canis cheating Best Memory — going on her first dig! Proud of — her degree Embarrassed by — her feelings lol Driving Style — a lil reckless Strong Points — fierce, loyal, smart, a bad bitch Temperament — easy and quick to anger, always bitter Attitude — needs an adjustment Weakness — her heart and thirst for knowledge Fears — becoming invisible (not successful in her career, with no friends.) Phobias — none Secrets — so many Regrets — Canis. Feels Vulnerable When — she feels emotions for someone Pet Peeves — so many things but mansplaining is the original sin Conflicts — trust v preservation Motivation — being successful af Short Term Goals and Hopes — publish a book Long Term Goals and Hopes — be the best known in her field Sexuality — bisexual Day or Night Person — night Introvert or Extrovert — introverted extrovert Optimist or Pessimist — pessimist af

Likes and Styles:

Movies — Indiana Jones, The Mummy Movies--the classic archaeological films, of course. Also into horror movies and slashers, to the concern of her parents. Though, she also had a soft spot for certain romances: Titanic and Moulin Rouge. Her absolute favorite is Big Fish. Good luck prying that out of her. Books — loves books. Prefers nonfiction but can get into a good fiction. Magazines — none Foods — Indian food. The thing she always missed being away from home was her dad’s cooking. Drinks — Big water drinker. A water with a little lemon is her go to. Also, vodka with a little lemon. She’s not picky. Especially these days. What? She can hold her alcohol. Animals — Owls, or púcaí, which is an Irish creature that was always benevolent to Meg, since she was born on Puca day. Sports — loves a good game of football Social Issues — women’s rights, anything discriminatory she’s fiercely against Favorite Saying — some old middle eastern proverb probably Color — purples and pinks, they’re soft, lovely colors. She doesn’t wear them very often, but they’re definitely her favorites. She has like purple binders and a purple phone case, stuff like that, where you can definitely pick up on her favorite. Though, her favorite shade is probably a magenta kind of color, as that is what the “purple” of the ancient world would look like. She also is a big fan of turquoise and owns a lot of turquoise jewelry, both because she likes it and also because it has protective powers. Clothing — loves her leather jacket, wears lots of boots and darker colors. Jewelry — usually can be seen wearing a decent amount of jewelry. Games — clue is her fave, also likes word games and puzzle games, etc. Music — Dad rock. Loves KISS, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, The National, Counting Crows. Classics like Queen and the Beatles, etc. She also loves some good girl groups and artists. Definitely a fan of Florence and Beyonce, Elle King, Ginny Wigmore, Aretha Franklin, Christina Aguilera--I could keep going. She’s an avid music-consumer. Definitely that person that hung posters on their wall and was obsessed with certain band members and groups. Greatest Want — to be the very best, like no one ever was Greatest Need — to learn to trust in her heart

Where and How Does Your Character Live Now:

Home — Castle Suites Household furnishings — modern n chic, tho also lots of books Favorite Possession — probably her books Most Cherished Possession — the recipe book her dad gave her when she moved out the first time. Married Before — nope, was secretly engaged though Significant Other Before — a few dates here or there but she was always focused on her studies Children — god no Relationship with Family — she’s a daddy’s girl for sure, but they’ve been distant since the Ifrit. Car — none, she can drive tho Career — archaeologist/professor Dream Career — exactly what she’s doing Dream Life — exactly her life minus the huge betrayal and the Ifrit. Though, the Ifrit has its perks. Love Life — no. Talents or Skills — has access to pretty unlimited knowledge thanks to the Ifrit, but she’s hella smart on her own. Knows several languages, also really sharp reflexes. Intelligence Level — high Finances — stable

#about #inspiration #character sheet #my BABE #man i'm so ready

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