Hmmmm.... maybe some plates next time.....

random thoughts because I need Cyclonus and Co content (even if it is my own)

fellas. Would it be self-indulgent to rewrite idw2 so that all of Cyclonus’s friends survive and are subsequently integrated into the main plot

So looking at the few pages of content I have of Cyclonus and Co, why not randomly make up professions and stuff for them because I can?

Pre-war Gridlock would’ve been a manual laborer doing welding work for a living. Met Cyclonus during enlistment along with Grudge and Highfire. Post-war, assuming he survived, he probably would’ve decided to go back to university and get a degree in engineering during the subsequent rebuilding phase of Cybertron

Highfire was a low-level security guard for various ship depots and ended up meeting Cyclonus this way; they enlisted together in the war subsequently. After the war, she struggles a bit with reintegration but eventually joins up with the police force for a bit

Grudge worked on one of Cybertron’s early colonies as a trailblazer/scout/builder before returning back to the homeworld to settle back down and train other prospective colonists on interstellar survival- didn’t get that chance when the war broke out and he enlisted. Post-war, he bounces around for a little before getting into the rebuilding of Cybertron, cools off a bit and gets to mentor a new-spark, even.

Provoke is a stuntsman/sports videographer who doesn’t hold down jobs well- she bounces from place to place doing as she pleases before deciding to enlist at the start of the war and meeting Paragon, then the others. Post-war, she continues running odd jobs and cohabitates with Cyclonus and Paragon for awhile before being nudged back into videography.

Cyclonus is also involved with the expansion- he’s part of the conquest forces along with his mentor before something goes wrong and they’re forced to return to Cybertron, where he chooses to stay. He starts working security as well, where he meets Highfire and the war breaks out- postwar, he settles down with Paragon and supports him as head of his personal guard…

Paragon was a colonist in one of the rougher, more hostile, far-out colonies- after years of fighting for the land he chose to leave and settle back on Cybertron as an artist. After enlisting, he meets and falls in love with Cyclonus at one of the training camps. Post-war, having experienced the front lines and the expansionist age, he takes some time to think over his life choices and eventually runs for senator in one of Cybertron’s cities.

I’d also like to think that most, if not all of them would be neutral-decepticon leaning, missing the expansion era- though most of them will never officially affiliate with the Ascenticon/Decepticon movement. But they will all get back together as a team to safeguard Paragon during subsequent Decepticon takeover and negotiations. I’d like to think they make it all out fine- they deserve it :p

📘

Vern did not trust humans was the long and short of it.

Highfire by Eoin Colfer

finally temporarily shelved the book I’ve been struggling to finish and started the one I got myself for christmas, and boy is there a world of difference. I’m 200 pages in, it’s been less than a week. I started the other book in june.

Dear two-weeks-later @nimblermortal:

Highfire is by the Artemis Fowl guy, Eoin Colfer, and has a lot of the Artemis series hallmarks (humour, curmudgeons) but with a few more adult characters. The title character is a cranky centuries-old dragon who drinks slightly too much and deeply cherishes his Riverdance T-shirts - strong bachelor uncle energy.

The action kicks off when Squib Moreau, a burnout 15-year-old, finds his hiding place in the middle of the swamp and has to help fend off a sociopathic cop to keep the whole thing under wraps.

The whole thing is a lot of fun, with my only complaint being some overreliance on character archetypes.

The audiobook is read by Johnny Heller, who takes his job as a one-man play actor extremely seriously. He's got a great sense of place in a way I very rarely get in an audiobook (the book is set in the Louisiana bayou) and does a fantastic job of characterization. He's won 4 Audies, though he wasn't nominated for Highfire that I can find.

I'm too tired to write this as a proper fic, but just imagine the scene: Mulch Diggums' last bubbles propel him above the surface of the swamp, and he lands on Boar Island. Vern hears the commotion and comes out to see what the hell is going on, and finds an honest to god fucking dwarf buttoning up his bumflap. Mulch knew Vern would be there, of course, because Artemis mentioned it one time, and the dwarf just had to have a stickybeak. So there's Vern, taking a breath to roast the fuck out of this weirdass creature from the swamp, and Mulch just goes, 'Vern, buddy, looking well.'

Book rec for the masses!!

Highfire by Eoin Colfer

He wrote the Artemis Fowl series, a standout to my young self bc it was edgy and smart for a kids series.

Another of his books (a YA sci-fi I think) taught me the word “cellophane” which for some reason is an intensely vivid memory to this day.

The cover was highlighter blue tones, rendered in a way that felt shiny. I was in my first bed, my only bottom bunk bed frame until my current which I bought at 25. The mental image is a figure in a laboratory setting everything lit highlighter blue, they’re on a treadmill or something like one, and part of them is covered in a clear plastic. Cellophane.

Highfire is also edgy and smart and just read it look it up get the audiobook I linked if ur like me and have trouble focusing on reading print books idc torrent it I just think it’s damn good

There’s this specific style of writing I see in a lot of books I read these days and it’s like that faux-pretentious purple prose-y forced-introspective style. You know? You know the vibe? Like NORMAL pretentious purple prose-y introspective is fine because if it isn’t clashing with the story I’m reading I don’t care I vibe with it. But there’s a time and a place and either it’s the books I pick up or a trend but everyone is trying to do it and sometimes it just doesn’t work with the story being told. Sometimes the style and voice clashes a lot with the subject matter and makes me feel that disconnect. Like it’s fine to not use lots of metaphors and talk introspectively about identity and love and whatever sometimes it doesn’t have to happen.

WIP ☀️☀️☀️ #bluewaterclay #handbuilt #handmade #ceramics # clayart #plates #handcrafted #sanpedro #losangeles #losangelesart #socalartist #socal #dailyinspiration #dailyceramics #claycreations #playinthemud #ceramicsofinstagram #ceramicoftheday #makeart #makersgonnamake #highfire #cone10 #fire #hot #muddypaws #dailyinspiration #dailyart #photooftheday #picoftheday #loveart #artlover #california (at San Pedro, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CivoVvkPCZd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with 26 Dragon-y Books!

大家，新年快乐！Happy New Year, everyone! Today, February 10th, is Lunar New Year, and in many countries that use the lunar calendar, the new year to come is the year of the dragon, so we thought it’d be fun to share some of our favorite books featuring dragons! These books have a mixture of dragon type (some more Western, some more Eastern), and some are queer and some aren’t. The common theme is the prominence of dragons in the plot, because we LOVE dragons!

The Dragon of Jin-Sayeng (Chronicles of the Bitch Queen series) by K.S. Villoso

When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

Highfire by Eoin Colfer

After the Dragons by Cynthia Zhang

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

Copper Coins by Mu Su Li

The Tea Dragon Society (The Tea Dragon Society series) by K. O’Neill

Hands Off, Evil Dragon! by Kitty Roe Factory

Dungeon Meshi by Ryoko Kui

Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee

Wyrms: An Anthology of Dragon Drabbles by Eric Fomley

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath (Nampeshiweisit series) by Moniquill Blackgoose

The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos series) by Samantha Shannon

Seraphina (Seraphina series) by Rachel Hartman

Sorcerer to the Crown (Sorcerer Royal series) by Zen Cho

The House of Binding Thorns (Dominion of the Fallen series) by Aliette de Bodard

Wild Magic (The Immortals series) by Tamora Pierce

Dragon Slippers (Dragon Slippers series) by Jessica Day George

Dragon (Five Ancestors series) by Jeff Stone

Magyk (Septimus Heap series) by Angie Sage

Dragon Keeper (Dragon Keeper series) by Carole Wilkinson

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn (Eon series) by Alison Goodman

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Where the Mountain Meets the Moon series) by Grace Lin

Dragon-Ridden (Dragon Ridden Chronicles series) by T.A. White

His Majesty’s Dragon (Temeraire series) by Naomi Novik

In the Vanishers’ Palace by Aliette de Bodard

What are your favorite dragon books? We’d love to add to our list!

The contributors to list this are: @thechaoscryptid @owlouterbridge @hermit-writes @nursinggeek @unforth @Shadaras @hairasuntouchedaspartoftheamazon @tryslora and an anonymous contributor

I only make serious Cyc and Co content

Books Recs of 2024

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. Mystery/fantasy centered around Din, a young assistant investigator assigned to help an eccentric and infamous detective, Ana Dolabra, solve a series of murders. Din is an engraver, his brain altered so he has a photographic memory. However, no one is quite sure how he got his current position, since he failed every single one of his final exams except the combat portion. Ana is an exceedingly odd woman who refuses to go to any crime scene in person and often performs mad science experiments in her spare time. As Din struggles to keep up with the case, which revolves around a bioweapon being unleashed on a series of the empire's best engineers, he also worries what will happen when Ana finally uncovers his secrets.

Highfire by Eoin Colfer. Urban fantasy (very comedic fantasy) about a dragon called Vern (short for Wyvern), who teams up with a juvenile delinquent named Squib (real name Everett Moreau) to take down a corrupt sheriff who is plaguing the Lousiana bayou. Vern is a very small (seven feet long) dragon who is the last of his kind (as far as he knows). When he is spotted by a local troubled teen, his first instinct is to hunt Squib down and kill him, but he quickly realizes the two of them have a common enemy- the murderous sheriff who is running drugs through their territory.

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi. Magical realism about a romantic-minded art historian who is swept off his feet by a mysterious and charming heiress. After a whirlwind courtship, the happy couple return to her childhood home; a Gothic manor on a lonely island. The more time our narrator spends around his wife's past, the more questions are raised- increasingly sinister ones about who she is and what exactly she is capable of. Once upon a time, she was best friends with an equally odd and dreamy little girl named Indigo. But no one has seen Indigo for many years now- and the Flower Bride may be behind her disappearance.

Chlorine by Jade Song. Horror/magical realism. Since childhood, Ren's entire identity has been wrapped up in swimming. If she can be strong enough, fast enough, special enough, success is sure to come her way. As the end of high school approaches, Ren's passion for swimming becomes less about her future, and more about past legends of mermaids and sirens dragging sailors into the deep. School, friends, and her parents' expectations all fall away- Ren will make her home in the water, no matter what she has to do.

We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride & Jo Piazza. Realistic fiction. Jen and Riley have been best friends for as long as they can remember, despite their vastly different childhoods. Riley is from a middle class Black family; Jen was raised by an impoverished white single mother. After twenty years of doing almost everything together, their lives are at a crossroads- Riley is a news anchor about to take Philadelphia by storm, while Jen is expecting her first child with her police officer husband. When Jen's husband is involved in the murder of a Black teenage boy by a fellow officer, Riley finds herself expected to cover the story- and Jen finds herself expected to answer for her husband's actions- and her own beliefs about what racism looks like.

Queenpin by Megan Abbott. Crime thriller/noir. Our nameless heroine lives a mousy existence working as a bookkeeper for a rundown local night club, but her life is turned upside down when the infamous Gloria Denton, a gun moll and smuggler, takes her under her wing. Gloria transforms her young protege from a timid girl to a sophisticated, cunning woman capable of handling gangsters, conmen, thieves, and bookies, but when she falls for the wrong man, her relationship with Gloria is strained, and they must decide just how far they can trust one another.

Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen. Historical fiction. Based on the real life trial of Katharina Kepler, mother of the famed Johannes Kepler, Imperial Mathematician to the Holy Roman Empire. Katharina is a busybody, a domineering and devilishly clever woman with a particular talent for healing. She is also a fiercely loyal mother to her adult children, but when an old neighborhood grudge flares into accusations of poison and witchcraft, Katharina is determined not to meekly confess and beg pardon. The more she lashes out at her neighbors and the authorities, the more charges begin to pile up against her- despite her son's desperate attempts to save her from torture and execution.

Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott. Crime thriller/noir. Based on a real life murder case in 1931 Phoenix Arizona. Naive and sheltered Marion Seeley is deposited in Phoenix by her disgraced doctor husband, who is forced to take a job with a mining company in South America after his medical license is revoked. Marion befriends the vivacious Louise and Ginny, two fellow nurses, who introduce her to the underground party scene in Phoenix. Politicians and businessmen flock to the secret parties held by them, and it's a quick way to make money on the side. Drawn in by the luxury and thrills, Marion falls in love with Joe Lanigan, a powerful local politician, but as their affair intensifies, her friendship with the other women fractures, culminating in a gruesome crime.

Roger Taylor live at the Wulfrun Hall in Wolverhampton, UK - March 30, 1999

Fan Stories

“I'll never forget the night I saw Brian and Roger at Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall, my home city (well, actually, it was a town then, we didn't become a city until the end of 1999!). It will stay with me forever, although I live in hope they will return one day with some new material! We had no warning in advance about Brian coming, not even as a guest just to watch. The band arrived quite late on at the venue (well, I'm not sure if it was late but it was getting on for 5pm I think), they didn't mention it but we heard them soundchecking 'Rock And Roll' and according to legend one of the roadies told someone that BHM was coming when they asked if there was a special guest. We thought it was going to be Robert Plant as he lives nearby, about ten miles out of the city. It certainly wasn't going to be one of Slade, lol! We weren't let into the venue until really late and when we got in we could see tinkering with some AC30's by someone that looked suspiciously like Pete (BHM's roadie). He had a really naff rain mack on and was desperately trying to hide the Red Special underneath it. Well, it looked remarkably like the nick of the RS! Nobody knew for sure that Brian was going to be there, most people seemed oblivious to Pete being there even. My mate said maybe someone was going to play an RS copy but I told him he was being silly. The set list was different to usual and I was waiting for Brian every time they played a Queen song. When he eventually emerged (dodgy shirt!) for 'Under Pressure' the place went mad. In between 'Under Pressure' and 'Rock and Roll' he did say something which was lost in the moment but listening to the recording of the night sounds like 'Lot of fun, init?'. The roar was immense. When Roger announced they were going to do something from the past I was hoping it was going to be an early Queen track, I suppose I should have guessed it was 'Rock and Roll' having heard the sound check. The final moment of the evening brought us 'Radio Ga Ga' and I have to say it was one of the better moments of my life seeing two of my heroes up on stage and being part of the mass of people doing the hand movements. I missed the real Queen, but this was the next best thing for me. Treana's guitarist (Alden Evans?) looked totally swept away being on stage with Brian. Mind you, wouldn't you be? Apparently Brian arrived in a VW Camper van and was mobbed when they left afterwards, leaving Roger to walk to his mode of transport almost unnoticed! It was just after this that Roger announced they were going to do some new stuff (still waiting...) but events around that time seem to have led to the musical and the current status of tour rumour. I walk by the Wulfrun quite often and I can never get that night out of my mind. I was buzzing for weeks, months afterwards, even now it sends a shiver down the spine. Wonderful!” - Dave

“Arrived with Cathy Highfire (many many thanx to Cathy for driving and even suggesting going to Wolverhampton) around 11.30 and joined up with the small queue (Hi Sandie, Kevin & Lisa). Quite a subdued wait, until the gorgeous Treana was spotted getting off the bright orange Tour Bus. A mass exodus followed to greet Treana, who as always was extremely charming. Managed to get the Surrender 7" signed by her and also a 9"x6" photo that I took during her fantastic performance at the Leadmill. Had a very brief chat with her, which resulted in her telling me that she was enjoying the tour, although it was very tiring. She then mentioned that we were in for a treat in tonight's performance (teasing us with the line 'That's if HE turns up'). Who could this special guest be?????? Waiting for RT to turn up at the soundcheck, we discussed the special guest. Could it be local boy Noddy Holder (Surely not!) or a repeat performance from Uncle Bob Geldof?????. Our suspicions were roused when the band started to intensely rehearse Led Zep's 'Rock and Roll', and we all jumped to the conclusion it could be local lad Robert Plant. We just had to wait and see. RT once again managed to slip into the soundcheck (at around 6.15pm) with only a couple of clipboarders getting autographs. Then no sooner had we heard the soundcheck, it was time to be let in. AAAAArrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhh. Very annoyed to be extensively searched before going in and finding that the doors to the hall were actually locked and we had to congregate in the bar next door. After all those hours of queuing, a disorganised array of fans was waiting impatiently to get in. Finally we were let in and rushed to the front. Phew managed to get there OK. We then had to endure a 90 minute wait before Treana came on to do her routine set. Absolutely storming as usual. If you've not seen this lovely lass weave her magic spell with that fantastically powerful voice, then you must!!!!!!!!!!. Long may she continue. With an empty stage, and lights back up, tension was mounting with the crowd for the arrival of RT, which we all knew to be imminent. The suspicions of the special guest were roused even more, when there was some tinkering with a vox amp and a very familiar guitar being tuned (with the technician trying not to show the guitar to us). The tension became greater when the lights dimmed and an aural opening of someone entering a room and turning on the electric fire, at which the cue of strobe lights and the fire on the stage backdrop lighting up. The drums of We Will Rock You belted out with Prior and RT behind his Sleishman drum kit thrashing out that familiar beat. Moving down to centre stage, RT (wearing that same jacket and Armani shirt) took to the raw and vibrant vocals (this time word perfect); a somewhat more energetic performance than that of BM in '98. Still a storming show opener. Then it was straight down to recent times with Pressure On, Haircuts and Believe in Yourself, with the crowd getting behind the lyrics of Haircuts and pointing at RT during 'You're so f**king cool', with which RT pointed to us all on the front row, smiling away. Roger particularly enjoyed the green pair of skimpy knickers thrown at him by Lisa of Newcastle during I Want To Break Free ("This ones for John Deacon" - RT), which he duly picked up and threw at Jason Falloon ("rhymes with Balloon" - RT), laughing. Treana joined RT for London Town and Surrender and then they were off. RT managed to shed those shades for the 1st encore, which consisted of I'm In Love With My Car and Strange Frontier, which Cathy and probably most of the females, screamed uncontrollably.

For the 2nd encore, RT announced that he "found someone wandering outside" and duly announced... "Mr Brian May!!!!!", who entered (wearing another very loud shirt) the stage to a receptively large applause. A quick friendly gesture with RT and then straight down to business, with Under Pressure (Treana once again with immense vocals). Then it was onto Rock And Roll (in place of Happiness), with BM taking his 'normal role' of lead guitarist and letting RT have all the limelight. Finally the superb set ended with Radio Ga Ga, finishing another great performance (fuelled by the appearance of BM). Good to witness RT + BM back on stage together again. The sound was awesome, although a little distorted sometimes at its' loudest. My ears are still ringing the day after!!!!!!!!!!!!” - Dr. Andy Green

(x)

I don’t want a ‘superviolent’ Artemis Fowl book, that’s just what Eoin Colfer said. He literally said it would be ‘superviolent’, and compared the concept to Old Man Logan. I would imagine he just meant it would be more like his drink dragon book Highfire. Some characters would swear (and most Artemis Fowl characters already did via D’Arvit), and when the villain is killed he can actually describe the violence a little bit more, mention blood. Slightly raised stakes. Calling it ‘superviolent’ would just be his way of raising hype for it down the line.

While I understand where you’re coming from, the reality is that as recent as a week or so ago (according to @shortace ‘s account, as I recall), Eoin said he has ‘retired’ the Fowls. Thus, as it stands, this supposed series isn’t planned to actually exist at the moment, according to the most recent information. Perhaps it was a potential at some point (though I doubt it), but at the moment, it is not.

All of this, again, also fails to acknowledge that Artemis Fowl is a Disney property, and Disney isn’t going to invest in ‘superviolent’ fiction. That’s out of Eoin’s hands.