#reimagined in nine different ways series
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Naomi Novik's incredible, brilliant, stupendous "Temeraire" series
One of the finest pleasures in life is to discover a complete series of novels as an adult, to devour them right through to the end, and to arrive at that ending to discover that, while you’d have happily inhabited the author’s world for many more volumes, you are eminently satisfied with the series’ conclusion.
I just had this experience and I am still basking in the warm glow of having had such a thoroughly fulfilling imaginary demi-life for half a year. I’m speaking of the nine volumes in Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series, which reimagines the Napoleonic Wars in a world that humans share with enormous, powerful, intelligent dragons.
https://www.naominovik.com/temeraire/
If you are like me, this may not sound like your kind of thing, but please, read on! Novik is a gifted, brilliant storyteller, and even if you, like me, had never read a tale of naval or aerial battles that didn’t bore you to tears, you should absolutely read these books, because I have never been so gripped by action sequences as I was by Novik’s massive military set-pieces.
Likewise, if you’re not a fan of dragon fiction — I’m not, though I do enjoy some heroic fantasy — or talking animal stories (ditto), you owe it to yourself to read these books! Novik’s dragons straddle the line between fantasy and sf, with decidedly nonmagical, bioscience- and physics-grounded characteristics. In the hands of a lesser writer, this can be deadly, yielding an imaginary creature that is neither fantastic nor believable.
But Novik’s deft handling of her dragons — variegated in biological characteristics, sociological arrangements, and umwelt — renders them as creatures both majestic and relatable, decidedly inhuman in outlook but also intensely likeable characters that you root for (or facepalm over, or sometimes both — a delicious sweet-sour cocktail of emotions!).
Finally, if you’re not a fan of historical fiction — again, as I am not! — you should absolutely get these books. Novik is an exhaustive researcher with a gift for rendering the people and circumstances of the past simultaneously comprehensible and unmistakably different, making the past “a different country” indeed, but nevertheless a place whose contours can be firmly grasped and inhabited.
In other words, Novik has written a work of historical-military fiction with dragons in it that I enjoyed, despite having almost no interest in historical fiction, military fiction, or high fantasy. She did this by means of the simple trick of being consistently and variously brilliant in her execution.
First, she is brilliant in the themes that run through these nine volumes: the themes of honor, duty and love, and the impossible dilemmas that arise from trying to be true to yourself and others. Captain William Laurence — the sea captain who finds himself abruptly moved into the dragon corps — is a profoundly honorable man, bound by the strictest of mores. Nominally, Laurence’s moral code is shared by his fellow gentlemen and officers, but where most of the world — all the way up to the Lords of the Admiralty — pays lip service to this code, Laurence truly believes in it.
But there is something of Godel’s Incompleteness in Laurence’s Georgian morality, in that to be completely true to his ethics, Laurence must — again and again, in ways large and small — also violate his ethics, often with the most extreme consequences imaginable at stake. Novik spends nine volumes destruction-testing Laurence’s morality, in a series of hypotheticals of the sort that you could easily spend years arguing over in a philosophy of ethics seminar — but these aren’t dry academic questions, they’re the stuff of fabulous adventure, great battles, hair’s-breadth escapes, and daring rescues.
Next, there is Novik’s historicalness, which is broad, deep, and also brilliantly speculative. Novik has painstakingly researched the historical circumstances of all parts of Napoleonic Europe, but also the Inca empire, colonial Africa, settler Australia, late-Qing China, and Meiji Japan.
It would be one thing if Novik merely brought these places and times to life with perfect verisimilitude, but Novik goes further. She has reimagined how all of these societies would have developed in the presence of massive, powerful, intelligent dragons — how their power structures would relate to dragons, and how the dragons would have related to colonial conquest.
The result is both a stage that is set for a Napoleonic War that is recognizable but utterly transformed, a set of social and strategic speculations that would make for a brilliant West Point grad seminar or tabletop military strategy game or an anticolonial retelling of imperial conquest, but is, instead, the backdrop for nine exciting, world-spanning novels.
Next, there’s Novik’s action staging. I have the world’s worst sense of direction and geometry. I can stay in a hotel for a week and still get lost every time I try to find my room. I can’t read maps. I can’t visualize 3D objects or solve jigsaw puzzles. Hell, I can barely see. Nevertheless, I was able to follow every twist and turn of Novik’s intricate naval/aerial/infantry battles, often with casts of thousands. Not just follow them! I was utterly captivated by them.
Next, there’s Novik’s ability to juggle her characters. While these novels follow two main characters — William Laurence and the dragon Temeraire — they are joined by hundreds of other named characters, from Chinese emperors to the Sapa Inca to Wellington to Napoleon, to say nothing of the dragons, the sea captains, the Japanese lords, the drunken sailors, the brave midshipmen, and so on and so on. Each one of these people is distinct, sharply drawn, necessary to the tale, and strongly individuated. I am in awe (and not a little jealous). Wow. Just wow.
Finally, there’s Novik’s language: the tale is told primarily through Laurence’s point of view, which is rendered in mannered, early 19th century English. Again, this is the kind of thing I usually find either difficult or irritatingly precious or both — but again, it turns out that I just hadn’t read anyone who was really good at this sort of thing. Novik is really, really good at it.
At the end of one summer, years ago, I ran into Vernor Vinge at a conference and asked him how he was doing. He lit up and told me he’d just had one of the best summers of his adult life, because he’d started it by reading the first Terry Pratchett Discworld novel, and had discovered, stretching before him, dozens more in the series. It was an experience he hadn’t enjoyed since he was a boy, discovering the writers that preceded him.
As I read the Temeraire books, I kept returning to that conversation with Vinge. I listened to the Temeraire books as audiobooks, downloading them from Libro.fm and listening to them on my underwater MP3 player as I swam my daily laps. Simon Vance’s narration truly did the series justice, and I could only imagine how complex it must have been for Vance and his director to juggle all the character voices, but they pulled it off beautifully.
I normally read pretty widely, but almost always within a band of themes, settings and modes that I’ve specialized in. This can be a very satisfying experience, of course. Last year, I read dozens of fantastic books that were in my wheelhouse, for all that that wheelhouse is an extremely large one:
https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/01/bookishness/#2022-in-review
But reading against type, outside of one’s comfort zone, yields new and distinct delights. The Temeraire series joins the very short list of heroic fantasy novels that I count among my all-time favorites, along with such marvels as Steven Brust’s Vlad Taltos/Jhereg series:
https://memex.craphound.com/2017/10/17/listen-up-you-really-owe-it-to-yourself-to-read-15-vlad-taltos-novels-seriously/
Brust is tremblingly close to finishing the Vlad books, which I started reading as a 13 year old and have been devouring ever since. I can’t wait for the final volumes to come out, so I can binge-read the whole series from beginning to end.
There are so many good new books coming out every month, and it can feel like a disservice to those writers to indulge in backlist reading, but there is a lot to be said for revisiting beloved works of decades gone by. I am so glad to have read Temeraire at last — I haven’t been this excited to read something I missed the first time around since I read Red Mars 12 years after its initial publication:
https://memex.craphound.com/2004/05/28/red-mars-a-very-belated-appreciation/
[Image ID: A grid showing the Penguin Random House covers of the first eight Temeraire novels by Naomi Novik.]
#pluralistic#books#reviews#history#alternative history#alternate history#nautical fiction#aerial combat#napoleonic wars#gift guide#audiobooks#naomi novik
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Call It What You Want: Chapter 2 - let me put my lips to something
Pairing: Frankie Morales x female reader (she’s Tom Davis’ half-sister, however there are no physical descriptions)
Summary: Tom Davis’ younger half-sister never expected to move back to Florida, but eight months after her brother’s untimely death and in the wake of her, in hindsight, ill-advised marriage ending, here she is. Frankie Morales is trying to get it together after his relapse on returning to Florida led to the breakdown of his relationship. His priorities now are finding his own place so he doesn’t need to sleep on Pope’s couch, maintaining sobriety, spending more time with his daughter and getting his pilot’s licence back. So when the two of them end up sharing an apartment, it seems like the ideal solution. However, things are never that simple, are they?
Chapter Warnings: Minors DNI (18+ only), language, discussions of drug abuse and addiction, allusions to a previously abusive relationship (not detailed or specified), discussions of death, PTSD.
Notes – thanks for your patience with this one. The chapter title is from Eat Your Young by Hozier.
Word Count: 4.8 k
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Frankie
Frankie curls his hands around the paper cup, his feet tapping the floor. He’s been thinking about flying again.
It’s been more than nine months since he flew last and he’s not even sure if he should count Colombia. If the helicopter crashes and everything turns to shit, are those miles you want to log?
If he’d just been firmer, if he’d realised Tom was lost in dollar bills and they were all heading the same way. He was the one who’d been to flight school, he knew the weight was a problem.
He could have stopped it.
He could have been slower to the trigger; he could have done it all differently.
No.
No, this was spiralling. This isn’t healthy. Frankie straightens in his chair, takes a deep breath.
If he was more like Will, he’d probably know exactly what number NA meeting this was now. Whatever number it is, it’s too many.
The meeting finally draws to a close. Finally!
Frankie is not sharing today. He has, in the past, but it’s been carefully selected. Frankie offers a creative reimagining of his relapse that removes all criminal liability from the events of the past year, to protect the people he has left. Besides, how would he even start to explain what had happened to anyone who wasn’t there?
It’s frustrating sometimes. He hears people share about terrible childhoods and difficult upbringings and all these things that somehow don’t legitimatise addiction but explain it.
Frankie Morales grew up with loving, if a little stifling, parents and no deep dark childhood trauma. He supposes the army is where it all started to change.
What a fucking cliche.
Maybe you can never really come back from who they make you. He thinks of Will’s paid speeches, of the way he just owns the fact they’ve been trained to manipulate, assess, take your emotions out of the equation. They don’t die though; they just get locked away and weigh heavier and heavier.
Frankie understands how the meetings help him overall, why they’re important but sometimes they don’t work. Sometimes all they do is make him feel like he shouldn’t be there, or they pull his weaknesses out in front of him like teeth with pliers. It’s bloody, painful, unnecessary. Every one of his ghosts will sit in the room with him on those days, silently judging.
Frankie takes a deep breath, shuts his eyes, and tries to pay attention to the rest of the meeting.
Frankie pushes Gaby on the swing further, waving at Santiago as he approaches.
The meeting this morning was rough, but Frankie’s already feeling better. He has his daughter with him gleefully smiling and laughing in the playground. He has one of his best friends back, things are starting to look up. He’s making it through this.
Santiago walks over, slaps his hand on Frankie’s back. “Oh, I see how it is,” he jokes, casting his eye around the playground which is filled with the usual crowd of mothers and possibly nannies. Like Frankie can tell the difference. “Hey princesa,” he adds, smiling at Gabby who beams up at him.
“She chose the park,“ Frankie says.
Santi smirks before asking, ”How’s the apartment working out?”
“It’s good. Glad to have my own bed again, fuck I’m too old to crash on sofas.”
“Tell me about it. Are you getting on okay with Tom’s sister?”
“She has a name.”
“Hey, I like her! Look, Frankie, Molly says she asked questions about what went down with Tom, before she moved out of there so just - be aware of that, okay?”
Rain and storms and too much fucking weight on the helicopter flash through Frankie’s mind. He shouldn’t have listened to Tom; he should have been assertive. That’s always been his problem though, that’s what his dad says, he goes along with the crowd. At school, in the army, with Santi and Tom?
Frankie digs his hands into his pockets. “She hasn’t mentioned shi - anything about it to me, barely mentions Tom actually. I get the sense they weren’t close.”
“Sounds about right. You ever hear Tom talk about her?” Santi scoffs. “Families.”
Frankie looks at his daughter. He thinks of Melissa, how they prioritise Gaby. It hurts, the life he could have had with them and the ideas that died with his relationship. They’re still close to friends though, they look after Gaby. Frankie let both of them down but neither of them have given up on him.
He thinks about what Santi’s just said. Tom barely ever mentioned his sister, barely ever seemed to even talk to you. It’s weird.
He pushes Gabby on the swing, listens to her happy squeals.
“Can we grab a coffee?” Santi asks, “I’m fu - freaking exhausted.”
“Sure,” Frankie says. He seems to remember the bookstore and coffee shop you work in is a short walk from the park and without thinking about why, he suggests that particular coffee shop rather than the Starbucks down the road. It’s better to support small businesses anyway, right?
It’s different watching you to work to seeing how you are at home. You’re wearing a loose black t-shirt, with a band logo Frankie vaguely recognises but can’t quite place.
When you see the three of them, you smile widely. Frankie’s introduced Gabby to you once when Melissa dropped her off at the apartment. Frankie thinks that she wanted to just verify the apartment was as she hoped, and that she could see Frankie was making the right moves.
He’s trying.
The day after that visit she had texted Frankie to say he could have Gabby overnight there next week if he wanted. He’d spent the rest of his shift beaming and wouldn’t tell anyone why.
You smile at Frankie and Santiago when they walk up to the counter.
Frankie lifts Gabby out of her stroller, balances her on his hip so she can see the counter. Her tiny hands clutch around Frankie’s shoulder and she reaches for Frankie’s cheek.
“Hey guys, and good morning, Gabby,” you say as Gabby giggles and then buries herself in Frankie’s shoulder.
“How’s the bookstore and coffee world?” Santi asks, that wry smile Frankie recognises all too well on his face. His voice is honeyed, his whole face has lit up in a way that Frankie’s watched so many girls fall into blushing giggles over. Frankie’s never quite been able to do that; it’s not that he’s necessarily had issues attracting women, and God that feels arrogant to think, it’s more that of his group of friends, well it’s hard to compete with them sometimes.
“Same as ever,” you say breezily, “Where’d you end up then, the park or the zoo?”
“Gabby chose the park.”
“Atta girl. So, what can I get you?”
“An Americano and then another Americano with one extra shot of coffee, right Frankie, and a-” Santi looks over at Gabby and then Frankie expectantly.
“She’s not even two, Santi, she’s not drinking coffee.”
“Hey, I’ve seen how much coffee you drink, I’m surprised that’s not genetically built into her.“
Frankie laughs, but his hairs stand up on his neck. He’s thought about it a lot already - what if his daughter inherits his addictive personality, how can he do that to her.
“Babycino?” you ask suddenly, breaking him out of his reverie, “I’m guessing she’s too young for hot chocolate?“
“Yeah, yeah, that would be great, thanks.”
“No problem, give me two minutes.”
You turn away and start making the drinks as Santi reaches for Gabby’s hand, smiling at her widely.
“You settling in okay?” Santi asks you as Frankie tries to distract Gabby from the cakes in the display.
“Yeah, things have been good,” you say cheerfully, handing the first coffee to Frankie. “I’m taking it you’re the extra shot, Frankie?”
Frankie nods.
“How much do I owe you?” Frankie asks, placing his cup down so he can reach for his wallet cautiously as Gaby squeezes around his neck. He doesn’t want to disturb her too much, doesn’t want to show how awkward this position is for him.
“It’s fine.”
“No, no, I can -” He can’t take advantage of his roommate like this.
“Eh, roommate and friend discount,” you say casually, handing Santiago his takeaway cup of coffee and Frankie a small cup of steamed milk for Gabby; this must be the babycino, Frankie thinks.
“What about her?” Santiago asks, pointing at Gabby who grins widely from Frankie’s arms.
“Oh, like I could charge her anything,” you reply, smiling back at Gabby and then meeting Frankie’s eyes. “You’ve got a special kid there, Frankie.”
“Don’t I know it,” he replies, kissing Gabby’s forehead. “Say thank you for your - I can’t call this a babycino, seriously. Drink, can you say thank you for your drink, honey?”
His daughter giggles and says her version of thank you. Frankie watches how it makes you smile, how he’s noticed when you it’s genuine, you scrunch your nose.
“We’ve got some new books in that she might enjoy,” you say, “If you want to get any of them, let me know and I can use my staff discount.”
“You’re not offering me a book discount?” Santiago asks.
“I just gave you a free coffee! You can afford to pay full price so I can keep my job. Gabby is too young to have an income.”
“That’s not fair,“ Santiago says.
“Life isn’t,” you say lightly, winking at Frankie and then moving on the next customer.
There’s something about you. It draws him in, makes him want to ask more, know more about you. You seem so light around him, Benny and the others and Frankie knows there’s more to you than that. He can see it.
That’s the thing - you can always see it in others, those matching scars and insecurities. It’s a honing beacon, it’s as visible in a stranger’s eyes sometimes as if you are wearing the same football team shirts. We’re the same, it says.
You’re not though. He knows who he is. Frankie is failure and disappointment and regret, all handily tied together in faded t-shirts and too long hair.
Frankie is why your brother is dead.
Frankie is why the mission failed. Santi needed a pilot, one who would stand up and see if the helicopter was too heavy and not back down, who wouldn’t shoot first.
He can be your friend though, surely?
Santi doesn’t say anything to Frankie until the three of them have left the shop, Gabby clutching a brand new book in her stroller while Frankie pushes her with one hand and drinks coffee with the other.
“You’re in trouble, huh?”
“What do you mean?” Frankie asks, suddenly panicked.
“You like her.”
“I live with her, Pope, it helps to like her.”
“Nah, you know what I mean.” Santi stops and touches Frankie’s arm. “Be careful, hermano, please.”
You
Work has been quieter than usual. You spend your days, idly rearranging book displays and experimenting with the coffee grind and tamping, try and perfect your latte art. Making a good cup of coffee is an art; you must get the grind right, then tamp it with just enough pressure. Steaming milk’s the same; it needs to be the right quality, the right amount of air let in, the right swirling vacuum as the process goes on.
You like the routine now. You like talking to customers and reminding yourself of why you loved books in the first place. Academia taught you a lot, skills you use every day and you’re proud of but overanalysing texts sometimes can make you forget why you loved books in the first place. And yes, perhaps you wish more people were actually buying books in the store, but you’re spending your day surrounded by things you love and that’s a luxury.
And oh, you used to love reading. It was the escape from your parents arguing, from a childhood where you felt like an only lonely child because Tom was older and resented you and didn’t want a sister. At least that’s what you’d assumed over the years.
This new life you’re building in Florida; a new job, new and old friends? It feels right, comfortable even.
So, you don’t even notice when Ella starts trying to set you up with the coffee guy.
And when he asks you out one day, you’re so surprised that he would ask you out, that you find yourself saying yes without even thinking about it.
On paper, he’s everything you would look for surely. He’s passionate about coffee, he’s mentioned books he’s reading idly in conversation, he has a good smile and amazing biceps. So, why not say yes? This is part of building your new life, right?
That’s how you find yourself now, walking back into your apartment after what can only be described as an utter disaster, or at least a complete disappointment.
If this is what dating makes you feel like after a divorce, you don’t want any of it. Your anxiety has run rampant over the last few hours, along with a deepening and worrying sense that the problem is you.
You’re the one who hadn’t felt the connection after all. You’re the one who held back, who just couldn’t bring up the right feelings like a defective clock.
“Hey,” Frankie says, looking up from the sofa as you walk in. You hadn’t anticipated this - you remembered Benny saying that him and Frankie were hanging out tonight which is why you thought you could get away with just sneaking in and had even scheduled this date for tonight. Crap. This makes it even more humiliating.
“How was Benny?” you ask mildly, shrugging your jacket off and hanging it up.
“Yeah, it was uh-” Frankie pauses, “it was good. He’s training for Friday’s fight, are you coming to that?”
“Yeah, think so.” You walk over closer to the sofa.
Frankie’s staring at you. “Oh god, do I - I look stupid, don’t I?” You self-consciously pull the edge of your dress down, wishing that you’d worn something else instead.
“Not at all,” he says, voice low.
“Thanks,” you say as you walk into the kitchen, “drink?”
“Please. So, how’d it go?” Frankie asks. “I take it you didn’t get dressed up like that just to go hang out with your friends.”
“Hey, I could have.”
Frankie holds his hands up. “No judgement here, sweetheart.”
“It was a date,” you confess finally, “I don’t know. It’s weird. I haven’t had to do small talk for years, I don’t know if I like it.”
“I get that.”
It’s easy with your friends; Danny has known you for a long time, Ella is Ella, Benny and Will just get you and there’s no pressure with either of them, you haven’t known Santiago as well but he’s always consistent. As for Frankie, living with him has been surprisingly easy. He’s calm and even and kind - you like living with him now. It feels more natural than living with your ex-husband ever did.
It strikes you that now you count all four of your brother’s former team as your friends - they were your brother’s first, but now, now you wonder if they might be a little bit yours too.
“So other than the small talk, how’d it go?”
“I don’t know,” you confess, “Hey, how long were you and Melissa together again? I kind of remember her vaguely from Tom’s birthdays and barbecues when I was here.” You hope Frankie will take your oh so subtle subject change without argument.
“Five and a half years. What about you?”
“Me and Melissa?” you joke, causing him to roll his eyes dramatically.
“Ha-ha, you know what I mean. I seem to remember he was always around - it was a long time, right?”
“Ten years, married for nine of them.”
“What?” Frankie looks at you almost in surprise. “That’s longer than I thought.”
You shrug and take a sip of your drink. “My date sucked,” you say after a moment.
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I think there might be something wrong with me?”
“What did that asshole say? What was his name again? Want me to go beat him up?” Frankie asks, a crooked smile on his lips that really shouldn’t be so attractive.
“He didn’t do anything, Frankie, it’s me. I - I should have felt something, right, I mean he was literally gorgeous, right? I should have wanted him.”
When Frankie doesn’t reply, you glare at him and jab his shoulder until he shrugs.
“What are you saying?”
“That I should have wanted to rip his clothes off, but I didn’t though.” This is humiliating. “I mean, shouldn’t there have been butterflies, or even just good old-fashioned lust, or something? Right, there should have been something there? I just felt like we were going through the motions. There was no - I didn’t feel any chemistry.”
Frankie doesn’t reply for a moment and you take the time to really look at him instead. Sometimes when you look at Frankie, you wonder how he’s still single because he’s a good-looking man. In the time you’ve lived the apartment, he’s never been on a date. He hangs out with Santiago, Benny and Will and he does go out to other places, but you’ve never seen him go on a date or bring anyone back. Thankfully. You’re not entirely sure how you would feel about that.
“Look, maybe he just wasn’t your type,” Frankie says after a moment. “You’re being hard on yourself.”
“He was into coffee and he had perfect arms. We liked the same bands. How the hell was he not my type? What is my type but that?”
“Everyone likes Fleetwood Mac.”
“No, they don’t.”
“It was the wrong guy, that’s all. You’ve been single for a while and is this your first date since the break-up, right?”
You nod. “I couldn’t really date at Molly’s and I thought I should wait a while anyway.”
“Exactly so maybe you’ve just got to, I don’t know, see what works, let things flow a bit? When you know, you know. Did you even like him before the date?“
You think about it for a moment and shrug. Ella had encouraged you and if you were honest, you’d just wanted to prove that you were over Nate, over the trauma of that marriage, that this was the new you. Maybe Frankie’s on to something. You should have fancied the guy, but you hadn’t.
Reassurance flushes through your body. You’re not broken, you’re not.
“I don’t think I did fancy him. I thought I should, but no.”
“Yeah, so it would be a shit date. Next time, date a guy you really like, or something. Oh man, look I am really bad at this sort of talk.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Can we pretend I am?” he asks, nudging your arm as you both laugh. “Can we pretend so we never have to discuss this again because I am so out of many comfort zones right now.”
“It’s practice for when Gabby dates.”
“No, because that’s not happening. I’m going to do the whole cliched, polishing my gun on a porch thing, and she’s not gonna date until she’s at least thirty. Plus, if you think I could be intimidating, you should see Mel. Like, no-one has a chance in hell.”
“Uh-huh, sure, Frankie.”
“Dammit.”
You laugh and Frankie shakes his head. ”Hey, I’ve got an episode of our show saved if you want to watch it?”
“Absolutely.”
He presses buttons on the TV remote, sets up the streaming platform and you lean back against the sofa, exhale and finally feel relaxed.
Frankie has an arm over the side of the sofa you’re sitting and before he presses play, he looks over at you.
“I’m glad we did this,” he says, “that we got this apartment. I like living here.”
You feel it then, the slight tightness in your stomach, the unsettled butterflies flitting around.
Oh.
Oh.
This is going to be a disaster.
After your realisation about Frankie, everything feels different. It’s like the world has just shifted slightly off axis but only you know. Frankie is thankfully oblivious and so the next morning, things continue in the steady routine you’ve both formed.
You drop the milk back from your spoon into your cereal bowl as you notice Frankie join you in the kitchen.
“Coffee?” he asks.
“My hero,” you reply, pushing your empty mug towards him for a refill.
He laughs. It’s almost self-deprecating; the way he looks away when you compliment him.
You notice the way his T-shirt rises as he grabs a mug from the top cabinet, you notice the line of hair on his stomach right down to the grey sweatpants he’s wearing.
You can’t do this. You quickly try and remind yourself of all of his annoying habits; he never remembers to leave the toilet seat down, he smokes which is a horrible habit.
He hands you a cup of coffee, made just how you like it. He is not helping you at all.
“Are you working today?”
“Yep, hopefully people will actually come in and want to buy some books today. I had like three people yesterday who asked for recommendations, so I spent time with them, I curated a list.”
“Curated?”
“I curated, Frankie, I curated a perfect list. You know what they did?”
Frankie winces. “I have a nasty feeling.”
“They said they’d order online, Frankie, online!”
“Heathens, monsters, the lot of them.”
“I thought academia was evil when I was in grad school, but this is just sick.”
“So, what happens with that?” Frankie asks, “Weren’t you partway through when you left?”
“I was,” you sigh, looking away from Frankie and taking a large gulp of your coffee. “It’s difficult. I burned a few bridges by leaving like I did, without notice and in the middle of the semester. I mean I was TAing and - I can reapply here, try and find a suitable supervisor, but I don’t know. If I’m honest, I have no idea what to do right now, I like where I’m working at the moment. I’m not even sure who I was doing the PHD for by the time I left. I love literature, but I don’t know if I was still in love with it when I left - am I even making sense, Frankie?”
Frankie nods. “Perfect sense.” For a moment he looks haunted. You get the sense that there are a thousand things in his mind at that mind, swirling behind those deep brown eyes. He looks haunted sometimes, there’s more to him then you know. It doesn’t surprise you because you remember seeing the same thing in Tom over the years.
He checks his phone and curses. “Sorry, hon, I gotta go to work, see you later?”
“Yeah, see you later.”
You watch him make his way to the bathroom. Oh, you’re screwed.
Apart from the quiet hum of traffic in the distance, all you can hear is the evening birdsong and the start of crickets chirping. You’re sitting on the small balcony of your apartment, a half-drunk glass of wine on the table next to your book.
In New York, there was always so much noise, so much activity. When you moved there it felt overwhelming at first, then comforting somehow.
You prefer this though.
The sliding door opens and you turn to see Frankie behind you, a bottle of beer in his hand.
“Hey, you mind?” He indicates to the empty metal chair opposite you and you shake your head.
He sighs loudly as he exhales, stretches his legs out.
“Long day?”
“The longest,” he says, “Work was flat out and oh- I need this weekend.”
“Hey, some of us have to still work tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry,” he says, an apologetic smile on his face as he scrunches up his shoulders. He’s wearing a beaten old t-shirt with a faded logo you can’t quite make out and grey sweats. Frankie removes his hat for a moment, revealing unruly curls that he sweeps back before replacing his hat.
“What’s the story with the hat?” you ask, your curiosity finally getting the best of you.
“Why’s there gotta be a story?”
“There’s always a story, like -” you pull at the familiar necklace around your neck. “This was a graduation present from my Mom and I wear it every day.”
“Cute. I don’t know. I guess I got used to wearing a hat after I joined the army. You have the buzz cut and it gets cold, and then I don’t know - I guess it just feels like me now.”
“I get that.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s cute. I mean, your hair is cute without it -”
“You think my hair’s cute?” Frankie looks up at you, his expression almost childlike with wonder but all you can think is how you’ve definitely ruined everything now.
You stand up and immediately grab your wine glass before moving back inside to the safety of the kitchen.
You down the wine and rest both your hands against the edge of the counter, try and take deep breaths.
In for four, hold for four, out for four.
“Hey, hey,” Frankie says from behind you. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t. You didn’t do anything, I should say sorry.”
“Why the hell would you say sorry?”
“I don’t make things awkward.”
“’S not awkward,” Frankie says in a low voice, gently turning you around to face him. “We’re good, right?”
You nod tentatively.
“So you think my hair’s cute, huh?” he teases.
You shake your head and look down, mumbling his name as you place your hand on his shoulder. You notice Frankie’s hand is still on your waist.
“Don’t tease me,” you say.
“I’m not teasing,” Frankie murmurs, “I’m surprised.”
“Why? You’re a good-looking guy.”
“Oh yeah?” He doesn’t quite sound like he believes it.
“You are.”
He leans in closer to you, his other hand framing your waist now. “You’re beautiful, you know? And smart. I’ve gotta wonder what the hell would you want with me?”
“Frankie,” you say gently, running your hands down in his arms in an effort to reassure him. Is this happening? Is this actually happening?
You can feel the butterflies, feel that warmth of desire and want in your body. You haven’t felt this in years, hadn’t remembered how intoxicating it was to long for someone. Frankie was right, when you know, you know.
Without thinking, you close your eyes and lean in.
“Mmm, this - this is a bad idea, right?” he asks, lips dangerously close to your neck.
“The worst,” you mumble.
He smells like sandalwood shower gel, there’s a hint of tobacco on his clothes and the sharp smell of mint trying to cut through as he moves, his lips just inches from your own.
“We shouldn’t do this.”
“Nope.”
“It’ll make things complicated.” His fingers lightly trace your collarbone to your shoulder and he leans in closer. You swear you can almost feel the heat radiating from his body.
“I’m used to complicated,” you say gently before you meet his lips.
It’s bold, for you, you never initiate, never make the first move normally. It’s only he’s there and you need him.
It’s been months since you were last kissed.
He gently pushes you against the counter, lifts you so you’re sitting on it while never breaking the kiss, deepening it as you open your mouths.
He tastes like hope and promises and new beginnings.
You wrap your legs around his hips, wanting him closer.
“You’re so goddamn pretty,” he says, trailing kisses down your neck to your throat.
“You’re - oh, fuck,” you groan.
“Yeah?” his voice is teasing, lighter than you’ve heard it since you’ve moved in.
“What do we do now?”
Frankie smiles at you, his smile lighter than you’ve ever seen it. “Well, what do you wanna do?”
“I can think of some things.”
“Oh yeah?” He kisses you again, skims his hands down your arm and moves even closer against you. He’s so warm, so solid against you. “Well, we better get started, huh?”
#frankie morales x female reader#Frankie morales x reader#triple frontier fanfiction#triple frontier#frankie morales#*call it what you want
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The Incredible Growing Viewscreen
In the beginning, before Matt Jeffries had finished designing the spaceship that would become the Enterprise, set designer Pato Guzman sketched this idea for the "control room":
About the only thing it had in common with the final set was the large window/viewscreen up front.
The first iteration of the USS Enterprise bridge included a much smaller main viewer that looked like a really big television:
This was very cutting-edge for 1964. Color TVs were still pretty new in those days, and they had pretty small picture tubes. A wall-sized one must've seemed impossibly futuristic.
For the second pilot, the viewer got a widescreen upgrade:
When the show went to series, the viewer acquired a rectangular shape with a glowing blue outline, but stayed the same size:
When the Enterprise was redesigned for the big screen 13 years later, the viewer stayed roughly the same size, but it looked more like the window/viewscreen from Pato Guzman's original concept art:
Fast forward to 1987. Larger televisions were a becoming more common; some folks even had giant projection TVs that almost required a forklift to move. To emphasize the super-advanced nature of Star Trek: The Next Generation's brand-new Starship Enterprise, the main viewer dominated the entire forward bulkhead of the bridge:
Basically, they went from having a largish TV screen at the front of the bridge to having an entire movie screen.
The viewscreen got another upgrade nine years later with the big-screen debut of the Enterprise-E. In Star Trek: First Contact, there was no screen built into the bridge's forward bulkhead; it was just a blank wall. The "viewscreen" was a holographic display that appeared in front of the wall when activated:
This was an interesting innovation that never appeared again. In the next two movies, the Enterprise-E's bridge had a plain old viewscreen. Of course, holographic nor not, the functionality of the bridge viewer hadn't really changed since the very first Star Trek in 1964. It was basically a big TV that displayed one thing at a time. That might have seemed perfectly futuristic during Star Trek's first 30 years, but the world was changing.
When J.J. Abrams' big-budget reimagining of Star Trek was being developed in the late 2000s, everybody had computers and smartphones were becoming more common. So Abrams and his team went in a new direction:
Instead of the traditional Star Trek viewscreen, the front of the new Enterprise bridge was dominated by a giant curved pane of "smart glass" i.e. a window that allowed information from various sources to be superimposed on it:
Predictably, long-time fans complained about this because they hate change. But honestly, it's cool and it makes sense. In 1964, the Enterprise's viewscreen was so futuristic that there was no way to depict it without employing special effects. Fifty years later, you could buy one at Wal-Mart. Star Trek is set in the future; its technology shouldn't be something that the audience can walk into a store and buy today.
The 2022 version of the Enterprise bridge features a "smart glass" viewscreen much like the Abrams-verse version with one important difference:
It's a whole heckuva lot bigger. I can't even imagine what the aspect ratio is on that bad boy. And what about the resolution? What is that, like an 8000000K display?
I have zero problem with this. For everyone screaming "But it's impractical!" well, yeah, probably. But so is having the bridge in an exposed and easily-shot-at point at the top of the saucer. Not to mentioning having the warp core in a big open area with zero shielding around it and people working in close proximity to it 24/7.
If you want to get nitpicky about unrealistic stuff in Star Trek, we'll be here all year.
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Nigerian Music, The Bright Spark In A Time Of Distress
Today, Nigeria celebrates 62 years of independence from Britain. Expect celebrations to be muted though, as several years of economic decline, further worsened by recent global challenges as a fall out from a pandemic and the Russian-Ukraine war have dampened patriotic affections. These, and a myriad of other problems, some of them as old as the country itself, have made it increasingly difficult to find good reasons to celebrate this country. About this time two years ago, young Nigerians fed up with these challenges, especially the problems of police brutality (read: killings and kidnappings), took to the streets in a series of decentralised, yet coordinated peaceful protests that simultaneously took place in major Nigerian cities. Those ended in the worst possible way, with at least nine people losing their lives to bullets from the security agencies they marched to oppose.
If independence Day was met with indifference before 2020, this has become outright hostility. There was a time when people waited in eager expectation to witness the pomp and pageantry of the day, while those outside donned clothes that were the promising green and the brilliant white of Nigeria's flag, but that was many years and economic backslides ago. In the midst of all this though, our best export, our music continues to fly, a flourishing plant in poisoned soil.
Our music has always been good. That must be established immediately, especially after the latest bout of a recurring twitter debate that contends that Nigerian music's recent wins are proof that its quality has been lacking for all the years prior. Afrobeats, as music from Nigeria is popularly (and perhaps erroneously) called, has seen its quality steadily rise through time, so that its current status is more attributable to the contributions of many creatives and executives that have carved out the sound and the platform it currently rests on today.
And so our music has become a great source of pride and joy to young Nigerians. A few would go so far as to state that music is one of the things that keeps them sane in today's Nigeria. Music is food for the soul, a common saying goes, and when that food is prepared as well as our artists and producers do, it is no wonder that Nigerians run to it in a time of turmoil. The love and consumption of Nigerian music has long spread beyond our shores, in big and small ways. Psquare, D'banj were some of the earliest big names to be adopted by the London landscape as part of Afrobeats' adoption and christening by London DJs around the turn of the century, but even they would hardly have imagined just how crossover-ready our music would be in 20 years. That an artist like Asake in his breakout year, not yet an industry major player, can have his debut album chart in the UK and then Billboard 200 not quite two weeks after its release, speaks to the star power of Nigerian music as much as it does to the quality of the project itself.
And these are the prongs of our deli forked pride in Nigerian music of today - the quality and stature. The former, as noted earlier, has been built up through the years, helmed by producers and artists that constantly chop and change to experiment with different sounds, absorbing and picking the best part of other genres, and becoming better for it. Afrobeats, at the time of its naming, was already a mish mash of sounds, the indigenous like Afrobeat (no 's'), highlife and west African pop, and the foreign, like hip hop and house which had been perfectly internalised into our sound. But still we haven't stopped evolving. Wizkid's take on Azonto, Mr Eazi's reimaginations of Ghanian slow burning pop, CKay's African play on Caribbean sounds, and of course, the industry's rush for amapiano in the last three years, that has created something that many dub "afropiano" are only a small number of inventions taken by Nigerian creatives in recent years, taking in foreign sounds and stamping a Nigerian identity on them.
Stature is the more visible of these metrics, and it's the one most people will point to as evidence of Nigerian music's growth in recent times. The impact of Wizkid and Tems' "Essence" stateside, and Burna's "Last Last" in the UK are appreciable, as are the head- spinning numbers Ckay has achieved off Love Nwantiti. Fireboy's Peru, Omah Lay's Attention, Pheelz and BNXN'S Finesse are other songs that have become anthems in other parts of the world. And where songs go, concerts quickly follow, as evidenced by feats like Wizkid selling out the 02 arena three times over, and Burna's iconic performance at Madison's Square Garden. Afronation has capitalised on the marketability of modern Nigerian music, and every year it ships African, and especially Nigerian acts for an Afrobeats themed music festival. And so there is a steady pipeline between Lagos and the rest of the world. An artist just breaking out into Nigeria's music scene already has a fanbase waiting to see them on the other side of the globe.
And the flowers are coming in other ways too. In March, Billboard unveiled an Afrobeats chart, dedicated to celebrate the biggest West African songs in the US market. This came after the UK Official Charts had created its Afrobeats listing two years earlier, and these underscore the increased recognition of Nigerian music in both countries. With even more young acts like Oxlade and Victony taxiing to zoom into international stardom, we can rest assured that music will always be the comfort and pride of Nigerians navigating a country that hasn't offered them much else.
Stream our Nigerian Independence Playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1nr1qHRlk2TtuHq8hFWSI5?si=u8N8ZsBQRKGTuoknJBHhHQ&nd=1
This article was written by Afrobeats City Contributor Ezema Patrick - @ezemapatrick (Twitter)
Disclaimer: Afrobeats City doesn't own the right to the image
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“Painter as Saint Luke”, 2023
“Annunciation”, 2023
“Presentation”, 2023
Above are paintings by MJ Torrecampo for the 2023 Florida Prize in Contemporary Art at Orlando Museum of Art.
You can see the art history references throughout MJ Torrecampo’s work in this exhibition. The different perspectives she uses create a unique way to tell stories within each canvas.
The museum’s information on the artist and her work-
Born in the Philippines, MJ Torrecampo immigrated to the United States with her family when she was nine. Eventually the family settled in Orlando, and Torrecampo attended the University of Central Florida with the goal of earning a degree in mechanical engineering. An elective class in art history sparked her interest, and in time she changed her academic direction to earn a BFA in painting in 2014. This was followed by an MFA from the New York Academy of Art in 2020. Having returned to Central Florida, Torrecampo is currently an artist in residence at the Art & History Museums Maitland. Her recent paintings are complex narratives that examine the storyline of her life and of her extended family as immigrants negotiating their past, present, and future while they establish themselves in a new homeland. Although the subjects of her paintings are people, places, and events, it is her exploration of social relationships, psychological insights, and cultural adjustments that provide depth.
The paintings presented here are a new series completed for the Florida Prize exhibition. In these works, Torrecampo investigates her conflicted relationship with religion and spirituality, reimagining familiar biblical stories in the setting and context of the contemporary world. Specifically, she has chosen a series of moments in the life of Mary and the birth of Christ. Without being didactic, paintings like Annunciation ask the viewer to consider the volition and agency of Mary as she undertakes the profound responsibility of giving birth to Christ. In the central panel Mary is preoccupied watering her house plants. Out of the corner of her eye she notices the Angel Gabriel letting himself in, apparently uninvited. The painting’s left panel depicts children squirming in their seats at church during communion. The right panel shows a group of anti-abortion protesters blocking access to a women’s health clinic.
A distinctive feature of Torrecampo’s paintings is her use of overhead perspective which provides a God’s eye view of all that is going on. She adopted this device when she decided to work from her imagination and began to visualize scenes from this viewpoint. With roofs off, we see what is happening in multiple rooms at once, and the architectural geometry of walls in homes and apartments becomes a means to move through each narrative event. People gather here and there, sometimes in separate places and sometimes flowing from one space to the next. It is not always obvious whether the events we are looking at are simultaneous or sequential.
Torrecampo’s unusual perspective and architectural structures reflect her inventive interpretations of devices used by painters of the early Renaissance. References abound in this group of works that explicitly address this artistic period and related Christian theology. A look at Torrecampo’s Annunciation and the same subject by Fra Angelico reveals many wonderful comparisons. The Renaissance master’s painting is set in a loggia, an open walled or “transparent” room through which the viewer sees multiple spaces inside and out. The architecture of the room is defined by a dramatic perspective which encloses the two figures. Mary sits modestly on a stool and seems apprehensive about the approaching angel. Both paintings imply there are truths within the story that go beyond the text.
#mj torrecampo#2023 florida prize in contemporary art#orlando museum of art#painting#florida art shows#florida artist#art#art shows
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his majesty's dragon - naomi novik
final thoughts:
INCREDIBLE. i loved this book so much, the worldbuilding was interesting and the two main characters were so lovable. the way their bond forms immediately and only gets stronger as the book goes on was absolutely perfect, the beating heart of an already excellent novel.
im absolutely obsessed with temeraire himself, hes so so excellent. the audiobook narrator also gave him the best most specific voice, especially intonations, which was a lot of fun.
avoiding spoilers but there was one point that the main human realizes that the person hes been socializing with isnt all that great, and it was such an excellent character moment. he reassesses, decides to quietly do better and put in the time to show others that he absolutely does NOT support the shitty behavior said person engages in, and overall it was just so refreshing and nice.
overall this is a period of history i dont know a ton about so in regards to the battles im sure im missing some of the fun of having those reimagined detail-wise, but its still a really great read regardless! i especially liked all the specifics about how the dragons fly in formation, the tactics regarding all their different skillsets, and how they work together. super cool stuff!!
very very excited to read the rest of this series. im a little heartbroken that my library doesnt have the whole series in audiobook format, since the narrator did a SUPERB job, but it does give me a good excuse to buy the entire set, hehe. shoutout to my friend that got me into this book, im hyped to have a nine-book series to sink my teeth into! its been awhile since i read a solidly long series like this. <3
#his majesty's dragon#temeraire series#naomi novik#historical fiction#fantasy#bookblr#reading progress update#book tag#book review#original post
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youtube
White Day: A Labyrinth Named School - Official Console Launch Trailer
Already available on PC & Now on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S & PS5
Buy game here: https://pqube.co.uk/whiteday/
ABOUT GAME:- White Day: A Labyrinth Named School is a notorious cult-classic Korean horror game. Sneak into school at midnight to return your sweetheart's diary and get caught in a terrifying game of cat and mouse. Explore haunted hallways, solve classic survival horror puzzles and escape the clutches of a killer Janitor who is out for your blood.
A Classic Horror For A New Generation: The notorious 2001 first-person Korean survival horror considered by original fans to be one of the scariest games ever made returns by popular demand. Completely rebuilt for modern gamers, and finally localized for a western audience, White Day: A Labyrinth Named School is a true videogame nasty
Spine-Tingling Story: Trapped inside your school at night, you and your fellow classmates must carefully explore the twisting corridors by torchlight, hiding from possessed stalkers and running from evil spirits as you try to escape. With branching dialogue, collectable ghost stories hidden scares, White Day: A Labyrinth Named School demands to be played with headphones on and the lights off
Multiple Endings: Your actions determine where the story goes! Shape your relationship with the other students trapped inside the school to save or sacrifice your friends on the way to unlocking the nine different endings
Mind-Bending Puzzles: Thanks to an environment filled with classically-styled survival horror puzzles, White Day tests your brain as much as your run button. Collect items, solve riddles and race against the clock to save your friends from certain doom and unpick the secrets of the school
Cheaters Never Prosper: This school’s wise to those who want to take shortcuts! Puzzle solutions change every time, so pack away all thoughts of skipping the scary bits with a guide
Innovative Dynamic Scare System: Want to just absorb the story? Play on Very Easy to enjoy the adventure without the challenge. Eager to prove your bravery? Increase the difficulty setting to ramp up the scares and ghost activities, with hauntings ready to spring when you least expect it
Traditional Survival Horror Mechanics: Resource-based save points and limited healing items guarantee an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride that takes no prisoners
New Features: As well as all-new visuals and audio effects, discover a brand-new character, scenario, reimagined ghosts and special endings created specifically for this remake
#WhiteDay#WhiteDayALadyrinthNamedSchool#ConsoleLaunch#Adventure#Horror#Action#IndieGame#Survival#GamingInfoAndNews#Gaming#SonnoriCorp#PQube#Lazyajju#Youtube
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home in your hands | bang chan
soulmate!au reimagined in nine different ways
Pairing: Bang Chan x reader ft.3racha, 00’ line
Genre: soulmate!au, fluff
Length: 4.2 k
Warning/s: profanity, male x male pairing
Description: Many find out who their soulmate is when the new year arrives but you’re just here trying to survive your friends’ crazy antics before you go crazy yourself.
A/N: Just a little warning before you continue reading – if you’re here for some good old romance between the pairing...there isn’t that much in here. After writing across countless nights, the fic is mainly focused on nostalgia rather than a lot of fluffy moments. I hope everyone will still be able to enjoy it though, and any criticism or comments on my writing is totally welcome. Also, if it starts getting weirder the more you read it...I honestly have no idea what happened lol. Enjoy!
“God, I know we planned this out already but doesn’t this scream ‘my soulmate is part of a cult’ kind of vibes?” The stupidity of this whole plan is finally sinking into you.
To sum it up, your group of friends decided that it would be a swell idea to wait till midnight altogether on New Years Eve in case of a soulmate switch. Since all of you were born in the year 2000, the switch could potentially occur to any one of you, and the nosy boys you call your friends wanted to witness all of this in the front row. And here you are, begrudgingly sitting in a circle with Felix on your left, Hyunjin on your right, and the brat who came up with the idea sitting across from you.
“This is the main reason why Seungmin disagreed to partake in this festivity but screw him, he can suck it ‘cause we’re geniuses for having this idea!” Jisung exclaims loudly, pumping his fist into the air with too much excitement.
Usually you would ignore his hyperactive state but your agitated behaviour causes you to flinch slightly at his loud voice. “You’re making me regret not choosing to ditch like Seungmin did.”
“Hey, we all already agreed to this so let’s just have some fun before midnight approaches guys,” Hyunjin chimes in, passing around the bag of chips in his hands. He has always been the pacifist of the group, the one to stop you from sucker punching Jisung in the stomach for his stupidity.
You reluctantly take a hold of the bag, shoving your hand inside and proceeding to munch loudly on a handful of chips as you glare at your three friends. Hyunjin grimaces, face contorting as he just shakes his head at your antics. However, what disappoints you is that Jisung and Felix still have a huge grin plastered on their faces, irritating you even further as you meticulously wipe the flavouring off of your fingers.
“Now remember, close your eyes when it strikes midnight,” Felix chimes in, smiling impishly in your direction to see if you would yield to his request.
You sigh reluctantly, accepting your reality. You’ve always found it hard to say no to Felix. Last Winter break, when you were all over at Hyunjin’s house, hot tub running to relieve the cold chills, he had whipped out a bottle of bubble bath soap. You knew it was a disaster just waiting to happen, but the over-exaggerated pout on his lips meant that you had no choice but to say a reluctant yes. It was hard to look Hyunjin’s parents in the eyes when they came home to a backyard filled with bubbles branching off into the shrubs and flowers.
“Remind me why I agreed to join this again?” you rhetorically question. Hyunjin nudges your knee with his hand, smiling softly at you when you reciprocate with a small smile of your own.
“C’mon! It’ll be fun,” Jisung coerces, still smiling proudly as he turns to fistbump with Felix. You sigh once again but give in to their ridiculous ideas.
“Man, you guys are a bunch of losers,” you exhale out. “But I guess I’m one too.”
The three beam at your words, cheering in enthusiasm at your compliance. They’re getting louder by the minute, so in an attempt to calm them down before midnight comes and surprises you all, you speak up over their chatter. “Hey! Boys, calm down now. If midnight passess whilst this chaos is happening and I switch places, I think my soulmate would run for the hills.”
Hyunjin at least has the decency to sheepishly duck his head down, scratching the side of his neck in embarrassment. Felix and Jisung, however, don’t seem even slightly embarrassed but they calm down in favour of whipping their heads to the clock hanging on the wall. It’s 11:59, the second hand calmly approaching 12.
“Holy shit!” Jisung starts to panic. “It’s almost midnight. Guys, prepare yourselves!”
You’re staring intently at the clock’s face as the seconds tick by. Thirty three...thirty four...thirty five…
“Okay! Remember! Close! Eyes!” Hyunjin’s words are coming out in short huffs, eyes drilling into the carpeted floor.
“If I switch, please say good things about me to my soulmate,” Jisung pleads, clutching his hands together in desperation.
Forty seven...forty eight...forty nine…
Felix looks like he’s shut down and stopped functioning as his eyes blankly register nothingness. It’s causing concern to arise within you but the ticking seconds bury your worry for later because hey, what’s the likelihood of you switching anyway?
The clock ticks a second before twelve as you whisper under your breathe a small, “Happy New Year, dorks,” and then you flutter your eyes closed.
+
A second passes after midnight and you immediately open your eyes. The harsh lighting momentarily blinds you as you blink a couple more times to get used to it. Once your vision returns, you are met with a large computer with what seems to be an audio programme running on the screen. The sensation of a mouse in your grasp is pulsing through your fingertips, the feeling of your grip so different than usual.
What actually surprises you is the coarse feeling of your hand which contrasts what you’re so used to. It’s rough but also smooth, like the weight of their life was heavy on their hands but their conscious caused them to be cautious of the concept of time. You slowly raise your hand, spreading your fingers apart as you inspect the deepened veins lining all across. You’re admiring the artificial light that is seeping between the cracks, outstretched towards the ceiling in awe.
The door abruptly opens. You whip your head towards the sound and are met with a man that you’ve never seen before, chest heaving slightly as you maintain eye contact with him.
You don’t recognise his face, the curve of his jaw and the dip of his nose not anything you’ve glanced at on the street at all. He’s adorned in black clothing, from top to bottom, all looking two sizes too large for his small frame.
His eyebrows scrunch up in confusion. Doubt shrouds your sensibility as you second guess whether this is where your body is supposed to be. The thought of potentially being the soulmate to a robber in action terrifies you but your ridiculous thoughts are dampened when the boy across from you speaks up.
“Uhm, hi.” He pauses, hesitancy written in his facial features. Maybe you’re the scary boss to this petrified intern who looks close to passing out. “I was wondering if you could tell me what the address of this place is?”
Now you’re very confused. It doesn’t seem like the person standing across from you knows who you are, or more specifically, the body that is in front of him. It’s even more confusing that he doesn’t know about his whereabouts when he’s already in the vicinity. You can only come up with one plausible reason to this situation.
“Did you, by any chance, switch bodies with your soulmate...?” you tentatively ask, afraid that your assumptions were wrong.
His eyes light up by your statement. “Yeah, I did. Was it that obvious?” he says, chuckling softly under his breath.
You grin as you say, “Just a little.”
“Well, I don’t know the name of the face you’re seeing right now but my name is Seungmin. It’s nice to mee–”
“What– Seungmin?” you abruptly cut him off, very surprised by these turn of events. “Is that you? It’s me, Y/N! I switched too!”
A look of recognition flashes across his facial features and although the face in front of you is not familiar, the small glimmer in his eyes and widened mouth that exudes happiness is.
“Holy– that means our soulmates know each other,” he says, excitement radiating off the foreign body to your eyes. “Have you seen yourself in the mirror yet? Because I’m dying to know what my soulmate looks like.”
“No, not yet.” You lightly touch the defined jawline, fingers dipping gently across the collarbones before swiftly retracting your hand. It feels too private, too invasive to be touching any skin even though it is technically your own right now.
“Aren’t you curious about what you look like?” he asks, noticing your hesitancy.
“I don’t know. This just feels a little bit too invasive, you know?”
“Hey, relax. Remember, it’s just your soulmate.” He grips your hands and looks up into your eyes as he adds, “Plus, it’s only for an hour.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” You breathe out shakily before shaking away the doubt. “On the bright side, I feel great in this body without having to look at my reflection. How do you feel?”
You would say Seungmin is very lucky considering that this man is his soulmate, the sharp jawline and feline eyes encapsulating a mysterious but intriguing aura to anyone who would take a glance at his face.
“I just feel...shorter than usual,” he huffs out.
This amuses you but before you can retort, vibrations course through your body and interrupt the conversation. You fumble, lightly patting your sides before reaching into the jean pocket and fishing out the still vibrating phone. An unknown number is flashing on the screen but you see no harm in picking up, so you swipe and accept the call.
“Hello?” you hesitantly say. You’re attentive to every sound that you hear on the other line as Seungmin (in his soulmate’s body) stands stoically in front of you, curiosity getting the best of him as he eases forward slowly.
“Hey! Chan, it’s me. Changbin!” the person exclaims. “I know you might not recognise my voice bu–”
“Oh, don’t worry. I recognise your voice,” you respond calmly.
“You do? Do you know who my soulmate is, Chan?” You’re too busy pulling the phone away from your ear to hear the rest of his rambling. You’re looking directly at Seungmin, an evil grin plastered on your face. He’s skeptical, eyebrows knitted and demanding to know what your words mean to the unknown person on the other line.
“I think I just heard your soulmate, Seungmin.” You’re still grinning widely at him as you try to contain your excitement.
“How would you know–”
“I hear your voice.” You’re pointing at the phone still in your hand, the faint noise of rambling becoming background noise for the two of you as you stand there in silence, patiently waiting for Seungmin’s response. If you were to strain your ears harder to pinpoint the chatter, you would be able to pick up the words hey, where did you go and tell me who my soulmate is bro, all distinctly in Seungmin’s tone.
“...Oh.”
It’s amusing seeing Seungmin so astounded. Usually he is the calm and collected one of your group, making the plans so that they don’t fail in the hands of Jisung or Felix and always the one to keep you in tow when you get roped up in their antics. He was the one who had thoroughly apologised to Hyunjin’s parents when the bubble bath incident happened whilst Hyunjin was hiding behind you for a shield. He had somehow miraculously got them to smile at the end of the day, and Hyunjin was left not scolded. So seeing him like this, mouth still slightly open and eyes a little distraught, is a little out of the ordinary.
“Here.” You pass the phone to him, waiting patiently until he grabs a hold of it and hesitantly puts it to his ear. Conversation flows between the two, soft whispers uttered because Seungmin still seems to be in awe about the whole situation. He ends the conversation with a reluctant bye, hanging up the phone before passing it back to you.
“I’m gonna go meet up with him at my apartment,” he says after a moment. Although he seems composed, there’s a small smile creeping in the corner of his mouth.
“Alright then,” you reply enthusiastically. “I’ve got a soulmate to go meet too.”
+
Chan rubs his tired eyes and the next thing he knows, he’s staring at Jisung. He’s perplexed, confused as to why he is in front of him right now when he was just seated at his computer, frustratingly composing on New Year’s Eve.
“Jisung, I thought you weren’t coming in tonight,” Chan ponders aloud, the words escaping his lips with ease. The words flow out after his mind formulates the exact sentence but the tone of his voice catches him by surprise. It’s so different, so fleeting in comparison to his hoarse voice that mellows out in tired whispers.
The first time Chan felt a difference in his voice was when he was fourteen – an age of growing adolescence and awkward two second glances with his crush across the classroom. He was a late bloomer, a small bud that skyrocketed in height and appearance in only a few weeks over Summer break.
His mother had doted on him during his growth spurt, pinching cheeks while whining cutely that he was growing up so fast and was no longer her little baby anymore. His father would joke around and say that he would outgrow him at this rate and that he would start wearing insoles from now on. His younger siblings teased his voice cracks but also envied the drastic change.
His friends were the most shocked. Start of Summer break, he was a tad shorter than the others and voice squeaky like a rubber duck. By the end of it, he had grown to be taller than both Jisung and Changbin and his voice was more mature, smoother around the edges.
The change in voice definitely helped with his vocals. Jisung was so shocked by the difference that he jokingly said, “Why don't we start our own group now that your voice is like this?” and that's where it all began. His abrupt change in voice had sparked the creation of a trio that would pave their own future.
So maybe that's why he isn't as shocked as he should be. Maybe this abrupt change in voice is a sign that the future will be a bright one, just like how it is with 3racha.
He finally becomes aware of the different setting – the brown, withered couch behind Jisung and perfectly hanging clock on the wall is a sight he's never seen before.
“What are you talking about, Y/N?” Jisung questions slowly, eyebrows knitted in confusion. “We agreed to do this altogether, remember?”
Chan shifts his view across the expanse of the room, figuring out the situation through the two strangers beside him and the room that he's never stepped foot in before. “Oh, I think I switched bodies with my soulmate,” he says too casually that he surprises even himself. The prolonged waiting had caused him to become nonchalant about the whole soulmate body switch.
“Oh my god, really Y/N?? Who are theyyy??” Jisung yells out very excitedly.
“No Jisung, you idiot,” Chan sighs out. “I'm your friend's soulmate, not Y/N themself.”
Jisung jumps slightly, edging a little further away from Chan. “H-how do you know my name then? Are you pranking us, Y/N?”
“It's me, Chan.”
“Wha– Chan?” Jisung pauses before saying, “Prove it then.”
“What’s happening, Jisung?” Felix questions, peering cautiously at him. “Who’s Chan?”
“You want me to prove it…?” Chan questions at the odd proposal, before grinning evilly. “Alright then. You asked for it.”
Hyunjin has been silent the whole time, still trying to take in the situation. Felix is still sceptical, and Jisung is still wide eyed, waiting for Chan's response.
“You tell all your friends that we haven't shown our faces to the public because we want privacy but really it's just because you just want to be like Hannah Montana and, as she says, ‘get the best of both worlds.’” Chan gives Jisung a sneaky look.
“That's...very interesting…” Hyunjin says hesitantly, pointing a lopsided smile towards Jisung.
“Ca-can we just ignore that please?” Jisung closes his eyes, embarrassed to look anyone in the eye.
“Do you believe it's me now?” Chan questions.
Jisung reluctantly gives out a, “Yes.”
The atmosphere is a little awkward after the odd information but Chan just sits there with a smug look on his (soulmate’s) face.
“So…” Felix starts. “Want to see Y/N’s baby photos?”
+
You’re just outside of your apartment complex, hand raised just a few centimetres shy from the wooden door. The walls of the complex are covered in lilac coloured wallpaper, various patches across the expanse revealing it’s true shade of brown underneath. You feel just like these walls, too exposed and vulnerable, too attached to the comfort of the fading disguise.
Hesitancy is still apparent in you but your eyes discover comfort in callous edges of the hand in front of you. Although this is technically your body as of this moment in time, it isn’t yours when the minute hand ticks pass the little 12 scratched on the clock overhanging your beat up couch just on the other side of this wall.
This doesn’t mean you’ll never see this body again though. Or so you hope.
It’s hard to admit but you’re already attached to your soulmate’s body. Not because it’s able to make people on the street turn heads and have their stare linger for just a little longer than normal. Nor is it because you feel stronger, more built with muscle than your usual lazy self who would triumph for getting out of bed for once.
No, the reason is rather simple. This body, this being, makes you feel reassured, comfortable even within foreign bounds. There is a sense of familiarity and relief that washes over you and makes you feel as if the big, scary world of becoming an adult that is portrayed to you isn’t as bad as you feared it would be.
When you were seven years old and your mother was cleaning out the fridge, your siblings had managed to clamber you inside without any qualms. What you didn't expect would be the feeling of darkness that would engulf you when they closed shut the door. It felt overwhelming, like the outside world was so distant from the place you were trapped in. So you did what you could at the time – bawl your eyes out until your mother opened the fridge door.
And that feeling, the feeling of that fleeting fear consuming your whole conscious, was what you thought the world from that moment on would be like – that the adult world would envelope you in fear and discomfort.
But you don't feel any of that right now in your soulmate's body.
The fear of the unknown scares you, but the fear of losing your soulmate scares you even more.
You finally build the courage to knock on your apartment door, three times in a row, followed by two quick knocks, like usual. At the start of your final year in high school, Hyunjin had become obsessed with making his own secret handshakes. After giving in to his pleading eyes and trembling pout, you let him come up with a silly handshake between the two of you to satisfy his obsession. But this only fueled his creation as he then came up with a secret doorknock, just for the five of you to use when visiting each other. Doorbells became irrelevant when Hyunjin would give glares to anyone who didn’t opt for the knocking, which he dubbed with the name “The 00’ line banger”.
The complex walls are far from soundproof when you knock, evident by the clear reverberation of the sound in the corridor. You also hear the fumbling and hurried footsteps rushing to the door, which swings open a few seconds after. It’s Jisung, huffing with eyes downcast and hand still clutching the door handle.
He finally sweeps his face forward, eyes going further up than what you’re used to. You realise, belatedly, that it is because you’re in a different entity, a different body structure than what you’re used to. You’re only a few centimetres taller than Jisung in this body but the need to look down rather than up for once causes you to crack a smile.
Recognition flashes past Jisung’s face as he immediately shouts out, “Chan!” before realising his mistake. “Wait, I mean– Y/N! You’re here!”
He pushes you into your apartment complex and quickly closes the door before dragging you into the living room. And that’s when you finally see him.
Well actually, you see yourself. You’re looking at your own body, your own flesh and skin right opposite of you. The hair that you comb through every morning, the comfy sweatpants you opted for today, and facial features that you see every time you look in the mirror, all there right in front of you. It feels so surreal, like you’re floating in the air in a dream.
You finally snap out of your reverie but begin to panic when you witness what is in front of you. Your baby photos are spread out all over the floor, albums splayed open in all their glory. You scream, launching yourself towards the floor, hurrying to pile the photos altogether. Your cheeks are beginning to heat up as you avoid eye contact with your soulmate (which is technically your body at this point).
“W-whose idea was it to bring these out?” you nervously shout, attempting to remain composed as you straighten your spine. “I'm gonna beat some sense into you.”
Felix squeaks at that statement. “S-sorry Y/N...It was my idea…”
You stare directly at Felix and once again get captivated by his trembling pout. “It's...fine, Felix. I forgive you.”
Felix yells out a triumphant whoop. You sigh because you can't seem to get truly mad at Felix's antics.
“Sorry about looking at your photos without your permission.” It's really odd, you think, hearing your own voice. It sounds familiar but also foreign, a little deeper than how it usually sounds when the words flow smoothly out of your own mouth.
“Oh, don't worry about it.” You're still shifting the photos messily into the album, hands clambering at every piece. “I'm fine with it.” You pause, finally having the courage to take a glance at your soulmate. “As long as you'll show me yours later on.”
You quickly duck your head down, missing the small smile that graces his (your, to be precise) lips. “Okay, that's a deal then,” he replies nonchalantly.
You finally finish placing everything back in the album's, ready to carry all of them back into your room. However, you're stopped by a hand that dips down and takes half of the load. Looking up, you see yourself, but really it's your soulmate who speaks up to say, “So where do you keep these?” This gives you no other option than to pick up the rest of the pile and lead him towards your bedroom.
You settle the albums on your desk, before motioning for him to do the same but one of your baby photos comes tumbling out. You instinctively dive down for the picture. Your fingers glide to the corners, but your hand brushes against his. You look up into his eyes and blink rapidly out of shock.
And suddenly, you’re looking up at a stranger. But you look down at your still touching hands and find familiarity in the hand that you were once controlling just a few seconds before.
You tentatively raise your head back up, maintaining eye contact with him in silence. So this is the face to the name that people have been calling you for the past hour. Chiseled jaw that you remember touching, droopy eyes that captivate you, and curly hair that makes you reach out and touch in a daze. It’s just as soft as it looks.
He chuckles at your actions, causing you to quickly withdraw your hand (which is thankfully actually your own body now) but he stops you, bringing your hand back to his hair.
“Don’t worry, I like it when you do that,” he says. He has a devilish smile on his lips as your cheeks burn furiously. He lets you continue patting his head gently as he holds your other hand, drawing patterns across your palm.
And everything just feels right in that moment.
+
The studio lights are the first thing you see when you wake up. Its intense lights are piercing your vision, momentarily whitening your view as you groggily arise from your slumped position. You feel a slight tug at your wrist so you look down at your hand, the sight causing a gummy smile to appear.
Chan’s hand is clinging tightly onto your own, hard enough for you to barely escape its clutches and soft enough that you can feel how delicate you are to him, even to his sleeping form.
You admire the deep veins running along his hands, down towards his wrist and forearm. It feels so surreal that just a few months ago the sensation of his hands were literally running through your own fingertips.
You press a soft kiss against his messy curls, lingering for a second as a small smile graces your lips. You mumble, words tumbling out but incoherent to him in his unconscious state.
“Yeah...This feels like home to me.”
☆ body switch: where you switch bodies with your soulmate for an hour on new year after the younger of the two has turned 18 - bang chan
#stray kids#stray kids au#stray kids fanfic#bang chan fanfic#stray kids x reader#bang chan x reader#bang chan#chan#bang chan fluff#soulmate au#one shot#writing#fanfic#fluff#chanquil#reimagined in nine different ways series#mine.txt
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Jared Padalecki Talks Transitioning From ‘Supernatural’s’ Sam Winchester Into ‘Walker’
In the spring of 2019, while Jared Padalecki was finishing shooting what would become the penultimate season of “Supernatural,” he began to sketch out an idea for his next project. After starring in the WB Network/CW drama alongside Jensen Ackles since 2005, Padalecki’s first thought was of continuing their partnership beyond that one show.
“I was tired of being on camera for 20 years straight,” he says. “I wanted to produce a show called ‘Walker’ starring Jensen Ackles.”
“Walker” would be a reimagining of the enduring CBS series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” which ran for nine seasons between 1993 and 2001 and starred martial artist and actor Chuck Norris in the ass-kicking titular role. But unlike the new versions of vintage series that the CW has launched before, from “90210” to “Melrose Place,” “Walker” will not continue the world or any of the characters of the original show. Instead, the series follows the modern trend of updating its story and its hero for the present-day audience.
The idea came to Padalecki in his Vancouver trailer after reading an op-ed by a law enforcement official who walked away from duty rather than submit to separating migrant kids from their parents and putting them in cages, as was being asked of him. “I thought, ‘What an interesting person who struggles with what they are bound to do by duty and what they think they should do by their own moral compass,’” he explains.
From the beginning Padalecki knew he wanted his show to be about such an officer, and he knew he wanted to film in Austin, Texas, which is not only the headquarters of the Texas Rangers, but also where he and his family reside. It wasn’t until the extended producing team of Dan Lin, Lindsey Liberatore and showrunner Anna Fricke were in place that he realized he should star in it, too, because it was his “passion project.” Then “Walker” was truly born.
“The original [series] was this lawman who abides by his own rules, and he would just do head-spinning kicks on people, and obviously we can’t do that now; that would be laughably bad,” Padalecki says. “We don’t want the audience to ever know whether Walker is quote conservative or quote liberal, or quote Republican or quote Democrat. This version of ‘Walker,’ we play with the gray area: This is not a show about a martial artist kicking minorities in the face; this is a show about a legit Texan saying, ‘Hey, I need to hear the whole story before I make a decision.’ So this version is less about what goes through somebody’s fists and feet, and more about what goes through somebody’s head and heart.”
Padalecki’s character will therefore challenge some antiquated notions of what it takes to be tough. “I’m sure there are some MAGA hats who may be pissed off,” he notes, but he was “just in no way interested” in doing a show that leaned into toxically masculine tropes.
Even though CW chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz acknowledges the show is “a different flavor” for the network, he wanted it on his schedule because of “a five-letter word,” namely, Jared. “Jared had a desire to do this; we had a desire to support Jared — it was a good mix,” Pedowitz says. “If we’re going to expand what the brand is, it’s good to expand with a person who has represented the brand so well through his career.”
After guest-starring roles in series such as “ER” and appearances in films from “Cheaper by the Dozen” to “New York Minute,” Padalecki saw his career kick-started when he booked the role of Rory’s boyfriend Dean on “Gilmore Girls,” which was airing on the WB network. He appeared on that show from 2000 to 2005 and then booked “Supernatural,” also originally for The WB. When the network was shut down and The CW was born, “Supernatural” survived and Padalecki went on to spend the majority of his career there. Now he is expanding his résumé and relationship with the network not only by being No. 1 on the ensemble call sheet for “Walker,” but also by serving as an executive producer for the first time in his career.
“I want [Jared] associated in some form with The CW, no matter how it goes. So if it went with this as he only wanted to be a producer, that would have been fine,” Pedowitz says.
For Padalecki, earning the privilege to help shepherd a show from inception to air — behind the scenes in addition to on-screen — has been a singular experience. “I can protect that original idea, but furthermore I get to try and make sure our cast and crew are treated correctly and that some of the habits that can happen on a TV show that end up hurting people don’t materialize,” he says.
Where in “Supernatural” Sam Winchester was the younger brother in a duo, at the start of Padalecki’s show Cordell Walker is a widowed father of two teenagers who moves his family back to his parents’ ranch. Both characters are in mourning at the outset, and both have to balance their sense of duty to “keep the world safe” with their desire to focus on family. Given those parallels, what especially aided Padalecki’s transition from Sam, whom he played for 15 years, to Walker was the time he spent getting to know his new character before donning his Stetson on set.
(It also helped that Fricke asked him to be “scruffier” than the clean-shaven Winchester, in order to age him up a little.)
The CW put “Walker” on its development slate in the fall of 2019, when filming was underway on the final season of “Supernatural.” The plan was to shoot a pilot in April, but when the pandemic hit, Pedowitz pivoted strategy quickly and ordered the show straight to series in January. “I think we would have wasted people’s time trying to do a pilot in COVID,” he says, adding that if a production is going to run the risk of shooting, the network should be prepared for a series greenlight.
With production shut down this past spring, Padalecki found himself with months to sit with the script for “Walker,” which was “more time than I’ve ever had to try and create or understand a character,” he says.
When it was safe to resume production, Padalecki returned to “Supernatural” first, in August. He was wrapped out of that series on Sept. 10, and five weeks later, he was back in the States and on set at “Walker.”
“I don’t really know what it’s like to get rid of a character necessarily, so what I tried to do was focus on the new character. In ‘Supernatural’ I’ve been afforded the opportunity to do this a couple of times: There was Gadreel Sam, Demon Sam, Lucifer Sam, and so I’ve been able to approach these other roles with the thought process that I wanted it to be interesting but not classic Sam, because I don’t think acting is just being who you’re comfortable being,” Padalecki says. Now, “Sam is just there somewhere in the background for me to visit him whenever I want, but Cordell Walker is who I’m helping to tell a story.”
The decade and a half that the actor spent on “Supernatural” has helped prepare him for “Walker” in other ways, too, from setting the tone as a leader on set to stunt work — although he admits there has been an adjustment from riding shotgun in a 1967 Chevy Impala when heading to cases to “chasing down perps” on horseback. On a personal level, being thousands of miles away from his kids while filming “Supernatural” has informed the emotions and struggles Walker experiences having to jet out of town for his job.
“I’ve been absent a lot,” Padalecki reflects. “When I’d get home to Austin, my kids [didn’t] understand that I’m not just skipping out, that I’m working really hard — 18-hour days — to try and pay the mortgage and buy their food and pay for their school and their uniforms and their toys. I didn’t know the routine. I’d get home and want to spend time with my kids, but they’re not used to me and I’m not used to them. It is very much art imitating life.”
In between takes on “Walker,” Padalecki wants to create a family vibe for his fellow cast and crew members, which is taking some figuring out since COVID-safe protocols limit interaction. When they call “Cut!” at the end of a long day of shooting, he gets to hop in his car and head home to his wife, Genevieve Padalecki (who will play Walker’s deceased wife, Emily, in the new show), and his three kids, Thomas, Austin and Odette. Now more than ever, he can be a part of setting that routine at work and at home.
“For so long I didn’t know what my life was outside of ‘Supernatural.’ I’m starting to figure it out now,” he says.
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From Our Nightmares: Candyman (2021)
[The following essay contains MAJOR SPOILERS; YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!]
In Bernard Rose’s original Candyman, the eponymous hook-handed murderer is a purely memetic monster; he sustains himself on belief, gaining power by provoking fear and terror in the residents of Chicago’s Cabrini-Green. He is therefore not particularly discriminating when it comes to selecting his victims: anyone that performs his iconic summoning ritual is fair game. Whenever a skeptic dares to utter his name, the nightmare that he personifies becomes flesh; a new chapter of his story is written in blood—and through the perpetuation of that story, he achieves immortality.
The version of the character appearing in Nia DaCosta’s recent sequel/reboot is a different beast entirely. His urban legend is reimagined as a sort of collective coping mechanism—a response to the trauma caused by racial violence, police brutality, and injustice. Whenever an innocent, unarmed Black man is gunned down, beaten to death, or hanged, he is absorbed into “the hive”; his face, his identity, his soul become a part of Candyman’s narrative. He transcends. He is consumed.
Indeed, therein lies the film’s only true flaw: it tempts the viewer to interpret Candyman as a folk hero—a spirit of vengeance and righteous fury, butchering obnoxious white assholes on behalf of the downtrodden and disenfranchised. In theory, his resurrection should be tragic—after all, it occurs at the cost of our hapless protagonist’s life. In practice, however, his climactic slaughter of a group of corrupt, trigger-happy cops is way too cathartic; hearing Tony Todd’s rich, booming voice and seeing his digitally de-aged visage emerge from a swarm of bees is so damn satisfying that the audience barely has time to reflect on the deeper implication that they are, in fact, celebrating the villain’s decisive victory.
Nevertheless, the movie remains undeniably compelling. Like the Clive Barker tales that served as its inspiration, it strikes a fascinating balance between supernatural and mundane horrors. For what, ultimately, is more haunting: a brief, fleeting glimpse of a ghostly apparition in the mirror?
Or the potential for evil lurking in your next door neighbor’s heart?
[A throwback to a series of Halloween-themed posts I wrote all the way back in October of 2012. Click here to read what I had to say about the original Candyman, exactly nine years ago to the day!]
#Candyman#Candyman 2021#Nia DaCosta#Jordan Peele#Tony Todd#Bernard Rose#Clive Barker#From Our Nightmares#horror#Halloween#film#writing
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BOOKS BY ASIAN AUTHORS MASTERLIST #stopasianhate
In light of recent events and the growing anti- Asian hate in the US and UK over the course of the pandemic I wanted to put together a masterlist of books by Asian authors. Obviously, it’s not extensive and there are HUNDREDS out there, but supporting art by Asian creators is a way of showing support; read their stories, educate ourselves. It goes without saying that we should all be putting effort into reading stories of POC and by POC because even through fiction we’re learning about different cultures, countries and heritages. So here’s some books to start with by Asian authors!
Here is a link also for resources to educate and petitions to sign (especially if you don’t read haha). It’s important that we educate ourselves and uplift Asian voices right now. Your anti-racism has to include every minority that faces it.
https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/
for UK peeps, this is a good read: We may not hear about the anti Asian racism happening here, but it is definitely happening. https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/culture-news/a35692226/its-time-we-stopped-downplaying-the-uks-anti-asian-racism/
THE BOOKS:
· War Cross- Marie Lu ( the worldbuilding in this is IMMENSE.)
For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit.
· Star Daughter- Shveta Thakrar
A beautiful story about a girl who is half human and half star, and she must go to the celestial court to try to save her father after he has fallen ill. And before she knows it, she is taking part in a magical competition that she must win!
· These Violent Delights- Chloe Gong (I told my little sister to read this book yesterday bc she has a thing for a Leo as Romeo- so if you want deadly good looking Romeos, badass Juliet’s and to learn about 1920s Shanghai- this is for you.)
The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery. A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. A Romeo and Juliet retelling.
· The Poppy War- R.F Kuang (My fave fantasy series just fyi- it’s soul crushing in the best way. Rebecca Kuang is a god of an author).
A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy.
· Loveboat Taipei- Abigail Hing Wen (Really heartwarming and insightful!)
When eighteen-year-old Ever Wong’s parents send her from Ohio to Taiwan to study Mandarin for the summer, she finds herself thrust among the very over-achieving kids her parents have always wanted her to be, including Rick Woo, the Yale-bound prodigy profiled in the Chinese newspapers since they were nine—and her parents’ yardstick for her never-measuring-up life.
· Sorcerer to the Crown- Zen Cho (if anyone is looking for another Howl’s Moving Castle, look no further than this book)
At his wit’s end, Zacharias Wythe, freed slave, eminently proficient magician, and Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers—one of the most respected organizations throughout all of Britain—ventures to the border of Fairyland to discover why England’s magical stocks are drying up.
· Emergency Contact- Mary H.K. Choi (very wholesome and fun rom-com!)
For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. When she heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.
· Jade City- Fonda Lee (I am reading this currently and can I just say- I think everyone who loves fantasy and blood feuds in a story should read this.)
JADE CITY is a gripping Godfather-esque saga of intergenerational blood feuds, vicious politics, magic, and kungfu. The Kaul family is one of two crime syndicates that control the island of Kekon. It's the only place in the world that produces rare magical jade, which grants those with the right training and heritage superhuman abilities.
· A Pho Love Story- Loan Le
When Dimple Met Rishi meets Ugly Delicious in this funny, smart romantic comedy, in which two Vietnamese-American teens fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighbouring restaurants.
· Rebelwing- Andrea Tang
Business is booming for Prudence Wu. A black-market-media smuggler and scholarship student at the prestigious New Columbia Preparatory Academy, Pru is lucky to live in the Barricade Coalition where she is free to study, read, watch, and listen to whatever she wants.
· Wings of the Locust- Joel Donato Ching Jacob
Tuan escapes his mundane and mediocre existence when he is apprenticed to Muhen, a charming barangay wiseman. But, as he delves deeper into the craft of a mambabarang and its applications in espionage, sabotage and assassination, the young apprentice is overcome by conflicting emotions that cause him to question his new life.
· The Travelling Cat Chronicles- Hiro Arikawa
Sometimes you have to leave behind everything you know to find the place you truly belong...
Nana the cat is on a road trip. He is not sure where he's going or why, but it means that he gets to sit in the front seat of a silver van with his beloved owner, Satoru.
· Super Fake Love Song- David Yoon
From the bestselling author of Frankly in Love comes a contemporary YA rom-com where a case of mistaken identity kicks off a string of (fake) events that just may lead to (real) love.
· Parachutes- Kelly Yang
Speak enters the world of Gossip Girl in this modern immigrant story from New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang about two girls navigating wealth, power, friendship, and trauma.
· The Grace of Kings- Ken Liu ( One of the Time 100 Best Fantasy Books Of All Time!)
Two men rebel together against tyranny—and then become rivals—in this first sweeping book of an epic fantasy series from Ken Liu, recipient of Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards.
· Wicked Fox- Kat Cho
A fresh and addictive fantasy-romance set in modern-day Seoul.
· Descendant of the Crane- Joan He
In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception.
· Pachinko- Min Jin Lee
Richly told and profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty. From bustling street markets to the halls of Japan's finest universities to the pachinko parlors of the criminal underworld, Lee's complex and passionate characters--strong, stubborn women, devoted sisters and sons, fathers shaken by moral crisis--survive and thrive against the indifferent arc of history.
· America is in the Heart- Carlos Bulosan
First published in 1946, this autobiography of the well known Filipino poet describes his boyhood in the Philippines, his voyage to America, and his years of hardship and despair as an itinerant laborer following the harvest trail in the rural West.
· Days of Distraction- Alexandra Chang
A wry, tender portrait of a young woman — finally free to decide her own path, but unsure if she knows herself well enough to choose wisely—from a captivating new literary voice.
· The Astonishing Colour of After Emily X.R Pan
Alternating between real and magic, past and present, friendship and romance, hope and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a novel about finding oneself through family history, art, grief, and love.
· The Gilded Wolves- Roshani Chokshi
It's 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.
· When Dimple met Rishi- Sandhya Menon
Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.
· On Earth we’re briefly Gorgeous- Ocean Vuong
Poet Ocean Vuong's debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, a first love, and the redemptive power of storytelling.
· Fierce Fairytales- Nikita Gill
Complete with beautifully hand-drawn illustrations by Gill herself, Fierce Fairytales is an empowering collection of poems and stories for a new generation.
BOOKS BEING RELEASED LATER THIS YEAR TO PREORDER:
· Counting down with you- Tashie Bhuiyan- 4th May
A reserved Bangladeshi teenager has twenty-eight days to make the biggest decision of her life after agreeing to fake date her school’s resident bad boy.
How do you make one month last a lifetime?
· Gearbreakers- Zoe Hana Mikuta- June 29th
Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they're fighting for a common purpose--and falling for each other--in Zoe Hana Mikuta's high-octane debut Gearbreakers, perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown's Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu's Legend series
· XOXO- Axie Oh- 13th July
When a relationship means throwing Jenny’s life off the path she’s spent years mapping out, she’ll have to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.
· She who became the sun- Shelley Parker-Chan- 20th July
Mulan meets The Song of Achilles in Shelley Parker-Chan's She Who Became the Sun, a bold, queer, and lyrical reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty from an amazing new voice in literary fantasy.
· Jade Fire Gold- June C.L Tan- October 12th
Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they're fighting for a common purpose--and falling for each other--in Zoe Hana Mikuta's high-octane debut Gearbreakers, perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown's Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu's Legend series
Keep sharing, signing petitions and donating where you can. The more people who are actively anti-racist, the better. And if your anti-racism doesn’t include the Asian community then go and educate yourself! BLM wasn’t a trend and neither is this. We have to stand up against white supremacy, and racism and stereotypes and we have to support the communities that need our support. Part of that can include cultivating your reading so you’re reading more diversely and challenging any stereotypes western society may have given you.
Feel free to reblog and add any more recommendations and resources of course!
#stopasianhate#books by asian authors#anti racism#i'm so sickened by everything that's happening and i hope that this list does encourage people to read books by asian authors!!!#ya#poc authors#fiction#i haven't all of these yet#asian writers#asian authors#masterlist#antiasianracism
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FEATURE: Japanese Myths And How They're Depicted In Horror Anime
No matter the time or place, the folklore and myths of the past always persist. The same can also be said for anime, especially when it comes to horror. Certain franchises, such as Shigeru Mizuki’s classic GeGeGe no Kitaro, have solidified the omnipresent status of traditional Japanese folk monsters in popular culture. Other series, such as Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo interpret traditional folklore in relation to historical periods and changing attitudes toward religion. More recently, series from the 2010s and 2000s, such as Bakemonogatari and Ghost Stories, interpret the classics with modern sensibilities. When it comes to stories with a penchant for horror, it would be far more surprising if they didn’t allude to a shared supernatural mythology — the ubiquity is the point.
Neko-Musume on her smartphone
The best horror always tries to do something new. While creatures like yōkai (a wide umbrella of supernatural entities) are well-known among English-speaking fans today thanks to series like Yokai Watch, these re-imaginings always tend to play fast and loose with fidelity. Wouldn’t it be boring if every vampire movie started and ended with Dracula? In a 2016 interview with The Comics Journal, veteran manga translator Zack Davisson emphasizes this important tendency to re-contextualize old folklore:
“It’s a tricky question, as it is impossible to say what is ‘actual folklore.’ Vampires bursting into flame is considered ‘authentic,’ but that actually comes from the films, not folkloric sources. Folklore evolves and [Shigeru] Mizuki is an important part of that evolution. If you trace them back, most yokai we know come from Toriyama Sekien, who also just made things up. In fact, I would say that making up yokai is part of the grand tradition of yokai! If you are a writer/artist working with yokai and not making up at least a few of your own, you are missing the point!”
The original spirit gun
So that’s all to say — there really is no such thing as a definitive, one-to-one story based on centuries of tradition. Yōkai, as endearing as they are, are also just one part of the equation. Long-running anime such as Folktales from Japan and fantasy series Inuyasha-continuation Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon either re-tell or draw inspiration from that folklore. But that’s beyond the scope of this piece. Whether it be adaptations of urban legends about school bathrooms or vengeful spirits, I hope this round-up helps any casual or long-time anime fan appreciate how these series reimagine supernatural traditions.
Fantastic Folklore: GeGeGe no Kitaro & Mononoke
The late Shigeru Mizuki’s most influential character, Kitaro, hardly needs any introduction. In his book Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide, translator Matt Alt describes yōkai as “the attempts of the fertile human imagination to impose meaning and rationality on a chaotic, unpredictable, often difficult-to-explain world.” Many yōkai are quite strange and sometimes even comedic. Scholar-artists, such as the previously mentioned Toriyama Sekien, are largely credited with inspiring their uncanny visual representations, making them the perfect subject matter for an accessible series.
The tanuki plot world domination
The titular Kitaro himself is a half-human, half-yōkai one-eyed boy who travels between the human and spirit world to resolve monster-of-the-day conflicts with his friends. Although Mizuki’s Kitaro as we know it began serialization in 1960, Mizuki originally received permission to re-imagine the character from Masami Itō, who first created Kitaro in the 1930s in pre-war Japan. The most recent 2018 anime series re-establishes Kitaro in a modern setting, yet still adapts many of the most iconic stories. Characters such as Neko-Musume, based on volatile cat spirits called bakeneko, are updated with new designs while Kitaro mostly remains the same. Mizuki’s older creations, such as the jubokko (vampire tree) yōkai, are still featured alongside a new re-imagining of the “wall monster” nurikabe — inspired by the discovery of an Edo manuscript in 2007. The appeal of Kitaro isn’t so much the meticulous adherence to yōkai mythos, but rather Mizuki’s continual improvisation of the folklore-informed monster-making tradition.
The Medicine Seller
Beyond Kitaro, other series, such as 2006’s Mononoke, dedicate entire storylines to a wider category of ayakashi (sea-bound yōkai) and funayūrei (boat spirits) written by none other than Chiaki J. Konaka. Later episodes feature bakeneko and nue (chimera monsters), but with a twist. The term mononoke itself refers to a variety of yōkai specifically referring to vengeful spirits possessing people or things. When it comes to series taking a more “fantastical” approach to folklore, both Mononoke and Kitaro thankfully never dissolve into simple rogue galleries of monsters — their (mostly) human protagonists largely remain the heart of their chilling saga.
Horror-Historical: Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo
Lord Kagemitsu Daigo makes a pact with the demons (Source: Amazon)
In Anime and Its Roots in Early Japanese Monster Art scholar Zília Papp comments Mizuki’s “Kitaro characters became synonymous with yōkai in the postwar period, continuing to the present time” compared to his peers like Tezuka. But if Kitaro made yōkai big in comedic manga, then Tezuka’s short-lived Dororo manga drove this interest toward the historical context of the Sengoku Period, or the “warring states” era of feudal Japan.
Rather than depicting spirits as purely whimsical mischief-makers, Dororo’s inciting event is a feudal lord of the fictional Daigo clan forging a pact with 48 demons, who persist to hunt his son long after the pact is forged. In his feature The History Behind Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo, Marco Oliveros comments that by depicting yōkai during this period, Dororo draws inspiration from actual shifts in changing Buddhist attitudes toward these entities:
“One of the foremost examples of this change to yokai is the tengu. Wrathful and demonic, the avian creature tricked and assaulted Buddhist clerics and civilians alike, becoming characterized as the sworn enemy of Buddhism. The apparent hostility of these yokai to Buddhism makes their dark deals with Dororo's Daigo an unsurprising turn of events for the Sengoku Jidai era.”
The Amanojaku is captured and sealed inside a Buddhist temple (Source: Amazon)
Matt Alt’s 2016 translation of Japandemonium Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien describes the tengu (mask-wearing entities usually depicted as half-man half-bird) as “deeply associated with the religion of Shugendō,” which originated during the Heian period; however they were depicted very differently in major Buddhist sects of the same era. Unlike solely “fantastical” stories of the supernatural without much acknowledgment to historical context, Dororo is interested in this context regarding capricious attitudes of spirits of people alike. Impressive malevolent entities such as kyūbi (nine-tailed foxes) also fight against Dororo’s protagonist, Hyakkimaru, typical of supernatural jidaigeki (period drama) horror stories set in feudal Japan.
However, Dororo also features lesser entities such as amanojaku (tiny, goblin-like demons). According to the influential illustrated encyclopedia Wakan Sansai Zue compiled by Sekien-predecessor Terajima Ryōan, amanojaku and tengu were described as paired descendants of the evil goddess Amanozako (literally "tengu god"). According to scholar Haruko Wakabayashi in The Seven Tengu Scrolls: Evil and the Rhetoric of Legitimacy in Medieval Japanese Buddhism, tengu were symbolically invoked in inter-personal and religious feuds amongst Buddhist sects during the Heian period. The amanojaku depicted in Dororo is minor. But with a (simplified) understanding of its affiliation with tengu’s pre-Heian origins and its subsequent disavowal by influential Buddhist sects, Dororo's amanojaku cameo is an undeniable nod toward its theme of “old ways” impacted by a "new" institutionalized status quo.
Hyakkimaru battles the nine-tailed fox spirit in its spectral form (Source: Amazon)
While the nine-tailed fox spirit is flashy, Dororo’s amanojaku ends up pathetically sealed inside a Buddhist temple. Ironically, the amanojaku trapping scene pans from the top of a Buddhist statue, ending with the cartoonish amanojaku crushed underneath to visually imply its irrelevancy. Dororo is a story about the cultural and religious tensions brewing during this violent episode in history — making Hyakkimaru’s journey one that doesn’t simply depict supernatural folkloric tradition in stasis, but as something always under complicated socio-political stakes.
Modern Ghoul School: Ghost Stories & Bakemonogatari
What do you do if you can’t solve your evil spirit problems with a sword? For the most part, classics like Kitaro and Dororo take place in the past, or at least worlds very unlike our own. A traveling demon slayer never has to deal with student council or smartphones.
In a previous article, From Bakeneko to Bakemonogatari, I discussed all the possible lineages of the catgirl character archetype. In that piece, I claimed one of the more accurate representations of the bakeneko today was Bakemonogatari’s Tsubasa Hanekawa’s cat spirit-possessed alter-ego. It’s not simply because she is a supernatural catgirl, but rather her portrayal was obviously informed by the wider context of pre-existing bakeneko mythos. Is it possible for a “modern-day” series to tackle yesterday’s folktales while still preserving the uncanniness of the past?
The spirits possessing Bakemonogatari’s cast, referred to as “oddities,” all nearly function like vengeful mononoke spirits. For example, Bakemonogatari’s first arc, Hitagi Crab, features a crab “oddity” haunting classmate Hitagi Senjougahara. The existence of heikekani (face-shaped crabs allegedly the spirits of drowned Heike warriors from the Sengoku Period), might be a parallel, considering the arc’s theme of unresolved conflict. Another arc, Suruga Monkey, features an “oddity” taking the form of a beastly paw growing on classmate Kanbaru Suruga’s arm. Senjougahara and Suruga's crab/monkey relationship can be read as alluding to the well-known Buddhist tale “The Monkey and the Crab.” According to The National Gallery of Art on its 2019 The Life of Animals in Japanese Art exhibit, the monkey and crab are usually depicted as friends, then compete until they either make amends or resolve their conflict. Often the subject of artistic interpretation, it’s no surprise this tale found its way into anime as a metaphor for teen drama.
The kids scan a talisman and e-mail it to exorcise internet demons. Yes, this really happens.
In comparison, the 2000 series Ghost Stories is best known to English-speaking audiences for being an edgy comedy. However, its original source material, a book series titled Gakkō no Kaidan (School Ghost Stories), is more akin to a heavily researched Goose Bumps. Written by folklore scholar Toru Tsunametsu, the series showcases various urban myths and monsters, most famously “Hanako” a ghost girl who haunts school bathrooms. A 2014 NPR piece describes the most popular version of Hanako being a schoolgirl in WWII “using the bathroom when a bomb fell on top of the building.” Although Hanako gained enough popularity from the books to warrant her own spin-off anime series in 1994, she only makes a handful of cameos in the 2000 series. Entities like the previously mentioned amanojaku also appear, alongside shinigami (death gods) depicted in many other anime.
How to channel your ghost powers for success (Source: Funimation)
Hanako, because of her relatively modern backstory, is just as ubiquitous. Versions of Hanako appear in an episode of the 2018 Kitaro and most recently in the 2020 series Toilet Bound Hanako-kun. Tsunametsu currently edits the Folklore Society of Japan’s official academic journal, no doubt a testament to his priceless contributions to folklore representation in anime.
Who You Gonna Call?
There’s no way to tell the same ghost story twice. With such a layered history, contemporary anime have a nearly endless well of folkloric material to pull from. Recent series like the hit Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Toilet Bound Hanako-kun prove that fans will never get enough of the supernatural, just as long as things stay fresh.
Hanako politely warns the ghost-hunting kids
Long live artistic liberty and specters trying to watch you pee.
Blake P. is a weekly columnist for Crunchyroll Features. His twitter is @_dispossessed. His bylines include Fanbyte, VRV, Unwinnable, and more. He'd like a tiny yōkai cat.
Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!
By: Blake Planty
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So I understand that you’re having trouble with pronouns in your Ciri femslash story, but I am absolutely in love with that little excerpt you posted and am so excited to see it finished. The Witcher fandom needs more femslash (which I don’t mean as a condemnation of writing any other type of pairing; I like all the cakes I just want the femslash one to be bigger).
Ha, I’m not having terrible troubles, I’m just realizing that it’s funny that I’m finding it troublesome at all, when I so rarely have the problem anymore writing m/m.
I appreciate how well-worded this is! And i feel the same way. I am always a little bothered that I don’t write more f/f.
But like. I don’t want to make myself do it, y’know? The concept of femmeslash deserves better than to feel like making yourself eat vegetables, you know? So I’m really excited that this idea organically popped up in a timely fashion for me to actually do it.
(And I’m going to admit-- part of this is that I had a nebulous concept for a whole side-thing when I was doing Goblin Emperor fic, and I just-- couldn’t justify doing a whole huge epic full of what would have to be mostly OCs surrounding a single novel not a ton of people have read. I would’ve enjoyed writing it and my like, nine readers would’ve been so pumped, but if I’m going to devote all that worldbuilding and attention to something for a small audience I’d be overall much better off if I did so with original work, you know??? So yes Luliana is Odaru Culezhin from this series reimagined for a new setting. I remain rather proud of that little series, and do sometimes quietly mourn the whole lesbian subplot I never got to write... well, I’m gonna do it now! Just, in a different format.)
#femslash february#is it incorrect to have the extra me on the end of fem?#i don't want to be incorrect#but i also like it there#oh well#asks answered#Anonymous
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Is Star Wars: Visions Canon? The Anime’s Timeline Explained
https://ift.tt/3AtNyP7
This Star Wars: Visions article contains spoilers.
Seven animation studios have come together to create Star Wars: Visions, a collection of nine anime short films that reimagines the galaxy far, far away through the lens of Japanese culture and aesthetics. It’s one of the most ambitious projects Lucasfilm has ever embarked on with the saga, and it’s an experiment that largely pays off, as it not only brings fresh perspectives to Star Wars but also new characters, from the mysterious swordsman known only as Ronin to a little droid named T0-B1 who wants nothing more than to become a real Jedi Knight.
The stories in Visions take place across several eras of the Star Wars saga, including after The Rise of Skywalker, but are these tales part of the official Disney canon? Here’s what you need to know.
Is Star Wars: Visions Canon?
First of all, who cares? Good Star Wars is good Star Wars, whether it’s part of Disney canon or Legends (the old Expanded Universe before the timeline reboot) or somewhere in between. You should be able to enjoy a Star Wars book or TV show or video game simply because it is a good story with characters you love and not because it fits into whatever the official continuity is that day. Go read Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston’s X-Wing books, they’re great! Want more Clone Wars in your life? Genndy Tartakovky’s non-canon Clone Wars microseries is spectacular.
But if you must know the answer, Star Wars: Visions falls in that third category: “somewhere in between” canon and non-canon. Our own Star Wars reporter Megan Crouse said it best: “Visions sits just to the side of Disney’s Star Wars canon.” None of the stories of characters really clash with anything on the timeline, so they could all be considered Disney canon in theory. But Lucasfilm isn’t really thinking about Visions that way.
Stream your Star Wars favorites right here!
“I think these shorts are all authentic Star Wars storytelling,” executive producer James Waugh told Digital Spy. “But some are less on the timeline than others. Some could very much fit within our timeline. But Visions, as a whole, is more of a celebration of Star Wars, through this unique perspective, this unique form, this medium and culture. And that was really the intention.”
Okay, so which stories are canon?
“Some stories like ‘Tatooine Rhapsody’ or ‘The Elder’ can very easily fit within certain canonical points,” Waugh said. “But that’s not really the point of the initiative. We needed this to be something different, and we needed it to be really from the hearts of all these creators, to not try and answer questions in Star Wars. Instead, you have Star Wars as an amazing palette to tell stories through.”
While Lucasfilm hasn’t officially labeled which anime shorts are canon and which aren’t, most of them do occupy a specific era in the Star Wars timeline if you want to map out what happens when in Visions.
Where Does Each Episode Fit in the Star Wars Timeline?
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Here is a guide to each of the stories and roughly when they take place on the timeline, according to their creators, who previewed the episodes for IGN ahead of the premiere.
The Duel
Kamikaze Douga’s “The Duel” follows Ronin, an enigmatic warrior who wanders from one part of the galaxy to the other with his trusty droid companion B5. When a village in the Outer Rim comes under attack by Sith, Ronin must choose whether to defend this place or continue on his journey.
When Does It Take Place: Described as an “alternate history pulled from Japanese lore,” the short takes place after the “Sith rebellion,” a conflict which saw a sect of Jedi break off from the rest of the clans. This sounds a lot like a period on the canon timeline known as the “Hundred-Year Darkness,” an era thousands of years before The Phantom Menace that led to the formation of the Sith.
Tatooine Rhapsody
A runaway Jedi padawan forms a rock band with a former member of the Hutt clan in this short by Studio Colorido. When they’re captured by the infamous Boba Fett and brought to Tatooine for their execution, the band hatches a plan to play to best show of their lives in the hopes that Jabba the Hutt will spare them.
When Does It Take Place: Since “Tatooine Rhapsody” begins with a padawan running for his life on Coruscant, it’s very likely the bulk of the short takes place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, with Jabba still at the height of his power on Tatooine.
The Twins
Twins Karre and Am were raised as children of the dark side so that they could one day rule the galaxy as one. But when one of the siblings begins questioning the dark path that’s been decided for them, it splits the twins right down the middle.
When Does It Take Place: “‘The Twins’ is set after Episode IX, after the Empire has been vanquished by the Resistance,” Trigger studio co-founder Hiroyuki Imaishi told IGN. “The remnants of the Imperial Army have raised a pair of twins on the Dark Side of the Force, and the story goes from there.” But where’s Rey?
The Village Bride
In Kinema Citrus’ short, a peaceful village prepares for a big wedding party, while a cruel warlord plans an attack. A fallen Jedi must decide whether to get involved or do nothing.
When Does It Take Place: While “The Village Bridge” is meant to evoke feudal Japan, the B1-series battle droid puts it squarely in the Prequel era, likely during the Clone Wars.
The Ninth Jedi
The daughter of a legendary sword smith might be the only hope for restoring the Jedi Order at a time when the Sith rule the galaxy once again.
When Does It Take Place: “The Ninth Jedi” is another story set after The Rise of Skywalker. Director Kenji Kamiyama of Production I.G told IGN: “I wondered, after Episode IX, has the galaxy settled into peace? We all love stories of the Jedi and lightsabers, but what became of the Jedi Knights after the movie series? My story is about that.”
Read more
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How Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ First Episode Showed the Darker Side of the Jedi
By Zoe Kaiser
TV
How The Mandalorian Resurrected a Jedi to Cover Luke’s Surprise Role
By Joseph Baxter
T0-B1
A little droid is on a mission to terraform a barren planet, all while learning the ways of the Jedi and defending this world from the Empire.
When Does It Take Place: This Science SARU short takes place at some point between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, when what remains of the Jedi Order is still being hunted down by the Empire’s cruel Inquisitors.
The Elder
A Jedi Knight and his padawan encounter great evil in the fringes of space: an aging sword master who wanders the galaxy looking for a worthy opponent.
When Does It Take Place: This story is set some time before The Phantom Menace. “For some viewers, this series might be their first Star Wars experience, so I wanted to make something that you can enjoy without any knowledge of the rest of the story,” Trigger co-founder Masahiko Otsuka told IGN. “So our story is not directly connected to any of the characters from the films, but it explores the idea of the Jedi Knights and the master and padawan dynamic in an older setting.”
Lop and Ocho
Two sisters must decide the fate of their planet. Should they join the Empire or fight to preserve the natural beauty of their home world? This short also introduces fans to Lop, a new hero inspired by a classic Marvel character.
When Does It Take Place: “The story is set between Episode III and IV of the Star Wars movie series,” said director Yuki Igarashi of Geno Studio. “The Galactic Empire is expanding throughout space.”
Akakiri
Billed as “a painful love story,” a Jedi will do anything to protect a princess when a Sith warlord threatens the peace.
When Does It Take Place: The second Science SARU short is the most difficult to place in the timeline. But Wookieepedia has done some detective work: since the installment features a B-wing starfighter, that means it must takes place at some point after the first B-wing prototype was created in Rebels (4 years before A New Hope). And since there are Jedi are around again, that must mean “Akakiri” happens after The Rise of Skywalker during an era when the Order has been restored. Unless this is an alternate history and none of those clues matter…
Star Wars: Visions is streaming now on Disney+.
The post Is Star Wars: Visions Canon? The Anime’s Timeline Explained appeared first on Den of Geek.
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Best of SXSW 2021.
From properly good Covid comedies to an epic folk-horror doc and an Indigenous feminist Western, the Letterboxd Festiville team reveals their ten best of SXSW Online.
We dug out old lanyards to wear around the house, and imagined ourselves queuing up the block from The Ritz (RIP). We dialled into screenings and panels, and did our level best to channel that manic “South By” energy from our living rooms.
The SXSW festival atmosphere was muted, and that’s to be expected. But the films themselves? Gems, so many gems, whether shot in a fortnight on the smell of an oily stimulus check, or painstakingly rotoscoped over seven years.
When we asked SXSW Film director Janet Pierson what she and her team were looking for this year, she told us: “We’re always looking for films that do a lot with little, that are ingenious, and pure talent, and discovery, and being surprised. We’re just looking for really good stories with good emotional resonance.” If there was one common denominator we noticed across this year’s SXSW picks, it was a smart, tender injection of comedy into stories about trauma, grief, unwanted pregnancy, chronic health conditions, homelessness, homophobia and, yes, Covid.
It’s hard to pick favorites, but here are the ten SXSW features and two short films we haven’t stopped thinking about, in no particular order.
Recovery
Directed by Mallory Everton and Stephen Meek, written by Everton and Whitney Call
“Covid 19 is in charge now” might be the most hauntingly funny line in a SXSW film. In Recovery, two sisters set out on a haywire road trip to rescue their grandmother from her nursing home in the wake of a severe Covid 19 outbreak. There’s no random villain or threat, because isn’t being forced to exist during a pandemic enough of a threat in itself? If ever we were worried about “Covid comedies”, SXSW managed to flush out the good ones. (Read about the Festiville team’s other favorite Covid-inflected comedies, including an interview with the directors of I’m Fine (Thanks for Asking).)
Alex Marzona praises the “off-the-charts chemistry” between leads Mallory Everton and Whitney Call. Best friends since they were nine, the pair also wrote the film, with Everton co-directing with Stephen Meek. Every laugh comes from your gut and feels like something only the cast and crew would usually be privy to. “You can tell a lot of the content is improvised, which just attests to their talent,” writes Emma. Recovery doesn’t make you laugh awkwardly about how awful the last year has been—rather, it reminds you that even in such times there are still laughs to be had, trips to be taken, family worth uprooting everything for. Just make sure you’ve packed enough wet wipes for the road, and think long and hard about who should babysit your mice. —EK
The Spine of Night
Written and directed by Morgan Galen King and Philip Gelatt
Don’t get too attached to any characters from its star-studded cast—nobody is safe (or fully-clothed) in The Spine of Night’s raw, ultra-violent and cynical world. Conjured over the last seven years, directors Philip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King’s rotoscoped epic recaptures the dazzling imagination and scope of their influences Ralph Bakshi and Heavy Metal. Approaching an anthology-style structure to explore how ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’—a proverb more potent now than when Gelatt and King began their project—the film packs a franchise’s worth of ideas in its 90-minute runtime. Though the storytelling justifiably proves itself overly dense for some, it will find the audience it’s after, as other Letterboxd members have declared it “a rare treat” and “a breath of fresh air in the feature-length animation scene”. For sure, The Spine of Night can join Sundance premieres Flee and Cryptozoo in what’s already a compelling year for unique two-dimensional animation. —JM
Kambole Campbell caught up with Gelatt and King (who are also Letterboxd members!) during SXSW to talk about animation inspirations and rotoscoping techniques.
The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson
Written and directed by Leah Purcell
Snakes, steers and scoundrels beware! Writer-director-star Leah Purcell ably repurposes the Western genre for Aboriginal and female voices in The Drover’s Wife. Molly Johnson is a crack-shot anti-heroine for the ages, in this decolonized reimagining of a classic 1892 short story by Henry Lawson. And by reimagining, we mean a seismic shift in the narrative: Purcell has fleshed out a full story of a mother-of-four, pregnant with her fifth, a missing husband, predatory neighbors, a mysterious runaway and a young English couple on different paths to progress in this remote Southern land. Purcell first adapted this story for the stage, then as published fiction; she rightly takes the leading role in the screen version, too.
As a debut feature director, Purcell (Goa-Gunggari-Wakka Wakka Murri) already has a firm grip on the macabre and the menacing, not shying away from violence, but making very careful decisions about what needs to be depicted, given all that Molly Johnson and her family are subjected to. She also sneaks in mystic touches, and a hint of romance (local heartthrob Rob Collins can take us on a walk to where the Snowy widens to see blooming wildflowers anytime). Judging by early Letterboxd reviews, it’s not for everyone, but this is Australian colonization through an Indigenous feminist’s eyes, with a fierce, intersectional pay-off. “Extremely similar to a vast majority of the issues and themes explored in The Nightingale,” writes Claira. “I’m slowly realizing that my favorite type of Westerns are Australian.” —LK, GG
Swan Song
Written and directed by Todd Stephens
Udo Kier is often the bridesmaid, rarely the bride. Now, after a lifetime of supporting roles ranging from vampires and villains to art-house muse, he finally gets to shine center-stage in Swan Song. Kier dazzles as a coiffure soothsayer in this lyrical pageant to the passage of queer times in backwater Sandusky, Ohio. “He is absolutely wonderful here,” writes Adrianna, “digging deep and pulling out a mesmerizing, deeply affecting and emotionally textured performance, proving that he’s an actor with much more range than people give him credit for.”
A strong supporting cast all have melancholy moments to shine, with Linda Evans (Dynasty), Michael Urie (Ugly Betty) and Jennifer Coolidge (Legally Blonde) along for the stroll. Surreal camp touches add joy (that chandelier, the needle drop!) but by the end, the tears roll (both of joy and sadness). Writer-director Todd Stephens ties up his Sandusky trilogy in this hometown homage, a career peak for both him and Kier. Robert Daniels puts it well, writing that Swan Song is “campy as hell, but it’s also a heartfelt LGBTQ story about lost lovers and friends, vibrant memories and the final passage of a colorful life.” —LK
Leo Koziol spoke with Todd Stephens and Udo Kier during SXSW about Grace Jones, David Bowie and dancing with yourself.
Islands
Written and directed by Martin Edralin
Islands is a Mike Leigh-esque story that presents a Canadian Filipino immigrant family full of quirk and character, centered around Joshua, a reticent 50-year-old homebody son. The story drifts in and out of a deep well of sadness. Moments of lightness and familial love make the journey worthwhile. “A film so Filipino a main plot device is line-dancing,” writes Karl. “Islands is an incredibly empathetic film about what it’s like to feel unmoored from comfort. It’s distinctly Filipino and deals with the psychology of Asian culture in a way that feels both profound and oddly comforting.” In a year in which we’ve all been forced to physically slow down, Islands “shows us how slow life can be,” writes Justin, “and how important it is to be okay with that.” Rogelio Balagtas’s performance as Joshua—a first-time leading role—won him the SXSW Grand Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance. —LK
Ninjababy
Directed by Yngvild Sve Flikke, written by Flikke with Johan Fasting and Inga H. Sætre
Ninjababy is as ridiculous as its title. When 23-year-old Rakel finds herself accidentally pregnant, scheduling an abortion is a no-brainer. But she’s way too far along, she’s informed, so she’s going to have to have the baby. The ensuing meltdown might have been heartbreaking if the film wasn’t so damn funny. Ninjababy draws on the comforting and familiar (“Lizzie McGuire if she was a pregnant young adult,” writes Nick), while mixing shock with originality (Erica Richards notices “a few aggressive and vulgar moments [but] somehow none of it seemed misplaced”).
An animated fetus in the style of Rakel’s own drawings appears to beg and shame Rakel into motherhood while she fights to hold onto her confidence that not wanting to be a mother doesn’t make her a bad person. Ninjababy’s greatest feat is its willingness to delve into that complication: yes, it’s righteous and feminist and 21st-century to claim your own body and life, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to turn away from something growing inside of you. It’s a comedy about shame, art, finding care in unlikely places—and there’s something in it for the gents, too. The titular ninjababy wouldn’t leave Rakel alone, and it’s unlikely to leave you either. Winner of the SXSW Global Audience Award. —SH
The Fallout
Written and directed by Megan Park
Canadian actress Megan Park brought the youthful wisdom of her days on the teen drama series The Secret Life of the American Teenager to her first project behind the camera, and it paid off. Following the scattered after-effects of a school shooting, The Fallout may be the most acute, empathetic depiction of childhood trauma on screen in recent memory. “It sneaks up on you with its honesty and how it spends time with its lead, carried so beautifully by Jenna Ortega. Even the more conventional moments are poignant because of context,” writes Kevin L. Lee. Much of that “sneaky” honesty emerges as humor—despite the heavy premise, moments of hilarity hang on the edges of almost every scene. And Ortega’s portrayal of sweet-but-angsty Vada brings self-awareness to that humor, like when Vada’s avoidant, inappropriate jokes with her therapist reveal her desperation, but they garner genuine laughs nonetheless.
In this debut, Park shows an unmatched understanding of non-linear ways that young people process their pain. Sometimes kids try drugs! Sometimes they scream at their parents! But more often than not, they really do know what they want, who loves them, and how much time they need to grieve (see also: Jessie Barr’s Sophie Jones, starring her cousin Jessica Barr, out now on VOD and in theaters). The Fallout forsakes melodrama to embrace confusion, ambiguity and joy. Winner of both the SXSW Grand Jury and Audience Narrative Feature Awards, and the Brightcove Illumination Award. —SH
Ludi
Directed by Edson Jean, written by Jean and Joshua Jean-Baptiste
When Ludi begins, it’s quiet and dreamy. The film’s opening moments conjure the simple pleasures of the titular character’s Haitian heritage: the music, the colors, the people. Ludi (Shein Monpremier) smiles to herself as she starts her morning with a tape recording her cousin mailed from Haiti to Miami, and listens as her family members laugh through their troubles before recording an upbeat tape of her own. But that’s where the dreaminess ends—Ludi is an overworked, underpaid nurse picking up every shift she possibly can in order to send money home. Writer-director Edson Jean fixates on the pains and consequences of Ludi’s relentless determination, which comes to a head when she moonlights as a private nurse for an old man who doesn’t want her there.
Ashton Kinley notes how the film “doesn’t overly dramatize or pull at false emotional strings to make its weight felt. The second half of the feature really allows all of that to shine, as the film becomes a tender and empathetic two-hander.” George’s (Alan Myles Heyman) resentment of his own aging body steps in as Ludi’s antagonist. Jean throws together jarring contrasts: George throwing Ludi out of the bathroom, followed by Ludi’s memories of home, followed by another lashing out, followed by a shared prayer. The tension is unsustainable. By interspersing the back-breaking predicament of a working-class immigrant with the sights and sounds of the Caribbean, Ludi elegantly, painfully reveals what the cost of a dream can be. —SH
Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror
Written and directed by Kier-La Janisse
Building on the folk horror resurgence of films like The Witch and Midsommar, Kier-La Janisse’s 193-minute documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched is a colossal, staggering undertaking that should school even the most seasoned of horror buffs. “Thorough is an understatement,” says Claira.
Combining a historian’s studied, holistic patience with a cinephile’s rabid, insatiable thirst, the film, through the course of six chapters, broadens textbook British definitions, draws trenchant socio-political and thematic connections, debunks myths and transports viewers to far-flung parts of the globe in a way that almost feels anthropological. As Jordan writes, “Three hours later and my mind is racing between philosophical questions about the state of hauntology we generationally entrap ourselves in, wanting to buy every single one of the 100+ films referenced here, and being just a bit in awe of Janisse’s truly breathless work.” An encyclopedic forest worth losing yourself in—get ready for those watchlists to balloon. Winner of the SXSW Midnighters Audience Award. —AY
Introducing, Selma Blair
Directed by Rachel Fleit
There’ll likely be some level of hype when this intimate collaboration between actress Selma Blair and filmmaker Rachel Fleit comes out later in the year on Discovery+, and that’s okay, because that is Blair’s intention in sharing the details of her stem-cell transplant for multiple sclerosis. There’d be little point in going there if you are not prepared to really go there, and Introducing, Selma Blair is a tics-and-all journey not just into what life is like with a chronic condition, a young son, and a career that relies on one’s ability to keep a straight face. It’s also an examination of the scar tissue of childhood, the things we are told by our parents, the ideas we come to believe about ourselves. “I almost felt like I shouldn’t have such intimate access to some of the footage in this documentary,” writes Andy Yen. “Bravo to Selma for allowing the filmmakers to show some truly raw and soul-bearing videos about her battle with multiple sclerosis that make us feel as if we are as close to her as family.” —GG
Femme
Directed by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping
I May Destroy You fans, rejoice: Paapa Essiedu, who played Arabella’s fascinating best friend Kwame, takes center stage in Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping’s intoxicating short film Femme. It’s a simple premise—Jordan, a femme gay man, follows his drug dealer (Harris Dickinson, mastering the sexually repressed brusque young man like no one else) home to pick up some goods on a night out. Except, of course, it’s not that simple. The co-directors build a world of danger, tension and electricity, with lusciously lensed scenes that lose focus as the threat rises. Frankie calls it “hypnotizing and brutal and gorgeous” and we couldn’t agree more. A crime thriller wrestling with hyper-masculinity seen through the eyes of an LGBTQ+ character, with a sucker-punch ending to boot, the world needs more than twenty minutes of this story. —EK
Play It Safe
Directed by Mitch Kalisa
If you (unwisely) thought that the vulnerable, progressive environment of drama school would be a safe space for Black students, Play It Safe confirms that even a liberal bunch of actors (and their teacher) are capable of being blind to their own egregiously racist microagressions. Mitch Kalisa’s excellent short film explores structural prejudice head-on, in an electric acting exercise that rests on where the kinetic, gritty 16mm camera is pointing at every pivotal turn. At first, we’re with Black drama student Jonathan Ajayi as he receives the assignment; then we are with the rest of the class, exactly where we need to be. “Literally in your face and absolutely breathtaking,” writes Nia. A deserving winner of the SXSW Grand Jury and Audience narrative shorts prizes. —GG
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31 Days of Disney Villainy - Number 11
The 31 Days of Disney Villainy Continues! I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Villains from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film output.
This ghoulish glamor gal is the embodiment of the opinion “fur is murder.”
Number 11 is…Cruella De Vil, from 101 Dalmatians.
What’s impressive about Cruella De Vil is honestly what I think is most impressive about Lady Tremaine, who I talked about earlier in the countdown. Both of them are characters who, when you look at them in the grand scheme of things with various Disney Villains, are relatively normal. They don’t have magic powers, they don’t uses swords or have any crazy gadgets, they aren’t animals or literal monsters…if you put them up, in their initial formats, against characters of those sorts, they’d be done for in about twenty-eight seconds. What makes them stand out and makes them such fantastic antagonists is the strength in their personalities and the fact that their crimes legitimately feel like things we’d face in the real world. There are sadly many people out there who treat people they should care for horribly, and there are sadly many people out there who have no regard for the lives of animals.
There is, however, one key difference between Cruella De Vil and Lady Tremaine, and that is simply this: Cruella is a lot of fun! In fact, if there’s any crime greater than her actual evil scheme in this film, it’s just how much fun she is! Cruella’s plan is, quite frankly, one of the most appalling of any Disney Villain: she plans to take ninety-nine dalmatian puppies (some of them stolen, others bought and paid for) and have them slaughtered and skinned to create dalmatian-skin fur coats. That’s a scheme that’s somehow both completely insane and yet totally grounded at the same time; it’s equal parts simple and utterly bonkers. It is also so utterly terrible that it might be the most unjustifiable crime any popular Disney Villain has committed. No, seriously, think about it, how in the world do you EVEN JOKINGLY justify the pup-napping and brutal murder of nearly a hundred innocent puppies? You can’t!
I can PROVE that you can’t, in fact, thanks to the power of inspired works. First of all, let’s look at the series “Once Upon a Time.” That features a reimagined Cruella De Vil who, in her origins, SUCCEEDS at turning two dalmatians into fur coats. But that was only TWO dalmatians, and they were adults. Even there, however, Cruella isn’t exactly clean in her motivations. Let’s go to versions that are a bit more humorous: there was a series of flip-books published by Disney called “my side of the story,” which would tell the stories of various Disney films. One side would basically be the original story as we know it, told by one of the main characters. The other side would be the villains, and these were EXTREMELY tongue-in-cheek. In Cruella’s case, she outright just tries to deny she ever wanted to kill the pups, and comes up with all kinds of crazy excuses, because there frankly is no justification for the actual events. Two parody videos give us further proof! One was a song called “Happy Ever After,” which was a group of Disney Villains justifying their actions and claiming they weren’t so evil. About all Cruella could say for her motives was she was “a slave to fashion.” That’s one pretty lame excuse, compared to all the things the other villains say; you can tell the lyricist couldn’t figure out any way to manage it. Perhaps the best evidence I can give comes from a parody web-musical called “Twisted.” Inspired by Wicked, “Twisted” tells the story of Aladdin, but paints Jafar as the misunderstood hero of the story; there’s a scene where he encounters other Disney Villains who tell similar tales of how their stories got all messed up. Each of them gives sympathetic reasons for why they did what they did – some were fighting prejudice, some were seeking love, some simply wanted to get what they were owed…suddenly, they’re all crowding around Jafar, chanting “I ONLY WISHED, I ONLY WISHED, I ONLY WISHED…!”
And in the midst of that cacophony, Cruella pops up and sings at the top of her lungs: “I only wished to have a coat made out of puppies!”
And the other villains…respond with DISGUST. Jafar is horrified, exclaiming “WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!” while Scar – FREAKING SCAR, WHO KILLED HIS OWN BROTHER – sighs, facepalms, and mutters: “You’re not helping.”
You see?! There is NO justifying Cruella De Vil! Yet her flamboyant personality, eye catching design, and uber-glamorous sense of style (all inspired by Tallulah Bankhead) make her an absolute delight to watch. Despite being so utterly repugnant, Cruella is widely considered one of the most entertaining baddies in Disney history. She keeps popping up all over the place – TV shows, the parks, video games, books, live-action remakes…it seems like just about anywhere a Disney Villain could go, Cruella’s been there. (Except Kingdom Hearts. Somehow she hasn’t gotten there yet.) And any time she pops up, I’m not the only one who gets excited: people, in general, LOVE Cruella De Vil, and she’s basically become her own archetype. Whenever people think of villains, or even just CHARACTERS, with certain aesthetic choices – fur coats, flamboyant or glamorous personas, cigarette holders, the use of “daaahling” as a catchphrase, etc. – they think of Cruella. Whenever she shows up in a stage show at Disneyland or on a cruise line, the crowds cheer. That catchy song that named after her has been covered so many times, it’s not even funny.
Really, what more can I say? The only thing surprising about Cruella’s appearance on the countdown is that she ISN’T in the Top 10.
Speaking of, we’re moving into the top ten at last! Tomorrow, the countdown continues with my 10th Favorite Disney Villain!
HINT: He’s Anything But Second Rate.
#31 days of disney villainy#halloween advent calendar#disney villains#halloween#october#countdown#cruella de vil#101 dalmatians#original 101 damatians#glenn close is fun too#just not counting live action#besides#i like the one from once upon a time more#as far as live action goes
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