Men don't cry. My Daddy taught me that. Men don't cry because they don't have time to cry. I must not be a man yet because I cried. I bowed my head and cried. - Wolfsong by TJ Klune

I love this scene probably the most in the whole book

Like I said, I still have them in my head. Gordo and Mark mainly, but also other guys from the garage. And I hadn't drawn Chris, Rico and Tanner before!

So this was my piece for Rainbow Crate last February. It was an honour, and just simply a treat to bring some of my fave characters to life. I’m forever indebted to @glitterghost too for the opportunity.

I DID IT. I SURVIVED GREEN CREEK.

My struggle has essentially been EXACTLY like the characters in this series, just as difficult, just as treacherous, just as HEARTBREAKING.

this is the truth.

I need to write an aro and ace solidarity fic with Tanner and Kelly.. or I need someone to write an aro and ace solidarity fic with Tanner and Kelly..

Joe: Walks in smelling like Ox and looking smug as hell

All the older brothers in both packs:

Yk with "do you wanna be a vampire" being a question Darlin' actually has to consider now, I feel like I should put my mustard on this conversation and also advertise a book I like because I have no shame. (Spoiler warning for the Green Creek series by Tj Klune from here on out)

In the Green Creek series (I forgot whether this happened in the first or the second book and am too lazy to check (and even if I wasn't I'd just end up getting distracted by Gordo and Mark's sexual tension and nobody wants a Gordo/Mark post from me)) after Ox tells the guys from the garage about werewolves and magic and all that shit and makes them his pack, the question of turning them into wolves at some point arises. Jessie and Chris state outright that they never want to be turned, which is fair, and Tanner talks a lot with Elizabeth to learn all he can about being a werewolf before making a choice. The way the topic is concluded for the first two books is that Rico and Tanner ask to be turned if their life is at stake while Jessie and Chris want to remain human. And I think Darlin' would take a very similar approach to their potential vampire turning as Tanner has in Wolfsong/Ravensong. Their first instinct might be "fuck that - absolutely not" but I think apart from just heeding Sam's advice and spending a lot of time with the pack and their (inner) wolf, they'd also consult with Vincent/Lovely, Bright/Fred, and other vampires they might know in regards to all there is to know about being a vampire. In the end, I think their decision might come down to the same one Rico made in Wolfsong/Ravensong, which is that if they're going to die, they want to be turned. However, vampires in the Redactedverse work the way (I assume) most vampire depictions do, which is they stop aging rather than continuing to or reverting to their "prime" age the way vampires in some stories do. So if Darlin' were to die at say 86 years old because they can't see anymore and fell down the stairs and Sam turned them, then that following vampire life probably wouldn't be a fun one (or maybe it would be. I've never met (/read) a vampire whose body was old and wrinkly before so how would I know). Therefore, I'd say that Darlin' might agree to be turned in a life or death situation, but only as long as they're still of an age they can see themself living as until (potentially) the end of time, e.g., they might agree to Sam turning them until they're forty, but afterward they'd like it if he just let them die.

End of rant, hope this was comprehensive.

Aight so now that I have finished Brothersong I have THOUGHTS on further logistical breakdowns of how Green Creek could be adapted to a GLAAD Award-Winning HBO TV show. Spoilers so here is a cut for anyone who wants to be fresh to the series.

PRE-PRODUCTION

OKAY SO! The filming block for Season 1/Wolfsong would MOST LIKELY be the biggest, especially for scenes involving younger versions of the actors. As these are spread out across, like, all four books, some are just “scene we’ve seen but from a different perspective or with ‘Dream Seauence VFX’ so we just need more blocking/extra takes to make it all seem believeable using B-roll” to “yeah this requires Young Thomas and various child actors so we’re filming this beforehand so that everyone looks the same when these scenes come up later” to “ah hell we gotta shave their heads anyways might as well film the revenge road trip.” Thus, basically everyone but, like, Dominique would have to be cast by Season 1, and probably all of Season 1 and half of season 2 would need to be written and finalized and drafts/outlines of Season 3 and 4 would need to be made before casting would begin. Writer’s room would include TJ and a racially-diverse LGBT staff.

Caswell wouldn’t need to be fully built but enough of a location would be needed to film individual scenes with the younger actors and scenes set in the big house at Caswell (ie arguments between Mark and Thomas, Joe being taken, Thomas in the woods with the kids, Thomas writing the letters)

Title sequence would be based on the lovely new covers for the hardcover editions from Tor. They’d get longer with each season and by the end we see the whole pack in the papercraft style of the covers.

CASTING

Yeah we’d need a big ass cast. With multiple actors to play different characters at different ages.

Babies:

Carter, Kelly, Joe, maybe also Gavin depending on things

Children:

Gordo, Gavin, Mark, Rico, Chris, Tanner, Carter, Kelly, Joe, Robbie

Young Adult (ie Teen to Mid 20s) and Adult (ie by the Rough Present of when Ox first discoveres the secret of the Bennetts)

Basically everyone else

The tricky part will be that, yeah, there will probably need to be different actors for 20s Thomas, Elizabeth, Mark, and Gordo because while a 20-something can play 16 or so, its harder for 30-40 year olds to play 20-something. The upside being that an older actor CAN play Gordo for the scenes after Ox’s dad leaves (also Ox’s dad will need a name lol). You would need to switch to older actors for the Bennett kids and Ox basically once Ox graduates high school. But then you can keep all the same actors for the rest of the “present” set scenes. Osmond, and Robert Livingstone would also need younger actors. Richard Collins would only need one actor he’s barely in the flashbacks as it is.

STRUCTURE/PLOT RAMBLINGS

There are a few things that would need to be done in order to improve the pacing for TV, imo. Mainly, that the handing off of Alpha of All to the Fairbanks pack needs to feel more earned and less semi-random. Like, show them taking in Omegas at the end of Season 2, have them be allies at Caswell in Season 3 and the final battle in Season 4. Flesh them out a bit more. Also some continuity smoothing would be needed (ie clarifying that Gordo refused Mark’s MATE bite not Thomas’s BECOME WOLF bite).

Some more forshadowing of Robert’s failsafe in Season 2 would help. Obviously SHOW Gavin’s timber wolf in the attack on Jessie (and ideally have the actor be the body actor wearing the CGI ball suit moving all wolf-like in the scene) in Season 1.

I’d personally add in more of a wrap-up in Caswell at the end of Season 4. And also an extended aftermath scene or episode after Ox’s resurrection. Joe’s wolf is still bigger than almost everyone else, but not as big as it was when he was Alpha. One thing that I’d ask to be added is, maybe with the death of Robert and the ressurrection of Ox there’s a big ass magic pulse and we get a follow-up with the new Alpha of All from Alaska training Betas who have become Alphas thanks to Mystical Moon Magic as they rebuild packs across the continent. Idk the story needs more of a denumont. Alpha of All making more of an effort to try and bring Omegas back from the brink before just automatically deciding to kill them.

Dominique could have human bite marks on her to show thar Jessie tried to “Mate Bite” too even as a human. Bambi and Rico too.

He/They Gavin? Maybe? Gavin feels very he/they. Also Elizabeth showing affection to Maggie (hey if we’re gonna imply that Thomas and Richard had a kind of romantic love for each other in Brothersong before he went Omega Lizzie can make side-eye at Maggie).

Show more of the three year gap between Ravensong and Heartsong (not a lot but more than just one bit when Robbie is kidnapped). And the new story in the deluxe hardcover books too. The myth or whatever. That can be animated in a sketchy style (think Princess Kaguya or Wolfwalkers) with VO from Elizabeth.

Anyway rambling over I love these books so much. TJ I woudn’t say no to a LIGHT DRAMA/mostly fluff 5th book or short story. Maybe from Chris or Tanner’s perspective? Or Jessie’s?

Book Review Wolfsong (Green Creek Book 1 of 4) by T.J. Klung

TLDR go read this book. Seriously. Just go. Run to your local Barnes and Noble or Amazon and just buy it.

So the whole reason I even found out about the Furry Fandom is because of my love for Werewolves as a teenager. Werewolves are my jam. Gay werewolves are my peanut butter. There's one problem.

Most gay werewolf fiction is written by women. That on it's own is not a bad thing. But it also involves a lot of M-Preg. I'm not going to kink shame people who are into that but it's frustrating that the majority of gay werewolf fiction is all m-preg stuff. I get that the omega verse is popular but it gets old.

So when I realized this new author I was getting into had written a gay werewolf book, i was like fuck yeah. So I downloaded it and now Listened to the whole series audiobook style multiple times. I've listened to all 4 books at least 4 times. I have a problem.

Anyway, so the first book centers around Oxnard (Ox) Matheson. The book starts when Ox is a kid and he catches his dad packing to leave. The dad tells Ox he regrets everything in his life except Ox. He tells Ox he's a good kid even though he's a bit dumb and then leaves to never return. The next scene is Ox calling a guy named Gordo. Gordo is super important. We love Gordo. He's the asshole with a heart of gold. Gordo owns a garage in town that Ox's dad worked at. Ox calls Gordo and basically begs him for a job even though he's underage because they might loose the house otherwise. Gordo and his mom work out a deal where he can work for Gordo under the table and Gordo will pay his mom to help keep the bills up. It's hinted that Gordo pays Ox way more than he should so all the bills are caught up in a couple of months. Gordo also has a tendency to under charge for services if he knows his customer can't afford it. On top of that, also working for Gordo is Tanner, Chris and Rico. We also love these three because they are the comedic trio that keeps things light. The auto garage gang along with Ox's mom become his sort of family, helping him to deal with life and all that as he grows older.

Some weird stuff happens, like a mysterious creature that growls at him in the forest before running away and meeting a weird dude named Mark Bennet who scents the air a lot. But the big event is when he turns 16, he runs into a small boy who immediately takes a liking to him and starts asking why he smells like candy canes and pinecones. and epic and awesome. This is when Ox is introduced to the Bennet family. And as he gets closer to this family, he is told that the boy, his name is Joe, hadn't said anything for 15 months before meeting Ox that day because he was kidnapped and tortured.

I won't go into too much further detail because I don't want to spoil it. But this story has a lot of angst for a bit. So be prepared for that. There are two sex scenes at the end of the book when ox is in his mid 20's. But I love this book. With every fiber of my being. If you're a fan of found families, werewolves, a little bit of well deserved angst in the middle and a lot of random cuddling, then you will love this book. I also highly recommend the other books in the series as well. Also TJ Klung's other books are awesome too. They are for the most part queer supernatural stories. If you like more comedy themed books, the Tales from Verenia series is hilarious. These books make me cry happy tears and are just great examples of queer books written by queer people.

In case you're interested, here's a link to the Amazon page.

https://www.amazon.com/Wolfsong-TJ-Klune/dp/1634771648

Rico ready to do dumb shit

Rico *looks over and Tanner playing his game*

Rico *Shoots his gun indoors*

Tanner *scared for his life bc a gun went off*: THIS IS WHY GORDO DOESN’T FUCKING LOVE YOU

Rico: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Tanner from Green Creek is aromantic!

"There I was standing in front of the shop, surrounded by all of them, the name GORDO'S on a sign above us." 

 the photographs in Gordo's wouldn't leave my brain during my Heartsong re-read

DO NOT USE, EDIT OR REPOST

*crawls out of the artist block hole just to slap down some Matheson pack bonding*

All of Team Human™️ after one (1) full moon with the Bennett Pack

Books read in 2019: Heartsong by T.J. Klune

“There was something... I don’t know. Endless. About you and me.”

Gordo: (about a broken coffee pot) Who broke it? I'm not mad. I just wanna know.

Ox: I did, I broke it.

Gordo: No, no you didn't. Rico?

Rico: Well Don't look at me. Look at Tanner.

Tanner: What? I didn't break it.

Rico: Huh, that's weird. How'd you even know it was broken?

Tanner: Because it's sitting right in front of us, and it's broken.

Rico: Suspicious.

Tanner: No, it's not.

Chris: If it matters, probably not, but Robbie was the last one to use it.

Robbie: Liar! I don't even drink that crap!

Chris: Oh, really? Then what were you doing over by the coffee cart earlier?

Robbie: I use the wooden stirrers to push back my cuticles, everyone knows that, Chris!

Ox: Okay everybody let's not fight, I broke it, just let me pay for it, Gordo.

Gordo: No, who broke it?

Rico: Gordo, Jessie's been awfully quiet.

Jessie: Really?!

(by himself)

Gordo: I broke it. It burned my hand, so I punched it. I predict ten minutes from now they'll be at each other's throats with war paint on their faces and a pig head on a stick. Good. It was getting a little chummy around here.