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brian-in-finance · 7 months

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The Stunning Transformation Of Caitríona Balfe

Few shows have had as big a cultural impact as "Outlander." Based on the novels by Diana Gabaldon, the show follows a World War II nurse who finds herself transported to 17th-century Scotland when she finds magical stones in the Highlands. The show was Caitríona Balfe's big break — previously, the Irish actor had worked as a model and appeared in only a few small productions. However, since playing "Outlander's" Claire, she has become one of TV's most recognizable faces. She has also landed roles in films like "Ford v Ferrari" alongside Matt Damon and Christian Bale and Kenneth Branagh's Oscar-winning "Belfast."

With "Outlander" nearing its series finale in 2023, Balfe is looking ahead to new projects such as the upcoming "The Amateur," as the era draws to a close. It's the perfect time to reflect on her career so far. So, without further ado, here is the stunning transformation of Caitríona Balfe.

Caitríona Balfe’s upbringing in Northern Ireland colored the rest of her life

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Caitríona Balfe was born in 1979 in the rural village of Tydavnet (1) near the Northern Irish border. Her upbringing in Ireland has colored her entire life. "It's such a part of the fabric of your life when you live in those areas," she told Vanity Fair in 2022. "It's really not until you get older that you look back and you realize the craziness of it, or the strangeness of it."

And by the sounds of things, it was certainly an abnormal place to grow up. Growing up so close to the border, Balfe was used to being surrounded by British soldiers and once even found herself in the middle of a bomb scare.

Her father was a garda, the national name for the Irish police force, and she was sometimes bullied for it. "Let's say being the daughter of a garda in 1980s borderland counties was not the easiest thing," she later told The Irish Times.

Caitríona Balfe was a voracious reader as a child

As a young girl, Caitríona Balfe filled most of her time with reading. In fact, when she was young, her father took away the family's TV, so instead, she looked to literature for stories and entertainment. As she told The Irish Times, she raced through the classics, including Emily Brontë, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, and Robert Pirsig — she also was a fan of modern writers like Ian McEwan.

When Balfe reached adulthood, her love of literature continued to be a big part of her life. "You always find her on set with a book," her co-star Maria Doyle Kennedy said. "She's a ferocious reader." And, in 2019, Balfe told Stylist, "I could just lock myself away and just read for a month, which would be so lovely."

She even started her own book club on Instagram where she posts videos about what she's reading for her fans. "First rule of book club.... We read ! Then we talk..!" she wrote in one of the first posts in 2020.

Caitríona Balfe grew up wanting to act

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From a very young age, Caitríona Balfe knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life: acting. "It's in you, right?" she said to Backstage when asked about her first inspirations. "Like it's something you're either cursed with, you know, this need for attention and need to perform and all those things," she added, laughing.

Not only was she the fourth of seven children and therefore used to seeking out attention, she also had acting in her blood. After all, her father was something of an amateur actor himself, having appeared in a comedy troupe. "If my dad has some inclination towards it, there is probably something passed down," she mused to The Irish Times. Plus, she added, acting offered a much-needed form of escapism. "[T]here wasn't an awful lot of things to do," she said.

When she got older, Balfe pursued her passion for acting taking a course at the Dublin Institute of Technology.

Caitríona Balfe moved to Paris and began working as a model

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Before Caitríona Balfe finished her course at drama school, she was scouted by a modeling agent. "I took what I thought was going to be a year out," she told Backstage, "and I never went back. Very, very bold of me."

Balfe dove into her unexpected modeling career, setting off for Paris. "I always just wanted to travel," she explained to Vanity Fair. "Growing up, we never did that — there were too many of us. We didn't have the money."

Even though Balfe had always dreamed of acting, modeling also appealed to her innate desire to perform. As she put it, "There was something about the theatricality of the runway shows — and the event of it — that I really loved." And she was pretty good at it. She appeared in shows for all of the big designers, including Chanel, Alexander McQueen, and Valentino, and even walked the runway as a Victoria's Secret Angel. And so, for a while at least, she committed herself to a career in the modeling industry.

Caitríona Balfe moved to New York City as her relationship with modeling soured

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Throughout her 20s, Caitríona Balfe's modeling career careened from success to success. She modeled all over the world but eventually found herself settled down in New York City. "That's been the longest of anywhere since I left Ireland," she told Backstage in 2020. After a decade of modeling, Balfe began to crave something new. "For the last couple of years [of modeling] I was miserable, really," she confessed to Vanity Fair. "It's not exactly the nicest industry or the healthiest industry."

So, discontented with modeling, she revisited her passion for acting, first taking a few classes and later landing a tiny role as one of the "clackers" in the 2006 film "The Devil Wears Prada." "I think they just came to modeling agencies and were like, 'We need a bunch of women who can walk in heels,'" she recalled of the lucky break during an appearance on "The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter" podcast. "My agency knew I wanted to act and if people would come looking for stuff, they were sending me out to a few auditions."

Caitríona Balfe moved to LA to start an acting career

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When Caitríona Balfe had finally had enough of modeling, she decided to take a leap of faith into the world of acting — so, she left New York behind and set off for Los Angeles. "LA is where I came and said, 'OK, this is what I wanna do with my life,'" she said to Backstage of her first impressions. She continued taking classes — one was even a $5 class. As she told The Irish Times, "These are the weird things I did when I was wanting to be an actor in LA when I first got here."

In fact, it sounds like Balfe's early years in L.A. were filled with bold, "weird" decisions. For one thing, she only knew one person in the city when she moved. Balfe knew that moving to LA was a bit crazy — but she committed to living in a "bubble of delusion." As she put it, "I guess ultimately I was like: 'I can make this work.'"

At first, following her dream of acting wasn't easy

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Life in L.A. was anything but easy for Caitríona Balfe when she first arrived. Initially, she faced rejection after rejection. "I started from scratch. I didn't have any managers, I didn't know any agents, I hadn't acted in almost a decade," she told Backstage of her initial struggles to land work.

But even though Balfe dealt with lots of rejection, she persevered. Luckily, modeling had given her a thick skin that served her well. "In an audition, if it didn't work out, it wasn't always because you didn't do a good job, or you weren't good," she explained to The Guardian. "It was other arbitrary things like your name's not big enough. Which can also be soul-destroying, but I don't know, it's different."

Balfe did land a few roles, but they were few and far between. In 2011, she had a small role in the film "Super 8." In 2012, she landed a guest role on "The Beauty Inside" and the show "H+." In 2013, there were several films: "Crush," "Now You See Me," and "Escape Plan." Slowly, she was building a stronger CV.

Caitríona Balfe landed her big break with Outlander in 2014

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Everything changed for Caitríona Balfe in 2014 when she landed the lead role on the much-hyped Starz show "Outlander." "It was a total crapshoot," Balfe later recalled of the audition for the show while speaking to The Guardian. "I had done a few jobs, nothing of note really. I was living in LA and I was really struggling, actually, it was about four or five months since I'd had a job."

At the time, she didn't realize how big the book series was. "I wasn't even aware of the book series when I got the first audition," she said to Vogue. "Apparently, they had been searching for [Claire] for a very long time."

Balfe landed the role when she was about to head off on a holiday in India. Because her career was going slowly in LA, she decided to leap headfirst into a new life, filming in Scotland. "I didn't realize I'd still be there almost eight and a half years later," she later admitted to The Guardian.

Caitríona Balfe shot to fame almost instantly afterward

Almost as soon as "Outlander" came out, Caitríona Balfe became one of TV's biggest names. Ronald D. Moore, who developed "Outlander," had warned Balfe about just how life-changing the role would be. "I walked her to the elevator, and just before the doors closed on her, I said, 'Your life is about to change forever,'" he said to Backstage, recalling the day she was cast. "And she gave me a grin that was both thrilled and slightly nervous. I never saw her hesitate after that."

The first episode premiered at Comic Con. "It was insane," she told Vogue. Soon enough, she began to notice her fame growing. As she told Backstage, she had only a few hundred followers on Twitter before playing Claire. "Within about a month or two, it was thousands of people — and my phone, I didn't know how to turn off the alerts, so it was just going all the time," she said. That's when she realized just how big she was becoming.

Caitríona Balfe became lifelong friends with her co-star Sam Heughan

Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Fame wasn't the only life-changing thing to come from her role in "Outlander" — Caitríona Balfe also gained a lifelong friend in Sam Heughan, her co-star. As Balfe explained to Parade, the pair made a conscious decision to become friends before filming even began. "We were just talking about it and we were like, 'Who knows what this is going to be?'" she recalled. The pair agreed to "have each other's backs." She added, "[W]e've done that from day one."

Since then, the pair have only become closer. In fact, during ATX TV's Women of "Outlander" panel, Balfe explained that she and Heughan have never even argued — although they have bickered. Heughan chimed in: "As our lives have gotten more complicated and busy, we may not see each other as much as we used to, but that core and that friendship and that base that we have has never changed." How adorable is that?

Caitríona Balfe landed a number of big roles in the 2010s

As Caitríona Balfe's fame grew in the wake of "Outlander," she landed more big roles in Hollywood — and worked with bigger and bigger stars.

In 2016, she landed a role in Jodie Foster's all-star film "Money Monster" — her co-stars included George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Dominic West, and Giancarlo Esposito. Sadly, Balfe didn't get to work with them too much as most of her scenes were filmed in front of a green screen. Nevertheless, she was starstruck to be working with Roberts. "I couldn't stop staring at her during our first read-through," she told W Magazine.

In 2019, she played Mollie Miles, the wife of Christian Bale's character, in "Ford v Ferrari." Matt Damon also starred in the film. "I walked into that film with the idea that I was gonna be very intimidated by both him and Matt [Damon]," she told Collider. But she was pleasantly surprised. "Immediately, when you meet both of them [and] the first thing that struck me about both of them is that they're just these great, humble family men. There was no ego or bravado. It was lovely."

Caitríona Balfe starred in Kenneth Branagh's Belfast in 2021

Caitríona Balfe landed a huge role in Kenneth Branagh's "Belfast" in 2021, playing Ma, the mother figure in Branagh's semi-autobiographical tale about the Troubles in Ireland. For Balfe, the role was particularly meaningful — after years of acting in Scotland, "Belfast" was much closer to home for the Irish actor. "As an Irish person, you read so many of these scripts about the Troubles, and they all have this romantic version of the violence," Balfe told Vanity Fair. "Belfast," she explained, was different.

In fact, Balfe even saw her own family in the script. "Even though this is very much Ken's story, there's a universality to it that allows you to see your own," she told The Scotsman. "I definitely thought of my own mother in playing Ma."

Clearly, Balfe was extremely proud of the film. It was a huge hit and quickly generated awards buzz. However, Balfe remained characteristically humble. "I'm just happy that it's turned out as beautifully as it has and that it's getting the recognition it deserves because it's shot so beautifully and the hard work and heart and soul that went into making it are second to none," she said.

Caitríona Balfe had her first child in 2021

Caitríona Balfe began dating music producer (2) Tony McGill in 2015 (3). The pair married in 2019, and in 2021, they had their first child. Naturally, having a child gave Balfe a new set of priorities. Even though rumors circulated that she'd be nominated for an Oscar for her role in "Belfast," she found her self preoccupied with her new son. "Luckily, I'm doing a lot of that [changing nappies], so I'm actually not thinking about the awards too much: It's more, 'Stop peeing on me!'" she joked to The Guardian.

However, having a child also brought out Balfe's protective side — especially when she found out that a small group of fans online were convinced that her child was actually the product of an imagined affair with her "Outlander" co-star Sam Heughan. "I don't want those crazies — because that's what they are — I just don't want them talking about [my son]," she told Vanity Fair. Apparently, that's why she and McGill have kept their son's name private.

Caitríona Balfe is preparing to say goodbye to Outlander

Mike Marsland / Getty Images

In 2023, Starz announced that "Outlander" would be coming to an end after its eighth season. After the WGA and SAG-AFTRA writer/actor strikes, filming for the final season was delayed. However, Balfe has already begun to mourn the end of the show that gave her her big break.

"Sam and I were doing a video for this season and I started to get emotional already," she told the Express. "It's going to be so weird. It's been such an amazing ride that it's nice to wrap it up while we all still love each other and we are all still feeling like we're making a good show."

Even though "Outlander" may be ending, we can't help but feel that Balfe's career is only just beginning. In fact, she's already set to appear in the film "Amateur" (4) in 2024 alongside Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, and Laurence Fishburne. We can't wait to see what else she does next.

The List

Errors that caught Brian’s attention: (1) Dublin (2) artist/band manager (3) 2014 (4) First paragraph says “The Amateur,” as Malek has and IMDb did. Who knows? 🤷🏻‍♂️ The first promo art will tell us. 🍿

Remember… I walked her to the elevator, and just before the doors closed on her, I said, “Your life is about to change forever.” — Ronald D Moore

Cut & Paste journalism 🤦🏻‍♂️

#Tait rhymes with hat #Good times #The List #15 October 2023

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gay-disabled-characters-showdown · 18 days

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LGBTQ+ Disabled Characters Showdown Round 1, Wave 1, Poll 15

A character being totally canon LGBTQ+ and disabled was not required to be in this competition. Please check qualifications and propaganda before asking why a character is included.

Check out the other polls in this wave here.

Chu Sangwoo-Semantic Error

Qualifications:

hey this is just a little more info on Chu Sangwoo (obvs you don't have to include him if you don't want to but I'd figure I'd send some more stuff in) (I also don't think I submitted him? but I know who he is) So there's a manhwa (Korean webcomic) and a tv series (I'm personally more familiar with the tv series). Basically, he's very strongly coded as autistic, though it's never explicitly stated (though in the manhwa I believe they mention that he has some unspecified disorder).So here's a list of some of the things he does in the series that are why people say he's autistic-coded:

meticulously organized and adheres to a strict schedule he set for himself

struggles when things happen that he didn't predict beforehand/throws a wrench into his plans

is very blunt, gets labeled as antisocial/being like a machine, and struggles with understanding other's social cues

practices saying things so that he won't come off as insincere

creates his own systems to accomplish tasks and struggles to work in unfamiliar environments/environments with lots of distractions

views life very logically and doesn't like it when things happen that break his rules of logic

wishes he could format his brain so he wouldn't have to deal with confusing and unnecessary feelings

There's others but that's a few of the main ones. Anyways here's a little clip from the series that hopefully helps add more context? https://youtu.be/Mai2WvTpIv8 And anyways if you still decide to not include him, that's fine, but I'd figure that I'd send y'all some more info just in case! Excited for th bracket regardless!!!

Sangwoo is canonically gay, the series is a gay romance & he falls for Jaeyoung, who's the complete opposite of him personality wise. Hence the title- semantic 'error' since attraction wasn't expected. It's a really good series and Chu Sangwoo is realistic and well-written (speaking as a fellow queer autistic).

Vespa Ilkay-The Penumbra Podcast

Qualifications:

She [has] hallucinations (as well as some after-effects of radiation sickness, i think, but I'm not sure. It's been a while since I listened to tpp) and she is married to her wife (so sapphic) as well as often considered trans in fanon (not sure if it's canon)

Propaganda:

Wonderful (very angry) knife lesbian, who is also a doctor

#polls #poll #disabled characters #lgbtq characters #disability #lgbtq #lgbtq dcs round 1 #lgbtq dcs wave 1 #chu sangwoo #semantic error #vespa ilkay #the penumbra podcast

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brunosaderogatory · 6 months

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Another Luca Long-Post on the Topic of Defense and Dependence:

From the time he ran away from his parents to the the first half of the movie, Luca was absolutely dependent on Alberto. Sure, he had his own opinions, feelings, and actions, but he completely relied on Alberto to help him maneuver through the human world and for defense.

Hell, he wouldn’t even talk to Giulia himself at first. He (quite literally) pushed Alberto to do it for him:

And this was likely for two reasons:

The first: Alberto just seemed to be better at it. Upon entering the town, Alberto greets two fisherman with “What’s wrong with you, stupido?” and nothing happens. They just brush it off, and, with Alberto’s expertise validated, Luca is awestruck. But when Luca tries to copy it, it goes wrong. They both suffer for it, and the same is said for the next interaction. Portorossan kids yell to Luca to return a ball, and the next thing he knows, he’s upset a grandma, nearly banged up a Vespa, gets him and Alberto publicly ridiculed and almost exposed for being sea monsters. The audience knows it’s just a strike of bad luck, but to Luca it’s simply Alberto being better at “this humaning stuff.” He has said he’s an expert, after all.

And the second: Luca was simply used to it. At home underwater, he is used to being amenable and following orders. He’s used to obeying the rules, and being under protection, as it’s highly implied the seafolk teach Flight far more than they teach Fight:

(That, or Luca is a bit of a wimp. Which is fine! It still means he has plenty of practice of not defending himself and/or others.)

Regardless, later in the movie, he does make this connection himself:

The way Alberto treats him is very similar to how his mother treated him. They both were extremely protective, and they both were not open to Luca’s desires and ideas of expanding freedom.

Perfectly timed, Luca begins to question Alberto’s expertise halfway through the movie, when he discovers that no, those are not anchovies, but stars:

By this, his dependence on Alberto wains and his independence and self-confidence begins to grow. He begins to form a solid idea of what he wants to do with his time on the surface, rather than following along with Alberto’s idea — to go to school and learn all he can, rather than traveling the world atop a Vespa.

A few minutes later, Alberto, having somehow picked up that Luca is thinking for himself, swoops in to remind Luca of their (his) goal, but it isn’t as successful as he had hoped. Luca is becoming solidified in his ideas, and, for the first time, argues against Alberto.

Then, Ercole and co. enter the scene. Instantly, Alberto gestures for Luca to get behind him, so he can be his “shield.” Ercole begins to scrutinize and threaten both of the boys, and Alberto fights back, but Luca doesn’t want to go that route. He urges Alberto to stop by shaking his head when Alberto begins to fight back against Ercole, insinuating that he and his company are idiots. This inflates Ercole’s anger, and Alberto’s smart-mouth results in him being pinned and gut-punched.

In most media that integrates a “defended to defender” arc to their plot line, the defended character is usually put into a position wherein they must defend themself, but this is not how it is for Luca. Instead, he is defending Alberto.

They get away, but not not without some scratches. Luca may be a little sore from being knocked to the ground, but Alberto not only had the wind punched out of him — his pride is practically battered black and blue.

Alberto does not like being in the “defended” position, and this is where Luca stumbles across something ingrained in his friend since the beginning. You’ve guessed it: all those little trauma-traits he’s inherited from his time alone on the island.

Living by himself, he’s become a master of independence and self-defense. He’s so used to doing whatever he wants, he is very reluctant to following along with what others way. I absolutely would go as far to say that he doesn’t know how to be dependent,

and that is why Luca’s action sets him off to such an extent. It’s out of his comfort-zone; it’s overstepping a boundary.

There may also be the case of Alberto (subconsciously) associating dependence with worthlessness, but only in regards to himself. As shown in Ciao Alberto, he believes that if he is not of use (if he is not depended upon) or if he is in any way a burden (if he is in any way dependent) then he will be gotten rid of.

This problematic combination of ideas is what leads him to, almost desperately, try to gain back control over Luca and re-assume their past positions — the defender and the defended.

This also leads to Luca defending himself for the first time above the surface. Not from the fishermen, or the townspeople, or Ercole and his “teammates” — but from Alberto.

But the irony of this situation is this: While they are not so much relying or dependent upon eachother, they are still not two independent people.

They are still Luca and Alberto — a single unit. The argument between them is only happening because they cannot imagine being without the other. Alberto wants to travel the world, and he wants Luca there with him. Likewise, Luca wants to go to school, and he wants for Alberto to come along.

Even in their time split apart, Luca enters the Portorosso Cup in order to make it up to Alberto. Alberto climbs to mountain, stolen cafe umbrella in hand, in order to save Luca from the rain. They are both at this moment thinking, “He’s depending on me.”

Which is great, compared to what they started out as. Equality is far better than an imbalance, but that’s not the goal here, because that’s not what is going to save them.

The goal is healthy independence for Luca and healthy dependence (not concerning Luca) for Alberto. And, thank god, Luca (2021) did deliver.

#me everytime I do an analysis post: god these gays are messy #luca 2021 #pixar luca #alberto scorfano #luca paguro #luberto #giulia marcovaldo #disney #pixar

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cloudyswritings · 4 months

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The Dreamers: Headcanons

Herrah:

The youngest of the dreamers by a significant amount.

She consumed her last mate, the old king of deepnest, after age started to weaken him. This was widely regarded by deepnest populous as a good move.

In the early days of her reign she had to deal with many spiders who chaffed under her rule. This is because she initially came from the lower castes of deepnest. Her title as the beast was one originally given as an insult in hopes calling attention to her caste would undermine her rule. Suffice to say Herrah made the title her own, and executed her political enemies publicly.

She struggled a lot with dealing with young hornet, mostly because Hornet is far more Wyrm than spider. As a grub Hornet was only vocalizing like a young Wyrm would-on frequencies Herrah couldn’t hear- which caused Herrah to worry about her a lot. Eventually she went to the king and(begrudgingly) asked him to teach her about Hornets biology. After that things got much better.

She keeps a small bowl of metal splinters on the counter for Hornet—who needs metal to develop her shell properly— to eat. Getting Hornet to eat her metals was a constant struggle.

Herrah was a fantastic mother and tried to do her best by Hornet in the time she had.

She made a small quilt for baby hornet. Hornet has kept this quilt for the entirety of her life and it’s one of her most prized possessions.

Herrah definitely has some skeletons in her closet, she started out as a mercenary before catching the eye of the old king of deepnest and marrying up. She killed quite a few bugs and spiders on her way up to queendom.

favorite color is purple

She won’t tell anyone but she has a massive sweet tooth, especially for hive honey.

she’s a bi queen for sure, and almost certainly had a crush on Vespa.

She and the white lady ended up being fairly good friends, though it was hard for Herrah to get used to the slow pace the white lady thinks at. She let the white lady grubsit Hornet even outside of the time Hornet spent living at the palace.

Lurien:

I’m on the Lurien is a butterfly train, I think it even makes a lot of sense for him to be one. Specially a a blue morpho(some of my favorite butterflies)

Because he’s a butterfly he really likes salty or otherwise mineral rich foods, he often drinks a sort of saltwater tea, with a ton of nectar in it.

His wings are deformed, they never fully expanded when he emerged from his chrysalis. It’s part of why he doesn’t interact with the people of the city so often, he was excluded from a lot of traditional activities by other butterflies before leading the city.

He’s got a limited sense of foresight—this foresight is something that rarely appears in beings touched by the kings light— it’s generally not that helpful though, often all he sees is ravenous darkness…

Takes long naps, but he’s a light sleeper

He's quite the painter and prefers realism to other forms of art, if he hadn’t gone to dream he’d probably have branched out in 50 years or so.

Monomon:

She has a very fine sense of temperature and pressure fluctuations in the air, this is basically her way of finding thermals to float on.

Has actually talked to Unn before she left to dream, mostly just about the history of the lands around Hallownest

Before she came to Hallownest she was a highly renowned poet, she eventually got bored with poetry and moved on to learning the sciences.

First and foremost she’s a biochemist, she used her knowledge to aide with the initial phases of the vessel project.

She brought all sorts of samples from her homeland when she arrived in Hallownest, fog canyon is a result of her artificially recreating her home.

She did something to the air in the canyon to make if behave more like water, it has something to do with chemical additives. As a result normal bugs are advised to spend minimal time in fog canyon because the air is mildly acidic and the humidity is higher than most bugs are comfortable with.

Quirrel is fine there though, because he’s a pill bug and needs the humidity

I know a lot of people like to portray Monomon as Quirrels mom, but I really see them more as peers. They’re both independently acclaimed scientists who have a mutual respect for eachother— and a small whisper of what could have been by the time she goes to dream.

Likes meaty foods, her mouth is on the underside of her body.

Shes the oldest of the dreamers, having been a higher being before coming to Hallownest. She doesn’t really behave like it though.

#hollow knight #hk dreamers #hk lurien #hk herrah #hk monomon #hk hornet #headcanon #i’m back

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dabid-motozalea · 1 year

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Te gastas 30000€ en una BMW GS 1200 equipada a muerte para que venga el notas este y te haga un roto con su vespa de 45 años

#las motos también son personas #motorcycle #ride to live #live to ride #free biker aliance #fba 621 #bikerlife #vespa rules

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theanoninyourinbox · 3 months

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Skyclan's Rescue

The Scorching Sun and the Storming Rot

In the Recent Past

Skystar, once the too-proud leader and Founder of Skyclan, looks down from the edge of Starclan upon the gorge. Skywatcher is laying in the sun, blind eyes content and peaceful next to a kittypet tortoiseshell queen. Kits play with balls of moss, warriors bring prey to their elders, and queens share tongues with collared kittypets.

Disgusting.

How DARE Starclan do this to HIS Clan! First, they curse Skyclan’s tree to rot, then BANISH the BEST CLAN in the Territories, and now?! Now it’s all the dregs of felinehood – kittypets and loners, playing at being HIS CLAN because Starclan thought it was AMUSING!?! HOW DARE THEY!!!

Skyclan should be regimented and only Clanblood! Kits should be learning to hunt already! Elders should be working until their appointed deaths! Queens should be subservient to their leader, not BE ONE!! Warriors should be KILLING these DUNGFACED KITTYPETS!!!!! This is NOT HIS Skyclan, not a Proper Skyclan…if that blasted brother of his hadn’t stepped in, if those foolish Leaders hadn’t stepped in, if the STARS BE BLASTED Spirits hadn’t stepped in-

He tore at the ground beneath him in fury, hackles bristling and spittle flying as he raged. Not even his mate, his beautiful malicious Star Flower, could understand him…she wanted power, oh how she wanted it all, but she was unwilling to endanger the power that Starclan gave their residents…but what was this power if his legacy was so muddled?

Skystar sighed, and turned his gaze from the ABOMINATION of a Clan the Stars wanted, but a flash of ginger caught his eye. He turned back curiously – this was a familiar figure. The ragged cat often prowled the edge of the territory, staring hatefully at the so-called Leafstar. Skystar leaned in, hearing the tom rail against the group, clawing the turf as he screamed. How DARE they reject him – how DARE that MOLLY be in charge – how DARE they banish him for his schemes!! HE should be leader, pampered and protected! He, Harry, should be the one in control!

Oh, now this is promising…

Skystar saw himself, in the days after the Spirits descended – powerless, but deserving of all he wished. Now this cat – Half-Clanblooded at least – this cat had PROMISE. So Skystar leapt, bounding through a suddenly storming sky, and appeared before the maned cat.

I can give you power, said Skystar, I can give you that and more. All you have to do is get rid of that False Leader, and that Old Fool. I am Skystar, and together, we will turn these lands into the most powerful Clan the world will ever see! Harry, at first wildly afraid of the Literal Ghost that dropped from the stormclouds, smirked. How could a dead cat give me anything? Skystar’s face broke into a vicious grin – I will give your clever words Power, to ensnare and beguile and terrify – just take my paw.

Harry hesitated for only a moment before agreeing, and extended a paw. Skystar took it, and the wind howled around them, thunder rumbling a warning. The shadows surged as rain whipped around them, stop stop STOP!

Behold, intoned Skystar, the Sun who rules the Skies! Behold SOL! (his back bulged with eyes, starless and sightless, a Geist of wild power being born of pettiness and hate) Harry – no, Sol - grinned maniacally, with a golden glow hidden behind his teeth. He knew JUST who to talk to, just who to…Recruit…to take over the Clan…and now they All would Listen…

And in Starclan, Grey Wing looked down in horror. Oh brother, what have you done?

The Journey to the Gorge and The Crisis

The combined group of Clowder and Clan cats set out on a sunny Newleaf morning. Maguyver, as the one with the most Patrolling and Scouting experience, leads the group. Frostfur and Hollowback, the most mobile of the Clan Elders, are helped along by a prospective Seer named Echo. Loudbelly, who has gone nearly blind, is guided by Vespa, whose blindness has never stopped her before, and the hearty Bagel. Yewtail leans heavily on the massive tom Hassle, and Mudfur keeps company with Lavinia, a pretty young molly who wants to be a Healer, and Pasqual, who hides shyly behind Lavinia most of the time. Mutter the Scout keeps the younger cats Gorgon, Spatter, and Jangle in line. They make their way past Twolegs and thunderpaths, through old forests and over winding waters. And within a remarkable amount of time, the Rescue Patrol has arrived at the edge of a marked territory. Strangely, the sky is cloudy and the air heavy. The group settles into a hollow log for the night, and the next morning Mutter scouts ahead.

They return with news – there IS a group of cats in the Gorge ahead, but something is terribly wrong. There are cats forcing Elders to clean the camp, and kits barely old enough to eat solids are picking the prey clean! Queens are being intimidated by brutes, and the Rogues – they MUST be Rogues – are led by a ginger, brown and white Tom. Everyone is shocked and horrified – Frostfur moans at the thought of kittens in danger, and Bagel has to hold Loudbelly back from charging over and fighting the Rogues. Macguyver asks Echo, who has the clearest Visions of Skyclan, who the Leader was. She pauses, then points up to a nearby tree. Her, she says, and a mottled tortie drops from the branches, followed by a ginger tom and several other cats, all collared or harnessed.

The tortie glares at the Rescue Patrol – who are you, and how do you know me? Did Sol send you!? Macguyver steps in – no, Starclan sent us! Mudfur joins him, then Frostfur and Echo. We Saw you were in danger, Echo intones, and have come to offer our aid. Mudfur explains that he and the other Elders are from the Clans, and that they came to help of their own volition. The Tortie rears back, and looks over the group, finally seeing the Elders for what they were. Hope glinting in her eyes, she introduces herself as Leafdapple, and after calling over her allies, tells them what’s happened.

She had met Skywatcher, who had been gathering cats to form a Clan. She had become his right-paw cat, a deputy in all but name, as Skywatcher has refused to be named Leader. After some time, a tom named Harry had asked to join. They accepted him, but quickly understood something was wrong. He was a decent hunter, and somewhat interested in herbs, but would consistently try to sabotage other cats. He had led clanmates into rats and dogs, stolen prey from under the paws of others, and probably would have poisoned someone if not caught. But he was clever with his words, and it took him kitnapping Leafdapple litter, to “save” them, for him to be banished. But he had returned…changed somehow.

He had a group of Rogues and Loners behind him, all either blank-eyed or bloodthirsty, and had overrun camp. The kits had been taken, and their few elders forced into work. Leafdapple and her Daylight Warriors – kittypets who returned to their homes at night – had escaped…but they’d lost several Warriors. Skywatcher had been taken by some of the Rogues, and Sol, as he called himself now, paid them in prey that SHOULD have been feeding the Queens, kits, and Elders. And every time the survivors planned some rescue or communication, he saw them coming! They’d nearly lost several cats, and had been begging the stars for help. But, Leafdapple sniffled, she never expected help to come after this long. Had thought they had been forgotten.

And a voice rings out from above.

We did not forget you.

All look up, and a swirl of stars descend, and six starry cats materialize. Willowpelt greets the Hope Clowder cats, and then introduces herself and the other Starclan cats to the stunned Skyclan cats. Here, she says, is Cloudstar, who ruled Skyclan when it was wrongly Banished. This is Bumble and Turtle Tail, who helped found Thunderclan and redeem Skyclan in its early days. And these are Jagged Peak and Grey Wing, who helped found all the Clans, with their kindness and cleverness. I am Willowpelt of Thunderclan, and we know what has happened here – and we together, living and beyond, will defeat Sol.

And everyone has Reactions to this. Mudfur and the Clan cats nod sagely, with Frostfur delighted to meet the first Crafter. The Hope’s Rest Clowder cats are bouncing around, knowing Willowpelt from her frequent visits to the Clowder. And the Skyclan cats are…wary. Hopeful, but everything that has happened has made them hardened to any hope that comes. Grey Wing apologizes to Skyclan for taking so long, and for not stopping Sol from gaining his Cursed Blessing of controlling others with his words, but that the Storming Rot - a cat he once called brother but is now a Stargeist - had been blocking them from helping, but the Clan cats and Clowder cats had essentially carried them here. He then offers blessings to the cats – hiding them from the Stargeist and enhancing their senses until Sol and the Abomination are defeated, and Leafdapple is given her nine lives officially. Leafdapple is elbowed by Billystorm, and she agrees, with stars in her eyes and hope in her heart.

Loudbelly asks that if he is blessed, that he be given the joints and senses of his youth, that he might rescue the prisoners. The other Elders agree, with Hollowback noting that from Leafdapple’s description, Modern Skyclan has only Warriors, Queens, and Elders – no Camp Guards or Crafters or Herbalists or even a Healer, and simply asks for enough time to pass on his crafts, which the other Elders agree with as well. Bumble and Jagged Peak are all for this.

The air smells of ozone and fresh snow, of mossy stones, of petrichor and heathered fields; the air shines like Silverpelt on moonless nights; and the air flexes like claws in battle. The elders stretch and twist, like year-aged cats instead of well-lived elders. Vespa notes that she can hear even farther than before, and Spatter leaps up a tall tree in only a few seconds. Leafdapple laughs as her Daylight warriors bounce about like apprentices. Turtle Tail promises her that she will receive her lives after they rescue Skywatcher, as he deserves to see his Clan get the Leader it deserves.

And as the Starclan Cats return to the skies, the living begin to plan.

The Rescue

The next day, Frostfur wanders into a Rogue patrol, and feigns that she had been looking for a place to bring her grandkits to live. She toddles through camp, counting the prisoners, the blank-eyed and controlled, and the loyal Rogues. She never sees Sol, and leaves the Rogues with seemingly giddy promises to return with her family. The best lies are honesty, and she WILL be bringing cats she calls family there. The skies are a little clearer, and in the shadows, something twists unhappily.

Mudfur, Lavinia, Pasqual, and Echo start gathering herbs for the coming skirmishes. Pasqual and Lavinia are obviously mates, but had no issues in the Clowder. Mudfur admits to having had a mate before becoming a Healer, and that another Oracular Healer, Fireheart, had been working behind the scenes to make it that any Healer might take a mate. Echo, while preparing cobwebs, notes that she has never wanted a romantic relationship, and is assured that such a thing is absolutely fine.

Mutter and Harveymoon scout out where Skywatcher is kept – a small Twoleg nest kept by a Rogue named Dodger and his group. Late that night, Hollowback and Leafdapple sneak in while Maguyver and Hassle bother Dodger out front with Sharpclaw and Ebonyclaw. Skywatcher wakes to Leafdapple carrying him out, with Hollowback watching her tail. A clattering from a Twoleg Thing (which Macguyver calls a trash can) sends the distraction cats hurtling back to the makeshift camp, and the Skyclan cats welcome their old friend back. The full moon is but two nights away, and then Skywatcher will see his protégé become the Leader he Foresaw. The clouds let the sky peak through, and the air is lighter with the promises of new life.

The next morning, Yewtail, Hollowback, Bagel, and Gorgon start setting up traps for the Rogues. The invaders out to hunt found themselves stuck in pits, caught up in sticky honey and chased by bees, and every attempt at hunting thwarted. This went on as the time until the full moon came. The day of the full moon, Macguyver, Hassle, and Bagel stroll up to the captured camp, and loudly demand that Sol meet with them. The lanky Heretic oozes over, and Macguyver proclaims that he is represents the leader of a Clowder that wants the Gorge. Hassle quietly states that unless Sol meets with them the next morning, that the Clowder will attack. Bagel giddily purrs that maybe Sol can talk their leader into sharing instead of conquest. Sol sneers, and agrees, but demands the meeting be at a particular clearing. The deal is made, and the three cats trot off, content that the next step of the plan is complete.

The night came, and the free Skyclan cats and the Rescue Patrol gathered in a clearing. The sky was, for once, clear of the strange clouds that gathered, and the moon and stars shone clearly. Leafdapple and Skywatcher sit together, and Echo calls upon Starclan to bless this Leader with nine lives, and the Wisdom of the Stars to guide Starclan. The skies glitter and gleam, and six familiar Starclan spirits descend, followed by three unfamiliar spirits, that wait farther back from the rest. The other living cats watch in awe and wonder.

Nine Lives and Three Precedents

Cloudstar greets Leafdapple and Skywatcher, thanking the molly for her care and the Elder for his enduring faith in them. He then gives Leafdapple her first life, for having Enduring Faith in her Clan, the Stars, and herself. Willowpelt rubs her head companionably against Leafdapple’s shoulder and gives her a life for Second Chances. Jagged Peak makes her laugh at a particularly bad pun (don’t worry, your reign won’t be a Cat-astrophe!) and gives her a life for Good Humor In Bad Times. Turtle Tail compliments her cunning, and gives her a life for Defending The Defenseless. Bumble smiles sweetly and gives her a life for Finding Joy In The Small Things. And Grey Wing approaches, I’m so proud of you, keeping your Clan as safe as you could in these times; he bestows a life for Knowing When To Ask For Aid. And then he beckons the three spirits forward.

Three cat spirits wearing kittypet collars.

A grey tipped molly steps forward, introducing herself as Smoke. Her face twists sadly, as she tells of loving a clan cat who rejected her, and dying to protect her kit. Leafdapple apologizes for her having to go through such events, and Smoke smiles sadly. My son is happy now, with a better father than his sire ever could have been. Smoke then gives Leafdapple a life for Love and Affection, giving Billystorm a side-glance and a smile. He flushes, and several cats break the solemn air with hoots, cackles, and coos.

The next cat steps forward, introducing himself as Jake. He speaks of having an adventure with a Clan Cat, and falling in love with him. Even after they were parted, he remembered the strength and faith of that tom. He sighs, and remarks that his feelings for a cat he would never see again kept him from having any other relationships. Jake steps forward, and gives Leafdapple a life for Knowing When To Let Go, and hopes that she will be a better parent than he was in life.

The last cat steps up, a tortoiseshell as well, but with a flat face. I was named Wishkit at my birth, but was known as Nutmeg for the rest of my days. I was born a Clan Cat, lived as a Kittypet, and bore Kittypets, Clan Cats, and Hopeful Cats. I give you your final life for Balance and Adaptability – may you find a way no matter the obstacles. Welcome, Leafstar. Leafstar! The cry is raised, by the living and the dead. Leafstar! LEAFSTAR!! LEAFSTAR!!!

(elsewhere, the Stargeist shakes and writhes, its eyes multiplying and mind fracturing. something is wrong. something has gone terribly wrong)

The Confrontation

The dawn comes, and Sol approaches the meeting grounds, his loyal Rogues at his side. He left the controlled behind to guard the camp, knowing that Leafdapple would never be able to break the Power he holds over them – only the Stars could do that, and they cannot walk here. Sol scoffs, then looks up as the black and white cat from before appears. My leader will be here shortly, he says confidently, they wished to be prepared for negotiations.

At camp, the controlled cats and a few loyal Rogues guard the den where the prisoners are held. Suddenly, Loudbelly slams into the first Rogue, followed by Sharpclaw, Ebonyclaw, and Hassle. Leafstar leaps onto the first controlled cat – Patchfoot shakes his head, and the green bleeding back into his eyes. Petalnose embraces Rainfur as he comes back to himself, both weeping in relief. The Rogues scatter, and the apprentices and Elders cry out in joy. Leafstar, having freed Shortwhisker, calls out to them – come with me, we have a meeting to get to!

Sol spits angrily – time has passed, and the only cats to show are the black and white tom, an elderly brown tom, and a few hideous youngsters. Where is your leader, you dung faced freaks?!?

Here I am, Harry. Here we all are.

Sol spins in shock – Leafdapple stares him down, rage in her eyes. Next to her is that white cat he heard wanted to join. But behind her, behind her are his prisoners! And his Controlled Cats! Whu-how!? You have no power, Leafdapple! Sol sputters, and the dratted molly snarls at him – My Name Is Leafstar!

No.

NO!

A horrible noise echoes from the trees, and a twisted creature of eyes and wings and cat claws launches, bringing a stench of rot and illness. It leaps towards Leafstar, who dodges and screeches a war cry. Suddenly the trees are filled with cats, charging into the Rogues and scattering them. As the Stargeist twists to attack her, a pair of shapes slam into it like meteorites – Grey Wing and Turtle Tail. Sol does not stick around to find out how this goes, running at top speed away. The Starclan Cats batter and shred the former Founder, and Grey Wing tears the belly of the beast. With a sound like bones breaking and stars dying, the Stargeist faded away, with all the grace of a fish out of water. Clear Sky – Skystar – was dead.

The Rogues scattered, and Skyclan rejoiced. The gorge was retaken, the Elders enstated in honor, and the Clowder cats gladly joining up. The Cultures of the four Clans join with the Ancient Skyclan Culture. Echosong teaches Frecklepaw to heal, and Lavinia and Pasqual celebrate a litter. Hawkpaw and Pebblepaw fall in love, and Hawkwing and Pebbleshine watch the world go by.

Within a year, all the elders passed into Starclan, at peace that the future would hold wonders…even if it held pain as well.

(in the stars, a fading golden molly snarls and grieves. How dare someone take her mate from her)

Time passed.

(Rain seethed, his glorious leader had left him – but he would destroy the Clans himself. He would fall on them, like his namesake…)

(Late one night, Leafstar and Billystorm are awoken by Skywatcher’s spirit. She startles awake, as her old friend screams.

RUN! WAKE THE CLAN AND RUN!

More wails of danger shake the air, and Leafstar bolts from her den. Frostfur is loading Macguyver with kits, Mudfur is shaking Frecklepaw awake, Loudbelly is rallying the Brawlers and Warriors. Hollowback is shoving apprentices out of their dens with a frantic Jangle, and Yewtail is helping Echosong load up on herbs.

A cry splits the night. Followed by more and more and more.

Rogues pour into camp.

The Clan scatters.

Rain laughs wildly – Skyclan is no more! Scattered like leaves! Like prey!

But there will be five clans.

One Day.

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