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ksfoxwald · 6 months

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Fire and Hemlock Readalong: Part 3 Chapter 5

We are setting the stage for the finale. This chapter brings us back to adult Polly, and is framed more in terms of what she remembers rather than an immersive narrative. It's a jumble of small incidents that lead up to the big event - Polly realizes she only has a year left of doubled memories. Time is running out, and the tempo is increasing.

Among these memories:

Seb, dropping hints about Tom, mentioning that Tom gave him a camera once, recalling again the photography motif. Perhaps Tom thought the camera would help Seb somehow. Seb, unlike Laurel's other men, doesn't seem to have a creative outlet, and while creativity seems to be something that she feeds on, it is also the key to freeing oneself from her.

Leslie in his entirety. Leslie himself is a bit of a queer figure as well, what with the earring, his musicality, the way he is paired with Nina as sexually adventurous, the description of how "Wilton College could not seem to contain him like it contained other boys." Polly and Nina hear him play at a concert and realize that he is actually very good (Nina then becomes obsessed with Mozart and borrows all of Polly's tapes, the two of them coming into step again). Laurel is also at the concert, possibly seeking a replacement for Tom, or making plans for the next nine year cycle. She is with Seb, too, which could even imply that he's the one who introduced Leslie to her; he's the backup sacrifice, after all, and doesn't really like Leslie, so it's absolutely the sort of thing he would do.

We see how predatory Laurel is with teen boys when Granny recognizes Polly's other stolen photo as a young Tom Lynn. "However young did they get him?" Polly wonders, because in the photo he is about Leslie's age, maybe sixteen. Polly and Tom reflect each other once again, coming under the influence of powerful adults in their youth in a way that isn't exactly sexual in the narrative, but also isn't not sexual.

Here Granny once again positions herself as an ambiguous figure; she is at once powerful to protect Polly from her parents, but powerless in the face of the House; heroic in the face of bankers and lawyers but cowardly around mice; helpful with her insight but harmful with her superstitions (particularly with the opal pendant).

Ann invites Polly to come visit the quartet once they are back from Australia. This scene is another of those musical repetitions, evoking Polly's first visit to Tom; she worries about her looks, and her clothes, but eventually settles on some nice jeans - "Hero's clothes."

Ann's letter also says "P.S. Ed says bring a friend of yours for him. He loves blind dates." Which. Um. Is probably a joke, considering that the quartet are some of the only adults who do not behave sketchily toward Polly but it's still... questionable. In any case, Polly invites Fiona, but blessed Fiona, protected from the influence of the House, comes down with chicken pox and is unable to go. So Polly goes alone.

#fh readalong #fire and hemlock #dwj

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dashmore-springs · 2 years

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The Correct Accompaniment

I had watched a sketchily put together documentary on 60 years of Bond music. I had watching it on Amazon Prime for free when it occurred to me that the signature Bond theme was first penned by the super group Rush. It was only after this occurrence began to take root in my imagining that it seemed impossible. I began to realise there was actually a six-year time difference between the conception of the first Bond film release and the forming of the super rock group Rush, 1962 and 1968 respectfully. I did not know then why I had arrived at this false assumption and still to this day do not know. All I do know is that each time I attempt to stir the visualisation of the Bond theme’s conception into my imaginings I arrive at the same unwelcome answer. The super group Rush were formed six years after the conception of the first Bond theme. Is there an acceptable reason for this reoccurring misdirection? This I neither know. I do not live in fear of my thought’s continuing acceptance to repeatedly conjure the wrong information to an answer I know the correct destination of. It is very much a guarded and ordered formation/deed. I am sure there must be others elsewhere who experience the same. We are after all never not part of networked influence, not ever.

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icequeen-shiva · 5 years

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alright, you know what

about two weeks ago maybe by now, i made a post about how i’ve recently hit 200 followers and i’d like to do a q&a again, and even with a reblog from someone more ~*popular*~ than me, and multiple reblogs once a day for a few days by myself, i didn’t get a single fucking question. not one. earlier today i posted two pictures of myself where i felt pretty (i’ve since deleted them) and nobody i actually know of liked it and i got asked by a stranger who doesn’t even follow me if i had any nsfw pictures. i don’t get asks anymore, i don’t get shit. and that tells me that, you may be following me, but you aren’t connecting with me. and i feel that. i get on tumblr and i don’t feel like i’m friends with fucking anybody. and i did that. i know i did that. 9/10 times i let my fear of rejection and embarrassing myself overcome my desire to talk to people, so i don’t do it, or i let it fizzle out and we go our own ways and we don’t become friends. 1/10 times i actually function as a human being and make a connection or at least something that sticks a little.

so here, below the cut, is a comprehensive (loosely) list of things that i like, in no particular order at all, besides tickling, because apparently both sides of this need a little help connecting on any front.

scooby-doo

beetlejuice

the addams family

the sims

the mcu

classic disney animations; my favorites are dumbo, the great mouse detective, the rescuers, sleeping beauty, and oliver and company (it’s old enough that i consider it in the classic category)

~modern disney animations too; my favorites are treasure fucking planet, coco, and... i’m a sap, beauty and the beast. rise of the guardians too even though it isn’t disney.

musicals; i can’t pick a favorite just fucking ask me, but i don’t know a lot of newer ones honestly

empire records

the greatest showman still

cats (i mean the animals but i also like the show even though it is Weird As Hell)

my cat in particular

alice in wonderland

stranger things

space jam

tsum tsums

elvira, mistress of the dark

dice

kiki’s delivery service and specifically jiji things

winnie the pooh i don’t even fucking care i LOVE HIM AND ALL OF HIS FRIENDS

silly hats

playdoh

interesting earrings

exploring libraries or big bookstores

true crime mysteries; my favorite youtuber for this is georgia marie, bless her. i also watch bella fiori and kendall rae

fictional mysteries too

i have a kind of fascination with jack the ripper and with the lizzie borden case

shipwrecks! i don’t know why but shipwrecks fascinate me! why did they go down? all the stories that went with them!

i once read a novel that was told as a series of letters, or journal entries, by people on the titanic, including the iceberg and it was THE absolute saddest book i have ever read in my life. like, obviously i knew what was coming, but i got attached to the characters, the letters made them alive and it was just like... NO. NO I DON’T WANT THEM TO DIE. I KNOW THEY’RE GOING TO BUT THEY CAN’T. and it was awful. i had to put it down and cry.

cryptozoology

the bermuda triangle theories (i’m not saying i believe sOmEtHiNg’S gOiNg On but i think some of the theories are interesting)

ghosts

the nancy drew computer games

monopoly

i still play a lot of my snes games; my go-to time killer and head-clearer honestly is kirby’s avalanche. i also play a lot of super mario rpg legend of the seven stars, super mario world, kirby’s dreamland 3, and donkey kong 2 and 3

final fantasy x in which i’m guaranteed to call almost (i can’t stress that enough) every character at some point “my child”

hyrule warriors, i know it’s not a tRuE zelda game but it’s fucking fun

same with fire emblem warriors

red dead redemption

kingdom hearts

the uncharted series

splatoon but i don’t have it wahhhhh

mind you i am not very Good at videogames, i just like to play them anyway

game grumps

ninja sex party

jacksepticeye

markiplier

monty python

crocheting

tea

harry potter

classic rock. pretty big on queen lately. i like tom petty and the heartbreakers. i like joan jett and the blackhearts.

i just... like rock. across the board. i like the offspring. i like some rage against the machine songs. acdc on the radio makes me happy. def leppard on the radio makes me happy. beartooth, starset, powerman 5000, as long as it’s got a good beat and good stuff going on behind the vocals then i’m gonna be happy. i’m way more into the guitars and the bass and everything going on instrumentally than i am vocally, honestly. the whole big guitar solo to van halen’s “you really got me” and then that bassline that comes in, that bassline is sexy. it’s so simple but i LIKE it.

anyway music as a whole gets me right in the heart and can lift me up when i am at my literal worst point

it’s hard for me to name a favorite or specific bands that i like because there’s so many and i’m not really picky about it.

pop vinyls

good ol’ vines

buffalo wings

mac and cheese

grilled cheese

dr. pepper

i drink a l o t of dr. pepper

pretending i know how to do makeup well

history; i watch a lot of expedition unknown and mysteries at the museum, and sometimes i’ll watch a free documentary on youtube if it catches my attention. last weekend i explained the donner party to my boyfriend. just.. on a whim. because i’d just watched a thing on it and he said he didn’t really know what it was. i’m that person.

OH I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THIS BACK AROUND TRUE CRIME BUT I READ A BOOK ABOUT H.H. HOLMES AND HIS MURDER CASTLE AND THE CHICAGO WORLD’S FAIR. it was by erik larson, i believe. larsen? i could google this. devil in the white city. there’s been talks to make it a movie. it’s a good read though i will admit i skipped a lot of the fair parts because i was there for the murder.

i also read a book about the lusitania by the same author and i was like ohhh my goooood what. it got a little boring sometimes, i had to push myself to keep going, but i would read dead wake again.

csi: miami reruns are the greatest thing don’t @ me

dark purple and black aesthetics

just like... witchy aesthetics. those colors and black cats

if you haven’t noticed by any selfies i’ve posted, i do have my lip pierced and i love finding new lip jewelry. i have a new opal stud in and i love its look

leather jackets

combat boots; i have a galaxy print pair and a pair with classic marvel comics stuff printed on the inside and you can fold down the sides to show it. they’re my faves.

owls

drunk history

the first 5 seasons of supernatural and i still have a soft spot for the winchesters and castiel

i’m slowly making my way through watching the librarians

i’m also making my way slowly through watching the magicians

(american) football

nature walks

going to the zoo

going to the aquarium

like really take me to either of the above and i will lose my shit

road trips

savannah, georgia

the smokey mountains

last august i drove by myself from ohio to boone, north carolina for a friend’s wedding and that wedding was smack on a mountain top and it was the coolest thing i think i’ve ever done

roller coasters BUT NOT EXTREME ONES baby steps ok

log rides tho, i don’t know why, i always love the water rides

ren faires!

cosplay, even though i’m not exactly active in it myself (but i want to be; one of my offline friends is an actually-getting-kind-of-internet-famous mei from overwatch cosplayer)

cards against humanity

foosball

pool but i suck at it

speaking of pools i love swimming ... but i suck at it, i just like boppin’ along in a pool

cookouts

summer

there is nothing like being out in the middle of nowhere in summer when the evening starts to fall and the sky is dark, dark blue and there’s a sea of shimmering lightning bugs out over a field. it’s beautiful. it’s peaceful.

there’s nothing like sitting outside on a calm spring night and listening to the spring peepers (they’re frogs) either.

if you couldn’t tell, i live in the middle of nowhere. i have to find enjoyment in the little things.

campfires

dancing around said campfire, you cannot have a campfire without good music. this is when a lot of my classic rock education came to pass.

elephants

my favorite books are the abhorsen trilogy by garth nix, tied with the serpent’s shadow by mercedes lackey

i am trying to get into comic books by way of the youtube channel comicstorian. they break comic books down for you and read them aloud with the images, altered slightly to avoid copyright strikes (and that’s all made very clear, it’s not done sketchily), and it’s been really easy for someone like me who doesn’t just have a comics store close (and i would otherwise continue on as i have been, forgetting to ever look for them on the internet). i listened to injustice 1 and 2, and they covered the game. i’m actively following scooby apocalypse, and there was some teen titans stuff i went all the way through up until now. i don’t think it’s finished yet from what i remember.

i love museums

candles

i actually kind of collect tea sets

i also have a collection of sand art bottles AND IF I’M EVER AT A FESTIVAL OR A FAIR WHERE THERE IS A SAND ART STAND YOU CAN BET I AM GOING TO MAKE ONE

yugioh duels; i’m definitely just a novice and it’s just a fun pastime my friends got me into when they found their giant binders of cards again

i’m not actually that big on pokemon, i don’t know a lot of them but it’s still fun and i know some. but i did love pokemon go when my friends still played it (don’t really have time anymore, and it kept crashing way too badly on one of their phones anymore anytime they tried to join a raid and it just wasn’t fun as a group then)

i don’t have any but i like the ~look of crystals and would like to have some, not for my own aesthetic but i just... like having pretty things!

listening to the rain

how the air smells (at least where i live) after a long rain and everything is just cleansed

depression has stopped me from writing for a long time but, in my heart, writing has always been something that has touched me ever since i knew how to do it and could put my stories down on paper instead of having to just talk about them... so i’m going to include that here

root beer floats

hotdogs

hard dip ice cream (if you don’t know what hard dip means... as my boyfriend didn’t... it means ice cream that you have to use a scoop with, not soft serve)

soft serve’s good too tho don’t get me wrong

strawberry milkshakes

this isn’t even stuff that anyone would need to know on this site to befriend me at this point, nobody’s gonna message me like HEY I READ YOU LIKE STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKES ME FUCKING TOO

you’re cool if you do that lmao

so bad they’re good creature features from the 50s and 60s

the old godzilla movies

i like the moon more than the stars, but i like them too

flower crowns

bouncy balls

original skittles

this has gone on way too long, nobody is reading this, your mom’s a hoe, goodnight

no she’s not, i’m sorry, if you got this far then i hope your mom is a nice person

#about me #THERE'S A LONGASS LIST OF THINGS I LIKE IN HERE SO IF YOU WANT TO BE MY FRIEND THEN THERE'S A PLACE TO START #OK THEN

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lizartgurl · 6 years

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“Back To You” (Aqualad x OC)

Day One of Aqualad and Nightingale going into hiding. Things aren’t going very smooth. But what did either of them expect?

@staar-sailorr @betteonit @the-shadow-of-atlantis @lesbianstargirl

This part goes out to Clark, for their kickarse playlist that fits the ship and the story perfectly. Listen to it on Spotify.

PART THREE.

(part one) (part two)

Wildcat gave them headphones and mic to be able to communicate on the flight, but no one really talked. Wildcat wasn’t exactly the chattiest of heroes, and even if they weren’t currently exes, Emma and Kaldur wouldn’t have wanted to have a conversation that excluded him.

They landed hours later, each one blurred to the next for Emma, and as the chopper lurched to the side, all three occupants wondered how they'd made it that far.

Ted hopped out first, dragging their luggage from the secure compartment. Kaldur went after him, and offered a hand to Emma to help her down.

As she wobbled between the choice to refuse or accept his help, she stumbled out of the helicopter and into his arms.

She felt her heart beat three times- pounding painfully against her ribcage, as she took him in. He wore a dark gray Star City University hoodie- one she knew for a fact was stolen from Roy- and a navy blue beanie, the one she bought him one Christmas after her attempt to learn knitting with M'gann had gone terribly wrong.

The skin around his eyes was pale, and his eyes were more gray than green, reminding her of a cloudy day where it wasn't sunny and it wasn't rainy. Caught in the middle, unable to figure out how the day should be spent. He didn't smell too bad, though, but the sea-salty scent she was so used to from him had faded.

Wildcat threw their bags at them, refusing to carry their crap for them. Emma shouldered her bag, embarrassed at being caught like that. But she couldn't help but wonder, what did Kaldur see when he looked at her?

“Alright, kids,” Ted’s voice made both of them snap to attention. He reminded Emma vaguely of stuck-up Captain Atom.

“This is the JSA’s only safe house, so if you blow this one up, you’ll be moving in with Doctor Midnite.” The had landed at the southernmost tip of Moose Factory Island, the helicopter was situated on the only bit of ground solid enough to hold it. To their left was the river that surrounded the island merging back into one. Directly ahead was a small wooden cabin, behind it was the beginning of a forest, which arced around to their right and behind the helicopter, blocking the rest of the island from view.

“What of Batman’s safehouses?” Emma heard Kaldur speak for the first time in months.

“Don’t know which ones Demon Head knows about. Wanted to stay on the safe side,” Ted grunted. He unlocked the peeling-paint-red door before dropping the key in Emma’s hand.

“No wifi, watch your electricity, the generator’s been running for forty years now.”

Emma’s hand fisted around the key in her pocket, the hair on her fingers tingling with static electricity. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

“This island is owned by the Cree tribe. The only reason we’re allowed here is because I’m on good terms with most all of them. Don’t ruin that. Batman told you about credit cards?”

Emma didn’t feel like talking, so she simply held up the envelope Bruce had given her.

“There’s a trading post in town on the other side of the woods. You can buy most everything there. ‘N they’ve a landline there too, but only in emergencies. You can send messages to your little sidekick friends through letters when Midnite stops by every month with your allowance. They’ll send you letters too, I’ll bet. Least Dinah will.”

He slapped his palm down on the vanilla-colored countertop. “Map to Midnite’s is in the fridge. Memorize it.”

Emma could sense Kaldur nodded just as she did.

Wildcat sighed looking between the two of them, trying to decide if it would be more or less awkward if he left.

“Well, that’s it. Tolerate each other, don’t burn the house down, and don’t get caught.”

He propped his hat- the one with the kitty ears- back on his balding head, and the slamming door behind him echoed emptily. Neither Emma nor Kaldur made a move until the whirring of chopper blades had faded away into the crisp, autumnal air.

She turned, and Kaldur was staring at her, mouth open as if he was going to say something. “Thank you” maybe? “I’m sorry for the past year”?

He thought better of it, dragging his duffel down the hall to the first available hall.

Grumbling under her breath, Emma shouldered her own bag and went off to find the other room that Dinah had promised would be there. If Black Canary had lied to her there would be very strong words spoken between them.

Emma found the other room soon enough, thank goodness. It was sparsely furnished, a safe house wasn’t supposed to be a vacation rental, after all, but the whole house seemed to have a plaid thing going on. The front sitting room was green with the kitchen as yellow and black, both having dark brown walls to match the house exterior. The room Emma had found for herself had solid red pillows, with a red plaid comforter and a single dark brown dresser, and a white closet to match the walls and the bathroom. Emma was willing to bet that Kaldur’s room was exactly the same, only in blue. It was simple, but comfortable. She almost felt at home, if the room didn’t feel claustrophobic compared to her suite at the manor. She really needed to shed her privilege more often.

The clothes that she’d packed filled about two of the drawers, so she spread them out to make them feel of more use. She hung up the one dress and a couple of her nicer shoes, and shoved the duffel into the shelf above. She stacked her books on the shelves and paused to see Brandon Sanderson’s “Elantris”,her immediate thought being that Kaldur might like to read it.

After she did, of course. Bruce said that there was a bookshelf stocked full for electric-free fun, and although Kaldur was dyslexic, he was quite an avid reader. He’d be well occupied before Emma should take it upon herself to keep him entertained.

It wasn’t her job to keep him entertained anyway, she was there to keep him safe. Nothing more, nothing less, and she’d been guilted into that anyway.

She let herself fall face-first into the thick comforter, wishing for Justice or something to cuddle.

Her eyes fell on something bright red- brighter than the dull tones of the cabin decor. An article of clothing having fallen from her bag?

She picked it up, staring at it with disdain. It was the plush dragon that Kaldur he won her at the Happy Harbor Festival. Well, technically, he’d won her a bright green plush, with yellow wings instead of purple, to match her own, but that was lost in the chaos when the Terror Twins became more than a little ticked off at the fact that they were not allowed to enter fair grounds. The double date Emma and Kaldur had been on with M’gann and Conner was disrupted, and in the aftermath of the fight, the boothkeeper offered them his one surviving plush as a thank you for saving the rest of the festival (and keeping the Terror Twins from stealing all his sketchily-earned cash).

After Kaldur was discovered to be working with Black Manta, recently revealed to be his birth father, Emma had to admit she went a little berserk in her reaction. All his messages deleted from her phone. His letters and little gifts boxed up and given to Alfred to “get rid of them”, though if he actually did so remained a mystery. After Malina Island, she even went into his former room in Mount Justice- the first to do so in months- and eviscerated one of his pillows with her lightning. At the time, it made her feel better, but it didn’t make her less mad, and the cave smelled like burnt cotton for weeks. Until Kaldur blew it up anyway.

Out of everything, Emma rationalized keeping the dragon. It wasn’t the one Kaldur had given her, though she always felt it was meant to replace the one she lost, and she did love dragons, even if the green and yellow one had been prettier.

Emma felt her heart beat distinctly, and she held the dragon close, curled up on top of the covers.

“Thanks, Tim,” she whispered.

She didn’t know how long she lay there, back stiff, eyes red, mind numb, door open.

The next thing she knew, she smelled cookies.

Not just any cookies, Miss Martian’s cookies. Chocolate chip. Freshly baked. With extra cinnamon.

She sat up, but before she went to investigate, she hid the dragon beneath the pillows, between the mattress and the wall.

Kaldur was in the kitchen, alone, pulling a cookie sheet out of the oven, and sliding the cookies off to cool on a plate on the table with the others.

Emma stood there, just staring at the cookies for a moment, before Kaldur spotted her.

“Would you like some?”

It was the first time they had spoken directly to each other since...the summit. Three months ago.

“Yeah,” She was embarrassed that was all she could bring herself to say. No “sorry for threatening to kill you if you touched a hair on Mara, Tim, or Gar’s head,” or “I’m sorry for freaking out and being so willing to believe that you’d actually side with Manta over us.”

She shoved a cookie in her mouth to keep from embarrassing herself further. It appeared Kaldur had the same idea, but then they both started choking.

Kaldur immediately procured two glasses of water.

“It appears that I used too much cinnamon,” He lamented.

“Well, that, and I kind of forced mine down my throat,” Emma admitted sheepishly.

“”As did I,” Kaldur’s attempted to smile made Emma giggle. Just a little bit.

“Did...did M’gann teach you to make these?”

Kaldur nodded. “I have had plenty of free time as of late, while there are no missions to assign.”

Emma nodded. “Well, if we aren’t totally alienated from cinnamon at the moment, I think I still have a couple of Alfred’s cinnamon rolls, and then some potato casserole for dinner that we can heat up.”

“That sounds delicious, just let me clean up.” Kaldur placed the cover on the spicy cookies, and went about brushing the spare ingredients off the counter and into the small trash bin.

Emma bit her lip. “Need any help?”

“No, thank you. I can handle it.” Kaldur assured her.

“Alright,” Emma whispered under her breath.

She only hoped that Bruce and Aquaman could bring in those threatening Kaldur sooner. If today was any indicator, the coming weeks, maybe months, were going to be terribly painful for both of them.

#back to you #lizart writes #aqualad #kaldur'ahm #fish boy #young justice #aqualad x oc #kaldur x oc #my ocs #nightingale #young justice fanfiction #bty aquafire fic

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svtskneecaps · 6 years

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Dead Mall Notes

it’s gonna get kinda lengthy so i’m gonna slap a keep reading on it

ALL THE DEAD MALL AU PARTS / TEASERS AS OF JULY FIFTH:

First Part 1 Teaser

Final Part 1 Teaser

Part 1

Part 2 (no teaser for part 2 that I could find?)

Part 3 Teaser

Part 3

Part 4 Teaser

Part 4

Special Video

Part 5 Teaser

Part 5

Part 6 Teaser (binary reads “this is his game / this is our fate”)

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8 Teaser

Kakao Group Chat Name: Dead Mall Cafe, Password: Mimi

i get the feeling that the Alone teasers will be important, so to be safe i've compiled a list

Sources:

United Kpop Teaser Breakdown - Doesn’t have all the info, but has the teasers embedded in the page

A Little Glass Cafe - lists off the Prime Number and member who makes a cameo in the video

(for those who don’t know or don’t remember, Prime Number was a number hidden in each teaser video which could be used on the website to unlock a teaser photo for that member)

KEY: teaser release order, Member (with a link to their teaser), video quote, prime number, cameo, extra notes

if you need clarification, just ask~

1. Vernon - "one less than a full revolution" - 359 (woozi) (compass)

2. Jeonghan - "somebody said it means imperfection and danger" - 11 (hoshi) (camera)

3. Mingyu - "Another chapter of my life began since i met you" - 2 (wonwoo) (duplicates/mirrors?)

4. DK - "in the place thirteen pieces can be completed" - 3733 (seungkwan) (stopwatch)

5. Woozi - "all of the questions in the world can be answered in one definite answer" - 4643 (scoups)

6. Jun - "as the door opened i was faced with a new destiny" - 1013 (the8)

7. Dino - "do not be blinded by the illusion in front of you but follow the truth inside of it) - 7 (joshua)

8. Wonwoo - "us in the different system, another form of seventeen" - 10001 (Vernon)

9. Hoshi - "the line for reaching to the beloved ones" - 2232111 (Jun)

10. Seungkwan - "a pioneer who cast himself into his destiny" - 5 (Dino) (laundromat)

11. The8 - "do you remember how long did we share for each other" - 103 (DK)

12. Joshua - "an everlasting being whichever way it goes" - 131 (Mingyu)

13. S.coups - "I was afraid and anxious since I was all alone /nevertheless we met on thirteen different paths and eventually / a complete bond has formed leading us to our brightest moment" - 17 (jeonghan)

Mimi said there’s important info hidden in the teasers (source)

we know that none of them can text in the side stores (source, source)

also, coups’ phone is almost dead (source) and is now confirmed dead (source)

seungkwan was the teaser image for part 3 of the au, in which Woozi finds the paper with “a pioneer who cast himself into his destiny” on it (in a laundromat, might i add). it’s helpful to note that the teaser image is a screencap from his Alone teaser video, which also includes the quote and the number from the paper

in the first teaser for the au, there’s this sequence of numbers: “ 13, 12, 11, 9, 8, 5, 4, 2… 13?” seungkwan went missing and took their number down to 12. chan made it 11, jun and wonwoo made it 9 maybe other people will slowly go missing until there’s two, and depending on our choices all thirteen will escape or not, since there’s a question mark on the last number?

the doors are locked with passcodes (source). possibly this is where the numbers on the paper come in?

seungkwan talking in the group chat in part three is a typo (source)

after a surface google, the words on the part three teaser and the final part one teaser don’t seem to have any significance with seventeen, i’ll keep an eye on ‘em tho

the part 4 teaser is a screencap from dino’s teaser trailer so keep an eye on our boy chan there

the caption of the part 4 teaser seems to be a translation of “don’t wanna cry” (the same song the Alone teasers relate to, this era’s hella important)

the caption is also coups part (don’t trust S hmm??) (cr. nicole in the gc for knowing that)

teaser five is a screencap from wonwoo’s teaser video, the screencap is showing the set for vernon’s teaser video

the binary wonwoo sends in part 5 reads “when I close my eyes and count one and two” “before i know it i am asleep and” “i look for you in my dream unknowingly” (Joshua’s verse in Habit, cr. Steph in the gc)

the paper they found in part 5 relates to Dino’s teaser, Dino being the member which went missing in the previous part (source)

there’s one scene in the special video that specifically foreshadows something (mimi said in the gc)

mingyu and minghao have some strong gay energy going on there dunno if it’s confirmed or subtext (source)

THE SEUNGKWAN THEORY: (cr. nicole in the gc)

seungkwan fakes his own disappearance so he’s free to work, and places suspicion on wonwoo, who he knows Seungcheol has beef with (source). that done, he snatches chan, who he knows seungcheol is close with (and we know this bc they were in the same group together and it’s reasonable to assume that they grouped with people they don’t hate) (source). he texted vernon with ‘don’t trust S’ (source) to sow more confusion and distrust. that done, the theory goes that if in part 5 wonwoo goes missing, seungcheol will be top suspect as he checks off a lot of the points (motivation to knock wonwoo off, chan vanished while alone with him, name starts with an S). (extended cr. Molly in the gc): if Jun and wonwoo had seen him it’s possible they were like “look it’s our missing friend! he looks like he’s in trouble. let’s go help him,” thus allowing him to knock off two at once.

Other theories:

whoever is behind it isn’t working alone, they have an accomplice among the group

This probably doesn’t relate to the au, but it’s cool: A reverse image search of the image from the first teaser pulls up this site which talks about a bunch of dead malls, and has some nice terminology (neither of the others have anything of real significance, although we might keep an eye on ‘boys be’ in the case of future cryptic notes, as it’s the photoshoot the second teaser comes from)

Welcome to a segment I like to call ‘How Sketch Are They’, where I list off the reasons they could or couldn’t be the one behind it

S.coups / Seungcheol (SC)

seungkwan said ‘don’t trust S’ (source)

was alone w chan when he disappeared (source, source)

had the motivation to knock wonwoo off (source)

Jeonghan (JH)

Joshua (JS)

suggested they split up (source)

semi sketchily says “you look so tired”, inviting someone to let their guard down and sleep (source)

Jun (JN)

reportedly was close to wonwoo (according to Josh, who’s seeming kinda sketch) (source)

was awake and alone with wonwoo when two people went missing at once (you’d think it would be hard to nab two people at once) (source)

had an emotional breakdown (although, the boy is an actor) (source)

Hoshi / Soonyoung (SY)

organized the trip (source)

the only one who’s been to the mall before (source)

'don’t trust S’ (sourced above)

Wonwoo (WW)

was alone w seungkwan when he disappeared (source)

went missing in part 5

reportedly close to Jun (according to Josh, who’s seeming kinda sketch)

was awake and alone with Jun when two people went missing at once (you’d think it would be too hard to nab two people at once)

Woozi / Jihoon (WZ)

went off alone and found the note (source) (we know this because he was in a group with Vernon and Vernon was one of the ones asking him what he found)

Dokyeom / Seokmin (SM)

seconded josh’s suggestion to split up (source)

‘don’t trust S’ (sourced above)

Mingyu (MG)

The8 / Minghao (MH)

Seungkwan (SK)

potentially could’ve faked his own disappearance and sent vernon the text to sow even more conflict among the group, but i don’t know a motive

Vernon / Hansol (VN)

was in Woozi’s group but didn’t freak when Woozi went off alone (source) although in later parts it’s clear that they told him they were going off (in the first place) and that’s why he was chill with it

freaked when Seungkwan texted him and seemed confused (if he was the sole culprit he wouldn’t have bothered act, either he’s innocent or isn’t the only one) (source)

Dino / Chan (DN)

Who can’t be working together, if it’s a group job:

Soonyoung and Vernon (vernon pointed fingers at soonyoung) (source)

Seungkwan and Vernon (the texts sent after seungkwan’s disappearance) (source)

Seungcheol and Wonwoo (they’ve got some mad beef, and wonwoo wouldn’t go missing because after all their **very obvious** fighting they know that would incriminate cheol) (source)

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murroyilodel · 7 years

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The Art of the Hunchback of Notre Dame: Quasimodo (link) | Esmeralda (link) | Frollo (link) | Phoebus (link) | Clopin (link)

A Celestial Creature

Although Hugo makes Esmeralda age sixteen in the novel, the Disney moviemakers matured her to somewhere in her twenties. Designed with an unruly mane of jet-black hair, a quality of having survived a hardscrabble life, and the carriage of a born leader, she marks a refinement and maturation of what writer Jonathan Roberts terms “the sentimental Disney heroine with big eyes.”

Full write-up behind Read-More

“So that’s what La Esmeralda is,” Hugo writes, “A celestial creature! A dancer off the streets! So much and so little!” Hugo draws the heroine of Notre-Dame de Paris sketchily and one takes away from the book an impressionistic sense of her. Innocent, mysterious, beautiful, exotic, impulsive, ethereal – Esmeralda is fated to be the pawn in Frollo’s cruel and obsessive game and the victim of her own naive, unwise attraction to the vain soldier Phoebus. Described by one character as “a nymph, a goddess!” Hugo paints Esmeralda in constant motion, as “some sort of supernatural creature, with her billowy, multicoloured dress, her bare shoulders, her shapely legs, which her skirt revealed from time to time, her jet-black hair and her fiery eyes.” More a collection of ideal attributes than a flesh-and-blood creation, Esmeralda in Hugo’s novel is a character whose outsider status sets her apart from the constricted medieval caste system inhabited by Frollo. Although she pays dearly for being a member of the oppressed and despised group, her status allows her to slip back and forth between both worlds.

While Hugo skewers many of his characters with pointed satire and irony, Esmeralda is essentially sympathetic from the first. She delivers Quasimodo from his thirst and torment on the pillory by braving the derision of the mob to offer him a kind word and a drink of water. Hugo writes of the impact her simple act of human kindness has upon Quasimodo. “A big tear welled up in his eyes, which until then had been so dry and fiery, and slowly trickled down his deformed face. It was perhaps the first tear the unfortunate man had ever shed. His emotion was so great that he forgot to drink.” But the ramifications of her simple, loving act run deep. Unaccustomed to kindness, Quasimodo’s gratitude toward Esmeralda turns to blind devotion, just as Esmeralda’s gratitude to the soldier Phoebus for rescuing her from the clutches of Quasimodo, doing the bidding of Frollo, turns to love.

Like Notre Dame itself, Esmeralda inspires, intoxicates, comforts, pains Quasimodo. Like Quasimodo, she has lost her parents, is judged and persecuted for her looks and her station in life. Like her physical counterpoint Quasimodo, she has a kid of freedom that keeps her refreshingly innocent and childlike. Although the novel Esmeralda inspires tragic devotion from Quasimodo, the Disney moviemakers softened the passion, says Gary Trousdale, to “puppy love and gratitude for being the first person to treat Quasimodo like a human being. Our story is more about ‘Will Quasimodo get out from under Frollo and become part of the outside world’ than ‘Does he get the girl?’ He has to accept the fact that the woman he has a terrible crush on belongs with someone else.”

The Disney writers and animators re-imagined Esmeralda as more forthright and assertive than Hugo did. To writer Irene Mecchi, she is “a snappy, wise, vital gal, quick with her wits, physical resources, and a zingy comeback, one who has been knocked around in life and is all the stronger for it.” “We wanted to create a sense of spontaneity for her charater,” says supervising animator Tony Fucile. “In a dangerous situation she doesn’t really think about what she’s doing because she’s developed her instincts over years of surviving tough situations.”

As another of the film’s outsiders and fugitives, her motivations extend beyond love: she wants to end persecution of her people. Kirk Wise asserts, “She sees inequality and wants justice. She just wants what’s right for her people. She identifies with Quasimodo when she witnesses the crowd’s mistreatment of him. That incident galvanizes her to take a stand against authority that says, ‘You do this to him, you do this to us. Why do people have to be so cruel and terribly?’” According to Fucile, “she’s seen a lot, she has a lot to be angry about, but at her core she’s a wonderfully heartfelt, emotional person.”

The animators designed Esmeralda to appear fully prepared to stand up to the brutal, persecutory environment and social conditions under which she lives. Her character design stresses curves and round shapes contrasted with sharp angles. These, coupled with her loose, free-flowing, and exotically colored garments, suggest a freedom and vivacity that contrast with the Gothic pallor and rigidity of such other characters as Frollo. Although Don Hahn asserts that the animation medium “requires, by its very nature, a caricature of reality,” he also observes that, in Esmeralda’s case, the caricature quite deliberately embodies “a combination of qualities cited by world culture as beautiful. She is not only an object of affection but also represents life and joy and happiness.” The Disney Esmeralda’s dusky coloring, sultry beauty, proud carriage, and flamboyant costuming suggest less Hugo’s ethereal conception than the moviemakers’ homage to a saucy, hands-on-her-hips heroine of zingy Technicolor historical adventure epics of the forties.

Artist Jean Gillmore, whose early research and designs for the character were adapted almost unaltered for the film, conceptualized the heroine and the [Romani] population as “nomadic people, true survivors, from various ethnic groups who grabbed a little bit from every culture. Esmeralda has an energy that says, against very tough odd, ‘I can beat this.’” Ginny Parmele, cleanup lead for the character, recalls, “I studied with a yoga instructor once who always said, ‘Keep a balance between strength and softness.’ That’s what Esmeralda has.”

To voice this combination of self-reliance, beauty, vulnerability, and smarts, the moviemakers secured the services of Demi Moore, who is best known for starring in such films such as Ghost, Indecent Proposal, and About Last Night. The directors particularly liked the combination of maturity and warmth that Moore’s voice lent the character. “The fact that she doesn’t sound like a typical clear-voiced Disney heroine immediately makes me understand that this is a gal raised on the streets, not a castle,” says Kirk Wise. Adds Gary Trousdale, “Her voice also has tremendous warmth to it. There are intimate moments with Quasimodo when you feel on hearing the voice that this is a character with a past, this is someone who’s seen a lot.”

hond disney tag here

#the hunchback of notre dame #hunchback of notre dame #mickeyandcompany #esmeralda #frollo #quasimodo #phoebus #clopin #concept art #disney #hunchback disney #what's a poor queue to do?

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fallxnprxnce · 6 years

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First off, thank you for always indulging my silly questions. Second, I have a new one, lol. Blame it on too much free time on my hands. Since the Hellboy comics seem to imply a zombie apocalypse ending to the universe, how do you think Nuada would deal with the new development? Would the plague affect Fae as well? Or the general fauna and flora? Would Nuada fight the zombies, join humans in their efforts?

No problem! Your questions aren’t silly, they’re actually quite good! I think this one got buried in my AskBox though, so I’m sorry if this reply is super late. =(

So… you are kinda gonna be sorry you asked, because I am a zombie apocalypse enthusiast, haha, and this might be super long. I am a huge fan of the Resident Evil games and movies, all the Night of the Living Dead movies and their various future incarnations, the Left 4 Dead games, the 28 Days/Weeks Later movies, Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, a number of viral/nuclear/magical zombie B-movies I’ve seen haha, and even non-traditional zombie-like worlds and themed media like The Crazies, The Happening, Silent Hill, [REC] and its American remake Quarantine, etc. The only popular zombie media I haven’t gotten involved in are World War Z and The Walking Dead. So I’m fairly well versed in zombies apocalypses, their causes, and how they affect various living things.

In a general sense, I think Nuada would be fine as far as surviving being attacked by zombies. He’s got plenty of weapons and plenty of skills, so I don’t see him becoming zombie dinner. He would also be very smart about where and when he sleeps and I feel like he would be able to keep himself pretty safe most of the time.

Having said that, if he is capable of becoming “infected” by whatever is causing the outbreak, then he might have a problem. Actually, two problems. First of all, he does not use ranged weapons. He uses daggers, swords, and spears. Those are… not what you want to be using against zombies. Well, I mean, use whatever you have in an emergency, haha, but ideally, you want weapons that will cause blunt force trauma to the head, or you want guns. Slicing and stabbing weapons will spread contagious blood everywhere and increase your chances of infection. Even if he doesn’t get blood splattered in his mouth and eyes while he fights (which is likely) he might accidentally infect himself while cleaning zombie blood off his weapons later on.

That’s the first issue. The second is that Nuada honestly probably does not know about or understand bacteria and viruses and microorganisms. Maaaaybe he knows of their existence? But he wouldn’t know how to protect against them as far as contagious infection. It’s not like he would practice good handwashing, use antibacterial/antiviral soap, and remember to never wipe contagious blood on his clothes when cleaning weapons. He probably also wouldn’t know to not touch infected corpses, even just to move them somewhere or check their clothes, etc., with his bare hands. So he may be exposing himself to a lot more danger of infection than the average human for that reason.

Now… the question as to whether a plague that results in human zombies would also result in zombie fae, or would affect plants and animals, is far more complicated. Let’s just break everything down and work through this, shall we? XD

Of course, if your zombie apocalypse is caused by some sort of necromancer’s spell or shady nuclear accident, haha, then only those affected by the magic/meltdown would turn into zombies. Magic and nuclear radiation aren’t “contagious,” they only affect unfortunate individuals who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, or the butt of a necromancer’s bad mood. But assuming we’re dealing with something contagious and microbial, let’s continue on.

Although, the original Night of the Living Dead was very sketchily defined, with some “strange phenomenon” or “radiation” potentially causing it, and yet the zombies were highly contagious. Of course, the true cause was never really defined, and it may very well have been some sort of virus anyway. Romero kindof left hings very open, which was all part of the mood of the whole thing.

Humans vs. fae. I would think… that flesh and blood humanoids might be affected in similar manners by bacteria and viruses. So, as long as you’re not plant-based or reptilian or dragonian or anything that would have an entirely different biology than flesh and blood humans or elves, you might be susceptible to infection. I would think that this would also extend to trolls, ogres, and orcs, so long as the microbe causing everything is not very specific. If it is specific enough to only infect humans, then elves probably wouldn’t be infected. It would depend upon the nature of the microbe.

If you get something like the rage virus in 28 Days/Weeks Later, or something like kuru or mad cow disease caused by a prion, or a virus that functions similarly to rabies like in [REC] and Quarantine, then it may be very contagious yet nonspecific, affecting all living mammals equally. The symptoms of the infection, the gestation period, and the mortality may vary by species, but infection would still probably proceed, but would be limited to flesh and blood mammals. Cold-blooded organisms and plant-based organisms would not be affected.

In this case, though, the infected would not result in true undead zombies, they would just be infected humans until they die somehow. However, if you have something like the highly versatile and mutagenic T-virus from Resident Evil, now you’re in deep shit, heh. It’s highly contagious and can infect ANYTHING. Because of what it is, a DNA virus that is highly efficient in what it does and can cause uncontrollable mutation in hosts beyond their original forms, the virus can cross species and infect all living things. Granted, it seemed to only kill plants (there weren’t like… mutated sentient trees walking around hahaha), but it did kill animals like dogs and crows in addition to humans, and turn them into true undead zombies. So this is worst case scenario, right here, haha.

With something that infects everything and has the ability to keep the dead animated past their demise (and keeping their contagious nature), I would say that something like the T-virus would screw everybody over and infect elves, other fae, other non-humans, dryads, fairies, orcs, trolls, bark children, ogres, nymphs, mermaids, unicorns, and anything else that it damn well wants to infect. Pandemonium resulting from a true pandemic, heh. Extinction level pandemic, most definitely, for all species on earth.

I think Nuada would do his best to first protect his own people. But… since he is the last warrior of his kind, I think he would only be able to do so much before his people just died off. What’s interesting about this scenario is that.. he would have to guard Nuala like a freaking hawk because if she dies, he dies. So her not being a warrior at all is a serious problem for him. I think he might try to force her to become one out of necessity.

But once things got really bad… we’re talking a good 3-5 years out from initial infection where the whole world is just dying, his worst fears have already come true. Most of his people are dead, the world is irrevocably destroyed, almost all species are extinct, so… I forsee only two options for him, one of which might not be voluntary…

One is that he becomes very ill and passes away. Honestly, like… he might become so saddened by what has happened to the world and might not see what he is even supposed to be fighting for anymore, that he might slip into something like the Iron Malady and die. Assuming he can keep his spirits up enough to avoid this, let’s move on to the second option.

Yes. Eventually, long after it really mattered and long after everyone and everything (or close to it) he cared about was already gone, he would help humans if he found them. I think he would eventually get kinda lonely, heh, but beyond that, he wouldn’t see the point in being angry at them anymore. Most of them are dead too. It’s just kindof like welp… we’re all fucked so there’s no use in belly-aching. Here’s how we’re going to survive, so do what I say, haha. I can see him trying to become a leader among humans, and among any non-humans who may have survived. He may just end up wanting to band together whatever survivors he can to prevent all life from dying.

I hope I covered all aspects of what you were asking, but if I didn’t, feel free to ask more questions! This was cool, I hadn’t thought about this myself, heh. Nuada in a zombie apocalypse thing………. I would LOVE to do that with someone. XD

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asuitcaseofmemories · 7 years

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A Modern Day Nutcase Living in a Hotel

When you live in a hotel, reality seems to go out the window. I’ve always loved hotels, I mean really, who doesn’t? One of my favorite feelings in the world is opening the door to see what fun is waiting behind. After 6 months of key swiping though, that magic kind of dissipated.

Here are some random thoughts I’ve had while staying here:

Like honestly, I can’t believe they stopped giving me free chocolates.

”Good morning Mrs. Hmiel!” ... who is that and why do they know my name?

Hears housekeeping in the hallway, runs to hit the “do not disturb” not because I’m naked or anything.

A smiling man enters the elevator after being at the Spa, “how was your happy ending sir?”

Nothing makes me feel like more of a lazy piece of shit than sitting on the couch at 3pm, turning up the TV volume, while the housekeeper cleans around me... 3x a week.

THIS IS A NON SMOKING FLOOR YOU SWINE.

Doing laundry even though I can get it done for free “I am the backbone of this family.”

Did that person just spit on the floor??? Yep, I guess so. Twice for good measure.

”You mean I get a buffet for breakfast and dinner, plus afternoon tea time for FREE?!” ... 6 months later: if I see another piece of watermelon I’m going to lose it.

Laying in a giant bubble bath, “OMG what if my tub fell through into the room below.”

Oh how cute, they arranged my fruit into a smiley.

Is someone else going to water this plant? If not, consider it dead.

It is totally fitting that I have to hit the button “magic” on my phone for room service.

I wonder why that building’s roof has graffiti saying “I <3 U” and why haven’t I seen any other graffiti here?

Girl sketchily enters the elevator “she’s a call girl.” ... girl waits to press a floor button until someone else swipes their room key... “I knew I was right.”

Okay, I won’t wear my slippers to breakfast, but you can’t make me brush my hair.

Ordering a vodka soda at the bar, and the bartender asks “double?” when he knows damn well I almost died last time..“No Satan, I’ll take a single.”

My washing machine loudly plays a Christmas tune when it’s finished... doing late night laundry like “WOULD YA SHUT THE FUCK UP.”

Seeing someone passed out drunk in the lobby at 9pm. “It’s too early for that. Grow up Peter Pan.”

Someone sees me coming for the elevator and doesn’t hold it “You’re getting a swirly if I see you again.”

Carrying in 15 bags of groceries, Concierge asks if he can deliver them to my room, “NO I’M AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN. Actually.. would you mind?”

Guy upstairs has a hooker over and his room phone is ringing off the hook at 2am “If he doesn’t STFU he’s getting an American ass whoopin.” Next day it sounds like they’re remodeling the room and I’m like WHAT HAPPENED UP THERE.

Making dinner on a hot plate with no exhaust singing “burning down the house.”

Playing charades with my housekeeper daily because we speak different languages, so we just talk in our own languages knowing full well the other can’t understand. “We are best friends.”

”I’m going to take the stairs down and be healthy”... opens 1st floor door and it opens into the kitchen “wtf... abort mission, abort mission” ... runs upstairs.

The same workers are here from 6am until past 8pm everyyyy day “Do you ever sleep? Are you a vampire? Do you eat? Do you live here? I have questions.”

Anything out of the ordinary happens “THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED. PEOPLE DIED HERE.”

Sits down at breakfast and the waitress brings me coffee before I ask. “Will you marry me.”

WIFI connection strength: strong .... Me screaming, “Then fucking acttttt like it.”

Goes to friends room that has the same layout but everything is reversed, “this is wrong; this is all very wrong.”

Sees bunnies in the lobby during Easter OMG BUNNIESSSSS. Next day when they’ve disappeared, “If they made them into soup I swear to god....”

Finding out that I’m not actually controlling the temperature in my room, even though I thought I was “my whole life is a lie.”

#funny #thoughts #travel #hotel life #honest #lol #travel blog #skyline #service #Hefei #china #living abroad #laowai #expat #foreigner #expat life #culture #learning as i go

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freebetalerts-blog · 5 years

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BetVictor Gold Cup Preview: Rather Be can call the tune

(New post on FreeBetAlerts.com) - https://freebetalerts.com/2018/11/14/betvictor-gold-cup-preview-rather-be-can-call-the-tune/ #Freebets, #HorseRacing, #Tips

BetVictor Gold Cup Preview: Rather Be can call the tune Please share.

The race now known as the BetVictor Gold Cup is one of the most prestigious and informative handicaps in the National Hunt calendar, with several horses who have gone on to contest the biggest prize of them all, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, featuring on the roll of honour. Nigel Twiston-Davies won the race in 2008 with Imperial Commander – who went on to land the following season’s Gold Cup, of course – and the local trainer could field up to three runners on Saturday in his bid for a fifth success overall, headed by last year’s winner Splash of Ginge. Splash of Ginge loves it around Cheltenham, with all three of his career wins over fences having come at this venue, and he proved better than ever when also finishing second behind The Storyteller at the Festival here in March. He is entitled to strip fitter for his return over hurdles at Newbury recently, with this race always likely to have been his major target in the first half of the season, but the problem for him is that he arrives here on a mark 7 lb higher than when successful 12 months ago, and he doesn’t appeal as a likely sort to emulate the likes of Bradbury Star and Cyfor Malta as multiple winners of this valuable prize.

Splash Of Ginge wins the BetVictor Gold Cup at @CheltenhamRaces ahead of Starchitect! pic.twitter.com/WfOhJCOTxb — ITV Racing (@itvracing) November 18, 2017

The three-pronged attack from the Twiston-Davies yard is completed by Ballyandy and Crievehill. The former has dropped to a fair mark judged on the pick of his efforts only hurdles, only 2 lb higher than when winning the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury in February 2017, but he has often failed to convince with his jumping in this sphere, not least when third after nine months off at Wetherby last time (jumped none too fluently after an awkward leap at the sixth). Crievehill ran well when finding only Javert too good on his return at Uttoxeter in September, but this is much tougher and he will need to improve significantly to figure from 7 lb higher. Javert was returning from a 29-month absence when winning at Uttoxeter and it was encouraging that he could follow that with an even better effort in defeat at Aintree last time, when one and a quarter lengths second to Frodon in the Old Roan Chase. He didn’t appear to have any excuses on that occasion, though, and the suspicion is that the handicapper may have caught up with him now, a comment that also applies to Frodon, who will probably have to produce an effort verging on top class if he is to defy top weight (and BHA mark of 161).

Frodon could be joined from the Paul Nicholls yard by Le Prezien, Movewiththetimes and Roman de Senam. The latter looks up against it having finished a well-beaten third at Aintree last weekend, but the other two would both appear to hold claims of sorts for J.P. McManus. Le Prezien shaped better than the bare result when third from 6 lb lower behind Splash of Ginge last season (jumped sketchily), while patience is beginning to wear thin with Movewiththetimes, but he is clearly talented, as he showed when chasing home Ballyandy in the 2017 Betfair Hurdle, and looks on a good mark if finally putting it all together over the larger obstacles. The favourite at the time of writing is the Nicky Henderson-trained Rather Be, who was given a gentle introduction to fences last season – he won novice events at Towcester (by 19 lengths at 11/8-on) in December and Fakenham (by 17 lengths at 7/2-on) in February, either side of a misfortunate unseat at Plumpton. As a result, he avoided a steep mark when lining up in the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap over C&D at the Festival and Henderson’s patience was very nearly rewarded, with Rather Be producing a smart effort to finish a head second to Mister Whitaker. That experience should stand him in good stead here and he would appear to hold leading form claims, still potentially well treated from just 6 lb higher than when narrowly missing out on his final start.

Mister Whitaker gets his head in front on theline to win the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase @CheltenhamRaces and gains his third win over fences. #TheFestivalNew Betfair customers get up to £100 in free bets: https://t.co/M5sVHe3vhU (T&Cs apply 🔞) pic.twitter.com/N9T0HnHLXO — Racing UK (@racing_uk) March 13, 2018

Mister Whitaker picked up where he left off eight months earlier when winning an intermediate chase at Carlisle recently, leading on landing at the last and staying on well to beat the consistent Happy Diva by two and a quarter lengths. Progressive and likeable, he is unlikely to have finished improving yet and looks sure to give another good account (unbeaten in two previous visits to Cheltenham), for all that he is 9 lb worse off at the weights with Rather Be here. Kalondra is another with standout claims on ratings, having been in the process of showing much improved form when falling two out in a minor event won by Sub Lieutenant at Galway last time, closing in third at the time and looking sure to play a hand in the finish. A BHA mark of 148 looks very attractive on that evidence and this strong-travelling sort must be included on any shortlists; he remains capable of better still as a chaser and shaped very well when also third in the 16-runner Silver Trophy here in April (possibly did too much too soon). Gary Moore is another trainer who could field multiple runners in the shape of Baron Alco and Benatar. The former was well backed after 19 months off at Chepstow last time and really should have won, likely to have done so but for a stuttering leap at the last. Still relatively unexposed after just seven starts over fences, he remains on a fair mark from just 4 lb higher and, given how well he ran on his last visit to Cheltenham (beaten six lengths by the now top-class Road To Respect at the 2016 Festival), it would be no surprise should he go well in his compensation bid.

Great to see – a regular in Grade 1 company, Charbel defies top-weight to see off Baron Alco under David Bass for @kimbaileyracing in a thrilling finish at @Chepstow_Racing: pic.twitter.com/MDqLQrjOer — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 14, 2018

Meanwhile, Benatar was disappointing on the face of it when only fourth on his return in an intermediate event at Newton Abbot las month, but he hardly helped his cause with an overly headstrong display in very testing conditions, and that run should bring him on plenty in terms of fitness. His form as a novice last season, including when third in the JLT Novices’ Chase at the Festival, has a very strong look to it, and he cannot be discounted if bouncing back, with a well-run handicap such as this expected to suit him ideally. Others to note include Full Glass and King’s Socks. The former shaped well when third on his British debut at Ayr in April and may yet prove capable of better over fences, while King’s Socks went like a well-handicapped horse for a long way when fifth behind The Storyteller and Splash of Ginge here in March. He is now 1 lb lower in the weights and it will be interesting to see if the market speaks in his favour ahead of this return.

Conclusion Baron Alco and Kalondra, who both suffered unlucky defeats last-time-out, are respected with the prospect of more to come over fences, but the one who makes most appeal at this stage is the similarly lightly raced Rather Be. Admittedly, he has been well found by the market, but it was hard to fault his second at the Festival here in March, and this appeals as an ideal starting point for one who could easily prove much better than a BHA mark of 149 in the fullness of time.

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