#she has written over 150 books

[reiniesainyo]

IN BETWEEN. charlie bushnell x reader – 03

03 | ENCHANTED previous | next | masterfile

SYNPOSIS. when a girl's co-star is good to her and now she wants it more than everything in between. (smau)

A/N. i'm going through a rough / stressful period and i find this series and writing it very therapeutic so here we are! this chapter takes place around episode 7 release, i'm not really inclined to write about the filming in between for some reason (unless you'd be interested)

liked by walker.scobell, thelnarchives, and 262,287 others rickriordan With the release of the new PJO series on Disney+, I'm happy to announce that to celebrate I've partnered with some of your favorite authors and close friends of mine to present to you all a new look into the lives of our favorite demigods!

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A HALF-BLOOD will go online for free this February 20, 2024!

Click the link in bio for more info! PS: A sneak peak from our writers on the other slides

thelnarchive ... WHAT THE??? i have to manifest a chapter for my girl, manifesting a chapter or more please or even just one mention ↳ iamcharliebushnell YOU DIDN'T KNOW EITHER?????

user1 HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT????

user2 1) more stories about characters and 2) WRITTEN BY OTHER AUTHORS???? WHO COULD BE IN THIS PROJECT ↳ user3 i'm manifesting a story about tahlia and jason as kids oh my god

iamcharliebushnell imagine releasing a whole anthology to celebrate? that's the best author right there

user4 ohhh we're eating so good

walker.scobell another book and there's still not enough percy jackson in this world keep it coming i love your work ↳ aryansimhadri Imo too much percy maybe some more grover ↳ leahsavajeffries wrong there should be more annabeth

dior.n.goodjohn the gc going wild with this news

🃏 @CHILDOFHECATE what are your guys guesses for the stories in what it means to be a half-blood??? 🗨 32 comments 🔁 150 retweets ❤️ 456 likes

user1 a jason and tahlia story about them as kids, just a delve into their childhood

user2 more stuff on luke and rina, as individuals and as a couples- like i totally see a luke perspective on some situations or a conversation they had being in the book ↳ CHILDOFHECATE honestly i think it'd be so cool if they went like contemporary and also gave us maybe a poem or transcript / screenplay of a conversation between luke and rina

user3 stories about annabeth, tahlia, and luke's time before camp maybe fighting monsters together or just trying to survive ↳ user4 watch me cry over this one

user5 i just see a lot of delving into the lives of the original trio and also like the original supporting characters to like tahlia, luke, rina, even rachel

user6 grover's childhood! i really wanna see that or some parts of the story from his perspective

user7 Angst.

liked by iamcharliebushnell, aryansimhadri, and 320,372 others thelnarchives celebrating with the half-bloods

iamcharliebushnell when you're so excited over new lore you go and have dinner to talk about it ↳ thelnarchives this means so much to us

user1 YN IN THE SECOND SLIDE OH SHE'S GOREGOUS

user2 her face card never declines ↳ user3 it even has like benefits and a perfect credit score

dior.n.goodjohn fans first cast second ↳ thelnarchives this show has more more dressed up than my wedding

user4 this cast is so cute it's crazy

walker.scobell the 3rd pic >>> ↳ iamcharliebushnell oh so true ↳ i.am.andrew.alvarez a banger photo ↳ thelnarchives phone hijackers.

user5 the little black dress is doing so good for her, if i saw her in public i would've fainted ↳ user6 i can't believe i live in the same city as this girl like we breathe the same air???

leahsavajeffries i'm sat for the release, we're sat ↳ thelnarchives this is MY superbowl

aryansimhadri i feel excluded out of the 3rd photo ↳ thelnarchives that's okay because you're one of the girls ↳ iamcharliebushnell wait that's not fair

user7 aryan being part of the girls is so real and charlie wanting in is so cute

#luke castellan imagines #luke castellan x reader #percy jackson imagines #percy jackson and the olympians imagines #percy jackson #percy jackson and the olympians #percy series #pjo #pjo series #pjotv #heroes of olympus #luke castellan #charlie bushnell x reader #charlie bushnell #charlie bushnell imagines #smau #pjo smau #pjo tv show #percy jackson tv show #percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson smau #pjo au

[red-might-be-dead]

hello hi here to force strange thoughts into your brain once again, this time about jrwi (wow who could’ve guessed)

been thinking about this for a little but it’s basically what i think some campaigns would be if not podcasts, i haven’t listened to some of the older ones so i’m sorry they’re not on here :(( if you have any ideas feel free to add them btw :DD

RIPTIDE!!!!! - really long animated series

not an anime though, no matter how much grizzly wants it, it would be an animation style where the characters could have very clearly different nose, face and body shapes, really pushing my riptide nose agenda here sorry, each episode would be like 20-40 minutes long and instead of coming out in seasons there would be massive gaps in between episodes, from 2-6 months long, to leave time for writers and animators to get stuff done (massive team of animators btw, i feel like it would be pretty successful)

PRIME DEFENDERS!! - comics

literally nothing else they could be, just really well made, well performing comics (i’ve already talked about this before you can stalk my talk tag if you really want to find it lmao), the comic company making them would be keeping well away from movies n shit btw

APOTHEOSIS!!! - i wasn’t really sure about this one to be honest

i had to ask my friend and she said anime which i don’t agree with but i can see it, i think maybe a short book series where each book is 150 - 300 pages and is about a different god they have to kill/a different episode, i think that works but if anyone has any better ideas please tell me :D!!

BLOOD IN THE BAYOU!!! - i hate to say it, i really do…

bitb would be a really long really good 80s horror book with strong homoerotic undertones, a satisfied fanbase and lots of active members in the community making fan comics, films, writing, theories and art ect… until well after the book came out……….. and then it would be made into the most egregious and awful live action movie you have ever seen, the most awful casting (like chris pratt as officer dudes….. throws up) and even worse sfx, oh yeah and the characters would be ruined and the story would become so butchered it wouldn’t make sense, they would do some shit like cut out becky so kian just kisses some random lady (removing both a really good and well written character and a layer of kian’s character that i think is super important) and make rolan really be an evil bug spy the whole time so rand has to kill him to save the town also add in a whole new sub plot that never existed like the rand family is secretly a long line of bug alien hunters or something fucking stupid like that and the entire fanbase would murder whoever thought re-writing the story was a good idea (ahaha can you tell ive been through something like this before ahahaha, character morals and motives being removed and whatnot ahahahhahahaha.)

anyways………

THE SUCKENING!!! - live action series

it would be well made though, unlike the bitb movie it would be its own original thing, have great makeup and effects also be well casted and well shot, well written, ect ect, it would bloody and gory and not suitable for people who can’t handle showing bones and organs all over everywhere, lots of shitty rip off merch would be made though and the fandom would be 99% gay little freaks (normal suckening enjoyers) and 1% homophobic straight white men who get mad whenever they see soda and emizel having gay sex on screen or whatever fag shit that biting thing was

again feel free to add your thoughts and ideas and shit in the reblogs it would be nice to read them :DD!!

#red rambles relentlessly #jrwi show #jrwi pd #the suckening #jrwi riptide #jrwi apotheosis #jrwi bitb #jrwi spoilers #jrwi the suckening #jrwi prime defenders #bitb spoilers #suckening spoilers #i think i wrote some shit that could be considered spoilers in those two sections #definitely the bitb one #which i definitely didn’t base around a certain netflix adaptation of one of my old favourite books cough cough #I HATE THAT FILM SO MUCH WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO SOPHIES CHARACTER SHE IS SUPPOSED TO BE A BITCH STOP TRYING TO MAKE HER NICE #anyways like maybe one person who sees this post will know what that’s referencing #and i will admit the books weren’t perfect but at least the characterisation made sense

[olderthannetfic]

I've done some reading challenges before and I think they can be fun if they have a purpose: for instance, something like the Read Harder challenge, ones that encourage you to read from different genres or read more diverse books, etc. I have a sort of evergreen challenge where I encourage myself to read more books written by authors from different countries, and keep a spreadsheet of which countries I've "read." (I also do this with other kinds of entertainment like movies.) But it's definitely true that some of them just seem to be for the gimmick and aesthetic, and for people who prize quantity over quality of reading in a sort of commodity-fetishism (as they're prizing books as markers of intelligence over the actual experience of learning and expanding your world via reading). Like when the challenges start to be things like "read a book with an orange cover" that's where I start to roll my eyes a bit, haha.

I will say that while I try not to be a snob about reading, it does drive me nuts when I've had people lord over how many more books they've read or how many more pages when they're reading beach reads and YA and other easily digestible stuff whereas I'm reading stuff that is heavier. One time when I was working some crappy minimum-wage job in college, I was reading this big omnibus of all Jane Austen's works (because I was taking a class on her where I was required to read those, not that I wouldn't read Austen otherwise lol) on my break, and one of the other employees asked me how many pages it was and I answered and he was like "pfft, that's nothing, I read all the Harry Potter books in a week and they're more than that!" And I wanted to be like.... yeah, me too, dipshit. I mean, I didn't literally read them in one week, but when each one came out, I devoured it within a day or two like a lot of people did, despite it being 800 pages. Because Rowling's prose is really easy to gobble up like that. Not that Austen is impenetrable or anything (I don't think she is and I think that's precisely why she remains so evergreen popular), but she does require more effort than *that*, particularly when you're reading her work for a literature class where you're expected to write a paper analyzing it, so you want to linger to make sure you really deeply understand it.

I've read academic monographs that were 150 pages long that took me weeks to get through, and I've read 800-page bestsellers that I ripped through in a few days. Pure page length does not determine how long it takes to actually read something. I mean.... in fandom we should all be aware of this, how many of us have devoured some 100k fic in a night or two? As someone who has written some of those academic monographs myself and therefore is familiar with how word count tends to relate to book page length, I can verify for you that that is the equivalent of devouring a novel in the same time frame. But it's a lot easier to do that when you're reading relatively invisible prose and are invested in your OTP getting together (or whatever) vs. if you're trying to digest someone's very dry and convoluted argument about Foucault.

--

I just read all of Scum Villain in about five minutes, yeah. And it was great, but nothing to brag about as an achievement.

I've got this friend who goes on about reading sooooo fast but then admits to often rereading to catch things that she missed the first time. It came up when I was explaining how seldom I reread or rewatch anything. I tend to remember it far, far too keenly after one time through, and it just doesn't hit the same a second time. I still read pretty fast, but not that fast.

I don't think it's snobby to roll your eyes at people who clearly don't grasp the difference between different difficulties of reading and—this is key—who are trying to wave their dick at you about how great they are. They started it!

The time I do roll my eyes is when people think you should read mega hard prose in order to learn, especially in order to learn vocabulary or get faster at reading. That's not what the science says. (Apparently, the fastest way to improve on that kind of thing is to read mass quantities of faintly hard-for-you stuff, not stuff that's hard hard.) But to learn how to decode confusing arguments? Yes, absolutely.

I do wish people would put a little more effort into unwinding their own tortured syntax on Foucault though.

[thatfeelinwhenyou]

KINDRED — 31

It’s your final year of highschool, and your only goal is to graduate top of your cohort, as usual. Except as student council president, your advisor can’t seem to leave you alone. What happens when you take Decelis Academy’s top student, their star athlete and put them in front of a camera?

smau + written (2.0k words)

❥･• episode 31 — the name above me

tw! y/n’s mom

The two-week break flies by rather quickly, and you find yourself back in your school uniform on a Monday morning, realising that nothing has really changed. You had already half-convinced yourself that post-midterm would be different for you, you had hoped for clarity regarding your plans after high school. Alas, uncertainty clings to you like an unwelcome companion.

Walking onto campus, you encounter a throng of students gathered in front of the ranking boards. Right, your results are released today.

Oddly, though, the weight of your grades hasn't been preoccupying your thoughts these past two weeks like it would in the past, marking the first time in your life that you haven't been consumed by overthinking your grades or endlessly reviewing test questions, as if every time you did it you didn’t get the same exact answer.

No, you actually enjoyed your break. You allowed yourself to breathe, to embrace the carefree spirit of a high school teenager.

You went café hopping with Bora and Jungwon again, only this time you ensured a mango juice mishap did not befall you. The Powerpuff girls, including yourself, enjoyed a truly relaxing girl's day where everyone dressed up just for the joy of it. Then there was that unforgettable excursion to the amusement park; you rode the Ferris wheel for the first time as it had been a long-standing prohibition from your mother, citing its unreliability akin to your father's. Though fairly insignificant, you record as it as a ‘win’ in your books.

Before you knew it, your final term at Decelis Academy had already begun. The documentary is in its concluding stages, with tasks remaining on the itinerary, including capturing your and Jungwon's reactions to your grades, the student council's senior farewell party, Jungwon's upcoming competition, and then the final confessional.

Arriving on campus, you initially worry about being way too early but lucky for you, the camera crew had arrived hours in advance and established their vantage point on the left side of the ranking boards—the higher-scoring side. Despite their meticulous preparation, you inadvertently squeeze yourself into a group of students gathered in the middle, unintentionally defying their plans for the perfect front-row view of your reactions from every angle.

Your eyes scan the list.

74 ***

75 ***

76 ***

77 Yang Jungwon

Found it.

You let your fingers glide over the paper, seeking out his Mathematics scores. 105 out of 150. Relief floods through you, a broad smile gracing your face at his passing grade. Not just barely but with a decent score, just enough to pull him up to a C, securing his spot in the competition just 15 days from now. You’re smiling so wide, the joy evident without even knowing how you did for your own papers.

And as if you were sharing the same brain cell, you find Jungwon standing at the front of the board, his expression tense as he gazes at a name at the top. Concern brushes your thoughts, but you manage to conceal it from the cameras as you cheerfully call out, "Wonnie! You passed your Math paper, you’re going to compete in the Asian Championships!"

"I-I’m so sorry, Y/N," he stammers, a heavy silence lingering between you. Reluctantly, you follow his gaze, and there it is.

1 Lee Haerin

2 Park Y/N.

Your name, usually perched at the top, now finding itself below another.

You know Lee Haerin, she’s a familiar face from the book club, and you know this having seen her in the library more times than you could count. And you were there almost every day. You also recognise her name as someone who was consistently ranking below you, but how the tables have turned.

You don’t loathe her; surely, it isn’t her fault that your English Literature scores fell short, causing you to drop in overall rankings. Besides, it's only mid-terms, and you still have your preliminary exams to pull your grades up before the CSAT… Right?

You sense someone settling down beside you on the ledge you've chosen to occupy on the roof. You had chosen to forgo lunch, knowing you can barely keep anything down your throat at the moment. Shifting your gaze from the clusters of shops just outside the school gates, where the popular takoyaki stand beckons memories of post-school visits with your friends, you turn your attention to the person you had already half-expected to be Jungwon.

“You should eat something, even if just a little.” Jungwon places a piece of custard bread, banana milk, and a packet of your favourite gummies on your lap, almost pleading with you to eat.

“You didn’t have to.”

“Not when you look like as if the world is ending tomorrow.” Jungwon jokes, only to cough awkwardly when he realises you didn’t respond to his jokes, even with an eye-roll like you usually would.

“It might as well be. I just know my mother is going to KILL me.” You make sure to emphasise the word ‘kill.’ Because you aren’t wrong; if the world isn’t going to kill you tomorrow, your birth-giver will.

Unbeknownst to you, tears well up in your eyes, threatening to spill over. Witnessing you in such a vulnerable state tugs at Jungwon's heart; the girl he likes is breaking down in front of him and he doesn’t even know what to do. As he battles his inner thoughts, contemplating the best way to console you, he senses you clutching onto the sleeves of his uniform blazer. Pouting and fighting back tears, you say, “I’m going to be okay, right?”

“Yes, crybaby, everything is going to be okay.” You feel him begin to gently stroke your hair down to your neck, rubbing circles into the back of your ears as he makes another crybaby joke in an attempt to cheer you up.

“I’m not a crybaby,” you manage to say between hiccups and sobs, prompting Jungwon to emit a small snicker. The irony strikes you—a few weeks ago, you were in Jay’s garden comforting Jungwon as he held back tears, and now he's here comforting you in your most vulnerable state. The situation doesn’t go unnoticed by Jungwon, as he also recognises the irony of it, judging by the bittersweet way he smiles.

“Just because you fail once, doesn't mean you're gonna fail at everything.” Jungwon holds your cheek and tilts your head to face him, his thumbs swiping away fresh tears staining your cheeks.

“I don’t know… the one thing I’m good at, and I just flunked it-“

“Shh! Believe in yourself because if you don't, then who will? Life’s beautiful, and there's so much more to it than numbers on a piece of paper, Y/N. I hope you see that.”

In that moment, you realise you never really did look at your scores for the papers. Then you realise it wasn’t the scores that had you feeling worthless. Thinking back, you had already forgone looking at your scores a long time ago, as long as you stayed in that number one spot, as long as you didn’t disappoint your mother. You wanted to satisfy her, try to get her to praise you, but as your heartless mother has once said: “Why would I praise something that is supposed to be a given?”

You've spent your entire life routinely studying, evolving yourself into the machine your mother probably wished she had instead of a breathing human child—you.

In the echo of your academic routine, the fear of losing her approval looms larger than the tangible rankings you've held. The relentless pursuit of excellence, though driven by an inner desire for acknowledgment, is entangled in the web of your mother's expectations. So, what scares you isn’t the fact you no longer retained the number one spot; what scares you is disappointing the one person you craved validation from. What were you expecting? Because when the given is taken away from you, will she praise you then?

No. She’ll criticise you, blame your father, blame the documentary, and undoubtedly, she’ll gun after Jungwon. Because nothing is ever really her fault, and you knew sometime along the way that nothing will ever satisfy her, but you still try anyway. You try because you don’t know what else to do other than sticking to the status quo. Until, at least, the documentary featuring Jungwon happened.

What was initially supposed to be a pawn in your masterful plan to build your portfolio for University becomes the very documentary that breaks you out of your shell, as the looming prospect of your mother’s disapproval, like an oppressive cloud, pushes you to strive for success, even when you know it may never be enough for her.

“Eat.” You come back to your senses to find Jungwon has opened the packet of bread and shoved it into your mouth. He then watches you bite into it before he lets go to open the bottle of banana milk, handing them to you between bites of the bread.

Again, Jungwon with his overly friendly gestures that graze the delicate line between friends and something more than that. Jungwon, who once again, manages to empty your mind by babying you and treating you like a princess who needs rescuing. And he was the prince, of course, needless to say.

“You’re confusing me.” The words fly out of your mouth before you even get the chance to rethink

“Doesn’t mean I’m feeding you like a baby that you are actually one.” He teases, and you watch him as he takes a sip out of the banana milk, from the same straw you used. Pushing away the thought that you’ve just indirectly kissed him, you're just glad he didn’t catch onto the intention behind your statement.

“I feel bad that you’re here comforting me, when you should be celebrating having passed a certain Math paper after all that hard work.”

“It was your hard work as much as it was mine, Y/N.” Jungwon takes his thumb, wiping at the corner of your lips where custard from the bread had oozed out and stayed. He then brings it up to his own lips, eating it off his finger. You just indirectly kissed him, again.

Your heartbeat quickens, a symphony of excitement drowning out any lingering worries about exams or your mother. Your mind is a canvas painted with thoughts of Jungwon and his unexpected gestures that got you contemplating the possibility of him being interested in you. Surely, Yang Jungwon isn’t known for being a romantic guy, but once again, you're proven wrong; he is that guy.

This certainty solidifies as he opens the packet of gummies, deliberately picking out the red-coloured ones first, knowing that you ate them in the colour of the rainbow; a subtle detail that shows he pays attention to your preferences.

At first, they were really subtle gestures that made you realise how horribly you have misjudged him. Then came the heartfelt actions, revealing a caring side that made you question if he had always been this way. The tipping point was realising these gestures were exclusively reserved for you, unveiling sides of Jungwon that remained hidden from everyone else. While others perceived him as mundane, cold, and mysterious, you alone saw a different Yang Jungwon.

And when you see the scoreboard, someone else’s name above yours for the very first time, it shocks you to the core that you, in fact, did not care. That the first thing you sought was Jungwon’s rankings on the board, eager to know if your efforts in tutoring him paid off, if he can participate in the competition that has become crucial to him and, by extension, vital to you.

For the first time, someone else's grades mattered more than your own. This epiphany stretches beyond academic priorities, signifying that Jungwon holds a place in your life beyond the confines of friendship; that he is more than just a friend that you make him out to be.

You like him, more than you let yourself on.

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♡。·˚˚· ·˚˚·。♡

authors note: i kept my promise yall 😁😁🤟 and yes yn mom needs a whole ass tw. i’d say we are a good 10 chapters away from the finale and i’m currently considering next projects but we’ll see 👀 also do expect more written chapters, i rlly tried to reduce them as much as possible but it’s so hard to write without going into detail… BUT i’ll defo make it up with super fluffy and sweet chapters 🤭

perm taglist. @hajimelvr @s00buwu @urmomssneakylink @grayscorner @bubblytaetae @mrchweeee @artstaeh @sleeping-demons @yuviqik @junsflow

taglist open! @uuzhanggggggg @jayhoonvroom @missingemobeomgyu @jiawji @ocyeanicc @s7noo @asterizee @nwjws @noascats @yunwonie @saturnmooonxx @enhaz1 @jiaant11 @clairecottenheart @i2lain @miumiuoi @zhounauts @hoey2k @neocockthotology @nanuer @yenqa @ahnneyong @chanhee-hee @yanqiiuver @yujmelon @beomsbeanie @sloobydooburmomjungwon @keiisu @jaeyunniesimp @jiamini @jihanniee @lilriswife4life

#waiting for the yn mom hate comments #enhypen #heeseung #jungwon #sunghoon #belift #hybe #jay #iland #sunoo #enhypen fluff #jake #niki #riki #enhypen smau #enhypen social media au #enhypen crack #enhypen angst #enhypen x reader #enhypen scenarios #yang jungwon smau #jungwon smau #yang jungwon #jungwon x reader #yang jungwon x reader #enha smau #high school au #tfwy kindred #tfwy smau

[coochiequeens]

Another TIM using his gender identity for a reduced sentence for a sexual offense. Something that happens a lot for something that TRAs say never happens.

By Anna Slatz February 7, 2024

A trans-identified male in Kentucky has reached a plea deal after being charged with sexually abusing a baby and will avoid prison so long as he meets certain conditions. Maria Childers, a former daycare worker, hired a prominent trans activist lawyer to represent him in the sickening case.

As previously reported by Reduxx, Childers was arrested in February of 2023 after the Department of Community Based Services (DCBS) received an anonymous tip detailing an alleged incident of abuse that had occurred in November of 2022 at Explore Learning Academy. The tip, reportedly written by one of Childers’ co-workers, accused him of making inappropriate comments towards an infant while changing the child’s diaper, and touching the baby inappropriately.

Reduxx has now obtained court records detailing the full complaint against Childers, which showed that he was accused of both physical and sexual abuse while employed at the daycare.

Following the receipt of the initial anonymous complaint, a DCBS case worker and a police officer from the Paducah Police Department went to the daycare on February 8, 2023, to interview witnesses. After speaking to a number of staff, they were able to corroborate the anonymous report.

Maria Childers. Photo Source: FACEBOOK

According to witness testimony, a co-worker had asked Childers for assistance in changing an infant’s diaper. While Childers was cleaning the baby’s genitals, the co-worker noticed that the infant appeared to be in distress and asked Childers if he was hurting the baby. She then witnessed Childers rub the infant’s genitals in a “circular motion,” while saying “that was her clit area and she likes it. It just made her day.”

While Childers was reported to management at the Academy, he was only given a “write up.” Police later learned that Childers had also been accused by other co-workers of leaving the children in high chairs for “hours” without care.

After being taken to the police station for questioning, Childers initially claimed he had not changed the infant’s diaper at all. He later admitted to having done so after an officer presented him with evidence in the form of a text that he had sent to the daycare’s director confirming the baby’s diaper had been changed. He then tried to deny he had ever said anything inappropriate, but admitted he often said things that were “taken out of context.”

Childers was placed under arrest and charged with one count of 1st Degree Sexual Abuse of a Victim Under 12 and three counts of 1st Degree Criminal Abuse of a Child Under 12. He was then booked at the McCracken County Jail.

There has been some confusion over the spelling of his last name, with the courts, police, and his social feeds having different spellings alternating between “Childers” and “Childres.” The Kentucky Court of Justice has his name spelled “Childres,” but his own signature and defense documents read “Childers.”

While Childers was initially marked as a “male” by both police and the jail, internal documents obtained by Reduxx reveal that his recorded sex was later switched to “female” by the McCracken County Jail.

Childers’ Facility Admission Report.

Court records show that just one month after being booked on the felony charges, Childers privately retained trans activist lawyer Madison LeachMadison Leach to represent him.

Leach, a male who began identifying as a “woman” seven years ago, was the first openly transgender candidate to seek public office in western Kentucky when he ran as a Democrat for the Calloway County attorney seat. Leach recently threatened to leave Kentucky over Senate Bill 150, which would make it optional for public school teachers to use a student’s preferred pronouns.

After some negotiation with the court, the motion was ultimately approved, and Childers’ bond was reduced from $100,000 to $5,000 surety. The bond conditions included no contact with children and to remain away from the daycare where he had been employed. Childers was released from custody in January of 2024.

On January 29, 2024, Childers struck an apparent deal with prosecutors. In exchange for a guilty plea, his charge of 1st Degree Sexual Abuse of a Victim Under 12 was amended to Class A Misdemeanor Sexual Misconduct, and the remaining abuse charges were dropped.

Judge Joseph Roark handed Childers a 12-month penalty, but withheld sentencing and imposed a conditional discharge for 6 months.

If Childers abides by the conditions set by the court during the 6-month period, he will not serve any prison time at all, and may not even receive a criminal record.

#usa #Kentucky #Maria Childers is a perverted man #Department of Community Based Services (DCBS) #Not a woman #NotOurCrimes #Madison Leach

[huntingorbits]

Review: The Door to Witchcraft, by Tonya Brown

I just finished reading this book earlier this year, and thought I'd write a review on it. This is also going to help me determine how I want to review other texts going forward. So without further ado, let's get started.

TL;DR:

I highly recommend this book for both beginners and more experienced witches who are looking to expand their practices or gain additional resources. Brown takes a practical approach and breaks things down beautifully in a way that's easy to understand and follow. (Such as steps to creating a spell, steps to spellcasting, etc.) The second half is spells that may take a different approach to what we're used to seeing in other books, which in and of itself is very useful.

What's Inside (Contents)

PART I: Witchcraft and Practical Magic

1. Understanding Witchcraft 2. Core Beliefs and Values 3. How to Tap into Your Powers 4. How to Practice Witchcraft

PART II: Spells (Begins on page 87)

5. Love 6. Health and Healing (in Yourself and Others) 7. Career 8. Friends and Family Matters 9. Spiritual Work 10. Protection

Glossary Resources References Index

Summary

Part I: Witchcraft and Practical Magic spans 86 pages and includes a lot of information.

"Understanding Witchcraft" is your fairly standard introductory chapter, addressing questions such as, "What is Witchcraft?" and, "Are you a Witch?", before diving into a brief history of witchcraft.

"Core Beliefs and Values" is a high-level tour of the most common tenets of witchcraft among witches of all varieties, not just Wiccans.

"How to Tap into Your Powers" and "How to Practice Witchcraft" are more instructional than educational, but Brown includes a lot of education in those chapters nonetheless, including a handy breakdown of the structures of rituals and spells, sabbats, and some basic correspondences.

Part II: Spells is approximately 90 pages in length (some pages are just illustrations). Brown prefaces these pages with a few notes, including:

"Some of these spells may not align with the stereotype of spellcasting that you've seen in the media. They may seem too simple or they may seem too complicated. I implore you to come to these spells with an open mind..." (pg.89)

The spells that follow offer a variety of complexities, though most of them take less than half an hour to cast.

Provided Resources & References

Following the Spells section of the book is 3 pages of Glossary, 2 pages of Resources that appear to be reading recommendations, and 3 pages of References - titles cited or referenced throughout the book. Going over these materials, the book appears to have been written using carefully curated resources, which is very encouraging.

About the Author

From Amazon:

TONYA A. BROWN is a current resident of Florida, where she is the editor-in-chief of Witch Way Magazine as well as writer and host of the podcast The Witch Daily Show.* Tonya is a Lenormand reader, medium, and magical guide for other witches.

*Formerly The Daily Witch.

Her other titles include Evolution of a Witch: 150 Journal Prompts for Witches; (Witch Way's Book of) 100 Love Spells; a children's book titled Tutty Learns About Witches; and The Hectic Witch's Planner (currently only for 2022 and 2023).

I'm already a fan of both her magazine and podcast (which I started listening to last year), though I have yet to check out her other works. It's encouraging to see a witch-positive children's book in the lineup, though.

As for the podcast, Brown does briefly recommend Lilith as a goddess that could be followed in the "Badass Goddesses" episode on January 17, 2023. This is, of course, problematic, but I haven't listened to each episode since then to see if she has recanted that statement or revised her perspective on the subject.

My Overall Review

I really enjoyed reading this book. Though it was designed as an introduction to witchcraft, I learned several new things and gained resources I didn't have before. The breakdown of spell structure is especially appealing to me, as at the time of this writing, I've just started writing my own spells.

The language Brown uses is conversational and easy to follow, using accessible vocabulary and staying on track through each subject. I greatly appreciated this aspect because we've all read enough books that meander and tangent into unrelated thoughts and information. We don't see that with Brown; her writing stays on task and only "wanders" to provide necessary context.

Additionally, where she makes claims or presents facts, she always cites her sources in a way that isn't distracting. It was quite refreshing to see in an area of study where sources are often an afterthought.

Final Word: I will definitely be keeping this on my bookshelf and I look forward to seeing more from Brown in the future. I do sincerely hope she'll be more thoughtful on the subject of Lilith in her podcast going forward, as well.

Thank you for staying with me throughout this review. I hope it helps you to make an informed decision if you've been pondering this title.

#Queued #ArchersArchive #Book Review #booktok #witchcraft #witchtok #witchblr #witches of tumblr #beginner witch #bookblr #Tonya Brown

[profoundlyfaded]

WIP Folder Game

RULES: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it!

Thanks @gale-force-storm

Now, my WIP is all in a handwritten journal and I type it up as the second draft and edit and publish, and at present my WIP Journal consists of snippets from what might one day be Songs, Swords and Sorcery. I’ve always written like this for creative work, there is a synergy for me between pen and paper - honestly, my relationship with reading, writing and music is a large part of why I am so often a Bard in rpg when allowed!

So what snippets do I have?

All of them are from the Ayressa Aedihle playthrough as this is my canon Tav.

So we have, in order of my journal -

- Gale and Ayressa discussing Netherese Magic found in Balthazar’s Study.

- Ayressa musing on vampires in the wild (and a reduction in her magical abilities)- post finding the boar but before discovering Astarion (although headcanon wise, she has encountered Astarion in BG and knows exactly who he is).

- Gale and Ayressa ‘then live’ which is adaptation of her convincing Gale not to become a God. Actually I really love this-

- ’It’s beautiful, but is it truly living? The passion and pain of life is a blessing but is it something that is felt here or is this just mere existence? I want to live, Gale, not rule over a dominion. I want you as you are now, as you will be in ten, twenty years from now. I don’t need a God.’

- Gale musing on Ayressa’s exes. Actually hilariously savage, I think.

- Meeting Jaheira - and some context here, Ayressa and Jaheira are ‘old friends’ and it’s at this point Ayressa’s secret is revealed to the gang. I love this segment,

- It segways into a scene where Ayressa gets grilled from everyone about her secret (which is that she is a hugely famous Bard known as The White Nightingale whom most of the gang have seen perform/heard of) and further revelations about what she does in her spare time (she’s an investigator in the city which is how she knows Jaheira)

- Then moves into an impromptu second magic lesson with Gale and their first kiss (look, with writing fic, let’s face it, we can still have a slow burn with a little more burn)

- Astarion and Ayressa arguing over her hunting him a number of times in the last 150 years - all of Cazador’s spawn really. Not really hunting them but looking for their various victims - how dare she.

- The Act Two romance scene adapted for the fanfic.

- A snippet from a post BG3 idea involving Gale being kidnapped and a very furious Ayressa.

- Ayressa musing on Gale’s actual surname.

- A snippet from post BG3 of Ayressa meeting Morena Dekarious.

- Snippet AU for Ayressa where she is not Tav, but her history largely plays out the same however Ayressa’s paladin sister Torhana is Tav. Torhana is searching for Ayressa to help them and lets Astarion pick her lock earning a crossbow bold to the shoulder. ‘I was expecting cultists.’

- Ayressa trying to find out more about the Orb from Gale.

- Gale visiting Ayressa’s home for the first time (where she has an even more interesting secret to share) (Act 3 - post attempting to heist the book)

- Ayressa attempting to lull the Orb with her magic when it’s clear Gale is struggling to hold on.

Quite a lot of disjointed stuff here.

I’m kinda new to the fandom and don’t have many folk in following so please play along without invite :)

#playing along #bg3 fanfiction #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #bard #gale x tav #ayressa aedihle

[cljordan-imperium]

Happy STS! Is there any character that underwent some serious changes from how you imagined/planned them and how they are in the WIP? What is the difference and how did it happen?

*falls on the floor, wheezing laughing, kicking little feet (I'm a full grown ass woman and wear a size 5, the damn things are tiny)*

Have you met Abriella? *wheezes, falls over laughing again as she is giving the middle finger in my head*

Ok, I'm not laughing at you...I'm laughing because as soon as I read this, she stood up in my head and goes "ME! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS FUCKING BITCH HAS DONE TO ME?!?!"

SO...let me tell you about a 20 year journey of Briella Knight to Abriella Engel... *still giggling to self as she throws a fucking Queen ass tantrum*

Okay, so if we go waaaaaay back to when Abriella was born, she was not a character in a story I was writing, she was an RP character. Her name was Briella Knight and she was an Elemental. She controlled the 5 forces of nature - earth, wind, water, fire, and electricity/lightning.

Fast forward a few years, and some DND friends and I were talking about my RP and also about Cassandra Claire's Mortal Instruments book series and how we loved the premise of it, but we weren't totally sold on her mythos. This was 2007-ish. We kept talking about it and were like, "I like this", "this is bullshit" till "Sanctuary, The Society" was born...the name of our RP Group for the next several years. The original characters were Briella, Cruz, Talon, Talia, Dez, and Charmaine. Talia and Charmaine were written by the same person, all the rest of us only had one. Eventually, Raguel, Arioch, Deacon, and Olly joined the fold of characters, but no new writers.

This was when Briella first changed. She became Brie, discoverd she was a Nephilim, got Cruz as a brother, and BOOM...huge change. We actually write long ass storylines about all of these changes and how they went about. It is now canon in her history. You see it referenced.

Since then she's gone on to become the Horseman of Death, Grigori of the Source (as is Cruz), and the Queen of Upper and Lower Hell (Imperium & Caligo)... So...from basic Elemental to all of that....yeeeeaaaaahhhhh....bit of a change...and none of it was easy. If I just posted what I've put her through in the last 4 years....*cringe* And...uh...I have more planned now. But when I first planned her, I never could have considered she'd be a character in over 200 chapters now written. She's the main central character in the first over 150 (those aren't here..I haven't decided if there'd be interest in them). It's been a long ride, and although I've tortured her pour soul and body...she'll always be my most precious blorbo baby.

TAG LIST  @spookyceph @saltysupercomputer @careful-pyromancer @late-to-the-fandom @autumnalwalker @perasperaadastrawriting @fearofahumanplanet @jessica-writes22 @dogmomwrites @mjjune @verba-writing @blind-the-winds   @outpost5151 @inkspellangell  @sunset-a-storyy @writingmaidenwarriorr @clairelsonao33 @toribookworm222 @there-goes-thefighterr @aziz-readss @raincoffeeandfandoms @cillmequick @runnning-outof-time @look-at-the-soul @halfbit @touloserlautrec @call-sign-sharkk @kaiusvnoir

#the imperium chronicles #writeblr #writeblr community #writeblr connect #Ask answered

[newathens]

anyway here’s how i would have written the finale and final chapters of tower of nero and by all accounts was going to write it in the toa fic i had started. no one steal this im so serious you will find me standing over your bed

apollo returns to new york and immediately recruits the help of annabeth and percy who are waiting for him after hearing the news about jason. they visit rachel. she shows apollo her blurry visions and one deeply resonates him but he doesn’t like it.

they get to camp. they prepare the camp for war. apollo meets rhea. she too gives him cryptic messages but for all intents and purposes looks settled and calm. he doesn’t like this.

annabeth gets them into the tower hashtag architecture queen. there is battle, there are mega fights. we’re only about halfway through the book. apollo is sent down to defeat python.

he gets his godly power back as he is fighting python and as he is defeating this snake all the unsettling feelings he’s been having come to a climax as his destiny actualizes itself in the realization he must kill his father zeus. there’s this image in my head if apollo fully a god in a golden torn chiton throwing python over a ledge, watching him descend into darkness and then falling to his knees in desperation and screaming into the darkness.

the descent. and now the rise. he comes up to the world changed. the main demigods immediately clock him but are confused. he explains his plan and his reasoning and goes on this whole tangent. they agree. he has a meeting with his siblings. only a few of them. not everyone can be trusted. i kind of have this idea that he bursts under pressure and starts crying in front of ares asking him to do it like paris does with hector in troy 2004 but im not sure if i want to do that.

there’s more but ok final chapters

apollo finally returns to olympus. in the throne room. half the olympian council are in on his plan the other half are clueless. zeus and him have a few lines of dialogue exchanged than there is an eerie silence. something feels very very off.

before anything can be done, zeus’ on throne comes apart. he is trapped in a golden net hashtag my net goddess queen from book 2 i can’t remember her name. he is trapped and he is livid and we love drama so yes poseidon gets really defensive because he was not included this time AND hades materializes in the throne room like listen they’ve been through a lot no one’s ready to get overthrown.

it is so tense like there’s shouting and yelling and weapons drawn there’s no possible way a fight isn’t going to break out but a huge shout makes everyone pauses. it’s rhea. yes u heard me right

she walks into the throne room full regalia eyes glowing. no one has seen her like this in centuries. she gives concerning news, she drags zeus across the coals tbh, she explains how he got to this point and how she is disappointed etc etc

but she has also come to offer a solution because—big shocker—apollo can’t do it. apollo cannot kill him.

rhea suggests that he take over as the director of camp half blood for the next 150 years. there are gasps there are protests dionysus literally is grinning like a madman. zeus protests, who will watch over olympus. before anyone can say anything, rhea appoints hera. pin drop silence

it is the only solution. zeus agrees, considering he is suspended and with literally no other options. his agreement is said with the most malicious intent you could ever imagine

epilogue at camp. it’s been a few months now. apollo visits. percy and annabeth have been helping out. lots of happy go lucky-ness. apollo and zeus have a conversation. zeus humbly admits his errors, but in a not subtle way threatens apollo and anyone that helped him.

apollo takes it as is.

this ending ending im not sure if it but here:

zeus gestures apollo to follow him. for the main demigods to follow him. they are led into the forest where thanatos waits with a shimmering but very real jason who is solid enough to hug. there are tears and hugs and a picnic and conversation.

apollo and zeus stand side by side, watching. things are different this time. things will heal. the cycle is finally broken.

rachel finishes her first painting since her oracle sight was restored and titles it a new age.

#gotta go to bed gn ❤️

[novastrae]

study. decima's artifact set.

dreams once lost. a set based on decima's original attire and decima's life prior to the cataclysm as well as the events after. two piece: dendro dmg 15% four piece: within 10s of triggering an elemental reaction, gears based on the user's element will surround the enemy, dealing 50% of elemental dmg dealt. increases atk by 20% upon the enemy's defeat for 10s. the user's atk spd increases by 10%, whilst movement spd decreases by 10%. this effect can only be triggered every 15s. if another elemental reaction is triggered before this effect ends, nearby party members excluding the user gain 150 elemental mastery for 10s. this effect can only be triggered every 30s and only after the effect has ended.

a witch's sanctuary. circlet. a hat belonging to that of a child, it seemed to have pieces of it burnt off, and a nametag in it was ripped out.

"your duty is to be a friend first, shield second." these words resounded in the little girl's head as she nodded towards the king in front of her. her hat seemed a bit too big for her, and yet it seemed to fit her perfectly with a nod. these words marked the beginning of a lifelong friendship - yet a bitter one indeed, as the girl was introduced to three others: a knight, a dragonling, and a prince, all with their own quirks written on their faces. "when the time comes, you will know what to do." and she nodded, as she was appointed the final retainer - the final protector - and the thirteen year old squeezed the book in her hands tight. to serve is to protect, and to protect is to love. and to love means to to wear your feelings on your sleeves. stars seeming to sparkle in the girl's eyes as she made her way over to introduce herself to her allies and new friends. "hello! i'm ■■■■■!" and thus began a lifelong friendship.

a feast for the stars. goblet. a goblet from the last night of normalcy for a young adult, the crystals in it had long since fallen out, and it had rusted over completely.

the final feast of home was a quiet one. content. one which none would realize would be the last. long hair seemed to bounce with a nod as the child, now grown, sat at the table with their friends. "i've finally started work on my next project." they said with a smile when asked about how they've been. a project for themself - a way to bring the stars to their own eyes. a way to replicate the night sky without having to wait for night time. the four were chatting away, before the king had burst into the dining hall. there was worry in his voice as he spoke - a warning letter. a letter telling them they needed to seek shelter and safety before the morning. the three adults and the crown prince nodded solemnly, but the witch seemed to be hurt at the letter. who would want to destroy their home? the king ushered the four out of the hall quickly, to lead them to an area above the castle. telling them to leave now. to seek refuge wherever they must. and he left before the four could even respond.

time forever stopped. sands. a pocket watch with the glass broken out, and the time on it stopped forever, the minute and second hands are bent at an angle, and the outer casing was dented in multiple places.

a curse. a permanent reminder of the time they are now living. "when you die, you will be reborn anew from the ashes you once slept over." to die is to never have solace from the suffering faced at the hands of an entity much greater than them. to be reminded they cheated their fate, and now had to face the consequences. time had been frozen, and yet moved forward. the four never seeming to age, and yet the scars from time seemed to pop up. "and to live, means to remember." they were never allowed solace from the memories they held dear, and were a constant reminder of their internal torment. their guilt.

a mother's wish. feather. a mechanical feather made of steel, it seemed used in a lot of machinery, particular in ruin drakes. it was rusted and damaged, yet was still perfectly intact.

a child who adored watching their father work with machinery. a child who adored simply spending time with him. a child who simply adored being away from the family matriarch. teal eyes would constantly watch calloused and scarred hands working with metal - with tools. to create. "papa, can i be like you some day?!" teal eyes would twinkle as the man ruffled her hair, with a chuckle as he nodded. "if that's what you wish to do, of course!" at sixteen, that child would finalize a creation - finalize what's known of ruin technology today. in history, that child would be regarded as "the mother of ruin." "to create is to love, and some people have so much love for their own creations." if the child were to see how the creations would be in a modern era, they would be horrified.

a promise of forever. flower. a paper flower that's charred, two of its four petals missing, yet the two remaining seem as strong as ever.

the dragon, the knight, the witch, and the prince on their days off would often relax by a lake, skipping stones as they looked longingly into the water. water was a symbol of forever - for its ebbs and flows often stood the tests of time. the witch seemed to giggle as they looked at the three. "are we going to be friends forever?" the other three looked at them like she was crazy - of course they would be. it was their duty, after all! but then they began to realize what they meant, and the knight gave a solemn nod. the dragon seemed excited at the prospect too, as their tail seemed to sway, causing ripples in the water. the prince seemed indifferent, yet nodded anyway. "of course." little would the four know of what was to come in three years.

#x. shut the fuck up im going haywire. / out. #x. it's your future it's your choice. / study. #ptsd cw #long post cw #WARM SMILE.

[theowritesfiction]

'Zuko Alone'

Ah, this iconic episode. Again, this has been analyzed to death and thousands of metas written about it, I'm not going to get into it that deeply. I'm just putting down my gut reactions as I watch and award Jerk Points where necessary.

I suppose this is the episode that really drills in the idea that Zuko is now on his redemption arc. I'm not sure Zuko should deserve applause for not robbing a man and his pregnant wife, but baby steps I guess. (I really have to wonder how Zuko was not freaking out about his 'honor' when he stole Song's chocobo). Also, Zuko reveals having a sudden sense of dry humor? Maybe a chicken flew over? Boy's got hidden talents.

The meat of the chapter is obviously the flashbacks. The turtleduck pond scene between Zuko and Ursa is sweet. Is this where the Azula throws rocks at turtleducks myth comes from? But Zuko actually throws a whole loaf at the ducks and says that Azula FEEDS the ducks like that. He wouldn't say 'feed' if Azula threw rocks at them. Is it unthinkable that Azula would throw rocks at the ducks? No, it's not. But this isn't evidence for it.

aww cute little dangerous ladies :) they are so sweet. obviously, Azula is a rather mean spirited child, but we know and love her anyway. I love her scheming even at this young age. It's just fascinating the way her mind works, being aware of Mai's crush on Zuko, and creating an opportunity for a bit of a mean prank. I don't believe that Mai was in any danger here, Azula's firebending is too precise, and Mai shows absolutely no fear. She only freaks out when Zuko charges at her. Also, I love Ty Lee just finding the whole thing hilarious.

Ah, good old warmonger Iroh, cheerfully laughing about burning down Ba Sing Se. Let's see, 30 hypocrite points to Iroh. Extra 20 points for sending Azula that stupid doll, and another 10 points for enabling the whole stupid doll discourse. Azula wanting her dad to become the next Fire Lord is completely valid, what's wrong with Ursa for not supporting her husband and Zuko for not supporting his father? Don't you guys know how getting to the top in hereditary monarchy works? Read a history book.

I don't really have too much to say about Zuko's time with Lee and his family. Learning that doing the right thing can be difficult and thankless is an important step on Zuko's journey.

Azula and Zuko's reaction to Iroh abandoning the siege of Ba Sing Se was very interesting. Okay, 9 year old Azula is completely insensitive - big whoop she's 9 - but she's also completely right, and Iroh will be seen as a disgrace and a quitter in the eyes of the whole nation. I imagine that Azula's disrespect for Azulon comes from her being subjected to Ozai's fantasies about how he should be the Fire Lord. So when Ursa berates her and then asks 'what is wrong with that child?' my reaction is - SHE IS YOUR CHILD, you goddamn stupid cow, maybe you should find out? 150 Jerk Points to Ursa.

Ozai showcasing Azula's firebending talent to Azulon and being so proud of her and then frowning when Zuko attempts to impress his grandfather, yeah, top tier parenting is in full force. Just for this, 100 Jerk Points to Ozai. Also, Ursa telling Zuko how proud she is with him for trying, but not saying a word about Azula's flawless performance? Yeah, she's playing favorites too. 50 more Jerk Points.

I think I get why the fandom loves Azulon so much, it's because he acts so outraged about Ozai's suggestion to betray Iroh, and the fandom loves Iroh, so... Azulon is clearly a great guy, right? The great guy then decides that as punishment Ozai should also lose his firstborn son. (300 Jerk Points) Also, sure Azula is very mean spirited, but she IS warning Zuko about Azulon's intentions and telling the truth. She is probably even going against Ozai's wishes on this. But yeah, Azula ALWAYS lies, sure.

Ursa leaving is obviously a very traumatic and defining moment in Zuko's life, as he loses his greatest ally and supporter at the court. I like how for Zuko all the events of what happened behind the scenes still remain shrouded in mystery. Obviously, Azula is being a horrible mean gremlin to Zuko, but come on - it's a sibling rivalry, and Zuko has just lost his great defender. Of course Azula is enjoying what she thinks is her victory lap.

Obviously, this is one of the most lauded episodes in the entire show, and I can easily see why. I am somewhat surprised that Ozai earned fewer Jerk Points than I expected - but he is barely a character in this, he's more of a threatening, looming presence.

Also, this episode just made me realize how much I needed a similar look at the fire sibling childhood at the royal court, only from Azula's perspective. I think we would have gotten something like that if Book 4 had happened...

Jerk Points for Book 2:

Azulon - 300 Iroh - 210 Ursa, General Fong  - 200 Zuko - 120 Ozai - 100 Aang, Bumi, Lao Beifong - 50 Sokka - 40 Pakku - 30

#my atla rewatch #atla book 2 #zuko alone

[erediaproductions]

Little Women: The Importance of Believe-ability

Rating: 9/10

Genre: Drama

Synopsis: A non linear story which tells the stories of four sisters lives and relationships. Based on the books by Louisa May Alcott speculated to be about her life.

It is no known secret how successful the story of the Little woman has become since the original publishing in 1886. Before this adaptation, 3 had already been made. So what makes little women so popular? It is arguably the main characters which readers and then viewers fell in love with so many years ago. But in order to nurture a love like this, care has to be taken to make the world as a whole believable.

Even from pre-production, Screenwriter Director Greta Gerwig was already considering how to make these women feel real. She settled on an important aspect being the dialogue and interactions. She as set that by making them seem realistic and portraying a believable family dynamic it would make the characters themselves seem more realistic. In order to do this she used dashes within the script to indicate when characters should cut over one another and add into conversations as we rarely sit and listen to one person talk.

(An excerpt from the little woman script)

Tremendous effort was also taken by designer Jess Gonchor to ensure the production design was as accurate as possible. First the film was filmed close to where the novel was written to try and inspire cast and crew like Alcott was originally 150 years prior. The sets were all cluttered with things the family would have owned to make the house feel lived in. When discussing the family house Gonchor stated “I wanted the outside to look like an old worn-out jewelry box that you found in your grandmother’s drawer,”. When designing Laurie's Grandfathers house he tried to make it "void of femininity". The place looks big and empty with art scattered on the walls. Much more like a gallery or a museum than a home. However this makes us feel bad for Laurie as we understand his life is very preformative and he himself feels quite hollow, with little love in his life. However he seems happy when he enters the March's house - a house designed to be full of femininity- as these are the women he grows to love and whom bring light into his life.

Gonchor's priority was getting the set design as close to the book as possible. Not only does this make for a cohesive final product as the sets fit the story and the characters, but it appeased the part of the audience who fell in love with the book to see it accurately portrayed on the screen.

These measures while they may seem small or in the background, are really what sell a story's believably. It is something audiences take for granted. Had this film been set in a desert, and in space suits, it wouldn't have been nearly has successful. Gonchor and Gerwig's care and precision has made for a cohesive and convincing film which fans all over the world have fallen in love with.

#film #filmmaking #drama #production design #little women #little women 2019 #louisa may alcott

[fancysasquatch]

Just saw the new Hunger Games movie after obsessively consuming the book over the course of the past few days. 900+ word review below the cut. Spoiler warning for Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, obviously, but spoiler warning for William Friedkin's Bug (2006) too.

The short version of this is going to be that the movie works fine enough on it's own, but is very disappointing as an adaptation to a book I really enjoyed.

Before I start getting into negatives, I'll start with what I liked. The acting was overall fine. Jason Schwartzman was no Stanley Tucci as the tv host but he was still pretty good. Viola Davis knocked it out of the park as the mad scientist Dr. Gaul. Peter Dinklage didn't have much to do outside of one monologue at the end which was ruined by poor direction.

I also really liked the art design of the movie. The brutalist architecture was reminiscent of post-war Europe, particularly the Soviet Union. The military uniforms were sufficiently Nazi-esque without being tasteless. I saw a social realist-style poster in the background in District 12. The technology in the Capitol had a postwar Mid-century Modern aesthetic while in the poorer districts it looked like older technology from the 30s and 40s (including a video chatting device that looked like a candlestick telephone). Altogether it conveyed the idea that this happened decades ago, in relation to the original trilogy, and took place not too long after a major war. Very well done.

Now to get into the parts I didn't like too much. I'm still too much of a philistine to pay much attention to the directing/editing/cinematography side of things during my first viewing of a movie, but there were a few things that stood out to me. As I mentioned, Peter Dinklage has a monologue at the end which could have been very good it it wasn't filmed in flat shot-reverse shot with uninteresting framing, blocking, set design, and lighting. There was also a moment in the middle of the film which where the main characters have their last conversation the night before one will be fighting and possibly dying in the Hunger Games, but most of it is filmed in a profile shot of their faces leaning into towards the bars of her cage. The visual metaphor was a bit too on-the-nose, and the shot itself was framed in an awkwardly claustrophobic way.

That was all preamble though, and the bulk of this review is about the writing, specifically how they condensed a 500 page book into a 150 page screenplay. Obviously a lot had to be cut or shortened, and sometimes they did it well. For instance, the first minute or two covers several different page-long flashbacks which tell you all you really need to know. But some changes really hurt the pacing and even quality of the story.

The first part of the book covers the month leading up to the Hunger Games, but the movie condenses that down into a few days, so everything seems rushed because you have a week's worth of plot development happening in a single busy afternoon. The two main characters fall in love after meeting 5(?) times for a total of about 30 minutes. There was also a scene rewritten for no reason which was completely ruined, where a girl willingly sticks her hand into a cage of snakes she nows will attack her rather than admit to lying about helping on an essay (in the book she's tricked into it as part of a cruel test).

Almost the entirety of the Hunger Games itself was rewritten, although that's something I was fine with because it was different but not worse. The games as written would have been boring, and the version they had was a solid ~30 minute substitute.

The last section of the movie might have been butchered even worse than the beginning. A lot of that section of the book is Snow experiencing a simpler life in District 12, so when he gets a chance to go back to the capital there's a question of whether he chooses that life or his new life, which plays into the books themes of control and freedom. The movie barely shows his new life, so it's more of a question of whether he gets everything he wants in life or some girl he met two weeks ago he sorta likes.

The climax is also heavily bungled. Instead of his paranoia getting the better of him during one of his downward spirals, causing him to turn on Lucy Gray when he thinks she turns on him, she actually just turns on him. It's possible for a movie to capture losing your grip on reality like that, like the climax of Bug where the main duo feed into one another's mania until they burn themselves alive (that movie rules btw), but this movie didn't use any of the moviemaking techniques that . She also pretty unambiguously survives which is worse than the book, where her fate is left up to interpretation like the Wordsworth poem she's named after.

Just in general this movie suffers because it lacks the insight that came from the book being from Snow's point of view. We lose all of his internality, good and bad, so he's much flatter and less consistent. That theme of control vs freedom I mentioned runs throughout the book, but mostly in his internal dialogue, so in the movie we just get a few disjointed "this is what I believe" monologues from various characters that don't work as well.

To end on a positive note, I'll say there was one more change I liked. At the end of the movie, Snow's cousin Tigris very visibly sees Snow for what he is and is reasonably scared of him, which is better than in the book where they're all one big happy family.

#Hunger Games #ballad of songbirds and snakes #movie review

[noramoya]

“I have a story I'd like to share with you all. This is about something I experienced yesterday that speaks to the power of Michael Jackson's legacy within the current generation (Gen Z) and why I firmly feel we have nothing to worry about as a fan base. As with all my posts this is long and detailed, so buckle up lol …

As some of you may know, I am a college English professor. I teach almost entirely first-year composition. Well, this week we are talking about "genre." What is genre? How do we identify genre? How do we adapt to different genres? That sort of thing. Well, I like to kick off this topic with a day spent in deep genre analysis. So for this particular lesson, I bring in tons of my personal belongings that represent different types of written genres. Cookbooks, poetry collections, comic books/graphic novels, miscellaneous items like greeting cards, tarot cards, fan fiction, you name it. Well, I also like to bring in physical media including vinyl records and CDs. I like them to analyze liner notes, visual rhetoric, lyrics, etc. What can they determine about genre and audience by looking at these things? I set these items up around the room in "stations" and they visit the stations throughout class, analyzing a few items from each.

I have about 150+ records. Since becoming an MJ fan, he has pretty much taken over my collection. I spend hours (HOURS) scouring record stores for not only his six primary adult albums, but also the 45s of his singles, and the Jacksons albums as well. I am accruing quite a collection (if anyone is interested, I'd be happy to share it, but it's probably quite small compared to others). Needless to say, when I do this assignment I want to bring in albums they will actually recognize. So I brought in an assortment of records: Queen, The Beatles, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Yo-yo ma, and, of course Michael Jackson. For Michael, I brought in Thriller 25, Bad 25, and Dangerous. I also brought Thriller 40 on CD, the MJ Motown Stripped sessions on CD, and a 45 of "We are the World." What I'd like to share with you all is the reactions from my students. Now, again, all of my students are between 18-19 years old, which means they were 4-5 years old when Michael died. Each of my classes is small, with about 15 students each. Each of my classes is racially and ethnically diverse.

MY FIRST CLASS: As I am unpacking the vinyl I hear "is that Michael Jackson?!" from one of my female students. She is giddy. I explain the assignment and prompt my students to get up and move around. Immediately, half of the class goes to the vinyl station. They are all grabbing the Michael records - the vinyl, the cds, the We are the World 45. They are shocked that I own these. The other albums are almost entirely ignored. Two girls work through Thriller 25, opening it up and gasping at the pictures. One even takes it and shows it to me, "This is amazing. I want this in my collection. I already have three copies of Thriller but not this one!" Two other girls take Bad 25. "This is one of my favorite albums!" one of them says. She and her friend stare at the photography. "I want to find a boy who will wear eyeliner like this." They go back to their seat and loudly discuss Michael. "God, he was so pretty, wasn't he? He was so good-looking." One asks "What genre was he?" and the other says, "he is The King of Pop! How could you even ask?" Another student from across the room shouts, "he didn't have a genre, he wasn't limited like that. Another student takes the "We are the World" 45 and starts singing it. "I love this song so much!" she says.

SECOND CLASS: I begin unpacking the vinyl, "are those all yours?" someone asks. Of course. They are amazed that I would own vinyl records. Once again, I prompt them to start, and half the class gravitates to the vinyl records. They are fumbling through the Michael albums; the rest are mostly ignored. Two girls scream "oh my God, you have Michael Jackson!" they take Thriller and Bad and run to their seats. A boy grabs "Dangerous" and spends the entire class reading lyrics (not the assignment lol). These albums get passed around the class because everyone wants to see them.

THIRD CLASS: I begin unpacking the vinyl," do you have a record player?" Of course. They are amazed that I would own vinyl records and be able to play them. I set them loose and half the class gravitates to the vinyl. Two boys: "Michael Jackson! I love Michael Jackson. This is the greatest album of all time (Thriller)." Another disagrees, "no, this is the one!" (Bad). One starts singing Beat It. A few reminisce about playing the Michael Jackson experience. One is looking at the photos in Thriller 25 and in a (particularly gorgeous) photo Michael is dressed like royalty (of course) and one of the boys says "I would wear this right now, TODAY." Later, a girl comes up and gasps when she sees Michael Jackson albums. She wants to look at Bad because it's her favorite. She takes Queen next. After a few minutes, she raises her hand and asks "did people really like this band?" and I say, "Well yes, they are still very popular." And she huffs and goes, "well, not MICHAEL JACKSON popular." I laughed and said, well no one is. She says, "Maybe Beyonce?" and a male student says, "no. No one comes close to Michael. No one is as popular as him." The girl says, "he just had that aura, didn't he?"

Friends, it is 2023. These are 18-19 year olds. Can I stress that enough? These are kids who perhaps discovered him in childhood through parents, or perhaps through TikTok, but either way, they know him and they revere him. They see him as fascinating and exciting. They see him as current. Last year I did this same assignment and a student wrote in her analysis "Bob Dylan is music for my dad, Michael Jackson is music for my generation." While of course it is possible some of the quieter kids have a negative perception of Michael, there was a class-wide excitement about him in each class that, if nothing else, proves that whatever negative view of him that infected my generation (millennials) is definitely not carrying over to them. It's also showing any kids who have a negative view that there is more to Michael than that. We all know Michael's appeal crosses all generations, but with social media it is easy to get sucked into the negative and believe his legacy is suffering greatly. I truly don't believe it is. I trust the enthusiasm I see, the excitement in my students' voices, and their absolute steadfast understanding that Michael is a legend. This, to me, is something to be excited about heart❤️”

LENA ZIEGLER

#MJis4Ever♥️ #MJPopularityThroughGenerations #EvilMediaAreInsentivatedToDestroyMJ

[bloodymary83]

“The True Story of the Russian Doll Maker”

⛔️ 18+ WARNING the following article and pictures are of a sensitive matter and may be disturbing to some viewers. Read at your own risk. ⚠️ ⛔️ 18+

Anatoly Yuryevich Moskvin also known as “The Russian Doll Maker” is a former linguist, philologist and historian who speaks 13 languages. Anatoly formerly worked as a lecturer in Celtic studies at Nizhny Novgorod Linguistic University he has written several books, papers and translations. Anatoly is well known in academic circles. In 2005 Oleg Riabov, a fellow academic and publisher, commissioned Anatoly to summarize and list the dead in more than 700 cemeteries in forty regions of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. Moskvin claimed that over the next two years, he had gone on foot to inspect 752 cemeteries across the region, walking up to 30 km a day and, claimed that he could hear children crying from their graves wishing to live again during his inspections. This would eventually drive Anatoly to dig up the body’s take them back to his house and, make them into dolls.

The doll shown was his “favorite” he made the doll from the remains of a 10 year old murder victim named Olga Chardymova. Anatoly covered her with stockings, made a death mask out of paper mache and inserted a music box into the girls chest cavity so she could “talk” again and, inserted dolls eyes into her eye sockets so she could “watch cartoons” with him. He kept the doll in his house for 9 years adding “new” dolls to his collection throughout the years. Parents Igor and Natalia Chardymova had been visiting their daughters grave for 5 years before receiving an anonymous note at Olga’s grave the note read, “Little Lady, Congratulations on finishing 6th grade. Keep growing as a kind, smart, pretty girl. We are very proud of you. Come visit us in Dzerzhinsk and sorry for that mistake. The jacket is hidden behind the rafters.” Singed D.A. Which stood for Dorby Angel or Angel of Kindness.

Suspicious the Chardymova’s inspected Olga’s grave. Finding a hole dug beside the grave hidden by a wreath. The Chardymova’s went to the police who had Olga’s grave exhumed finding her coffin empty. Anatoly would not be caught for another 4 years when a neighbor complained of a bad smell coming from Anatoly’s garage. Police were horrified at what they would find. A total of 26 desecrated child corpses in Anatoly’s house and garage. He keep the ones he did not “get along with” in his garage. DNA test and dental records revealed one of the corpses to that of the deceased Olga Chardymova.

Natalia and Igor were completely devastated stating, “Having to bury their daughter for a second time was more heartbreaking than the first.” Anatoly replied to Natalia, Olga’s Mother, during his trial “Do not bury her to deep because, once I am released . I will dig her back up.” Anatoly admitted to digging up a total of 44 graves it is believed he dug up a total of 150 but, only 26 have been recovered.

#All photos are real not reinactments #all photos are courtesy of PostMortem_Post and KPRU News respectively #the Russian Doll Maker #true crime #Anatoly Moskvin #the Chardymova family

[notesonartistry]

Taylor Swift is coming off two quietly big years in music, as the singer dropped two surprise albums (folklore and evermore) in 2020 while in quarantine and then re-released two of her beloved albums (Fearless and Red) this past year. Swift is of course not stopping there, as she shared earlier this year she wrote a brand new song for Where The Crawdads Sing. Ahead of the movie’s release, we have the details about how “Carolina” came to be. 

CinemaBlend and a select few journalists had the chance to visit Sony Pictures Entertainment to see a chunk of Where The Crawdads Sing and speak with the film’s director Olivia Newman. During the roundtable interview, the filmmaker shared how Taylor Swift’s upcoming song happened. In her words: 

"She had read and loved the book so much that she felt compelled to write a song for it. It was before we had even shot the movie and when I heard the song, I couldn't believe it was totally so perfect. I think it is so beautiful and every time the movie ends and that song comes on, it captures the feeling you have at the end of the movie where you need to sit and digest what just happened. And the song is like the perfect transport for those feelings, it really sets the, exactly the right tone, but it was very serendipitous in that way because we hadn't shot the movie yet. For it to be such a perfect match was a gift. What a gift."

Taylor Swift is an avid reader and was apparently a huge fan of Delia Owens’ best-selling novel Where The Crawdads Sing, which was published in 2018 and has been on the The New Times Fiction Best Sellers list for a combined 150 non-consecutive weeks. In recent months, Owens’ thriller remains has returned to the list, with Swifties most definitely part of the book’s continued craze. Olivia Newman also said this: 

"She has a huge following and I'm so excited that it's going to open doors for even more people to discover the book, because I think everybody should read the book. It's great."

Back in March, just ahead of the first Where The Crawdads Sing trailer dropping and including a clip of “Carolina,” Taylor Swift announced in her first Instagram post of 2022 of the song. She shared that she got “absolutely lost in it” when she read it years ago. She mentioned that she knew she wanted to be part of the project when she heard of the movie, citing her love for Fresh actress Daisy Edgar-Jones and producer Reese Witherspoon.  

It’s wild that Taylor Swift actually wrote “Carolina” before the movie had even been shot. From what we’ve heard, the song definitely fits the tone of the film wonderfully, as Olivia Newman shared. Swift sounds like she really understood and was inspired by the material in Where The Crawdads Sing. 

The singer has written original songs for many soundtracks over the years, including for another book-to-movie adaptation, 2012’s The Hunger Games. And after seeing Taylor Swift create her own stories (rather than biographical love and breakup tracks) in her recent music, it’s no wonder she’s jumping at writing songs for more movies. 

#carolina #where the crawdads sing #she's just amazing