Jonathan, like Phryne Fisher, clearly hasn’t taken anything seriously since 1918.
And, I would suspect, for similar reasons.
^^^This. Jonathan being in World War I makes total sense. It’s
almost impossible for him not to have been. Given his age and background, he probably
volunteered in 1914.
Of course he’s going to not take anything seriously. Of
course he can shoot. The drinking, the skittishness, the recklessness, the
sense of ‘keeping your head down’, the scepticism about traditional heroism….
The one with more actual experience of death, carnage and
fighting is Jonathan. Not Rick. Not Ardeth Bey. Jonathan.
When Rick says ‘I’ve had worse (situation/odds)’ and Jonathan replies “ Me too”. That’s probably true.
Drop The Mummy
into the real world context and that’s a character who’s going to have seen a
lot of his school friends die, along with the myths and tales of heroism they
were raised on. Sort of makes the line where Evie’s scolding him for drinking/messing
about a lot darker…
Evie: Have you no respect for the dead? Jonathan: Of course I do, but sometimes I’d rather like
to join them.
I HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS RIGHT NOW
*record scratch*
Wait a minute. Why is it being assumed that Rick and Ardeth wouldn’t have fought in WWI, as well? Johnathan isn’t that much older than any of them–in fact, there is a good chance that he, Rick, and Ardeth are all of an age. Just because Johnathan’s hair is thinning doesn’t mean he’s a decade older.
It was a LOT easier to lie about your age back in the day. So much easier.
Johnathan is the soldier who fought in WWI and became disillusionsed with pretty much everything except wanting to live (most of the time) and live well–and where is the shame in that? He would have seen some of the darkest shit humanity has to offer, and he kept going. And the thing is, though, archaeological digs at that time were DANGEROUS. Not from curses (usually) but from assholes who would turn up with guns to try and steal anything you discovered. Johnathan never really STOPPED having to deal with dangerous pricks, it was just less dangerous than death raining down from the sky in bomb, bullet, and mustard gas form all the time.
Rick grew up in Egypt as an orphan. What paperwork? He joined the French Foreign Legion, which fought in World War I in some seriously critical battles on the Western Front in Europe. Rick is the soldier who quickly grew disillusioned with everything, but he didn’t know how to stop being a soldier. Johnathan had a career and schooling to fall back on. Rick had guns, the talent of not dying easily, and not much else. When the army finally left him behind because he was literally the only survivor of his last FFL battle, he literally didn’t know what to do. At all. “Looking for a good time” was code for “Please someone give me a fucking purpose.”
Ardeth grew up in the desert. He probably never enlisted…but if you think his people didn’t fight against invading forces during WWI, think again: that region of North Africa was swarming with soldiers on both sides, and they alll tried to claim everything they stumbled over even while in the midst of fighting each other. Ardeth spent his entire life fighting to protect what belonged to him, what belonged to his people, and trying to keep assholes from stealing things that didn’t belong to anyone (for good reason). By the time the war was over, Ardeth was disillisioned in everyone except his own people, and seriously fucking done with stupid idiots who stole in the name of archaeology. He is completely (justifiably) resigned to the worst when Rick the Magic Survivalist returns to Hamunaptra.
This has been another episode of “Actual History adding context and depth to character behavior”
I love when “The Mummy” fandom comes out to play. But it’s even better when the history side of tumblr is also in “The Mummy” fandom.
Every time this post comes around I am compelled to watch The Mummy again.
For this month’s Polyshipping Day, I thought I might rec some canons that have canon polyships. I don’t just mean strong subtext, or things that could be interpreted as poly, but actual explicit nonmonogamous relationships. I love non-canon polyships as much as the next person but I thought some folks might like to try out some canon ones!
The Magicians on SyFy
This has the best polyamory rep I’ve seen on television, period. The Magicians is a show about students at magic grad school. It started out with minor characters, showing us one student’s parents in a triad relationship with another magician. Then it brought polyamory into the foreground with a main character, Eliot, who is a king in an alternate reality where it is custom for royals to have both a husband and a wife. The show’s exploration of Eliot’s complicated emotional life is an absolute delight to watch.
The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
This is one of the best fantasy book series of all time, in my opinion. It’s an epic set in a secondary world where a brutally oppressed class of geomancers are the only buffer against a tectonically active planet hostile to life. One of these geomancers, Syenite, and her friend and mentor Alabaster, enter into a long-term V relationship with a charming pirate named Innon (who is the hinge of the V.) I love the books’ loving, tender depiction of the metamour relationship between Syenite and Alabaster, who are so important to each other, and united by their love for the same man.
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Rosemary, a human woman from Mars, and Sissix, a female lizard alien called an Aandrisk, end up in a committed open relationship by the end of the book. Aandrisks as a species are non-monogamous by default, and an important part of their relationship is Rosemary accepting that Sissix does not love her any less because she goes off to join Aandrisk orgies sometimes. Their romance is very sweet.
The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Vorkosigan Saga is an epic space opera centered on Barrayar, a planet that was cut off from the galaxy and regressed technologically, and was recently reintegrated into the galactic fold. It begins with a dramatic romance between Aral, a Barrayaran, and Cordelia, who basically comes from Space California. In the latest installment of the series, Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen, we learn that Aral and Cordelia were secretly in a committed V relationship (with Aral as the hinge) with Oliver Jole, Aral’s secretary. I liked how this newest book explores the metamour relationship between Cordelia and Oliver.
Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand by Samuel Delany
This book is centered around an epic romance between two men from different planets and radically different backgrounds. Korga is an ex-slave who went through hell to get where he is in life, while Marq is wealthy, respectable, and surrounded by a family that loves him. They end up in a committed open relationship. There is a scene where they go to a public bathhouse together and fuck a dragon. I don’t know what else you want from a book, honestly.
The Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells
These books explore a culture of dragon-people who live in colonies much like social insects. The worldbuilding is very interesting. In this culture, polyamory is normalized, and the main character is in a committed relationship with the queen of his dragon-hive, and later on a lower-ranked man of his hive as well.
The Red Threads of Fortune by J.Y. Yang
Set in a fantastical historical China, this book is centered on Sanao Mokoya, a magician on the run from her mother’s tyrannical regime. She is in an open marriage with a monk named Thennjay, and over the course of the book she falls in love with a mysterious naga-rider, who goes only by Rider, who she isn’t sure she can trust. Mokoya and Thennjay have a difficult marriage, but for reasons that have nothing to do with Mokoya’s lover. This book and its companion novel The Black Tides of Heaven are great new releases.
I just imagined Tony rolling into a meeting on a scooter with a cup of bubble tea late like “sup idiots” bitternessTM but then
I imagined a tapioca bubble just shot up his straw and hit the back of his throat so he started choking and it ruined the effect
LMAO but can I make it Heelys for added crack???
Tony slides into the conference room on his heels, wheels whirring and shoes flashing yellow and red lights. “Sup, idiots,” he says, one hand clutching a cup of bubble tea and the other holding his phone, which he is tapping at rapidly with his thumb.
Steve scowls. “Stark, the world is in danger! Can’t you take this seriously?!”
“Sorry, I can’t hear you over how seriously I was taking it when I was trying to tell you that it was coming and you all thinking I was paranoid,” Tony tells him, and takes a slurp of tea obnoxiously.
Steve almost feels sorry until Tony makes a terrible hacking sound. “What the fuck.”
Natasha slams a fist into Tony’s back as she walks past him. “Should have stuck to Starbucks.”
Tony hacks up the tapioca pearl. “I had ten caffeine pills for breakfast because I haven’t slept in three days.”
Natasha looks vaguely horrified but also impressed. “Honestly surprised your heart is still beating.”
“You know it’s quite possible it’s not? Or it’s beating so fast I can’t tell,” Tony admits, turning his attention back to his phone.
“Who are you texting?” Clint asks snidely, leaning his cheek on his hand. “The entirety of the US armed forces? The president?”
“I’m playing Iron Flaps. It’s like Flappy Bird except it’s Iron Man.” Tony takes another obnoxious slurp of his bubble tea and chokes again.
Sam looks pale. “Someone take that away from him before he actually dies.”
“‘s what I’m trying for, my man,” Tony says, giving him a finger gun with the hand holding the tea. “Because if I’m dead I don’t have to worry about this. And if I choke on a tapioca pearl it’s an accident and not suicide.”
“He’s technically correct,” Vision admits. “Although one might argue–”
“Shhh, let me live–HIGH SCORE, BITCHES!” He shoves his phone in Wanda’s face, then brings it back to start a new game. “Anyway if any of you have any ideas that don’t include me that would be great because I’m actually busy.”
“Tony,” Steve begins, appalled.
Tony tilts his head. “Oh. And also I hate you. So. Please consider that when you come up with a plan.” He takes one last obnoxious slurp, doesn’t choke, and then flings the cup so it smacks into Steve’s head and explodes milk tea and tapioca pearls all over him, Sam, and Wanda. “Well, it was terrible seeing you and I actually have a fucking job so bye.”
Natasha watches him leave, heelies whirring and flashing, and tries not to laugh, because he’d clearly only shown up so he could throw bubble tea at Steve. Steve still looked a little shell-shocked. She figured Tony had gotten his point across.
And because I link bubble tea with outrageous fashion glasses for some reason:
And also:
((and I forgot what outfit I first drew Tony in))
You forgetting what outfit he was wearing originally just means he threw bubble tea at Steve twice. (And he fell for it. Twice.)
like honestly yall understand how important it is that rhodey basically does.not.give. a flying fuck about steve’s military status like hell rhodey probably doesnt even see him as a fellow soldier; i love the headcanons of rhodey & steve (&/or bucky) engaging in healthy air force vs army banter but like ??? rhodey probably doesnt even consider steve an actual military person ??? much less someone ??? superior to him ????
I see that and raise rhodey being like “he didn’t even earn his title tony. they gave him it. tony. TONY. TONY YOU’RE NOT LISTENING.”
lets keep going on this; imagine young rhodey getting invited to a dinner with the stark family & having to endure howard stark going on for hours about his Honorable Army Soldier Friend Steve Rogers who was just about the Epitome of A Good Soldier & rhodey going absent-mindlessly like “but wasnt he just given his title tho?” & tony nearly choking on his water bc of the look howard gives rhodey later; rhodey doesnt catch on it & he continues “yeah i mean, i just learned all of this recently but he was basically given the title so it sounded pretty when he toured in that fancy, colorful outfit” & like, they all sat mute in the dinner afterwards
re: rhodey first meets the avengers post battle and steve is obviously gearing up for a Big Speech but before he even opens his mouth rhodey is just “so like, is it an army thing?” and steve is just like “what?” “every time you throw a punch at a fake actor you get a rank.”
But omg even more though, Rhodey having the other WWII soldiers on high regard and like going on longwinded rants about them every time somebody talks about Captain America. Like “Captain America marched into the base and -” “Yeah that’s great but DID YOU KNOW THAT GABE MCFUCKIN JONES CAUGHT ARNIM ZOLA THOUGH?? LIKE, did you know about the real MVP?”. And dinners at the Stark household are horrible because Howard has all these stories about Steve but Rhodey knows them all and jumps in with counter points about the other soldiers who fought their way through and didn’t have the serum. Any time the 200 Hitler punches are mentioned Rhodey twitches and Tony leans back with a muffled laugh because there goes Rhodey talking about war propaganda and OMFG MR. STARK CAN WE TALK ABOUT LITERALLY ANYONE WHO HAS ACTUALLY PUNCHED THE GUY INSTEAD OF AN ACTOR?! AND HE GOT A RANK FOR IT, LIKE DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO –
Tony tries to record it the fifth time it happens. It’s the only video involving his dad that he likes.
Minerva McGonagall knew Augusta Longbottom’s Charms score, but she’s not old enough to have taught Neville’s grandmother
So they must have gone to school together and now I’m just picturing this awesome rivalry between the two of them.
Augusta’s in Ravenclaw, and Minerva’s in Gryffindor and they’re both prefects with damn near perfect grades
They take a special pleasure in showing one another up in class
When Minerva gets Head Girl, it crushes Augusta (and maybe Minerva lets up her teasing about the Charms OWL. Maybe. Just a little)
Two words:Quidditch rivalry
I mean they both respect each other deep down, but they’re competitive and extremely skilled, and neither one backs down easily
When they’re paired to practice dueling in DADA they can literally go for hours, and it usually ends in stalemates because the professor just kicks them out
When they hear people are starting to place bets on their fights, they hunt down the gamblers together, and no one ever really feels like crossing them again
Albus Dumbledore once remarked it was fortunate that the Sorting Hat put Minerva in Gryffindor because he didn’t think Hogwarts could survive the two of them working together for long
Just saying if anyone wanted to write me a fic about these two I would be 200% on board
If I remember my best interpretation of the numbers right, Walburgia Black would have *also* been in Minerva’s year, which I think is pretty good justification for interpreting it as not a simple rivalry but a three-way feud.
Hufflepuff House is not sure how they managed to avoid getting drawn into this but they’re not complaining.
Head canon that Amelia Bones was in Hogwarts at the same time and represented through Hufflepuff House
No wonder no one remembers Tom Riddle from his school years if everyone was focusing on the rivalry between these 4 witches
here’s a compilation of different people driving box trucks into a low bridge over and over
It’s worth knowing a few fun facts, courtesy of 11foot8.com:
They can’t raise the bridge because it’s a train trestle, and raising it would require closing and modifying miles of busy track.
They can’t lower the road because it’s directly over a sewer main.
They can’t ban trucks entirely because there are too many local deliveries.
That section of road has a speed limit of 25 mph, numerous signs alerting drivers to the 11’8" limit, and recently they added a sensor that activates the stoplight and a flashing “overheight warning” sign so that drivers have to stop and think really hard about going forward.
The clearance is actually nearly three inches more than 11’8", the maximum deviation from the signage allowed.
Trucks have been getting stuck or damaged since the 1960s.
The guy who runs the website (and owns the cameras) says he sees a lot more trucks pull up to the stoplight, look at the warnings, and turn off onto the side road, but about once a month, someone hits the bridge.
why is this video so satisfying
My favorites are when the truck gets peeled open like a sardine can
andtheytoldustotellyouhello 