Annnnd we’re back! This time with PWF, which in my opinion is rather underrated? Definitely not the best book in the series, but I like it better than the other middle books. YEAH, GET READY FOR UNPOPULAR OPINIONS. Also, apparently almost every country universally decided the main character gets to appear, so this time there’s lot of Val! Yay!
Anyway, this list has some weird mixups. Let’s go.
1.
Indonesian Cover
In my opinion? The best Skulduggery Pleasant cover, ever. It’s beautifully drawn, the compositions great, the PERSONALITY!! the font is not the greatest (that blue is… out of nowhere) but good god I will forgive for that BEAUTIFUL val. this is the only official art i’ve ever seen that actually looks like a pretty teenage girl, so, props. I also love the hand tucked into her jacket. “yeah, im shooting fire, but it’s not a big deal.”
also, indonesian artist learned to draw skeletons!! it is kinda weird to see him standing far back not doing anything, but it works better here than other places…
2.
UK Hardcover
This and #3 are really close, but this is probably one of my favorites of the original hardcovers. I like the lemon/lime color scheme, and the composition is great - maybe the best of all of them. The hands popping up out of the frame really work, and the splatter effects actually look good here! Yay! I … kinda suspect someone else did the composition here, lol. Not sure how I feel about the bats, but. Eh.
3.
Thai Cover
im sorry about the sticker/website, this is the biggest I could find :,(
ANYWAY! DAMN! Once again, love the framing, and especially love the hand creeping out! The chains are great, the fiery background is great … also the grotesquery is creepy as fuck, much scary then any of the art Percival’s done of it. thoo…. why put the villain on the front cover, is my question?
4.
UK paperback.
It’s okay. Playing wirth fire, so… Skulduggery plays with fire. Composition is good, colors are good. Not much to say.
5.
Bulgarian Cover
Yay, Val!! And Skul lurking protectively in the background. This one mostly comes down to me not liking the art style much. Also val’s weird very ooc (and age inappropriate??) top. Aight.
6.
US Ebook
You know how I said the Indonesian/Bulgarian covers with Skul standing back worked? Yeah, this is an example of one that.. doesn’t. Seriously, there are vampires coming at them and Skulduggery is … actually, I’m not sure what Skulduggery is doing. What is he looking at? … SKULDUGGERY, SHE’S 13.
Speaking of that background, it’s awful. I can’t believe we’re only about halfway down the list and it’s already this dismal. Oy vey.
This is a cute Val, though. Yay. Why does Val never age in Percival’s covers? Questions, questions.
7.
US Hardcover
this is hilariously awful to me in the way the czech cover of book 1 is. it’s just so HIDEOUS, I LOVE IT. i bought a copy of this in powell’s and it’s my ugly baby
people do not run like this. I mean, for one, they do not hover off the ground like this, but the arms should be opposite the legs (so right leg forward, right arm back). Both of them are wearing brown, for some reason? Val’s coat is super short? i don’t know, man. I don’t know.
8.
Serbian Cover
It’s a massive improvement over the last cover, though it’s still a mess. Their photoshopping is a bit more coherent, at least. Look at val’s emo bangs. And I’m sure she’s very proud to be 2 inches taller than Skulduggery.
Also, the bats return. Were there bats in this book??
9.
Czech Cover
Well.
I’m impressed that they did worse.
it’s like Skulduggery cosplaying billy-ray sanguine, I don’t even KNOW.
10.
American Paperback
Exec #1: “well, the skeleton cover really didn’t work here… We think it might have been too scary. What should we do for this reboot?”
Exec #2: “what’s the title?”
exec #1: “Playing with Fire.”
Exec #2: “Hand. Fire. DONE, BOOM”
at least they TRIED with the first one by making a scepter. ths is just… utter laziness.
“Vampires are just part of the problem!” what was wrong with don’t try this at home?? IT MAKES EVEN MORE SENSE HERE. it’s the only one of these covers with a tagline, too. lord.
did a study of that one ahsoka pic
Okay yeah, but picture this:
Valkyrie dying of old age many centuries from now and Skulduggery continuing on, dealing with her death.
Bonus: Skul consoling her on her last moments as she lies in her deathbed.
During the 2008 recession, my aunt lost her job. Her, her partner, and my three cousins moved across the country to stay with us while they got back on their feet. My house turned from a family of four to a family of nine overnight, complete with three dogs and five cats between us.
It took a few years for them to get a place of their own, but after a few rentals and apartments, they now own a split level ranch in a town nearby. I’ve lost track of how many coworkers and friends have stayed with them when they were in a tight spot. A mother and son getting out of an abusive relationship, a divorcee trying to stay local for his kids while they work out a custody agreement, you name it. My aunt and uncle knew first hand what that kindness meant, and always find space for someone who needed it, the way my parents had for them.
That same aunt and uncle visited me in [redacted] city last year. They are prolific drinkers, so we spent most of the day bar hopping. As we wandered the city, any time we passed a homeless person, my uncle would pull out a fresh cigarette and ask them if they had a light. Regardless of if they had a lighter on hand or not, he offered them a few bucks in exchange, which he explained to me after was because he felt it would be easier for them to accept in exchange for a service, no matter how small.
I work for a company that produces a lot of fabric waste. Every few weeks, I bring two big black trash bags full of discarded material over to a woman who works down the hall. She distributes them to local churches, quilting clubs, and teachers who can use them for crafts. She’s currently in the process of working with our building to set up a recycling program for the smaller pieces of fabric that are harder to find use for.
One of my best friends gives monthly donations to four or five local organizations. She’s fortunate enough to have a tech job that gives her a good salary, and she knows that a recurring donation is more valuable to a non-profit because they can rely on that money month after month, and can plan ways to stretch that dollar for maximum impact. One of those organizations is a native plant trust, and once she’s out of her apartment complex and in a home with a yard, she has plans to convert it into a haven of local flora.
My partner works for a company that is working to help regulate crypto and hold the current bad actors in the space accountable for their actions. We unfortunately live in a time where technology develops far too fast for bureaucracy to keep up with, but just because people use a technology for ill gain doesn’t mean the technology itself is bad. The blockchain is something that she finds fascinating and powerful, and she is using her degree and her expertise to turn it into a tool for good.
I knew someone who always had a bag of treats in their purse, on the odd chance they came across a stray cat or dog, they had something to offer them.
I follow artists who post about every local election they know of, because they know their platform gives them more reach than the average person, and that they can leverage that platform to encourage people to vote in elections that get less attention, but in many ways have more impact on the direction our country is going to go.
All of this to say, there’s more than one way to do good in the world. Social media leads us to believe that the loudest, the most vocal, the most prolific poster is the most virtuous, but they are only a piece of the puzzle. (And if virtue for virtues sake is your end goal, you’ve already lost, but that’s a different post). Community is built of people leveraging their privileges to help those without them. We need people doing all of those things and more, because no individual can or should do all of it. You would be stretched too thin, your efforts valiant, but less effective in your ambition.
None of this is to encourage inaction. Identify your unique strengths, skills, and privileges, and put them to use. Determine what causes are important to you, and commit to doing what you can to help them. Collective action is how change is made, but don’t forget that we need diversity in actions taken.
Real definition of serving the planet AND serving cunt at the same time.
I am not the divine masculine or the divine feminine I am the divine comedy and you will address me as such
Send me some numbers and a character name and I will tell you:
What does their bedroom look like?
Do they have any daily rituals?
Do they exercise, and if so, what do they do? How often?
What would they do if they needed to make dinner but the kitchen was busy?
Cleanliness habits (personal, workspace, etc.)
Eating habits and sample daily menu
Favorite way to waste time and feelings surrounding wasting time
Favorite indulgence and feelings surrounding indulging
Makeup?
Neuroses? Do they recognize them as such?
Intellectual pursuits?
Favorite book genre?
Sexual Orientation? And, regardless of own orientation, thoughts on sexual orientation in general?
Physical abnormalities? (Both visible and not, including injuries/disabilities, long-term illnesses, food-intolerances, etc.)
Biggest and smallest short term goal?
Biggest and smallest long term goal?
Preferred mode of dress and rituals surrounding dress
Favorite beverage?
What do they think about before falling asleep at night?
Childhood illnesses? Any interesting stories behind them?
Turn-ons? Turn-offs?
Given a blank piece of paper, a pencil, and nothing to do, what would happen?
How organized are they? How does this organization/disorganization manifest in their everyday life?
Is there one subject of study that they excel at? Or do they even care about intellectual pursuits at all?
How do they see themselves 5 years from today?
Do they have any plans for the future? Any contingency plans if things don’t workout?
What is their biggest regret?
Who do they see as their best friend? Their worst enemy?
Reaction to sudden extrapersonal disaster (eg The house is on fire! What do they do?)
Reaction to sudden intrapersonal disaster (eg close family member suddenly dies)
Most prized possession?
Thoughts on material possessions in general?
Concept of home and family?
Thoughts on privacy? (Are they a private person, or are they prone to ‘TMI’?)
What activities do they enjoy, but consider to be a waste of time?
What makes them feel guilty?
Are they more analytical or more emotional in their decision-making?
Would they consider themselves a Type A or Type B personality?
What recharges them when they’re feeling drained?
Would you say that they have a superiority-complex? Inferiority-complex? Neither?
How misanthropic are they?
Hobbies?
How far did they get in formal education? What are their views on formal education vs self-education?
Religion?
Superstitions or views on the occult?
Do they express their thoughts through words or deeds?
If they were to fall in love, who (or what) is their ideal?
How do they express love?
If this person were to get into a fist fight, what is their fighting style like?
Is this person afraid of dying? Why or why not?
And yet she's still the one that got screwed over by Marvel 😮💨
Habt ihr schon alle das cineastische Meisterwerk der Bundesregierung genossen? Inklusive dramatischer Musik! (Gibt sogar einen zweiten Teil)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=krJfMyW87vU
I write stuff, sometimes I post it ~ Star Wars side blog: @leia-organa-fics ~ Criminal Minds side blog: @special-agent-prentiss
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