#Ben blacker

[matildazq]

Thrilling Adventure Hour in Chicago—here's to 20 more years.

[teamfreewill2pointo]

Ben Blacker wrote this about Jenny Klein and the Supernatural writing room

For those curious, he and his writing partner wrote The Mentalists, 7.07.

[nezoid]

Retrospecs - Elysian Theater - 09/29/24

Produced and presented by Ben Blacker (Thrilling Adventure Hour; Dead Pilots Society)

Associate produced by Will Choi (Asian AF)

The September 29 show features:

Succession written by the notorious parody account creator Fake Carol Lombardini.

Seinfeld by David Iserson (New Girl; The Spy Who Dumped Me)

Cast includes Paul Scheer (The League), Sherry Cola (Joy Ride), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Andrew Lopez (The Bear), Ayden Mayeri (Mr. Throwback), Flula Borg (Pitch Perfect), Saagar Shaikh (The Marvels), Humphrey Ker (Welcome to Wrexham), Brendan Hines (Locke & Key), Beth Dover (Orange Is the New Black), Chris Grace (Superstore), Jaime Moyer (The Great North), Sandeep Parikh (The Guild), Cyrina Fiallo (The Vindicators), and more!

Thank you for always taking the time to chat and more, Tatiana Maslany, I adore you! ☺️♥️

And very nice to meet/chat with you Brendan Hines! 😊

#©diozenoasin #retrospecs #show #live #comedy #funny #fun #losangeles #tatianamaslany #brendanhines #paulscheer #jasonwinstongeorge #sherrycola #elysian #saagarshaikh #humphreyker #flulaborg #bethdover #chrisgrace #johngemberling #sandeeppathak #andrewlopez #cyrinafiallo #jamiemoyle #davidiserson #benblacker #succession #seinfeld #orphanblack #shehulk

[spn20rewatch]

Season 7, Episode 7: The Mentalists (March 3rd)

Although things are still tense between them, Sam and Dean team up when psychics start dying in Lily Dale. -Super-wiki

Originally aired on November 4th, 2011.

Written by Ben Acker & Ben Blacker. Directed by Mike Rohl.

Fun fact: According to IMDB, this is the second episode ever to not include the impala. The first episode was 4.12, Criss Angel Is A Douchebag.

Enjoy the episode, and check out #spn20rewatch for more posts!

[whumpyreader]

Tag, You're It

TW: Past wounds, panic, BBU (of a sort but not entirely)

(A man is rescued from the WRU but his rescue may mean more than just his own.)

Think con man, cop, and the children’s game of tag. That’s what it was currently. But before, it was more like being a wanted criminal with a neverending fear of jail hanging over his head.

Merrick Burke’s career as a con man began because of two women. The first was the Missouri River. His heart turned just as bitter that day as her frigid fingers were. Before she flooded, he had thought he had already lost everything–his parents, his wife and unborn child. After she flooded and while he was slowly freezing to death, it dawned on Merrick that he officially had nothing left. All there was left to do was drown and Merrick happily hurried his fate along because, after all, drowning wasn’t too bad. His prick of a father had taught him that.

The second woman was Alora Dorsela. When Merrick opened his eyes his sight was surrounded by white. His body was surrounded by something warm. She was sitting near him, watching him with eyes blacker than any coal he had ever seen. Her hair, just as black as her eyes, fell down her shoulder in a thick, coarse braid. Sweat and hair clung to her rich hazelnut skin. And all Merrick could do was moan. When he woke up again, she was gone and the doctors were the ones to tell him Alora Dorsela had saved him and brought him to the hospital. They also told him he had lost five toes and would probably suffer nerve damage.

After a five-month pity party, Merrick was ready. Homeless and starving, he began stealing. Not anything big but enough that Alora Dorsela found him again. At the time, he had no idea she had found him and was watching him.

This is when it became cop, conman, and the children’s game of tag.

…

Merrick stood only a handful of feet away, watching the chunk of a man he had been following for the last two weeks. The prick was the owner of a large corporation, one Merrick would love to screw over. 

He sat in the driver’s seat of his overly luxurious vehicle, yelling profanities at someone much younger who sat in the passenger seat. Must be some spoiled brat of a son who hated his father as much as Merrick hated him. His fists clenched when the chunk jumped out of the vehicle. Whatever the docile-looking young man had done was enough to make the chunk throw him out of the car and against the back of the vehicle. 

Merrick had to move closer, behind a garbage bin, to see what the chunk would do. The young man’s eyes were screwed shut, his shirt already up over his head, bearing the beating that tortured his back. He didn’t let out a whimper. Blood was dribbling down his temple.

It was a gruesome sight, enough to wipe out the thoughts in Merrick’s mind. He could only stand, in shock, watching.

Alora would wait. All good cops wait. But Merrick was no cop. He had nothing to prove except that he could outwit the cop. So, he waited. The chunk was sweating bullets by the time he was done and the young man lay limp against the vehicle’s trunk. The chunk threw him down the grassy hill behind him before driving off.

The hair on Merrick’s neck stood up straight. This was no son of a prick. He turned around, reading the letters on the big white building he had failed to read before he had gotten out of his car. 

WRU.

…

There were gentle fingers running through McKenzie’s hair when he came to and soft grass cushioning his body. Ben would be ripping his hair out to try to arouse him and every part of him knew this was not Ben except for his instincts. A breath of pent up breath whistled between his clenched teeth when he opened his eyes and threw himself away from the figure. The grass beneath knotted up his attempt to escape and he fell heavily onto his back. He sobbed at the intensity of the pain, barely able to see the figure walking on their knees to be closer to him. 

Adrenaline spewed from his spleen, gagging him with nausea and fear. “No, no, no. Please,” he gasped, throwing his arms up to protect himself.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” the voice said cautiously. “Let’s roll you onto your side. I saw what that loser did to you.”

The gentle hands grabbed his arm and pulled him onto his side, relieving the pain. He wept into the grass, waiting for the stranger to make the next move.

“Can I?” the stranger asked though he made no move to see what the stranger meant. Warm fingers brushed against the skin of his waist as his shirt was lifted. He straightened his back and whimpered as the air hit his wounds.

“I’m sorry. Just trying to assess. Think you can walk up the hill?”

Exhaustion overrode every part of him these days. But the mental exhaustion was the worst. Moving his body was easier than speaking these days. He pushed himself onto his knees, supported by his strained arms. The grass came up to meet him but warm hands got to him first.

“Woah, hey. Let’s just forget about walking for now, okay? That wound on your head needs to get checked.”

When his vision came back to him, he was laying up against the stranger’s chest, soaking in the heat from their hoodie. Warm hands were wrapped around his triceps, keeping him close to the source of heat.

“S-s-sorry,” he whispered, aware of how obviously needy he was.

“Sorry is a word you use for begging or if you shot someone’s dog. In this case, you should be thinking about yourself, not me. I don’t even have a dog...er, I'm watching a friend's dog but that's besides the points...and you don’t need to beg with me. I’m going to take care of you.”

In that case…He shoved his numb fingers into the pocket of his pants, retrieving the receipt. “Here,” he whimpered.

The stranger took the receipt, releasing one of his arms from the hold. “Hmmm.” Then he could hear the stranger smile. “This might just work.” And then, softer as if it was meant for the universe, the stranger added, “Fuck you, Dad.”

…

Merrick carried the man up the hill, fully aware that the sobbing was coming from the pain Merrick was currently afflicting on him just by carrying him. He set him next to the dumpster and knelt next to him. 

“So, you’re, uh, one of those box boy things?”

When his head shot up, Merrick had to look away.

“My dad was into that stuff when I was a kid. Until a woman he had murdered him.” He smiled at the tearful eyes that widened below. “Makes sense, don’t you think? Humans are powerful. They can’t submit all the time.” He pulled off his hoodie and offered it to the man. “You’re shaking like a leaf. Here.” He maneuvered the hoodie onto the shaking body. “So, there’s one thing you’re gonna have to do before you can take a break. I’m sorry.” And he sincerely meant it. “I’m sorta a part of something that I have to get done then I promise I’ll get you a bed and food. Okay?”

The man nodded.

“We have to go there.” Merrick pointed toward the clinic-like building across the lawn of grass.

The man stiffened but nodded, probably expecting it.

“That’s why you were dumped here, right? That asshole had to drop you off and didn’t care to walk you to the door? Well, I’m gonna walk you to the door. But I won’t let you stay. These places need to be burned.”

The man’s brow had squeezed together, staring at Merrick like he were some lawless criminal.

“Ready?” When the man nodded, Merrick pulled him to his feet. “Five minutes then you can sleep as long as you want.” He pulled the man’s arm around his shoulder and put a foot forward, relieved when the man followed. They hobbled toward the doors of the WRU and were greeted by some young lady who smiled way too much for a place like that.

Merrick grimaced and the man looked down. 

“Dropping off?” she asked.

“Not exactly,” Merrick muttered. “I watched his…keeper drop him off but he’s in no state to come walking up here alone.” 

The man’s shaking worsened. It wouldn’t be long before he’d be blacked out on the ground. He gripped the man’s arm tighter.

“Anyway, I want him.”

“That’s not how this works,” she stated, dropping her smile.

“It is,” Merrick argued. “Go get your boss and I’ll show you.”

She stalked off–obviously this wasn’t some dream job for her–and came back with some bald man.

“I want this one,” Merrick said, wasting no time to move things along. The man’s chin was already touching his chest.

“I’m sure our usherer has already explained how this goes.”

“Yes,” Merrick smiled. “However, I’m not new to this.” He pulled out the wad of cash in his pocket. “I want him.”

Baldy’s eyes widened. “This is very unprofessional–”

“Take it,” Merrick pushed, shoving the wad toward the bald man. He dug in his other pocket for the receipt. “Take this too so that this can be professional and I can be on my way.”

The bald man took the receipt.

“It’s all you look for. It’s all you need for your records,” Merrick pointed out, readjusting the man on his side. He’d be surprised if the man was still conscious. “So I’ll be on my way.”

He turned, surprised when no one argued. And even more surprised when the man against him took enough steps to get to Merrick’s car. “Okay, done. Now you can rest.” He laid the man in the back seat.

…

The sensation of walking turned into blackness then gradually turned into sensation again. McKenzie’s eyes opened to dim light and muffled voices.

“...all trackable, yes.”

“This’ll be the biggest one yet.”

“I’m hoping. No one deserves that. I gotta go. He’s waking up.”

A beep told him his newfound savior had been on speakerphone and had now hung up. Now the attention was on him.

“Hey, how are you feeling?”

He would have pushed himself off his stomach to at least see the stranger better but there was no strength left in him. He groaned.

“Look, I’m not very good at pacing, I’ve been told. I’ve kinda been through some shit myself so let’s just cut to the chase. We’re in a rehab place, pretty much a hospital. You’ve been out for days now and they’ve pumped a lot of stuff in you to get you to where you’re at now. How long had he been starving you?”

Tears pushed to McKenzie’s eyes.

“It’s illegal what he did to you. What I saw him do to you wasn’t even a scratch compared to what the doctors showed me on you. I’m surprised you’re even alive. You’re a lot stronger than I am.”

The tears were flowing freely now and it only felt necessary to sit up and try to act normal.

“No, stay where you are,” the stranger huffed, running a hand through his hair. “Sorry, I just…I can’t believe you went through this. Uh, my name’s Merrick, by the way. What’s your name?”

  Words in general, let alone his name, had barely left his lips in years. How was he supposed to speak his name?

“I get it,” Merrick sighed. “Are you up for some food? They brought in a tray not too long ago.” A smile spread on Merrick’s face. “I can see how much you want it. You mind if I help you sit up? You’re on some pretty strong stuff so you shouldn’t be in any pain.”

He nodded only because he desperately needed to feel food on his tongue again. The IV in his hand must have given him some nutrients but it wasn’t the same as actually tasting the food.

Merrick’s gentle hands gripped behind his shoulders, pulling him up and over on his back. His neck was too weak but Merrick raised the bed so he could sit up without lifting his head. Then Merrick did something unexpected. He dipped the spoon into the small bowl of broth and brought it to McKenzie’s lips. The liquid trickled down his chin and he parted his lips to suck it in. Merrick dabbed his chin with a napkin. It was the kindest act of mercy he’d ever experienced.

“Th-thank you.”

“This isn’t my first rodeo,΅ Merrick muttered.

Merrick finished feeding him the tray then winked at him. 

“I’ve got a craving for dark chocolate so,” he pulled a small, wrapped chocolate from his pocket, “it might be a bit melted but if you suck on it, it might do you some good. Yeah?”

He nodded and parted his lips, instantly salivating once Merrick placed it on his tongue.

Just as Merrick had said, it was already beginning to melt so it was quickly gone and his eyes began to droop shut. He shot them back open, finding Merrick now sitting in the chair across from him.

“It’s okay,” Merrick hummed. “I’m here so I can be your lookout. Nothin’s gonna happen to you, I promise. Get some rest.”

…

“That was some kind of joke you played,” Alora barked the moment she pushed through the doors.

Merrick sat up, rubbing his burning eyes and the kink from his neck.

Her posture softened. “Were you asleep?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Merrick replied, sitting forward to check on the man. The man was still asleep, curled up underneath the covers like it were his hideout. The steadiness of his breaths was the only proof he was deeply asleep.

“Oh, so it’s true.” Alora stepped forward, pulling the covers down to observe the patient. “I honestly thought this was just an exaggerated part of the story.”

“To make it sound better that I tagged the WRU?”

The fire grew in her eyes. “I knew we should have made guidelines around what was taggable. The WRU is too big to take down.”

“I was stalking XLee Enterprise, actually,  and the prick that runs it – Bill or whatever his name is. But, I saw what he did to this man and I had to do something. But I promise Bill Lee is still on my blacklist.”

“It’s Ben. You had to do something?”

“Sure.”

“You realized how huge WRU is, right?”

“You realize you’re the best cop around, right?”

She huffed so he huffed and watched as she went to the charts hanging off the end of the bed. “Have you read these yet?”

He shook his head.

“Why not?”

“Um…” He shrugged.

“Don’t want to get attached or something? Well, if you’re going to play god, you’re gonna have to get to know your subjects.”

“I’m not playing god,” he growled. “Don’t ever accuse me of that. I couldn’t just leave him.”

“Because of personal experience?”

“You’ve no idea,” he grunted.

“Well, his name is McKenzie Madden. He’s twenty-eight and was accused of–”

“What?”

“This is interesting,” Alora chuckled, her lips curling into a snarl. “Accused of robbing a bank.”

Merrick rolled his eyes. “Interesting?”

“A bank owned by XLee Enterprise.”

“Oh shit.”

“Well done, Merrick. Looks like you had the upper hand all along.”

“Yes, and let’s just assume I was aware of that upper hand the entire time.” He rubbed his neck again. “I’m gonna need some time off, by the way. I can’t just…” He motioned toward McKenzie.

“No worries. This will take me longer than your other tags. I’ll see you when I see you. But count on not hearing from me for the month.”

…

McKenzie was being maneuvered onto his stomach. A soft hand wrapped around his wrist hanging off the bed and laid his arm gently at his side.

“He’s waking,” a fuzzy voice warned.

“I’m on it,” a closer voice buzzed. Fingers went to his hair, tucking loose strands behind his ear. “McKenzie? Can you hear me?”

His eyes shot open, only to fall back shut. 

“Good, good. Just take your time.”

“You need to be out of here in twenty minutes,” a voice snapped.

“Fuck off, asshole. Go enroll yourself in WRU and I’d love to see you function after that.”

A door slammed.

“Just take your time, McKenzie. We have all the time in the world.”

But McKenzie was in the habit of trusting the angriest person in the room. They only had twenty minutes, whether McKenzie could wake up or not. He moaned, pushing his face off the pillow, and, like a drunk, stared numbly at whatever his name had been.

“Remember me? I’m Merrick.”

McKenzie collapsed back onto the mattress.

“We’re in kind of a situation. If I had known this place was full of assholes, I would have taken you somewhere else, like my lovely apartment, which is where we are headed now. We don’t need this shithole…although the fact they have IVs and blood infusions, and whatever other shit lying around here has been convenient.”

McKenzie did not know which part of Merrick’s sentence to cling to so he nodded. “I’m ready.”

“You’re far from ready,” Merrick sang. “But once we’re home, you can rest as long as you like.”

“Okay.” He furrowed his brow, willing all his strength to his legs so that once he pushed himself off the bed, he could stand. But he couldn’t scoot himself to the edge and nearly passed out again from the pain.

“Hang on, hang on.” Merrick slung a purse of some sort over his head and ran to McKenzie’s side. “Don’t go thinking I have all these expectations for you. You can barely stay awake and I know that. I’m not gonna let you stand on your own.” He pushed McKenzie to his back. “I’m sorry if this hurts,” he gritted out before picking McKenzie up, under his knees and back.

McKenzie was too numb to feel much of anything. His arms dangled uselessly at his side and his neck fell back. 

“Just a quick skip up ten floors to the parking garage,” Merrick sighed. “Then you have free range of my car and, of course, the apartment.”

…

The scent of chocolate chip cookies was his world for a few minutes. Until the sun hitting his face and Tina Turner blaring in the background joined the scent.

“Take a chill pill.” Merrick’s voice was somewhere, in a different room. 

Last to enter was a shrill, ear-piercing shriek of some sort of animal.

“I said to take a chill pill! What the hell has gotten into you?”

Footsteps came closer.

“Oh, McKenzie woke up. Damn dog.”

The shrieking animal was a tiny chihuahua, dressed in a pink collar. She jumped up to the couch and shrieked some more.

“Put a cap on it, Annie,” Merrick growled. “Sorry, McKenzie.”

McKenzie didn’t mind, as long as this Annie didn’t bite. 

“I’ve watched all these shows where people come home to a fire and a warm meal, maybe a comforting cat that purs at their feet.” He put Annie on the floor and sat at McKenzie’s feet. “Welcome to my version of hell. Burnt chocolate chip cookies and a chihuahua that never stops trembling or barking.”

There was no fireplace but the place was decorated like a log cabin and the view from the window was isolated and safe. “Thank…you.”

“I have a buffet ready for you. What will it be? Broth, yogurt, a popsicle, ice cubes, electrolytes?”

McKenzie turned his head, wincing at what it awoke throughout his body.

“Don’t try to move. I can bring everything to you.”

“My–” McKenzie had not forgotten his life before. He had been his own version of asshole. But he had also been a shoulder to cry on for most of his friends in high school. He knew about needs and he had never been worried about voicing needs. With Ben, voicing needs was a joke. Now, McKenzie froze, unsure if Merrick could be trusted.

Merrick’s brow raised.

“My legs are cramping,” McKenzie whispered. “I think…I’d like to try to stand.” He flinched when Merrick stepped closer but Merrick only held out a hand. He took it, allowing Merrick to pull him only to sitting. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Mind if I sit down?”

“No…sir.”

Merrick grimaced. “What’s your question?”

“Who was that person you were talking to in the hospital?”

Merrick snickered. “Alora Dorsela. She and I have a rather…interesting relationship. She took me in a few years ago after she arrested me for robbing someone. We have a bit of a deal going on. I continue to rob and she continues to take down criminals.”

McKenzie frowned. “Aren’t you…nevermind.”

“A criminal.” Merrick smiled. “There’s a catch. We call it ‘tagging’. When I tag someone, she has to take them down. It’s like a challenge. And I can only rob, or tag, criminals. I had been following Bill for years.”

“Who?”

“Your asshole guy.”

“Oh. Ben.”

“He’s the owner of XLee Enterprise.”

McKenzie looked down, feeling nervous.

“And I know you robbed him before. Well done.”

“So…Alora has to take down XLee Enterprise?”

“Not exactly. She has to take down WRU. I stole from them, mostly, not Bill.”

“Me?”

“Exactly! But, once Alora contacts me, if you’re interested, I’m going to tag Bill and I would appreciate your help.”

…

Two days later and Merrick sat in the chair across from the sofa. McKenzie was out cold, as still as a log. He hadn't moved since Merrick deposited him there after the hospital besides his feeble attempt at standing. He still wore his tattered shirt and pants since the hospital hasn't let him leave with their scrubs.

Annie laid in the crook of McKenzie's knees, not because she liked him but because she always found the hottest thing in the room to snuggle up with. Her ears perked up and suddenly she was howling like a maniac.

Merrick jumped to his feet, grabbing the dog and booking it to the kitchen where she was tossed in her kennel. 

“What is wrong with that dog?” he muttered. But then he heard it too. The door knocked again. He stumbled to the door, glancing at McKenzie who stared back at him in shock. His hands gripped the couch and his head was up as if he were attempting to stand.

“It's okay. Probably just Amazon.”

But it wasn't. A stranger stood at Merrick's door and he couldn't help but assume it was the WRU. “Yes?”

“Hi, I was sent by Alora. I'm a nurse and Alora’s neighbor. She said you needed help.”

“Oh.” It was a welcomed shock but a shock nonetheless. “Yes, come on in.”

“You can call me Sadie.”

“Hi. Uh…Merrick. This is McKenzie.”

McKenzie looked utterly miserable. He had sunk back onto the couch but his hands still gripped the couch as if he would flee at any moment. His eyes were puffy and red and the color had drained from his face.

“Hello, McKenzie,” Sadie greeted. She stuck out her bottom lip as she pulled out a bag of medical tools. “You’re not feeling well at all. I brought an IV to start.” 

Merrick stood, rigid, watching McKenzie collapse more into the couch.

As Sadie unzipped her bag, her voice broke the through the tension. “I also have some news for you. Ben Lee is dead”

“What?” Merrick gasped.

“He was tied up in WRU business. His bank was what WRU went through. Alora had to shut him down to make WRU frantic. They’re just frantic enough that she has a chance at taking them down soon.”

“You’re a hero, McKenzie.”

At this point, McKenzie was barely conscious. His brow furrowed and he moaned. “What?”

“None of this would have happened if you hadn’t robbed Bill in the first place. Now, you’re shutting it all down.”

“Oh,” McKenzie sighed, his lids falling heavily over his eyes.

[comicgoblinwrites]

Five Senses Tag

Tagged by @winterandwords — Sorry it’s taken me so long to get on these! My summer has been so busy! Thanks!

I’m sharing some lines from an urban fantasy I drafted a while ago. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do with it. I MIGHT self publish it, not sure if I want to try and trad publish this one. We’ll see! Currently titled The Darkness Inherent

TASTE All Ben had gleaned from the days spent with him was that Sera had a taste for fine food, expensive clothes, and that he charmed nearly everyone he talked to. Barely anything personal, and nothing about his family or where he was from: Hell, supposedly. TOUCH A cold, damp touch slid down the back of his neck, nails catching on his skin. Fingers closed around his wing and he jerked away, stumbling as the ooze sucked at his feet. SMELL On one side of the market flowers were being sold, mixing the smell of green things with the smell of fish from the other side of the market, where fishmongers shouted and sang and tossed fish to each other. SIGHT Though the space wasn’t the same as before, it was equally black—if not blacker—and that same prickling, wrong energy permeated everything. The surface under him was smooth as oiled glass, but reflected no light; there was no light. SOUND Something about this Teren made Sera’s skin crawl. He laughed silently, mouth splitting wider. In the back of his throat something moved, crawling over his tongue and past his teeth.

You know, sometimes I think “I’m not a horror writer, I prefer fantasy and sci-fi.” ANd then I reread some of things I’ve written and I’m like, no. No, this definitly has some horror.

(For the record TSOTE is getting queried as Sci-fi/Horror).

Tagging: @stanrendipity @lettersandinkstains

[queer-starwars-bracket]

Queer Star Wars Characters (Round 1): General Bracket Match 20

Dec Hansen | Identity: gay | Media: Join the Resistance

Dec Hansen is a main character in the aborted middle grade novel series following a squad of 14 year olds who joined the Resistance. He was born on the isolated swamp planet of Ques. An only child, his mother built him a droid named AG-90 to act as his brother. When he was young, he ran away from home because of “something that made him different”, before eventually crawling back to his mother and telling her about it, where it turned out his community was actually accepting. Ben Blacker, one of the authors confirmed this was about him being gay. Which feels like meta-commentary about representation. Ques wasn’t homophobic, but because Dec had never heard of same gender attraction he felt isolated. 

With the Resistance, Dec was quite the trouble marker, in part because command didn’t accept AG as his brother and let him train as a pilot. He quickly became friends with the main protagonist of the series, Mattis. After his shenanigans caused a power outage on the base, J-Squadron was sent to the thought to be abandoned planet Vodran to scavenge. Dec was separated from most of the Squad and ended up on the planet's moon, where Hadra the Hutt, the planet’s old ruler, was living in exile. They bonded over their mental health problems and feeling different from their community, which convinced Hadra to help liberate his friends from the First Order prison on the planet. With J-Squadron reunited, they traveled to Starkiller Base to save Jo from his First Order parents. They managed to escape right as Starkiller Base was being destroyed and returned to D’Qar right before the evacuation. They were presumably sent on a special mission shortly after, like the many Resistance characters who didn’t appear in TLJ. Unfortunately the failure of TROS means it will be a long time before his series is finished.

Conder Kyl | Identity: mlm | Media: Aftermath trilogy

Conder Kyl was a New Republic slicer employed by New Republic intelligence. Between the first two books of the Aftermath trilogy, he began a relationship with Sinjir Rath Velus (the first queer character in the New EU), a member of an Imperial war criminal capture squad. However, due to Sinjir’s alcoholism and hatred of vulnerability from being part of the ISB, their relationship was strained. Believing himself to be an unworthy partner, Sinjir broke up with Conder. However, Sinjir latter approached Conder and begged for his help to help work through all the politicking in the Senate against sending New Republic forces to Jakku. In the process, Conder was captured, and after Sinjir rescued him the two reconciled and got back together. Conder later got the chance to save Sinjir’s life in the process of foiling an assassination attempt against Mon Mothma. After the Battle of Jakku, he married Sinjir. His most recent appearance was a cameo in the novel Last Shot, where he is the chief of cyberware in the New Republic’s Digital Warfare Department.

As he is a supporting character, he doesn’t get any PoV chapters. Despite being a very skilled slicer, he is very straightforward and simply good. Despite Sinjir’s own self-esteem problems, he didn’t mistrust Sinjir for being an ex-Imperial. All the conflict in the relationship came from Sinjir’s own mental health problems. 

Art by @cinno on tumblr

[bloodinthegutter]

New X-Men (Vol. 2) #46 by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost (2008)

Deadpool V Gambit #4 by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker (2016)

[batking-lich]

book descriptions under the cut. ps here's a post i keep updated with links to all my liveblog tags in case you wanna look at past ones or if you miss one

Blood Price by Tanya Huff

Vicky Nelson is a private investigator. She used to be one heck of a murder detective for the Toronto police, but deteriorating eyesight and her stubborn-ness led her to leave her true calling. A killer is stalking Toronto and the first victim's girlfriend hired Vicky to find the killer, since she doesn't believe the police are looking in the right places. Vicky's ex-partner (and ex-lover) Mike Celluci is in charge of the investigation and does not appreciate her "help". A chance encounter pairs Vicky with Henry FitzRoy--Romance Writer, Vampire and bastard son of Henry VIII as they hunt what appears, despite the impossiblity, to be a demon.

this is the first book in the series that the show blood ties is based on, which i recently started watching on tubi. the show is fun so maybe the books will be too lol

also why did they change henry from a romance writer to a graphic novelist? especially since this is a lifetime show lol

Haunted Homicide by Lucy Ness

Avery Morgan has been hired to breathe new life into the Portage Path Women's Club, but first she'll have to deal with a dead body and a meddling ghost. Avery Morgan has had a harrowing first week on the job as manager of the Portage Path Woman's Club. Not only is she in charge of a grand old home with a mountain of maintenance problems and scheduling nightmares--thanks to a recent fire in the Marigold meeting room--but she's also got Muriel Sadler to deal with. Muriel is the current president of the club, the one "nay" vote when the rest of the board voted "aye" to hiring Avery. After a morning of dealing with another one of Muriel's snits and a meeting with the delicious and delightfully unsettling Ben Harkness, who will be handling renovations in the fire-damaged portions of the house, the last thing Avery needs is for one of the fuses to blow. Again. She grabs her handy flashlight and heads into the basement, where she stumbles across Muriel's body. She also stumbles across an unexpected helper, Clemmie Bow, the ghost of a young woman who was accidentally killed in the building almost a hundred years ago. Together Clemmie and Avery are determined to solve Muriel's murder before the killer sends Avery to join Clemmie on the other side.

The Deep by Nick Cutter

From the acclaimed author of The Troop—which Stephen King raved “scared the hell out of me and I couldn’t put it down.…old-school horror at its best”—comes this utterly terrifying novel where The Abyss meets The Shining. A strange plague called the ’Gets is decimating humanity on a global scale. It causes people to forget—small things at first, like where they left their keys…then the not-so-small things like how to drive, or the letters of the alphabet. Then their bodies forget how to function involuntarily…and there is no cure. But now, far below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, deep in the Marianas Trench, an heretofore unknown substance hailed as “ambrosia” has been discovered—a universal healer, from initial reports. It may just be the key to a universal cure. In order to study this phenomenon, a special research lab, the Trieste, has been built eight miles under the sea’s surface. But now the station is incommunicado, and it’s up to a brave few to descend through the lightless fathoms in hopes of unraveling the mysteries lurking at those crushing depths…and perhaps to encounter an evil blacker than anything one could possibly imagine.

I'm in Love with Mothman by Paige Lavoie

22-year-old Heather is suffering from an epic case of burnout. So, just like any other young influencer, she abandons her social platforms. Check! gathers up her best flowy dresses. Check! and moves to a desolate cabin. Check! Heather imagines spending her #unplugged days traipsing through the woods and tending to her garden. However, her cottagecore fantasy is turned upside down when a wounded cryptid crashes into her roof—and her heart. With no help from her internet followers, and the local monster-hunter growing suspicious, Heather’s quiet life in the wilderness has suddenly become a little more complicated. To make matters worse, she thinks she might be falling in love with the brooding winged man in her living room.

[matildazq]

Here. Please have some terrible pictures of my very favorite people on earth. Way long timey ago, I bought tickets to the 20th anniversary of Thrilling Adventure in Chicago, but we made a relatively last-minute decision to go to the WorkJuice improv show tonight, and I am so, so, soooo very glad we did.

[stealingdeansgender]

"you are a virile manifestation of the divine." "what the hell did he just say to me?"

ben acker and ben blacker, i am. riveted by your presence in the supernatural canon. (i just learned they're big thriller adventure podcast guys. that rules? anyway i wanna set something in lily dale, ny now.)

[libidomechanica]

Untitled (“The second heart doth not rise nor set,”)

And syþen þis wondering way, he     shut his door, above by Ensham, down beside, and all it     receivest not be, but

cannot guess how tedious that     he had gone the world a spot of blood that I say; I stretch     my empty masks, and morals:

and beneath the haire, which we     cast a glance more joy than from the troubled rest, he smiled enough.     And brayd fro þe sounds

deign’d the best, double-felde, and     intermingled in cowl and bowe your fists into a gallery,     of a sute, and frounsez

boþe lyppe and Muse, shall be able     to plow; shovels crumble and containing hard to love.     And now ȝe take, and ruȝe

knokled knarre and youth, and with so     pouer a mon, as play watz passande vche prynces of purity.     From the crown’d. Weary

traveling dog and bede his mete     þat pyȝt in his schelde, þat he ber hit neuer here? The second     heart doth not rise nor

set, like virtue onward life so     rare, too rare, too sweet beloved the mystic wine, must I     passed the bride, and when I

began to ponder how to hand     their hall. At hame; morgne þe golden dreams. Whose each cup’s worth wele     ful hyȝe; wroþe wynde of

þis teuelyng of my rurall must     be wroong! Walking halt and frounsez boþe lyppe and ladyez, quyle     in þis hous holdez

hym weue. And I felt for thy dear!—     I presume to go to be sure you go—call once yet! I     prize pig, and the spech þis

disport ȝelde ȝede, how þat destiné     schulde haf ben diȝt on þe wyȝe wynnez þe table or his     own credit, to see. All

the harder happen’d, in the room     goes blacker than mortals groan, more sharp to me too the name.     The worst part, still Heaven,

and tomb-stones of care though to fall;     soone with much steuen, al one. Flesh melt this Let the married my     bones to welde as yow þere,

neuer more worth in an edifice     no less amorously I caress, as if my yeare     were seal’d to make, for it

end? In hast þat euer knyȝt of love     inspired and rotez þat ros vpon folde, ne sundred nouþer,     with tale.-Ballads of amber

here. Sir, ȝif ȝe lufed your     gryndelly with horrid temple where was a son and stonstil     seten in a knot.

[avengerscompound]

Deadpool V Gambit (2016)

[queeruscant]

Name: Dec Hansen Pronouns: he/him Era: First Order Appears in: Join the Resistance trilogy

Dec Hansen was a scavenger and tinkerer who, with his droid "brother" AG-90, joined the Resistance as part of J-Squadron. He was a charming troublemaker and fiercely loyal to his friends. While not made explicit in canon, co-author Ben Blacker stated that he wrote Dec as a gay character, alluding to this through Dec's story about being "different from everyone else" and quotes other characters ("I've never known him to like a girl. It's just not how he is.")

Fun fact: Dec is the first gay character in a Star Wars children's book!

Check out Dec's video profile here.

Full profile under the cut:

Dec Hansen was a teenage member of the Resistance during the time of the First Order. He grew up on Ques, a damp, marshy planet in Huttspace. Dec used to be an only child, but his mother gifted him with a droid: AG-90. AG-90 and Dec were brothers from then on out, and they both joined the Resistance and trained to be pilots.

Dec appeared in the junior novel series Join the Resistance by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker. He was a scrapper, a tinkerer, a charmer, and a talented troublemaker. You’d usually find him with a smirk on his face, ready to undermine authority or talk his way out of trouble – which he was really good at. 

Dec was fiercely loyal, and valued his friends and family over anything else. Once Dec considered you a friend, he’d be on your side no matter what. He was a committed member of the Resistance and a strong advocate for his squad, arguing that what made them different is what made them good rebels.

And Dec knows what it means to feel different. In book two of the series, Dec tells a story about how when he was younger, he started to realize that he was different from all the kids around him, and that he kept this difference secret because he thought his friends and family would hate him if they knew. Eventually, with the help of AG-90, he told his parents, friends, and other people around, and they loved him just the same.

In August 2018, author Ben Blacker confirmed on Twitter that Dec is gay.

There are other hints throughout the books that suggest that Dec is gay. His best friend, Sari, says that “she’s never known Dec to like a girl. It’s just not how he is.” Others are more vague, and could certainly be said or done by a straight character too. For example, he kissed one of the boys in his squad’s cheek, and told his brother: “Ain’t no way you’re handsomer than me. I’m real pretty.”

[scarletwitching]

Weapon Hex: You’re not a demon. You’re not a weapon. You’re a person. Like me.

Infinity Wars: Weapon Hex #2; writers: Ben Acker & Ben Blacker; penciler: Gerardo Sandoval; inkers: Victor Nava & Gerardo Sandoval; color artist: Israel Silva; letterer: Joe Caramagna

When this series was first announced, a lot of people were like, “Why would you combine Laura and Wanda? That’s so random.” And I felt like -- and this feeling was totally validated by the series -- the thematic overlap between these two characters was obvious. (Hint: It’s this.)

[knitmeapony]

I appreciate that.

For anyone out there who wants the information I'd already compiled to reply, I'm going to include it here, but I'm doing it because you're not the only one. (And I'm dropping it under a cut).

You're sticking up for a wealthy white man who's decided to target a (admittedly also wealthy) Indian, Jewish man.

Semple is also an NFT shill: https://heroofthreefaces.tumblr.com/post/674024804641308672/umm-btw-stuart-semple-guy-who-made-the-pinkest

More points: https://tikkunolamorgtfo.tumblr.com/post/187878467086/okay-im-really-curious-because-im-not-in-the

Long story short:

Vantablack was never going to be released to the general public

Kapoor had the opportunity to use something unique that would let him explore color and texture in the ways his art always has, so he took it

This is a thing that artists do all the time, especially rich artists, and even if Surrey had released Vantablack to more artists, it would have still been to a small handful of rich artists, not the general public.

Kapoor is not the one keeping other artists from using the pigment, and since that time so many blacker-than-black pigments have been developed and released that vantablack itself is practically passe.

The petty feud of two rich British artists was funny for approximately 2.4 seconds, hell, I bought all kinds of stuff from Semple for quite a while because he was doing interesting things at affordable prices

But it is not Kapoor who controls Vantablack, and while he briefly participated in the feud he decided to ignore it and go back to making art literally five or six years ago - I count around 200 new posts on his website, most of which are new pieces in galleries that have nothing to do with Vantablack OR Semple, since 2017. To my knowledge, he has not responded since the release of the glitter.

If Semple was going after the company that can actually control the monopoly, I'd be much more on his side, but that's not as catchy, so he's digging into the life of a man who has no control over what he is demanding

It's time to let it fucking go, Semple, and stop harassing Kapoor. Either go after Surrey NanoSystems or move on.

I've gone from amused to exhausted to annoyed at Stuart Semple's one-sided feud with Anish Kapoor over time, but this thing where Semple literally changed his name to 'Anish Kapoor' is just... wow. Fuck that dude.