#guys the new art rachel put out >>>>

[gh0stwithagun]

self indulgent Bones stimboard (Jackpot Crash Course) reqs open <3

x x x / x x x / x x x

[punkeropercyjackson]

Afropunk Percy.1993 born Manhattan raised black latino punk with undiagnosed autism due to the heavier stigma around it than adhd and dyslexia and so afrocentric he looks literally etheral.His sea green eyes are a washed out(darker)shade to compliment his skin and blue undertone and he goes through constant hairstyle changes drawing back to 'the sea does not like to be restrained' and his divine hair texture makes it so he can't get a silkpress,not that Sally would've ever tried to force him to straighten his hair.Her parents were dominican inmigrants and passed down the oceanic aspects of Dominican Republic's culture down to her deeply hence why she loves the sea so much and raised Percy in it's ways for herself,them,him and not for Poseidon at all.He was a tubby little guy and dosen't bother owning razors at any point and Sally squishes his still chubby cheeks a lot

Hazel meets Percy and immediately feels a long gone sense of safety she thought she'd lost forever upon Marie's departure to Tartarus,a Pluto assigned punishment for trying to save her from her destiny.He looks like he could be her older brother and gods does he act and treat her and talk about her like he is and he's the first piece of mercy she's known from an older man and he sees her as not a cursed gem but the world's most precious pearl to ever come to be.They do so many things together,old and new and routined and adventurous and shattering and mending,and Hazel never brought Marie back to the mortal world but she DID take back her ghost so she could guide her to Elysium as she'd eternally earned and Marie thanks Percy for raising Hazel in her absense and he responds he wouldn't have let anyone else do it before quickly adding on 'unless it was you,obviouly.mamas are irreplacable' and she laughs and tells him he's sweeter than he needs to be so she sees why him and Hazel get eachother so much

Somalian-italian 40s Nico completing their trinity and their black siblings synergy alone is enough to reach iconic levels and then we dive down to their lore.Nico's idealization of Percy is tackled and they adress their issues directly so they can be healthy chaotic friends like they wanted at the beginning and didn't stop trying and holding onto eachother no matter how bad things got.Them and Hazel are an 'alternative audhd people' spectrum and Nico's physically disabled so Percy forces Poseidon to pay for his mobility aids and meds but also guiltrips him over his utter lack of attentiveness to him growing up so he'll cough up extra money so he can give his kids little brother and little sister special gifts and outings as a thank you for existing and get up to further trio shenanigans

Hood Percy who feels bad growing up poor and punk not naturally or because it actually is bad he did and is but because whites,nonblack poc and even some other black people told him he should so nonstop he internalized their biases.As the Pjo and Hook books progress,he begins seeing his punkness as the objective virtue it is and how much he means to younger black nonconformist folks and thanks to Rachel,stops envying rich privilege as she teaches him the truths behind it modern day and past and they work to prevent it's future.Art hoe Rachel who predates the gentrification of art hoes i.e she's a super artistic,earthy and anti-capitalist black woman(nigerian yoruba)and rides hand in hand back to back with Percy through their respective journeys and function all on their own yet choose one another no matter the cost or normative rules.Rachel moves in with him at La Residencia Jackson after their Goode High graduation,the ceremony of which they didn't attend on purpose,and Rachel goes to college to study on a self-earned scholarship and majors in enviormental science and minors in visual arts and Percy gets a job at the family bussiness Sally opened up,a beach cafe named Familia Jackson Beach Shack,to not feel like a bum yet also not put his mental health on the line for degrees he dosen't want nor needs.Rachel's not a Jackson but she's parte de la familia and none of them would want it another way

Beckendorf taking Percy under her wing to look after him as a younger black transfem and reassure him he dosen't need to live up to white or binary standards to be genderqueer and inviting him on her hangouts with her girlfriends aka Silena and Clarisse.It was a tad of a while before they all began dating but it was an open secret at camp they had something going on all three of them and they were the only couple Percy saw coming since he's only oblivious to cisheteronormativity and gender roles,not queer romance and subverting gendered expectations.Him and Clarisse obviously started off on a rough patch but him and Silena sparked eachother on from the get-go and he grew close to the Aphrodite Cabin as a result.'Percy and the Aphrodite kids' became a common term around Camp Half-Blood and they combine their respective mermaidcore swag and popular and kinda mean but really friendly and helpful vibes to create themselves as the best paragons of the sea's might,beauty and versatility

Arcades,skateparks and skateshops,thrift stores and record stores,mosh pits,abandoned buildings,cemeteries,beaches and public pools are second homes to Percy.Rebellion is his natural state of mind and so is caring and nurturing and hating authority and the establishment.He dosen't think things through and he dosen't want to except if it involves helping out and acting out because he thinks that's all he's good for.But he's good at so much other stuff and that includes being cool.Perseo Isadore Jackson was this cool the whole time

[duckprintspress]

Celebrate Eid al-Fitr with 6 Queer Muslim Reads

Eid Mubarak! Ramadan is ending, and Eid al-Fitr is beginning, and we’re celebrating with a modest list of queer books with Muslim characters. The contributors to the list are: Meera S., Linnea Peterson, Nina Waters, and Adrian Harley.

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib

How do you find yourself when the world tells you that you don’t exist? Samra Habib has spent most of their life searching for the safety to be themself. As an Ahmadi Muslim growing up in Pakistan, they faced regular threats from Islamic extremists who believed the small, dynamic sect to be blasphemous. From their parents, they internalized the lesson that revealing their identity could put them in grave danger. When their family came to Canada as refugees, Samra encountered a whole new host of bullies, racism, the threat of poverty, and an arranged marriage. Backed into a corner, their need for a safe space–in which to grow and nurture their creative, feminist spirit–became dire. The men in Samra’s life wanted to police them, the women in their life had only shown them the example of pious obedience, and their body was a problem to be solved. So begins an exploration of faith, art, love, and queer sexuality, a journey that takes them to the far reaches of the globe to uncover a truth that was within them all along. A triumphant memoir of forgiveness and family, both chosen and not, We Have Always Been Here is a rallying cry for anyone who has ever felt out of place and a testament to the power of fearlessly inhabiting one’s truest self.

Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

When fourteen-year-old Lamya H realizes she has a crush on her teacher–her female teacher–she covers up her attraction, an attraction she can’t yet name, by playing up her roles as overachiever and class clown. Born in South Asia, she moved to the Middle East at a young age and has spent years feeling out of place, like her own desires and dreams don’t matter, and it’s easier to hide in plain sight. To disappear. But one day in Quran class, she reads a passage about Maryam that changes everything: when Maryam learned that she was pregnant, she insisted no man had touched her. Could Maryam, uninterested in men, be . . . like Lamya? From that moment on, Lamya makes sense of her struggles and triumphs by comparing her experiences with some of the most famous stories in the Quran. She juxtaposes her coming out with Musa liberating his people from the pharoah; asks if Allah, who is neither male nor female, might instead be nonbinary; and, drawing on the faith and hope Nuh needed to construct his ark, begins to build a life of her own–ultimately finding that the answer to her lifelong quest for community and belonging lies in owning her identity as a queer, devout Muslim immigrant.

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

Everyone likes Humaira “Hani” Khan—she’s easy going and one of the most popular girls at school. But when she comes out to her friends as bisexual, they invalidate her identity, saying she can’t be bi if she’s only dated guys. Panicked, Hani blurts out that she’s in a relationship…with a girl her friends absolutely hate—Ishita “Ishu” Dey. Ishu is the complete opposite of Hani. She’s an academic overachiever who hopes that becoming head girl will set her on the right track for college. But Ishita agrees to help Hani, if Hani will help her become more popular so that she stands a chance of being elected head girl. Despite their mutually beneficial pact, they start developing real feelings for each other. But relationships are complicated, and some people will do anything to stop two Bengali girls from achieving happily ever after.

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi

Sana Khan is a cheerleader and a straight A student. She’s the classic (somewhat obnoxious) overachiever determined to win. Rachel Recht is a wannabe director who’s obsesssed with movies and ready to make her own masterpiece. As she’s casting her senior film project, she knows she’s found the perfect lead – Sana. There’s only one problem. Rachel hates Sana. Rachel was the first girl Sana ever asked out, but Rachel thought it was a cruel prank and has detested Sana ever since. Told in alternative viewpoints and inspired by classic romantic comedies, this engaging and edgy YA novel follows two strongwilled young women falling for each other despite themselves.

DeadEndia by Hamish Steele

Barney Guttman’s life has been turned upside down. His family is struggling to fully embrace his trans identity, but thanks to his best friend Norma, he’s just landed a job at Phoenix Parks, a Dollywood-esque amusement park inspired by the long life and career of mysteriously youthful actress and singer Pauline Phoenix. Soon, Barney and his dog, Pugsley, secretly move into the haunted house attraction. Little does Barney know, the house contains a portal to the demonic planes of Hell. When Courtney, Barney’s devilish new roommate, invites a demon king to Earth through the portal, they offer Barney and Norma as flesh vessels for the king, but in a strange twist, Pugsley is possessed instead! It’s a race through the park to save Pugsley—and the world—from the demon king’s reign of terror that leaves Pugsley with strange and magical side effects. With all of this chaos going on, Barney is also discovering he has crush on park employee, Logan, so he must face his biggest fear of all… talking to someone he likes. Follow the lives of this diverse group of friends in this hilarious and moving graphic novel series, complete with talking pugs, vengeful ghosts, and first love.

Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed

Shubeik Lubeik–a fairytale rhyme meaning “Your Wish is My Command” in Arabic–is the story of three characters navigating a world where wishes are literally for sale; mired in bureaucracy and the familiar prejudices of our world, the more expensive the wish, the more powerful and therefore the more likely to work as intended. The novel’s three distinct parts tell the story of three first class wishes as used by Aziza, Nour, and Shokry, each grappling with the challenge inherent in trying to make your most deeply held desire come true.

What are YOUR favorite Queer Muslim books? (We definitely need some recs ourselves!)

Find these books on our Goodreads book shelf. See something you’d like to read? Buy it through the Duck Prints Press Bookshop.org affiliate shop!

Join us on Discord and chat with us about the books you love in the Book Lover’s Discord server!

[prettyboysdontlookatexplosions]

medialog august-december 2k24

i was like, should i just abandon this and start fresh in 2025... but no. also i'm putting this behind a cut bc it is long but it's shorter than it sounds bc LOL working 7 days a week is not conducive towards having the brain space to interact with a bunch of new art!!

watched

ponyo - THIS IS THE CUTEST MOVIE IN THE WORLD!!! miyazaki/ghibli is a big blind spot for me bc as a kid i was like "but i want anime to be pretty, like sailor moon..." so i never got into kiki or totoro (very stupid but again i was: A Child) and then as an adult, this is embarrassing, i tried to watch spirited away and just literally didn't get it. i was like, i am so confused about what is happening and what emotions i am supposed to be feelings. and i know that spirited away is a movie for children and this makes me stupid. but i have never pretended not to be stupid. anyway i would die for just about every character in this movie and when i watched it a second time to make nick watch it i was so full of tenderness for how lovingly it captures what it's like to be a small child who has a small creature to take care of that i felt like i could explode!

deadpool & wolverine - i think if i had been in a better mood when i saw this movie i would have disliked it more but as it was i was in a HORRENDOUS mood and, basically, had a good time. funny to watch this, the Superhero Movies Isabel Has Never Watched Cameo Show (literally i had never watched an x-men other than first class, in which wolverine only appears to say fuck off, or either of the two deadpools), and still get to experience the same OMG IT'S HIM rush as everyone else did, but for matthew mcfadyen. the guy next to me was like "i love channing tatum" when channing tatum showed up and like, same.

trap - great movie to see with a group of like 10 people with whom to giggle the whole time. josh hartnett understood the assignment and his dad-vibe era is soooo much hotter to me than his twink years ever were (not always the case for me! but between this and how hot he was in oppenheimer i've really warmed to him...). i think it's nice that m. night shyamalan loves his daughter so much. ladyraven has a ballad with the line "faustian trade-offs" which caused me and no one else in the theater to laugh real loud. her music is pretty bad but tbh in an era when people want to put chappell roan on the A-list i'm not even mad. it was funny trying to figure out her niche though because like the vibes are obviously supposed to be taylorish (the cabin onstage... lmao) but the music was giving... idk, ariana? also it's just inherently funny to make a movie premised on the fact that it would be really easy to narrow down who the serial killer is by identifying the adult men at a pop girl concert + this movie REALLY captures the vibe during the opening act no one gaf about a pop event concert, like i saw 5SOS open for 1D and that's exactly what it felt like

popstar: never stop never stopping - rewatch, duh. is this the funniest movie of all time? it's gotta be up there, right?

josie and the pussycats - also a rewatch, duh. love everything about this but most of all the soundtrack, the songs are legit incredible, no fictional band has ever had better music (rip adam schlesinger who contributed some songwriting!!!). first time rewatching this movie since figuring out some Stuff and understand now that rachel leigh cook needs to be on the Oh Those Were Gay Feelings. That's What That Was list. (rosario dawson too, but i already got there with her.)

vice - really incredible to think it would be possible to fuck up a movie about how dick cheney is basically satan but somehow mckay managed. christian bale is a professional though, i feel like we don't appreciate enough that no matter how bad the movie or how stupid the writing he's out there giving an absolute top tier performance every single time.

aliens - sorta half-watched this one but idk i feel like me and james cameron just don't vibe. not as incredible-looking or cool as the first one.

godzilla minus one - really really cute!!!!!!

jurassic park - rewatch on the big screen, still slaps the hardest of almost any movie ever

twentieth century - this is i guess nominally a screwball comedy (howard hawks, 1934, for those of you for whom that means something) but it's about these two toxic theater people who are horrible for and obsessed with each other and it's... darker... than my experience of that genre has usually been. in a way that sort of works in its favor partly because it just gives it a certain interest and partly because the gender politics of screwballs can be so dark themselves so it's kind of a relief that this one lacks the cognitive dissonance of pretending this all isn't horrible? idk. it's a weird one. but i liked it, on balance. there's a (pretty funny tbh) running gag about suicide threats and a really bananas third act plot that comes out of nowhere... great performances across the board and some real bangers dropped into the screenplay!

the substance - i didn't, like, love this, and i think a lot of common criticisms of it are right, but some are also very silly (guys i think the director knows nothing about the morning exercise show makes sense... i don't think she was going for a realistic depiction of 21st century celebrity...), and i did have a good time for the most part (the last 30 minutes is gross in a way that doesn't do it for me... but i know it does it for some people and those people deserve movies too...) and respected its commitment to its own bit, as well as the fact that it's basically a fairy tale (a woman who lives in a tower makes a bargain with a force she doesn't really understand to regain her beauty...). oh also i liked that the thing that drives the back half of the plot is essentially the idea that you simply cannot have a 22 year old's body without also having to contend with a 22 year old's dumb dumb stupid ass piece of shit idiot brain. haven't seen a lot of people comment on that aspect of it but it was like my favorite part!

female trouble - people throw out the word iconic a lot but like what else is there to say? rude, disgusting, occasionally genuinely offensive, mostly (for me) delightfully so... really great to watch with a crowd that would whoop and cheer for I'M SO GLAD I HAD AN ABORTION and THE WORLD OF THE HETEROSEXUAL IS A SICK AND BORING LIFE... also like it's really key for the way this movie functions that divine is a fat drag queen that most people do not consider the pinnacle of beauty but it's incredibly clear that john waters and this movie does... like divine's constant proclamations of her own gorgeousness are in a kind of inherent tension with the average american's disagreement with that sentiment but in a way where it's like, if you disagree you are an idiot and this movie is not yours. she's so hot in this it's crazy!!

michael clayton - i wanted to watch a talky thriller-ish movie and the men of the ringer podcast network literally never shut up about this one so i gave it a shot and it delivered! clooney predictably great but i had no idea tilda swinton & tom wilkinson were in it and they are both also awesome, as is merrit weaver in a small but very well cast role

venom - you can sort of glimpse the movie this movie would be if it weren't shackled to What A Superhero Movie Is Now / loosely to the MCU even though it pretends it's not, and i bet that movie would be a lot of fun!

black christmas (1974) - perfectly done urban legend horror with an interesting little pro choice streak, great cast, camera work so perfectly spooky and tense even i noticed how well it was done, makes good use of the cinematic potential of christmas lights. i really liked that this movie is short and a slasher but all the characters in it feel very well drawn even though we don't spend much time with almost any of them... reminded me that this is actually possible to do and i should be harder on movies that don't do it!

black christmas (2006) - nowhere near as good as the first one, but it is, uh, absolutely bugfuck crazyass bananapants start to end. my favorite of many deranged writing choices in this movie is that the sorority mother makes them all open their secret santa every year with a gift for the murderer who killed his family years ago in this house and then when one of the girls' townie boyfriend is like "this is the house that used to freak us out when we were kids" the sorority mother is like, "why?" ?????????? ok!!!!!

heretic - hugh grant is a fucking movie star. i love sophie turner and the other girl was good too. sort of loses steam once the "actually" scary stuff happens because horror movie shenanigans are hard to make as scary as the situation of two young and not very experienced girls slowly realizing they are trapped in a house with a man who just keeps pushing the boundaries of the social contract a little further, but i had fun

the apprentice - not a good movie but a great viewing experience for those of us who have reblogged in our lifetimes approx. 1 million combined gifsets of sebstan and jerbear... like yeah those are my guys and my guys did great :) i think my favorite thing about it as a movie (other than the way the "look" of it updates with technology, which is a cooler idea i wish had been used for a... better movie?) is that it really beats home the aspect of trmp wherein he has no social skills at all and has never felt authentically comfortable in a group of people in his entire life, which is something i think we should culturally be meaner to him about

gladiator - dumb (affectionate) movie magic. russell crowe has so much movie star charisma while looking so much like Just Some Guy it's literally crazy. when he kisses the little dolly of his wife who's about to die ;_;

raising arizona - miracle movie, can't believe i'd never watched this before. the coens' control of their tone is so incredible to see so early in their work (still gotta watch barton fink one of these day). incredible cast, gorgeous colors, so funny, so weirdly sweet, when it finished i felt like i'd watched a magic trick

erin brokovich - watched this for the first time since high school and like what else is there to say but Queen Icon Legend Slay? i am speaking of course about steven soderbergh but julia is pretty fucking incredible too.

conclave - i'm gonna be real i feel like the hype got to me a lil with this one because it's not as bitchy and fun as i feel like i was led to believe... also requires more buy-in re: the moral direction of the catholic church than i anticipated. however it does have its moments and it's nice to see some of our best actors being good at their jobs and it looks great!

the philadelphia story - i found this movie so delightful to watch that for a moment i really thought she might run off with jimmy stewart at the end and not get back tamed with her abusive ex..... but such was the power of the hepburn/stewart chemistry in that one drunk garden scene that i found myself totally incapable of actually integrating the gender politics of this one into my feelings towards it... like i just couldn't be mad at a movie that gave me a scene that made me want to scream JUST KISS!!!! the most anything has since the first time i watched "cooler"... do you know what that is? for me to bust out "cooler" as a comp? my god... i understand why my friend has been like that about hepburn our whole lives and am also now fully baby jimmy stewart pilled

gladiator ii - the consensus is right on this one: not as good as the first, paul mescal is no russell crowe, but denzel really ate. my friends and i laughed out loud at almost every single denzel scene. we're so lucky to have him.

wicked - bad movie of a bad musical, fundamentally misunderstands the function of songs in a musical and thus shoots every single musical number abominably, as ugly as you've heard, we are not advanced enough technologically for me to emotionally invest in CGI Goat Voiced By Peter Dinklage, but ariana deserves an oscar. the prettyboy was pretty good too. orivo can really sing but her acting was kinda giving Distressed Pixar Mom for me although i'm happy to add this to john m chu's many crimes.

out of sight - the romantic premise of this movie is CRAZY but george clooney kinds of sells it actually because and not in spite of the fact that he's one of those curious Incredibly Handsome But Not Very Sexy actors... like you believe that she wouldn't really hold a grudge against him locking her in a trunk with him, because, what, clooney's gonna act untoward? no... not him... j. lo joins andie macdowell as an actress out of whom soderbergh somehow coaxes a much better performance than experience would lead you to believe she is capable of. shockingly stacked cast of pros doing great, INCREDIBLE production design - banner movie for characters costumed to match or complement their interiors!!!

burlesque - dr. sam from new girl fucks stanley tucci in this movie... i literally can't stop thinking about that. xtina maybe has the all time highest ratio of vocal chops to charisma, she has the screen presence of a recurring character on a cancelled WB drama and then she opens her mouth and you're like, damn. i would watch an 8 season HBO sitcom of cher and stanley tucci running a failing burlesque club. at one point i said out loud "chekhov's air rights." great time

logan lucky - "what if steven soderbergh made a heist movie but decided to put his coen brothers hat on and, also, cast channing tatum as a divorced dad who wants to support his daughter's dreams but is seriously wigged out by pageant culture?" yes please. absolutely. adam driver almost never acts in movies i actually want to see but he really is one of the real ones.

babygirl - one of those movies where i can understand lots of things that didn't work for people but i, personally, was completely rapturous the entire time because i wanted a movie where i could walk out saying "nicole kidman did that" and i got that AND ALSO (a) a story about a perfectionist who hates herself and (b) sex scenes that are funny and weird and awkward and warm and human. that's so many things i love happening at once, i will happily forgive and overlook any flaws. i really just loved how much the two of them are actively figuring this thing out as they go and how that's embarrassing and goofy and also sweet and fun. plus nicole kidman really did do that, i mean, like, my god... my god....

fantasmas - you have to watch fantasmas... why haven't you watched fantasmas yet... i really struggle to imagine the person who would follow My Dumb Blog but not be into fantasmas... "the gay ones don't draw dicks, they draw eyes"... julio torres is the voice of a generation

the franchise - not quite as much of a banger as i wanted to be but likable enough, & i'm a sucker for showbiz jokes (jokes about insecure actors, etc.), although i think chris ryan had a point on the watch pod when he was like, the thing about the satire elements of this show are that if you know anything about the actual production stuff on superhero/franchise movies it's hard to satirize because like, the real stuff is actually just that crazy... there's a running thread about the overworked VFX guy and it's kinda funny but also like, well this lines up more or less with what those teams have actually said... anyway. i want to say i'm a lil bummed it didn't get renewed nonetheless but also i forgot until i was typing up the list of things to document here that i had never gotten around to the season finale, so i guess i can't really honestly claim to be that bummed lol. (watched it while washing dishes - pretty good!) did love daniel bruhl as a sensitive artiste director being soul-crushed by the studio machine though! that guy's great.

read

r. o. kwon, exhibit - this one's tough. ultimately, there were actually a lot of things i liked about this book. it had some moments that felt really human and well observed (when the protagonist says something about how usually orgasms aren't worth the guilt and then says she knows she's letting us down and her paramour says who's us and the protagonist says all women... that's funny and real and not unrelateable to me for different reasons!). the bones of it were i think ultimately solid - like yeah she's terrible at communicating but ultimately the book is about her running away from the hard fact that her husband wants a baby and she doesn't and the psychology holds water throughout, i think. (also a funny paragraph about how she knows how to cook but mostly subsists on like handfuls of nuts and bread dipped into olive oil or whatever and then she's like "and you thought i could raise a child?"... also relateable...) i REALLY related to the idea of being a person who simultaneously has the memory of experiencing the loss of faith in god as genuinely, actually traumatic and also being like "btw my family might be cursed by vengeful spirit, it's a whole thing, but i gotta try to talk to her before i do this because she kind of gave me the idea," and i really liked that the book didn't spend any effort on reconciling these two things because... i mean iykyk, like i really can't explain beyond "sometimes that's what it's like" - AND i also liked the ultimate reveal of that storyline and how it tied into the core character work of the main plot. plus the whole thing is like the "trying stuff out sexually as a vehicle/metaphor for owning your whole self" thing that i (a) have enjoyed writing in fanfiction and (b) really loved watching in babygirl lmao. unfortunately the writing was the most annoying tryhard I Get It You Have An MFA ass prose i have ever encountered... i complained about this at the time but it's craaazyyyy to use the word "mirific" three times in a ~200 page novel lmao. deranged. calm yourself. i also felt like the dialogue was really bad although i guess i can't totally rule out that this is a book about artists and artists actually are that annoying? idk though... it didn't feel stylized it just felt weird... who says "tippled"... so, ultimately i couldn't say that i "liked" this even though it had elements i admired or enjoyed.

naomi klein, the shock doctrine: the rise of disaster capitalism - as i mentioned at the time, very enamored of its framing device in a very popular nonfiction/thomas friedman lite kinda way, but when it's not doing that (which luckily is most of the time), this is an informative and well explicated accounting of the horrors milton friedman has unleashed upon the world. i liked her fundamental argument that you can't politicize along economic grounds horrors committed under communism but not do that for capitalism, which has sort of seeped into general internet leftist thought (a testament to the success of this book) but which i appreciate more having seen how she builds her case.

the red nation, the red deal: indigenous action to save our earth - read this for a mutual aid book club that never happened lol. at the end of this book they're like "well probably none of this is new in the climate justice conversation but we don't think things have to be new to be valuable" and like... on the one hand true... on the other hand if you're even vaguely aware of climate justice discourse... not a lot here is new. i also, perhaps unpopularly, have become kind of a... idk... i mean when people are like "we can't solve climate collapse without dismantling capitalism" these days my reaction is basically "well one of those things might happen in the next two hundred years and it's not dismantling capitalism." i'm not like a tech-zealot but a... tech-realist? idk. this is not what i want to be true but it is my honest accounting of the situation. so, any argument that's like "step one: dismantle capitalism" is... it's just not where i'm at these days.

patrick radden keefe, say nothing: a true story of murder and memory in northern ireland - there are no doubt quibbles or political issues to be had with this book, a story of the troubles focused largely on a particular group of IRA members operating in west belfast in the early 70s - as an idiot coming into this subject basically cold, i would have appreciated slightly more grounding in the political situation leading up to the swelling of violence in this period - but, damn, this book is fucking mesmerizing. keefe really brings the people involved to life, particularly the young IRA members at the heart of his chronicle, and while it's clear he doesn't condone all their actions, my own sense was that he was more interested in truly understanding and making clear their own understandings of their motivations & understanding of themselves & ethical framework than he was in passing judgment (and i also definitely felt like he had a certain admiration for the integrity of someone like brandon hughes or dolours price, who were always willing to own what they did and why they did it, and a genuine disdain for how fucking crazy it is for gerry adams to rebrand as a peacenik when literally everybody knows he spent the early 70s telling people to plant bombs lmao). (also having read empire of pain... he definitely holds the sacklers in lower esteem than the IRA, lol.) the final chapters of the book also touch on the really fascinating difficult question of how you morally reckon with the revolutionary violence you did if the revolution you did it for never came to pass - this is the heart of why his fellow ex-IRA comrades feel so betrayed by adams, who has left them to shoulder the burden of that guilt alone while pivoting to the compromise they once agreed would not suffice which was part of the reason for all the violence, and it is something i think about a lot as someone who would not self identify as a pacifist and thinks the historical record leaves no doubt that sometimes violence is necessary for change but nonetheless feels very reluctant to endorse specific acts of revolutionary violence in theory. thrilling and thorny, ultimately i would say deserving of all the accolades i learned after reading it has apparently received lol.

patrick radden keefe, the snakehead: an epic tale of the chinatown underworld and the american dream - not quite as tremendous-feeling as say nothing, but that's mostly because that's a crazy high bar; this is a really fascinating look at the human smuggling trade (& other organized-ish crime) in NYC's chinatown in the 80s/90s, including the middle aged woman who was at the heart of much of it. contains: some totally deranged gang warfare stories; a really fascinating look at the weirdness of chinese immigration policy in the 90s, when china's one-child policy pushed normally anti-immigration republicans to switch on this issue for pro-life reasons (the one child policy... maybe the one thing every american politician shares the same view on, for different reasons?); interesting background on fujian, the high-outmigration region of china from whence many of the principles in this story came; an accounting of an insane boat journey gone so wrong that at one point after the would-be migrants have been trapped in a harbor off the coast of africa (i forget which country), when they finally leave, two of them decide to stay because the chinese restaurant they've opened is doing so well. i keep thinking about the fact keefe highlights that of the hundreds of doomed migrants on this hugely traumatic journey who wound up deported after crash-landing, nearly all of them eventually made their way back to the US.

kazuo ishiguro, nocturnes - my first ishiguro since my teen ishiguro phase (a concept that should really be regarded the way that teens getting into heavy metal and grunge is in pop culture e.g. a sign to check in on their mental health lmao). didn't love these but i can't tell if that's because i prefer ishiguro as a novelist or because i'm just bad at reading short stories... also to be fair there were at least 2 ishiguro novels i read back then and was like "the fuck was that" lol. some very funny moments and a lot of like, amusing portraits of unlikable people, and i do love his style, which is like, a pathologically conversational first person that years of reading since has taught me is much more technically difficult than it looks, but ultimately it felt pretty slight.

naomi klein, doppleganger: a trip into the mirror world - klein takes on, like, "the wellness to alt right pipeline" is an oversimplification but topics in that neck of the woods, inspired by the wack ass shit constantly being tweeted by Other Naomi (wolf), with whom klein is frequently confused on twitter. this is an inherently very funny premise for a book and a lot of what klein says is in my view pretty accurate, and some of her literary/theoretical musings on dopplegangers as a Thing are interesting to read, plus the whole thing is on topics of interest to me, aka Alt Right Derangement And Weird Shit People Are Up To Online. however..... so klein says that she herself was very offline until covid happened, basically, and so if you have been online longer, and especially if you have been actively reading stuff about Weird Shit People Are Up To Online, then this book is basically a smart person catching up with topics you yourself already know a lot about. so in a funny way i found this a more enjoyable read than the shock doctrine, because it's less of an unrelenting fucking bummer about human evil and suffering, but it was also less enriching, because she didn't really bring any new insight to topics that, again, are probably in the top 5 of Post Headlines I'm Most Likely To Click On. like yeah, deranged alt right types are using the language of social justice and inequality and bodily autonomy to further their various causes... tru... i mean it is tru... i also think the fact that her default is a Not Online person who only changed her vibe after covid makes her a bit more of an internet doomer bc she doesn't viscerally get the nontoxic value possible to find in Online through diligent curation lol. but i do think it was a solid accounting of the subcultures and and ideologies she explores so like i said i basically liked it and if you're less tuned into weird internet radicalization currents than i am you will probably find it informative!

suzanna clarke, piranesi - i don't even know what to say about this one, probably tied with tender as my favorite book i read last year (strong fantasy year for me i guess). it's so crazy that suzanna clarke wrote jonathan strange & mr. norrell, the most perfect book of all time, and then did this, which is also the most perfect book of all time, in a completely different way. her gift for atmosphere and voice is second to none and in this one she uses it to draw us into caring so deeply for a narrator who can't even remember his own past - the book in some ways is a mystery and the doling out of information is perfectly paced but the reason it works is because we just love this guy because of how much he loves the universe. the final chapter expresses something about survival & upheaval & change (&, sure, trauma, if you want) that, as i said before & will come as no surprise, is so so so precisely keyed into an idea so deeply important to me... ahh! just sublime!

v. c. andrews, flowers in the attic - book club!! this book is CRAZY but there's only two real things i want to say about it: (1) a lot of what's totally deranged about it is that on the one hand, it has the most gothic novel ass set-up ever - horrible incest house of dark secrets and shame, children literally living in an attic, physical decay, etc. etc. - and on the other hand in all other respects its sensibilities are the most american 70s suburban ass thing, so that it's like, a gothic novel where the evil mother goes to secretary school and the kids watch sitcoms and cut construction paper in the secret attic... like, the tonal clash is soooo crazy, it's incredible; and (2) ok so like by the time it happens you 100% want those siblings to fuck. like. you just do.

suzanna clarke, jonathan strange and mr. norrell - counting this as last year even though i read the second half in january lol. ummm best book in the world. third time through and i genuinely think it gets better every time. most purely pleasurable reading experience of all time.

stephanie mccurry, confederate reckoning: power and politics in the civil war south - ditto re timing (technically i have like a couple pages of this one left and a few more quotes to post lol). i picked this back up as a comfort reread after the election and it slaps so hard it's crazy. love to read about how a bunch of war-losing loser traitors lost in no small part because it's hard to wage war as a modern state committed to resisting the tides of modernity!!!! sucks 2 suck!!!!!

listened

maude latour, sugar water - i'm kind of obsessed with maude latour not in terms of being obsessively in love with her music, although i think she's very good, but because she's my go-to example of someone out here doing girlpop toiling away in the spotify minds unremuneratively who i would easily and even gladly swap fame-wise with basically any of the pop girls in our current rising class (thinking of olivia/chappell/sabrina... none of whom are like terrible - well ok i have yet to hear a chappell roan song i think is actually good lol but i guess she can sing and it's nice that she's gay - but also alleged newcomers like tate mcrae? addison whoever? madison beer? these are not real people stop trying to act like they're real people! ladyraven ass pop girls...). she just makes really solid, well written, inventive but still catchy pop. i returned to this short album a lot more than i expected to, often thinking i wanted to hear just the first song (a standout) and then realizing i was happy to let the rest play through. also gay stuff, if you care about that.

sabrina carpenter, short n sweet - like it's all very competent and espresso deserves its flowers but who cares? who could possibly ever care? i've been SUCH an antonoff apologist and please please please is the first song where i felt like i was hearing him as his haters hear him, it sounds like shit. there are better moments and worse moments, some ok lines, she can sing, etc., but where's the vision? where's the personality? nothing to grab on to.

beabadoobee, this is how tomorrow moves - beabadoobee is obviously talented and intelligent and her music sounds enough like a kind of music i like that i always feel like i should like her more... but i think she's a little too stripped down and sophisticated for me. that said "ever seen" was one of my top songs of 2024, total absolute BANGER

charly bliss, forever - doesn't quite live up to the heights of young enough, but given that young enough is a strong contender for my favorite album of the past decade, i'm not really sure it could. this one is pop-punkier and very hooky lots of fun, and i just love eva's taffy-pull voice and wanna listen to her sing anything. also it has a song that sounds so much like a pop punk version of a kesha song it's legit uncanny to me.

pom pom squad, mirror starts moving without me - big step up from their last album, IMO, and i liked that a lot too! ambitious in an interesting way but also lots of fun. this one also has a song that at points sounds so much like a kesha song it's crazy, as does a 2023 album i was recently listening to by underscores... i feel like we're living in a big post-kesha moment and i don't know if anyone is appreciating it enough...

pale waves, smitten - i agree with pale waves that "what if avril lavigne got really into shoegaze and was also gay" is a great idea for an album. really pretty production on this one!

070 shake, petrichor - my friend dave was like "this album might be bad but i'm obsessed with it" and i listened out of solidarity and was like, i don't like this but i can understand why you specifically would. friendship!

charli xcx, brat and it's completely different but it's still brat - i never really listen to enough albums to justify having an album of the year but something about the release of the remix album really opened up the whole project to me and i was completely obsessed with it for a while and still love it. track by track most of the remixes are not quite as good as the original track (although some, like caroline polacheck's gorgeous turn on everything is romantic, are definite upgrades), but something about the spirit of generosity that infuses the project, the way it makes it all feel like a project more than an album, the sense that charli has thrown this party and she's invited up and coming spanish rapper bbtrix alongside ariana grande, the way it's less disciplined than the album proper but more expansive, at some points grimier and clubbier and at other points more emotive and romantic... idk. feels like a whole world. the so i remix alone, like - releasing a sad song about your friend who died, and then releasing a faster song about all the fun shit you used to do, that sounds more like a song your dead friend would have produced, is one of the most loving acts i have ever seen committed through art and it made me cry even though i never connected with SOPHIE's music bc i'm not really cool enough to be into hyperpop. rooting for charli at the grammies even though i know it's not gonna happen lmao.

other

jenny holzer at the guggenheim - there was a jenny holzer installation at the guggenheim!! it was really cool!! i finally understood something @rgr-pop said years ago about how it matters that she is a visual artist and her words (incredible as they often are as words) appear physically in a space. it is in fact Different, to see them in a space. in addition to The Classics (i got so fannishly excited spotting IT IS IN YOUR SELF INTEREST TO FIND A WAY TO BE VERY TENDER lmao), the installation also included a lot of her more recent and more overtly political stuff, some of which engaged specifically with the bush ii administration & iraq/afghanistan, which made for intense viewing given that i happened to go right around the time i read the shock doctrine (as did spotting the one about how mothers who have a reason to cry should do so in public....). jenny holzer is great! so glad i could experience that!

[captzexx]

2025: The Front End

Roleplay. Roleplay never changes.

Actually it changes a lot, who am I kidding? Or maybe I'm just changing? No probably not. I think I've reached an age where I'm kind of stuck where I am and this will be what it will be. So here we are again, another year to go and another (possible) delusion of grandeur to thinking I might put something coherency to writing and playing.

But I'm still here and I'm gonna still make the effort.

But who the hell am I?

Who the hell am I? I'm Zach or Capt Zexx or Mogwai Kraken depending on where or when we may have talked. I'm an older person (40) for sure with the same aspirations (delusions) of being something of a pulp adventure writer a 100 years too late. Swords, sorcery, metal, and nostalgia work well with my constant thirst for decaf coffee (I'm old), protein, and somehow swimming out of the funk that comes with every day. As you might be able to surmise from some of my re-posts, the next four years feel like they're going to be 84 years. But some times we'll succeed and a lot of time we won't.

But we keep going.

I host a couple roleplay blogs and story ideas on here because I have a tendency to not be able to sit on an idea for long enough to make some thing good out of it. That's what this is all about though.

Keep trying.

Keep going.

So if you'd like to collaborate, throw art at each, or critic whatever we're doing in this world or the next feel free to send a message or ask. I try to cover a lot different genres in my work as you'll see in the cut but I am not exclusive to these. Got an idea to share or maybe something I know nothing about, please throw it my way I would love to listen, learn, and explore it.

Anyways, as always, here's my Wonderwall.

THE BLOGS

The majority of these are all based out of the World of Warcraft. It's been my home for over 25 years, I can't get away as much as I might try. We're too entwined and I'm tired of fighting it, so I'm gonna embrace it and be comfortable in it.

Embers of the Order ( @embersoftheorder ) This is my main focus for protagonists for my writing and roleplaying. Can you guess who it involves? I can never get away from that wonderful Witcher inspired group of monster hunters from Kul Tiras, the Order of Embers. I love Drustvar so much and the head canon group I built up are always in the back of my mind when I listen to music or try to come up with something to write. But with the old faces like Eld or Cheryl, gonna try to bring some side characters to the front like Rachel or Beld or non-Ember members who can help like Ganus or Ramses. We'll see what happens but it's kind of nice having a heroic blog that I can store and play with them all.

An Unending Gaze ( @anunendinggaze ) As there is a light side of my roleplaying/writing there has to be a dark side. I've wanted for years to stretch my legs and limits to play more sinister types with a dark agenda or plans, but I guess I'm always more inherit-ably the good guy than a villain. But it doesn't mean I don't dream of firing the death star, forging the ring, or body hopping realities with an obsession for the Old Ones within the vastness of the Void. And I am leaning hard into that last one with Oplisca, my old cultist antagonist to my oldest character who I'm trying to mold into some kind of overarching monster. But I can't just have her as other characters have had their run-ins with so many villains. Alfred Klaudin the murderous zealot, the Fredman a roaming Drust serial killer, Kinowin the misplaced power hungry cultist, or Daesyd the money hungry architect. I'm working on them all and very willing to build more even those that aren't cultists or maniacs, the idea of a Light blinded soldier or a corrupted figure all come to mind. I need to work on it and would love if someone could help me or guide me with this menagerie.

Of Bronze and Sage ( @bronzeandsage ) Went ahead and made new blog for my Horde side life, it has been highly productive. I’ve leaned on a couple of old characters from my multiverse to create a base but I’m happy to report I’ve made up a few new ones to help round it out! Relying on my lack of knowledge to make it as much a journey of discovery as a refresh to playing and roleplaying. So join my orc thief Sevlaz as he learns what it is to be a ward of the Bronze and a champion of The Word. For the Horde.

A Crow Among Sparrows ( @acrowamongsparrows ) I fell in love with the music of the Witcher games and in turn fell in love with the lore that came from it via the books, comics, and to lesser extent the television show. So I had to make up my own kind of head-canon for the Witcher verse with my cast of characters to fill it, but I didn't want to stray from a lot I already built and knew. Enter Eld of Kovir and the other members of this 'Scooby gang'. I recently did a large stint of stories for a writing challenge for them and found I had a lot to say. I would love to keep saying these things and press on with them.

Conduit Dreams ( @conduitdreams ) There is so much rattling in my head in regards to cyberpunk and what I want out of the stories to be told in my world here. I love noir and the idea of a urban future hard boiled stories involving robots, existence, and a smattering of human horror combined with eldritch is just simmering in my brain. I think of a city caught in the middle between two governments where capital gains rules more then moral gains while the people struggle to survive. Midwich and the agents of S.T.O.N. trying to keep the populace safe for human and 'conduit' kind.

With An Emerald Eye ( @withanemeraldeye ) Adventures in the pulp fantasy of swords, sorcery, and adventure. I love old Conan stories or Fafhrd and Gray Mouser tales of swords against devilry, I try to put it into my more higher fantasy stuff in Azeroth when I can but I would love to do more with low/weird fantasy stuff. Give me underground cults, jewel thefts, and brave people facing impossible odds. Plus kick ass art and heavy metal.

These blogs and ideas are not what I am limited to as I have a great interest in post apocalyptic stories or urban fantasy or modern horror. Whatever. I'm open and interested in expanding my horizons as much as a word a document.

[lizziee-black]

Ok so hear me out

The song someone new by Hozier reminds me of Mike Ross from suits

Here are my reasons why

‘Don't take this the wrong way. You knew who I was with every step that I ran to you’

Harvey knows Mike inside and outside and knows how he would react to everything. Mike always wants to tell him everything but he doesn’t always, as he wants Harvey to see him as competent (which let’s be honest he does) or Mike thinks that Harvey won’t want to hear about everything in his life (like Harvey wouldn’t listen to Mike talk for hours the guy is in looove)

‘Would things be easier if there was a right way?Honey, there is no right way’

Him just trying to do the right thing the best he can and it backfiring on him.

Like that time Jessica threatened Mike and he did tell Harvey, then Harvey was mad about.

The guilt about the fact that he doesn’t have a degree and knowing if he is discovered all the people he helped and cases he did will be reviewed, but still wanting to continue because he loved his job his dream job since his parents died.That time he prioritized work over visiting his grammy then she died the next day.

‘so I fall in love just a little, oh a little bit every day with someone new’

Just mike caring so much about pro bono cases and being so invested in every case and empathize with his clients and encouraging them to settle from more money when he thinks the other party has done them wrong.

‘There's an art to life's distractions. To somehow escape the burning weight, the art of scraping through’

Mike drinking in bars with Trevor, smoking and going to trivia nights, just him being a bike messenger and scraping through and knowing he is smarter than most of the lawyers at the law firm/clinic he delivered packages to and knowing he wasted his potential but just distracting himself from all that.

‘The dark caress of someone else’

Personally I associate this part with Harvey but I am a marvey shipper soo.

‘I guess any thrill will do’

Like his smoking weed, that one time he tried to sell it ( I know it was to get money for his grammy but you can’t convince me it wasn’t also just a little bit for the trill) , selling test scores, agreeing to be an associate at a law firm without a degree, all the semi-legal stuff he and Harvey did, plus like the trill I am sure he got that like yea I can pull off all those things cuz I am smarter than you (cause mike is cocky).

‘I wake at the first cringe of morning And my heart's already sinned’

Him waking up knowing he is going to the job he loves that he is doing illegally but he can help it or stop himself because he needs the money and also because it has been his dream job since his parents died and him also know him doing his dream job is putting people he loves at risk Harvey, Donna, Rachel even Louis and Jessica basically anyone who knows his secret.

‘How pure how sweet a love, Aretha, that you would pray for him’

Donna and Harvey call him puppy I think he is pure and sweet at heart.

‘I fall in love just a little, oh a little bit every day Love with every stranger, the stranger the better’

Every day he gets to work on a case he pours his heart into it and I think when you care and pour you heart into something you love it even if it’s just a little.

I know Hozier didn’t mean the song that way but I think the song applies to Mike if you think about the way I have

I have only seen the first couple of seasons of suits if you can tell

[monsieuroverlord]

September 2024 Solicits are up!

We'll have quite a line-up for this month! From the Ashes Era of X-Books officially kicks off and there are plenty of first wave books to check out!

There's also a new Marvel Zombies -- this time a vrus created by Groot?

Lots of Spider-man and Venom as well.

Source here

Dazzler #1

written by Jason Loo, art by Rafael Loureiro, main cover by Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson

"SO BRIGHT THIS STAR!

DAZZLER, Marvel’s glittering mutant songstress, has been in and out of the limelight over the years – but now the time has finally come for her to take center stage! Dazzler embarks on a new world tour, the culmination and celebration of her entire musical career! And along for the ride is her new road crew: Domino, Strong Guy and Multiple Man! But while Dazzler may be ready to focus on her music, her celebrity-mutant status and a violent attack may sideline the entire endeavor before it’s even begun…"

Exceptional X-Men #1

written by Eve L. Ewing, art and main cover by Carmen Carnero

"KATE PRYDE LEADS A TEAM OF ALL-NEW X-MEN!

After the fall of Krakoa, Kate Pryde is trying to get as far away from all things X as she possibly can. She’s just a regular-degular bartender now. Definitely NOT getting ready to head up an ALL-NEW TEAM of wayward young mutants while avoiding the watchful gaze of Emma Frost. Nothing in this title but work, dating and staving off depression. That’s it. No never-before-seen EXCEPTIONAL X-MEN to see here!"

Wolverine #1

written by Saladin Ahmed, art and main cover by Martin Coccolo

"THE LEGEND BEGINS ANEW IN THE ADAMANTIUM-TOUGH NEW ONGOING SERIES!

There’s a killer in the woods – and as WOLVERINE’s attempt at peace is shattered, an OLD ENEMY will re-emerge as a NEW VILLAIN rises who will bring LOGAN to the brink of his berserker rage. But NIGHTCRAWLER knows his old friend is capable of doing what’s right, and before long, Logan will have to unleash his claws, push his healing factor to the limit and demonstrate he’s the best there is at what he does once and for all – nice be damned!

The legendary WOLVERINE ongoing series kicks off anew with the superstar creative team of Saladin Ahmed (DAREDEVIL, MS. MARVEL) and Martín Cóccolo (DEADPOOL, IMMORTAL THOR) beginning their epic journey with Logan!"

Ultimate X-Men #7

art, writing, and main cover by Peach Momoko

"MEET THE MUTANTS’ NEW MENTOR, PSYLOCKE!

• After the climactic finale of issue #6 and the surprise new teammate they found, Mei, Hisako, Nico and the mutants need some guidance!

• Fortunately, the mysterious Kanon is an older student with a surprising amount of expertise…"

Marvel Zombies: Dawn of Decay

written by Thomas Krajewski, art and main cover by Jason Muhr

"Groot feels bad – not only because Rocket’s latest scheme put them firmly in the crosshairs of the Avengers, but also he’s just plain sick! Sap-dripping nose and all. Things go from bad to apocalyptic, however, after an ill-timed sneeze in Captain America’s face has unforeseeable consequences! Suddenly, Groot is being attacked by a horde of zombified Avengers, and only he and Hulk, with his impenetrable green skin, remain impervious. Now it’s up to these two heroes to team up and fight their way through a blighted New York City to Banner’s lab in Avengers Tower to find a cure before it’s too late. But can Groot keep the hero in check and on track, or will Hulk unleash his deadly might on the zombies they once called friends?"

[jules-has-notes]

Just Sing — VoicePlay music video

In times of societal stress, art is not just a good thing, but a necessity. It connects people across time and distance, uniting us through the expression of common emotions. So when VoicePlay found themselves unable to create videos in person, they did the same thing as many others around the world — they went remote. Since everyone filming in the comfort of their own homes meant that geography was no longer a concern, the guys reached out to a couple dozen collaborators spanning decades of recordings, and brought them together into an uplifting chorus of supremely talented voices.

NOTE: Make sure you have the captions on to see who everybody is in relation to the group.

Details:

title: Just Sing

featured performers: Kristina Palazzolo, Liam Gerrity, Rachel Potter, Mykal Kilgore, Tony Wakim, Darian Yancey, Emoni Wilkins, Sarah Vela, Tim Foust, Honey La Rochelle, Matthew Darren, VJ Rosales, Adriana Arellano, Elizabeth Garazzo, Anthony Gargiula, John Pinto Jr., Scott Porter, Jeff Thatcher, & Jarrett Johnson

original performers: cast of Trolls World Tour (2020)

written by: Justin Timberlake, Sarah Aarons, Ludwig Göransson, & Max Martin

arranged by: Layne Stein

release date: 15 May 2020

My favorite bits:

the way Kristina's face lights up when Liam joins in

ramping up the accompaniment behind Rachel

the overlap between Mykal and Tony on ♫ "everybody" ♫

reuniting the trio of Earl, Eli, and Tony from the era when they became VoicePlay

the ladies of Ten bouncing the lead vocals back and forth

Sarah's brash little shoulder brush (Heck yeah, she's good!)

Tim being greeted with his own signature growl from Geoff

the extra oomph Honey puts on ♫ "lips" ♫ and ♫ "soul" ♫

having VJ sing in his own Filipino language of Tagalog rather than the original version's Korean

bringing the friendly bass-off full circle with Tim's subharmonic ♫ "else" ♫ and the captions calling him a "show off 🙄"

that slow bell chord behind the end of John's section

J.None taking the lead for Guy Diamond's part again

all three vocal percussionists showing off their different styles

Elizabeth's soaring glissando to lead everyone back in

seeing all the singers together on screen at last

ending with simple homophony from the five guys and the kids

Trivia:

As Layne notes in the outro, VoicePlay donated their revenue for this video to MusiCares, which provides support to musicians in need. Their services were vital during a time when live performances weren't possible. This campaign raised over $170,000!

This project got a nice write-up on Broadway World to help promote the video and associated fundraiser.

VoicePlay's previous song from the Trolls franchise was released almost exactly two years earlier in May 2018.

Kristina's dad Pasquale also sang in the high school chorus that spawned 4:2:Five / VoicePlay, though he was a couple years older.

Liam's dad Sean Gerrity was part of the rotating cast when 4:2:Five were in the Polar Express Conductors show at SeaWorld in 2011.

Rachel was VoicePlay's first guest singer in a music video, and remains one of their most prolific, despite having moved first to Nashville and then New York. (When these guys really like someone, they don't let go easily.)

Mykal was the group's original high tenor way back when they were a high school barbershop quartet called 4 The Love, and into the early days of 4:2:Five. He left the group when the older boys graduated.

Tony has joked that he sees the VoicePlay guys more now than he did when he was a member of the group. Considering how frequently they film in and around the PattyCake studio, it's not much of an exaggeration.

Darian (aka DeeDee) is one of many friends the guys met during the fourth season of The Sing-Off. She was the final collaborator on their "Collide" project, and later recorded a duet with Layne during his paternity leave.

Emoni may have started as a fellow Sing-Off competitor, but she quickly became a dear friend and frequent collaborator. She has guested in music videos, joined them for both the first Sing-Off tour and a series of educational workshops, and plays Ursula in PattyCake's Villains Lair series. Not to mention becoming an honorary auntie to Layne's youngest daughter.

Sarah was one of their youngest Sing-Off pals, as her group Vocal Rush was in high school at the time, but she was a powerhouse even back then. When this was filmed, she was about to return to her alma mater and take over directorship of the group she helped to found.

Tim's group Home Free and VoicePlay have often been compared or even pitted against each other by fans ever since The Sing-Off, but the guys themselves have liked and supported each other from the beginning.

Honey was a theme park buddy from way back, and enjoyed joining the guys for The Sing-Off. There was a bit of friction between them after she wasn't able to join them for the tour, but it's nice to see that the passage of years and some extraordinary circumstances could bring them together again.

Matthew was another theme park pal, and was in serious consideration to replace Tony as the group's baritone back in 2017.

VJ and his group The Filharmonic are yet more Sing-Off alumni, who the guys got to know well on the 2014 tour. When VoicePlay joke about passing the torch to "younger, cuter" guys, it's not hard to see where they got the idea.

Adriana was their most recent new collaborator at the time, and has returned for a number of full-length videos and shorts in the ensuing years. (But she still wasn't old enough to drive yet here.)

Elizabeth is a friend from the guys' early days in the theme park scene, when she was a member of the Voices of Liberty at Disney World. This is her first onscreen appearance with them, but not her first (or last) collaboration.

Anthony is also part of the extended theme park community, and was supposed to appear in a different video before the quarantine put the kibosh on that plan. They've definitely made up for that disappointment in the years since, though.

John always seems to appear during times of uncertainty. His first collaboration happened after Tony left the group, this was put together during lockdown, and his third appearance came about after Earl retired. (That's just coincidental, right?)

Although Scott left the group to pursue acting in 2003, he's always been supportive from afar, and maintained ties with their extended friend group in Orlando. He even gets to show off his vocal skills in the course of his acting jobs sometimes.

Jeff was not only an inspiration to the youngsters in 4:2:Five as a member of Rockapella, but quickly became a colleague and a friend. He produced their first eponymous EP, and has created several pieces of artwork for them over the years.

Jarrett occasionally subbed as 4:2:Five's baritone when Ryan Reed was starting to step away, and helped produce VoicePlay's "Once Upon an Ever After" album. The guys have enjoyed seeing him find success as both a part-time member of fellow a cappella group Take 6 and in the film industry.

As the guys noted in the Patron behind the scenes video, this project was (by necessity) new and unique in a lot of ways.

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A group of fans created a tribute version a few years later using the karaoke track available through VoicePlay's Patreon.

This ended up being Earl's last video with the group, a fitting final bow, even if they didn't know it at the time. It almost feels like everyone came back to give him a great big send-off party.

[spindle-girl]

Flare 2.7

walking to the train stop with new friends/mentorees + Sveta

“What Victoria was saying, how she was saying she was happy, seeing the kids happy, and how she felt energized after.  I don’t have that.  I don’t have a way to recharge when I’m not at one hundred percent.”

same

“I like people, parties, noise, really letting the walls drop away and having fun.  There are things I’d want to go out and do which I can’t.  Things I’m not comfortable talking about with Kenzie present.”

or not

“Weld’s kind-of dad figure was the Director in charge of the Boston PRT,” Sveta said.  “He was also kind of in charge of looking after Ashley, because her town was close to Boston.” “Making sure she didn’t do too much damage?” I asked. “Yes.  And gradually trying to get her used to the idea of cooperating with the good guys, making sure she was staying reasonably healthy.  They reached out regularly, letting her know there were better options.  Except that Ashley was a different Ashley.”

i wonder if he was the guy that wanted to recruit Rachel and she was his first run at it since it didn't seem to go as well. i do have a hard time believing that any of the Directors would try something like this to the extent Sveta is describing. i know not all the Directors were the same per se, but that kind of job typically has a specific type of person in it just through standard policies

That put Tristan, Byron and Chris close to center, Kenzie out west, Rain out to the far northwest, me a bit to the east, and Sveta and Ashley a bit further to the east.  With the trains I was figuring it might take about four or five hours for Kenzie to get to where Sveta and Ashley were situated.  It would take Rain another couple of hours, depending on how far north he was.

has anyone made a map for Gimel? just asking out of curiosity since i've seen a couple ones for Brockton Bay

“Tinker stuff breaks,” I said. “It does,” Kenzie said. “It would also be liable to break or break down when you needed it to work the most.  During disasters, or times when there aren’t a lot of downtime.” “That’s very true,” Kenzie said.

lay off the girl Victoria she's trying to help :/ am i forgetting a time where she had a bad experience with tinker tech or is this just wildbow trying to tell the audience tinker stuff isn't as good as they make it out to be? the one time i remember tinker tech not working out is maybe the Arc 4 fight with Leet, but that's his whole thing, and the explosion Coil used to fake his death, but that was on purpose.

Oh, Leet's teleport failing to drop the real Skitter on a bomb in Arc 16 too, but again that's Leet's passenger hating him. Every other case tinker tech worked exactly as intended and even better

“It’s an attempt on my life,” Rain said.  “Lives could be lost.  I don’t want yours to be one of them.  I would feel insanely shitty if you jumped in to help and you got hurt or killed.” “Insanely?” “Yes.”

not too surprisingly to hear from the guy who's power make a guilt aoe attack

“Whatever you’re going to say, I’ve heard it before,” Sveta said. “What the fuck’s going on with you, huh?  What’s wrong with you?” he called out. I turned my head to look at him.  Sveta squeezed my arm, then shook her head a little. “Hey, you’re weird,” he called out.  “You’re freaky.”

i hope no one tried saying this was unrealistic like they did with the bullying cause yeah, people will just be assholes for no reason

I stopped in front of another piece of graffiti.  It wasn’t crowded in with anything else, so it stood out, almost a piece of art in how it was spelled out on a ruined wall, half-toppled. THIS IS HOW THINGS ARE NOW I had the paper in my hand, I had my doubts, but the nagging feeling ceased being nagging and became acutely clear as I looked at the statement. “Fuck that,” I said.

a bit on the nose, but fair enough

End thoughts:

yay Tattletale! fair warning, i'm not going to be unbiased when she comes on screen. also, Victoria joins Taylor in never fucking sleeping and going out to do dangerous shit lol

[delightfully-deranged-dagur]

Finished my Total Drama OC Cast!

Let's meet the cast!

Alex. The Attention Hog

Doesn't care about anything except having everyone's attention on him. I mean, why wouldn't you pay attention to him. He's ripped, he's clever, he's hot, he's got muscles, did I mention he's ripped?

Finn. The Workaholic

Money, money, money. That's what Finn dreams about. It's why he works 6 different jobs and sleeps 2 hours a week. (If he's lucky) He loves money. He wants a lot of it. But the only way he'll accept it is through hard work.

And what's harder then winning Total Drama?

Gabriel. The Pretentious Goth

He barely glanced at you and he's already unimpressed with you. You're just not up to Gabriel's standards. Too mainstream and normal. Have you ever even worn a corset?

Just because he thinks he's better then you doesn't mean he has to constantly remind you of it. And yet he does.

Darla. The Visionary

Darla doesn't create art. She IS art. She breathes, eats and drinks art!

What exactly does she consider art? Oh you know, the usual. Glueing her schools desks to the ceiling. Swapping out the football uniforms for ballgowns. And of course, shaping her hair into the shape of the moon.

Rachel. The Rodeo Star

This devious diva has it all. Brains, brawn and beauty. And she's planning to walk away with the million keeping that all intact.

She's not a bad person, really. Just competitive. If she wasn't competing, she'd rather treat her fellow contestants to one of her Rodeo shows and some home-baked pie.

Raheem. The Oblivious Heartthrob

Raheem doesn't seem to realize how attractive he is. In fact, he doesn't realize a lot of things. He's kind and pretty book smart. But he's just terrible at reading social cues.

He feels terrible whenever he offends someone or make them upset because he didn't read their emotions properly. He doesn't really know to fix this issue so he just puts on a smile and suppresses his turmoil.

Olive. The Doormat

Coming from a big family where she doesn't feel like she fits in, Olive tries her best to help people so she'll feel accepted.

Now if only there was a way to help people without dragging so much attention to herself.

Lulu. The Clown

Lulu just wants to put a smile on people's faces and have fun. She can get easily carried away when she's excited. But once she calms down you'll notice just how pragmatic this Clown is.

Just because she's silly doesn't mean she doesn't have common sense, she might just surprise you in ways you didn't expect.

Phoenix, aka Francis. The Menace

Phoenix identifies as a problem. An inconvenience. An absolute menace you're never quite sure is messing with you, or is joking around. He randomly SHOUTS random words when he speaks, either another way to annoy people or just a disorder.

He lost his arm in a fire he may or may not have definitely caused himself. But he survived which is how he got the name Pheonix.

Cherry. The Competitive Dancer

Cherry values teamwork more then anything. She tries her hardest to be a valuable teammate and keep everyone focused. Of course, they might listen to her more if she tried to spend more time with the team outside of challenges.

After a recent betrayal in her dance troupe where someone sold routines to rival troupes, Cherry doesn't trust new people easily. And clings to the ones she does trust.

Augustus. The Religious Do-Gooder

Augustus is a sweet kid. Always looking to do a good deed for someone. That's how he was raised in what is definitely not a cult.

Good deeds are very important to Auggie here. After all, once you do a good deed for someone, they have to do a good deed for you. They have to. Because if they don't, things get ugly...

Janus. The Hippie

Janus is like, Fer sure, the chillest guy around. He's all about that inner peace stuff. And outer peace. And of course, in-between peace. He spreads his message of peace by sharing crystals, flowers, and songs played on his guitar.

People say Janus is incapable of feeling any hate. He loves everybody. But he's a romantic at heart and is still looking for that special someone to love.

Marlo. The Prankster

Marlo loves pranking people. Fart cushions. Prank calls. Acid in the towns water supply. You know, the usual. Okay so Marlo may be lacking some, what do you call it? Morals! And yes he's uncapable of feeling empathy.

But. He's also got a criminal record. So point is. When you see Marlo, run the other way.

Flo. The Rebel

Flo isn't a big fan of authority or "The man" telling her what to do. She'd rather live her own life, free from anyone's expectations or rules.

Her favorite past time is rocking out with her band, Voltageous Chaos! She's lead singer and bassist. Her little sister Beast is on the drums, BFF Prof. Cavity on keyboard, sleepy gal Moot on Sax and incomprehensible Zips on Trumpet.

Still looking for a Guitarist though...

Parvati. The Mythology Buff

Parvati adores learning about Mythology. Especially the creatures. Fantastical beasts she can only fantasize about. Of course while learning Mythology she also learns a lot of history and cultures from around the world.

She has so many thoughts going through her head sometimes she loses focus on what she was doing. But after stumbling a bit she gets right back at it and gives it her all. For a nerd she's quite athletic.

Sasha. The Nepo-Baby

Wait, you guys don't have family members working high in the industry and getting you onto TV-shows? But there's so many people in the industry, surely you're related to some of them?

That's what Sasha thinks at the least. She doesn't really see how many privileges she has in life. Which thankfully means she never taunts less fortunate people with those privileges.

Her dream is to become a famous singer, and she has enough connections to make that dream a reality. Of course she herself works hard on her singing and encourages others to work on their dreams too. She's very sincere and optimistic.

Tony. The Short-Tempered Greaser

Tony has always been a bit, vertically challenged. Something bullies picked up on. Which then got picked up by his younger twin brothers, who did get blessed with the tall genes and at 14 tower over their older brother.

The constant bullying at school and at home, unable to tell his mom in fear of worrying her, and never quite properly dealing with the grief of losing his father, has left Tony with a lot of bubbled up anger. And it doesn't take much for him to snap.

Madileighn. The Annoying Influencer

Madi worked hard to gain a following. But her general cluelessness about the problematic brands she endorses, sharing videos about animals that look cute but are in distress, and accidentally joining a pyramid scheme makes her tiring to be around.

As she genuinely believes she's doing nothing wrong.

Well. That's it. My Total Drama Cast! I'm planning on writing a fanfic about them.

Taking place after the 2nd season of the Revival, where the show goes back to the abandoned film lot for a Take 2 of Total Drama Action.

18 contestants. 9 per team. Only 1 winner.

Stay tuned for more news.

[fandom-imagines-stories]

From Here on Out

Raylan Givens x Reader

Words: 3750

Part One; Part Two

Summary: Things finally come to a head as the reader turns to an unlikely source to take down Chamberlain. Raylan opposes Art’s new plan. 

Notes: I have had so much fun writing this trilogy. Raylan is such an interesting character to work with and I’ve had a blast. Let me know what you think, as always! 

Other Raylan imagines and more: HERE 

Warnings: Mentions of trafficking, violence, etc.

-

You could have used a shot of good bourbon, but beggars can’t be choosers. Besides, you were in enough trouble as it is, and adding alcohol to the mix was probably not the best idea. Even if you made it out of this alive, your husband was going to lock you in your bedroom and never let you leave again. Not that you didn’t deserve it, at least a little bit, for the hell you’d put him through in the past few days. 

But that was only if this worked. 

You took a deep breath and opened the car door. 

They stood at the end of the street. Silent and waiting. 

“Raylan, I love you,” you whispered and started walking. “Evenin’ boys.” 

“Mrs. Givens,” Derek greeted. “Long time, no see, huh?” 

The image of him aiming a gun at you while you laid in bed flashed through your mind like the light of his cigarette. You crinkled your nose and smirked. 

“Cute.” You threw the file to the ground in front of him. “There. That's all I could find at the Marshal’s office. I guess you guys aren’t as popular as you thought you were.” 

Derek crouched down, flipping through the file with a satisfied smile. “I thought your husband said we didn’t have a file at all,” he tsked. “I don’t appreciate being lied to.”

“I’m sure with you holding a gun to his head and all, it probably just slipped his mind,” you returned his cockiness with a tight smile. “Happens to the best of us, right?” 

Derek nodded at the man next to him and handed him the file. 

“You know that me giving that to you doesn’t let you off the hook?” You snarked. “That only works in the movies.” 

Derek chuckled, taking a step toward you. “We just like to know what we’re up against. That’s all.” 

“Always a step ahead. I imagine that’s useful for a sex trafficker.” As much as you tried, you couldn’t hide the disgust in your voice. 

“That brings us to the other matter we discussed,” he said. “The replacement girl.” 

Your breathing hitched, heart leaping into your throat. 

This was it. 

You held your arms out to the side, shrugging your shoulders. 

“You’re looking at her, Chamberlain.” 

His Cheshire cat grin made you shudder. “I was hoping you’d say that.” 

-

Two Days Earlier

Somewhere out there, you could feel your good, southern mama scolding you for not playing a better hostess and offering these people something to drink. Footsteps scuffled all around as Raylan and the others tried to figure out how Derek Chamberlain had gotten into your house in the middle of the night without making a sound. You focused elsewhere, hands gripping the kitchen counter as the coffee brewed. 

The sharp, warming smell filled the room. You watched it drip into the glass pot, letting it hypnotize you so you didn’t have to think about what was going on. 

He was in your house. 

He held a gun at Raylan’s forehead.

He smiled at you like he’d already won. 

Maybe he had. 

“Mrs. Givens?” Rachel stood in the doorway, brows knitted with concern. “Are you okay?” 

You blinked out of your trance and put on a smile. “Do you want some coffee? I made some for all of you. Thank you again for coming out. Raylan wanted to deal with it himself, but I made him call Art so we could get this figured out.”

“It’s no problem,” she said, taking a cautious step towards you. “We want to make sure you both are safe.” 

“I think it’s a little late for that, thanks to me.” You turned away and busied yourself with pouring more mugs of coffee than you needed. 

Rachel took one with a small smile. She wanted to tell you that it wasn’t your fault. That everything was going to be fine. But she knew it wasn’t her place, nor would it help ease your clearly growing panic. So she just took the coffee and for now, that was enough for you. 

You took a cup of your own and grabbed another for your husband who was storming back inside with Art and Tim behind him. 

“If I see that sonofabitch, I’m gonna kill him,” Raylan growled. 

Art sighed. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” 

“I made coffee.” 

Tim took a cup with a thankful nod. Art kept glancing at you with a mix of remorse and concern. Raylan looked anywhere but you and you pretended that it didn’t hurt. 

“Well,” Art blew out a breath, “I’m gonna have someone sit on the house at all hours and we will track down Chamberlain. If he sneezes, we’ll know about it.”

“I appreciate that, Chief Deputy Mullen,” you said, “but I only called you guys here to keep Raylan from hunting this guy down. I don’t think any further involvement with the Marshals is wise.”

“That ship has sailed, sweetheart,” Raylan scoffed, still not looking at you. 

“Says the one who wanted to turn John Wayne not half an hour ago,” you snapped back. 

Art held up his hands. “Alright, listen, both of you. I’m only gonna say this once.” He watched both of you closely. “Both of you need to get your heads out of your asses. You,” he looked at Raylan, “are not going to lone gunman this and make it out alive. And you,” he turned to you, “need to stop thinking you can handle this on your own because it has been proven that you can’t. Now I am going to have someone sit outside this house and you two are going to stay here until I can figure out what the hell to do next!” 

The chief deputy huffed out of the room, taking Tim with him. Rachel cast you one last glance before following. 

“I see why you like him so much.” You put your coffee down and ran a hand down your face. 

Raylan didn’t say another word and went upstairs. 

You wanted to throw something. You wanted to watch the ceramic pieces of every mug shatter against the tile. But that wasn’t going to help anybody. 

Instead, you took out your cell phone, checked to make sure Raylan wasn’t coming back down, and hit a name in your contacts you never thought you’d speak to again. 

Ava Crowder.

-

A car had followed you. Whether it was your marshal guard or someone from the Chamberlains you couldn’t tell, but either way, you were gonna be in a world of hurt when- or if- you made it back home. 

You downed the bourbon with a single gulp. 

Ava poured you another. 

“I take it your husband doesn’t know you’re here, hm?” 

“What do you think?” 

She shrugged with a smirk. “Alright.” Ava sat down across from you. “What brings you here, then?” 

Luckily, Johnny’s bar was empty this time of day, so you didn’t have to worry about anyone overhearing. But the possibility of the bar’s real owner returning made you a touch uncomfortable, so you figured you’d get straight to the point. 

“What do you know about the Chamberlain family trafficking ring?”

She raised a brow. “What makes you think I know anything?” 

“Because I know what circles you run in. I just want to know if Derek Chamberlain is in any of them.” 

“The name rings a bell, but I don’t think I’m the one you want to talk to.” 

The door to the backroom swung open. 

You stood up. 

“Mrs. Givens,” Boyd smiled. “This is a pleasant surprise.” 

You swallowed. “Boyd.”

“Baby, she wants to know about Derek Chamberlain,” Ava said, pouring him a drink. 

Boyd took a seat and motioned to your chair. “Please.” 

You sat back down.

He took a drink. 

“Now, from what I hear, the Chamberlains are a nasty bunch.” Boyd narrowed his eyes at you. “What business could a sweet and innocent marshal’s wife, like yourself, possibly have with a man like Derek?” 

“He took a friend of mine’s daughter.” You picked up your glass and watched the contents swirl around. “Then he killed that friend of mine.” 

“Well now, that sounds very serious. I’m sorry for your loss,” Boyd sighed. He leaned forward, clasping his hands on the table. “Seeing as we’ve known each other a long while now, Mrs. Givens, I would be more than happy to step in as a favor to you.”

As appealing as the thought of having Derek Chamberlain wiped from this earth was, you shook your head. 

“I just came to get some information. That’s all.” 

His lip quirked up in another smile. “I would still consider that a favor. One I may or may not ask to be returned at some point.” 

You leaned forward, holding his gaze. “If I wasn’t desperate, do you think I’d be here?” 

A spark lit in his eyes and you forced your regret to be a later issue. Boyd leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head while a cunning smile spread across his face. 

“Well, then, Y/N, what exactly do you need to know?” 

The door to the bar burst open before you got the chance to speak. You didn’t have to turn around to see who it was, thanks to the self-satisfied smirk on Boyd’s face. 

“Raylan,” he exclaimed. “Now it really is a party.” 

Your stomach sank. 

You were so, so dead. 

“This your idea?” Raylan growled. “Dragging her out here when I’m sure you’ve heard all about the trouble she’s dug up?”

Boyd held up his hands innocently. “I came home to find her gracing my bar with her presence, a total, but welcome, surprise.” 

“I called Ava,” you said. 

“I was thinking we could maybe go on a double date after all this,” Boyd mocked. “Doesn’t that sound fun?” 

“Believe it or not, I am nowhere near the neighborhood of being in the mood to deal with you today.” Raylan’s hand locked on your arm, pulling you up out of the chair. “We’re leaving.” 

“I couldn’t just sit in the house and do nothing,” you whispered angrily. 

His eyes flashed to yours, fuming. You didn’t say anything else. 

“Y/N, honey, you call if you need anything else, okay?” Ava said, actually sounding genuine. 

Raylan started to lead you out of the bar when Boyd called after you. 

“Alright, wait! Raylan, wait.” Boyd rolled his eyes at himself and hurried to catch you at the door. His smarminess had faded, replaced by something resembling real. “Chamberlain has a notebook where he keeps everything. Abduction plans, times of moves, locations of the girls, the works. You ask me, I think it’s pretty stupid to have everything in one place, but he always has it on his person. Always.” 

Plans started clicking in your head. You gave him a nod. 

“Thank you, Boyd.” 

His sly grin returned. “Don’t say I never did anything for you.” 

Raylan pulled you outside. The sunlight stung your eyes compared to the neon of the bar. You squinted at your husband’s furious face. It was an expression you were growing increasingly familiar with. 

“Raylan-”

“Don’t,” he snapped. “Don’t say a goddamn thing.” He let go of your arm. “Just get in the car.” 

You opened your mouth. He cut you off. 

“Get. In. The. Car.” 

You got in the car. 

-

Art was waiting when you got home, sitting on your front porch with a look of frustration that almost matched your husband’s. 

Raylan hadn’t said a word the entire drive. It was suffocating. 

“Art, long time no see,” you greeted snarkily. 

“I take it you’re responsible for this little field trip then?” You were right. He was pissed. “What the hell did I just tell you, Raylan? All you had to do was stay in the damn house.” 

“Raylan was just coming to get me,” you defended. 

But your husband pushed past you both without a word, slamming the door behind him. 

Now was probably a bad time to mention that your car was still at the bar. 

“What was so important that you had to leave?” Art asked, ignoring his brooding agent. 

You swallowed. “Boyd Crowder had some valuable information.” 

Art froze. 

He blinked. 

He sighed and ran a hand down his face. “You Givens’ are going to be the death of me.” 

The two of you followed your husband inside. Raylan had already poured the drinks. His eyes bore into yours as he downed his bourbon in one gulp. 

“Art,” you took a deep breath, “I think I need a moment alone with my husband.” 

“If it means figuring this shit out, then by all means,” he huffed, going back out onto the porch with his drink. 

You kept your voice as calm as you could. “I went to see Ava. Boyd happened to be there.” 

He didn’t say anything, just kept… staring. 

“That detail about the notebook could mean everything,” you said. “I mean, if we get our hands on that, we not only take out Chamberlain, but we can find and help the rest of those girls.”

Raylan remained silent. 

Your hands started to shake. 

“I couldn’t stay in the house, Raylan.” 

Nothing.

Something inside you broke. Your lip trembled. Your eyes watered. You tried blinking away the tears. 

“I can’t stay here,” you cried. “All I hear are those bastard’s footsteps on our stairs. In our home. I see him pointing that gun at you with that goddamn smirk on his face everywhere I turn. When I close my eyes, I imagine him shooting you in the heart. So I’m sorry if I had to get out of here and do something about it!” 

Raylan closed his eyes.

You crossed the kitchen and grabbed his flannel shirt by the collar with still shaking hands. 

“I want to finish this, Raylan,” you said, voice heavy and broken. “But I will finish it my way.” Your words cracked in your throat. “Without having to watch you die.” 

His honey-colored eyes gazed deeply into yours, but he still didn’t say a word. 

You started to step away. 

His hand grabbed your hand and pulled you back into his arms. Raylan locked around you like he could shield you with his body from the whole world. You melted into him, pretending that he really could protect you from everything and that you could protect him. 

“I can’t do this anymore,” he sighed against your neck. “I can’t keep running after you, wondering if you're lyin’ cold somewhere.” He pulled back with a raised brow. “And, I gotta admit, it hurt a little that you went to the Crowders instead of me.” 

“I’m sorry, do you have connections with Kentucky crime enterprises that I don’t know about? Any inside secrets that you care to share?” 

“Fair point.” He leaned his forehead against yours. “But you should have come to me first anyway.” 

“Yeah, but then you wouldn’t have been able to bust into the bar all angry like,” you teased. “It was kinda sexy.” 

Raylan chuckled, shaking his head and pressing his lips to yours. “What the hell am I gonna do with you?”

“I can think of a couple things, deputy, but we, unfortunately, don’t have time for any of them.” 

Raylan’s eyes returned to yours, narrowing. “Why do you got that look in your eye?” He asked. “You know, the one I don’t like because it usually means me getting in trouble.” 

“Because I,” you smiled, straightening his shirt, “have a plan.”

-

“I can’t believe we agreed to this shit,” Raylan said through gritted teeth, hunched down behind a crate between Art and Rachel. Tim was on the roof, setting up in case anything went sideways. 

“Well, the way I figure, we could either go along with her for this one, or she was gonna keep running off on her own, eventually getting herself killed,” Art fired back. “Is that what you wanted?”

Raylan scoffed. 

“That’s what I thought. Now pipe down.” He looked at Rachel. 

She nodded and spoke into her headpiece. “You got a view up there?”

Tim’s voice came from over the com. “If Little-Miss-Plan would get her head out of the way, I’ve got a clear shot on Chamberlain.” 

“Do not shoot my wife,” Raylan said. 

“I’ll keep that in mind, asshole.” 

“Will you be quiet?” Art snapped. “If they see us, Tim’ll be the last of Y/N’s worries, alright?” 

Raylan blew out a breath. “I really hate this plan.” 

This was it. 

You held your arms out to the side, shrugging your shoulders. 

“You’re looking at her, Chamberlain.” 

His Cheshire cat grin made you shudder. “I was hoping you’d say that.” Derek reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black notebook. 

Thank you, Boyd Crowder.

“My only condition, of course, is that you leave my husband out of this,” you added. “I won’t drag him into any more of this shit.” 

He put the notebook back.

“You must think I’m an idiot, sweetheart. The wife of a U.S. Marshal as one of my girls?” Derek chuckled. “Tempting, but no.” He clicked his tongue. “I will enjoy gutting that cowboy husband of yours, even if you won’t be around to see it.” 

Derek took his hand from his jacket and aimed the pistol in his hand at your chest. 

“Tim!” Raylan exclaimed.

The two shots rang out together, echoing through the darkened street. 

Marshalls and thugs alike descended upon the scene. Chaos of gunshots and running feet filled the air, but none were louder than the sound of Raylan’s pounding heart in his ears. Everything was laser-focused and a blur all at once. But with it all going on around him, he could only see you. 

With Derek Chamberlain lying across from you in a growing pool of blood. 

As more deputies joined the fray, more and more of Chamberlain’s men started dropping their weapons, smart enough to recognize that this was a fight they weren’t winning. 

Raylan fell to his knees at your side. 

“Y/N,” he gasped, pulling you into his lap, “Y/N, baby, talk to me.” 

Your hand slowly moved, unbuttoning the top few buttons on your shirt, revealing the kevlar underneath, along with the shiny, smashed bullet stuck right where it should have pierced your heart.

“That wasn’t as cool as I thought it was going to be,” you coughed. He tried to help you sit up, but you groaned, the pain of the hit still radiating through your chest. Raylan’s worried eyes stayed glued to yours. “I’m fine, honey, I’m fine,” you said. “Get the notebook.”  

Raylan nodded and set you down gently. 

You turned, saw one of Derek’s creeps dead eyes staring back at you, and turned back, watching your husband approach the man who’d just shot you. 

Raylan reached into Derek’s pocket and, sure enough, pulled out that little black notebook. He flicked through the pages and chuckled. 

“I thought he’d at least have it in code.” With notebook in hand, he started back towards you. 

Derek sat up.

“Raylan!” You shouted. 

With the gun of Chamberlain’s goon in your hand, you fired. Blood and brains burst out of the back of Derek’s head. 

He didn’t sit up again. 

Raylan rushed back to you and lifted you up in his arms. You winced. 

“Sorry,” he muttered. He kissed the top of your head. “Nice shot.” 

-

Turns out, Tim had been attacked by one of Chamberlain’s men who were patrolling the warehouses, otherwise, it would have been his bullet in Derek’s brain. 

The rest of the raid went rather well. The notebook pointed to other warehouses where girls were being kept and the Chamberlain’s were brought in by the FBI and the Marshalls, who claimed to have been working together all along to hide the fact that they used the civilian wife of a deputy as bait. They even found Beth’s daughter. She was alive. Derek was just trying to get you to do something stupid- which, of course, you did. But it was worth it. 

After a check up in the hospital for your bruised ribs, you got to go home. And Raylan didn’t leave your side for a second. It would have been entirely sweet if it weren’t for the occasional suspicious look in his eye. 

“I’m not planning on flying the coop any time soon if that’s what you’re worried about,” you snarked, wincing as you shifted your position on the couch. The bullet may not have killed you, but it sure left a mark that hurt like hell. 

“Considering your record the past week, you’ll forgive my paranoia.” Raylan plopped down beside you, moving your legs into his lap. Despite his smarmy expression, you could see the mix of guilt and relief and fear in his eyes. No matter how many times he saw the bruise on your chest, all he could see was a big, bloody wound where your heart should be. 

If you hadn’t been wearing that vest…

“Hey.” You took his hand. “I’m okay.” 

“You just got shot in the chest almost point blank.” He didn’t look at your face. “You are not okay.” 

“I’m alive, aren’t I?” 

He gave you a dark look. With a little pained effort, you sat up.

“Raylan, honey,” you took a breath and let your tone change from teasing to genuine. “I’m okay.” You kissed him long and deeply to prove your point. 

Raylan sighed, running a hand through your hair. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.” He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to yours. You could feel every ounce of panic he’d felt for the past few days. Panic you’d caused. 

You gave him a small smile. “Baby, if we agreed not to scare each other, you’d have to stop walking out that door with your badge and gun every day.”

He opened his mouth to argue. 

“But-” You cut him off. “I will promise that if I come across another case like the Chamberlains and find myself in a similar type of trouble…” You kissed him again. “I will shoot you a text.” 

“At least have the decency to call,” he pouted playfully. 

“Hey, a text is more than you give me half the time,” you fired back. 

He held up his hands. “Alright. Fair enough.”

Raylan wrapped his arms around you, kissed your forehead, and held you until the exhaustion overtook you both. 

You weren’t a simple couple, sure. But you liked it that way.

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | The Amateur (Hawes, 2025)

This certainly has an element of grief and loss, given that the hero is motivated by the murder of his beautiful wife who manages to grow more beautiful with every new flashback and dream sequence. But there is something aspirational about its depiction of a computer nerd who blackmails his employers to train him in the art of death and then uses his preexisting and newfound spy skillz, including a YouTube tutorial that teaches him how to pick locks, to hop around the globe and get revenge through elaborately devised kills while hooking up with a beautiful Russian hacker chick, okay they don’t actually hook up, she just asks to sleep in the same bed, but it’s out of loneliness and not attraction and they get interrupted immediately but you can’t deny there was something there.

Malek is appropriately twitchy and empathetic, good at letting his grief and sense of emasculation give him an element of instability, while his pit stains and constantly drenched shirts remind us of his inexperience. I’d need to watch the original, but that sense of emasculation and workplace resentment give this some specifically modern resonance, even if its depiction of the security state maybe put this a few months out of date. Rachel Brosnahan glows as she needs to and brings a welcome degree of tenderness to her scenes with Malek, and Catriona Balfe nicely matches his loneliness. I joked above but their relationship is handled pretty sensitively.

Plus if you’re a fan of 50+ male character actors, Laurence Fishburne does the guy working against Malek but also admires him better than a similar dynamic in another recent release, Holt McCallany does scummy bureaucrat really well, and Michael Stuhlbarg brings some surprises when he finally appears.

The sullen digital sheen is unfortunately expected in modern cinema, but this feels like something that would live on TV with ad breaks that you would sit your ass down and watch anytime you stumbled across it.

[oceanwithinsblog]

alright guys i can't keep my mouth shut anymore, i need to SCREAM and VENT about Glee (aka the tv show that i've been binge-watching for the past few weeks AND my new obsession) because AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

spoiler alert : i might mention important plot elements or character arcs etc. so if you've never watched it before, be alert!

k so let's start by clarifying an important point here - i have spent my whole adolescence hearing my friends talk about this show... i have no idea whatsoever how i resisted to urge to watch it till now (for the record, i'm almost 25) because THIS IS TOTALLY MY SHIT !!!!!!!

the high school setting, the fact teenagers are portrayed by a cast in their 20s, endless pointless drama, crazy plot twists, jaw dropping dance numbers, wide - though at times questionable - representation of various communities (e.g. queer ppl, black ppl, asian ppl, disabled ppl etc.), cover song performances (and at some point original ones!) that leave me speechless ... like - HOW DID I SKIP THIS SHOW FOR SO LONG ???? HOW COULD I IGNORE ITS MAGNIFICENCE FOR ALL THESE YEARS ?????

tbh maybe i should be worried about the fact it feels so close and personal since i'm a grown-ass adult ☠️ (very bad at it, too) but i find it all brilliant, ridiculous and inspiring/comforting at the same time. i think watching this show is healing (or at least rocking and hugging tightly) a lot of my inner-child-related unresolved business. especially when it comes to discussion and portrayals of queer experiences, i find Glee pretty “educating”, accurate and amusing, too.  honestly, i sort of regret not giving it a chance before ‘cause i  know my younger, high-school self would have appreciated it a whole lot. i mean, asexuality still hasn’t been mentioned so far, but the multiple queer characters (and cast!) are really great. maybe the show would have also encouraged me to follow my passion for music and dancing (and dare i say singing although i’ve never in my life taken a single singing class?) after the hurtful break-up i went through with my dancing crew before the pandemic :’(

anygays, i’m now watching the first half of season 3* and let me tell you - i’m SO HOOKED. this season has been C R A Z Y since the first episode istg i can’t tell you how many time i’ve soffocated my screams with my pillow so far JSKJSK actually, just to give you an idea, i present you with a short list of what’s been making me go bananas so far

rachel’s mom returning to mckingley high for a part-time job as the mentor of a second opposite glee club

puck following his “dad insticts” and making a move on shelby just so he can spend more time with baby beth (???) 

quinn putting on a rebellious emo act and then pretending she’s all good and clean because she wants beth back by destroying shelby’s reputation (???) (what the hell btw i’ll never get quinn and her weird unlogical reasoning)

emma and will being a couple and living together OUT OF NOWHERE ???? (they’re the cutest even though i fairly can’t put up with mr. schuester + i would have preferred to see them dating before the big getting together reveal but whatever AS LONG AS EMMA IS HAPPY)

mercedes LEAVING glee club so that she can shine (this one hurt ngl mad respect for her tho)

brittany showing what she’s made of and running for school headgirl (YAY YOU GO GIRL!!!!)

rachel and finn finally working on their relationship to be a healthier couple (i still find rachel SO DAMN ANNOYING at times but it’s getting better compared to the previous two seasons + i must admit finn is just an off-brand troy bolton to me so far #sorrynotsorry)

sue declaring war to the whole arts department AND RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT ?????? (she’s so iconic and i love jane lynch so damn much istg it was heart-wrenching to see her on-screen sister pass away but sue is such a multifaceted character you can’t make me hate her EVER)

but most importantly …

SANTANA AND BRITTANY ARE FINALLY DATING ??? OMFG YES !!!! GIVE ME SAPPHIC ROMANCE !!!! (also i think they’re the most perfect combination of self-awareness, girl power, bitchyness, dumbness, crazyness, pureness and humor ever i’m loving both their character archs through the seasons for now)

kurt and blaine’s whole storyline !?!?!?! they’re my absolutely favorite duo ???? the emblem of a strong, powerful yet cute and innocent gay love ???????? istg they emotionally evoke so much in me T______T idk how to explain it, it probably doesn’t even make sense but i love seeing them on screen and i wish the best for them T________T theyr relationship is so incredible wholesome and wonderful ISTG kurt has been the apple of my eye since the very beginning of the show (no matter what crazy or incoherent act he put up in s1) and i must admit i was a bit suspicious of blaine throughout s2 but now i just plain adore them and feel like drowning in my own emotions and tears every time they appear

*which i've read could be the last proper good season according to many online comments ☠️ (i pray the awesome combination of factors that drive me crazy about this show won’t magically disappear from season 4 onwards lol)

i don’t know how to end this rant also because this post makes no sense whatsoever but let me say that i love kurt, especially, and lately i've had multiple episodes of mirroring in santana (e.g. will i ever understand if i'm actually biromantic or sapphic? who knows). not to mention, i have huge expectations for the self-discovering journey of that karofsky kid (seeing him in that gay bar the night blaine and kurt broke the rules was such a pleasant surprise!) and idk i just look forward to every main plot and subplot of this season in particular 🥹💖

i might be aware that my life is hitting rock bottom right now, yet i’m conscious enough to acknowledge this show is slowly becoming an anchor for me… to start feeling excited about life again, to start creating new dreams for me, to try and believe a bit more in myself and to pursue my interest in music and queerness alike. in short, to start living again.

ps. expect me to post a great lot about glee from now on jksjks

[askjesse]

Wait, is that JESSE ST JAMES?  they kinda look a lot like CHARLES MELTON, don’t they? i heard the 21 year old is known as the EGOTIST around mckinley. it seems like they auditioned to be in VOCAL ADRENALINE AS CO-CAPTAIN which is so lame? people at campus have said they’re MAGNETIC, but don’t be fooled since they’re also RUTHLESS. rumor has it, you can find them at DRAMA/DANCE when they aren’t belting show tunes. their entire vibe revolves around THE HIGH NOTE AT THE END OF SANTA FE FROM NEWSIES, A PSEUDO BAD BOY PERSONA, SCULPTED CHEEKBONES THAT WOULD MAKE A GREEK GOD WEEP but no one pays attention to that here in ohio.

LIST ABOUT 3+ HEADCANONS ABOUT YOUR CHOSEN CHARACTER!

Jesse St James was born to two out-of-work actors and immediately pushed into the performing arts. From an early age he was in singing, dancing, and acting lessons, and filming local commercials. Although some people criticise stage parents, Jesse thrived in the environment and adoration became his fondest friend. 

Unfortunately, despite what he could only describe as flawless performances, Jesse was unable to gain entry into any prestige musical theater courses, begrudgingly opting to train at McKinley instead of deferring and trying again next year. He’s trying not to let him slow him down, and his pride and joy is Vocal Adrenaline, where he has naturally risen to captain. 

Some may think that his self-assured, egotistical bravado is an act, but this is truly who Jesse has been since a child, and it hasn’t made him well-liked, but it’s made him excellent. He’s not out to make friends, he’s out to make fans, and if he breaks some hearts along the way, all the better. 

BASICS

full name: jesse georg st james

pronouns: he/him

nicknames: n/a

hometown: atlantic city, new jersey

birthday & age: january 18th, 21 years old

relationship status: single

sexuality: bisexual

occupation: student at mckinley arts college

sports/clubs: drama, dance

glee club: vocal adrenaline (captain)

major: musical theater

CONNECTIONS

blaine anderson: watching someone steal the national championship from your automatron hands not once, but three times, will definitely leave a bad taste in your mouth, and a broken egg on their head.

rachel berry: when you perform sixteen going on seventeen with someone in front of 200 people in the lima community theatre production of the sound of music, you don't forget them easily, so it was a no-brainer when shelby told him to put himself back on her radar.

quinn fabray: he won't lie and say he doesn't have a soft spot for the soft-voiced beauty.

finn hudson: between being the most predictable choice that quinn could have made, and heading the most riff raff showchoir in the country, the guy doesn't impress jesse.

madison mccarthy: both of them are razor-sharp focused on their ambition and are prepared to do whatever it takes to get there. naturally, they're not fans of each other.

sebastian smythe: they say that when two people get that close, they're about to kiss or kill each other. with these two, it's both.

jeff sterling: jesse's really into his showchoir, jeff's really into his band. hustle recognises hustle.

[charlotteswebbbbb]

What's the vibe? #89

We can't avoid disturbance:

Between the Flotilla getting intercepted by the Israeli authorities carrying people such as Greta Thunberg and European Parliament MP Rima Hasan, or the National Guard in Los Angeles and Texas, mass civil disturbance has been in the news this week. Chaos seems very unavoidable (and America feels like it's dealing with a new era of fear). Artists are stepping back against organisations with unethical ties. Think SXSW doing a panel with David Cameron or the one with Tony Blair and several artists dropping out of the festival.

People are trying to maximise their time with Extreme Day Trips? Going to somewhere like Rome from London for the day to eat pasta, see tourist attractions and then going back the next day. The EDT Facebook page has almost 300k members. It's quite intense - maybe this is a sign of the times where people think getting away for a day is better than nothing. Flying out of the UK to them, is better than being in it, or they're searching for a taste of the real thing. What could come out of this? Maybe the expansion and popularity of bag holding services, or travel bag hacks with what to carry or where to go to buy the basics... (more emissions.)

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A post shared by Jade Beaty | Live The Dash (@live_thedash)

I love this Wallpaper wrap up of Milan Design Week:

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A post shared by Wallpaper* (@wallpapermag)

Join the club:

The Saatchi Yates Membership launched last week Thursday to much...silence? I think the people in the comments of the instagram post were pretty celebratory, some where skeptical at the highest tier of £800 p/m and also their manifesto.

The actual proposed activities are actually interesting, they feel like a mix of old art world and new art world that knows DJ AG. Saatchi Yates as a gallery feels closer to luxury like Dover Street Market than something like Harrods which is the kind of luxury Phoebe Saatchi's dad and uncle give off. Here the club could be seen as a new social group to hang out in, get access to people in the same world as you, or network. Probably would be great for a newcomer to London if they're culturally inclined.

I-D Magazine recently wrote about this new sauna space in London which has raves called The Sanctuary.

Looks great inside :

Moving Against The Centre

With the opening of Conditions in Croydon, an artist and exhibition space focused on accessibility, London adds more independent names to its suburbs. Whatever happened to The Beams in E16? Is their dream dead? Anyway, Conditions’s open is popularised by its Mark Leckey/Arthur Jafa double bill acting as a magnet for the space.

Here's an FT article about the guy who owns it.

*Also relevant: how Americans are using and renting bigger spaces for commercial use*

The Brit Awards are moving away from London to Manchester, for the first time in 48 years. It will host the awards at the Co-op Live Arena in 2026 and 2027 as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations. Sony is also due to start being a steward of the awards next year. The decentralisation of culture from London can only be a good thing no? Or a scary thing for London that it's become so unbareable? We'll see.

New Food People I Like: 

Rachel Ama and her recent collaboration with Tatale Returns, celebrate plant based food and Caribbean flavour at Paradise in Soho, London. Tatale is a restaurant and bar concept by Akwasi Brenya-Mensa and I'm guessing Tatale Returns is "a quarterly residency, inviting peers, collaborators, and those that inspire, to commune once again." I'm late to it but I love her instagram.

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A post shared by Rachel Ama (@rachelama_)

Food Designer Anna Meerson has worked with brands such as Airbnb and fashion brand Jae Studios.

New Food Behaviours:

Last week Monocle wrote about office workers and their new canteen like habits talking about new places such as Farmer J and The Salad Kitchen. Put Salad Project in that too. Although this feels related to the whole 'slop food' thing.

"Concerningly, this new lunchscape could spell trouble for industry leaders such as Pret a Manger and Itsu as they get lost between premium canteen offerings and the holy trinity of the supermarket meal-deal. Londoners are loath to give up the latter: the streets remain replete with people juggling a sandwich in one hand, crisps in the other and a drink lodged somewhere in between. It’s not just a meal, it’s a pastime."

And then in the article below The Guardian speaks about how more and more restaurants like Mountain in Soho offering a 10.30pm resy slot whilst people like "Jeremy King, who operates Arlington and The Park, has offered diners a 25% discount if they eat after 9.15pm at The Park and 9.45pm at Arlington." And everyone loves a discount. There is that hunger to eat later in the capital, I think they're going to have to scream about it a bit louder otherwise everyone goes back to zone 3/4/5 locals.

[protectxthem]

JASON ANDREWS

Full name: Jason Arthur Andrews Nickname | Aliases: Jace, Jay, Andrews, Deputy US Marshal Andrews | Eagle Eye Age: 35-40 Birthday: 1989 Gender: Cisgender Male Pronouns: He/Him Sexuality: Bisexual Species: Human Occupation: Army Ranger (retired), Deputy US Marshal Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, A little of Dari and Pashto Skills: Sniping, gunslinger, hand-to-hand combat, Knife skills Mental Disorder(s): PTSD, Anxiety, Depression

FAMILY

Art Mullen (Uncle)

Affiliations: Tim Gutterson, Art Mullen, Raylan Givens, Boyd Crowder, Rachel Brooks

MISC

Zodiac: N/A Looks: Short brown hair, bright blue/green/gray eyes, fair skin, tall height, athletic build, form-fitting clothing, black boots. Height: 6’ Faceclaim: Jesse Lee Soffer Hobbies: N/A Interest: N/A Fandom(s): Justified, open to crossovers

BIOGRAPHY

(Abuse mention tw)

First things first, Jason is Art's nephew, on Jason's mom's side, but Jason doesn't know that since his mother kept Art out of Jason's life out of fear the boy would follow in his uncle's footsteps.

Jason grew up in Chicago, Illinois in an abusive household. His dad would abuse him while his mom loved on him after his dad went to work, leaving the boy confused on how to treat others so as he got older he was involved in toxic relationships but more on the mental and verbal side. He never lifted a hand to any of his girlfriends, that's the one thing he picked up from his mother before she died when he was in middle school, leaving him with his abusive father.

He tended to stay at friends' houses so he wouldn't have to go home to an abusive father. When he reached highschool he often would still stay at friends' houses or just stay out late and fall asleep in parks. When he became old enough he joined the Army Rangers and left for Boot Camp as soon as he could. While at boot camp he learned his father ended up getting put in prison after killing a guy in a bar fight.

From there he went to Sniper School and met Tim Gutterson and the two became best friends. After Sniper School they were assigned to the same squad and became spotters for each other, switching off on every other mission. They stayed in touch until Tim became a US Deputy. Jason soon followed after Tim's career choice going to Glynco and then joining the US Deputys in Springfield, Illinois. After getting in trouble and almost killing someone in Springfield, Jason was transferred to Lexington, Kansas.

There Jason meets Raylan and the others and even reunites with Tim. He leaves the snipping to Tim and relies more on his sidearm and choke holds, though he's the new guy he tries to stray away from any choke holds. He's a good shot but he's nothing compared to Raylan and his shooting skills.