#‘he would bully people and use woman’ the fucker had 1 friend

[supercantaloupe]

on Aelwyn Abernant, the Reformed Villain Squad, and redeeming teenage antagonists

an analysis on antagonist character development in Fantasy High. spoilers through sophomore year and (mildly so) the most recent roll20 oneshot. essay under the cut bc i am very long winded

the turnaround with Aelwyn in s2 is handled so well  i cant get over it. she was such a major antagonist in the first season and just. despicable. she had no pathos. we hated this bitchy older sister who tried to kill Adaine and her friends and raise an evil dragon, and when she gets knocked on her ass and thrown in jail, we cheer.

and then s2 fucking starts saying “hey she’s in jail still if you’d like to look into that” and pursuing that thread ends up being almost as comedic an idea as it is a reluctant one; it’s also quickly shunted to the background as soon as more pressing leads present themselves, to the point where we almost forget about her until Adaine is kidnapped and then the first time you see her it’s just. viscerally upsetting.

she’s bad. she did evil. she got what she deserved.

but she already got what she deserved. last season.

she got her ass handed to her by a bunch of 14 year olds including her little sister (how embarrassing!). her plans were thwarted. she got punched in the face and made fun of. she already got her punishment.

it just……immediately registers as over-the-top Wrong to be told “hey, remember that antagonist you beat last season? she’s still being punished for that, except it’s way worse than just going to mumple.”

and there’s that reminder that like…this is a teenager. a child. who has been manipulated and abused. which is a really fascinating look at this character we used to see pretty much unilaterally as a one dimensional bitchy villain.

i mean we got a more in depth look at Penelope’s and Biz’s motivations in s1 (Penelope being the popular rich girl sorceress obviously hungry for power and the alllure of the high school clout that is being prom queen, but also we know that her having to turn on her best friend Sam Nightingale as part of the scheme was something she was reluctant and not happy to do; and Biz being that predatory incel creeper type dude besides just a nerd with computers and a lack of social graces). and they were as much willingly active in the plot as Aelwyn was. yet in s1 they really never do bother to explore Aelwyn’s motivations. i remember after watching s1 but before s2 that was one of my biggest lingering questions: why tf was Aelwyn involved?

well. she was manipulated and abused. her terrible parents raised her in an awful environment that conditioned her to Listen and Obey and Behave and Be Perfect, and then Kalina helped cinch the noose around her neck with threats and coersion into the KVS Kaper and the NMK crown debacle. she doesn’t freely choose any of it; she’s coerced, manipulated, abused.

and she already got justifiably punished for her bad actions in s1. the torture is almost literal overkill. it’s just……there’s this immediate turnaround in sympathy and view of the character. on first watch, it’s viscerally upsetting to see her getting so brutally punished for actions she already faced consequences for, and on rewatch, it makes your skin crawl to know she’s being tortured for terrible things she had little choice in carrying out. and tortured by some of the very same people who coerced her to behave terribly in the first place, to add insult to injury.

and it’s still fucking frustrating when they rescue her and her memory gets reset and she goes back to her parents because it’s like “well shit, she’s evil again, and we just wasted all that effort for nothing” but it’s also sad cause we know she’s running back to her abusers and she isn’t happy about it but doesn’t feel like she has a choice. and it’s sadder still that what eventually inevitably gets her to turn to good for good (i.e. away from her parents) is just. a full dissociative mental breakdown.

(but then she survives and it’s gonna be good!!! until Adaine dies in her fucking arms. which is. almost funny. she’s been through so much shit and that isn’t something that Brennan would have just. preplanned. like a written in plot point. no, that was just an unpredictable consequence of the battle. what a juicy fucking moment. she’s been through All That Shit™️ and has finally turned to fight for good and her sister just fully dies in front of her. yeowch)

and she turns out okay in the end. she comes out the other side alive and whole and supported by her sister and her friends, with the hope of a future and recovery. there is an acknowledgement that A) she can and will grow from her mistakes and damage, B) it’s going to be really hard, and C) the post-s2 one shots both prove that she’s doing okay now. hell, she has a whole squad now of other former-teenage-villains-turned-good-guys. she has friends now, Ragh and Zayn, with common ground, and a secret handshake and everything. they’ve all grown from the mistakes of their past into better, happier, healthier people

and about Zayn and Ragh. we’ve seen a lot of characters, protagonist and antagonist, teenage and adult, PC and NPC do some really fucked up shit and get punished for it. but why do they get happy endings? why are Aelwyn, Ragh, and Zayn the only members of the RVS and not someone else like Biz or Penelope or Dayne? 

well, the latter two are dead by then; but then again, Biz and Ragh were also killed by the Bad Kids in s1, and subsequently resurrected. (Zayn died too, but was neither killed nor revived at the Bad Kids’ hands, so i’ll get to him in a sec.) and there are plenty of adult antagonists the Bad Kids face who are killed and left that way by the Bad Kids without second thought: Johnny Spells, Coach Daybreak, Captain Wicklaw, the Abernant parents (presuming Arianwen doesn’t survive in the forest for very long, which i doubt). why do some characters get second chances while others don’t?

in the case of Zayn, his death was pretty much out of the Bad Kids’ hands, and they later found out he was manipulated by Daybreak into being bad anyway because of his sad living situation. he was a pretty minor antagonist in the scheme of things, and when we re-meet him as a ghost in the s1 epilogue, he’s pretty obviously remorseful for his actions. and dying seems like a steep enough punishment to me for the shit he did to contribute to the KVX caper; returning as a ghost, free from the trappings of his unfortunate living life, he now has the room and freedom to grow into a better person.

in the cases of Daybreak, Spells, Wicklaw, and the Abernant parents: these are bad people who should know better. these are fully grown adults who actively choose to do evil. whether they think it’s the right thing to do or not (in Daybreak’s case), whether they think it will benefit them and don’t care about anyone else (in the Abernants’ case), or whether they don’t care much at all and are just doing shit because they feel like it (in the cases of Spells and Wicklaw), these are all adults who consciously make the decision to do terrible things and hurt other people. of course Johnny Spells, who is generally a punk thief and thug, is not on the same level of bad as Angwyn, who kidnaps and tortures his own daughters for political gain, but the point remains. these fuckers should know better. they’re grown ups. they had their chances to be good and they chose not to heed them. their minds are set on bad actions and they are a continued danger to other people as long as they are alive. when they die, the Bad Kids do their damndest to make sure it stays that way.

now, in the cases of Penelope and Dayne: these are teenagers who actively chose to participate in an evil plot. Penelope, Dayne, and Biz were all fully cognizant of what they were doing trying to raise KVX back to his former power. why? well, to some extent, we can only speculate. i suspect Penelope was just one of those Regina George bitches who is rich and popular and powerful and obsessed with power and popularity within high school as if that’s the end-all-be-all of existence (which, like, when you’re currently in high school, is a somewhat understandable worldview i think). Dayne being her boyfriend and a musclehead jock probably falls into a similar line of thinking. they are actively and willingly trying to cause harm, and teenager or not, must be stopped. they’re killed, anyway, during the Climactic Battle™️ anyhow; it’s not like the Bad Kids were going to gain anything at that point by keeping them alive.

now, Biz: Biz is the creepy Nice Guy incel type, sees woman as a prize he deserves to win, yadda yadda. he does, like Penelope and Dayne, actively choose to help KVX. there might be something to be said about his motivation the Bad Kids discover after the arcade battle by detecting his thoughts (that being to upload the captured maidens from the palimpsests to “call the shots” himself) is an altered memory; whether this was his original motivation from the start or not, i’m not sure. but the Bad Kids do kill him – and then resurrect him for important, time-sensitive information. and they beat it out of him – he gets two of his fucking fingers blown off. and Riz reattaches them once they have their info, and they realize his memory is altered. of course, the Bad Kids don’t know at this point that the altered memory was something he, Penelope, and Aelwyn had planned and agreed on and done to themselves, but this points to something important in my opinion: the Bad Kids, and the narrative/show as a whole by extension, acknowledge that external manipulation affects how guilty someone is in a crime.

which brings us to Ragh. Ragh, introduced from episode 1 as the meathead jock. Ragh the archetypical one-dimensional high school bully. Ragh who works with the harvestmen in effort to (ostensibly) end the world/provoke international war. Ragh, whose low intelligence but high loyalty and internalized homophobia led him to be fully swayed and blindly led by his coach and captain, who have actively chosen to do evil. Ragh who is killed in combat by the Bad Kids and resurrected for information, not Daybreak. Ragh, who the Bad Kids realize was probably not aware of exactly what he was being made to do and how bad it really was. Ragh, who by their kindness in sparing his life and directing him on a better path, becomes a well-rounded character and an active ally to the Bad Kids during and after prom, an invaluable companion during their quest in sophomore year, and overall a really good friend and person. 

(it might also be worth considering the case of Jawbone here, too, who started out a very minor antagonist in a fight but ended up becoming a major NPC because the Bad Kids talked to him, found out he came from an unfortunate situation and set of circumstances, and showed him kindness in offering the school guidance counselor position, a kindness that isn’t really owed but given anyway and ends up changing his entire life for good.)

and then, Aelwyn, whose case is already discussed above. so, why is the RVS what it is, why them but not others?

if you’re familiar with Avatar: the Last Airbender, you’re probably familiar with Zuko’s character arc, and how it’s often lauded as a masterful example of developing a villain into a hero over the course of a narrative. what makes Zuko’s arc so well done and exceptional is that he starts out as a kid in a bad situation under the influence of bad adults seeking to do bad deeds, but he later realizes the error of those ways, actively removes himself from that situation despite the difficulty and danger in doing so, goes through a lot of shit and reflects on his past mistakes and learns from them, and then actively chooses to fight for good in the end with the help of close, trusted friends, found family. 

this, i believe, is the same in the case of Fantasy High and its treatment of the RVS. its members, like Zuko, are all teenagers who came from shitty situations and were manipulated by evil adults to do bad. they are punished for their bad actions, and they learn from their errors and mistakes. with the kindness and help of good people, friends and chosen family, they are able to escape their abusers and bad situations and grow into their own people. and they actively choose to improve themselves with that help and fight for good.

Fantasy High, through the arcs of Jawbone, Zayn, Ragh, and especially Aelwyn, asserts that it is not your fault if you come from a bad situation and are forced to behave badly as a result. it does not pretend that you are absolved of any responsibility for those actions; quite the opposite, as even though they were externally manipulated into their evil actions, all of those mentioned characters face tangible consequences for their actions and later express remorse for their mistakes. but Fantasy High also asserts that even if you have made great mistakes in your past, even if you came from a bad situation beyond your control, even if you were manipulated and abused, with care and love and support and a hell of a lot of work and effort, you can improve your situation and find good, happiness, peace, you can thrive. evil adults who should know better don’t get redeemed. teenagers who aren’t coerced but actively choose evil don’t get redeemed. but abused kids deserve another shot at happiness. with enough work, and some love and help along the way, they can get there, even from the lowest imaginable point, from rock fucking buttom. it’s possible. 

[danijimenezv]

Amiga! These questions are bit different:

Not Yet Wed Questions

Note: Great Scott! This week, we are going back in time to MC’s intern year. Think of Ethan’s relationship with them at this point and answer the following questions accordingly. It is entirely up to you when in year 1 this takes place (pre/post Miami, pre/post CH 15, etc). Feel free to answer with dialogue or pictures or both :) Have fun!

No worries. All of this is off the record and HR will never know!

The setting for this answers is:

For Both

When I first saw them, I thought__________

What is your coworker's most used swear word?

Quick: What color are their eyes?

Three people at work your coworker hates?

What is your coworker’s strangest or most endearing quirk?

If they had a crush on anyone at work, who would that be?

(Bonus round! Feel free to skip.)

Never have I Ever:

come into work hungover

had a fistfight

been kicked out of a bar

gotten a tattoo

broken someone’s heart

been in love

For MC (Ethan is not there)

Where do you see him in five years (both professionally and in his personal life?)

What do you find the most impressive about him?

Last thing he texted you?

If he asked you out on a date, what would you say?

For Ethan (MC is not there)

Where do you see him in five years (both professionally and in his personal life?)

What specifically do you find attractive about her?

Last thing she texted you?

If she asked you out on a date, how would you respond?

Amiga these are genius dksaldnafjcsajd I am in love with this! The angst and longing from Book 1 is just delicious

Not Yet Wed Questions

The setting for this answers is: Post Miami, but before he quit.

For Both

When I first saw them, I thought __________

Jill: Wow.

Ethan: Care to clarify?

Jill: *blushes* Well, the first time I saw you was taking control of a medical emergency. It was amazing, and I was a bit awestruck. Of course, right after that, I thought that you were a handsome asshole.

Ethan: Of course.

Jill: …You’re not answering?

Ethan: I don’t feel like answering.

Jill: Okay, that’s either really good or really bad.

Ethan: You’re going to let it get to your head.

Jill: Really? Well now I’m intrigued. Do tell, Dr. Ramsey.

Ethan: I thought you were proficient.

Jill: Proficient? Seriously?

Ethan: You were just an intern on your first day, and you still jumped into action when a woman needed help. It was… not what I expected.

Jill: *grins smugly* So you were just as awestruck, is that what you’re saying?

Ethan: That’s not what I said.

Jill: It’s what I heard.

Ethan: I knew you would let it get to your head.

What is your coworker's most used swear word?

Both: Fuck. *laugh*

Jill: Dr. Ramsey doesn’t regularly curse out loud, instead you can see the intention written all over his face. But I have caught him saying “fuck” a few times.

Ethan: On the other hand, Dr. Valentine curses like a sailor. Even for the smallest of things, you can hear her whispering “fuck” under her breath.

Jill: He also uses “goddammit” and “Christ” a lot.

Ethan: And when it’s not a situation, but a person, she uses “fucker”.

Quick: What color are their eyes?

Jill: Deep blue.

Ethan: Whiskey.

Jill: You know, I feel honored to be compared to whiskey. I know how much you value it.

Ethan: *stutters and blushes* What? I-I don’t… It wasn’t like that.

Jill: *smirks* Suuuuure.

Three people at work your coworker hates?

Jill: That’s a hard one.

Ethan: You’re exaggerating.

Jill: I’m not. You hate a lot of people.

Ethan: Hate is an overdramatic word.

Jill: Well, okay, then you strongly dislike a lot of people.

Ethan: Closer.

Jill: Does Nash count as coworker now that he has a deal with the team?

Ethan: Unfortunately.

Jill: Okay, so first Nash, and then in no particular order Dr. Cyrus, Dr. Wen, Dr. Toussaint…

Ethan: Those are more than three.

Jill: And I can keep going. Dr. Mirrielees, Dr. Rosario… June? I don’t know her personally, but I heard you complain about her the other day, so…

Ethan: Eavesdropping again, were you?

Jill: Never, just passing by and paying attention to my surroundings, like a good diagnostician should.

Ethan: Right. You forgot yourself.

Jill: Uh-uh, you don’t fool me. I’m possibly one of the few interns you tolerate.

Ethan: *sighs but doesn’t deny it* Round it up, Rookie. No point stretching out the answer.

Jill: Okay, fine. I guess mainly Nash, Cyrus, and Wen. And also probably some intern, or a handful of them. Not including me, obviously.

Ethan: Hrm, I think the most annoying of them is your partner on the Knoblauch case. The squirmy one.

Jill: Landry? Really? I admit he can get a bit annoying at times, but he’s just really nervous around you.

Ethan: Well, I don’t like him.

Jill: Your turn to answer.

Ethan: I would go with Nash as well, but other than that, I don’t think you hate any other coworker. Dr. Valentine seems to get along with everyone, it’s… disconcerting.

Jill: It’s called being a people person. But I do find Dr. Cyrus and Dr. Lozoya irritating. Don’t tell them, though.

Ethan: I do believe, however, that I made it to that list at some point.

Jill: What makes you say that?

Ethan: Your impertinence and constant point to defy me.

Jill: I defy you because I can. That doesn’t mean I hate you.

*Ethan is stunned into silence*

What is your coworker’s strangest or most endearing quirk?

Ethan: She sometimes snorts when she laughs.

Jill: Oh my God, you’ve heard that?!

Ethan: What’s wrong with that?

Jill: That’s not endearing, that’s embarrassing!

Ethan: She also scrunches up her nose or bites her lip when she’s too focused on something. It’s cute.

Jill: *stares at him with wide eyes* You think I’m cute?

Ethan: I think your quirks are cute.

Jill: Right… Dr. Ramsey places a finger on his temple, either when he’s deep in thought or when he’s fighting the urge to strangle someone, usually an intern. He also pinches the bridge of his nose a lot, especially when he’s annoyed.

If they had a crush on anyone at work, who would that be?

*They stare at each other pointedly, and then look away, blushing.*

Jill: *clears her throat* I don’t do crushes.

Ethan: *raises an eyebrow in challenge* Lahela?

Jill: Not a crush.

Ethan: Then what was he, exactly?

Jill: Friend with benefits.

Ethan: *chokes up* Christ…

Jill: Well, you asked!

Ethan: Is he still?

Jill: No, not anymore. Not since before… you know…

Ethan: Ah… *looks away*

Jill: Anyway… I would say your crush is probably Chief Emery. Or, well, me.

Ethan: *in a warning tone* Jillian.

Jill: What? Bree said this was off the record. Someone has to acknowledge what happened, and you’re clearly not going to, so might as well be me.

*Ethan looks down regretfully*

Never have I ever

Jill: Ohhh, I love this game! And look, we even got paddles with I have/I have never.

Ethan: What are we, in high school?

Jill: Would you rather do it with drinks? During work hours?

Ethan: *sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose* Let’s get this over with.

Jill: Knew it.

come into work hungover

*Both raise the ‘I have never’ paddle.*

Ethan: I admit, I was not expecting that.

Jill: You just have to think the worse of me always, don’t you?

Ethan: Speaking as someone that saw you party up at Donahue’s the night after your first shift, yes.

Jill: Okay, fair, but I have an advantage over the rest of people.

Ethan: Which is?

Jill: Genetically speaking, the Valentines don’t get hangovers.

Ethan: You say that now because you’re young.

Jill: My brother is not, and he still doesn’t know what having a hangover is like. And we’ve obviously tried it out.

Ethan: Okay, I’ll concede. That’s an unfair advantage.

*Jill grins widely and winks*

had a fistfight

*Ethan lifts the ‘I have never’ paddle*

Jill: Liar. You told me you punched Nash.

Ethan: For it to be a fight, the counterpart has to actually throw a punch as well. Nash never got the chance.

Jill: Okay, then I never have either.

Ethan: *blinks in surprise* You’ve punched someone?

Jill: A kid at school bullied my little sister once.

Ethan: Once?

Jill: Yes. I gave him a black eye, and he never dared to say anything else about Ivy.

Ethan: How heroic.

Jill: *shrugs* My sister was mortified, as the delicate princess she is, but I think it was worth it.

Ethan: It’s a little hard to imagine, given your height.

Jill: The smallest are always the feistiest ones. We’re like Chihuahuas.

been kicked out of a bar

*The two of them raise the ‘I have’ paddle*

Jill: You?

Ethan: A friend of mine from med school got a little carried away. What about you?

Jill: I was busted with a fake I.D.

Ethan: You went to a bar when you were underage?

Jill: Does it make it better if I say I wasn’t drinking?

Ethan: Why else would you go to a bar?

Jill: It was initiation week at Léman Prep.

Ethan: *blinks several times in confusion* I’ll pretend to know what you’re talking about.

Jill: Well, you know how high school was like. If I hadn’t done that, they would’ve eaten me alive. It was survival 101.

Ethan: What happened afterwards?

Jill: I made the headlines, and my grandparents had to pay a shit ton of money and pull a lot of strings to bury the scandal. And I got the biggest lecture and grounding of my life.

gotten a tattoo

*Both show the ‘I have never’ paddle*

Ethan: It’s not my thing.

Jill: Neither is mine.

broken someone’s heart

Jill: I have. My older sister nicknamed me ‘heartbreaker’ during my high school years.

Ethan: And you say this proudly?

Jill: I’m not proud of it, I’m just saying it how it is. I’ve always been clear with people about what I want and what I don’t. I don’t lead them on with false promises, but a few of them tried to change my mind, unsuccessfully.

Ethan: Well, I don’t think I have.

*Ethan lifts the ‘I have never’ paddle. Immediately, Jillian takes it from him and switches it for the ‘I have’ paddle. She doesn’t say anything else, just looks away, pained, and Ethan just stares at her aghast.*

been in love

*Both choose the ‘I have never’*

Ethan: I don’t believe in being in love.

Jill: I do, but I don’t think it’s for me. I had to watch my older sister almost lose herself from the heartbreak it brought her, and I don’t want that…

For Jillian (Ethan is not there)

Where do you see him in five years (both professionally and in his personal life?)

Jill: Professionally speaking, I see him still at Edenbrook, running the diagnostics team. He’s really committed to the team’s vision, helping those who have nowhere else to go. Probably with a new book out and a lot more of research published as well. He’s brilliant like that. Personally… I think he’s too self-sabotaging to actually achieve something in that area. Although, I don’t rule out the possibility of Dr. Ramsey rekindling his romance with Chief Emery. I’ve seen the way they look at each other, and I’m no idiot, something is still there… Either way, I do hope he finds someone that makes him happy. He’s a great man, and he certainly deserves it.

What do you find the most impressive about him?

Jill: I want to say his intelligence, but it’s actually his heart. Underneath all that grumpiness and mean remarks, he actually has a heart of gold, so full of compassion. He cares so much about his patients, and even about interns under his supervision. He goes out of his way for them, and that tells a lot about the kind of man he is.

Last thing he texted you?

Jill: “Dr. Valentine, the results we were waiting on are out. Please make your way to my office. I need another perspective, in case I missed something.” Always so formal.

If he asked you out on a date, what would you say?

Jill: *chuckles bitterly* He wouldn’t… ask me out, I mean. Ethan is a man with a serious black and white view of the world, including his moral stand. I already tried to climb the walls he set around himself, and I ended up falling flat on my ass. So I don’t think it would ever happen. If, miraculously, he hit his head, forgot about his current dilemma and asked me out on a date… I’d say yes, in a heartbeat. But I don’t think that’s in the cards.

For Ethan (Jillian is not there)

Where do you see her in five years (both professionally and in her personal life?)

Ethan: Professionally, I see Dr. Valentine surpassing just about any doctor. She’s one of the brightest minds I’ve seen, so it wouldn’t be hard to picture her becoming a big name in medicine. I hope she’ll be in the Diagnostics Team at Edenbrook, but she could land anywhere and still have a successful career, wherever she’ll go. Probably with a book written and research published, maybe even winning awards. She’s that great. Personally, still close with her friends. On the romantic front, I’m not sure… From what I’ve seen, Jillian is not one to settle down. I’ve seen her rejecting good relationship prospects without so much as a second glance, and I’ve heard around that she doesn’t want to commit to anyone… which is good for her, because that means she won’t allow her personal life to interfere with her professional success. Though, I do wish she finds someone that makes her happy, someone worthy of her, that can give her everything she wants and deserves. I hope she finds exactly what she’s looking for.

What specifically do you find attractive about her?

Ethan: She’s not listening, is she…? *runs a hand over his face in frustration* I know I’m not supposed to, but I find everything about her attractive, from her physical looks to her intelligence, ambition and compassion. But mainly, I think it would be her charm. I know most men would say the same thing, it’s her signature, but the way she carries herself with confidence and charisma, without truly realizing the effect she has on everyone else… She’s witty and flirty, and warm, and… just herself.

Last thing she texted you?

Ethan: “I doubt you missed anything, but I’ll be right there.”

If she asked you out on a date, how would you respond?

Ethan: I know for a fact that she wouldn’t ask that. Like I said before, Jillian Valentine is not one to date. Off the record and hypothetically speaking, if our situation was different, I would say yes, without a doubt. Even if I don’t deserve her, even if I’m not worthy of her, I know she’s an incredible woman, and I’d be lucky if she decided she wanted to be with me. But I know better, that’s all hypothetical. In reality, she’s still an intern, running for a spot in my team. Not only would it be unethical and inappropriate, but it also would be damaging to her career and her reputation. She’s worked too hard to get exactly where she is, and I care too much about her to hurt her like that, so it’d be a no.

Tags: @jamespotterthefirst, @takeharryandgo, @aestheticartsx, @choicesfanaf, @fireycookie, @liaromancewriter, @trappedinfanfiction, @tsrookie, @genevievemd, @lucy-268, @writinghereandthere, @queencarb, @gryffindordaughterofathena, @ohchoices, @anntoldst0ries, @bluebellot, @schnitzelbutterfingers, @mysticaurathings, @iemcpbchoices, @itsjustamesshonestly, @shanzay44, @lsdw-blog, @heauxplesslydevoted, @starryeyedrookie, @casey-v​, @mercury84choices, @chaoticchopshopheart, @quixoticdreamer16

[kyberled]

SENTENCE STARTERS: LET’S PLAY CYBERPUNK RED, EPISODE 1 PART 1

A collection of prompts and starters taken from the first episode of Polygon’s Cyberpunk Red campaign series: [x] 

Content warnings for death, strong language, and mentions of violence and drug use. 

Feel free to change names and pronouns as needed!

“We’re recovering from several man-made disasters, and kites are popular again.”

“Oops, that’s too much armpit.” 

“I don’t know who you know.” 

“You will be remembered.” 

“You’re not allowed to say that word on here, my dude!” 

“Boop, banned!” 

“Headshot! ... Sorry.” 

“There is maybe a job down there for us, and I could use a lift.” 

“Do you want me to come up and meet you up there, or  do you wanna come down here?”

“Doc, these guys gonna be okay?” 

“He was sliced and diced and blown apart.” 

“Saw a really sad thing today.” 

“I’m not sure how we’re going to get paid for this, actually.”

“Sometimes, you get paid in other things, like trust or friendship.” 

“Exposure!!!” 

“Let’s mop up these two dipshits and figure out who did it, then hit their head several times.”

“I just realized I called these dead people dipshits.” 

“I know all of this because he was saying it in Alf roleplay.” 

“They’re very fast, but they’re faster the wealthier you are.” 

“And they’re all like, armed, right?”

“Yeah. They’re super armed.”

“Work up a gentle demeanor, if I can.”

“This one? This one? That one? This one?”

“I’ve got a lot of cool.” 

“I promise you... You will not die.” 

“I mean, everyone dies, [NAME]. You shouldn’t promise that to someone.”

“But what I’m saying is it won’t be my fault.”

“I am so sorry for this situation.” 

“Just gonna pretend that didn’t happen.” 

“I don’t think they were looking for [NAME].”

“I think they were looking for SOMEBODY.” 

“You guys are really fuckin’ bad at this.” 

“I’ll admit, I can be a little bit bad bad at comforting folks who need it. But I’ll tell ya’, I’m really good at pounding peoples’ skulls into concrete over and over again, until they tell me exactly what I would like to know.” 

“Did you mean to threaten this guy?” 

“All I wanna know is what happened here, so we don’t have another mess to mop up. And that mess I’m talking about is potentially... You.” 

“I mean, steal from the rich, no harm done!”

“And snort what you get.” 

“It is what you said, it’s what you implied. Are you going back on your word?” 

“If I knew, I’d have blackmail, and I wouldn’t be here.” 

“Reach out if you ever need anything.”

“Reach out if you ever need anything, and I was mostly kidding about the head bouncing stuff. But I will do it! But I was mostly kidding.” 

“Call me if you need to know anyone.” 

“We’re not best friends, but I just thought it would give that parasocial relationship to people.” 

“Guys, don’t say other things.” 

“You’re making it sound like there’s more than one person-- There’s only one person in the bathroom, and it’s me, [NAME]!”

“I just needed a little bit of help in here. It’s nothing to worry about.” 

“And we WILL wash our hands.” 

“Can you wait until we’re out of the bathroom to talk about this?”

“It wasn’t even weird!”

“It was very weird.”

“And wash your hands!”

“This one’s zooted.” 

“Leaving it a little open-ended, there, [NAME].”

“Soft touch.” 

“Your eyes are so gentle.” 

“... That’s a good argument.” 

“I got some papers, don’t worry how I got ‘em.” 

“I’m sorry, that was really defensive. I came at you with all that defensive energy.” 

“I can get one, if ya’ need!” 

“I’d like you to remember that I helped you, and someday, maybe, when I need you...” 

“That’s not what I’m gonna need you for, but, thank you.” 

“What’s up everyone, I just walked into a locked room.” 

“Wow, special treat for you guys today!”

“Wow, special treat for you guys today: It’s two locked doors.”

“I guess it’s a bust for today.” 

“Your... Co-dependent.... Thing, is very strange.” 

“Is this like a riddle?” 

“Do you like to pick your own lock?”

“I sometimes pick my own lock, like, to practice.”

“Your lock’s been picked.” 

“My door’s been picked?!”

“I’m old school, what can I say.”

“If they just wanted to destroy it, why wouldn’t they just destroy it?”

“You’re blowing my mind, here.”

“We can stop it.”

“You don’t need to hate [NAME], you just need to love money.”

“I was already in the van-- I wasn’t in the van, but I got in the van because I wanted to come see you.” 

“I think you got, maybe one of those three is right.” 

“I ain’t never heard of him, no.” 

“Shit. I could’ve done this my fuckin’ self.” 

“I’ll look it up for you, you’ll owe me a favor.” 

“[NAME], this guy’s dead.”

“[NAME]’s dead, he died six years ago.” 

“You’re asking the important questions, [NAME].”

“Privacy is nonexistent.” 

“I don’t wanna meet a ghost.” 

“Forsooth! We’re here.” 

“I don’t see any problems with the plan.” 

“It is striking me as very strange, now that I’m thinking about it.” 

“We both drive. ... I also drive. It’s a-- Two-person... Driving... Car.” 

“I have trouble with the break and the gas at the same time.” 

“He just sits on my lap.” 

“And you shouldn’t! And you don’t.” 

“It was like on the news.”

“It’s really hot out in the van, can I get a CapriSun?”

“I already peed.” 

“Put your smart thoughts in my dumb head.” 

“It’s a very strange slogan.” 

“I’m so glad we’re sitting down for this drink.” 

“This was, like, a decade ago, which is like 100 years ago.” 

“You guys aren’t cops, right?” 

“We’re not cops.” 

“We split a paycheque.” 

“The ol’ waitin’ game.” 

“Let’s use our two braincells.” 

“If honesty if cool, let’s be honest.”

“Fuck yeah, come on! Shoot it into my fuckin’ veins, baby!”

“Thanks a lot, buddy. Thanks a fucking lot.”

“Welcome to this most righteous cafe.” 

“Garcon! First, I would like you to tell me what an egg cream is, and then, I would like an egg cream.” 

“I brought a juice box from the car.” 

“This fuckin’ rules!” 

“Is he super hot?”

“We did it! We heisted! We killed some people! Could we be any cooler?”

“I hope it’s the fucking cast of Friends!” 

“I’m not gonna stop you from doing that.” 

“Who the fuck is this jabroni?” 

“Name’s [NAME]. Just passing through, looking for a bit of information.” 

“I don’t wanna be too forward here, but unless you’re willing to talk with me on this particular topic, your love life ain’t gonna be the only thing that’s D.O.A.”

“That’s really good shit talk.”

“You’re gonna badmouth me and my besties?”

“You gonna come in here and sass us?”

“Well, you can bully [NAME]. He’ll just fuckin’ sit there and take it.”

“I will toss your salad and scramble your eggs.”

“You’re gonna talk right now, or you’re cancelled.” 

“This is our town!” 

“How you doin’?”

“Fuck you! Thank you.” 

“No, not that - why did you shoot people?” 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to escalate.” 

“I don’t live on the streets, I have a perfectly adequate apartment.”

“I’m sorry, that’s on me.” 

“You guys know the person you’re trying to blackmail is dead?”

“I guess it isn’t your day, your month, or your year? ... Or your week?” 

“Hey, okay! I mean, where the fuck did you come from, but yeah, this guy gets us!” 

“I did just say that your blackmail’s useless.” 

“And that’s where you should stop that sentence!” 

“In the shipping business, that’s what we call... I don’t know what we call it.”

“It’s a goof-’em-up.” 

“The problem with trucks, is, uh... Have you ever seen a bird?”

“Have you ever seen a bird that just really scared you?” 

“I’ve seen a video of a bird.” 

“If you have to steal, I don’t give a shit. Steal from somewhere else.” 

“So fuck you, I guess, fuck you.”

“I’m so sweaty, it’s so hot in here.”

“I’ll delete your accounts!” 

“You think you’re a big man.” 

“You mother fucker! I can’t believe you’d do this, to ME!”

“You just killed a man! In cold blood!” 

“I wish somebody had told you it was gonna be this way.” 

“Well, I hate to see people leave the forum.”

“I’m a moderator, this is just physical moderating.” 

“I did do that.” 

“And now we’re fighting back to back!”

“Aw, we’re the real besties.” 

“I’m very proud of all of you.”

“I’m very proud of all of you, and I’m certain that will last this whole time.” 

“I feel like I shouldn’t have a shotgun.” 

“Ba-bum bum ba-da-ba-da--” (gunshot)

“I can’t fucking follow that up!” 

“So I don’t fuckin’ care.” 

“What now?! WHAT NOW?!” 

“You guys need to leave!” 

“Way ahead of ya’, mac!”

“Way ahead of ya’, mac!” (smashes through the window)

“You did a great job of just destroying this woman.” 

“I hope these people never see me again, I don’t want to come back here.” 

“Make sure to like and subscribe!” 

“We haven’t killed anybody, have we?” 

“Let’s wrap this up right now, or I’ve got a feeling there won’t be a reunion show.” 

“Okay, okay, you guys are not cool.”

“We being chill about this?”

“I don’t know what we’re gonna do with this thing, it’s useless.”

“You keep saying that, and I keep not believing you.”

“Find somebody else to rob.”

“Find somebody else to rob. Rob somebody with money.”

“Did any of you see the thing that I did where I put the guy’s head on the counter and I hit him with a stool two or three times?” 

“[NAME], if you can promise to fight that well, I can get a lot more jobs for you.” 

“I’d also love to just hang out, if that’s a thing you would be interested in.” 

“You guys had to be there.”

“[NAME] jumped through a window.” 

“Avast! Above, I see... [NAME]!”

“Let’s just say we had to wine and dine ‘em.”

“I hit a guy in the head with a stool.”

“Let’s just say we had to wine and dine ‘em. ... I hit a guy in the head with a stool.” 

“That sounds about right, yeah.” 

“The only reason you’ve been surviving this long is because of the philanthropy of others.”

“I’m too smart for this.” 

“I think we took care of them.”

“If I were them, I wouldn’t come back around here.”

“But they are still alive.”

“If you decide that you do want them dead, you know who to call.” 

“And thanks again for everything you do. ... Oh, by the way, [NAME] died.” 

[your-localghost]

so um who wants to read a 50 page essay of me and my mom's journey through the IT movies?

too bad you're reading it

so like i saw this goddamm clown, and i, also being a clown, said to my mom, also a clown, "lets watch this clown movie lol" and she said yes. and in the like first five minutes we are already awwing and stuff because??? omg georgie and bill are so cu- oh. oh my god. oh this us not what we thought at all-

so enter Losers. instant RELATE i am also a LOSER hellO?? hAh look at these 2 idiots theyre bickering like an old couple an- oh my fucking GOD of course there are bullies. one of them looks like draco malfoy??? guYs did draco malfoy play in this movie we see him like 2 times-

oh my god oh no poor bill he is trying to find his brother :( but alsO BEV IS SO PRETTY??? IM SO GAY???? and yeah i really feel the New Kid On The Block like same man i didnt even get to meet a pretty girl and a buncho losers who will go jump into lakes with me

OH and the lake scene? it bites me in the ass later. i fucking passed it off as a "theyre bonding" moment and then it transforms into a feelings plane and crashes into my house

--

me: they just keep leaving their bikes

mom: well It takes kids, not bikes

--

fastforward and??? the fight secene?? the fuckijgn fi Ght SCE ne??? o H M Y GO D

bill was so desperate to find georgie?? richie was so scared he would die??? beN BEING SCARED HIS FRIENDS ARE GONE?

i AM ALL OF THESE FUCKERS

and oh?? bev's dad??? hate the vibe this dude gives to me. like this dude def did more than mentally abuse her and im so glad she beat him up

uhHHH??? WHY DOES NO ONE TALK ABOUT EDDIE STANDING UP TO HIS FREAKSHOW OF A MOM??? HOW HE WAS SO MAD????? HE THREW HIS PILLS ON THE GROUND HELLO, HE STRAIGHT UP YEETED HIS FANNY PACK??? MAN the things a gay goes through for his friends

bill's speech on georgie, like, dude just fucking stab me it will hurt way less

fastforward more, the oath??? how scared stan was??? like i ddint really feel any connection with stan other than his actor played my fav character, stan, in ianowt, but uHm? i still love him??? so mUCH???

oOOOH i just realied i didnt talk about mikey

ahem

THE ROCK FIGHT THE FUKING ROCK FIGHT THE ROCK FIGHT OH MY GOD

THESE LOSERS ARE SCARED SHITLESS OF THOSE SHITBAGS BUT THEY SEE ANOTHER LOSER AND THE FIRST THING THEY DO IS THROW R O C K LIKE FUCK YEAH YOU FUCNKY LITTLE MIDDLE SCHOOLERS STAND UP FOR YOUR FELLOW BULLIED I LOVE MIKEY SO M7CH OH MY GOD

__

so between the 2 movies we realized it wasnt on netflix and went on various websites to watch the 2nd movie, got progressively angrier until i got my laptop and just watched it blindly because we are both blind

--

okay heres the tea yall

they completely erased bev's character in the 2nd movie. in the first it was emphesized SO MUCH just how brave she was compared to the others. she took the first step, she wasnt afraid to go into the house she fought her abusive dad and in the 2nd movie it was all gone. i really liked the fact that bev wqsnt a damsel in distress until in the 2nd movie she was. while in the 1st movue you forgot that gender roles existed in the 2nd it really seemed like they wrote bev as a "woman" rather than "bev" you dig me??? okay rant over. basically fuck the 2nd movie bev and im not just saying this because her 1st movie actor made me realize i was a lesbian. on to the movie

oh mY GOD HOMOSEXUALS??? WILL THEY HAVE A PART IN THIS STORY OH MY IM SO EX- oh. right. oh hey theres mikey :D

___

me: who's this??

mom: its bill look, its his surname

me:

me: you remember bill's surname but not richie or ben's names?

---

oh theyre all grown up!! oh bevs fighting an abusive man again and uh

___

mom: i have a feeling stans gonna kill himself

me: hah can you imagi

---

STANLEY??? BABEY BOY OH NO???? and also are we gonna let the spider with the baby head thing pass?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY DONT REMEMBER ANYTHI-

"this is like a virus its been eating us for 27 years!" YEA MIKEY ITS CALLED PTSD YOU FOUGHT A FUCKING DEMON AND DIDNT SEE A THERAPIST????

also the whole tribe thing seemed really out of story and like it didnt belong there at all? idk maybe its just me but i dont wanna believe that bill's 3rd eye opened after he got drugged by his friend idk

so like hightlights because ive got many rants about the 2nd movie

what the fuck do you mean bev got out of jer specilized hell after ben recited 1 fucking poem are you kidding me are yOU FUCKING KIDDING ARE WE REALLY DOING THE SAVED BY LOVE BULLSHIT AGAIN OH OKAY

OH OKAY FUCK YOU

SO BEV GETS SAVED IN THE FIRST MOVIE AFTER BEN KISSES HER WHEN AT THE TIME HE PRIBABLY THOUGHT LOVE WAS AT ITS PEAK WHEN YOU GAVE YOUR 2ND GRADE CRUSH A BADLY WRITTEN POEM

AND UFKCING HELL IT HAPPENS IN THE 2ND MOVIE TOO??? DOES PENNYWISE JUST THINK "oh these bitches hetero bettet keep them alive" BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT? THIS WOULD ALL BE OKAY IF

IF

IF EDDIE LIVED TOO

FUCK I RELATE TO RICHIE SO MUCH??? HIS FIGHT WITH HIS PEERS AND HIS FIGHT WITH HIMSELF OVER HIS YEARS LASTING CRUSH ON EDDIE?? OH MY GOD IT WAS SO OBVIOUS THIS MOTHERFUCKER WAS GAY AND I DIDNT REALIZE UNTIL THE 2ND MOVIE WHEN HE HAS A BREAKDOWN BECAHSE HIS SOULMATE GETS STABBED BY HOMOPHOBIC FORTNITE DANCING CLOWN WHILR HE TRIES TO SAVE HIMA DN THEN FUCKIN G DIES EVEN THOUGHT THESE 2 IDIOTS HAD MORE CHEMISTRY THAN BILL+BEV AND BEN+BEV COMBINED OH MY GOD IM SO MAD THE HETEROS GET TO LIVE BY TRUE LOVE BUT THE GAYS DONT AND UG G H H G G HH "hes dead" NO HE FUCKING IS NOT THIS ISNT FAIR I LOVED EDDIE SO MUCH

well uh now that we got my love for richie on papet um

the lake scene

i cried and i had to watch heteros kiss underwater while wiping my tears. its only cool when percabeth does it guys

the lake scene aside i full on BAWLED LIKE A BABY at the ending because i felt so bad that stan died already and i felt bad that not only was richie facing years if bullying and homophobia anf the loss of his friends it finally is confirmed that richie had a crush on eddie and i

i just cried man? it hurt me so much as it weighed on me how many jokes richie made, how scared he was when he saw the missing paper of himself, his flashbacks to people calling him names, his speech to eddie and that he had to get dragged out because this fucker obviously couldnt let go of his feelings. and between all of that and stan's letter my brain blocks out everything and focuses on one

R + E

oh my god

OH MY GOD NO

NOW i dont really like watching movies. as a writer myself im really critical of everything involving the world building, the characters, the plot and all that jazz and usually the acting is so bad that i dont feel for the characters but THIS ONE. T H I S O N E

my mom turned to me and was SO SHOCKED to see my flat out CRYING because i just dont do that man, and she just asked my what made me cry and i just made a noise like "hhhnnnn" and she nodded and went "richie's love story" and i, still crying, went "hhhnnnn" but in a higher pitch

and im just so mad? that eddie didnt get to live?? we didnt get an "i love you" or even a "im gay" from richie??? we didnt get to see them holding hands and letting go of their trauma together and being gay and happy yet

yet the fucking bad-writer-white-boy and boo-hoo-i-had-no-friends and not-bev get happy endings??? mike can get a happy ending because he is a well thought out character

thESE 3 ON THE OTHER HAND OH MY GOD

bill had to change his endings which really makes me angry because ima writer yada yada

bill has been bullied his uh what whole life? he got told his opinion didnt matter and from what i remember even his parents shut down his ideas and i feel like he should have made the endings how he wanted instead of changing to what the public wanted. thats what he defended as a kid, thats why he was in the losers club unwilling to change, because they were losers. yet he changed.

ben should have stayed fat or at least have abnornal weight because that also defeats his story with bev. it makes it seem that suddenly and magically when ben is hot bev can BEGIN to consider that she loves him.

i already ranted about bev.

mike is decent i guess? i like that he didnt stay with whoever the fuck that was in the first movie because he seemed very aggreasive to me. im glad the chose to research into pennywise because others were too stupid not to (RICH AND EDDIE GET A PASS AGAIN BECAUSE THEY SHARE HALF A BRAINCELL AND I LOVE THEM)

well stan is just tragic

___

me: who the fuck is afraid of spiders why do they keep showing up

mom: its stan?

mom: he brought the hair things and all

me, about to cry: oh m y god

---

so TL;DR: we really liked the first film! the acting, the plot, the creepiness is overall better and you get to relate to a bunch of Losers who get abused by their parents

the 2nd film doesnt exist. i refuse to acknowledge it exist EXCEPT for the ending where stan writes a letter about how he would like to meet hks friends again while BREATHING and richie and eddie carve their initials on a piece of wood and get to be gay.

if your name starts with B your opinion is invalid in the 2nd movie

also can anybody give me fanfics where the fortnite dancing clown doesnt exist and richie goes to therapy to heal from the bullying and once he gets over his homophobia he gays with eddie??? specific i know but im willing to write it if it doesnt exist

[lx-5point0-blog]

Bullies on the Block

God of Combat: part 1 June 8, 16 by John T. Lober (The story you are about to read is factual, currently unfolding, and is my account of what is happening and what, now, may indicate what happened to Phil, and how he died, over ten years ago.) This document is for your eyes only... Whomever you decide to tell of this, I trust you will make the right choice, and I am giving you full clearance to sing away. part one of ultra the unlimitedness Locker room and the team is gathered around like a military debriefing, all eager, energetic, and, ready to hit, hard.... "Remember, team, we are only as strong as our weakest Link. So, let's build each other up, and let's win this season, and be the champions we are." -MM, my football coach '86 intro: 09-01-16 3pm "This is just weird,,, I don't know what to say",,, this is the proper response,, By an innocent bystander,,, If questioned about accusations,,, If an officer pulls you over,,, late on a Saturday night,,, And asks you if you have been drinking,,, The proper response is,,, Not a drop since eighty six officer,,, Any hesitation,,, and you,,, will be,,, going ,,, to jail,,,, I have seen the heavyweight champions of complete,,, and utter fucks,,, of lying,,, all types,,, but this one,,, It's been ten years since I have seen him,,, Keep your friends close,,, Right,,, Social media is closer,,, He knows it,,, And so do I,,,, Well,,, the match was lit on June 8th, 2016,,, around 5:30 in the late afternoon,,, in the eclectic neighborhood of lower-class riverside rejects,,, in Men,,, if,,, e,,, Menifee,,, Menifee? Where the fuck is that,,, You ask yourself,,,, It's in between Hemet,,, Temecula,,, And Egypt,,,, It's where the middle class move to now,,, Because if they have a job,,, They can buy at a lower price than the habitable parts of California,,, I've met a few and thought of them as scoundrels,,, and most of them ruthless,,, outlaw villains even,,, But now have upgraded them to lawless criminals,,, And,,, just outright evil doers,,, I was sitting in my car with a friend,,,, In her driveway,,, watching the sun go down,,, but it was taking forever,,, and my body had been getting a cattle prod in the ass from my subconscious,,, my sub conscious caveman mind,,, the entire day,,, my caveman mind tells me some very important stuff like,,, The ever important breeding and father question,,, Can I,,, Well,, Can I,,, can I fuck it,,, And,,, Can I eat it,,, can I eat it,,, Is very important,,,, And then,,, Then there is a most important question every man needs to ask himself,,, Can IT hurt me,,,, Can it,,, Hurt,,,, Me,,, Hurt,,, Not fight,,, Not reach out a little and touch me,,, No,,, It asks me if IT,,, Can hurt,,, Me,,, It senses the craziest shit ever,,, To the point of unbelievable,,, One night,,, Me and two friends were about to enter a Wendy's restraint,,, And I held out my are and said,,, STOP!!,,,, They paused,,, Looked at each other,,, It was quiet,,,, Boom!,,, The two guys busted out the door,,, Tangled up and scrapping all the way down the parking lot,,, They locked eyes with me,,,, I just smell violence,,, I would respond in a little non shelant and innocent manner,,, Adopt a little Laurel and Hardy dumbness,,, And just proceed,,, Fearlessly,,, Because I was,,, Fearless,,, I have endless scenarios to make my point,,, As a young man,,, That grew up from a kid,,, I enjoyed accomplishing things that no matter what thee guy could,,, I enjoyed destroying a large group of angry men,,, That we're trying to violently strike my skull,,,, And hurt and kill me,,, All of them,,, And I mean All,,,, Of,,, Them,,, Would lose,,, I was a sure thing,,, I was,,, You knew one thing about Lober,,, If you want to fight,,, If you are a Bully,,, He was gonna kick your ass,,, A woman said to me in 2012,,, Ha,,, Lober,,, Your a pretty much a for sure thing,,, She said in her spoiled boozer slut voice,,,, But,,, She was right,,, Still a fat ass sweaty Tijuana whore,,, And gold digger know it all,,, Manipulating alcoholic,,, head hunter information farming,,,, Aderol abusing,,, Materialistic wanna be Orange County image,,,, Ex girlfriend,,, Fuck,,, I thought to myself,,, I know life is a long long road,,, And it appears,,, People in general are becoming more and more scandalous and just disrespectful,,, Towards me,,, And each other,,, I am just like over here in my seat,,, Getting kinder and gentler and less abrasive,,, More loving and caring,,, Able to communicate and make people laugh,,, I was digging this,,, Until she lied to the judge and got a restraining order against me for five years,,, I do not ever mention her name aloud,,, That monster is dead to me,,, I only refer to her by her two initials,,, M,,, G,,, MG,,, MG did something for me,,, She changed my entire look on the reality of what is happening to people today,,, I am an adaptable guy,,, I can change also,,, But I am not going to associate with anyone or thing that is negative,,, You know ,,, Talks about others,,, Dwells on the past,,, Watches fucking sports like they caught the fucking pass themselves,,, I stopped watching the news,,, I just had no urge to smoke a jay,,, I became high frequency again,, and it felt great,,, I sold my car,,, so I had to hike everywhere or ride my bike,, it got stolen and I did not care about it,,, I continued to search for like minded individuals,,, I began to crush my goals,,, This inspired me to set the bar higher,,, I am on a quest to find a synergistic relationship,,, One plus one equals,,, One hundred,,,, I am finished watching douschbags work out and stay fat and ugly,,, I am through with slack-Jawed mother fuckers,,, That never do what they say,,, I am a man of good character and I have integrity,,, Others can have bad character and possess integrity as well,,, That means they are going to let you down every time,,, I am not a for sure thing,,, I am more than just a warrior,,, I have grown and became more,,, I am going until my body drops,,, Until it cannot feed my mind any longer,,, I am limitless,,, Just energy now,,, June 8th,2016 5:20pm it's just totally,,, The strangest shit I have ever heard in a while,,, But yet,,,, I have survived,,, yet,,, another attack on myself,,, by a deceptive ambush,,, disguised as something, so very small and petty,,, with the expectations of a a much bigger result. I'm still alive.... And, free to roam... Every adversity,,, opens,,, another opportunity,,, for me,,, to see ,,, the re-ality ,,, and to expand,,, the Chee,,, in me,,, I use,,, my lateral,,, imaginative,,, cognitive super power,,, to construct,,,, depict and expose,,, an unbelievable,,, and abhorrent nodus. It shall incite you,,, and make you aware,,, of the cultural shift, of a collective belief,,, that our society has adopted,,, adapting to the use of technology, and the removal of Love from the circle of life. The dark, sinister, prowling villains of the invisibility,,,, are full to the brim,,, with the ultimate hate, but, starve,,, for destruction of another mans soul. Gnashing of teeth,,, ripping of flesh,,, Snapping of bones,,, Feeding on the energy,,, gives the negative darkness,,,mass. The thrill excites, and then, it satisfies the darkness. The darkness has no borders,,, it is only infiltrated by Light. Invested in this diabolical plan, it hides in the shadows of the ultra bright sunset. Shielded,,, from the light,,, that acts like daggers,,, The perpetrators have unlimited vision. For the fleeting moment in time,,, the cognitive connection,,, and precise deliberateness,,, is no match,,, for the unsuspecting target. Ten years is a lifetime to a child,,, and it really is,,, a decade. A grudge that has been marinating in humiliation,,, and simmering to a boil, in self hate. This inside of the false shell,,, of a man,,, may be so twisted and ugly,,, putrid and rotten, and,,, so sinister,, he is just,,, EVIL as fuck. To overtly devise,,, conspire and pre meditate,,, Such omnipotent tactics,,, in order to battle this target... Must have been such a climactic peaking,,, like a surging tidal wave,,, Ready to crash the beach and orgasm in the face of the a-low-ha,,, the darkness has entangled its target,,, in a sticky web of evil,,, and like a Lion.... Sprang on to the Target,,, and went in for the bloodlust kill,,, but employed a deceptive,,, indirect attack,,, a very creative move,,, and with such decisiveness,,, as only the highest ranking officials do. The great white face of complete and utter terror is what they expected,,, Meant to inspire action,,, in the ultimate prey. But,,, he is the most lethal God of Combat in this world,,, the G-O-C,,, has so much to offer in these situations. An endless quiver of tools,,, to strike with,,, constriction and asphyxia,,, using strangulation,,, completely cut off the blood supply to the brain,,, It leaves no marks,,, no evidence of self defense,,,or,,, of a crime. The serpents tongue flickers with intensity of a butane flame torch,,, shearing the flesh from bone,,, ripping and tearing,,, creating a river of Crimson,,, and,, discombobulation,,, and then,,, unconsciousness. So many targets to choose from,,, with out any hesitation,,, or thought,,, giving the green light to swinging a Louisville slugger,,, with the most violent and rapid twist,,, of the entire body,,, without the slightest wrinkle in the core,,, creating the chilling sound of snapping bone,,, All eyes snap to focus on the screaming attacker,,, as he Schills out a morbid,,, and frightening cry of the dying. Heartbeats skip,,, and a flub is felt in their chest,,, to be witness to an uncanny skill,,, from the slow moving,,, Bad joke telling,,, and slightly dumb,,, target,,, slothing around ,,, deceptively,,, knowing that survival tactics are a lifestyle,,, the story of capture and defeat are written,,, day by day in the eyes of the enemy,,, they count on predictability, and sometimes over confidence, then, the Lethal Gid of Combat snaps out of the ruse, and an energetically active, spirited, whip cracks. The target, now the Lethal God of Combat, swiftly detaches and strikes with surgical precision, efficiently and with a character of good, only dishes out the reasonable level of brutality, regulates the collateral damage and assesses the level of protection of his castle, where the darkness brought the battle to his soil, so ever, arrogantly and god damn foolishly brazenly disrespectful, yet, the God ceases to terminate to finality. He only has instinct and feeling to gauge in ambush chaos, he is warranted to continue, he is wise and great. He knows there is something to the ruse, ambush, a set up. Covert act of street terrorism of a gang stalk hunting crew, of red shirts, a squad without mercy for killing and hurting, creating mayhem and chaos, with lies and cowardice, this death squad has a black heart that pumps cat piss and a soul of putrid rot and bloody ass laying limply on wet concrete.... SLAP! In Mad-dogs face,,, He picks up the phone,,, and says,,, "You,,, assaulted me.",,, You,,, will be going to jail.,,, Hello,,, Larry,,, I mean police...",,, Words are weapons ,,, and,,, the mind is a battlefield,,, I stand tall on this theater like Patton in Guam. The evil is entirely way too deliberate. Aggressively belligerently moving into loiter in another mans castle. Forcing his way into the bubble, there is only one king here in this castle, so he gets popped. The gang slithers out of hiding now, with that look in their eyes . The G-O-C has a detection as he soaked in the frequency,,, and the energy,,, from the pair, or more? An assault squad,,, More. There are more perps,,, Like a Power bar,,, G-O-C,,, becomes electrified by the collectives energy,,, Absorbing it all up like he was a dry sponge,,, It is surreal to him again. The ides of March,,, betrayal is sorrow,,, Loyalty remains,,, only,,, until you must borrow,,, If History repeats,,, there is No tomorrow,,, Lies and Deciet,,, They will creep into your marrow,,, Sinister deeds,,, forgiveness and regrets,,, My re gained soul fucking bleeds,,, my display of weakness,,, a greater deception,,, Inspired your inception,,, I am energy,,, I have grown beyond,,,the imagination of the human mind,,, You will regret this,,, you feel it now,,, It's my creeping penis,,, It is coming and it will not be painless,,, When it s figuratively buried to the hub,,, in your tight little anus,,, No sweat,,, I give what I get,,, In return ten fold,,, So if you are a threat,,, You cannot bribe me,,, Not with all of your gold.,,,, My Legacy is ongoing,,, until that day,,, it is complete ,,, Being kind and neat,,, occasionally I must feed,,, on my perpetrators meat,,, See,,, I envision tasks,,, before they have been complete,,, and the past,,, I can reconstruct,,, It's simple for me,,, like,,, knowing how to eat,,, GG and Chopper were fools,,, and the book of fiction,,, are just tools, to create a lonely sociopathic kid into a mastermind driven and fueled by HATE. All the money and heartbreak, hit infuriates me, driven to only one thing, the God of Consciousness and everlasting space, we are not ever gonna be friends, in life or after we leave this silly little rat race. Pray for my me as I will for you, manifesting the inevitable, that is all it will do. 5:45 pm June 8th, 2016 (Back to reality) At 5:45pm that same day, I sat in my driveway with Lisa Traudt. I met Lisa on cyber dating and was reluctantly had been co habits ting with her at her home on Kepler st.. We were verbally assaulted by a belligerent and very deliberate neighbor three doors down, as we sat in our driveway, after this aggressive neighbor, Mario D Garcia, whom we had never seen before this moment, was asked by me 5 times to leave, he decided to tell me that,"he will do whatever he wants," then told me he was gonna "talk" the her, stepping towards Lisa who has a mobility handicap and was locked is fear of him, so I used a reasonable amount of force to stop him. He immediately labeled it assault and phones the police. And as the "trash" ruse he used to "approach" us before he went to dinner evaporated, his father in law creeped out from behind the hedges in his Ford Edge, window rolled down, and I believe he said "I saw him hit you." It was very weird and I have seen a lot of fights in my time, but this was really weird. I walked down my driveway to Willies and said to him, " you didn't see anything," and got within view of the pistol he was holding below the window line of the car, and as Mario attempted to get in between us so I wouldn't see it and blow their plan to antagonize me into attacking him so they would have a reason to use it on me, with the intention to kill me because that is the only thing I can think of a gun is for. I slapped Marios phone out of his hand and he returned a punch that he missed. I smashed his sunglasses as I saw that his phone was not on 911 but couldn't make it out as to what it said for sure because he grabbed it quicker than a 17 year old girl. He was calm cool and collected now. Not in any fear at all. Infact, they both blocked me in so I could not flee. I brought Lisa inside, not revealing I had seen a gun so she wouldn't scream or cause them to get excited and make a bad choice. I shut the front door, she sat down, I then opened the door and got up to the front just before they could see me, and those two were communicating, as now Ana and miquel cam out and grouped up at the foot of my driveway. No fear they had. I asked Willie to please back up. The second time, he did slowly. I went back and got lose and we got in my car and drove away in fear of our lives. I was laffing when I said it so Lisa would not get too scared to walk to the car. Marion and Ana both walked towards us as we pulled away filming us with cell phones and reciting that we hit them almost in unison like Ana knew what the plan was. Deputy Moore left a card. I left three messages and to this day have not been a led to give my side of the story. This situation has escalated into a great big loss of time, money and happiness for me, and created a great white fear of impending doom and shear terror of being killed in my sleep for me and Lisa. I have slept in my car for a or two months now because Mario lied to the face of the commissioner and was awarded a TRO. I was completely unprepared for him to lie like he did and the commissioner dismissed hearing my witness, Lisa, the owner of the Kepler property, and my video of Mario, and then, Ana threatening us two weeks later. This whole situation has taken me over two months to put some type of reasoning to it. I am still completely sure that there is a lot more to it that I am unaware of, but I am sure of the fact that Willie had a gun, Mario had knowledge of that fact, and Heather threatened me 7-8 hours prior to that. I did a little research and I found this out, Heather and Mike were living two streets over from Lisa's house on Kepler, but I am unsure if they are currently. And when I looked up Marios Facebook the next day after searching white pages, well, he had me blocked and he claims he had no idea who is was until his wife snapped a pic of me on July 28th. He filed the TRO on the 22nd and had the entire John Lober expose' and I believe he purchased a few of my books as well. Epilogue: We are ALL sinners, and none of us are perfect. There are more losers than winners, an army they can erect. Consciousness has no borders, and just like this story, it is incomplete.... Part one John Driver, Author ©LUBRXOLOGY NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION ™John Driver

[jansen1107]

How the Mighty Have Fallen

I started 2017 unemployed. I’m now on my third week. It feels strange to be writing that, especially where the national unemployment rate in the U.S. stands at 4.7% as of now. Almost everyone I know has a job. So, what happened with me?

The last job I had was a three-month gig working freelance for $55 an hour at my former ad agency, which I had left full-time in June after four years. They were nice enough to have me back to help out with some projects. My gig was supposed to go through to this year with the possibility of going full-time on a new account, but my manager spoke to HR and HR spoke to the Finance department. Finance came back with a resounding “No!” And here I am.

From 2014 to 2015, and shortly after I moved to New York City, I would receive as many as 3 recruiters a week bombarding my LinkedIn in box with invitations to interview for other companies. Sometimes they’d get really ballsy and write to my work email. The ad agency I worked for had just moved me to their New York office at the end of summer 2013, so I ignored the offers coming in. There was a clause with my agency where if you left within a year of being transferred, you had to pay back all of the moving fees. In some cases, companies that hire you will pay the fee. I saw this happen with a guy who was moved to the New York office from North Carolina and who left after eight months. He and I would end up at the same agency later… and I would leave that agency in flames.

Within the first couple years of moving to New York, I received some heady offers to interview with companies that were all outside of the city. It seemed like just having “New York” stamped on my resume suddenly made me desirable to companies in other regions. One recruiter asked if I’d be interested in interviewing as a medical editor for an ad agency in San Diego. Another asked if I’d be interested in running my own editorial department for a new agency in Denver. It was so tempting, but I turned them down. I had just gone through the stress of moving all my shit (and I have A LOT of shit) and my cat to New York. Why would I want to go through that again so soon?

This morning, when I logged in to Facebook, I was taunted by one of those flashback posts from two years ago today. In that post, I humble bragged about being offered an interview with an agency in Raleigh, North Carolina. Although I didn’t want it, I asked if any of my friends would be interested. I believe in sharing the wealth, and if I have good fortune and don’t need it, I’m certainly okay with passing it along to someone who might.

Those were good times. I definitely felt like a rock star back then, and I said to myself, “I hope these job offers are still coming in when I’ll need them.” Famous last words.

Back in June of 2016, I finally heeded the siren call of the job recruiters. Big mistake. The recruiter offered me the biggest salary yet. With my rent going up another $100 in September, I really needed to find a job that would pay. This place seemed like it would fit the bill, no pun intended.

The agency (I’ll call them Beige) was not the right fit for me from go, and a little voice inside my head told me to turn back. I should have listened, but I overrode my instincts and went ahead with the interview. The recruiters were really gunning for me to take the job. I found out during several phone calls I had with them that they were getting a huge fee for placing me, based on my salary. They assured me that this place was all about work/life balance and I wouldn’t be expected to stay late like so many other agencies. (“You’ll be able to get home in time to have dinner and hang out with your cat.”) During the onsite interview, the woman who would end up being my boss very sweetly told me that Beige didn’t believe in overworking its editors. I wouldn’t be expected to work more than 40 hours a week because I needed to be fresh to do my job, she said. While work/life balance had never been an issue at my old agency, everyone I talked to was making this place sound like a country club with great pay. How could I say no? And, believe me, I did stall right up until the eleventh hour because of that nagging voice in my head. But pressure from the recruiters and Beige caused me to give in. (Or, I chose to give in. I have to take responsibility for this.)

Basically, the fuckers lied to me.

Within the first few weeks of being crammed into what felt like an open-air market with impeccably dressed people, I soon discovered that I was actually working in a sweatshop. A typical workday never went below 9 hours and 11 to 12 hours was not unusual or even questioned. I worked three Saturdays in a row because the account managers couldn’t say no to a bullying client that demanded the world on a silver platter. (We were constantly being reminded that our competitors were always showing the client how they could do things better.)

I’ve gone on at length about this experience in an earlier blog entry, if you care to read it, so I’m not going to beat this dead horse anymore. Suffice it to say, Beige was a shit show of an agency. I felt like I had been shanghaied to work on a pirate ship and that I could stick it out or walk the plank. One Monday morning, after my boss called me to her desk to deliver some sugar-coated criticism, I decided to walk the plank. It was probably the best thing I did for my health. But for my career? Not so much.

When I updated my resume on LinkedIn following this debacle, it seemed like the emails from recruiters dried up almost immediately. There was one who showed interest, and I agreed to let her place my resume with an agency that I had turned down a couple years before. Days went by after she submitted it, and there was no call. I’ve always been used to things happening very quickly. I have a lot of great experience. When I submit a resume, I almost always get a call the next day for an interview, and I usually have a new job by the following Monday. Not this time.

My mother asked me if I thought I had been blacklisted. While I don’t think Beige is wasting their time putting out the word about what a dud I was (that would be highly illegal, I imagine), I do think that the three scant months now appearing on my resume is giving some potential employers pause. The recruiter I mentioned earlier told me one potential employer was pleased that Beige was on my resume, but then I didn’t hear a word after that. I imagine the recruiter played up the fact that I worked at Beige, but then when the potential employer had the resume in hand, they looked at the timeline and asked, “What happened here?”

So, do I lie on my resume? Should I delete that bit of time and just say in an interview (if I get one) that I took the summer off to write a novel? Or take care of my elderly grandmother? Or to find myself? It’s tempting to just wipe it out, but then it becomes a lie by omission. And there’s always the danger of ending up at another agency with someone who remembers me from Beige and then tells my manager, who can’t seem to recall Beige ever being on my resume. It’s a real conundrum.

At times like these, I think about the hoops some of my ancestors had to jump through to find work. In the 1920s, my great-grandmother had just divorced my alcoholic great-grandfather at a time when divorce was taboo. On top of that, she had a three-year-old son (my grandfather) whom she had to cart off to relatives just so she could pass herself off as an unmarried woman and get a teaching job. It’s sad to think now.

On my father’s side, my Native American ancestors oftentimes had to pass themselves off as white just so they could get jobs and housing. As a result of the horrible bigotry they faced, they went deep into the racial closet, and we have no idea what tribe we’re descended from. And we’d like to know. (My parents both just did the DNA spit test, so I’m hoping we’ll have some answers soon.)

The point of all this is that the times have changed but the bullshit remains the same. Talented people with great experience are discriminated against for circumstances beyond their control. For me, ageism is a very real issue I have to contend with. My mother says it doesn’t hit until one is in his/her 50s, but I’ve already felt the sting in my 40s. I could also be denied a government job simply for the fact that I’m gay and because my orientation doesn’t jive with a Christian doing the hiring. Gaps in employment are scrutinized and can cost you a job. And if I do take a job, and it sucks, and I leave after three months—an employer is going to look at me, out of context, like I’m a quitter, regardless of the names and years of experience I have to show. I’m dead in the water.

As of this writing, I’ve sent out close to 10 resumes during the past couple weeks. Of those, I’ve only spoken to one recruiter who is trying to place me with one of several agencies within her domain. I’m hopeful, but I know the reality is that I could end up like so many executives who found themselves without a job and are now working as greeters at Walmart—and wondering what the hell went wrong. I say that will never happen to me, but will it?

I’ve applied for unemployment at the urging of my friend Julie and stand to gain a whopping $430 a week in benefits, if I’m even accepted. (That doesn’t go far in NYC, believe me.) My student loans have been put on hold for three months as a hardship forbearance. Luckily, my Obamacare health insurance is paid through March 1. (Small blessings.) I’ve already started to extract some toys from my toy collection to sell on eBay. (I did this back in 2005 during a work downturn and managed to pay my utilities this way for several months.) And I’m contemplating cashing in one smallish 401k account that would allow me to pay my rent and utilities for six months while I look. (This is fine for the short-term, but my 80-year-old self might suffer from it.) That would be a last-ditch effort following two months without a job offer. The gears are always turning, and I’m trying to be resourceful and keep my head above water. Hopefully, something will happen before then.

Sigh… Welcome to 21st-century America. It’s true what they say: The more things change, the more they stay the same. It isn’t doing much to help us, let me tell ya.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qc0Fi8kxnE