#(A Black Knight) Unstoppable Destiny

[ask-spw-mercenary]

( Continued From Here )

Umbra was finally coming too after being out cold for so long. Just as she began opening her eyes, she saw that she was on her couch, and Tonya was covering her with some blankets. “Whaa da?”

Tonya then notices that Umbra is indeed up. A bit drowsy, but awake. “Welcome back to the world of the living.”

“T-Ta? Can I call you that?”

Tonya didn’t expect the nickname, but she welcomes it. “Umm, yes-” Tonya then soon finds Arden looming over both her and Umbra. “Should I mov-”

“Yes.” Arden says, before Tonya moves out of the way. He then goes in to check on his daughter. “Who did this?! How many bones did they break?! HOW BAD ARE YOUR INJURIES!?”

Umbra just remains quiet for a moment. “I feel like crap, and you can thank this durable shit with some black knight armor for that.” She then notices that Touya isn’t in the area. “Where’s Touya?”

“In my room, passed out once we got you two. I had Thomas patch him up, until we can call an ambulance.” That put Umbra at ease for a little bit. Still, Arden was vastly annoyed at the situation. “So I’m guessing we have a psycho in armor on the loose that did this to you and the walking lighter? Must’ve been a durable little shit, and that armor must’ve been a stand.”

“Why are you so calm about this?”

“Because your old man is thinking right now.”

“Of what?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Arden says with a reassuring grin.

“... Dad no.” Umbra doesn’t know for certain if the armored guy is a creep or one of those enlightenment paladins that got their hands on a stand. Either way, that armor was tough, and if Touya had to run here, it obviously meant he couldn’t break through it. However her dad wasn’t Touya, and she knows that since this is a case where an enemy stand user nearly killed her, Arden might not be gentle with the attacker either way.

Tonya was unaware of that Umbra and her father were thinking, but she could sense the tension in the room. However she soon hears some knocking at the door, and taps on Arden’s shoulder, catching the mercenary’s, and Umbra’s, attention. Then the black knight busted down the door, and looks directly at all three of them. Tonya just remained quiet and in shock.

The knight then without warning, rushes over to Umbra with his blade ready, but before he could reach her and strike a hit, a bubble shaped barrier surrounded him. He then tries slashing and punching the barrier, but it didn’t crack. He was stuck.

“You ain’t getting outta that.” Arden mentions. “My stand ensured that bubble you’re in is so durable, that nothing can break it from the inside.”

“So you made this bubble, clown?” The knight asked. “I see where the witch gets her black magic from.”

“For one: don’t call my daughter a witch, and for two: what the hell do you want Monty Python?”

“I am here to do my brothers, my friends, and the world a service, and destroy a malevolent witch. Is that wron-?” The black knight then notices the bubble got a little bit smaller, and he started to feel more crammed up. That reasoning just pissed Arden off big time. Umbra isn’t a saint, but she’s still his kid, and it better than before.

Umbra notices that her father is pissed, and gets up from the couch to tap her father on the shoulder. “Dad.” Arden then looks at Umbra. “Don’t.”

“But-”

“I know, but let me handle this.” The red haired girl could hear laughing in her heard at this situation, knowing it was probably Destati laughing at her decision. Still, she turns over to the trapped black knight. “You’re one of those Enlightenment kids, aren’t you?”

The black knight is caught off guard by Umbra’s question, but keeps his cool. “So what if I am, witch?”

“Who put you up to this?”

“I put myself up to this.”

“Why? Is it because I oppose your beliefs?”

“I could care less about that.” The room immediately goes silent. “It’s because you reek of malevolence, because you attacked the Father’s father, because of the danger you present to my friends and the world we want to change. It’s one thing not to believe in god, it’s another thing to be a threat.”

Umbra’s eyes widen as she realizes what was going on here. “Do I scare you?”

The knight raises his blade from inside the bubble. “You DON’T scare me. You couldn’t even harm me if you wanted to.”

“I do scare you, not because I am capable of hurting you, but because I could wreck those other armored guys if I wanted to.” Umbra looks down at her own hands, before looking at the black knight. “You’re scared of me hurting them, aren’t you?” The black knight remains silent, which confirms her suspicions. “Listen... I know me and your armored buddies don’t get along, but they’re in a bad situation-”

“Liar...”

“Can you just listen!” Umbra yells, before continuing her train of thought. “I’m gonna let you go?”

“What?”

“What?” Tonya epps out

“WhAAAAAT?!” Arden was utterly shocked at that idea alone, especially since this guy seemed deadset on killing her. 

“I’ll let you go, and I promise you one thing. I won’t hurt you, Adam, or the other armored shitbags, ever.”

“How do I know you’re not lying?”

“I’m honestly too beat up to fight, and I don’t want my dad possibly breaking your bones in that bubble. That and... I honestly lost a lot of my animosity towards you annoying little shits.” Umbra then looks over at Arden, who was completely dumbfounded. “Let him go.” Arden just nods and releases the knight from the bubble.

The knight is actually released by the bubble and is surprised by this. However, before he departs, he takes off his helmet, revealing just a young teenage boy with blue hair, and red eyes. “You better not be lying.” The boy then takes his leave.

After the boy leave, both Umbra and Arden just lie down on the ground, obviously relieved that actually went well. 

Meanwhile, Tonya is just confused as hell by what just happened.

Knight In Black Arc: End

[dive-into-shadows]

//Reference for Unstoppable Destiny.

[acacia-may]

yo! do you have any songs for the black bulls as a group? :D

Hi! Thank you so much for your ask and for playing! I'm really excited for this one because I have a lot of songs that make me think of the Black Bulls as a group! (Truthfully, I'm a little embarrassed of my "catch all" Black Clover playlist 🙈 --there's a lot of random stuff on there that would probably require lots of explaining, but it started off as a Black Bulls playlist so the beginning of the playlist has a lot of songs I associate with them as a group on it (before it started getting into more random things and songs for specific characters and situations). Here's the link if you want to see into my most random musical selections. I promise I can explain...😅😂) It was hard to decide on just a handful, but I limited myself to 6 so it wouldn't get too overwhelming (listed below in no particular order):

"Freaks Like Us" by Sleeping Wolf

"So Am I" by Ava Max

"Unstoppable" by The Score

"Where I Belong" by Simple Plan, State Champs, and We The Kings

"Freak Show" by Ingrid Michaelson

"No Limits" by Zayde Wolf

I feel like these are all pretty straightforward (as you can probably tell from the titles 😅), but I have still included a little discussion under the cut with all the Spotify and You Tube links.

"Freaks Like Us" by Sleeping Wolf might be my favourite Black Bulls song, and I listen to it a lot when I'm brainstorming. The refrain especially makes me think of them welcoming new members because a lot of the squad was "getting lost in the rush" of normalcy and expectations, but Captain Yami saw something in each of them ("the wild burnin' in [their] eyes" so to speak) and showed them there was more to life than just being miserable trying to fit in. I love that "feel the dark turnin' into light" line for this reason too--really speaks to how being a part of the Black Bulls "family" of misfits helps each of them begin to heal from those dark and horrible things in their pasts. The lines "Take your hand and lead you to the voices/Make your reality, make your reality" also speak to this point as well and that sense of regaining power of one's life. Maybe I'm just thinking about Vanessa's backstory (since she's one of my favourites), but the whole concept that we can make our own destiny and while we can't change the past we can change the future is a big part of a lot of the Black Bulls’ stories. I think Yami (and now Asta) really inspire that in a lot of the squad who have felt trapped in one way or another.

Lastly, I'll mention that the "we're not the monsters in your dreams" line reminds me of how the rest of the world sees the Black Bulls in the canon (i.e. they're a little afraid of them and think they're destructive and somewhat frightening, the "worst of the worst" magic knight squad) when really we know, as the reader/watcher, they are "just freaks" or misfits or misunderstood (whatever you'd want to call them) and they're the best in our hearts. The references to "playing with magic" and how "playing it safe is not enough" are just added bonuses. 😁

Do you want to be freaks like us? Keep on getting lost in the rush Call it a habit, I gotta have it Playing it safe is not enough

See the wild burnin' in your eyes Feel the dark turnin' into light Playing with magic, it's automatic We're not the monsters in your dreams We're just freaks

Sleeping Wolf - Freaks Like Us - Official Lyric Video - YouTube

In a similar vein to "Freaks Like Us," "So Am I" by Ava Max is also about social outcasts/misfits finding each other and encouraging each other that "it's okay to be different" because they're not alone in that, which I think is one of the biggest things that the Black Bulls are all about. I think I mentioned elsewhere on this blog that I used to jokingly call them the "Island of Misfit Toys" when I was binging the anime because the squad really is this place to belong for all of these delightful, oddball characters who haven't really fit in anywhere else (for one reason or another). I think this song really speaks to that and how they accept each other and encourage each other to be themselves (even if the rest of the world writes them off for it). On a more specific note, I always think of Magna during the "So, baby, come pass me a lighter/We're gonna leave 'em on fire" line. 😁

Do you ever feel like a misfit? Everything inside you is dark and twisted Oh, but it's okay to be different 'Cause baby, so am I

Ava Max - So Am I [Official Lyric Video] - YouTube

"Unstoppable" by The Score reminds me of the squad's resilience--a lot of Asta's "never give up" and Captain Yami's "push past your limits" attitude perhaps but I think every Black Bull has a little bit of that fight in them that makes them get back up again and keep trying despite everything they've suffered in their lives, even when things are difficult and the odds are against them. The world of Black Clover has kind of written them off, but we see over the course of the series that they learn (with Asta's help and inspiration especially) that they "can be heroes." I'm especially reminded of the epiphany a lot of the characters experience on this point in one of my favourite story arcs in the underwater temple when I listen to this song.

We can be heroes everywhere we go Keeping us down is impossible 'Cause we're unstoppable

The Score - Unstoppable (Official Audio) - YouTube

So I'll be honest and tell you that "Where I Belong" by Simple Plan, State Champs, and We The Kings is on loan from my Vanessa playlist since it usually makes me think of that wonderful moment at the end of the Forest of Witches Arc (one of my all-time favorites) when Vanessa realises that what she has found in the outside world is a squad family that truly loves her for who she is and that her real home is with them. I feel like a lot of characters have these same kind of feelings towards the squad as a real "home" and place to belong! 💕

I love these lines especially: "Let you in on one of my secrets/ I'm still just as lost as yesterday/ But it feels like home" because it really speaks to how finding a home doesn't mean that the journey is over and all the problems are solved. The Black Bulls still have their wounds and things they need to work through, but now they have a support system, a family, that gives them the strength and encouragement they each need to keep moving forward.

I found a reason And suddenly I'm not so alone I'm finally breathing Like I never could on my own Start the countdown, let's get it on Scream our lungs out to our favorite song 'Cause this is where I belong

Where I Belong (feat. We The Kings) - YouTube

I've included "Freak Show" by Ingrid Michaelson because while it has a very similar message to the other songs on this list, it has a different sound/is a different genre of music. Again, this is a song about finding love and acceptance in a band of misfits the singer refers to (with a sort of affection) as "the freak show." I especially love the lines "Feels different tonight with you here at my side/ Oh, I could just get lost here for days" and there is something about the (somewhat cheeky) attitude of "Who wants to be normal anyway?" that really makes me think of the Black Bulls. 😊

Well, you're not the only weird one Here, let me show you where I'm from

Welcome to the freak show I got a place that we can go

Freak Show - YouTube

This list wouldn't be complete without the song "No Limits" by Zayde Wolf even though it's pretty on the nose with its "No Limits/ No Limits" over and over. After all l, what are the Black Bulls without their captain always encouraging them, “push past your limits.” That kind of determination, perseverance, and resilience is definitely a big part of what makes the Black Bulls the squad we all know and love.

No limits, no limits Can't hold me back, I'm all in it No limits, no limits No dream is too big not to finish

Don't stop, keep going, don't stop, keep going

No limits, no limits

NO LIMITS (Lyrics) - ZAYDE WOLF - YouTube

Thank you so much for the ask and for bearing with me (and my inability to narrow down the list 😅)! I hope you like these songs!

[starsdeath]

15 & 37 for the FE ask game!

Fire Emblem Series Ask Game! || Accepting!

37. What's a weird theory or headcanon you have?

I have a lot of thoughts on the Branded of PoR and Radiant Dawn, namely I'm very curious about whether or not any of them could have multiple Brands (such as my OC). and about what would happen to any of them should Izuka's drugs that affected Laguz and turned them Feral be used on a Branded.

Would anything happen, would their appearances be forced to shift to be more in line with the Laguz heritage one bears? Would it be like their bodies try to shift into animal form, but can't fully, so they shift partially in some way; such as sprouting feathers, nails and teeth growing longer and sharper, things like that? I'm uncertain but I do thing it would be interesting if Izuka's drug did affect a Branded in the way of, their body would try to shift, but being unable to, would instead cause them to shift partially.

15. What are your favorite musical tracks?

I have so many tracks I love so this is gonna be a bit of a list (in order as they appear on the soundtracks) that is under the read more so this post isn't a monster on the dash lol. I did try to cut it down, but for the three games I picked...I have a lot, so I tried to save some space by putting those that were right next to each other in the soundtrack beside each other with the /.

Radiant Dawn:

Echoes of Daybreak

Conviction / Proud Fight / Bearer of Hope

Ascent

Dawn Brigade / March / On Glory's Wings / The Devoted

Battle of Pride

Unstoppable Destiny

Beauty is a Mad Mistress

King of the Sky

March of the Lion King / The Pledge

Battle is Joined / At Peace

Darkness Eternal

Stalwarts Unite

Aesthetics of Deprivation

No Word for Defeat

The Goddess Wakes / Divine Healing

Rafiel's Aria / Repose for Souls / Grace

The Galdr of Rebirth / Gladr of Release (all versions)

Ashera the Creator / Child of Chaos

Micaiah's Dawn / Empress Sanaki

Queen Elincia / Elincia's Theme

Caineghis King of Lions / Skirmir's Pride

Tranquility of Goldoa

The Black Knight Lives / Zelgius the Brave

Urgency Drives Us / Uncharted Fates

Everything Hereafter / Dawn Awakens

Echoes:

Title Theme / Echoes

An Ordinary Day / Spring Radiance

Parting / Serenity / Uprising

The Dauntless Blade

Melody of Water / A Bewitching Dance

The Ark of Dawn / With Mila's Divine Protection / A Blade on the Wind

Sea Winds and Travelers

Undiscovered Horizons

Disquieting Steps

The Incorrigible

Malediction

Fate / A Song for Bygone Days / What Lies at the End / The Sacrifice and the Saint (all versions of above)

One Star by the Next / A Distant Promise

Prince of Darkness / Pride and Arrogance / Lord of a Dead Empire

Reminiscences / Truth

Those Who Challenge Gods

Praise this Despair / The Scions Dance in Purgatory / In a Silver Garden with You

Revalations / Dayspring

Twilight of the Gods

The Course of Gods and Men / The Voice that Calls You / The Heritors of Arcadia

Three Houses / Three Hopes:

The Crest of Flames / The Edge of Dawn / The Color of Sunrise

Fodlan Winds

Chasing Daybreak / The Long Road (Hopes) / Between Heaven and Earth

God-Shattering Star

Dwelling of the Ancient Gods

The Spirit Dias

Gazing at Sirius

Respite and Sunlight / Calm Winds over Gentle Waters

The Leaders Path / The King of Lions / Golden Deer and Cresent Moon

A Place of Rest

The Night of the Ball

Courage and Tragedy

A New Dawn

The Shackled Wolves

Melody of Clarity (all)

I Swear By My Sword

Blood and Iron

The Ashen Demon / Awakening / A Dream in the Dark

A Smoldering Scarlet Blaze / A Lingering Azure Gleam / A Crackling Golden Wildfire

Just Another Day / Peaceful Days

Hope for Tomorrow

Sunlight Through the Trees / The Void

First Light / Shooting Stars / One Last Thing

[magicalforcesau]

Dancing With Ghosts in Your Garden~ Chapter 12 - Year 2: Summer

(ao3 link)

He was coming.

Dressed all in black and poised as a knight in glimmering darkness would be. His power was overwhelming: unforeseen before this day and age and nearly unstoppable. Nothing in his path would be saved. 

Friends, foes, strangers… All of them dead and not to the passion of yellow eyes of hatred, but hopeless and never-ending black lenses.

He would be their undoing. 

“If you are not with me… You are my enemy.” 

He snapped into full consciousness.

Other screams echoed down the hall from him, residual aftershocks from a recent admin to the highest security level of Azkaban. It was here that only the most vile prisoners existed- those that committed such atrocities that deemed them unworthy of ever seeing light ever again- not even by the means of a small window.

This, he concluded, was wise, because no space would be too small for him to worm his way through.

The dementors were coming.

What could they take from someone who never had anything?

Glowing yellow eyes bore into the wall across his cell, finding their focal point in a small newspaper cutout that billowed slightly in the ever-present wind that consistently raged through the prison. Over the ticking years of his capture, he learned that it was wise to always maintain focus- lest the physicality of the drains become too consuming. That was never to say it was pleasant, but he prided himself in never requiring positivity or happiness to thrive. 

Unlike many of the bottom-dwellers that filled the triangular structure in the middle of the North Sea, he knew he had a purpose. 

And that purpose had always been to stay hungry; so mind-numbingly starved that it was impossible to satisfy his appetite. He thrived in the sort of lust that was always searching, but never fulfilled in true. That was the mind of the hunter.

The impenetrable gate to his cell swung open, yet he remained seated patiently with crossed legs on the floor- back to his enemies- as he always did. He used to fight, because that’s what the hunter did: they fought. However, extended torture offered him something convenient: it offered him the perspective of the prey. 

He never had anything to give the dementors- no happiness or positivity of his own, leaving them often dry and unsatisfied from their routine visits to his block. This time, as the writhing flow of darkness and despair filled the space of his soul, finding corners and pockets once inhabited, he had to fight back a smile.

His imprisoners would call him crazy- driven to the brink at their own hand- and would laugh merrily at the mere thought of it, because he deserved what he got. But he knew above all else that they were fools for not killing him dead in the first place. Instead, they allowed his search of purpose to fester in the obscurity until grasping it with unyielding fingers. 

He dropped to the ground unceremoniously, gasping for breath and keeping his head down. He could get up. He could fight, but he learned something about hunger over his capture and that was the control of keeping it at bay. 

Their time would come.

His skin itched at the blissful thought of ripping them apart. 

After the shrouded floating embodiments of torture drifted down the hall to a more promising victim, he lifted his head to gaze up at that singular picture on his wall.

A boy smiled widely with a fluttering owl on his shoulder- full of life… hope… destiny. It was the picturesque sort of Daily Prophet image that foolish readers ate up in efforts to forget about the perils of their world. 

This boy was the one to fulfil the great ambitions of the Sith, to bring Salazar Slytherin’s true vision into place with complete superiority. It seemed impossible to see in such youth, but he didn’t doubt his master’s foresight for one moment. Sidious was always operating several steps ahead of everyone else. He had once believed that he was to be a crucial part of Sidious’ plans, but was cast aside like a worthless sea urchin. 

His stomach growled and he rose to his feet. 

“You should have killed me, master.” He said softly, never taking his eyes off the picture, feeling that pleasant swell of burning hatred coursing through his veins. It was so overwhelming that he almost laughed, but such a display would draw attention that he could not risk. 

He never had his own happiness, but was always ravenous for someone else’s. And with that, his purpose was renewed. 

He would take and take until there was nothing left of his master’s plan- until there was nothing left of this boy. 

Anakin Skywalker would soon find that Maul was not unlike a dementor. 

***

It was an uncharacteristically sunny day as young Anakin Skywalker raced across the street. Several paces back was his mother who managed to grab his arm and pull him back just in time to save him from an oncoming bicycle.

“Anakin, be careful,” She chided, guiding him rather purposely onto the sidewalk.

“I had it under control!” Anakin declared although his heart was still beating a little too fast. After all, Anakin and his mother weren’t normal pedestrians, they were wizards. What’s the worst that could happen to someone like them? Anakin may not know many spells yet, as he was only about to begin his second year. However, when he looked up at the faded sign dangling haphazardly above them, he knew where he could find much more skilled magic users if something were to happen.

“I’m beginning to wonder if I should accompany you after all,” His mother was looking down at him with concern.

“No, no! I’m old enough!” He stood a little straighter, maybe leaned forward on the tips of his toes a bit, “I’m already 12! All I have to get is a bunch of new books anyways, not like last time,” He bounced a little bit, eager at just the thought of what other sorts of wizard things he might get a chance to look at unsupervised, “And if anyone knows where to buy books, Obi-Wan does.”

“Well alright dear,” Shmi smiled as he staggered a little. She ran her fingers through his hair, likely trying to flatten it down as it was always rather unruly, “I suppose when I was your age I was allowed to traverse Diagon Alley by myself,” Anakin gazed up at her with curious eyes. His mother still never spoke much of her own time in the wizarding world, “I hope this doesn’t mean you’re too old for your dear mother,” He shook his head frantically, hugging her tightly around the waist.

“I’ll never be too old for you!” He admonished and she laughed, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

“Off you go, Ani,” His mother sighed, but when he pulled away, she was giving him a firm look, “It would hardly be proper for you to be late,” He nodded in excitement before pulling open the door to the pub, but not without one last wave back.

The inside of the Leaky Cauldron was just as dim as last time. However, this time he felt a few pairs of eyes flicker towards him, whispers he couldn’t quite make out hung in the air. He wasn’t sure if they would be talking about how he was part of the group of students to oust Dooku, or about his status as the chosen one.

Either way he puffed his chest a little bit and walked through the room like he’d been there hundreds of times before. He tapped into the bricks in the back just as he’d practiced a dozen times before in his room and the wall melted before him. Bricks turned and fell until there was a good-sized hole in the wall. His mum had insisted they walk there, as Floo Powder was a luxury and she said she only kept some for emergencies. It didn’t bother Anakin as he was completely fine with reliving the charming experience that he’d first witnessed last year.

Not much had changed about Diagon Alley and he doubted it ever really did, like a time capsule. Older witches and wizards still walked around in ridiculous outfits while the young wore muggle clothes to seem more inconspicuous or school robes to break them in. Anakin had grown a little bit and was probably due to exchange his old robe for one of a bigger size, though his mother was sure he’d grow out of it again by the end of the year. Perhaps he could learn a spell to make clothes bigger, that would surely impress her.

“Anakin!” He turned and saw Rex Fett waving at him from in front of a little red shop on the right.

“Rex!” He ran over quickly and found himself in a chokehold alongside his best friend.

“There’s my star beater,” Cody greeted him before dropping the both of them, “I hope you’ve still got it because I’ve spent all summer planning the perfect comeback for Gryffindor!”

“That and running me ragged,” Rex complained, but he was grinning as he turned to Anakin in excitement, “Dad gave me money for my own broom!”

“That’s great!” Anakin, though happy for his friend, felt a little green with envy as he thought about the dusty old brooms at Hogwarts.

“I can’t wait to try out for the team, then we can beat the other houses together!”

“Sounds great!” Anakin nodded, “Do you-”

Before he could continue the wall to Diagon Alley opened again. Satine tucked her wand in her hair when her eyes landed on their little trio.

“Satine!” Cody pushed past the younger boys to crush his friend in a hug.

“Already visited the Quidditch store I see?” She smiled glancing around, “Ben’s not here yet?”

“Gotta make sure I’m up to date on all the new gear,” Cody stated as if he ever wouldn’t be, “Not yet, but I’m sure he’s just caught in Floo Powder traffic or something,” Anakin opened his mouth to ask about how such a thing would work anyways when something caught his eye. Turning, he watched as a shopkeeper pulled down the old broom displayed in the window.

“Oh no way,” Rex’s eyes lit up, “They weren’t supposed to come out with a new model until spring!”

“What’s this one?” Anakin followed Rex up to the window.

“Oh!” Cody pressed close to the glass, “This handle shape can really only mean it’s a Randolph Spudmore!” Rex nodded and Anakin looked at them in exasperation.

“Am I supposed to know what that means?” He gazed down the length of the broom, it certainly looked impressive either way, but just what sort of differences could there really be between brooms.

“It has to be the Firebolt Supreme,” Cody gushed, “Rumored to fly up to 200 miles per hour, much faster than its predecessor, non-slip grip and impressive ironwork!”

“The Bulgarian Quidditch team already stated they wanted some before they were even announced,” Rex told him, “It’s supposed to be the smoothest broom experience ever, a potential game changer.”

“Wow,” Anakin felt like he was seeing the thing in an all new light, if this broom was that impressive it definitely felt like something he would love to ride, “Rex you should get this one!” Rex gave a startled laugh and looked at him like he’d grown antlers.

“This broom is going to cost an arm and a leg,” Rex shook his head, “No way that’s affordable for a school-aged kid.”

“I wish,” Cody said longingly, “Still, we’ll get ya something worth riding, Rexy. Maybe last year's Cleansweep model, or a Starsweeper. I’m quite partial to the Thunderbolt line myself.”

“Cody, you have a Comet 295,” Rex crossed his arms.

“Obsolete!” Cody waved a dismissive hand, “We gotta get you a broom that’ll last mate, they don’t grow on trees after all.”

“Well, they are made of wood,” Anakin pointed out and Rex laughed.

“Maybe we should make our own,” He suggested much to Cody’s look of annoyance, “It could be revolutionary.”

“Yeah ‘cause the next best broom is really gonna come from a couple 2nd years who barely know how to charm a teacup,” Cody huffed, “Broom making is an art-”

“We could call it the Skywalker,” Anakin continued for Rex, “Who knows, I am supposed to be all powerful, that might include making my own super broom.”

“Right mate,” Rex rolled his eyes.

“Where’s Obi-Wan when you need him,” Anakin gazed back at the Firebolt Supreme, “He’s rich, maybe he’s taking requests for Christmas presents.”

“Yeah, your Christmas present for the rest of your life maybe,” Cody crossed his arms, “In case you’ve forgotten he already had to get a new broom himself last year.”

“What’d he pick anyways?” Anakin asked.

“Nimbus line, 2005” Cody answered with a shrug, “He’s always had a Nimbus, figured he wouldn’t want to try anything else.”

They turned back to oogle the broom once more before sighing.

“I suppose we should save the fun shopping for last,” Rex lamented pulling the same list Anakin had received in the mail out of his pocket.

“Boo,” Cody complained, “But alright, why don’t you two run along and I’ll go hunt down my missing friends,” Anakin looked up to see that Satine was nowhere in sight. Perhaps she’d gone off in search of Obi-Wan in lieu of talking brooms. Anakin couldn’t really bring himself to care much about it, they’d surely all run into each other again.

***

“Diagon Alley,” Obi-Wan spoke in a firm, clear voice. Loud enough for the green flames before him to teleport him to his location, but soft enough that they wouldn’t echo throughout Kenobi mansion. His parents wouldn’t be too pleased if he interrupted them with his departure. The Floo network was second nature to him at this point in his life, although Satine, who had only gotten to try it once or twice, claimed it to be an odd out of body experience.

Obi-Wan deftly stepped out from the fireplace. Peering around, it seemed he had landed himself in the robes shop. Nodding towards the wizards measuring students for their new robes, he dusted himself off and stepped out on the cobblestone street. Despite what many would assume, he didn’t spend a great deal of time in Diagon Alley. There were other wizarding areas his mother used to take him shopping at, and it was really only once or twice a year he was able to come to Diagon Alley on his own account. It was such a great coincidence that he managed to plan such a trip when his friends would be there. Though he supposed his parents would be interested to hear that he met Anakin on his day out.

“There you are,” His heart leapt in his chest as he turned. It was Satine as expected, but there was something a little bit more elegant about her. Gone was any lankiness or lingering awkwardness, instead she looked exceptionally radiant in a way he hadn’t seen prior. It was rare indeed that he saw her dressed down to a casual muggle look and he tried desperately not to stare.

“Satine, it’s-”

“You’ve got a little something there,” She leaned into his personal bubble with practiced ease and scrubbed at his nose with her thumb, “Really now,” She stepped back as if admiring her work, “I’m disappointed that even someone as prim as you can’t manage the Floo Network without getting soot stained.”

“Prim? I think not,” He crossed his arms, “At least I know it’s best not to store my wand so haphazardly.”

“Really you don’t think it suits me?” She tipped her head to the side and he frowned.

“What suits you best is your head still attached to your shoulders,” Though the light brown shade of her wand did look rather beautiful in contrast to her blonde waves.

“Have you no faith of my magical control?” She countered.

“Even the most talented witch could accidentally cast a spell,” He chastised.

“Good to see you again too,” She rolled her eyes and tugged him gently by the arm as they started moving further down Diagon Alley.

“How’s your summer been?” He asked her, eager to hear what sorts of fun muggle activities she’d been privy to.

“Bo was off to camp again,” She shrugged when he winced, “Left a lot of time for me to catch up on my readings I suppose.”

“Did we not finish the summer’s readings prior to leaving Hogwarts?” He asked and she nodded.

“I’m talking about muggle readings,” She explained, “You know our dusty old wizard school can only teach us so much. I want to keep track of a little science knowledge, biology, and a little chemistry at least,” Such things Obi-Wan wasn’t privy to knowing about, but he committed to memory to ask her a million questions about it on the train.

“Surely you did more than just read over the summer?” Obi-Wan prompted and she glanced at him.

“That’s rather rich coming from you,” And he knew this would be the most she referenced his own summer vacation.

“I’m only curious,” He grinned innocently, “If you’d rather tell me about biology, I’m all ears,” Her cheeks had gone a little red for some reason.  He hoped they weren’t walking too fast.

“I did go on a short holiday with my mum,” She shrugged, “Nothing fancy just down to Brighton for the beaches,” She studied him a moment before nodding and continuing, “You would have liked it I’m sure, there were lots of quaint, little stores.”

“I’d love to see such a sight,” He was sure of it, even if he had no real visual to what Satine was talking about.

“There was this tall observation tower,” She tried to explain, “You ride an elevator up and can see 360 degrees. It feels like you can see for miles,” He nodded trying to figure out what such a structure would look like.

“Fascinating!” She looked at him with a small smile.

“Perhaps one day we could go together?” She suggested and Obi-Wan grinned at the thought.

“That would be rather wonderful. I’d love to travel.”

“But you’ve travelled,” Satine easily put him under scrutiny.

“A few times yes, but never anywhere really new,” He shrugged, “Wizarding towns are very similar, you know,” She nodded slowly, before looking into a shop window with not very well disguised disgust.

“What the bloody hell do wizards need an entire store revolving around jellied eels for?” She wrinkled her nose and he couldn’t help but laugh at her expression.

“An eel can be a delicacy, my dear,” Obi-Wan gestured towards a rather offending pie in the window, “Surely you’ve had a meat pie?”

“I’m not so sheltered,” Though she looked a little green as she stared into the beady dead eyes of the eels, “Though I’m pretty sure this is a crime against food.”

“You could say that,” A newcomer came up behind them and Obi-Wan turned with a smile.

“I thought you’d eat near anything, Cody,” He greeted and Cody shook his head.

“I don’t like the way they’re looking at me,” He grimaced, “Have you ever eaten them?”

“I have,” He admitted and both of his friends took a step away from him, “Hey! No need to act like I’ve committed some crime.”

“I dunno mate,” Cody looked towards Satine.

“It should be,” Satine looked at him like he was some poor ill cat, “We��ll get you some real food one day.”

“I believe I’ve had plenty of real food,” He crossed his arms and Cody and Satine both shook their heads much to his chagrin.

“Eating the Great Hall out of sweets doesn’t really count.”

***

“Alright now we just have to find copies of the Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2,” Rex read off his list as Anakin juggled two stacks of books.

“We’re going to spend all this money on books we won’t even want to read,” Anakin complained as he tripped over his own feet and the books went sliding across the floor.

“Bloody hell,” Rex sighed, bending down to help Anakin pick them up.

“Hey what’s this?” Anakin picked up a faded and incredibly yellowed journal-styled book. Rex took it from him and inspected the front and back and then flipped through the pages.

“Doesn’t look like much, mate,” He shrugged, “It’s likely a magilingist’s journal,” At Anakin’s confused look he clarified as he tucked the book back into a shelf at random, “They travel around studying other languages of magic. There’s not much of a market for it, but there are usually a few copies created.”

“So there are different types of magic?” Anakin asked as he stood again, this time letting Rex carry his own stack.

“Yes and no,” Rex clarified, “There are debates about it, but all magic seems to connect at its core. There are different ways to use magic however. England sure isn’t the only country with magic.”

“So are there other magic schools?” Anakin asked as Rex beelined towards the charm’s textbooks.

“Yeah, Hogwarts has been known to do events with some of the European schools like Beauxbaton, which is in France,” Rex answered as he dropped the rather heavy grade 2 textbook into Anakin’s unexpecting arms.

“Oof!” Anakin wavered, but managed not to drop the books again, “Does the French school learn different spells then? Are they all in French?”

“I think they're Latin based like us,” Rex shrugged around his books, “If you’re so interested maybe you should buy that journal.”

“More reading? No thanks!” Anakin laughed, “I want to save any extra sickles for some sweets from Sugarplum’s.”

“Maybe save it for the trolley witch,” Rex suggested, “It’s a long train ride.”

***

“Ben, is this any good?” Satine held up what she could only assume to be some sort of Wizard romance novel.

“Do you really expect me to have read all these books already?” He asked her exasperated, but still he looked at the cover and cringed, “Get this one instead,” He pulled a different book from above his head and handed it down to her. It seemed to be a romance between a wizard and a mermaid if the cover art was to be trusted.

“It’s bad enough we have to buy textbooks,” Cody complained as he leaned against the shelf between them, “But why must we shop for additional books?”

“Because-” Satine began, but Cody didn’t even let her finish before groaning dramatically and sinking to the floor.

“Ok, ok! I know! But why am I here?” Satine looked down at him and tapped him lightly on the head with the novel.

“Because, we need someone who can reach the top shelf and it certainly isn’t going to be Ben.”

“Excuse me, I can reach!” Ben was looking at her with a rather offended expression, but there was something about his disposition that made her laugh. Maybe it was because he looked like the youngest professor ever with his sweater vest and slacks combo.

“You’re hardly going to be as tall as Qui-Gon,” She shrugged.

“Maybe I will!” He yanked out a book with more force than was necessary and almost stumbled backwards, “I’m certainly taller than you!”

“Yes, and?” Satine raised an eyebrow, “You’re still shorter than Cody.”

“Magic!” Ben spat out suddenly, “We’re wizards, we can use magic to reach the top shelf.”

“That’s a fair point actually,” Cody perked up, “So I’ll just leave and-”

“Don’t you dare,” Satine pointed a finger at him, “We’re almost done here. I don’t want to hunt you down again.”

“Hunt me down? You’re the one who left me to find him,” Cody jabbed a thumb at Ben.

“I didn’t want him to get lost!” Satine tried, her cheeks felt a little too warm so she turned swiftly and pulled another book at random.

“I’m certain, Mr. Pureblood here, is not about to get lost in Diagon Alley,” Cody teased.

“Certainly not,” Ben sided with Cody.

“Ok we’re done here,” Satine set off towards the register, “I’m in need of a butterbeer before we meet up with Anakin and Rex.”

“Why on earth would she think I’d be lost?” She overheard Ben murmur to Cody and she felt her cheeks practically glow as Cody responded.

“She didn’t, she just missed you,” Cody chuckled.

It took little time to check out and then books were deposited in their respective bags, all enchanted to hold many things and weigh almost nothing. The sun was edging towards late afternoon, but still shone brightly off the silver barrel of the butterbeer store.

“Oh, Satine look,” Ben pointed out with a smile, “I’ve never really noticed that it’s referencing the Fountain of Fair Fortune, just like our Halloween ensemble,” Satine was caught up in his expression and the sound of her rapidly beating heart. She found herself unable to respond for a couple seconds.

“Ah, yes, I- I’ve not noticed that before either,” She hid the stumble in her speech with a cough.

“It’s a much better connotation now,” Ben said and she felt Cody’s eyes flick between the two of them, “Since I know the real story.”

“Yes, no muggle murder here,” Satine tried to give him a smile rather than choke on her memories of that night.

“Quite excellent,” He pondered the sign once more, “Let’s go in shall we?”

***

“You got Butterbeer without us?” Rex was much more offended than Anakin, though he craved trying the famed drink.

“You weren’t around,” Cody shrugged as he drank the last bit of his before Rex could yank it from his hands.

“It’s still a little sweeter than I expect,” Satine commented, “I’m surprised every time.”

“It’s wonderful,” Obi-Wan looked extremely pleased at the thought, his own glass sat empty in front of him.

“That’s because of your incessant sweet tooth,” Satine complained though she slid the last bit of hers over to him anyways.

“There’s still time don’t you think?” Rex pleaded, “Can’t I get one to go?”

“Sorry little bro,” Cody shrugged, “Hevy expects us back in about 5 minutes and if we’re not there you know he’ll come searching. Plus we gotta stop by Quality Quidditch Supplies on the way out.”

“I must be off too,” Obi-Wan lamented. He finished off Satine’s drink as she watched him just a little too closely, “My parents do expect me to be home for dinner.”

“Don’t worry, Rex,” Anakin whispered, though maybe a little too loudly, “We’ll find a way when we get to school.”

“I rather hope you’re not planning to sneak into Hogsmeade in front of two prefects,” Obi-Wan frowned. Yes, he’d definitely whispered too loudly.

“Of course not, Obi-Wan,” Anakin gave him a very serious look, “I’d never break the rules.”

“That’s the worst lie I’ve ever heard,” Cody laughed before standing up, “Well, Kenobi, Satine, I’ll see you lot on the train.”

“Likewise,” Obi-Wan stood nodding to Cody and Satine, before sticking Anakin with a stare, “Do be on time.”

“I’m not going to miss the train Obi-Wan,” Anakin rolled his eyes.

“See ya, Anakin!” Rex waved as they departed leaving Anakin alone with Satine.

“I suppose we should head out as well,” Satine nodded towards the wall as she stood.

“This place is so cool,” Anakin took one last look around, “I almost never want to leave!”

“I had the same feeling coming here the first few times,” A nostalgic look fell across her face, “I suppose in a way that feeling never leaves. It’s not the same way of seeing things as Ben or the Clones.”

Even if Anakin had grown up with such sights, he wasn’t sure he’d ever run out of things to look at. Still he watched the wall fall closed behind him with a sigh and followed Satine through the Leaky Cauldron. The customer base seemed to be growing as it reached sundown, but they paid him little mind, more interested in their drinks this go around.

“Ani,” His mum waved at him from the street corner just outside of the door. He ran to her with a smile, “Did you get all your things?” He nodded.

“Yep, I’m ready to go!” Grabbing his mum’s hand they set off.

[batmannotes]

DC SHOWCASE

BATMAN: DEATH IN THE FAMILY

WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT AND DC PRESENT COMPILATION OF 2019-2020 ANIMATED SHORTS

COMING OCTOBER 13, 2020 TO BLU-RAY™ & DIGITAL

NEW COLLECTION INCLUDES ACCLAIMED TITLES SGT. ROCK, ADAM STRANGE, DEATH AND THE PHANTOM STRANGER

BURBANK, CA (July 30, 2020) – Five fascinating tales from the iconic DC canon, including the first interactive film presentation in Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) history, come to animated life in DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC, the anthology of 2019-2020 animated shorts arrives from WBHE on Blu-ray and Digital starting October 13, 2020. 

Anchoring the compilation of shorts is Batman: Death in the Family, WBHE’s first-ever venture into interactive storytelling that allows fans to choose where the story goes through an innovative navigation guided by the viewer’s remote control. Central to the extended-length short is an adaptation of “Batman: A Death in the Family,” the 1988 landmark DC event where fans voted by telephone to determine the story’s ending.

Inspired by characters and stories from DC’s robust portfolio, the 2019-2020 series of shorts – which have been individually included on DC Universe Movies releases since Summer 2019 – include; Sgt. Rock, Adam Strange, Death and The Phantom Stranger.

DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family will be available on Blu-ray (USA $24.98 SRP) and Digital (19.99 SRP). The Blu-ray features a Blu-ray disc with all of the shorts in hi-definition, including the fully-interactive, extended-length Batman: Death in the Family, plus a digital version of the four other 2019-2020 DC Showcase shorts. The Digital distribution features the Batman: Death in the Family extended-length short in a non-interactive format (pre-assembled version of the story, entitled Under the Red Hood: Reloaded), along with the other four 2019-2020 DC Showcase shorts, and three other non-interactive versions of the Batman: Death in the Family (entitled Jason Todd’s Rebellion, Robin’s Revenge and Red Hood’s Reckoning) as bonus features (Note: not all Digital retailers offer bonus features with purchase). The Blu-ray also offers approximately five minutes of additional content within the Batman: Death in the Family story that is not included in the Digital version.

Produced, directed and written by Brandon Vietti, Batman: Death in the Family offers an inventive take on the long-demanded story. In the new animated presentation, the infamous murder of Batman protégé Jason Todd will be undone, and the destinies of Batman, Robin and The Joker will play out in shocking new ways as viewers make multiple choices to control the story. And while Batman: Under the Red Hood provides a baseline, the story also branches in new directions and features several characters previously unseen in the original film. Bruce Greenwood (The Resident, Star Trek, iRobot), Vincent Martella (Phineas and Ferb) and John DiMaggio (Futurama, Adventure Time) reprise their Batman: Under The Red Hood roles of Batman, young Jason Todd and The Joker, respectively. Other featured voices are Zehra Fazal (Young Justice) as Talia al Ghul and Gary Cole (Veep) as Two-Face and James Gordon.

“Batman: Death in the Family is essentially a comic book come to life,” says Vietti, whose DC Universe Movies directing credits include Batman: Under the Red Hood and Superman: Doomsday, and he is co-creator and co-executive producer of the popular Young Justice animated television series. “We’ve paid homage to the 1988 interactive experience of DC’s ‘A Death in the Family’ comics release by giving fans a unique opportunity to craft their own story through a branching tool that can lead in multiple directions. The viewer gets to choose these characters’ paths, and each choice paves an alternate future for all of the characters and, ultimately, the story.”

The interactive Blu-ray presentation offers many different ways for viewers to tell the Batman: Death in the Family story, with numerous twists and turns in the middle, and several possible endings. The choices along the way put greater weight on the viewers’ decisions and result in even stronger stories. Viewers can also choose to allow the story to tell itself, as there is an option to let the Blu-ray decide its own path.

Packed with Easter Eggs, the centerpiece short’s story – with its foundation grounded in the original “Batman: A Death in the Family” comic run, and the acclaimed Batman: Under the Red Hood animated film – balances a number of integral themes within its entertainment, including fatherhood, mental health, death, rebirth, revenge and redemption. Along the route, viewers encounter new, surprising looks at some classic DC characters.

“From the very first navigation card, we wanted to give the audience an impression of what they’re getting into, but then also give them something unexpected – maybe even something they’ll regret, so they have to think twice about every future choice they make,” Vietti explains. “Branched storytelling has to be stronger than just the gimmick of the choices – it has to be rewarding and offer new and worthwhile insights into the characters. It needs to involve you, and keep you searching for the next twist. So we sought to subvert expectations and do something very different.”

Beyond Batman: Death in the Family, the additional four shorts on Blu-ray & Digital are:

Originally attached to Batman: Hush, Sgt. Rock is executive produced and directed by Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series) from a script by award-winning comics writers Louise Simonson & Walter Simonson and Tim Sheridan (Superman: Man of Tomorrow, Reign of the Supermen). The original tale finds battle-weary Sgt. Rock thinking he has seen everything that World War II can dish out. But he is in for the surprise of his life when he is assigned to lead a company consisting of legendary monsters into battle against an unstoppable platoon of Nazi zombies. Karl Urban (Star Trek & Lord of the Rings film franchises) provides the voice of Sgt. Rock. Also voicing characters in Sgt. Rock are Keith Ferguson, William Salyers and Audrey Wasilewski.

Inspired by Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman,” Death is produced & directed by Sam Liu (Superman: Red Son, The Death of Superman) and written by J.M. DeMatteis (Batman: Bad Blood). In the story, Vincent, an artist with unresolved inner demons, meets a mysterious girl who helps him come to terms with his creative legacy … and eventual death. Leonard Nam (Westworld) provides the voice of Vincent, and Jamie Chung (The Gifted, Big Hero 6) is the voice of Death. The cast includes Darin De Paul, Keith Szarabajka and Kari Wahlgren. Death was originally included with Wonder Woman: Bloodlines.

Attached as a bonus feature on the release of Superman: Red Son, The Phantom Stranger has Bruce Timm (Batman: The Killing Joke) at the helm as executive producer & director, and the short is written by Ernie Altbacker (Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, Batman: Hush). Set in the 1970s, the short find the enigmatic DC mystery man simultaneously playing both omniscient narrator and active character in a story of supernatural comeuppance for evil doers. Peter Serafinowicz (The Tick) gives voice to The Phantom Stranger, and Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville, Impastor) provides the voice of Seth. The Phantom Stranger also features the voices of Natalie Lander, Grey Griffin and Roger Craig Smith.

Adam Strange is produced and directed by Butch Lukic (Superman: Man of Tomorrow), who also conceived the original story – which is written by J.M. DeMatteis (Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons, Constantine: City of Demons). The short was initially attached to Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. On a rugged asteroid mining colony, few of the toiling workers are aware that their town drunk was ever anything but an interplanetary derelict. But when the miners open a fissure into the home of a horde of deadly alien insects, his true identity is exposed. He is space adventurer Adam Strange, whose heroic backstory is played out in flashbacks as he struggles to save the very people who have scorned him for so long. Charlie Weber (How To Get Away with Murder) provides the voice of Adam Strange, alongside with Roger R. Cross, Kimberly Brooks, Ray Chase and Fred Tatasciore.

All five new DC Showcase shorts credits include Jim Krieg (Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) as co-producer and Amy McKenna (Wonder Woman: Bloodlines) as producer. Sam Register is executive producer.

Initially launched in 2010, DC Showcase was originally comprised of four animated shorts produced by Bruce Timm and directed by Joaquim Dos Santos: The Spectre (released on 2/23/2010), Jonah Hex (7/27/2010), Green Arrow (9/28/2010) and Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam (11/9/2010). An additional short, Catwoman (10/18/2011), was attached the following year to the release of Batman: Year One, and was directed by Lauren Montgomery (Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths) and executive produced by Bruce Timm. Screenwriters on the initial quintet were Steve Niles (The Spectre), Joe Lansdale (Jonah Hex), Greg Weisman (Green Arrow), Michael Jelenic (Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam) and Paul Dini (Catwoman).

“Interactive storytelling offers an entirely new dimension of entertainment for DC animated movie fans, and an exciting look into potential titles for the future,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Senior Vice President, Originals, Animation and Family Marketing. “Brandon Vietti has crafted a uniquely involving, multi-tiered approach to captivating the audience with both popular story devices and some very unexpected plot twists.”

DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family Special Features – Blu-ray

Audio Commentaries – Commentary tracks on Sgt. Rock, Adam Strange, Death and The Phantom Stranger, plus one of the linear “Death in the Family” shorts (Under the Red Hood: Reloaded), by DC Daily hosts Amy Dallen and Hector Navarro.

DC Showcase – Batman: Death in the Family Special Features – Digital

Three non-interactive versions of the Batman: Death in the Family – entitled Jason Todd’s Rebellion, Robin’s Revenge and Red Hood’s Reckoning. (Note: not all Digital retailers offer bonus features with purchase).

Running Time: 96 minutes (151 minutes for interactive storylines)

Preorder now at Amazon.

[space-blue]

The Exorcist

This was my first win in the competition. The theme was to use a well known title and write an unrelated story using it.

Assencard could not believe his misfortune.

He had not worried at first, when his subordinate had come to him, wings stiffly folded and hands trembling. He had thought the demon came to report a mission failure.

Nothing unexpected.

Freshly promoted to the head of a legion of spirits, Assencard had been given a tight agenda. All new members of the Order of The Fly had to prove their worth, or risk demotion. An idea that gave a terrible itch to his fresh scarifications, sign of his rank and carved in broad gouges across his chest.

But the underling had come to report worse than failure : something as outrageous as it was unprecedented. Upon returning from a simple possession assignment that had taken an entire squad to an orphanage, one of the spirits had fallen ill. The concept in itself was ludicrous, and it soon appeared that the demon was actually controlled by someone else. A human, of all things.

Assencard had needed to see it to believe it. The spirit had been locked in a dark room, as it had started to spew lines from the bible that lesser demons could not bear to hear.

Now Assencard was forced to seek help with his Master. The fact that a human had breached the doors of Hell through a spirit possession was so bewildering that it required a full report anyway. Out of a choice, his bowels in knots and his scars burning from dread, he had made his way to Hell's capital.

Pandemonium.

Ebony fumes rose languidly from the lake of blood that puddled at the feet of the city's spires. Carved in obsidian, home to the Princes and Dukes of Hell, the towers and temples shone in somber hues that lent false life to the countless statues carved in their flanks.

Assencard presented himself to a lesser household familiar and followed it through the pillars of the Roman domus that was the home of his Master - the Marquis Marchosias - all the way to a wide atrium wherein the Marquis sat, playing cards with two infernal guests.

The heat rose to scorching as three pairs of flaming eyes fixated on him.

"What can my newly promoted Captain of my twenty-second legion possibly want from Me?"

"I come in to report a grave anomaly, my Lord."

Silence buzzed like a corpse-fly through the room. The smaller man sitting across from the imposing warrior figure of the Marquis laughed, and in his excitement his appearance wavered, revealing a hart's skull and flaming antlers. Earl Furfur, Assencard realised. Still the third character's identity escaped him. The man looked like an old knight of the Order, but the red snake coiled around his arm suggested deception.

"Tell your tale, Captain Assencard," the Marquis ordered.

Assencard swallowed hard and went straight to the point. "I believe a priest has taken possession of one of my legion's spirit."

That new silence was lethal to the hardiest fly that dared cross the atrium.

"I saw it myself, my Lord. The demon is restless and cannot direct his body. He started with random curses but later turned to latin spells. I had him locked up."

The Marquis' face started to boil. Hair sprang out above sharp canines. Yellow eyes spurt sparks as his human body dissolved into the monstrous form that was Marchosias' true nature : that of a winged black wolf, with a serpent's tail. Earl Furfur jumped back on hoofed legs, avoiding the thrashing body of the Marquis and addressed Assencard directly.

"Are you sure, dog, that it is a priest? And why not a sorcerer? A master of the black arts, emboldened in his practice? Maybe a conjuring through a Black Mirror gone wrong?"

"No, Earl, my Lord, it is very puzzling as the spirit is too lowly, it is nameless and cannot be conjured." Assencard anxiously edged toward the Earl and away from his Master. "Besides, no sorcerer would spit "Crux sacra sit mihi lux" at the sight of me."

With that the Marquis exploded, his jaws spread beyond rupture with a harrowing howl.

"Who dares?! Where is he, the impudent human insect who ventures to breach the walls of Hell through the body of one of my legions?"

Sulfuric spit came flying and furniture shattered under the strikes of the scaly tail.

"Attacking Me, Marchosias, a Great Marquis of Hell, leader of thirty legions? Imbecile! I shall teach him and hex his rotten soul! Where is he?"

The Marquis turned toward Assencard, now huddled in a corner with the Earl and the still silent knight.

"Lead me to him!" the Marquis ordered, "and come with us Eligos, if you will. If humans care to wage a war on our grounds, you could envision their intent."

The knight bowed his head in answer, and Assencard broke in yet another sweat as he realised who stood by him. There was but one Eligos in Hell, and he was a mighty Duke, a divinatory demon who led twice as many legions as the Marquis did. Deuce, if this turned sour, Assencard could kiss goodbye to any chance of promotion or transfer, and likely to his hide as well.

The spirit started screeching the moment the door opened. As the trio of infernal nobility stepped in after Assencard, the parched, bloody lips of the thing curled in a grin.

"In nomini et virtute Domini nostri Jesu Christi, eradicare..."

"Shut the fuck up!" The Marquis barked, waving a black paw in a spell of silence. The demon's teeth ground shut, his eyes bulging out of his skull.

"Hmm... it looks like your captain was right, as impossible as it seems," Earl Furfur said, approaching the lesser spirit. "What could he mean, Marquis? Spying on us? Striking back?"

"Vengeance is hardly in the priest's handbook."

"Well, neither are revolutionary spells of the black Arts."

"Could it be a scout, a test before a bigger strike?" Assencard said, and felt temperature rise again as stares focused on him. The Marquis turned to the Duke who had remained by the entrance, propped against a wall.

"What say you, Eligos?"

"I see no plans," the Duke answered in a whisper, "there is no war looming, other than the one the church of men always leads in vain against us."

All turned back toward the bound spirit.

"Are you a loner then?" The Marquis asked him. "Do you have grief with Me? Why sneak in a lowly servant, and not try to invoke me through my famous and powerful name?"

The demon's skin turned black and blotched, nostrils flaring and sweat dripping abundantly. "Your spell, Marchosias," Earl Furfur said.

The Marquis waved another command. "Answer me worm, what are you trying to achieve here?"

"I... don't... talk with demons! Vade retro, spiritus immundi!"

"A priest indeed," Furfur snorted.

Marchosias growled and signed a triangular symbol over the demon's head, that Assencard recognised as one used by skilled sorcerers to force spirits to speak the truth. The demon's eyes started bleeding, his teeth clattering.

"Let's start again," the Marquis said, "what is your name, priest?"

"Fa... father Nager."

"What is your purpose here?"

The demon resisted, yet the answer was torn from his lips.

"Watch... and learn."

"Who gave you your orders?"

"Nooo.. no one!"

Earl Furfur whistled and elbowed Assencard playfully.

"Looks like we have an ambitious careerist on our arms."

"How did you arrive here, where did you learn the way?"

"The Vatican's library has an annotated copy of... the Liber Juratus. There is one spell, for tracking. A simple spell. But the notes... I decrypted them. They were to turn it... to... into a hunting spell. To follow the trail the demon leaves in... the mind. Like a burnt road... in the victim's mind. The spell worked... I took over my prey's body."

"One last question," Marchosias said, belching a small ball of fire, "who else, father Nager, knows about this spell?"

Panic sent the demon thrashing desperately against its invisible bonds, but the answer came again, unstoppable :

"Nobodyyyy..."

"Great!" The Marquis barked, rising on his hind legs.

His coarse voice droned with power, his tongue wreathed along the black breath of a hideous curse.

"Amon Ra - et em fillissit Ra - essit etem ossun hem."

His paws elongated and split in a mimicry of hands, twisted fingers danced, carving the air with the symbol of death entwined in tortured destiny with the pattern of a cyclic life.

"You shall leave this vessel only to return to the body of a vermin. You are never to die, never to return to your God. Forever a rat or cockroach to the eyes of men, undying, you'll learn with time to curse your curiosity. Now begone."

And it was - gone. Exorcised by Evil.

It looked to Assencard like he might well survive another day in Hell. A raspy laugh came from the entrance. There Duke Eligos stood smiling.

"Well Furfur, Marchosias," he said, "looks like we have a library to burn down."

~~ October 2015

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1298

Monday, January 27, 2020

 It's the Year of the Rat man. I hope it's a happy one for you and yours. I had the pleasure of spending time with the newest member of the Jee Gang toting baby Ashton around while he took in the happy chaos at our Chinese New Year gathering yesterday. His wonder at the world makes it a happier place.

 Conan Serpent War #4 - Jim Zub (writer) Ig Guara & Vanesa R. Del Rey (art) Frank D'Armata & Jean-Francois Beaulieu (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). This bizarre adventure teaming up Conan, Solomon Kane, Agnes and Moon Knight concludes with the demon Wyrm chopped up into fish food. This story won't matter to anyone other than fans of those four heroes but it sure was fun to read.

 Batman #87 - James Tynion IV (writer) Guillem March (art) Tomeu Morey (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). I'm happy Catwoman and Cheshire are in this story. I love how Guillem March draws women. There are a lot of players in Gotham City right now so please pay attention as the mystery unfolds.

 Once & Future #6 - Kieron Gillen (writer) Dan Mora (art) Tamra Bonvillain (colours) Ed Dukeshire (letters). That's two fantasy stories that ends with the death of a serpent. Must be a common theme this week. One of the bad guys gets away and the story of Duncan and his Granny will continue. I don't know if I'll read the next arc since this one didn't conclude very well. I felt that Zombie King Arthur was defeated too easily.

 Detective Comics #1019 - Peter J. Tomasi (writer) Scott Godlewski (art) David Baron (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). And so the winter solstice passes and the mystery of the Nordic cult ends. I'm glad this story about a creature from the nether regions was short.

 Atlantis Attacks #1 - Greg Pak (writer) Ario Anindito (art) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). I picked this off the rack to read because I wanted to see what Namor was up to these days. He's back being the angry ruler of Atlantis pissed off at the air breathers. This time he's mad at all of the Agents of Atlas. That Jimmy Woo sure hangs out with the weirdest heroes of the Marvel U. If you're a fan of all those Agents you'll want to add this 5-issue mini to your subscriptions.

 Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #2 - James Tynion IV (writer) Steve Epting & Javier Fernandez (art) Nick Filardi (colours) Travis Lanham (letters). Cool. It looks like Lex Luthor is going to be the one to save the world this time. I like who he's asking for help. I'll give you a hint: har.

 The Amazing Spider-Man #38 - Nick Spencer (writer) Iban Coello (art) Brian Reber (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Here's the latest twist to the life of Peter Parker: J. Jonah Jameson is helping Spider-Man now instead of vilifying the hero. Jonah is also working for a new media firm and the old fogey does not like what he sees. We're back to the Chameleon storyline where Peter and his spy sister Theresa are trying to get back all the S.H.I.E.L.D. tech that was stolen. All the dangling plot threads are starting to get annoying.

 Superman #19 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Ivan Reis (pencils) Joe Prado, Danny Miki, Julio Ferreira & Oclair Albert (inks) Alex Sinclair (colours) AndWorld Design (letters). I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop after Superman's big secret identity reveal. All of his Earthly super villains haven't taken advantage of the news so let's head out into space shall we? This is where Mongul attacks the new United Planets. The Superman versus Mongul fights have been epic and this new one won't disappoint.

 Fantastic Four #18 - Dan Slott (writer) Paco Medina, Francesco Manna & Carlos Magno (art) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Now I get the point of this "Point of Origin" story. When Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben launched all those years ago, the Overseer of the planet Spyre saw a threat to his perfect planet and shot cosmic rays at the ship to kill the FF. We know how that went off the rails. So now we have the Fantastic Four returning to Spyre and basically screwing up the whole planet like the Overseer foresaw. Hey, you don't mess with Destiny. I wonder why Reed is so pissed off in the next issue teaser.

 Batman Superman #6 - Joshua Williamson (writer) David Marquez (art) Alejandro Sanchez (colours) John J. Hill (letters). Well that was a whole lot of yakkity-yak. This issue takes place before Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #1. Batman and Superman find Wonder Woman to tell her the bad news that Donna Troy has been infected by the Batman Who Laughs. Then they continue to try and find a cure for the infected. The issue ends with a surprise appearance of two super villains making the next issue a "must read" for me.

 Marauders #6 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Matteo Lolli & Mario Del Pennino (art) Erick Arciniega & Federico Blee (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Kitty (call her Kate) saves the day but is sunk in the end. I've been ambivalent about reading this title of political intrigue and this issue made up my mind to bench this book. The subject matter is mature but the dialogue is juvenile so I'm outta here.

 Kill Lock #2 - Livio Ramondelli (story & art) Tom B. Long (letters). The search for the key to disable the Kill Lock continues. I care about the plight of these four condemned droids.

 The Old Guard: Force Multiplied #2 - Greg Rucka (writer) Leandro Fernandez (art) Daniela Miwa (colours) Jodi Wynne (letters). The team goes to rescue victims of human traffickers and get a surprise when they open the container. This book will blow you away.

 Guardians of the Galaxy #1 - Al Ewing (writer) Juann Cabal (art) Federico Blee (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Call him Racoon, Rocket Racoon. Rocket's gone from looking like road kill in the last story arc to quite the fashion plate in this new run. And his guns have gotten a lot smaller. The team is recovering from the Universal Church of Truth massacre but their respite is short lived. Zeus and his Greek gods have returned and they're all evil now. You can tell because they're dressed in black. Nova asks the Guardians for help but only Starlord, Rocket, Moondragon and Phyla-Vell/Captain Marvel join the fray. I like that Marvel Boy is back and when the mission goes FUBAR, a surprise ally makes an appearance. The art alone makes this worth picking up off the rack.

 Basketful of Heads #4 - Joe Hill (writer) Leomacs (art) Dave Stewart (colours) Deron Bennett (letters). Poor June, she keeps meeting up with bad men. You can't blame a girl for defending herself. Now there are two heads in the basket. Basket head number three just introduced himself. This is just too weirdly fun.

 Ruins of Ravencroft: Dracula #1 - Frank Tieri (writer) Angel Unzueta (modern day art) Stefano Landini (flashback art) Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). This is the last of the one-shots leading into the 5-issue Ravencroft mini. It's going to have lots of Marvel heroes and villains if this issue is any indication. In the first few pages alone we have Man Wolf, Misty Knight, Mr. Fantastic, the Falcon, Power Man and Iron fist and the Winter Soldier who introduces the flashback where Captain America fights with Dracula. When we return to the present, new inmates are being incarcerated into the Ravencroft Institute for the Criminal Insane. I could only identify Mr. Hyde but I didn't recognise the others. The consultant hired to work with these inmates was a surprise and may entice you to pick up Ravencroft #1 when it hits the racks on January 29. Imagine if the Joker were hired to work at Arkham Asylum.

 Wonder Woman #750 - I read all 9 stories in this $9.99 US anniversary issue to see where Princess Diana was at right now. Nothing much has changed since I stopped reading her book regularly so I won't be picking up #751. I've read other comic books aimed at young female readers, the Unstoppable Wasp is a good example, but this one doesn't spark a renewed interest in me to follow Wonder Woman's adventures.

 Birds of Prey 100-Page Giant #1 - Now this is more like it. There are 3 new stories and 3 reprints that I've not read before so it's a great value at $4.99 US. The core team of Batgirl, Black Canary and Huntress are joined by Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman, all fabulous females ready for action. Almost makes me want to see the Birds of Prey movie that hits theatres Friday, February 7.

[traditional-with-a-twist]

viii. Beauty and Her Beast

@bubblesthemonsterartist “the highly disapproving facial expressions” - HA this is the most perfect phrase to describe how Kiki deals with problems

@claudeng80 love your speculations about what becomes of Mitsuhide--it’s true that Rain, Sun, and Snow doesn’t answer the all-important question “how?!” (where would be the suspense then XD), and I am really excited to share that journey with you... there are so many little scenes and interactions lined up that I have been dying to publish since 2016!

<<Previous || masterpost || AO3 || Next>>

Parallel scene: The Lost Prince from the main arc of The Beast with the Beautiful Face.

To make ready for attending a royal funeral, Obi dresses in his old greens. 

Black would have suited the occasion, but green is better for blending in with the leaves and rendering himself invisible to the archers, knights, and bird handlers ringing the gravesite.

The bandit clothes fit him perfectly. The boots slip on like gloves, and the hat hugs his head like a second skin--but it is an old skin, like shrugging back into something that he shed long ago.

He hasn’t worn it since Zen gave him a new job, a new life, a new self.

...

Once upon a time, Obi was a drifter, a leaf on the wind, a blade for hire.

Zen changed all that. He, and the people he surrounded himself with, turned Obi’s leash into roots. They offered him more than food to fill his belly and a place to shelter him from the rain.

They offered him a home.

...

He hardly recognized the place anymore. With Zen gone, a paralysis has gripped the castle--everyone and everything was colorless and stiff, caught in its thrall.

There is no wailing, no public outpouring of sadness. The people face their rulers in silence.

The first prince is foremost, upright and brilliantly attired, like a fork of lighting in mid-strike.

Kiki is there with her crooked arm hidden beneath a triangle of dark velvet. It drapes over her shoulder with as much elegance as if the uniform were designed that way, a persuasive deception.

Beside her is that insufferable old man, Lord Haruka, his face drawn into a tight mask that strangles emotion in its cradle.

Mitsuhide is a pallbearer. He arrives in mute lockstep, lowers the coffin to its pedestal, then waits immobile beside it.

Only the artificial beauty arranged in intricate patterns offers any relief to the tension: flowers wound with ribbons, white sand softening the cobblestones, dresses and coats dripping with coins and tassels, and the jewel-blue feathers of the messenger bird corps, all arrayed in preparation.

...

It is rich with symbolism and custom, no doubt, but none of it meant anything to Obi.

He wouldn’t be here, wouldn’t risk coming so close to armed guards and Izana’s all-seeing eye, except that this is his chance to say good-bye.

He has one last duty to perform on Zen’s behalf.

It is an act of homage, a sign of respect among those who practice in his line of work. He owes it to his master.

...

In the meantime, the ceremony drags on. He can’t follow much of the complicated gestures or stilted language; he is restless, tells himself that he is bored.

Boredom is in fact his only refuge, because otherwise he would be transfixed with longing for Shirayuki.

The longing plagues him anyway, like a deep muscle ache that seems to disappear only to reassert itself with a resounding throb that can’t be ignored, or like a static electricity that ripples his blood, just under the surface of his skin.

It directs his eyes to her, over and over again, in spite of his best intentions.

Masked, overwhelmed, withdrawn, even so she draws attention. Obi’s eyes are not the only ones that lose sight of the ceremony’s focal point and slide towards her instead.

Strangers see her red hair; the ambitious see her as a threat. Her friends see her pain.

Obi sees the woman he loves.

…

She presents a very different picture from the unstoppable, electrifying force that he first confronted from a tree branch not too distant from here.

Then she was running towards her destiny, contemptuous of deadly shafts thrown her way. Now she huddles among the elite, shrouded in white at the first prince’s side.

Still the veils are not enough to stifle her presence.

A fighting spirit burns inside her, indestructible courage packaged in incredible fragility. Somehow her purity of mind clears what it comes in contact with, instead of being tainted.

He has never known anyone like her: fearless yet delicate; strong yet unsullied by the world.

The very sight of her is pain to him because it reminds him that there is space between them; they are parted.

She makes him ache.

...

As the sun sets, the trained corps of messenger bird handlers release their charges. The flock soars over the crowd, their brilliant feathers gleaming gold in the dying light.

They are Zen’s legacy, one of the few lasting visible signs that he existed, he acted, he loved his people and wielded his power well.

Shirayuki raises her head to watch them pass.

For a moment, it is as if she looks directly at Obi. He knows it’s an illusion, because she couldn’t have made him out from his perch in the shadows, but for that moment, her eyes are open windows.

Her soul speaks to his.

It is a wordless cry, an appeal that he cannot, could not, has never been able to ignore.

He swears to himself then that he will honor his promise to her, that he will go back to her and make things right, apologize for what he allowed to pass between them.

...

Shirayuki is not thinking of everyone she has lost and will continue to lose.

It is easier to turn her eyes away than to think of them, even though Mitsuhide is right there, on the threshold of departing from her, bowing to shoulder again the stone weight destined for the earth.

She doesn’t think about the box he gave her or the box he is carrying now, or what either of them mean. She thinks only of the job she must do.

At Lord Haruka’s nod, she takes one step then another, one at a time, one foot before the other.

She grips a heavy iron key, clutching it tight enough to bite into her skin, determined not to let it fall.

A door rises up before her: It is carved with a crest of petals like broken stars.

The key fits the lock. She turns it.

...

Obi slips his identification tag from his belt. He hasn’t worn it since the day he left Wistal; it has been waiting, coiled and ready, in a snug pocket.

Sliding off his glove, he lays the string across his bare palm. The pendant dangles, its inscription rendered invisible by the gathering darkness.

A flick of his wrist, and a leaf blade balances between finger and thumb. His face is blank, even relaxed, as he waits.

As Zen’s casket overtakes Shirayuki and vanishes into the mouth of the Wisteria family tomb, Obi passes the blade across his open hand.

It cuts deep enough to sever the string--and his skin.

Like the flash of metal in the firelight of a hundred raised torches, the pain stings then quickly deadens. With time, it will fade into a silver thread, a reminder and a tribute.

...

There is a cost for carrying this memory with him for the rest of his life. It is one more line for his collection, but it is also a sacrifice, a small concession of the safety found in obscurity.

A distinguishing marker, no matter how slight, presents a risk, another challenge to overcome in a life of secrets and stealth.

The scar is a vulnerability, willingly assumed.

It is the greatest honor someone like Obi can pay a master like Zen: voluntarily marking himself so that their contract will never be forgotten.

...

“Farewell, master,” he whispers.

Red runs across his palm, branding him, sealing him, loosing him. His service is at an end.

The second prince's messenger is no more.

[frasier-crane-style]

Elseworlds

Well, Tumblr isn’t dead yet and the CW-DC just did a big crossover, so I think it’s time to make fun of the CW........ for the last time.

Did you know Tim Allen actually ended Home Improvement after season 8 because he knew the show couldn’t maintain its level of quality and was on the way downhill? Tim Allen has more creative integrity than anyone involved in the making of Supernatural. Think about that.

Anyhoo, lots to digest! Largely, this crossover felt to me weirdly lackluster and obligatory, like the whole thing was just a trailer for the oncoming Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. It just felt unambitious, which is the last thing an ‘event’ like this should feel like. In fact, it felt a little like I imagine the result would be of filming a bunch of people playing DC Universe Online. We visit Smallville and see Lois Lane! We go to Gotham and meet Batman...’s cousin, and fight a breakout at Arkham Asylum, complete with Mr. Freeze...’s gun and the Scarecrow...’s fear gas. Then, we wrap the whole thing up with an Evil Superman, because God knows, DC never gets bored of that.

-Petty nitpick department: Batwoman just standing around on rooftops looks weird. Not only does it give the odd impression that she’s spent the entire time between episodes just, uh, standing, but c’mon--you’re supposed to crouch. Or at least hunch. Everybody knows that!

-Weirdly missed opportunity to have Ollie do the Flash narration, considering all the other opening narrations are futzed with.

-The whole thing is pretty much a glorified body swap--Stephen Amell is playing Barry Allen and vice versa. I can see how TPTB would be too pressed for time to explain a whole ‘nother continuity where Barry Allen became Green Arrow and Oliver Queen became the Flash, but still, it’s not as much fun.

-They also wholeheartedly borrow the thing of Ollie having to be happy to use Barry’s powers and Barry having to be mad to use Ollie’s ‘powers’ from the episode of Teen Titans where Raven and Starfire switched bodies. So, I guess, congratulations on making the central plot point of your crossover the same as a half-hour episode of a children’s cartoon.

-Remember that time Barry was too happy and too confident in his abilities, so his dad died?  

-They got a good actress to play the Lois Lane to this Clark Kent, considering they both just look kinda awkward? His chin looks like he had a face transplant done and her nose looks like someone is constantly Photoshopping it.

NHHHA, He-Man!!

-Don’t do a callback to Smallville, show. Oliver Queen has now spent more time in costume as the Flash than Tom Welling did as Superman.

-Direct fucking hit when Oliver said that Barry couldn’t take a crap without getting a peptalk from his team, but on the other hand, Oliver can’t take a crap without Felicity wondering what it means for their relationship. “Oliver didn’t tell me he needed to go to the bathroom! Why wouldn’t he trust me?”

-I’m just saying, last season on Agents of SHIELD, pretty much every character was in a relationship--there was not so much damn drama. It’s a fucking body-swap plotline, guys. You don’t need to treat it like it could lead to someone’s divorce! Really, at this point, if you’re in a relationship with a crazy superhero, you should be used to it. 

-(Although I suppose I’m a little hard to please here, since over on Legends of Tomorrow they suddenly expect us to care about Constantine rescuing the love of his life when we’ve seen their relationship for all of four seconds. But hey, like I said, Agents of SHIELD manages a happy medium and finds time for Ghost Rider to show up.)

-For the post-apocalyptic hellscape they make Gotham out to be, the police respond awfully fast to disturbances.

-”We’re on the corner of Burton and Nolan!” Groooooan.

-Ruby Rose, everyone: the Less Convincing Michelle Rodriguez. It’d probably a bad sign for how compelling Kate Kane is as a character that everyone would rather talk about where Batman is and why Batman would leave. And, speaking as someone who both watched Birds of Prey and The Dark Knight Rises--Rocky, that ‘Batman Retires’ plot point never works!

-(Is Batwoman even that popular a character to get her own spin-off? I suppose she’s ‘TV show’ popular, but still--I think she’s one of those Batfamily members that is somewhere behind Alfred but ahead of Ace, right next to Azrael. And I do think it’s hilarious that TPTB were insistent on casting a real, authentic lesbian!!!--and then immediately got complaints that they didn’t cast a Jew. Oh, Ziggy, will you ever win?)

-I don’t want to be too hard on Ruby Rose here. Yes, she doesn’t showcase anything other than one mode: Snide And Slightly Pouty (Stephen Amell ain’t winning no Oscars, but he can differentiate between Ollie As A Civilian and Ollie In A Halloween Costume). But the writing does her no favors in making a case for this character as being deserving of any amount of screentime, besides the fact that she dresses like Batman, the guy we really care about. She’s a heroine, as are featured variously in every Arrowverse show. She’s queer, as is Alex Danvers, Sara Lance, John Constantine, et al. She’s rich to the point of having unlimited resources, as are (sometimes) Oliver Queen, Barry Allen, Kara through her billionaire friends. She lives in a crime-ridden hellhole, as Ollie has done for several seasons. What makes any of this compelling? The Gotham setting? Arrow has already turned itself into an effective facsimile of that, to the point of having Ra’s al Ghul show up to make Queen into his son-in-law. Arkham Asylum seems completely generic, as does Wayne Tower. It’s all just a different part of Vancouver; who cares?

-Likewise, Supergirl, speaking to you as a TV show--you really should either be adamant that Kara is heterosexual or give her a weirdly flirtatious scene with Batwoman, but not both. I know you need, need, need to let the audience know Batwoman is a lesbian...

Pictured: The CW subtly letting you know about a character’s minority status.

But c’mon. We’ve been over this.

-Speaking of minority status, maybe it’s not the best idea to let slip that John Diggle is an AU John Stewart. Yes, there’s ten brothas in the DC Universe, and four of them are actually the other six. There are so few Negros on Earth-1 that they had to make Barack Obama into a superhero. The Batfamily has two black folks and they’re both related to Lucius Fox. There’s so few black people in Metropolis that Black Lightning knows who his father is!

Folks, the DC Universe is so white, the Black Lanterns are all dead. The DC Universe is so white, they don’t even have black Kryptonite. The DC Universe is so white, even Black Condor is a honky. The DC Universe is so white, they don’t even need a Justice League of Africa, they just have a Batman of Africa! The DC Universe is so white, the blackest guy on the Justice League is a refrigerator with one-half of a brother’s face on top of it. The DC Universe is so white, they named the black woman on the Teen Titans after a bug that’s half yellow! Now Milestone, the Milestone Universe is black. It’s so black, Aquaman is the most powerful superhero there, because he’s the only one who can swim!

(-I’m planning on being chased off of Tumblr like Indiana Jones after he snags an ancient artifact.)

-Would it be that hard for them to go to Arkham and run into the Ventriloquist or Orca or someone memorable, so long as they have access to the Batman toy chest? We got, uhh, Lady Who Can Pick Up Gun and Psycho Pirate I Guess? Like I said, unambitious. Wouldn’t it be so much cooler if they got someone from Gotham to film just one little cameo? 

-Also, considering the sex scandal these shows have had, maybe it’s not the best idea to joke about their EPs being depraved maniacs? (Was Guggenheim the one who actually got MeToo’d? Because if so, Dude--Not Funny)

-The show had to character-shill Batwoman so hard that Ollie and Barry stopped being fear-gassed just to reiterate that she is too an interesting character in her own right! (If the characters have all heard of Batman, wouldn’t they have heard of Batwoman too if she’s been an active vigilante more recently?)

-But who cares about four unstoppable superheroes teaming up when we can find out how Felicity feels about her relationship? Just a thought--if you fight with your SO all the time about nearly everything, maybe you shouldn’t be in a relationship. 

-Long story short, Doctor Destiny rewrites reality again to make Barry, Oliver, and Kara into supervillains in a world where he’s the hero. He also makes the other characters into pointless cameos, and weirdly gets criticized by Kara for... not giving himself a sex-change operation by becoming Superman instead of Supergirl? He doesn’t have gender dysphoria, Supergirl. I thought she was all about trans issues this season?

-Like, I don’t know, if a woman used a magic lamp to wish herself President, would anyone criticize her making herself a lady President instead of a man President?

-I guess it wouldn’t be Supergirl unless they crowbarred in an extremely awkward girlpower message where Superman and Lois agree that Supergirl/women in general are more useful than men, despite the fact that all Supergirl did was the exact same thing as Barry, while Superman and Oliver fought Dr. Destiny, and all Lois did was call in a bunch of men as reinforcements and then need to be rescued.

-But like I said about being unambitious--wouldn’t it be fun to see our heroes be forced to team up with a few supervillains to save the day? Instead, we just have Cisco playing a villain (something he’s done numerous times before). They get his help, have a weirdly poor showing in a fight against Jimmy Olsen, get Superman’s help again, yadda yadda. 

-We also get Superman proposing to Lois Lane. Yeah, considering they’ve been in a relationship at least since Supergirl Season 1, she’s carrying his child, and they’re planning to move to an alien world together, yeah, I should think so? I know Superman probably isn’t a Republican, but does anyone think he’d be so blase about putting a ring on it? Hell, if nothing else, he should want to tie the knot before Ma or Pa bite it. Couldn’t they have just made it that he wants to renew his vows with Lois in a Kryptonian ceremony or some such? 

[my-words-are-light]

10 Songs Tag

Finally, a tag game I can finally be in despite lacking any WIP to speak of! Thank you, @raiswanson (Also, fantastic taste with Undertale)!

Fortunately, even though this isn’t a writing specific tag game, I will use songs that are connected to my writing and how so.

Rules: Write down 10 songs you’re currently obsessed with, then tag 10 people.

1) The Second One by Machinae Supremacy

Out of so many songs I listen to, The Second One has a dear place in my head. I love its beat and, like so many other Machinae Supremacy songs, I love its lyrics. This is where I think the vocalist truly shines, whereas he’s rather divisive in every other song.

This song fits a certain sort of character. A character who is tormented by the harm they’ve wrought and that they’re capable of. But they’re working through it, thanks to the people that believe in them. People who are actually capable of good, who aren’t inflicted by the same vices they are. But this character wants to be like that as well. Although they’re not “The One”, they can be a hero all the same.

2) Perfect by Ed Sheeran (with Beyonce)

Oh don’t give me that. I’m a sucker for a good romance and, cross my heart and hope to die, Ed Sheeran utterly nails the tear jerking, heartfelt love between two people. Beyonce, albeit a bit questionable at times, is the second one (tee hee, puns) and gives the story of the song its second leading role that compounds the message better than anyone alone could.

To define a good romance is hard for me but Ed Sheeran sings it better than I can say it. That said, I like to believe I’m a better writer than that so I’ll at least say this: everything you’ve heard about love being the most powerful thing in the world is true, for better or worse. It drives you to act, it drives you to care, and it drives you to want. But there’s something important about that last point; it drives you to want not just for your sake, but for the people you love.

3) Silent Melody by Working For A Nuclear Free City

Like inFAMOUS itself, this song makes me feel empowered. The lyrics and instrumentals alike conduct throughout my body. At last, I believe, I feel like I have the entirety of God’s power coursing through my arms. What’s important here isn’t that the song sounds as much or says as much; it’s that it feels as much. The song is, most importantly of all, visceral. 

If you ever want to tell of a story of a godlike being, or someone who believes their power is as such, this song is a perfect fit. Put it on repeat for eight hours and get writing.

4) I’m Born To Run by American Authors

Many thanks to @brynprocrastinates for introducing me to this song. This is basically the musical version of a character running down a hill in a verdant valley and then leaping off a cliff only to fly high above the nearby town. It starts off good and pumping but it’s after the second chorus that it really shines, coming to life with truly electrifying energy that makes me feel unstoppable.

This song is perfect for a traveller on an epic adventure, preferably not a grimdark one. Who truly enjoys the freedom of travel and the wind beneath their wings as they take flight.

On that note...

5) Don’t Worry by Hiroyuki Sawano

Goodness gracious, does this song come late in the game. Not only do you have to get a Skell, which is at least 20 hours into Xenoblade Chronicles X, but then you have to get the bloody flight module, which is about double the way through the game. I’ve had exams that didn’t feel like they lasted that long. But that’s the wonder of it; as they say, a pleasure delayed is a pleasure magnified. And once you’ve fought and struggled and worked to get that flight module and you go on your maiden voyage, this beautiful song plays.

There’s a contrast between this entry and the last; while I’m Born To Run fits well with the commencement of a journey, Don’t Worry has no better place to be than the journey’s zenith, when you peak above the clouds and see the heavens and be among them, and it is beautiful.

6) Further by LifeForce

DAMN THIS FIVE VIDEO LIMIT!

Oh whatever. I discovered this song at the end credits of the freeware game Iji and I fell in love for morbidly depressing reasons. What a perfect yet awful time for the song to play. Make no mistake; it’s not bleak, since you’re definitely making progress, but it’s to a deep darkness. Worse yet, you want to go there. There is something there that will save you by dooming the both of you.

It’s a very nihilistic song but with a sense of progress. Never did I think I’d hear something like that.

7) With Me by All Ends

Of course it’s a Sonic song. The series has a bad reputation for its gameplay and a stellar reputation for its soundtracks. With Me from Sonic and the Black Knight is no exception; this absolutely atrocious game has one of the best final boss themes for the series. The vocals are from the viewpoint of the villain, who has their reasons for doing the things they do but it’s clear they cannot be allowed to continue.

We say villains are more than monsters. Villains are heroes of their own stories, with their own reasons and motivations. This is a gracious mercy we offer them but With Me makes it perfectly clear: they do not offer such mercy to heroes in kind. They will fight, they will fight hard, and heroes must answer them.

8) Jet Set Run by Yuki Hayashi

There are very few things I can say about this track that other people haven’t, and better at that, but this truly is a fantastic song for fist-pumping heroic moments. Seriously, there are analyses of this song. Look for them.

9) Welcome to the Show by Britt Nicole

No, this song has absolutely nothing to do with that My Little Pony song by the same name. However, I LOVE this song. It is as energetic as all get out and it’s like a theatre and a rock concert inside a giant hamster ball rolling down the Mountain of Doom towards the Fortress of Doom. 

Whenever I think about a light-hearted adventure story featuring a cast predominantly full of girls, I think of this song. I think of that cast kicking arse without angsting and without worrying about their bad guys who are unambiguously evil but lightly so like Lord Hater. Just them, bad guys, and a whole lot of fun. I love this song.

10) Kryptonite (AOL Session) by 3 Doors Down

Yes, this version takes the final slot instead of the normal radio version. This song, this version, is my most favourite song of all time. This version specifically captures the desperation, the loneliness, and the sheer powerlessness one feels as they try to do the right thing. But it’s something worth doing even while it’s destroying you.

This song inspires my visions of heroism. Both Renna Gonn and Destiny Pride take cues from this, albeit in very different ways. 

Tagging: @cog-writes, @yurax-mae, @kaleidic-art, @ononokinonon, @limbonix, @derpyslurpy-da-derp-master, @destiny-smasher, @sakura-rose12, @greenhousewriting, and @byjillianmaria.

[ask-spw-mercenary]

The Presley House…

Tonya was at the Presley house at last, after hours of walking. Umbra invited her for a gaming session, and she was indeed curious about what they’d be playing, so she was looking forward to this. She knocks on the door, and is welcomed by a tall, shirtless red haired man with red eyes, a spider tatoo and a heart shaped birthmark by the right side of his neck. This must’ve been her dad, Arden. 

“Umm… and you are?” Arden asked.

“You’re Umbra’s father. Arden, right?”

“Yes… and you, kid?”

“Tonya Imperator.”

Arden raises an eyebrow upon hearing that last name, then instantly recognizes her. “Ah, you must be the princess my daughter invited over for a Mario Party game.”

“Princess?!” She looks offended, before calming down. “While I look the part, I don’t consider myself royalty.”

“Whatever you say, rich-” Arden then sees someone in the distance draging someone else. “What the hell?” He then instantly recognized the figures. They were Touya and Umbra, both of them pretty beat up. Heck, Touya was dragging Umbra, who was just coming too. Arden runs over to the both of them.

Tonya soon ses the two damaged kids, and immediately helps Arden drag them into the house. However, underneath the notice of all 4 of them, a knight in black was watching in the distance. The same knight in black that did this to Umbra and Touya.

To Be Continued…

[dive-into-shadows]

oh shit it's https://youtu.be/yTuN909Ef08

“Oh, what is this melody?”

[akirakurusufoollink]

Pegoryu Prompt: Red String Pt 1

@twilightkargarok @celestialxskye

This is gonna be a two part fic. I’m almost done with it, but posting a long work on mobile is a beezy. Also sorry it took so long. Enjoy, babes! ———–

In Ryuji’s dreams, he sees a red thread connecting him into the void. The blond follows it further and further into the depths. This is so strange, but he doesn’t question it. He would take any company in these dark, lonely dreams. Deeper in he runs in this space where his leg no longer hurts him. Where he might find someone who will stand beside him. Who does fate have in store for this boy abandoned by everything he once held so tightly? The darkness melts away.

Suddenly he is walking the halls of Shujin Academy. A heavy sigh escapes from him. This person is someone he’ll meet at school? He tugs at the thread, winding it around his wrist. Everyone passes by him. He stops in front of one of the classrooms on the second floor where the thread slips beneath the door. This is it. He will finally see who will be the one he’s destined for. He gulps and tentatively reaches out to slide the door open.

The room pulsates. Hulking creatures in suits of armor surround an unseen person. They grab at them and throw punches. Groans of pain and wet splatting sounds pervade the air. Kamoshida stands there at the teacher’s desk, lording above all of them. His eyes are yellow and crazed. The vulgar boy’s heart sinks into his stomach.

Not him…This asshole isn’t taking something important away from him again. Anger wells up within Ryuji. Something unstoppable fuels his actions as he makes his way to the edge of the crowd. No one notices. He’s invisible to these monsters, but not for long. None of these weird freaks in armor are gonna stop him. He psyches himself to shove his way through.

“Eff off!” The blond explodes into action. He shoves his way to the center of the fray.

Kamoshida eyes up the blond and cuts him off, leaping into the center of the horde of armored soldiers. As Ryuji reaches the center, Kamoshida snatches up the object of the blond’s desires by the throat. The vulgar boy stops in his tracks. The figure’s hands hang limply, with the thread wafting from the left ring finger. A mop of dark hair covers their facial features.

“What? You thought you could escape me?” The older man sneers and gives a wicked cackle. “I broke you and destroyed your future. You think I can’t take him from you too?” He hoists the figure higher, revealing that it’s wearing a boy’s uniform for Shujin Academy.

“Him?” Ryuji is incredulous. The one at the other end of the red thread is a guy? He seems to be, handsome, at least what he can see of the boy. His sculpted features make Ryuji blush slightly.

“Yes, a guy that is just as worthless as you.” The man gives a possessive stroke to the dark haired boy’s head. “Oh yes, if only this were a girl. I could take so much more from you both.” His lips twist up in a disgusting, perverted smile. That trashy bastard even has the nerve to plant a kiss on the boy’s neck.

Kamoshida takes pleasure in watching Ryuji’s disgusted face before he dumps the figure onto the ground. Thinking that he can squeeze just a bit more emotion from the blond, he jerks the brunet up by his bangs. A white mask clatters to the ground. Finally the blond can see the object of his destiny. Ryuji’s face burns with a deep blush. This boy’s face is gorgeous. Glasses cover grey eyes that are half lidded under red blood. Red as the rage within Ryuji’s heart. Red like the thread that binds them. It drips from his forehead, along the sides of his nose, and down to the corners of his shapely mouth.

“Ryuji…” Quivers out of his lips that are being stained in red.

Red cascades over everything. It distorts Kamoshida’s maniacal features. It covers all of the knights. It even covers the dark haired boy and pulls him down into the darkness. He reaches out for Ryuji and the blond reaches back. This can’t be happening. That asshole of a teacher is denying him happiness even in his dreams. He fights against the dark currents whisking away this boy away. He struggles hard against the dark waves of the abyss until his fingers are just barely able to brush against those of the bespectacled brunet. They both struggle to grab onto one another, but the slick dark ooze makes them both slip off of one another.

“Stay with me!” Ryuji shouts down at the brunet.

The brunet smiles up at him, no longer able to keep his head from sinking. Ryuji begins to cry, this feeling of helplessness is too much for him. He can’t stop the boy from drowning in this hell. All that is left with Ryuji is the red stains from the brunet’s blood. The void disappears, leaving him behind and alone again. The glasses come floating back up to the surface. Ryuji picks them up with trembling hands and holds them close to his chest. He will remember this face. That pale skin and sleek features. That head of messy dark hair. Those eyes that he could lose himself in. Eyes that burn with disdain for this fate. He will save this person. Kamoshida will not take this away. He sinks down into the abyss. Black and red fill his vision, then nothing.

Ryuji bolts awake. Sweat trickles down his forehead. He stares out his window into the night, the glow of streetlights and electric signs filter into his room, with the low hum of the evening club crowd. He sighs and flops back down to his mattress. Shadows play on his ceiling in vague shapes. One almost looks like the guy from his dreams. He reaches up and gives the jaw line a mock caress. He wonders if he’ll see this mysterious boy soon. Part of him hopes that he doesn’t, just so Kamoshida doesn’t have something else to take away from him. Ryuji is disappointed in himself. The features of dream boy are starting to become hazy, but those eyes are still there in all of their intense glory. He grasps at the air, almost hoping to capture that image and store it away. His arm drops and drapes across his eyes. Why is he still crying?

A month passes in a flash. Another day of being late to classes, on day one no less. The rain is coming down in buckets. Along with the added bonus that he just so happens to not have an umbrella since genius him decided to stay up playing the new Neo Featherman game instead of going to bed on time. Even worse is that the trains are all messed up from that incident where the bullet train driver lost his mind. Every line is congested and the entrances are switched all over the pace. And then he sees it. The worst thing he could possibly see this crappy morning. That asshole, Kamoshida, ushering Ann into his car. The hell is up with her being involved with a guy like that any way? The rage bubbling in his head translates to his eyes and face. He almost doesn’t notice that he ran past a cute looking guy.

“Dammit…Screw that pervy teacher.” Ryuji hisses out.

“Pervy teacher?” The brunet inquires in a low melodic voice. Where has Ryuji heard it before. It sounds so familiar.

The phone in the bespectacled boy’s hand starts sounding off a weird alarm, or app response. Both the boy and his phone attract the blond’s attention. He turns around and eyes the guy up. They’re about the same height. This guy has a little bit better posture than himself. He is also kind of a good boy looking person, wearing his uniform all proper n’ shit. It kinda pisses him off that this goody two shoes almost sounds like he’s mocking him. This kid really wants an ass kicking. The blonde squares up and gets up in the brunet’s face.

“…What do you want?” It comes out more like a sneer than a legitimate question. He’s almost glad that it sounds that way, maybe this guy will startle a bit and not be such a smart ass. “You plannin’ on rattin’ me out to Kamoshida?”

“Kamoshida?” The brunet seems genuinely confused, but unfazed by how gruff Ryuji was being. It’s almost impressive, but to not know who coach asshole is…

“Huh? In that car just now. It was Kamoshida.” His brown eyes narrow and betray every feeling he has for that rat bastard. “He does whatever the hell he wants.” The words keep spilling out, he doesn’t even know this kid, yet he feels comfortable telling him this shit. “Who does he think he is-the king of a castle? Don’t you agree?”

“King of a castle?” The shaggy haired boy just seems more confused.

“No, I mean…” Now he’s the one confused. Does this boy really not know? “…Wait. You don’t know Kamoshida? Are you for real?” He folds his arms across his chest and assesses this goody two shoes, know nothing guy. “You’re from Shujin, right?”

“You go to Shujin too?” The brunet’s grey eyes light up. God…where has he seen those eyes? He looks him over again. The pin on his lapel indicates 2nd year.

“A second-year, huh… We’re in the same grade then.” He can’t help but stare now. He has to remember him, for some reason this guy feels important to him. It’s not coming to him. “Never seen you before though.” His brows furrow, the brunet seems to be feeling a little awkward as well. Then it dawns on him. “Oh, you a transfer student?”

“Yeah, I just moved here a few days ago.” This guy’s smile…Ryuji can’t help but smile back at him. His heart feels just a little bit lighter. His posture relaxes.

“Then no wonder you don’t know him.” The tone of his voice is a total 180, he could probably even pass for friendly now. This day has gotten slightly better. “This rain ain’t too bad. We better hurry up, or we’ll be late.”

A violent ringing noise sounds off in both Ryuji’s and the brunet’s ears. They clutch at their foreheads in agony. Ryuji feels like he could topple over from how excruciating this headache is. What the hell is up with this? Just as this day was looking just a little better.

“Uuugh, my head hurts…” He looks up at the sky and hefts out a sigh. “Dammit… I wanna go home…” At least there he may be able to remember what the person from his dream looked like. He’s been trying to remember for weeks. Shoulda written down a description or something.

The two start their trudge toward the school. They weave through back alleys, lined with cooling fans and water pipes. The ringing sound still persists. The air doesn’t feel right at all. At least this new guy is on his heels just in case anything out of the ordinary happens. Ryuji can hear every time the brunet pauses due to the lack of splashing through the deep puddles in the walkway. He wonders if this guy feels the same way about this place. He reaches where Shujin should be…the keyword “should”, but there in its place is a big, stinking, medieval castle.

“Wha…” Ryuji is dumbfounded. There is nothing that could ever prepare him for this shit so early in the school year. What in the ever loving fuck is this?

The brunet comes rushing up the alley. At least he’s still here. He’s not alone in this crazy experience. Or rather, hopefully he isn’t alone. He would rather not be hallucinating things. He looks around, back at the alley way.

“We didn’t…come the wrong way though…” He turns back to the castle. This is the school that he’s been coming to for the past year, but it’s not. “Yeah, this should be right…” Now he’s really not so sure of himself.

Nothing is right today. Not the rain. Not the train. Not the teacher. And definitely not the school. The place is bathing in a sickeningly reddish hue. The ringing sound is persisting like no other. Everything feels totally out of whack.

“What’s going on here?” Ryuji looks at the brunet, who looks equally as nervous. Poor guy. His first day here and the school is totally fucked up. Time to suck it up and try to sound confidant. He doesn’t want this poor, cute nerd to lose his shit right now. “I guess we’ll just have to go ask.”

[nfcomics]

Night Flight Comics—6222 South State Street Latest Arrivals: Wednesday—August 2nd 2017

ALIENS BUG HUNT SC ALL NEW FATHOM #6 CVR B VALENTINO [R] ALL NEW GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #1 [R] ALL NEW GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #7 AMORY WARS GOOD APOLLO #5 (OF 12) ARCHANGEL #5 (OF 5) ARCHANGEL #5 (OF 5) SUB VAR A ARCHANGEL #5 (OF 5) SUB VAR B ASH VS AOD #2 CVR A SCHOONOVER ASH VS AOD #2 CVR C QUALANO ATTACK ON TITAN GN VOL 01 [R] AVENGERS #10 SE BACK TO THE FUTURE #19 [R] BACK TO THE FUTURE #21 SUB VAR [R] BANE CONQUEST #4 (OF 12) BATMAN #28 BATMAN #28 VAR ED BATMAN THE SHADOW #4 (OF 6) [R] BATWOMAN #5 [R] BILL & TED SAVE THE UNIVERSE #2 [R] BLACK BOLT #4 BRITANNIA WE WHO #4 (OF 4) CVR A MACK [R] BRITANNIA WE WHO #4 (OF 4) CVR B RYP [R]

CABLE #3 [R] CAVE CARSON HAS A CYBERNETIC EYE #10 VAR ED [R] CHAMPIONS #11 SE CINEGEEK HC CLUE #1 [R] CLUE #1 SUB VAR B [R] CURSE WORDS #6 CVR B STEGMAN [R] CYBORG #15 CYBORG #15 VAR ED DARK DAYS THE FORGE #1 2ND PTG DARK SOULS LEGENDS O/T FLAME TP DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS #32 DEAD OF WINTER #1 DEAD OF WINTER #1 HENDERSON VAR DEATH OF SUPERMAN TP NEW ED DEATHSTROKE #22 DEATHSTROKE #22 VAR ED DEFENDERS #1, #2, #3 [R] DUCKTALES #0 CVR A GHIGLIONE [R] EAST OF WEST #34 ELSEWHERE #1 CVR A KESGIN & RILEY ELSEWHERE #1 CVR B ROBINSON EVERAFTER FROM THE PAGES OF FABLES #12 GENERATIONS BANNER HULK & TOTALLY AWESOME HULK #1 GFT RED AGENT HUMAN ORDER #9 CVR A SILVA GFT RED AGENT HUMAN ORDER #9 CVR B DIAZ GFT RED AGENT HUMAN ORDER #9 CVR C MEGURO GFT RED AGENT HUMAN ORDER #9 CVR D GOH GHOST STATION ZERO #1 (OF 4) CVR B CLOONAN GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #242 CVR A GALLANT GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #242 CVR B ROYLE GREATEST ADVENTURE #4 CVR B MORALES GREATEST ADVENTURE #4 CVR C CASTRO GREEN ARROW #28 GREEN ARROW #28 VAR ED GREEN HORNET 66 MEETS SPIRIT #2 (OF 5) CVR A TEMPL GREEN LANTERNS #28 GREEN LANTERNS #28 VAR ED GRUMPY CAT GARFIELD #1 (OF 3) CVR D FLEECS HADRIANS WALL #8 (OF 8) HASBRO HEROES SOURCEBOOK #2 (OF 3) HASBRO HEROES SOURCEBOOK #2 (OF 3) SUB VAR HAWKEYE #9 HILLBILLY #7 INFINITY GAUNTLET TP [R] INFINITY WAR TP [R] INJECTION #14 CVR A SHALVEY & BELLAIRE INJECTION #14 CVR B SHALVEY & BELLAIRE INJUSTICE 2 #7 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #9 [R] INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #9 [R] IRON FIST #6 JAMES BOND #6 CVR A REARDON JAMES BOND #6 CVR B MASTERS JAMES BOND #6 CVR C ZIRCHER JESSICA JONES #11 JUNGLE FANTASY ANNUAL 2017 BEAUTIFIED VIXENS CVR JUNGLE FANTASY SURVIVORS #3 SULTRY CVR JUSTICE LEAGUE #25 [R] JUSTICE LEAGUE #26 JUSTICE LEAGUE #26 VAR ED KISS #10 (OF 10) CVR A STRAHM KISS #10 (OF 10) CVR C PHOTO KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #245 LADY DEATH REVELATIONS ILLUSTRATED #1 LADY MECHANIKA TP VOL 02 TABLET OF DESTINIES [R] LARKS KILLER #1 (OF 7) CVR A BARTEL LAZARUS X PLUS 66 #1 (OF 6) [R] LOBSTER JOHNSON MANGEKYO ONE SHOT LOCKJAW DOG DAYS TP LOVE & ROCKETS MAGAZINE #3 MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS ULTRON REVOLUTION #12 MARVELS THOR RAGNAROK PRELUDE #3 (OF 4) MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS 2017 ANNUAL #1 [R] MMW SAVAGE SHE-HULK HC VOL 01 MONSTERS UNLEASHED #4 [R] NEW GODS SPECIAL #1 NICK FURY #5 NIGHTWING #26 NIGHTWING #26 VAR ED OPTIMUS PRIME #9 CVR A ZAMA [R] PAPER GIRLS TP VOL 03 PLANET OF APES GREEN LANTERN #1 MAIN CVR [R] PLANET OF APES GREEN LANTERN #2 MAIN CVR [R] PREDATOR HUNTERS #4 PREDATOR HUNTERS #4 VELASCO VAR PREDATOR LIFE AND DEATH TP [R] RAPTURE #3 CVR B JONES [R] REBORN HC ROBYN HOOD THE HUNT #1 CVR A CHEN ROBYN HOOD THE HUNT #1 CVR B RIVEIRO ROBYN HOOD THE HUNT #1 CVR C MEGURO ROBYN HOOD THE HUNT #1 CVR D LILLY ROCKET GIRL #8 ROM VS TRANSFORMERS SHINING ARMOR #1 CVR A MILNE [R] SAMARITAN VERITAS #3 SAVAGE THINGS #6 (OF 8) SECRET EMPIRE #6 (OF 10) [R] SEVEN TO ETERNITY #8 CVR A OPENA & HOLLINGSWORTH SEVEN TO ETERNITY #8 CVR B HARREN & HOLLINGSWORTH SEX CRIMINALS #20 SEX CRIMINALS #20 XXX JOE QUINONES VAR SHADE THE CHANGING GIRL #11 VAR ED SHAOLIN COWBOY WHOLL STOP THE REIGN #4 TARTAKOVSKY [R] SIMPSONS COMICS #240 [R] SKYBOURNE #4  [R] SPIDER-MAN #19 SPIDER-MAN 2099 #25 [R] SPIDER-MAN DEADPOOL #20 STAINED #4 (OF 5) CVR A MORRIS STAR TREK WAYPOINT #6 CVR A HARDMAN STAR TREK WAYPOINT #6 CVR B WHALEN STAR WARS DARTH VADER #4 STAR WARS DARTH VADER #4 ALBUQUERQUE VAR STAR WARS ROGUE ONE ADAPTATION #5 (OF 6) SUICIDE SQUAD TP VOL 01 THE BLACK VAULT (REBIRTH) [R] SUPERMAN #28 SUPERMAN #28 VAR ED SUPERMAN THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN TP NEW ED [R] SWORDQUEST #2 CVR C RUBI TMNT ONGOING #73 CVR A SMITH TMNT ONGOING #73 CVR B EASTMAN TRUE BELIEVERS KIRBY 100TH BLACK PANTHER #1 TRUE BELIEVERS KIRBY 100TH CAPTAIN AMERICA LIVES A UMBRELLA ACADEMY TP VOL 01 APOCALYPSE SUITE [R] UMBRELLA ACADEMY TP VOL 02 DALLAS [R] UNHOLY #5 ARGENT ADULT EXTREME CVR UNHOLY #5 FEMME FATALES CVR UNSTOPPABLE WASP #8 VISION DIRECTORS CUT #3 (OF 6) WALKING DEAD #170 WICKED & DIVINE #29 CVR A MCKELVIE & WILSON [R] WINNEBAGO GRAVEYARD #2 (OF 4) CVR A SAMPSON [R] WINNEBAGO GRAVEYARD #2 (OF 4) CVR B RUBIN [R] WOODS #34 X-FILES ORIGINS II DOG DAYS OF SUMMER #2 (OF 4) CV X-MEN BLUE #8 SE [R] X-MEN GOLD #8 SE [R] X-MEN GOLD #9 ZOMBIE TRAMP ORIGINS #2 CVR B MENDOZA RISQUE ZOMBIE TRAMP ORIGINS #2 CVR D SEXY RISQU ZOMBIE TRAMP ORIGINS #2 CVR F RISQUE GORY

Night Flight Comics—6222 South State Street Latest Arrivals: Wednesday—August 2nd 2017

[book-picks-for-pride]

PRIDE MONTH FANTASY/SCI-FI PICKS FOR YA

Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy(Lumberjanes (Collected Editions) #1) by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, Brooke A. Allen(Illustrator)

At Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's camp for hard-core lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together... And they're not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen.

That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right.

Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here — it's their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up.

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson

There are a few things Henry Denton knows, and a few things he doesn’t.

Henry knows that his mom is struggling to keep the family together, and coping by chain-smoking cigarettes. He knows that his older brother is a college dropout with a pregnant girlfriend. He knows that he is slowly losing his grandmother to Alzheimer’s. And he knows that his boyfriend committed suicide last year.

What Henry doesn’t know is why the aliens chose to abduct him when he was thirteen, and he doesn’t know why they continue to steal him from his bed and take him aboard their ship. He doesn’t know why the world is going to end or why the aliens have offered him the opportunity to avert the impending disaster by pressing a big red button.

But they have. And they’ve only given him 144 days to make up his mind.

The question is whether Henry thinks the world is worth saving. That is, until he meets Diego Vega, an artist with a secret past who forces Henry to question his beliefs, his place in the universe, and whether any of it really matters. But before Henry can save the world, he’s got to figure out how to save himself, and the aliens haven’t given him a button for that.

The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1) by Rick Riordan

How do you punish an immortal?

By making him human.

After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour.

But Apollo has many enemies—gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go... an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Ash by Malinda Lo

Cinderella retold

In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their difference, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles' mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess.

But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy and fulfill his destiny. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the story of how he and his best friend , Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa.

To make matters worse, Austin's hormones are totally oblivious; they don't care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation. He's stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it's up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

What if you aren’t the Chosen One?

The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?

What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.

Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.

Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions...